Camelot Remix

What is a Camelot Remix?
Camelot Remix is a remix challenge for both Merlin and Merlin RPF fanworks. In your signup you can specify whether you're willing to write, create art or podfic works that are FPF (Fictional Person Fanworks), RPF (Real Person Fanworks), or both.

Whilst we will try to match people by preferred pairings, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to match you with your desired pairings, so before you sign up make sure you're open to writing different kinds of stories.

Camelot Remix is an anonymous fest until we reveal the creators at the end of the fest.

What does a Remix entail?

A remix is a challenge where you either:

a) write a new version of a story by another participant,

b) write a story based on another participant’s art,

c) create a piece of art based on another participant’s story, or,

d) create a new piece of art based on another participant’s art

If you decide to Remix by writing a story, you should keep the basics of the story the same (including the basic plot, characters, pairings or lack thereof), but change the style, structure, focus, pov, or etc. Our "What's a remix?" post ( LJ | DW ) explains some more about what remixing means and some of the different approaches people have used in the past. You can also get some quick ideas by checking out the entries from previous fests. 

If you decide to Remix by creating a piece of art, you should keep the basics the same (characters/pairings/lack thereof), but apply your own style, focus, etc.

This year's Camelot Remix entries will be posted in a new sub-collection under our AO3 Collection.

What are the eligibility requirements?

In order to sign up as a regular participant, you need to have one, or a combination, of the following for your remixer to choose from:
- at least five remixable fics of at least 500 words each,
- 5 pieces of art, or
- 5 original podficced works (the podfic must be based on a work created by yourself).

These five works:

- must be posted publicly.

- must be complete (no works in progress).

- can be FPF, RPF, or a combination of both (for example, two Gwen/Morgana works and four Bradley/Colin works), but not crossovers with other fandoms.

- should stand on their own – five parts of one story counts as one story, not five.

- should not be collaborative projects or remixes of other people's work.

You'll have the option of designating a "safe work" that cannot be remixed. This work won't count toward the five works you need in order to qualify. You will also have the option of denoting a "starred work" which is the work you'd most like to see remixed. Keep in mind that your remixee is in no way obligated to remix this work, nor are you obligated to remix the starred work of the person to whom you are assigned.

Crossovers and fics of less than 500 words are fair game for remixing even though they don’t count toward the eligibility requirement. Collaborative works are not fair game for remixing.

If you submit a podfic as part of your works, then it must be a podfic of your own work to be eligible for the fest, though you are welcome to make a podfic as your remixed work.

If you don't have enough qualifying works, you can still sign up as a pinch-hitter and we'll contact you if we need someone to create an extra work.

What do I have to create?

Writers: You need to write one story of at least 500 words that remixes one story/art by your assigned remixee. There is no upper word count limit.

Artists: You need to create one piece of art that remixes one story/art by your assigned remixee. Word counts do not apply.

Podficcers: You need to create one podfic that remixes one story, or a podfic based on/inspired by one piece of art from your assigned remixee.

The story/art/podfic you choose to remix can be any length and can be a crossover with another fandom, but it can’t be a work in progress, a remix, a collaboration, or the remixee’s "safe work".

We will e-mail you with your remixee's name and a link to their work, and you'll have about eight weeks to create and post your work.

How do I sign up?

There will be a sign-ups post here on the camelotremix journal as well as a Google Form for those who don’t wish to use LJ, though if you do not have an LJ account, we still encourage you to comment anonymously or with OpenID.

We will e-mail you your assignment, which we'll ask you to keep secret until the reveals post is up, about a week after the final work is posted to the AO3 Collection.

In the sign-ups post/form, we'll ask you to post a link to a list of all your Merlin works; this could be a website, a journal post or a fic journal with tags, or a page at AO3, tumblr, deviantart, etc. If you don't have your fanworks listed or organized somewhere, please try to take care of that before you sign up, it'll make things a lot easier on us and your remixer!

Where will the works be posted?

The works will be posted to the Camelot Remix sub-collection of the current year under the mainparent collection at AO3. This will make it possible for each author to edit their own work whenever they need. It will also make it easy for the mods to control when the works go public and when the remixers' names are revealed.

