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Welcome to Rational Fiction Fest 2025, a prompt meme (Fanlore explanation, Ao3 explanation) fest for fics in the style of rational and rationalist fiction.
AO3 Collection: https://archiveofourown.org/collections/RatFicEx2025/profile
What's this event about?
This is a fest for fanfiction written in the Rational or Rationalist Style. Participants can submit prompts and then may write stories of at least 750 words to fulfill the prompts.
This style of fic has coalesced around /r/rational, playing around with optimization, investigation, and problem-solving tropes inside rules of a speculative world: comparable to a whodunnit but in a scifi/fantasy context and not about solving crimes. It began with HPMOR but soon diverged and gained a life of its own. Some commonly-appreciated works in this style include original stories like Nobody103's Mother of Learning and fanfiction like WhatWouldEnderDo's r!Animorphs: The Reckoning, Gan_HOPE326's The Optimised Wish Project, and Alexander Wales' The Metropolitan Man.
Check out previous iterations of this fest to see more examples: here.
Important Information
For 2025, the AO3 Community can be found here.
If you're new to this kind of fanfiction event, AO3's explanation is here: https://archiveofourown.org/faq/prompt-meme and will tell you what you need to know about participating.
All updates will be posted on DW, but you can also stop by our discord community at the /r/rational discord in the #ratfic-fest channel.
2025 Schedule
Signups (Prompting) and Claiming Prompts: July 14 - 27
Writing period begins: July 27
Writing period ends: Sept 28
Fic reveals week: Sept 28-Oct 5
Authors revealed: Oct 5
All deadlines are 10 pm UTC.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
rational_fiction_modThe writing period has begun for Rational Fiction Fest! During this 2-month period, you can claim any of the prompts, write a work, and submit it to the fest. No new prompts can be added from here on out.
Fest profile link on AO3: https://archiveofourown.org/collections/RatFicEx2024/profile
DW community page: https://rational-fiction-comm.dreamwidth.org/
You can fulfill a claim by going to your claims and clicking the "Fulfill" button. Read more about the process here.
Please fulfill prompts by writing a fic with a minimum length of 750 words.
Prompts list: https://archiveofourown.org/collections/RatFicEx2024/requests?sort_column=fandom&sort_direction=ASC
Here's an example of what submitted fics will look like prior to Sept 24 (link)
Here's an example of what submitted fics will look like from Sept 24-Oct 1 (link)
Then on Oct 1, author reveals will happen and the fics will look like normal fics.
Yes! Please do.
I don't have an AO3 account, can I still participate?
Yes. If you don't have one, please come by the r/rational discord's #ratfic-fest channel and I will get you set up with an AO3 account.
What happens if I can't submit a fic? Or what if I finish early and want to pick up another claim?
If you can't submit a fic you wanted to, you can drop the prompt at any time. If you find you have extra time, stop by the prompts list and claim another prompt!
How long are submitted fics usually?
Last year, fics ranged from 750 words to 25k words. Write however much you like!
...
If you have further questions, feel free to ask them here or come by the r/rational discord's #ratfic-fest channel to ask them.
Fest profile link on AO3: https://archiveofourown.org/collections/RatFicEx2024/profile
DW community page: https://rational-fiction-comm.dreamwidth.org/
Claiming a prompt and submitting a work
You can claim any prompt from the fest's selection of prompts, including prompts that have one or more claims - multiple people can write based on the same prompt. You can drop a claim if you decide you don't want to write for that prompt. Read more here.You can fulfill a claim by going to your claims and clicking the "Fulfill" button. Read more about the process here.
Please fulfill prompts by writing a fic with a minimum length of 750 words.
