About

What is the BTS WIP Fest?

We want to help you finish your WIPs!

Think of this like a regular BTS fest, but rather than claim a prompt, you sign up with a WIP (work in progress) of your own. Your WIP can be anything you already started, but need some inspiration to finish. At the end, we will have a Reveal period to celebrate your completed work.

During this fest, we'll cheerlead, provide supportive spaces for you to work, and promote your finished work during reveals!

Most kinds of WIPs are eligible—unpublished WIPs sitting in your draft folder, chaptered WIPs you've already started posting on AO3, sketches you'd like to turn into something more detailed—we want it all!

There are no word count minimums or maximums, and the fest is open to fic, art, fanvids, podfic, and more.

This is an 18+ fest.

Participation Requirements

Can minors participate?
For the protection of everyone, and because this account may include NSFW content, this is an 18+ only space.

Do I need an AO3 account to participate?
Writers need an AO3 account. Please get in touch with the mods if you need help obtaining an account. Artists and creators of other media can post on AO3 or on the social media site of their choice (e.g., Twitter, Bluesky). 

Accepted Content

Is my WIP eligible?
Probably! We accept:

• Unpublished WIPs

• WIPs you're already posting on AO3

• WIPs you started as part of a completed fest (see additional requirements below)

• A new fic in a series

• Sequels/prequels

Does my WIP need to have a minimum word count to be eligible for signups?
No, there is no word count minimum for signups, but we recommend starting off with at least 300 words.

I already published a chapter of my fic. Is that okay?
Yes, you can join the fest with fic that has already been published on AO3, as long as the fic is incomplete or you are working on a sequel.

Can I include works that are part of other fests?
Yes, in many cases you can include WIPs you posted for completed fests. To be eligible:

• The fest must be over (aka it has finished Reveals).

• Crossposting doesn't go against the other fest's rules.

Are there minimum/maximum word count requirements?
No, there are no word count requirements or limits.

What types of fanworks are accepted?
We accept fic, art, comics, crafts, podfic, fanvids, and more. Please ask if you have questions.

Are all ships and gen allowed?
Yes, all ships, poly, and gen works are allowed as long as at least one of the main characters is a member of BTS.

Are crossovers allowed?
Yes, crossovers are allowed as long as at least one of the main characters is a member of BTS.

Are collabs allowed?
Yes, collabs are allowed. All members of the collab should fill out the sign-up form.

Does the fest have restricted content?
In general, we will not be restricting or screening content for this fest. However, this fest does not welcome works that endorse racism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia, xenophobia, ableism, or pedophilia. With the intention of allowing as much creative freedom as possible, but also recognizing that we can't anticipate every scenario, mods reserve the right to make further determinations on a case-by-case basis. Plagiarized content or content created with AI is not allowed. 

Signups

How do I sign up?
Sign up with the sign-up form. That's it!

How many WIPs can I sign up for?
To encourage finishing, you can only sign up for 1 WIP at a time. However, if you finish a WIP or drop a WIP, you may sign up to finish another. Please fill out a separate signup form for each WIP. There is no limit on the total number of WIPs you can do over the course of the fest period, as long as you do them consecutively.

Is there a prompting period?
No. Creators sign up with works they already have in progress.

Do I need to claim on AO3?
No. There is no AO3 claiming. 

Creation Period

Will there be check-ins?

• Yes. There will be monthly required check-ins to encourage you and keep you motivated through the creation period. 

• There are no word count or progress requirements. However, you will have the option of setting your own word count goals or other goals, if motivating for you.

• Check-ins are intended to be motivational. The final check-in helps us plan reveals.

• Check-ins happen on the 1st of every month, and you have 1 week to submit the check-in form.

• There will be an opt-out option for check-ins that will be given to anyone who requests it.

Can I post chapters during the creation period?
No. Even if you have already started posting your WIP, please hold off on the publication of any further chapters until Reveals. This keeps reveals exciting for everyone and assures readers that they'll be reading completed works.

Is it okay to participate in WIP Wednesdays?
Yes! We encourage you to join WIP Wednesdays and tag the fest account so we can help promote you.

Will you provide beta matching?
We recommend signing up with BTS Beta Service. If we decide to provide beta matching, we will share more info at that time.

