Writing in starlight

Can I include original characters?

Including original characters is fine, but Hollanov must still be the main focus of your fic. You may opt out of Original Characters by adding it to your DWNs (Do Not Wants)

Is Outsider POV allowed?

Yes, but only if it was requested by your recipient. You may opt out of Outsider POV by adding it to your DWNs (Do Not Wants)

What if I suddenly can't make my gift and need to drop out?

You can do so by going to My Assignments > Default. This will drop your assignment and the person you were creating for will go out as a Pinch Hit

Is there a penalty for defaulting?

Not if you default before the Default Date

What if I default after the default deadline?

Then you won't be allowed to participate in the next everythinghollanov exchange whenever that may be.

What are DNWs?

DNWs or Do Not Wants are things that will ruin the gift for you. You must have clearly stated Do Not Wants in your signup Optional Details (do NOT use any html code to hide them, such as the Details tag). If you do not state DNWs, your creator is free to create whatever they want.

DNWs must not be used to box your creator into making a specific gift for you. You do NOT need to explain your DNWs.

For example:

Acceptable DNW: DNW Non-hockey AUs Unacceptable DNW: DNW Shane as anything other than a barista in a Coffee Shop AU

Works that hit a DNW that was clearly stated in the signup will not be accepted to the collection and the recipient will go out as a Pinch Hit. If you receive a work that hits a DNW stated in your signup, please contact the mod immediately.

What is a Pinch Hit?

A Pinch Hit or PH is someone who does not have a creator. An initial PH is someone who does not have a creator from the start.

If you are an initial PH, DO NOT FEAR! Sometimes this happens because of making sure everyone has a good match to create for. The best part of being an initial pinch hit is knowing that whoever creates for you wanted you in specific! And don't worry, you will get a gift, even as an initial pinch hit, so long as you create your assigned work!

PHs will be advertised on DW (Pinch Hit comm) and tumblr (everythinghollanov).

What if someone doesn't have a gift by the deadline?

The Exchange will not reveal until everyone who created has a gift. This might result in a one-week delay. As a mod, I will do my best to ensure everyone gets a gift on time.

What is a treat?

A treat is an extra gift that someone who was not matched to you makes out of the goodness of their heart. If you are open to receiving treats in a different medium, please say so in your optional details. You can opt in to treats in a different medium in your Additional Details (E.g.: I’m opting in for treats in any medium!)

You are allowed to not want treats or to not want treats in a specific medium. If so, please say it in your optional details! (E.g.: DNW: fanart as a treat)

If you're open to treats, you need to go on AO3 > Preferences >Collections, Challenges and Gifts and tick the box that says "Allow gifts from anyone"

Treats are not guaranteed, but they're great surprises to get! If you wish to treat someone something different, like fanart or podfic, you are allowed to do so to anyone who has opted in! You can see the details for each request here. Please do not give treats to people who specifically opted out of treats. If you made a treat and belatedly noticed this person does not allow them, you may gift them to the collection.

The minimum for treats is 300 words of fic for written or podficced works. The minimum for fanart is art at the stage of ‘nice sketch’ on unlined paper (it doesn’t need to be fully colorized or rendered if digital, for example).

You can also write/podfic/make art as a gift to the collection. These can be posted without a recipient. More information on posting treats will be available later.

What's a 'Dear Creator Letter'?

It's an optional post where you can rave about Hollanov, and your likes and dislikes if it did not fit into your signup. You can host it on Dreamwidth or Tumblr ON A PUBLIC POST and link it to your signup. DNWs stated in your Letter but not on your signup will not be enforced.

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SIGN UP INSTRUCTIONS

Please read the instructions carefully to make sure you have a successful signup! These instructions are also available in the signup form at AO3, but you may want to read them to know what to expect.

If you have any questions, please send send us an ask. so we can all be on the same page.

Request instructions

You may choose to request Book canon or Show canon. Pick both if you would prefer either or a mix of canons would not turn you off. If mixing canons would bother you, use the Additional Details tags and list it as a DNW (E.g.: DNW mixing book and show canon. Just stick to one.)

Select up to 20 additional tags FROM THE TAGSET that you would like to receive. Your creator may choose to combine multiple tags, but they are only required to use ONE to create your work, so choose tags that you would enjoy as the main focus.

