Archive of Our Own ^beta

Yo, bitches, welcome to Blue Christmeth, a Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul Fanwork Exchange!

Blue Christmeth runs along the lines of Yuletide, Secret Mutant, or basically any other Secret Santa-type fic exchange. You’ll sign up and specify what characters you’re willing to either write at least 1000 words of fic about, or create one finished piece of fanart of, for your recipient. You’ll also get to specify four different prompts you might like to have turned into a fanfic or fanart made just for you!

Then the mods and AO3’s team of specialized robots will pair you with a recipient with whom you appear to have some… chemistry. You will read their requests and create either one piece of fan art or one fanfic of at least 1000 words that meets at least one of their requests as best you can. Then you’ll post it anonymously by January 8th, and wait anxiously to see your own present.

Sounds fun, right? We think so too! Read on for FAQ, Rules, and more!

Dates

Sign-up opens: Monday, November 7, 2016 09:00AM UTC

Sign-up closes: Monday, November 21, 2016 09:00AM UTC

Assignments given: by Saturday, November 26, 2016

Assignments due: Sunday, January 8, 2017 09:00PM UTC

Works revealed: Sunday, January 15, 2017 09:00AM UTC

Creators revealed: Sunday, January 22, 2017 09:00AM UTC

I want to write a fic! How long does my fic have to be?
Just 1000 words! That's not long at all, right? There's no maximum, so feel free to write a 20,000 word epic if you so desire, as long as you can finish it by the deadline ;D

Can I do art instead of fic?
Yes! The signup form is open to both artists and authors. The types of art that are allowed are drawings/paintings/illustrations (digital or traditional) and vids. Fanmixes, icons, and manips are not accepted, however. If you have an idea for another sort of art, you can email the mods at bluechristmethmods at gmail.com and we'll talk about it.

Wait, you say art is allowed? I don't want to receive art, I only want fic!
Then, I'm sorry, but we’ll have a Blue Christmeth without you. Blue Christmeth is open to both artists and fic writers, and we cannot promise what type of gift you will receive.

Where's the signup for artists?
There's just one signup form for both artists and authors! We don't ask you to specify if you'd rather write or draw, because we're not taking that into consideration for matching. If you're a multi-talented individual, you can wait and see what prompts you get assigned and see if you'd rather write or make art for your recipient!

What sort of requests are allowed?
Blue Christmeth is open to all Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul characters and pairings! (But not to RPF.) You can make four requests total. At least one of them must be gen - this is to ensure you can be matched - but the other three can be gen or any pairings you like.

Your requests can be as simple as “Baby Holly’s first Christmas” or “Jesse/Walt, hurt/comfort” or as elaborate as “Breaking Bad steampunk AU” or “Hank/Marie, AU where Hank is the one who cooks meth and Marie helps him hide it from Gomez and the rest of the DEA. Skyler is suspicious, and Walt starts a homebrewed beer empire” or anything in between. However, keep in mind that the minimum requirement for fic is only 1000 words, so your author may not be able to fulfill a more elaborate prompt given the time restraints.

Also, please keep in mind that you may get art as a gift, and think of your prompts in terms of art.

I’m only interested in creating/receiving fanworks for Breaking Bad, not Better Call Saul. Can I still take part?
Of course! However, AO3 matches people based on the characters they’ve offered, so if you only want to create fanworks for Breaking Bad and not for Better Call Saul, or vice versa, please say so in your offer! This will help us avoid a situation where someone who doesn't watch BCS gets matched to someone with four BCS requests because they offered Saul and Mike.

What if I only want to request one pairing?
You are welcome to have your three non-gen prompts all be for the same romantic pairing. So, you could make three Walt/Jesse ship requests, and then have your fourth request be a gen Walt & Jesse request. You are also welcome to make four gen prompts for the same character or characters.

