Cap_Ironman Big Bang!

[valtyr]

Hi all! After the success of the Reverse Big Bang, we think it's time to run another Big Bang. A not-reversed one.

This would follow the standard format of writers writing, submitting a summary, and then artists claiming summaries to do art for. Then, artists, uh, arting, and then they pick a post date and post on it.

The fics would be expected to follow the guidelines for fic posted to this comm - to wit, "Just be sure that in fics, Steve and Tony are one of your main pairings or at least very prominent characters." Gen fics about Steve and Tony are accepted, but fics that focus on Steve and Tony in other ships are not. A fic about how Steve and Tony rebuild their friendship after Avengers Prime, with background Steve/Sharon, is fine, but a fic about how Steve and Sharon rebuild their relationship with Tony in the background is not.

Projected timeline:

April 10: Author sign-ups open.
April 30: Author sign-ups close.
May, June, July: writers write.
July 31st: Drafts and summaries due.
August 1st: Summaries posted for artists to claim, and mod emails draft and puts artist and author in touch.
August: Artists art
August 31st: Artist and author pair pick posting date in September
September: Fics and art posted, much rejoicing.

I thought an artist sign-up wasn't really necessary? Just, artists show up and pick?

Anyway, the reason I'm posting this early is to get general comm input on whether the timeline works, whether there are any colossal flaws in the plan, etc. Also, how long should the minimum wordcount be? 20k? 30k? 50k? Tell me your thoughts. If I don't get anyone's thoughts, I'll have to use my own, and then we will all be sorry.

Comments

[chibifukurou]

I'd say 20-25K. I know a lot of people feel they get better fics if there is a larger word count. But this is sign up is so late in the year that people will have already signed up for other Big Bangs

I've already signed up to write a 25K Avengers story of the scifi/fantasy Bigbang. And I'm guessing that other people will have signed up to write Steve/Tony fic for the AU_Big Bang. Since three or four people wrote for that last year.

[valtyr]

Thanks for alerting me to AU Big Bang! *runs to sign up*

[dinahqueen.livejournal.com]

I thought 20k would be a pretty good minimum word count too. I've not signed up for any big bangs yet, but considering 20k is longer than the longest fic I've ever written... xD

I probably will be participating in this.

Is there anything against someone writing for the big bang and also doing art for another story that's been posted?

(I am interested in this, so I hope it happens!)

[valtyr]

Yeah, we do tend towards shorter fics in this fandom.

You're perfectly fine to sign up for both! Just be realistic about what you'll have time for. :)

[cookinguptales.livejournal.com]

20k-25k also sounds fine to me. I mean, we just had a reverse bang and a secret santa, so I think some people might be a little burned out. A somewhat lower wordcount might bring in more people. And come on, let's be honest. The people who write epics are still gonna write epics.

I miiiiight sign up? School will be over by the time sign ups close, so I'll know by then what my summer plans are. If it's all open, then there's at least one long fic on my shelf...

[valtyr]

The cure for burnout is more writing. But 20-25 seems to be favourite so far.

You should definitely sign up! :D You'll have months.

[grand-duc.livejournal.com]

urgh. I feel like I want to sign up but even the lowest word count is more than I have ever written. + I don't really have a plot, + I'm a really slow writter.... I might offer art?

[valtyr]

Art is good! But remember, you have lots of time to write it, and you have time to think of a plot. It might be worth giving it a try. :)

[penumbren]

I am SO IN.

20 - 25k would probably be a good minimum. Not that I suspect some of us will go far, far over it or anything. >.> <.<

(Side note: After I finished Indelible, I got curious about long fics in this fandom. I can't remember the exact number to save my life, but I think there were about... 10? 15? that went over 20k.)

I'm already doing Avengers AU for the SFF Big Bang. And now I'm eyeing the AU Big Bang. Dammit.

[valtyr]

I would have thought more than that? There were ten for the last BB two years ago, and half a dozen by Elspeth and Seachai, and Mucca and Tsukinofaerii and I have all done big bangs since then, and going back further there's Kijikun's fic and the Moth fic.

You did see the last BB, right? Some of them were never posted to the main comm.

:D I'm doing SFF Big Bang as well! And AU Big Bang! Three in one year is totally doable. AU is only 15k, that's nothing.

