Updated Rules & FAQ for Padfoot Fest 2026
Padfoot Fest is a fanfiction & fanart festival dedicated to SIRIUS BLACK, a fictional character from the Harry Potter series. Sirius Black must feature as the main character in all works created for this festival
The mods of Padfoot Fest strongly disapprove of AI-generated content in fandom and creative space. We do not allow ANY AI-Generated content. In-part or whole. That means you cannot use any AI-powered software for your submission â for writing, idea generation, or copyediting. If there is a strong suspicion that AI-generated content has been submitted, we will first reach out to the author/artist and talk to them privately and directly. If there continues to be suspicion of AI use, the response will likely include rejecting the work from the collection and the author/artist will be banned from participating in future rounds of the fest.
What is the minimum length requirement for fic? All fic entries must have the minimum of 1000 words. There is no maximum word count. Do I have to use a fic beta? Although it is always preferred, betas are not a must. The mods will look through all fic and let you know if there are any issues. What ratings are allowed? Anything from G to E is allowed (G-NC-17).  Are threesomes/moresomes allowed? Yes. As long as Sirius is the main character, you can have him involved in any type of relationship. Are all genres allowed? Yes. We want it all, angst, fluff, space AU! As long as Sirius is involved, anything flies. Is dead dove allowed (both for prompts and final works)? Yes. Since all the ratings are allowed, and dead dove falls within M or E category, it is absolutely allowed, whether it is submitted as a prompt or a final work. If you wish to sign-up for our fest, please remember that because this fest is open to deal with mature subjects (and possible dead dove), you might come across such a prompt in our prompt list which is left completely uncensored. We expect all participants to take responsibility for curating their own experiences within the fest. I like more than one prompt, may I claim more than one? Of course! However, we do require you to finish your first prompt before claiming a second. Can I claim my own prompt? Yes! Self-prompting is allowed. You can either leave it to the destiny, submit a prompt and then try to claim it hoping you are the first one to request it, or you can opt to sign-up by requesting âcreator's choiceâ which is a self-prompt, that you will have to specify in your reply to the confirmation email for the fest mods. How many times may a prompt be claimed? Each prompt can only be claimed once for each type of media. This means one prompt can be claimed twice only if it's for fic and for art. No two fics or two artworks can be made for the same prompt. How many prompts can I submit? As many as you can come up with. The more the better. A large and varied selection of prompts is never a bad thing. For every new prompt you have to submit a new form. Can I claim a prompt even if I havenât submitted one? Submitting a prompt is not a requirement for claiming one. Can I submit a prompt(s) even if Iâm not going to write for the fest? Of course! May I submit a story which is part of an existing series or a WIP? There should be no WIPs. When you submit the story, it needs to be complete (as either be one-shot or a multi-chapter, but it has to be finished). If you decide to write more after the fest is over, thatâs absolutely allowed! I finished my entry early. May I submit it early? After you have finished your fic, you can upload it on the ao3 collection yourself (https://archiveofourown.org/collections/Padfoot_Fest_2026). Once you have submitted the first entry, you can fill out the claim form again, requesting the second entry. Will you grant extensions? Of course! If you find you need an extension, or even think you may need an extension, please email us. I need to drop out. What should I do? In case you canât finish, need to drop out (whatever the reason, we understand RL and muses get in the way), please email us on [email protected] as soon as possible.
All works will be posted on our fest ao3 collection. This is an anonymous fest, and there will be a posting schedule (which will be kept internal and unrevealed) - works will be posted at different times than their submission. Please add the account of padfootfest as a co-author, so we can change the posting date (which will most likely be different to your work submission date) to the correct one to ensure the most visibility (your work will come up at the top of the ao3 search if it has the current posting date). We will remove the padfootfest account once the authors are revealed and your work appears on your own account. Thank you for your understanding.Â