Is there a way to get in touch with my gifter/recipient?
Gifters and recipients can’t contact each other directly until the fest is over, but feel free to make a “Dear Blue Christmeth Dealer” post on your LJ/DW/Tumblr that outlines what you like and dislike a little more firmly. (Here's an example letter.) This is not a requirement, but if you have one, there’s a place for it on the signup form.

Does my work have to be Christmas themed?
Not at all! If you want to request a Christmas/Hanukkah/Solstice/Atheist Kids Get Presents Day themed fic, feel free! But it’s by no means a requirement.

What if I have to drop out?
There's no penalty! If you can't finish your assignment for whatever reason, don't worry about it! Things happen, we understand :) But we'd appreciate it if you let us know as soon as possible so we can get a pinch-hitter lined up for you.

Can I take part if I defaulted in a previous year?
Absolutely! Again, there are no penalties for defaulting.

I'm interested in participating, but I don't have an AO3 account!
That's not a question, but we'll let it slide. The mods have AO3 invites. If you need one, please email [email protected] to request one. Don’t worry if it’s your first time-- AO3 is pretty easy to get the hang of.

Ooo, my recipient's prompt fits in really well with a work in progress I've already started posting. Can I just write them a new chapter of that?
Sorry, but no. The stories for Blue Christmeth need to be new. You can't dedicate your WiP to them or add a chapter to a longer fic to fulfill your end of the exchange.

I have a really good idea based on one of my recipient's prompts, but it's too long to finish in time!
Sorry again, but we ask that you please come up with a truncated version or write something else. All stories submitted for Blue Christmeth must be complete. You can still write your epic idea, but you'll have to do it in your own time. If you submit a story that's not complete, you will be defaulted from the challenge and a pinch-hitter will be found to replace you.

I'm almost done and the deadline is in an hour, but I don't think I can make it! Can I have an extension?
AO3 will automatically default anyone who doesn't have their gift uploaded by 9:00PM UTC on Sunday, January 8, 2017. If your gift truly is only a few hours away from being complete, contact a mod at [email protected], but chances are we'll still assign a pinch-hitter and your recipient will be lucky enough to get two gifts.

I'm done. How do I turn this in?
Post a new work in AO3, and under "Associations" where it says, "Does this fulfil a challenge assignment," check the box under "Open Assignments" for "Blue Christmeth 2016". When you post it, AO3 will keep it anonymous for you until the mods reveal the collection.

I think I might be able to pinch-hit if there's a need. Can I sign up for that somewhere?
Yes you can! Sign up here!

This all sounds great! But I have a question you didn't answer!
Feel free to ask in the comments of the LJ comm, as a Tumblr ask, or email the mods at bluechristmethmods at gmail.com .

The mods would like to thank the mods of Secret Mutant for their guidance and for letting us adapt their rules and FAQ for our purposes!

1. DBAA. Don't be an asshole. The number one rule for all fic fests, I feel. Remember you are making a present for someone else and someone is making one for you, so please be courteous both to your recipient and to your gifter. (So, in your requests please don’t say something like, “And no ____________________! _______________ makes me sick!” Of course you can say if there are characters/scenarios you’d rather not see, but keep in mind that those might be someone else’s favorites and try not to phrase your request in a way that might make them feel bad.)

2. Fic length is a minimum of 1000 words. Feel free to write more, if you wish!

3. You can request up to four things but one of them MUST be gen.

4. Your story MUST be complete. No works in progress, no prologues to a longer fic, no chapters of a larger story. Art must also be complete, whatever that might mean for your particular style of art.

5. Gifts must be in by 9.00pm UTC (4.00pm EST) on Sunday, January 8, 2017. Anyone who does not have a gift uploaded by that time will be automatically defaulted and the assignment will be given to a pinch-hitter.

6. The exchange is anonymous, so please don't reveal who you're writing for until it's officially revealed on AO3!

7. Understandably, then, don't post your fic/art elsewhere until after the reveal, at which point you should feel free to post it wherever you'd like!