This is where you can find the answer to all the Frequently Asked Questions!
If you have a question that isn’t answered here, please contact us!
Event Overview
What is TRSB?
The Tolkien Reverse Summer Bang (thus TRSB) is a minibang event, a reversal of a big bang and with a much smaller word count for the writers. At its heart, this is a Tolkien-fandom-wide event celebrating the talent of our fanwork creators.
How does it work?
The participating artists create a piece of art, which is posted anonymously for authors to view and claim. The authors will then write a piece of long-ish fiction (min. 5k words) based on the art they chose.
Eligibility
What kind of content is eligible?
This challenge is open to all characters, genres, and ratings, as long as there is a clear link to Tolkien’s life and works. That includes movies (including the biopic about his life), TV, rock operas, videogames adaptations, etc., and any other of his works, such as poems, translations, or academic texts. Fan-made movies/videos/adaptations, however, are not eligible.
What counts as art for the event?
Traditional and digital art, including calligraphy, collage, comics, cartography, blueprints, mood boards, embroidery, and digital manips. Craft and cosplay are welcome as long as the final piece can be photographed and submitted to us via email as an image. There will be an element of mod curation at play during the art submission period. In case of doubt on our part, we will reach out to the artist.
We do not accept direct outputs from Picrew and Dollmaker games and plain screencaps from games and films. We also do not accept AI generated art.
If you aren’t sure if your planned art piece would qualify, please email us.
Can I make art featuring original characters?
Yes, absolutely!
Can my art depict an AU?
Yes! In the past, we have had all sorts of AUs, from canon divergence to Viking!Durins.
Are crossovers allowed?
We allow and encourage crossovers between Tolkien canons. Crossovers with works outside Tolkien’s canon – for example, Elladan and Elrohir joining The Avengers, or Harry Potter joining the Fellowship – are not permitted. If in doubt, ask the mods.
What about Real Person Fiction (RPF)?
Sorry but we don’t permit this.
Do I have to draw a character/ship?
No. We often receive abstract art, and that’s fine (and awesome!)
Can I make an explicit fanwork?
Yes. Explicit art will be kept behind a cut or lock during previews, for the safety of our younger participants.
What about fanworks featuring problematic content?
They exist. We allow them. This is not up for debate. Please, use the usual methods for curating your fandom experience.
Artists should state their DNWs when they submit a piece for claiming, and their authors must adhere to these.
Pre-Event
How do you know enough artists and writers will want to take part?
We don’t, but the event has grown every year, and we always try to find a home for each piece of art. You can always help us out by spreading the word about the event and by encouraging your favourite fan creators to join in!
I don’t think I’ll be able to join in as an artist or writer. How else can I be involved?
Lots of ways! You could…
- Use the suggestions form to help inspire artists;
- Sign up to beta, cheerlead or pinch hit (see below);
- Make treats;
- Help us promote the event, the artworks, and fics by reblogging our Tumblr posts;
- Leave kudos and comments on the art and fics when they are revealed;
- Make and share rec lists of your favourite TRSB works.
Suggestions Form
How does it work?
The form will have free text fields for you to suggest locations, time periods, characters, relationships, story elements, and concepts that you would like to see depicted. You can submit as many suggestions as you’d like.
2024 Suggestions Sheet
If you’d like some ideas or to simply see how it looks, check the 2023 spreadsheet.
Is the form a sign-up?
No, there is no commitment involved. It’s purely for fun and to generate ideas.
Can I use the suggestions form to tell artists what I don’t want to see?
No. Also, you are not allowed to ask for ratings or genre in the suggestions form, as it is a means for inspiring artists, not of requiring stories.
Does the art I submit have to be based on something from the form?
No. Only use the suggestions form if it’s helpful.
When do the suggestions form close?
On the day that art drafts are due – check our Schedule to know when!
Sign-ups
How do I sign-up?
Go to our sign-ups page and choose your role:
- Artist;
- Author;
- Beta-reader;
- Cheerleader;
- Pinch hitter;
- Treat maker.
Make sure you are contactable. If your usernames differ vastly from your email, we will not be hunting you down. If, for some reason, you can’t sign up with your username for one of the above platforms, get in touch with the mods in the first instance to discuss options.
