If you have any questions about the challenge, please post them here and they will be answered by a forum mod or admin.

How many times, as we move through life, do we hear "that's a classic"? It comes up often – something or someone draws attention from the crowd, making everyone stop and pay attention. A book that makes you sigh as you read the last page, and makes you promise to visit it again and again. A person enters a room and everyone and everything stops to watch the new arrival. A villain who is so deliciously evil in a film or play that he/she makes you want to run and hide........well, maybe not quite yet.......you don't want to miss any of the shivers. A hero who takes your breath away and makes you wish you were the one he is rescuing. Someone's story that wrenches your heart and makes you wish you could help them find their destiny.

Our 2007 Fall Classic Challenge will give you the chance to make this genre your own, wherever that journey takes you within the following categories and guidelines. This challenge will begin on October 5th and will end on November 16th, at midnight in your location.

To enter, create a title and place your name after the title you have chosen. In the description line don’t forget to indicate the rating of your story. If you are writing a Classic Short Story (5000 words), or a Classic Novella (10,000 words) please indicate that after your rating. If you are writing a longer story there is no need to write anything after the rating.

Example:

TOPIC TITLE: Happily Ever After, Kav

TOPIC DESCRIPTION: PG17, Novella

Just a few guidelines to keep in mind as you write:

*You may enter this challenge twice but at least one of your stories must fall into the Classic Short Story or Classic Novella category. If you are entering the challenge only once, your story can be any length. The first story must be completely posted before you begin the second story.

*Stories must be standalones, but they can be AU (Alternate Universe) stories or crossovers with other television shows (must have STFBE characters in it though). They may use characters from another story, but must stand entirely on their own, making complete sense to the reader without reference to or reading of the other story.


*If your story qualifies for the "Classic Short Story or Classic Novella" category, please post your word count in your final post.

This challenge is geared towards bringing fanfiction to a whole new level as we apply various definitions of classic genres to create our own timeless classics. The stories will be judged within the following categories (Please note that every story will likely meet more than one requirement and therefore will be entered in multiple categories for voting purposes).


Classic Villain
(must be an original character)

He/she is essential to the story – the character we all love to hate. Their very existence helps us define the other characters in a story. Their actions propel the plot forward and create tension as our hero/heroine are pitted against evil. Think Prince John and the Sheriff of Nottingham from Robin Hood ; Fagan from Oliver Twist, Darth Vader.

Classic Hero/ Heroine

(Best original character)
He/she lives by high moral standards and exemplifies virtues such as courage and strength, honesty and integrity. Passionately champions a cause. Robin Hood, King Arthur, Oliver Twist, Jane Eyre, Jane Austen's Emma

Classic Anti-hero

He/she lacks the traditional heroic qualities and is plagued with character flaws, but nevertheless acts heroically though living by the adage: The end justifies the means. Think Severeus Snape of Harry Potter fame, Mr. Darcy from Pride and Prejudice, Shakespeare, Othello, Bobby's dad.


Classic Romance

J/S category; other couples category

An emotionally satisfying read where the main plot is centered around two people falling in love. The conflict revolves around the love story and their struggle to make the relationship work. Usually in a contemporary setting and always a happily ever after ending!

Classic Short Story

5000 words or less. A short piece of fiction involves a few characters and normally revolves upon a single event.

Classic Novella

5,001 -10,000 words. A little longer than a short story, the novella's plot is a little more complex than the short story and often includes moral teaching or satire.

Classic Epistolary Story

The plot is carried through a series of letters exchanged among the story's characters, sometimes including extracts from their journals.

Classic Picaresque

Written in First person narrative (I). The hero is from a low social standing, living by his/her wits. Often humourous. Think Huckleberry Finn.

Classic Bildungsroman Story

Follows a troubled hero or heroine from childhood into adulthood on his/her quest for identity. Think David Copperfield, Jane Eyre.

Classic Gothic

A story of terror and suspense set in a gloomy old castle or monastery or other comparably sinister setting. Think Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, Jane Eyre, Daphne du Maurier's Rebecca

Classic Detective

Plot driven, these stories plant clues for the reader to unravel. Think Sherlock Holmes, Agatha Christie, Sam Spade.

Classic Epic

best story or most memorable story

Classic Folktale

Includes magic and a moral, and, of course, talking animals!

Classic New Writer

A writer who has no more than one completed story on the board at the time the challenge begins.

So start because we can't wait to get a look at your classic piece of fanfic!

First of all, thank you so much for creating this wonderful challenge! It has sparked many story ideas that I plan to fufil

I was just curious if it would be allowed to change the names slightly, such as instead of Hudson, it would be Hutson or instead of Thomas it could be Thompson?

Thank you!

Tracy

Glad you're enthusiastic about it Tracy. Part of the guidelines state that the story must contain STFB Eye characters, so to my mind that would mean Jack Hudson would still have to be Jack Hudson...unless he was undercover or something. I'm not quite sure I understand your question though. Why don't you pm me with a few more details?

Thanks,
kav

Thank you, Kav. It was a silly question and you answered quite well Thank you!

Ahem, please forgive me for over-asking but I have one more question that I did not see answered in the guidelines for the challenge:

Am I able to post my story off site during the time of the Challenge?

Because the story is part of an on-going challenge on the site, you may post your story off-site once the challenge has been completed and the winners announced.

I figured as much Thank you!

Okay, I can't believe I'm asking another question - please forgive me for this - but would I be able to leave the story at a bit of a cliffhanger and say "To Be Continued" or is that not allowed? I just looked through the guidelines and it didn't say that I couldn't do so so I just thought I should ask

Thanks so much,

Tracy

Challenge stories are meant to be standalone, complete stories. If they inspire a later sequel, that's fine, but "to be continued" or cliffhanger "endings" (which aren't endings at all) are not allowed.

Thanks for asking,
Janet, Admin