RULES

INFO

WHAT IS A BIG BANG?A Big Bang is a collaborative creation challenge between writers and artists. In this event, writers will write a complete, previously unpublished fic that is at least 15,000 words long. Artists will create art (illustrations, comics, photo edits, FMVs, songs, podfic, etc.) to accompany each fic.Other options for participation include signing up as a beta reader or pinch hitter! Beta readers give writers feedback on a piece, while pinch hitters (who may be either writers or artists) fill in for any individuals who are unable to finish their piece.

HOW WILL IT WORK?After writer sign-ups close, writers will have a month to begin writing their fic. After the first check-in, writers will submit short summaries of their fic, which will then be anonymized and made available for artists to view! Artists will then rank the project(s) they'd like to work on, and the mods will match teams together based on those preferences. Alternatively, if you already have someone you'd like to work with, you may sign up as a pair.Betas and pinch-hitters will be assigned on an individual basis. Please note that teams are not required to have an event-assigned beta, and writers may choose instead to work with an outside beta of their choice (or no beta at all!).

HOW DO I SIGN UP?All applications will open on May 11, 2025. They will be linked here, as well as on our Twitter and Bluesky accounts. Writer sign-ups will close on June 1, and artist sign-ups will close on July 21, the day before summary selections begin. Beta and pinch-hitter sign-ups will stay open until November 7.

CAN I SIGN UP FOR MULTIPLE ROLES/PROJECTS?Yes, participants may sign up for multiple roles. However, since these are all team projects, please be 100% sure you can undertake the commitment before signing up.Artists and betas will have the option to specify in their applications if they're open to working with more than one writer. Given the length of the works, we ask that writers stick to one main project, though speedy writers can also sign up to pinch-hit if they'd like to write additional pieces!

WHAT HAPPENS IF I CAN'T FINISH MY PIECE?We get it—life happens! However, to respect the time and effort of all team members, we ask that all participants communicate as soon as possible if they do not think they will be able to finish by the allotted deadlines. The final drop deadline is November 7, 2025, after Check-in #3. Dropping from the event after this date may affect your ability to participate in any future events run by the mods.If your team member drops, we will assign a pinch-hitter to take over their role. Pinch-hitters will create new pieces (either fic or art) to accompany the remaining team member's piece. All pinch-hitters will receive a one-week extension on each remaining check-in.

timeline

All deadlines end at 11:59 PM KST on the specified date. More specific information about each stage of the process (applications, summary submissions/selections, etc.) will be made available as the assigned date approaches.

*These checkpoints are geared towards illustrators. If you're planning on creating another type of fanwork (photo edits, FMVs, songs, podfic, etc.) please contact us to discuss reasonable checkpoints for your workflow!
**We understand that not all artists follow the same process. If these checkpoints don't work for you, please contact us to discuss!

Applications

Please click below for the links to each application! As a reminder, you may sign up for multiple roles, but please be 100% sure you can undertake the commitment before signing up.Note: Artist and writer sign-ups are now closed, but you may still sign up as a writer or artist pinch-hitter or a writer beta!

• writer pinch-hitters
• artist pinch-hitters
• betas