You will receive a confirmation email and a summary of your form response to the email you signed up with for future reference. Remember to remove the event email from spam!
What is a beta reader?
Betas will look at a story (whether it’s a draft or the finished piece) and provide feedback in line with the author’s needs (canon compliance check, help unravelling plot knots, grammar, etc.). The beta can accept or decline reading a story according to their own preferences.
What is a cheerleader?
A cheerleader peps the author or artist up if they’re in the doldrums about their work. The cheerleader role isn’t as formal as a beta reader, although they may be willing to bounce ideas or just encourage with moral support to help authors finish the fanwork.
What is a pinch hitter?
Pinch hitters (PH) pick up an abandoned story due to an author’s inability to complete it. Once a PH takes over a fic, they must follow the same rules as any author — that is, to abide by the artist’s DNWs and deliver the fic by the due date. As a PH, you may need to write a story in a very short span of time.
What is a treat?
A treat is a gift. If an art catches your fancy but you don’t think you’ll have the time/energy to write a full story, you can always treat. A treat can also be a moodboard, a podfic, a poem, a drabble, a full novel, a rec list, or other kinds of fanworks. The rules for treaters are:
– No word limit;
– No claims (i.e. you don’t have to inform the mods or anything — just create to your heart’s content);
– Must follow artist’s DNWs.
For the rules of posting, see below.
Can I sign-up for more than one role?
Yes, you can sign-up for all roles if you want. Just make sure you sign up for each role separately, and be aware of the specific due dates for each role.
Do I have to make/claim art if I sign up?
No. If no art catches your eye, you do not have to claim. The sign-up itself is not a commitment.
When do sign-ups close?
The 2024 dates are:
Artist sign-ups: May 5th
Author sign-ups: May 27th
Sign-ups for beta-ing, cheerleading, pinch hitting and treating don’t close.
Art Submissions
How many pieces of art can I submit?
Two separate pieces per artist. You can create more pieces for your writer as the collab continues, but this is not mandatory.
Must art be created specifically for the event?
Art must be previously unpublished, but if you’ve got something that you haven’t shared before, feel free to submit it. If you are uncertain whether your art piece qualifies, please contact us.
How do I submit my art?
All submissions must be emailed to the mods via email with the title: Art submission from [username] #1 or #2 (in case you are submitting more than one). Please use the username you signed up with. Your art should be attached, not pasted to the body of the email.
Required Information (copy paste and fill out in the body of your submission email):
- Artist username: (the one you signed up with – as a reminder, this should be the one you use on your primary platform. Please choose one you will remember you’ve used later)
- Profile URL:
- Art prompt number (#1 or #2):
- Art title: (optional)
- Art Rating: (G / PG / T / M / E – NB minors may not submit E-rated art)
- Fandom: (For example, The Hobbit (films), The Hobbit (book), The Silmarillion, “The Homecoming of Beorhtnoth Beorhthelm’s Son”, etc.)
- Suggested relationship(s): (if applicable — use “&” for gen relationships and “/” for sexual or romantic ships)
- Desired fic rating(s): (G / PG / T / M / E – you may choose which rating(s) you are most comfortable with receiving for your art. NB minors may not request E-rated fic.)
- Desired collaboration level(s): [total free rein for author / cheerleading / brainstorming / regular input / beta-read only / author’s choice] (see definitions below)
- Preferred communication method(s): [email / Tumblr / other]
- Additional details/requests: (Do-Not-Wants or Must-Haves, if there are any)
When selecting a preferred communication method, please choose a platform where you are reasonably accessible and which you check often, i.e. at least every 48 hours. Please also be considerate of your author and choose at least one platform that allows guest messaging if you aren’t prepared to share your email; authors shouldn’t have to sign up to new platforms just to be able to contact you.
Please, be considerate, neutral, and respectful when wording your optional details. Remember that people are entitled to their preferences, and you do not know the reasons behind these.
Does my art submission need to be finished?
No, but it should give the authors a good idea of what the final piece will look like. The draft should be a clean sketch or lineart showing a clear character, a setting definition, or a landscape.
