CFAN/Comics Fanfiction Challenges

Challenge
Name:	CFAN: Interactive: Challenges
Date(s):	199?-2003
Moderator(s):	None
Founder:	Various
Type:	mailing list fanfiction challenges
Fandom:	Comics
Associated Community:	ACFF, OTL, CFAN
URL:	via Wayback, June 6, 2003
Click here for related articles on Fanlore.

At CFAN, Kielle collected a list of fanfiction challenges which had been issued on the main fanfic mailing lists (ACFF and OTL between the periods of 19? and 2003, linking to a number of difference sites which had collated some challenges (and their responses).

History

Before Livejournal and its ilk, Usenet/mailing lists and forums were the main means of online fan communication, with individuals posting their fanfic for either private response or public discussion. The Usenet alt.comic.fan-fiction and its successor, the Outside the Lines mailing list, were the primary source of contact for the CFAN community at large, and in the course of various discussions, writing challenges were often issued to the list and the responding works posted in return. Various archives would host the challenges and their results, but the CFAN list was - like the rest of the site - a hub for finding the bulk of the challenges issued; but NOT the resulting stories. This continued up until Kielle stopped updating CFAN in 2003.

Contents

The Challenge FAQ

What Is A Challenge?

A Challenge is when a comic ficcer (writer, reader, or archivist) issues a challenge to writers to write a story about a certain concept. A true Challenge must present an interesting idea that has not (or rarely) been done before, providing some structure while not straitjacketing writers into writing similar pieces. In other words, there must be room to breathe and [be] creative within the boundaries of said Challenge.

What Is NOT A Challenge?

• "Write about my favorite character/team/comic."
• "I've worked out this kewl plot idea -- here it is, write it!"
• "I don't like what you write, so I challenge you write about something else."
• "I want more stories about such-and-such (or so-and-so)!"

In other words, if you want something custom-written for YOU, then write it yourself, okay? Please note that in keeping this list I reserve the right to not list Challenges that I do not feel fit the above guidelines. Not being a tyrant, just drawing the line as I must.

I've Written One, Where Do I Submit It?

If the name of the Challenge is underlined on the list, there is an archive for stories that come it -- just click the link to go see what it entails. If the Challenge is not linked, there is no archive for it yet, but this does not mean that it's a waster [sic] of time to write one, no! Lots of Challenge results are archived on their own merits by non-Challenge archives, depending on how good your story is and who/what it's about. You'll also want to send a copy to the person who issued the challenge (if I could locate them, their name is linked to their addy), and of course places like OTL and ACFF would surely like to see your work as well. Go for it!

I Have An Idea For A Challenge!

Run it by me -- if I like it (and I'm pretty easy-going ;), I'll post it. I tend to be more partial towards ones that have actually been announced on OTL and, even better, answered and/or archived, but I'm willing to give any good ideas a shot. Contact me and tell me:

• The name of the Challenge
• Your name and [email] address
• A brief description of the Challenge
• The URL where replies to this Challenge will be archived, if there is one

I'd also love to hear from you if you're opening up a home for an existing Challenge -- warm comfy URLs are desperately sought for these poor little lost lambs...

One last thing, because I know if I don't say it someone will do it: I do not archive Challenge stories! This is merely a list of the Challenges out there. Send me a story to archive or a name of a story to list and I WILL bap you on the back of the head. Hard.