Prompts list: https://archiveofourown.org/collections/RatFicEx2024/requests?sort_column=fandom&sort_direction=ASC
Writing period duration
The writing period lasts for 2 months and ends on Sept 23. All deadlines are 3 pm Pacific Time (10 pm UTC). Countdown timer here: https://www.timeanddate.com/countdown/generic?iso=20240923T15&p0=283&font=cursiveFic and author reveals
All fics submitted will be "face down" and blank until Sept 24, when fics are revealed. During the first week, authors are anonymous. Then on Oct 1, authors will be revealed.Here's an example of what submitted fics will look like prior to Sept 24 (link)
Here's an example of what submitted fics will look like from Sept 24-Oct 1 (link)
Then on Oct 1, author reveals will happen and the fics will look like normal fics.
Q&A
I didn't submit a prompt, can I still claim a prompt and write a fic for this fest?Yes! Please do.
I don't have an AO3 account, can I still participate?
Yes. If you don't have one, please come by the r/rational discord's #ratfic-fest channel and I will get you set up with an AO3 account.
What happens if I can't submit a fic? Or what if I finish early and want to pick up another claim?
If you can't submit a fic you wanted to, you can drop the prompt at any time. If you find you have extra time, stop by the prompts list and claim another prompt!
How long are submitted fics usually?
Last year, fics ranged from 750 words to 25k words. Write however much you like!
...
If you have further questions, feel free to ask them here or come by the r/rational discord's #ratfic-fest channel to ask them.
rational_fiction_modPrompting is open for Rational Fiction Fest 2023!
Write your pompts here: https://archiveofourown.org/collections/RatFicEx2024/signups/new
Signups will remain open until July 23, during which time you can add prompts or modify your existing ones, as well as claim your favorite prompt that you want to write a 750-word fanfic about.
We will be on the r/rational discord in the ratfic-fest channel if you have any questions. If you're new to this kind of fanfiction event, AO3's explanation is here and will tell you what you need to know about participating.
We hope to see people writing interesting prompts and then claiming the ones that work well for them. Feel free to write a prompt for the fic you always wanted to see, and claim the prompt that tickles your fancy the most!
If you have any questions, feel free to ask them on discord.
Write your pompts here: https://archiveofourown.org/collections/RatFicEx2024/signups/new
Signups will remain open until July 23, during which time you can add prompts or modify your existing ones, as well as claim your favorite prompt that you want to write a 750-word fanfic about.
We will be on the r/rational discord in the ratfic-fest channel if you have any questions. If you're new to this kind of fanfiction event, AO3's explanation is here and will tell you what you need to know about participating.
We hope to see people writing interesting prompts and then claiming the ones that work well for them. Feel free to write a prompt for the fic you always wanted to see, and claim the prompt that tickles your fancy the most!
If you have any questions, feel free to ask them on discord.
Rational Fiction Fest 2024
Jul. 12th, 2024 01:05 pmrational_fiction_modWelcome to Rational Fiction Fest 2024, a prompt meme (Fanlore explanation, Ao3 explanation) fest for fics in the style of rational and rationalist fiction.
AO3 Collection: https://archiveofourown.org/collections/RatFicEx2024/profile
What's this event about?
This is a fest for fanfiction written in the Rational or Rationalist Style. Participants can submit prompts and then may write stories of at least 750 words to fulfill the prompts.
This style of fic has coalesced around /r/rational, playing around with optimization, investigation, and problem-solving tropes inside rules of a speculative world: comparable to a whodunnit but in a scifi/fantasy context and not about solving crimes. It began with HPMOR but soon diverged and gained a life of its own. Some commonly-appreciated works in this style include original stories like Nobody103's Mother of Learning and fanfiction like WhatWouldEnderDo's r!Animorphs: The Reckoning, Gan_HOPE326's The Optimised Wish Project, and Alexander Wales' The Metropolitan Man.
Check out previous iterations of this fest to see more examples: here.
Important Information
For 2024, the AO3 Community can be found here.
If you're new to this kind of fanfiction event, AO3's explanation is here: https://archiveofourown.org/faq/prompt-meme and will tell you what you need to know about participating.
All updates will be posted on DW, but you can also stop by our discord community at the /r/rational discord in the #ratfic-fest channel.
