KATHERINE

Reed '02: "First time," any au, any pairing, write about a first time...

  • Title: First Dance
  • Universe: Seven For Hire
  • Pairing: E/V
  • Rating: R

Reed '03: Costume Challenge: Write a story with your favorite couple (or grouping, whatever) in costume for any reason.

Reed '04: The "just do it/no excuses" challenge. You are allowed to write anything, so long as you write. Time yourself. You have 1:20 in which to write because it's all the time you can wring out of your schedule for the month-long challenge period. So sit and write, damn it. Just go. Who cares about if it sucks or isn't working or etc. At the end of 1:20 call yourself done, tell us your circumstances and post it.

Reed '05: Let there be dragons. Doesn't have to be a D&D role-playing fantasy world sort of thing; could be a dream, or a story someone's reading, or a horse's name. Maybe someone collects dragon statues, or has a dragon tattoo. Or maybe dragons are simply a metaphor for something else. All that matters is that a dragon or dragons are somehow included in the storyline, ideally as a central part rather than just a cast off mention (where'd be the challenge in that, after all?).

Reed '06: Three challenges. Choose three characters. Include these three details, either literal or as inspiration: traveling, kiss, weather. Three paragraphs long, no word limit.

Elder '02: Whatever universe or pairings you desire, write something short under 3500 words, let the boys have some fun with their relationship a bit on the eye brow waggling naughty side.

Elder '04: I want is a story that incorporates a non-traditional version of some ghost, spirit, divine entity or what have you that isn't about making everything right. No waving wands, no midnight conversions, no being terrified into changing your ways, no artificial happy little family. Give me some irony. Give me some grit. A little divinity that isn't quite what we expect it to be. Lucifer used to be an angel, and Prometheus was punished by the gods for giving man fire. Feel free to incorporate any religion, any god/goddess, any type of spirit, angel or devil.

  • Title: Crossroads
  • Universe: OW
  • Pairing: E/V
  • Rating: R

Elder '06: Notice challenge. Put on notice (warn). Give notice (announce). I notice (observe). One character notices something about your chosen pairing, any of the potential definitions. 500 words or less.

Birch '03: Make a mess with another person or persons, gold star if you can make chocolate part of the mess, or the reason for it.

  • Title: A Pretty Mess
  • Universe: Steady Progress
  • Pairing: E/B
  • Rating: R

Birch '04: Write a 'first time' story. Now in the slash genre, this usually means when the fellers first get together as lovers, howsomever, for me, any first time will do. I *love* first time slash stories - to me those are so romantic (I'm a sucker for that!) but any first time experience for your pair/trio/or more...is fine. This will blend well with an earlier challenge on established couples moving in together...so it could be a first time they do something together in their new abode too.

  • Title: First Kiss
  • Universe: Three Aces
  • Pairing: E/B
  • Rating: PG-13

Birch '05: Make the setting central to your story. I don't care if it's inside or out of doors, seasonal, local or foreign climes - just spend a bit of time helping us to really *see* and *feel* where we and the boys are - and bonus points for making the place pivotal to the plot.

Birch '06: Write a story that deals with the aftermath of Christmas/the holiday season. It could be nice and easy, drinking leftover eggnog and trashing wrapping paper, laughing over the gag gifts and lovingly packing ornaments away. It could be hard, dark or stressful, coping with a job that kept loved ones away from each other. It could be emotional - maybe some of our boys really hate the season, or really hate seeing the season *go*.

  • Title: Epiphany
  • Universe: OW
  • Pairing: E/V
  • Rating: R

Rowan '03: One of the Seven or more must accidentally, even accidentally on purpose, hurt another of the Seven or more, and while waiting for medical attention to arrive, they must tend to the hurt person(s). This can be any au, can be funny or serious, long and drawn out or short and sweet, but must be chock full of H/C.

