Welcome to the 2023 Fanfic Reading Challenge! This has always been a little bit of a dream to me, Juulna, to do, but I lacked the fandom insight then that I have now. Or, well, in late 2020, leading up to the new year! But it only really came to fruition through a conversation in one of the Discords I belonged to way back then, when @betheflame brought up the same idea I'd been mulling over for a while --- we'd always been on the same wave length; something which definitely made us good friends! She graciously stepped aside so I could create this, as she had plenty of other things on her plate (like the kickass Stony Podcast and assisting with some charity auctions, along with a prolific writing career!), and so I took up the challenge of creating this, well, challenge for you, instead.
In 2021 I was all by my lonesome and rushed to get out a challenge that people could start putting to use, though I by no means cut any corners. And it actually turned out to be a success!!! But, simply put: this year, with help from some enthusiastic participants who had some great ideas, and who dove into the drafting process with me, I think this 2023 Fanfic Reading Challenge will be even better than the last one! It certainly is bigger, hahahaha. But really, I could not have done this without the regular, monthly feedback from @jandjsalmon and the questions and comments, put forward to me by @attractiverock, as I came up with new challenges. Of course, my best friends Annaelle, Perry_Downing, and grlie-girl deserve some shout-outs too, for listening to me… shout??? cry?? throw things??? Yeah, you really deserve more than kudos for all my ridiculousness.
BUT OKAY! Before I get carried away, here are some basic rules and info to help you succeed. Check below if you have a question, and if you can't find the answer here, you are more than welcome to send an Ask to @juuls or @fanfic-reading-challenge on Tumblr, check the latter's blog posts and FAQ, or send an email to [email protected] --- both emails and Asks send me notifications pretty quickly, as does direct message on either blog!
Well! It's a reading challenge (much like with book reading challenges from POPSUGAR and Book Riot) but specifically designed for fanfiction. We all know we and everyone else we know is going to read at least one fic this coming year, so why not earn a spiffy, name-embossed badge while we're at it!?
That brings us to the basics…
The event runs from January 1st to December 31st, 2023. If you started a fic in 2022 but finished it in 2023, that absolutely counts in full towards the 2023 challenge and word count. Anything you read before you start this challenge (whether in January or May or October) counts too!
Signing up: You don't need to sign up at all! You can just grab a copy of the challenge spreadsheet and fill it out however you wish (or even keep track of your tasks in an entirely different manner like a Word doc). Declaring your intention to participate is more of a thing if you want to be held accountable for your goals, but it's not like we're going to be angry with you if you don't finish any of it!
This challenge operates on the honour system. If you said you completed a fic for a certain task, that's between you and whichever ghost/saint haunts/watches over you. Come January 2023, all I'll ask is just to see the document you've used to keep track of your challenge, so I can match it up to the numbers which determine which prize you get!
Yes! Prizes! Here's an example of one of the 2021FRC badges:
There are a few changes to the style of this year's challenge. Instead of multiple lists where you have to complete x amounts of tasks for each to achieve the Extreme challenge (this provided less leeway), I have combined all of the tasks into a single spreadsheet. To achieve different levels of completion, you can pick and choose whichever task you wish from anywhere on the list, as long as you complete the required number of tasks for each level.
Participant Prize: Complete at least one task from the challenge!
Regular Mode: Complete between 80 and 159 tasks.
Hard Mode: Complete between 160 and 239 tasks.
Extreme Mode: Complete at least 240 tasks.
Two different fic trackers/reading logs are included in this spreadsheet. The 'Fic Tracking Sheet' was created and used by @jandjsalmon during 2021 and 2022, and the 'Reading Log' was created and used by @juuls also during those years. Both have their pros and cons, so please feel free to try both, combine them, alter them, or use something else entirely! We won't take any offense whatsoever. :) Feel free to adjust them as needed and ask questions if you need to!
This challenge is for any fandom, any ship(s)… or you can use more than one fandom and/or ship to complete this!
