Sonadow Exchange 2026

💫 sign-ups: OPEN until apr 12 [AO3 SIGNUP LINK]
💫 mod reviews: apr 13-15
💫 assignee reviews: apr 15-19
💫 creation period: apr 20-jun 18💫 check-in post: may 18-20
💫 post date registration: may 31-jun 7
💫 last day to drop: jun 5
💫 posting period: jun 19-21
💫 creator reveals: jun 28


_{>>hosted by quillifer | illustration by aneh<<}

rules

— all contributors must be at least 16 years old.— all participants are required to join the discord server. this is where all event communication will take place! introducing yourself with your current ao3 account handle/username is also required.— sonic & shadow must be the primary couple in your gift. background ships are allowed, but sonic and shadow must be the focus.— explicit works are allowed, but only if they are requested by your recipient. the requester AND the recipient must be 18+ for explicit requests.— topics such as noncon, dubcon, incest, underaged sexual content, and pedophilia are not allowed for this exchange.— all works must be new, unpublished works that have not been shared with others before.— all pieces must meet one or more of the recipient's requests and must respect the recipient's 'do not want' list.— there will be a check-in post in discord at the halfway point. all you have to do is react to it to let the head mod know you're on track to finish on time. if you do not react, the head mod will reach out to confirm.— treats are allowed and will be posted at the same time that assigned gifts go live.— updates are provided in discord, including rules for participation in future events.

event intro

💫 WHAT IS A FANDOM EXCHANGE? — it is a chance for folks to swap gifts (art, fics, etc.), usually focused around a ship / fandom.in order to do this, all participants will submit 1 REQUEST for what they would like to receive as a gift & 1 OFFER for what they are willing to create for another participant's gift.all exchange participants MUST provide at least 2-3 general ideas of what they are interested in plot-wise. (AUs, canon divergence, etc.) please see the sign-up guide for more details.an ao3 account is required to participate. if you do not have one, please be sure to request an invite! it usually only takes a few days for the staff to get you set up.


—ARTISTS are required to deliver at least 1 piece of artwork with a clean sketch style and/or with completed linework.—WRITERS are required to deliver at least 1k of narrative work. there is no hard maximum, but a ~20K cap is best practice for an exchange with an 8 week creation period.


💫 there are set tags available to choose from for this exchange:→aged-up characters
→angst
→comicverse
→fluff
→general gameverse
→genderbending
→high school AU
→human/gijinka designs welcome
→humor
→modern setting
→no powers AU
→movieverse
→omegaverse
→porn without plot (pwp)
→sonic and the black knight (satbk)
→shadow the hedgehog (2005)
→sonic adventure 2
→sonic boom (game)
→sonic boom (show)
→sonic forces
→sonic frontiers
→sonic heroes
→sonic the hedgehog (2006)
→sonic unleashed
→sonic x shadow generations
→time travel


💫 participants also have the option to select various:→archive warnings
→characters
→ratings (G, T, M, E)


💫 if your request does not fit the options in the tagset, please put your additional tag requests in the OPTIONAL TAG section. please see the sign-up guide for more details.

sign-up guide

_{*if you have any trouble seeing the images, please right click on them (control/command will also work) to view them in another tab/window. on mobile, click and hold to view images in a new window or download them to zoom.}✮ sign-up form example (gdoc)

💫 PART 1: fandom, characters, & relationships

→fandom: the only fandom, by default, is sonic the hedgehog - all media types. if you are interested in a crossover and/or a specific universe setting, please indicate these specifications in the optional tags section.→characters: inputting sonic & shadow is required, but you can request up to 15 other characters from the cast.→relationships: inputting "shadow/sonic" OR "shadow & sonic" is required, but you can request up to 4 background ships.


💫 PART 2: additional tags & categories

→additional tags: the tagset for the exchange is default. you must select at least 5 tags in order to be effectively matched.→the set taglist can be found [on ao3] or [in this gdoc] - the tags can be copy/pasted directly into the option box if you hit "enter" between each tag.


