Mis Amigos

Hi all! Welcome to the 2025 Hockey Big Bang!

Whether you're returning from previous years, or this is your first attempt: welcome! We're glad to have you!

First, our most important rule: Hate, including bullying, flaming etc, will not be tolerated in the Hockey Big Bang community and will result in the banning of your account.

There will be no changes to the primary fanworks rules (all fanworks welcome) or secondary fanworks (all fanworks welcome) but there will be no solo track this year. We, as always, cannot guarantee that all primary works will receive a secondary work but we will do our best to ensure as many works get claimed as possible.

Hockey Big Bang: The Rules

Information and rules for primary fanworkers
First Check-In: Creators are to respond by email. The purpose of this is to make sure everyone is on track to submit a draft on draft submission day. Nobody will be dropped from the bang for checking in late or missing the check-in entirely, so don't worry if something comes up or you forget!

Draft due date: Creators are to submit their drafts to hockeybigbang@gmail.com. Drafts must be 50% complete. Submissions may be a rough draft, but must have a complete beginning, middle, and end, with at least an outline or sketch of all the intermittent scenes. The mods will be checking drafts to make sure your accompanying fanworker has enough material to work with, and if your draft is missing an outline for the missing parts, we'll ask you to provide one before we accept your draft. Drafts will also require a summary and warnings. If you do not receive the reminder email prior the check-in date, please just email us your draft independently.

Closer to the final due date, we will put up a post for picking posting dates. If you have an issue with certain posting dates, that will be the time to leave a comment or email us about it. Please be aware that if you sign up to write multiple stories, you will have multiple posting dates that you will be expected to manage.

Primary fic requirements:
-Fic must be at least 10,000 words.
-All fics must be beta read prior to posting. If you do not have a beta, please reach out to the mods and we will help find someone to beta for you.

Primary fanmix requirements:
-Mixes must be at least 35 songs. The theme and pairing are up to you, but you must be able to explain what it is enough for an accompanying fanworker to work from.
-Your mix should be uploaded to a site such 8tracks or Spotify.
-Mixes must include a tracklist, be it on the site they are uploaded or on an external site linked to the mix.
-Your mix should be diverse. This is less a rule than a guideline, but try not to use more than two songs from a particular artist per mix.

Primary art requirements:
-Art is impossible to quantify, but we do ask that any submitted work is of equivalent effort to the other contributions to the challenge. However, it is up to the artist the extent they go for the art. If you're not sure that your art will qualify, please reach out to us at hockeybigbang@gmail.com to talk it through.
-Art is a broad and varied category, but we want to be able to see your work! If you don't use a digital medium, please submit high quality photographs or scans. Works can include crafts, drawings, paintings, digital art, and sculpture.

Primary podfic requirements:
-You must record a fic of at least 10,000 words.
-You must have podfic permission for the fic you record (blanket permission is fine).

Primary fanvid requirements:
-Your vid must be at least 5 minutes long.
-Your vid cannot be one long, unbroken clip set to music.

Who can you create a fanwork about?
Your fic can include any* hockey player, past or present, and not necessarily from the NHL. Think AHL, PHF, PWHL, national teams, etc.

The only requirement is that the main pairing/character is an actual professional hockey player. Example: Your story cannot be based solely on the idea that Captain America is a hockey player – not to say you can't write that, just that he can't be the main focus of your story.

The challenge is for RPF not just RPS, so if you're inclined to create something for a het pairing, femslash, or no pairing, then you are more than welcome to.

*As we're trying to make this a comfortable space for all involved, fanworks involving Drew Doughty, Evander Kane, Patrick Kane, Semyon Varlamov, Mario Lemieux, Slava Voynov, Alex Formenton, Carter Hart, Dillon Dubé, Michael McLeod, and Cal Foote will not be allowed. No exceptions.

Warnings:
Hockey Big Bang is dedicated to inclusiveness and the comfort of all - participants and readers alike - and part of that is community-wide, required warnings for all submitted pieces, posts, and comments. This is not optional or up for discussion. You will receive one warning and a chance to edit or delete the material in dispute before you will be disqualified from the challenge.

The list of mandatory warnings includes but is not limited to: rape/non-con, dub-con, incest, character death, suicide, self-harm, graphic violence, racism, sexual content with a child (defined for our purposes as any person under 16 years old), eating disorders, addiction, abuse (including child and domestic).

