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first
2026-03-11 22:22:11 +00:00
# Read about fixtures at http://ar.rubyonrails.org/classes/Fixtures.html
one:
intro: This is the first collection. It's really important. Wheee.
faq: |
<div align="center">
<p><strong><a name="top"></a>The Yuletide FAQ</strong> </p>
<p>
<p><p><a href="#schedule"><strong>Yuletide Schedule</strong></a>
<p>
<p><a href="#sub1">Basics</a> | <a href="#sub2">Assembling the Challenge</a>
| <a href="#sub3">Signing Up for Yuletide</a> | <a href="#sub4">Pinch Hitting</a></p>
<p><a href="#sub5">After You Get Your Assignment</a> | <a href="#sub6">The
stories</a> | <a href="#sub8">After the Reveal: Authors</a> | <a href="#sub9">After the Reveal:
Recipients</a> | <a href="#sub10">Leaving Comments on Stories</a> | <a href=#sub11>So You Want Your Contact Info Changed</a>
</p>
<p><a href="#sub12">Yuletide Madness</a> | <a href="#sub13">Yuletide Etiquette</a> | <a href="#sub14">Official Yuletide
Livejournal Rules</a> | <a href="#sub15">Yuletide IRC Chat</a> </p>
<p><a href="#sub16">What is the New Year's Resolution Challenge?</a> | <a href="#sub17">What is the Yuletide Story
of the Day?</a> | <a href="#sub18">What is the Roll-Your-Own Challenge?</a></p>
<p>&nbsp; </p>
</div>
<p><a name="sub1"></a><a href="#basics"><strong>Basics</strong></a>
<ul>
<li><a href="#1">What is While We Tell of Yuletide Treasure/Yuletide/The
Obscure Fandom Fiction Exchange Project?</a>
<li><a href="#2">Who runs the project?</a>
<li><a href="#3">Who can participate?</a>
<li><a href="#4">Do I have to have a livejournal to participate
in Yuletide?</a>
<li><a href="#5">What is the Yuletide schedule?</a>
<li><a href="#6">How do I contact the moderators?</a>
<li><a href="#policy">What is Yuletide's policy when a professional creator/author has asked that there be no fanfiction written
for their work?</a>
<p><a href="#top">Top</a>
</ul><p><a name="sub2"></a>
<a href="#assemble"><strong>Assembling the Challenge</strong></a>
<ul>
<li><a href="#7">What constitutes a rare/obscure/inactive fandom?</a>
<li><a href="#8">Who decides whether a fandom is included,
or not?</a>
<li><a href="#9">Can I suggest rare/obscure/inactive fandoms even
if I don't write/am not going to sign up for Yuletide?</a>
<li><a href="#tags">How do I nominate a fandom for the challenge? Do I need to use a qualifier on the name?</a>
<li><a href="#char">How do I add new characters to a fandom? What if they have more than one name?</a>
<li><a href="#10">A fandom I suggested isn't in the final
list/one fandom is listed under multiple names.</a>
<p><a href="#top">Top</a>
</ul><p><a name="sub3"></a>
<a href="#signing"><strong>Signing Up for Yuletide</strong></a>
<ul>
<li><a href="#11">How do I sign up?</a>
<li><a href="#12">How many fandoms/characters can I request?</a>
<li><a href="#13">How do I pick multiple characters?</a>
<li><a href="#14">What can I put in the additional details
field? How specific can I get? </a>
<li><a href="#15">How many fandoms can I/do I have to offer
to write?</a>
<li><a href="#16">How many characters can I offer to write?</a>
<li><a href="#17">I already signed up, but I saw another fandom that I'd rather
write/request. Can I change my submission before the deadline?</a>
<li><a href="#18">Can I talk about what I offered to write?</a>
<li><a href="#19">When will I get my assignment?</a>
<li><a href="#20">How are writers and recipients matched
up?</a>
<li><a href="#21">What happens if nobody matches to any
of my requests or offers?</a>
<li><a href="#22">When is the deadline for uploading my
story?</a>
<li><a href="#23">When are the stories available?</a>
<p><a href="#top">Top</a>
</ul>
<p><a name="sub4"></a><a href="#pinch"><strong>Pinch Hitting</strong></a>
<ul>
<li><a href="#24">What is "pinch hitting"? Do I have to be a Yuletide participant? How do I volunteer?</a>
<p><a href="#top">Top</a>
</ul><p>
<a name="sub5"></a><a href="#assignment"><strong>After You Get Your Assignment</strong></a>
<ul>
<li><a href="#25">I can't get into the archive/upload my NYR! What happened?</a>
<li><a href="#26">I received four different fandom possibilities,
do I have to write all of them?</a>
<li><a href="#27">Can I request a reassignment?</a>
<li><a href="#28">I don't recognize any of the fandoms on
my recipient's list.</a>
<li><a href="#29">Can I find out more about my recipient's
request/tastes/opinions?</a>
<li><a href="#30">Do I have to write the specific characters/relationships/situations
they ask for?</a>
<li><a href="#31">Can I talk about my assignment with other
people?</a>
<li><a href="#32">I don't really know any of the fandoms
my recipient asked for very well. I didn't think I'd get assigned any of those.
What do I do?</a>
<li><a href="#33">My recipient listed a fandom that I didn't
sign up for, but I have an idea. Can I write in that fandom, instead?</a>
<li><a href="#34">I'm not comfortable with
the fandoms I offered that my recipient wanted, but I have this other fandom
I like/there's this other fandom I see she likes on her LJ/website that I
could write. Can I do that? </a>
<li><a href="#35">How can I provide my author with more
information?</a>
<li><a href="#36">Defaulting: I'm not going to be able to complete
my assignment, what do I do? Can I have an extension?</a>
<li><a href="#37">I need a beta, what do I do?</a>
<p><a href="#top">Top</a>
</ul><p>
<a name="sub6"></a><a href="#stories"><strong>The Stories</strong></a>
<ul>
<li><a href="#38">What are the minimum requirements for
my story?</a>
<li><a href="#39">Does my story have to be a holiday
story?</a>
<li><a href="#40">What if my story isn't 1,000 words?</a>
<li><a href="#41">How do I upload my story?</a>
<li><a href="#42">I uploaded the wrong version/made a mistake
in my story, can you redo it/edit it for me?</a>
<li><a href="#43">Can I thank my beta/include author notes
in my story?</a></ul>
<p><a href="#top">Top</a>
<p><a name="sub8"></a><strong><a href="#author">After the Reveal: Authors</strong></a></p>
<ul>
<li><a href="#44">When/how can I reply to comments on my story?</a>
<li><a href="#45">Can I post my story to my LJ/website/another archive?</a></ul>
<p><a href="#top">Top</a>
<p><a name="sub9"></a><strong><a href="#recip">After the Reveal: Recipients</a> </strong></p>
<ul>
<li><a href="#46">I think the story I got really sucks/doesn't
do what I asked for, what do I do?</a>
<li><a href="#47">It's December 25th, and I don't have a story in the archive, why is that?</a>
<li><a href="#48">It's January 1st and I still don't have a story in the archive. What do I do?</a></ul>
<p><a href="#top">Top</a>
<p><a name="sub10"></a><strong><a href="#comment">Leaving Comments on Stories</strong></a>
</p>
<p><a name="sub11"></a><strong><a href="#change">So You Want Your Contact Info Changed </strong></p>
<p><a name="sub12"></a> <a href="#madness"> <strong>Yuletide Madness</strong></a>
</p>
<p><a name="sub13"></a> <a href="#etiquette"> <strong>Yuletide Etiquette</strong></a>
</p>
<p><a name="sub14"></a><a href="#rules"><strong>Official Yuletide Livejournal
Rules</strong></a> </p>
<p><a name="sub15"></a><a href="#irc"><strong>Yuletide IRC Chat</strong></a>
</p>
<p><a name="sub16"></a><a href="#nyr"><strong>What is the New Year's Resolution
Challenge?</strong></a> </p>
<p><a name="sub17"></a><a href="#story"><strong>What is the Yuletide Story of the Day?</strong></a>
</p>
<p><a name="sub18"></a><a href="#roll"><strong>What is the Roll-Your-Own Challenge?</strong></a>
</p>
<p><a href="#top">Top</a>
<p><h2><a name="basics"></a><strong>The Basics </strong></p></h2>
<p><a name="1"></a><strong>What is While We Tell of Yuletide
Treasure/Yuletide/The Obscure Fandom Fiction Exchange Project? </strong></p>
<p>Yuletide is a gen, het, and slash multifandom secret fiction exchange for obscure or rarely
written fandoms. Begun in 2003 by astolat and tzikeh, it was inspired by <a href="http://www.juppy.org/santa/">don
we now our gay apparel</a> (the popslash secret santa project).
