Dialj Challenge - Discovered in Thirty Years Time

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

I wonder if everyone has had a good long rest, and is ready for another discoveredinalj Challenge?

A while ago now, empty_mirrors and I were chatting about Pros thirtieth anniversary, and what we'd do when we got to the end of the Discovered In 1977 Challenge series. Gosh, we thought, thirty years ago seems like such a long time, and yet hardly anything. The lads would be... well, they'd be thirty years older... would Doyle's curly hair be grey? Would Bodie's non-locks still be cropped so close? Would they use mobiles, be up with the internet, eating organic and GMO-free? Would they - gasp! - be shopping at Marks and Sparks?

Then, being that sort of conversation, we took it a bit further - what if the lads were around thirty years from now? What would their world be like in (*counts on fingers*) 2038? What would it be like working for CI5, that infamous subduer of "the well-armed criminal and terrorist groups" troubling the UK? Ooooh...

And there, of course is your challenge - Discovered In Thirty Years Time! It can be thirty years from when we first saw the lads (ie - now!), or thirty years from now, the lads can be older, or they can be their canonical ep-ages transplanted into that future - it's up to you! There just has to be something that would have been future-y for them...

As usual, although it's not compulsory, it'd be nice if anyone who'd like to take part could comment below to let us know. Additionally, if you'd like a prompt to work with, comment below to request one, and I'll see what I can come up with... *g*

Post creations - stories, artwork, vids, essays, anything at all related to the deadline! - any time you like between now and the final posting deadline of midnight on 30th March 2008 (just before it ticks into the 31st of March) - in Pago Pago if not where you live! Oh, and please don't forget to include the footer from the user info page, at the end of your creation and under a cut, so that no one has to be spoilered if they prefer not to be!

Please forgive the layout - I'm flying solo at the moment, and while I'm well-excited to have figured out how to change the community banner, I'm lousy at colour coordination! There's a vague hope that I'll either get better, empty_mirrors will see the mess I've made of it and coming running back at top speed, or that some other kind soul will take mercy on this comm and email me some suggested colour combinations... *g*

Comments

[callistosh65.livejournal.com]

Oh, nice! I have never tried an older lads story, so I'll use the challenge to have a go at one.

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

Oh yeay! Jolly jolly good. *vbg*

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

I'll have a go too...

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

*replying to self so that the comments come out evenly*

*is sad and slightly anal*

*but has plotbunny, so doesn't care*

*g*

[heliophile-oxon.livejournal.com]

Yay, a byslantedlight plotbunny! *g*

[shooting2kill.livejournal.com]

What an excellent idea for a challenge! I was beginning to suffer from challenge-withdrawal symptoms even though it's only February....and well done for the banner - I really like it - green and all.

B & D 30 years from now? The mind boggles.

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

Ha - bear in mind that it could turn out to be very like the Precambrian bunny... :s

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

Yeah, it did seem rather strange not to at least have a challenge fizzing along in the background, so I thought I'd see if there were people around and feeling playful... *g*

I wish I had made the banner, but no, that was all empty_mirrors work. I just figured out how to put it at the top of the lj page, and believe me that took all my time! It's good though, innit? All sort of dark and a bit spooky I always think... *g*

You know, if your boggling mind would like to throw some speculation up as post one day, that might be fun... *g*

[shooting2kill.livejournal.com]

You know, if your boggling mind would like to throw some speculation up as post one day, that might be fun... *g

Actually (she says, proudly, much like an adult), I have speculated on this exact same thing elsewhere and I did it entirely off my own bat - before you said anything - so it was purely voluntary, no pressure. Hah... Maybe you can go take a looksie.

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

Sorry, I replied to things the wrong way around - didn't mean to imply that anything you said was unoriginal, it's always original! I was just trying to add some public encouragement... *g*

[hambelandjemima.livejournal.com]

I'll play :)

I may need a prompt, but I'll stir the bunnies up first and see what they come up with.

[loyseofverlaine.livejournal.com]

I'm in. I love older guys and I love AUish stuff - I mean 30 years from now - 30 years ago the computer I had to work with was half a building floor - now I carry it around in a satchel -possibilities fizzing.

Of course, when I'll have to *write* this . . . . .

[shooting2kill.livejournal.com]

Oh, no! I didn't mean that I thought *you* thought I wasn't being original...what I meant was that I'm happy to do this - I'm volunteering - and so it wasn't just a case of me responding to your suggestion.....In short, I think the more I do these challenges, the better it is for me and the easier it becomes! (She says, falling off the end of the gangplank, hands bound and blindfold intact....)

