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The Short Fic Weekly Challenge Thread!


elliotcat

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Another Friday brings another prompt.......happy writing!

 

Week of August 11, 2017

 

Temptation: It comes in all flavors, all kinds, all things. And it need not be a physical thing at all, but an experience or emotion. It’s usually, but not always, a vice. What tempts your character? What siren song do they find irresistible? Do they crash on the rocks following it, do their friends help them avoid it, or do they manage alone? Not all temptations are bad, of course, and not all can be neatly avoided.

 

*Feel free to continue submitting stories for any prompt. A masterpiece missed the deadline? Don’t let it gather electronic dust......post it anyways!!

 

*This week’s prompt not for you? Look for something more to your taste in the Prompt Archive. Consider all the prompts active and waiting to inspire you.

 

This week’s featured previous prompts are:

 

Change of Venue-Few characters–or stories–stay in one place. Your character moves from familiar places and things to new and strange ones. Does your character relish the excitement of change, or do they prefer the predictable? What do they do when they have to move, regardless of preference? This week, pick a new place for your character to be, or write about how they got there.

 

Marketing - Somebody’s always trying to sell our characters something. Ads, promotions, coupons, flashy events, and more try to attract footsteps and wallets. Sometimes our characters are trying to sell something – be it services, unwanted equipment, or a cargo hold’s worth of hot merchandise. Besides all that, somebody’s got to be the face of advertising campaigns. Sometimes the advertising is right on and sometimes it’s…exaggerated. Write about your character’s experience with marketing.

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Happy Friday......Prompt time!

 

Week of August 18, 2017

 

Folk Tales: All cultures have folk tales–the stories people tell each other. The ones everyone knows, or knows a version of. They may be written down, or they may only be told around the campfire, the coffee pot, or in the chatroom. They may be cautionary tales, stories of heroism, or horror. Modern urban legends fall in this category. What ones does your character know? Where did they hear them? Which ones do they share and why? Let your character be the storyteller this week.

 

*Feel free to continue submitting stories for any prompt. A masterpiece missed the deadline? Don’t let it gather electronic dust.......post it anyway!

 

*This week’s prompt not for you? Look for something more to your taste in the Prompt Archive. Consider all the prompts active and waiting to inspire you.

 

This week’s featured previous prompts are:

 

The Times, They are a-Changin’ - Even in a galaxy far far away, things change. The world, the galaxy, doesn’t look the same as it did when your character was younger. How does your character feel about it? Do they take it in stride, or are they more a ‘back in my day’ lecturer? Was the past as good-or bad-as they remember? Or are those rose-colored glasses blinders?

 

…And Taxes- It’s said that death and taxes are the only certainties. We covered death in a recent prompt, so how about taxes? Both the Empire and Republic are huge, with countless fees, license requirements, and just plain old taxes. Hutt space is independant, but it still has to run. Does your character accept taxes as part of the cost of doing business, find ways to minimize the bill, or skip it altogether and hope no one notices? Write about your character’s encounters with taxes, fees, tariffs, and other means of government fund-raising.

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Catching up!

 

@frauzet: Glad to see you again! Thank you so much! I really hope to (eventually) expand on Tember & Aitahea's relationship. Sisters are pretty great.

 

@Yoshi: I loooove Rey and Reela! I will also admit to a squeal of delight when you said it was Scarif. Details like that are some of my favorites. And I am a little biased towards sisters myself.

 

@Allronix: Wow! This line

“The Force shall free me” was just as much a lie as everything else.

just dug right into my heart. And then was, as you said, hilarious.

 

@Ylliarus: Kosmarr is exactly what I picture when I think of the darkest of the Sith. Cold, calculating, and ruthless. It really comes through!

 

@Alaurin: Ooooo, I had a good chuckle at that exchange. I love when characters flirt like that!

 

Hope to get to another prompt this week! :)

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@Ylliarus: Kosmarr is exactly what I picture when I think of the darkest of the Sith. Cold, calculating, and ruthless. It really comes through!

