Fandom Weekly

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!

disposition to resist; willingness to contend or fight

Some things are worth fighting for, and some aren’t. How do you tell the difference? How do you know when it’s time to fight, and when it’s better to bide your time and see what happens? Are your characters good at that, or do they default to defiance no matter the situation? Does that work out well for them, or not so much?

Write a story about defiance.

BONUS GOAL: Protest Songs

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

The dark is generous, and it is patient, and it always wins – but in the heart of its strength lies weakness: one lone candle is enough to hold it back. (Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith novelization)

What is your characters’ light in the darkness? Maybe it’s literal – the faint glow of a candle in a window, the tiniest spark of light marking the end of a tunnel, a flashlight across the road on a pitch-black night. Maybe it’s more metaphorical: a friend whose smile brings them hope, a goal or a memory they hold on to no matter how dark their circumstances get, or a star on the horizon.

Write a story about a light in the dark.

BONUS GOAL: “What are we holding on to?”

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

King, queen, princess, emperor? Whatever the title, they’re probably in charge – at least, on paper. They might genuinely rule, or be more of a figurehead. Maybe it’s hereditary, and they were born into it, or maybe they came to power through a different system. Maybe they like it; maybe they really don’t. Maybe they were raised their whole life as royalty, or maybe, like so many classic stories, they’ve been hidden for their own safety and are only just now coming to the throne.

Being royalty comes with a whole set of challenges; working for them comes with a whole different set of challenges. Are your characters royalty, or do they work for them? Do they like the idea of being royalty, or does that sound like their worst nightmare?

Write a story about royalty.

BONUS GOAL: All That Is Gold

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

All hands on deck! There’s no time to explain!

In an emergency, you have to act fast. You can’t wait to figure out the procedures; those should already be in place, and now it’s time to use them! But what if you don’t know what to do? What if the emergency’s not even your job, but you’re the only one who’s here to take care of it?

How would your characters handle an emergency? What kind of emergencies do they deal with? Are they good at it, or not so much?

Write a story about an emergency.

BONUS GOAL: City Sirens

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

Sometimes there’s just...nothing to say.

Maybe it’s the kind of grief or loss that’s too hard to talk about. Maybe whatever just happened is too big, or too intense, or too much to put into words. Whatever the reason, your characters don’t know what to say.

Do they have time to find the words? Do they have something important they need to do, even if they’re not sure what to say? What are they going to do?

Write a story about being lost for words.

BONUS GOAL: Hopeful Tunes

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

Myth, legend, or something more? There’s a lot of variations on the werewolf legend – transformed by the full moon, or at will, or by magic? A regular wolf, or a terrifying monster? As vulnerable as any animal, or only killable with silver? Hero, villain, or something in between? – but whatever they are, the appearance of a werewolf usually means things are about to get interesting.

Do your characters believe in werewolves? Are they werewolves? Is it something they regularly deal with? Or is it just a myth for them?

Write a story about a werewolf (or two).

BONUS GOAL: Moonrise

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

n. freedom from guilt or blame for having done something wrong; the act or process of redeeming

Redemption is one of those tricky topics. We’ve all done things we need forgiveness for, but what does it mean to be redeemed? Is it available to anyone who puts in the effort, or are there some things you can’t come back from? How do your characters feel about it – do they think they need it? Would they offer it to someone else?

Write a story about redemption.

BONUS GOAL: “Are we going to have to talk about this?”

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

Some people are flexible, good at adjusting their plans or changing things on a dime. This prompt is not about those people!

Being stubborn has its advantages. Being persistent and unyielding can be a vital skill when it comes to winning conflicts, protecting other people or yourself, or getting things done. Someone who’s stubborn might be just the person to push through a difficult project, or the person who won’t give up on a quest even when it seems hopeless. But it can come with a cost, too; stubbornness can cause as many conflicts as it solves, and sometimes it’s better for everyone if you know when to cut your losses.

Write a story about stubbornness.

BONUS GOAL: “Will you just listen to me, for once?”

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