The mods reserve the right to require more warnings should the need arise. Also, please do not feel limited by this selection of warnings: more detailed and nuanced warnings will always be appreciated by your mod and your potential readers.

(You may choose to do without warnings in your own space, such as on a journaling site or AO3. Warnings are merely required in all community spaces.)

Information for accompanying fanworkers
Fanwork summaries will be posted a day before claiming opens. Claims will be done on a 'first come, first choice' basis.

The mods will confirm your claim and send an introductory email. It will be up to you to coordinate the rest, though the mods are available should something arise.

Accompanying fic requirements:
-Fic should be at least 5,000 words.
-All fics must be beta read prior to posting. There will be a beta sign-up post for you to reference if you don't have someone readily available, but please keep in mind that we do not and cannot provide a beta for you.

Accompanying fanmix requirements:
-Mixes must include at least 10 songs.
-Your mix should be uploaded to a site such as 8tracks or Spotify.
-Mixes must include a tracklist, be it on the site they are uploaded or on an external site linked to the mix.
-Your mix should be diverse. This is less a rule than a guideline, but try not to use more than two songs from a particular artist per mix.

Accompanying artist requirements:
-Art is impossible to quantify, but we do ask that any submitted work is of equivalent effort to the other contributions to the challenge. However, it is up to the artist the extent they go for the art.
-Art is a broad and varied category, but we want to be able to see your work! If you don't use a digital medium, please submit high quality photographs or scans so your primary fanworker can display it with the fic. Works can include crafts, drawings, paintings, digital art, and sculpture.

Accompanying podfic requirements:
-All fics available to claim are open for podfic claims.
-Given the limited time frame, podficcers will work with the authors to record at least 1,000 words as opposed to the whole story. (Though you can absolutely record the whole story if you can complete it by your posting date!) Authors and podficcers will need to co-ordinate for this.
-Podfics must be created specifically for this challenge.
-Podfics should be uploaded to a site that will host the file for the duration of the challenge. Acceptable sites include mediafire, dropbox, box.com, mirrorcreator.com, and localhostr.com, but feel free to use another public or private site.
-Podfics are required to follow the previously stated mandatory warning rule. We also recommend podficcers consider additional warnings for audio triggers (e.g., sudden loud or high pitched noises). Please feel free to email us at hockeybigbang@gmail.com if you have a question on this issue.

Accompanying fanvid requirements:
-Your vid must be at least 2 minutes long.
-Your vid cannot be one long, unbroken clip set to music.

Frequently Asked Questions
Help! My due date is the same date as _____!!
You can turn things in early! Otherwise, email us at hockeybigbang@gmail.com as soon as you know that you have a conflict so we can figure it out.

Can I participate in more than one area of the challenge?
Of course! However, you may not claim your own primary fanwork to work with in the claims round. Also, please be careful not to overextend yourself - pinch-hitters are difficult to find!

Can I write with a co-writer?
Absolutely! The word count minimum is still 10,000 words for each fic submitted.

Can I write more than one Big Bang?
Sure, brave soul! You may sign up as many times as you like, with or without co-authors.

Can I write a sequel to a non-challenge fic?
Sequels/prequels/companion fics to a non-challenge fic are acceptable under the following conditions:
-The original/inspirational fic is your own OR you have permission from the original author.
-The original/inspirational fic is hockey-centric.
-The fic submitted for Hockey Big Bang 2025 is its own completed fic. (No cliffhangers, "to be continued," or "the thrilling conclusion of this trilogy will be posted later!")
-There is a link to the original/inspirational fic in the header of your final draft post.

Can I write an AU/Crossover fic for my Hockey Big Bang?
Yes, yes you can. In fact you can write whatever you damn well please so long as it focuses on a hockey player.

Can I use a current WIP for my Big Bang?
Yes, provided you are not currently in the process of posting it to AO3 or another hosting site (if you've shared small snippets on tumblr, etc. that's fine, but use your discretion) and that it will meet the word count requirement by completion. However, please be aware that should you happen to finish early you won't be able to post until your assigned posting date - November 16 at the very earliest.

Do I get confirmation that I have been accepted into the challenge?
Yes, we'll make sure to send you a confirmation email. It might take a day or two, but we'll get to you all, don't worry!

Is there a guarantee I will receive an accompanying fanwork?
Unfortunately not. We'll do our best to find someone to work with every submission, but the number of fics that will receive accompanying fanwork depends entirely on the number of people who sign up. To increase the odds, please share links to the community and encourage your friends to sign up!