2024 Schedule
Signups (Prompting) and Claiming Prompts: July 12 - 23
Writing period begins: July 25
Writing period ends: Sept 23
Fic reveals week: Sept 24-30
Authors revealed: Oct 1
All deadlines are 10 pm UTC.
AO3 Collection: https://archiveofourown.org/collections/RatFicEx2024/profile
What's this event about?
This is a fest for fanfiction written in the Rational or Rationalist Style. Participants can submit prompts and then may write stories of at least 750 words to fulfill the prompts.
This style of fic has coalesced around /r/rational, playing around with optimization, investigation, and problem-solving tropes inside rules of a speculative world: comparable to a whodunnit but in a scifi/fantasy context and not about solving crimes. It began with HPMOR but soon diverged and gained a life of its own. Some commonly-appreciated works in this style include original stories like Nobody103's Mother of Learning and fanfiction like WhatWouldEnderDo's r!Animorphs: The Reckoning, Gan_HOPE326's The Optimised Wish Project, and Alexander Wales' The Metropolitan Man.
Check out previous iterations of this fest to see more examples: here.
Important Information
For 2024, the AO3 Community can be found here.
If you're new to this kind of fanfiction event, AO3's explanation is here: https://archiveofourown.org/faq/prompt-meme and will tell you what you need to know about participating.
All updates will be posted on DW, but you can also stop by our discord community at the /r/rational discord in the #ratfic-fest channel.
2024 Schedule
Signups (Prompting) and Claiming Prompts: July 12 - 23
Writing period begins: July 25
Writing period ends: Sept 23
Fic reveals week: Sept 24-30
Authors revealed: Oct 1
All deadlines are 10 pm UTC.
rational_fiction_modThe Rational Fiction Fest 2023 collection is now open! Read the fics here: https://archiveofourown.org/collections/RatFicEx2023
I hope everyone enjoys the works. Leaving a positive comment is highly encouraged, as is using the kudos button.
I hope everyone enjoys the works. Leaving a positive comment is highly encouraged, as is using the kudos button.
rational_fiction_modThe writing period has begun for Rational Fiction Fest! During this 2-month period, you can claim any of the prompts, write a work, and submit it to the fest. No new prompts can be added from here on out.
Fest profile link on AO3: https://archiveofourown.org/collections/RatFicEx2023/profile
DW community page: https://rational-fiction-comm.dreamwidth.org/
Claiming a prompt and submitting a work
You can claim any prompt from the fest's selection of prompts, including prompts that have one or more claims - multiple people can write based on the same prompt. You can drop a claim if you decide you don't want to write for that prompt. Read more here.
You can fulfill a claim by going to your claims and clicking the "Fulfill" button. Read more about the process here.
Please fulfill prompts by writing a fic with a minimum length of 750 words.
Prompts list: https://archiveofourown.org/collections/RatFicEx2023/requests?sort_column=fandom&sort_direction=ASC
Writing period duration
The writing period lasts for 2 months and ends on Sept 16. All deadlines are 3 pm Pacific Time (10 pm UTC). Countdown timer here: https://www.timeanddate.com/countdown/generic?iso=20230916T15&p0=283&font=cursive
Fic and author reveals
All fics submitted will be "face down" and blank until Sept 17, when fics are revealed. During the first week, authors are anonymous. Then on Sept 24, authors will be revealed.
Here's an example of what submitted fics will look like prior to Sept 17 (link)
Here's an example of what submitted fics will look like from Sept 17-24 (link)
Then on Sept 24, author reveals will happen and the fics will look like normal fics.
Q&A
I didn't submit a prompt, can I still claim a prompt and write a fic for this fest?
Yes! Please do.
I don't have an AO3 account, can I still participate?
Yes. If you don't have one, please come by the r/rational discord's #ratfic-fest channel and I will get you set up with an AO3 account.
What happens if I can't submit a fic? Or what if I finish early and want to pick up another claim?
If you can't submit a fic you wanted to, you can drop the prompt at any time. If you find you have extra time, stop by the prompts list and claim another prompt!
How long are submitted fics usually?
Last year, fics ranged from 750 words to 25k words. Write however much you like!
