What is a Remix?

So, what exactly is a remix? You might find yourself asking.This page aims to give you some more details and explain what remixing usually means, as well providing some suggestions and guidelines for what we expect with this challenge.What is a remix?A remix is where a fanwork creator takes another person's fanwork and creates a new fanwork which is based upon the original work.The biggest remix challenge that people may be familiar with is Remix Redux, which was an annual multifandom challenge that was run by musesfool and co-mods on Livejournal from 2003-2015. Here is an excerpt they used to explain what a remix is:^{'Ever read a story and think, wow, what a fascinating story, but if I had written it, I would have…? Well, now here's your chance to do just that. Rewrite someone else's story, tell somebody else's tale. Take the work of another person and wrap it up in your vision and style, just like a remixer does to songs.'}When remixing you can do whatever you like to the story — change POV, dialogue, mood, characterization, make it longer or shorter, whatever — with the exception of two things:
pairing(s) and the basic plotline.At Camelot Remix, we like to think of remixing as creating a new fanwork that is a complement to the original; a story or piece of art that will stand on its own, but which will also be interesting to someone who's already viewed or read the original work.Often, a good remix will give the reader a new way of appreciating the original by filling out the background, giving another character's perspective, or explaining the characters' motivations in a different way. Alternatively, it might remix the original work in a completely different medium, such as turning a fic into fanart or podfic.How do I remix a fanwork?There are many ways to remix.Some of the most popular methods include:✨ changing the POV
For instance, if the original work is a fic from Merlin’s POV, you might remix it from the POV of another character—or even the POV of a potted plant in Merlin’s office, as in mk_emrys’s remix It Started with A Cream Bun of polomonkey’s Twice as Sweet As Sugar.✨ writing a sequel/prequel or adding a ‘missing scene’ from an existing fic✨ changing a fanfic’s tense, genre, or structure
Perhaps you could tell the story in a different order; as a series of drabbles, letters, or texts; or use a 5 Things format.✨ changing the medium
For instance, you might create a podfic of someone’s written work, or write fanfic for a piece of fanart. Similarly, you might consider making fanart (or even a fan-comic) based on a fanfic.✨ changing the composition or colour palette, or otherwise reworking a piece of art in your own style
If your remixee does hyper-realistic art, for example, you might choose to make a Chibi version.Other ways to remix could involve:✨ changing the time period
(e.g. from canon to modern or vice versa, or to some kind of futuristic or historical AU).✨ changing the focus
(e.g. highlighting a minor event or character).✨ changing the AU or trope
(e.g. ABO, fairytale AU, non-magic AU, etc.).What should I NOT do for a remix?PLEASE DO NOT:❌ change the pairing (or lack thereof).
It’s okay to bring a background pairing into the foreground or focus on different parts of the fanwork to make your remix more gen, but if a work features Gwen and Morgana together, don’t replace one of them with Morgause. Similarly, don’t turn an M/F pairing into an M/M pairing, or a moresome into a pair, or vice-versa, etc.❌ alter the ‘feel’ of the work
If Arthur is a nice guy in the original, don’t turn him into a cheating asshole; similarly, don’t turn a piece of fluffy, lighthearted fanart into something dark and gory.❌ change the basic plotline of a fanfic
Details can be changed, but the essential action should stay the same. If the original is about Bradley and Colin going on a road trip together, you can give them some different adventures along the way, but don’t turn it into a story about them sharing a house.❌ remix an off-limits fanwork
As stated in our FAQ, you may not remix a fanwork that is unfinished, a collaborative work, or a remix itself. You also may not remix your remixee’s designated “safe work” (if they have one).Expectations and fest etiquette✔ Please be respectful of other challenge participants
In particular, while you are obviously not required to remix a particular work if it contains something that is a squick/trigger for you, we expect you to keep an open mind and refrain from mocking or criticising the fanworks of your remixee, regardless of your personal preferences. This is a challenge to remix a work your own way, so getting assigned to someone whose taste is different from yours gives you more room to be creative, not less.✔ This is an anonymous challenge
Please keep the details of your assignment and what you’re creating a secret until after the reveals have been posted.✔ Remember to thank your remixer!
A remix is different from a gift exchange, in that the goal isn’t to create something the recipient/remixee will like but to refashion the original work in the remixer’s own style. That being said, as a remixee you’re the person who knows the original fanwork best and who has the best perspective to appreciate the remix. Most creators would love to hear what you think of their creation, and it’s common courtesy to stop by and leave a comment/kudos etc. on their work as part of the fest. If you can’t think of anything to say, you might consider starting with something simple: “Thank you for remixing my fanwork!”Further readingWant to read more about remixing? Check out Fanlore's Remix page for additional ideas!Many people find the easiest way to understand remixing is to look at a few examples, so check out our Camelot Remix collection on AO3 to see what others have done previously.

