The 2002 Regular Monthly Challenges
July - December

Write something short... a poem, a drabble, a snippet, a limerick... our theme is Fireworks.

Use at least three of the four listed items in a story... a volleyball, a surfboard, a sand castle and a shark.

Write a fic based on, or inspired by, one of the two following songs. It does not need to include the lyrics.

SOMEDAY OUT OF THE BLUE
(E. John, P. Leonard, T. Rice)

YOU'RE THE INSPIRATION
Chicago

Write a story in keeping with one of this month's special occasions...

Canada Day
Independence Day
Bastille Day

**List Dad's Birthday** Sorry Steel, couldn't resist. *bg*

I just recently discovered Keyfics and I think they would make a great AU. For those who don't know what I'm talking about, The Palace has a thorough description of Keys and an archive of Key fics, most of which are yaoi inspired.

I'll give you the abbreviated version of Keyfics here. *g* Basically, a Key is a male sex slave, locked into a room (or any other environment) from which he cannot leave, and to which only his Master has the Key. Official Key games are run through the Palace and its list, and are original creations, but Unofficial Key fics are sometimes fandom based, and are also accepted at the Palace Archive.

So... consider... Blair as a new young Palace Key and Jim as his Master, or is the reverse more appealing to you? Maybe Ezra wins a Key in a high stakes hand of poker... who will he find behind that locked door? Perhaps Ares, God of War is offered a Key as a tribute? Imagine Han Solo finds an ornate golden Key hidden amongst his cargo... could Luke Skywalker be waiting? Take your favourite fandom and let your muses run wild!

Write a fic starting with the following first sentence:

"Can you believe how long we've been at this?"

Use the quote in some way, whether title, dialogue, theme, etc:

"Love looks not with the eyes but with the mind."
--A Midsummer Night's Dream (I, i, 234)

Write a story inspired by the headline:

14 GREAT WAYS TO TURN YOURSELF INTO A WEREWOLF! (Weekly World News)

Whether accidentally or otherwise, your character overhears part of a conversation... does Blair hear someone telling Jim that he's (not good enough, too old, too staid, whatever) for Blair? Or did he misunderstand? Maybe Ezra overheard someone telling Chris to give up on his foolish infatuation because Ezra will never love him? Or perhaps Starsky overhears Hutch and Huggy planning a surprise party? Whatever it is that your character overhears... how will he react?

Your character finally works up the courage to confess his love to his partner, only to have his partner pull back (through fear, shock, whatever) and want to "just be friends". Now what? Can they remain friends after such a declaration? Will your character accept this, or try to change his partner's mind?

It's summer... it's hot and humid... to what lengths will your characters go to cool off? Dancing in a fountain? Singing in the rain? Stripping down to their skivvies? A water pistol fight? You name it.

Write something short... a poem, a drabble, a snippet, a limerick... our theme is Heat Wave.

Use at least three of the four listed items in a story... a hammer, nails, a cabin and a quilt.

Write a fic based on, or inspired by, one of the two following songs. It does not need to include the lyrics.

GOD ONLY KNOWS
(B. Wilson/T. Asher)

IT'S ALL COMING BACK TO ME NOW
Celine Dion

Write a story in keeping with one of this month's special occasions...

Since I don't know of any holidays in August beyond the sort of generic "Summer Holidays" from school and work, we have this special, summer holiday challenge generously offered to us by a sib on another list... Theme Park/Tourist Attraction, Place or Event.... Wherever your characters end up, what starts out as a simple summer vacation ends up becoming so much more. You can use someplace famous like Disney World in Florida, Disney Land in California, Euro Disney. Maybe Sea World, DollyWood, Six Flags, Colonial Williamsburg, Niagara Falls.

Let's go Retro. What with all the retro channels on TV, there's no escaping our favourite old shows... so this month, move your fandom's characters into an old TV Show... maybe something along the lines of the movie Pleasantville, where your characters are somehow thrust into the world of an old sitcom like "Father Knows Best" or "Leave It to Beaver". Or perhaps you'll just re-write your characters as that old show... Jim is Major Nelson, and Blair is his Genie. LOL Maybe the Magnificent 7 are ""Hogan's Heroes", or run a low-rated radio station by the name of "WKRP in Cincinnati". Or Starsky & Hutch ride in "Car 54, Where Are You?" Maybe Buffy and all her friends are lost on "Gilligan's Island", or are they the new crew of the "Love Boat"? Let your muses reminisce.

Write a fic starting with the following first sentence:

"Would I lie to you?"

Use the quote in some way, whether title, dialogue, theme, etc:

"Cowards die many times before their deaths,
The valiant never taste of death but once."
--Julius Caesar (II, ii, 32-37)

Write a story inspired by the headline:

SEX ED CLASS SPARKS ORGY! (Weekly World News)

Whether intentionally, by their own, or by someone else's design, your chosen character becomes wildly intoxicated. Inhibitions are lowered and caution is thrown to the winds. What might they do or say? And more importantly, will they remember any of it the next morning?