Will there be a Discord?
Yes, there will be a Discord in order to provide support, encouragement, and community as you work on your WIPs. Everyone who signs up for the fest will receive a link when the server is ready. The Discord is 18+ and limited to fest participants. 

Lightning Round

The Lighting Round is a round of Reveals that will happen before the fest opens. This is intended to give support and publicity to creators who are almost done with a WIP right now.

When will the Lightning Round happen?
About one month before regular signups open. See Timeline for details.

Are the rules for participating in the Lightning Round different from participating in the main Reveals?
The Lightning Round is mostly the same as participating in main Reveals, with the following differences:

• The Lightning Round will be much shorter, with a 1-month creation period instead of a 4.5 month creation period.

• The Lightning Round will not have an anon period.

• If you are a writer/AO3 user, post to the Lightning Round collection. We also recommend cross-submitting to our main collection to increase discoverability.

• Sign up through the Lightning Round Signup form and submit your work with the Lightning Round Submission form.

Do I have to participate in the main fest in order to participate in the Lightning Round?
No, you don't have to sign up for the main fest to participate in the Lightning Round. The Lightning Round and the main fest are separate events.

What if I am submitting an already published work to the AO3 collection?
The Lightning Round collection is unrevealed. When you submit an already published work to this collection, it will temporarily be hidden until Reveals. While we wish we didn't have to hide any work, however briefly, we feel the excitement of a Reveal period outweighs the downsides of making the work temporarily inaccessible. You can minimize the time your work is inaccessible by submitting to the collection as close to the deadline as possible. Although your work will be temporarily hidden, it will retain all kudos, comments, view counts, etc.

Posting

Will the fest have an anon period?
Yes, for unpublished works only. (Works that are already being published on AO3 prior to the fest start will not be anonymous at any point.)

How will reveals happen?

• Anon period: previously unpublished work will first be posted anon (first 1 week period)

• Reveals (second 1 week period): 

  • Creators of anon works will be revealed and 

  • Published WIPs will be promoted

Won't unpublished work get more attention?
Published work will already have received attention from previous fests or from regular posting to AO3 that unpublished work will not have benefitted from. The anon reveals give unpublished works a chance to be published for the first time and receive attention regardless of author reputation.

What tags/warnings are required?

• Tag any content that could trigger or squick audience members. (Note: we do not ask you to tag top/bottom dynamics.)

• We additionally encourage you to add explanatory author's notes when needed.

• If you're not sure if something requires tags or notes, please err on the side of caution.

• "Author chose not to warn" is an acceptable choice—on AO3, please choose this under Archive Warnings AND additionally add this tag as a freeform tag.

• In some cases, we may ask you to add tags/notes. Mods reserve the right to remove content from the fest and the AO3 collection that has not been tagged upon mod request.

What happens when I add my already-published work to the fest collection?
When you submit an already published work to this collection, it will temporarily be hidden until Reveals. While we wish we didn't have to hide any work, however briefly, we feel the excitement of a Reveal period outweighs the downsides of making the work temporarily inaccessible. You can minimize the time your work is inaccessible by submitting to the collection as close to the deadline as possible. Although your work will be temporarily hidden, it will retain all kudos, comments, view counts, etc.

Is it ok to crosspost with bingos?
Yes.

Does my fanwork have to be completed by the fest deadline?
Yes (with flexibility). The point of this fest is to help you finish your WIPs, so only completed works will be accepted. Mods will consider extensions as we get closer to the submission deadline. Additionally, for writers/comic creators who would like to continue to post in serial format after Reveals, please see our section for "For Writers of Serials (Continuing After Reveals)" on For Writers to see if this arrangement might suit your needs.

Can I post chapters during the creation period?
No. Even if you have already started posting your WIP, please hold off on the publication of any further chapters or work until Reveals. This keeps reveals exciting for everyone and assures readers that they'll be reading completed works.

Extensions and Drop Outs

Do you offer extensions?
We'll determine our process for extensions based on your feedback during the last check-in.

How do I drop out?
Drop out with the Drop Out form. There is no drop-out deadline and no explanation is required, but we ask that you let us know.

Contact Us

I have more questions! Where can I ask?
Send us a DM or contact us on Retrospring.