If you are doing sculpture or crafts, you can submit design sketches plus some photos of your materials and supplies to give the author an idea of your intended final piece. Any crucial details not evident on the art drafts (for example, if you will portray a POC character) must be included in the submission email.
If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us. And in case you’re still in doubt of how a submitted draft can look like, these are a couple of examples from the past events:
What do the collaboration levels mean?
- Total free rein for author: The artist wants to be hands-off and is happy to be surprised. As an author, you can let your imagination go wild, as long as you stay in line with your artist’s stated must-haves and DNWs. (Artists who chose this option must provide the completed piece to the author by June. Check our schedule).
- Cheerleading: The author has free rein but is welcome to go to the artist for encouragement and support throughout the process.
- Brainstorming: The artist would like to bounce ideas with the author before they start writing, such as sharing headcanons and character interpretations, discussing tone, plot ideas, etc.
- Regular input: The artist would like to be in touch with their author throughout the event and is happy to look at drafts, outlines, and snippets on a regular basis.
- Beta-read only: The author has free rein, but the artist is willing to provide beta feedback during the process of writing or before the story is posted, always in line with the author’s stated needs (story flow, spelling and grammar, canon compliance, etc.).
- Author’s Choice: If the artist picks this option and the author decides they would like to have total free rein, the early art submission deadline (in June) does not apply. The author must ensure they have everything they need before they start working. Don’t forget that you must be comfortable with all choices of collaboration to pick this one!
WARNING: Whichever level of collaboration the artist chooses, artists cannot a) give the author an outline of a story or tell them what to write, and b) expect the author to provide the story for pre-approval. This is not how this event works. Authors have liberty of creation as long as they are in accordance with the artist’s requests.
Don’t forget to reply to questions from your author or artist within 48h. If you can’t do it, let them know it will take you longer. If you still think you can’t do it, please, let them and us know.
Gallery previews
How does it work?
After submissions, art will be posted anonymously to our gallery. Signed-up authors and treaters will receive access to the gallery via email. Each piece of art will be numbered and accompanied by additional information supplied by the artist. Authors will have a few days to look at the gallery and make a list of their preferred artworks for claims day (see below).
Can I share my gallery access details with my friends?
NO! The artists are submitting their work unsigned and trusting us not to expose them to the risk of someone stealing it. If you share access details with anybody not signed-up for the event, you will not be permitted to claim and will be banned from the event.
I am concerned about seeing art that will squick/trigger me. What should I do?
Let us know and we can check and tell you if there are any slides you need to avoid.
I see art that I like but I am confused by the artist’s DNWs OR my interpretation of the prompt is a little different. Should I put it on my list for claims anyway?
If that’s the case, email us. If you have questions about the prompt, we are happy to facilitate anonymous communication between artists and potential claiming authors.
Claims day
Who can claim?
Signed-up authors only.
How does it work?
Claims day is a live event (check our schedule to know when that will happen!), and we will email signed-up authors with a link to the claims form and the claims spreadsheet in advance. The form will not go live until the appointed date and time. Authors will be asked to rank their claims in order of preference. We recommend that you list a minimum of three (and maximum of fifteen claims), to maximise your chances of claiming an art piece. However, if you are only interested in one or two works, you may put an “X” in boxes 2 and/or 3; just be aware that claims forms with fewer choices do not have priority over other responses. We operate on a first come, first serve basis.
Please note that due to the busy nature of claims night, the mods are allowed to pre-claim art.
What happens if I won’t be around when claims open?
Please ask a proxy to submit a claim on your behalf. You can forward them the links to the claims form and give them a list of your preferences. The mods can help you find a proxy, although we can’t act as proxies ourselves.
How will I know which artworks I’ve claimed?
After submitting the form, authors can watch the Claims Spreadsheet happen in real time! It is super fun, and there will be much screaming in our Discord Server while we move row-by-row highlighting in colour the first of each author’s preferences that hasn’t yet been claimed. Authors will also be emailed with the confirmed artworks once the first rush of claims has calmed down.
How many pieces of art can I claim?
One per each claiming round. If necessary, there may be additional rounds.
What if all of my choices have been claimed?
We will ask for a re-submission, so keep an eye on your email!
What happens if, at the end of claims, there is still artwork available?