...
If you have further questions, feel free to ask them here or come by the r/rational discord's #ratfic-fest channel to ask them.
rational_fiction_modPrompting is open for Rational Fiction Fest 2023!
Write your pompts here: https://archiveofourown.org/collections/RatFicEx2023/signups/new
Signups will remain open until July 9, during which time you can add prompts or modify your existing ones, as well as claim your favorite prompt that you want to write a 750-word fanfic about.
We will be on the r/rational discord in the ratfic-fest channel if you have any questions. If you're new to this kind of fanfiction event, AO3's explanation is here and will tell you what you need to know about participating.We hope to see people writing interesting prompts and then claiming the ones that work well for them. Feel free to write a prompt for the fic you always wanted to see, and claim the prompt that tickles your fancy the most!
If you have any questions, feel free to ask them on discord.
Rational Fiction Fest 2023
Jun. 17th, 2023 11:47 pmrational_fiction_modWelcome to Rational Fiction Fest 2023, a prompt meme (Fanlore explanation, Ao3 explanation) fest for fics in the style of rational and rationalist fiction.
AO3 Collection: https://archiveofourown.org/collections/RatFicEx2023/profile
What's this event about?
This style of fic has coalesced around /r/rational, playing around with optimization, investigation, and problem-solving tropes inside rules of a speculative world: comparable to a whodunnit but in a scifi/fantasy context and not necessarily about solving crimes. Some commonly-appreciated works in this style include original stories like Nobody103's Mother of Learning and fanfiction like WhatWouldEnderDo's r!Animorphs: The Reckoning, Gan_HOPE326's The Optimised Wish Project, and Alexander Wales' The Metropolitan Man.
Check out previous iterations of this fest to see more examples: here.
Important Information
For 2023, the AO3 Community can be found here.
If you're new to this kind of fanfiction event, AO3's explanation is here: https://archiveofourown.org/faq/prompt-meme and will tell you what you need to know about participating.
All updates will be posted on DW, but you can also stop by our discord community at the /r/rational discord in the #ratfic-fest channel.
2023 Schedule
Signups (Prompting): June 30 - July 9
Writing period begins: July 9
Writing period ends: Sept 16
Fic reveals week: Sept 17-24
Authors revealed: Sept 24
All deadlines are 10 pm UTC.
AO3 Collection: https://archiveofourown.org/collections/RatFicEx2023/profile
What's this event about?
This style of fic has coalesced around /r/rational, playing around with optimization, investigation, and problem-solving tropes inside rules of a speculative world: comparable to a whodunnit but in a scifi/fantasy context and not necessarily about solving crimes. Some commonly-appreciated works in this style include original stories like Nobody103's Mother of Learning and fanfiction like WhatWouldEnderDo's r!Animorphs: The Reckoning, Gan_HOPE326's The Optimised Wish Project, and Alexander Wales' The Metropolitan Man.
Check out previous iterations of this fest to see more examples: here.
Important Information
For 2023, the AO3 Community can be found here.
If you're new to this kind of fanfiction event, AO3's explanation is here: https://archiveofourown.org/faq/prompt-meme and will tell you what you need to know about participating.
All updates will be posted on DW, but you can also stop by our discord community at the /r/rational discord in the #ratfic-fest channel.
2023 Schedule
Signups (Prompting): June 30 - July 9
Writing period begins: July 9
Writing period ends: Sept 16
Fic reveals week: Sept 17-24
Authors revealed: Sept 24
All deadlines are 10 pm UTC.
rational_fiction_modThe Rational Fiction Fest 2022 collection is now open! Read the fics here: https://archiveofourown.org/collections/RatFicEx2022/works
I hope everyone enjoys the works. Leaving a positive comment is highly encouraged, as is using the kudos button.
I hope everyone enjoys the works. Leaving a positive comment is highly encouraged, as is using the kudos button.
rational_fiction_modThe writing period has begun for Rational Fiction Fest! During this 2-month period, you can claim any of the prompts, write a work, and submit it to the fest. No new prompts can be added from here on out.
