12 stories (a fanfic challenge)

[Sage]

My friend has just started this fanfic challenge community on livejournal, and it sounds like fun. I saw it an instantly thought of Marion with her devotion to Blue/Symphony
So I thought I'd mention it here to see if anyone would like to play too.

12 stories is a multi-fandom*, multi-pairing Comm where rather than just claiming one pairing, you can claim one, two, three, four, six or twelve pairings**.

You may claim:

01 pairing and write 12 stories for that pairing
02 pairings and write 06 stories for each pairing
03 pairings and write 04 stories for each pairing
04 pairings and write 03 stories for each pairing
06 pairings and write 02 stories for each pairing
12 pairings and write 01 story for each pairing

Making a total of 12 stories to be written to complete your claim (the minium word count is 100 words per fic, so not too daunting).

There are eight prompt tables from which you can choose: Nature. Colours. Time. Occasions. Light. Dark. Miscellaneous 1. Miscellaneous 2. If you'd like to see the prompts you can do so by going here

FAQs can be found here

* I know we all write for Captain Scarlet; but you could write for that and another fandom too, if you so wish.
**For pairings read 'character' and 'triads' as well as 'couples'.

[Marion]

There's probably twelve stories of mine on the site already that cover Blue/Symphony is one shape or form. Keeping it to 100 words - now that would be the hard part!

[Serena Lewis]

Well...this certainly sounds intresting. I may give it a go, and just hope my confidence doesn't destroy me at the last minute of uploading...or whatever.
Err...sorry, I do know some fanfic words (Fanon, canon etc.) but did it say you're allowed to do one character wanting to be with another, but the 'love/lust' is un-requited? If it did, I probably didn't understand it...
And how many original characters can you claim? I've got loads (It's probably going to be my downfall...), but I'd intend on probably an original with a canon character.
I might have to try this for my own amusement first, but I may well try it in a challenge!!

Serena xx

[Sage]

Marion: You can actually make them as long as you like. They just have to be at least 100 words. Which I'm sure you'll manage.

Serena: Go for it
Anything goes in terms of the relationship you want to write about; so it can indeed be un-requited.
I'll double check for you; but as far as I know original/canon character would be fine.

[Marion]

Sage, I had a look at it and - familiar though I am with your own 100 story challenge postings - I don't have a clue how the challenge is supposed to work, or what you have to do.

Do you have to have your own LiveJournal site?
If you do (and I do) does it have to be open to the public? (mine isn't) or does it get posted on someone else's site?
If you 'claim' something does that mean no one else can 'claim' it too?
Any advice for a complete novice to challenges?

Mind you, taking on any writing at all, right now, could be tricky.

[Sage]

Do you have to have your own LiveJournal site?
In this case yes - if you want to claim and post.
There's probably a way around that though, so just say and we can figure something out.

If you do (and I do) does it have to be open to the public? (mine isn't) or does it get posted on someone else's site?
Not necessarily - as you can just post the stories in community itself.

If you 'claim' something does that mean no one else can 'claim' it too?
In most cases it would, but with this comm there's no limit. Really the claims are just to keep track of who is writing what.

Any advice for a complete novice to challenges?
The basic process ...

* Log into your journal, then join the community (just hit the 'click here' link at the top of the page)
* Chose your pairing/s, and which table/s you want to write for.
* Then comment in the 'sign up' post with the necessary information.
* Once your claim is accepted (you'll get an email reply) then you can go ahead and write/post your fics.
* When you've finished and posted them all. Then you get the glow of accomplishment and a banner made for you to show off.

Mind you, taking on any writing at all, right now, could be tricky.
There's no time limits or deadlines, so you can just write as and when.

Hope that covers everything, if not just ask

[TRK]

How many stories do we write for zero pairings?

'Cause this looks like fun, but I don't do romance.

[Sage]

Well in this context 'pairing' just means interaction between two characters. So it could be friendship, work relationship or anything else along those lines.

[chrisbishop]

How many stories do we write for zero pairings?

'Cause this looks like fun, but I don't do romance.

I've got a solution: Write something else and submit it to the Spectrum Headquarters website?

This is me speaking personally: I'm not too keen in writing uniquely romance-based stories either - although stories I write do have romances in them, they're not (I think...) centered on it. Romance is just a tool, one of the many aspects to give some highlights and background to the plot. It gives more human feelings to the characters. Otherwise they might look and sound like robots - or puppets (no pun intended).

I tried to write most of my stories (I think again...) as action-centered stories.

Don't get me wrong: I have nothing against someone writing romance centered stories - to the contrary!

But I don't think I will be participating into that particular challenge, sorry. It's just not for me.

[Sage]

I do tend to write more character based stories (as opposed to straight up action), so I'm not adverse to romance/relationships.
It's all just personal preference, life would be boring if we all liked the same things.

[Marion]

I never set out with the intention of writing any particular TYPE of story. They just get written. I have tried to write adventure/action-based stories, with varying degrees of success - ranging from 'none' to 'not much', I suspect . Somehow, once a story is underway, the characters always seem more important than the guns and machinery... I set myself little hurdles - like not mentioning certain characters in a story - and sometimes that works better than others
I enjoy all the CS fiction on the site - I agree whole-heartedly with Sage - the more varied, the better!
I love Chris's stories - she is the Queen of Plots

[Carrie]

Sage, I am always impressed by your prolific writing...and how you can create a cheeky little vignette from a single word...
Needless to say I won't have the time..sorry...I'm still trying to get some done for Chris's website for this year...

Marion, do stop denigrating your ability to write action or I shall have to send the boys round

I haven't really done a lot of writing up to now, but some of the stories I' have done have been sort of self-challenges to try and stretch my writing abilities, for example: difficult action scenes, or writing from first-person POV, or only doing scenes wth one POV.
I can't help sticking a spot of romance into things...
What can I say...I'm incurable...so sue me..

[Serena Lewis]

Can the stories be NCS? Coz I only write NCS...
Also, can you write in first person? I write in that mostly.
Thanks,
Serena xx

[Marion]

Carrie said: Marion, do stop denigrating your ability to write action or I shall have to send the boys round

Ooooh, yes please - a blond in blue and a brunette in gold, for preference....

[Sage]

LOL I didn't think that would be much of a deterent.
Though I must agree with Carrie, you can write excellent action.

Thanks Carrie
I love your romances (Ochre/Rhapsody has become one of my favourite pairings). It is good to try and stretch your abilities, but finding a niche is fine too.

Can the stories be NCS? Coz I only write NCS...
Also, can you write in first person? I write in that mostly.
Thanks,
Serena xx

Sure, it's open to any fandom; and first person is fine too.