Hello everyone! We hope you all had a wonderful holiday season and a very happy new year. Now that it’s officially 2018, it’s time for a new event! The Borderlands Reverse Bang sign ups start today and go all the way until January 15th.
What is a Reverse Bang Challenge?
The Reverse Bang Challenge is similar to the Big Bang in that we have authors and artists work collaboratively to create fic and art. However, in the reverse bang, artists will create something first. Their art will be put up for authors to claim once it’s complete, and authors will write a fic based on the art they choose.
You can read the complete FAQ for the reverse bang >HERE<
After you’ve read the FAQ, if you think this challenge is something you would like to participate in, please fill out >THIS FORM<
If you have any other questions, please feel free to message us on this blog or on our discord channel! (If you haven’t joined the discord before, please go ahead and introduce yourself in the introduction channel and let us know if you’re an author or an artist.) (If you’re already in the discord server and are switching your role, let us know!)
The Reverse Bang Challenge is similar to the Big Bang in that we have authors and artists work collaboratively to create fic and art. However, in the reverse bang, artists will create something first. Their art will be put up for authors to claim once it’s complete, and authors will write a fic based on the art they chose.
ARTISTS:
What kind of art can I make?
Due to the nature of this challenge, we are only allowing drawnartwork or SFM. This is because we want to make sure our authors have some solid ideas and themes to build their fics off of. Moodboards, fanmixes, photo manips, etc, will not be allowed for this challenge.
Can I submit traditional art?
Yes, we do accept traditional art. However, the image must be of high quality and look presentable. In most cases, this will require the image to be touched-up digitally; if you do not have any digital image editing programs, you can let the mods know and we will assist you.
Can I submit more than one piece of art?
Yes, you can, but each piece of art must be related to the same theme/AU/idea of your original piece. So, for instance, if you were to create a western AU piece of fanart, all following artwork must exist in the same universe and go to the same author.
In general, we find that we have more artist participants than authors, so this is to avoid having an overwhelming higher volume of art to fic.
Are OC’s/Self-Inserts Allowed?
Yes, as long as they are not the main focus of your work. All art (and subsequent fic) should be centered around canon Borderlands characters.
Will there be checkpoints for this challenge?
No, you will not be required to check in at any time during the challenge. You only need to submit your art by the deadline.
AUTHORS:
What are the requirements for fic?
Your fic must take inspiration from the piece(s) of art you claim. All fic must meet a minimum of 3000 words; there is no maximum word count. You are not required to have a beta read your work, but your final submission must be free of spelling and grammatical errors.
How do I make a claim?
Once artists have completed their work, we’ll put the pieces up in a document. Authors can then go through the doc and list their first, second, and third choice to write for. The claims post will be up for 48 hours and once it’s closed, we’ll get everyone sorted and matched up with an artist.
TIMELINE:
Author and Artist Sign-Ups: January 1st, 2018
Sign-Ups Close: January 15th, 2018
Art Due: February 12th, 2018
Claims List Up: February 13th, 2018
Claims List Closed: February 15th, 2018
Matches Sent Out: February 17th, 2018
Fic Due: March 17th, 2018
Posting Schedule Up: March 19th, 2018
Posting Starts: March 22nd, 2018
Where will fic/art be posted?
Because there isn’t really a website made for art accompanied by fic, we’ll be leaving this decision ultimately up to the artist. They can have their author post on AO3 and attach the art, they can post their art on tumblr and add the fic onto the post under a readmore, etc. You can post in multiple places.
How do I get my fic to the artist?
When we match creators up, we will give them both contact information for the other person. You will need to discuss how you would like to share files with each other.
Do I need to send anything to this blog/the mods?
You don’t need to send anything to us except for the link to your post when you make it on your posting date.
Can I talk about my art/fic?
We would like the end result to be kept a secret as much as possible, so please avoid talking about your work in public spaces. Artists please refrain from showing your art off until after the final posting date. If you need help/want to discuss things, you can always do so on the BLBB discord server!
Note: Primary communication will be through our email [email protected], so please check your email often! If you have questions, you can still send to this blog or the discord channel, but please know that matches and official information will be send through email.
Reminder that signups for Reverse Bang close at midnight, January 15th PST. If you have not signed up already and you wish to participate, please do so >HERE<.
(Also, reminder: even if you participated in the Big Bang and are already on the discord server, you must use the above form to participate in the event! Simply being on the discord server is not enough to enroll you in the participant list.)
Thank you to everyone who has signed up so far - and if you’ve been sitting on the fence, now’s the time to decide!
We had an ask about participating anonymously/not joining the discord server, so just to be clear: joining the discord server is not required! You can absolutely still participate in the event without joining discord. We will only share your information with your artist/author, and we will not advertise your participation until the end when you post your work.
If you want your work to remain anonymous there are a couple of options:
1) Partial anonymity: we will share your contact information with your artist/author so you can collaborate on your work, but you will remain anonymous to the other participants and your work will be posted anonymously by this blog with a note that reads “author/artist wishes to remain anonymous.”
2) Complete anonymity: we will not share your contact information with your artist/author. If you are an artist, your work will have a note on it during author claims that reads “artist does not wish to be contacted.” If you are an author, we will contact your artist before making final assignments to confirm that non-collaboration is acceptable to them. Your work will be posted anonymously with a note that reads “artist/author wished to participate anonymously and did not collaborate with an artist/author.”
If you’d like to remain partially or completely anonymous, go ahead and sign up and then drop us an ask so we can make a note of it. Keep in mind that your work may be recognizable even if posted anonymously - some styles are very distinctive!
