Guild (Sometimes) Weekly Newsletter 2

February was Black History Month and March reflects on the female writer. In order to usher out the old and bring in the new, here's a quote by Alice Walker (The Color Purple):

Deliver me from writers who say the way they live doesn't matter. I'm not sure a bad person can write a good book, If art doesn't make us better, then what on earth is it for.

Over the past few weeks, Guild Members have been busy writing their fingers to the bones in order to finish challenges and expand their writing horizons. . .

Saturday Feb. 28th, Challenge Three (The Hate Challenge) closed its vengeful doors. Participants included Patricia, Ariyana, and Droo. Both Patricia and Ariyana posted both original fiction and fanfiction drabbles for this challenge. The floor is most definitely open to any members who would like to post challenges related to repressed feelings.

REMEMBER! Fanfiction writers, and other daringly experimental writers out there, Challenge Four (The Answer Challenge) still has another week left and will be closing for good on March 8th (Patricia's Birthday--be sure to send a card or an anonymous cookie). Keep in mind that this challenge is for short story fanfictions and has a specific list of guide lines. Patricia, Ariyana, and Kimmi have already responded to this challenge, but everyone is welcome to try their hand at a second short story, if the muses allow. Also, those not participating in this challenge may still want to take a look at the question portion of the guidelines for inspiration in their poetry and original fiction works.

Coming Up!

• The St. Patrick's Day Challenge
• The Mary Sue Challenge
  
• The Reading Challenge
  
• The Quillies (Fiction, Poetry, and Fanfiction Awards)
• A new Guild website address
• A new forum for the Guild at Fanfiction.net
  

More information on upcoming challenges and events to come.

Please keep in mind that the floor is open to any members who would like to set new challenges for the Guild. Also, all members are encouraged to participate in challenges and to review challenge responses, if at all possible.

Happy Writing! And Viva La Quill.

Guild Weekly Newsletter 1

For sake of loading down your inboxes, here's our newsletter! Mainly, just some recaps.

First, about our challenges. Actually, our first challenge was Ariyana's Image Challenge. We're calling this Challenge Zero. Technically, it's still up for grabs. You can ask her for a deadline, if you'd like.

Next, our Challenge One was our Valentine's Day challege, which ended yesterday at Midnight. Congrats to myself, Ariyana, and Kimmi, who all put forth a response. Let's keep it up!

Following that, we had Challenge Two, which was our Friday the 13th Challenge. It ended at midnight Friday, obviously. Congrats to myself and Ariyana for completing it.

Currently, we have two challenges going. We have Challenge Three, which is our Hate Challenge. See the post for specific details. However, note that the deadline is Feb. 28 at midnight. Myself and Ariyana have already completed responsed, both of the fanfiction and original fiction variety. I look forward to seeing more from our memebers!

Our second current challenge is Challenge Four, dubbed the Answer Challenge. Once again, see post for details, but the deadline is March 8, by midnight. Currently, no one has responded.

Now, I'd like to officially open the floor to all our members to set challenges. I only ask that you keep them numbered so we know what challenge we're responding to.

Now, we currently have a facebook group, started by Kimmi. The link is here: http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/group.php?gid=49890924581
We also have a fictionpress forum, whose link is here: http://www.fictionpress.com/forum/The_Guild_of_the_Fantastic_Quill/210/
Soon, we'll also have a fanfiction.net forum, started by yours truly, but I haven't been able to get around to it right at the moment.

Well, that's all for this week's newsletter. Welcome to a few new members we have on our facebook group, by the way! Happy Writing!

~Patricia, of the Guild Department of Backstory

Challenge Four

This challenge was a joint effort of myself and Ariyana. This one is getting a bit more complicated. Here goes!

• This challenge is fanfiction ONLY!!
• Choose from ONE of the following fanfiction universes (here on referred to as 'verses). You MUST use the character adjoining the 'verse on this list as your main character.

'Verse List with Character:

Harry Potter--Hermione Granger

Twilight--Jacob

House M.D.-- Dr. James Wilson

Buffy the Vampire Slayer-- Tara

Angel the Series-- Doyle

Firefly-- Wash

Supernatural-- Sam Winchester

Darkwing Duck-- NegaGosalyn

Stargate SG1-- Cameron Mitchell

Stargate Atlantis-- Dr. Jennifer Keller

• After you have chosen your 'verse with its character, then choose from one of the following questions.

