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Parking It! A Seattle Garages Fic Exchange

Table of Contents

Basics

Nominations

Sign ups

Requests

Offers

Assignments

Posting

Defaulting

Pinch Hits

Reveals

Basics

What is this?

It’s an exchange where you’ll write a fic of at least 500 words for your assigned participant about a player for the Seattle Garages. The AO3 Collection is here.

When is it?

Tagset nominations: 4th January to 18th January 2022

Sign-ups: 18th Janary to 1st February 2022

Deadline to submit your fic: 11.59pm PST, 15th March 2022

Anonymous fic reveals: 11.59pm PST, 22nd March 2022

Author reveals: 11.59pm PST, 29th March 2022

More under the cut!

How does it work?

This exchange will happen in four stages: Nominations, Sign-ups, Assignments, and Reveals.

During Nominations, people use this form on AO3 to submit 1-10 names of Seattle Garages players (current, former, Short Circuits, as long as they’ve been part of the Band, they’re welcome!) they want to request or write. This results in a list of character tags which is called the tag set. These tags do not have to already exist on the archive; if they’ve never been tagged before, that’s fine!

During Sign-ups, people use a form on AO3 to request and offer to write stories about characters from the nominated list. Participants must offer and request at least 5 characters.

After sign-ups, participants are matched up based on what they offered and requested, and Assignments are sent out. Participants have six weeks to write one story of at least 500 words about at least one one of their recipient’s requested characters.

Stories must be posted to the collection on AO3 by 15th March 2022, where they will automatically appear as anonymous "Mystery Work" gifts for the recipients.

On 22nd March 2022, the stories are revealed, with author names still hidden.

On 29th March 2022, the author names are revealed.

What if I don’t have an AO3 account?

You can request an invite from AO3 by going to the Invite Request page and adding your name to the queue (the page shows you how long you'll have to wait for an invite). Or, you can contact the mod at [email protected] or on discord at dropbearemma#1434, and they'll issue you an invitation.

You need to get an AO3 account before sign-ups close. However, it is better to get your invite and set up your account beforehand.

Where will announcements be posted?

They’ll be posted on twitter and tumblr. Follow at least one to keep up with news! If you can’t, for some reason, please contact the mod at [email protected] or on discord at dropbearemma#1434. Importantly, this will be where pinch hits will be posted.

How and when should I contact the mod?

If you have questions or need clarifications, please contact the mod at [email protected] or on discord at dropbearemma#1434. I’m here to help! Your question is never too silly. Examples of when you should contact the mod:

It’s almost the end of nominations or sign-ups, and you urgently need an AO3 account.

There’s a problem with your assignment.

You have a question for your recipient (you should not ask them yourself!).

You need an extension.

Any other question you’d like the mod to answer, really.

Nominations

How do nominations work?

Before sign-ups, you can nominate between 1 and 15 characters to appear in the tagset. The tags in the tagset are the only ones that will be eligible for sign-ups.

Will I be able to request/offer characters someone else nominated?

Yes! As long as they’re in the tagset, you can request/offer them.

The character I want has been traded/incinerated/redacted/is no longer on the Garages. Are they eligible?

Yes! Any character that has been on any iteration of the Garages for any amount of time is eligible.

The character I want is not a canonical player on the website. Are they eligible?

The only fanon characters allowed are Garages staff, e.g. coaches, Lil’ Roadies, front office, etc. Relatives of players are not eligible, but you can request the player and suggest a fic idea including their relative if you want. If you’re not sure about eligibility, feel free to ask!

What if I want to nominate the hot dog guy who stands outside the Big Garage, rain or shine, and keeps our beloved players well-fed in dubious cylindrical meat?

I guess you could spin that as Garages staff if you want. They just gotta be Garages-adjacent and not a player’s relative.

Does that mean I should nominate fanon characters by name?

No, please nominate them by their position, e.g. Seattle Garages Coach, Seattle Garages Commentator, Seattle Garages Hot Dog Vendor.

If I nominate, do I have to sign up?

No, although please only nominate if you do intend to sign up!

If I didn’t nominate any characters, can I still sign up?

Yes! That’s totally fine.

Sign ups

Who can sign up?

Anyone with an AO3 account can sign up.

Here's a detailed tutorial for signing up for any challenge on AO3. It’s no longer 100% accurate but the basics are the same and you can contact the mod in the event of any problems.