[flufflenecharka.livejournal.com]

I am in, having looked up what the heck a Big Bang is because I am a fandom newb and there was no link in your post explaining what a BB is. But yeah, I have a beta and a concept and this is a wonderfully enabling excuse that gives me time to procrastination as well.

[valtyr]

Awesome, sorry I didn't make it clear! Keep an eye out for the signup post on the comm. :)

[marinarusalka.livejournal.com]

Question: would crossover or fusion stories be allowed for this?

Not sure yet if I'll be able to sign up, but 20-25K sounds like a good minimum. Ambitious, but not too indimidating.

[valtyr]

Sure! If we'd allow it on the comm we'll allow it for the BB, basically. We've not got a lot of crossovers or fusions in the fandom, would be nice to see some.

[arysteia.livejournal.com]

I have Important Stuff to do first, as you know, *g*, but July does sound doable. I'll be holding off to the penultimate second to commit but I am keen.

As a constructive rather than bitchy aside, are you going to ban the people that defaulted last time? I felt so sad for their artists.

[valtyr]

:D Although if it is a choice between you finishing the auction fic and signing up for this, I would totally be happy to wait! You wouldn't want me to lose out on reading a 25k+ Steve/Tony by you because I bought an auction fic from you, right? Bad message to send. :(

:)

Um, not sure! I don't actually know who defaulted, even, I would have to check as muccamukk ran that one. What do people think?

[savemoony.livejournal.com]

Summer's the perfect time!

[valtyr]

We figured end of summer is probably the best time for people to get all panicky about finishing up, lol.

[muccamukk]

Probably won't sign up, have too many commitments already, but will totally cheerlead.

[dangwhyme.livejournal.com]

Oh, this is kind of perfect for me. I think I'll give it a go. I've been writing a fic for a while now (my first fic, gosh!) and it's already over 30k. I'll only need a beta reader, preferably a grammar nazi one since english is not my first language. And just like dinahqueen, I might sign up to do art too. I'd like that.

Also, 20/25k sounds good to me.

[valtyr]

You have excellent English, I would never have guessed. We have so many people in this fandom who don't have English as a first language, writing great fic in English. Jealous of all your mad language skills!

The general rule for a BB is you have to write the wordcount between sign-up and posting, so if you have a 30k fic now, you would be expected to add 20/25k to it before posting. If you're not sure your fic will stretch to that, you might want to consider starting a different one - give it some thought and decide what will work best for you. And awesome, you have lovely art!

[savemoony.livejournal.com]

Question: Can we write a pseudo-threesome? The story would be Steve/Tony, but Steve does spend some time with another, and it gets kind of... creepy as we it goes on.

[valtyr]

Sure, as long as Steve and Tony are one of the main pairings - or involved in the main ship, if it's a threesome/moresome.

[silver-autumn.livejournal.com]

Awesome! I had fun during the reverse big bang!

[valtyr]

I shall expect to see you signing up, then. :D

Just so I have this straight...

[milliondreams.livejournal.com]

Writers need a 20,000-word story, starring Cap and Tony, finished by August. Then artists draw them a picture. There isn't a specific verse involved, nor a specific plotline. Are crossovers or non-canon verses allowed? Because I might actually write my Earth-3682155 Getting Them Together Goddammit Because The Sexual Tension Is Killing Me story, or one where S&T are verse-hopping for some unknown reason...

Yep. Signing up. And finishing it, dammit, even if you forcibly PM me daily and I get bored.

Re: Just so I have this straight...

[elspethdixon.livejournal.com]

You should probably wait for a mod's opinion, but I think you'd be okay with an AU - valtyr said here (http://community.livejournal.com/cap_ironman/630248.html?thread=8420584#t8420584) that crossover fic was fine and that if it's allowed on the com it would be allowed in the big bang.

[elspethdixon.livejournal.com]

Oooh, on the slim chance that we're finished with the fic that never ends by the sign-up deadline, we'll definitely enter.

I remember a lot of wank about whether gen fic and fic with non Steve/Tony pairings should/shouldn't be allowed in the first big bang (plus all that wank about whether non-Steve/Tony fics were allowed on the com at all), so thanks for clarifying that gen fic is allowed too right off the bat. I always thought het fic like you described with Steve/Sharon in it was against comm rules unless it ended in Steve/Tony because mostly-gen with canon het's been against the rules on so many other slash comms I've been on, which shows how utterly oblivious I am -- maybe we should pull out our original big bang fic outline for the first big bang that we had to scrap because it never got past pre-slash and dust it off.

