The Collaboration period has begun! In these quiet months before works are due, we want to foster a sense of excitement, camaraderie, and celebration among our participants. To that end, all participants were given the option of a formal interview by our mod, Alix, or an informal “ask-game” survey. We hope you enjoy getting to know our phenomenal creators as much as we have!
Q&A with Juni
When did you start writing fanfic and/or fanart?
I started writing fanfic around late 2024. I'd been in fandom for over ten years, and always wanted to write, but the words just wouldn't come.
And then... they did.
It's only around February 2025 that I really started writing seriously, however. I found my writing catnip. After finishing my second story ever, I gained a lot of momentum, and I've been writing almost daily ever since!
What is your OTP/OT3/etc?
My OTP is from Veilguard. It's Tarquin/Ashur, also known as Tashur or Viperquin! They are a relatively rarer pair, though they're surprisingly popular regardless.
There's just something about them that keeps me creating. To me, as people, they give each other something nobody else can. Tarquin can be abrasive and puts up a lot of walls. Ashur's sincerity and idealism gives him the safety to be vulnerable and counters his more pessimistic attitude.
Additionally, Ashur's idealism can be too fanciful, and he has a tendency to put other people's needs before his own. Tarquin is uniquely equipped to drag him back down to earth ("You'll keep me humble", etc.) and see what Ashur actually needs, even if he's not talking about it.
Plus, their relationship is based on friendship, and I always prefer couples that actually like each other as people.
There was a (sadly now deleted) bksy post from their writer that said they're in love and stupid about it. How stupid? You decide. Catnip to me, apparently.
What was your first game?
My first game was Dragon Age: Origins! I discovered the game on Reddit back in 2010, and Dragon Age has been an important part of my life ever since. It's basically the first fantasy game series I really got attached to, and to me, there's nothing like it!
What is your favorite dynamic (romantic/platonic/otherwise) between characters?
For romance, I really love a mage and Templar pair, or mage and non-mage! Navigating differences (preferably with mutual respect) is inherently interesting to me, and this is one of the obvious ones I'm drawn to.
As for platonic dynamics, I enjoy friends who banter and bicker a lot. A relationship that is secure enough that you can tease each other and not be each other's yes men. Reminds me of me and my best friend a lot! Varric, Dorian and Davrin bring these vibes a lot, friendship-wise.
Additionally, I really adored the sibling relationships in DA2! Both with Carver and Bethany, though they're very different characters.
What is your favorite character to romance?
Cassandra Allegra Portia Calogera Filomena Pentaghast! I love her so much. More gruff on the outside, but actually very romantic. Principled, strong-willed, and maybe a little stubborn. Yes, I might have a bit of a type when it comes to favourite characters.
Her romance is my ultimate favourite in the entire series. Dorian's is a close second, however.
What is your favorite origin, background, or faction?
With the amount of time I spend writing for the Shadow Dragons, you'd think that is my favourite faction. However, my favourite is actually the Mourn Watch. As soon as they were announced, I stood no chance, they're exactly my vibe. 'Good' necromancers and liches are pretty rare, and that aspect of it intrigues me a lot!
My Mourn Watch Rook Ilen Ingellvar means a lot to me. They were the first non-binary protagonist I ever played in a game, and they probably have something to do with it as well!
Other than that, I've always been very fond of the Dalish!
Do you have any writing or art tips?
I have a small writing tip: You do not need anyone's permission. Write what inspires you, what brings you joy, what excites you. You don't need anyone's approval. Not for your headcanons, your ideas, your characterization, your OCs (or bringing them into stories), your interpretations (of lore, canon, or characters), your AUs, or your choices.
There is a quote I have in my Discord bio: "No one will create it like you will. That makes it special. That makes it yours. Valuable. ✨"
I stand by that. Write whatever you want. 💜
What is the best way you get inspired to create?
Unanswered questions. For example for Tarquin and Ashur, there's just enough details about them in Veilguard to get an idea of what they're like, but there's plenty about them that isn't known, either.
This lets me fill in those unanswered questions depending on what serves the story I'm trying to tell—while remaining true to canon.
