TWEWY BANG
A collaborative, annual fandom event!
Banner artwork by @defragmentise.
OUR HISTORY
TWEWY Bang was founded by former mods Kirvee and Li in 2013, out of a desire to encourage the creation of new content in our small fandom, as well as to provide a regular fandom event that could serve to bring people together.Our first year we received over 40 participants, and though the numbers have tapered off over the years, we continue to get a small number of dedicated participants that have allowed us to keep the Bang going for almost a decade.For most of those years the Bang operated exclusively on Tumblr, but over the past 2-3 years we've been moving to expand to other platforms. We've since moved all of our forms to Google, have started to be more active on Twitter, created AO3 collections, and have consolidated all of our info on this Carrd.In 2022, a small team of fans assumed responsibility for the Bang after mod Kirvee tragically and unexpectedly passed away. It is our sincerest hope to keep the Bang running for as long as we can, in her honor. We also aim to ensure that the values with which she and mod Li ran the Bang are maintained and respected.In their words, "as long as there are players willing to play the game, there will always be a TWEWY Bang."
RULES
For Everyone:
Check-ins are mandatory. Please see the FAQ below for more information.
Please play nice with both the organizers and other Players! We have, since the VERY BEGINNING always been a pro-ship, ship-and-let-ship event. DO NOT harass anyone for any reason. Players found to be violating this rule will be banned from participating in future Bangs. No hate speech.
Since part of how a Bang operates is through keeping things a surprise until the end, please refrain from posting your pieces until it's time to post them.
Minors are not allowed to claim NSFW fics nor create any NSFW content for this event. Any minors found to be in violation will be blocked on all social media, kicked out of the event and banned from participating in future Bangs UNTIL they are 18.
For Writers:
Fics MUST reach a minimum word count of 7,500 in order to be considered part of The Bang.
Only one fic per writer.
Warnings and triggers must be clearly marked on summaries.
You are responsible for your own betas and editing, but please keep the details of your fic under wraps until the deadline.
For Artists:
For digital artists, choose between creating a large picture 1000 pixels or greater in either direction OR two or more pictures less than 1000 pixels in either direction. Although for you these are more guidelines.
For traditional artists, we consider a U.S. standard sheet of printer paper (8.5"x11") to be a good size benchmark for your piece, although you may go larger or smaller depending on your medium, illustration complexity, and the number of works you are contributing.
If you decide to go with multiple pictures, you can make one or more of them greater than 1K pixels or sheet of printer paper, but it depends on what you believe your capacity to be and what you want to challenge yourself with.
For Pinch Hitters:
Must be 200% sure of availability and ability to complete the Bang. You are the last line of defense to everyone that signed up for one getting to complete with a partner. If you fall, so do they.
Same rules apply to you for both writers and artists, depends on what you’re pinch hitting for.
Anyone who signs up to be a pinch hitter CAN NOT participate normally in the Bang for the active year. You must choose between participating normally or participating as a pinch hitter and thus only participating if we need to call on you to pinch hit.
Miscellaneous Categories:
Other fanwork contributions should be held to an equivalent standard to the guidelines above, as this is an event meant to provide a personal challenge with a reasonable, but perhaps bigger than usual goal.
Beta readers should be able to communicate well with their Writers and provide feedback in the areas their writers specify.
Image description writers should work with artists to provide an accurate, concise, and appropriately detailed description of a visual image for posting to social media and AO3, should the artist choose to post there.
FAQ
What is a "Big Bang"?
Detailed history and information on Big Bang events can be read about here. In summary, it's an old-style collaborative fandom-wide event where writers are challenged to create long fic (with word minimums varying by Bang and fandom) and are usually paired with artists who then create art for those fics.Isn't that basically what Zines do?
Yes and no. While the events operate under similar conditions, Big Bangs are not focused on producing a product (like a physical book or a digital PDF) and are instead just online creation events that last for a limited amount of time on a regular (usually annual) basis.Zines also tend to be highly curated with participants going through an application process where they may end up rejected. Big Bangs, on the other hand, are typically not curated in the same way and will usually not reject anyone who signs up.What kind of fanworks do you accept?
At the moment, we mainly accept fanfic and fanart. HOWEVER, because art is a very broad topic we are usually willing to expand the definition of accepted art. For example, usually we accept digital and traditionally drawn illustrations but we could also accept something like jewelry. We encourage anyone unsure about whether or not their piece would be accepted to reach out and talk to us about it!For 2023 we are planning on letting people sign up under an additional miscellaneous category! If you create filk (fansongs), podfic, cosplay, AMVs, edits, or other types of fan creations that you would like to contribute, sign on up!Can I contribute if I am not a professional writer or artist, or if my first language is not English?