<p>Each participant signs up in advance, choosing the fandoms she's willing to write and the fandoms she
would be most happy to receive from a very large list of options. After signups, assignments go out; each participant must write one
1,000-word (minimum) story, and each will receive one 1,000-word (minimum) story in return. All stories are due by mid-December.
On December 25, the stories go live with no author names attached; on January 1, the
author names go live.
<p>If you're new to Yuletide and would like a more expanded overview of the basics,
<a href="http://community.livejournal.com/yuletide/216928.html">go here</a>!
<p><b>Note: by signing up for Yuletide and uploading a story, you are agreeing to let us keep that story
in the archive, for good.</b> We will not delete it at a later date <a href=#45>even at your request</a>.
<p><a href="#top">Top</a> | <a href="#basics">Basics</a>
<p><a name="2"></a><strong>Who runs the project?</strong>
<p>elynross currently runs the more visible aspects of the challenge, and astolat coordinates the
fancy scripting necessary to accomplish the matching, with geeklite assisting as needed. Collectively,
the current team can be reached at <a href="mailto:yuletide@yuletidetreasure.org">yuletide@yuletidetreasure.org</a>.
<p><a href="#top">Top</a> | <a href="#basics">Basics</a>
<p><a name="3"></a><strong>Who can participate? </strong>
<p>
1) <b>NOTE: You must be at least 18 to participate in the Yuletide Challenge.</b>
<br>
<br>
2) For Yuletide 2009, there is a general amnesty for anyone who previously defaulted or was banned! The record of your default/ban is maintained,
however, and if you default again in 2009, you may be banned. You can check your <a href="http://www.yuletidetreasure.org/defaulter_check.cgi">default status here</a>.
<br>
<br>
3) If you default in any year without notifying the moderators, or if you default two years in a row,
then you are banned from further Yuletide participation.
<p><a href="#top">Top</a> | <a href="#basics">Basics</a>
<p><a name="4"></a><strong>Do I have to have a livejournal to participate in Yuletide? </strong>
<p>No! However, while the Yuletide challenge itself is website-based, the planning
and discussion relating to it takes place on Livejournal, in two LJs. You can read both of these without an LJ account,
but it may make things easier for you to have one of your own.
<p>All news and official announcements are posted to the <a href="http://community.livejournal.com/yuletide_admin">Yuletide_Admin</a> community.
Only the moderators may post to the admin community, although anyone may comment on an admin post.
<br>
<br>
The broader <a href="http://community.livejournal.com/yuletide">Yuletide</a> LJ is available for Yuletide participants to post their Yuletide experiences, discussions, and recommendations. Please
see <a href="http://community.livejournal.com/yuletide/profile">the community info</a> for eligible topics. You will not
be able to post directly to the Yuletide LJ if you do not have an LJ of your own, although you will be able to make comments
to posts made by others.
<p>With an LJ, you can join or watch the community and more easily keep track of announcements on your Friends list,
instead of having to remember to check back regularly. If you don't have an LJ but want to comment on a post to
either Yuletide community, please sign your comment. Any anonymous comments will be deleted.
<p>If you maintain your journal at a non-LJ site, or if you prefer to get your Admin posts through a syndicated
feed, the Admin LJ is available as both an <a href="http://community.livejournal.com/yuletide_admin/data/rss">RSS feed</a>
and as an <a href="http://community.livejournal.com/yuletide_admin/data/atom">Atom feed</a>.
<p>Note: If you want to be <a href="#pinch">a pinch hitter</a>, you should join <a href="http://groups.yahoo.com/group/yuletide_pinch_hit/">the Yahoogroups list</a>.
All pinch-hitting assignments will be sent there.
<p><a href="#top">Top</a> | <a href="#basics">Basics</a>
<p><a name="5"></a><strong>What is the Yuletide schedule?
</strong>
<p>We start assembling the fandom listings as early as mid-September, but no later than early to mid-October,
with a goal of opening sign-ups no later than mid- to late October. Sign-ups remain open for a week,
and then assignments go out as soon as the scripts to match
authors and recipients can be run and any problems handled. For 2009 The deadline for defaulting with notification and without
penalty is December 7th. Stories are due December 21st, 9:00 p.m. <a href="http://www.worldtimezone.com/">Eastern Time (ET)</a>. The archive is opened on December 25th, and authors
are revealed on January 1st.
<blockquote>
<p><a name="schedule"></a><strong>Yuletide Schedule </strong></p>
<p>Note: Actual schedule may vary, depending on our schedules.
<p> <strong>Early to mid-October</strong>: Yuletide takes nominations for fandoms from those planning on participating in the challenge.<br>
<p><strong>Mid to late October</strong>: Yuletide accepts reports of corrections and duplications, and requests for additional character listings.<br>
<p><strong>Late October to early November</strong>: official signup runs for 1-2 weeks; the archive search engine is closed, although <a href="http://www.yuletidetreasure.org/archive/quicksearch.html">Quicksearch</a> remains available.<br>
<p><strong>Early November</strong>: signup ends. Quicksearch is closed as uploading is made available.<br>
<p><strong>No later than November 10th</strong>: assignments are sent out. <br>
<p><strong>Monday, December 7th</strong>: 2009 deadline for defaulting with notification but without penalty. <br>
<p><strong>December 21st</strong>: stories are due by 9:00 p.m. <a href="http://www.worldtimezone.com/">Eastern Time (ET)</a>; last-minute <a href="#pinch">pinch-hits</a> are assigned <a href="http://groups.yahoo.com/group/yuletide_pinch_hit">through the Yahoogroups list</a>.<br>
<p><strong>December 23rd</strong>: pinch hits are due if at all possible; <a href="#madness">Yuletide Madness</a> opens (with no word count limit).<br>
<p><strong>December 24th</strong>: Yuletide Madness runs all day to get something up for everyone.<br>
<p><strong>December 25th</strong>: archive goes live with anonymous stories! <br>
<p><strong>January 1</strong>: authors are revealed. </p>
</blockquote>
<p><a href="#top">Top</a> | <a href="#basics">Basics</a>
<p><a name="6"></a><strong>How do I contact the moderators?
</strong>
<p>Email us at: <a href="mailto:yuletide@yuletidetreasure.org">yuletide@yuletidetreasure.org</a>.
<p>If you don't hear from us within a day, you can try:
<p>
elynross: <a href="mailto:elynross@gmail.com">elynross@gmail.com</a>
<br>astolat: <a href="mailto:shalott@intimations.org">shalott@intimations.org</a>
<br>geeklite: <a href="mailto:geeklite@livejournal.com">geeklite@livejournal.com</a>
<p><a href="#top">Top</a> | <a href="#basics">Basics</a>
<p><a name="policy"</a><strong>What is Yuletide's policy concerning fandoms where the professional creator/author
has asked that no fanfiction be written?</strong>
<p>Yuletide does not prevent these fandoms from being nominated or written. However, if we receive official notice from
representatives of these creators/authors asking us to remove fanfiction for their works, we will do so. At this
point, only Chelsea Quinn Yarbro's <i>Saint-Germain</i> series is ineligible for this reason.
<p align="center">
<div align="center">
<p><a href="#top">Top</a>
<p><a href="#basics">Basics</a> | <a href="#assemble">Assembling the fandoms </a> | <a href="#signing">Signing up for Yuletide</a> | <a href="#pinch">Pinch Hitting</a>
<p>&nbsp; </p>
</div>
<p> <h2><a name="assemble"></a><strong>Assembling the fandoms </strong> </h2>
<p>Each year we compile a new list of fandom/character nominations from potential participants, up to six
fandoms per person. While we maintain a list of all previously nominated fandoms/characters, this is strictly
for inspiration and minimizing work (when you select a previous fandom, it will retain the previously entered
character lists). For a fandom to be included in the current year, it must be newly nominated by
at least one person.
Nominations will be held for at least one week during the month prior to the opening of signups. The <a href="http://yuletidetreasure.org/nominations/nominate_fandoms.cgi">Nomination
Form</a> can be found here, but it is only available during this one-week period.
<p><a name="7"></a><strong>What constitutes a rare/obscure/inactive fandom? </strong>
<p> The challenge includes only fandoms that are determined to be relatively obscure/inactive. This is
decided using an arcane geometry involving but not limited to current fiction-related activity levels in places
like LJ, Yahoogroups, and fiction archives, taking into account Google searches, LJ interests, and the
recommendations of those who know the fandoms. TV shows that were once very active but went off-air at
least ten years ago are eligible for consideration. Brand-new shows that are already active may still be
eligible for at least a year.
<p>Some "umbrella" fandoms are currently ineligible, along with related fandoms that may of
themselves be relatively rare. Whether a related title is ineligible is at the discretion
of the moderators. Some umbrella titles are Batman, Doctor Who, Final Fantasy, Law and Order, Mario,
Power Rangers, Sailor Moon, Spiderman, Superman, Transformers, X-Men.
