We discussed the possibility of a summer ficathon/challenge here , and there seemed to be a fair amount of interest. So let's go for it!

Let me say first that the main point of this exercise is to (A) inspire authors and (B) provide new fic to read. With that in mind, the following are more guidelines than rules. I won't be using pointy sticks on anyone.

Guideline the First: The theme is Summer.

Guideline the Second: If you wish to write one or more fics for this event, choose from the 50 prompts below and reply to this thread with your choice. One prompt per story.

The prompt does not have to be taken literally. It's just a jumping off point. (If you want to see a an example of a fic that was based on a one-word prompt, look here .)

Guideline the Third: Fics should be posted before September 1. Use (Summer Ficathon) after your title and mention which prompt you used in the author's notes.

Guideline the Fourth: Have Fun!

1. let freedom ring
2. blue skies - claimed by Mouserocks - story here
3. summer camp - claimed by KenJ - story here
4. water fight - claimed by VirginiaR
5. here comes the sun - claimed by Felar
6. last day of school
7. heat wave
8. festival
9. down by the sea
10. summertime blues - claimed by Lynn S. M. - story here
11. discovery - claimed by Deadly Chakram - story here
12. the best days of my life
13. apple pie
14. summer nights
15. fresh cut grass
16. fireflies - claimed by bakasi
17. bikini - claimed by Deadly Chakram - story here
18. the best game
19. ice cream cone - claimed by stopquitdont - story here
20. independence - claimed by Lynn S. M. - story here
21. hurricane - claimed by KenJ - story here
22. popsicle
23. one fine day
24. that summer seemed to last forever
25. butterfly - claimed by Alisha Knight
26. ants at a picnic - claimed by Morgana - story here
27. barbeque
28. dog days
29. stealing second - claimed by Mouserocks - story here
30. first love - claimed by KenJ - story here
31. the art of fireworks - claimed by VirginiaR - story here
32. high tide - claimed by Sue S.
33. the only rules that matter - claimed by Darth Michael
34. corn on the cob - claimed by Lonnie - story here
35. singing my song
36. waterfall - claimed by Christina
37. happy ending
38. burn - claimed by HappyGirl - story here
39. play ball
40. watermelon
41. grain of sand - claimed by Female Hawk
42. lemonade - claimed by Deadly Chakram - story here
43. distant thunder - claimed by Amberlea
44. once in a lifetime
45. strawberry wine
46. rerun - claimed by Lynn S. M. - story here
47. heartbeat
48. no regrets
49. key lime pie
50. classic

I will periodically edit this post to indicate what prompts have been claimed and to link to the posted stories.

I'm looking forward to seeing some fun new stories!

Ooh! Yes! This should be fun.

I'll volunteer for #2 (blue skies) and #29 (stealing second). After that... meh, we'll see if there's any leftovers and how much time I actually have to write.

Kudos for kicking this off, by the way!

Excellent! I have submitted all 50 prompts to my muse and I am eagerly awaiting her reply.

This sounds like fun! I'd like to claim #43 distant thunder.

Amber

That's interesting. #37 would work for a summer blockbuster. Bigger question is, will Muse also work for it?

Michael

PS: Yes, #37 could also work for a story where Lois goes undercover in a massage parlor.

I'll take #8 festival.

Corrina.

#4 Water Fight

But no guarauntees on playing nice. I have until Sept. 1? Good. Phew. I'll let my characters play with that one a bit and see what they come up with.

I avoided that one for the very same reason, Virginia. Not because of the -ness, of course, but because of the number of possibilities of -ness.

Oh man! I want to come play. You say we have until September 1? According to the posting schedule, the last part of my current story will go up on August 26. So I suppose I should be able to do it.

Put me down for #32 high tide.

Thanks, Lisa!

I'd like to get the fireflies.

I want to do this but I'm completely afraid it might not get done in time so I'm wary of asking for a prompt.

*Edit* I guess I'll give one a try. I have a bunch of partially finished stories and maybe a prompt will actually encourage me to finish at least one of them so I'll go with "waterfall" (#36.)

I know I haven't been around in a long time but I rediscovered my love of L&C. I've wrote in other fandoms but I've never wrote, or I should say, never published in the LC fandom.

I've been kicking around a few ideas for writing lately and I would like claim #5. here comes the sun.

My muse has deigned to pay me a visit, and so I would like to claim "rerun" (#46) as my prompt.

Joy,
Lynn

This is soo exciting! With all these great authors working on summer themes there should be plenty of threads on the boards!

12 prompts claimed so far! I'm thrilled to see so much participation!

(Now if only my muse would sit up and take notice of a prompt... *sigh*)

When you say that the "theme" is summer, does that mean the stories need to be set during summer? Or can they be set like during a heat-wave in November?

Is the theme just the theme for the prompts, or do the stories have to be summer-related? My must gave me a story for my prompt (rerun), but it isn't summer related.

If necessary, though, she has given me a way to tweak the story a bit so that I could at lease mention a heat-wave ...

I have most of the story in my head, and I jotted down a few choice phrases that I want to include in the story, but I haven't yet typed the story up.

Joy,
Lynn

I was originally thinking that the stories should be summer-related, although not necessarily set during summer. But if your muse is leading you in a different direction that still supports your chosen prompt, then I think you should go with it. Don't force something that isn't organic to the story.

I'm looking forward to reading your fics!

I'm trying to work on something for #17 - bikini and #42 - lemonade. These, uh, don't have to necessarily have to be *G*fics, do they? (Bikini is egding towards the *other* side of the boards.)

I'll take a stab at #38, "Burn."

My muse is still AWOL, but I'll have a go at writing one based on #25. 'butterfly' without her help.