  • Title: Later
  • Universe: Seven For Hire
  • Pairing: E/V
  • Rating: R

Rowan '04: This challenge comes with physical instructions. Here we go:
1) Go to your music collection (for the sake of arguement we will call it your cd collection; however, feel free to replace cd with cassette, album, 8-track, or fluglehorn if you so prefer).
2) Select, at random and without forethought, ten cds of vocal artists.
3) Shuffle the cds into a random and unplanned order without looking at them.
4) Pick a number between one and ten.
5) Pick another number, between one and thirteen.
6) The first number is your cd. The second is the song on the cd (if you pick a cd with less songs than the number you selected, the last song on the cd is your song).
7) Listen to that song.
8) Write a story based on the ideas that come to your mind while listening to that song.
RULES: You cannot quote the song during the story, and you cannot have any character listen to that song, or mention it in any way. I'm looking for an 'inspired by' rather than a songfic. However, you should list what song you picked and who it is performed by, so the rest of us know. You can do it at the beginning, or at the end of the story. You can list the lyrics at the end if you want to, but you don't have to.

Rowan '05: Again another "this challenge comes with physical instructions." Here we go: 1) Go to your bookshelf. 2) Close your eyes and grab a book and flip it open to any page. 3) Point finger. 4) That sentence, whatever it is, is your inspiration. You need not necessarily include the "inspiration sentence" in your story, but it's what gives you your idea. You can tell us the line you got and from what book and author either at the beginning or end, however you wish.

Rowan '07: Only 100 challenge. Drabble, any universe, include or be inspired by: seasonal changes.

  • Title: Value
  • Universe: OW
  • Pairing: E/V
  • Rating: R

Ash '03: Write a break up scene...can be short term, permanent or just one hell of a nasty misunderstanding... but ugly words and anger/hurt/disappointment/jealousy (take your pick) must be expressed or implied. It can be between any couple of your choice, or you can break up the entire team. Between the couple feel free to include make up sex. (big grin). If you choose to break up the team, then I'd like you to find a logical place for them to end up...new careers, job opportunities.

Ash '05: The challenge is to write the boys of your choice participating in, practicing for, or going to a rodeo. Short or long, present day or Old West, let's see and hear 'em.

Alder '03: A bit of misdirection. For this challenge, write a fic with a twist. Lead the dear reader astray, then set things a right at the end. A mystery perhaps? Or the misidentification of impassioned prose [either in whom it was intended for, or who the speaker was]? A set up that just doesn't bode well - only to find how innocuous it all really is? Can be humorous, can be suspenseful, playful or devious. However you choose. Just make certain all is not what it seems ;}.

Alder '04: The photo challenge. Three pictures. Take a look and let 1, 2 3, or all three inspire you.

  • Title: Adonis
  • Universe: Three Aces
  • Pairing: B/E
  • Rating: PG-13

Alder '05: "All in a day's work" is how I think of this one. There is plenty enough drama in the daily ups and downs of 'normal' life. life isn't a soap opera; there's enough that's dramatic in the day-in, day-out struggle that more than suffices. Write about everyday drama - in any variety. As a clarification this doesn't at all mean the "mundane" is drudgery, boring, tedious, etc. If you want them grocery shopping then tallying the monthly budget that would work, but a manhunt in the old west with lots of action and travel can fit as well -- it's more in the treatment than the subject. That casual, daily life feel of 'eh, it's what we do, what we are' mentality.

Willow '05: Write a story with all seven actively engaged in what they are paid to do; an OW story with the boys actually keeping the peace, an ATF story with more than just the bust at the end and sex afterward, etc. Give us the case, assignment, whatever and make it central to the story.

  • Title: What We Do
  • Universe: Three Aces
  • Pairing: B/E
  • Rating: PG-13

Hawthorn '04: A crossover fic. It could be one of the guys with a new guy, or it could be someone from another fandom that crossover's with the M7 guys in any universe.