The List

Challenge Name	Issued by	Description	Responses
The Aftermath Of The Psi-War	Kaylee Jaya	Show how a telepath was affected by the Psi-War fall-out, be it in regards to battle capabilities, personal life, etc.	"Blind]" by Kaylee "Unemployed" by Indigo "To Have and To Hold" by River "Through the Mirror Clear" by Yasmin M
After The Bomb	Ryan	Write a post-apocalyptic fic -- extra brownie points if it is EndWorld related.
The Age Of Apocalypse Challenge	Wade	Tell an untold story from the AOA.
Alara's Challenge Of Death	Alara Rogers	Kill off your favorite character.	"Eating Myself" by Oberon (Wolverine) "...Than to Fade Away" by Indigo (Pete Wisdom) "With Friends Like This..." by Amanda Sichter (Gambit) "The Dead Can Die" by Nute (Deadpool)
Alec Wire's Challenge	Alec Wire	Show a hero turning his back on the good-guy schtick, or a villain turning to the side of the angels.
Amnesia!	Gambit	Totally mindwipe a character in the style of the tacky soap-opera "Oh my God! He's got amnesia!" plot device.
Back To School	Lee	Take any comic characters, take away their angst, powers, and all that other stuff, and put them in a high school setting.
The Big-Time Challenge	The Icehole	Have a little-used character of any universe petition a famous group for membership. Example: Have Shamrock petition the X-Men for membership.
The Breakup Challenge (Valentine's Day 99)	Alara Rogers	Write a comic or fanfic couple's messy breakup.	In Love And War, by Alara Rogers.
The Bystander Challenge	Carrie	Misinterpret a hero's or a villain's actions from the POV of a normal person, and show what kind of havoc this might wreak
The Common People	Phil Foster & Kielle	Write about the lives of ordinary folk in a superhero world -- no spandex, no big names.	The Common People Warehouse
Compchick's Challenge	Compchick	Show a team-up that you'd never see in the comics -- ie. two disparate heroes working together, or even a hero and a villain setting aside their differences to survive.
The Courtroom Challenge	Nat	Put your favorite character on trial for something, anything -- funny, short, long, serious, your choice.
The Crossover Challenge	Weaverta	Write a story crossing an American comic with manga or anime characters.
Couples that Almost/Never Were	Jericho	Get an x-couple together. No established couples and not people who used to be together -- things that were hinted at or things that never quite happened.
The Damage Challenge	Charon	Create a story in which the faults and harm that the X-Men cause is concentrated on more than the good they do. Focus on the negative aftermath of an X-Men battle.
Deep, Dark Secrets	Oberon	What if another member of the X-Men besides Gambit had a deep, dark secret? How would the team have reacted, and what would've been the character's reasons for not sharing the secret with the team?
The Disability Challenge	Kaylee Jaya	In the dangerous world superheroes face, they have to deal with the possibility of becoming crippled or maimed. Write a story where a character must face being disabled.
Disbanding	Smoot	Have any superhero team disband, then follow them into their lives. Do they go solo? Join a new team? Pursue a normal life? Tell what happens to each character.
The Drabble Challenge	Kaira	Write a story in 350 words or less.
Elena's Challenge / The Empath Challenge	Elena Zovatto / Patricia Bruce	Portray a character you don't like in a positive light, or even from their point of view.
The Elseworlds Challenge (Marvel and DC)	Alara Rogers	Write a story setting any comic book characters who are not Rogue or Remy in another world or time.	Alara.net/Crossroads X/Otherwhere
Equals/Mystery Authors/Guess Who	Kaylee Jaya	Assume a pseudonym, post a story under it, and see who can guess who you are!
The Evil Writer Challenge	Alara Rogers	Kill a character you hate, but in such a manner as to make it consistent with the behavior for the character and those around him/her.
Experiencing Technical Difficulties	Jennifer Eisenbart	Drop your favorite character into a technical problem, anything from a broken toaster to a hacked computer. They must deal with it but not necessarily resolve it. In all cases, have fun -- no length limits, do what you feel is necessary.
The Faces Of Hate Challenge	Kaylee Jaya	Write a story about the effect hate can have on anyone. Not just "get the mutie!" but all the permutations that go along with it.
The Fan Experience	Indigo	Write a story about a fan in any comic setting -- from the viewpoint of a devoted fan, a psychotic fan, a fan-become-stalker, a hero who is amazed or disturbed to have fans...anything.	"Pulling a Fast One (Don't Try This At Home!)" by Indigo "Friends in Low Places" by Ramiel
