Community Calendar 2023

[ysabetwordsmith]

This community calendar provides a place to organize events in allbingo. Ideally, there will be periodic fests and challenges on different themes, organized by different people. If you would like to run an event here, please speak up! See the calendars from 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, and 2022 for ideas.


Organizing an Event

This community is a low-traffic, low-pressure opportunity to organize an activity. Anyone can volunteer to host something. Two or more people can cohost the same event; this is a good idea if you want to participate but your availability varies. The requirements are pretty simple:

1) Pick a theme and a timespan. Ideally, aim for a month that doesn't already have an activity, but time-sensitive events may be allowed closer together as needed. If you're not sure of people's interest, you could post a query first and ask, especially if you have several possible themes or times in mind. Declare your interest so that your event can be added to the schedule. See a list of previous fests for ideas.

Given that we now have a lot of repeating fests, those can share a month with a unique fest. It would also help to spread out the repeating events so we don't have two of the same category in a row or two for the same season, and so on. We could use more fests from specific fandoms -- those have been popular over the last year.

2) Post details for the parameters of the event. This needs to include at least the beginning and end dates, along with the theme. It helps to mention any unusual bingo patterns, communities, or prompt lists that would suit the event. You may want to generate and include a "public" card that anyone can use. You can use < textarea > before the card code and < / textarea > (remove the spaces) after the card code to create a box of code that people can copy to put the public card on their own blog. The same code box can be used to offer a list of thematic prompts for anyone wishing to make their own card from similar motifs.

Typically the event host will make an advance announcement about two weeks before the fest opens, with such things as a public card or a suggestion of where else to get an appropriate card, so that people can start making content. Then make an "event open" post on the first day it's open. You may advertise your fest on communities like fandomcalendar or fandom_on_dw if you want.

3) Make a "Meet and Greet" post if you wish. This is not required, and the frame questions can be as simple or complex as you wish. Basically it provides a place for folks to connect with each other based on common interests, and to squee about the theme.

4) Keep an eye on the activity. Ideally, answer questions about the event, encourage people to participate, cheer for the ones who post a bingo, etc. If an argument breaks out, remind people to play nice. You might want to do a little promotion in other relevant venues, but it's not required.

5) It helps to make a wrapup post at the end of the fest too, although this is also optional. Some people like to make a general badge, or custom badges for people who made bingo during the active month.

silvercat17 has written a post on "How to Host a Bingo Fest" along with a list of previous fests for examples.


Community Calendar for 2021

January

[new]
Public Domain Day Bingo hosted by silvercat17
Many new works are entering the public domain. Use them with great enthusiasm!
Posting will be January 1-31.


February

[recurring]
Valentines Fest hosted by ysabetwordsmith
This fest features romantic ups and downs, along with platonic options.
Posting will be February 1-28.


March

[new]
March Is... Bingo hosted by nsfwords
Explore all the different causes and holidays featured in March.
Posting will be March 1-31.


April

[new]
Gothic Bingo Fest hosted by ysabetwordsmith
Create Gothic works inspired by the recent TV show Wednesday.
Posting will be April 1-30.


May

[new]
Pets and Animals Bingo hosted by silvercat17
Create fills featuring our furry friends.
Posting will be May 1-31.


June

[new]
Kinky and Unusual Situations Bingo hosted by fuzzyred
Put your characters in unexpected contexts and/or bring out the kink!
Posting will be June 1-30.


July

[recurring]
Winter Fest in July hosted by vexed_wench and spiralicious
Beat the heat by focusing on winter holidays.
Posting will be July 1-31.

[new]
Fireworks Fest hosted by ysabetwordsmith
Come celebrate beautiful combustibles! Subtopics include Chemicals, Colors, Explosions, and Family Fun.
Posting will be July 1-31.


August

[new]
Sir Matthew Bourne, New Adventures theme by smallhobbit
Inspiration from dance productions
Posting will be August 1-31.


September

[recurring]
Story Sparks Bingo hosted by silvercat17
Draw narrative inspiration from these ideas.
Posting will be September 1-30.


October

[recurring]
Fall Fest hosted by vexed_wench and spiralicious
Celebrate the motifs of autumn.
Posting will be October 1-31.


November

[recurring]
Drabble Fest hosted by siberian_skys
Write tiny gems of wonder!
Posting will be November 1-30.


December

[recurring]
Amnesty Fest hosted by silvercat17
Fill out extra squares from previous cards.
Posting will be December 1-31.

Comments

[vexed_wench]

May spiralicious and I have July for Winter Fest in July as well as October for the Fall Fest?

Thank you.

Done!

[ysabetwordsmith]

Thank you for volunteering.

[silvercat17]

I'll gladly do the events I did before (Story Sparks, Body Parts, Untranslateable Words) wherever we have a hole. And I had the idea for one themed around pets/animals.

I'd do the Public Domain bingo if folks can share some ideas or help me brainstorm.

[silvercat17]

And I've shared it on Just Create and Ana Mardoll's Discord server.

Thank you!

[ysabetwordsmith]

I appreciate the signal boost! It would be great to see more folks join.

Thoughts

[ysabetwordsmith]

>> I'll gladly do the events I did before (Story Sparks, Body Parts, Untranslateable Words) wherever we have a hole. And I had the idea for one themed around pets/animals. <<

Look at the calendar, I would say space out 3 or at most 4 fests through the year. Having a mix of returning and new fests would be nice.

>> I'd do the Public Domain bingo if folks can share some ideas or help me brainstorm.<<

Okay, so Public Domain Day is when formerly copyrighted material gets released. That is January 1. Finding a list of titles whose copyright is about to expire, before that date, is often difficult. Finding lists a few days later is easy. But this year I found some early:

https://blog.archive.org/2022/11/30/public-domain-day-2023-remix-contest-the-internet-archive-is-looking-for-creative-short-films-made-by-you

https://copyrightlately.com/public-domain-day-2023/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2023_in_public_domain

One easy way to make prompt lists would be the titles of books, movies, etc.

