What to your wondering eyes should appear, but a new SAD event full of good cheer!

‘Tis the season for giving! Here are the deets on this year’s two part holiday event.

We really want all our members to feel like they can be a part of the event this year because this community isn’t a community without celebrating and supporting each other. So the first part of this event will be a commenting challenge. 

We will unveil the “12 Days of Commenting” challenge on December 1. Think of it as a fic scavenger hunt where you will comment along the way on all the treasures you’ve found! All 12 days will be revealed at once so that everyone can fit the fun into their holiday schedule on their terms. We will have a chart for participants to share and record their progress as they explore the challenge. Members who complete all the challenges will receive a special award! More details to come on December 1.

Writers and artists, we know you also want to create. So, in the spirit of giving, we ask that you create something new for a special someone of your choosing. Maybe that person is a commenter who always inspires you and makes you smile. Maybe it’s a beloved beta who doesn’t get nearly enough credit for their hard work. Maybe it’s another writer who talked you through your writer’s block this summer. Whoever it is, make it meaningful to the two of you! 

Your creations do not need to be holiday themed, but if you need inspiration, Grief Counseling has put together a fresh seasonal prompt list to stoke the fires of your imagination:

1. Unwrapped
2. Festival of Lights
3. Down My Chimney
4. Stockings
5. Under the Mistletoe
6. Last-Minute Shopping
7. Mittens, Mittens, Mittens
8. Red-Nosed
9. Holiday Hell
10. Nine Candles
11. Blanket of Snow
12. Crackling Fireplace
13. Winter SOULstice
14. Spike the Eggnog
15. Ugly Sweater
16. I Saw Buffy Kissing Santa Claus
17. Sleigh Ride
18. The Gift that Keeps on Giving
19. Bah Humbug
20. Baby It’s Cold Outside

D’Hoffryn has been hard at work developing a new site gifting functionality. Now, when you create a new story, you have the option to gift it to a fellow member of Sunnydale After Dark! You’ll find this new feature in the Add New Story page. Recipients will automatically receive an email alert notifying them that they’ve received a gift when your new story is posted. (You can also edit past stories to name a gift recipient, but they will not receive an email notification for this.)

Your giftee will appear along with all your other story’s info:

Anyone who gifts a fic during December should check the ‘Tis the Season event box in order to receive an award and be listed on the event page. Credited betas and artists will also receive an award.

Lastly but not leastly (yes, this post is A LOT!), we are excited to announce the return of the holiday party on Discord! We will post in the 'Tis The Season event channel a few proposed times for our winter bash and let the community vote on their preferred time. Expect a lot of chatting, a return of last year’s delightful (and optional) Spuffy themed drink menu, and perhaps a few surprises!

As always, if you have any questions please feel free to reach out to one of the admins!

Cheers!