October Writing Challenge: Don't Go It Alone!

[PSGarak]

In the spirit of the season, I've determined the October writing challenge. How many of us as children were told, "Don't Trick or Treat alone"? It's dangerous! Anything could happen to you! Just...don't...do...it!

I'd like to see how well we writers work together, so pick a buddy and make a collaboration! It should be a previously unpublished work, not taken from role play or any round robin you may be involved in, and it must be a genuine collaboration between two writers. (In other words more than just, "Hey, can I borrow your characters?") How you decide to do that is up to you. One person can conceptualize and the other write, both can write part of it, etc. Pick one person to work with, so no double submissions with different partners.

Because this could be fairly challenging, I'm giving you a generous word limit of 7000 words. You may choose canon characters, AU characters, or characters of your own creation. You may pick any genre. Just be sure it ties into Star Trek somehow. Post a link to your story in this thread when you're done. Good luck, and may the best team win!

 

[Kaziarl]

Sounds interesting. I'm available if anyone needs a partner.

Oh... um... I do have a friend that I write with, although she doesn't have an account here. Whats your opinion on that? Beat her over the head and make her sign up? Well, in any case, she doesn't write trek much, so either way I'll still need a partner.

 

[PSGarak]

Sounds interesting. I'm available if anyone needs a partner.

Oh... um... I do have a friend that I write with, although she doesn't have an account here. Whats your opinion on that? Beat her over the head and make her sign up? Well, in any case, she doesn't write trek much, so either way I'll still need a partner.

Yes! Caveman it!

I now have a partner. I'll keep him/her a secret until he/she is ready to reveal his/her identity.

 

[Kaziarl]

I think we all know who it's going to be.

:cough: Nerys :cough:

 

[PSGarak]

I cannot imagine why you would say that. Good and evil Cardassia merge?

Fire and brimstone coming down from the skies! Rivers and seas boiling! Forty years of darkness! Earthquakes, volcanoes... The dead rising from the grave! Human sacrifice, dogs and cats living together... mass hysteria!

You Klingons sure do have big imaginations.

 

[Nerys Ghemor]

 

[Kaziarl]

uh huh... sure... I'll be sleeping with a dk'tagh under my pillow this month.

 

[USS Fardell]

Anyone willing to collaborate with me in this challenge?
In any of the following options?

Options
1. A Voyager fanfiction (can be set anywhere between Caretaker and Endgame. It can be AU, but has to be in the Delta Quadrant.)

2. The adventures of members of a Starfleet expedition to an inhabited Dyson Sphere filled with civilisations in the late 2410's.

3. Part 4 of A Tale of Temporal Gifting.


Edit: If you wish to collaborate, you can send me a PM.

 

[_r_]

To be fair, this can be taken as exclusivity.

Established writers working with Established writers. I mean, my stories regularly get 0 votes, even though I think they have value.

So will I have to count myself out of this challenge?

EDIT: Despite my moan, that Dyson Sphere idea sounds interesting Fardell. I don't know how to PM though.

 

[PSGarak]

To be fair, this can be taken as exclusivity.

Established writers working with Established writers. I mean, my stories regularly get 0 votes, even though I think they have value.

So will I have to count myself out of this challenge?

EDIT: Despite my moan, that Dyson Sphere idea sounds interesting Fardell. I don't know how to PM though.

I honestly don't see how you took that interpretation from the challenge as it was presented, and that accusation is anything but fair. Nowhere did I say you had to be previously published on the Trek BBS, or that your work had to be previously voted for, or popular. If you can find a partner and meet the requirements of the challenge, you're good to go.

If anything, I've done my damnedest to be encouraging of new writers, those who feel less than confident about their work, and anybody who has come to me with any issues, questions, criticisms or concerns, publicly or privately. I'm not claiming perfection, but I find that insinuation incredibly insulting and uncalled for. Nor does it have any bearing on the nature or requirements of this particular challenge.

I got my ass handed to me over on Ad Astra in the latest contest by Kes7. If you don't get the votes you wanted or expected, try harder next time, or ask people what you can do to improve. Sometimes it doesn't mean there's anything at all wrong with your story. It's just that people liked other stories better. It's rarely if ever personal, and if it is, then you have to ask yourself why that might be.

I got approached quickly by somebody I knew I would enjoy writing with, but I have to tell you, if you or anybody else had asked me first, I would not have turned you down. Most of the writers I've seen on this board and Ad Astra are generous with their time and their advice, devote time to working with other writers, and also probably wouldn't turn you down as long as your approach wasn't snotty.

I think I'm going to go ahead and end this post with that thought. I'm angry, and I have nothing else to say that wouldn't be considered inappropriate.

 

[Thor Damar]

Now this does sound like an interesting idea, with much potential.
If I can find a partner I'll give it a go (although watching my two favorite Cardassians collaborating will be very enter-tain-ing)

count me in.

