Fiction Proposal Guide

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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. The rank requirement for a fiction as an additional command is Commander. This guide includes both stories written by one person, and closed collaboration writing - that is, writing in a group on an invitation-only basis. For guidance on a proposal for an open collaboration fiction/RPG, 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 because a new fiction might require an existing registry entry, and we don’t want people hoarding ships other people could use. We also expect stories set outside of Starfleet in 2399 to still adhere to Bravo Fleet canon, and so we prefer to hear a little of 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 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.

If you want to propose a fiction on a Starfleet starship set in 2399, select a registry entry from the list. Remember that even for fictions, classes are still restricted by your rank. 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).

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 Lore 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 Lore 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 worldbuilding 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 Lore Office will request elaboration if necessary.

Participation

The proposal must specify command type: Individual - written by a single author - or Collaborative (Closed) - written by a group. Collaborative (Open) proposals are assessed like RPGs, will be considered by the Ops Department, and are beyond the scope of this guide (see the link at the beginning of this article).

A Collaborative (Closed) story should mention the rough or anticipated number of writers in the proposal. This is not a restriction, but will help set expectations for the Lore Office. Remember that a closed collaborative fiction is intended to be an invitation-only arrangement between friends.

Activity

For both Individual and Collaborative fictions, 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 Lore 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 Loremaster’s discretion. Please note that Starfleet starship fictions in 2399 - ie, those which use a registry entry - will be assessed more harshly on this, so an unused ship can be returned to the registry for someone else to apply for.

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 Lore Office! It’s okay for writing the proposal to be a discussion; while the Lore 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.