- Alisha

I'd like to claim #10 -- summertime blues. A *very* short vignette based on the prompt came to me during a walk this morning. I'll probably be able to write it up and have it posted within the next hour or two.

edit: I needed less than half an hour to write and post the vignette. I think that that is a personal record.

Thanks,
Lynn

I will be challenged to keep it short. All of my stories turn into epics.

I'll give 21 a whirl - Hurricane.

Hurricane - Matchmaker Chronicles Volume 1B

I had an idea this morning, so I'd like to try my hand at #34 - corn on the cob.

Lonnie

19 prompts claimed and 7 stories already posted! I am so thrilled with the awesome turnout, FoLCs!

Mrs Mosley!

Thank you for posting such a great challenge! I'm working on my "ANTS AT A PICNIC" story and hope to have it up before deadline!

Hi,

Considering my successful entry for Hurrican I just might try another one.

Let me try number 3 - Summer Camp.

I hope I can get it in under deadline.

Summer Camp - Matchmaker Chronicles Volume 1C

Trying to work on my other prompt of bikini. Now if only my muse will cooperate!

I've an idea for an ultra-short for #20. It's more of a joke than a story, really, so I won't lay claim to that number; if anyone else has an idea for a real story, I'm more than willing to share the prompt.

Joy,
Lynn

My muse is running in circles with a new idea for a story I have. So, I'll try something shorter and funner to give her a break. I'll try #19- ice cream cone.

SQD

Oh my. A SQD-fic with "ice cream cone" as a prompt. I'm already drooling in anticipation.

There will be a gfic version of the story, I hope.


Joy,
Lynn

I'm taking #31 - Art of Fireworks (or something of the sort) as it could work, even though "Water Fight" technically would work for this plot bunny as well. You wouldn't mind if we wrote more than ONE story from a prompt/theme, would you? Right, right, I'm supposed to be working on my epic. <<slaps forehead>>

Mrs. Mosley,

I don't want to be a hog, but, one of my regular readers has asked if I would do another MMC short soooooooo -

I might just try #30 - First Love


First Love part 1 - Matchmaker Chronicles Volume 1D

First Love part 2 - Matchmaker Chronicles Volume 1E

First Love part 3 - Matchmaker Chronicles Volume 1F

First Love part 4 - Matchmaker Chronicles Volume 1G

First Love part 5 - Matchmaker Chronicles Volume 1H

First Love part 6 - Matchmaker Chronicles Volume 1I

/does a rather embarrassing *squeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee*/

We get 13 y/o Jon falling in love! Will he already be meeting his bond-mate?

/waits kind of patiently/

Michael

Hi Michael,

Sorry to disappoint you, but, that has already been related in Volume 2.

Borrowed Time part 8

It will have to be someone else.

I was going to say... That's a good one. You should write more like that one, Ken. Maybe a subsection of the Matchmaker Chronc. that tells the pair bonding meetings of all of LnC's children. Not that you have anything else on your plate at the moment or anything.

Hi Virginia,

Please see my reply to your post on the FDK to First Love.

Sorry I went AWOL, friends. I went away on vacation and all of us - including my three-year-old! - came down with strep throat. I'm sure you can all imagine how much fun that was!

In any event, I'm back and well, and the master list has been updated with claimed prompts and story links. Let me know if I overlooked anything.

Great job on all the stories!

Erm, kinda working on another one. I suppose "Discovery" would work for it.

This summer challenge was the very best idea! Come on FoLC's August is upon us, let's get some more stories in before the deadline!

It's really funny, now that my story is almost ready to post, several of these other prompts would have worked for it as well. Fair warning, mine is, surprise, surprise, on the long side. :rolleyes: Sigh.

Mine too, Virginia. I'm looking at at least 2 parts, maybe more for mine. And both "art of fireworks" and "discovery" work for it, but I'm sticking much more to the "discovery" prompt.

If you want "Art of Fireworks", I'll give it up to you, and take "One Fine Day", or "No Regrets", or "Happy Ending" or "The Best Game", or "Once in a Lifetime" . Yep, all of those would work. Just let me know.

Nah, I'm good. Discovery is working out just fine for me. Thanks though.

Not only is my summer ficathon story probably going to be late, I'm changing prompts.

I was always tossing up between 'festival' and 'grain of sand'. The 'festival' story really doesn't have much of a summer theme (it could be set in any season). So, I'm going to give back 'festival' and take # 41 ' grain of sand'.

I've started writing it, and I'm hoping to post it only a few days after the deadline.

Corrina.

I can hardly express how excited I am that this ficathon was such success. 16 new stories as of now! Thank you all so much for embracing it so wholeheartedly.

The ficathon may be 'officially' over, but all that means is that I won't be automatically updating the story list. For those of you who are still working on your prompts, or those of you who may want to write for another prompt in the future, please don't hesitate! Shoot me a PM and I'll update the post with your story.

On a final note - it's fall! Back to school, hayrides, all sorts of fun. Luckily for all you authors with plot bunnies of the autumnal variety, Deadly Chakram started a new ficathon for the new season. Go on, sign up. You know you want to...

Ha! Thanks for the plug! I wish I had ideas for another prompt, but I've got three...no, four...fics in the works, plus an idea for a fifth, and a Xena one that I've been ignoring...

There *may* be a late entry from me under the nfic boards, if I can get my muse to cooperate.

My final ficathon story is coming... late. It's currently in Betas hands... so sometime after this holiday weekend, I suspect.

Michael

Unfortunately mine's in the plotting/drafting phase so it will be a few months out at least.

Just posted:

Here Comes the Sun 1/2

Here Comes the Sun 2/2