<p>There is no hard and fast rule, and there may well be fandoms available that you don't consider obscure.
Please <b>do</b> suggest absolutely anything you think of as truly underrepresented.
<p><a href="#top">Top</a> | <a href="#assemble">Assembling the fandoms </a>
<p><a name="8"></a><strong>Who decides whether a fandom is included, or not? </strong>
<p>The ultimate decision lies with the moderators, and their decisions, however misguided they may be, are final.
<p><a href="#top">Top</a> | <a href="#assemble">Assembling the fandoms </a>
<p><a name="9"></a><strong>Can I suggest rare/obscure/inactive fandoms
even if I don't write/am not going to sign up for Yuletide? </strong>
<p>We prefer that suggestions come from those planning to sign up, as this brings the fandoms offered
and the fandoms requested closer together. However, each year we have a brainstorming post in the <a href="http://community.livejournal.com/yuletide/">Yuletide
community LJ</a> that we encourage anyone to post to, to get the ideas flowing!
<p><a href="#top">Top</a> | <a href="#assemble">Assembling the fandoms </a>
<p><a name="tags"></a><strong>How do I nominate a fandom for the challenge? How do I designate the fandom? Do I need to use a qualifier on the name?</strong>
<p>Nominations will run for at least one week during the month preceding the opening of signups, followed by roughly a week
of adding of characters/making corrections/merging duplicates/removing duplicates from character lists.
The <a href="http://yuletidetreasure.org/nominations/nominate_fandoms.cgi">Yuletide Fandom
Nominations</a> form is only open during that period. Through this form you can select a fandom from the <a href="http://www.yuletidetreasure.org/master.shtml">Master
Fandom List</a> (note: not all fandoms in the Master Fandom List are still eligible, but only the eligible fandoms will
display in the Nomination form's drop-down menus), or add a new fandom, for up to six fandoms. Please limit
your nominations to only those fandoms you're seriously considering requesting at Yuletide, to keep the list smaller. This
will hopefully help keep the fandoms offered and the fandoms requested fairly similar.
<p>Then you will be able to input characters for a new fandom, or add them to a previously available fandom.
<p>If you change your mind during the nominations period, or want to nominate additional fandoms/add additional
characters, you can do
so by filling out the form again, <b>using exactly the same name and e-mail address</b>. Make sure to fill out
the form again completely -- don't just correct your error. The new nomination form will overwrite the
previous one, and any fandom you nominated the first time, but not the second, will be removed from the
list of currently nominated fandoms -- unless someone else has nominated it.
<p>Note: Crossovers are not eligible for nomination for Yuletide, even if both the fandoms are rare,
so please do not nominate a fandom such as:
<ul><li>[RPF - 30 Rock/Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip]
<li>[Brimstone/Reaper]</ul>
<p>If someone asks for a crossover in their details, then it's up to the author whether they feel they can/want
to do that, or not, however.
<p>Our goal is that each fandom be uniquely identifiable. If your fandom has a unique name, then
it won't need a qualifier. If it might be confused with a very similar title in another medium or another
year, or if your fandom draws from multiple
sources (for example, anime <i>and</i> manga) that aren't distinct enough to warrant separate entries, then you
will want to use a qualifier. Common qualifiers in use are: anime, book, comic, game, manga, movie, musical, opera,
play, tv, [year]. These can be combined, if necessary. e.g.:
<ul><li>[Bedazzled (1967)]: this movie has been remade
<li>[Blade series (movie)]: there is a TV series
<li> [1984 (1984 movie)]: the title exists in multiple versions, in multiple mediums
<li> [300 (comic or movie)]: knowledge of either version is acceptable</ul>
<p><b>Books are almost always listed as [AuthorFirst AuthorLast - title]</b> (for one or two authors), with one dash, one space before and after. There is no need to
use the "book" qualifier with this format. When nominating a series of books, use the common collective name, if
there is one. If a fandom is found as both a movie and a book, without important variation, it will be listed by the title, with the qualification (book or movie).
<ul><li>[Daphne du Maurier - Rebecca]
<li>[Stephen King and Peter Straub - Black House]
<li>[C S Lewis - Out of the Silent Planet series]
<li>[Brokeback Mountain (book or movie)]</ul>
<p>The exception to the [author-title] format is books written by three or more authors, even if they used
a common pseudonym, in which case the (book) modifier <i>is</i> used, e.g.:
<ul><li>[The Hardy Boys series (book)]: qualifier distinguishes it from the Hardy Boys TV show
<li>[Nancy Drew mysteries]</ul>
<p>Only books are listed by author. Comics/graphic novels are listed by title, to keep the category
formatting consistent.
<p>Music videos and songs should be listed by title, with the (song) or (music video) qualifier.
<p><b>Mythologies are always listed as: Mythology - [area]</b>, e.g. [Mythology - Irish], [Mythology - Greek and Roman].
<p><b>Real Person Fiction is always listed as: RPF - [title]</b>, e.g. RPF - [RPF - 16th-17th century]. Please make sure
that the characters you would like to nominate for RPF fandoms will not fit within an already designated
RPF fandom. Musical groups can be listed by group ([RPF - Rolling Stones]), but individual artists should
be placed with their genre ([Country Music], [Alt Pop Rock Solo Artists (Asian/Western)], etc.)
<p>For fandoms with multiple titles/foreign fandoms, please list only the original language title/the title most commonly
used, just as you would with English-language works that have been translated. This is a change in 2009, because the length of some fandom titles was breaking things.
<p>If you don't know the date of a movie or TV show, try looking at <a href="http://epguides.com/">epguides.com</a> or
the <a href="http://www.imdb.com/">Internet Movie Database</a> to find out? <a href="http://www.wikipedia.org/">Wikipedia</a> and
<a href="http://www.amazon.com">Amazon</a> can also be decent sources of information.
<p><a href="#top">Top</a> | <a href="#assemble">Assembling the fandoms </a>
<p><a name="char"></a><strong>How do I add new characters to a fandom? What if they have more than one name?</strong>
<p>You will be able to input new characters or add characters to an existing fandom when you fill out the <a href="http://yuletidetreasure.org/nominations/nominate_fandoms.cgi">Yuletide Fandom
</a> form. Special characters/diacritics will be automatically stripped out.
If a character is known by more than one name, like a superhero's alter ego, or a nickname, please list the
primary name first, followed by "aka [other name or title]," e.g.:
<ul><li>Clark Kent aka Superman
<li> Raymond aka Ray Robertson
<li>Vlad Tepes aka the Impaler aka Dracula</ul>
<p>We ask that you please only list characters that you are planning to request, to keep character listings
from being so immense as to terrify potential writers out of ever choosing to write "Any" characters in that
fandom!
<p><a href="#top">Top</a> | <a href="#assemble">Assembling the fandoms </a>
<p><a name="10"></a><strong>A fandom I suggested isn't in
the final list/one fandom is listed under multiple names.</strong>
<p>If something you suggested is missing, it probably didn't make the final cut. Please don't comment or email to tell us;
once the final list is posted, we won't make additions. However, if we have listed one fandom under
multiple names, please do let us know so we can fix that.
<p align="center">
<div align="center">
<p><a href="#top">Top</a>
<p><a href="#basics">Basics</a> | <a href="#assemble">Assembling the fandoms </a> | <a href="#signing">Signing up for Yuletide</a> | <a href="#pinch">Pinch Hitting</a>
<p>&nbsp; </p>
</div>
<p><h2> <a name="signing"></a><strong>Signing up for Yuletide</strong> </h2>
<p><a name="11"></a><strong>How do I sign up? </strong>
<p>The sign-up form is <a href="http://yuletidetreasure.org/signup_page1.cgi">here</a> and will open for business
in October or early November. Please monitor the <a href="http://community.livejournal.com/yuletide_admin/">Yuletide Admin LJ</a>
or check the <a href="http://www.yuletidetreasure.org/index.shtml">Yuletide home page</a> for the specific date,
closer to Challenge time.
<p>Please read all the instructions carefully! You must fill out every field that
is not labeled "Optional" in order for the form to work.
<p>Please make sure you're signing up with a unique name.
Check the list of those authors who have already registered on the main page
to be sure. This will appear on the right side of the page. You also cannot use names that are the same except for spaces/special characters/capitalization -- sorry!
<p>There's no limit on how many people can request a given fandom, so don't worry if you see that your fandom has been picked already.
You can request anything you want.
<p>After you hit submit on the form, you will receive an
email copy of your selections. Please check this carefully to be sure that you
didn't accidentally choose the wrong fandom or characters. If you made a mistake,
you can sign up again, <b>using exactly the same name and e-mail address</b>. Make sure to fill out the form
again completely -- don't just correct your error. The new submission form will overwrite the incorrect one.
