ficinabox | Mediums and Length Opt-Ins

While this is primarily a fic focused exchange, there will be opt-ins for pretty much any medium, as long as we can agree on a clear and easily checked equivalent to 1k of written fic!

You should also keep in mind when filling mediums that your fic *must* fulfill one of your recipients fandom/relationship requests. I will add Solo: Worldbuilding to any fandom that you need it in throughout signups. Otherwise if you match to Character A/Character B, then your fill must be something shippy for those characters. For very technical fills like schematics, I would suggest using marginalia or other notes.

This post contains the requirements for each medium, sorted by the overall type. Some mediums are in multiple categories. To make it easier to navigate, everything is separated by cut tags, so I would suggest reading it from the tag link (click here).

There is also a spreadsheet (click here) which has a lot of other more specific filters for you to use! To use the filters (the upside down triangles), just File --> Make a Copy. There's also an HTML table version of the spreadsheet here (click here).

You may request "Medium Opt-In: Any Nominated Opt-In", "Length Opt-In: Any Nominated Opt-In", or "Length Opt-In: Any Nominated Fanfiction Opt-In", but make sure that you mean it if you do!

Note that if any art is done in a physical medium, it should be on unlined paper except in cases where it would make sense (journals, lists, ect) to be on lined paper.

Lower length Opt-ins:

Drabble
Double Drabble
Triple Drabble
Drabble Series
300 minimum words per fic
420 words exactly
500 minimum words per fic
666 words exactly
750 minimum words per fic
777 words exactly
999 words exactly
One Poem Minimum of Any Requested Style of Poetry
One Poem Minimum of Any Nominated Style of Poetry

