Dorlene Big Bang 2026

Please fill out the necessary form if you want to sign up:

WRITER SIGN-UP FORM — CLOSED

BETA SIGN-UP FORM — CLOSED

ARTIST SIGN-UP FORM

Sign-ups for writers and betas close January 31, 2026

Artist sign-ups close April 15, 2026

I saw in the timeline that you'd said first drafts are due May 31, but in the rules it says they're due April 30, so I was just wondering which was correct

If you think you otherwise qualify, we might be able to work something out! For example, we accepted someone who has a 9k words completed fic and a 20k WIP

I have a question considering the sign ups. I really want to participate in the big bang, and i already have an idea for my fic, but I don't know for sure if i will be able to write 20k words because i don't know yet how my schedule will look for the rest of the year.

If i sign up now, am i allowed to let you know that i can't make it should that be the case, if i do it before the artist claiming? Because by then I can probably estimate better if i'm going to make it or not...

If that's not allowed, i get it, but i thought i could ask :)

Hi! Sorry for replying so late

First of all, I thought I should let you know that we’ve just updated the rules to state that the minimum word count required is now 10k words instead of 20k!

And to answer your question, you can absolutely sign up now and drop out if it turns out that you can’t make it, we’re all humans and sometimes life gets in the way :)

Hey! Sorry, I meant to make a post for this yesterday but then it completely slipped my mind (oops)

It's lovely you're organising this, and i'd like to participate, but i was wondering something about one of the rules.

The rules state that the work must be original, but i have an idea for an AU that's kinda based off multiple versions of the same tale (sorry for being cryptical, i just don't want to reveal my idea just yet). Would that be allowed? Since it's not 100% original, but based off something else? (I'll still write everything myself, but it's possible i want to use certain lines directly from the material?)

Thank you!!

Hello! Glad to hear you’re interested!

This is a Dorcas/Marlene Big Bang.

All fic submissions must focus on this pairing.

OCs and secondary ships are welcome, but they must be tagged as such, and they must be secondary to endgame Dorcas/Marlene.

Fics can be part of the series, but must be able to be read as a standalone.

All fics must be original (written by you) and previously unpublished. 

Generative AI is not allowed and will get you banned.

Age Restrictions: 

You must be 18 years or older to participate in this fest.

Beta Reading: 

Beta readers are encouraged, but not required. If you prefer to not use one, that's up to you.

You're allowed to work with a beta reader outside the Big Bang or find one in the server.

Ratings: 

There are no rating restrictions for this fest. Go wild! 

Anonymity: 

Artists will claim anonymous concepts from the authors who have signed up. To preserve the integrity of this process, please do not post any aspect of your work publicly before you are given the go-ahead by the mod team.

Hosting: 

All works will be hosted on AO3 in the Dorlene Big Bang 2026 collection.

If you’re an author, it is your responsibility to make sure you have an AO3 account before posting, so please check AO3 wait times and be sure to sign up early. 

General Expectations:

All work must be original and complete.

All authors must have an AO3 account in order to post to the collection.

Artists are encouraged to have an AO3 account as well to ensure proper credit and ownership of their work, but we’re happy to tag credit to other sites as well.

Author Expectations:

You will submit one complete fic of no fewer than 10k words.

We do not allow WIPs. All works must be posted in their entirety.

You can write up to two works for the Big Bang, but the second work can only be signed up once the first is complete, and before artist claiming. You must be sure it will get done on time.

To participate, you must have created at least one fic (in any fandom) prior to signing up, which meets the following requirements: at least 10k, complete, and publicly posted.

Artist Expectations:

 You will submit one piece of original art and one banner per fic that you claim.

The banner may be a resized version of the art you submitted or it may be a totally new piece.

You are welcome to submit more art for your fic pairings if you so choose.

Artists may create art for 1-3 fics, depending on fic availability.

All characters depicted in sexual situations must be 18 years or older. 

Any type of visual art is allowed as long as it is original work. This includes things like collage, paper art, sculpture, etc. as long as you can produce a digital file for submission. Videos are allowed, but we request that no works include photos/images of real people (celebrities, yourself, your friends). Using real people as references for your art is fine. All works must be single-panel – no comics.

Fic Claiming: 

Fic concepts will be available to the artists on April 16, which will give them approximately two weeks to look over the summaries.

Artists will submit a rank-ordered list of their fic preferences, and will be matched with writers by fest moderators. 

Artists and authors may communicate as much or as little as they want about the art, but we remind authors to respect the artistic process and refrain from making unwanted requests for changes to the art.

If you have any questions, feel free to contact us via the ask box or at [email protected]