<p>If you do not receive a copy of your confirmation email within 24 hours, please write to
<a href="mailto:yuletide@yuletidetreasure.org">yuletide@yuletidetreasure.org</a> to make sure there were no
errors in your email address. If there were, your signup will be deleted, and you'll need to sign up again.
<p><a href="#top">Top</a> | <a href="#signing">Signing up for Yuletide</a>
<p><a name="12"></a><strong>How many fandoms/characters can I request? </strong>
<p>Once the sign-up sheet is live, you will be able to request
three to four fandoms from a pull-down menu consisting of all requested fandoms,
and then choose up to four characters from each fandom. This does not mean the author will be limited to these four characters
-- only that these are characters you'd like to see written about.
You will also see an option for 'Any,' which means that you're asking for a story about any of the characters listed in
the pull-down menu. <b>Please note: you must choose at least three different fandoms. Picking one fandom with
three different sets of characters won't count towards your minimum of three different fandoms</b> -- although your fourth fandom can
duplicate one of those three, with a different set of characters.
<p><a href="#top">Top</a> | <a href="#signing">Signing up for Yuletide</a>
<p><a name="13"></a><strong>How do I pick multiple characters?
</strong>
<p>To select multiple characters, hold down the "control" key on Windows machines or the "command (apple)" key
on a Mac <b> while selecting each character</b>.
<p><a href="#top">Top</a> | <a href="#signing">Signing up for Yuletide</a>
<p><a name="14"></a><strong>What can I put in the additional
details field? How specific can I get? </strong>
<p>Please remember that the purpose of the While We Tell
of Yuletide Treasure challenge is to give you stories you truly want to read,
not to play “stump the author.” Make your requests based on what you’d really
enjoy, not on how crazy/difficult you think it will be for someone to write.
<p> Beyond that, you can be as specific as you'd like in your details, but be aware
that your author is only bound by your fandom and character choices, and may
approach both fandom and characters differently than you do. If you prefer het or slash,
but enjoy gen as well, it's a good idea to say so in the details, since there's no way to
know if your request is going to a het, slash, or gen writer, and that gives everyone a workable option.
<p>We encourage you to include comments about the types of stories you like or don't like, or to
post a "Dear Yuletide Writer" letter to your LJ/website/in the comments of the post made for
that purpose in the <a href="http://community.livejournal.com/yuletide">Yuletide LJ</a>, because often
authors will look for additional information of this sort.
<p>For some ideas on how to write inspiring prompts, you might look at
<a href="http://thefourthvine.livejournal.com/79251.html?style=mine">this post</a> and
<a href="http://liviapenn.livejournal.com/477788.html?style=mine">this one</a>, both excellent
resources.
<p>Your author may do their best to accommodate your more specific requests, but they are not
bound by them. We hope that all concerned will be generous and gracious in their interactions.
As with the writing half of the challenge, the more flexible you can be as a reader within the
boundaries of what you like, the more enjoyment you're likely to get out of the process.
<p>One thing to keep in mind when you add your details is
that these requests go public for the <a href="#nyr">New Year's Resolution</a> (NYR)
challenge after Yuletide is over, and you may want to tailor your requests with that in mind. It's also a good idea
not to say "see above/ditto" if you have the same general parameters for your fandoms,
since the NYR requests are broken out by fandom, not recipient. Put your details
in for each fandom.
<p><a href="#top">Top</a> | <a href="#signing">Signing up for Yuletide</a>
<p><a name="15"></a><strong>How many fandoms do I have to offer to write? </strong>
<p>You <b>must</b> offer at least three different fandoms (one fandom with three different
relationships doesn't count as three unique fandoms). Beyond that you may select as many fandoms as you want; the more fandoms you
offer, the easier it is for the script to make matches.
<p>That said, please be sure you're genuinely willing to write any of the fandoms you offer -- you have as much
chance of being asked to write the one you're least comfortable with as the one you're most comfortable with!
And you may only have a single match on your recipient's list; you may not even be familiar with her other two
or three options.
<p><a href="#top">Top</a> | <a href="#signing">Signing up for Yuletide</a>
<p><a name="16"></a><strong>How many characters can I offer to write?</strong>
<p>For each fandom you select, you can specify up to four characters, or you can choose 'Any' to indicate that
you're willing to write any available characters. If you want to write more than four characters but fewer than
"Any" for a single fandom, or you're only willing to write/don't want to write certain combinations, you can sign
up multiple times for the same fandom, specifying only combinations you're willing to write together. There is no
limit to the number of times you can sign up for the same fandom, with different character combinations.
<p>For example, if I select the Bob Newhart Show, and I am willing to write Carlin, or Peterson, but not Carlin
and Peterson in the same story, I could choose something like this:
<ul><li>Bob Newhart Show: Bob/Emily/Carol/Carlin
<li>Bob Newhart Show: Bob/Emily/Carol/Peterson</ul>
<p>(slashes here work like commas, so these could be gen, het, or slash, depending on the request).
<p>These would match to anyone requesting any combination of the characters named in a single listing (eg, any one, any two, any three, or all four), but not
someone requesting Carlin <i>and</i> Peterson.
<p>If you choose "Any," you may be matched to any requests for that fandom with any combination of characters. <b>Please do not choose 'Any'
unless you're genuinely comfortable writing <i>anyone</i> or any combination of two to four characters in the
character list for that fandom</b>. 'Any' does <b>not</b> mean that you'll get to pick which characters go into the
story, unless your recipient also chooses 'Any'; it means you are willing to write any characters your recipient has
requested, in any combination of one to four characters.
<p>What it boils down to is this: please don't participate unless you are willing to be flexible, both as a reader
and a writer. And if you're assigned something that makes you blink and wonder, remember, that's the "challenge" part
of the Yuletide challenge!
<p><a href="#top">Top</a> | <a href="#signing">Signing up for Yuletide</a>
<p><a name="17"></a><strong>I already signed up, but I saw another fandom that I'd
rather write/request. Can I change my submission before the deadline?</strong>
<p>Absolutely. To do this, just fill out the <a href="http://yuletidetreasure.org/signup_page1.cgi">signup form</a> again,
but <b>please make sure you use the exact same name and e-mail address </b> so we can tell it's a duplicate, and so the
automatic-updater doesn't add you to the participants list under two names.
You must fill out the form completely, including the fandoms you're keeping the same -- the new form will overwrite your original signup form.
Please keep your confirmation emails so that you have the exact information under which you signed up in case
of any confusion.
<p><a href="#top">Top</a> | <a href="#signing">Signing up for Yuletide</a>
<p><a name="18"></a><strong>Can I talk about what I offered to write?</strong>
<p>We ask that you limit any discussion to your betas, and that you not publicly discuss what you offered to
write anywhere (including LJs, blogs, chat, etc. This includes posting lists of fandoms you offered). This is a secret challenge, and we don't want to give people hints as
to who is writing what for whom. Authors will be revealed on January 1st.
<p><a href="#top">Top</a> | <a href="#signing">Signing up for Yuletide</a>.
<p><a name="19"></a><strong>When will I get my assignment?
</strong>
<p>Assignments should be sent out within 1-3 days
after the close of sign-ups. A post will be made to the <a href="http://community.livejournal.com/yuletide_admin/">Yuletide Admin</a>
LJ after assignments are issued. If you have not received your assignment within
a day of this posting, please email us at <a href="mailto:yuletide@yuletidetreasure.org">yuletide@yuletidetreasure.org</a>.
<p><a href="#top">Top</a> | <a href="#signing">Signing up for Yuletide</a>
<p><a name="20"></a><strong>How are writers and recipients
matched up? </strong>
<p><a href="http://www.livejournal.com/community/yuletide/61558.html">Like this.</a> ;) Please make note: In order to make the matching work, sometimes we have to find a pinch hitter right from the start, and occasionally we assign the same recipient to two different writers, in order to guarantee that everyone has a recipient.
<p><a href="#top">Top</a> | <a href="#signing">Signing up for Yuletide</a>
<p><a name="21"></a><strong>What happens if nobody matches to any of my requests or offers? </strong>
<p>Your intrepid organizers have contingency plans in the unlikely event of <s>a water landing</s> no
one offering to write <i>anything</i> you request, or requesting anything you offer to write. This may include asking you to add a couple additional options, or finding a pinch hitter from outside the Yuletide ranks.
<p><a href="#top">Top</a> | <a href="#signing">Signing up for Yuletide</a>
<p><a name="22"></a><strong>When is the deadline for uploading
my story? </strong>
<p>Your story should be uploaded to the archive no later
than 9:00 p.m., <a href="http://www.worldtimezone.com/">Eastern Time (ET)</a>, December 21st. If you finish earlier
than that, you can upload it at any time after you receive your assignment. Note: In 2009, the window for uploading will
begin later than usual.
