due South Seekrit Santa
| Name: | due South Seekrit Santa (DSSS) | |
| Date(s): | approximately October 1 - December 31, annually | |
| Founder: | aerye | |
| Type: | secret santa gift exchange | |
| Fandom: | due South | |
| Associated Community: | http://community.livejournal.com/ds_ssdiscussion/ | |
| URL: | http://dsss.crocolanthus.com | |
| Click here for articles related to this site on Fanlore. | ||
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Overview
Due South Seekrit Santa is an annual gift exchange challenge for fans of due South. It was created in 2004 by aerye, who was also the moderator of the challenge through its third year (2006), after which she passed the role to Sprat. In 2008, Mergatrude kindly agreed to assist with the organization of the challenge.
DSSS welcomes all due South characters and pairings and usually takes place over the fall and winter months.
How It Works
In dS Seekrit Santa, participants are asked to request up to three characters or pairings on which they'd like their gifts to focus. They can also list three tropes or categories they'd like their gifter to avoid (their squicks). They may provide additional prompts, wishes or suggestions, though these are considered completely optional--the gifter is not required to incorporate these requests.
Participants are also asked to list all of the characters or pairings on which they would be willing to focus their own contributions, along with a list of three tropes they aren't willing to include in their work. These requests and offers are usually due in early to middle October, when, through a process involving databases, coffee and the occasional use of sorcery, the requests are matched with compatible offers and sent (in seekrit!) to each participant. At this point, it is customary to file the assignment away in a forgotten email folder and sign up for several other challenges with similar due dates. Happy weeks pass.
Then, in late November, everyone suddenly remembers that they have promised to produce a work of art for some fellow fan and there are a couple of weeks of frenzied, sleep-deprived creation. It's invigorating! We bond! In mid-December, everyone anonymously posts their contributions to the archive, where they are held in an unpublished state until December 24th, when the site is opened to public viewing. Contributions remain anonymous until December 31st, when their creator's names are revealed.
Initially focused on fiction alone, the challenge has expanded this year to include contributions from vidders and artists.
