What is The Old Guard Big Bang?
A Big Bang is a writing challenge where writers write longer pieces of fic, and artists create art for them. The Old Guard Big Bang is centered around stories about the characters from the 2020 movie The Old Guard, with a minimum word count requirement of 10,000 words, and which have been created specifically for the Big Bang. There is no maximum word count. Any pairing and/or genre are permitted!
What is the Big Bang schedule?
All deadlines end at midnight UTC-11 of the listed day. (UTC-11 is the time zone in the middle of the Pacific Ocean.) https://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/converter.html
Sign-ups: January 19-February 14, 2022
Summary/themes due: March 14, 2022
Artists claim writers: March 21, 2022
1st check-in: May 1, 2022
50% of writing completed: July 1, 2022
2nd check-in: September 1, 2022
Post to collection: November 1, 2022
How do I sign up as a writer, artist or beta?
Check back on this blog for the link to the sign-up form, which we will post on January 19, 2022.
Are there any sign-up requirements?
Yes. We are requiring AO3 accounts for writers, artists and betas this year. You must also sign up with a working e-mail address and Tumblr account.
If you don’t have an AO3 account, here are instructions on AO3 for obtaining one.
The mods and your artist/author/beta are the only ones who will have access to your email address for privacy reasons.
There is an 18+ age requirement in order to create NSFW content, whether as an author or an artist.
Can I sign up as both an author and an artist?
Yes, you may sign up as both, but please make sure you are able to balance the commitment and workload involved.
When do artists claim stories?
As an author, in order to have your story considered for artist claims, you must submit a story summary by March 14, 2022:
The finalized story summary (around 500 words)
General themes and/or outline
Applicable Archive Warnings
Artists will make their claims beginning March 21, 2022, and we’ll match everyone up accordingly.
What is the posting procedure for fic/art?
The fic and its accompanying art should be posted in their entirety to AO3. During the Final Author Check-in you will also claim a date to post your work to AO3, for which you will be responsible. The story must be posted in its entirety on your assigned date. That includes multi-chaptered fics.
How will the author/artist team-up work?
Authors and artists are responsible for initiating contact following Claims. That includes but is not limited to:
authors providing drafts and snippets to their artists during the creative process
artists providing embedding links for their completed artwork to the authors
authors integrating the final artwork into their fic prior to posting
Can I write more than one fic?
Signing up for more than one story is allowed, but bear in mind that you will be committed to both/all stories.
Is co-writing permissible?
Will my story definitely have art?
Big Bangs tend to have a higher ratio of authors to artists, so there is no guarantee that all fic will have accompanying art. We’ll do our best to make it happen, though.
Is a beta reader required?
No, having a beta reader is not required, but we expect that the story be thoroughly edited before posting. Once sign-ups have closed, we will make available the list of people who have signed up to be betas.
What are the art requirements?
The Old Guard Big Bang allows for various types of art, each with its own requirements:
Fanmix: a linkable mix of at least eight (8) songs, as well as front and back cover art
Fanvid: at least one video of at least one minute in length
Traditional or Digital Artwork: at least one piece of clean line art with basic shading
Photomanip: the equivalent effort to clean line art with basic shading
Photoset or Gifset: one 9-image moodboard per 6,000 words, or the equivalent effort
Artists are required to host their artwork on a site of their choosing and provide embedding links for the authors prior to posting.
How do I claim a story as an artist?
Claims will begin on March 21, 2022. The list will include for each fic (anonymously): a summary provided by the author, general themes, pairing, ratings and any Archive Warnings which may be applicable. Artists will then pick their top five and we will assign on a first come, first served basis.
Can an artist claim more than one story?
Once the first round of claims is done, if there are unclaimed stories left, we will open them up to a second round of claims. However, as with authors, please make sure you are willing to take up the workload required. As stated above, you are making a commitment to your author.
What do I do after completing the art?
When you have completed your art, please contact your author to determine the best method for hosting and sharing your artwork.
Feel free to send an ask!
We’ll be updating with more info, including a link to the AO3 collection and mod intros, in the coming days!
snowghoul
kianamaiart
ellievsbear
gummygunk
annaxmalina
germansingergirl
andulkaphoto