<p>In fact, if you finish earlier, we would be delighted if you uploaded before the deadline. The challenge gets bigger every year, which
means the load on the server on the final day is bigger every year. This leads to server crashes and participant panic and the possible loss
of stories, and really, you don't want to be part of that.
<p><a href="#top">Top</a> | <a href="#signing">Signing up for Yuletide</a>
<p><a name="23"></a><strong>When are the stories available?
</strong>
<p>The archive reopens on December 25th, although
the exact time may vary. All stories will be anonymous until New Year's Day,
when author names will be revealed.
<p align="center">
<div align="center">
<p><a href="#top">Top</a>
<p> <a href="#assignment">After You Get Your Assignment </a> | <a href="#stories">The Stories</a> | <a href="#author">After the Reveal: Authors</a> | <a href="#recip">After the Reveal: Recipients</a> | <a href="#comment">Leaving Comments on Stories</a> | <a href=#change>So You Want Your Contact Info Changed</a>
<p>&nbsp; </p>
</div>
<p> <h2><a name="pinch"></a><strong>Pinch Hitting</strong></h2>
<p><a name="24"></a><strong>What is "pinch hitting"? Do I have to be a Yuletide participant? How do I volunteer?</strong>
<p>Every year, for various reasons, some people don't complete their assignments. If we
receive notice that someone will have to default, we find someone to "pinch hit," or write a substitute
story. This author may or may not be a regular Yuletide participant, but they're held to the same
requirements as the original author, unless it's a last-minute pinch hit to cover someone who has no
story as of December 25th.
<p>You do not have to be a Yuletide participant to be a pinch hitter! Many people prefer to pinch
hit, rather than sign up for Yuletide, because it gives them the opportunity to see the fandom requests and
prompts before deciding to volunteer.
<p>If you want to volunteer, please sign up for the <a href="http://groups.yahoo.com/group/yuletide_pinch_hit">Yuletide Pinch Hitters' List</a>!
When a pinch hit is required, a note will go out on the list containing all the requests for that participant. The first person to respond
is assigned the pinch hit.
<ul>
<li>Pinch hits that are assigned before December 10th have the regular deadline of December 21st.
<li>Pinch hits that go out after December 10th should be uploaded by December 23rd.
<li>Any pinch hits that turn up after the deadline of December 21st may have until December 24th, but we ask that they
be uploaded as soon as possible.</ul>
<p>Note: On the 23rd-24th of December, we start <a href="#madness"> Yuletide Madness</a>, where we post
the requests of those who do not yet have a story uploaded, even if they have an assigned pinch hitter who
hasn't uploaded yet. This does not mean we don't trust those pinch hitters, nor do we want
to undercut the response to their stories. We simply want to guarantee that everyone has a story when the
archive opens. If you are not comfortable with the possibility that your story may be one of multiple
stories your recipient receives, you might want to reconsider pinch hitting on a late request.
<p>Even with Yuletide Madness, we depend on our pinch hitters to finish their stories, to ensure that the recipients receive a story that
meets the 1,000+ word limit. After December 24th, the Yuletide Madness stories aren't held to
the same word limit, as they are written on such extreme short notice. However, we have had pinch hitters default in the past, so this is our safety net.
<p align="center">
<div align="center">
<p><a href="#top">Top</a>
<p> <a href="#assignment">After You Get Your Assignment </a> | <a href="#stories">The Stories</a> | <a href="#author">After the Reveal: Authors</a> | <a href="#recip">After the Reveal: Recipients</a> | <a href="#comment">Leaving Comments on Stories</a> | <a href=#change>So You Want Your Contact Info Changed</a>
<p>&nbsp; </p>
</div>
<p><h2> <a name="assignment"></a><strong>After You Get Your Assignment </strong> </h2>
<p>Please take your assignment seriously! Please do not talk
about your assignment in specific or negative terms, apart from exceptions indicated
elsewhere. You can express disbelief at your own gall and perhaps foolishness ("Oh my
GOD why did I say I would write this!! AAAAAA,") but please do not identify the
fandom or characters, and <i>please do not complain about your assignment in
public</i>. Your recipient may read your LJ or blog, or may seek it out after
authors are revealed, and it can be a slap in the face to trip across something
like that. Even if you complain in the comments to someone else's post, or on
a list, it can get back to the recipient. Beyond that, other participants in
Yuletide (including the moderators) may well see it, and it will not reflect
well upon you.
<p><a name="25"></a><strong>I can't get into the archive/upload my NYR! What happened? </strong>
<p>The archive <a href="http://yuletidetreasure.org/cgi-bin/search.cgi">search engine</a> is closed as soon as signups open for the current year's
challenge. The <a href="http://yuletidetreasure.org/archive/quicksearch.html">Quicksearch</a> remains available until signups close and uploading becomes available again,
to preserve author anonymity as participants begin writing and uploading new Yuletide stories. Direct links to existing
stories will still work, however.
<p>Opening signups generates new participant and fandom lists, overwriting the old lists used for the previous
year, and closing that year's NYR challenge.
<p>All stories again become available when the archive reopens
on December 25th, and NYR uploads for the current year's challenge are possible after January 1st.
<p><a href="#top">Top</a> | <a href="#assignment">After You Get Your Assignment </a>
<p><a name="26"></a><strong>I received four different
fandom possibilities, do I have to write all of them? </strong>
<p>Nonono! The matching process automatically sends you your recipient's full list of requests, but you only have
to write a single story. However, you can choose to write any one of your recipient's four requests, whether you
offered the fandom during sign-ups or not.
<p><a href="#top">Top</a> | <a href="#assignment">After You Get Your Assignment </a>
<p><a name="27"></a><strong>Can I request a reassignment?
</strong>
<p>Sorry, but that's just not possible, unless you were somehow assigned a fandom for which you didn't volunteer. We're working with literally
hundreds of participants, and we couldn't reassign one person without shuffling
around dozens of others. Everyone is paired with someone else who listed at least one request
that matched something they offered to write. That's the best we can do.
<p><a href="#top">Top</a> | <a href="#assignment">After You Get Your Assignment </a>
<p><a name="28"></a><strong>I don't recognize any of the fandoms on my recipient's list. </strong>
<p>It's very unlikely that the matching program assigned you something you didn't sign up for, but stranger
things have happened! If you get something you don't think you signed up for, email us privately
at <a href="mailto:yuletide@yuletidetreasure.org">yuletide@yuletidetreasure.org</a> as soon as possible.
It's possible that there was a glitch in the program, or that you accidentally chose a fandom
you did not intend to choose. We will do our best to straighten it out. However, if you do know
any of the requested fandoms, we would appreciate it if you'd try and fulfill the assignment anyway.
<p>Note: if we have to assign you a new recipient, it probably means that you'll be writing
for someone who already has an assigned writer. This is not unheard of, as the matching process always
has a few stray authors that we have to double-assign, as well as recipients that have to immediately
go out for a pinch hit, because it's very unlikely that everyone will make requests and offers that
match up exactly, with nothing left over.
<p><a href="#top">Top</a> | <a href="#assignment">After You Get Your Assignment </a>
<p><a name="29"></a><strong> Can I find out more about my recipient's request/tastes/opinions? </strong>
<p>We ask that you not contact your recipient directly, even in an anonymous LJ comment!
<p> If you need clarification, or more information, please email us at
<a href="mailto:yuletide@yuletidetreasure.org">yuletide@yuletidetreasure.org</a>,
and we will act as go-between for your questions. This will preserve not only your anonymity,
but conceal any indication of which request you're planning to write, as we will make up questions for
each of the requested fandoms to disguise your <i>real</i> intent.
<p>Previous writers have also
poked around their recipients' LJs/blogs/websites to see what kinds of things
they seem to like, so feel free to do so (and leave some notes in your own LJ/blog,
if you have one, for your writer!).
<p><a href="#top">Top</a> | <a href="#assignment">After You Get Your Assignment </a>
<p><a name="30"></a><strong> Do I have to write the
specific characters/relationships/situations they ask for? </strong>
<p>Remember, somewhere out there, someone is asking the very
same questions about <i>your</i> Yuletide request. Please treat their wishes
as seriously as you'd like someone else to treat yours.
<p>That said, the minimum requirements for a story are:
<ul>
<li> It must be 1,000 words in one of the fandoms on your recipient's list.
<li> It must use all of the characters they specify, unless their details say otherwise.</ul>
<p> However, you are not limited to <i>only</i> the characters they specify, nor do you have
to include every character on the fandom's character listing, if they choose 'Any.'
