Fantastic Fauxlore
A FAIRY TALE, FABLE & MYTH INSPIRED ffxiv Mini Bang
WELCOME STORYTELLERS & LOVERS!
Fantastic Fauxlore is an FFXIV Mini Bang dedicated to creating art and fic inspired by fairy tales, fables, and myths.These include reimaginings of some of our favorite tales, as well as AUs and folklore that could be a part of Eorzea.The final collection will be hosted on AO3AND in keeping with a storybook theme, we also plan to create a free downloadable PDF featuring all the stories and artwork created during this event.If you are a writer or an artist who has a story to bring to life, follow that fox!Be sure to review the rules, requirements, and schedule carefully......And we hope you can join us in this Fantastic Fandom Event!
What is a (Mini) Big Bang?
A Big Bang is a collaborative event in which writers and artists work together to create a work inspired by a ship or fandom theme.Writers will anonymously submit a summary detailing their work and be matched with an artist, who will then read and illustrate a scene of their choosing from their story.Both fanworks are then posted in tandem to celebrate and promote one another!A Mini Bang follows these same rules but has a smaller minimum word count/illustration requirement to participate, as well as a shorter creation time period.
How Does it Work?
Artists and Writers sign up for the event.
After some time into the creation period, authors will anonymously submit summaries of their work (including characters, ships, and potential content warnings/triggers if applicable.)
Artists will review these summaries and will submit a list of premises that they are interested in illustrating, as well as preferences for any content, ships, or triggers they wish to avoid.
Based on their submissions, mods will then match an artist with a writer, and the two can finally collaborate.
Artists will provide an illustration to go along with their writer’s story, and both completed works will be posted together during our event’s posting period.
Event Rules
Participants must be 18+ to contribute
Both SFW/NSFW stories & art are permitted
All characters and all ships are welcome
All participants must join the Event Discord
All writers must have an Archive of Our Own (AO3) account by the time of their posting
To better preserve anonymity for matching, we ask that authors try not to speak about their story idea on social media or discord common room chats until matching is completed on November 20, 2023
Collaboration between matched artists and writers is encouraged with each party maintaining the right to preserve the vision of their respective works. Artists get the final say in what they will be illustrating, while writers control and decide the outcome of their story.
Work Requirements
Why is joining the Event Discord mandatory?
The Event Discord provides a convenient hub for both contributors and moderators to easily access one another. Emails will still go out to remind contributors of announcements and upcoming checkpoints, but it will be a lot easier for the mods to have an additional method of contact.It will be a great help for us, and we hope this requirement does not hinder anyone’s involvement or enjoyment in the event.Invites to the server will be sent out with an acceptance email after participants have filled out the sign-up form.If you have not yet received an invite within 48 hours of filling out your sign-up form, please email us [email protected]
Are WOLs/OCs allowed to be included in our stories?
Of course! Keep in mind for the matching process, most artists will most likely be looking for stories that include their favorite NPCs to work on. Therefore, we do encourage also including NPCs, monsters, or other recognizable elements from the game.
Will NSFW be allowed?
Yes. In honor of how many of our cherished classic stories often have bawdy or gruesome outcomes, we think it feels right to include them. Most of our responders also wished to have the option of having explicit content/NSFW available.However, any artist who does not wish to be matched with stories featuring explicit content will have the option to opt out of being matched with them, as well as any other triggers/content warnings they are uncomfortable engaging with.In addition, there will be separate Discord channels for explicit content that all contributors can choose to opt into or not.
Are there restrictions on what ships will be allowed?
We will not be turning away any ideas or contributors based on ships.We ask that all who are signing up be kind and respectful to one another regardless of what ships they have in and outside of this fandom and event.But just like with content, artists will have the option to issue a “hard no” for any ship they feel uncomfortable with during the matching process.It's our goal to have both writers and authors be excited and comfortable during the collaborative process.
I have not completed the main storyline/MSQ.
Am I still allowed to participate?
We would love to have anyone interested in the event be involved regardless of where they are in the story.However, if you are concerned with avoiding spoilers, the biggest issue might be dodging them if you want to also be super involved with chatting with other contributors in the Discord.Ultimately, we cannot completely control what other contributors might say in the discord regarding story spoilers. It will be up to each person who has not completed the main storyline to decide if they are comfortable risking being exposed to spoilers if they want to join the event.
Am I allowed to submit alternative media in place of artwork, such as GPOSES, playlists, collages, etc.?
Unfortunately, for this event, we are not accepting GPOSES, playlists, or collages in the place of artwork.However, both artists and writers are welcome to include any of those things as an addition to their art or fic.
Artists
One completed piece of artwork (no unfinished sketches) that is either hand drawn or digital.
No AI-generated images
Writers
One previously unpublished FFXIV work inspired by the theme of fairy tales/fables/myths.
No AI Writing Apps/Program (Chat GPT etc)
Minimum Prose Word Count: 5k
Maximum Word Count: 15k
Poems are acceptable as long as they are under the maximum word count
Fairy Tales, Fables & Myths
Fantastic Fauxlore is an FFXIV Mini Bang inspired by fairy tales, fables, and myths.These include reimaginings of some of our favorite tales, as well as AUs and folklore that could be part of Eorzea itself, including:
Familiar Myths/Fables/Fairy Tales
Featuring FFXIV Characters
FFXIV characters star in reinterpretations or AUs inspired by familiar tales found throughout our cultures.
Example: Sleeping Beauty with G'Raha Tia;
Alisaie in Wonderland etc.
Original Myths/Fables/Fairy Tales
that could be canonically a part of the world of FFXIV
Original stories that are set or could be told within the world of FFXIV.
Example: A legend about Midgardsormr's brood;
an Ancient parable about why they wear masks in public etc.
Original Myths/Fables/Fairy Tales
inspired by the world and characters of FFXIV
Original stories that draw from the setting and characters of FFXIV to create fantasy-inspired AUs or original myths and fables.
Example: Fantasy AUs; original stories with a general fairy tale/fable/ myth vibe.
Why is there a Maximum word count for stories?
In order to create a free downloadable zine/pdf featuring the works of this event, we wanted there to be a cap just to make it a little easier on the mods for formatting text. We also felt it was appropriate given that this is a Mini Bang with a shorter creation time frame and might help writers keep their works fairly concise.The maximum word count for written works is currently set at around 15k words.
Schedule
2023
September 1
Sign-Ups for Artists and Writers OpenSeptember 5
Fic Premise Submission OpenSeptember 18
Writer Sign-Ups CloseOctober 1 -October 8
Writer Check-InOctober 21 - October 30
Writer Match-Up SubmissionsOctober 31
Artist Sign-Ups CloseNovember 4 - November 12
Artist Claims OpenNovember 20
Team AssignmentsDecember 1 - December 10
Team Check-In #1
2024
January 12 - January 21
Team Check-In #2February 16- February 25
Final Check-InMarch 1
Posting Begins
Are pre-matched Artist and Writer teams allowed to participate?
Absolutely! In addition to writers and artists looking to be matched, we also welcome writer-artist pairs who have decided to team up and collaborate on a piece together!There will also be a solo track available for any writer who wants to share their work but does not wish to be matched or come pre-registered with an artist.