Poll: original content?

[trascendenza]

Poll #2536

This poll is closed.
Open to: Registered Users, detailed results viewable to: Just the Poll Creator, participants: 43

Would you like ladiesbigbang to allow original content?

Yes.
24 (55.8%)

No.
16 (37.2%)

Explain in comments.
3 (7.0%)

To clarify: if this challenge is going to allow original content, ALL creators will be able to do original content, not just writers. That would mean: reccers could rec original fic, a photographer could sign up to do picspams and picspam pictures of women they've taken themselves, podficcers could podfic original fic, artists could draw original characters, icon makers could icon any women (not just those considered as "fannish" or celebrities), meta writers could discuss womanhood not just in relation to fannish sources but a broader spectrum, etc. etc.

This will also include allowing OFCs in fiction, because I think it'd be silly to allow original content creation without allowing for original female character creation.

All opinions and thoughts welcome in the comments.

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Creating work in a category outside of our primary ones has now been added to the Rules & Guidelines.

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ETA: Poll closed. The section for original creators is here and information about OFCs has been added to the Rules & Guidelines.

Comments

[shopfront]

Of course, but minimum word counts for bigbangs tend to direct them more towards lengthier pieces than short stories. Of course someone could do short stories as part of a mixed media piece, but then to refer back to the requirements I've sorted out for that, my submission will be a collection based around a theme and the same characters being featured in different mediums. This is obviously really subjective and variable, but if I was doing original pieces then there isn't the backstory context of using a transformative character (therefore a collection of small multi-media pieces have the benefit of referencing back to familiar canon character, rather than trying to keep an audience connected with a character with less opportunity to keep that character familiar without the additional context), it could potentially be a bit trickier to keep a unifying feel to the submission.

Actually I think 15k of one coherent fan story is pretty much equal to 15k of one coherent original story, but this is a multi-media bang, so it's not going to be that simple and it's probably better identify and address potential issues beforehand.

And hey, for the record, I think it's good that you're campaigning for the opportunity to express your choice of creativity. I usually sadface when I see a great bigbang that only allows art, not mixes, to complement the writing, so I totally get where you're coming from. All my quibbles here are very much 'maybe think and evaluate this' not 'don't do because' things.

[dharma_slut]

You've just hit on something interesting. I think that one reason I like to read fanfic, even if I can't write it, is because I have always written 'in media res' which is where most fanfic comes from. And also, I like to write the same characters into different stories-- I do seem to be developing a couple of coherent 'verses' where the focus of one story appears in other stories as well, interacting in different ways. Like writing 'original slash' I've come to realise that I write 'original fanfic.'

To be honest a part of my campaign is not only for my own creativity, but political as well-- I am sick to death of the screams of 'Mary sue" that go up at the merest mention of an OFC, I think it's become pernicious and stultifying to young writers who never dare to write women because of it-- much less original ones-- and I can't think of a better place to encourage them to try after all, than a fest celebrating awesome women!

[shopfront]

That's a really good point. I too find it frustrating that people forget that Mary Sue-ism is really about the quality of an original character, not simply about whether she's original or not, it would be interesting to see works aimed at reminding people of that.

[dharma_slut]

there's some meta happening... Funny how these things come around...

[megaptera]

Thank you for this. I'm writing in an RPG type fandom where the characters are almost by definition 'original' even though the sandbox doesn't belong to me. Two of my four heroes are female and the Sue thing is lingering in the back of my brain and I'm getting sick of its discouraging remarks. ;)

[dharma_slut]

UP THE REVOLUTION SISTAH! *grin*