As mentioned above, there might be new rounds of claiming. We offer it to the following groups within 24 hours between each.
- Signed-up authors who have not yet claimed;
- Pinch hitters;
- Signed-up authors who have already claimed, in case anyone would like to write two fics;
- Tolkien community in general.
We do our best to ensure every artwork finds an author, but we cannot guarantee it. Though we’re always sad to see it happening, artists are free to remove unclaimed art from the event at this point.
What if my idea doesn’t match the artist’s OR what if my nOTP is the artist’s OTP?
In those cases, if there are any divergences of interests, please, choose a different artwork. Authors must follow the artist’s must-haves and DNWs.
How can I ensure that I am paired with a creator who shares my values?
Regrettably, we cannot guarantee this. If you are in doubt, ask the mods and we will facilitate anonymous communication with the artist.
What should I do if I do not want to work with the author who claimed my art?
If you do not get along with the author who claimed your art or because of other significant issues, this is the case, please contact the mods and we will work together to find a solution. Note that you should not refuse to work with someone simply because you are hoping to work with a specific author.
What happens after claims?
We will email artists confirming which of their artworks have been claimed, and we will contact claiming authors with their artists’ details. It is then up to the authors to reach out to the artists and create a story for the claimed art.
Check-Ins
How does it work?
One person per pair must email the mods when the due date comes and inform us of the ongoing partnership. It’s not about word counts, but whether authors and artists have been in constant touch according to their chosen collaboration levels and if everything is going well. Check-ins are mandatory — even if everything is going well.
I’m on holiday on check-in day / I won’t have access to my emails. What should I do?
You can either check in prior to the date or ask your partner to send us the email on check-in day.
Do I have to check in even if everything is OK?
Yes! Check-ins are mandatory.
I missed a check-in! What now?
Get in touch with us ASAP — authors and artists will have 48 hours to respond before we start counting them as a default.
Participants who don’t respond to either us or their partners within more than 48 hours will be dropped from the challenge. If an author is dropped from the event, a pinch-hitter will be found to write a fic for the art. In the case of artists, their author will be contacted in the first instance to understand if they would like to continue with the challenge, and we’ll work together from there.
Writing
I’ve already been writing a fic. Can I use that one for the art I chose?
No. Your story must be based on the artwork and prompts provided by the artist.
Can I write a fic that fits a series I’m already working on?
Only if the fic a) is clearly a response to the artist’s prompts and b) can be read and understood without any knowledge of the other works in the series.
What genres/ratings are allowed?
All genres and ratings are allowed, but the author must follow the artist’s vision. The author will only be able to choose the rating if an artist informs in their prompt they will like an “up to E” story.
Can I write with someone else?
No. This is a one-person job.
Can I post snippets of my story?
Yes, but you are not allowed to post the whole story elsewhere before reveals.
How do I get a beta/cheerleader?
Email the mods informing them of your requests, and we will find someone to help you.
Can I write something unconventional? (E.g. blank verse, choose your own adventure, a ficlet sequence, in-world meta.
Yes, as long as your artist is ok with it and it meets our 5k word minimum.
Treats
Do I need to be signed up to post a treat?
If you want to have access to the gallery before reveals, yes. You can always treat after that. If you signed up as a writer, you do not have to sign-up separately as a treat writer.
How do I post treats?
Treats should be posted in the respective year’s AO3 collection. Don’t forget to tag it as a treat or explicitly say it’s a treat in the summary. Treats will be revealed on the same day as signed-up stories.
When should I post?
You can either post before or after reveals. It will only become visible with the rest of the collection in September.
How do I make the artist aware of the treat?
Email us informing the slide number you’re treating for and we will tell you the artist’s AO3 handle and/or Tumblr or other media they use.
Posting – Art
Where and when do I post my art?
If you gave your author free rein, you must give them the completed art by June 16th. If you are working more closely with your author, your deadline is August 9th. Check out the Schedule for all the important dates.
Do I post as soon as I’m done?
You are only allowed to post it from August 26th on. Before fics are due in the collection, you should provide your author with a) a copy of the final art and b) a link so they can link it in their fics, if that’s what you’ve agreed on.
You can also post the artwork on our AO3’s collection as a standalone fanwork.
