[ please see CharacterChoices for general background information that might help this page make more sense to you. ]

Major DNA Characters already claimed:

1. Marvin the Paranoid Android |
   Zachsmind
2. Zaphod Beeblebrox |
   Zaphara

Minor DNA Characters already claimed:

1. Max Quordlepleen |
   Zachsmind

Page filled with descriptions of QuadBee Reality Two NON-DNA characters

Dibs. Character dib calling. It's all a part of the QuadBee Collaborative Writing Experiment that we've got going inside h2g2.com right now, and if you came across this page by mistake you may want to read up on what the experiment is because I'm not going to describe it here.

Instead I want to attempt a refresher on how Dib Calling works in QuadBee, just to make absolutely certain there are no misunderstandings. There is presently an abridged version of this located at the Character Choices page, but hopefully this will explain it in more detail.

There is inherently a number of problems when attempting to create a collaborative story based loosely on the universe first imagined by a gentleman of Douglas Adams' caliber. Among other concerns is the fact that EVERYONE wants to write Arthur, or Trillian, or Zaphod or Ford. If everyone did this simultaneously, the final result would most probably not be worth reading.

ONCE AGAIN it is VERY strongly encouraged that you write mostly about characters you have invented yourself. Barring that, you are also encouraged to read DNA's books and find characters he didn't use a lot; we call these 'minor' characters. If you MUST use one of the big wig characters, that's what this page is for.

On a first come first served basis I will allow certain individuals to call "dibs" on a certain character. What this means is if you have a particularly hoopy idea for a DNA based character, you contact me and tell me about it. If I like the idea, and your idea is well thought-out, I will publically announce with very much reluctance that you have CALLED DIBS on that particular character.

From that point on, if someone else wants to use the same character, they must contact YOU. NOT me. They talk to YOU first and you work with them on utilizing the character you have chosen. Then YOU contact ME and tell me what's going on. I want there to be no bickering or arguing. I reserve the right to pull rank and take the dibs away from you if you abuse it in any way that I don't like.

You can ONLY call dibs on ONE principal DNA character with NO exceptions, and only while supplies last. You can only call dibs on one Nonprincipal DNA character, with some exceptions, and again only while supplies last. You automatically call dibs on original characters that you personally create.

And as people call dibs on various characters, I will try to come back to this page as fast as I can and list said dibbed characters and who called dibs on them, so everyone knows what's going on.

You cannot treat this like a contest. This is a collaborative experimental project. The objective is not to see who gets to be a squatter on Ford Prefect's face first. Once you claim dibs on a major or minor character, your input will become more directly a part of this project, and because of that it will naturally take up more of your time. It will not necessarily be fun.

First off, you need to stay in relatively constant contact with me. I would appreciate an email from you at least once a week for the duration of this project, even if it's just a "hi howya doin?"

Why? So I know you're still alive. So I know you're still interested in this project and have not disappeared off the face of the Earth. Because of the dynamic and highly experimental nature of this project, if you claim dibs on a character, I need you here. If you take a sabbatical from the 'Net and don't tell me, I'll give you a week or two and then the character you called dibs on will be up for grabs for someone else more dedicated to the project.

Once you've called dibs, you are asked to make your email address known to the QuadBee project. At your agreement, I will include your email address in reference to your character at the top of this page. Or I will just put your main h2g2 user page so other people can contact you. And if you've picked a major character, they very well may contact you often. Please be prepared for it.

You are NOT to take advantage of this as some kind of control ploy. This is NOT political hornswaggling. This is a serious responsibility involving the future of this project. You are to work WITH anyone who wishes to use the character you have created. Odds are if I've accepted you as the dibs caller for a particular major character, it's because I liked what you had in mind for said character. Stick to your original plan and try to get your plans for that character to gibe with what other people have in mind.

If you have problems, or if others are being unreasonable, please contact me and I will try to help in any way I can.

YOU DON'T OWN ANY DNA CHARACTER. Douglas Adams does. Just because you call dibs on a certain character, that does NOT make the character yours. I still ask you to not make that major character a focus of most of your chapter submissions for the project. Just use the character as a supporting role to other characters you are using. You don't own the character. Please don't do anything drastic to the character that leaves the character drastically different from the way he was when DNA described him in the books. Instead, examine how the character is and get underneath his skin. Try to help explain WHY he's the way he already is, and you'll go farther.

Please let me know what you have in mind, so I can sort it all out and make it mesh with everything that's been written out so far.

And most importantly, and I can't say this often enough, DNA OWNS HIS CHARACTERS. I repeat that because I think it's important.

If the Powers That Be here at h2g2.com didn't like what was happening here, no doubt they would have shut us down by now. My guess is they're sitting back and watching, just to see whether or not the idea flies. Then provided we don't flop, and it works, they'll take all the parts of this idea that worked, and go off and start their own thing and I won't get any credit for it.

Hey. No sweat. If I wanted credit for this I would have sent my resume to Douglas Adams and asked to be hired like normal people.

IF this works, they'll take this idea and improve upon it. Make it better. Then we'll be able to sit back and say, "I remember when.."

However, if something goes wrong, or if at any time DNA has a bad day or the Powers That Be get a wild hair up their bum, without even explaining WHY, they can shut us down and delete all these pages or they can just politely but firmly ask us to cease and desist, and when that happens it's all over.

OR [and this is the kinda thing that would renew my belief in Santa Claus] they could choose to JOIN IN the fun and write a few chapters themselves, or they could say they want to participate but ONLY if they get full control over the major characters. Or Douglas Adams himself could step in and say that. DON'T HOLD YOUR BREATH but it could happen. And if it happens, all these Character Dibs rules fly out the window, folks.

You only retain dibs on your claimed character so long as DNA and the Powers That Be are cool with it. And they are watching, so don't do anything stupid like put Ford Prefect in a conservative suit or give Trillian a sex change operation.