Fandom Weekly

You’ve tried before, and it didn’t go well. Maybe something catastrophic went wrong, or maybe you just couldn’t quite pull it off. But whatever it is, it still needs to be done, and it’s your job to do it – so you need to give it one more try.

What are your characters trying to do? Why did they fail last time? Will they succeed this time, and what will it take?

Write a story about one more try.

BONUS GOAL: “Third time’s the charm.”

If your submission features this line, it will earn an extra point to be tallied in voting!

There may never be a good time to break that bad news to the rest of the team, or go start that difficult inconvenient project, or get a husky puppy that’s not housetrained yet…

...but for whatever reason, your characters have picked the worst possible time.

Do your characters usually have pretty good timing, or do they have a knack for bringing things up at the worst possible moment? How do they handle a case of bad timing? What does the fallout look like?

Write a story about bad timing.

BONUS GOAL: “You’re asleep at a time like this??”

If your submission features this line, it will earn an extra point to be tallied in voting!

just before the last moment when something can be changed or something bad will happen

Maybe your characters are running just a little bit late for something they promised they’d attend, and have to scramble to make it. Maybe they’ve been rushing as fast as they can to stop the bad guy’s plans from being enacted, and they’re running out of time. Maybe there’s exactly one minute left before the doors open for the biggest night of their lives, and they’re not quite ready. Whatever it is...will they make it?

Write a story about something happening in the nick of time.

BONUS GOAL: “Relax. We have plenty of time.”

If your submission features this line, it will earn an extra point to be tallied in voting!

n. excessive or unrestrained gratification of one's own appetites, desires, or whims

Usually you’re a little more restrained than this. But just this once...it’s time to indulge.

What do your characters indulge in? Maybe it’s as simple as a hot bath, a long nap, and their favorite food – or maybe it’s something much more dramatic. Maybe it’s something that really shouldn’t be indulged…

Write a story about self-indulgence.

BONUS GOAL: “It’s just once!”

If your submission features this line, it will earn an extra point to be tallied in voting!

It’s just an innocent little cup of coffee. Just a little extra sugar in your tea. Just a little brush across the back of the stamp, or something extra in the nail polish…

Some people say poison is a coward’s weapon. Other people just call it efficient. After all, why risk your life in a direct confrontation when you could sit back and let it happen at a safe distance? But poison’s hardly foolproof. Maybe someone saw it coming, and switched the cups. Maybe your target built up an unexpected resistance, or miraculously survived just long enough for an antidote. What’s a would-be poisoner to do? Try again? Escape the country while they still can?

Write a story about poison.

BONUS GOAL: “Isn’t that a little cliché?”

If your submission features this line, it will earn an extra point to be tallied in voting!

a dishonest person; a person skilled in the use of tricks and illusion; a cunning or deceptive character appearing in various forms in the folklore of many cultures

Maybe he’s a con man, tricking other people out of their money or time. Maybe she’s a stage magician who can make your keys disappear and reappear in the blink of an eye. Maybe they’re an ancient being who’s been around for a very long time and enjoys playing tricks on unsuspecting mortals.

How does it go? Are your tricksters good at what they do, or could they use a little more practice? Do your other characters enjoy the experience?

Write a story about a trickster.

BONUS GOAL: “You can just call me ‘goddess’. Most people do.”

If your submission features this line, it will earn an extra point to be tallied in voting!

Some characters are smart. These characters go beyond that.

Whatever their field of expertise is, they’re one of the best – or maybe the best. They solve problems nobody else can, and they make it look easy. Maybe they’re an expert in a record-breaking number of fields, or have more degrees than any human being should have time to acquire; maybe they’re only an expert in one thing, but they’re far, far better than anyone else.

But being a genius comes with drawbacks! Maybe they struggle to make friends, because they’re too focused on academics. Maybe they’re brilliant, but nobody believes them. Maybe all of their expertise has done nothing to prepare them for the new crisis they’ve just been presented with.

Write a story about a genius.

BONUS GOAL: “I can't believe I just said that."

If your submission features this line, it will earn an extra point to be tallied in voting!

Whether it’s planning a secret party, going on a forbidden quest, or overthrowing the government, there’s one thing you need to make it happen: a good scheme.

An evil scheme, or just a scheme? Well, that’s up to the schemers in question; it’s certainly possible to scheme without malicious intent, though most people would call it a “plan” instead. But anybody can make a scheme. Whether or not they can carry it out...well, that’s a different question.

What do your characters scheme about?

Write a story about schemes.

BONUS GOAL: “What could possibly go wrong?”

If your submission features this line, it will earn an extra point to be tallied in voting!

Dark, cool, and refreshing, a respite from a hot day? An exciting potential source of treasure or new discoveries? A dangerous hazard zone, where you’re taking your life in your hands if you even think about entering?

Mysterious, dark, potentially dangerous caves are a classic feature of many adventures. Maybe your characters are there doing scientific research, looking for treasure, or simply exploring; or maybe that cave is a sacred site or an important source of shelter. Maybe they would rather not head into that dangerous cave, but for whatever reason, they don’t have a choice.

Write a story about caves.

BONUS GOAL: Spiderwebs

If your submission features spiders or their webs, it will earn an extra point to be tallied in voting!

There’s sparks flying in the lab tonight!

Maybe your scientists are hard at work trying to solve a mystery, cure a disease, or create some kind of weapon. Or maybe a handful of thoroughly unqualified amateurs got their hands on a chemistry kit, and they’re about to get in way over their heads. Or perhaps there’s no scientific chemistry going on at all, but there sure is something going on between those two people that their friends are noticing...

Write a story about chemistry.

BONUS GOAL: “Should it be turning that color?”

If your submission features this line, it will earn an extra point to be tallied in voting!