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What's this all about?
* Ever read a fic and think, wow,
what a fascinating story, but if I had written it, I would have...
Well, now here's your chance to do just that. Rewrite someone else's
story, tell somebody else's tale. Take the work of another person and
wrap it up in your vision and style, just like a remixer does to songs.
So just take another person's story and change everything?
* Yes and no. You can do whatever
you like to the story - change POV, dialogue, mood, characterization,
make it longer or shorter, whatever - except for three things: pairing(s),
setting(s) (except in certain circumstances, see below), and the basic
plotline.
Why can't I change ____?
* Basic plotline is fairly obvious,
I think. If you change the plot, then you're really not writing the
same story, right? This doesn't mean you can't change little things,
adding or deleting things as you see fit. For example, if you were rewriting
The Little Mermaid, you might decide to give the mermaid a best
friend who's a fish and a guardian who's a lobster, things that weren't
in the original story. But you would keep the sea witch and the fact
that the mermaid loses her voice because those are essential to the
story. Of course, what are and aren't essential plot points is purely
subjective, but I trust people will be able to decide what to do.
* Pairing(s) must be kept as is. While
this can certainly be argued, I think once you change who the story
is about, you're pretty much writing a new story and contrary to popular
belief, that's not what this challenge is about. It's about reinterpreting
a story that's already been told. So, no, you cannot change the pairing(s)
in the story. We also do not want any slash pairings het-ified or het
pairings slash-ified.
* And with the settings, I'll allow people to take non-AU
stories and make them AUs only if the plot remains almost exactly the
same.
All right. So then we can choose any story we want
to rewrite?
* Not just any story. Each
participant will be assigned a writer (who will be a fellow participant
and chosen at random, but matched by fandom) and must choose a story
from that writer. You can choose any story written by the person
you are assigned except for whichever fic they designate as their safe
story (to be explained below) and stories that are nothing more than
smut, nor the remix they wrote last year, (if they participated) or
the story of theirs that was remixed last year (again, if they participated).
Not that you can't choose a smutty story to rewrite, just not one that
is one long sex scene. After all, where's the challenge in rewriting
that?
And just in case it's not common-sense, don't pick a series or story
that's unfinished. It's not fair to the original author or the readers
to have someone else come up with an ending.
I'm still confused. We're just writing someone else's
story?
* Rewriting. Don't just change
a line here and there. Be creative. Have fun. Make a mess if you want.
Remember, it's a challenge. Don't make it too easy on yourself.
And these are only Harry Potter stories?
* Nope. This is a multifandom challenge,
so everyone from XF to DS to LotR and beyond should join in. (Please
note that this version is for FPF only. No RPF will be accepted. LotRPS
and Popslash both run their own remix challenges.) If you've written
in more than one fandom, so much the better. If you've only written
in one fandom, but are itching to tackle a new one, let me know in your
sign-up, and I will work with you to find a good match. If you want
to write in a more obscure fandom, make sure you bring two or three
friends along who also write in that fandom, so you have something to
remix.
So what the hell is a safe story?
* It's the one story that you don't
want anyone messing with, for whatever reason. You only get one. You
don't have to have one, only if you want. Last year's remix, and the
story of yours that someone else remixed, and any story you wrote for
any other Remix challenge, are also ineligible to be remixed again.
Do I have to have a website?
* Yes, because otherwise, how will
we find your stories? You don't need your own website; hosted
fics are fine as long as they're all on the same site. Stories posted
to Livejournal are okay as long as there is some sort of index or listing
for them, making them easily accessible. Stories posted only to message
boards and/or mailing lists are ineligible because access to those are
often limited.
I've only written a few stories. Can I still play?
* As long as you have written a minimum of three (3) stories of more than 500 words in one (1) fandom, not including your safe story or previous remixes, and they're
not drabbles or PWPs, then you can. Works in Progress are not acceptable.
What if I've co-written with someone?
* If you have someone you co-write
with regularly and the two of you wish to sign up for the challenge
together, you will be counted as one participant and only the stories
you have written together are eligible. If you regularly co-write with
someone but only one of you signs up, then your co-written stories are
off-limits. The same goes if both of you sign up but separately.
Are there any sort of other requirements/rules?
* I'd prefer if each story had a
minimum word count of 500 words. Five hundred words in six weeks
isn't difficult. Also, though I'd prefer not to receive any drabbles
as entries, you may remix a drabble if you so choose, by expanding upon
it.
Are there any sort of deadlines?
* Why yes, there are! People can sign
up for the challenge until 11:59 PM EST February 3. Assignments will
be handed out by February 5, probably sometime in the evening. And then
the stories aren't due until 11:59 PM EST March 15. So you've got a
lot of time.
When will the stories be put up then?
* I would like to have them up by
March 20, all things being equal.
Oh yeah? What if I miss the deadline? Then what're
you gonna do?
* Well, I'm not going to hound you
for the story. I've got better things to do. But I'm not putting up
any of the stories until I have all of them. And when people ask me,
"Hey, why aren't the stories up?", I'll point them to the site, which
will have the names and email addresses of everyone who's late, and
say, "Because of those people."
Plus, I have the scary poky stick. 
Fear me.
If you bailed last year, don't sign up again. I'll know.
That's kind of mean.
* Why, yes, yes it is.
How do I play?
Please leave a comment here if you'd like to participate.
Please include:
* your name
* your preferred contact email address
* the fandom(s) in which you've written three (3) or more 500 word
stories (excluding previous remixes)
* the top three fandoms (if you've got more than one) in which you are
most eager to write (and please, be *specific*, e.g., if you only write
Buffy and not Angel, say so) (this doesn't have to be
the same as the fandoms in which you've already written)
* your website URL
* the name of your "safe story" if you've got one, the name of the story
you wrote last year for the challenge, *and* the name of the story of
yours that was already remixed.
* are you willing to pinch hit?
For example, my sign up would look like this:
Fandoms in which I've written three (3) or more 500 word stories:
XMM, HP, LotR, Smallville
Top Three Fandoms I'd like to write in: HP, LotR, Firefly
Safe Story: Sometimes Salvation
Remix(es) Written: Hair Shirt, I Drove All Night, Three Days,
Clean (Live, Acoustic), Bittersweet Triumph, etc.
Stories of mine that have been remixed: Best Laid Plans, Three
Tequila
Pinch hit? Yes
I'll be in touch by February 5th with your assignment and more instructions.
If you have any questions, please drop
a comment here, or send an email to remix
@ illuminatedtext.com (please close the spaces in the email address,
otherwise I won't receive it).
Disclaimer: The management, meaning me, is not responsible for
whatever is done to your story. If you can't handle the idea of someone
else mucking around with your babies, don't sign up.
Acknowledgements: Thanks to Mhari, Jengrrrl and Loneraven for
the banners, to Beth for giving me a mailbox and webspace to host the
archive, to Bree for building the database, and to the
originators of the challenge, who let me run with their idea.
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