[shooting2kill.livejournal.com]

Sorry, just reread my original message and it *did* sound a bit ambiguous (ambivalent? dunno..) but what I was trying to say was that I hadn't felt you were pressurising me in any way (and I wouldn't have minded, anyway, cos I always need it) and that I'd actually thought about doing it by myself. And I'm going to stop right there cos I'm sounding more and more pafe'ic

[diegina.livejournal.com]

Oh no!
I have a story just perfect for this challenge in my mind, but there is no way how I could write it within half a year (beta-reading not included), not mentioning within a month or so:(

Could there be a long-term (non-christmas related) challenge one day while others short-term challenges like the usual ones would be running? I mean something like a "challenge for this year" or something? So even those who work slowly for a reason or other could participate?

[minori-k.livejournal.com]

I'll play! Wow, it'll be a nice opportunity to show what I've had in my mind recently! My work will be the lads in 2038.
Thank you for offering a wonderful idea!

[msmoat.livejournal.com]

Hmm, so can I just post my Time Stamp story that was exactly 30 years after...?

Awww! [In anticipation of scolding response. *g*]

[kiwisue.livejournal.com]

Could there be a long-term (non-christmas related) challenge one day while others short-term challenges like the usual ones would be running?

I'd just like to add my support for your idea. Sometime I can get it together for a short time-frame challenge, other times it can take me months, rather than weeks to write something. I can always aim for Christmas, but I'd like something non-seasonal as well.

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

Excellent - give me a shout if you decide you need one! *g*

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

Hee - I think the more you do the challenges the better too... *vbg*
(Seriously, I'm glad you're feeling like that!)

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

Lol - you do make me laugh. There's nowt pafe'ic about you, me owd mucker, feller-me-lass. (How many regions d'you think I can get in one sentence..? *g*)

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

Oooh, yeay for fizzing possibilities... *g* (Got to admit, the writing bit occurred to me too...)

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

Excellent! I'm intrigued already... *g*

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

You can scold yourself if you like. And then go away and write a future-y story for us. *g*

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

Erm... As you say, we sort of do have an annual challenge like that already, that people can work up to over the year - although it's true we've never announced it as an annual thing... You know the "Christmas" challenge is definitely not just about Christmas either - we do make it very clear that it's a winter challenge, a challenge that's purely about that particular time of year in the northern hemisphere - and that anyone who wants to post an anti-winter response is welcome to as well. It encompasses every reason that any culture has ever given to have a party during the darker parts of the year, and that's another reason it runs all the way over December and into January, so really anything someone might write for it is a valid response!

All that said, what sort of timeframe/time of year for posting were you thinking of? Anything in particular? All ideas welcome...

ETA - Further thoughts in my comment below (above?!) to kiwisue...

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

Well, bear in mind, as I said above, that the "Christmas"/"seasonal" challenge is for many more things/reasons/inspirtions than just Christmas, even though people do tend to focus on the Christmas aspect of it...

I do know what you mean about short-term challenges being... a bit challenging when you're strapped for time, of course. I suppose I (we as was!) presumed that anyone with longer/more time-consuming stories would have them already on the go, and post them in the other story venues, such as the_safehouse, Hatstand and the Circuit archives, rather than wanting to focus on specific prompts...

discoveredinalj was originally set up specifically for more short-term challenges, to be honest. We figured there were lots of places where people could post/write longer fic, but when the_safehouse challenges stopped (a couple of years ago now!) there was nowhere left that was being sort of momentarily inspirational if you know what I mean, and that's what the plan was for dialj - to prompt the easier kind of Pros writing, if you like, the kind that was quicker to write, and gave people a more constant flow of Prosfic over the year...

The other thing is that there are various projects that take people away from writing relatively regularly online as well (not even counting "real life"!), especially now that there are a couple of zines that people are writing for - which is brilliant, but only the people who can afford to buy new zines get to see the results, and of course they only come out once a year-ish as well! So we were also going the encourage/prompt-people-to-be-available-more-often online route. I wonder if people were writing for longer-term challenges, whether they'd also write for the shorter-term/more frequent ones, or if they'd concentrate their efforts... Ideally of course it'd be a nice mixture of both...

Okay, as I'm rambling away here (and this is to you too, diegina), I'm thinking that maybe I should post about this on ci5hq and see how people respond, what thoughts they have... What d'you think? Ideas, thoughts, all welcome...

[shooting2kill.livejournal.com]

Oh, I dunno but I think it's pretty good that you understood my pafe'ic - not many people would, you know.

[firlefanzine.livejournal.com]

??? ;-)

[firlefanzine.livejournal.com]

Fantastic idea! What a bulk of possibilities...
And fanart is also welcome?

