We Invented the Remix...Redux 7: Do you feel lucky?
What's this all about? * Ever read a fic and think,
wow, what a fascinating story, but if I had written it, I would have... Well, now here's your chance to do just that. Rewrite someone else's story, tell somebody else's tale. Take the work of another person and wrap it up in your vision and style, just like a remixer does to songs.
So just take another person's story and change everything? * Yes and no. You can do whatever you like to the story - change POV, dialogue, mood, characterization, make it longer or shorter, whatever - except for three things: pairing(s), setting(s) (except in certain circumstances, see below), and the basic plotline.
Why can't I change ____? *
Basic plotline is fairly obvious, we think. If you change the plot, then you're really not writing the same story, right? This doesn't mean you can't change things, adding or deleting as you see fit. For example, if you were rewriting
The Little Mermaid, you might decide to give the mermaid a best friend who's a fish and a guardian who's a lobster, things that weren't in the original story. But you would keep the sea witch and the fact that the mermaid loses her voice, because those are essential to the story. Of course, what are and aren't essential plot points is purely subjective (for example, in the original
Little Mermaid, Ariel
dies), but we trust people will be able to decide what to do.
*
Pairing(s) must be kept as is. While this can certainly be argued, we think once you change who the story is about, you're pretty much writing a new story, and contrary to popular belief, that's not what this challenge is about. It's about
reinterpreting a story that's already been told. So, no, you cannot change the pairing(s) in the story. We also do not want any slash pairings het-ified or het pairings slash-ified. You may, if you feel it necessary, background the pairing(s) and focus on less pairing-centric plot points (i.e., you may remix a slash or het story as gen).
* And with the
settings, people may take non-AU stories and make them AUs only if the plot remains almost exactly the same.
All right. So then we can choose any story we want to rewrite? *
Not just any story. Each participant will be assigned a remixer, who will be a fellow participant, chosen at random but matched on fandom. You will have at least
one fandom in common with your assigned writer, and you must choose one of their stories to remix. You can choose any story other than the designated safe story, works in progress, co-written stories, or remixes they've written previously.
Also, please note that
there is no matching on pairing or genre (i.e., slash, het, or gen), so if you only write het, for example, or only write a particular slash pairing or a particular character, etc., you probably don't want to sign up, because there is no guarantee you'll get someone who matches your preference on those requirements.
And just in case it's not common-sense,
works in progress are off-limits and should not be remixed.
I'm still confused. We're just writing someone else's story? *
Rewriting. Don't just change a line here and there. Be creative. Have fun. Make a mess if you want. Remember, it's a
challenge. Don't make it too easy on yourself. I've written about the process
here, if that helps.
And these are only Supernatural stories? * Nope. This is a multifandom challenge, so everyone from BSG to Merlin to Dr. Who fandom and beyond should join in. For the first time this year, RPF is allowed in the challenge, and a small number of RPF fandoms have been added as qualifying fandoms.
Qualifying Fandoms* This year, everyone who participates must have written
at least five (5) stories of 500 words or more OR at least seven (7) stories of 100 words or more in at least
one of the
qualifying fandoms (there are approximately 40 qualifying fandoms--see
the sign-up form for the list; obscure and/or smaller,
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yuletide-type fandoms are not among them. Sorry. You can still remix/be remixed in a small fandom, but you must have written in/wish to write in at least one medium-to-large size fandom listed to participate).
* You should only list fandoms in which you have written at least
five (5) stories of at least
500 words
OR at least
seven (7) stories of at least
100 words. (Your remixer can still remix a story from a fandom in which you've only written one story, but this way, they have at least some variety to choose from.)
*
Everyone must be willing to write in at least
one qualifying fandom.
Everyone must be willing to write in at least
one of their
written-in fandoms. Matching depends on how many people sign up, and what fandoms they're in.
* If you've written in more than one fandom, so much the better. If you've only written in one fandom, you may ask to write in a new fandom, but
must be willing to write in your current fandom.
* Remix always works better if more than one person from a fandom signs up, because then there are people to match them with.
So what the hell is a safe story? * It's the one story that you don't want anyone messing with, for whatever reason. You only get one. You don't have to have one, only if you want. Any story you wrote for any past Remix challenge is also ineligible to be remixed again, as it is based in part at least on someone else's story, and may contain significant bits of that original story.
Do I have to have a website? * Yes, because otherwise, how will we find your stories? You don't need your
own website; hosted stories are fine as long as they're all on the same site. Stories posted to LiveJournal (or other journaling site) are okay as long as there is some sort of index or listing for them, making them easily accessible. Stories posted only to locked LJs or LJ communities, message boards and/or mailing lists are ineligible because access to those is often limited. If your stories are hosted on a password protected archive, you must provide the Remix mod with the password, and she will pass it on to the person you are assigned to (and then forget she ever knew it).
I've only written a few stories. Can I still play? * As long as you have a minimum of
five (5) stories of five hundred (500) words OR at least
seven (7) stories of at least 100 words in
one of the
qualifying fandoms, not including your safe stories or past remixes, then you can.
Works in Progress and crossovers are not acceptable.What if I've co-written with someone? * If you have someone you co-write with regularly and the two of you wish to sign up for the challenge together, you will be counted as one participant and only the stories you have written together are eligible. If you regularly co-write with someone but only one of you signs up, then your co-written stories are off-limits. The same goes if both of you sign up but separately.
