Everyone, assignments have gone out! As of now, we have no initial pinch hits - everyone was matchable on the first go!

Right now, an email should be winging its way to the inbox you used to sign up for the Black Emporium on Ao3. You should also be able to find your assignment on the "Assignments" tab of your Ao3 portal. We hope you're excited -- we're excited! It’s an exciting time! You’ve just received the email telling you that you’re assigned to create a fanwork for somebody.

But wait -- there’s a lot there! There’s pairings that you didn’t offer! There’s details about plots and ideas that aren’t what you usually work with! What are you going to do?

First, remember the first page of the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy:

Don’t Panic.

Your recipient has different tastes and preferences from you, and that’s to be expected. You are not obligated to incorporate everything your recipient asked for -- in fact, given the length of letters out there, it would be impossible to do everything. Your main goal is to write one story or draw one picture, based on one of the rare pairs in the assignment you were given.

Second, remember that you were matched to this person. That means there was at least one pairing they wanted to see that you put in your offers. Maybe it’s not your OTP. Maybe it’s something you’ve never done before. The mods don’t know any of that. The mods were just trying to give everyone a good match.

The pairing is the ninth or tenth instead of the first? Don’t read anything into that. It’s a pairing that they took the time to confirm they wanted to see brought to life. Let’s shorten that: it’s a pairing they wanted.

Third, remember that you are only obligated to respect their DNWs. This is the only thing that the mods will enforce when reviewing assignments. Likes, preferences, story ideas? Well, they’re really more of … guidelines. You are, of course, encouraged to give them consideration, but in the end, this is your story. You might be thinking -- wait, isn’t it the other way around? Isn’t it supposed to be theirs? The answer is no. If they create it, it’s theirs. You are creating it, therefore it is yours. Everyone who signed up for this exchange knew they were going to be getting something different from what they would create themselves. Maybe it’s in style. Maybe it’s in focus, or details, or any number of things.

That’s the point of a fanwork exchange.

Fourth, remember that you only have to create one complete fic of 1,000 words or one complete piece of fanart, featuring one of the pairings requested by your recipient. You have until August 29 to do this. That’s it. Anything more that is a bonus, not a requirement. The rest, as they say, is gravy.

If what we sent you was 100% something you cannot do for whatever reason, please contact the mods either via a private message to this account or an email and let us know. We will handle it confidentially. If something comes up -- and in this time we know many of us have some uncertainty to our lives -- let us know, so that we can work with you to  finish your work or make sure your assignment goes to another writer/artist so that it can be finished. The archive does not open until everyone has a gift.

Take a deep breath. And another. You’ll be fine. You’ve got this. We’re here for you. The mods, and the community as a whole. We’re excited to see what you come up with. We know it will be great. Because you’re great. Good luck, and may the Maker stir your creativity!