Fics can count towards more than one goal. (It's just more fun if you use all different fics! :D)
This Challenge runs on the honour system.There is no need to comment or kudos on the fics (though this is greatly encouraged, even if just to say ‘I really enjoyed this, thanks for writing!’ for the former) and there will be no need to link to the fics you read for this challenge. There will be space where you can write the title/author—but that's the minimum required along with checking off each task you complete, when you submit the spreadsheet in January 2023 (in order to receive your prize!). I don't even need to see your reading log, if you even have one! This is supposed to be fun. :)
Don't compare yourself to others! If you can't complete the challenge, or can only complete part of it.... honestly? You're still awesome in my books. Plus, if you manage to check off even part of this crazy list, you should know you've done a damn fine job. Don't push yourself too hard, don't feel guilty if you didn't complete it... seriously, I'd still, personally, post my list even if I completed just 10 items, to show that I did do something!
If joining late, the Monthlies ('time-specific tasks') you missed can be done at any time, but the monthlies still to come should done during said month.
Maybe a bit of a repeat but... You do not need to report to me that you're finished with the challenge, but I will absolutely have a place on Tumblr where you can tag me with goals/whole challenge complete! (@fanfic-reading-challenge) Tagging the blog is the easiest way to catch my notice, or by email as per above. If you do wish to claim one of the four+ badges, you'll need to fill out a Google Submissions form I'll put together in the latter months of 2021, which will require at the least for you to link your challenge spreadsheet to me (making sure the share feature is enabled), with each completed task checked off. Preferably you include the links to the fics read or link to a Google Doc with the links (I will include examples on the Tumblr as to how I am completing this challenge), but that is not required. Honour system, remember? :)
To use the challenge spreadsheet, simply 'create a copy' (under 'File' in the browser version), and then save the copy under whatever name you wish to. After that, you can change anything you like except the goals themselves.
Well, obviously you can send me an Ask on @fanfic-reading-challenge! On that Tumblr, there will also be an FAQ page (this page), and you can submit questions via the Ask box too! :) I'll keep the FAQ as up-to-date as possible.
Conversely, I have the 'messages' option turned on, so you can just send me a direct message on @fanfic-reading-challenge (or @juuls).
Tag '#2023frc' or '#2023 fic reading challenge' and I'll reblog most anything related to this challenge if/when I find it! But as said above, tagging the blog itself is probably the best option if you want a reblog/answer/interaction. :)
Comments/Suggestions/Complaints?
I recognize that there may be some things I should have included (more minority goals, but I'm goin to work on that for next year's list) or should not have included, based on each individual's personal opinion, but I created this list for fun, and the goal is to have fun, and it's a learning experience for us all! If you must criticize, please keep it constructive and polite, but also: you do not need to participate. I've done my best, am already anxious, and will be keeping an eye out for how I can make things better/more inclusive/less or more X, Y, or Z…. etc. I promise. <3 I included, for 2021 and 2022's form submission, a place where one could submit suggestions, and it's absolutely possible to leave said suggestions or comments anonymously. I'm doing my best, as have my wonderful partners in this year's, 2023's, challenge. We tried to mix things up from 2021 and 2022, so some things have been left out, or, in fact… they have been set aside for next year's challenge! 2024… seems like forever away, and now I feel cursed just for mentioning anything to do with the passing of time these days, yikes.
One Last Very Important Thing!
Based on feedback, anywhere where the challenge lists a '(relation)ship', this year you may include Gen pairings, Friendships, and Family relationships. We have and will continue to attempt to incoporate more Gen and Family-friendly (rather, no romantic or sexual) pairings/groups into the challenge where we can. This is a work in progress and we are trying to take as many suggestions as we can and incorporate them into the existing structure. One thing's for sure, it'll make the challenge a little less repetive each year --- there are only so many tasks you can incorporate before things become repetitive from year to year, I'll tell you that! But I try. :) Please address any concerns with me by any of the ways to contact me below!
Tumblr: @fanfic-reading-challenge
Personal/my fandom Tumblr: @juuls
Leave an Ask or send an e-mail, or some other form of polite communication!
Questions will be answered as soon as possible, though I am chronically ill, so please bear with me. No more than a week, though! Complaints will be assessed on a case by case basis. Suggestions will be given due consideration and treated according to the level of politeness therein. Thank you for your understanding!
Most Important of all…? HAVE FUN! EXPLORE NEW WORLDS! ENJOY YOURSELF! <3
(And please keep staying safe for yourself and others!)