If you do not have an AO3 account and do not want to get one, the mods will be happy to post your work for you directly to the LJ and DW comms. However, please be aware that by doing so, you do not have as much direct control of your work that you would have by posting your work to AO3.

What if I need to drop out?

We hope you'll only sign up if you're confident you can create a remixed fanwork by the deadline, but we understand that these things don't always work out. If you need to drop out of the challenge, just let us know as soon as possible so we'll have time to find a pinch-hitter and they'll have some time to create their work. ♥ You can e-mail us at camelotremix@gmail.com or send us a message on LJ or Dreamwidth.

What about this other thing?

Have other questions or concerns? Feel free to comment here, e-mail, or PM the mods.

How can I keep up with announcements?

Friend or track camelotremix here on LJ or you can follow us on Tumblr on https://camelotremix.tumblr.com/

So, what exactly is a remix? This post has some more details about what remixing usually means, as well as some suggestions and guidelines for what we expect in this challenge.

What is a remix?

The biggest remix challenge that people may be familiar with is Remix Redux, an annual multifandom challenge that was run by musesfool and co-mods on Livejournal from 2003-2015. Here are a couple excerpts from their explanation of what a remix is:

Ever read a story and think, wow, what a fascinating story, but if I had written it, I would have…? Well, now here's your chance to do just that. Rewrite someone else's story, tell somebody else's tale. Take the work of another person and wrap it up in your vision and style, just like a remixer does to songs.

...You can do whatever you like to the story — change POV, dialogue, mood, characterization, make it longer or shorter, whatever — except for two things: pairing(s) and the basic plotline.

At Camelot Remix, we like to think of remixing as creating a new fanwork that is a complement to the original; a story or piece of art that will stand on its own, but which will also be interesting to someone who's already viewed or read the original work.

Often, a good remix will give the reader a new way of appreciating the original by filling out the background, giving another character's perspective, or explaining the characters' motivations in a different way. Alternatively, it might remix the original work in a completely different medium, such as turning a fic into fanart or podfic. 

How do I remix a fanwork?

There are many ways to remix. Some of the most popular methods include:

• changing the POV. For instance, if the original work is a fic from Merlin’s POV, you might remix it from the POV of another character—or even the POV of a potted plant in Merlin’s office, as in mk_emrys’s remix It Started with A Cream Bun of polomonkey’s Twice as Sweet As Sugar.
  
  

• writing a sequel/prequel or adding a ‘missing scene’ from an existing fic.
  
  

• changing a fanfic’s tense, genre, or structure. Perhaps you could tell the story in a different order; as a series of drabbles, letters, or texts; or use a 5 Things format.
  
  

• changing the medium. For instance, you might create a podfic of someone’s written work, or write fanfic for a piece of fanart. Similarly, you might consider making fanart (or even a fan-comic) based on a fanfic.
  
  

• changing the composition or colour palette, or otherwise reworking a piece of art in your own style. If your remixee does hyper-realistic art, for example, you might choose to make a Chibi version. 

Other ways to remix include:

• changing the time period (e.g. from canon to modern or vice versa, or to some kind of futuristic or historical AU). 

• changing the focus (e.g. highlighting a minor event or character).

• changing the AU or trope (e.g. ABO, fairytale AU, non-magic AU, etc.).

What should I NOT do for a remix?

Please do not:

• change the pairing (or lack thereof). It’s okay to bring a background pairing into the foreground or focus on different parts of the fanwork to make your remix more gen, but if a work features Gwen and Morgana together, don’t replace one of them with Morgause. Similarly, don’t turn an M/F pairing into an M/M pairing, or vice versa.
  
  

• alter the ‘feel’ of the work. If Arthur is a nice guy in the original, don’t turn him into a cheating asshole; similarly, don’t turn a piece of fluffy, lighthearted fanart into something dark and gory.
  
  

• change the basic plotline of a fanfic. Details can be changed, but the essential action should stay the same. If the original is about Bradley and Colin going on a road trip together, you can give them some different adventures along the way, but don’t turn it into a story about them sharing a house.
  
  

• remix an off-limits fanwork. As stated in the FAQ, you may not remix a fanwork that is unfinished, a collaborative work, or a remix itself. You also may not remix your remixee’s designated “safe work” (if they have one). 