It's the same in regards to lore, characterization, locations, mysteries, etc. Not knowing and having the space to fill in my own answers inspires me so much more than anything else.
This, to me, is what I call a writer's playground. Dragon Age is ours now. 💜
What drew you to tackle a Big Bang?
In the past, I've often struggled to start writing longer things; I found bigger projects a little intimidating. But the idea that an artist is going to bring my idea to life is a big motivator for me, and is the little push in the back that helps me create. Additionally, the collaborative aspect of it all. Beyond the obvious collaboration with an artist, we all create together during the event. This shared creation period and providing each other support is a big draw, for sure!
If you had to give one piece of creative advice to your younger self, what would it be?
Forget "don't show don't tell". Forget "write what you know". Forget "I need to know the exact outline of the story before I start writing". Forget the rules, in general. You know how to tell a story. Trust in that. You will understand the rules and why they are the way they are in time.
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The Collaboration period has begun! In these quiet months before works are due, we want to foster a sense of excitement, camaraderie, and celebration among our participants. To that end, all participants were given the option of a formal interview by our mod, Alix, or an informal “ask-game” survey. We hope you enjoy getting to know our phenomenal creators as much as we have!
Can You Wokescold Your Way Into A Man's Heart? The Answer WILL Shock You!
Alix and David talk avoiding scope creep and the lure of Criminal Minds
Alix: So, welcome back to the DABB! How are you feeling this year?
David: It's definitely a different vibe from last year, I think! I had quite a complicated first half of the year and so I came into the writing period with less energy than last year, but the writing is going, still, and I'm quite happy with how things are turning out. I'm trying out various new things with the piece, too, which is both scary and exciting.
Alix: DABB is always such a good opportunity to stretch your skills and try new things
Do you feel your writing has changed in the past year?
David: Hmmmm... I think so, probably? It's always changing, but I do think I've started to get more and more introspective and "stretching out" word count with it, even though I don't really mean to. I've definitely tried to add more sensory detail as well.
Alix: Ha—does that mean your fic this year will be longer?
David: Oh no lmao, I'm trying to avoid scope creep like hell. I was down to the wire last year and that was scary. I'd like to be done by September with the main writing of it.
Alix: I was hoping to be done by the end of August but I have realized that is not going to happen. Scope creep definitely got me good. It's hard to avoid with a story you're excited about though.
How are you keeping on track?
David: I am beating my brain with a stick and telling it no! get back!!! mostly. I've also filed ideas I've had that could be scope creep for this to other events or just for future writing. The planning I had is like, very focused and self-contained, so it really just is a matter of me not going off the rails with it.
Alix: Well, try not to hit yourself too hard, concussions are bad for writing.
David: This is true
Alix: I remember you came into the event this year with a few different ideas of what you wanted to write. Sounds like too many ideas is a bit of a theme for you.
David: Yes, god it's all ideas all the time. I am constantly picturing different things to do and work on and it can get very overwhelming because I have a hard time picking what to work on. I actually started to write one of the ideas I came in with as a separate project from the DABB to start exorcising it out of my head
I try to write 'em down, use them for events, etc. Events and exchanges are really the best way for me to get things out into paper.
Alix: That's a great way of doing it. I absolutely love events and am kind of obsessed with them, so I get it. What's your favourite thing about doing exchanges?
David: Writing for someone else and thus having a very easy way to direct my writing in what they like and they don't, most of the time - especially because it guarantees (most of the time) that I'll get a nice, long comment and as every writer does, I love positive attention.
I do really like the other side of the coin too, as I've gotten some really good gifts in my time.
But I'm definitely crazier about writing gifts as opposed to receiving them. Which I think is pretty common!
Alix: Yeah, I think a lot of people go into exchanges wanting to give. Receiving is a nice bonus, but I know personally I just really love writing something and knowing it's going to make somebody else happy.
David: Yeah :) It's always nice to write something for someone else
Alix: So obviously you're a pretty prolific writer. Do you have any hobbies besides writing?