Oak '03: Pick any couple or pairing. One member plans to celebrate a day of significance to them...could be first kiss, first glance, first year together...whatever. The celebration can't go off as planned in part because the rest of the team doesn't realize the couple you choose is in fact a couple and have committed the frustrated paramour to being elsewhere.

  • Title: Celebrating
  • Universe: Seven For Hire
  • Pairing: E/V
  • Rating: NC-17

Oak '04: Write a story telling how they all came together. Feel free to use any universe.

Oak '05: Let there be travel. On a boat, plane, car, train, bus, horse, wagon, bicycle, spaceship, camel, or dog sled - long road trip or short jaunt. Here's the trick, though: the story should take place DURING the traveling, rather than before or after. Overnights in the middle are okay, but preferably focus on the "in transit" parts.

Holly '03: Someone from one of the guys' pasts comes along. Doesn't have to necessarily be the past of one of your pairing: could be, say JD's past wreaks havoc for Vin and Ezra, or Josiah's past causes problems for Chris and Buck. All that matters is that the person from the past be somehow connected to one of the seven, and that same person is a catalyst in some way for your duo/trio/quartet/quintet/etc.

  • Title: Disclosures
  • Universe: Seven For Hire
  • Pairing: E/V
  • Rating: R

Hazel '03: Write a fic that has a lie/an untruth as a central or pivotal point in the story.

Hazel '04: Write your Anti-Peeve story. Either the Peeve happens and our hero(s) have to deal with it/resolve it, or write a story that deliberately avoids the peeve altogether - say, X gets beat up and we see Y dealing with not having sex for six months during the recovery.

Hazel '05: The Bard. Well I decided to go all British on you, so Shakespeare. Take his words as your inspiration, a whole play, a sonnet, a poem or just a quote, you don't have to use the words as such, just take inspiration from him.

  • Title: Moving Water
  • Universe: Seven For Hire
  • Pairing: E/V, C
  • Rating: PG-13

Hazel '07: 30 minute challenge. Set the timer for thirty minutes. Write until it dings. Post what you churn out in that time. Done. If you need a more specific prompt, consider: schmoop.

  • Title: Cure
  • Universe: ATF
  • Pairing: E/V
  • Rating: PG-13

Vine '03: Write a fic that revolves around an 'outing'. Who gets 'outed', by whom, whether it happens deliberately, accidentally or maliciously and what the consequences are - is up to you.

Vine '04: Write about one of the seven's father. Good, bad, indifferent, unknown, whatever you think about him - how did he affect his son?

  • Title: Motivations
  • Universe: Seven For Hire
  • Pairing: E/V, J
  • Rating: PG-13

Vine '05: Write an action story, any au, where the boys are busy being their heroic, action-y selves, in whatever function you feel moved to write. From hunting down some rustlers in the old west to busting a meth lab ring in the ATF, all would work for this challenge.

  • Title: Necessity
  • Universe: OW
  • Pairing: E/V
  • Rating: NC-17

Vine '06: 30 minute challenge. Set the timer for thirty minutes. Write until it dings. Post what you churn out in that time. Done. If you need a more specific prompt, consider: out of the ordinary.

  • Title: Possum
  • Universe: any
  • Pairing: any
  • Rating: PG-13

Ivy '03: Write an honest to god PWP; all action, no plot, short, sweet and definitely sweaty.

Ivy '05: In fanfic the only one of the seven who has a phobia assigned to them regularly is Vin with claustrophobia. Pick any one of the seven, give them a phobia and put them in a situation where they have to deal with it. The only fear not open for use is claustrophobia because it's already been done...unless you want to assign it to someone other than Vin.

Mistletoe '04: Holiday/winter drabble, on the romantic side.

  • Title: Fireplace
  • Universe: Seven For Hire
  • Pairing: E/V
  • Rating: PG

Mistletoe '06: Word association challenge. Use 'mistletoe' as your prompt. Write six paragraphs on the theme, no word limit.

  • Title: Traditions
  • Universe: Modern
  • Pairing: E/V
  • Rating: PG-13