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Three Sentence Ficathon Sticky Post
Jan. 11th, 2027 03:20 pmBelow are The Basics, How It Works, How To Manage 3SF Volume, and The (Most Important) Rule of 3SF (spoiler, it's "reader beware")
The Basics
What is the 3 Sentence Ficathon?
This is an open exchange where you answer a prompt with a fic consisting of only three sentences. It's open to all fandoms and you can post and fill as many prompts as you like, as many times as you want.
Wasn’t it previously hosted on the LJ and DW accounts for caramelsilver and rthstewart?
Yes. To spare Ruth's inbox, in 2023 we decided to create a separate community.
If I have questions, what do I do?
We have an open "Ask Your Admins" post and screen comments, so you can leave a question there. It's here.
When does the 3SF run?
The 3SF typically opens for 30 days beginning sometime in mid-January or early February. The 3SF closes to new prompts 30 days later. The entries stay open permanently and people post fills all year long.
Can I spread the word?
Yes, please share the 3SF with your followers, friends, and any channels and comms you're active in.
Are there any rules about cross-posting?
Nope, you can post wherever you want, whenever you want. A lot of folks collect their responses together and post them on AO3 under the 3 sentence fiction tag. In 2023 we created a 3SF collection on AO3 where you can post your fills if you want.
Why is 3SF split among several posts? That seems confusing.
It can be confusing! The reason is because at 5,000 comments to a single post, DW installs a human test CAPTCHA, which is a pain for users. So, once the year's first post gets to the upper 4,000 comments, we open a new post. If you've been waiting until things slow down to participate, the opening of the second post is often a good place to join.
How 3SF Works
What do I do first?
You can start 3SF by posting prompts in comments! When posting a prompt please format it this way:
Only one prompt per comment please. So, for example,
Open ended and anthropomorphic fills are popular too, such as:
What happens after that?
You answer other posters' prompts in three sentences (or more if you can't stop yourself) and fill as many prompts as you want, as many times as you wish. If you see that a prompt you loved has already been filled, go ahead and fill it again! Multiple fills of the same prompt are allowed and even encouraged! Really fun stories can get going this way.
Can I still post if I need more than 3 sentences? Or should I just abuse grammar in ways the English language never contemplated?
Yes. Yes.
But I'm not a member of Dreamwidth!
No problem. You can comment anonymously or through open ID.
Managing 3SF Volume
I'm overwhelmed by how many prompts there are and how fast it goes. I can't keep up with thousands of prompts and fills.
We hear this a lot! The 3SF is big and it moves fast, especially at first. You don't want something that's supposed to be fun to cause you anxiety. Here are a couple of suggestions for managing the 3SF volume.
*Most importantly, you do not have to read every prompt and fill on every page before adding new ones. Really. You can start at the last page and just go forward, or go back a page or two. Or start in the middle. It's fine.
*You can come and go as time and energy allow, you don't have to participate the whole time, and it drops off quite a bit after the initial 2 weeks, especially once we open a new post because the first one is approaching 4,000 comments.
*Even after the 3SF and new prompting end, people fill prompts all year long.
*You can fill an already filled prompt and you can leave a prompt that's already been prompted before. People do it all the time.
*You can also try looking at top-level comments only, rather than threaded or flat view, like this:
But shouldn't I read everything to see if someone already prompted the same prompt I want to leave or make sure someone hasn't already filled it?
No. Prompt as many times as you want, as much as you want. It doesn't matter if someone prompted or filled the exact same prompt. Go ahead and prompt again!
I left a prompt and no one filled it. Can I prompt it again?
Absolutely!
Is there an easy way to find only prompts for the fandoms or characters I'm interested in?
There is! The comm is searchable. The Dreamwidth search function is located at the bottom of the left sidebar on the main comm page; tick the 'include comments' button when searching to easily find prompts for your chosen fandom/characters.
The Rules
Be kind and have fun.
What about spoilers, content and archive warnings, triggers, pairings, ratings, tags, and squicks?
This is a reader beware exchange. 3SF gets too big, moves too fast, and the stories are too short for content warnings and ratings. This community is essentially not moderated for content. You should assume spoilers are fair game and that the initial poster and the responder have opted to use no content warnings or tags. This means AO3 content warnings for dubious consent/rape, violence, major character death, and underage COULD be present (and much more). Use your best judgment, protect yourself, and be prepared to skip over things that aren't your thing. In this format, the obligation is on you, the reader, to protect yourself from triggering and spoiler content.
Do I have to tag my 3SF fills or warn for spoilers, underage, dubcon, violence, or major character death?
No. Some posters do include warnings and spoiler tags or include spoiler space, but you don't have to do so.
If I comment too much will people think I'm annoying? Won't commenting a lot bring us closer to CAPTCHA and having to open a new post?
Enthusiasm is wonderful to see! We do suggest employing moderation in how many prompts you post at once - 15-20 maximum is a good place to take a break to give others a chance. Overall, there is no such thing as too many prompts! Yes, the more comments we have, the faster we reach 4,000 comments and a new post, but comments are the entire point.
What's the culture around leaving comments on fills other people have written?
Generally, if your prompt gets filled, people will respond with a thank you and a comment. People frequently respond to prompts and fills they did not leave or make. Commenters may add to a filled prompt with another fill, which can lead to whole stories being created, spread across numerous comments, by several authors. 3SF is a community that's built around the back and forth of comments. If you don't want to read all those comments in order to leave a comment, or only want to do so as an anon, that's fine too. Again, do what works best for you.
Is RPF allowed?
Yes, both historical and modern RPF are allowed in 3SF and always have been; they’re very common requests! We ask that discretion be applied when prompting or writing RPF fills; be conscious of the limits of good taste and do not prompt/write figures such as 20th and 21st century dictators, people who are famous for willing participation in the Nazi regime, or figures known to be involved in sexual assault cases. We reserve the right to screen or delete prompts/fills at our discretion.
30 Jan 2024
