writing_shadows

This isn't very imaginative, but it's September, it's turning to autumn and in Changeling world that means it's the season of fear. So let that be your prompt. Write something about fear.

As a second challenge, and as the National has just been and gone, have another prompt of 'big events'. This can be a big gathering like the National, or a big event in your PC's life. Pieces about your PC's experience of a recent big gaming event (a National or a featured game) would be especially appreciated.

And if people respond to this, I'll try and keep them going on a monthly basis again.

So, go forth and write!

So, I've kinda given up on the monthly challenges for various reasons, but as I've been poked, I thought I'd put up a new one.

Beginnings!

Let's all share the beginnings of our characters. Where did they come from? Who were they before the rest of the world got to know them?

Where did they all come from?

Have fun!

Sorry for the delay!

The December challenge, as suggested by several lovely members of the community, will be 'darkness and light'. Write many stories!

And I am also looking for suggestions for the January challenge right now.

It is even being given on time!

It was suggested that I use 'the Endless' as a challenge. However, I think we did that once before and I can't quite bring myself to repeat a challenge.

However, the charming lslaw gave me another idea and so we are going with that.

Your challenge for this month is the number 'seven'. You can do whatever you want with that, although suggestions include the seven deadly sins, the seven virtues, the seven endless, or the seven bells of Sabriel. If anyone else can think of some sevens, put them in the comments below and I'll give any especially good ones a special prize.

By the way, thank you to everyone who wrote something for the October challenge. I know it was a slightly obscure one, and everyone who wrote something for it is deeply appreciated.

This one was suggested by the lovely paulking101.

The Bare Necessities

Each character in the world of Darkness needs something, Whether it be Blood, Mana, Glamour, Essence, Plasm or the Rocket-Fudge (sorry Prometheans and Mortals). In a story like the chronicles we play it can be all to easy to forget the importance of the mystical energies each supernatural requires, its so easy to trivialise it, consider it a fuel and nothing more.

The challenge is to write pieces on how this vital resource relates to your character, the emotions that accompany the acts to attain these necessary resources or the trauma/heartache/hunger associated with its abscence. Other interesting tails could be found exploring the depths a character will go to to attain the bare necessities of there abnormal existences.

I think this sounds really interesting and could produce some awesome fiction.

So, I've been off work sick and confined to the sofa for the last week (tho hopefully I'm going back to work tomorrow!) and as such looking for things to do. faerierhona suggested I spruce up the Winter wiki, which I've done, and there is now a lovely lovely section for prose about Winter.

I've gone through the community and commented in a hopeful way on a couple of old entries which look like they would be an awesome addition to that section but obviously there may be some I've missed, and there are probably not nearly enough.

Therefore I thought I'd post here and say that if any of the Lost players do have some lovely lovely pieces of prose about Winter, you should totally add them to the wiki. And if you don't, but have been thinking lately 'I'd like to write some prose about my season', you should as well.

Of course, you can also write about the other seasons if you like. Y'know, if you're just that way inclined.

OK.

So. It's March. The month of Mars.

As such, and in his honour, I shall declare the March challenge to be 'conflict'. Write of wars, of fights, of battles within the soul. Write of heroism, of wars, of conflicts within the soul. But write of conflict.

I would also love to see lots of prose about the Lost weekender. I know we've had a little, but more would be awesome.

Hi all

So, it's December and Hanukkah starts tonight at sundown, which means that the holiday season is well and truly upon us. And that means I'm feeling seasonal. So, I thought I'd post this up here and see if people want to get involved.

I thought it might be fun to do a little writing_shadows version of Yuletide Treasure. The point of Yuletide Treasure is that a bunch of people sign up to write fics (at least 1000 words in length) for other people in the challenge, about specific requested fandoms etc. Obviously, we're not going to do that, but I thought it might be nice if we did see if we could write a fic for someone else over December.

The idea I had is that if anyone would like a fic for Christmas, they post in the comments here, mentioning any specific interests they have, such as which venue, which character (s), and maybe which theme. For example, I could say:

Hi! I'd really like it if someone wrote a fic about Venice and Rosalba, including a WWE cage match, and with a Christmassy theme.

And anyone who is interested can just reply and say "I'll do that,"

Ideally, I'd like it if anyone who requests a fic also commits to write one, and anyone who writes a fic also requests one. If you want to write more than one, you can request more than one. If you do see one request which you really want to do, but already has someone writing it, you can volunteer and that lucky person can get two stories written for them, but I'd like it if we all tried to make sure that no one goes without a fic if they ask for one.

The only rules are that they need to be at least 1000 words in length and contain any characters/themes requested by the person who you are writing it for.

I know this is in addition to the December writing challenge, but I know you guys all have time on your hands. Plus, this is the perfect opportunity for those of you who were thinking 'I wish I could get Sally a Christmas present, but I have no idea what' to give me something which will really make me happy.

Are people interested?

EDIT - as a random suggestion, because there's been lots of doom in the IoD lately, I reckon it would be nice to make the default in these stories positive (about the characters mentioned anyway), unless someone requests a tale of hate and bitterness. I am fairly sure most of you totally will, but I figured it was worth mentioning.

So, I'm getting the November challenge out early, because I'm inspired.

I would like the November challenge to be 'venue swapping'.

This can be 'what if your changeling had been Embraced first' or 'what if Father Gabriel and Rosalba swapped bodies', or even 'what if your werewolf met your changeling'.

I think it might be fun.

As a note, I've also noticed people writing 'before the change' stories, and I really like those too, so if you're not inspired by elseworlds fic, then write one of those instead!

I have made meltedcandle my minion mod on this comm.

This means he has the special power of tagging entries, approving members and unleashing my bloody vengeance on those who confuse 'your' and 'you're' helping control the fun for everyone.

I am also considering new tags. Currently the only tags I have are the tags for the venues, and 'mod announcement' which covers anything I have to say as mod. This was a reaction to the last fiction comm I ran which anyone could add tags too. And I loved all my players, but they added many many tags, including their PC names, misspelled venue names, and sometimes silly things like 'monumental acts of stupidity'* or 'comment you bastards or I'll sulk'** and I got lost in a sea of tags.

However, I am aware that I'm maybe a little too controlling and so am wondering if there are any other tags that people would like. akonken suggested people's usernames as tags, and I wondered whether people like that idea or whether it might be a little too unwieldy? Also, are there any other tags that people think might make this community easier to navigate?


*unifex. And yes, it was a monumental act of stupidity.

**lanfykins. And I have often thought about adding that particular tag on here again, I must admit.