--What do you have to live for?

--Does it hurt?

--Who do you miss the most?

--What is power?

• In a drabble (100 words to about 1000) to a one-shot (1000 words and up), answer the question, using that character in any way you want. Just so long as you answer the question, it works.
• Other characters may, of course, appear in the story, but the one given MUST be the focus of your story and to whom the answer of the question applies.
• Deadline for getting Challenge Four (aka The Question Challenge) done is March 8, 2009 by midnight. My birthday!!!

Happy writing! Once again, Slink or I will recap all this challenge business in the Newsletter. Oh, and post what you're doing in the comments for this post, including the link once you're done.

Challenge Three

With challenge two coming to a close and challenge one coming to a close at the end of tomorrow, I propose a new challenge. Here it is, Challenge Three or The Hate Challenge!

Since our valentine's challenge implied love, here's a challenge about hate.

• This challenge can be original fiction or fan fiction.
• It must be from 100 words to 400 words ONLY! Now, I know at fanfiction.net, they count the divider line thingy as words. Don't worry about that. If, at either site, this happens, just mention it when you post here.
• You must use two prompt words from the following list: Freud, ego, genocide, figgy pudding, class, stupid, fire, passion, red, heat
• Um...in efforts to keep the blog page here clean and nifty, when you decide what you're going to do, post it under the comments her. As well as a posting a link when you're done.
• The deadline for this challenge is Feb. 28, 2009 by midnight.

Happy writing! We'll do a recap of the challenges past and the upcoming ones in the Guild Newsletter Post Sunday night.

Darkside Daughter

Yes. That's right. That's a working title for my new project. Not going to mention much about it, just in case I fizzle. But I think its an intresting start. Bwahahahahahahahahahah.
Um...
Happy Friday the 13th! <3
किमी
Kimmi

Friday the Thirteenth Challenge Response

Well, I had an original fiction one planned...and I'm still going to do it...it's just not going to be done in time. However, here's my fanfiction answer! It's set in Angelverse. Please review! It's called "Goddess Sized Mistake." Prompts used were "Frigg" and "Witch."

http://www.fanfiction.net/s/4858818/1/GoddessSized_Mistake

A Call to Arms...Quills...

Well, it's officially Friday the Thirteenth. A reminder...the challenge is due in by midnight! I'll do another post here in a moment to post a link to mine!

Now, the real reason for this post is thus: Over the years, the Guild has had varying degrees of success. Sadly, it's had less success than what it should. I call for a revamp. I say, we--and I mean, all Guildmembers--post challenges (with deadlines, rules, and the like) and set goals. For example, Ariyana and I have both set a goal for the end of this semester. She intends to have 50 fanfictions started before she graduates. I plan to have 100 before the end of this semester. I call on my fellow guildmembers to make similiar goals. Kimmi, you have two fanfics...hit a goal for ten by the end of the semester, why don't ya? This will get everyone's creative juices flowing! And Savvy, you don't have any, but...why don't you start an account and aim for like...five? And we can make similiar goals for our fictionpress accounts too.

Also, I'm officially calling back into existance the Guild Weekly Newsletters. Every Sunday night, either Ariyana or myself will post a weekly newsletter for the Guild. Let's get this group moving again! Let's encourage new members (*cough* Hillary *cough* Alisha *cough*). Let's everybody post challenges and actively compete in them! I know we can find a balance between schoolwork, work, and our personal lives if we just try.

So what do you say? The glove's been laid down. Who accepts?

On a final note, great going to those of us who've posted a challenge response. Let's keep it up!

Kimmi's V-Day

Welllllll I've started on the V-Day challenge. A Harry Potter fanfic... link would be http://www.fanfiction.net/s/4858796/1/Valentine_Peeves
Sooooo let me know. More to come, I just had to upload the intro before Slink and Trish killed me. heheh
-Kimmi

Slinky's Response to the V-day Challenge

Well, I completed my Valentine's Day challenge. It came in around 800 words. I was actually planning another story entirely, but this fell out. It's called "His Valentine," and it's after Deathly Hallows. Narcissa visits a grave on Valentine's Day. I know, I'm so depressing. That's what happens when you're single on Valentine's Day. R&R is much appreciated.

http://www.fanfiction.net/s/4852770/1/His_Valentine

Oh, and by the way, the pairing is only slight. It's Narcissa and Remus from the Potterverse.

