Hey, sorry for the double whammy of posts, but I wanted this one separate so that I could stick it in my memories for everyone's easy access.

ETA: Thank you to ceara for helping me fix the entry! Yay!

First off, I want to thank kaiz about a million times. If it hadn't been for her encouragement I would never have gotten the nerve up to even try something like this. Also, I've completely mooched off of all her templates from the aforementioned SS/MM Fest. Thanks also go to everyone who responded with such enthusiasm, convincing me that this could really work, and all those who linked the idea out and drew even more victi- er, participants.

(Also, even with the template all made up, it took me two hours to complete this puppy, so I can only imagine how long Kai had to work on it.)

With that, let's talk about exactly how the H/C MiniFest is going to work. Basically, it's going to be like a month and a half of all the h/c you could ever want. (Okay, that's probably a lie, knowing my dependence factor, but really, a LOT of h/c.)

Stories and art are welcome! Het, slash, some mixture of the two, and gen entries are welcome!

Unlike most Fests or Ficathons or Challenges, there are no formal assignments for this MiniFest.

Writers and artists are simply invited to participate by creating a work that focuses on the h/c kink. If you're having trouble thinking of something that will work, please please please comment in my LJ, send me an email, hit me up on aim. There will be hours of good fun had by all as we throw around ideas.

Unlike most Fests, the H/C MiniFest will not have a permanent archive. Instead, I will be creating a Master Post of Links to all MiniFest submissions. Since I will be linking to those submissions, by definition your stories/art MUST be archived elsewhere, like your LJ, or Inkstained Fingers, or fanfiction.net, or Fiction Alley, or your own personal website.

At the end of the MiniFest, we will have a (hopefully huge) list of links to stories and pieces of art that will provide HP fans with hours upon hours of yummy h/c goodness to soothe the savage beast within. (Perhaps the same beast inside of Harry. Perhaps not. You decide.)

The Specifics. Aka, How this dang thing will actually work.

The MiniFest will run from November 1, 2005 to December 15, 2005.

On November 1st, I will post an entry to this here LJ taking the MiniFest Live. It will probably be indecorous and possibly even incoherent, but I'm sure you all will cotton on enough for things to get rolling.

When you have completed your stories or art, please reply to that post and provide me with a link to your entry, along with the Submission Template (see FAQ for further details on said template.) It's as simple as that. And you're done. And we have new goodies. Yay!

I do hope that you'll all participate. Pretty much anything goes. If you have an idea that doesn't seem to be covered by what I've said goes either just take the plunge and submit or talk to me about it and I'll be like "oooh, you so smart!" and then you can submit.

The ONLY thing I ask is that your entry have a substantial amount or relationship to h/c. That's it. Go hog wild, I say!

Now, for more details, please check out this nifty FAQ.

Let's start simply, yes?

Why h/c?

See, to reward you for clicking on that nice little cut tag and very responsibly perusing this FAQ, we'll start out with more links o' h/c decadence. Life is good, is it not?
Resonance Okay, this one is long and the h/c comes and goes, but when it comes!! Gen *squee*
The Taming of Harry Potter Gen and AU and a WIP, but little!abused!Harry. With the rescuing, also. Because, duh. C.
Betrayals It was hard picking just one Josan fic, man, but I decided this one gave the most h/c bang for the buck. YAY! Slash, but just a little.
A Nick in Time Preslash.
The Same Coin Meri's another author that makes it hard to choose. Decisions, decisions. Slash.
A Short Measure Slash.
If you're still not convinced, I'm gonna be honest, I don't think this is the MiniFest for you.


Frequently Asked Question About the MiniFest (The first part of this is a bit repetitive with the above post, but if you need answers to your questions, just keep scrolling, you will most likely find them.)



1. What exactly is this MiniFest thing?

To use Kai's terminology, think of it as a kind of International Hurt/Comfort Month and a Half. A time to focus our creative energies on exploring the beauty that comes from mental anguish or physical agony and the later relief of said pains by way of another character's care.

Stories and of all sorts are welcome! Het, slash, and gen (and more) stories are welcome!

Again, there are no formal assignments for this MiniFest. Writers and artists are simply invited to participate by creating a work that in some way focuses on the h/c kink/theme.

I repeat, unlike most Fests, the H/C MinFest will not have a permanent archive!

Instead, I will be creating a Master Post of Links to all MiniFest submissions. Since I will be linking to those submissions, by definition your stories/art MUST be archived elsewhere, such as your LJ, or Inkstained Fingers, or FF.net, or Fiction Alley, or your own personal website.

At the end of the MiniFest, we will have a (hopefully huge) list of links to stories and art will provide H/C fans with a place to go for some comfort of their very own.

