Nominations are what you want to read? What you want to write? Are there prompts? WHAT?

[amanuensis1]

For some reason, I am incapable of understanding the way yuletide works.

Every year I mutter, "Maybe I should sign up for that," and every year I share my mutterings with people and am met with, "Oh, it doesn't work that way." So is there someone out there who, rather than saying, "The rules are distributed over these nineteen pages" can summarize the process in, say, something like three long bullet points of text stating, "Go here, do this, be sure not to do this, and your obligation will then be to do this by this time in this way"?

HELP MY TINY BRAIN.

Comments

[ausmac.livejournal.com]

I dont fully understand it either. I signed up but I couldn't see any option to request slash or het or gen or whatever, just the fandoms and the characters you wanted written. So I just put in the characters and hoped for the best. *shrug* first time for me, so I guess I'll find out how it works.

[amanuensis1.livejournal.com]

Oh, good, we can be newbies together! :D

(Actually, you can read the comments on this post; they help a lot.)

[sophinisba]

What's going on now is just the fandom nominations process. Actual signups will be in November and at that point besides requesting characters you can request extra details like a specific situation or how porny you want it to be. Most writers will do their best to put in whatever your request, and they might stalk your journal looking for extra clues as to what you might like. But by the rules they're only obligated to write at least 1000 words about the characters you requested. :)

[adina-atl.livejournal.com]

Just to emphasize, you can specify the characters involved and state in the details that you'd prefer slash/gen/het, rating, etc., but your assigned author isn't obligated to follow the details, only the characters.

To use florahart's example, you could make a request of
Fandom: RPF - News Anchors
Characters: Mike Wallace/Paula Zahn/Dan Rather
Details: I really want hot porn between Mike and Dan while Paula watches.

Most authors will try to write what you asked for. But the person assigned to write for you might only write gen or het. If they write a gen story with Mike, Paula, and Dan arguing about the economic crisis, that's what you're going to get, and it (technically) satisfies all Yuletide requirements. And, just like with Aunt Emma's itchy sweaters, you're expected to thank the giver and be polite.

Similarly, you might prefer to write slash but be assigned to write for someone who includes the detail "No slash." If that happened, you certainly could write slash anyway, without penalty. But it would be nicer to try to write what your recipient wants.

The best thing about Yuletide, of course, is that you get everyone else's presents as well as your own. If your own gift is a clunker, you can console yourself with one of the other 2000 stories. And it takes a little of the pressure off you as the writer knowing that your recipient has other options if your story isn't to their taste or isn't the best thing you've ever written.

[amanuensis1.livejournal.com]

I can see why the requirements/restrictions are few--makes it easier to write if the author doesn't have a million "No this, no that, no these, them, and those" that must be followed. Thank you so much for all this detail!