David: I like to listen to music and I'm trying to get back into reading! And currently I'm big on watching TV, as I got hyperfixated on Criminal Minds about a week ago.
Alix: Oh, have you never seen it before? I remember being so obsessed with it.
David: I had watched a whole of three episodes because a friend wanted me to write a rarepair for her, and I did, and I was like ok this seems fun but I don't have the brainspace for more I think. And then out of curiosity I read some of justjasper's fics and his portrayal of trauma called me like a moth to a flame. I was like, okay there are really fun things I could do if I get autistic about this show. And now I am nearly done with the first two seasons.
Alix: It's been years since I watched it but I really loved the characters.
I'm so leery about writing for other fandoms because I hyperfocus and I don't want to get lured away.
David: Trust me, I am having this happen to me right now and it's like noooo Dragon Age please come back to me
Alix: Yeah, not a great time to have that happen when you're in the middle of a longfic challenge.
David: It is unfortunate timing. But I shall cope!
Alix: Last year you were balancing DABB with school. Are you still a student?
David: Yeah, though it's a bit different from last year, as I'm in my last year of uni and here we do an undergrad thesis + professional practice (somewhat like an internship) to get our degree. I did the first semester of my practice last semester, had a Bad Time, burned myself out, and decided with the help of some of the department that I was going to do the other half next year. So this semester I only have to do my thesis. Basically I have much less of a workload this semester than last year.
Alix: I'm glad! Trying to balance school with other commitments can be such a huge challenge. Do you mind if I ask what you're studying?
David: I'm a psychology student :)
Alix: Nice!
Do you find that informs your writing at all?
David: I mean, yes and also no? I think I would've leaned towards dealing with trauma and mental health issues in fic either way - I did that before I started uni, after all - but the knowledge that comes with my studies definitely has helped with writing it in a way I feel is informed and respectful and in depth.
The Collaboration period has begun! In these quiet months before works are due, we want to foster a sense of excitement, camaraderie, and celebration among our participants. To that end, all participants were given the option of a formal interview by our mod, Alix, or an informal “ask-game” survey. We hope you enjoy getting to know our phenomenal creators as much as we have!
Q&A with Kera
Who is your favorite DA villain?
Loghain
What is your favorite origin, background, or faction?
Dalish origins will always be my favorite
What is your favorite Dragon Age demon?
Pride but I might be biased 🐺
What is your favorite character to romance?
The eggy wolf himself, man makes me feral and I have no explanations for it or defense
What is your favorite dynamic (romantic/platonic/otherwise) between characters?
I love a respectful rivalmance/enemies to lovers
Who is your favorite character?
Egg
What is your favorite quest in the series?
The rescuing the Warden quest in Origins. I love many ways there is to go about it and how hilarious the party interactions can get
What was your first contribution to the DA fandom?
I participated in a Secret Santa for a Solavellan discord I'm in. I wrote a fluffy fic for our resident male! Lavellan.
Who was your first DA protagonist?
My first protagonist was an OC of mine I use for everything in Inquisiton. I made her an elf. Her name was Mina. I didn't like how the story was going with her so I scrapped her 😂
How and when did you discover Dragon Age?
I have vague memories of one of my brothers slaughtering Merrill's clan when I was younger but my first official discovery was when I was 15, it was right after Inquisiton was released. My brother was playing and I was like oo! This is neat! And started up a game myself. We can blame him for everything that's followed 😂
The Collaboration period has begun! In these quiet months before works are due, we want to foster a sense of excitement, camaraderie, and celebration among our participants. To that end, all participants were given the option of a formal interview by our mod, Alix, or an informal “ask-game” survey. We hope you enjoy getting to know our phenomenal creators as much as we have!
Heartbreaking: long anticipated family reunion includes hazing ritual
Alix and Harper talk unhinged romances and making Hawke miserable
Alix: This is your first time doing the DABB, right? What drew you to the event?
Harper: It is! I wanted to do it last year but I wasn't in a position to due to a mixture of work, DMing a Curse of Strahd game (which is basically a second job with the creative workload you have to do for it) and health. This time around though, I'm not DMing at the moment, and a friend of mine messaged me to let me know that sign-ups were live and I decided to give it a go. It's been a long time since I've successfully tackled some long form writing and wanted to see if I still had it in me to do it.
