MCYTblr White Elephant

Where MCYT, fic writing, and (semi-controlled) chaos meet.

[mcytblrelephant]

Calling MCYT Fans and Fic Writers!

The MCYT White Elephant Event is a fanfiction-focused writing event with a focus on MCYT content and an unusual and ambitious format--simply, it is formatted after the White Elephant gift exchange party game, and centers around pitches, speed-writing, and even...the ability to "snipe" in-progress fic right out from under your fellow participants! We are currently looking for participants to make this event flourish.

Here is our info doc where you can find absolutely everything you need to know about the event, and our moderator application is coming very soon--but if you have further questions, feel free to swing by our blog and ask!

Schedule;

Moderator Applications Open: December 23rd Moderator Applications Close: December 30th Mods Contacted By: January 3rd Discord Server Opens | Stage 0 (Signups); January 22nd Signups Close: January 28th Stage 1 (Claims); January 31st-February 2nd (3 days) Stage 1 (Writing); February 3rd-February 9th (1 week) Stage 2 (Claims); February 10th-February 14th (5 days) Stage 2 (Writing); February 15th-February 25th (11 days) Stage 3 (Claims); February 26th-March 2nd (5 Days) Stage 3 (Writing); March 3rd-March 24th (3 weeks) Stage 4 (Claims); March 25th-March 29th (5 days) Stage 4 (Writing); March 30th-April 26th (4 weeks) Stage 5 (Reveals / Posting); April 27th-May 1st (5 days)

Bring your enthusiasm and your love for writing and MCYT; we look forward to seeing you there!

[mcytblrelephant]

MCYTBlr White Elephant is Seeking Pinch Hitters!

While posting period may start tomorrow, we still have one more work that needs a Pinch Hitter! Now, just because a work is on this list doesn't mean it hasn't had a writer at all- it just means it needs a Pinch Hitter for this go around. This pitch will need 1,000 new words for a minimum 2,500. Its due date will be May 8th.

ES02 [Fandom: Empires Season 1] [Characters: fWhip, GeminiTay, MythicalSausage, PearlescentMoon] [Relationships: fWhip & GeminiTay, fWhip & GeminiTay & MythicalSausage & PearlescentMoon] [DNW: The Wither Rose Alliance to break up or end the story on *severely* bad terms with each other.] Gem brings the dragon egg with her to a Wither Rose Alliance meeting, and while they’re all talking, fWhip accidentally breathes fire. What was originally a normal meeting descends into chaos as the alliance realizes that the Roseblings (fWhip & GeminiTay) are part dragon- something not even they knew. PHers claiming a pitch will be on a first come, first serve basis. To claim this Pinch Hit, or if you have any questions about the event or process, feel free to message the blog with the code of the Pitch you would like to claim, or message a mod through our discord server; you must join the server to participate in the event!

[mcytblrelephant]

MCYTBlr White Elephant is Seeking Pinch Hitters!

With the final writing period upon us, we have a couple works that need Pinch Hitters. Now, just because a work is on this list doesn't mean it hasn't had a writer at all- it just means it wasn't claimed this go around. Both of these pitches will need 1,000 new words each for a minimum 2,500 per pitch.

HC02 [CLAIMED!]: [Fandom: Hermitcraft, Video Blogging RPF] [Characters: impulseSV, Skizzleman] [Relationships: impulseSV/Skizzleman] [DNW: N/A] Skizz comforts an overworked Impulse. [Content Warnings: RPF, inferiority complexes]

LS02 [CLAIMED!]: [Fandom: Lifesteal] [Characters: ClownPierce, PrinceZam] [Relationships: ClownPierce & PrinceZam (QPR preferred)] [DNW: Pet injury/death | sexual content (passing jokes/references are fine) | kissing on lips | themes of suicide/self harm (self-sacrificial acts without harmful intent toward the self are fine) | amatonormative themes | bodily fluids other than blood/sweat/tears | underage/incest | extreme dysphoria for trans characters | horses/giraffes (canon presences or passing references are fine) | negativity about religion as a concept (negativity about a particular religion ie cult themes is not a strict DNW, but nothing like “I’m not an idiot, I don’t believe in any god”) | PrinceZam referred to as solely a man (I see her as genderqueer, this doesn’t have to be included but if it isn’t please don’t refer to his gender!) | strictly evil ClownPierce] The courts gather in tradition for a colosseum deathgame, and Prince Zam is determined to compete despite the expectations upon her as a member of the royal family. There's a connection with esteemed arena champion ClownPierce, who could be Zam's key to the games, and Zam may be his key to a future outside of his victories. Prince Zam's crown puts a target on his head, and the prize of defeating the champion ClownPierce motivates other hungry competitors. [Content Warnings: Graphic Depictions of Violence, death, potential self-sacrifice]

PHers claiming a pitch will be on a first come, first serve basis. To claim a Pinch Hit, or if you have any questions about the event or process, feel free to message the blog with the code of the Pitch you would like to claim, or message a mod through our discord server; you must join the server to participate in the event!