FAQs & Rules

Here are the FAQs and Rules as well as the eligibility requirements for Camelot Remix.What is a Camelot Remix?
Camelot Remix is a remix challenge for both Merlin and Merlin RPF fanworks.When signing up for the fest, you can specify whether you're willing to write, create art or podfic works that are FPF (Fictional Person Fanworks), RPF (Real Person Fanworks), or both.Whilst we will try to match people by preferred pairings and other preferences, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to match you with your desired pairings or desired fanwork type, so before you sign up make sure you're open to receiving different kinds of stories/fanworks.Camelot Remix is an anonymous fest until we reveal the creators at the end of the fest.What does a Remix entail?
A remix is a challenge where you either:a) write a new version of a story by another participant,
b) write a story based on another participant’s art,
c) create a piece of art based on another participant’s story, or,
d) create a new piece of art based on another participant’s artFor the purpose of this fest 'art' includes traditional and digital art, podfic, manips, gifs and other visual artforms.If you decide to Remix by writing a story, you should keep the basics of the story the same (including the basic plot, characters, pairings or lack thereof), but change the style, structure, focus, pov, or etc. Our "What's a remix?" section explains some more about what remixing means and some of the different approaches people have used in the past. As well as some important Do's and Don'ts, so please ensure you check it out.You can also get some quick ideas by checking out the entries from previous fests.If you decide to Remix by creating a piece of art, you should keep the basics the same (characters/pairings/lack thereof), but apply your own style, focus, etc.This year's Camelot Remix entries will be posted in a new sub-collection under our AO3 Collection.What are the eligibility requirements?
In order to sign up as a regular participant, you need to have one, or a combination, of the following for your remixer to choose from:
- at least five remixable fics of at least 500 words each,
- 5 pieces of art, or
- 5 original podficced works (the podfic must be based on a work created by yourself).These five works:
- must be posted publicly.
- must be complete (no works in progress).
- can be Fanfic, RPF, or a combination of both (for example, two Gwen/Morgana works and four Bradley/Colin works), but not crossovers with other fandoms.
- should stand on their own – five parts of one story counts as one story, not five.
- should not be collaborative projects or remixes of other people's work.You'll have the option of designating a "safe work" that cannot be remixed. This work won't count toward the five works you need in order to qualify. You will also have the option of denoting a "starred work" which is the work you'd most like to see remixed. Keep in mind that your remixee is in no way obligated to remix this work, nor are you obligated to remix the starred work of the person to whom you are assigned.Crossovers and fics of less than 500 words are fair game for remixing even though they don’t count toward the eligibility requirement. Collaborative works are not fair game for remixing.If you submit a podfic as part of your works, then it must be a podfic of your own work to be eligible for the fest, though you are welcome to make a podfic as your remixed work.If you don't have enough qualifying works, you can still sign up as a pinch-hitter and we'll contact you if we need someone to create an extra work.What do I have to create?
Writers: You need to write one story of at least 500 words that remixes one story/art by your assigned remixee. There is no upper word count limit.Artists: You need to create one piece of art that remixes one story/art by your assigned remixee. Word counts do not apply.Podficcers: You need to create one podfic that remixes one story, or a podfic based on/inspired by one piece of art from your assigned remixee.The story/art/podfic you choose to remix can be any length and can be a crossover with another fandom, but it can’t be a work in progress, a remix, a collaboration, or the remixee’s "safe work".We will e-mail you with your remixee's name and a link to their work, and you'll have about eight weeks to create and post your work.How do I sign up?
There will be a sign-ups post on the camelotremix livejournal as well as a Google Form for those who don’t wish to use LJ.In the sign-ups post/form, we'll ask you to post a link to a list of all your Merlin works; this could be a website, a journal post or a fic journal with tags, or a page at AO3, tumblr, deviantart, etc. If you don't have your fanworks listed or organized somewhere, please try to take care of that before you sign up, it'll make things a lot easier on us and your remixer!Once we have finished matching people, we will email you your assignment which we ask for you to keep secret until the reveals post is up, about a week after the final entry is posted to the AO3 Collection.Where will the works be posted?
The works will be posted to the Camelot Remix sub-collection of the current year under the mainparent collection at AO3. This makes it possible for each creator to edit their own work whenever they need. It also makes it easy for the mods to control when the works go public and when the remixers' names are revealed.If you do not have an AO3 account and do not want to get one, the mods will be happy to post your work for you directly to the LJ and DW comms or link to a different location. However, please be aware that by doing so, you do not have as much direct control of your work that you would have by posting your work to AO3.What if I need to drop out?
We hope you'll only sign up if you're confident you can create a remixed fanwork by the deadline, but we understand that these things don't always work out. If you need to drop out of the challenge, please let us know as soon as possible so we'll have time to find a pinch-hitter and they'll have some time to create their work. ♥ You can e-mail us at [email protected].Please note: as of 2021, if you drop out of the fest, you will not be eligible to sign up for the next year's fest. And if you have to drop out of the fest twice, you will not be able to participate in future fests (subject to mod discretion).I have a question which isn't answered here...If you have other questions or concerns please feel free to email the mods at [email protected].How can I keep up with announcements?
Check out our LJ or follow us on Tumblr on https://camelotremix.tumblr.com/!