Expectations and fest etiquette

1. Please be respectful of other challenge participants. In particular, while you are obviously not required to remix a particular work if it contains something that is a squick/trigger for you, we expect you to keep an open mind and refrain from mocking or criticising the fanworks of your remixee, regardless of your personal preferences. This is a challenge to remix a work your own way, so getting assigned to someone whose taste is different from yours gives you more room to be creative, not less.
   
   

2. This is an anonymous challenge. Please keep the details of your assignment and what you’re creating a secret until after the reveals have been posted.
   
   

3. Remember to thank your remixer! A remix is different from a gift exchange, in that the goal isn’t to create something the recipient/remixee will like but to refashion the original work in the remixer’s own style. That being said, as a remixee you’re the person who knows the original fanwork best and who has the best perspective to appreciate the remix. Most creators would love to hear what you think of their creation, and it’s common courtesy to stop by and leave a comment/kudos etc. on their work as part of the fest. If you can’t think of anything to say, you might consider starting with something simple: “Thank you for remixing my fanwork!”

Further reading

Want to read more about remixing? Check out Fanlore's Remix page for additional ideas!

Many people find the easiest way to understand remixing is to look at a few examples, so check out our Camelot Remix collection on AO3 to see what others have done previously.

Discuss!

What about you? What are your questions, your worries and doubts? 

If you've done this before, what did you find especially awesome or especially challenging? What advice would you give someone remixing for the first time, or someone still deciding whether to sign up? You’re also welcome to link us to your favourite remixes or remix meta posts.

Your first time remixing? Check out our very first Remix discussion thread to see how people felt and how they approached the challenge here!

Updated February 2021

2020 camelotremix
REVEAL & MASTERLIST

♥ Thank you everyone for joining us again this year, we hope to see you all again next year!

♥ We've had some fantastic remixes this year and want to thank all of our remixers for your hard work - you've been AMAZING.

♥ Thank you to everyone who read, commented, kudosed or showed love in any way for the works created. And if you haven't left some comments, kudos, or love. Here's your chance!

Your ever-loving mods, Kitty & Fifty ♥ 

Fic: slantedknitting wrote A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Merman (the ocean remix) for lfb72

(Merlin/Arthur – NC-17 – 42k)

Summary: Merlin lives a fairly simple life underwater. He teaches history, and he teaches magic. The magic teaching isn’t allowed, though, and to test his loyalty, Queen Nimueh sends him on a mission to destroy a nearby ship and drown any and all passengers. When Merlin can’t bring himself to kill the handsome sailor, instead saving his life, Queen Nimueh bans him from the ocean, forcing him to take up a new life on land.

Fic: awyvern wrote Revenge (the Hat of Horror Remix) for kunstlerin69 / keeperofstories

(Merlin/Arthur – NC-17 – 1.5k)

Summary: Morgana arranges a bachelor auction, and Merlin gets assigned the worst attire. But had Arthur anything to do with it?

Fic: schweetheart wrote Know Him Blind (the Looking For You remix) for aeris444

(Gwaine/Percival – G – 852w)

Summary: "And then my soul saw you and it kind of went 'Oh, there you are. I've been looking for you.’” – Iain S. Thomas. Two men walk into a bar. What happens next is history.

Fic: geekslave wrote Where I Find Peace for moonflower999

(Merlin/Arthur – PG – 4.5k)

Summary: Growning up, all Arthur longed for was a true place to call home. By the time he was twelve, he found two of them - one was a magical spot in the woods. The other was a miracle named Merlin. 

Art: altocello created Knowing When (to hold me close, let me go): the Mother's Love remix for merlocked18

(Merlin/Arthur (implied) – G – Art)

Summary: Hunith, knowing when to hold her child close in his grief, and when to let go. 

Fic: camelittle wrote The Rats are Getting Bigger! The 'Hot Mess DragonDads are Back' Remix for fifty_fifty

(Merlin/Arthur – PG-13 – 10.8k)

Summary: It was bad enough that Merlin had to keep both his magic and his almighty crush on the prince a secret, while simultaneously having to occupy a space next to the room where Arthur bathed, slept and changed. But having to hide a baby dragon as well? Intolerable.