[valtyr]

Awesome. :D Finish, finish!

Yeah, I think the wank was mainly a result of people getting confused over what was allowed and then it all spiralled, so being as clear as possible seemed best.

We have "Essentially either CANON us, or SLASH away <3" in the profile, and "Steve and Tony are one of your main pairings or at least very prominent characters," which certainly seems to allow for gen fic and background canon pairings - I don't really ship them with anyone but each other, but I'd be very sad to miss out on an awesome friendship/bonding fic just because Tony goes on some dates with Rumiko in the background. I mean, obviously the canon ship shouldn't be the focus of the fic, but I'd like to think most of us here love them even when it's just bromance and not romance. :)

[alterai.livejournal.com]

Ah, this would be fun! I have a plot bunny for an AU of sorts that's been bugging me forever, so maybe this will make me actually sit down abd write it *g*

As for word count, I'm thinking maybe more towards the low end? That way writers always have the option of going over and won't have to panic too much about not making it. Plus it'd give us Big Bang newbs a less intimidating benchmark.

[valtyr]

Awesome! Yes, I think we'll go for 25k, as we want as many newbies as possible to play. :)

[improvinspi.livejournal.com]

I have a question; I’m a watcher of this community but not a member due to my late birthday and livejournal being stupid, so I was wondering if it’s ok for none members to participate in this challenge? I would like to do art but is it possible to make it work with posting my work and getting a draft and so on without me having to create a new account just to do it?

[valtyr]

Sure, no reason why not - people will be hosting their fic elsewhere (as LJ's character limits would mean comm spam), and it'll just be a masterpost on the comm, so your artist can do it, or even a mod if neither of you are members.

[m-steelgrave.livejournal.com]

Oh, man. I'll definitely sign up for art, and maaaybe fic? It depends on how busy my summer's going to be, and I'll know more about that soon.

[truthiness-aura.livejournal.com]

Derpy question: what happens with a posted draft/summary? Is that primarily so that artists can choose the works they'd like to draw for?

[valtyr]

The draft is just to prove you have actually done a fic, so I can relax a bit. :) I post the summaries, and artists bag them.

[tsukinofaerii.livejournal.com]

I think an artist sign up is handy for modding purposes? So you know what you're looking at numbers-wise and are prepared for contingencies. Artists are usually harder to find than writers. :(

We already know you'll rope me into it, so I'm just saying that 25k sounds good to me.

[valtyr]

Last time we had twice as many artists as writers! Not even kidding. The things about artist sign-ups is if we do them in the beginning, people may have moved on three months later, and if we do them late, we might as well just have them come in and claim?

[xueyie.livejournal.com]

I think 20 K is the maximum I can deal with, but good luck to the others!

[flufflenecharka.livejournal.com]

Do a mini-rewrite, then; go back and add details, go back and add more characters thoughts throughout and if possible slip in some forshadowing and extend some scenes a bit. This is what I do as a late night insomnia-is-my-master hobby, and I can assure you it's possible to add in 5k to a story that way. You may surprise yourself with what you can come up with if you really try.

[anruiukimi.livejournal.com]

I'm already behind on my ST fic series, but I will contemplate this for a few days. Hmm. Word lengths generally aren't a problem with me, my aforementioned ST series is already at 200k. xD

[valtyr]

:D It'll be keeping it from raging out of control that's difficult, yes?

[dorcas-gustine.livejournal.com]

20K sounds good.

QUESTION! I have this WIP I have never "published" before and it's just sitting there in my Gdocs waiting for some kind of miracle. If I sign up for the Big Bang, can I use that, or is it cheating?

[valtyr]

:D yay! Anything that hasn't been published already. LET US BE YOUR MIRACLE.

[jadedoll.livejournal.com]

Can. Not. Resist. The. Lure.

Deal me in. :)

[valtyr]

:D Awesome! Signups will open on the tenth, so keep watching the comm!

[gaypornninja.livejournal.com]

I actually have a story that would work perfectly for this but I am too embarrassed to write it. I guess there is a first time for everything.

[valtyr]

Nooo, write it anyway! Dollars to doughnuts it won't be the most out-there thing we've had on the comm. :D