Alix: How are you feeling so far, now that you've got the first major check-in behind you?
Harper: I feel pretty good. Shockingly, I'm ahead of schedule - for me, that's actually kinda huge because I'm a very slow writer. To put it into perspective, a 2,000 word fic can either take me 3 hours in one sitting or 3 months.
So to have that major check-in behind me in just over a month makes me feel more confident that completing it is doable.
Alix: Getting through the 7,500 check-in and having your pitch submitted always feels like such a relief. Like "Oh, okay, this is possible."
Harper: Yes, exactly! I have been putting all the deadlines in my diary because I knew my ADHD would be my biggest enemy with the DABB. I'm terrible with deadlines unless I have them in 5 different places all blaring at me 24 hours before it's due.
Alix: I know that feeling all too well.
You mention it's been a long time since you've done long-form writing. How long have you been writing fanfiction for?
Harper: So I remember my very first foray into fanfiction was when I was about 12, on Quizilla (RIP Quizilla, you were a real one for pre-teen me), writing Pirates of the Caribbean fanfic, but I don't think I started seriously writing it until a few years ago. My long-form writing was actually for my university degree - I studied Creative Writing for my undergraduate. Most of my weekly assignments by third year were 3,000 each, so for 3 classes a week, that was 9,000-ish words. Plus my dissertation work.
I did try my hand at a longfic for a different fandom, and that got to about 25k before I got hit with work-related burnout and I just didn't have it in me to finish. I'd love to return to it one day, but I think if I did, I would want to go back through what I already have and make some changes, y'know? It's been a few years since it's had an update.
Alix: Yeah, I feel like it's hard to go back to things after a certain point, because your writing has changed in the meantime and you see all the ways you would do things differently.
Harper: Absolutely. Stylistic changes alone would be some work, but if you've also decided that since then, the endgame of that longfic and the core relationship dynamic have both changed, you might as well start from scratch.
Alix: What's your general approach to writing? Are you more of a planner or a pantser?
Harper: Depends. Back in my uni days, I would plan things out because I would be workshopping weekly with my classmates or I would be having one on one sessions with my dissertation tutor, so having a solid outline was very helpful - especially as I also had to have an accompanying research essay with it to explain my processes. Now I'm more of a pantser and I'm going off vibes or a specific image in mind. I'm trying to be more of a planner for this though, since I'm balancing it with my job, my health and such.
Alix: Obviously we can't talk about your DABB fic specifically since it's all secrets, but broadly speaking, what kind of stories do you like writing? What gets you most excited about a fic?
Harper: I tend to focus on relationships or locations more than anything. I credit to having gone really hard on gothic fiction during my last few years of school. The relationships for me have to have some kind of bite to them - I adore fluff as much as the next person, but sometimes I'll look at the most unhinged romance option I can find in a video game, point at them and go "I want that one", especially if I know it's going to be a bad decision. Also, locations can be as much of a character as people in the gothic -- haunted houses and the like, y'know? There's this one location in Pathfinder: Kingmaker, absolutely infamous for how much it sucks as an endgame dungeon, that has so much crunchiness to it that I want to write something surrounding that location.
Alix: Okay, so—what's your favourite, most unhinged romance option in Dragon Age?
Harper: I wouldn't say it's my favourite, but by far the most unhinged experience with a Dragon Age romance was doing a rival romance Anders with a templar-aligned Hawke. Good lord, never again. It went crazy for the Drama and Angst™ though.
Alix: That feels ... very doomed.
Harper: It was totally doomed. My Hawke was absolutely miserable - Bethany died in the Deep Roads too. I felt so horrible by the time I imported Hawke into DA:I and she mentioned Gamlen was the only one she had left, I actually changed her romance to Isabela.
I rarely feel guilty about making my characters suffer, but I really, really did with that run.
Alix: Oh no.
Harper: Yeah. ....At least I made up for it by giving her a hot pirate girlfriend instead?