Fic: keeperofstories wrote The Delights of Eavesdropping (A Tasting His Lips Remix) for dhampir1508

(Merlin/Arthur – PG-13 – 3.7k)

Summary: Merlin gets a compliment. Several, in fact. Arthur gets a little hot...and then very bothered.

ART: eisbaerfussel created Coffee made by a King - A "Until the End of Days" Remix for clea2011

(Merlin/Arthur – G – Art)

Summary: Soft light, a bright kitchen, and coffee made by your King... this is how love goes, isn't it?

FIC: ajsrandom wrote On My Way (The Homecoming Remix) for elveatas 

(Merlin/Morgana – E – 1.1k)

Summary: Merlin contemplates his impending homecoming, especially what he wants to do to his wife, whom he hasn't seen in three years.

FIC: excaliburstark wrote Go Gently (When I Die Remix) for geekslave/ Geeklover 

(Merlin/Arthur – G – 1.3k)

Summary: When Arthur Pendragon witnesses a car crash it forces him to to open up about his deeply buried feelings for his best friend.

FIC: aeris444 wrote The Prefect bedroom for fractionallyfox 

(Gwaine/Leon – PG – 592w)

Summary: Gwaine doesn't understand why Leon has such a large bedroom

ART: lfb72 created The Once and Future Roller King (AKA the roll to me remix) for pelydryn 

(Arthur/Merlin – T – Art)

Summary: Arthur had been back from the dead for five days when Merlin decided to take him roller skating. Merlin’s primary motivation was to see the mighty king fall on his backside, alas, just like everything else, Arthur takes the eighties disco scene in his stride and totally rocks in his red satin shorts and sunglasses.

FIC: impala_chick wrote Looking to the Sky (the Oh Canada remix) for amphigoury 

(Merlin/Arthur – T – 8.8k)

Summary: It's Arthur's last year as a Snowbirds pilot, and he wants to ensure the squadron has the best year they've ever had. He's confident that his half-sister Morgana will be their new rising star, but he's completely unprepared to meet his match in the form of pilot Merlin Emrys.

FIC: lairofthedragon wrote Hypopyrexia for camelittle 

(Merlin/Arthur – E – 4k)

Summary: If anyone had asked Merlin what he expected his day to be like, he would have said, "Nothing special." How could he have known that he'd end up getting drugged, shot at, and mated, all within the span of two very short hours?

FIC: clea2011 wrote Perfect 10 (The Affectionately, Adoringly Remix) for violeteyedhair / KimliPan

(Gwaine/Leon, Merlin/Arthur, Gwen/Lance – PG – 9.5k)

Summary: Merlin works in Gwen and Lance's coffee shop. And what every coffee shop needs is a postcard exchange, obviously.

In which Merlin tries a spot of matchmaking for lonesome Leon. Gwaine is not his first choice. And Arthur is absolutely not supposed to join in, whatever Gwen thinks. Of course, nothing goes to plan...

FIC: aoigensou wrote Theatricality (Variation on a Duet Arranged for Two Lovestruck Imbeciles and Pianoforte) for awyvern / wyvern

(Arthur/Merlin – M – 21k+)

Summary: When Lord Arthur Pendragon, son of His Grace Uther Pendragon, 11th Duke of Norfolk, went to the Theatre Royal that fateful evening he hadn’t been expecting to become so enchanted with the lead actor, Mr. Merlin Ambrose. But Arthur is used to getting what he wants, and if he wants an actor then he will do what it takes to get him regardless of the societal norms that forces him to keep his desires hidden. Even if it means lying about his identity and obtaining work behind the scenes. Little does he know, Mr. Ambrose has a secret of his own. OR: The gay Regency romance fic nobody asked for.

FIC: linorien wrote A Week in Your Shoes for ajsrandom

(Merlin/Morgana – PG – 14.5k)

Summary: When it all became too much, Morgana and Merlin just wanted a week off. No annoying nobles, no troublesome students. But they couldn’t afford a week off. However, they could come up with a clever way to trade responsibilities (and bodies).

FIC:dhampir1508 wrote The Harvester Remix for excaliburstark

(Merlin/Arthur – PG – 1.8k)

Summary: Merlin can't wait for his husband Arthur to return from a weeklong family visit.