 

Thank you so much I am really happy to hear that! :D I really want to depict him as a Sith that is worthy of being called such, so I am glad it comes through!

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Happy Friday!! It's been a busy and grungy Friday for me as I decided to paint a large area of our house while the kids are back to school so a huge thank you Kitar for reminding me that I needed to post the Prompt! :o

 

Week of August 25, 2017

 

Phobia: From Phobos, the personification of fear in Greek mythology, in English a phobia is more than just being afraid. Phobias are rarely rational. The brain is often eager to label anything as a terrible threat regardless of whether it’s logical. A true phobia can be debilitating, where the sufferer avoids any situation that might trigger their fear. Does your character have such a disability? What about one of their companions or someone they meet? Is it a common or reasonable thing to fear? Something others sympathize with even if they don’t appreciate the severity? Or is it something rare or mundane? Some thing or condition, made all the worse by the fact that literally no one else understands why it provokes such a reaction. How does your character deal with it? How do they help a companion through an episode?

 

*Feel free to continue submitting stories for any prompt. A masterpiece missed the deadline? Don’t let it gather electronic dust.....post it anyway!!

 

*This week’s prompt not for you? Look for something more to your taste in the Prompt Archive. Consider all the prompts active and waiting to inspire you.

 

This week’s featured previous prompts are:

 

Laughing Fit- Humor is universal and yet also individual. What leaves one person in stitches falls flat for another for reasons of cultural or personal experience. Everyone’s funny bone is a little different. What about your characters? What makes them laugh? Do they have favorite comedians? Favorite parodies? Farce? There’s plenty of humor in everyday things as well. Maybe an amusing juxtaposition of events sets them off, a misspelled or misread sign, or a companion taking a pratfall. Write about a time when your character couldn’t stop laughing. Prompt suggested by @frauzet for @alaurin101, who needs some laughter this week.

 

Distractions- Some characters are more focused than others but everyone gets distracted sometimes. It might be the garden-variety distraction–an urgent message, children, colleagues, some guy who desperately needs six pig’s livers while your character is on their way to save the world. Or your character might distract themselves–endlessly exploring Encyclopedia Galactica instead of completing their research paper, or obsessing over shoe details rather than exercising. This week, write about how your character–Ooo, shiny.

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Based on Phobias. Character is Ophona, though an older and wiser one. The practical aspects of Jedi fascinate me.

 

 

"Inhale. What are you feeling? Find it. Find its source. Acknowledge it. Feel the emotion.... Exhale. Let it go. What are you feeling?"

 

Her knee was sore. She'd been sitting too long, and the comfortable position had started to grow hard to hold. She shifted her weight, just a hair.

 

"Being a Jedi doesn't mean you turn into a machine. It means you don't cling to yourself. Find the feeling. Let it go."

 

Her thoughts drifted from the lecture. She was afraid for her Padawan. He was so young and so fierce. He struggled, enraged by injustice, and she was afraid he would fail and fall.

 

"Let it go."

 

She was afraid that she'd fail him. She was afraid... And she felt that fear against her stiffening back, and the catch in her breath where her ribs were still sensitive from the latest battle. She felt it on the inhale. And then, on the exhale, she let it go. It was a drop in the vast river of the universe, and she didn't need it. The current would carry her as it willed.

 

"There is only the Force."

 

 

 

Very short and not that phobia-ish. Oh well. I LOVE YOU GUYS.

Edited by AKHadeed
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Based on Phobias. Character is Ophona, though an older and wiser one. The practical aspects of Jedi fascinate me.

 

 

"Inhale. What are you feeling? Find it. Find its source. Acknowledge it. Feel the emotion.... Exhale. Let it go. What are you feeling?"

 

Her knee was sore. She'd been sitting too long, and the comfortable position had started to grow hard to hold. She shifted her weight, just a hair.

 

"Being a Jedi doesn't mean you turn into a machine. It means you don't cling to yourself. Find the feeling. Let it go."

