Nothing is as it seems.Old trees hinder the light from falling through, and the darkness is thickening in the old Burial Mounds, as monsters roam the night and hunters salute the hidden moon. Be warned, wanderer: for when you set foot into its depths, you might never return, lost to the forest's will forever, your wits scattered across the wind. This place belongs to the hidden monstrosities of the dark, and sanity has no place here.


INTO THE WOODS

Thank you for your interest to collaborate for the Into the Woods: a Mo Dao Zu Shi Horror Zine! Your participation is greatly appreciated!

Horror stories have always been a staple to tell at night during sleepovers or camping. These stories have always told tales that frighten, scare, and terrify us, and yet despite this, people keep coming back to read, watch, and tell horror stories.With its lore rich in the use and misuse of demonic cultivation to inviting hordes of ghosts and the undead, Mo Dao Zu Shi is rife with opportunities to create horror stories that people can enjoy. This zine will cater to such stories of terror and fright, within canon or in an alternate universe setting.Our first volume will focus on the paranormal and psychological terrors that are also within the main canon of MDZS. Our thematic setting is the forest, but contributors are free to create horrific tales outside of this. We will be gathering a maximum of 25 artists and 25 writers for a total of 50 content creators for this zine. Due to the explicit nature of the zine, as well as the possible subjects, prompts, topics, and motifs of the zine, we are requiring that contributors be at least 18 years of age. Sign-ups will begin July 19, 2020 and final contributors will be announced on August 1, 2020.This zine is non-profit and will be distributed online via pdf through our Twitter @MDZSHorrorZine and other online channels.

INTO THE WOODS

GUIDELINES

Below are the guidelines and requirements to keep in mind when submitting your art or fanfic. For questions, clarifications, or suggestions, please feel free to DM us at @MDZSHorrorZine, the MDZS Horror Zine Discord Server, or send an email to [email protected].

1. Since this is a horror zine, we accept art and fanfic up to a rating of E for explicit.

  • 1.1 Please mark your works for excessive blood, gore, etc., anything that would possibly trigger the audience.

  • 1.2 Works with the following will not be accepted:

  • 1.2.1 Non-con of any kind

  • 1.2.2 Vore. There is a line between cannibalism and vore, please do not cross.

2. Keep the focus on horror! Our main themes are Paranormal and Psychological horror. Our thematic setting is a forest.

  • 2.1 Here are some prompts that can help you create your entries. You may also create your piece as you see fit outside these keywords:

Paranormal Horror KeywordsPsychological Horror KeywordsForest Keywords
Earth-bound SpiritsIllusions/ HallucinationsPoisonous Plants
Eldritch QueenVoices Roots
Hungry GhostsNightmaresDisappearing Trails
  • 2.2 Canon-compliant, canon-divergent, and/or alternate universe horror will be accepted.

  • 2.3 Any and all pairings from MDZS will be accepted.

  • 2.3.1 It’s also okay if you don’t specify any pairings for your piece and instead focus on a single character or an ensemble cast

3. Please be mindful of the schedule listed at the bottom. Deadlines will be strictly followed. Uninformed late submissions will NOT be accepted.*

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WRITERS' GUIDELINES

4.1 Please keep your word count within or under 5,000 words. The following formats are accepted:

  • 4.1.1 Short stories

  • 4.1.2 Poetry

4.2 For uniformity’s sake, submit your fanfics via Google Docs or in .docx format, using Calibri at 12pt.4.3 The following must appear at the start of the document:

  • 4.3.1 Content warnings

  • 4.3.2 Additional author’s notes

4.4 Please name your submission in this format:
[Title] - [Rating] - [Author]
Example: Into the Woods - G - Wei Wuxian4.5 Works MUST be edited/proofread before submission. If you would like to have your work edited/proofread after submission, please let the mods know and they will assign a beta/proofreader for you!

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ARTISTS' GUIDELINES

5.1 Recommended canvas size must be A5 with 3mm bleed, but a spread (A4) may be requested.

  • 5.1.1 Measurements for a single page / portrait art: 148mm x 210mm, inclusive of 3mm bleed all around (recommended final output of 145mm x 207mm)

  • 5.1.2 For a 2-page / spread (landscape orientation), canvas size must be 297mm x 210mm, inclusive of 3mm bleed all around (recommended final output of 294mm x 207mm)

  • 5.1.2.1 Please avoid placing any important details, characters, etc. towards the center of the spread!

5.2 Submissions must be at least 300dpi RGB.5.3 File format submitted must be in .tiff or .pdf5.4 Please name your submission in this format: [Title] - [Rating] - [Artist].Example: Into the Woods - G - Wei Wuxian5.5 Include a text or word file with the following:

  • 5.5.1 Content warnings

INTO THE WOODS

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES

6. Submit your fanfic or fanart via email ([email protected]) or by uploading it directly to their respective folders in Google Drive (link to be shared after sign-ups).*7. All works must be submitted on/before October 23, 2020 to give time for editing and layouting.

  • 7.1 In case you REALLY need to extend a deadline, please inform the mods at least 72 hours beforehand.

  • 7.2 Before the event, ONLY THUMBNAILS or SNIPPETS of your entries are allowed on social media as teasers.

8. For questions and concerns, please contact the Horror Zine Mods at [email protected], our Twitter @MDZSHorrorZine , or through the MDZS Horror Zine Discord server ASAP.

INTO THE WOODS

ZINE SCHEDULE

July 19 - 31, 2020Sign ups
August 1, 2020Sending of Confirmation emails, Announcement of Contributors
August 21, 2020Progress check in #1
September 11, 2020Progress check in #2
October 2, 2020Progress check in #3, Deadline reminder
October 23, 2020Submission Deadline
October 24-27 Adjustments, Editing, Layouting
October 28, 2020Final Call for Submissions
October 29-30, 2020 Final Layouting, Editing, etc.
October 31, 2020 Publication! Online, PDF

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APPLICATION FORMS

APPLICATIONS ARE CLOSED!
We will be contacting contributors soon.
For updates, follow us on Twitter.