You are cordially invited to participate in this year's
2010 Theme: Masquerade
Screw Yule is a way to kick off the new year with elf smut, and lots of it. Every day for eight crazy days a drabble/ficlet/art challenge will be put forth. Each drabble/ficlet/art challenge can be turned into a super challenge by consulting the columns of insanity. You can even completely disregard the challenges and just submit whatever elf smuttiness you like, as long as it hasn't been written previously for something else. The only rules are to have fun, and be dirty [We used to only allow ratings of R or NC- 17/ Adult oriented fics, but if you want to only put one foot in the gutter and not jump in completely, go for it. We just really encourage being totally in the gutter! Remember -- we're all in the gutter, but some of us are looking up at the stars.] This event is being held in the gutter that is Little Balrog.
Frequently Unasked Questions (FUQs)
Do I have to be a member of Little Balrog to read the drabbles and stories and such?
Hell no. However, you won't be able to comment and such unless you're a member, and you do need to be eighteen, or cleverly lie about your age to yahoo, to make it into the group to see what is being posted. I'm not condoning the behavior of lying about your age, but if you're going to do that, you're probably already doing it, and I have no idea of knowing one way or the other anyhow.
Do I have to be a member of Little Balrog to participate in the Screw Yule festival?
Hell yes. Unless you're just going to look at the official post everyday, write the drabbles, and post them elsewhere. But you don't get house points for that, now do you?
How do I participate?
Well, first you've got to be at LB. After that, just make sure you have the words "SCREW YULE" at the start of your subject line and what day it is for. If you don't put that in the subject line, I won't know which day you're submitting for and where to archive it. (Putting the words "SCREW YOU" may cause you to lose house points.)
When can I start submitting things?
January 1st, you can start submitting for January 1st. January 2nd, you can start submitting for January 2nd, and can continue with January 1st entries. January 3rd, you can start submitting for January 3rd, and can continue with January 1st and 2nd entries, and so on. The last day of posting for Screw Yule is January 15th, although the last daily challenge is on January 8th. This is to give people a chance to finish up things. There is also a list of challenge titles. You can write using one of those, or you can use a title plus a prompt to get double the points!
Extra smut not linked to one of the specific eight days of challenges can be posted at any time, from the moment you read this until midnight on January 16th. You'll get points for that, too. However, if it's something previously written/posted, it doesn't count. Such as, you don't get points for posting your Yuletide fic to the list just because you didn't post it there before. Chapters of pre-existing stories no longer count, either, mostly because no one was ever submitting any anyhow. Ask if in doubt.
You can start writing stuff before the 1st, though. The list of prompts is up now. You can bet Zhie's already working on something; you should, too.
What can I do with house points?
Practically nothing. You can use them at the Batter Store at Little Balrog (which is completely virtual and not a real store, but it is fun to pretend) or just gloat over the fact you have so many of them. The one person with the most this year will get bragging rights, but mostly everyone else gets nothing. Except the joy of writing and reading smut. Which is good in and of itself.
Can I have a cookie?
You can have two cookies, and a glass of juice to wash them down.
Were you born this way, or did someone drop you on your head?
Neither. Like a fine wine, I am aging to perfection.
Where is Little Balrog?
Glad you asked. It's located in the bottom level of The Gutter, or for direct access, http://groups.yahoo.com/group/LittleBalrog
For participants
1. You can write as many drabbles or ficlets you want each day. I wouldn't dream of coming between you and fresh smut.
2. The suggestion is drabbles (100ish words) or ficlets (something around a thousand words) but if you want to go longer, by all means. Honestly, though, this is like a writing warm-up for the start of a brand new year of fanfictional delights, and drabbles and ficlets are nice little things you can usually write in under twenty minutes. This allows you to play with the elves, but still have time to enjoy your break or, if you're not on break, the first week of the first month. You'll also be able to gain more points this way.
3. You won't be stopped from writing something that isn't R or NC17, but for this, why would you want to?
4. Point values are as follows:
25 points -- review of someone else's entry (has to be more than just 'good job' or 'this sucks')
50 points -- betaing someone else's entry
100 points -- using a daily prompt and writing exactly 100 words
250 points -- using a daily prompt and writing over a thousand words
1000 points -- using a daily prompt and writing EXACTLY 1000 words
750 points -- for any creation that incorporates the Masquerade theme in any way
250 points -- piece of art or other creative work not written (the one exception to this is making icons; you only get 25 points per non-animated icon and 50 points per animated icon) You want to draw something? Here's a box of crayons. Fingerpaints? Go for it. Toilet paper tube elves? I'll allow it -- and it's happened before!
500 points -- using one of the titles from the list as your title
250 points -- any other story posted that does not qualify for anything above
Soloists: Extra 100 Delicious Bonus Points for using one of the following elves...
Thranduil
Eol
Celebrimbor
Amarie
Nellas
Cirdan
Duets: Extra 200 Scruptuous Bonus Points for using one of the following pairs...
Turgon/Ecthelion
Turgon/Elenwe
Ecthelion/Maeglin
Maeglin/Idril
Glorfindel/Erestor
Daeron/Luthien
Any Son of Feanor/Any FC or OFC
Feanor/Nerdanel
Beleg/Mablung
Trios: Extra 300 Nummy Bonus Points for using one of the following menage a trois...
Elrond/Celebrian/Elros
Celeborn/Galadriel/Aredhel
Gil-Galad/Elrond/Author’s Choice
Elladan/Elrohir/Gildor
Arwen/Elessar/Author’s Choice
Ensembles: Extra 500 Yummy Bonus Points for using one of the following groups...
{Elrond, Celebrian, Glorfindel, Erestor, Lindir}
{Galadriel, Celeborn, Haldir, Orophin, Rumil, Nimrodel}
{Haldir, Legolas, Arwen, Eowen}
{Any Four Lords of Gondolin}
{Any Four Ladies of Middle-earth – at least one must be an Elf}
{Any Two Elves plus any Two Valar}
Deduction of 1,000,000 House Points for using the following pairing...
Glorfindel/Balrog (or Balrog/Glorfindel... ew... just... ew...)
Here's the catch - I fear if I put myself in charge of watching the point totals, I'm going to screw it up. So, when you post, your head should look like this:
:with the XX replaced by the number of points you have earned by your count for your fine work.
-Example-
SCREW YULE - 4 - Mask of the Red Elf- 350
Yes, this means it is possible to attempt cheating. Sure, you can try it. But, if you're caught, you get no points for that one and the King and his not-so-magical ping pong paddle will be paying a visit. Keep track of your points, and at the end we'll have a little accounting of the points to see how everyone did, for inquiring minds who want to know.
That's almost incentive for cheating, but, well, we'll just have to see what happens.
If your smuttiness is something not conforming to one of the particular daily challenges, instead of a number, just type the word EXTRA and I'll get it to the right spot. ^_^
5. Have fun. Above all, ignore everything above, write or draw or whatever some smut and let's all have a great time.
6. Betas get points, too! Hey, I LOVE my betas, and they know it (I think they do at least! I love you, betas 'o' mine!). So, if you beta a story, you get fifty (50) points. Hey, it's hard work, you deserve something. (Multiple betas, multiple points - every beta gets points, and with drabbles, that can really add up.. same goes for authors; you don't split points, you both get them!)
7. Reviewers get points this year as well! Huzzah! You get twenty-five (25) points for every review left from January 1st until January 31st. Awesomeness.
Extras