Retrospring is now in read-only mode until September 1st when the site will fully shut down! Read more
512
When will we get to see the contributors list?
Our full contributor line up will be revealed after check in 2! We're so excited to showcase the talented individuals in the project.
how many applications of each type did you receive?
We were blown away by the support for this project in applications. Deliberations were really tough, and we regret being unable to accept everyone.
We received 146 total applications from:
27 Merch Artists
48 Writers
71 Artists
From DMs: Can I submit a completed one shot that's over the word count?
Hi there! We do need a completed one shot within the word count of the zine (2.5k).
There's <10% allowance for being over the word count, but we need to see your ability to write a short story with good structure and pacing in ~2.5k
From Apps:
I was wondering if the mods are going to guarantee that more or less every main character gets at least one piece of art or literature centered on them, or if this is left to the artist's criteria... If the focus is on the entire cast, I believe that, at the very least, the less popular characters deserve to be represented too.
Hi there! We received another question about character balance at the interest check stage, please check out the answer to that one here!
https://retrospring.net/@FarceandFacades/a/109678744717525667
We also believe that the "less popular" characters deserve to be represented—everyone is someone's favourite character! However, unfortunately we cannot guarantee character representation—while we will do our best to ensure everyone features in the zine, we want to give our contributors as much creative freedom as possible. It would be unfair and unkind for us to force anyone to make art/fic for characters if they don't want to, and we can only use the pitches suggested by those who are successful in their application to the zine. We will be choosing pitches to ensure as many characters are represented as possible (we have a spreadsheet to help with this), and will not be excluding characters based on popularity.
From DMs: Do you mind if people submit duplicate applications? I'm not sure if I applied yet or not.
We don't mind double applications - we'd rather people apply twice than not at all and miss out!
Applicants should receive a copy of their answers when they apply, but if you're unsure feel free to ask us to check or apply again.
The best way to contact us at the moment is via email or asks, as we are currently having an issue with DMs on the zine account (this has been raised with Twitter support and we are waiting to hear back). You can also DM Mod El!
Is there any minimum word count for samples? The only FE3H pieces I've written so far are flash-fiction pieces ranging from 300-1k words, but especially with the extra week, I can try to write something longer if needed!
There's no minimum word count, but Mod El is looking at your ability to tell a comprehensive short story with vivid descriptions and action! We'd recommend including a sample that's no shorter than 1.5k, though this isn't a requirement and submitting shorter pieces won't affect your grade, provided it meets the criteria Mod El is grading against—this criteria is listed in the writer app section of the info doc
Will the extended app window affect when results come out?
Hi there! The results schedule will stay the same, which is why we haven't advertised any changes to it! Thanks for checking though.
How much will our pitches affect our applications?
Applications will primarily be graded based on samples, but pitches will be considered as part of the selection process as we want to ensure a variety of characters are included in the zine.
While we are specifically looking for more Golden Deer, 3 hopes, and Blue Lions pitches, we're excited to see ideas featuring the Black Eagles too!
From app questions: Are 3 hopes characters allowed?
Yes! We'd love to see more pitches featuring the 3 hopes characters, blue lions, and golden deer
From app comments: Does agreeing to be a pinch hitter or not affect my chances of being accepted as a contributor?
Saying yes or no to being a pinch hitter will have no effect on your chances of being accepted as a contributor.
Can you explain a bit more about the pinterest board you keep posting?
Of course! Farce and Facades is a zine themed around the masquerade. We made the pinterest mood board to help communicate our vision of the zine to potential supporters of the project and to serve as inspiration for pitches. It covers both the light and dark sides of the masquerade, and demonstrates some of the fanciful clothing, detailed masks, and backgrounds we'd like to see in the finished project.
Are applicants allowed to include NSFW samples in their applications?
NSFW samples are permitted in applications (including gore) but MUST have content warnings in the comments section of the application. Gore counts as anything that would take more than a band aid to fix.
Hi! Regarding the artist application, I had included my samples within my portfolio. Is it ok to just mention in the sample section which piece it corresponds with or should those be a separate link?
The separate sections for samples 1 and 2 are an opportunity for you to show off your best pieces. We'd prefer if these were linked again for ease of grading!
From the IC:
What are the sort of creative liberties you have in mind for this theme? For example, could the masks be metaphorical rather than physical? Or even more body-horror esque, due to the mature rating? (Stealing other people's faces)
While the main focus of the zine is intended to be around the masquerade, there is definitely space for more creative interpretations of this theme!
Donating to Acid Survivors for a mask themed zine seems kind of in bad taste, no? What was the thought process there?
Hi there! Thank you for giving us a chance to address this. Our zine is masquerade themed and we’ve leant into the playful nature of that on our social media, but in choosing out charity we also wanted to acknowledge the invisible masks worn by survivors when struggling with emotional trauma following such horrific violence.
ASTI stood out to us as a charity because of the medical, livelihood, and psycho-social support they provide to survivors, helping them to reclaim their lives. ASTI also do legal work, campaigning to change laws and restrict acid access, and work at a global level. We hoped to use our project as an opportunity to raise awareness of a growing issue on a global scale and support a smaller organisation trying to combat it—though we would be interested in hearing from survivors of such trauma about our decision to do so.
Retrospring uses Markdown for formatting
*italic text*
for italic text
**bold text**
for bold text
[link](https://example.com)
for link