Additionally, you can add a "Dear Creator Letter". This is a separate post hosted on Dreamwidth or Tumblr (set to PUBLIC) where you can write in any details you want to add that did not fit your sign up. You can also rave about Hollanov so people know what you like about them. This letter is OPTIONAL and your creator is free to ignore it if they're okay with the details in your signup.

Write all of your DNWs VISIBLY in the Additional Details box on the AO3 signup form. DNWs only in a linked Dear Creator letter or otherwise not stated in your signup will not be enforced by the mod.

Sample Optional Details:

I love AUs, please choose any of the ones in my signup. I like all kinds of fics with happy endings.

DNWs: HP-related AUs specifically. Eye trauma. Unhappy endings.

Offer instructions

You may choose to create for one canon only. This does not have to match your requests.

If you pick both, that means you can be matched to any of those canons, so make sure you're only picking both if you can write both.

The carriage was swinging awfully every time the wheels hit a puddle. The road was muddy and bumpy, so it happened often. Princess Max was sitting ruffled and uncomfortable in the seat, looking out of the window, annoyed.

“Stop fidgeting,” grunted her brother Billy, as bothered as she was by the inconvenience of the trip.

“Tell me again why we are going through this shit,” hissed Max.

Billy rolled his eyes. “They invited us to the winter ball and Father thought it was a great occasion to…”

“To meet my fiancé,” barked Max, finishing the sentence everyone kept reciting to her whenever she argued with that questionable decision.

“I know, right?” snorted Billy, who disagreed with the decision as much as his sister, if not more.

The thing was that, since her birth, Princess Maxine had been nothing more than trade goods for their father, as he had never taken an interest in her until she was old enough to marry. Since then, he had put together a web of conversations and alliances to find the best agreement to give Max away. Not the best for her, of course, but for himself, his power and his kingdom. It never mattered to him in whose hands Max would fall, as in this case, to a perverted, sanguinary man like King Steve, the ruler of the biggest nearby kingdom.

Max would run away that very moment, and Billy would gladly help her, if it hadn’t been for their mother. The king would immediately kill her in vengeance if they refused to obey.

Billy looked at his sister, dressed as the next guard, her red hair braided by himself, so young and full of life and about to be sold away, maybe tortured and raped only for the sake of power and blood. He hated his father for that, as if he needed more reason. In fact, King Neil had sent him away with Max to keep him out of the castle, not only because of the scandal he didn’t mind creating with young scullery boys and squires, but also because he suspected that his son was actively trying to kill him.

Steve parked in the public swimming pool parking lot and sighed.

Nancy had practically begged him for a favour, and he hadn’t been able to say no, even if he tried, for his dignity.

“Mom has her charity group and I’m stuck here with the Hawkins post, please, I can’t leave right now.”

“What about Jon?” Steve asked, bitter because she was using her puppy eyes with him, and it wasn’t fair.

“He’s at work… I called Joyce, Hopper, Mrs. Sinclair and our neighbor’s wife, but nobody can, please, Steve, you’re my last hope.”

Steve pursed his lips, now slightly offended for being really the last name on her list, but eventually he said yes and accepted to go picking up Holly, Nancy’s little sister, for her swimming class in the indoor swimming pool in the nearby city.

He frowned, seeing a familiar blue car in the parking lot behind the building, but he brushed the thought away, there were surely thousands of cars in the same shade of blue.

When he saw the kids starting to come out, he almost came out from the car when something made him freeze on the spot.

At the end, the blue shade was exactly what he had thought at the beginning, because Billy Hargrove himself, the pain in the ass that was bothering his life at school and outside lately, was there, in his bathrobe, holding the hand of a couple little kids, waving at them and greeting the women who were waiting for them.

Little by little, mothers and kids left, and Holly remained outside alone looking around. One of the mothers held her hand while they were waiting for someone to pick her up.

“Steve!” she greeted when finally Steve appeared, after being sure that Billy had gone inside.

“Are you here for her?” the woman asked, skeptical. Steve convinced her he was harmless and could drive Holly home.

“Who’s your teacher?” Steve asked nonchalantly, trying to collect information.

“Oh, his name is Billy,” she said innocently. “He’s really kind! And mommy and the other moms say he’s hot. But he doesn’t burn.”