The challenge: Write an AU in 5k or under

Sign-up link

Sign-ups will stay open until posting begins. Sign up at any time if you get an idea and want to join!

https://airtable.com/shruMrUAnIZPaNBfN 

Schedule

April 12: Sign-ups open

June 14: 30-second check-in - access the form here

July 19 - August 2: Open posting window. Post whenever you want!
(Extended to two weeks due to the number of sign-ups)

How it works

• Write an AU for any fandom using no more than 5,000 words.
• This challenge is open to all fandoms and ships.
• Anyone 14 years or older can sign up. No previous writing experience or challenge experience is required. If you are under 18 at posting time, keep your rating from G to Teen.
• You can write multiple, separate fics for the challenge. Co-writing is also okay!
• AUs & canon-divergent AUs are welcome! So are crossovers, fusions, and all genres, ships, and tropes. There are no content restrictions. Tag your work honestly so people know what to expect. The only thing we’ll ask you not to do, RPF writers, is to include the real-life children of any actor in your work.
• No need to keep what you’re working on a secret (you can talk about it during a regular #ficwip or on your social media), but please don’t post the whole thing anywhere until the posting window opens.
• What you write should be brand new OR something that’s been collecting dust for six years and no one remembers you were working on it.
• We’re casual, but the 5k is a challenge. What you submit for it can’t be submitted to another challenge/prompt fill/etc.
• What you write should be complete when you post it and standalone (eg. no one should have to read your 50k prequel for it to make sense).
• Beta readers suggested. If you need a beta, we have a channel on the #ficwip Discord (18+ only; email for help if you are under 18).
• You can post any time during the open posting period. To make sure we have a complete collection, we ask all writers to post their fics to the challenge collection on AO3. (I have AO3 invites if you need one.) Cross-posting to other archives/websites is welcome and encouraged!
• You need to be registered in order to post and be part of the AO3 collection (ficwip5k). Sign-ups will stay open, so you can join any time!
• There are no penalties if you need to withdraw. You’re free to work up until the final day and post if you’re able to finish.

FAQs

Do sign-ups close?

Sign-ups will stay open until posting begins, so you can join any time if you get an idea and want to take part.

What if my fic ends up over 5k?

If you’re 50-100 words over because of a discrepancy between your writing program’s word count and what AO3 displays, that’s fine! But please restrict the finished fic to 5k. Your mod will tearfully let go of her adverbs.

Is there a minimum word count?

No. You don’t have to use all 5,000 words. If you can tell your AU in 1k, go for it!

Can I write a sequel to the 5k fic?

Yes. The only requirement for the challenge is that your 5k fic be able to be read as a standalone work. It can be part of a series later (or part of a series now, as long as someone wouldn’t have to read a prequel for it to make sense).

Can I create art for my own fic? Can I work with an artist?

Yes, you can illustrate your own fic or create graphics for it.

If an artist friend wants to team up and illustrate it, that’s okay too. There are no matchups in this challenge, so you will need to find your own partner.

How will the check-in work?

The 30-second check-in is a quick “How are you doing?” to get an idea of how many people will be posting in July, and what fandoms we’re likely to see. This will help me promote it. You don’t need to turn in a draft or have anything done by that point. You’ll receive an email with a link to the form. Complete it when you have a minute.

What counts as an AU? Is a post-canon fic okay?

The 5k considers post-canon and futurefics to be AUs (unless, of course, you’re the original author adding to your own canon...if that’s the case, you’re still invited). Pre-canon fics can be considered an AU if you alter details (eg. the characters met earlier). The basic rule is this: if you can make the argument that you’re not writing in the canon universe, the 5k will accept it.

Posting Information

Any time from July 19th - August 2nd, post your fic to AO3 (and any other sites you use). Please add it to the collection ficwip5k. The collection is moderated, so it may take a bit before it’s added. Be sure you post from the AO3 account you gave at sign-up.

If you are a twitter user and want to make your own promo post, please tag it #ficwip5k. This will feed into our Discord server and I’ll retweet you from the @ficwip account. If you don’t have Twitter, I’m happy to promote the fic there for you. Please email ficwip@gmail.com.

If you need help formatting your document for AO3, check out the resource link below (or ask on Discord).

Miscellaneous

Free resources

Free and low-cost resources for writers and artists

Includes links to writing programs, tracking and planning tools, AO3 tricks, art/design tools, and some resources for moderators.

Scrivener discount

The people at Scrivener gave us our own discount code for their writing software! You can get 20% off the Standard License for macOS or Windows. (They offer a 30-day free trial as well.)

Hit "add coupon" during checkout and enter FICWIP.

Questions?

Email ficwip@gmail.com or tweet @ficwip 

Participants 18 & older are welcome to join our Discord. We have a 5k channel you can access with the 5k role. Please tag @muse with any questions!

Please be aware this server is multi-fandom, and you could run into ships you don’t like. But everyone’s cool and has cute pets.

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Updated July 16, 2020

The #ficwip 5k evolved from the Tropefest Mid-Winter 5k that jojo & muse started in 2017.