💫 PART 3: ratings, social media link, & description

→ratings: refers to the max maturity of your request. you can only select an explicit request if you are 18+. please only select "any rating" if you are 18+ and if you are comfortable receiving work for any level of maturity as a gift.→social media link for contact: this can be a link to your carrd, linktree, etc. or it can be a link directly to twitter, instagram, etc. if you are requesting explicit content, your general age MUST be clearly stated on your social media. (EX: 18+, 20↑)this is required in case the mod team needs to contact you and you are unresponsive on discord.→description: this is where the magic happens! here, you will go into detail about what you are requesting from your giftee to write or draw for you.please feel free to go into as much or as little detail as you like. however, at LEAST 2-3 general ideas of what you are interested in is required. the idea here is to provide a few prompts for your giftee to figure out what you like / don't like and give them an idea where to start.*NOTE: it is best practice to put additional tags in your description AND in the "optional tags" section._{💫 sample description from the screenshot:}i really love mermaids & sea culture! i also enjoy royalty AUs, intrigue, and angst.LIKES: hybrids, modern AU, coffee shop AU, florist AU
DNW / Do Not Want: NSFW content, major character death

💫 PART 4: optional tags & offers

→optional tags: this is a place to put additional tag requests! AUs, mood tags, etc. anything that is not included in the default tagset. matchups are more likely the more common the selected tags are.this is also the place for any specifications such as preferred gameverse(s) if your preferred gameverse is not already listed in the additional tag section.→offers: this section is used to outline what you are willing to create for your giftee & does not have to go into detail. only mod @quillifer will be reading and reviewing the offer box. you can only offer explicit content if you are 18+.⚠️ PLEASE indicate what you are offering for the event! examples: fanfiction, fanart, etc.

posting info

_{*if you have any trouble seeing the images, please right click on them (control/command will also work) to view them in another tab/window. on mobile, click and hold to view images in a new window or download them to zoom.}→ official ao3 posting & editing guidelines

—FOR ALL CREATORS you can view your assignments on the sidebar of your ao3 homepage & you will want to update the publishing date to the date the exchange goes live IF you upload prior to the exchange's go-live date.

—when you upload & publish your gift, please make sure it is gifted to your assignee. clicking the assignment box will add it to the exchange and gift it to your recipient for you.

—ARTISTS when posting your art on ao3, you do have to include some text, but not much! feel free to caption your work accordingly. for a step-by-step walkthrough for how to upload pictures to ao3, please see below!


💫 1ST: you will want to make sure the posting box is in "rich text" mode to make things a little simpler. click the picture icon in the toolbar.

💫 2ND: you will input a link to your image. hosting your image on a "permanent" hosting site (ex: flickr) is advised so that your links don't break.it is important to note that on ao3, all images need their own unique, individual URL to show correctly! some sites may only give you a post URL if every photo is uploaded individually.

💫 3RD (OPTIONAL): if you want to center your images, it's easiest to add a little text next to your uploaded image, center align it, then delete the text.

💫 GIFTING & TREATS — if you're looking to fulfill an additional request OR you didn't formally join the exchange & you want to give users treats, this is how!to gift something, while posting a new piece on ao3, you would go to "Associations" and indicate the exchange collection as well as the target user. (example image below. ⬇️)💫 if you are looking to gift a work to a user who does not have gifting enabled on ao3, please contact mod @/quillifer on discord to let your giftee know about this issue.⚠️ if you are contacted about your gifting settings not being enabled, please take the following steps to rectify the issue:1) go to your AO3 user dashboard
2) go to the "Preferences" tab on the left
3) scroll down to the section labeled "Collections, Challenges and Gifts"
4) check the box for "Allow anyone to gift me works."

pinch hitters

💫 sometimes, life happens and people who signed up can no longer complete their gift. if you are open to taking on multiple requests, or if you ONLY want to sign-up as a pinch hitter, you are welcome to do so!*NOTE: you are NOT required to take a pinch hit if you sign-up as a pinch hitter. you will only be contacted to pinch hit if someone else drops. at that time, you can confirm if you are willing to complete the requested pinch fill or not.💫 you are able to "register" as a pinch hitter on discord in the #role-assignment channel.

frequently asked questions (FAQ)

— Q: where can i find all of the works posted for these exchanges?A: the parent/master collection on ao3 has subcollections for all years.


— Q: do i need to have prior experience writing and/or drawing to join the exchange?A: no. you can join the exchange without having previously written fanfiction and/or drawn fanart.


— Q: are there ways to show proof of age beyond listing my age on social media?A: you can include your name in any public format. your ao3 profile, discord intro, and/or social media accounts would all count.


— Q: if i want to request/offer multiple tags, how do i do that?A: there is a request section and an offer section.✮ for example, if you are requesting a modern AU or a royalty AU, you can indicate modern setting in the additional tags section & you can indicate the royalty AU in the optional tags section.✮ similarly, if you are offering to do either a royalty AU or a modern AU, you can indicate these tags in the additional / optional boxes, depending on availability within the tagset.✮ for clarity: the optional tag section is there to address any tags that may not be covered in the broadly required "additional tags." match ups will work against any tag (additional or optional) for matching purposes.


— Q: can i submit multiple requests/offers?A: no. each participant is limited to one (1) request and one (1) offer. however, you are welcome and encouraged to include multiple prompts within your request.