<p>It is not mandatory that you follow your recipient's optional details; whether they
want a particular relationship slashed, name an additional character, ask for a crossover, or spell out
what they want in excruciating detail, you are not required to do as they ask. Think of the details
as prompts, fodder for inspiration. If you can incorporate the details into a story, great! If you're not sure,
heck, give it a try (it is a challenge, after all!). <b>However, if you don't feel that you can
accommodate their specific requests, that's fine, too.</b>
<p>If your recipient selected 'Any' from the character listing for that fandom, then you can write
whichever character(s) you want, and even include characters specifically not listed. Even if their details say "I really
like Character X and Y," if they asked for 'Any,' then they asked for 'Any.'
<p>Conversely, if you offered to write 'Any' and your recipient asked for specific
characters, then you must write those specific characters, since you said
you could and would. Unless there was an actual error, please give it your best shot.
If you offered 'Any' in a fandom and got taken up on it in an unexpected way -- them's
the breaks for you.
<p>If you fail to write the characters requested, and your recipient contacts us, we may
determine that you failed to fulfill the minimum requirements of the challenge,
and ban you from future participation.
<p><a href="#top">Top</a> | <a href="#assignment">After You Get Your Assignment </a>
<p> <a name="31"></a><strong> Can I talk about my assignment with other people? </strong>
<p>While we want assignments to stay as secret as possible,
we do prefer you have your stories betaed, and we know that some authors need
to talk out their story ideas. All we ask is that you do your best to keep your
assignment a secret, only share details with others who are also willing to
keep that secret, and not post anything publicly that will connect you to a
particular fandom or the specifics of any story request. Given that these are
rare fandoms, it's quite possible that only one or two people have requested
the fandom you're writing for, so any identifying information can reveal the
secret.
<p>Along these lines, we ask that you not complain publicly
(on lists, blogs, or LJ, even locked, because these things have a way of getting
out) about your assignment in a way that would possibly upset/offend/hurt your
recipient. "Yuletide is kicking my ass!" is okay. "My assignment is so stupid/I
can't believe anyone wants <i>this</i>" is not. Please don't make judgmental remarks
about your recipient's taste or requests because they don't match your own.
You never know who's reading your LJ, or who might remember, even if you delete
the post in question.
<p><a href="#top">Top</a> | <a href="#assignment">After You Get Your Assignment </a>
<p><a name="32"></a><strong> I don't really know any
of the fandoms my recipient asked for very well. I didn't think I'd get assigned
any of those. What do I do? </strong>
<p><strong>DO NOT SIGN UP FOR ANY FANDOMS YOU AREN'T MORE
THAN HAPPY TO WRITE. </strong>Really, please. The program
assigns any single matches (they're the only one who asked, you're the only
one who offered) first, and anything you sign up for, you might get a chance
to write.
<p><a href="#top">Top</a> | <a href="#assignment">After You Get Your Assignment </a>
<p><a name="33"></a><strong> My recipient listed a
fandom that I didn't sign up for, but I have an idea. Can I write in that fandom,
instead? </strong>
<p>Absolutely! Once you get your recipient's wishlist, you're
free to write in any of the fandoms on that list, whether you signed up for
it or not. If you luck out and get a recipient who has requested more than one
fandom you could write in, even if you didn't offer them, then you have your
pick!
<p><a href="#top">Top</a> | <a href="#assignment">After You Get Your Assignment </a>
<p><a name="34"></a><strong> I'm not comfortable with the fandoms I offered that my recipient wanted, but I have
this other fandom I like/there's this other fandom I see she likes on her LJ/website
that I could write. Can I do that? </strong>
<p>No. You are limited to the fandoms and characters that your recipient requested, at least one of
which you offered to write. If you fail to do so, we may determine that you failed to fulfill the
requirements of the challenge, and ban you from future participation.
<p><a href="#top">Top</a> | <a href="#assignment">After You Get Your Assignment </a>
<p><a name="35"></a><strong> How can I provide my author with more information? </strong>
<p>If you want to post a letter to your Yuletide writer in your LJ
or blog, we're all for that! There will also be a post in the basic Yuletide community where you can
comment with a post or link to an entry in your own LJ/blog. The <a href="#14">section on writing prompts</a> might give you
some ideas on the kinds of things to include. Keep in mind that general may work better than too specific.
Things like "I love angst! Death for Yuletide!" or "I don't need explicit sex (but it's okay if you want to include it)"
or "my tastes are broad; just write what pleases you!" give your writer something to work with, without dictating exactly
what you expect them to do. Laying out a specific plotline you want your writer to follow doesn't really allow for the
flexibility that makes Yuletide work.
<p><a href="#top">Top</a> | <a href="#assignment">After You Get Your Assignment </a>
<p><a name="36"></a><strong>Defaulting: I'm not going to be able
to complete my assignment, what do I do? Can I have an extension? </strong>
<p>If you aren't going to be able to fulfill your commitment, <b>let us know as soon as possible</b>
at <a href="mailto:yuletide@yuletidetreasure.org">yuletide@yuletidetreasure.org</a>,
and include the exact name and email address under which you signed up.
<p><i>Please</i> don't just disappear without a word to us. The sooner we know, the easier it is
to find a pinch hitter for your recipient, and the more time they have to write. Additionally, defaulting
without notification is grounds for a permanent Yuletide ban.
<p>Though we know that there can be unavoidable reasons for defaulting, we will not grant
any extensions, so please don't ask. Aside from the fact that it's not fair to everyone
else, after 9:00 p.m. December 21st we'll be going through the people who didn't get
a story and trying to assign last-minute pinch hitters, in an effort to make
sure everyone ends up with a story. We will need all the time between then and the
25th to get that done and to make sure everything's working for when we go live.
<p><strong>Defaulting deadlines:</strong>
If you default by 11:59 p.m. <a href="http://www.worldtimezone.com/">Eastern Time (ET)</a>, December 7th, and you notify us, you remain eligible for future
Yuletide participation without penalty or qualification, no questions asked. We will still
keep a record of this default for the future, however.
<p>If you default after December 7th, you may be banned from future participation. We will look at
your past default history when we make our decision, which may include no penalty, a requirement to
write a NYR story before the next year's signups, or banning from future Yuletide participation.
<p>We are willing to consider extenuating circumstances, but <b>final exams, holiday family commitments,
last-minute shopping -- these are not extenuating circumstances</b>. Known or anticipated obstacles should already be
factored into your decision to sign up or not.
<p>Defaulting without notifying us or defaulting two years in a row will lead to being banned from future
Yuletide participation.
<p><a href="#top">Top</a> | <a href="#assignment">After You Get Your Assignment </a>
<p><a name="37"></a><strong> I need a beta, what do I do? </strong>
<p>The problem with soliciting a beta publicly is that you
generally will have to reveal the fandom, and this will interfere with the "secret"
part of the challenge. If you just need a general beta, you can ask in your
LJ, or the Yuletide LJ, and see who offers -- and not choose your recipient,
if they offer. If you need a more fandom-specific beta, you might try advertising
on an LJ or list specific to that fandom, and not specifically identify it as
a Yuletide story. There will also be a "Beta" post on the Yuletide LJ, where people
can post saying what fandoms they're able to beta.
<p>If you don't know anyone who you feel can beta your story
properly because of the obscurity of the fandom, you can contact us and we will
<i>try</i> (we make no promises) to find you someone who volunteered to write
that fandom who is willing to beta. Please use this option as a last resort!
<p align="center">
<div align="center">
<p><a href="#top">Top</a>
<p> <a href="#assignment">After You Get Your Assignment </a> | <a href="#stories">The Stories</a> | <a href="#author">After the Reveal: Authors</a> | <a href="#recip">After the Reveal: Recipients</a> | <a href="#comment">Leaving Comments on Stories</a> | <a href=#change>So You Want Your Contact Info Changed</a>
<p>&nbsp; </p>
</div>
<p><h2> <strong><a name="stories" id="stories"></a>The stories </strong></h2>
<p><a name="38"></a><strong> What are the minimum
requirements for my story? </strong>
<p>You will receive three or four fandom requests from your recipient, with accompanying character requests and
possible specific comments. You are required to write a minimum of 1,000
words in one of these fandoms, using all of the requested characters (unless the recipient's
details indicate that they don't mind if you don't include them all). You are not bound
by any further comments, although we ask that you try and take your recipient's
wishes into account (are you sensing a theme, here?).
<p><a href="#top">Top</a> | <a href="#stories">The Stories</a>
<p><a name="39"></a><strong> Does my story have to
be a holiday story? </strong>
<p>Not at all! You don't have to write a holiday story,
nor does it have to be set at this particular time of year -- it can be about
anything at all. Obviously, if it works for your fandom and you have a great
idea (or your recipient specifically asks for it), then by all means have at it.
However, if you do want to write a holiday story, it would be a good idea to write
the mods and ask them to see if your recipient would also enjoy that.
