Lois & Clark Forums Forums Fan Fiction Fanfic Related Fundraiser For LNC Fanfic Mbs

Hey, everyone.

As the older hands among you will know, every so often the cash to run this forum runs out and we have to launch a fundraiser. The last fundraiser was back in 2006, as I recall, so thankfully we don't have to do it very often. Cash goes a long way in this fandom.

But, we're at that point again, so we're now looking for ideas on what form the fundraiser will take. In the past, we've had many different fundraising events, but this time we want to keep it as simple as possible.

We've already had someone suggest a story auction: Authors would donate their time and talent to offer a 1000-word fic to the highest bidder, who could have the author write the prompt of their choice. Or people could offer drabbles (100-word ficlets) for $5 a time. Or icons, or fic banners, or videos or whatever.

We also have a small number of donated LNC/fandom items which could also be auctioned/presented as incentives to the highest bidder or donors.

Other than that - we're keen to hear any suggestions on what form this could take.

Over to you! We have an extraordinary pool of talent in this fandom. From authors to video makers to artists. Let's get together and ensure the fun times continue here on our wonderful playground for many years to come!

Writing and reading fanfic is what we do best, so it seems logical to use those skills to raise money for the site. I'm assuming there would be no issues with copyright because the authors wouldn't be directly benefiting from their stories.

If we decide to hold an author auction, I'm willing to write a 1000 word story.

Corrina.

ETA - just had another idea along similar lines. An author could write a first chapter. Then the readers could bid for the right to direct where the story goes next. This might only happen once (for a two-parter) or multiple times depending on the willingness of the writer to continue. The end result could be and a surprise to everyone, including the author.

The fanfic idea could be offered up as part of one of the crowd-funding sites. A short story (200-500) for level one, (500-1000) for two, etc. Indiegogo or a similar site.

I'm not quite ready to offer my services considering my track record on getting fics out in a timely manner (I haven't had prompts but I've had whole prompt/challenges that weren't for other people languish and still never get posted.)

Another possibility: Authors could each donate a new story of whatever length and on whatever L&C-related topic they wish. The stories could be assembled in an anthology which could be given to anyone who provides a specified minimum donation. This would keep authors from feeling pressure to produce to a set word count and to avoid worry about possibly not being able to come up with a story to fit specific prompts.

I'm game to try my hand at a drabble (love the word) or a short (1000 word max) story.

How would donations be made? Would a PayPal account be set up to receive them?

Joy,
Lynn

I agree completely with Corrina, here. Include having me available to write a story. I'd need clarification on whether this would be a collaboration with the highest bidder (discussing the plot with them and where it would go), or more of a (for example) "write a story where Lois finds herself pregnant but can't recall being intimate with anyone in the past year." (And, yes, that is more of a SR prequel storyline due to the memory wipe kiss implication.) Or would that be something determined by the writer and bidder?

A guesstimate taken from the next part of WC shows that 1000 words would be for me roughly about 3 double spaced pages worth. A challenge, indeed. Unlike the great Lynn S.M., limiting some of us to a mere 1000 words on a given subject might be worth a high bid just to make us sweat. Writing only 100 words on demand is unfathomable (but not impossible), unless I was trying for poetry. Given that I haven't written any poetry since before the turn of the millennium, the result would be highly cheesy at best.

Corrina, you challenge us as writers. Would this be like a "choose your own adventure" type choice, where the author suggests 5 possible scenarios and the highest bid wins? Or would this be the highest bid would then direct the writer where the second chapter (and possibly the end of the story) goes?

Another option could be that one writer pens the first chapter and other writers bid to the right to write the second chapter. A Chapter total could be decided upon at the beginning of the auction. Let's say, it's a 5 part story would then have 5 different authors. Of course, it wouldn't be a quick turnaround for a fundraiser unless the writers bid before the story has been written. For example: Female Hawk has a idea on how to start a WAFFy romance, but no idea where she would take it. She would pay a set $5 fee to write the initial chapter, pick the characters, and tone, then auction off writing Ch 2-5. I could then bid on Ch 2, Writer X Ch 3, Writer B Ch 4, Writer M Ch 5. Corrina then when she completed her first chapter would post it and it would be up to me to write the second (and take the story in any direction I choose in the theme of "WAFFy Romance") and post it in a timely fashion, and so on.

So often, readers speculate about a story and take it to areas I hadn't even considered. I wasn't thinking 'choose you own adventure', more the readers speculate as usual and then bid for the right to have their idea written into the story.

I'm liking lots of the writing ideas so far.

Another fun idea - bid to be included as a guest character in the author's next fic? Could even specify the type of role. (Uh oh, why am I imagining lots of requests to be Clark's girlfriend…) Back in my old Star Wars writing group, we'd once in a while surprise a friend by giving them a cameo role in a fic, people seemed to like that.

Wow at the responses so far, I knew we'd be able to count on you all and the ideas are wonderful.

In the past we've done the anthology road, where a certain amount gave you the fanfic's collected a full year before they were posted for all.

I'm also a part of the Twilight fanfic groups and they hold fundraisers often for other Twihards that have fallen on hard times (I can't believe I forgot to tell this one to Labby - who I thank for taking the lead on this for me. I do have a fear of public speaking or getting the ball rolling on this stuff. I does make me uncomfortable to ask for donations, as it were.)

Anyway, what the Twihards have done is the first chapter or two would be given to those who donate and then six months later the authors would start posting their new fanfic, starting with the chapters the donors received, and then continued on with the fanfic. I can't tell you how many times I've been left hanging - they too have been blessed with wonderfully talented writers.

