The 2022 Sekrit Solstice Sci-Fi/Fantasy Story Swap!

[Jaymz Connelly]

::Waffles::

: Offers genuine Canadian maple syrup for the waffles:

I think I'm in. I was in a very grumpy, miserable place when I said I might sit this one out. Feeling a little brighter now. Still don't have shit for a prompt, but I did get a spark of inspiration reading one of the already posted prompts, so here I am.

In to give and receive.

What I won't do and don't want. Grimdark, smexy times, gratuitous violence, horror, gore, NO BUGS ever. If you write for me and put bugs in the story be advised I will NOT read it. *shudders* I know they're important for the world but I hate/am terrified of the little buggers. I'm sure there's more stuff that I'm forgetting. It's early and I haven't had my coffee yet. I won't say I won't do vampires or shapeshifters or the like, but I'll bitch to my CP about it the whole time. lol

Edited to add: Please, no poems. I am not a poem person. Sorry.

I would say for the veterans of this game, you know my writing style, for the newbies, I write sf/f, a wee bit of dubious historical, and some sort of scary stuff but not straight up horror, although there was that one time... *g* Humour is good too. I like light, happy stories with not a whole lot of tense conflict (that gives me a headache, seriously. I get too tense and end up with a migraine).

This is already way too long-winded a post, so here's my prompt:
I want a nice Christmas story (I know, we're receiving this in spring but I don't care, Christmas is my jam). I don't care where it's set, but I'd like some snow. Snow on this world or another, or in a fantasy world, don't care, just give me some snow (a good amount too, not just first flakes) with my Christmas story. Humour is good, swearing is good, light romance is good too but not essential, m/f, m/m, f/f, I'm fine with any of those, although my preference would be for m/m. And it should go without saying - all consenting adults, please. I'm an old bag and don't much enjoy reading about teenage angst.

I think that's it. Welcome to the newbies! Get your 50 posts in and join the insanity!

 

[Maggie Maxwell]

Hi Maggie! Thanks for looking out.

I was invited by Cobra to join up for this last week and am trying to make sure I do my due diligence.

I've been part of AW for a while, but always avoided the forums because of horror stories about the way people treated each other back in the day.

But I'm hoping to find some camaraderie going forward.

Gotta admit, I'm feeling like I shouldn't be here now.

If Cobra gave you the okay, then we're totally good! We're more than happy to have you around, and to be honest, I'm glad you have the okay because I love your prompt!

 

[amo1143]

I've had the privilege to read/hear some of amo's work and, trust me, we're among a true artist.

Thanks, homie. Just tryna to keep up with you!

 

[Sue77]

::Waffles::

Ooh... is this a challenge??

I'm certain I can find a place for waffles in my story this year.

 

[biberli]

@amo1143, @c.hansen, @biberli, It's not 50 posts at the start of the thread, but 50 by signup end, so you have time to get your 50 posts! We've just had many times when people sign up with no posting history but disappear mid game because they didn't stick around, which stinks for the people who were writing a story for them. We love new people getting involved and it makes the guessing game at the end even more fun, so please, keep posting and stick around and join up when you have 50 posts!

OK thank you! I CAN DO IT!

 

[biberli]

I'll echo Maggie's comments. The more, the merrier with Sisyphus, especially considering this is our 10thish Anniversary. The 50 post requirement is designed to ensure folks who sign up have some exposure to, and investment in, AW, but it's also the minimum requirement to be able to play in the Share Your Work sub-forum where we host the Guessing Thread. Ensuring folks have that locked in before we begin the story-writing saves scampering down the road.

But please do join! This is a low-pressure event. Not to mention, receiving a story written specifically for you is wonderful. Writing a story for someone is glorious. And doing this as a little family is heart-warming.

We could all use a little more of that these days....

I totally understand. This sounds lovely! Like the best kind of secret santa ever! I'll do my best to be proactive and take part in discussions!

 

[kinokonoronin]

In for both.

Give: I typically write fantasy (high, low, dark, bright, whatever), soft scifi, and weird-adjacent, sometimes with a comedic tone. I'm happy to try basically anything, so feel free to give me that-dreaded-thing-no-one-else-will-write.