<p><a href="#top">Top</a> | <a href="#stories">The Stories</a>
<p><a name="40"></a><strong> What if my story isn't
1,000 words? </strong>
<p>Then the archive software won't let you upload! If you believe your story is 1,000 words or over, and the software refuses to let you upload, please contact us.
<p><a href="#top">Top</a> | <a href="#stories">The Stories</a>
<p><a name="41"></a><strong> How do I upload my story?
</strong>
<p>For 2009, uploading will not be available until early December, after the archive
has been moved to the <a href="http://archiveofourown.org/">Archive of Our Own (AO3)</a>.
More information will be sent out by email and posted to the Admin LJ when it's available.
<p><a href="#top">Top</a> | <a href="#stories">The Stories</a>
<p><a name="42"></a><strong> I uploaded the wrong
version/made a mistake in my story/summary/author notes, can you redo it/edit it for me? </strong>
<p>Once the Yuletide archive is on AO3, you'll be able to make these changes yourselves! \o/ Again,
more information on this is forthcoming, but if you already have an account on AO3, you can
see how it will work.
<p>Please don't ask us to upload your story for you. If you're not going to be able to upload your story yourself, you
can ask a friend, or check the <a href="http://community.livejournal.com/yuletide/">Yuletide LJ</a>; there is generally a post where people have offered to upload stories for other participants.
If there's no such post, you can ask in a post of your own. There are always other participants willing to help; when someone offers, send them your text file
and the relevant info: name, email address, LJ and/or website if desired, ratings, summary, author notes.
<p><a href="#top">Top</a> | <a href="#stories">The Stories</a>
<p><a name="43"></a><strong> Can I thank my beta/include author notes in my story? </strong>
<p>Any author notes, email addresses, beta thank-yous, or other information that may betray your
identity should go in the Author Notes field (NOT the story summary field) when you upload the story.
This information, as well as your email, website, and LJ address, if available, will be hidden from view
on the story until January 1.
<p>Please do not include any information that may betray your identity in the story
file itself or in the summary. General story notes on the story itself
are okay, but check out the preview to see how it looks. Including notes at
the bottom of your text file may be preferable.
<p>If you're in doubt about whether the content will betray
your anonymity, email <a href="mailto:yuletide@yuletidetreasure.org">yuletide@yuletidetreasure.org</a> to ask! Once the
authors are revealed on New Year's Day, all participants are free to post their
stories wherever they want and include whatever information they wish.
<p align="center">
<div align="center">
<p><a href="#top">Top</a>
<p> <a href="#assignment">After You Get Your Assignment </a> | <a href="#stories">The Stories</a> | <a href="#author">After the Reveal: Authors</a> | <a href="#recip">After the Reveal: Recipients</a> | <a href="#comment">Leaving Comments on Stories</a> | <a href=#change>So You Want Your Contact Info Changed</a>
<p>&nbsp; </p>
</div>
<p><h2> <strong><a name="author" id="author"></a>After the Reveal: Authors</strong></h2>
<p><a name="44"></a><strong>When/how can I reply to comments on my story?</strong>
<p>You will receive emailed copies of all comments left on your stories. Do not delete these if you wish
to respond to them, which you may do <b>after the author reveal on January 1st</b>.
<p>To prevent spammers from harvesting addresses, the only place a commenter's email address exists (if they
chose to include it) is on the copy of the comment emailed to you. If you do not save the comment, you will not
be able to respond.
<p><b>But don't respond until after the author reveal -- if you respond earlier, you give away your identity!</b>
<p><a href="#top">Top</a> | <a href="#author">After the Reveal: Authors</a>
<p><strong><a name="45"></a>Can I post my story to my LJ/website/another archive?</strong>
<p>You can post your story anywhere you want after the author reveal on January 1st! However, by signing up for Yuletide and uploading a story,
you are agreeing to let us keep that story in the archive, for good. We will not agree to delete the story
at any later date, for any reason, although we will remove all identifying information at your request.
<p>These are not stories you write in isolation: these are gifts you write for
other people, to their prompts; you get a story of your own in return; and you have taken advantage of
the work done to make the challenge work. Asking us to delete your story after you have gotten a story in
return and collected your feedback is really not fair to your recipient or to the community. Someone spent
their Yuletide requests to get a story created in a rare fandom of their heart, which may have very little
else available or easily found online, and removing the story would rob them of that.
<p align="center">
<div align="center">
<p><a href="#top">Top</a>
<p> <a href="#assignment">After You Get Your Assignment </a> | <a href="#stories">The Stories</a> | <a href="After the Reveal: ">After the Reveal: Authors</a> | <a href="#recip">After the Reveal: Recipients</a> | <a href="#comment">Leaving Comments on Stories</a> | <a href=#change>So You Want Your Contact Info Changed</a>
<p>&nbsp; </p>
</div>
<p> <h2> <strong><a name="recip"></a>After the Reveal: Recipients</strong> </h2>
<p><strong><a name="46"></a> I think the story I got really
sucks/doesn't do what I asked for, what do I do? </strong>
<p>Smile and say thank you, and read the other stories! Just as we ask the authors not to complain
publicly about the requests they receive, we ask recipients not to complain publicly about the stories
they receive. Your author is bound solely by your fandom and character requests, and while we hope
they'll take other comments into account, they aren't obligated to do so.
<p>If your writer failed to write in any of the fandoms you requested and/or did not include characters that
you specified, then this is grounds for banning them from future Yuletides -- if you report it to us. Whether
you choose to do so, or not, is entirely up to you.
<p><a href="#top">Top</a> | <a href="#recip">After the Reveal: Recipients</a>
<p><strong><a name="47"></a>It's December 25th, I got my own story in on time,
but I don't have a story in the archive/I only have a drabble! </strong>
<p>This is probably because your original author failed to finish their story,
and we had to find a pinch hitter, who wasn't able to get something uploaded
for you in time. We're very sorry. Please let us know (just in case we somehow
missed assigning you a pinch hitter), and then try and enjoy the
rest of the stories in the meantime. We will do our very best to get a story up for
you by New Year's Day.
<p><a href="#top">Top</a> | <a href="#recip">After the Reveal: Recipients</a>
<p><a name="48"></a><strong> It's January 1st and I still don't have a story in the archive. What do I do? </strong>
<p>We try very hard to not do the author reveal until we're
sure every person has <i>something</i> to look forward to, even if it's a handful
of drabbles. If the authors are revealed, and you <i>still</i> don't find a
story under your name, please email us at <a href="mailto:yuletide@yuletidetreasure.org">yuletide@yuletidetreasure.org</a>
and we'll try and figure it out!
<p><a href="#top">Top</a> | <a href="#recip">After the Reveal: Recipients</a>
<p><h2> <strong><a name="comment"></a>Leaving Comments on Stories</strong></h2>
<p>We encourage everyone, participants or not, to leave comments on stories! However, please do not
include any html/URLs/email addresses in the text field of your comments. Any comments containing these
will be rejected, to either prevent harvesting of addresses or to prevent display problems.
<p>If you want to allow the author to reply to you after the author reveal, please <i>do</i> include
your email address in the email field on the comment form. This will not be saved or appear anywhere but on the copy of your comment emailed to the
author, to prevent spammers from harvesting the address.
<p><h2><strong><a name="change"></a>So You Want Your Contact Info Changed </strong></h2>
<p>If you need us to change your name, email address, journal address (LJ or other), or website address contained in your Yuletide Contact Information,
write to us at <a href="mailto:yuletide@yuletidetreasure.org">yuletide@yuletidetreasure.org</a>, and include:
<ul><li>Your story URL (or the URL for one of your stories)
<li>The new information
<li>The old information</ul>
<p>We'll get it changed as soon as we can.
<p align="center">
<div align="center">
<p><a href="#top">Top</a>
<p> <a href="#assignment">After You Get Your Assignment </a> | <a href="#stories">The Stories</a> | <a href="#author">After the Reveal: Authors</a> | <a href="#recip">After the Reveal: Recipients</a> | <a href="#comment">Leaving Comments on Stories</a> | <a href=#change>So You Want Your Contact Info Changed</a>
<p>&nbsp; </p>
</div>
<p><h2> <strong><a name="madness" id="madness"></a>Yuletide Madness</strong></h2>
<p>Yuletide Madness is the mods' way of ensuring that everyone has something to read when the Yuletide stories
go live on December 25th. We get nervous on December 23rd when there are still participants without stories,
even if we know that their pinch hitters are still working, because very occasionally one of our pinch hitters defaults.
So sometime on the 23rd or 24th of December, the remaining unfulfilled assignments are made available to our Yuletide participants,
who can then write something for anyone on the list. On the 24th, we remove the word limits on the archive and let our
participants write drabbles or snippets for any of the other participants, little Yuletide follies for sheer fun. Our
view is that it's more for everyone to read!
