picking this year's contingency challenge prompt

[brightknightie]

FKFicFest sign-ups will open Wednesday, the 20th LK anniversary. I'll post the rules and the contingency challenge. I haven't yet picked the prompt; if you'd like to share your insights on what would make a good one, please do.

(Review: In the event of <9 players, we'd switch from one-to-one matching to one shared prompt with diverse renderings.)

It might be nice to revisit a classic, like FKFic-L's Asteroid Challenge (from "A More Permanent Hell"), but, fairly, "reruns" didn't go over well when mentioned last year. Neither did canonical "What if?"s. I've been advised to phrase the prompt like a novel blurb, and I'd love to! But leaving authors free to pick the characters and angle dead-ends that: "Somebody does something for some reason, and there's some twist!" If I describe a crime in Toronto in the '90s, the writer may thereby feel constrained from placing her story wholly in Pompeii or Paris, wholly in the past or the future, etc.

If the community had chosen a challenge game, we all would have nominated and elected a prompt! As it is, we're stuck with my feeble best. (I recommend that you get 9+ friends to sign up: problem solved!)

Words/phrases:

• "Reunited"
• "Just in time"
• "Remembered"
• "Out of reach"
• "Gone too far"

Settings:

• Altun Kinal (cf."Dark Knight")
• Mercy Hospital (cf. "Last Act" and "Unreality TV," probably also "I Will Repay")
• Hotel Perceval Convention Center (cf. "Spin Doctor")
• McCallum Neurological Institute (cf."Near Death," possibly also "The Fix")
• Observatory (cf. "A More Permanent Hell")

Scenarios:

• "A mysterious [message/package] arrives..."
• "In a well-guarded hospital room..."
• "Miraculously surviving an accident..."
• "It's almost impossible to live off the grid, yet..."
• "On the verge of a great success..."

Comments

[greerwatson]

To me, the "settings" and "scenarios" are far too constraining. If one has a recipient, after all, they may ask for something that precise; but you'll at least have a choice among three suggestions. I think the thematic prompt ("word/phrase") offers more opportunity for varied interpretations.

[brightknightie]

Some people didn't like the "phrase" prompt idea last year.

So I did my best to generate alternative approaches; I spent many hours on it.

[greerwatson]

You spend a great deal of time on the exchange; and I assure you that it's much appreciated by everyone who participates.

[argentum_ls]

Just a thought: why not throw all of them out there? Is there a reason to limit a challenge to one prompt when an exchange wouldn't be?

[brightknightie]

A common prompt or mechanism is what defines a challenge game.

With no prompt, theme or mechanism in common, and no exchange, it's not a game. People can — and should! — post free-for-all FK stories to the AO3 at any time! No need to wait for a fest for that.

[argentum_ls]

I think you misunderstand me. I'm not suggesting a free for all. I'm suggesting that multiple common prompts be provided, from which participants either pick, or go for the gold level and combine.

[brightknightie]

Yes, I misunderstood. My apologies!

I will think about it; thank you. Any changes must be clear, easy to explain in few words, and easy to understand.

Every year, multiple people discover the most fabulous and diverse new ways of misunderstanding the fest. ~wry~

[argentum_ls]

Every year, multiple people discover the most fabulous and diverse new ways of misunderstanding the fest. ~wry~

I'm sure LaCroix would have a pithy comment on that :)

Personally speaking--and keeping in mind that my participation is entirely contingent on whether another summer fest I have my eye on is running or not--I'd like to see one item from each of your categories. The potential for figuring out how or if to combine them is exciting to me a writer in ways that a single prompt isn't.

[greerwatson]

"Every year, multiple people discover the most fabulous and diverse new ways of misunderstanding the fest. ~wry~"

FK fans are very creative. ;)

Prompts

[(Anonymous)]

One interesting thing to try when it's an exchange is to try to combine all the prompts into one story. Things can get rather convoluted. :-)

WaltD