Are there age limits for this challenge?

Yes. You must be at least 18 at the time of signing up to participate, since this challenge allows adult content.

How do I sign up?

You will find all the sign-up forms here. All you need to do is pick the right one, fill it out and submit it. Make sure you enter an email address that you check often, so that we can reach you.

Do you send confirmation emails after the sign-up?

Yes, you should receive yours within a week. If you don’t, send us an email and we’ll make sure your sign-up went through.

What are the deadlines?

You can find the full schedule here.

What are the word count classifications?

• Big Bang: minimum of 10k words, 2 pieces of art plus a post banner

• Mini Bang: minimum of 5k words, 1 piece of art plus a post banner

If an artist claims a mini-bang, they are committing to one piece, regardless of the author’s final word count.

There are no maximum limits on word count or the number of art pieces

Can I create both fic and art? How about art and beta?

Absolutely! You’re welcome to sign up for all three roles, provided you can keep up with check-ins and such. With some caveats:

• If you sign up as an artist and an author, you cannot claim your own fic

• If you signed up as an artist, you will only be able to sign up as a beta after the claims are completed 

Is there a Discord server for this event?

Yes, there is! You will receive an invite to our brand new, shiny Discord server when you sign up :)

Do I need a Tumblr/LJ/Discord/AO3 to join?

No, you don’t. You’ll only need an email address so that we can communicate and a site of your choice to publish your work on. AO3 is encouraged, but any site where you can publicly post your work will do.

If you do want to follow us on social media, we crosspost to multiple platforms, you can find them all at the bottom of the page.

How long am I expected to make my work available?

We ask that the author and artist make their works available for a year after publishing. Should you want to delete after that time, we encourage you to consider orphaning your work on AO3 instead, to allow others to enjoy your work even if you don't want to be associated with it.

What if my question isn’t answered here?

Send an ask to our Tumblr, email the mods at dwbbmods@gmail.com, or ask us in our Discord server 

What are the basic guidelines?

All fic must be original and previously unpublished, and must center around Dean Winchester. You’re welcome to write a shipping fic, but the narrative should be Dean-centric.

What does Dean-centric mean, exactly?

Basically, that he is the story’s engine. (We think he’d like that metaphor.) In other words: his discovery, choice, or action launches the plot, and later resolves it.

Do alternate versions of Dean count as Dean?

Yes, alternate versions of Dean, such as Dean Smith, Huntercorp!Dean, Demon!Dean count as Dean and can be the main focus on the story. However, stories where Dean's possessed by another character, e.g. Michael!Dean, must focus mainly on Dean, not on the entity possessing him.

What kinds of fic are allowed?

Almost anything! Romance, mystery, horror, smut, etc. We only ask that you tag appropriately.

Can I write an AU or original character(s)?

Absolutely! AU’s and original characters are welcome as well as canonverse fics.

How about crossovers or reader inserts?

Not so much. Note: This limitation is only meant to help claims go smoothly. Once you’re matched, you and your artist can freely collaborate on the use of any non-canon characters.

Can I write a sequel?

You can submit a sequel, prequel, or a ’verse installment, so long as it stands on its own and makes sense without knowledge of the other works.

Can I write my favorite ship(s)?

You bet! This is a multiship challenge. We’re open to all canonical and non-canonical pairings (OT3s and so on), as well as stories without any pairings.

Can I write Mature or Explicit content?

Yes! All ratings (Gen, Teen, Mature, Explicit) are fine, as long as you tag appropriately.

Note: By creating and posting explicit content, you affirm that you are of legal age to do so.

Can I write RPF?

As much as we love Jensen, we’re here for Dean. This is an RPF-free challenge (with a broad exception for Dean-centric stories set in the French Mistake ’verse).

Can I co-write a fic for this challenge?

Yep! Co-authored and team stories are perfectly fine. 

Can I submit multiple fics?

We’re going with the Highlander rule on this one: There Can Be Only One—including co-authored submissions.