Alix: Seems fair to me
I feel like of all the DA protagonists, Hawke really does have the worst time of it.
Harper: I think if you view DA2 as a tragedy, absolutely. Mind you, I managed to make my Inquisitor suffer a great deal as well.
Alix: What are our characters for, if not to torture, really?
Harper: Exactly! I've been a lot nicer to some of my characters. You could call this playing favourites, I just call it having some variety.
Saying that, I don't think it should be all doom and gloom. There needs to be some lightness in there as well as a balance.
Alix: Absolutely! Like, the fluff is sweeter when it comes amidst angst, and you always need a reprieve so the horror can gut you even more afterwards.
Harper: You get it.
Hmm, maybe I should write more fluff to balance out the Horrors ™ ?
The Collaboration period has begun! In these quiet months before works are due, we want to foster a sense of excitement, camaraderie, and celebration among our participants. To that end, all participants were given the option of a formal interview by our mod, Alix, or an informal “ask-game” survey. We hope you enjoy getting to know our phenomenal creators as much as we have!
Q&A with Alix
What was your first ever fandom to create for?
I don't quite remember which came first, but it was either Pirates of the Caribbean or Dark Angel, this TV show from 2000 that had Jessica Alba and Jensen Ackles in it prior to him being in Supernatural. My best friend and I would sit in the hallway in school and she would put her head in my lap and I would read my fanfiction out loud to her. I'm sure if I still had any of this fic I would find it so cringe now, but we had such much fun.
What drew you to tackle a Big Bang?
My first time doing a fandom big bang was last year, and I honestly had so much fun I couldn't wait to come back this year (and as a mod, too, because clearly I can't just enjoy things, I must also plan them). I'd had an idea for a hockey AU bouncing around in my brain and it just seemed like the perfect opportunity to make it a reality.
This year, it was just kind of a given that I would do it again. I love the challenge of writing a longer fic, but I also just really enjoy the community that exists in this event and I'm so thrilled to be a part of it.
What is your favorite origin, background, or faction?
Nobody is going to be surprised when I say it's the Crows, but ... it's the Crows. I find their whole thing so fascinating, especially with the additional lore we got in Eight Little Talons and Veilguard. I love all the contradictions—they are assassins, and villains, and responsible for all sorts of atrocities, but they're also patriots and freedom fighters. I love that about the factions in Dragon Age in general—they're never just one straightforward thing, most of the groups can be noble in some circumstances and treacherous in others. The Crows really exemplify that.
What is your favorite piece of supplemental Dragon Age material?
So this one might be a surprise: It's not Tevinter Nights/Eight Little Talons. My friend @inquisimer kept telling me for months and months that I needed to read the Last Flight, and I finally did, and I really cannot recommend it enough. I loved the characters and how complicated everything between them is, and it really captures the thing that I find fascinating about the Grey Wardens, in that they are willing to commit such horrors in order to fight the Blight. Also, as somebody who is obsessed with Antiva and the Crows, I loved getting to see a bit of Antiva City, even a couple hundred years before canon, because that's a place we really haven't gotten to see or explore at all otherwise.
Who is your favorite character?
Viago. Of course it's Viago. He's so weird. I love him for being this uptight, paranoid, huffy, flat-out strange man who is hyper competent in some areas but also literally does not know how to respond the second somebody flirts with him. It's funny because he just kind of snuck into my writing initially while I was writing Rookanis and wanting some Crow-y stuff in the background, and then I just became obsessed with him and poor Lucanis gets ignored. Ooops.
If you had to give one piece of creative advice to your younger self, what would it be?
Don't stop writing.
There was a period for about ten or fifteen years where I just ... stopped. I "grew out" of fanfiction in that I was friends with people who made me feel silly for being into fandom, so I just stopped doing it because I was embarrassed. And I wish I hadn't, because the thing about a practice is that you don't improve if you're not doing it. And I spent ten years where my writing skills just stagnated because I cared too much about what other people thought.
How do you describe your art or writing style?
