Astria ⠂୨୧

☆ Writer Cutoff

We are introducing a writer cutoff for the Sonic Big Bang 2026. This is being done in order to balance the ratio between artists and writers, meaning that there will be more artists per writer. We cannot provide a definitive number of writers that will be accepted into the event at this time, but ideally the amount of slots available would be 80 or more.

Because we are introducing this cutoff, we will be providing writers the opportunity to alternatively sign up as an artist or beta reader in the case that they are not accepted as a writer. That way, everyone who signs up to be a writer still has an opportunity to participate in some capacity.

☆ Writer Summaries

If you wish to sign up as a writer, you will be required to submit a summary of the story you intend to write for the event. This summary will be the one provided to artists when choosing which fic they would like to work on, so keep this in mind as you are writing it. The 2026 sign-up form will be editable, so if you wish to change or tweak details about your story summary, you may do so up until sign-ups close.

Please make sure you are satisfied with your summary before the sign-up form closes, as it will be the basis of the story you will be working on for the duration of the event.

Our full content guidelines will be outlined in a future announcement, but for now, here are the basic requirements for what we are looking for in a summary:

Title (even if it's just a placeholder)

Summary (100-300 words describing the plot of your story)

Estimated word count

Characters featured

Pairings featured (if any)

Any trigger warnings or content warnings

Any additional notes

Regarding word count: Our minimum requirement for this event is 4,000 words. While we do not enforce an upper limit and you are welcome to make your fic as long as you'd like if you think you can handle it, we highly encourage you to limit your fic to a maximum of 10,000 words. In any case, please understand that your fic must be completed in its entirety by the end of the event, and plan accordingly for that fact.

☆ Writer Outlines

At the start of the event, writers will be asked to create an outline for their fic. This is a new requirement, designed so that staff and your collaborators can better understand your story's direction and begin to support your vision.

An outline should essentially be an overview of your story, including the start, end, and any major events in between that you find worth mentioning. It can be a list of planned events, or an in depth explanation of your story beat by beat, whatever way you feel most comfortable presenting it works for us. We will not be holding you to this outline if you find that a certain element of your story won't work out, but we will expect your finished fic to be somewhat similar to the concept provided in your outline.

We understand that some writers prefer not to use an outline and instead figure their story out as they write it, but due to the collaborative aspect of this event, it will remain a requirement. If you have never utilized an outline when writing before, we encourage you to just try your best. You will not be penalized or disqualified for the thoroughness of your outline, so long as a clear and concise concept is presented.

☆ Event Theme

For the very first time in Big Bang history, we are introducing a theme for the event: Friends & Foes! All writers and artists are encouraged to engage with and implement this theme into their pieces, but it is not a requirement. You are still welcome to write or draw whatever you'd like for this event (as long as it is within our guidelines, of course)!

Writers, if you do not already have a plan for your story, we encourage you to use this theme as a prompt! As for artists, you are encouraged to highlight moments in your writer's fic that employ this theme through your art!

☆ 2026 Schedule

We cannot provide the full schedule at this time, however, one of the bigger changes to the event will be when it begins. Sign-Ups will open in late November, close in mid-December, and we will begin sending out invites by the end of December. Our hope is to have every participant invited to the event Discord server by the end of 2025. This is being done to give every participant more time to work on their pieces, as the planned posting dates for this Big Bang are the same as in previous years, June 21-23.

☆ Artist Check-Ins

Lastly, we have decided to change the amount of check-ins required for artists to 3, and they will be more spaced out and generally carried out later on than writer check-ins. The artist deadline will also be later on from the writer deadline than in previous years, to give artists more time to work on their pieces with access to their writer's completed story.

☆ That's all for now. Thank you for reading, and we hope you enjoy the rest of your October!