 

Her thoughts drifted from the lecture. She was afraid for her Padawan. He was so young and so fierce. He struggled, enraged by injustice, and she was afraid he would fail and fall.

 

"Let it go."

 

She was afraid that she'd fail him. She was afraid... And she felt that fear against her stiffening back, and the catch in her breath where her ribs were still sensitive from the latest battle. She felt it on the inhale. And then, on the exhale, she let it go. It was a drop in the vast river of the universe, and she didn't need it. The current would carry her as it willed.

 

"There is only the Force."

 

 

 

Very short and not that phobia-ish. Oh well. I LOVE YOU GUYS.

 

I loved it and it was quite appropriate for a Jedi phobia I thought and I liked how you portrayed her dealing with it too. <3

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I loved it and it was quite appropriate for a Jedi phobia I thought and I liked how you portrayed her dealing with it too. <3

 

Agree! Is that a little tear in my eye? Oh dear.

 

Okay, I got one!

 

Title: Too Many Legs

Prompt: Phobias

Character: Aitahea Daviin, OC Jedi Consular; Erithon Zale, OC Trooper

Setting: During Luminous

Spoilers: NA

 

 

Aitahea went flying through the Luminous toward the sound of Erithon’s horrified shout. She found the trooper in the guest quarters, flattened against the far wall.

 

“Erithon!” she cried, stepping into the room. “What is it?” He looked up at her in a panic as his hands shot out in a warning gesture.

 

“Don’t move! Don’t!” he bellowed, and Aitahea froze, eyes wide. His panic was overwhelming in the Force, battering her empath’s senses, but beneath the abject terror was a trace of misery and embarrassment. Aitahea followed his dismayed gaze to the floor of the room to find the source of his terror: a small red energy spider.

 

“Erithon… it’s only a red energy spider. We likely picked it up at a spaceport somewhere.”

 

“So he’s a stowaway! Out the airlock with it!”

 

“Major.” Aitahea put her hands on her hips, enough motion to disturb the little creature, who scuttled a little closer to the horrified trooper. He yelped and edged further along the far wall, crouching to avoid a storage shelf. Aitahea fought desperately to keep her composure before speaking. “Erithon, are you afraid of this spider?”

 

“N-no!” He stammered, panicked eyes fixed on the arachnid. “I-I mean, those things are poisonous! Dangerous!”

 

At this Aitahea could not help bursting into laughter. “Erithon! Red energy spiders are herbivores. They eat plants.”

 

Erithon looked up at her, eyes narrowed. “Are you sure?”

 

The Jedi smiled gently as she knelt, slowly reaching out. “They are. Come here, little one.” The spider scampered into her open hand and Erithon visibly shuddered.

 

“How can you do that?”

 

Aitahea stood slowly, cupping the little creature in her hand. “It’s a living thing, Erithon, the Force can-”

 

“No, I mean how can you touch the thing?” he muttered, the panic in his voice easing away.

 

The Jedi held back another laugh, shoulders trembling with the effort, working to keep her hand still as Erithon crept closer. “It’s only a small spider. It likely just wanted a dark place to hide. Energy spiders are from the Kessel spice mines and don’t care for light.”

 

Erithon straightened, looking mortified. “Well, you know, I just assumed it was dangerous. I mean, you never know,” he scoffed, throwing his head back with false bravado, “a lot of bugs around the galaxy are trouble.” He peered suspiciously at the spider, the arachnid hunkered down in her palm.

 

“Of course. It’s better to be safe than sorry, I admit.” She tipped her head to peer at the spider as it flexed a few of its eight legs. Aitahea slowly and gently extended her hand. “Look. It won’t hurt you.”

 

The trooper gave her a doubtful glance but moved a little closer to look into her hand. “Okay, I guess it isn’t so bad. Still kinda creepy. Too many legs.”

 

The energy spider scuttled around the Jedi’s palm once… before leaping towards Erithon.

 

The screaming was shrill enough to echo through hyperspace.

 

 

 

Please feel free to offer constructive criticism, I'm always looking to improve!