I tend towards a very ... direct style, I guess you would say? I'm fairly economical in my writing, it's not really flowery or metaphorical. But I am very interested in getting into the heads of my characters and understanding what they are thinking, feeling and experiencing.
What is your favorite specific moment in the DA series?
There's so many good ones across all the games, but I think the one that always pops into my head is the scene where, when you save Treviso, Viago shows up with the ballistae to take down the two dragons in the Hossberg. It's such a fun moment and the visual is so fantastic. Also I love when my favourite tall paranoid weirdo shows up to help me out in a pinch.
What is your perfect creating space and environment?
I mean, honestly, to write I basically just curl up on my couch with a glass of wine or a snack. I have a desk, but I only really sit there for actual work. When I'm writing I'm always just snuggled in the corner of my sofa. It's terrible for my posture, but I love it.
Which DA character do you most relate to?
This might suprise some people, since I'm not known for my DA2 content (having never written any), but probably Hawke, in the sense that I have absolutely had those days/weeks/months where it feels like NOTHING is going to plan and no matter what you do something is going wrong, and I feel like that's basically Hawke's curse at all times.
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The Collaboration period has begun! In these quiet months before works are due, we want to foster a sense of excitement, camaraderie, and celebration among our participants. To that end, all participants were given the option of a formal interview by our mod, Alix, or an informal “ask-game” survey. We hope you enjoy getting to know our phenomenal creators as much as we have!
Disgraced Local Woman Tells Angry Crowd: “Don't Blame Me, Blame My Ex!”
Alix and Becky talk favourite characters and committing to your choices
Alix: So, pitches are done and the matching process has begun! How are you feeling?
Becky: I'm super excited and nervous, Like a lot of us, I'm kind of buzzing and going, "Are the artists going to like my pitch? I hope somebody picks me!" I can't wait for all of them to join us so we can all scream together.
Alix: It's a kind of nervewracking time of year for all of us
Becky: Yeah, I can only imagine the spreadsheet y'all are working with considering we have 80+ pitches! Or how much reading all the artists are doing. I did have a lot of fun going through the pitches and seeing who I knew, plus reading some from people who aren't active in the Discord for the first time.
Alix: There's some really incredible stuff in there, I'm so excited. Is this your first time doing DABB?
Becky: Yes, it is! I was quite new to the fandom last year and didn't know about it yet. I learned about it when my friend Spirit_Finn released her fic last year and told me how much fun she'd had.
Alix: Oh, that's so fun! What brought you to the fandom?
Becky: I've been playing (and loving) Dragon Age since Origins came out, but I never really got involved in the fandom itself until I happened to connect with some folks online while looking for a positive space to discuss Veilguard. I'd become super obsessed with the Antivan Crows after reading Tevinter Nights and playing Veilguard, and next thing I knew I was writing fanfic, joining fan Discords, and making some really amazing new friends.
Alix: Who are some of your favourite DA characters? Not necessarily from Veilguard.
Becky: I just did one of those memes floating around where I sorted my favourite Dragon Age companions, and they're a good mix from all of the games. My four romances were Alistair (although if I played Origins again today I might pick Zev), Isabela, Dorian, and Lucanis, and of course those were all in my top ten. Then there were the two knight ladies I wish I'd been able to romance as a woman, Aveline and Cassandra... my Dragon Age Sapphic Weeks are dedicated to making that happen. And I rounded out the list with some characters from the series I consider my besties: Emmrich, Leliana, Bellara, and Varric. Wynne and Zevran just narrowly missed the top and are also two of my faves.
Oh, but my absolute favourite Dragon Age character is Purple FemHawke.
Alix: I have such a soft spot for Hawke. Just trying to keep the world together.
Becky: I went on such a ride with my Hawke. I played Dragon Age 2 blind and as I started the game I saw that family was very important to her, so I thought, "OK, I'm going to RP her as somebody for whom family (and chosen family) comes before all else, she just wants to love and protect them and her morals in the process are flexible." Well, you know how Dragon Age 2 goes, so that turned out to be quite the role-playing choice!
Alix: No kidding!