Written Opt-Ins

/r/IAmA AMA (Post + Questions + Replies): 1k written
/r/legaladvice Post: 1k written
/r/relationships Post: 1k written
Action Figure Packaging Bio: 1k written
Advice Column: 1k written
Album Liner Notes: 1k written
Any In-Universe Documents: 1k written
Any In-Universe Documents That Fit the Canon Setting: 1k written
Any Type of Essay: 1k written
AO3 Based Fanfic Exchange: Wordcount for everything written and I'll also need the password to fake exchange account so it can be revealed at the same time if anything was actually posted to it.
Bestiary: 1k written
Bestiary: If the work has large drawn images, it will count for 1k per drawing + wordcount
Board Game: A new game with rules and instructions is worth 2k
Bureaucratic Paperwork: 1k written
Card Game: A new game with rules and instructions is worth 2k
Character Analysis: 1k written
Character Study: 1k written
Chatroom: 1k written
Cocktail Recipes: 1k Written
Cocktail Recipes: 2 Recipes under 1k
Cocktail Recipes: 1 Recipe + an image
Commentary track: 1k transcript
Commentary Track - MST3K Style: 1k transcript
Conspiracy Board: Boards with detailed parts: The Conspiracy Board itself will count for 1k (to account for arranging it and any text snippets/smaller contained works that aren't enough to count on their own). Any parts that have a determined equivalent (such as articles, drawings, schematics, ect) will count for that work's equivalent as long as they were posted in detail on the work.
Creator's Choice of 3+ In-Universe Mediums Per Work: 1k written or follows the rules of that work (note, you *must* include 3 mediums in a single work for this one)
Creator's Choice of 3+ In-Universe Mediums Per Work That Fit The Canon Setting: 1k written or follows the rules of that work (note, you *must* include 3 mediums in a single work for this one)
Creepypasta: 1k written
Diary Entry: 1k written
Epistolary: 1k written
Excerpts from a Character's Journal/Notebook/Sketchbook: 1k written or 1 sketchbook page
Fandom Primer: 1k written
fate/Stay Night (visual novel) style Heroic Spirit status screen: 2k equivalent for a full set of four pages including full illustrations with the template and 3k equivalent without a template
Game Walkthrough: 1k written
Grammar Sketch: 1k written
Highly Upvoted/Guilded Reddit Comment And The Comment's Context: 1k written
Horoscope: 1k written
In-Universe Academic Publication: 1k written
In-Universe Academic Publication: If the work has large drawn images, it will count for 1k per drawing + wordcount
In-Universe Book or Movie Review: 1k written
In-Universe Complaint Form: 1k written
In-Universe Essay: 1k written
In-Universe Fanfic prompt list: 1k written
In-Universe Interview: 1k written (Audio interviews need transcripts)
In-Universe Magazine Article: 1k written
In-Universe Magazine Article: If the work has large drawn images, it will count for 1k per drawing + wordcount
In-Universe Magazine Spread: Large illustrations and articles get treated as 1k + wordcount
In-Universe Magazine Spread: Tiny images and articles or only text gets treated as wordcount with a 1k minimum
In-Universe Newspaper Article: 1k written
In-Universe Newspaper Article: If the work has large drawn images, it will count for 1k per drawing + wordcount
In-Universe Newspaper Front Page: Large illustrations and articles get treated as 1k + wordcount
In-Universe Newspaper Front Page: Tiny images and articles or only text gets treated as wordcount with a 1k minimum
In-Universe Personal Documents: 1k written
In-Universe Psychological Evaluation Report: 1k written
In-Universe Religious Text: 1k written
In-Universe RPF: Follow the rules of the type of work + wordcount of included notes
In-Universe Scientific Documents: 1k written
In-Universe Screenplay: 1k written
In-Universe Social Media: Written only: 10 posts, unless total wordcount (post and replies/comments) is over 1k then it counts for wordcount
In-Universe Social Media: Combinations: Art rules + wordcount for detailed art with a large amount of writing. One of the above rules for anything else.
In-Universe Tabloid Article: 1k written
In-Universe Tabloid Article: If the work has large drawn images, it will count for 1k per drawing + wordcount
In-Universe Technical Code or Design Specifications: 1k written
In-Universe Textbook: 1k written
In-Universe Transcript of Podcast or Radio Show: 1k written (note, this cannot be an existing audio)
Interactive Fiction - AO3 style Choose Your Own Adventure: 1k written
Interactive Fiction - Twine: 1k written, if complicated coding is used (such as remembering past decisions in a branching and combining storyline) the author can self report for +500. Story must be in a playable format.
Legal Documents: 1k written
List of things (character) is not allowed to do: 1k written
Localization Notes: 1k written
Logic Grid Puzzle: A solvable puzzle with grid provided with 3 categories is worth 2k. Each additional category adds 1k up to a maximum of 5k. Category size must be at least 4
Map (Drawn or CC-Licensed Image) + Annotations Or Other Notes Related To The Map: Annotations 1k written. If using a CC image, you must link it and it does not count towards your minimum. If you draw a map, the map itself is worth 2k.
Meta: 1k written
Mission Report: 1k written
MSDS For In-Universe Substances: One complete MSDS or 1k written
Official Workplace Documentation: 1k written
Product Description: 1k written
Product Description: If the work has large drawn images, it will count for 1k per drawing + wordcount
r/AmITheAsshole Post: 1k written
r/LegalAdvice Post: 1k written
r/Relationships Post: 1k written
Rashomon (1950)-style Conflicting Narratives: 1k written
Recipe book: 1k Written
Recipe book: 2 Recipes under 1k
Recipe book: 1 Recipe + an image
Recursive Fic of Any of the Recip's Gifts In This Fandom (W/ Permission From Author!): 1k written
Recursive Fic of Any of the Recip's Works In This Fandom: 1k written
Reddit Post (Any Subreddit): 1k written
Remix - Fic Remix of my Art: 1k written
Remix - Fic Remix of my Fic: 1k written
Screenplay: 1k written
Script: 1k written
Ship Manifesto: 1k written (note: this use of ship refers to a relationship.)
Shopping list: 5 lists, or one large formatted/drawn list with additional notes.
Spell or Ritual Instructions: 1k Written
Spell or Ritual Instructions: 2 Spells under 1k
Spell or Ritual Instructions: 1 Spell + an image
Tabletop Campaign: one complete short-form hack (honey heist style) = one Fiasco playset = one setting design for a longer D&D campaign
Tarot Card Reading: 1k written
Text Fic: 1k written
The Bookshelf Limbo' style book preview: 1 finished preview including cover, summary, and hand
Theatre - Musical: 1k written stageplay
Theatre - Play: 1k written stageplay
Theatre - Shakespearean-style: 1k written stageplay
Translation Analysis: 1k written
Translation notes: Actual translation note: 5 detailed bulletpoints or 10 short ones. (note, these should be paired with a translation if not in-universe, but since I cannot judge the accuracy of a translation it cannot be counted towards your requirement)
Translation notes: In-Universe translation notes: 10 bulletpoints (if paired with a translation, the english part will count for wordcount as long as it is your own original words)
Untitled Goose Style To-Do List: 5 lists, assuming separate lists for separate areas
Worldbuilding Headcanon: 1k written

