Wildehopps Big Bang Challenge 🦊🐰

• You need an Archive of Our Own (Ao3) account.
• Discord account and access to the ZNN server.
• You can work with another author to write your fic. You will be considered co-authors. When you sign up, you will indicate who you will be working with. Both of you must fill out a form to sign up. Archive of Our Own (Ao3) allows for multiple authors.
• Your fanfiction must be written in English. If you would like to translate your fanfiction to another language, you can, but your submissions to us must be in English.
• Authors will submit a summary of their fanfiction and 2 drafts of their work before it is posted. The summary will be submitted via a Google Form which will be available on the ZNN website. Please note that the summary does not have to be what you ultimately post as your summary on Ao3. It should give the moderators an idea of what the fic you are going to write is about.
• Your drafts will also be submitted via Google Form which will be available on the ZNN website as well. You can attach your work as a .docx file to the Google Forms. Please be mindful of the due dates. The Google Forms will be available for one week before the due dates to give you ample time to fill them out.
• Authors will also be required to complete a check in via Google Form. On this check in, you can also express any concerns that you may have. You can express if you are having a major issue with your partner there. It will be available on the ZNN website for one week as well.
• If you fail to complete the check in and do not respond when we contact you afterwards, you will be dropped from the challenge.
• You cannot submit a fanfiction that you have posted prior. While your fanfiction can technically be a sequel to something you have written, you need to make sure that it is something that can stand alone on its own.
• All completed fics MUST be uploaded to Archive of Our Own (Ao3). You must have an Ao3 account to participate. A collection will be created on Ao3. We will create the collection. You will upload the fanfiction to the collection yourself under the “Associations” section by typing in the name of the challenge “Wildehopps Big Bang 2026” under “Post to Collections/Challenges.” The collection should appear and you will be able to add your fic.
• There will be two rounds. When you sign up for the event, you will indicate which round you would like to sign up for, or if you are available for both. It will be on a first come, first serve basis. We will try to have an equal amount of fanfiction release in the first round and then in the second round. You have more of a chance of being selected for the challenge if you are available for both rounds.
• You may not commission another artist to make art for your fanfiction. This is a not-for-profit challenge. You will be working with the artist who you are paired with. You must contact your artist partner within 48 hours of being matched. If you do not hear from your partner within that time frame, please contact us immediately at [email protected].
• Ideally, you should start collaborating with the artist once you have started writing and submitted your summary.
• You may not upload your fanfiction for the challenge to any other fanfiction website (Ex: Fanfiction.net, Wattpad).
• You may speak with other authors, artists, and mods about your work for the challenge in the designated channel on the ZNN Discord Server. The moderators of the project will assign participants of the challenge a role, so that they can access the designated channel. Please refrain from posting previews of your fanfiction in other places besides for the designated channel. This includes on your various social media accounts. Your work has to be kept a secret from anyone not involved in the challenge until your work is posted.

• The minimum word count for your fanfiction will be 10,000 words and the maximum word count will be 100,000 words. Your fanfiction cannot go under 10,000 words and it cannot exceed 100,000 words. When doing a final word count check, please copy and paste your writing to Ao3 and check the word count on the draft.
• The fanfiction must focus on Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde. The fanfiction can focus on their friendship or a romantic relationship between them. Regardless if you choose friendship or romance, Nick and Judy cannot be romantically involved with any other characters besides for each other.
• The fanfiction can be set in an Alternate Universe as long as Nick and Judy remain in character.
• An Original Character (OC) or multiple Original Characters (OCs) may be in the fanfiction, but they should not be the focus. Nick and Judy should be your main characters.
• This challenge uses the Archive of Our Own rating system. The fic may be rated for General Audiences or Teen and Up Audiences. Think about it this way—your fanfiction should, at maximum, be PG-13. All content in the fanfiction should reflect these ratings.
• If one of the main characters dies in your fic, you must use the Ao3 major archive warning for character death when you upload your fanfiction.
• It is highly recommended that you use a beta reader before you upload your completed fic. A beta reader can help you with several things such as characterization, grammar, and the overall pacing. It is not required, though. Sadly, we will not be able to assign you a beta reader, but you can try to connect with someone on the ZNN Discord server. Moderators will look at your drafts, when you submit them, but will not be able to beta read, due to our many responsibilities for the project.

