Hello everyone!

The tenth anniversary of Elysian Fields is fast approaching--where has the time gone? The mods have decided a challenge is in order to celebrate this fact, and I come to you today with that information to encourage fresh blood and life (of the living and undead variety) to our wonderful community. Also, the challenge will involve both artists and writers. 

So here’s the sitch. Authors have banners created for their fics all time. In most cases the art is made after the fic. Well, we’re switching it around. This will be an art before the fic challenge. It’s not a new idea, but it’s one that works, and I speak from experience having run such a challenge for a Livejournal community many years ago. 

What will the Artistic Anniversary Challenge entail? Information is as follows. 

Artists:
We’re asking you to create a banner with the following specifics.
Dimensions: Width 900px x Height 250px (maximum)
Text: In a small (approx 8 – 10 pt) clear font along one of the edges, Designed for the Elysian Fields ‘Artistic Anniversary’ Challenge. The fic title will of course be left up to the author but suggestions can be posted with the banner (just not on it) if you have something you think fits with the art. 
Design: Completely up to you! The banner can be theme or episode specific, whichever works best for you.
Fic Specifications: In a similar style to what you’d find under the challenges section of many eFiction archives. Must Haves, Can Haves, Can’t Haves list. No more than three specifics per category. An example of how it should be laid out can be found below in the rules section.
If you are an artist within our archive community and would be interested in participating, PLEASE reply to this post so we can gauge the interest in the challenge, and so we can all look forward to your wonderful creations. Once complete your banner and specifications are to be emailed to me at the following address, so that they can be added to the Artistic Anniversary Challenge page for the archive: angelic.amy.fic@gmail.com

Authors:
Once the art has been created, there will be a sign up, where banners will go up for grabs. Each banner will ONLY be allocated once, and it will be first come, first serve. So make sure you pay close attention to signup dates. Sign ups will be for your top three banner choices, in case you first or second is chosen. 
We’re asking you to write a fic with the following specifics:
Fic Length: Minimum length 1,500 words, maximum completely up to you!
Characters: Buffy, Spike, any other characters shown in the banner.
Content Specifications: Must abide by the Must and Can’t Haves specified by the artist. Obviously the Can Haves is voluntary.
The banner must accompany the fic when it is posted on the archive. Modification of the banner with fic title and author name should be discussed with the artist once the first part/chapter is ready for publishing. Authors, the mods will put you in contact with the artist when we confirm your banner selection.
Banner claims are for new fic only, not to be attached to an existing story.

RULES AND REGS:
1) All entires MUST include BOTH Buffy and Spike.
2) All banner entries MUST comply with size restrictions.
3) All fic entries MUST meet minimum word count.
4) All art entrants MUST accompany the following form with their artwork:

Characters:
Rating: 
Season/Episode: (if specific) 
Must Have: 
1)
2)
3)
Can Have:
1)
2)
3)
Can’t Have:
1)
2)
3)

5) All banners and specifics MUST be emailed to the address provided.
6) There is no limit to the amount of banners an artist can make, nor fics an author can write! 

DATES:
Banner creation: 17th of July - 6th of August
Banner claiming: 7th - 13th of August
Banner confirmations: 14th – 15th of August
Writing time (but no posting of fics): 16th August - 30th September
Posting of fics to begin (and of course authors can continue to write/post throughout the month): from the 1st of October

That’s about it. If any questions, please don’t hesitate to ask! 

Yours in Spuffy,
The Mods.