Friday the 13th Challenge Response

OK, so I have a response to my challenge up. This one is fanfiction for Buffy the Vampire Slayer called "Lucky Charm." It's a little moment between Xander and his ex-demon girlfriend Anya. Word prompts used were “knight,” “witch,” and “flood(ing).” And my luck topic is, well, obvious. Reviews would be great. Here's the link: http://www.fanfiction.net/s/4849885/1/Lucky_Charm

I also plan on trying to do an original fiction short story for this challenge, too, if I have time. I'll edit this blog and post that link as well, if I get around to it.

I can't wait to see if anyone else responds to this challenge :) I plan on doing the Valentine's Day Challenge as well. It should be fun.

Link to My Valentine's Day Challenge Fic

It's House, M.D. Please, everyone, read and review!

http://www.fanfiction.net/s/4847840/1/Exchanges_of_Love

My Response to the V-Day Challenge

I'll be writing for House, M.D. The pairing will be various, both of the romantic and friendship varieties. I'll link to it when I write it!

Slinky's Friday the 13th Flash Fiction Challenge

I hope everyone participates in the V-day challenge. If I remember correctly, last time we had a Valentine's FanFiction Challenge, several of us were very successful. Well, since the V-day challenge doesn't necessarily have to be very long, I've decided to take advantage of another striking day: Friday the 13th.

Due Date and Time: Midnight, Friday February 13, 2009

Challenge:

• Your mission, if you choose to accept it (and you better), is to complete by midnight on the 13th a piece of flash fiction. Flash fiction, by my loose definition, is between 101 and 5000 words.
• The story should involve in some way Friday the 13th lore (check at Wikipedia for more info), bad luck, or the actual date "Friday the 13th".
• The story can be either original fiction or fanfiction.
• It must contain at least two of these promp words: witch(es), devil, Norse mythology, Frigga, Judas, knights, black, Babel, flood, accident, or paraskavedekatriaphobia.

This challenge can take as little as twenty minutes to complete, but please be creative!

When you finish, post a comment with a link to the story and tell us what prompt words you decided to use.

I See Your Challenge to Make a Challenge...

And raise you a Valentine's Day Fanfiction challenge! This is for me and all my guildmembers! ALL our guildmembers! Here it is:

Due Date and Time: Midnight, Saturday February 14, 2009

Limits (?): Minimum is a 100 word drabble or poem. If a poem, it MUST be a FANFICTION poem. The Maximum is...well, the sky's the limit!

Actual Challenge: Pick a fandom, any fandom. Harry Potter, Batman, Twilight, Castlevania...if it's on fanfiction.net, it's up for grabs. Then, pick a pairing (or, as we call it in fanfictionland, a "ship"). Any pairing you want. And then...write a valentine's story with that pairing and post it on fanfiction.net by the deadline. And you MUST either set your plot on or around Valentine's Day or mention, at least once, something to do with Valentine's Day lore. For example, cupid, flowers, candies in a heart-shaped box, etc.

Please post what ship and what fandom you'll be writing for here on the guild, that way if it is a fandom that one of us doesn't know anything about, we can ask before we review it.

I'm asking for maximum turn-out. Please, don't disappoint the Trishy. Every time a Trishy is disappointed, a cute, fluffy kitten dies.

I'll post my challenge response details here within a day or two. Happy fan-ficcing (or ficking...whichever way you think it should be spelled.)

Dude, Where's My Challenge?

OK, this isn't an official Guild post. It's more of a reminder. The Guild will be hosting challenges in the future. I, myself, have a few in mind, but I'd also like to hear some challenge ideas from other people. So, here is your mission. Think of a writing challenge of some sort. Nothing too extreme (this isn't NaNoWriMo, people), but something simple that would be creative.

Perhaps you think it would be cool to get inspiration from a specific song? Or there's a plot idea you want to see explored further? That's what I thought.Got a challenge in mind? Now, think it through and post it. If you want, post another image challenge.

I'm dying for a good challenge. So go do it already. Post.