Notably among the releases will be The Complete Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan-Doyle. That's a huge fandom, so doing a prompt list for this would be great. I could do this one if you wish. Maybe if someone else spots a fandom they love in the release list, they could do prompts for it too.

So just there -- books, movies, Sherlock Holmes -- you've got 3 sublists. You could also look at the Bingo Card Generator for premade lists, like dramatic situations, that would mix well with this theme. Generally I recommend at least 25 prompts per list because that will fill a 5x5 card.

When it comes to making public cards for a fest with several sublists, however, the host often makes 2x2 or 3x3 cards for each sublist, and sometimes a 4x4 or 5x5 card mixing prompts from all of them.

Basically, I would just like to encourage people to use the newly freed material in whatever way they wish. I'd rather not host the fest myself since I'm doing Valentines in February.

Thoughts?

Re: Thoughts

[silvercat17]

How about I do Public Domain, Pets/Animals, and Story Sparks? I'm completely open to what months.

https://publicdomainreview.org/features/entering-the-public-domain/2023/ - Public Domain Review is doing an advent calendar reveal (added so I don't lose the link)

Re: Thoughts

[ysabetwordsmith]

>>How about I do Public Domain, Pets/Animals, and Story Sparks? I'm completely open to what months.<<

January -- Public Domain
May -- Pets and Animals
September -- Story Sparks

Currently I'm researching mass extinctions. You could have some fun with different sublists of pets and animals with ice age megafauna, dinosaurs, even earlier oddities.

>> Public Domain Review is doing an advent calendar reveal (added so I don't lose the link) <<

Oh, that's cool. :D

Thanks for helping out!

Uncertain of ideas

[fuzzyred]

I don't actually have a theme in mind at the moment... Well I didn't, and I'm still very vague so I'm open to suggestions here, but maybe something kink-related, since that is an area of interest for me? If that has too much overlap with other things/events, perhaps a fest that gives you an opportunity to put characters you know into new and unusual situations? I'm not coming up with much right now, so I'm very open to input and suggestions.

I am definitely willing to host a fest though, since I've had fun the last few years, and I can take whatever month is most convenient, minus December (which usually has stuff going on IIRC).

Re: Uncertain of ideas

[ysabetwordsmith]

How about June? That's far enough away from February that the kink shouldn't be too repetitious.

Lots of fests have multiple prompt lists that people can choose one of, or mix and match. I think that kink and unusual situations would work well together. Would you, could you in a box? Would you, could you with a fox? :D

You may want to look at the Kinks and Desperate Situations prompt lists on the Bingo Card Maker.

Re: Uncertain of ideas

[fuzzyred]

June sounds like a good month to me. It's also usually not a busy time of year for me, so I should have plenty of energy and spoons for running the fest.

Ooo, I like the idea of mixing the two together!

Re: Uncertain of ideas

[ysabetwordsmith]

Okay, this is what I put in the caledar:

June

[new]
Kinky and Unusual Situations Bingo hosted by [personal profile] fuzzyred
Put your characters in unexpected contexts and/or bring out the kink!
Posting will be June 1-30.

Does that work for you?

Re: Uncertain of ideas

[fuzzyred]

That works for me! Thanks for helping turn my scattered ideas into something coherent and intriguing-sounding. :D

Re: Uncertain of ideas

[ysabetwordsmith]

I'm happy I could help! Thanks for volunteering.

[nsfwords]

I’d be interested in hosting a “March Is…” event in March. The list would have all of the different causes celebrated in March, national/international observances that occur in March, etc. including classics like Women’s History Month and Pi Day, and some of the lesser knowns such as World Compliment Day and Unique Names Day.

Thoughts?

Done!

[ysabetwordsmith]

This is what I put:

March
March Is... Bingo hosted by nsfwords
Explore all the different causes and holidays featured in March.
Posting will be March 1-31.

Does that work for you?

Since we don't have a general "spring" theme at present, you might also throw in some seasonal prompts if that appeals.

Re: Done!

[nsfwords]

This is perfect!

Re: Done!

[ysabetwordsmith]

Yay! Thanks for volunteering.

[siberian_skys]

I'd like to do The Drabble Fest in November again. I'm not sure what you think. I'm not sure I should do Amnesty for December. I don't think amnybody did anything for it.

Thoughts

[ysabetwordsmith]

>> I'd like to do The Drabble Fest in November again. I'm not sure what you think. <<

Added! I was impressed how popular that turned out to be. I wasn't sure folks would go for it, but they loved it.

>>I'm not sure I should do Amnesty for December. I don't think amnybody did anything for it.<<

Up to you. Some years people do, others they don't. You can always think it over, you've got a year. Let me know if you decide to add it later.

Re: Thoughts

[siberian_skys]

Sounds like a plan. I think the Drabble Fest was helped by the idea I was given to include not only drabbles, but to include jumping off points for larger works. I don't remember who asked me to include that, but it was a very good idea. I found myself using that idea several times in my black out.

Re: Thoughts

[ysabetwordsmith]

I agree. Might have been dialecticdreamer? I think she used a card for that.

Re: Thoughts

[siberian_skys]

It could have been. I wish I could remember. I found myself doing that and using some of my prompts for a beginning chapter or something. I'm impressed with people who do NoMoRoMo, I think its' something like that, but I can't imagine doing that.

[smallhobbit]

You've talked me into it!
I'll do a Sir Matthew Bourne, New Adventures theme
Inspiration from dance productions
Further information on the company here
I'll take August since that's currently free