2. When will it be held?

It will start at midnight on Nov 1, 2005 (GMT) and end at midnight on December 15, 2005 (GMT)
Note: For those of us time challenged people (yep, I did have to look this up), that's 5pm Oct 31st (poetic, eh?) Pacific Time, 6pm Mountain, 7pm Central and 8pm Eastern.

3. Why such a short deadline? How come this Fest seems to be so, er, lacking in rules and formal assignments and stuff?

The main goal of the MiniFest is to rejuvenate the genre of h/c. Since that's all I want to see happen, I don't have to be specific about the requirements. H/C is the requirement. That's all.

Some people like deadlines, some don't. Some like to write short fic, others prefer long fic. Some are galvanized by deadlines, others abhor them. Some like very specific sorts of challenges others prefer fewer restrictions. Some people already have works in progress, others haven't started yet. And then, ultimately, someone (me) has to collect up all the links to the stories and artwork and make them available to fans. :-)

Thus, I am providing a (semi)short deadline for people who enjoy working under pressure or who like to crank out short fic in a short time (i.e. drabbles). I'm providing a firm end date for people who want to be more leisurely about things but who might not finish unless there is a fixed deadline.

I'm announcing it now (at the beginning of August) so that people who like to write long stuff, who prefer to take it slow and steady, or who have lots of RL obligations can get started but not feel overly stressed come November.

And I've got that final deadline for me too, so that I know when I can collect all the URLs and make up that Master Post of Links!

4. What do I have to do to participate?

This part is incredibly simple.

On November 1, 2005, I will make a post to my LJ (and make sure that word gets 'round by way of other communities) signaling that the MiniFest has begun.

Then, all you have to do is to write a story or create some art that in some way indulges your and my love of h/c.

Sometime before midnight on December 15, 2005 reply to that MiniFest Announcement Post with a Submission Template (described below) and a link to your story or artwork.

That's it.

You don't have to sign up, or get registered, or formally request a scenario, or formally join a community, or anything.

All you have to do is to reply to the Announcement Post by midnight, December 15, 2005.

I will post weekly reminders letting folks know that the final deadline is approaching! :-)

5. When Can I Get Started?

You can start creating at any time. Right now, in fact, especially if you have an idea for a longer story or complicated artwork.

6. Oh heck, it's December 23, 2005 and I just finished my story now! Should I still post a link to my story/art to the MiniFest Announcement Post?

Yes, please do.

I have email notification turned on so I'll get your message. However, the link to your story might not get added to the Master Post of Links right away depending upon how busy my RL is, and I will note it on the page as a late submission.

7. Who can participate?

Anyone.

I am adopting a Don't Ask, Don't Tell policy regarding age. I do not want to know how old you are. Do not tell me.

I will put a content warning on both the MiniFest Announcement Post and on the Master Post of Links (and hide the links behind a cut tag) after I assemble it so that people who are underage will know to avoid that page. That page will be an LJ page which I will then add to the memories section in my LJ. Yes, I'm using the honor system here, no passwords, etc.

Please be aware that the stories/art that participants submit may contain slash, het, or gen content and may contain content or pairings that you may personally find objectionable. If any of that bothers you, then do NOT click on those links and do NOT get upset with the creators of that content.

It's simple: be responsible and be courteous, that's all I ask.

8. What sorts of stories/art can I submit?

You may submit any stories or art, of any rating, be it slash, het, or gen. The only firm requirement is that the story or artwork prominently feature h/c.

Note: If you are submitting a story containing chan, incest, or bestiality, you MUST label it as such in the Warnings section of the Submission Template.


9. I prefer to write drabbles. Can I submit my drabbles?

I like to do quick sketches, cartoons, things like that. Are those okay to submit?

I've got a huge series I'm writing and one of the parts is all about the h/c, can I submit that too?

Fiction of all lengths is welcome and art of all types is welcome, so long as they are definitively h/c-oriented. I only ask that the fiction be complete in and of itself. Therefore, no WIPs are allowed. However, a completed part in an on-going series is perfectly fine.

Artists and writers of fiction must use the Submission Template when they submit their work.

10. What should my Submission Template look like?

This is the official MiniFest Submission Template.

Title: self-explanatory
Author: you -- and a link to your email address or LJ if you have one or want to share it
Link: a URL
Type: Fiction, Art
Category: i.e. Slash, Het, Gen
Length: i.e. Drabble, Short story, Novella, etc. Or your approximate word count if that's easier for you to calculate.
Main characters: self-explanatory
Pairings: if you're writing something other than Gen, please state the major pairings
Warnings: i.e. Chan, Incest, Bestiality, Non-con, Death story, D/s, anything that you think a reader should know about.

