The 2001 Regular Monthly Challenges

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

Write a story in keeping with the holiday.

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

LOVE BITES
Def Leppard
(Clark/Collen/Elliott/Lange/Savage)

BAD MOON RISING
Creedence Clearwater Revival
Music & Lyrics : J. C. Fogerty

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

Use at least three of the four listed items in a story... feathers, whipped cream, a bearskin rug, and a checkerboard.

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

BACKDOOR LOVER
DUjour
(Josie and the Pussycats Soundtrack)

ALL I NEED
Jack Wagner

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

Veterans Day/Remembrance Day - November 11
Thanksgiving - The fourth Thursday of November

Move your fandom's characters into a new time or place... Sherwood Forest.

Relevant dates (as taken from Timetables of History, New Third Revised Edition)...
1189 - Richard I Coeur-de-Lion assumes throne; Third Crusade
1192 - Richard I returns from Crusade and is captured by Leopold, Duke of Austria
1194 - Richard I released and crowned for second time
1199 - King Richard I, Coeur-de-Lion killed, succeeded by King John (Lackland)

Note of interest *around 1375 "Robin Hood" appears in English popular literature (about 6 years after Chaucer's "The Book of the Duchesse")

Write a fic starting with the following first sentence:

"How did that get in here?"

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

"He's mad that trusts in the tameness of a wolf, a horse's health, a boy's love, or a whore's oath."
--King Lear (III, vi, 19-21)

Write a story inspired by the headline:

BIGFOOT KEPT LUMBERJACK AS LOVESLAVE! (Weekly World News)

Write a crossover where a character from one fandom has a one night stand with a character from another fandom. Why? And will it develop into more than that?

Write a story about a romance between unromantic or unlikely characters.

"Bottom line is, even if you see 'em coming, you're not ready for the big moments. No one asks for their life to change... not really. But it does. So what are we, helpless? Puppets? No. The big moments are gonna come, you can't help that. It's what you do afterwards that counts. That's when you find out who you are."
--Whistler, 'Becoming, Part One' BtVS season 2 finale

Write a fic where death or a permanent debilitating injury or illness happens to a major canon character in your fandom. (No miracle cures allowed.) How do the remaining characters cope? How are their lives changed?

Write something short... a poem, a drabble, a snippet, a limerick... our theme is Under the Mistletoe.

Use at least three of the four listed items in a story... a stocking, a candy cane, a candle, hot buttered rum.

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

THE TOUCH
Ricky Martin

HOLDING OUT FOR A HERO
Bonnie Tyler

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

Christmas
Hanukkah
Kwanzaa
Winter Solstice

Rewrite your characters/fandom as a Christmas classic... It's a Wonderful Life, Miracle on 34th Street, A Christmas Carol, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, whatever your favorite may be.

Write a fic starting with the following first sentence:

"He twisted his hands once more, but the ropes held tight."

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

"Blow, blow thou winter wind,
Thou art not so unkind
As man's ingratitude;"
--As You Like It (II, vii, 174-176)

Write a story inspired by the headline:

TOOTHLESS VAMPIRE FORCED TO RAID BLOOD BANKS! (Weekly World News)

A crossover challenge. Move your favourite villain from one fandom to another... for example the Joker moves to Metropolis to harass Superman for a change; or Lee Brackett (from Sentinel) has a big plan in Chicago and comes up against Fraser and Vecchio; or Darth Maul travels through some space/time warp to an alternate universe and runs into the Enterprise (or the Andromeda Ascendant), or Dr. Evil moves his base of operations to a new city. Any villain, any fandom.

Write an intentionally bad story... purple prose, soap opera plots, slash clichés, let your muse run wild.

Write a fic where your character comes out to someone, maybe a family member or close friend. It may be either a canon or original character, but it must be someone whose opinion is important to your chosen character.