[mcytblrelephant]

have you gotten an ask on multi-character choice prompts yet? no rush to answer if so but i want to make sure it wasn't eaten

Expect an answer very soon, mods are discussing back-end logistics of this one!

[mcytblrelephant]

is any dark content (kidnapping, stalking, violence, yandere, obsession, war, grief, death, etc) allowed as long as it’s not explicit/sexual?

Good question! We disallow all works that a pitcher or writer might think warrant an "E" rating on ao3 for any reason. From our info doc; "We understand that dark and potentially triggering topics can be very common in MCYT stories; because of this, we will not be policing certain content warnings." This means that "dark" or potentially warned-for topics as you mentioned are certainly allowed in your writing and pitches, as long as they follow DNWs and do not exceed an M rating. We do ask you make a good faith effort to use content warnings, through the appropriate spots in the forms and the tags / notes of writing.

[mcytblrelephant]

how does one sign up to be a pinch hitter? do you just choose the role on the discord or is there something else to do?

Nothing else! Choosing the role in the Discord lets us know who to ping when we need Pinch Hitters; if you see a PH offer you're interested in, you'll be given guidelines on how to claim it in the Discord! You don't need to fill out the sign-up form if you just want to Pinch Hit. Participants are welcome to be Pinch Hitters as well!

[mcytblrelephant]

i'm a little unclear on how vague we're allowed to be for the prompts, you've said not to be too Specific but. does it have to have a story built into it? could it kind of just be a concept? (eg. X characters are in X situation and just leave it up to the writers what happens from there?)

Hey, thanks for asking! We would prefer a detailed setting or a loose plot (or both!), if that makes sense! So if you're unsure where you want to go as far as story, being as detailed with the setting as possible might be a good idea! Rather than just saying "superhero AU" with your provided relatoinships, you might be able to describe which characters are heroes or villains, what their roles might be in the setting, etc! Hope this helped clarify, feel free to ask further questions here or in the discord server!

[mcytblrelephant]

Discord and Signups are open!

We are ready to roll!! The discord server is now open along with the sign-up form; the schedule has been updated in the server and will be momentarily changed on the blog. Signups will be open until Tuesday the 28th at 11:59 PM EST. Once the writing period begins, there are no adjustments to the original schedule.

Thank you all for all your patience with the White Elephant event as the mod team worked out some kinks. We are so excited to have you all, let's get the fun started! (Remember, if you fill out the sign-up form, you are signed up for the event and expected to participate as an event participant. All participants must join the discord server for communication and matching reasons!)

Check out the MCYTBlr White Elephant Event community on Discord - hang out with 10 other members and enjoy free voice and text chat.

MCYTBlr White Elephant; Signup Form

This is the sign-up form for the MCYTBlr White Elephant Event! FILLING OUT THIS FORM SIGNS YOU UP FOR THE EVENT. Once you fill out this form

[mcytblrelephant]

If you make it onto more than one team during the event as a writer (like your initial claim and then your fic gets sniped so you move to another team) will you have access to both of the "team chats" you mentioned? Or just the one for the team you most recently got placed into?

Great question, sorry for the delay in answering! You will have access to all the team chats you have participated in, for sharing your work with future writers!

[mcytblrelephant]

just a thought, it would probably be a good idea to pin the main info/schedule post so it doesn't get buried under asks and other things, to make it easier for people to find

Great idea!! We've done that now!

[mcytblrelephant]

Is the discord open?

Thank you for checking in! We are working through some kinks and will keep you updated on this blog when the discord opens and / or if there are scheduling adjustments!

[mcytblrelephant]

Mods have been chosen!

If you have applied for a mod position in the MCYTBlr White Elephant exchange, please check your Discord DMs! If you have been selected for the position, you should have a DM that starts "White Elephant mod Mack message".

