Preliminary Big Bang Thoughts!

[owlmoose]

Update May 1, 2010: Welcome, and thank you for your interest in Mega Flare! In case you haven't seen the link elsewhere, the latest and greatest information about the project can always be found in the communities. Come check us out at megaflare_ff or megaflare_ff!

---

As promised, here are some preliminary thoughts about the first ever (?) Final Fantasy Big Bang! renay and I are looking very much forward to being your hosts over the next year.

First off, thanks to everyone who responded so enthusiastically to my initial post to gauge interest. Over 30 people expressed interest in participating in a big bang as writers, artists, or both, and 37 people said that they would read the stories. I think it's pretty clear that we have critical mass to proceed. Woohoo!

Naturally, there are still many details to iron out, like a final schedule, and we welcome input on any or all of the following:

• Wordcount: The overwhelming majority of you voted for a 20,000 word minimum for stories, so we are planning to go with that for sure. The people have spoken.


• Schedule: I looked at the writing and artwork schedules of 30 other big bangs, both single-fandom and multi-fandom, of varying wordcounts (most were between 10,000 and 20,0000). Although there were outliers, it appears that most big bangs allow about a month for sign-ups, two to three months of writing before the rough draft due date, and another month or two until posting. In general, artists get a few more months to sign up and then either choose or are assigned a story to illustrate at about the same time rough drafts are due. (More discussion about art and artists below!) Given our need to work around Final Fantasy Exchange, we propose the following schedule:
  
  • Signups open: June
  
  
  • Author signups close: July
  
  
  • Artist signups close: September
  
  
  • Authors post summaries for artists' selection: September
  
  
  • Story rough drafts due to artists: October
  
  
  • Posting: November
  
  This has the advantage of getting the bulk of the writing done before NaNoWriMo and Yuletide really kick into gear, and the disadvantage that stories get posted in November when people may not have time to read them! Does this seem like a fair trade-off?


• Artists: We had the beginnings of a discussion about the role of fanartists in Big Bangs in the original post, and there is definitely a larger discussion to be had about making artists feel like a part of fandom in general as well as in the Final Fantasy fandom in particular. However, we are currently planning to run this as a traditional Big Bang, where the artists choose a story to illustrate based on a summary and then create one or two works of art for the story. (Some Big Bangs have artists submit preferences and the community mods match them to an author, but we are unlikely to go that route.) That said, we are absolutely open to ways to make the process more collaborative, and it would be great to hear any ideas that people have in that direction. And we can definitely talk about running a "reverse bang" (artists go first, and then authors write a story based on the fanart) in a future year; I personally think that sounds like a fascinating idea.


• Prompts: A few folks have asked whether the Big Bang would be prompt or exchange-based, and the answer is no. At least, that's not our plan. But are there any authors who would prefer writing to a prompt? Is that an option we should pursue?


• Bringing in Existing Projects: Some Big Bangs have a rule that the stories written for them must be totally original; others allow authors to bring in WIPs. We are leaning toward the latter, but with a very strict maximum word count: no more than, say, 3,000 words already written. The idea of a Big Bang isn't to finish up a mostly-written WIP, but it can provide an excellent mechanism to breathe life into an existing plot bunny.


• Name: Please tell me that it isn't too ridiculously geeky to name a Final Fantasy Big Bang "Mega Flare". This was Nay's suggestion, and I think I'm already in love with it...
  

So that's where we are right now. The poll remains open, but if you have comments about the project and/or suggestions about how it might work, please leave them here rather than in the older post.

I am really glad to see so much positive feedback. :) Again, thanks to everyone for your enthusiasm and encouragement, and I hope everyone can participate!

Comments

[rabbitprint.livejournal.com]

We are leaning toward the latter, but with a very strict maximum word count: no more than, say, 3,000 words already written. The idea of a Big Bang isn't to finish up a mostly-written WIP, but it can provide an excellent mechanism to breathe life into an existing plot bunny.
Awesome, I'm so glad that's how this is leaning. :)

Now to plot out the calendar!

[owlmoose.livejournal.com]

Hooray!

Also, thanks for promoting the project in your journal. More publicity is always excellent! :)

yay!

[regann]

Off to start my replay of FF8 RIGHT NOW. :)

Re: yay!

[owlmoose.livejournal.com]

Woohoo!

