Christmas Fan Fiction Challenge 2008-2009

by **Serena Lewis** » Fri Dec 05, 2008 8:52 pm

Oh...don't get me started on the Christmas Challenge...
I've come up with what must be the stupidest idea for a story ever, and I'm suitably ashamed of it. I have a feeling that even if it gets on the site, no one will like it coz it's weird.

And it's not even finished yet. Sigh.

xx

by **Intensity Angel** » Fri Dec 05, 2008 9:36 pm

Sage: I'm sure that your story will turn out brilliantly.

Serena: You should read some of my bunny plots. They're so stupid that my mate was taking the biscuit for weeks. Besides, weird stories tend to be good stories.

by **chrisbishop** » Sun Dec 07, 2008 6:55 am

Hello everyone!

This week marks the first week of our Christmas Challenge. And we have TWO stories offered to you, that we hope you will enjoy!

"Christmas Lights", written by Marion Woods, and "Red Alert", written by your truly (Chris Bishop, if you had not already guessed! :wink:

) have been written following a personal challenge that Marion and I set to each other: to write a short story in a short amount of time. In only a few days, we each produced a first draft (each of us beta-reader the other), and tweaked after that to present to you.

With a shorter story, I dare say that Marion won that challenge very easily - but I hope you will enjoy my story as well anyway!

http://www.spectrum-headquarters.com/christmas.htm

Good reading and check the website for more coming!

And, oh, hoping you will join in the fun too by presenting your own stuff!

by **Captain Indigo** » Sun Dec 07, 2008 2:09 pm

I dare say you're being too modest, Chris. I shall read them immediately (a welcome distraction from revision :-D

)

Website · by **Sage** » Sun Dec 07, 2008 7:34 pm

Oh yay wonderful

I've still not caught up with all the halloween fic yet, but will get stuck into them anyway. I mean the concept of Marion writing a short story just has to be seen.

by **Marion** » Sun Dec 07, 2008 7:41 pm

Sage Wrote:

I mean the concept of Marion writing a short story just has to be seen.

Awww, shucks.... I do my best, but sometimes that's just not enough to shut the characters up... :-D

by **Captain Indigo** » Sun Dec 07, 2008 8:31 pm

Well, you've restrained yourself admirably, Marion, and you have a wonderful (short) story to show for it. As usual, you've introduced me to an entirely new thing that I shall have to investigate further. Your stories certainly do further my education :-D

(even when i'm reading them as a skive :wink:

)

And now that I have read it, I stand by my previous comment that Chris has sold herself short - Red Alert still has me thinking, hours later.

Marion, I once read the introduction to a Star Trek novel, where the authors explained that it had started out as a short story for a fanfic anthology they were editing. This novel (The Price of the Phoenix) has a sequel. They remarked that we should see what happened when they set out to write a novel!

You are not alone.

by **Marion** » Sun Dec 07, 2008 8:56 pm

Thank you for those kind - and reassuring - words, Captain Indigo; and may I say that you are quite right. The colonel's story (Red Alert) is a wonderful one. I was trying to beta read it and chuckling all the time... Poor old Blue, why do these things always happen to him? :grin:

by **hazel** » Sun Dec 07, 2008 10:00 pm

A conspiracy! And a very sneaky one at that... And a very nice little hint that, perhaps, all still wasn't what it seemed.

And a lovely evocation of St Lucia, which I hadn't heard of until I read "Seasonal Adjustments" a couple of Christmasses ago. Blue's a brave man, risking Symphony's wrath...

Two excellent stories to kick off the Challenge for this year! Well done, both of you!

by **Carrie** » Mon Dec 08, 2008 1:56 pm

I just read both stories - a nice accompianment to my lunchtime sandwich.!

Marion and Chris, I would say that WE are the winners here! Thank you for giving us such a couple of sparkling cheery stories for Christmas. You girls have shown yet again, that the Christmas stories can be told in refreshing new ways!

by **chrisbishop** » Sun Dec 14, 2008 1:19 am

Another week into the Christmas Challenge for this year.

This week, a new story from Intensity Angel, "Clouds of Golden Dreams", as well as a few pictures, that Intensity gave us for the Challenge, and that you can find on the Christmas Pictures page.

http://www.spectrum-headquarters.com/christmas.htm

See you over the week, for the posting of our annual Captain Scarlet's birthday's story.

Chris

by **RhapsodyAngel8** » Mon Dec 15, 2008 2:27 pm

What a marvellous pair of stories!

The unexpected twist from a well-known character, to explain the happenings in ‘Red Alert’, was a really nice touch, and yet it left room for another possibility as well... It certainly kept me guessing. Thoroughly enjoyable!
‘Christmas Lights’ was a really lovely story. It was so nice to be a spectator at a festive custom from elsewhere – thank you, Marion. I did feel for Symph a bit, though – it must have been difficult for her. It’s a good thing Blue’s so patient with her!

I’m still amazed that the two of you wrote these in such a short space of time.
Thank you!

by **Mary** » Tue Dec 16, 2008 12:42 am

RhapsodyAngel8 wrote:‘Christmas Lights’ was a really lovely story. It was so nice to be a spectator at a festive custom from elsewhere – thank you, Marion. I did feel for Symph a bit, though – it must have been difficult for her. It’s a good thing Blue’s so patient with her!

Not to toot my own horn, and certainly not to downplay Marion's wonderful piece, but the "ethnic tradition" theme has been done at least a few times before: in my "Room of Amber" there is a Three Kings procession on January 6, and Tiger Jackson's "I'll be home for Christmas" series of vignettes describes several of the characters' holiday customs. My favorite is "Spectrum Christmas Parang". :angel)

by **RhapsodyAngel8** » Tue Dec 16, 2008 8:21 am

Mary wrote:Not to toot my own horn, and certainly not to downplay Marion's wonderful piece, but the "ethnic tradition" theme has been done at least a few times before: in my "Room of Amber" there is a Three Kings procession on January 6, and Tiger Jackson's "I'll be home for Christmas" series of vignettes describes several of the characters' holiday customs. My favorite is "Spectrum Christmas Parang".

Oh, I'll look out for those - thank you for the tip, Mary. :grin:

I'm afraid I haven't had much of a chance (if any) to indulge in previous years' fanfics - very remiss of me, I know. :oops:

It's something I keep on meaning to do when I have the time (oh, why do we need sleep?).

by **chrisbishop** » Wed Dec 17, 2008 3:57 am

Well, This is the middle of the week - so what can warrant a posting for the Christmas Challenge today, mmm?

Oh, that's right! It's Captain Scarlet's birthday!

And for the occasion, Marion presents us her now traditional Captain Scarlet's birthday story. Entitled "We'll Always Have Paris", this story takes you to the past, before the Mysterons, and even before Spectrum.

Happy Birthday, Scarlet!

(and thanks, Marion!)

http://www.spectrum-headquarters.com/christmas.htm