Please note that we had more than triple the amount of people I was allowing myself to take apply. So many qualified applicants, I would have taken everyone if I could! If you were not selected to moderate the event, we are still strongly hoping you will join us in helping the event flourish! Expect to see the server link drop and signups begin by January 13th, in a little under two weeks. Thank you!

[mcytblrelephant]

does the writer team just get their own private chat?

This is not something I have 100% set in stone yet, but as it stands right now I believe each team will have their own private channel in the discord. If you write for multiple pieces, you may be a part of multiple channels.

[mcytblrelephant]

how much of an obligation do we have to take things in the direction of where the previous authors *seem* like they’re going? Like, plot synopsis notwithstanding, are we allowed to, for example, go “actually, all of that was a dream and Milfboss would *never* do that to her friend” or “that guy you just killed? she’s actually alive!”

obviously good faith and conduct should be maintained throughout the process, but where exactly would you say that line falls ?

Good question!! This isn't something the mods are going to make a hard-line-drawn ruling on, but in the faith of good event conduct I would say plot twists and trickery are on the table as long as a good-faith effort should be maintained not to entirely undo the work of your previous writers. So something like "secret plot twist: this setting has actually been a trap!" Would be more acceptable than "secret plot twist: And all of that was just a dream the whole time and nothing anyone else did mattered!". If you are planning something really diverging, there's nothing to say you can't talk it out with your previous writers!

[mcytblrelephant]

are we allowed to specify character interpretations along discourse lines? IE, if we’re writing discduo and we want to clarify that ctommy is a point of contention for cdream because he sees him as the first crack in his perfect server where YouTube didn’t have ads yet of if we say that esmp1 Lizzie is headstrong and haughty but scared of a future where she’s alone.

That's a good question! If it's relevant to the plot and synopsis, minor characterization details may be included. (Example: "Lizzie, scared of a future where she is alone, decides to [etc etc etc]"). However, another viable solution to this might be using your DNW! Certain, non-judgemental characterization choices that might influence potential writers may be DNW'd, just like they might in another exchange. For example: "DNW: Tommy and Dream portrayed as friends": Acceptable! "DNW: Lizzie portrayed as weak and a pushover": Acceptable! "DNW: Tommy and Dream portrayed as friends because that's apologizing for abuse and totally gross": Not acceptable--this is judgemental. "DNW: Lizzie portrayed as weak and a pushover because that's not at all how she acts in canon": Not acceptable--this is judgemental. "DNW: Any Dream characterization that's not him being the all-powerful admin of a perfect server and he's protective of it and strong but doesn't want any cracks and this can make him hot-tempered and mean and he takes it out on Tommy because he's so worried". Not acceptable--this is too specific. We understand this is a fine line to walk, and this is why mods will be here to help you tailor your synopses and DNWs! We want all pitchers to be getting a piece they're satisfied with, but also to understand that you will be getting up to four authors who have up to four differing viewpoints on your piece--so if there's a character who you have very, very specific characterization opinions about and won't accept anything else, this might not be the event in which to pitch that character. Hope this answered your question; if not, feel free to send another ask or DM the blog!

[mcytblrelephant]

Moderator Applications are Open!

Hello, everybody! Second post of the day with a quick heads up; the Moderator Applications are open for the MCYTblr White Elephant Event! These apps will be open until December 30th, 2024, 11:59 PM EST. The application can be found here.

MCYTBlr White Elephant; Mod Application

Moderator Application for the MCYTBlr White Elephant Event!

Thank you for your consideration!

[mcytblrelephant]

We have just about twelve hours left in our Moderator Application process. If you wish to be considered to moderate the White Elephant event, swing by to fill out the form! Thanks!

[mcytblrelephant]

Hi! Question, how will the writing process go when it comes to having multiple writers? Will we all be expected to add each other in a Google document when ownership gets transferred/the baton gets passed? Or is there a different method you have in mind for that?

Good question! Team communication will probably be done through a channel in the discord server that only you and your team (and the mods) have access to. A communal Google document is one good way to share writing between writers, but it's certainly not the only way, and as long as all writers are able to see all the previous rounds' writing, it can be done whichever way everyone wants. As answered in a previous ask, writers should not be editing their former writers' work, so only viewing is needed. I hope this answered your question, and if you have further questions, feel free to dm the blog or send another ask!