Horizon Events

General Participant Rules

As we will be allowing explicit fanworks for this Big Bang, all participants must be 18+ years of age, without exception.

Participants must be willing to join an invitation-only Event Discord server. Here you will have ready access to mods, other participants, and inspiration activities. When you are accepted into the challenge, you will receive an invitation to the Discord.

All participants are required to treat one another with kindness and respect! No harassment, name-calling, bullying, or ship- or character-bashing will be tolerated. When in doubt, use the Golden Rule. Let’s all be groovy to one another. 

Writer Rules

If you choose to write a fic, the word count minimum is 8,000 words.

The posting platform for fic will be Archive of Our Own. If you do not have an account, a mod will be able to provide you with a code. 

You may not reuse or repurpose fic you have posted before, but you may use WIPs that you have discussed as a starting point.

Please utilize all applicable Archive warnings and choose an appropriate rating for your story’s content, without exception. If you have questions or concerns about warnings and ratings, please contact a mod. Please see our Warnings Policy at the conclusion of the rules.

The challenge is open to canon, canon divergence, alternate universe, and crossover fic. Sequels to previous fics are also allowed, as long as they can be read as standalone stories and adhere to the rest of the guidelines.

Stories may contain romantic elements/pairings/relationships, or none! Both ship fics and gen fics are welcome and equally-celebrated. 

Fics are not required to be posted in their entirety, but you are encouraged to have your story at least 90% finished by your posting date.

If you wish to submit multiple creations, please cap that at two.

Other Creation Rules

There are no limits as to what you can choose to create, as long as the artwork can be submitted electronically. Consider illustration, animatic, mood boards, original music compositions, fanmixes, virtual photography, cosplay, edits, jewelry, and textiles. Get creative!

Graphic or NSFW art will be allowed as part of the HCC. However, if you are collaborating with another user, please check with them to make sure this is welcome. Unsolicited graphic/NSFW art will not be tolerated. All graphic/NSFW art will be posted on tumblr with the good old Modesty Crop.

You must create new art for this challenge–we will not allow reusing or repurposing art that you have posted before, however as with writers, you may be inspired by an unshared WIP.

Creations will be shared on your preferred twitter, tumblr, and/or AO3 - yes you can post other mediums besides fic to AO3!

If you wish to submit multiple creations, please cap that at two.

Beta Reader Rules

Written works are not required to be beta read, though we do encourage you to give any fic a thorough review prior to sharing.

Please respect the time and energy of your beta readers. If they offer edits you do not like or understand, please communicate this with them and try to clarify.

There will be a channel where you can request a beta reader if you would like one. Those agreeing to be a beta reader should cap their particpation at two written works.

Collaboration Rules

You may absolutely collaborate with another creator, whether you do art for a fic, or create something together. Mods will not be facilitating a match process, and you will be required to maintain communication independently from the event. If your partner ceases to communicate with you, please let the mods know so we can adjust your participation status to “solo”.

Check-In Deadline Policy

Check-ins for this event will be used to see how you are progressing. Missing one will only result in a moderator reaching out to you one on one to see if you are still participating.

Dropping Out

Life happens. If you would like to drop out of the challenge, you can do so at any time.

To drop out, send us a Discord message or email [email protected] with your intent.

Ghosting is not polite, but we understand it happens. Please do not worry about needing to leave the event.

If you have chosen to collaborate with someone, please be respectful of your partner and let them know you will not be able to continue. If your partner has dropped off and hasn’t let us know, please just shoot us a message!

Warnings Policy

Authors add warnings to fanfiction to let the readers know its content before they make the choice to read. Some content is very triggering for certain readers. Some subject matter simply falls outside of the content a reader enjoys or feels comfortable reading. 

For the Horizon Big Bang, we will require warnings for the following content:

Major Character Death (AO3 Archive Warning) (If the fic contains the Major Character Death)

Underage (AO3 Archive Warning)

Rape/Non-Con (AO3 Archive Warning)

Graphic Depictions of Violence (AO3 Archive Warning)

Child abuse (physical, emotional, or sexual)

Domestic abuse

Incest

Dubious consent

Suicide/suicidal ideation/self-harm

If your fic contains this content and you do not provide a warning, you will be given the opportunity to change your header. If you do not, it will be removed.

We strongly encourage clear tags for the following content:

Kinks (BDSM, A/B/O, breathplay, bloodplay, watersports, scat, etc.–prepare/excite your readers for what they’re going to read!)

Drug/alcohol/substance use

Mental health issues

We also urge writers to tag any romantic pairings that appear in the fic, even those that appear in the background.