— Q: does my offer section need to be as long & detailed as my request section?A: no. the offer section can be really brief. it exists primarily to confirm that a giftee's DNWs do not clash with a potential gifter's. only the lead moderator, quillifer, will be reviewing offers.for example:giftee: DNW fluff
gifter: i’m only interested in writing fluffin this case, the mod would aim to make a better match.


— Q: how do i pick the request(s) & i prompt(s) i want to fill?A: each registered participant will receive an assignment in ao3 for their required fill. participants are matched against indicated tags, ratings, etc.as for selecting a prompt, you are welcome to pick any prompt from your giftee's list to fill. gifters are expected to adhere to their giftee’s likes & DNWs.


— Q: can i write fills for multiple people, not just my assigned giftee?A: yes! treats are welcome and encouraged. requests will be visible under the "requests summary" tab on ao3. you can gift an additional fic to any user in the exchange + add it to the exchange collection as long as submissions are open.


— Q: what do i do if i have questions about my giftee's prompt(s)? how do i ask for clarification?A: since the exchange is anonymous (meaning: gifters remain unrevealed for 1 week after gifts go live), you will want to reach out to the moderator, ash @quillifer on discord to facilitate. ash will act as an intermediary between gifters and giftees to retain the element of surprise for the exchange.


— Q: do writers only exchange with writers, and artists only exchange with artists?A: no - assignments are done via lottery system. ao3 matches against selected tags in common, meaning that artists may be assigned to writers or other artists, etc. the moderator(s) will review the match ups to ensure that gifter and giftee DNWs are not misaligned before assignments are confirmed.


— Q: what sort of creations are allowed? (fic, art, etc.)A: pretty much anything creative is cool as long as you, a human behind it, are 100% responsible for it and did not steal anything from another creative—this includes using art/assets without the originator’s permission. work(s) must be new to the event and must meet your giftee’s criteria.historically speaking, fanfiction and 2D fanart are overwhelmingly popular for this kind of event. as long as you have an ao3 account and you do not use assistive/AI materials in your work, you’re welcome! podfics, meta, animatics, music, & more are all accepted and encouraged.


— Q: are participants allowed to create art and fanfiction for the same recipient?A: if you want to create art AND fanfiction for your giftee within the creation period, that is totally fine and welcome. you can embed art within the text on ao3.your work (art & embedded fic) will not be shown to your giftee until the anonymous posting period. if you want to post your artwork on social media separately, you cannot do so until the creator reveal period.


— Q: are personal designs/headcanons for sonic & shadow allowed in fills?A: as long as your giftee/recipient does not have any DNWs that clash with your designs, this is absolutely allowed & encouraged!


— Q: are both traditional and digital accepted?A: both formats are absolutely welcome and accepted. for traditional work, if you can scan it and/or take a well-lit picture, that would be ideal.


— Q: are humanized versions of the characters (AKA gijinkas) allowed for this event?A: sure, as long as your giftee is okay with them! there is a tag indicator for this, “human/gijinka designs welcome” to make it easier to match with folks who are open to it.


— Q: is it possible to exclusively match with creators who are in the same age-range? (e.g. 20+)A: unfortunately, given the high volume of people who like to participate, i cannot guarantee that you will be matched with someone in your age-bracket. however, sticking to M/E content for your request & offer will more likely match you to someone in that range.if you have concerns about creating a suitable piece for your giftee, please DM me @quillifer on discord.


— Q: how does the anonymous period work? can i advertise my piece(s) in this timeframe?A: recipients will not know who wrote/drew for them during the “blinded/anonymous” period. creators are not allowed to advertise their work on social media at this time.after this 1-week period, however, participants are encouraged to tag the event accounts for promo post shares.→the event itself has bluesky, tumblr, and twitter/x accounts.


— Q: how are extensions for this event handled? what is the policy around them?A: the general rule of thumb is, “communication is key.” if anything is going on in your life, let me know! there will be pinch hitters available to fill in the gaps for people who have to drop out and as moderator, i will be working to make sure everyone has a gift within the reveal period.if you’re running behind & your giftee only has 1 gift queued up, i will let them know the expected date of receipt and continue to work on making sure they get a gift.


— Q: are there rules and/or requirements for giftees? does my giftee have to comment/respond to my gift?A: tl;dr — no, i do not enforce giftee comments. as an FYI, you can request a do-not-match with anyone in the exchange for any reason. i will respect any/all requests of this nature.reasons why this is not enforced:1) not everyone feels comfortable leaving comments publicly.
2) people are free to drop the exchange at any time. people may not expect to receive a gift in those cases.if you have concerns about your giftee/recipient not receiving and/or engaging with your gift, please DM me @quillifer on discord to let me know by aug/sept at the latest.