FKFicFest: Are you in?

[melissatreglia]

I'm working on my prompt slate, how about you?

According to brightknightie, 5 signups are in and 2 more (including mine) are promised. We need a total of at least 9 people to do an exchange.

We've had exchanges every year for the first five fests. So why mess with a good thing? There's gotta be at least two more people out there who want to try their hand at writing some FK (and I know there's still plenty of people who love the show)!

If you're nervous about joining, don't be. The fkficfest is a low-pressure thing and we get a few months to figure out what we want to write after getting a prompt slate, and it doesn't matter how much writing experience you have, or whether you think you're "good enough." Joining up is all about reveling in the fandom love!

If you're a newbie with questions, and feeling too timid to talk to Our Fearless Moderator ( you know I loves ya, Amy :) ), just post a question to me in the comments here below. Even though I'm not a mod in the fest, I've been there for every single one, so I can tell you true how this goes down for a participant. Don't be shy, kids--ask your questions, you'll get the answers, and I'm able to ease any doubts. And you can comment anonymously on this entry, if you want, 'cos I'm cool like that (though they'll be screened at first, to avoid bots spamming the hell outta me).

Comments

Thanks for the FKFicFest shout-out!

[brightknightie]

:-) By all means, please do answer away! :-) Fingers crossed and all the lucky gestures that many people will ask you!

Thank you very much for the fkficfest/fkficfest shout-out, too. Yes, exactly, the game is about the fun of playing together, in the camaraderie of our common — yet diverse! — love for Forever Knight. It's not a competition; we all win new stories deploying FK's remarkable premise and characters.

"Together, not the same," if I may borrow Google's Android slogan.

Or, in other words, I bet you can answer questions in fewer words than I can...

Re: Thanks for the FKFicFest shout-out!

[melissatreglia]

You're welcome! Maybe you can signal-boost my post, to see if we get a greater response that way?

Incidentally, I just posted my prompt slate on the DW side. Got a quote for the number 6? ;)

Re: Thanks for the FKFicFest shout-out!

[brightknightie]

Thank you for signing up! I'll PM an official acknowledgment separately.

>"Got a quote for the number 6? ;)"

Although 7 and 19 are connivances, and 14 is sad, I found quotations to serve every number through 20, plus a "many" and a "many, many more." ;-)

If we get 20+ players, I do promise to hunt for the higher numbers before resorting to that "many"!

I might want to play, but I don't know how!

[(Anonymous)]

Hi!
I guess you might call me a lurker, because I've done a lot of reading without signing in, joining or signing up as a member anywhere. However, as a fan, I think I might be ready to step up and do some writing of my own. The problem is, I have no idea how to proceed, other than the actual writing parts.

Are there directions for how to do this? Consider me not only a lurker, but a newbie as well! And e-challenged, to boot!

Help?

Re: I might want to play, but I don't know how!

[melissatreglia]

Hello, little lurker! :) It's always wonderful to have "fresh blood" writing in the fandom.

It's actually a lot simpler than it sounds to signup:

Step 1 is just filling out the prompt form (which we call a "prompt slate") and handing it in to brightknightie, our lovely mod. This is to tell her what kind of stuff you'd like someone to write for you, and what kind of stuff you'd like to write so you can get properly matched up. She's generally very careful and thoughtful about the matches and, if you're not happy with the prompt slate you're given in exchange for the one you filled out, just tell her and she'll do her best to accommodate.

For the prompt slate you need to hand in, you just have to think of a gen prompt, a pairing prompt, a "wildcard" prompt and--if crossovers are your thing--a crossover prompt.

The prompts can be simple--just one or more of the characters, and a corresponding phrase.

The gen prompt refers simply to non-romantic fics; it can be a prompt for a casefic, a horror story, whatever. A pairing prompt is for stories that lean toward romance and erotica... and the "wildcard" is whatever little thing your heart desires.

The crossover prompt (which is optional) is equally simple, pick a few characters and fandoms you want someone to write for you (mixed with FK, naturally) and a phrase to go with it.

The prompts' phrases can be whatever you want: a description, a random piece of dialogue that pops into your head... you can even use song lyrics and poetry!

Don't be intimidated when you fill the form out; it's just to make sure that you get exactly what you want to read, and you get matched up to a writer who shares your enthusiasm/tastes.

Remember: filling out the prompt slate is all about what YOU want to read from a writer. Whatever pops into your head is welcome for your prompts, and I can guarantee that there's a writer who'll get their brain's synapses all fired up from the little crumbs of ideas you hand them.

The form is here in the little textbox, with examples provided by Brightknightie below the textbox. If you have trouble handing in your prompt slate, you can leave a screened comment here with your prompt ideas, likes/dislikes, and email address and I'll fill the prompt slate out and hand it in for you.

Once it's filled out and Brightknightie sends you an email/private-message confirmation, you head directly to step 2.

Step 2 is that Brightknightie gives you a prompt slate in exchange, and you pick one of the prompts you would like to write. Just write whatever is inspired by whichever prompt hits you in the "gotta have it!" section of your brain.

