Ficathon Poll!

[lls_mutant]

twelvecolonies just finished with a challenge that I had suggested, write a ficlet between two characters who have never exchanged a word on screen. In her infinite wisdom, nicole_anell said that this should be a ficathon. I totally agree, so let's run one!

Here's what I'm thinking as far as rules:

1.) A deadline two months after the start date, just because people tend to actually write fic with deadlines, whereas if you leave it too open ended they forget.

2.) Some sort of prompt list- even if it's just a list of characters? Maybe some additional prompts to go with them, but specific prompts. Not things like "Baltar/Sweet!Eight, between the sheets" but "Baltar/Sweet!Eight, a conversation on the basestar". I'm thinking a lot like the setup for lgbtfest

3.) No porn without plot. Sexually explicit material would be perfectly permissible, but it just has to have the plot, since that's the point of the challenge.

4.) I am currently thinking not an exchange, since that way it's a totally low maintenance challenge, and if people can write, great, and if they find they can't, they can drop with no consequences. I'm also thinking after bsg_bigbang finishes, especially since people are going back to school and everything.

[Poll #1603563]

Anyway, I'm thinking it could be fun! If anyone's got any suggestions or any big fandom events I'm missing, please let me know in the comments. And please pimp this one out, especially if you're one of the people on my list that's not a gaeta_squee person. (Nothing against the awesome Gaeta girls, just that we tend to be a fairly insular group.)

Comments

[gehayi.livejournal.com]

Single fandom or multifandom?

Are crossovers allowed?

[lls-mutant.livejournal.com]

I'd really just considered it for BSG, but multifandom could be fun.

Regardless, crossovers would not be allowed. The point of the ficathon would be to work with two characters who could have spoken or had a storyline, but never did on screen/on the page.

[nicole-anell.livejournal.com]

SQUEEE, I am so happy someone is getting behind this idea because I don't think I could've done it myself! Though I'll help in any way you need and totally participate. *bounces excitedly*

[lls-mutant.livejournal.com]

I think I'm gonna go as low maintenance as possible :) I don't have the energy to chase down people who are flaking on a commitment!

What do you think about prompts- should we have people submit? I'm kind of thinking yes, because this is the kind of thing where people get triggered by an interesting thought, but at the same time, I don't want the prompt list to become overwhelming.

[nicole-anell.livejournal.com]

I definitely like the idea of prompts, whether vague or specific (a setting/idea/conversation topic) and I think it's especially helpful in this case because we should get a nice big list going of characters who haven't had a scene together. It's definitely an idea that benefits from people making suggestions and being triggered by pairs they hadn't thought of.

[geekbynight.livejournal.com]

Hee, this has got me really, really excited. The other night I actually wrote down a list of just combinations that never interacted. I'm all for this.

[plaid-slytherin.livejournal.com]

I think this sounds like an amazing idea. I definitely agree with the idea of using prompts. I think it's hard to do anything with just two characters who have no overt connection, but I do really, really love this idea. After big bang is absolutely best for me. I have a ficathon fic in another fandom due in October but I should be done with that by the time the big bangs are posted so that's a fine date to start for.

[grey-sw.livejournal.com]

This sounds fantastic! XD

Suggestions: I think you should accept prompts in one post (people always have tons of brilliant ideas), and then allow people to write for the prompts and post fic/link-to-fic as a comment to another post, sort of like the pornbattle. That format tends to produce the most work, as authors bounce off each other's stories.

Maybe you could give the two-month deadline, make the submission post, and give people another week to play?

[prophetkristy.livejournal.com]

Awesome idea!!! I'm thinking it could just be a comment meme type of dealie. (like what grey suggests)

[millari.livejournal.com]

Since it seems like you're thinking of having prompts that suggest a single scene, a conversation, it perhaps makes sense to run it like the pornbattle - comment fic style, as a couple of people have suggested. I agree that it seems to produce the most work and generate the most watching. Plus, once you made a master list of prompts, your work would be done.

I'm all for this. I'm looking forward to seeing what work gets produced from it.

[lorrainemarker.livejournal.com]

I would love the comment fic - pornbattle style. There's no pressure to write something long, it generates lots of ideas, and is fairly low maintenance.