Edited by Charmedseed
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Happy Friday!! Here's the prompt....

 

Week of September 1, 2017

 

Windfall: Something good fell in your character’s lap, something they weren’t expecting. Does it come at an opportune time to fix a problem? Does it cause a headache (or heartache) down the road? Or do they make cider, as one does with windfall apples?

 

*Feel free to continue submitting stories for any prompt. A masterpiece missed the deadline? Don’t let it gather electronic dust, post it anyway!

 

*This week’s prompt not for you? Look for something more to your taste in the Prompt Archive. Consider all the prompts active and waiting to inspire you.

 

This week’s featured previous prompts are:

 

I’ve got a bad feeling about this - When has your character known something wasn’t going to work out? How did they know? Past experience, premonition, general pessimism? Did events turn out as bad as they expected, or were they better? Worse? How bad were those bad feelings, and was it justified?

 

Cupid’s Arrow: According to legend, any heart pierced by Cupid’s golden-tipped arrow–human or deity alike–filled with uncontrollable, all-consuming desire. Classic love at first sight. But Cupid’s quiver also contained lead-tipped arrows with the opposite effect: provoking disdain and aversion. Has either arrow ever wounded your character? Or perhaps one of their close associates? An object of affection? Cupid’s influence covers the gamut of passions–from the sensual to unrequited all the way to bitter animosity. Tell a story where your character experiences irrational love or irrational hate. Or both.

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Happy Friday to all......and to all a good Prompt!

 

Week of September 8, 2017

 

Hero Worship: Who does your character think of when they hear the word “hero”? Is it a specific person? A type of person, or a person in a specific occupation? Have they ever met their hero(es)? Who sees your character as a hero–no matter how venal they really are? How do they show it, and how does your character deal with it?

 

*Feel free to continue submitting stories for any prompt. A masterpiece missed the deadline? Don’t let it gather electronic dust, post it anyways!

 

*This week’s prompt not for you? Look for something more to your taste in the Prompt Archive. Consider all the prompts active and waiting to inspire you.

 

This week’s featured previous prompts are:

 

Incongruity–A wookie with curlers, troopers in armor dancing to a popular tune, a toddler with a lightsaber. Some things just don’t seem to go together. The result may be funny or tragic. When has your character encountered incongruous things or odd juxtapositions?

 

Background Music and Leitmotif: Imagine Darth Vader’s entrance without the Imperial March. It’s hard. His music is as much a part of his character as his black cloak and mask. Many writers have playlists for their stories, or at least particular songs that apply to certain characters or situations, or that help evoke a character or a sense of place as they write. This week’s challenge: Write a story and link the background music that goes with it, or a story centered on your character and link their leitmotif. Prompt courtesy of @clevermird

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GAH!! Nearly forgot to post the prompt......thank you Kitar for reminding me!! At least it's still Friday so I'm not too terribly late. ;)

 

Week of September 15, 2017

 

Flirting With Disaster: Even the most risk-averse character gets into sticky situations, or they should if you’re doing your job as a writer. Then there are others who live their entire lives on the edge. This week, write about a time when things were so, so close to going wrong. When the table shook beneath the house of cards but didn’t quite fall. Or maybe it did.

 

*Feel free to continue submitting stories for any prompt. A masterpiece missed the deadline? Don’t let it gather electronic dust, post it anyways!

 

*This week’s prompt not for you? Look for something more to your taste in the Prompt Archive. Consider all the prompts active and waiting to inspire you.

 

This week’s featured previous prompts are:

 

That’s Cheating! - Some characters are honest and trustworthy to a fault. Others less so. The vast majority are somewhere in between. Where does your character fall? Do they play by the rules or make up their own? Have they been the victim of a cheater? At cards, a merchant, or even a relationship? Do stakes or situation matter, or will your character cheat (or not) any time?

 

Ships that Pass in the Night: Sometimes, two important characters miss each other completely. Perhaps they’re actively avoiding each other: hiding, in disguise, or incognito. They might notice one another, but without recognition. Perhaps their circles are so different they don’t realize who they’ve seen. Maybe they don’t even do that much, passing like ships in the night. This week, write about the encounter that might have happened, but didn’t.

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What has 2 thumbs and a new Prompt? This girl!!!! :cool: Happy Friday and happy writing!

 

Week of September 22, 2017

 

What Goes Around Comes Around: If the Golden Rule is “treat others how you wish to be treated” then this is what happens when you don’t. Cheaters will be cheated, liars lied to, and bullies bullied. Write about a time when your character’s behavior came back to bite them, or when they had an opportunity to visit retribution on someone who wronged them.

 

*Feel free to continue submitting stories for any prompt. A masterpiece missed the deadline? Don’t let it gather electronic dust, post it anyway!!

 

*This week’s prompt not for you? Look for something more to your taste in the Prompt Archive. Consider all the prompts active and waiting to inspire you.

 

This week’s featured previous prompts are:

 

Exactly as Planned: Were there any quests–class or otherwise–that fit your character’s story perfectly? Maybe something happened during combat or while exploring. Flashpoints? Even a bug, glitch, or mistake can become part of your character’s story. How did that go down? Write a story about a canon event that really is part of your character’s personal canon.

 

Sound–Sound is the second most often used descriptor after sight. At the most basic level there is spoken dialogue or ambient sounds. Beyond that, a character may have a distinctive quality to their voice: nasal, raspy, or with a peculiar accent. Maybe they yell. Maybe they whisper. Ambient sounds might be soothing–a waterfall, soft music, leaves fluttering in a gentle breeze. They might be loud–machinery, nearby traffic, raucous neighbors. Used well, sounds tell the reader about the setting and the characters without the writer spelling it out. This week, try to use sound in a creative way.

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When am I ever going to learn that I should really post the Prompt before I go to work?! :rolleyes: *sigh* At least I'm getting it out before Friday is over.......so here you go and happy writing!!

 

Week of September 29, 2017

 

Frustration: Sometimes events (aka the writer) conspire to thwart your character. It might be a series of minor things–the coffee machine broke, the bus was late (so they caught it but were late anyway), and to top it off all the good donuts were gone at the meeting…where the project no one else wanted ended up in their lap. Yay. Maybe it’s a repeated error: the food stall never gets their order right, the clerk always mispronounces your character’s name. This week write about someone or something getting on your character’s last nerve.

 

*Feel free to continue submitting stories for any prompt. A masterpiece missed the deadline? Don’t let it gather electronic dust, post it anyway!

 

*This week’s prompt not for you? Look for something more to your taste in the Prompt Archive. Consider all the prompts active and waiting to inspire you.

 

This week’s featured previous prompts are:

 

There’s No “I” in Team: As you play you pick up companions aplenty, maybe make friends in groups, and head-canon a lot of NPC involvement in your personal story. Over time, you wind up developing a team of players who work together in some fashion. Without that team, your character would never have the level of success they’ve achieved. Write about either how your team learned to mesh with each other, how they function as a unit now, or how they bond in the aftermath of a mission. Prompt courtesy of @sillymonkey71.

 

Fish Out of Water: No one fits in everywhere. Even a well-travelled character, or one accustomed to shifting identities, can feel out of place. So how about yours? When has your character been in a truly alien, uncomfortable situation? Why were they so far out of their comfort zone? Did they wander into the wrong neighborhood? Did they miss important social cues or misinterpret what they saw? Write about a time when your character was the fish out of water.

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Ooooo, I remembered to post the new Prompt all on my own this time!! I should really get a gold star for that.....:p. Happy Friday......write on!

 

Week of October 6, 2017

 

Conversion or Proselytizing: You! Yes, you! Can we talk for a bit about…what? What ideas does your character hope to pass on to others? What ideology moves them? Did they convert to their current mindset from a different one? How and why did they make the change? While religion and politics are most obvious choices with this prompt, consider also scientific theories, dietary or exercise regimens, brand loyalty, or comic book heroes. Which version was better, the movie or the book? Why? Does your character have to win the debate, or are they most invested in the discussion itself?

 

*Feel free to continue submitting stories for any prompt. A masterpiece missed the deadline? Don’t let it gather electronic dust, post it anyways!

 

*This week’s prompt not for you? Look for something more to your taste in the Prompt Archive. Consider all the prompts active and waiting to inspire you.

 

This week’s featured previous prompts are:

 

Pick-up lines: Use them? Been used on? Turned down? Accepted? Laughed at? Good ones, bad ones, sincere or stupid and everything in between. Write about how your character deals with a classic (if dubious) way to connect with someone else.

 

Passing On- “How we face death is at least as important as how we face life.” No one is truly immortal. Even those who have conquered aging and disease still have to deal with the inevitable dangers of combat and the perils of an adventuring life. What happens when death finally catches up with your character? Does a near miss give her pause, an unwelcome reminder of mortality? Does he go out with a bang, a whimper, or quietly in his sleep? What happens to the ones left behind? This prompt courtesy of @clevermird. (Quote courtesy Star Trek 2, The Wrath of Khan)

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  • 2 weeks later...

Oops I did it again.......yeah, have fun getting that song out of your heads now! :eek: Shenanigans aside, I do apologize for forgetting to post the prompt in a timely manner, but better late than never!

 

Week of October 13, 2017

 

Embarrassment: Everyone has that moment they’d rather forget. The time when every eye was on them, but not in a good way. What about your character? When has the glaring spotlight of public embarrassment shone on them and why? Is it a story they’ll never tell? Is it the hilarious tale told for laughs well after the fact? Or is it one of those things that slips out after too many intoxicants?

 

*Feel free to continue submitting stories for any prompt. A masterpiece missed the deadline? Don’t let it gather electronic dust, post it anyways!

 

*This week’s prompt not for you? Look for something more to your taste in the Prompt Archive. Consider all the prompts active and waiting to inspire you.

 

This week’s featured previous prompts are:

 

Can’t Get There From Here: Travel–or any plan–doesn’t always go smoothly. There are delays, changes in schedules, barriers blocking the way. What does your character do when their usual route is impassable? Do they follow the detour signs? Do they know–or think they know–a much better alternative route? What happens? Thanks to @frauzet for this prompt.

 

Paranoia: “Is it paranoia when they really are out to get you?”– every Agent ever, and a healthy number of Sith besides. So how about your character? Are they reasonably cautious, just planning for the worst, or outright paranoid? Or is everyone really out to get them? Thanks to @frauzet for this prompt, too. (And credit to Joseph Heller for the paraphrased quote)

Edited by alaurin
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Thanks to a lovely reminder from my friend Kitar, you all get the weekly prompt on time this week!! ;) Happy writing!

 

Week of October 20, 2017

 

Practice Makes Perfect: No matter how skilled your character is, there’s always room for improvement. What does your character do to keep in practice? Are they building on existing accomplishments or learning something new? Is it a skill they need for their main occupation, or something they do for fun? Are they edging toward perfection, or always terrible but having a great time anyway? Practice your own writing this week.

 

 

*Feel free to continue submitting stories for any prompt. A masterpiece missed the deadline? Don’t let it gather electronic dust, post it anyways!

 

*This week’s prompt not for you? Look for something more to your taste in the Prompt Archive. Consider all the prompts active and waiting to inspire you.

 

This week’s featured previous prompts are:

 

Where are they Now? – As our characters move through their stories they change the lives of many others, most of whom we never see again. The Force-sensitive Flesh Raider on Tython. Seh-run, the Abyssin on Korriban. Zi’am on Hutta. Paul and his elderly parents on Ord Mantell. That’s just a few examples. Whatever happened to them? Did they became stalwart allies or bitter rivals? If they died because of our character’s actions, do they have relatives looking for revenge? We often remark about how characters from early on in the stories show up later to help or hinder our characters, or how characters from different class stories make cameos in others. How about some of these forgotten ones?