Receive: I want something with a cape-based magic* system. Bonus points if wardrobe figures nontrivially in the story.

*Tech if using a scifi setting.

 

[Gatteau]

I'm in!

So many prompts already got my brain juices oozing, which is a relief coming off a bit of a rough NaNoWriMo... So excited!

I shall give and receive.

GIVE: I write mainly contemporary fantasy, some sci-fi elements but nothing super technical and researchy. I usually go for ordinary characters thrown in to odd and absurd situations, tending toward the humorous, though I am often surprised to find a deeper lesson in there somewhere. I like to include a hint of a romantic subplot here and there, but I do usually find a strong, solid, platonic friendship to be ultimately more satisfying in the end. I'm willing to try basically anything - though don't be surprised if it comes back around to something simple and silly by the time I'm done.

RECEIVE: A space opera (to be taken as literally as desired, or just the genre). A wormhole as a plot device somewhere along the way, and bonus points for at least one planetary explosion.

 

[CobraMisfit]

5 days in and we already have over a dozen participants!

I've sent out confirmation e-mails to everyone that's provided addresses, so if you haven't received one, please let me know.

Also, if there are others you think would enjoy doing our little story swap this year, feel free to get the word out. There are still 17 days(ish) left to sign up, so the window is still wide open.*










*which might explain how all these flies got in here.

 

[armgrab]

For months I have trained my boulder-pushing muscles in the mountains under the tutelage of a wise yet eccentric old master, and now I am ready to Sisyphus once more!

What I write: Breezy, deconstructive genre work. My favorite thing to do is to take well-worn storytelling tropes, settings, and archetypes (mostly from SF and fantasy), strap them to an operating table, and dissect them piece-by-piece through nosy and often sarcastic characters. I'll take on just about any project, but I'm not great with romance, and I'm not great at keeping stories simple.

What I'm looking for: This year, I want a story about an impossible prison break. What makes it impossible? Is the prison outside of time? Underwater? Underwater in space? Details are up to you. The weirder, the better.

Just one quick side note to whoever my giftee is: I'll read anything you give me, but! I read fiction to have fun. It doesn't have to be all fun, but... make sure there's at least a little fun there.

 

[shortstorymachinist]

Wow, ten years already? That definitely deserves some kind of celebration, but I can't think of anything more fantastic than what we always do, so let's get Sisyphean!

I'm in for both this year:

PROMPT: In line with this year's auspicious anniversary, I want a story that revolves around 10 of something. A tenth planet discovered? Ten hours until the end of the world? Ten people who've never met before all invited to hear the last will and testament of a woman who claims to have been their mother? Anything is fine content-wise, so long as it serves the story.

GIVING: I will write basically any sci-fi or fantasy with horror, mystery, or even romantic elements if that floats your boat.

 

[Brightdreamer]

Oh, what the hey... haven't made any panic-inducing decisions in at least a day, so I'll throw my metaphoric hat in the metaphoric ring...

Give/Receive

GIVING: I lean fantasy, but dabble in soft SF/maybe a light touch of horror now and again (more by accident than anything else). Don't tend to get too graphic or anything, deep research probably isn't happenin' for this, and don't ask me to explain how anything more technologically advanced than a rock works. (On second thought, scratch that; I've seen enough of geology to know that rocks are complicated.) And if you want deep messages or literary writing, I am Not That Writer.

PROMPT/RECEIVE: My prompt well is dry, and I'm looking at something shiny, so I'm going to say Reflections. Interpret as liberally as desired. Could involve a mirror or just something very shiny, or reflections in a different sense (doppelgangers? Parallel worlds? Imposters? Body doubles? Clones? Reincarnation? Character trapped in a "wake up and look in the mirror before the plot actually starts" moment? Whatever...). Big or small part of plot, doesn't matter.
No graphic violence toward animals. Sex and general violence or bloodshed okay if part of the plot/not gratuitous. Endings... I'm fine with a less-than-happy ending if it fits the story; I'm good with "just dessert" endings, not so good with "rocks fall, everyone dies, even the puppy that didn't exist until this ending had to be extra-bleak and nothing's bleaker than the needless death of a puppy".

