in_the_blue | I'll take the other thing.

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writing challenge

I'll take the other thing.

I miss the days when I used to host writing challenges right here in this very journal.

So. Now that the seventh Harry Potter book has been written... I think it's time for a different kind of writing challenge. I used to host the short-short ficlets, 300 words or less, open fandom.

Today, I'm going OC. And that doesn't stand for Orange County: it stands for original character.

Ready? 3, 2, 1, let's... get inspired to write original fiction, folks. The theme for the challenge is change: take 500 words to introduce an original character and demonstrate some measure of change for him, for her, for it.

Rules:

Fandom: original only

Word count: 500 or less

Main theme: change

Ratings: No restrictions.

Duration: Challenge opens now (August 30) and closes at 11:59 p.m. in whatever time zone you inhabit on Wednesday, September 5.

Post your ficlets as comments to this entry. Feel free to do as few or as many as you want, and if you see one you really like, be sure to leave a review or a comment. Remember, original fic only. I'll crack my knuckles and get going as soon as I get a few hours' sleep.

NOTE: All ficlets in comments here are the property of their respective writers. Consider them copywritten with all rights reserved. If you want to quote, copy, or redistribute, please get the author's permission first. Otherwise, I'll have to lock this down. Thanks.

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This snippet (c)2007 Gwynne L. Jackson, all rights reserved. Please do not reproduce, redistribute, steal, quote without permission. You know all the good stuff, that's why you're here.
Untitled, 500 words. Previously unwritten backstory to a work in progress.

"This whole idea is crazy enough. I'm not going to risk my neck for a dog." The set to his jaw was grim; he shook his head and tried not to roll his eyes. As fond as he was of Takeo, there was a lot about the guy he didn't understand. Even though they'd been partners for years -- Takeo was the single best mentor on staff -- there was a side to him Ray could never quite figure out. He ran hot; he ran cold. He was sentimental; he could be so cruel. He worked his students like a traditionalist, but he was always good with kind advice or comfort when he worked them too hard.

Out of the corner of his eye, he caught Takeo shrugging and smiling that annoyingly smug smile Ray knew only too well. It meant his partner had a secret edge and was going to win at all cost.

"I'm not stopping for a dog." Momentarily, he was tempted to offer up the standard disclaimer: you're the one who has to feed it and walk it and take care of it. You'll have to find a vet when it's sick and board it when we're busy. But he shook his head and took the controls. "No pets."

Takeo conjured a toothpick out of some pocket or other, sliding it between his straight white teeth. His hands, strong and competent, leafed through the pages of the file on his lap as the ship took off. "Dog was a thirteenth-birthday present, boss. He never goes anywhere without it." One page turned, then another, then a third and the whole time the toothpick never left its resting spot between Takeo's teeth. How the guy could talk with that thing in his mouth, Ray never knew but he was a captive audience with no choice but to listen. "He ran away six times, but never without the dog. You think you can separate them now? Think again, boss: it's not going to happen. We'll lose him."

"I'm half tempted to turn this ship around and forget about the whole goddamn deal right now. This is..." Crazy was the only word for this mission they were on and the both of them knew it. Still, the stakes were high and it wouldn't be the first and only time he'd operated outside the law. But to risk it all over a dog?

"Go ahead." Now the toothpick came out; Takeo rolled it between thumb and forefinger in a move that wasn't as idle as it seemed because nothing about him was idle or random. "Then Wei and his guys will get him. But... you're the boss."

Fuck. What was the point of being in charge if everyone below you was always right? Then again, wasn't the mark of good management listening to advisors? He set the ship on cruise control, turned to Takeo, and laughed.

"Fine. The dog comes along too."

Takeo's pleasure was betrayed only by the very smallest of smiles.

I have this problem, see. I love me some instant gratification. You have hooked me. Now I WANT MORE!

I can see this type of situation happening between Ray and Takeo on a regular basis, with Takeo rarely the loser.

I am intrigued as to the boy and his dog as being strong catalysts to cause this conversation and the inevitable clusterfuck to follow.

A yummy snack, now I hungry for more!!!

Takeo hasn't lost a thing in years.

And that's all I'm going to tell you about him right now.

If/when I start putting up chapters of this work, you want to be on the filter? I'm proprietary about my original stuff and selective about the number of readers.

The word 'Yes' doesn't even begin to describe it. I'll be bouncing on my toes until I read more. Of course now I wish I could draw with any skill. That scene is already animated in my head.