Yes! All skill levels are welcome. We will not reject anyone on the basis of skill or language fluency. You are also welcome to write in your own language, provided you can still communicate with your partner enough to give them descriptions to work off of, and can meet the 7.5k rule and deadline.What is the schedule like for this event?
A detailed schedule can be found here, but in general we officially run every year from July 7th until October 4th. This is because 7/7 is one 7 short of being 777 and 10/4 is, well, 104.What timezone does The Bang operate in?
The Bang is operated in EST, so all stated times are in EST.I don't want to participate, but I want to help! How can I do that?
Sign up as a beta reader or to write image descriptions! The Bang is going to be looking for people willing to proofread the works of the writers participating, as well as find people comfortable writing image descriptions to increase accessibility. We'd also appreciate any help in getting the word out about the event!Is this Bang only for the first TWEWY game?
When we first started, TWEWY did not yet have a sequel, and so the Bang is named for that reason. However, now that we have a sequel, let us clarify that we are a Bang for ALL things TWEWY-- including NTWEWY and the TWEWY anime.
How does this work?
The first and most important step of any Bang year is to sign-up! If we don't have a record of your signing up for the given Bang year, we won't know you're participating! Sign-ups themselves are done in stages with Writers and Pinch Hitters starting first and then finally Artists.Writer sign-ups open 2 weeks before the Bang's official start because we encourage Writers to begin writing their piece or at least planning it as soon as they've sent in their form. This additional two weeks is to give them the time they need to plan.After Artist sign-ups close our Writers will ideally have enough of their fic outlined or drafted that they can provide a detailed summary for their first check-in. We then take those summaries and let artists anonymously choose their top 3 favorites and from there we match people up based on a combination of summary choices and individual preferences/circumstances.Once paired you're strongly encouraged to get in contact with your partner(s) ASAP so you can start working with them. Check-ins happen every few weeks after that to gauge progress and continue until it's time to post completed works.What are check-ins and what happens if I miss one?
Check-ins are how we Organizers make sure things are proceeding smoothly for everyone and also how we gauge people's progress towards their expected minimums. They are, per the rules, mandatory, however we do try to be accommodating to people's needs.For that reason, our check-ins will usually last for 3 days (midnight on the day it starts until 11:59PM on the day it ends). Writers only need to update us on their current word count and artists are usually asked to show what they have so far of their pieces.Of course, sometimes life happens and a participant may end up missing a check-in. Your first missed check-in places a strike on you on our internal records that will be removed if you then check-in for the next one. If, however, you miss two check-ins in a row you'll be marked as absent and removed from our e-mail communications (a warning e-mail telling you this will also be sent to you). Communications will be restored if you check-in or otherwise get in touch with us to let us know what's going on. If you remain marked absent through the end of the Bang you will be considered a drop-out.Doesn't that mean if I want to drop out I can just not tell you guys?
You COULD, but that really wouldn't be nice of you. It's a lot of work to keep track of many people and their progress, so it would REALLY help us Organizers out if you'd actually TELL US when you want to drop out. We understand that life happens, we really won't be angry at you, and there's no penalty for needing to drop out unless you are dropping a pinch-hit. We WILL be annoyed if you just up and disappear though <3.If you're anxious about letting your partner down, telling us you have to drop lets us start searching for an available pinch-hitter much sooner!
What is the minimum word count and the requirements for artists?
These answers can be found in the rulesCan I post my fic/art if I finish before the 10/4 deadline?
No. In order to keep the element of surprise, we’d appreciate if anyone who finishes early could wait. Once the deadline date rolls around AND you've been given your posting date, you can post it on that date wherever you see fit, or have the Bang post it for you.I’m a writer and I have this unpublished story I’d like to use for the Bang. Can I?
The main point of a Bang is to offer a challenge to its participants that they don’t normally face outside of it. As such, we’d prefer if you created something new specifically for the Bang, however...it’s not like we can really stop you, so the true question is “Do you want to challenge yourself?”I’m a writer and I don’t want to be paired with an artist, but I want my friend to make art for my fic instead. Can I do that?
You can enter the Bang with a partner as a special request. BOTH of you must indicate to the mods that you are intending to work together on your sign-up forms, and are opting out of the matching process.Anyone who does not sign up to the Bang is not considered to be participating, and their art and fic will not be considered part of the event even if you link back to them.Am I allowed to participate solo?
We try to be accommodating to as many people as we can, so yes if you'd like to be part of the Bang but don't want to be paired with anyone you can run solo. Please note, however, that you will still be expected to adhere to the same requirements that paired Players have, so please be prepared for that.Do you allow NSFW fic/art?