Can someone else post my art for me?
No, you are responsible for posting your art to your preferred platform.
Posting – Fic
Where and when do I post my fic?
Finished fics should be posted to the AO3 collection on or before August 30th. If your story is not complete, or if it is saved as a “draft”, the mods will not approve it. If you aren’t able to complete your fic by the deadline, tell us and we will reassign your claimed art to a pinch hitter. Failure to post a complete fic will be considered a default, and authors who do that will not be permitted to take part the following year.
Do I need to post the art too?
This is something you can decide with your artist: whether to post the link they will provide you with, or to embed the artwork in your story.
What are my options for linking/embedding art?
Here are some options commonly used when posting an Author/Artist collaboration:
- Co-Authors: Creating a single AO3 work with both the author and artist listed as Co-Authors, with the artwork embedded into the story. The images need to be hosted somewhere else since AO3 doesn’t offer image hosting. Tumblr and Imgur are some alternatives.
- Inspired By: The artist posts their artwork in the AO3 collection, and the author posts their story based on the artist’s post. You can also use “inspired by” for fanworks not posted on AO3.
- Gift: The author creates an AO3 work, gifts the work to the artist and either embeds the artwork or includes a link to wherever the artist has chosen to post their artwork (e.g., Tumblr, Deviantart, Dreamwidth, etc.)
Tumblr promotional posts
What are they?
A brief summary post to entice readers and viewers to engage with your fic and/or art.
Are they compulsory?
No, but the decision not to have one should be a joint one.
Who is responsible for posting?
Either of the pair — it’s up to you.
What should be included?
Your masterpost should include:
- A SFW crop of the artwork, or a story banner;
- Fic title and AO3 link;
- Link to the artwork if posted separately;
- Links to Author’s and Artist’s Tumblrs and/or AO3 accounts;
- Fic and Artwork Rating (G/PG/T/M/E);
- Warnings (As per AO3 guidelines, please warn for graphic violence, underage, non-con or major character death, and use any other relevant tags);
- Relationships;
- Characters;
- Word count;
- A story summary;
- Tag the @tolkienrsb Tumblr so we can repost.
What is the size of the banner?
The Tumblr dashboard’s image width is 540px. The largest image size is 1280x1920px. If the artist has created more than one piece for a story, you may wish to add smaller crops from these pieces below the Story Banner.
How will you find our promotional post for reblogging purposes?
We will email each pair with a link to a form, which you will be able to fill out with a link to your post, your respective Tumblr handles, and a tag line for us to use in our reblogging.
Reveals
Where’s the collection?
After the Event
I am an artist and I’ve been in close contact with the author all summer. Do I still have to comment on the fic?
Yes. Leaving a comment is mandatory in this event. It doesn’t have to be a long one, but a simple acknowledgment of your author’s hard work is a polite thing to do.
I’m busy on reveals day OR I won’t be able to comment for a while. What should I do?
If, as an artist, you’re going to take a while to read the fic inspired by your work, let your author know.
Do I have to comment on treats too?
It is not mandatory, but it remains a nice thing to do.
Help! The author has included a DNW OR I can’t see the fic for my art OR the story is incomplete. What should I do?
Contact the mods as soon as you realise. We’ll do everything we can to solve it, including appealing for a post-deadline pinch hit if necessary.
Will my art be archived anywhere?
We don’t host artwork ourselves, but we keep a masterlist of the collaborations available on our website for posterity, with thumbnails of the art embedded, plus a link to where the art is hosted and to the corresponding fic. We will be asking for permission to do this at the sign-up stage. It is not a condition of signing up, and we won’t include your art unless you specifically opt in.
I am an author. Is there anything else I need to do?
Your artist is required to comment on your fic, so you should reciprocate in some way if possible — reblog their Tumblr post, comment on the art on DeviantArt, AO3 or Dreamwidth, link your friends to the art, etc. However, we understand that not every platform allows guest messaging, so we won’t require you to create an account for this.
I have feedback about the event. Where do I send it?
A feedback form will be circulated at the end of the event, although if something is urgent, please send us an email, a Tumblr Ask or even contact one of the mods via Discord.