 

[AnnieColleen]

…I’m reading back through the thread and plot bunnies are stirring. One of which might or might not be a dead giveaway in the Guessing Thread, but it is shiny. Fun to play with while I wait, anyway.

 

[CobraMisfit]

First week into sign-ups and we have 16 rockstars! Confirmation e-mails have been sent, so if you don't have one, please let me know.

Feel free to get the word out to others who might enjoy the event! The more, the merrier, and the harder the Guessing Thread in March!

 

[Norman Mjadwesch]

I’m in!

Give:

Any blend of SF/F except hard-SF, and historical references / themes are neither guaranteed nor ruled out. Sometimes I’m up for horror. Nearly always there will be humour mixed into my plot (I can add / delete the crude stuff but tend to lean towards innuendo); feedback suggests that some of my humour is of the gallows variety.

No pet deaths, either giving or receiving. If dwarves were pets that would pose a problem since dwarves are worthy sacrifices. Other deaths are acceptable, but graphic violence requires a higher purpose than to make the reader feel ill. I haven’t ever written detailed sex scenes but never say never.

Receive:

Having seen far more Asterix books in store windows in the last few weeks than I’d ever bargained on, and since Asterix and the Soothsayer is my favourite volume in the series, I’d like a story about a prophet / oracle / seer who makes boldly obvious pronouncements, i.e. similar to my favourite line from the abovementioned story: “When the storm is over, the weather will improve.”

 

[J.A.Nielsen]

The Timeline of Excellence:


December 1st: Sign-ups open. Masses flock to this thread. A new dawn of storytelling breaks and hope reigns supreme.

December 22nd: Sign-ups close. Late-comers reap a harvest of sorrow.

December 25th: Assignments are lovingly wrapped and hand-delivered direct to your inbox. Hooray! Presents for everyone!

December 25th – March 13th: Plots are generated, characters are drawn, and words are flung.

March 14th: Stories are due to moi. Everyone celebrates the impending burst of Spring with the knowledge that their masterpiece is a mere hours away from arriving in their giftee’s inbox.

March 15th: Stories are delivered to giftees who are overwhelmed by teh awesomez. Guessing Thread open in SYW. Stories are read. Friendships are forged. Joy spreads through the valley and there is peace.

March Somethingth: We crown this season's Supreme Guessinator who lords over all of us with her/his story-guessing might.


All hail last year's winner: Norman Mjadwesch!


As Supreme Guessinator, Norman has ruled the Land of Sisyphus justly, spreading excellent grammar and vibrant adverbs to all the peoples. But will this season's winner be as magnanimous or will they rule with an iron fist?


Only time will tell.



Personal Note: This is hands-down my favorite writing event. There’s something magical about writing specifically for another person using their prompt. Not only does it allow you to move outside your comfort zone, but also helps you explore a genre you may have never considered before. The more people who participate, the more fun we have, so feel free to tell your friends, family, kids, cats, or even that strange neighbor who mows the yard in nothing but a sheen of sweat and a smile.

And now, without further ado....



The Official Proclamation:

Let it be known throughout all the writing lands that the 2022 SS-SFF-SS season is now officially open!




The Sign-Up List of AWesome:

Name: | Both Give and Receive(B)/Give Only(G)

1) Maggie Maxwell: B
2) AnnieColleen: B
3) Unimportant: G
4) Sue77: B
5) Silenia: B
6) Tamlyn: B
7) Friendly Frog: B
8) amo1143: B - Note: 50 posts required by 22 Dec.
9) eyeblink: B
10) CMBright: B - Need PM with email and confirmation of rules read
11) Jaymz Connelly - B
12) kinokonoronin - B
13) Gatteau - B
14) armgrab - B
15) shortstorymachinist - B
16) Brightdreamer - B

Betas:

1) You Can’t Hide Your Scrying Eyes


*TM. As in “Tacos, Mmmmmmm!”