Oh if you ever want to see more of my stuff, mostly poetry or what passes (barely) for some unedited unadulterated and mostly vulgar, just skimm back a bit on my journal and hit the poetry tag.

I've been reading your poetry. I'm a lousy poetry critic, though, so I tend not to comment on it.

Then you are the exact type of critic I need for my lousy poetry!

My process for writing anything revolves around a single image that I focus all my emotions around until they explode. I then write all of the words down, and arrange them by sound. I figure it should only be read by those with truly naught better to do, on a day when the trite-o-meter has been refreshed.

Then when I have naught better to do, I might leave lousy reviews of your not-lousy poetry!

That would be delightful. I don't get a lot of criticism, and I sorely need it. If it is a lousy review I'll use a horse pick! ;)

Intrigueing! I want to know more of what's going on, the five w's, if you will. Nicely done!

Hehehe, these are two somewhat minor characters in this novel I've been writing off and on for a while. Minor but pivotal. It's fun to explore the two of them. It's almost like writing fanfiction for my own stuff.

This is really intriguing! Even though I don't know what the situation is exactly, you've characterized them so well that I can tell what their relationship must be like just from this bit. That's impressive!

Thank you, I'm all beaming and everything. I like these two characters and exploring them is kind of fun! Since they're part of a novel, the challenge for me is in working up shortfic for these guys. So I stuck to my 500 words exactly, and I'm all thrilled about that and everything.

Oh G, I miss writing with you.

Aw, Ally. Come back. :)

But who is "he", you know, the guy that the dog is attached to? LOL This is why I hate such short pieces...I always want to know everything.

I love how Takeo had Ray right where he wanted him the whole time, it just took Ray a little while to figure that out.

*beams like Takeo on a good day*

If I told you about the guy the dog is attached to, I'd have to kill you. Shh, it's a secret.

just like i said in the wrong comment *hiss* i'm glad you quit writing hp fic. you'vebecome too good to play around there.
i think i want to read your books when i am big enough. i like this. it'sclear you've seen lots of scifi, space rocketship etc stuff and know how the crew works and the dynamics etc. notthat i know much about it but it feels good to read something and know the author is familiar enough with the stuff to make me feel sure it' soudns real. did that make sense? i just sometimes feel lke well i don't know neough to make sure someone is painting the right picture and so forth. And with you i don't need to wonder about that.
And it all sounds so easy. It just flows. Like that one story of yours i read that i forgot to beta because it was so good...well i don't want to be your editor. I'd forget my job and just get the book to printing without even asking you.
fuck. why is everyone on my flist so good withthis stuff.

Thank you. Here's my little secret: I don't know how the ship works. I have no idea. I just made it up so it made sense to me, and that's what I'm going with. If I have confidence as an author that it makes sense (I know a fair few scifi writers/editors so I know what's expected in terms of explanation and workability), then it will make sense to the readers. Besides, I don't really give a rat's ass about the mechanics of space travel. I care about what the characters are doing; the backdrop of deep space is just the setting, the gravy, the little carrot I'm holding out.

The best compliment I've gotten on this story so far was from my husband, who's read almost all of it so far - some 88 pages - and he said "This is cool because it's set in the future but that almost doesn't matter. It could be anywhere or any time." And that's what I like to hear: the fine detailed mechanics of things don't matter but the scene I set does. Plus, you know me: the characters matter the most.

i meantthe crew, notthe ship itself .i meant what it's liek to be on a ship. to sort of knw how they interact etc. and your husband is right .for what it's worhtthey coudl be in a car oen fothem sayign 'e have to go back for that dog' adn it'd still work. and i dind'teven care when it'sset. it's just well.
i wnt t owrite liek that when i grow up. I'd liek to have peoel drawn to the chracters adn knowign instantly where the yare and jsut picturingthe thingin their head without me having to do a lot. adn with your stuff teh image doesn't matter so much. i'm hearing the dialogue in m hedaand i'm just paying attention t othe prose. heh. this is one o thoe styels whrey ou jsut need to read the words and real yread the words to gethe story.

Thank you. :)

With a crew of two, there's not much beyond pilot and copilot, and that can apply in an airplane or on a spaceship or in a car or on a cruise liner or walking down the street, really. And I love that it's all incidental.

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I'll take the other thing.

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Delicous, but wee...like a French dessert.

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Re: Delicous, but wee...like a French dessert.

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