QZGS Masquerade 2024
Introduction & Rules
Masquerade is a low-commitment event split into two parts:
Part One (Oct 1st - Oct 31st): Authors write a fic and publish it anonymously throughout the month
Part Two (Nov 1st - TBD): Readers try to guess who wrote whatYou do not have to participate in part one (the writing) to participate in part two (the guessing). Come on in and join us in this shenanigan-filled event!
How To Participate
Part 1 - Fic Submission
I. Write the ficWrite a QZGS fic that is:
1000-2000 words, English, Complete, Based on QZGS/an adaptation of the same, SFW (non explicit, rated T or lower on AO3), and never published anywhere else.This is to ensure you write enough to give people a fair shot at guessing your writing style, but also not too much that you give yourself away.YOU MAY SUBMIT YOUR FIC TO AO3 ANYTIME YOU WANT, AS LONG AS IT IS BEFORE OCTOBER 31ST AT 11:59 PM EDTII. Post the ficAfter you finish writing, you must make sure to include your fic in the “QZGS_Masquerade_2024″ collection before publishing. This will ensure that your fic is published anonymously. Additionally, it'd be much appreciated if you could include the tag “QZGS Masquerade 2024″ and link back to the event to encourage other people to join.
To post to the collection, go to the collection here and click on the "Post to Collection" button and then proceed normally from there.
After publishing, immediately fill out this google form to be included in the event roster. This form is also where you will be able to state preferences for people you'd like to be grouped with (i.e., in the case of imitation). An unsubmitted form will result in the removal of your fic from the collection.You may only submit ONE entry.There is no required theme/prompt for you to write, but you are obviously encouraged to write characters/pairings/themes/styles you usually don’t write to throw people off guessing your identity. Any pairing/crossovers/etc will be accepted as long as TKA characters are involved.Your fic must be a self-contained oneshot and able to stand alone, it should be marked as completed. It cannot be the first chapter to a longer work you plan to publish at a later date.
Part Two - Author Guessing
On Nov 1st, I will post a document of all the listed suspects [authors] and their fic to both Discord and this carrd. This will include the author’s AO3 and any other social media profile they may have provided. Assuming similar participation rates to prior years, these "suspects" will be split into 2 or more groups.A Google form will then be released for people to guess who wrote what within Group 1.A final tally of guesses for Group 1 will be shown on Nov 8th with the form for Group 2 being released at that time as well. The guessing of Group 2's authors will conclude on November 14th with the results being released shortly thereafter.Everyone will be given the opportunity to sleuth out both groups, as in you can submit guesses for neither group, only one group, or both groups.
Schedule
| Start Date | End Date/Time | Event |
|---|---|---|
| Oct 1 | Oct 31/23:59 EDT | Posting Period |
| Nov 1 | Nov 7/23:59 EST | Guessing (Group 1) |
| Nov 8 | Nov 14/23:59 EST | Guessing (Group 2) |
FAQ
Q. What are the requirements for my fic?
A. All submitted fic must adhere to the following requirements:
1000-2000 words, English, based on QZGS/an adaptation of the same, SFW (non explicit, rated T or lower on AO3), and never published anywhere else.Q. Is this an event where I can participate even if I haven't posted fics before?
A. Yes, you can!Q. Can my fic have more than one chapter?
A. Yes it can. But the entire story still has to be between 1,000 and 2,000 words, and all published at the same time.Q. Can my fic contain images?
A. No it cannot, neither as an embedded image nor as a divider.Q. If there are groups, can I specify which people I would like to be with?
A. We allow up to 3 people that you are trying to frame. There is a spot where you can enter their names on the submission form.Q. Can I say it like "the author of [entry]"?
A. No, as that gives an unfair advantage to people who post later, as they have more options to pick from. You will have to list actual people in your submission form.Q. Do I have to guess if I write a fic?
A. You don't have to write to guess, and you don't have to guess if you write! Writing, guessing, and contributing to the discussions on the discord's events-chat channel are all equally good and fun ways to participate, and you can do any combo of them that you want!Q. Can I use an alt account to post/speculate in Discord?
A. One AO3 account and one Discord account only.Q. How should I speculate in order to maintain proper event conduct?
A. Make sure to be kind about your comments. If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all.Examples of good speculation:
"I think X wrote [fic A] because X has spoken about [topic] before" / "I think Y wrote [fic B] because they never use em-dashes"Examples of bad speculation:
"The grammar for this fic is bad, I think a non-native speaker wrote it" / "Is this a joke entry?"Bad speculation CAN be rephrased to more polite good speculation. Instead of calling the grammar bad, you could just say: "Some of the grammar constructions the author used are uncommon in English."Please just be mindful of any negativity, we want this to be a fun event!Q. How can I find a beta reader but still maintain my anonymity?
You can either contact Marie (stl_marieraven), or one of our event betas below who are sworn to secrecy. (If you would like to be an event beta, please contact Marie)[Event Beta]
Adaptations I'm familiar with:
Will beta for:
Will not beta for:
Strengths:
Weaknesses:
Notes: