Information to be provided here by Rowena.

Greetings everyone! Ready for another challenge?

The theme for April is kinda borrowed from Rhea Silverkeys' challenge at her "Writer's Anonymous" forum, but a bit more difficult:

Thinking Outside the Box

For this challenge, you must write about a character or pairing in whatever fandom you choose that you would NOT normally write about. Also, you must write a genre you have never seriously explored. So, for example, if you normally write romance fics about Ron and Hermione, you should try your hand at mystery with Draco Malfoy. Lastly, and this is NOT a requirement, you might even try your hand at a fandom you're familiar with, but have never written for.

The Rules:

-Any fandom is acceptable.

-Any character/pairing EXCEPT the character/pairing you are most comfortable with.

-Any genre EXCEPT the genre you normally use.

-NO OC'S (this means YOU, MLC!)

-Any rating is fine.

-Spell and grammar check are a MUST.

Any questions regarding this challenge may be posted in this thread. I purposely didn't use a plot point this time because I understand how easy it is to stay with certain characters out of comfort. But very few fandoms only have one or two characters as their main focus and those characters deserve our attention. It can be very helpful to see a fandom from a POV you don't normally use, especially if you're having trouble with whatever larger stories you're currently writing.

Once your story is finished, post a link in this thread and I will edit this post to include those links to make it easier for people to find them. Please consider reading and reviewing the stories your fellow writers post for this challenge.

Have fun!

--------------

The last March entry:

"Seeing Thestrals" by TheUnknownMarauder: http://www.fanfiction.net/s/4168942/1/Seeing_Thestrals

April Entries:

"Death, Unseen" by Epilachna: http://www.fanfiction.net/s/4172980/1/Death_Unseen

"On Your Shoulders" by Kaj-Nrig: http://www.fanfiction.net/s/4210744/1/On_Your_Shoulders

If I just finished a piece for the other one, am I still allowed to submit it? It's still March 31...

And I was just working on a story for the WA challenge...it's deja vu all over again. ~_~

Guess that means no romantic or tragic fics...

Darn.

Can I try or was there something I skipped… ?

Now, I'll have to scratch out Friendship, Romance, Humor and Angst. º-º

Question: If I write a romance (which I never write), and it happens to be between (at least) two individuals who under certain viewpoints have what we might consider not particularly romantic attachments to one another...

Ah, screw tact. If I write something like, I don't know, a love story between androgynous alien robots, would that be considered cheating?

If I just finished a piece for the other one, am I still allowed to submit it? It's still March 31...

The challenges don't expire, which is why there's a shiny new "Archive" thread for them. ;) Submit it whenever you like...:)

Ah, screw tact. If I write something like, I don't know, a love story between androgynous alien robots, would that be considered cheating?

Well, aside from the fact that MSA might leave us another very long diatribe on "ROBOTS. DON'T. FUCK."...sure...:) I don't mind it at all...:) (And don't let MSA scare you either.)

The challenges don't expire, which is why there's a shiny new "Archive" thread for them. ;) Submit it whenever you like...:)

It's locked... :(

Just post the link here and specify that it's for the March challenge. :)

:) Thanks.

http://www.fanfiction.net/s/4168942/1/Seeing_Thestrals is submitted for the March challenge. Hopefully it's coherent.

*still hasn't figured out how to link*

Well, aside from the fact that MSA might leave us another very long diatribe on "ROBOTS. DON'T. FUCK."...sure...:) I don't mind it at all...:) (And don't let MSA scare you either.)

Who's the MSA? And that's WHY I was wondering if it would be cheating, because robots don't fuck. ~_~

MSA or Mary Sue's Assasin is Rowena's husband/fi'ance (Forgive the spelling)

Damn, better start on that pairing.

Now which to pick, the Resident Evil fandom or the Spyro fandom.

So hard to choose.

OK. So, I'm not sure if I'm going to enter this one because I'm working on getting my next big story up and running. If I do, some questions...

Does the pairing have to be romantic/sexual in nature? I don't think so, but it's not clear.

I'm having trouble with the pairing you 'would NOT normally write about'. Does this imply a pairing you don't feel comfortable with or one you've never tackled before? I can think of plenty of pairings in LOTR/Sil/HP etc. that I've never written about but would if an idea struck.

Lastly, 'genre you have never seriously explored'. This is a tough one because I think I've covered most of them at one point or another in my longer fics. The genre categories they are under are merely umbrellas for the larger story, not necessarily accurate chapter by chapter. I just don't want someone saying I've used humor before when I never wrote an entire fic for the purpose of humor. Do you get what I mean?

Does the pairing have to be romantic/sexual in nature? I don't think so, but it's not clear.

No, it does not have to be romantic/sexual. It can be friendship, teacher/student, brother/sister, whatever. But there is also no requirement for there to BE a pairing. You may also write about a single character that you've never seriously explored before.

Does this imply a pairing you don't feel comfortable with or one you've never tackled before?

Again, a pairing is not required, but if that's the way you wish to go, then it simply needs to be a pairing you've never previously tackled.

Lastly, 'genre you have never seriously explored'. This is a tough one because I think I've covered most of them at one point or another in my longer fics. The genre categories they are under are merely umbrellas for the larger story, not necessarily accurate chapter by chapter. I just don't want someone saying I've used humor before when I never wrote an entire fic for the purpose of humor. Do you get what I mean?

Yes, I do get it. ;) And believe me, I understand the use of a genre as an umbrella term (which is why most of my stories are categorized as "general" and nothing else). But Stephen King at his scariest still has some humor in there, but no one would ever call him a comedy writer. On the other hand, the "Outlander" books by Diana Gabaldon could be considered "romance", but they're still peppered with action. When it comes to long-form, multi-chapter fiction, trying to keep it in one or two genres is well nigh impossible. But in a thousand words or less, it should come quite easy. So if you feel that you write pretty good humor but struggle with action, use this opportunity to practice your action writing. ;)

But there is also no requirement for there to BE a pairing.

My brain skipped over the 'or' and just read character pairing. Thanks for the clarifier. Hmmm.

Oh, new question - can a poetry fic be a genre (I think it's up there)? I write poetry but I've never written a fanfic poem before. I usually think they're kind of silly. Anyway, would that work? I think I have an idea...

So if you feel that you write pretty good humor but struggle with action, use this opportunity to practice your action writing. ;)

And if I feel like I fail at writing romance...I can sit here and be completely discouraged. Good to know.

...

Sorry, I'm just tired today...and disappointed in myself, since I like participating in these contests but can't think of a single 'new' thing to do for this one. -_-

Oh, new question - can a poetry fic be a genre (I think it's up there)? I write poetry but I've never written a fanfic poem before. I usually think they're kind of silly. Anyway, would that work? I think I have an idea...

Poetry is just fine...:)

And if I feel like I fail at writing romance...I can sit here and be completely discouraged. Good to know.

Now now, it's not like that! Based on what you've categorized the rest of your stories, you have plenty of other genres to choose from. Humor, parody, fantasy, supernatural...I've actually toyed with the notion of writing a "What if Wolverine found a nest of kittens living in his truck?" Don't ask me where it came from, because I have no idea. But the notion of the big bad Wolverine trying to sleep with half a dozen little balls of fluff climbing all over him makes me giggle...:)

So, try asking yourself the same question: What if (insert character here) found themselves in an unexpected situation? Say they woke up in New York City or all their hair fell out overnight or lost their notes for the big presentation at work/school? What if they saw a falling star, wished for a million dollars and won the lottery the next day? There are many ways you could take a story that you haven't apparently tried yet...:)

Unfortunately my entire writing style is putting people in unexpected situations. I'm mostly a crossover/Humor/Action/Horror writer. In fact only two of my stories is cannon only. All of my stories except two are crossovers. Kinda sad when you think about it. :(

Based on what you've categorized the rest of your stories, you have plenty of other genres to choose from. Humor, parody, fantasy, supernatural...

That's just what's on this particular account: the genres I've posted under on FFnet during my entire time here are Fantasy, Parody, Supernatural, Sci-Fi, Action/Adventure, Angst, Humor, Drama, General, Tragedy, Friendship, Spiritual...basically, anything not Mystery, Suspense, Horror, or Romance. And nothing along the lines of those silly genres like Crime, Hurt/Comfort, or Western, either. And I already write original poetry. :|

I have a possible Mystery-type fic in the planning stages, but it would A) Be way over 1000 words and B) Not be a challenge fic of any kind and therefore posted under another name.

You gotta remember, I've been here a while. I've done a lot. What I haven't done is mostly stuff that I can't pay attention to, like Horror, or stuff I can't deal with, like Romance. It's not discomfort so much as it is inability to process, really.

...

...Wait...do crossovers count as a genre? Because...no, wait, no - I DID do some crossovers. I did a freakin' Digimon-Pokemon crossover once. So never mind. -_-

Off-topic: We don't even NEED Western in the category. Almost no one uses it.

I wanna vote for a Fluff category.

Hi Ro! Because I'm a fucking nut who has to complete anything that pops into her mind - I've finished the challenge. A poem, for you.

Title: Death, Unseen

Link: http://www.fanfiction.net/s/4172980/1/Death_Unseen

Fandom: Highlander: The Series

Character: Methos

Genre: Poetry

Background: Methos is the oldest living Immortal in the world. For a thousand years he and three other Immortals raided and pillaged across Europe, North Africa and the Middle East. Because they returned to the same regions generation after generation and were witnessed to come back from the dead, their existence took on mythic proportions. They are referred to in ancient texts and the Bible as the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. 3,000 years later, Methos is an unspectacular, inconspicuous graduate student. Other immortals think he’s a newbie and not worth their time, but he still has a bit of the old killer instinct in him. This poem is my idea of what Methos would think when watching Lord of the Rings: Return of the King, specifically, the scene where the Witch King threatens Gandalf.

Hey, what's up with the inability to skip lines to format poems? Annoying!

and what's up with the inability to skip lines to format poems? Annoying!

If you want to make single spaces, use Shift+Enter. If you want to make double spaces (to denote stanza change), just press enter. It annoys me, too. I've still got to change up everything in some of my other stories.

Question: If I do a pairing that's not normal for me, but in which one of the characters is, does that count as "outside the box"? Or should I focus on two completely different characters?

And... I typically don't like to do TOO much genre-sticking, because I feel like that only narrows the crowd that much more. I hate saying what pairings are in which story and what story is what type of story and who's the main character in which story, etc. That said, I'd consider a few of my fics to have "bordered" categories. My March entry, for example, would likely be considered Romance, but I'd say it's a mixture of Romance, Drama, Angst, Sci-Fi, and Spiritual. So... since I don't want to stick to a specific genre, what say you on advice?

If you want to make single spaces, use Shift+Enter. If you want to make double spaces (to denote stanza change), just press enter. It annoys me, too. I've still got to change up everything in some of my other stories.

I did that but after I hit save changes it went back to the previous formatting. It was really weird. Maybe it's because I'm using Firefox?

I dunno, then. It works fine for me, and I'm using Firefox. Maybe if you use the html syntax, then?

Go to the html editor and replace the [/p][p] after each line in a stanza except the last one with [br /]. (Those [] aren't the right marks, but this site won't let me type those in.)

See if that helps any.

Say I really like a slash pairing, but have never seen it written for, nor have I ever been able to put together a cohesive fic for it. But I've played around with ideas. If I were to write a legit oneshot of it, could it still count in this?

Question: If I do a pairing that's not normal for me, but in which one of the characters is, does that count as "outside the box"? Or should I focus on two completely different characters?

After discussing this with MSA, we have decided that yes, this would be fine. ;)

And... I typically don't like to do TOO much genre-sticking, because I feel like that only narrows the crowd that much more. I hate saying what pairings are in which story and what story is what type of story and who's the main character in which story, etc. That said, I'd consider a few of my fics to have "bordered" categories. My March entry, for example, would likely be considered Romance, but I'd say it's a mixture of Romance, Drama, Angst, Sci-Fi, and Spiritual. So... since I don't want to stick to a specific genre, what say you on advice?

The main theme/genre should be one you've not seriously explored before. Yes, most stories have elements of several genres, but all have one or two that set the overall tone of the story. So pick a genre as the MAIN theme that you've never seriously explored, even if more comfortable elements end up in there anyway. :)

Say I really like a slash pairing, but have never seen it written for, nor have I ever been able to put together a cohesive fic for it. But I've played around with ideas. If I were to write a legit oneshot of it, could it still count in this?

So you've never written about this pairing either? Then I say yes, it counts. :)

(My apologies for not being around a lot the past few days. I have a wicked toothache and it's giving me migraines.)

The main theme/genre should be one you've not seriously explored before. Yes, most stories have elements of several genres, but all have one or two that set the overall tone of the story. So pick a genre as the MAIN theme that you've never seriously explored, even if more comfortable elements end up in there anyway. :)

Hmm...suppose I probably should practice that mystery thing, maybe...eh, I'll see if anything comes to mind.

BTW, do we get a custom avatar as a prize for this month too? That seems like it'd be a lot of work for you, Rowena...

this message is specifically for Ro. Dang it, lady! You knew just what you were doing with that subtext about no OC's. You got my mind working. I've got a bunch of irons on the fire, so another project is pushing things. The Muse is musing. You know it's gotta be Logan and somebody. The stirrings of a past fling are bubbling in the brain. Of course, I must conduct appropriate 'research'! No promises, but I might do something. Don't do anything I wouldn't. MLC

this message is specifically for Ro. Dang it, lady! You knew just what you were doing with that subtext about no OC's. You got my mind working. I've got a bunch of irons on the fire, so another project is pushing things. The Muse is musing. You know it's gotta be Logan and somebody. The stirrings of a past fling are bubbling in the brain. Of course, I must conduct appropriate 'research'! No promises, but I might do something. Don't do anything I wouldn't. MLC

this message is specifically for Ro. Dang it, lady! You knew just what you were doing with that subtext about no OC's.

Heh heh...yeah, i did. i really, really did. ;)

You know it's gotta be Logan and somebody. The stirrings of a past fling are bubbling in the brain.

As long as that "past fling" isn't an OC, okay. Otherwise, no Logan either! ;)

Don't do anything I wouldn't.

Ok then. I won't tie MSA up, dress up in a little Nazi uniform and beat him with a warm squash. Gotcha. ;)

x_x

Too much information there...

...

Quick question: would writing from a viewpoint of a nameless extra count as involving an OC? If it did, would it still count as involving an OC if the nameless extra was not named and/or too distinctively fleshed out?

Quick question: would writing from a viewpoint of a nameless extra count as involving an OC? If it did, would it still count as involving an OC if the nameless extra was not named and/or too distinctively fleshed out?

Well, are you writing it in first or third person? If it's third person, there's no reason to think of the narrator as a nameless, faceless OC. But if it's first person then yes, that counts as an OC.

Damn.... No Romance/Friendship?? On to Riviera fandom! (I have no idea, but I really like to try...) :P

Well, are you writing it in first or third person? If it's third person, there's no reason to think of the narrator as a nameless, faceless OC. But if it's first person then yes, that counts as an OC.

And there goes that idea...going from the POV of a nameless extra was the only thing I could think of...

...so my first idea was to write a homosexual pairing. But that didn't seem cool enough. Then I decided to make it a Western, and that one went down the drain, too. Then I decided on horror, and the pairing wouldn't have worked.

So now I've got a new idea. I think it might be good. Hopefully. I don't like it as much as my "Relativity of Hers," but I think it might work for this contest. Might.

I'm looking forward to reading all of 'em.

Kaj-Nrig, don't forget that there need not be a pairing. But if there IS a pairing, it should be one you don't normally write about. If no pairing, it should be a single CHARACTER you don't normally write about.

Any way you look at it, every aspect of the fic should be as much of a departure from your norm as you get it. :)

Rowena, you've probably already answered this question but I'm far too daft to comprehend.

I'm thinking of a pairing from a fandom and I like this pairing, but I've never actually written about them. Can I get about it?

I'm thinking of a pairing from a fandom and I like this pairing, but I've never actually written about them. Can I get about it?

So long as YOU have never written about it, it's fine with me...:)

Okay Rowena, I have it almost done.

It will be my first attempt at Romance.

Okay Rowena, I have it almost done.

What fandom will you be writing for? Just curious.

So my story's undergoing revisions and proofreading. I've got a question: How do people feel about J-horror? I want to get a feel as to what people know about Asian horror and/or spiritual beliefs so that I can fix my story accordingly.

How do people feel about J-horror?

I'm not sure it matters how we feel about it. What matters more is if you can pull it off in whatever fandom you're writing for. I wouldn't change something just to please a crowd of people who are not familiar with the genre.

No, of course not. What I mean is how familiar are people with Asian concepts of spirituality? I doubt it's going to change my story any (hell, it's already in the final stages of revision), but it'll give me an idea of what concepts or... clues I should (or shouldn't) introduce in the author's notes before the start of the story.

Does that make any sense?

it'll give me an idea of what concepts or... clues I should (or shouldn't) introduce... Does that make any sense?

In a vague way :) I wouldn't waste time trying to explain concepts in an author's note unless you want to mention some obscure philosophy of Shinto or Zen Buddhism that you don't think the masses can get a handle on without an explanation. I don't recall there being long explanations of what's going on in most J-horror films. They're just scary - whatever the spiritual basis may be.

I don't recall there being long explanations of what's going on in most J-horror films. They're just scary - whatever the spiritual basis may be.

I suppose... The base religion or culture for mine just happens to be a bit more obscure to Westerners than, say, the Japanese or so. Nuances in belief, I guess you could say. But you're right, there's not too much that really needs explanation.

Mucho gracias, merci beaucoup, ua tsaug, xie xie ni, danke, and all those other ways of saying, "Thanks."

Your welcome :)

The fandom?

Oh it's a game called Spyro the Dragon.

Hey, just finished mine. Using Epilachna's mold:

Title: On Your Shoulders

Link: http://www.fanfiction.net/s/4210744/1/On_Your_Shoulders

Fandom: Final Fantasy VII

Character: Hojo

Genre: Horror, Supernatural

Background: Hojo is Final Fantasy VII's resident demented scientist. He's had the dubious honor of screwing with almost every significant character in some way, shape, or form. He's brought someone back from the dead, he's experimented on a pregnant woman, he's attempted interspecies mating, and he's even tried making a god out of said pregnant woman's baby. But just HOW did he become so demented, and why? This story attempts to discover why he's as psychotic and maniacal as he is, though it can be considered anything from an AU to a pre-game to an original work.

Hey Ro - getting itchy for the next challenge. Any ideas what it might be? How about a mother's day fic?

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