 

Traditions: Everyone has traditions. Family, cultural, or personal. Some we keep out of habit or societal pressure, others because they hold special meaning. What about your characters? What traditions do they follow? Why? Something as complicated as an elaborate religious festival, or as simple as shredding every completed contract? Maybe your character specifically avoids certain traditions they grew up with. Or adopted new ones from an alien culture. Whatever the case, there’s a story in it

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Hey, it's still Friday......so have a prompt!

 

 

Week of October 27, 2017

 

Roadblock: Something’s in the way, physically or metaphorically. Something preventing your character from getting what they want. What is it? Why is it there? What does your character want and who wants to stop them? This week, throw a roadblock in your character’s path. Let’s see how they navigate it.

 

*Feel free to continue submitting stories for any prompt. A masterpiece missed the deadline? Don’t let it gather electronic dust, post it anyways!

 

*This week’s prompt not for you? Look for something more to your taste in the Prompt Archive. Consider all the prompts active and waiting to inspire you.

 

This week’s featured previous prompts are:

 

Writer’s Revenge!- “Do not annoy the writer. She may put you in a book and kill you.” When looking for inspiration for a minor or background character, or even an important adversary, why not borrow the aggravating habits of someone familiar to you? The chatterbox co-worker who can’t stop telling stories–but none of them are interesting. The neighbor whose garage band meets daily–and loudly–at six in the morning. This week, take the best revenge on someone who irritates you: make them a character in a story. Death, of course, is optional. Have fun!

 

Violence is the Only Option -When interests collide, some characters resort to violence to get what they want. Even if you want to avoid it, combat is inevitable. This week, write about a time your character has to fight with another in order to a to further their goal. Thanks to Oliverthefighter from the SWTOR forums for this prompt.

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It's Friday and......wait for it.......wait for it.......Prompt day!! Happy writing!

 

Week of November 3, 2017

 

Goals: Your character is nothing without goals. Pursuing their goal is what propels the story forward. Step back for a moment and consider how and why they set that goal. Did they wake up one morning and know what they wanted to do? Did it grow organically out of life experience? Did they go through a modern, goal-setting exercise? Is theirs a reasonable goal, achievable with a stretch, or are they unlikely to ever achieve it? Do they keep moving the goalposts? Does someone move them for your character? Set a goal this week.

 

*Feel free to continue submitting stories for any prompt. A masterpiece missed the deadline? Don’t let it gather electronic dust, post it anyways!

 

*This week’s prompt not for you? Look for something more to your taste in the Prompt Archive. Consider all the prompts active and waiting to inspire you.

 

This week’s featured previous prompts are:

 

What About That Guy?: Stories usually concern major characters. Sometimes the main plot is from the game, sometimes not. Regardless, stories also contain a number of incidental characters and minor plots as well. The guard at the door, the customs official who broke up the fight, a convenient corpse, the character (probably in a red shirt) who dies in the first scene to prove the situation is serious. Not to mention why was there a guard, how did the fight start, where did the corpse come from, what made the situation serious. Every story has places to explore behind the scenes. This week, pick one of your favorite works and fill in one or more of those spaces. (apologies to Galaxy Quest’s Crewman #6) (This prompt suggested by Feldraeth on the official SWTOR forums)

 

Achilles’ Heel - Our characters are powerful combatants, talented tacticians, clever diplomats and all-around legendary figures. However, everybody has that one “thing” that gets to them, that hurts them, or that proves their vulnerability in some way. A fear of heights… a particularly sensitive spot or old injury… an intolerance for bright sunlight… an irrationally severe dislike of womp-rats… what’s the one thing that gets to your character, even on a good day? Prompt courtesy of TrystanLaryssa.

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Clearing my chaos of ideas and small pieces, I found something I wrote for my smuggler moving into a sky palace on Nar Shadaa.

 

Prompt: Coming home

Characters: Joshy'lto (Smuggler)

 

 

Joshy'lto parked his slim red Aratech speeder at the entrance platform. He was alone, but even here, high above Nar Shadaa remained was it was. Blinding lights, shrill noises and that particular omnipresent odour. Of pleasure and temptation, of seduction and luxury, of wickedness and misery.