• Discord account and access to the ZNN server.
• Each artist must be able to create two pieces of art to depict the fanfiction. One will be cover art for the fanfiction (fully colored) and the other will be a sketch of a scene. If you would like to add color to your second art piece and/or create more art, that is a personal choice to be discussed with your author partner.
• You must contact your writer partner within 48 hours of being matched. If you do not hear from your partner within that time frame, please contact the moderators immediately at [email protected] or DM on Discord (Atocha and/or Cafe_Civet).
• Artists may work with someone to give them feedback, but the art piece must ultimately be made by you.
• Artists may choose the website they would like to host their art on. The art must then be embedded into the fanfiction that is uploaded to the Ao3 collection by the author.
• Artists will be required to complete a check in via Google Forms. On this check in, you can express any concerns you may have, including major issues with your partner. It will be available on the ZNN website for one week.
• If you fail to complete the check in and do not respond when we contact you, you will be dropped from the challenge.
• Artists will be required to submit their works in progress twice. The first submission should include at minimum the cover art sketch. The second submission should include the cover art sketch with some color and progress on the second sketch. These will be submitted via Google Form, available on the ZNN website for one week.
• The posted art should remain public. If you decide to no longer be affiliated with it after the challenge, please inform your author partner. We ask that the art remain publicly available for at least 6 months after the challenge. Your author may wish to continue displaying the art, and it will be your choice whether to provide them with the file.
• If someone drops out or we are short on artists, we may reach out to those who expressed interest in taking on more than one project (pinch hitters). This is optional and not guaranteed. If contacted, you are not obligated to accept, but we ask that you let us know your availability.
• You may speak with other authors, artists, and moderators about your work in the designated channel on the ZNN Discord Server. Participants will be assigned a role to access this channel. Please refrain from posting previews of your art elsewhere, including social media. Your work must remain private until it is officially posted.

• A cover art piece that is fully colored, including the title of the fanfiction, the author’s name, and your artist name.
• A sketch depicting another scene in the fanfiction.
• Your art pieces should be original illustrations.
• Your art may be in any style using any materials. It can be digital or traditional art.
• The final size and orientation of the art is up to you.

• Treat fellow writers, artists, and mods with kindness and professionalism. Remember this is a collaborative project and we all love Zootopia and WildeHopps.
• When working with your partner or speaking with other participants in the challenge, constructive feedback is welcome, but unkind, dismissive, or rude comments are not tolerated.
• Harassment of any kind (including based on race, gender, orientation, age, ability, or beliefs) will result in immediate removal from the challenge.
• Communicate clearly and respectfully with your partner, the moderators, and any other participants of the challenge.
• All fanfiction and artwork must be original and made by you.
• AI-generated writing or images are not allowed in this event. This is a celebration of your creativity.
• Moderators reserve the right to remove participants who break these rules.
• If you have general questions you can ask on the designated Discord channel. However, most questions will be addressed in the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) section. Any specific concerns regarding you and your partner or private matters should be sent to our email [email protected] or DM us on Discord (Atocha and/or Cafe_Civet).
• Do not post previews of your writing or artwork for the challenge on any social media. You may share previews only in the designated channel on the ZNN Discord server.
• Remember that you may be paired with someone who romantically ships WildeHopps or does not romantically ship it. Please respect their preferences.
• All deadlines must be met. If you are having an emergency, please notify the moderator team as soon as possible at [email protected] or DM us on Discord (Atocha and/or Cafe_Civet).

🛑 Important Notes:

• You may sign up for both roles (writer + artist), but you cannot make art for your own fanfiction or write fanfiction for your own art. You will be matched with someone else.
• You cannot ask to be paired with a specific artist or writer. Everyone will be matched randomly. It is unfair to newcomers who may not know anyone in the fandom.
• In addition to the Ao3 collection, the ZNN team will be featuring all the stories on the website.

Consequences for Violations:

• First offense: Warning from moderators
• Second offense: Removal from the event
• Severe behavior (e.g. harassment, hate speech): Immediate removal and potential ban from future events.

• Artists and authors will sign up via a Google Form which will be posted on the ZNN website. You will be asked for the following information:
  • Your author or artist name that you use in fandom. This is how we will refer to you and how you will be credited when your work is published on ZNN.
  • You will indicate if you are 18 years or older, or younger than 18 (but at least 14).
  • An email that you check regularly that is safe to use for fandom.
  • The role that you would like to have in the project: author, artist, or both.
  • If you are an artist who is interested in taking on more than one project if we are short (being a pinch hitter).
  • Your Ao3 username (this is only required for participants who are signing up as authors).
  • Your Discord username.
  • Any other social media used for fandom activities that you would like to share (X, Bluesky, DeviantArt, and/or Tumblr). Since artists are not required to have an Ao3 account, they must provide at least one form of social media used specifically for fandom activities.
  • Please note that all this information will be shared with your partner.
  • You will indicate which round you are available for:
    • Round 1: January 11, 2026 (12:00 AM EST) – January 17, 2026 (11:59 PM EST)
    • Round 2: January 18, 2026 (12:00 AM EST) – January 25, 2026 (11:59 PM EST)
    • Both Rounds: Selecting this option increases your chances of participating.
  • We aim to evenly divide posting between both rounds. Everything is on a first-come, first-served basis. Please be mindful of this when registering. We will try our best to accommodate everyone’s needs. You will have a better chance to participate if you are available for both rounds.