[renay (from livejournal.com)]

My thoughts about the writer/artist relationship: could a writer and artist come in together? Would that work? It would open the project up to collaboration for those that wanted it, while leaving the structure of this session steady enough that we could muddle our way through looking at how everyone else managed to survive. *g*

[owlmoose.livejournal.com]

I think that makes a lot of sense for writers and artists who already know each other. But then how might we match-make for folks who don't know each other but would be interested in a collaboration? Hmm. (Or maybe that's out of the project scope for the first time around...)

[pearlrose86.livejournal.com]

This could be the kick I need to work on that FFIX fic bunny that I wanted to work on, then abandoned, then wanted to work on again.

[owlmoose.livejournal.com]

Yay for bunny revival! I think that would be an excellent use of a Big Bang.

[pearlrose86.livejournal.com]

I'd been excited about an FF Big Bang, but I was all: "What kind of 20,000 word story do I have--OH THAT FFIX thing that's been bothering me for six months off and on!"

I love it when I have ideas I've never actually... considered. :) And I could probably use a "fun" writing project over the summer!

[first-seventhe.livejournal.com]

1) MEGA FLARE: HELLFUCK YES.

2) Reverse Banging actually sounds like a really awesome time to me! I am really intrigued by the idea of working backwards from pictures to plot. Just throwing that out there.

[owlmoose.livejournal.com]

I am also intrigued, in theory! But Nay and I agreed that we would rather go with the standard model for our first time. But I am already considering whether we should go reverse next year, if things go well. :)

[wei-jiangling.livejournal.com]

Reverse Bang idea intrigues me as well, just saying. Not sure if I'll be able to participate in this, but I'll think about it. And HOORAH for having one. I signed up for the original fiction one the other day, looked at their list of other Big Bangs that exist and wondered why FF lacked one.

[owlmoose.livejournal.com]

I don't know why no one did it before, but it's great to see that so many people are excited about the idea. :) I definitely agree that a reverse bang should be forthcoming. Maybe next year...

[heaven-monument.livejournal.com]

Excellent schedule planning. Just hope October/November exams aren't too hectic.

Yes, I'm Australian, what's that look for?

The idea behind the whole artists+authors = love is still a little unclear to me. I know this is completely different to FFEX, but I'm still not sure what exactly we are to do.

Is it:
1. Write a 20,000 word fanfic
2. Artists draw/paint based on the fic
3. Share fandom love?

If so, HELL YES I'M IN.

Also, HELL YES MEGA FLARE. Or Giga Flare. One of the two.

Finally, Reverse Bang next year please. :D

[owlmoose.livejournal.com]

1. Write a 20,000 word fanfic
2. Artists draw/paint based on the fic
3. Share fandom love?

Got it in one! Well, three. ;) That is, indeed, how the process works.

I totally adore the idea of naming it Mega Flare. I am glad not to be the only one!

[heaven-monument.livejournal.com]

YES
GO TEAM

I have already started planning what I'm going to write, but I just wanted to confirm well before Big Bang begins.

Your scheduling, when you say, for example, "September", are you saying "From September 1-30" or "September 1"?

[owlmoose.livejournal.com]

This is not the final schedule, so right now I mean "a date within those months which is yet to be determined." We'll try to have a final schedule more than a month ahead of opening sign-ups.

question!

[wounded-melody.livejournal.com]

Would a writer be posting the story in parts, or would it have to be completely finished and posted all at once?

Re: question!

[owlmoose.livejournal.com]

(Screening because of your FFXIII icon; sorry -- I have a number of friends who are avoiding spoiler icons and since this is not an FFXIII-focused post I want to screen to be on the safe side.)

Anyway, Big Bang stories can certainly be chaptered, but the idea is that the story is complete and posted all at once on the due date. So you wouldn't be posting in installments and it would all need to be finished by whatever the final date turns out to be. Does that make sense?

Re: question!

[wounded-melody.livejournal.com]

Yes it does, thank you, and sorry about the possible icon spoilerage ><;

[shaded_mazoku]

This sounds like a great idea! I have no idea what I'd write, but I always have bunnies in surplus. The problem will be deciding which one to play with. I have some very talkative (and demanding) muses.

And Mega Flare is a great name for it!

[nan (from livejournal.com)]

1) Mega Flare, ahahaomg I love it.