**Good gravy, ten years! TEN! We need to celebrate this!

*** I’ve been extra good this year. Just sayin’.

Is this where we "register" and beg to get to play? And promise we will post like crazy for the next week and a half so we can get to know all the cool writerly peeps in here?

 

[Sue77]

Is this where we "register" and beg to get to play? And promise we will post like crazy for the next week and a half so we can get to know all the cool writerly peeps in here?

Absolutely and welcome to AW!

Message Cobra, agreeing to the rules as stipulated and let him know of your intention to get posting. Do post in 'new to AW' forum, welcome others and have a good look around the site, see if there are any discussions you wish to join in with. It's not a good idea to 'rush' to 50 posts and I think Cobra has said it is needed for you to be able to access the Guessing Thread, which won't be until March. I'm sure someone will correct me if I've got this wrong.

In the meantime, have fun exploring the site.

 

[J.A.Nielsen]

Yayyy! In to give and receive also.

I'm in for give and receive.

Give: I can try most varieties of SFF (generally ending up with something oddball and in-between). Anything research-intensive will probably end up approximated, and I'm not the best person to attempt grimdark or sexy anything.


Receive:
As above, please no grimdark or explicit sexytimes.

I would like a story based on a three-line poem from the game Wayfinder. Play the game to generate your own, or use one or some of mine from the list here.

One example poem:

Something oddball and in-between--all of my very favorite things can be described this way!

 

[J.A.Nielsen]

@amo1143, @c.hansen, @biberli, It's not 50 posts at the start of the thread, but 50 by signup end, so you have time to get your 50 posts! We've just had many times when people sign up with no posting history but disappear mid game because they didn't stick around, which stinks for the people who were writing a story for them. We love new people getting involved and it makes the guessing game at the end even more fun, so please, keep posting and stick around and join up when you have 50 posts!

Oh! This means there is hope for me!
*must make new friends faster*

 

[J.A.Nielsen]

Absolutely and welcome to AW!

Message Cobra, agreeing to the rules as stipulated and let him know of your intention to get posting. Do post in 'new to AW' forum, welcome others and have a good look around the site, see if there are any discussions you wish to join in with. It's not a good idea to 'rush' to 50 posts and I think Cobra has said it is needed for you to be able to access the Guessing Thread, which won't be until March. I'm sure someone will correct me if I've got this wrong.

In the meantime, have fun exploring the site.

Thank you!

 

[J.A.Nielsen]

I'm in!

So many prompts already got my brain juices oozing, which is a relief coming off a bit of a rough NaNoWriMo... So excited!

I shall give and receive.

GIVE: I write mainly contemporary fantasy, some sci-fi elements but nothing super technical and researchy. I usually go for ordinary characters thrown in to odd and absurd situations, tending toward the humorous, though I am often surprised to find a deeper lesson in there somewhere. I like to include a hint of a romantic subplot here and there, but I do usually find a strong, solid, platonic friendship to be ultimately more satisfying in the end. I'm willing to try basically anything - though don't be surprised if it comes back around to something simple and silly by the time I'm done.

RECEIVE: A space opera (to be taken as literally as desired, or just the genre). A wormhole as a plot device somewhere along the way, and bonus points for at least one planetary explosion.

Brain juices oozing...sounds like a story prompt all by itself

 

[CobraMisfit]

Okay, 18 folks signed up so far, so we're looking good! All confirmation e-mail are out, so if you haven't received it, please let me know.

 

[Jaymz Connelly]

OK thank you! I CAN DO IT!

Ooh, biberli, you're getting real close to the necessary 50 posts! You got this!

 

[biberli]

Ooh, biberli, you're getting real close to the necessary 50 posts! You got this!

I know, right??? But it takes time! Trying real hard to make meaningful contributions too and not posting just for the sake of increasing my count.

 

[biberli]

Aaaaaaand..... FIFTYYYYY!!!! Yaaaay!
Count me in! How do I sign up? What do I do? Ooooo I'm so excited I have completely forgotten how this works! OK I'll go re-read the first post. Just wanted to share the happiness with y'all first!