 

[_r_]

I'm sorry, you took it as insulting.

And I never took it as personal. I'm very aware of the flaws in my stories.

In fact, i'm insulted that you reacted in such a manner.

I was merely pointing out to a possible elephant in the room and maybe, it's my fault, if I perceived one... or not.

EDIT: Apologies, I've thought about it, and i guess I reacted a little emotionally. You like to see yourself as someone who helps new writers and I guess it can be a tad insulting If i suggest otherwise. But to be fair, I wasn't complaining about a lack of votes, rather the lack of votes *might* exclude me from participating in this competition; that is all. Again, I'm sorry for appearing somewhat abrasive.

 

[PSGarak]

You made an accusation, and I reacted by telling you how I felt about it and that you had completely misinterpreted my intention. If you decide you want to be insulted by that, go right ahead. I stand fully behind everything I said.

EDIT: I posted this response before your edit. I accept the apology. The way I see it, if somebody out there decides to reject you as a writing partner because you haven't gotten votes in a contest, then that person is an ass, period. What was insulting was not a counter suggestion that I don't like to help new writers, but that I would seek in some way to exclude anyone from a writing challenge by the parameters of the challenge. That is definitely not the case. I can't control what anybody does on this board, and I can't make anybody write with anybody else. I can only control what I do. Thank you for considering why I took that the way I did.

 

[kes7]

But to be fair, I wasn't complaining about a lack of votes, rather the lack of votes *might* exclude me from participating in this competition; that is all. Again, I'm sorry for appearing somewhat abrasive.

Nothing is excluding you from participating -- you might choose not to participate, but that would be regrettable. I really think Enabran Tainted/PSGarak was just trying to get people to work on a new skill -- collaborative writing.

If you don't already have someone in mind, it looks like people are already posting requests for partners here ... so get together with someone and kick some butt.

 

[_r_]

Well.

Would anyone be interested in:

1. 22nd Century Romulan War story, or 22nd Century otherwise. Excluding ENT canon or not?
2. Something about an inhabited Dyson Sphere. As Fardell suggested.
3. A Tales of the Dominion Wars, short story, perhaps going a little more detail into the conflict (Something a little more grey than the good v evil theme of DS9)

Just a few ideas off the top of my head.

 

[Count Zero]

While I understand PSGarak's/Enabran Tain's motivation behind this is to get writers to work together, I can see where _r_ is coming from. The requirements can make it rather difficult for those writers that aren't already buddies here to participate. There are also practical problems for new people since Ensigns like _r_ can't write or receive PMs.

My problem is a different one. I'm not sure the weird ideas I have a compatible with other writers. That said, I'd be up for a Romulan War story, so if you're still interested, _r_, leave your e-mail adress here in this thread because I can't PM you.

 

[_r_]

jamiethe@hotmail.com

Looking forward to hearing from you, Dr. Mabuse.

I'm interested to hear the mixture of your weird ideas with the Romulan war.

 

[PSGarak]

While I understand PSGarak's/Enabran Tain's motivation behind this is to get writers to work together, I can see where _r_ is coming from. The requirements can make it rather difficult for those writers that aren't already buddies here to participate. There are also practical problems for new people since Ensigns like _r_ can't write or receive PMs.

Now, that was one thing that I didn't think of, the PM restriction for new posters. Thank you for bringing it to my attention. However, most people do have other means of communicating over the internet, and there's nothing to stop two people from collaborating in a thread here on the bulletin board. I'd be happy to stay away from a thread marked "private" to deal with the PM restriction if it's a problem and there's no other way to communicate. I would hope that others would be equally accommodating and wait to view the final story in all its glory. I don't think being worked out on the board would hurt a story's chances in the voting thread.

I am also hoping to see some collaborations between unlikely pairings or even people who don't know each other. It's a good exercise. To take into account the possibility that someone doesn't find a pairing who really wants to participate, I will be willing to lift the restriction of people participating in only one collaboration. However, I would like it if that only happened in the case of someone looking for a partner and not having one as the deadline approaches. I want this to be fair, not exclusionary.

If it gets to about a week and a half before the deadline, and anyone still wants or needs a partner for this, by all means post the request here and speak up. There should be enough writers around to make sure everyone has the chance.

 

[Mistral]

fascinating challenge. I'm looking for a partner who's not afraid of free-form writing. Particularly interested in hooking up with a UT writer. PM if interested. No transvestites. No bi or bi-curious. Fetishes acceptable, within reason.

 

[Kaziarl]

Well, since everyone is posting what they would like in a partner, I guess I will too. Although I was considering discussing that with the partner in private.

In any case, I'm open to just about any scenario, however I've been trying to do some world building in two areas. The Gamma Quadrant, post DS9, and the Klingon Empire, 30 years prior and leading up to it.

I also have several other ideas that I haven't played with too much and would be willing to discuss with the person who eventually becomes my partner.