<p align="center">
<div align="center">
<p><a href="#top">Top</a>
<p> <a href="#madness">Yuletide Madness</a> | <a href="#etiquette">Yuletide Etiquette</a> | <a href="#rules">Official Yuletide Livejournal Rules</a> | <a href="#irc">Yuletide IRC Chat</a>
<p>&nbsp; </p>
</div>
<p><h2> <strong><a name="etiquette" id="etiquette"></a>Yuletide Etiquette</strong> </h2>
<p>In response to several different incidents, we feel we
need to clarify what we mean when we ask that everyone approach their Yuletide
assignment and story graciously. Basically it boils down to: please be polite!
<p> In Yuletide terms, this means that if you don't like the requests you receive, please don't
complain in public, or comment negatively on your recipient's taste or requests. If you get something
you didn't sign up for, email privately (<a href="mailto:yuletide@yuletidetreasure.org">yuletide@yuletidetreasure.org</a>)
and we'll fix it. Otherwise, match the fandom you offered and the characters requested and write the best
story you can, and try to make it something you think your recipient will enjoy.
<p> Please leave a thank-you comment for your writer. You aren't obligated to rave publicly
or rec the story if you aren't enthusiastic about it, but an appreciative comment thanking
them for their time and effort is simply polite, and will end their Yuletide experience on a positive note.
Leave a comment even if you default -- you may feel too embarrassed to say thank you when you didn't give something yourself,
but silence will make your author think you hated the story or couldn't even be bothered to read it.
<p> Please don't complain about your gift in public. If you
get something that doesn't match your fandom/character requests, contact us
in private and we'll handle it. If you get something that matches your fandom/characters
but isn't to your taste, please say thank you anyway and move on to the <i>hundreds</i> of
other stories available to read and enjoy. And maybe someone will pick out one of your unused
requests to write for the NYR challenge!
<p>If you aren't happy with your Yuletide experience, or comfortable with the gift-exchange atmosphere,
where it really is the thought that counts, then please do not sign up to participate in Yuletide in future.
Join other challenges where stories aren't given as gifts, or pick a NYR request that you can write to your
own taste, without worrying about tailoring it to someone else.
<p align="center">
<div align="center">
<p><a href="#top">Top</a>
<p> <a href="#madness">Yuletide Madness</a> | <a href="#etiquette">Yuletide Etiquette</a> | <a href="#rules">Official Yuletide Livejournal Rules</a> | <a href="#irc">Yuletide IRC Chat</a>
<p>&nbsp; </p>
</div>
<p><h2> <strong><a name="rules" id="rules"></a>Official Yuletide Livejournal Rules </strong> </h2>
<p>Yuletide maintains two LJs: <a href="http://www.livejournal.com/community/yuletide_admin">Yuletide Admin</a> for all
official notices (only mods can post here), and the <a href="http://www.livejournal.com/community/yuletide">
Yuletide community</a> for participant discussion and posting. We do not allow either flames or anonymous
posting in either community. Anonymous comments <i>are</i> enabled, so that people without livejournals can
participate, but if you need to use this option, please sign your name. Any unsigned anonymous comments will
be deleted as soon as we see them.
<p><strong>I've made some Yuletide story recommendations/have
some comments about Yuletide, can I post them to the Yuletide community?
</strong>
<p>Absolutely! Since many of us have come from vastly different
walks of fandom, we may miss many privately posted reviews/comments about Yuletide. So by all means,
go ahead and post links in the community!
<p>See the <a href="http://community.livejournal.com/yuletide/profile">Yuletide community profile</a> for
further explanation of the types of posts allowed.
<p align="center">
<div align="center">
<p><a href="#top">Top</a>
<p> <a href="#madness">Yuletide Madness</a> | <a href="#etiquette">Yuletide Etiquette</a> | <a href="#rules">Official Yuletide Livejournal Rules</a> | <a href="#irc">Yuletide IRC Chat</a>
<p>&nbsp; </p>
</div>
<p><h2> <strong><a name="irc" id="irc"></a>Yuletide IRC Chat </strong> </h2>
<p>When it gets closer to the deadline, people will start hanging out in an IRC
chat room for last-minute panic, celebration, and socializing:
<p>server: irc.sff.net (standalone server)
<p>room: #yuletide
<p>no password needed
<p>If you need an irc client, Windows users can download
<a href="http://www.mirc.com/"> mIRC</a>, and Mac users can download <a href="http://www.ircle.com/">ircle</a>. Basic how-to guides exist at each site.
Both clients are free for the first 30 days. Additionally, there is also <a href="http://irc.sff.net/">a Java/Web interface</a> provided by sff.net.
<p align="center">
<div align="center">
<p><a href="#top">Top</a>
<p> <a href="#madness">Yuletide Madness</a> | <a href="#etiquette">Yuletide Etiquette</a> | <a href="#rules">Official Yuletide Livejournal Rules</a> | <a href="#irc">Yuletide IRC Chat</a>
<p>&nbsp; </p>
</div>
<p><h2> <strong><a name="nyr" id="nyr"></a>What is the New Year's
Resolution Challenge? </strong> </h2>
<p>Because of the way the Yuletide challenge is set up, with each
participant requesting several fandoms for their writers to choose from, many
more stories are requested than written.
<p>After the authors have been revealed on January 1st, a list of all unfilled requests
is posted to the archive. From then until signups begin for the next year's Yuletide challenge,
anyone who wants to can fill one of these requests and upload it to the archive.
<p>Each new NYR story that is uploaded will be automatically announced to the Yuletide community
LJ when the next <a href="#story">Story of the Day</a> post goes out.
<p>Just like with Yuletide, matching the fandom and characters
of a request and meeting the minimum 1,000-word limit is all we require, although
we prefer that it be reasonably proofread as well. To be posted to the archive,
a story must have a specific recipient, but while we hope you'll take the recipient's
specific requests into consideration, it's not obligatory.
<p>We will not delete requests as they are filled, but
we do ask that you try and fulfill unanswered ones if you can, rather than one
that's already gotten one or more responses. But if you've already started
a story for a given request, don't give up on it just because someone beat you
to posting it. Or if you just get particularly inspired by a given request --
go ahead. In the end, it all adds to the richness of the archive.
<p align="center">
<div align="center">
<p><a href="#top">Top</a>
<p><a href="#nry">What is the New Year's Resolution Challenge?</a> | <a href="#story">What is the Yuletide Story of the Day?</a> | <a href="#roll">What is the Roll-Your-Own Challenge?</a>
<p>&nbsp; </p>
</div>
<p><h2> <a name="story" id="story"></a><strong>What is the Yuletide Story of the Day?</strong></h2>
<p>Every day from January 1st to October 1st, a post is automatically made to the Yuletide community LJ
containing:
<ul>
<li>A set number of stories from the most recent Yuletide challenge, posted in order of upload
(This number will vary from year to year, depending on how many stories were uploaded).
<li>Any NYR stories posted since the last Story post.
<li>One Random Unfilled Request Of The Day.
<li>Random Older Story Of The Day, from the years before the current year's challenge.</ul>
<p>The Story of the Day is also available as an rss feed at
<a href="http://syndicated.livejournal.com/yuletide_daily/">Yuletide Daily</a>, if you want just the
daily posts.
<p align="center">
<div align="center">
<p><a href="#top">Top</a>
<p><a href="#nry">What is the New Year's Resolution Challenge?</a> | <a href="#story">What is the Yuletide Story of the Day?</a> | <a href="#roll">What is the Roll-Your-Own Challenge?</a>
<p>&nbsp; </p>
</div>
<p><h2> <strong><a name="roll" id="roll"></a>What is the Roll-Your-Own
Challenge? </strong> </h2>
<p>This is not an official Yuletide challenge, but as part
of the 2005 NYR challenge <a href="http://www.livejournal.com/community/yuletide/104727.html">an
insane woman made the suggestion</a> that other crazy people might challenge
themselves by clicking on <a href="http://yuletidetreasure.org/get_random_req.cgi">the
random request link</a> on the <a href="http://yuletidetreasure.org/unfilled.shtml">Unfilled
Requests Page</a>, pledging to write in whatever request turned up. Do you feel
lucky?
<p> If the FAQ doesn't answer your question, write us at <a href="mailto:yuletide@yuletidetreasure.org">yuletide@yuletidetreasure.org</a>.
rules: here are the fancy rules
collection_id: 1
two:
collection_id: 2
intro: here is an intro
faq: lots of faqs
rules: whee some rules
three:
collection_id: 3
intro: only an intro and no faqs or rules
four:
collection_id: 4
rules: rules but no intro
five:
collection_id: 5
six:
collection_id: 6
seven:
collection_id: 7
eight:
collection_id: 8
nine:
collection_id: 9
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