The Foreign Culture Challenge	Trisha Lynn	Write a story sending American characters to a foreign country wherein they face significant cultural and/or linguistic differences than the ones they are accustomed to.
Friendships	Northlight	Write about friendships -- and not the "X-Women all go out together kind," either. Link up people who you think would make good friends, or use people who are supposed to be friends but seldom have time to interact in the actual comics.
The Gender-Swap Challenge	Alara Rogers	Swap ONE character's sex from the beginning forward, ie. they've always been that gender. No XXY stories are eligible.
The Gift Of The Magi Challenge	Denise K	Ever read "The Gift Of The Magi," where a woman sells her hair to buy her husband a gift for his treasured watch only to find out that he sold the watch to buy a set of combs for her hair? Write a story with a similarly-styled twist in the ending.
The Happy Christmas Challenge	Mitai	Tell a holiday tale that ends on a pleasant note, darnnit.
The Hate/Love Challenge	Leary, Gen-X Master, Elena Zovatto, & others	Create a story starring a character you hate -- but be fair, no bashing.	Revenant by Oberon
Heaven's Gate & Hell's Flames	Maureen & Riana	Write a story involving the above phrase somewhere in it. Any genre, any characters.
The Horror Challenge	DarkMark	Write a truly scary fanfic.
The Extraordinary People Ordinary Situations Challenge	Indigo	What happens when superheroes (or villains) have to cope with the little things in life...?	"Crisis" by Northlight [G] "One of Those Days" by Northlight [PG] "Recipe for a Really Bad Day" by Indigo [PG] "With Any Weapon" by Poi Lass [PG-13]
Isn't It Romantic (Valentine's Day 99)	Denise K	Write a romantic (non-erotic) story, excluding Remy/Rogue.	"The World's a Playground" by Indigo
I Supply The First Line!	Falstaff	Start a story with the following line: "I go away for a week, and the world goes to hell."
I Want A Bloody Happy Ending!	Poi Lass	Write a no-angst story that ends happily.	"A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes (Kitty's Fairy Tale 2)" by Indigo
The Just-So Challenge	Kielle	Write a tale in the style of Rudyard Kipling's "Just-So Stories," casting comic characters instead.
Kielle's GenX Challenge	Kielle	Write yourself into a GenX story...as realistically as possible. Absolutely NO Mary Sues allowed -- this challenge is specifically meant to break the Mary Sue mold.	"A Different World" by Indigo "Changing Schools", "Some Hero" and "A Question of Revenge", by Oberon "Welcome to Generation X, Teacher", by Yasmin M "School of Hard Knocks" by Twiller "Learning Curve", the sequel to Indigo/Oberon/Twiller's story.
Legends	Alicia McKenzie	In the future, the characters you now know have been transmuted into true legend -- tell one of these legends, any timeframe, any storyteller, happy or sad
The Love/Hate Challenge	Quamp	Team up a character you like with a character you hate. They need not be pals, enemies, or even have met each other before.
The Marvel Two-in-One Challenge	Jim Smith	Write a story featuring any two comics characters teaming up in one fanfic. Here's the catch: you have to use two characters who very rarely, if ever, interact. Otherwise it wouldn't be a very challenging challenge, would it?
Moon Princess' Challenge	Moon Princess	Cast the heroes of any comic as the villains, and the villains as the good guys.
The Mystery Ficcer Challenge	Maria Cline	Write yourself into a story...as a Mystery Men sort of hero, ie. with a somewhat useless power. The power could actually be a trait that you have in real life.
The Neglected Character Challenge	???	Write a story about a character hardly ever used by the comics OR in fanfiction. Any style, any kind, any way.
The Non-X Challenge	Falstaff, David A, and various	Hey, X-Men writers! Write a comic-based fanfic based on something, anything -- as long as it's not part of the X-Men's universe.	"F-S: Wishcraft" (Fantastic Four), "D'ur D'ur Etre Bebe" and "Moonlight and Dilemmas", all by Indigo
Not Enough Time To Say I Love You	Prairiedog	Write a story wherein death is a significant threat for two people who love each other. There must be an expression of love (outside of bed), and the character who faces death does not necessarily have to die within the story itself.	"Touched" by Indigo
The Old Married Couple Challenge.	Falstaff	Show a realistic day in the life of a married couple in the heroverse -- use an existing couple or make up your own.