Art & Design Opt-Ins

A Softer World' style art: 3 comics/9 panels
Adaption Concept Art: 1 finished image
Animatics: 5 "frames" (with frames being images that may or may not share the same background/scene but have differing foreground positions).
Any Technical Drawing: 1 clean finished page
AO3 Based Fanfic Exchange: Wordcount for everything written and I'll also need the password to fake exchange account so it can be revealed at the same time if anything was actually posted to it.
Bestiary: If the work has large drawn images, it will count for 1k per drawing + wordcount
Board Game: Reskin an existing game to be fannish
Book Cover: 1 finished illustrated cover
Card Game: Reskin an existing game to be fannish
Coat of Arms/Heraldic Crest: 1 clean finished image
Cocktail Recipes: 1 Recipe + an image
Coloring Page: 1 clean coloring page
Comics: 1 comic page not on lined paper
Conspiracy Board: Boards with detailed parts: The Conspiracy Board itself will count for 1k (to account for arranging it and any text snippets/smaller contained works that aren't enough to count on their own). Any parts that have a determined equivalent (such as articles, drawings, schematics, ect) will count for that work's equivalent as long as they were posted in detail on the work.
Conspiracy Board: Boards without detailed parts: Will count for 1k
Costume Design: 1 clean finished drawing
Emojis: 3 emojis drawn from scratch
Excerpts from a Character's Journal/Notebook/Sketchbook: 1k written or 1 sketchbook page
Fanart: 1 clean finished image
Fanart Cover/Illustration of Recipient's Fic: 1 clean finished image
fate/Stay Night (visual novel) style Heroic Spirit status screen: 2k equivalent for a full set of four pages including full illustrations with the template and 3k equivalent without a template
Floorplan/Architectural Style Drawing: 1 clean finished drawing
In-Universe Academic Publication: If the work has large drawn images, it will count for 1k per drawing + wordcount
In-Universe Advertisement: 1 clean finished image or 1 minute vid
In-Universe Magazine Article: If the work has large drawn images, it will count for 1k per drawing + wordcount
In-Universe Magazine Spread: Large illustrations and articles get treated as 1k + wordcount
In-Universe Magazine Spread: Full illustration front pages get treated as an art
In-Universe Newspaper Article: If the work has large drawn images, it will count for 1k per drawing + wordcount
In-Universe Newspaper Front Page: Large illustrations and articles get treated as 1k + wordcount
In-Universe Newspaper Front Page: Full illustration front pages get treated as an art
In-Universe RPF: Follow the rules of the type of work + wordcount of included notes
In-Universe Sketch Book Pages: 1 page of sketches
In-Universe Social Media: Combinations: Art rules + wordcount for detailed art with a large amount of writing. One of the above rules for anything else.
In-Universe Social Media: Art only: 1 post with a detailed image or 5 panels within a view of the someone's overall page with smaller images
In-Universe Tabloid Article: If the work has large drawn images, it will count for 1k per drawing + wordcount
Location Interior Design: 1 clean finished drawing
Mandala: 1 clean finished image
Maps: A completed map based on fandom research (accuracy dependent on art/historical style) is 2k
Minimalist Poster: 1 finished poster
Pin-up Poster of Character: 1 clean finished image
Playing Card: 1 clean finished image
Product Description: If the work has large drawn images, it will count for 1k per drawing + wordcount
Propaganda Poster: 1 finished poster
Recipe book: 1 Recipe + an image
Remix - Art Remix of my Art: 1 finished image
Remix - Art Remix of my Fic: 1 finished image
Ship Schematic: 1 clean finished drawing (note: this use of ship refers to the physical boat ect.)
Shopping list: 5 lists, or one large formatted/drawn list with additional notes.
Spell or Ritual Instructions: 1 Spell + an image
Stained Glass Sequence: 1 finished image, or 5 less detailed panels in a sequence
Tabletop Campaign: one complete short-form hack (honey heist style) = one Fiasco playset = one setting design for a longer D&D campaign
Tapestry: 1 finished tapestry
Tarot Card: 1 finished image
The Bookshelf Limbo' style book preview: 1 finished preview including cover, summary, and hand
Tool Schematic: 1 clean finished drawing
Trading Cards: 1 detailed trading card
Typeface Design: Set of sketched letterforms
Typeface design: A complete downloadable font (uppercase, lowercase, minimal punctuation, extended Latin or alternate glyphs) will count for 2k
Warning Label or Sticker: 1 label (note, these must be clearly fandom inspired and must be drawn, text can be taken from publicly available standardized labels if needed)
Weapon Schematics: 1 clean finished drawing