ART: merlocked18 created Remix of You've Made An Addict of Me for impala_chick

(Merlin/Arthur – M – Art)

Summary: Arthur can't stop thinking about Emrys, the King of the Druids, and the way Emrys had made him feel last time he visited the man in his cave. Emrys was no angel, he was magic, able to manipulate and manhandle Arthur, using magic to gods know what nefarious purposes, yet Arthur could not get him out of his mind. Arthur almost wished for clashes between his patrols and druids, so that he may request another meeting and fit his arms around that lithe waist and lose himself in taste, scent and otherworldly sensation again.

FIC:  fractionallyfoxtrot wrote Strength of the Land (The New Growth Remix) for linorien

(Gen – G – 2.8k)

Summary: Gwaine takes his promise as Steward of the land very seriously, as seriously as he guards his friendship with Merlin and his oath to Camelot. He fights for Merlin and the land until the very end.

And at the end, the land is there for him.

FIC: pelydryn77 wrote Kilgharrah, If You Please for polomonkey

(Merlin/Arthur – M – 12.4k)

Summary: In which I, Kilgharrah the Great, give a fair account, noble and true, of the events that occurred in the story "Get Sick Soon", recorded by Polomonkey but experienced first-hand by me. Don't let any reports of the unreliability of eyewitness testimony sway you. This is what really happened. I was there. And I never misrepresent anything. Just ask Merlin. He'll back me up on this one. Or I'll scratch up his favourite woodcut. The one with the runes designed to ensure potency in bed.

(I know, I know, Camelot Remix is supposed to be an anonymous fest. But unless I claim my work, how will you all know that the narrator of this tale can be trusted? You have to understand that I was actually there. Surely the rules don't apply to someone as esteemed as I?)

FIC: moonflower999 wrote A Bit Of A Shock (The Trust. Remix) fordigthewriter

(Arthur/Merlin – PG – 1.2k)

Summary: Merlin has gone. Arthur finds him after searching for him high and low. Will Merlin forgive him

ART: digthewriter created Tarot Cards for altocello

(Arthur/Merlin – G – ART)

Summary: The Magician and the King of Swords. Merlin: Manifestation, resourcefulness, power, inspired action. Arthur: Mental clarity, intellectual power, authority, truth.Wednesday

FIC: polomonkey wrote Through His Eyes (The Look At Me Remix) for lairofthedragon / TheDragon

(Arthur/Merlin, Merlin/Knights – R – 2.5k)

Summary: He loves to watch and Merlin loves to be watched. He loves to dominate and Merlin loves to be dominated. They’re a perfect match for each other in so many ways.

Arthur and the knights have their way with Merlin.

ART: amphigory created Decisions, Decisions (the Episode - Choose Your Shovelware Remix) for eisbaerfussel

(Arthur/Merlin – R – ART)

Summary: Arthur has to decide what to do when he catches Merlin playing NSFW video games during work hours..... AGAIN!

FIC: fifty_fifty wrote The Quartermaster Who Loved Him (The Bondverse Remix) for degrees / aoigensou

(Arthur/Merlin – NC-17 – 9.2k)

Summary: Merlin Emrys is a researcher and one of Her Majesty’s best and brightest at MI6 headquarters. His latest tech is a huge hit with the secret service and everything seems to be going swimmingly, until a hot new 00 agent comes along and messes things up royally.

Or how Merlin and Arthur met, and what happened next.

FIC: elveatas wrote The Mistletoe Conspiracy (The Mistletoe Madness Remix) for slantedknitting

(Arthur/Merlin – G – 3.7k)

Summary: As a prank, Morgana has put up enchanted mistletoe all over the castle, which traps whoever steps beneath one until they've been kissed by their true love. As such, Arthur has memorised every single location of mistletoe to avoid being trapped and having to confess his inappropriate love for his assistant, Merlin.

And his vigilance pays off; he doesn’t get caught even once.

But Merlin does, which is worse.

ART: eisbaerfussel created Meanwhile, In Another Dimension - A "The Adventures Of Arthur Rabbit" Remix for schweet_heart

(Arthur/Merlin – G – ART)

Summary: The problems one might encounter if one was born as a bunny.