 

He took a moment to enjoy the view the sky palace provided.

Not any sky palace, his sky palace!

For the first time he entered the building that would become his home, the centre of his own little kingdom of crime.

With a fond smile he thought back to Corellia, all those smugglers and pirates, united, following his lead. It had been glorious.

 

Though naturally it hadn't held together. His kind just wasn't made to unite under one banner for long, too diverse were the interests and goal, too many strong personalities, too many individualists.

But it had been worth it. Seizing ships from both sides, Empire and Republic, they had gathered incredible riches.

Without any scruples he had turned against his former employer, the Republic, but in the end he had been there for the money, not some stupid ideals.

An opportunity like over Corellia just was not one to let go.

In addition, after Pollaran and that kriffing senator had betrayed him, it had been about revenge too.

After all, he had a reputation to maintain.

 

Corellia had made him rich, for real this time. Finding the lost treasure of Nok Drayen had certainly built his legend, but financially the treasures had been a huge pile of old crap, not worth anything these days.

Now though, he had the wealth to built up his own crime syndicate.

As much as he loved the thrill of escaping patrols with his dear old freighter or participating in spectacular heists, staying a pilot for hire all his life never had been the plan.

Now he would become one of the big bosses.

With an appropriate palace.

 

His steps echoed through the empty rooms as he envisioned what would be placed where.

His bureau here, the casino there, sportscasts and betting on this floor. A cantina, the pleasure lounge and dancers below and the black market in the basement out of plain view. Weapons, drugs, alcohol, exotic animals, everything he ever dreamed of.

 

Security cameras here and there, bouncers, big and intimidating, but also intelligent. Would be hard to find, but they were worth the effort and every credit.

This would become his vault, Joshy'lto could already see the crates and riches stack before his eyes. Republic, Empire, Czerka,... they all would donate their part.

On the other side of the corridor, a carbonisation chamber. Bounty hunters weren't exactly his friends, but there was a lot of money in that business.

It certainly wouldn't hurt either to get to know the people who probably would be after his own head, once the Republic realised he wasn't one of theirs any more.

 

As he watched Akaavi landing his battered freighter at the palace own landing platform, the man with the stylish red and silver glasses and the dark thick dreadlocks bound at the back of his head couldn't help but grin broadly.

The Zabrak brought his right hand with him, Ivory, an old crime lord he had freed from the Belsavis prison.

All he would have to do now was to give his signal to start, for setting everything into motion, for making his dreams come true, making this his home.

 

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Uh....yeah. I kinda forgot to take care of this, but better late then never....right?! :o Happy writing!

 

Week of November 10, 2017

 

NO PANTS! Relaxing at home. Nothing planned, nothing going on, nothing pending, no crises. No pants. What’s that mean for your character? Is there any place or time when they can truly relax? Do they fantasize about relaxation while dashing between disasters? Are they stuck in the doldrums, praying for something–anything–to happen? Or do they take “no pants” more literally?

 

 

*Feel free to continue submitting stories for any prompt. A masterpiece missed the deadline? Don’t let it gather electronic dust, post it anyway.

 

*This week’s prompt not for you? Look for something more to your taste in the Prompt Archive. Consider all the prompts active and waiting to inspire you.

 

This week’s featured previous prompts are:

 

A Matter of Public Record: Every character is a wealth of information, and it’s probably to someone’s advantage to know it. Everything from basic information like name, species, and gender, to more specific things, like school records, close relatives, or their favorite snack food. So what do they know about your character? What’s on their public record and is any of it accurate? Has it been changed, erased, or confused with someone else’s? Who might want to know? Why?

 

A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words: Pictures can also provide inspiration. A scene in a movie, a well-known painting, a screenshot, a character portrait, if you’re lucky enough to have one. Write the “thousand words” (figuratively) behind the picture and share both if you can. Prompt courtesy of Jokad via the SWTOR forums.

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