Yes. We have always been open to this and have had some in past years. However, it is important for everyone's safety that the person making the NSFW piece: 1) be 18 years of age or older, and 2) sufficiently tag and warn for this where possible.Because we as Organizers don't have any legal (or ethical) way to verify people's ages we use the honor system (and hope your age is somewhere on your social media). If, at any time, it is discovered that a minor has lied about their age, they will be removed from the Bang and barred from participation until they are 18.Something came up and I’m not going to be able to finish in time, what do I do?
We understand that sometimes life happens! If something comes up that causes you to feel that you'll be unable to finish your piece, PLEASE let us know ASAP. You always have the option of willingly dropping out. If you're a Writer, your partnered Artist(s) will be given the option to continue solo with pieces based on your story or something of their own, or they'll be able to create new pieces based on a Pinch Hitter's fic instead. If you're an Artist, then a pinch hitter will be asked to take your place.My partner has dropped out, what do I do?
Don’t panic! Drop outs are unfortunately common but easy to deal with! If you end up on the receiving end of this, all you have to do is contact us ASAP if we haven’t already contacted you. We will do our best to hook you up with a pinch hitter and you’ll be able to continue from there.In the event that we’re in a Bang year where no one signs up to pinch-hit, you’ll unfortunately have to continue the Bang solo. If you’re an Artist, you’ll have a choice to either continue with whatever pieces you were working on related to your partner’s story, or you can change to a unique solo piece if you’re comfortable doing so.How do I contact you guys?!
Most Bang communication happens through e-mail. Please be sure that you've signed up with an e-mail that will be actively checked and have white listed us. However, if you're having trouble reaching us over e-mail you can also send a DM on our Twitter, an ask on our Tumblr, or--if you're already a participant for the current year--simply talk to us in the Discord server.
What is a Pinch Hitter?
A Pinch Hitter is someone who is not participating normally within the Bang, but has made themselves voluntarily available to participate in the event that a drop-out occurs. This way, partnered participants can still finish The Bang with a partner instead of having to finish alone like has happened in the past.When can I sign up to be a Pinch Hitter?
Sign-ups for Pinch-Hitters will start at the same time that Writer sign-ups begin. You’ll be able to sign up as either a writer or an artist like normal, however you won’t be participating as normal until or unless we need to call on you to pinch hit.How exactly will that process work? What if I’m not the only person offering to pinch hit for that category?
When we have a drop-out occur or are notified of someone dropping out, we will send out a mass e-mail to all the relevant pinch hitters to notify them of the need for a replacement. We’ll provide the summary in the e-mail if we need an artist replaced and if we need a writer replaced we’ll simply provide the form their partner submitted to us.Pinch hits will be taken on a first come, first serve basis so if you are the first or the only person to respond to the e-mail we send out, then you’ll get to be the pinch hitter for that person. Once we’ve gotten that taken care of, we’ll send out another mass e-mail to notify the other pinch hitters that a replacement was found. If we have another drop-out, this process will repeat.Am I allowed to pinch hit for more than one thing?
If you really, really, really want to well we aren’t going to tell you no. However, we’d strongly advise you to not take on more than one thing unless you’ve finished the pinch hit you were originally assigned. Many drop-outs happen because people take on too much and as a pinch hitter you’ll be working on an even MORE constrained schedule than the normal participants because the majority of drop-outs happen in August and September–in the middle and near the end of the Bang due to school. So if you’re really dead set on it, we advise that you take these factors into consideration.What if I’m not able to finish this pinch hit and have to drop out too?
Well, considering how the pinch hitters are the last line of defense and are thus considered a more important position, you won’t be allowed to sign up to be a pinch hitter the next Bang year. We need reliable people as pinch hitters, so if you have to drop out as a pinch hitter we’ll be enforcing a one year sign up penalty. You CAN participate normally in the Bang year that you have a penalty for, but you will be unable to be a pinch hitter for that year and have to wait for the following year.Depending on the circumstances of why you need to drop out, we might go easier on you (such as deaths, unplanned vacations, etc). Drop outs caused by poor time management won’t get this luxury though.Have a question not answered here? Please feel free to reach out to us on any of our social media or shoot us an e-mail at [email protected]!
SCHEDULE
| June 23rd | Writer, Beta Reader, and Pinch Hitter sign-ups OPEN. |
| July 7th | Artist sign-ups OPEN. |
| July 18th | All sign-ups CLOSE, mandatory Writer check-in (summaries needed.) |
| July 21st | Summaries go live, and Artists submit their choices. |
| July 23rd | Partner pairs announced. |
| August 4th | 1st check-in, word count and WIPs needed. |
| August 25th | 2nd check-in. |
| September 15th | 3rd check-in. |
| September 29th | Final check-in. Fics need to be done, or near complete, and art needs to be done, or undergoing final touches. |
| October 2nd - October 3rd | Set-up period. On Tumblr, this is when we need things to be submitted. |
| October 4th | Posting day! On Tumblr, submissions will start to leave the queue at 2PM EST. |