Then comes Step 3, handing your finished story in to Brightknightie. That's easy--you can post it on either the AO3, Live Journal or Dreamwidth sections of our group. If you don't have an account at any of those websites, then you'll have to let Brightknightie know--but she's a very chilled-out mod and is willing to make concessions for those who need 'em (I can't even BEGIN to tell you how many "grace periods" for handing my stories in that she's let me have in the past).

And that's it. Once you hand it in, you can just sit back and wait for the fic to be unveiled.

I hope I covered what you needed to know, but if there's anything more specific that you're dying to ask, just lay it on me. I'm here to help you out.

Re: I might want to play, but I don't know how!

[brightknightie.livejournal.com]

>If you have trouble handing in your prompt slate, you can leave a screened comment here with your prompt ideas, likes/dislikes, and email address and I'll fill the prompt slate out and hand it in for you.

That's generous of you, Melissa!

Actually, though, if someone can't sign up at LJ or DW for whatever reason, it would be best if that person could contact me directly by email or PM. That's what I told the ForKni-L email list. And players generally aren't supposed to know the other players' requests in an exchange/match game, after all.

Either of my "brightknightie" LJ and DW email addresses would work just fine. :-)

[melissatreglia]

My bad--I hope I didn't step on your toes with my offer. My brain's like a seive lately (new meds 'cos old one stopped working, so... yeah).

[brightknightie.livejournal.com]

No toes injured! :-) We'll all just want to be as consistent as possible, for clarity, ease and fairness. :-)

Re: I might want to play, but I don't know how!

[dlyt.livejournal.com]

Wow! I feel like I've jumped from being a lurker into the deep end of the pool wearing a weight belt!

When I first emailed you, I had no account on either AO3, LJ or DW. Now, I have opened an account on LJ. And, if I didn't screw it up, I think I have joined the community (that comment sounds really strange in an FK context). Will that be enough, or do I need to join the other groups? Please advise.

I think I'm ready to play! Thanks for your help. I will try to send an email to Brightknightie. I hope that I am successful, because I truly am e-challenged.

[melissatreglia]

Welcome then, to LJ!

Joining LJ is sufficient enough, I think. When the FK fic fest started, it was only an LJ group. Nowadays, the fics themselves are loaded to AO3. But, like I said earlier, Brightknightie is a cool mod and will make concessions if you need them.

The FK fandom is the perfect place to get your feet wet--we love the new folks, and we're all pretty gentle with each other.

I'm looking forward to seeing you in the fest! :)

Re: I might want to play, but I don't know how!

[brightknightie.livejournal.com]

Your note to me arrived successfully, and you should have received my reply in return. :-)

Welcome! I'm sure we'll all do our best to help you step through as easily as you like!

(Just from sheer curiosity, may I ask, are you a long-time FK fan, or did you discover FK more recently?)

Re: I might want to play, but I don't know how!

[dlyt.livejournal.com]

Thanks! Yes, I did receive your message. At present I am running a farm, a Boy Scout troop, and a family. Yesterday, it was the troop's turn to monopolize my attention. Today, it will be the farm's turn!

I hope to use the game and the writing as the thing I do for fun, for me.

In response to your earlier reply, I will need an invitation to AO3, please.

As to my fan status, that's a bit more involved. I've been a fan since the beginning. My husband introduced me to the show when we were stationed at Fort Drum, NY, which was close enough to Ontario to receive Canadian broadcast TV, so we only watched the Canadian version of the show. Incidentally, the Canadians do a great job covering the Olympics. We got spoiled!

The end of the third season roughly coincided with the arrival of our first child. I left active duty and was distracted by family for the next "few" years. As a result, I enjoyed reruns when I happened upon them, but wasn't a passionate fan.

Last Fall, that changed. My youngest child, whom I'd homeschooled, entered public school. All of a sudden, for the first time in many, many years, I had time on my hands. I decided to revisit some of my favorite shows from the 90's, and ordered FK on DVD. I was hooked all over again.

By Thanksgiving, I'd discovered fan fiction online. It was an entry into an entire world I wasn't even aware was out there!

In the middle of this new, delightful discovery, my husband said something I'd waited decades to hear. "The boys will be gone next weekend. Why don't we go out?"

I grew up attending theater, ballet, symphony, etc., but had left that behind for baseball (little league thru pro games), Boy Scouts, and other boy-centered activities. Cultural activities became a scheduling challenge.

When the opportunity to "go out" arose, I quickly settled on tickets to the Tempest, at the local Shakespeare theater. We arrived at the theater with no time to spare, and were seated just as the house lights went down. The first act was wonderful, and I really enjoyed the performance of the actor portraying Prospero.

Imagine my surprise at the intermission, when I finally had the chance to glance at the program ... It was Ger!

I had a most unusual reaction to that wonderful coincidence: I started writing down the ideas for my own fanfiction stories that had been swimming in the back of my mind. I wrote up a couple of them and my sister liked them (my eldest son didn't, but what does he know, anyway).

I decided to quit lurking and take the plunge, and here I am. A long answer to a short question, but you did ask! :)

Thanks for that, by the way. There are no other FK fans in my immediate circle, and that story of accidentally finding Ger onstage is just not as dramatic when told to anyone else!