Becky: I ended up with a character who had these fantastic ride-or-die friends, but every powerful person in Kirkwall wanted to end her because she mocked them to their faces. It was really fun and interesting. I love that about Dragon Age as a series, that you can be a more traditional hero or more of an anti-hero, and Hawke is definitely where I went anti-hero.
Alix: I really need to replay DA2, it's been ages
Becky: Replaying is where I'm a very eccentric Dragon Age fan... I never replay RPGs so I have only one Thedas world state and the chips have fallen where they may. It also means that my fics are almost entirely set during the Veilguard timeline or in AUs because I played all the games near launch and there's a lot of stuff I've forgotten. But I don't mind, I'm remembering a lot by reading other peoples' fics.
Alix: I love the commitment though!
It's been so long since I've played the other games I genuinely don't really remember what happened.
Becky: Yeah, there are big things I remember, like literally hitting the power button on my computer in Origins because I was romancing Alistair and didn't do the Dark Ritual with him. I didn't even let that ending play out, I just turned my computer back on and re-loaded before that choice. I think that's the only time I refused to accept the result of one of my choices. But the more minor characters and quests, shoot. I didn't even remember Stroud when I met him in Inquisition.
Alix: Yeah, I had completely forgotten him. So it wasn't too tough leaving him in the Fade ...
Becky: Those of us with the King Alistair timeline really had the easiest time with that one.
Alix: Not to make you pick a favourite child (I love making people pick their favourite child), which was your favourite of the DA games?
Becky: No worries, I absolutely have a favourite child and it's been Dragon Age 2 since I played it. I love all the games but (as makes sense with my Antivan Crows obsession) I've always been most attracted to more personal, ground level fantasy stories. I also love saving the world, but Hawke's story just buried itself in my soul.
Alix: That's so fair
Becky: It can surprise people since I'm generally known as a Veilguard writer!
For Veilguard it was the characters above all else that appealed to me, so that's why it's been such a great jumping-off point for fic. I feel like they're all my children.
Alix: Yeah, Veilguard was really special for that I feel like.
Becky: I'm so grateful for the team that took a tough development situation and worked so hard to give us this group of loveable weirdos who had to band together to save the world.
The Collaboration period has begun! In these quiet months before works are due, we want to foster a sense of excitement, camaraderie, and celebration among our participants. To that end, all participants were given the option of a formal interview by our mod, Alix, or an informal “ask-game” survey. We hope you enjoy getting to know our phenomenal creators as much as we have!
Q&A with saviinika
Who is your favorite character?
This is such a tough question to answer, because the full panoply is rich and wonderful, but in the end, I'd have to say Varric. He's an intriguing character from the moment you meet him in the series—Cassandra makes sure you are invested in what he has to say—and from then on, he's an integral part of your Hawke, your Inquisitor, and your Rook's lives. The story of Thedas would not be as compelling without his ability to weave the characters into it and make you care.
What is your favorite rare pair?
I picked this question because it directly ties into the last: my favourite rarepair is Cassandra/Varric. She is so, so soft under her competent exterior, and he absolutely has a competency kink. They're both romantics, both Andrastian, and both of them, whether they want to admit it or not, are willing to give the world to the people they care about. Varric would bring out the more playful side that we can see in Cassandra once you get to know her, and she would keep him honest. When he finally puts his stubbornness into action courting her? Swoon.
Who is your favorite companion/advisor?
Without a doubt, it is Dorian. I cheered so loudly when he appeared for the first time in DATV, after he was a staple in my party in DAI. He is that friend you can rely on to give you a genuine read on a situation while still maintaining his good humour. I think I would love to get drunk with him.
Who is your favorite DA villain?
If you look at any of my socials for thirty seconds, you'll know the answer to this question: it's Solas. And though it's Solas because my Rook wants to get in his pants, it's also Solas because the story of his rise to villainy is compelling. He's a good person who was made to do bad things, and thus was shaped into who he is in DAI and DATV. He's still a villain, don't get me wrong, but being able to empathize with his actions is incredibly important to the outcome of DATV.
If Solas is off the table, it's Flemeth. I adore her, I adore Kate Mulgrew, and I want to be a dragon when I grow up.