I really like to join this group!

[shooting2kill.livejournal.com]

I'm generalising a lot here, but it's sort of London-speech for the word 'pathetic' and I've written it how it sounds to *me* i.e. the way kids pronounce it. Also, there are a couple of comedy sketches with female comedians on TV doing schoolgirl sketches and parodying (? is that a word?) some of the younger generation...

[shooting2kill.livejournal.com]

....and they speak like that...

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

Fan art is most definitely welcome! Anything at all to do with the lads is, as long as it responds to the current challenge, and is posted before the deadline! *g*

Nice to have you here!

[diegina.livejournal.com]

...You know the "Christmas" challenge is definitely not just about Christmas either - we do make it very clear that it's a winter challenge, ... ... All that said, what sort of timeframe/time of year for posting were you thinking of? Anything in particular? All ideas welcome......

I've just had two physically very exhausting days, so I'm sorry if I'm gonna sound a bit too rough or lacking a sense, I'm really tired yet I don't want to postpone my response for tomorrow, it's been postponed too long already. And I'm responding to both of your comments.

I don't want to be limited by any season. OK, I know I can write a winter/anti-winter story for Christmas season, but I don't want to write such a story.

I've been lurking there for two years or so, wanting to join most of the challenges posted here but knowing I *can't* join, because simply I'm too busy with RL and moreover English is my second language so I write slowly and sometimes beta-ing takes almost a month (grammar stuff usually). But all those challenges were *so* interesting and inspiring! I've been feeling more and more frustrated knowing I could write a story for this challenge yet also knowing I could never make it on time.

I understand this community is focused on stories written in a short time. I respect it. But it would be nice to have an extra challenge for a year (plus the winter/christmas/new year... challenge), so even those who tend to write slowly or want to write something more complex for a particular challenge could participate. I believe it would lure a new sort of writers and there would be more stories.

Well, this is only an idea. It's up to you, in the end, if you're willing to add this new ... feature, let's say - to this community. If not, it would be nice if there would be this kind of challenge in another community, The Safehouse for example.

BTW in K/S Snuggle yahoo group I participate on a different type of challenge. A version of Secret Santa, yet not seasonal. There was no time limit. You could choose three things you didn't want to write about and three things you wanted to read in a story for you. And then writers and readers were matched by a mod. So everyone had to write a story and everyone received a story. It was quite fun and I managed to finish my story in incredible 10 weeks:D I think a version of this challenge might be done also in B/D :-) Not necessarily here, but... well, it's just an idea.

[artconserv.livejournal.com]

Oooh. I want to participate but I can't promise. :-/ Too much RL stuff going on. But if I can find the time, I will.

I also like the idea someone mentioned about a challenge with a longer deadline. I'm in support of that if you want to know. :-)
XXXOOO
Lorraine

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

Oh wonderful - shall cross my fingers very tightly! *g*

As for the deadlines, I'm going to post about it at ci5hq to see how people are feeling about challenges and so on, and how it might fit in with what empty_mirrors and I were enjoying about discoveredinalj, so if you have any more specific thoughts, it'd be good to hear them!

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

Hi - sorry to take so long to answer again, especially when you rushed to reply here. I've been thinking, and also had a guest, and been to a conference in between, so I hope you'll excuse me!

I can imagine one way to maybe fit a longer challenge into the way we have discoveredinalj set up (and the way we're happy running it) and that might be to set a challenge at one point, but have a particular week/month to post things later in the year perhaps. It would depend how long you really wanted, of course - and I'm not quite sure about that, because above you say that the K/S Secret Santa that you liked had no time limit at all? Would that be what you'd like?

There have been a couple of Secret Santa type challenges in Pros, set up as independent lj communities - santa_pros from December 2005, and summer_of_78 from summer 2006. empty_mirrors and I weren't particularly comfortable with that sort of anonymous exchange, which is why we used a completely different format for our annual challenge - and we chose winter because we both like winter as a time to snug down with lots of reading material, and also because (in the northern hemisphere which is where we're both based) it's a time when people are more likely to be at home and free to write etc. More people tend to be away at different times over the summer, for example!

