ask me anything—or report a typo/error in any of my stories.
(please do not ask questions about any of my events here—use the listed communications channels instead. thank you!)
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I’m not sure if you’ve been asked this before but do you do writing commissions?
regarding the ffxiv bb - are artists allowed to sign up with a partner and still be matched with a writer?
In regards to ffxiv bb - are we able to sign up as both a beta reader and an author or artist/ect?
participants may sign up as any permutation of author, artist, pinch hitter, or beta reader. there are no restrictions on how many categories an individual may sign up for.
if a participant signs up as both an artist and author, they will be on the honor system to go into matching as anonymously as possible.
[as a reminder, this retrospring will not be available for ffxivbb questions once sign-ups open tonight. after that, please use the contact methods listed in the carrd: https://ffxivbigbang.carrd.co/#mods]
Hello! Apologies if this has already been asked but for the author sign ups tomorrow it says we need to submit a concept. Is there a limit on how many concepts we can propose? And if the limit is one, is there any opportunity down the line where we would be able to change our concept/story? (Im assuming before we are paired with any artists)
due to the fact that we anticipate more authors than artists, authors will be limited to signing with one story. (by comparison, artists may sign up to be matched with between one and three stories.)
upon signing up, authors should provide one concept. the concept will not be publicly available and only visible to the mods. if the author would like to change the concept of their story, they may do so at check-ins until the third check-in. the third check-in will be used to match stories with artists, so the information should be settled at that time.
[as a reminder, this retrospring will not be available for ffxivbb questions once sign-ups open tonight. after that, please use the contact methods listed in the carrd: https://ffxivbigbang.carrd.co/#mods]
Hi, this is about the ffxiv big bang: can you give examples of the fic concepts/pitches we will be submitting starting oct. 1st? just want a clearer idea of what they look like.
hi! there's really not much formula to this but here are some examples:
ex1: the warrior of light discovers they love chocolate cake. the problem is there's a chocolate shortage in eorzea...
ex2: cid/nero - cid and nero compete to solve a chocolate cake shortage in eorzea
and so on. it doesn't have to be long or super specific (though it can be if you want). it just has to give a basic plot idea you plan to work with. and if that idea evolves over the exchange--that's fine, too!
(sign ups are soon! hope everyone is excited.)
NSFW is allowed, but is it fine if there is... MOSTLY just nsfw? Like, PWP or something? I'm asking bc I feel like stuff like that can be hard to match to an artist if there's only a few willing to draw porn, for example! Also, the minimum is 10k words, but is there an upper limit? Right now I'm thinking my idea might turn out to be 30k to 40k, and I'm wondering if I should go with something else that's smaller to match the spirit of the challenge, lmao. Thanks much for organizing this, you rock!
There are two questions here, so I will address them separately:
Content/PWP: There are no content restrictions so regardless of the amount of NSFW content, it is allowed. You are right that some artists may not want to choose to draw explicit sexual scenes. For that reason, artists will receive ratings/warnings/etc to help them match to stories they will be comfortable with. Even if an artist does choose to illustrate for an explicit/PWP fic but does not want to draw overt sexual acts, they may instead choose to illustrate the fic in a way that does not do so.
WORDCOUNT: So long as you write 10k, you are meeting the spirit of the challenge! There are no maximum limits. I only would warn every author to consider what they will be able to complete within the challenge's timeframe. No extensions will be granted except in the case of emergency.
Hello! I have an idea for a fic I'd like to write for the FFXIV BB, however - I have discussed the idea publicly (ie on Twitter or another platform) before. Would this null my eligibility as an author on this particular idea, since I have brought it up publicly (and thus my pitch may be less anonymous than it otherwise would be)?
anonymity is important for matching and the rule against publicly sharing your fic/ideas is meant to preserve that mystery. please use your best judgment.
for instance, if you've spoken about your idea in painstaking detail or parts of it that might be unique, it is more likely to compromise anonymity and you should probably use a different concept. but if you've only tossed out some general ideas, then it's probably fine.
