B2MeM 2014: Guidelines for Non-Compilation Writing and Art

[dawn_felagund]

During years when B2MeM requires a sign-up or a commitment of some sort, we allow writers and artists who are unable or not comfortable with participating to nonetheless play with the prompts and share their work on the b2mem community. This year is no different, and we welcome writing and art on the community that was not created as part of our compilation.

1. Non-compilation pieces should be posted to the community as usual. Make sure that you use the correct posting format. You can find tagging guidelines here. Your piece will not post immediately to the community. Instead, it will join the queue, and a moderator will unlock it on the designated day.


2. Non-compilation pieces will be unlocked at approximately 11:30 PM GMT on the following days:
   
   
   • Sunday, March 2
   
   
   • Sunday, March 9
   
   
   • Sunday, March 16
   
   
   • Sunday, March 23
   
   
   • Saturday, March 29
   
   Any piece not in the queue by the designated time for unlocking that week's non-compilation pieces will be unlocked the following week. On April 1, any remaining non-compilation pieces will be unlocked and open posting to the community will again be enabled.
   
   Please note that there is a limit to the number of entries that a member may have in the queue at a single time. If you plan to submit more than five entries in a single week, contact us at b2mem.mod@gmail.com so that we can figure out the best way to submit your pieces that week.


3. You can create non-compilation pieces for any of the prompts, even if they've been claimed as part of the compilation.


4. B2MeM welcomes all Tolkien-based fanworks. All genres, formats, time periods, characters, pairings, ratings, and interpretations are welcome. Alternate universe (AU) and crossovers are fine, as long as they have a significant basis in Tolkien. You can use multiple prompts to create a single piece, or you can use prompts to jump-start or make progress on a work-in-progress.


5. You do not have to post prompts only during the week that season is featured for the compilation. For example, if you are working on a summer prompt, you do not have to post it during the week that the summer prompts are shared as part of the compilation.


6. You are welcome to post your non-compilation pieces on other sites during the month of March, even if your piece has not yet been posted or unlocked on the b2mem community. You are not required to post B2MeM pieces to the community. Links to works already posted on other sites are welcome on the community as well but must still include header information.

You can find the complete prompt list here!

Comments

[lindahoyland.livejournal.com]

I think it would be nice if a similiar system of awards applied for writing a story or creating artwork to the awards for reviewing. I like the idea of a compilation and am taking part, I also plan to review as much as I can, but I feel there should be some recognition for those who prefer to write daily prompts other than the general icons. It all adds to the fun to win a banner for your website and makes sure the impulse writers don't feel excluded.

[dawn_felagund]

If you or someone else who is writing daily wants to make recognition banners, then you are welcome to do so. However, we are not using a daily prompt format this year; we welcome people to use the prompts however they want and have opened the community to those pieces, but the emphasis this year has been placed on the compilation to give those writers and artists who prefer to work in that mode a year in which they feel this is "their" event. Please keep in mind that many of these people have felt "excluded" for the past three years, as we have done daily prompts for three years in a row now. It needed a break this year. I'm sorry that you and perhaps others are disappointed by that, but the fact remains that B2MeM was not intended to be a challenge that always employed a daily prompt; rather, it is supposed to change formats each year. Also, even if we were to make further concessions toward daily prompts, I simply do not have the volunteer assistance. I have asked on multiple occasions for help with banners and received none aside from help from my comods with the general participation banners. The stamps you see made for the review challenge were all made by me and took pretty much my entire last weekend to do and, I'm sorry, I am not giving up the entire month of March and my own time for writing to making graphics. If you or others feel passionately enough that you want "impulse writers" to be recognized, then put your money where you mouth is and volunteer. I simply have no more blood, sweat, or tears to give to this event.

[lindahoyland.livejournal.com]

If I was not utterly devoid of artistic skills I would gladly make banners.I did volunteer my photo collection for the use of banner makers.

Due to personal circumstances, it is difficult for me to make advance committments and I do appreciate those who are able to.

I shall certainly ask around for someone with artistic skills.I did not do so before it seemed impolite to do so without mentioning the matter here first.

[dawn_felagund]

We don't "own" B2MeM. We didn't even invent it. We're simply the only group still doing it all these years later. This is a community event. I honestly wish more people would do more to hold their own B2MeM events. As has become abundantly clear to me, what we run here each year cannot please everyone and inevitably results in people who feel left out, despite everything we do to try to prevent exactly that from happening.

it is difficult for me to make advance committments

And it's not for me? I'm really not trying to beat a dead horse here. But I'm a full-time teacher, a graduate student, webmaster two Tolkien archives, and have a family and a semblance of a social life. I realize that everyone cannot volunteer. I do not expect that they will. But I do wish, too, that people would realize that when I offer up hours of my own time each week, then that comes from what little free time and writing time I have. After giving that up, yes, it is hurtful to have people turn around and ask me and the other mods to do more, because what we have already done is not good enough for them or what they wanted to see. Please remember that the reason you can write a story every day is because of the volunteers who are willing to commit hours of their time each week. Maybe think of that as your gift rather than a banner. Just a thought.

[lindahoyland.livejournal.com]

I had no intention of causing you distress and if at any time you wish me to spead the word that you need more volunteers I will happily do so.

[dawn_felagund]

Help finding volunteers is always appreciated. :) In my years of doing this, I've never had too many volunteers or turned anyone away.

[lindahoyland.livejournal.com]

Well just let me know any time you want me to post a shout out on my LJ and what you want help with, eg banner making.Do you want more people for this year?If so let me know.

[dawn_felagund]

So far, it is just me to work on the grand prizes for the review challenge. My comods' time may open up later in the month, but so far it is just me. (Hence the grand prizes aren't yet available; I am good at warping the space-time continuum to fit 36 hours into 24 but am not quite good enough to handle making 15 postage stamps and an array of prize banners on my own! :) So, in short, yes, I still need help on graphics, if you know anyone who might be interested.

[lindahoyland.livejournal.com]

I have posted a public request on my LJ. I hope someone will come forward. I only wish I were not utterly clueless with graphics.

Vaguely OT comment

[with-rainfall.livejournal.com]

As I couldn't leave a comment on the prompts post, I'd just like to say that the one about the rowan trees captures exactly the feeling that draws me to LotR, the feeling of hope and the loss of beautiful things. "April Come She Will" is a song that (now I think about it) also fits Tolkien, in particular the sorrow of it.

This is the first year I've had a fic goal for B2MEM, so I will certainly be drabbling away.