Audio Opt-Ins

Audio not!Fic: 1k of words in the original not!fic being podficced.
Commentary track: 1k transcript
Commentary Track - MST3K Style: 1k transcript
Fanmixes: 10 songs
Fansoundtrack: 10 songs
In-Universe Interview: 1k transcript (Audio interviews need transcripts)
In-Universe RPF: Follow the rules of the type of work + wordcount of included notes
Original Fan Music: 20 seconds, with a minimum suggested quality of either a clean recording or a computer generated demo.
Podfic: 1k of words in the original fic being podficced
Podfic of any of my fics that match this request's fandom/relationships: 1k of words in the original fic being podficced.
Remixes: 20 seconds, with a minimum suggested quality of either a clean recording or a computer generated demo.

Vid Opt-Ins

Animatics: 5 "frames" (with frames being images that may or may not share the same background/scene but have differing foreground positions). The creator must say in the authors note how many frames there are
Fake Trailer: 1 minute
Fanvids: 1 minute
In-Universe Advertisement: 1 finished image or 1 minute vid
In-Universe RPF: Follow the rules of the type of work + wordcount of included notes

Poetry Opt-Ins

Any Nominated Style of Poetry: This will follow the rules of the submitted style.
- Alliterative Long Line: 10 Lines
- Alliterisen: 2 Poems
- Ballad: 3 Stanzas
- Cascade Poem: 1 Poem
- Elegy: 1 Poem
- Free Verse: 15 Lines
- Haiku Series: Series of 5
- Narrative Poem: 15 Lines
- Ode: 12 Lines
- Pantoum: 1 Poem
- Poetry - Golden Shovel: 12 Lines
- Rondeau: 1 Poem
- Sapphic Verse: 3 Stanzas
- Sestina: 1 Poem
- Sonnet: 1 Poem
- Tanka Series: 2 Poems
- Villanelle: 1 Poem
In-Universe Poetry: This will follow the rules of whatever poetry form is written
In-Universe Prayer: 15 lines OR the rules for that form of poetry
Song Lyrics - Filk/Parody: This will follow poetry rules
Song Lyrics - Original: This will follow poetry rules

