Finish What You Started 2026 Spring Event Rules
[ID, same as alt: Event Rules on a blue background. "No new projects. Any medium and any fandom welcome - No Al content allowed. NSFW inclusive, warnings must be tagged. Tag #FinishWhatYouStarted2026; boosting/retweeting starts March 13th. Event ends April 30th, 2026." End ID.]
The goal of this event is to get things done that you’ve already started. We all have unfinished projects whose incomplete status haunts us. Those are what we want to tackle!
The structure is loose, as this is a multimedia event. While primarily aimed at writers, this event is open to any kind of creative fanwork. Fics, translations, podfics, fanart, animations, cosplay - if you started it and never got it done, it qualifies. There is no sign-up required. I will not assign beta readers for writers, but I can boost requests for those who want them! And I can boost messages of those who would like to beta read.
The mod is a danmei fan mainly, but your work can be any fandom. Maybe something you started before your current fandom excitement took over, or one you keep putting off in favor of compelling new ideas.
Feel free to pass this event info along! The more the merrier!
Further rules and clarifications:
Alt text is very encouraged, especially for boost posts or artwork! Remember, alt text is searchable (so much as anything ever is on this site), so it can help more people find your work as well as letting vision- and internet-impaired fans enjoy it (which is its main purpose).
For the safety of participants with epilepsy, any video or gif with flashing lights or bright colors that change rapidly must be tagged "flashing cw" or "flashing lights." Visual mediums with bright, vivid colors against very dark backgrounds should be tagged "eyestrain".
Machine Generated or “AI” images and writing are not permitted. If you are found in violation of this rule, you will be removed from the event. All images, writing, or other works must be your own. Also banned are manipulations of others' works using in-built "AI" manipulation tools, such as on Discord or X/Twitter.
This is a positive, shared space. Do not belittle other creators’ medium of choice. Please no fandom/character/ship/creator bashing, and don’t berate artists or authors for not being done with something, even if they don’t finish by the end of the event. Also, please don’t passive-aggressively send this event to the author of an unfinished fic you want to see done faster. 😥 Be cool, respect each other, and keep any interpersonal disagreements to your own tumblrsphere.
If your work is NSFW, I will only boost it if it has appropriate content warnings. Spoilering images where available is recommended but not required as long as it’s tagged.
Do not letter-swap or abbreviate content warnings. These are so people can mute them as needed. Example: “gore” not “g0re”
Please use genderbend or genderswap for characters depicted not as canon genders.
Please use Omegaverse or A/O/B for that content. The original letter order is a slur against Aboriginal peoples and will not be tolerated here, even with the slashes. It, like other racial or identity-based slurs, fall under hate speech and are thus not permitted.
Remember Tumblr can mute/filter phrases, but each warning should be its own tag as well as in the body. Example of Tumblr tagging: “#NSFW #genderbend #gore”
This account will post weekly morale-boosting messages and helpful resources on Tuesdays. Every Friday, starting March 13th, will be Finished It Friday. All the completed works posted that week will be boosted together in a big thread, so we can celebrate your accomplishment!
Halfway-point check-in is April 1st. Final event deadline is April 30th. The last Finished It Friday is May 8th.
All posts and boosts will be crossposted to the event bsky (finishwatustart) and Discord. Expanded rules, explanations, and Dead Dove guidelines can also be found on the Discord. (invite link in pinned post)
Fics can be posted to the AO3 collection (archiveofourown(dot)org /collections /FinishWhatYouStarted2026_Spring)
Work-in-progress posts should be tagged #FinishWhatYouStarted2026 . If you complete a wip within the event, tag it #IFinishedWhatIStarted2026 for boosting so we can all celebrate!
Q: Are original works acceptable?
A: This is primarily a fanwork-focused event, however we have many participants who work on non-fandom or original projects, especially in the physical crafting sphere. If it is posted publicly when finished, you may tag it for boosting.
Q: Are there any restrictions on topics?
A: No, so long as your event post is properly & fully tagged for content (see rules about tagging above, as well as the Tools Tuesday post with tagging recommendations). "Dead Dove” topics are allowed. Some submissions will be 18+. For me, this is less about the content and more about finishing it.
There are also some topics that are in poor taste to make fanworks around. The event organizer and mods reserve the right to not boost your work if they decide it is rage-baiting or trolling. They are not responsible for negative reactions to your works. Please be respectful of those you share a digital space with.
Q: Are there any restrictions on media that can be submitted?
A. All content created must be your own and must abide from other stated rules. The usual restrictions based on laws and Community Guidelines of course apply, so you may need to tailor how you post to which event space your interacting with. Discord, Tumblr, and bsky all have their own rules.
Keep in mind that when I link to your finished work during a Finished It Friday, it may reach a wider audience than you may be used to.
Q: Can multiple works be submitted?
A: Of course! Work on and complete as few or as many works as you are able to. There are no minimums nor maximums.
Find more information and community on the Discord, if you want! Joining the Discord is not required for the event. As always, if you have questions, don’t hesitate to reach out!