Hi FFXIV BB! Regarding the summary for fic writers when applying, do we need to provide tags with it? If not, can we?
hello! the premise/summary you submit when signing up really just operates as a statement of intent (i.e. "i have been thinking about this fic and am prepared to write it"). it won't be visible to anyone other than the mod or used for matching, but please feel free to add tags or anything that seems relevant that you like!
Regarding the xivbb, is NSFW content allowed?
yes, ffxivbb has no content restrictions, meaning all ratings including nsfw art/fic are welcome. for this reason, the challenge is only open for those 18 years or older.
please feel free to read more on this topic and review the rules/eligibility at the official carrd: https://ffxivbigbang.carrd.co/
Regarding the FFXIV BB, do you plan to screen contributor's SNS and decide whether they're welcome to participate based off the fictional content they post that your team may deem immoral? (Garlean faves, villains, dark/taboo fictional tropes, dead dove, etc.) This has been an issue as of late and it would be wonderful to know before getting involved.
FFXIVBB will not be screening participants or enforcing content restrictions.
FFXIVBB also asks that participants try to bring the same perspective to participating in this challenge. We are here to collaborate and create new content together.
Before signing up, I request that folks read the rules, use their best judgment, and behave kindly to each other/their collaborator(s).
Rules for authors: https://ffxivbigbang.carrd.co/#rules-authors
Rules for artists: https://ffxivbigbang.carrd.co/#rules-artists
Regarding the topic, are crossovers supported by in-game events (e.g. Dissidia's canon-compliant memory-loss thing, FFXIII with Lightning Strikes Back) permitted or should the fics be fully restricted to FFXIV proper?
For the Big Bang, what happens if a fic cannot be matched with an artist?
Because this is a Big Bang, the goal is to match every fic with art. That is the end goal and purpose of this collaborative event.
This hypothetical could possibly arise from several reasons, which would be approached differently, so I’ll try to clarify the approach in each situation.
There is a possibility, because this challenge is fandom-encompassing (i.e. not restricted to a particular ship, theme, or content restrictions), that niche content could theoretically be difficult to match. In the scenario where there’s no artist willing to illustrate for certain content (which I hope is an unlikely scenario), FFXIVBB will do everything possible to locate a match. This may include calls for more artists, sending requests to the pinch hit pool, and anything else that seems sensible. What authors can do to mitigate this outcome themself is (1) sign up with an artist also interested in that niche content as a partner or, alternatively, (2) to remember that this is a collaborative event and bring content that is more likely to be matched.
Another scenario that could lead to this situation is if we have a lot more author than artist interest. To mitigate this situation, FFXIVBB has the following built into our process: (1) artist sign ups will run longer than author sign ups, (2) artists may sign up for more than one claim, (3) establishing a pool of pinch hitters, and (4) the third author check in requires authors to have their fics 75% complete so as to avoid having authors drop after claims are made.
In the worst case scenario—a fic simply cannot be matched despite all of the above—FFXIV will suggest the author continue on in a solo track (i.e. no matching to art) or feel free to post their work outside of the exchange. But I am hoping that we don’t need to get to that point.
[Side note: FFXIVBB will strive to have a maximum of one art per fic; however, in the reverse scenario, if there's a great deal more artist interest than author interest, there may be teams assigned with multiple artists.]
So for the FFXIVBB, are any pairings allowed? Or are there any pairings that are banned?
for ffxivbb, any and all pairings are allowed. in general, the challenge has no content restrictions but will require appropriate/thorough tagging and information.
for writers, please keep in mind that this is a collaborative event that involves match-ups. it may be hard to find a match for graphic or disturbing content.
as for artists concerned about matching with content they are not comfortable with, authors will be required to provide a complete listing of content warnings, summary, rating, and other fic information so that artists can match with content that suits their comfort level. artists will also have the option to note which fics/content they do not want to be matched with.
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