Mixed Media Opt-Ins

Animatics: 5 "frames" (with frames being images that may or may not share the same background/scene but have differing foreground positions). Note
Any In-Universe Documents: 1k written
Any In-Universe Documents That Fit the Canon Setting: 1k written
AO3 Based Fanfic Exchange: Wordcount for everything written and I'll also need the password to fake exchange account so it can be revealed at the same time if anything was actually posted to it.
Bestiary: If the work has large drawn images, it will count for 1k per drawing + wordcount
Board Game: A new game with rules and instructions is worth 2k
Card Game: A new game with rules and instructions is worth 2k
Cocktail Recipes: 1 Recipe + an image
Commentary track: 1k transcript
Commentary Track - MST3K Style: 1k transcript
Conspiracy Board: Boards with detailed parts: The Conspiracy Board itself will count for 1k (to account for arranging it and any text snippets/smaller contained works that aren't enough to count on their own). Any parts that have a determined equivalent (such as articles, drawings, schematics, ect) will count for that work's equivalent as long as they were posted in detail on the work.
Excerpts from a Character's Journal/Notebook/Sketchbook: 1k written or 1 sketchbook page
fate/Stay Night (visual novel) style Heroic Spirit status screen: 2k equivalent for a full set of four pages including full illustrations with the template and 3k equivalent without a template
Horoscope: 1k written, 500 equivalent will be added if any charts are included
In-Universe Academic Publication: If the work has large drawn images, it will count for 1k per drawing + wordcount
In-Universe Magazine Article: If the work has large drawn images, it will count for 1k per drawing + wordcount
In-Universe Magazine Spread: Large illustrations and articles get treated as 1k + wordcount
In-Universe Newspaper Article: If the work has large drawn images, it will count for 1k per drawing + wordcount
In-Universe Newspaper Front Page: Large illustrations and articles get treated as 1k + wordcount
In-Universe RPF: Follow the rules of the type of work + wordcount of included notes
In-Universe Social Media: Combinations: Art rules + wordcount for detailed art with a large amount of writing. One of the above rules for anything else.
In-Universe Tabloid Article: If the work has large drawn images, it will count for 1k per drawing + wordcount
Logic Grid Puzzle: A solvable puzzle with grid provided with 3 categories is worth 2k. Each additional category adds 1k up to a maximum of 5k. Category size must be at least 4
Map (Drawn or CC-Licensed Image) + Annotations Or Other Notes Related To The Map: Annotations 1k written. If using a CC image, you must link it and it does not count towards your minimum. If you draw a map, the map itself is worth 2k.
Product Description: If the work has large drawn images, it will count for 1k per drawing + wordcount
Recipe book: 1 Recipe + an image
Shopping list: 5 lists, or one large formatted/drawn list with additional notes.
Spell or Ritual Instructions: 1 Spell + an image
Tabletop Campaign: one complete short-form hack (honey heist style) = one Fiasco playset = one setting design for a longer D&D campaign
The Bookshelf Limbo' style book preview: 1 finished preview including cover, summary, and hand
Untitled Goose Style To-Do List: 5 lists, assuming separate lists for separate areas

Threaded | Top-Level Comments Only

Hi mods,

Wondering if we can get a tag for Opt-In: Unconventional Fanworks? I'm thinking more in-universe documents like police notes, mission reports, court transcripts, pamphlets, travel guides, etc. I think in terms of word count, for the most part they should be easily read within the medium guidelines above (e.g. 400 words of a police report is still 400 words) but it would just put our openness to receiving unconventional works in the exchange.

Thanks!

That seems reasonable to me! I'll make a note that it's 1:1 after it's in the tagset :)

Those are all such different things; would it make more sense to nominate each kind of work separately?

After discussing this a bit, I added "Medium Opt-In: In Universe Documents" to the tagset. Does that cover what you were wanting?

Keep in mind that Any really will mean any! Anything more specific will need it's own opt-in

Thanks! I think that's fine--people can then DNW whatever they don't want in their optional details!

If you opt into it you won't be allowed to DNW it, if that makes sense. I will not have your DNWs in front of me when I check for qualifying assignments, just your tags, so your opt in tags need to be exactly what you're opting into.

Good point, that makes sense. I'm still fine with it--In Universe Documents I think works well.

I've nominated animatics as a medium opt-in; however, I'm not sure how much of one would constitute a 1k equivalent--my general understanding of them (having not created any myself) is that they can be quite a lot of work for even a minute of content, so I'm not certain whether 1 minute, as with fanvids, is appropriate, or whether it should be lessened in this case.

I'll see if I can find someone who has experience with them to give an opinion. My instinct is the same as yours (that the equivalent to 1k should be less than a minute, since they're so much work).