I’m not a fan of the Garages on discord/the blaseball website, but I’m interested in the characters. Can I still sign up?

Absolutely!

I missed the sign ups, is there any way I can participate?

Once assignments have gone out, the prompts will be available on the collection page. You can write a fic to fill one or more of them, but you will not get a fic in return.

Requests

You must nominate at least 5 characters that you are willing to receive fics about. You can nominate up to 20 if you want. This exchange uses “or” matching, which means that you will match on at least one character, but there’s no guarantee you will match on more. Your writer only needs to include one character from your requests.

You must also indicate what warnings you would be comfortable receiving. These will be binding on your writer.

You can opt-in to receiving interactive fiction such as twine fic, etc., by ticking the “Format: Interactive fiction” box.

There are things I do not want to receive that aren’t covered by the archive warnings. Can I specify that?

Yes. They will go in your “optional details” box. You should indicate them as “Do Not Wants” (DNWs), and they will be binding on your writer. There is no limit on how many DNWs you can have, but please be reasonable — it’s not splortsmanlike to DNW “fics set in the blaseball universe”, for example. It is reasonable to DNW a specific interpretation of a character (e.g. “Please do not write Bennett Browning as a sentient brown bear”), but you cannot lock your writer into only writing one specific interpretation. It’s also fine to DNW things like “please do not write about grieving” or “please no body horror”.

DNWs will only be enforced if they are in your signup; they will not be enforced if they are only in your letter.

There are things I DO want to receive. Can I specify that?

You can suggest it in your optional details, but in the end, they are not obligated to follow them.

What are optional details?

"Optional details" is the space on the form where you can give extra information about the kind of story you want to receive.

This information is optional for both you and your writer. You don't have to write anything here, and your writer doesn't have to include any of the details listed as “optional details" in their story. Please only include text in this box, as rich media can cause problems in the mods’ interface and won't appear if you are sent out as a pinch hit.

A good use of the optional details space is providing prompts for your writer. Other helpful things to include are: why you chose the characters you did and what you like about them; whether you’re a fan of crossovers or AUs; favourite genres or tropes.

An inappropriate use of the optional details space would be to demand a very specific story or relationship between the characters; to provide a prompt and declare or imply that this is the only story you want; to make a request for a story that does not match the characters you matched on; and/or to demand a crossover/fusion with another fandom with no other options offered. As a writer, if you are assigned a prompt like this, you can contact the mod for help.

If you want a particular fanon interpretation, please provide links to details! Don’t assume your writer is familiar with the lore, even if you think it’s widespread.

We ask writers to make note of the squicks, triggers, and other DNWs their recipient has put in the "Optional Details" fields and make a good-faith effort to avoid those. Posting a story that contains these may result in penalties.

“Optional details" are meant to allow a writer to understand some of their recipient’s favorite things so they can better craft a story for that person.

What’s the letter field in my sign-up for?

You can write a Dear Writer letter and post it somewhere (e.g. tumblr, dreamwidth) that contains your Do Not Wants, optional likes/dislikes, prompt ideas, links to your blaseball twitter, etc. It can be exactly the same as your optional details box or an expansion on it. This is not compulsory.

If you have no idea what a letter is supposed to look like, an example is here.

Offers

You must offer to write at least 5 characters from the tagset. You can offer up to 20 if you want. You do not have to specify which archive warnings you’re willing to write, and you don’t have to indicate whether or not you’re willing to write interactive fiction.

You can write things in the optional details (like “I would like to be matched with someone who is open to twine fic”), but there’s no guarantee your assignment will adhere to them.

Assignments

Can I tell my recipient I’m writing for them?

No. This is an anonymous exchange, and authors will be revealed a week after the stories go live. If you want to ask your recipient a question, please contact the mod.

Do I have to write stories for all of my recipient's requests?

Nope! You're only required to write one story, and you can choose which of your recipient’s requested characters to write about. You also don’t have to adhere to any of their optional details except their Do Not Wants.

The character I’m writing about has played on other teams before/after the Garages; can I write about that?

Unless your recipient has indicated they’re okay with that, no. Your fic should be focused on their time on the Garages. (There is, of course, a bit of wiggle room — if it’s a character who’s been recently traded from the Garages reflecting on their time there, that’s fine.)

If your character has been incinerated or vaulted, you could also write about their experience of the Hall/Vault etc.

Can I write more than one story?