Please note: if your story contains Chan, Incest, or Bestality, you MUST add in the warning.

Series: Yes/No (if yes, please add a link to the series)
Rating: U.S.-ian ratings, please. i.e. G, PG, PG-13, R, NC-17, etc.
Summary: Please write something here that will give readers a bit of insight into the story or art. For authors--you don't have to give away the whole plot here! :-)
Notes: anything else you'd like to add, thanks to betas, etc.!

Please note: If your story, art, or essay is archived on a site that requires a password, PLEASE let readers know that in your Notes. A simple "Requires password" will do.


Confused about U.S.ian Movie ratings? You're not the only one! Here is a summary:

Rated G – GENERAL AUDIENCES: All ages admitted.
Rated PG – PARENTAL GUIDANCE SUGGESTED: Some material may not be suitable for children or pre-teenagers
Rated PG-13 – PARENTS STRONGLY CAUTIONED: Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.
Rated R – RESTRICTED: Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.
Rated NC-17 – No one 17 and under admitted.


Basically, use your best judgment on the ratings.


Please do NOT send me a post like:
So here's my h/c story:
http://xxx. yyy. zzz. com/myfic.html !
LOL ;-)


I cannot read every single submission before I add it to the Master Post of Links.
I won't fill out the template for your story/artwork.
*You* must fill out the template. Please be as complete as possible; readers are counting on you!

11. Why are you singling out chan, bestiality, and incest fic/art for special warnings?

The ONLY reason I am requesting that contributers mark their submissions this way is because those three topics seem to be consistent 'hot-buttons' within the HP fandom community.

Contributors are welcome to warn for other elements if they wish (i.e. BDSM, non-con, death story, partner betrayal), however only these three: Chan, Bestiality, and Incest are required.

I do not want any participants in my MiniFest to end up with a flame from an irate reader who accidentally reads a story or views a piece of art with that sort of content.

I really do want this to be a positive and enjoyable experience for contributors as well as for readers/viewers.

ETA: coeur_de_ma_vie brought the fact that Chan is defined differently in say, England, than it is in America. Given that people from several nations are participating in this fest, I'm going to ask that stories in which any character who is younger than 18 is involved with an adult character (such as a professor, etc, I'm not talking about Ginny being in her seventh year while Harry has just graduated) carry the Chan warning. Feel free to specify that a character is over 16, but make sure that anyone who might consider a 16-17 year old sleeping with an adult to be Chan is aware of what s/he is clicking into. Thanks!

12. Where the heck do I post my fic/art? Can I post it to other places too?

I will open the Fest on November 1, 2005 with a single MiniFest Announcement Post.

Sometime before December 15, 2005, simply reply to that post, including the official template (see above) that describes your submission and provides a link to it (either to an archive where you've posted the work, your own personal webpage, an LJ entry, etc.).

It's that simple.

If your story was inspired by the MiniFest I would appreciate it if you mention that fact when you archive your story somewhere, but that isn't a requirement by any means! :-)

Because I'm only posting a link to your story, by definition, it must be archived somewhere else.

Possible archives include: your LJ, or Inkstained Fingers, or FF.net, or Fiction Alley, or your own personal website.

13. Where will all these stories/etc. be archived?

The MiniFest will not have a formal archive.

Rather, I will create a Master Post of Links page at my LJ precisely like The Master Post of Links for the SS/MM Fest.

Since I will be linking to your submission, by definition your work MUST be archived elsewhere, such as your LJ, or Inkstained Fingers, or FF.net, or Fiction Alley, or your own personal website.

14. What will this Master Post of Links look like?

See link provided here and above to The Master Post of Links for the SS/MM Fest.

15. I just found this HugeEnormousOMG typo/grammar error/logic error/whatever in your FAQ!

Please let me know what it is by replying to this post and I'll fix it! :-)

16. I've got a question about the MiniFest but you haven't answered it here!

I've got a great idea for a scenario/art-idea/etc. Where can I post it?

Please feel free to either post your question here or to email me at: veseymuse @ yahoo.com. I will be happy to clarify anything and if necessary, I'll add your question (and its answer) to the FAQ.

If you have more ideas to help inspire artists and fic writers, please just reply to this post. I'll be happy to add them!

17. How do I find out about updates? Where will you be posting updates about the MiniFest?

On November 1, 2005, I will be making the formal MiniFest post. I will then post weekly reminders here as well as possibly on the announcement communities. If and when new issues arise, I will mention them in the latest post and then add them onto the original formal post so that they are all "archived" in one place.