Another option would be creating a tee or sweatshirt with the phrase, "It's a Fanfic Thing, You Wouldn't Understand." I recently participated in "It's a Dean Cain Thing, You Wouldn't Understand."



Anyway, what it comes down to is thank you very much for the suggestions. Please keep them coming.

Once we know what we'd like to do then we need to start putting dates around this.

Great ideas everyone! Don't forget that some of us have more money than talent, so a direct monetary donation shouldn't be ignored.
How about "Pay your favorite writer" challenge. I'd pay for any story from Tank. I'd pay more if it somehow involved a character named "Artemis" and the funnier the better.

Artemis

*peeks in, looks around and wonders if anyone still remembers her*

Hello!!

It's wonderful to see how many fantastic ideas have been suggested so far. FoLCs have always been so generous when it's come to fundraisers to keep our favourite sites going - only fair when we consider the generosity of those who volunteer many hours a week of their time to run, maintain, repair and improve all the big websites in FoLCdom, including the Archive and these boards. A huge shoutout here, by the way, to LabRat and Lauren of the Archive, Annette and all the mods on these boards, Tricia and the rest of the Kerths team, and many more.

You all have had some wonderful suggestions on the fic side. I actually organised both paper and electronic fic zines in the past for fundraisers, so I can say paper bad - expensive! - electronic okay, but there are still distribution costs. However, if anyone would like to go that route, I'm happy to share what I learned from previous experience. I still have files on my computer from those fundraisers.

A couple of other ideas to add to what's been said: in other fundraisers over on LiveJournal I've seen and been peripherally involved in, other types of fanwork have been very popular. Here's some thoughts there:

• icons/avatars
• fic banners
• headers or other artwork for a blog or web page
• podfic - ie someone reads your fic aloud and records it
• original art, either on paper or electronic

I know there are very talented FoLC who do things other than writing, so what about some of these?


Wendy

I'd pay money for someone to design me a personalized avatar (since I still don't have one -- I couldn't get it to work in the beginning and then have been too busy / lazy to attempt again). It might be fun to see what original LnC avatars people can come up with. (I keep trying to explain to my kids the difference between being creative with words and being creative with art. "I draw pictures with my words," and they look at me like Frozen trolls who've just been told Anna is engaged to someone else, other than Christoph. Apparently, I cannot get them to believe I'm artistically challenged.)

I could probably make an avatar. I make avatars all the time of varying subjects. I've made hundreds upon hundreds of avatars. Sometimes I'll make a whole collection of avatars then post them on one of the forums I visit for others to use if they wish. Several people are using an avatar I made on one of those forums right now.

Speaking of people who I would pay irresponsible amounts of money to read fic from... Remember you? You're a bloody legend!

With some great fundraising ideas, too. Even I - the eternal procrastinator - could probably work up 1000 words for a good cause, but I know for a fact that I could contribute icons, banners, gifs, ect!

As someone who joined after the 2006 event, could you enlighten us newbies about the timeline for this Lucre & Cash event? Week, Month, Months?

Great thread, wonderful ideas! I'm definitely one of the newbies...and I definitely do not have any amazing technical abilities (see the blank area around my name to the left here....um, yeah. Never could figure out the whole avatar thing )

-Sending in a monetary donation would be of interest, also....as much fun and entertainment that I've gained from this site--yeah, totally worth it

Definitely wanting to help,
Laura

Shallowford (and all), we don't have a timeline set up yet, but you can be sure that once we get our ducks in a row, you will all hear about it. Right now, several of us "old timers" (heh) who have worked on past fundraisers are gathering info and trying to nail down the details. Once we figure out exactly how much needs to be raised, and on what sort of schedule, we can determine how all this will look. So we really appreciate the suggestions and feedback as we work through the process!

Kathy (feeling like a true old timer as I think back on how long I've been involved with this awesome group. )

One more bit of randomness that just popped into my head:

--What about fans paying to be included into a 'dedication' or 'sponsorship' of a new story?

Meaning, Writer A posts some sort of 'letter of intent' on the boards stating that they are going to be writing a new story to either post on the board/post into the Archive/include in an anthology (whatever the chosen method was going to be for this fundraising project). Being a huge fan of Writer A, I then send whatever the amount of money it required in to the fundraising project to be a 'sponsor/included in dedication' for this particular story. Writer A then writes whatever story they stated previously in their 'letter of intent'. Then when the story is ready to be presented to the masses (on the boards, Archive, or anthology), at the beginning of the story there is something written to include everyone who has donated to 'fund' that story--'dedicated to A, B, C, and D for their support benefitting our fandom/etc' or 'sponsored by our lovely folcs--A, B, C, and D who helped to make this story possible.'

It could be a way for the writers to have creative liberties and donate their time, and for the readers to donate their pocketbooks (and be connected forever to a story and an author they really admire )...

Laura

Would someone come up with some sort of shirt with Superman and Ultra Woman? Considering the "super-pairing" stuff is in vogue I thought it might be a nice alternative (and something I'd put money in for).

As most know, I recently produced an epub and a .mobi of the current Kerth nominated fics.

For a small donation to the L&C committee I will convert any story, series of stories by a particular author or collection of stories on a similar theme that the individual desires. You provide the titles – I provide the compilation. This doesn’t have to be just to the highest bidder, I will do compilations for as many donors as would like them.

As a bonus, I will throw in a new compilation of the 2014 Kerth winning stories, once the winners have been announced.

This is an opportunity to have a compilation of your chosen stories in a format so that they can be read to you by your Kindle device.

"We have the technology, we have the talent. It's Milla time!" Ghostbusters

Hi Arte,

You know I have worked Artemis into a couple of mine and also a story I beta'd "A T-Shirt Revelation" Do they count?