May 2019 Challenge: "Caprice and Chance" Matryoshka Challenge
This month's challenge is a Matryoshka challenge based on the sultry, swoony tropes of that perennial favorite for beach reading, the bodice-ripper romance. Your fanwork does not have to be a romance story, but prompts will be loosely inspired by the plot arcs and tropes of these novels. (Please note that prompts are not romance-specific. Any genre of fanwork can be created based on these prompts, although there may be a special reward for participants who attempt a romance fanwork.)
How a Matryoshka challenge works: Matryoshka dolls, also known as Russian nesting dolls, are hollow figurines that contain progressively smaller figurines inside each level. For this challenge, you will be sent several prompts via email. You will start your story using the first prompt. You will open each subsequent prompt when you reach a predetermined milestone in your story. Your challenge is to incorporate each prompt into your story.
If you want to participate, please comment here with whether you would like an easy (3 prompts), medium (5 prompts), or difficult (7 prompts) challenge. If you want the prompts sent to an email address other than the one you have registered with the SWG site, please let us know that as well. (Comments are screened.) You may also email us at moderator@silmarillionwritersguild.org with whether you would like an easy, medium, or difficult challenge. Each level has totally different prompt, so you may request more than one level if you want.
To receive a stamp, fanworks should be posted by June 10. Late entries are welcome but do not receive stamps.
For fanworks other than fiction: Although we are a writers' group, we always encourage a variety fanworks in response to our challenges. If you want to make fanart or another type of fanwork for this challenge, you may use the prompts in the Matryoshka format (building on your fanwork with each new prompt) or you may use the prompts individually to create a series of fanworks (flash fanworks are fine for this) or you can open all of the prompts at once and create a fanwork that addresses all of them using either the prompt, the prompt title, or a mixture of both.
Credit goes to TVTropes for much of the inspiration and many of the names of the prompts!
Housekeeping Note: I am currently very, very far behind on stamp collections. Due to a crazy volume of work-related stuff, I have not been able to work on collections at all for the past couple of months. In a few weeks, life settles down, and I will get them all caught up then.
Likewise, I will not be home till the evening tomorrow, so challenge prompts will be sent out as soon as I can. Thanks, all, for your patience!