Signal boost for the 2021 McShep Big Bang!

[mific]

The McShep Big Bang (MBB) is run from tumblr so I said I'd do a signal-boost here on DW (I'm repeating this in other likely places). Obviously, the main pairing needs to be John and Rodney. Note that the tumblr is best viewed on a PC, not a mobile device, to see all the details.

Schedule:
April 20th: sign-ups due/ sign-ups close
April 30th: pair-ups for complementary works finalized
May 1st: complementary creators can start creating (primary creators may well already have started!)
June 1st: first check in
July 1st: second check in. Pinch hitter sign ups close
July 31st: Everyone is hopefully finished & we start revealing works in the collection

While it's still called a Big Bang, in fact this year it's a low-pressure challenge due to the stresses of 2020. Almost any medium can be used for a primary (or complementary) work (but see the discussion below for details), and there's no lower size limit this year. The most common medium will probably be fic, but vids and new art are also fine, as are newly written podfic. The mod will link up complement creators with primary creators, but if you have a pre-existing team you can say so in the sign-up.

In 2020, 17 Primary and Complementary works were posted to AO3 in the first McShep Big Bang. :)

Sign-up posts via g-docs: (these will work - there may be some problems with the tumblr links in the sign-up posts there)
Primary work sign up

Complementary work sign-up

Pinch hitter sign-up

More details about Primary Works from queries on Tumblr (my reading of the details):
Any medium is okay for primary works, and for fics, as the last year has been tough there's no minimum for the wordcount.

Q: Would a podfic of be considered a primary work if the fic being recorded is a new work?
A: If the work hasn't been publicly revealed at all then the podfic could be a primary work (pretty sure this could be done as a team - one writing the work and the other podficcing it, but check with the mod).

If you're looking to record someone else's fic, you're looking at making a secondary work (if the Primary is in the Big Bang). If the fic is already previously posted publicly elsewhere, then the podfic isn't suitable for the Big Bang.
Similarly, art done as a primary would need to be a new work, not fanart created for a pre-existing posted story.

Overall, if you're unsure whether what you want to do is acceptable as a primary work regarding the medium or size, message the mod @mcshepbigbang on tumblr.

Comments

[esteefee]

how does it work? I've been in fandom 15 years or so and never been tempted to join a BB bec no one has ever posted anything that explained how it worked. lol.

[mific]

It's usually a stimulus to write or otherwise create something a bit more substantial, but with things as they have been, they've relaxed that aspect. In the old days, BB minimums for fic were 40,000 for the really big ones, and in recent years more like 10-20,000. Currently, the mod will accept even 1000 words (but more would be great!). So you can choose any McShep idea, or finish off a McShep WIP you've been meaning to get back to. In BB challenges there aren't usually prompts - the plot/theme/trope etc. is left up to the primary creator. The complement aspect means that someone will be assigned by the mod (or in many BBs, secondary creators compete to claim a primary, based on detailed summaries) to make a work inspired by your primary work - like art, or a playlist, or a vid, etc. So at some point you need to share enough of your primary for them to get started on that. Then eventually you both post at the same time, with the usual "inspired by" link on the complementary work.

[esteefee]

oh wow, that is so much different than the vague idea I had. I could do that. I'm terrible at prompts and thought I'd have to write a fic based on a pic.

[mific]

Yeah, the ones based on art that someone's already done are Reversebangs. I think Big Bangs came first, in fandom. :)

[esteefee]

I couldn't do that to save my life. I did have to do it with a random photograph once and that was generic enough to work, but artwork with the actual characters? yipes.