Your chosen character has a secret admirer. How do they figure out who it is? Will the answer be a shock? A pleasant surprise? A dream come true? Or more like a nightmare?

Be it accident or design, somehow your characters switch bodies and get to "walk a mile" in their partner's shoes.

Write something short... a poem, a drabble, a snippet, a limerick... our theme is Autumn Leaves.

Use at least three of the four listed items in a story... handcuffs, a laptop, a leather jacket, and a motorcycle.

Write a fic based on, or inspired by, one of the two following songs. It does not need to include the lyrics.

I THINK I LOVE YOU
(Romeo)

LONELY IS THE NIGHT
Billy Squire

Write a story in keeping with one of this month's special occasions...

Labour Day
Rosh Hashanah
Yom Kippur
Autumnal Equinox

September 2 is National Beheading Day - Thanks for the info, Loke.

Myths and Legends Come to Life - Centaurs, dragons and gryphons, oh my. Move your characters into a world populated by myths. Are they crypto zoologists, searching for Yeti or the Loch Ness monster? Or do they simply live in a fantastical world where dragons and unicorns really do exist? Maybe your character himself is a creature of myth? What if Hutch was really an elf prince? Or Blair Sandburg was secretly a merman?

Write a fic starting with the following first sentence:

"Ready or not, here I come!"

Use the quote in some way, whether title, dialogue, theme, etc:

"Lord, what fools these mortals be!"
--A Midsummer Night's Dream (III, ii, 115)

Write a story inspired by the headline:

1980s TV SHOWS RAISE YOUR IQ (Weekly World News)

Your chosen character has a sudden desire to go back to school. What's the story? Are they interested in a change of career? Maybe they were a few credits shy of graduating high school? Or needed just a few more courses to get their degree? And how will their family and friends react to the idea? Are they scoffing or supportive?

Your chosen character is battling some kind of addiction. Is it gambling? Drugs or alcohol? Or maybe he's just addicted to Wonderburgers? A serious angsty fic or a light-hearted humorous one... you decide. How did they become addicted in the first place? Through their own actions or someone else's? Can they overcome their addiction alone? Do they even want to?

We've all had them. We'd all like to forget them! LOL Instead, let's all put our favourite characters through them. So, what was it? They got accidentally (or not so accidentally) locked out in their underwear? They had to have "the sex talk" with a teenager? They had to go buy personal hygiene items for a friend? Let's have some fun!

Write something short... a poem, a drabble, a snippet, a joke or limerick... our theme is Solitude.

Use at least three of the four listed items in a story... a pillowcase, candy corn, a butcher knife and a tombstone.

Write a fic based on, or inspired by, one of the two following songs. It does not need to include the lyrics.

WHO WANTS TO LIVE FOREVER?
Queen

THE HIGHWAYMAN
(performed by: Loreena McKennitt, written by: Alfred Noyes)

in an effort to be a little more comprehensive and to have a little fun with this challenge this year, we're planning to include some lesser known special occasions along with the more traditional holidays. The lists won't be all-inclusive, there seems to be a special occasion (or several) for pretty much every day of the year, but any special occasion, listed or not, will still be fair game for this monthly challenge, so...

Write a story in keeping with one of this month's special occasions...

Annual Road Kill Supper Day - Oct 5
National Coming Out Day - Oct 11
Oktoberfest
Columbus Day/Thanksgiving (Canada) - Oct 14
National Boss's Day - Oct 16
Sweetest Day - Oct 19
United Nations Day - Oct 24
Mother-in-Law's Day - Oct 27
Halloween - Oct 31

And it's our list's first anniversary! We're one year old this month. *WBG* Happy Anniversary to us!

Creatures of the Night - werewolves, vampires, demons, ghosts, zombies. For this AU, rather than having your character simply meet a creature of the night, let's see them become one. What kind of a werewolf would polite, rule-abiding Constable Benton Fraser make? (And what would Diefenbaker think? LOL) What if Blair hadn't been revived after the fountain... would his ghost continue to be Jim's guide? What if, besides a scoundrel and a rogue, Han Solo was also a vampire?

Sanguine is, by the way, an archive for AU vampire slash (meaning slash where the character is not canonically a vampire), if anyone here (besides me *g*) is interested in that sort of fic.

Write a fic starting with the following first sentence:

"Hel-lo? Anybody home?"

Use the quote in some way, whether title, dialogue, theme, etc:

"By the pricking of my thumbs,
Something wicked this way comes."
--Macbeth (IV, i, 44-45)

Use the following news item as a basis to build a fic around...

A toddler is discovered wandering alone on the street in the middle of the night wearing only a diaper.

Or as a certain Vulcan once said... "Having is not so pleasing a thing as wanting. It is not logical, but it is often true." Write a story where your character, after finally catching the eye of the one they've long been interested in, has second thoughts and begins to wonder if they really want this relationship after all.

