We all love the storytelling in our manga and anime, right? But sometimes you get impatient to find out the meaning of the latest plot-twist, or think you see something odd about where the story is going, or maybe you don’t think one character’s relationship with another character is exactly what it seems… or maybe you just want more of this world and these characters than you’re getting.

If you’ve ever succumbed to that urge to peek into your favourite series’ hidden corners and drag out what you found for everyone to see, the AICon fanfiction competition is for you! And this year’s theme is crime and law enforcement, so if you’ve been looking for a perfect competition in which to enter that Black Cat or Lupin III fic, now’s your chance!

Soon we’ll be releasing info about another special category, so keep checking this page for the update.

Rules

1. The story must be no longer than 5000 words.
2. Stories containing explicit sex or violence will not be eligible for the fan vote, but may be eligible for judge’s choice.
3. Profanity is allowed for characters who habitually swear in their original context, but please do not use it excessively.
4. The story must be checked for grammar and spelling.
5. A special award will be given for best use of the con’s theme, but inclusion of the theme is not mandatory.
6. This competition is open internationally. You do not have to attend the convention in order to compete and/or win, and winners will have the right to label those stories as winning entries when posting/publishing them elsewhere. However, you must attend in order to be eligible to receive a physical prize.
7. The due date for fic submissions is 26 February – entries will not be accepted after this date.

Competition Structure

1. Judge vote – all entries will be judged by the Fanfic Coordinator and another judge with a fanfic background. Categories will be:
Best anime/manga/video game-based fic
Best Western TV/comic/book/movie-based fic
Best use of the year’s theme – 2010’s theme is “Crime”
And the special category to be announced

2. Fan vote – a shortlist of up to 6 entries will be chosen by the judges and posted on the AI-Con website for the week before the con. Readers will be able to vote online or at the con itself (where printouts of the entries will be displayed for reading), up until the close of proceedings on Saturday, after which votes will be tallied.

3. All winners will be announced at the closing ceremony, and displayed on the AICon website for a period of time after the con.