2026 Schedule

Sign ups Open: Saturday 14 February
Sign ups Close: Saturday 28 February
Assignments Sent: on or before Sunday 7 March
Submissions Due: Sunday 31 May
Posting Begins: Saturday 6 June
Reveals: (TBD) July

Posting Information

For Camelot Remix, we ask that participants do the following for posting:
1. Post their entry to AO3 (If you would prefer to post to an alternative website, please email us to let us know so that we can discuss arrangements on keeping your entry anonymous)2. Fill out the header (see below) and email it to us.How to post your Remix to the Archive of Our Own:1. Go to the Camelot Remix 2025 collection and click on the Post to Collection button.
2. Fill out all the relevant fields on the form, including checking the remix box, and filling in your remixee’s name as a recipient. Copy and paste the text of your work into the Work Text box.
3. Click on Preview (bottom right, below the text box for the story) and make sure everything displays the way you want it. If you need to change something, click on Edit. Edit, Preview, and repeat.
4. Click on Post (bottom right) when you’re ready to post!You’ll be able to see your own story and you can make changes any time, but the stories won’t go public until the mods flip the switch. (When we have a remix for everybody.)It is important to note that you need to fill out the following information:Work Title: We strongly encourage funky remix subtitles! (Though please note that they are not required).Traditionally remix titles tend to go like this: “Title (The Funky Subtitle Remix)”. You can use the original story’s title for your main title or the funky remix subtitle, or use two new titles.Besides being fun (and we say this as people who usually hate coming up with fic titles), funky remix titles are useful in that they make it obvious to anyone glancing at a list of your fics that this one is a remix.Here’s a link to a meta post and discussion about funky remix subtitles, in case you would like some more ideas/information.Add co-authors?: Don’t check this. There’s a specific space for the remixee’s name later.Summary: Summaries are really helpful for readers!Add notes: Author’s notes are optional. Check one of the boxes and a text box will show up. Best to leave out beta thanks and other notes that might give away who you are. Remember, these fics will be anonymous at first, but you can go back and edit any of this later after the reveals.Challenge-specific parts you need to fill out on your AO3 entryFulfill an Assignment/Is this to fulfill a challenge assignment? Skip this part. Since we did signups via Google forms and/or LJ/DW, so your assignment isn’t in the system.Post to Collections/Challenges: This field should say CamelotRemix2025. If it doesn’t, type it in. This is very important!Recipient(s): (if this work is a gift) Although a remix isn’t technically a gift, you should fill in your recipient’s name here so that they’ll get a notification when the fic becomes public. We will post the list of AO3 usernames of remix participants after assignments go out.This work is a remix, a translation, or was inspired by another work: Check this box! Other boxes will open up for you to paste in the URL of the story you’re remixing. If you link to a story already on AO3, the system will automatically show the author name and title, and readers can get to it in one click. If you link to a story on LJ or another site, you need to fill in the author’s name and title, and readers will get to it in two clicks.Once your work is posted to AO3, please make sure to send us our header (see details below)Not posting to AO3?If you would prefer not to post to AO3 or have asked that the mods post to the community on your behalf, please email us regarding your submission at [email protected].If you have uploaded the work alsewhere, please send us a link to your work on an alternative website.If you would like us to post on your behalf, please send your work as an attachment to the email in either doc, docx, txt, rtf format, (or link to the work on Google Drive.In either case, please include the header mentioned below with your email.ALL PARTICIPANTS MUST SUBMIT A HEADERALL PARTICIPANTS must email [email protected] with the following header once the work is posted to AO3 or emailed.Please cut and paste the following information into your email and add the information for your Remix after the tag:^{Title:
Creator:
Work Type: (fic, art)
Work URL:
Remixee Name:
Link to Work Remixed:
Pairings:
Length:
Rating:
Warnings:
Notes:
Summary:}

What is a Remix?

FAQs & Rules

2026 Schedule

Sign Ups

Posting Information