Fest profile link on AO3: https://archiveofourown.org/collections/RatFicEx2022/profile
Claiming a prompt and submitting a work
You can claim any prompt from the fest's selection of prompts, including prompts that have one or more claims - multiple people can write based on the same prompt. You can drop a claim if you decide you don't want to write for that prompt. Read more here.
You can fulfill a claim by going to your claims and clicking the "Fulfill" button. Read more about the process here.
Prompts list: https://archiveofourown.org/collections/RatFicEx2022/requests
Writing period duration
The writing period lasts for 2 months and ends on September 30th. All deadlines are 3 pm Pacific Time (10 pm UTC).
Fic and author reveals
All fics submitted will be "face down" and blank until Oct 02, when fics are revealed. During the first week, authors are anonymous. Then on Oct 09, authors will be revealed.
Here's an example of what submitted fics will look like prior to Oct 02 (link)
Here's an example of what submitted fics will look like from Oct 02-09 (link)
Then on Oct 09, author reveals will happen and the fics will look like normal fics.
Q&A
I didn't submit a prompt, can I still claim a prompt and write a fic for this fest?
Yes! Please do.
I don't have an AO3 account, can I still participate?
Yes. If you don't have one, please come by the r/rational discord's #ratfic-fest channel and I will get you set up with an AO3 account.
What happens if I can't submit a fic? Or what if I finish early and want to pick up another claim?
If you can't submit a fic you wanted to, you can drop the prompt at any time. If you find you have extra time, stop by the prompts list and claim another prompt.
...
If you have further questions, feel free to ask them here or come by the r/rational discord's #ratfic-fest channel to ask them.
Signups open!
Jul. 14th, 2022 03:18 amrational_fiction_modSignups are open for Rational Fiction Fest 2022!
Sign up here: https://archiveofourown.org/collections/RatFicEx2022/profile
Signups will remain open until Aug 2, during which time you can add prompts or modify your existing ones, as well as claim your favorite prompt that you want to write a 750-word fanfic about.
We will be on the r/rational discord in the ratfic-fest channel if you have any questions. If you're new to this kind of fanfiction event, AO3's explanation is here and will tell you what you need to know about participating.We hope to see people writing interesting prompts and then claiming the ones that work well for them. Feel free to write a prompt for the fic you always wanted to see, and claim the prompt that tickles your fancy the most!
If you have any questions, feel free to ask them on discord.
Rational Fiction Fest 2022
Jul. 13th, 2022 10:37 pmrational_fiction_modWelcome to Rational Fiction Fest, a prompt meme (Fanlore explanation, Ao3 explanation) fest for fics in the style of rational and rationalist fiction.
For 2022, the AO3 Community can be found here.
If you're new to this kind of fanfiction event, AO3's explanation is here: https://archiveofourown.org/faq/prompt-meme and will tell you what you need to know about participating.
All updates will be posted here, but you can also stop by our discord community at the /r/rational discord in the #ratfic-fest channel.
The schedule for this year is:
Signups (Prompting) and Claiming Prompts: July 14 - Aug 2
Claiming Prompts only: Aug 2 - Aug 5
Writing period begins: Aug 5
Writing period ends: Sept 30
Fic reveals week: October 2-8
Authors revealed: October 9
All deadlines are 3 pm Pacific Time (10 pm UTC).
For 2022, the AO3 Community can be found here.
If you're new to this kind of fanfiction event, AO3's explanation is here: https://archiveofourown.org/faq/prompt-meme and will tell you what you need to know about participating.
All updates will be posted here, but you can also stop by our discord community at the /r/rational discord in the #ratfic-fest channel.
The schedule for this year is:
Signups (Prompting) and Claiming Prompts: July 14 - Aug 2
Claiming Prompts only: Aug 2 - Aug 5
Writing period begins: Aug 5
Writing period ends: Sept 30
Fic reveals week: October 2-8
Authors revealed: October 9
All deadlines are 3 pm Pacific Time (10 pm UTC).