Yes, although it’s not compulsory. Once assignments go out, you can see all the prompts for the exchange and can write for any of them, as long as each fic is at least 500 words.

Any extra stories you write are called treats. There's no way to differentiate an assigned story from a Treat in the main collection. Some treat writers put something in the tags or the author's notes about the work being a treat, so the recipient will know which is their official gift. They are not required to do so.

Can I write a character that my recipient requested but that I didn’t offer?

Yes!

I’m writing interactive fiction and the word count doesn’t show up when I post to AO3.

Please provide an approximate length for your interactive fiction in your author’s notes.

Posting

How do I post my fic?

Either go to your Assignment page on AO3, which you can find under the "Assignments" link on your Profile page, or go to the collection page and click on "Your Assignment". You should see two buttons at the top right of your assignment: "Fulfill", and "Default".

Click "Fulfill", and you'll be taken to a posting form. This will automatically post your story into the collection. It also has your recipient's name already filled in. All you need to do is fill in the rest of the form, preview it to make sure it looks okay, and post.

If you're posting a Treat, you won't have an assignment or "Fulfill" button. Instead, go to the collection and click on "Post to Collection" under the collection title. This will take you to a form with the challenge collection name already filled in. Fill in the recipient's name manually, then fill in the rest of the form, preview it to make sure it looks okay, and post.

Can I edit my fic after the deadline but before reveals?

Yes, although the fic at the deadline should be a complete fic that you would be happy with your recipient receiving in case something comes up and you can’t edit it.

Can I post my story before the deadline?

Yes! The posting form becomes available shortly after assignments go out. You're free to post whenever you want.

Can I add my work to a series?

Not while stories are anonymous. You may add your work to a series, or create a new series for your work, only after author reveals. Even though individual works in a series may be anonymous, the series itself will show up on your AO3 dashboard.

Defaults

Due to unforeseen circumstances, I can’t write 500 words before the deadline. What do I do?

If you can't finish in time, you can default. This lets the mod know they need to find a pinch hitter to write a story for your recipient.

Things happen. Life happens. Defaulting is often out of your control. An earlier default is better than struggling against a deadline you won’t be able to meet. You can default, have the story sent to the pinch hit list, and, if you manage to finish, it can still be uploaded and your recipient will have an extra story. An earlier default is better than a later one, as it gives the pinch hitters longer to work.

Simply follow the steps outlined below and everything will be fine.

To default, go to your Assignment page on AO3, which you can find under the "Assignments" link on your Profile, or on the collection page as "Your Assignment". You should see two buttons at the top of your assignment: "Fulfill", and "Default".

Click the Default button, then click the confirmation on the popup that appears. The mod will be notified and will find a pinch hitter to fulfill your assignment.

Pinch Hits

If someone defaults on a fic, another author has to be found to write for that recipient. This author is a pinch hitter, and will have a shorter amount of time to complete their gift. (An extension may be available depending on when the pinch hit went out.)

Do I have to be signed up to be a pinch hitter?

Nope! You just have to have an AO3 account and be willing to write a fic on a tight deadline.

Where will pinch hits be announced?

They will be posted on twitter and tumblr.

How do I claim a pinch hit?

There will be a google form that accompanies the pinch hit announcement. Fill that out, and if you’re the first person to claim it, you’ll be contacted to let you know that you’ve got the assignment. You'll be able to see it listed on your AO3 profile page by clicking "Assignments" in the left-hand navigation pane.

Can I write a fic for a pinch hit even if I didn’t get it assigned to me?

Sure! It will be a treat, and you should follow the posting instructions for treats.

Reveals

Can I post my fic anywhere else before author reveals?

No. This is to preserve anonymity.

Can I put my fic in a series before author reveals?

No, unfortunately. There’s no way to create a series anonymously — while the fics will come up as anonymous, your name will still show up on the series page.

Can I write an author’s note?

Yes, but please don’t put identifying info in it until after author reveals.

Can I reply to comments on my fic before author reveals?

Yes. You’ll come up as “anonymous creator” until author reveals.

I’ve received a fic! What do I do now?

Please kudos and comment on your fic! Commenting on your fic is polite, as it’s a recognition that your writer worked hard to give you something. If you find commenting difficult, you can use a comment builder or get ideas from 101 comment starters.

(I am indebted to the Yuletide FAQ for guidance and in some cases just lifting answers in their entirety.)

#blaseball #seattle garages #fic exchange #faq

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