The other thing, of course, is the nature of challenges in general - there've been a few times when I've seen challenges which I would have loved to to write for, but known that I couldn't fit in with their time frame because my other life was crazy, and then there have been challenges where I've just been completely uninspired, but I have had the time. Basically, it's very difficult to inspire everyone at the best time for them! Not that it's not worth trying, of course... *g*

I think what I'll do is write a post over at ci5hq to get some wider feedback on the idea. A few other people have said they'd like a longer challenge too, and it may be that there are alot of other people who would - or not! I'd have to think about whether I'd want to do something like that myself, I'm not sure. For me personally, if I have too much time to do something, I'm almost less likely to do it! Also, I'm not mad-keen on running this comm where people post as a sort of free-for-all, or at least that's how I'm feeling at the moment, not because of wanting to keep control or anything, but just because it makes the organisation of various other aspects of it (which people might not care about, of course) into a different kind of work, rather than something straightforward that lets me enjoy things more than feel I'm working! If that makes sense at all... Also, that's what the_safehouse is for, and we don't want to step on their toes, either. Unless I can figure out how to do it to include everyone's wishes, which would of course be the ideal solution...

Right - shall go over to ci5hq and pose the readers a question!

[nakeisha.livejournal.com]

zines . . .and of course they only come out once a year-ish as well!

Just throwing in a small clarification here (before I read in depth), Bast of Requiem Press (http://requiem.ravenshadow.net/) published Pros zines (Secret Agent Men) that come out twice a year. She's currently looking for subs for #10.

[nakeisha.livejournal.com]

(Sorry, I'm still not addressing the main issue, but I had to say something to this).

I weren't particularly comfortable with that sort of anonymous exchange

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. I am so glad to hear you say this - I really did feel that I was alone in my dislike/discomfort of anonymous challenges. Reading this had quite made my day (I'm easy to please *g*)

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

Yes, absolutely - hence the -ish up above, because I wasn't being specific to any one Pros zine, and also was being lazy enough not to clarify specific policies for any of the zines! *g*

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

Lol - it's good to hear thoughts about all sorts of things, so you carry on! *g*

There's at least three of us out there with qualms about anonymous exchanges then, and I'm sure we're not alone either! To be fair I've not seen any run in other fandoms, and I don't know what issues they may or may not have, but I think there were upsets for someone or other in both the ones I have seen, here in Pros (which may of course have been down to any number of things). I think the format leaves itself open to all the worst things about gift giving though (and in the most Maussian ways, not just the disappointed-Christmas-present kind of way *g*), alot of which could be obviated just by getting rid of the anonymity... I might be open to trying something similar, but I'd have to have a good hard think about finding a way of doing it that I was comfortable with..!

[nakeisha.livejournal.com]

I'm glad you didn't mind.

Ah, well as I'm in other fandoms, I can say that with very few exceptions (NCIS and my own comm being one of them) the vast majority of gift exchanges are anonymous. Apparently most people love them and prefer the whole 'secret santa and surprise pressie under the tree'. I don't. So as I said, it was so wonderful to know I'm not 'weird' and alone in not liking them.

I did three one year and despite my recipients being happy with their gifts, I vowed 'never again', I was just personally so unhappy (not with the stories, well apart from one but that was never written for me, so . . .) but with the whole not being able to thank the person who gave me the gift or acknowledge the comments, etc. that kind of thing.

If I'm given a gift, I like to say thank you at once, not a month later - it just feels wrong. And I know I am saying 'thank you' anonymously, but . . . And comments on my own story are in themselves 'gifts' and not being able to acknowledge those, well I spent a very unhappy six weeks in the end at a time of year I love. So now I'll only do such a thing if it isn't anonymous (and when you run your own, you can make the rules *g*).

[diegina.livejournal.com]

...I weren't particularly comfortable with that sort of anonymous exchange...

Oh, I absolutely agree! No anonymity, because what I could see of some anonymous challenges in other fandoms most of the presents were incredible shits. When I wrote "a version of Secret Santa", I meant especially the fact that one person writes one story for another person by his/her three (or any other number) wishes, not for a community, and that an author's list of "I'm not willing to write this" was respected . And it was all *public*(yet I forgot to mention al of this:( ). The author-receiver list was posted so everyone knew who was to write a story for whom, so no one dared to not write the best one could. And that there was no time limit -- there was said right at the beginning something like: be reasonable, no-one wants to wait too long and the sooner you finish your story, the sooner you might receive yours. So in the end, most of the stories were published within some 6 months or so.

All in all, I'd just like to write a B/D story one day for a challenge without being pressed by (for me) impossible time limit. That's all:-)

[diegina.livejournal.com]

I agree! (See my new reply for byslantedlight below(?))

[artconserv.livejournal.com]

My thought about how the longer deadline might work is to present one--maybe two at most--longer challenges in addition to the usual challenges that you have. That way, there's at least one that those of us who need more time can participate in. :-) And there'd still be the shorter challenges like usual. That would work for me and I would know that I could participate at least once. :-)

Thanks so much for considering this!
XXXOOO
Lorraine

[krisserci5.livejournal.com]

An idea popped into my head so I will play in their future. : )