#event faqs

so... no free day prompt?

while hetaween has no specific free day, the event is designed so you can make any day your free day! we use a 'free day token' so that, if you have an idea for a hetaween work that doesn't really fit a prompt, but you still want to share it in the event, you can do just that! just let us know in the post tags!

do i have to do multiple days to join?

absolutely not! make as much or as little as you want to or feel able to for this event! there is never any pressure to see the whole ten days through. heck, even if you want to make one thing and it's using your free day rather than a prompt, feel free!

can i combine multiple prompts?

if you want to and it works for you, then go for it! as long as it's clear what prompts you have used so we can reblog it properly, that sounds great!

what if i miss the day my work is for?

timezones are tricky things – what even is a 'day'? post when you post and we'll reblog, no problem! we'll also accept works up to two weeks after the event, so it's all good!

but you haven't shared my work! :(

first, give us 24 hours grace to find your post. make sure you use the #hetaween 2025 tag and also @ this blog so we get a notification. we'll like your post and queue it, so you know it's been taken care of! if 24 hours pass and you haven't seen us in your notifications, however, please do drop us a message!

can i make nsfw?

oh, please, do go ahead... :)

* When does Sicktember begin?

-The idea is to have a prompt a day for the entire month of September, but that’s more of a guideline than an actual rule.

* Do I have to write all 30 prompts in order to participate?

- Not at all! Don’t feel pressured into writing all 30 prompts. You can write as few or as many as you want. This list is meant to spark inspiration, not cause any undue stress.

* Do I have to write all of the prompts separately or can I combine them?

- You can write all of the prompts in one continuous fic, write them all separately or combine a handful at a time. Do what works for you!  Just, please, specify which prompts inspired your work.

* Do I have to write the prompts in order?

-No. You can write them in whatever order you’d like, but again, please identify which prompts your work is based on.

* Can I combine with prompts from other events?

-As long as the other events you’re participating in are okay with it, so are we! Combine all you’d like!

* I don’t write but I can draw. Can I participate?

-Yes! All types of content creators are welcome to join in the fun.

* What if I don’t finish the prompts by the end of September?

- No problem! Take your time and create at your own pace!  There’s no rush. But also keep in mind that you are not obligated to fill each and every prompt.

* Are there any restrictions?

- There are only two major restrictions. No sexually explicit material and no illegal or non-consensual relationships.

    - No explicit descriptions of sexual encounters (smut/erotica/pornography)

           - Innuendo and passing mentions of sexual encounters are okay. 

    -No romantic relationships between adults and minors, relationships that are incestuous, and/or relationships that are stockholm syndrome based.

            - As a hurt/comfort-focused event, we would like to keep the main focus of this particular event on the sick character and their caregiver/caretaker

 -This also allows us to leave this event open to a broader range of participants.

*What if I want to use one of the prompts to write something that doesn’t fit within the event rules?

 - We understand that inspiration comes from many places and we certainly aren’t here to tell you what you should and shouldn’t write.

 - If your prompt-inspired content is outside of the event’s restrictions, then it is no longer for the event, and it should not be associated with it. At that point, your content is for you, and all of the people who would enjoy it!

     - In this situation, we ask that you please do not use the event tags, submit the content to the blog, or enter the content into the AO3 collection.

*Can dark themes, character death and/or swearing be included in my content?

- there are no rules against the use of heavy subjects or character death or swearing

-All we ask is that you tag your content appropriately so that readers can decide whether or not that’s the kind of content they want to read.

*There aren’t enough alternate prompts for me. Can you add more? Can I add my own?

- If you need additional alternate prompts let us know! We would be happy to discuss the potentiality of adding one or two more if the need to do so becomes apparent.

-You are also welcome to suggest an additional alternate prompt if you have an idea of what you would like to use. However, there is no guarantee that it will be added to the official list.

-But also, please keep in mind that you are not obligated to write thirty prompts. If you find that there are only a few or perhaps only a single prompt on the list that you’re comfortable working with, then that is absolutely fine! No pressure!

* Once the event begins, will projects be collected anywhere?

- Authors who post their work on the Archive of Our Own (AO3) website are welcome and encouraged to add their work to the collection, ‘Sicktember 2024’ 

- Content Creators who post or cross-post on Tumblr are encouraged to use the tag #sicktember 2024 so that others can find and enjoy their work.

*How do I post my work to the collection on Archive of Our Own (AO3)?

-When you create a draft or edit your work, there is a section titled [Associations]

-In the section, you will find a text box labeled [Post to Collections/Challenges]  

-That is where you will type,  Sicktember_2024  (It should auto-fill for you to make a selection. However if it doesn’t, you can type the name of the collection into the bar- exactly as you see it here- and it will still post appropriately.) 