There are some potential works where we'll need the equivalence to be 10k instead, and this may be one of those. The nom will stay in limbo for a bit until I figure it out :)

I'm nominating "Opt-In: Poetry - Rondeau". I think this one is a bit tricky - it's around the same length as a sonnet, but a lot of the lines repeat. I personally think that it's about as tricky/time-consuming to write as a sonnet since making repetition work is a little difficult, but I could also see the argument being made for two rondeaus counting as 1k since it does repeat a lot. I wanted to post this here in case other people had any input.

Well, to my eyes it looks like it probably has about the same number of unique lines as a villanelle, which hasn't had an added length stipulation so would just be one villanelle to fulfill the 1k equivalent.

Somewhat relatedly, I've nominated "Poetry - Pantoum," which should probably have a length attached; it also has a lot of repetition but imo that makes it more work, not less.

(I also nominated "Poetry - Alliterisen" which is a seven-line form, so maybe x2 for the 1k? It doesn't repeat like the others discussed here.)

As the one who put most of the original poetry stuff in, yeah, my thought was that constructing something carefully enough for repetition should count for something. xD; I mostly just went for "like ten lines, with slightly higher minimum for free verse because of a lack of anything else limiting the length of the line", if that helps?

Thanks guys!

I'm going to add in Rondeau as is and Alliterism with (2+). For Pantoum would (3+ Stanzas) make sense?

Would it be possible to split Interactive fiction into smaller categories? Separating "Choose your Own Adventure" types, where all the word count would be the prose, and Twine (or similar software) type games where some of the word count would be code?

To clarify, I don't think we can count code as 1:1 to prose. But saying something like a full CSS document = 1K words no matter how long the document was seems fair to me, but I'm open to other's suggestions on the subject.

How about we keep the broad one, but maybe change it to be like poetry so that you *can* request just any Interactive Fiction but the requirements will be based on the type your creator makes for you?

Then we can add Twine and AO3 style CYOA (and any other types that someone wants) each as their own subcategories and have each of those with separate requirements. I agree that the extra coding requirements for Twine should count towards the wordcount but I'll need to check with some people more familiar with making them.

I'll get back to you more on it when I'm off work, but you made some good points so I wanted to respond with initial thoughts on it :)

Edited 2020-08-10 18:40 (UTC)

Since I see Medium Opt-In: Poetry - Haiku Series (3+) I’ve nominated Medium Opt-In: Poetry - Tanka Series (2+) since a tanka is 57577 so two seem equivalent to three 575 haikus.

Is there a need to define a drabble explicitly or are we operating under the understanding of 100 words exactly? (200 for double, 300 for triple, series being constructed of multiples of exactly 100)

That seems equivalent to me :)

You won't need to explicitly define it. I'll be making it clear in the posting guidelines that drabbles and other length opt ins like that need to be the exact wordcount on AO3.

Sounds great to me. Thank you for considering it.

Hi, I wanted to ask if it would be acceptable to opt in to receiving a very particular type of poetry for one specific fandom in my letter without "officially" opting into the medium?

To clarify, there is one fandom/relationship where I would be interested in receiving "in-universe poetry" (as written by one of the characters if my assigned writer was so inclined) but I don't want to opt into poetry more broadly and also, none of the listed poetry subcategories necessarily fit what I'd be asking for.

yeah, I think 3+ stanzas makes enough sense for pantoum.

You should be able to nominate "In-Universe Poetry" or something similar, though I don't know how well that would work if you aren't open to receiving nothing but in-universe poetry; you should also be able to nominate whatever form you'd like to ask for, unless you've already used up your freeforms.

Thank you, that gives me options. I think "in-universe poetry" may be the best way to go here.

For the theater opt-ins, since those are mediums, would the expectation be for something written as a stage play script?

Yes, that's the way I'm interpreting them. I should probably adjust their working to make that clear.

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Mediums and Length Opt-Ins

Lower length Opt-ins:

Written Opt-Ins

Art & Design Opt-Ins

Audio Opt-Ins

Vid Opt-Ins

Poetry Opt-Ins

Mixed Media Opt-Ins

Unconventional Formats

Re: Unconventional Formats

Re: Unconventional Formats

Re: Unconventional Formats

Re: Unconventional Formats

Re: Unconventional Formats

Re: Unconventional Formats

Animatics

Re: Animatics

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