A Point of View challenge - write your story from the POV of a peripheral character, someone outside the action. Maybe a pet, a waitress, a plumber, a store clerk, a secretary, a reporter... the character need not be a canon figure, just someone outside the main character's usual group.

Take any one, or more, of the often archaic and usually absurd laws that can still be found on the books in various parts of the world, (not to mention on the handy websites listed below) and work them into a story.

Dumb Laws
Stupid Laws

Write something short... a poem, a drabble, a snippet, a joke or limerick... our theme is Stuffing.

Use at least three of the four listed items in a story... binoculars, a towel, beer and a telephone.

Write a fic based on, or inspired by, one of the two following songs. It does not need to include the lyrics.

AMAZED
(Lonestar)

THE RED STROKES
(Brooks/Garver/Sanderson/Yates)

Write a story in keeping with one of this month's special occasions...

Doughnut Day - Nov 5
Ramadan - begins Nov 6
Sadie Hawkins Day - Nov 9
Veteran's Day/Remembrance Day - Nov 11
National Clean Out Your Refrigerator Day - Nov 15
World Peace Day - Nov 17
Start Your Own Country Day - Nov 22
Thanksgiving - Nov 28

Send in the Clowns! Let's try a Circus AU on for size... suppose instead of whatever canon professions your characters have, they were performers in an independently run circus. Is it big or small? More like Cirque du Soleil or Barnum & Bailey? What would each character be? Who's the ringmaster? Who're the clowns? The trapeze artists? Is there a sideshow? Let your muses be your guide...

Write a fic starting with the following first sentence:

"I'm sorry... I just can't do this anymore."

Use the quote in some way, whether title, dialogue, theme, etc:

"Then must you speak
Of One that lov'd not wisely but too well."
--Othello (V, ii, 343-344)

Use the following news item as a basis to build a fic around...

A stalking victim fights back.

Write a fic where your characters inadvertently, unknowingly or accidentally get married. Whatever it is they did... participate in some ritual, exchange gifts, dance... in the culture they are visiting/exploring/dealing with means they're now married in the eyes of these people. Now what? What is expected of the newlyweds? Will this change things for them, or not?

"A kiss can be a comma, a question mark, or an exclamation point." --MISTINGUETT

Let's have some stories of your characters' first kiss. It could be the first kiss they ever got. It could be their first kiss from a same sex partner, or their first kiss as a married couple. Was the first kiss from their partner the passionate embrace they were hoping it would be, or something less thrilling?

Your characters are stuck together, trapped somewhere... anywhere... whether it's fallen into an abandoned mine, lost over a cliff or in a deep crevasse, locked in a rundown warehouse, or the ever-popular stuck in a broken-down elevator. *bg* Do they have any hope of rescue? How will they survive until that rescue arrives, and whatever will they do to pass the time?

Write something short... a poem, a drabble, a snippet, a joke or limerick... our theme is Silent Nights.

Use at least three of the four listed items in a story... mistletoe, red velvet ribbons, a fireplace and a blizzard.

Write a fic based on, or inspired by, one of the two following songs. It does not need to include the lyrics.

SEDUCES ME
(Celine Dion)

WHEN I NEED YOU
(Leo Sayer)

Write a story in keeping with one of this month's special occasions...

AIDS Awareness Day (World AIDS Day) - Dec 1
Advent - Dec 2
Ramadan Ends - Dec 6
Pearl Harbour Day - Dec 7
Human Rights Day - Dec 10
Winter Solstice - Dec 22
Christmas - Dec 25
Kwanzaa - Dec 26 thru Jan 1
New Year's Eve - Dec 31

A Post-Apocalyptic World... Maybe it was some kind of nuclear accident... maybe it was Global Thermonuclear War... maybe it was an immense ecological disaster... whatever brought it on, it's the end of life as we know it. Your characters, whoever they are, may have nothing else left, but do they still have each other?

Write a fic starting with the following first sentence:

"How about just a nibble?"

Use the quote in some way, whether title, dialogue, theme, etc:

"So wise so young, they say do never live long."
--King Richard III (III, i, 79)

Use the following news item as a basis to build a fic around...

A law enforcement officer is hit by a bullet fired from his partner's gun.

Ah, the joys of Christmas shopping... is your character the kind of person who has their shopping done in September? Or are they in the mall, fighting the crowds at 11:30 pm on Christmas Eve? Can they find the perfect gift? Or will they go mad trying?

Is it that they don't exactly enjoy spending time with their families? Or that they don't really have a family? Or is it just that everything that can go wrong, does? From running out of gas, getting lost, flat tires, lost tickets or reservations, to overbooked hotels or undercooked turkeys. Dare they ask... what's next?

Was your character a runaway teen once upon a time? If so, what were they running from, or to? Or perhaps your character's soft heart leads them to take in a runaway they find wandering the streets? Now what? Do they convince the runaway to go home? Or find another solution? What's the story?