The Lupin/Snape Lurve Community

All right, if you've heard about us trying to do a Big Bang and are thinking about participating, your input into this discussion is imperative. There's no right or wrong way to do a Big Bang, so I want all your input to make sure that we do the things that are right for us as a community of writers and artists that want to participate in this sort of thing.

1. What is a Big Bang?
I've done some research and it looks like Harry/Draco did, indeed, start the Big Bang challenge. Since then, other pairings and fandoms have also done their own versions of Big Bangs. At its heart, a Big Bang challenge focuses on long stories archived at a web site with accompanying art.

Our Question:
Web site - Efiction archive (like the Snupin Santa archive) or something else?
Art - appear in line with the text or as a link in the text?

2. How long is a Big Bang story?
I've seen word counts as low as 20,000 and as high as 50,000.

Our Questions:
What do we want for our minimum length? (For our community, we usually count 40k as a novel-length)
Do we want more than one length allowed? (novella and novel-length?)

3. What subjects are covered by a Big Bang?
Originally, the HD group focused on post-canon stories with emphasis on canon characterizations, but that seemed to expand with each successive Big Bang.

Our Questions:
Do we want to get at the root of Snape/Lupin, i.e., our own Big Bang? (If not, we should rename this challenge.)
Do we want no subject guidance, i.e. anything goes, or do we want some topics? (I've thought of Page and Pixels, which is a fun way of saying Canon and Fanon.)
What do we want to emphasize with the challenge? Canon? Characterization? Cliche exploration, or fanon? Or just plain story-telling?
What are your ideas for subject areas?

4. How is a Big Bang run?
From what I can tell, sign-ups are not required, although some Big Bangs did take sign-ups. The topic areas are announced and authors are given anywhere from 3 to 6 months to write their fics. There is an early draft deadline given so that artists can start working on illustrations, with a final draft due about a month later. And the archivists gave themselves anywhere from two weeks to a month after the final deadline to encode a site with all the fic and art.

Our Questions:
Sign-ups, yes or no?
How long for writing? How long for art? How long for web site? (in other words, deadlines!)
When should the first draft be due?

5. How are artists recruited and assigned to a fic?
This is the sketchiest part of my research. It appears that artists were invited to the HD BBs, and some BBs had no art whatsoever. I have no clue how artists were assigned to each story, whether they were given the early drafts and staked their claims or they were assigned to a certain fic. Most fics at HD had multiple artists with no repeats, and each fic seemed to have roughly the same number of illustrations.

Our Questions:
Recruit artists via invite or volunteers only, or both?
How should artists be assigned to a fic? Random? Given choice of all fics? Assign a set of artists to illustrate an entire fic?
Does anyone know anything more about how artists are handled for events like a BB?

Other Questions:
Handle BB stuff here on the community, or take it to a private community where authors and artists can share with and support each other?
Keep the art under wraps from all until the reveal, including the Authors?
Who gets final beta, the mods or the author?
Should there be motivational prizes for authors to make certain deadlines (like 10k per month), and if so, what kind of prize? (HD did this)
How can volunteers be utilized so lore isn't doing this all herself?

What else have I not asked or not covered?

Remember, your input is vital if you're thinking of participating in this in some way. I'll take comments through next Saturday, January 10, and then I'll put together an official announcement post on the 11th.

Also, if the idea of writing even 20,000 words seems daunting to you, you can all also consider volume 2 of Chocolate and Asphodel open. The minimum word count for it is only 3000 words, and I will be putting a word cap on this volume, but I'm waiting to see what our Big Bang final word count is before I make that limit. Do not ask C&A questions here. There will be a separate organizational post once we get the BB up and running. There's just nothing to stop anyone from beginning art or stories for it now.

OK, I can't wait to see what your thoughts are! *HUGS Community and wishes all a wonderful year!*

love, lore

This is just a small but heartfelt drabble (G rating) for the Mods of Snupin Santa for all their hard work on this year's fest. It was really terrific, and I enjoyed participating tremendously. Thanks so much to all of you! The gift of your time, energy, and talents is much appreciated. :)

~~o~~


In a darkened room, two figures lie quietly, nestled together in a large bed beneath a green and silver blanket. Shall we peek in and see what happens next?

( All is silent until... )

Without further ado, here is your computer desktop calendar for 2009:

( Right this way! )

All files sized 1024 x 768 and smaller are on Photobucket. The entire image archive of all sizes is hosted by me here.

Most sizes are represented here, but if you need to rescale for your specific screen size, go with the biggest image offered and rescale from there. Also, if an image is too dark or light for your monitor, feel free to pop it into a photo-editing program and adjust the light or dark to your taste. Just don't share any adjustments you might make on the internet.

ARTISTS: Feel free to share your art for the calendar on the community now! Everyone, please be sure to thank the artists or leave them comments if they post their art separately. They all did a fantastic job!

Happy 2009! Oh! And PS: Don't forget that there's still 6 months left on the for-print Snupin Calendar!

love, lore

Title: Moonlight Kiss
Rating: PG
Notes: Drawn for lupin_snape's Desktop Calendar Project. Thanks to karasu_hime for Remus' color scheme and encouragement. ^__^ Used a few stock images for posing reference, and an old sailor moon image for the rose petals.
( Read more... )