Possible community activities... and a poll!

[garrideb.livejournal.com]

Now that we're going into our second year as mods, we've decided to get a bit more active with community activities. We'd love to plan the challenges, fests, and posts that make you excited to be a Steve/Tony fan and inspire you to create the most excellent of fic, art, and meta. But we realized we don't know what kinds of challenges, fests, and posts excite and inspire you the most. Hence, a poll!


Big Bang
Artists and writers both sign up. The writers must write a long fic - a minimum word count could be decided by poll, but generally the lowest minimum is 10,000 words - and before posting the fic, they are paired with an artist who creates a work based on the story. Then the fic and art are posted simultaneously for everyone to enjoy.

Perfect for: Writers with ambition and stamina. Artists who get inspired when reading fic and who can create on a deadline.

Reverse Big Bang
This one starts with artists who create a fanart. Then writers are paired with an art piece which they use as inspiration for a fic. Word count minimums are generally lower for this challenge, but again we could poll to decide on that.

Perfect for: Artists who feel that there are plot-filled stories behind their art. Writers who like prompts in art format.

Flash Fic Post/Drabble-Off
Every so often (perhaps once a month) we could have a themed post in which people could post drabbles or flash fic that fit that theme. For those unfamiliar with the terms, drabbles are generally defined as stories of exactly 100 words, and flash fic is generally defined as very short stories and is often synonymous with the terms 'comment fic' and 'ficlet'. Definitions vary, however. I have seen epic drama over the definition of drabble.

Similarly, we could host a monthly drabble-off, in which one writes a drabble (or flash fic) and ends it with a prompt for the next person. The next person writes a flash fic using that prompt and posts it as a reply, again ending with a prompt. With a large group like ours, one long chain of flash fic would be hard to maintain, so multiple fills to a given prompt would be welcome.

Perfect for: Fans of the art of capturing a story in one comment box. Fans of the take-a-prompt, leave-a-prompt sensibility of kinkmemes.

Monthly Prompts
There was a 12 Month Challenge in 2009, but it didn't get too far off the ground. If people feel like giving this another go, we'd create a list of prompts - one for each month - and fans could post art, fic, icons and meta for each prompt during that month. This differs from the flash fic post in that the fic can be as short or long as you want, and that you post it straight to the comm rather than in a comment to another post. It would be similar to the popular Fairytale Challenge, except that the prompts would change each month.

Perfect for: Authors and artists looking for inspiration, but who balk at word count restrictions.

Bingo Cards
Upon signing up, a fan receives a Bingo card created from a list of prompts. Each Bingo box has a prompt in it, and a fans mark off each box as they fill the prompt through fic or art, aiming to fill in a whole row or column to 'win'.

Perfect for: Fans who like to choose from a variety of prompts. Fans who really love playing Bingo.

Round Robins
These are something I've noticed a lot more in older fandoms. Are they out of style? You decide. Basically, one fan starts a story and writes a few paragraphs to a couple pages. Then the next fan takes up the reins and continues the story a bit longer. Then the next fan goes. Generally people sign up beforehand and are assigned a place on a list, so that writers aren't stepping on each other's toes. Fans agree on restrictions before starting so that all those signed up are comfortable writing their section.

Perfect for: Fans who like creative interaction. Fans who are flexible with plot twists.

Exquisite Corpse
Kind of like a round robin for fan artists. I suggested this last year and got absolutely no response, but hey, maybe some surrealism fans have joined since then. There are a lot of ways to play this, but I think the easiest way would be to start with one person drawing part of a picture, then sending only the very edge of that picture on to the next person to continue, who would then cover up all but the edge of hir drawing. Meanwhile, the complete sections are sent to one person who assembles them into a whole, bizarre, surreal picture. Here are some Google search results to give you some idea of what this game can produce.

Perfect for: Fans who like creative interaction. Artists who like odd art.

Remix Challenge
Everyone who signs up for this offers some or all of their fanfic body of work to be remixed. That means that you find a designated fic that interests you, and you redo it, twisting it in some way to make it similar and yet completely different. Maybe it's the same events from a different POV, or more of a What If? where one small change affects the outcome of the original fic. Maybe it's a similar story in a different genre. The possibilities are endless.

Perfect for: Fans who wish there were no fandom taboos against writing fanfiction of fanfiction.

Podfic Challenge
As far as I know, Steve/Tony fandom has very little - if any - podfic. We could change this by holding a fest where authors and podficcers pair up to produce podfic. We'd also post tutorials and links to help those interested in podcasting for the first time.

Perfect for: Fans who love to listen.

Rec Week (or Fortnight)
Each day of the week a post will be made for a designated a genre or theme, i.e., Fluff, Dark, Smut, Adventure, etc. Then, on that day, you can rec fics that fit that theme in the comments of that post. At the end of the week, all the recs will be compiled into one easy-to-read rec post. This is designed to connect newer fans with older fic, and to give lesser-known fic a larger audience.

Perfect for: Fans who want everyone to read their favorite stories.

Off-Topic Posts
Every week we could post entries where fans can chat about things that are not Steve, Tony, or Steve/Tony. This might help build a sense of community, break the ice for new members, and encourage lurkers to say hi.

Perfect for: Fans who like Steve/Tony but are shy about talking about comics. Fans who want to get to know other Steve/Tony fans better.

