about #ficwip

#ficwip was born in January 2018. It was a driving-to-work idea that evolved from a weekly author chat called Coffee Shop Sunday that I ran as part of the Spock Prime Big Bang in 2014. On Sundays, authors would share excerpts from their fics, vent frustrations, and answer random writing questions. You might recognize the formula.From the start, #ficwip has welcomed writers from all fandoms. The original #ficwip, a Twitter event where writers shared an excerpt from any fic they were working on, ran weekly until the summer of 2020. It's now an occasional event.Our Discord launched in September 2019. During the pandemic, we took our favorite procrastination game #wordgamewednesday to Twitter. It turned out to be popular, so we've kept it up ever since! In 2020, we held our first event: the #ficwip 5k, an all-fandoms AU challenge! It runs annually along with Hey, Sweetheart, a Valentine's Day fest. Level Up! and the All-Ships Ship Week joined the ranks in 2024.Our goal is to provide uplifting spaces and opportunities for creators in all fandoms.—muse

FAQs
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How do you pronounce #ficwip?
It's pronounced "fic + whip." The hashtag is silent.How is it formatted?
Just like you see it: #ficwip or ficwip (or @ficwip, if you're talking about our social media).Always lowercase, always one word.Do you really allow all fandoms and ships?
We do! We've been inclusive from the start. All writers deal with similar struggles, so even if we don't read each other's work, we can support each other's creativity.

events

We host four public events a year, the weekly word game, a monthly 3-sentence prompt on Bluesky, and lots more on discord!

The 5k

Annually from June - AugustThe challenge: Write an AU for any fandom using no more than 5,000 words. A public event open to writers 14 & up.The 2024 event info →

The All-Ships Ship Week

October 21-27, 2024The ship week for all ships, every last one of them! A public event open to everyone 14 & up.The 2024 event info + prompts →

Hey, Sweetheart

Returning February 2025The event where we challenge you to use the pet name “sweetheart” in fic or art! A public event for anyone 14 & up.The 2024 event info →

Level Up!

2025 dates TBAIt’s easy to get stuck in our comfort zones. This April & May, we challenge you to learn a new aspect of writing craft or art. This isn’t about making a masterpiece; it’s about trying something new. A public event for anyone 14 & up.The 2024 event info →

#wordgamewednesday

Wednesday afternoons on social media & discordKeep an eye on tumblr, bluesky, and Twitter for the word of the week. It usually posts around noon ET. Find the word in your draft and share the sentence containing it.On Discord: Play in the #writers-room

3-sentence fic

monthly on blueskyA microfiction challenge exclusive to bluesky! Craft a complete story in just 3 sentences that contains an opening, a pivot or change in perspective, and an ending. Look for prompts on the first of the month.prompt feed
ao3 collection

Coffee Shop Sunday

weekly in the Tumblr communityWe're in a beta test of the new Tumblr communities feature. Eventually we'll be able to open this to more people! ☕

Discord exclusives

Available to our Discord members (18+)- Four seasonal writing retreats
- A Picture's Worth 1,000 words (monthly prompt challenge)
- 60-minute sprint (monthly on the 15th)
- Twice monthly drabble prompts
- Dark & Cozy (June & July 2024)
- To Spite You, Personally (October & November 2024)
- Gen event (coming January 2025)
- Fairytale Bang (coming 2025)Learn more about the server →

past events
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The 5KWrite a complete AU using no more than 5,000 words2020 Round: AO3 collection2021 Round: AO3 collection | complete list (gallery) | complete list (grid)2022 Round: AO3 collection | complete list (grid)2023 Round: AO3 collection--Hey, Sweetheart2022 round: complete list | ao3 collection2023 round: complete list | ao3 collection2024 round: complete list | ao3 collection--Level Up!2024 round: ao3 collection--The Fic That Haunts YouComplete something that has haunted you for a while but that you’ve never finished writing. The original TFTHY was a sixth-month challenge in 2021. It then ran year-round on the #ficwip discord through April 2023. Fic and original fiction were welcome; posting was optional.the ao3 collection--Rise of the Dead FandomsBringing fandoms back from the dead! A one-time public event that ran in November 2021. Creators made any type of fanwork for one of the approved fandoms. This may return as a discord event in the future.2021 round: complete list | ao3 collection--Dark & CozyPutting dark spins on cozy tropes. A discord-based event.2022 & 2024 rounds: ao3 collection--tiny ship fleet festCelebrating non-canon rare pairs and crack ships! This event ran on discord in 2022 and 20232022 round: ao3 collection2023 round: ao3 collection--Multifandom MatchA Fluff vs. Angst collaborative team event that ran on discord.2023 round: ao3 collection--Make Me (Crack) Ship ItA crack ships event that ran on discord.2023-4 round: ao3 collection

We've redesigned our discord server to be a year-round event hub! It is the home to our public events as well as discord exclusives like our seasonal writing retreats.

We embrace creators from all fandoms and ships. Members are actively engaged with server activities year-round. To join, you must be comfortable politely interacting with people who make stuff you're not into. YKINMY, ship and let ship, etc.We are strictly 18+

What you'll find
• Writing, art, and crafting channels
• Daily check-in with our beloved Sir Toad
• Sprinting bots
• Monthly drabble & photo prompts
• Year-round activities & discord-exclusive events
• Collectible event emojis!
• press, our original fiction anthology
• Seasonal writing retreats

What you won't find
• Anti rhetoric and morality policing
• Character or ship hate
• Memes that demean fic writers (or people who spread them)
• People trying to control someone else's headcanons, characterization, or style
• Fic recs or unsolicited fanwork critique (we don't allow either one)

We want you to be comfortable and confident when you join, so here are our community rules. Please take a few minutes to read them and make sure we're a good fit, then come back here.