Are there any sort of other requirements/rules? * Each remix must have
a minimum word count of 1,000 words. One thousand words in four weeks is incredibly reasonable.
* While it's certainly not required, joining
remixers_lounge is a good idea -- you can mix and mingle with your fellow remixers, ask questions, discuss the challenge, panic together, find a beta, etc.
Are there any sort of deadlines? * Why, yes, there are! People can sign up for the challenge until 11:59 PM EDT June 6, 2009. Assignments will be handed out no later than June 13, 2009. And then the stories are due at 11:59 PM EDT July 12, 2009. So you've got some time to write.
When will the stories be put up? * We would like to have them up by July 19, 2009, barring technical difficulties. This year, we will once again be using the Remix sockpuppets method, in which
participants will post their stories to remixredux09 via special anonymous remixer LJ accounts. More information on this process will be forthcoming in your assignment email.
Only mods and remix sockpuppets will be given membership in remixredux09. Please do not try to join.Oh yeah? What if I miss the deadline? Then what're you gonna do? * Well, I'm not going to hound you for the story, except that I totally am, and neither of us will enjoy it. But I'm not opening up the community until all the stories are posted. And when people ask me, "Hey, why aren't the stories up?", I'll point them to a public post in this LJ, which will have the names and email addresses of everyone who's late, and say, "Because of those people."
Plus, I have the scary poky stick.
Fear me.
If you bailed last year without telling me, don't sign up again. I'll know.
That's kind of mean. * Why, yes, yes it is.
How do I play?* Please
fill out the sign up form if you'd like to participate. You should receive a sign-up confirmation email after you've submitted the form. There is no subject line filled in on the confirmation email, but it comes from the Remix gmail address, so please be on the lookout for it, and check your spam filters if it does not arrive; if it's not in the spam filter, possibly there is a typo in the email address you signed up with, and you should email us at remixredux @ gmail.com to check it out. Do not assume you are signed up if you have not received the confirmation email. If you have received a confirmation email but do not receive an assignment, you should email us at remixredux @ gmail.com to check it out.
Please include: * your preferred pseudonym and LJ name (if you have one; an LJ is not required to participate)
* your preferred contact email address
* the URL for your website or the index of your stories
* the qualifying fandom(s) in which you've written
at least five (5) stories of 500 words or more AND/OR the qualifying fandom(s) in which you've written at least
seven (7) stories of at least 100 words (excluding previous remixes you've written), and any other fandoms you've written in that meet the minimum stories requirement
* the top three fandoms (if you've got more than one) in which you are most eager to write (you
must list at least one fandom in which you've already written amongst these three, and also
must list at least one qualifying fandom). If you have no wish to write in a fandom, don't list it. (FYI, the form does not weight your desire - it dumps the information into Excel alphabetically, so we have no way of knowing which of the three you want most, so make sure you list three you really want to write in)
* the name of your "safe story" if you've got one, the name of the story(ies) you've written for past Remix challenges.
* are you willing to pinch hit (i.e., write a fill in story, usually on short notice, for someone who has defaulted on their assignment), and in what fandom(s)?
For example, my sign up would include the following:
Your Name: victoria p. (
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musesfool)
Your email address: victoria @ unfitforsociety.net
Your website/fic index: http://delicious.com/musesfoolFandoms in which I've written more than five (5) 500 word stories OR seven (7) 100 word stories: Firefly, HP, Ocean's 11, Supernatural
Top Three Fandoms I'd like to write in: Firefly, Supernatural, HP
Other fandoms I would write in: Ocean's Eleven, Battlestar Galactica, Buffy, Angel, West Wing, Sports Night, The Iliad, Homicide, Dark Angel
Safe Story: Beggars Would Ride
Remix(es) Written: http://delicious.com/musesfool/remix Pinch hit? Yes (and fandoms in which you are willing to pinch hit)
We'll be in touch by June 13th with your assignment and more instructions.
Pinch Hitting* Pinch hitters are the oft-unsung heroes of every ficathon. We adore pinch hit remixers, and are always happy to add you to the list. If you cannot participate due to not meeting the requirements or other ficathon commitments, but would be willing to get a frantic email and turn around a story in two or three days' time (or sometimes more, since some people are conscientious even in dropping out, and let me know early), please leave a comment
here to that effect, as well, listing the fandoms in which you are willing to pinch hit in. Please put "Pinch hitter" in the subject line of your comment, and please include a contact email so I can get hold of you when the time comes.
If you have any questions, please
drop a comment here.
Disclaimer: The management, meaning me, is not responsible for whatever is done to your story. If you can't handle the idea of someone else mucking around with your babies, don't sign up.
Disclaimer 2: All recognizable characters belong to their respective owners and/or copyright holders. These fan-written works of fiction intend no copyright infringement. All fiction about real people is, in fact, fiction, and thus, not true nor intended to be taken as true.
Acknowledgements: Thanks to
slodwick for the awesome layout and rotating banners, to Beth for giving me a mailbox and webspace to host the archive, to Bree for building the original database, to
soundingsea for creating the sign-up form, to
dracofiend and her husband for the matching algorithm which will make this
so much easier to run, and to the originators of the challenge, who let me run with their idea. Thanks also to my co-mods,
amberlynne,
devildoll,
hwmitzy,
luzdeestrellas, and
mousapelli for their help and support.
~*~
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