The Original Powers Challenge	Sheldon Burnham	No more telepaths or TKs -- create a mutant whose powers are quite unique...	"Take This, Ye Bigot Wanker!" by Oberon "An Evening With Stephen Niles" by Oberon "Beach Blanket Bedlam" by Indigo "Dear Renee" by Oberon "The Sword Unsheathed" by Amanda Sichter "Shatterwalker" by Oberon "Life in the Breakdown Lane" by Indigo and Redhawk "Icebreakers" by Indigo "Two Very Silly Stories" by Amanda Sichter "Afternoon Treat" by Yasmin M. "Five Minutes" by Alara Rogers "Drop Dead, Gorgeous" by ChamberAOA
Romance Outside The Classroom	Harlequin	Write a romance between a member of GenX...and someone who isn't a member. Preferably non-erotic. And no, you can't do Wolverine & Jubilee!	Sadie Hawkin's Day by Indigo Alliance by Ascian At Full Throttle by Em-Spider Monet's Romance by Rossi A Kiss Is A Kiss by Kaylana From the Dais With The Closed Coffin by Cynjen
The Self-Insertion Challenge '98	Nute	Write yourself into a fanfic where you interact with your favorite character. No Mary Sues, please.	"Five Minutes Longer" by Nute "Kai & Logan & (ulp!) Me" by Kaylee "Interlude at a Train Station" by Indigo "The Other Side of "I'm Fine."" by Magik
The Sequel/Prequel Challenge	Maria Cline	Write a sequel or a prequel to another author's fanfic -- but you must get the original author's blessing first.
The Ship Xavier Off Challenge	Alara Rogers	Do something creative to remove Chuck from the picture, but don't kill him.
Strange Angles	Mystique	Look at your favourite characters from a completely new angle. What does that old, homeless man sitting on a park bench think of Rogue and Gambit? What does that caricature artist think of Scott and Jean? What does the cashier at Bloomingdales think of Storm? Heck, you could even go with what does the Prof.'s desk think of him?
The Strange Pairing Challenge	???	Get two characters who would normally never mingle into the same story.
The Subrealicon Fanfic Challenge	Kielle	Take any object in the Ripley's Believe It Or Not! Museum and write a fanfic around it. Intended for Subrealicon participants only, but outside submissions are welcomed.	"To Be Where You Are" [PG-13] by Trisha Lynn "In the House That Robert Built" by Kielle
The Supporting Character Challenge	Northlight	Tell a tale of the supporting cast -- someone who appeared in the comics but never starred in them.	The Spin by Indigo (Trish Trilby)
Take Two	J.H. "Eclipse" Thomas	What if a character (or characters) who died in canon had not died? What would be different...?
The Titles Challenge	Carrie	Write a story made up exclusively (or as near as you can come to it) of titles of various fanfic works -- the more titles the better.
The Therapy Challenge	Natalie Martinez	Write a story wherein a team goes in for "family therapy" as a group, to deal with each other's problems.
The Turncoat Challenge	Jimbob	Write a story in which a hero is captured by a villain and eventually turned to evil.
UK Marvel	Quamp	Write a story featuring Marvel's UK characters: Motormouth, Killpower, DarkAngel, the Warheads, Death's Head II, etc.
Villains Are People Too	Jupiter 2	Write a story about the villain from the villain's point of view. Write about how they think, how they feel. What got them into the villain business in the first place. Do NOT resort to cliches such as tormenting or torturing the good guys.
Winter Romance (Valentine's Day 99)	Keri	Write a romantic story including any couple at all.
The Work Experience Challenge	Rossi	Subreality -- saddle your Muse (and possibly yourself in the process) with a younger "cadet" muse for a day (or more!) of work experience.	Subreality Central
The Xavier Protocols	K-Nice	Write a story describing Charles Xavier's protocols for taking down and defeating his X-Men. Take down the whole team, but avoid cliches as power-nullifiers or nuclear devices.
The X-Men Romantic/Sexual Pairing Challenge	Northlight	Write a relationship that never would have happened in the actual books, the stranger the better.	Start Spreading the News by Poi Lass Contains adult language and content. (Remy LeBeau/Bobby Drake) "Tender Touches: The Tryst, The Trap" by Indigo Contains adult language, sex and violence. (Rogue/Scrambler) " A Quick Bite" by Dr. Benway Contains sexual content and adult content. (Cyclops/Jubilee) "Masochism" by Indigo Contains sexual content and adult content. (Cyclops/Penance) "Morning Malaise" by Indigo Contains sexual content and adult content. (Emma Frost/Wade Wilson) "Shivers of Rage" by Shera007. Contains sexual content and adult content. (Wolverine/Sabretooth) "Between Your Joy and Your Sorrow" by Yasmin M [PG] (Storm/Cannonball)
The Y2K Challenge	Maria Cline	Write a story about the characters dealing with the effects of the predicted Y2K problem	Subreality Central