Rule Breaches and Sanctions (see Rules)
Are there penalties for defaulting and how do you define a default?
Usually, defaulting applies more to authors than artists, as artists should be almost done before the writing begins. As an author, you can drop out penalty-free, up until the final check-in (see schedule). That is not a default (we understand that life happens!) and you will be free to participate next year.
If an artist has concerns about completing the event or is unhappy with how things are going, get in touch with the mods in advance and we’ll work with you and your author to find a solution.
The following are considered to be defaults, barring you from participating the following year:
- Missing a check-in without informing the mods in advance;
- Failure to provide your finished art to your author by your submission deadline without speaking to the mods in advance;
- Failure to post your art and provide a link to your author on or by the fic posting deadline;
- Failure to submit your completed fic by the deadline if you didn’t tell us on or before final check-in that you wouldn’t be able to finish it;
- Submitting incomplete fic or art.
I think one of those applies to me. How do I know if I am banned?
Get in touch with us and we will check.
Are there other bannable offences? What are the criteria?
We will also apply penalties for bad-faith behaviour. Examples include but are not limited to:
- Removing art after the event without notifying the author;
- Writing to deliberately undermine what the artist has asked for (either during the event itself or “retconning” your story after the event);
- Consistently failing to respond to your partner within 48 hours without giving some notice that you will be slow to respond;
- Consistently dropping out at the very last minute without a good reason;
- Failing to acknowledge the fic written in response to your art.
Each instance will be taken on a case-by-case basis. The mods will generally operate on a “three strikes” policy (borrowed and adapted from the SWG Discord rules):
- We will contact you to let you know if we have had concerns raised about your behaviour, to understand the issues, and to hear both sides of the story. If appropriate, we may ask you to change your behaviour;
- If we believe you have made a genuine effort to behave differently but the issue still persists, we will issue a second and final warning;
- If the behaviour continues or we repeatedly see the same issue from year to year, you will be asked to sit out the next round of the event. Permanent bans will be considered for severe offences;
- Mods reserve the right to ban individuals from participating (temporarily or permanently) with fewer than three strikes if we see no effort to amend behaviour or if we believe that an individual is acting to harm the event, its mods, or its participants—for example, spamming, doxxing, harassing, public badmouthing, etc.
Please act in good faith. Be polite and kind to other participants and to the mods. We are doing this out of love and for free, and we do not condone being ill-treated for whatever reason.
Communities & Support
Which platforms do you post to, and what are they used for?
In addition to our website, Tumblr and the AO3 collection, we have a Discord server that functions only during the event.
All mod communications and significant announcements will be posted to Tumblr and our Discord server.
How does the Discord server work?
Signed-up participants will receive a link to the server in the sign-up confirmation emails. The server will be available from mid-May to October, and we will host several live events there throughout the art and writing months. We encourage all participants to join in and help support your fellow Tolkien fans!
Can I set up a TRSB channel/space in my server/community?
Of course! Please just make it clear that it isn’t a space officially moderated by the TRSB team unless one of us has explicitly agreed to mod it. If someone needs a ruling on something, they should contact the mods directly.
General doubts
My artist/author isn’t responding to me!
Give them 48 hours. After this point, if they haven’t told you that they’ll be unavailable for some reason, contact us.
I’m stuck! My inspiration has deserted me! What should I do?
If your partner hasn’t opted to cheerlead or beta for you, get in touch with the mods – we’ll put you in contact with someone who can hopefully help you.
What if I need to drop out?
Tell the mods! Life happens, and we understand but please, don’t disappear without a word!
I’m not going to make the deadline!
Again, tell the mods. We will try to be flexible. However, if you request an extension past the official posting date and subsequently fail to put a completed fic in the collection before reveals, you will not be allowed to take part next year (exceptions are made for last-minute pinch-hitters).
What if I don’t get on with my artist/author?
Speak to the mods as soon as you realise it. We’d like to think we can get things resolved, but if the situation is really bad, you can use your penalty-free dropout option (see above). If you’re an artist, we can discuss reassigning your work to a pinch-hitter.
Remember that everything you say will be heard in confidence; we will not make anybody work with someone they are truly uncomfortable with. We will try our best to make the event good for everyone.
TRSB 