Can I change my classification?

For sure! You’ll be asked about the final classification of your fic when you submit your draft, that’s the latest point at which you can change it.

Do I need a beta reader?

Definitely, your fic must be proofread by a beta before publishing. You might find a beta reader on your own or contact one from the list of volunteers we’ll provide. If you need additional help please contact the mods.

I’m so excited for my story, can I post about it as I write?

No. To keep the claims process anonymous, authors may not publicly reveal  any details about their fic until after claims are finished. Of course, you are allowed to talk about your story privately with a friend or your alpha/beta reader, or you can join our Discord server, which has designated places for our authors to discuss their fic to their hearts’ content.

What are the basic guidelines?

All art must be your original, unpublished work. It must be created by you and cannot be commissioned. The art must be inspired by the claimed fic.

What kinds of art are acceptable?

Any medium of visual art is allowed, e.g. illustrations, graphics, manips.

Additional elements like icons, separators, soundtracks and fanmixes are welcome, but they will not count toward your total for this challenge. 

Do I have to make a separate piece for the banner? And what should it look like?

Not necessarily! The banners might be made by cropping an existing art piece and adding the text to it. A separate piece is welcome too, though, if you’re up for it.

The banner will be used as the post header across our social media and for proper display it should be minimum 600px wide. It should have the title and both creators’ pseuds on it.

Banners cannot contain explicit content.

Can I create explicit art?

You can create explicit art for fics with explicit rating. For other fics, if you want to make art rated higher than the fic’s rating (e.g. explicit art for teen-rated fic) you should consult with your author on whether they are comfortable with that. Otherwise the art must fit under the same rating as the fic.

Make sure the website where you publish your explicit art allows such content. Unlike Tumblr.

Note: By creating and posting explicit content, you affirm that you are of legal age to do so.

What will be required during the check-ins?

We have two check-ins throughout the round.

1. Team check-in: we'll be asking you to confirm that you and your partner are communicating and on track to finish your work on time

2. Final check-in: both authors and must send us their finished works via email. You might still keep editing after that, but we want to know that you’re ready to post.

Are the check-ins mandatory?

Yes, they are. But no worries, we’ll be sending out reminders to make sure you won’t miss them.

What happens during claims?

The summaries will be provided for the artists to view before the claims.

When the claims open, the artists will have the opportunity to claim the fic they want to create for. The mods will match artists with their chosen authors on a first-come, first-serve basis.

I’m an author. What do I do for claims?

Submit your draft and the claim summary through a draft submission form before the deadline. (See the schedule)

What is expected of my early draft?

We’re asking for this to be at least 70% complete, with the rest outlined.

Is a beta reader required before claims?

Nope, rough drafts just need to be in a neat shape for your artist to read.

What goes in a claim summary?

All the information we’ll share with potential artists.

Working title: (this can still change, but you'll have to keep your artist updated)

Pairing(s): (or Gen)

Anticipated Word Count: (Must be above the minimum word count of 5k words)

Rating: (General/Teen/Mature/Explicit)

Tags/Warnings: (Please be sure to tag for noncon, underage, extreme violence, and/or major character death. Everything else is at your discretion.)

Summary: (This does not have to be the summary you use when you actually post your fic. Rather, this summary is meant to draw in your artist’s attention and make them want to choose your work, so make sure you include visual elements.)

Author’s notes: (If you wish, but please be brief!)

And how do I submit all this?

At a later time, we’ll provide a submission form, which you’ll fill out with the above details and your username. You’ll also provide the link to your draft in Google Docs. If you’d rather send it as a file, fill out the form and send us an email with the file attached to dwbbmods@gmail.com

As always, please feel free to reach out to us if you need anything. (Email, ask, or a Discord DM, as you like.) We are here to help!

I signed up as an artist. What do I do for claims?

Check out the fic summaries when they come out and choose the summaries you would like to claim.