Discussion Posts
Similarly, we could have discussion posts that aren't necessarily about Steve/Tony, but could be a place for ficwriters, fanartists, betas, graphics creators, comic readers, etc, to just talk about something that affects them as a Steve/Tony fan or simply as a member of fandom. This category would also include challenges for comm members to create meta/squee posts about other facets of Marvel, like our recent Women of Captain America and Iron Man challenge. We might do one for Avengers that Time Forgot, or favorite Cap & Iron Man villains, or ask members to recap older story arcs.

Perfect for: Fans who like to spread the love through meta. Fans who are looking to learn more about the Marvel universe. Fans who want to discuss the process behind fanworks.

Chat Sessions
Every so often we could schedule a Cap_Ironman community chat. We'd vote on a chat service or chat room, and vote on a time. Then anyone who feels like it could chat with other members in real time.

Perfect for: Fans who find LJ comment conversations unwieldily.

[Poll #1585835]

Feel free to propose your own ideas in the comments!

Comments

[tsukinofaerii.livejournal.com]

:( There is no "Ticky" ticky. This makes me sad.

I love round robins. I haven't actually been in one for years, but they're so much fun. The remix challenge looks like extra fun too. We do not have nearly enough Remixes in this fandom, IMO. (Of course, I am a big proponent of treating fanfic as a valid source in the same way we treat the canon, but it does seem to be a fandom taboo. Again, sadface. :( )

For people who aren't writers/artists... Perhaps regular posts and scans of Old School comics? Scavenger for things posted to the comm, or specific other comms. Um. Macro Contests. I would suggest a drinking game to go along with them, but that seems severely out of place with Tony and all. Badfic Idol, with posts of deliberately terrible fiction? (One case of Badfic Idol that I know of resulted in warnings of "always warn for leopard sex", soooo.)

Also... BIG BANG. (pounces) My... Precious... (snuggles it)

[strzyga.livejournal.com]

Of course, I am a big proponent of treating fanfic as a valid source in the same way we treat the canon, but it does seem to be a fandom taboo.
lol i agree, but i'm not entirely sure why it's a fandom taboo. personally i think i'd be pretty flattered if someone wrote something based off a fic of mine, honestly. and in terms of canon, half of what i know of steve and tony as characters and the avengers fandom as a whole i learned through fanfiction, lmao. fanfic tends to be how i find new fandoms.

[tsukinofaerii.livejournal.com]

If I had to guess, I would say that it's the difference in perspective between consumer and creator. I know a few fanfic writers who also do original fiction, and they treat the idea of fanfic about their novels as a horrifying but unavoidable reality. IDGI. I have not seem much meta discussion on it though.

I always get into fandoms through fanfic and other fans, though I'm wary of fanon. Steve/Tony doesn't really have that sort of problem, but I remember anime fandoms back in the day. (puts on a false Gandalf beard) Back when I was in anime, the fanon could get so thick a character would be completely warped. But at the same time, I've no interest in fandoms that don't have plenty of fanfic.

And we had to walk five miles! In the snow! Up hill both ways, just to see a poor VHS pirated version! And it didn't even have subtitles!

[arysteia.livejournal.com]

On the other hand, astolat, for example, actively encourages further fanworks based on both her fanfic and her published original fiction.

I find the hypocrisy inherent in "Don't touch my *derivative* works" staggering, personally.

[elspethdixon.livejournal.com]

Maybe people have a stronger emotional investment in their fanfic than they do in their original fic? I know I do, for example. It's much easier to hear criticism of your original work, so it's probably easier for some fans to handle the idea of fic being written about it, too.

[arysteia.livejournal.com]

I find that odd though... I think I'd be vastly more protective of *my* babies, ie the characters I invented, than those I'd filched, *g*, from someone else. Still, each to their own.

Ultimately I *do* subscribe to the idea that since we are, at our best, a community, we're more careful of each other's feelings than we are of The Man's. But as a *principle*, I'm always flabbergasted when someone who gleefully does what they will with other people's characters and worlds cries foul when someone does it to them in return.

[muccamukk]

A VHS? A VHS! You lucky bastards! We used to dream of having VHS tapes back in my Sentinel days.

We had to depend entirely on highly biased episode recaps and screen shots. Not one writer in ten had actually seen the show. The fanon evolved into a sentiant life form and chewed my leg off.

/snark.

[elspethdixon.livejournal.com]

We'd have to be careful with scans, since Marvel cracked down on scans_daily. I think it's a good idea, though. Especially if people can post some Golden Age Cap stuff - it's very difficult to find.

Ooh, or we could collectively post and mock scans from The Crossing and Heroes Reborn, as a reminder that writing and art can always be worse (unless that would offend/upset people, but I don't think there are likely to be too many people out there who are deeply attached to Liefeld art).

[garrideb.livejournal.com]

As long as we kept the scans locked to the comm, I think that would be a good idea. I know there are some story arcs I'd love to share. Also, I love your macro contest idea! That could be lots of fun.

Sorry about the lack of a 'Ticky' ticky. I think I might have been at the limit. :(

[tsukinofaerii.livejournal.com]

:( There should always be a "ticky" ticky. It should be built in to the LJ polls. This is your ticky! You shall eat with it! You shall sleep with it! When it says vote, you say, what color!