- You can also post to the collection by using the ‘post collection’ button on the top right corner of the Sicktember_2024 collection’s page. 

*Keep in mind that (a) the collection will not be open until September and (b) your work will not be added to the collection until you hit [Post]

* Will you be promoting/featuring completed projects on Tumblr?

You are welcome and encouraged to submit your work for posting on the @sicktember blog.

Your submission should be formatted as follows

- A link to your content (tumblr, ao3, ff.net, wattpad, etc…)

 - The fandom or alternative fandom tag you wish to be included on your submission. (No fandom tag, original work, owl house, m/arvel, c*bra k*i, etc…) ** please limit your fandom tags to 5 or less **

- The prompt you used (the number and the prompt itself)

 - A Summary, description or snippet of your content (not a full fic)

The above-mentioned Information does not have to be in that order, but it does have to be clearly included.

** Important things to keep in mind when submitting:

- We will be posting no more than 10 submissions a day.

- Submissions will close one week after the event (Oct. 7)

- To be posted, your submission must be correctly formatted.

- We will queue submissions until the inbox is empty

⭐⭐ Please keep in mind that this is one fan-run event among many. If you don’t agree with the above-mentioned parameters, that’s okay! We want you to feel comfortable with the events you choose to participate in. And if that means not participating in this one, that’s okay too! Find one you love. If you can’t, consider creating one of your own!⭐⭐ 

do i have to participate in the whole event?

absolutely not, you control how much you want to contribute! even if it's one work, it's still a contribution and we'll love you for it!

can i combine prompts?

by all means! if it works for you, go for it - don't limit your creativity! as long as you tag your submission with the prompts you've used, it's all good with us!

can i submit old works and wips?

you can of course submit wips, but we want to ideally only see new works. the idea of an event is to generate new content, after all!

how does the free day token work?

easy! have you seen a day on the prompts list you've got no inspiration for? then use your token and make anything you like! events usually have an allocated free day, but as we wanted to include more prompts we've made the token system to still give you free reign. please note, you can only use this token once during the event so pick your free day wisely!

do i have to make something for both spain and portugal?

nope! you could spend your whole week making art for your one favourite spain ship, like you could spend your whole week writing about port and his relationship with the sea (if it fits the prompts)... whatever floats your boat!

can i write the iberians romantically?

heck, you can write them diagonally for all we care! this event is purely about sharing our love for two nations. it doesn't matter if you view them as siblings, as neighbours, or as being all loved-up - as long as it's tagged appropriately, we're here for it! 🧡

can i produce nsfw work?

we will be allowing things like smut, gore, horror, and similar themes - on the condition you tag your work so others can avoid these themes if they wish. for this, please use the #wfsn tag so your work isn't lost to the tumblr void! if you are unsure, please drop us a message and we'll let you know if your idea would be accepted for the event. you can also view the rules for more information.

what if i miss the day my work is for?

time is but a social construct and we will be accepting submissions for the event up to two weeks after it has ended. so if you don't quite finish on time, there's no need to panic!

it's been a few hours and my work hasn't been reblogged!

we apologise ahead of time if we miss your submission! if twelve hours pass and you still haven't had any interaction from the blog (we will like a submission and then queue it, so if you have had a 🧡 notification you're all good) then drop us a message so we know. please note that the admins are currently in the UTC+1 timezone so will have inactive hours!

can i combine multiple prompts?

if you want to and it works for you, then by all means! just make sure it's clear in your post or tags what prompts you've used so we can reblog your work correctly!

can i submit old prompts or wips?

the work we're after should either be brand new or an old wip pulled off a dusty shelf. the idea of an event is to put new work out there into the fandom, so any pre-existing work would not be shared.

so... there's no free day prompt?

nope! your free day is all in your hands! if there's a day you're struggling to find any inspiration for, then you can use your 'token' and create something different! please see the event rules for more info!

what if i miss the day my work is for?

no problem! we'll just reblog it when you're ready to post it. we'll be accepting works up to two weeks after the event ends anyway, so it's all good!

can i make nsfw?

well... we wouldn't say no... ;)

what content isn't allowed?

we're here for a lot of things! blood, gore, violence, horror, and other 'explicit' things too! the event rules contain a very short list of content we won't share, just in case, but please do check with us with you're unsure!

you haven't shared my work!

well, firstly, give us 24 hours to find it after you post it. when you do post, you should have a #hetaween 2024 tag and also @ this blog so we get a notification. we'll like your post - and when you see we've done that, you can sit back and relax, because it means we've also queued it to reblog! sorted! but if 24 hours pass and you've not seen us in your notifications, just drop us a message!