2) Prompts for Big Bangs definitely don't help me out, tbh. But I can scroll right by if they're around! So it doesn't really bother me either way. *G*

3) 3,000 words seems to be the standard for already written stuff. Granted, I'm a bit of a newbie when it comes to Big Bangs so I don't really know. XD

[imadra-blue.livejournal.com]

Mega Flare? That is hopelessly geeky and awesome. I approve!

I am also very excited for this. Right now, I'm riding high on post-FF13 and post-Crisis Core love, and very much into FF. I haven't done a Big Bang since my Harry Potter days (back when it was only Harry Potter, too, lol), and I definitely would love to do an FF version.

I also like the summer for personal reasons, as I will be taking a vacation for the summer. I don't think I'm alone, either, since most people will be out of school. I think starting in May might be good, too, as that's officially the beginning of summer for most people.

ETA: As for prompts or exchanges, I can't recall the Big Bangs I saw or interacted with having any. I sometimes find such things rather limiting, and I'd prefer to go without. Especially since I may have a plotbunny for this already. Maybe if there was an opt-in version for those who really want them, otherwise we do without?

Do you mind if I friend you? ETA: To explain this, it's to keep up with any updates on the FFBB, but also because we seems to share a couple of interests--at least a couple. :)

[owlmoose.livejournal.com]

Thanks for your thoughts!

We picked June rather than May so we don't overlap with FF Exchange. Even just sign-ups; renay is my co-mod, and she's going to be dealing with getting the exchange wrapped up. But because early-stage WIPs are allowed, there's nothing stopping people who might want to start at least preliminary writing a little earlier.

If we would do prompts, they would totally be optional. But so far there hasn't been any call for them, so unless sentiment changes, I expect we'll probably skip them.

Finally, Big Bang updates are likely to move to their own community soon (just as soon as we decide where to put it), but since I had been thinking about asking you the same question, you are more than welcome to friend me. ;) May I friend you back?

[imadra-blue.livejournal.com]

Ah, okay, I understand the scheduling conflict there. I may do some writing ahead, but leave it unpublished, don't worry.

And I'll keep an eye out for the comm! And I friended you, and if you so desire, feel free to friend back. :D Fellow FF fans, especially ones playing FF13, are very welcome!

I'm so happy you guys are doing this. Thank you!

[sarasa-cat.livejournal.com]

Mega Flare is great!

I like the idea of bringing in a sleeping plot bunny that has under 3k words.

Right now, I have many WIPs that need my attention - some that may meet the under 3k count (depending on what is defined as part of or not part of the WIP), and some WIPs that are only story outlines. I want to participate in the Mega Flare (yes, Mega Flare), but I need to figure out how to best chunk off a bunny that I want to write that hasn't been "contaminated" by having too many words already written.

I definitely do not want prompts but I'm open to the idea of optional prompts for those who want them.

[owlmoose.livejournal.com]

I think I can no longer think of it as anything other than Mega Flare...

That's a good point about what does and does not count as part of the 3,000 words. Draft words count, but not background or world-building? That's what I would lean toward -- background and world-building words won't count toward the final published total, after all -- but it can be up for discussion.

[irish-ais.livejournal.com]

Yes yes yes yes, Nay told me to do this and I think I am definitely going to.

[owlmoose.livejournal.com]

Yay! As artist or author? (or... Both?)

[irish-ais.livejournal.com]

Author, and darthneko is coming in as my artist? If that's alright.

[owlmoose.livejournal.com]

Yes, collaboration will be both allowed and encouraged. :)

[samuraiter.livejournal.com]

Hmm! Might have to resurrect one of my Cloud / Jessie ideas for this. :-) Looking forward to additional details.

[cog-nomen.livejournal.com]

rabbitprint has been gently nudging me in this direction (over and over and possibly with bribes or threats involved), so I figured I'd drop a comment here to let you folks know there's more interest and I'll also be signing up and I'm looking forward to this.

[nishi-shinji.livejournal.com]

So glad I found this! (Because no, seriously, I need to participate in two Big Bangs at the same time). Anyway, I'm going to pimp this in my LJ, and add a link to the Big Bang community to the profile of the Bleach Big Bang I'm hosting.

Also, I know I've never commented before and I'm not on your f-list, but I swear I'm not some weird stalker. I found your LJ through a Google search for FF Big Bangs ;)