Can I opt out of receiving art/a mix/a podfic?
No. If you submit your story to be claimed, then any type of accompanying fanworker will be able to claim it.

Can I post my own graphics with my story? / My friend made me some art/mix/a podfic to go with my story! Can I post that with my fic to the comm?
Please don't. We want to make sure all our Hockey Big Bang participants receive their moment in the spotlight. Please don't include links to non-challenge extras in posts made to the community. We also request that you wait at least a week before posting non-challenge extras to your own journal.

I claimed a fanwork but haven't gotten my e-mail yet! How long will it take before I get my draft and get to work?
We're working on it. Claiming time is a very intense and fast process; we're working carefully to make sure everyone gets the draft they signed up for! We will comment to confirm your claim (or, sadly, ask you to pick another) or if there is a problem with your email address. Otherwise, please wait at least 24 hours before emailing to ask about your claimed draft.

When is my posting date?!
Deep breath! There are many writers, mixers, and artists, and we don’t want to confuse everyone. A post will go up a few weeks before initial posting is set to occur. Creative teams will have to decide between them what date works for them and communicate that to the mods, per the instructions of that post. The mods will confirm your date in the comments and add it to the main post, but no emails will be sent. It is your responsibility to keep track of your posting date.

Can I post my Big Bang friends-locked?
Not to DW or another journaling site, no - all Big Bangs must be accessible. A post must be made to the HBB community by the creative team that links to both fanworks. Locking to AO3 is totally fine, however!

Where can I host my Hockey Big Bang?
Anywhere you want, so long as the fic, art, mix, and any other materials are not behind some sort of wall. A post must be made to the HBB community by the writer that links to both fanworks.

Who posts the mix(es) and art piece(s) created for each fic?
The artist/mixer/podficcer will post their creation on their journal/AO3/wherever they're choosing to host their work. Primary fanworkers and secondary fanworkers will need to coordinate the post to the HBB community that links to both art and fic.

My question isn't answered here. How do I contact you IMMEDIATELY??
The comments of this post are a good place to start, or you can email us at hockeybigbang@gmail.com.

Please make sure hockeybigbang@gmail.com is on your spam whitelist before the challenge begins. This will help things run more smoothly! If you're waiting on an email, please double check your spam folder before contacting us again, and remember, mods are people too. Though we've made every effort to ensure the email account is being monitored at all times, life happens. Also note that abusive emails and messages will only get you banned.

A disastrous Life Event or Writer's Block has occurred and I need to drop out :(
We're very sorry to hear that! We understand, though. C'est la vie and all that!
-If you have not yet submitted a draft: don't. Creators who do not submit drafts are automatically not counted. (Though an email confirming you're dropping out wouldn't go amiss!)
-If you submitted a draft and your fanwork is as yet UNCLAIMED: no harm, no foul. Email us and we will remove your summary from the claims post.
-If you submitted a draft and your fanwork is CLAIMED: if your accompanying fanworker chooses to complete their fanwork, then they'll have the option to post it here without your part of the project.
-If you're an accompanying fanworker who has claimed something to work with: please email us ASAP and we'll work it out.

Okay! That's it! That is all the information we have for you at this time! This post will be updated as questions arise, however, so please check back before emailing. (Any major rule changes will get their own post to the comm.)

If you have any questions, comments, or concerns about the challenge at this time, please leave a comment! We'll do our best to answer as quickly as possible.

Timeline:
Sign-ups Open: Sunday, June 15 (now!)
Primary Fanworker Sign-ups Close/Primary Fanworker Check-In: Sunday, August 3
50% Draft Completion/Summary Submission: Sunday, September 21*
Summaries Posted For Viewing: Saturday, September 27
Summary Claims Open: Sunday, September 28
Posting Date Claims Open: Sunday, October 19
Mandatory Check-In for All Participants: Sunday, November 2
Posting Begins: Sunday, November 16

*There is some wiggle room here as there will be a few days between summary submission and summary posting. If you are not able to make this date but will be able to within a couple of days, please email us with a request for extension as soon as you know you need one.

Primary Fanworker Sign-Ups: https://forms.gle/vKDyNcuaxaMaa5DF6
Secondary Fanworker Sign-Ups: https://forms.gle/stR7Hkre3tKmFPCF8

Join our Discord here: https://discord.gg/vN4GhDmYSq