What is your favorite origin, background, or faction?
My first game I ever played in the DA universe was actually DATV, where I made my Rook as a Grey Warden. At the end of Act 1, I knew I needed to go back and play the other games first. DAO only cemented my choice, so even though DAI is not kind to the Order, I will always have a Grey Warden Rook. They are far and away my favourite faction. In War, Victory.
What is your favorite headcanon?
I firmly believe that Andraste is Mythal. The similarities between Andraste and Flemeth are too similar to be ignored, and the Chant of Light too closely mirrors Solas's struggles. In the Temple of Sacred Ashes in DAO, you even get to hear about Andraste from many of the people whose lives she'd touched, and there is a parallel for all of it that can be drawn with the Evanuris. If you want to go deeper, we know that the Golden City is not really the seat of the Maker, it's where the First of the Sun and his children are locked away, but didn't Elgar'nan shape the world into being? It's all too cleverly woven together for me to believe anything else.
What is your favorite Easter Egg/hidden trick in DA?
This is a toss up between the Gulliver's Travels scene you can find at the ritual tower near Adamant in DAI, and all the objects that make their way into DATV from the other games, like the astrarium, the wheels of cheese, the armour that ends up at the Lighthouse from the Mass Effect universe, Hawke's armour - it all makes me grin, honestly.
When did you start writing fanfic and/or fanart?
Started in 2000 with the release of the Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring, so I've been doing this for a long time. My ao3 account is much, much newer - a friend introduced me to the site and then practically shoved the registration form at me when I told her how long I'd been writing fanfiction. (I was a ff.net user before under a different name.) After that, it became an outlet for a lot of things, and now, it keeps me sane. I love the communities I've become a part of, and made some real fandom friends through it.
What is your favorite trope to write or illustrate?
I love putting my characters into situations, which means Whump or Hurt/Comfort is most often what I'm churning out. I also do a mean Yearning/Pining, but I write everything from Teen- to explicitly rated, so it can vary depending on the fandom/characters. I also love playing with alternate universes, and a good portion of my fics are non-canon compliant, but it's so interesting to take these beings that I love and see what would happen if they were plunked down somewhere else.
What other events do you like to participate in?
Besides a Big Bang (and this is my second), I like Mini-Bangs, fandom weeks/months, and exchanges. I've done several of the last two, and my first mini-bang was earlier this year. Exchanges are probably the most difficult for me, but I've loved the work I've put out for them, so it just takes the right earworm to wiggle in and take hold. Participating in many different efforts is great fo me because when I stagnate on one fic, I can move to something else (a new fandom, new setting, new tone) and it revitalizes me to carry on. Long story short, if there's an event, I know I'll be writing.
As we look forward to another year, there’s no better time to celebrate our wonderful community of creators. This year, we’re shining a spotlight on our alumni: the talented writers and artists who successfully completed the Dragon Age Big Bang in previous years. All past DABB alumni were given the option of an interactive interview with our mod Alix, or an informal written survey. If you’re thinking about participating this year, check out the insights and advice from those who tread this path before!
Q&A with Rosella
What was your favourite thing about participating in the Dragon Age Big Bang?
After helping moderate the DABB in 2024, I dipped my toes into the creative side of the event for the first time in 2025 and had a blast. I love the collaboration of it all, the mutual hype and celebration of our art! It's wonderful to be surrounded by likeminded creators who love the same media and are invested in enjoying it together. It also helped me as a moderator to see the creator's side of the event, to find spots we can improve and identify what works.
What advice would you give to new DABB participants?
Let it go! The self doubt, the fear, the defeatist mentality that says "I can't do it." If I, a chronic one-shot writer (which is just as good an art form as long-fic writing, btw) can write a 25k+ fic that I'm proud of, so can you! Tell the self-criticism to take a back seat and focus on having fun, and it'll all flow, I promise.
What would you say to someone who is deciding whether or not to sign up?
Examine whether you a) want to have fun, b) want to create something, and/or c) want mutual accountability and community while you do it. If any of the above are true, sign up! You won't regret it.
