Fiction Proposal Guide

This guide lays out writing a proposal for a Bravo Fleet fiction, as per the Canon Policy. Please note that is not relevant for requesting a primary command, which any member can automatically request upon reaching the rank of Lieutenant Commander. Nor is this relevant for an additional 25th-century Starfleet ship, which members can request under the squadron system upon reaching the rank of Captain. This guide is for requesting a fiction about a non-Starfleet story in the 25th century, or a fiction set in a different era of Trek canon. Members are eligible for these fictions from the rank of Commander.

Please note that while a small civilian ship - a non-Starfleet Phoenix, Groumall, or Kaplan F17 class, for example - does require a fiction proposal, it is also part of the squadron system. Such a ship has a squadron strength of 1. Members should make sure they have the available squadron strength before submitting this sort of fiction proposal. Typically, these concepts take the form of 'independent traders,' usually with a roguish undertone and drawing on themes akin to the TV show Firefly or Star Wars ships like the Millennium Falcon. If you are unsure if your concept is covered by the squadron system, please reach out to the Intelligence Office. Other 25th-century concepts, such as a different Federation non-Starfleet setting or a Klingon warship, do not fall under the squadron system.

For guidance on a proposal for a RPG, which includes any writing with other members, please read this guide. A more in-depth summary of the different kinds of writing you can do in BF can be found here.

Proposals are necessary to ensure that stories outside of the norm of BF writing are possible but nevertheless adhere to canon policy and the spirit of Bravo Fleet writing. The primary story of BF is Starfleet in the 25th century. So we prefer to hear what writers intend with more unusual tales, where they might be the first to write in a specific era or area, or to demonstrate they’re familiar with the already-established fleet canon.

Creating a Proposal

Proposals are made on BFMS through the ‘Command’ section when you are logged in. Simply press the ‘Add Command’ button at the top as you would when you applied for your primary command. Until your proposal is accepted, you only need to fill the ‘Command Proposal’ section of the form.

A fiction proposal for a non-Starfleet setting or based in a different era does not need a registry entry selected (that will be created later if your proposal is successful). You should specify any information about a relevant ship, including name and class, in the proposal.

Premise

Every proposal should include a quick explanation of the story premise. This does not have to be vast; one or two paragraphs will often suffice. It should explain the basic concept, the setting, the era, and the purpose of the story. Remember that this is being written for the Intelligence Office’s consideration, not a public audience. The purpose is to explain your concept clearly and fully, not lure in a prospective reader with teasing suggestions.

A proposal should also include at least one quick mission summary. You don’t have to commit to writing it, but you should be able to describe the sorts of stories you would tell with this fiction. Again, this is for the Intel Office to assess your proposal; it’s preferable to explain how you might write the resolution of a story’s conflict, instead of writing it like a TV guide teaser. This does not have to be a point-by-point summary but should demonstrate you have a grasp of what stories you will tell.

Historical stories can only be set within an era that has been depicted or explicitly discussed in Trek canon. This excludes, for instance, anything from the founding of the Federation to the era of TOS/early Discovery. The world-building requirements for such stories go beyond the scope of a fiction proposal. Remember that historical stories are still set within Bravo Fleet canon.

A historical fiction on a Starfleet ship can use any starship class appropriate to that era, unless it is restricted by your rank. For example, a TOS-era fiction can use a Constitution-class ship. But a Dominion War-era fiction cannot use a Sovereign-class ship unless you already hold the rank of Captain. Historical fictions are not an opportunity to bypass rank restrictions on classes. You do not have to use ships which already exist in the registry, and can even request a ship of the same name but a different class to one in the registry - so long as the registry ship had not yet been built in that era.

If you wish to write a non-Starfleet ship, please specify the class of ship, or give some details if it would need a whole new one. We do not want you to write a whole new class proposal, merely a brief description of the class’s purpose and role. The Intel Office will request elaboration if necessary.

Activity

The proposal should mention the expected level of activity. This is not a hard-and-fast rule and can, in fact, be quite lax or slow, such as one story a month. We ask for this so we can tell if a fiction has gone inactive. If you fail to write as often as stated in your proposal, you will be contacted by the Intel Office to check if you are still using the command. The activity commitment can be renegotiated at this point if necessary, and if you are still interested in writing.

If you consistently do not meet the agreed activity level, the command may be deemed inactive at the Intelligence Officer's discretion. If you transfer to the Reserves, either by request or through inactivity, your fiction will be closed. You must contact the Intelligence Office upon returning to an active Task Force to discuss restoring a closed fiction. Such restoration will happen at the IO's discretion.

Command Description

While you do not need to fill in the Command Description section of the form, feel free to do so if you think it will help you demonstrate your premise and proposal. Please still use that section as you would if the proposal were accepted and this became the public page of your fiction.

If you have any further questions about your proposal or how to begin writing one, please contact the Intel Office! It’s okay for writing the proposal to be a discussion; while the Intel Office does not want to receive an unfinished work in progress, feedback is more likely than an outright rejection. Don’t worry about getting it perfect first time.