A few days before the claims, you will receive a claim form via email which will open to responses when claims begin.

The claim form will ask for:

• Your Username/URL and email you signed up with.

• Up to five (5) ranked choices for the fic you’d like to claim.

When the first round of claims starts (check the schedule), the form will open and you’ll be able to submit it.

As a reminder, when you claim a work in this round, you are committing to the minimum of one work of art, plus a post banner.

What happens after I submit the form?

Your faithful mods will assign partners on a first-come, first-served basis, and update the summary pages with “Claimed” as fast as we can.

At the end of each round, we’ll send an introductory email to each author-artist pair. Y’all are welcome to contact each other at that point, but please don’t go public until the official pairings announcement.

What happens if all my choices have been claimed before you get to me?

If your choices have all been claimed when we reach your form, we’ll e-mail you right away. To claim another fic, you will have to submit the claim form again with new choices, but can do so immediately, without waiting for the next round. Alternatively, you can withdraw from claiming.

What happens if some fics don’t find an artist?

If we still have fics available after six hours, we’ll open a second round of claims, at which point:

• Any artist can claim a fic, whether they signed up or not.

• Artists who claimed a fic in the first round may claim a second fic. (Just be sure you can meet all the deadlines!)

We’ll keep adding rounds until all fics have been claimed.

Where will I find the claim form for the second round?

It will be posted across our social sites before the second round opens, so keep an eye out.

I can’t be online when claims begin. Anything I can do?

You are welcome to have a friend or proxy submit a claim on your behalf, as long as they have all the necessary info.

What if I sign up but cannot complete my draft?

Before you submit your summary and draft for claims, you can drop out at any time without any consequences. Just shoot us a message to let us know and we’ll cross you off the list.

What if my story already got claimed but I won’t manage to get it finished by the posting date?

When you realize you won’t be able to finish in time, let us know immediately. That way we can start making arrangements for your partner.

While we understand that life happens and that inspiration is a fickle thing, dropping out after claims poses some issues for us and for your partner, which is why we might have to implement some consequences.

What are the consequences of dropping out after claims?

If you contact us as soon as you realize you won’t be able to complete your work, and if it’s your first time, we’re going to be lenient and there’ll be no consequences.

If it’s your second time withdrawing after claims we’ll ask you to sit out the next round of our challenge. You’ll be able to come back after that.

However, if you withdraw without informing us, stop responding to our and your partner’s messages, or if you fail to start communicating with your partner before the team check-in, even if it’s your first strike, you will not be able to participate in the next round of our challenge.

Failing to complete either of the post-claims check-ins without contacting us beforehand is the same as withdrawing without notice. You’ll have access to plenty of reminders, though, so we’re not worried.

What happens if my artist drops out?

We’ll find you a pinch hitter, and if desired (and possible), move your team to the end of the posting schedule.

Who are pinch hitters?

Pinch hitters are volunteer artists who can create works on short notice. We recruit pinch hitters throughout the event and will do our best to cover any dropouts.

What happens if my author drops out after I claim their fic?

You’ll have two options:

• Withdraw from the challenge without any consequences

• Publish your work without the accompanying fic

I signed up as a beta reader. What if I can’t accept any more fics?

Simply shoot us a message and we’ll cross you off the list.

Authors and Artists:

1. On your appointed date (check here), each partner must post a complete work (fic or art) on the platform of their choice. The authors cannot post only a part of your work or post it on chapter-by-chapter basis.

2. Make sure you link to our tumblr and to your partner’s work where you publish yours.

3. One partner must send us the details of the masterpost, along with the links to both works and the banner, through the form that we will provide before the posting period begins here. 

4. We will crosspost the masterpost for you on our Tumblr, LJ, DW and Twitter.

5. For our friends using AO3: Please join the challenge collection deanwinchesterbigbang2024. Works not hosted on AO3 will be added to the collection as bookmarks.

TIP: Please talk ahead of time with your partner, about who will post what, where, and when.