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rthstewart ([personal profile] rthstewart) wrote2021-01-30 02:31 pm

Three Sentence Ficathon 2021

We have now opened a new post, for new prompts! Please leave all new prompts there. You may continue to fill existing prompts here. If you didn't get a prompt filled here, feel free to post it on the new post!





Welcome to the Three Sentence Ficathon!
2 Feb. 2021 See important edit below regarding where to find unfilled prompts.


What is the 3 Sentence Ficathon?
This is an open exchange where you answer a prompt with a fic consisting of only three sentences. It's open to all fandoms and you can post and fill as many prompts as you like, as many times as you want.

What do I do first?
You can start 3SF by posting prompts! When posting a prompt please format it this way:

fandom, character(s), prompt word/sentence.

Only one prompt per comment please. So, for example,

Star Wars, Obi-Wan Kenobi, I don't like sand."

Open ended and anthropomorphic fills are popular too, such as:

Any, Any, "I don't like sand."

or

Earth geography, sand, "I don't like humans very much, either."

What happens after that?
You answer other posters' prompts in three sentences (or more if you can't stop yourself) and fill as many prompts as you want, as many times as you wish. If you see that a prompt you loved has already been filled, go ahead and fill it again! Multiple fills of the same prompt are allowed and even encouraged! (We get really fun stories going this way).

Can I still post if I need more than 3 sentences? Or should I just abuse grammar in ways the English language never contemplated?
Yes. Yes.

But I'm not a member of Dreamwidth
No problem. You can comment anonymously or through open ID

I'm really overwhelmed by all the prompts and how much there is and how fast it goes. I can't read 1,000 prompts and fills. It's too much. 
I hear this a lot and it keeps a lot of people from participating.  The 3SF is big and it moves fast, especially at first. 
I get overwhelmed, too, and I'm hosting the thing. With 2020 and 2021 sucking so badly you don't want something that's supposed to be fun cause you anxiety.  I have a couple of suggestions for managing the 3SF volume. 
  • First, really, you don't have to read every prompt and fill on every page.  You can start at the last page of this and just go forward, or back a page or two.  It's fine.
  • You can come and go as time and energy allow, you don't have to participate the whole time, and it drops off quite a bit by mid-February.
  • Even after the 3SF and new prompting end, people fill prompts all year long.
  • You can fill an already filled prompt and you can can leave a prompt that's already been prompted before.  People do it all the time. 
Always make sure you're looking at top-level comments only, not threaded. That helps a lot. Your screen should look like this.




But shouldn't I read everything to see if someone already prompted the same prompt I want to leave if someone already filled it? 

No.  Prompt as many times as you want, as much as you want.  It doesn't matter if someone prompted the exact same prompt.  Go ahead and prompt again!

I left a prompt and no one filled it.  Can I prompt it again?
Absolutely!

Can I spread the word?
Yes, please. I generally fail at creating banners and embed codes but if you create one and make it really idiot-proof, I might be able to post and share it.  Feel free to cross-post this entry. If you create your own banners or icons, let me know and I'll share!
Please share the 3SF with your followers, friends, and any channels and comms you are active on.  I'll post on fandom calendar, Tumblr, and Twitter, but I don't have many connections in other spaces such as Discord.


How long will it go?

The 3SF closes to new prompts on February 28, 2021. The entry stays open permanently and people post fills all year long.

Are there any rules about cross-posting?
Nope, you can post wherever you want, whenever you want. A lot of folks collected their responses together and posted them on AO3 under the 3 sentence fiction tag. 3SFs are a terrific prompt for remixes and could be helpful for Yuletide bears, too.

What about spoilers, content and archive warnings, triggers, pairings, ratings, tags, and squick?
I thought a lot about this. It boils down to reader beware.  In my experience, this typically gets too big, moves too fast, and the stories are too short for content warnings and ratings to even apply. It is too big for me to moderate in this way. You should assume spoilers are fair game and that the initial poster and the responder have opted to use no content warnings or tags. This means AO3 content warnings for dubcon, violence, canon character death, underage, etc. COULD be present. I've found personally that I can skim and scroll by stuff that, from the prompt, I can tell isn't my favorite flavor of delicious cake. Use your best judgment and be prepared to skip over things that aren't your thing. In this format, the obligation is on you, the reader, to protect yourself from triggering content.
Some posters do include warnings and spoiler tags in subject lines or include spoiler space, but they don't have to do so.

Why is 3SF split among several posts?  That seems confusing.
It is confusing and we always lose momentum once we have to move to a second post. The reason is because at 5,000 comments to a single post, DW installs a human test CAPTCHA, which is a pain for users.  So, once this entry gets to the upper 4,000 comments, I open a new post.  If you've been waiting until things slow down to participate, when we open a second post is often a good place to join.

If I have questions, what do I do?

I'm rthstewart everywhere, here, Twitter, Tumblr, gmail and AO3.

A special thank you to [personal profile] conuly  .
Last year, Conuly started logging all unfilled prompts.
This year's (2021) unfilled prompts are here.
Last year's (2020) unfilled prompts are here.
Conuly asks that you not reply, as they want to be able to edit and add more prompts to the list.
Conuly does this just because they are an awesome person but should you want to write them fic in thanks, you can find a birthday wish list here.

Here is the 3SF 2021 Friending Meme to show of your new DW account.

Here, have some icons and banners and let me know if you've created your own!

 






text box you can try to cut and paste

















sawthefaeriequeen: (Default)

[personal profile] sawthefaeriequeen 2021-02-10 07:16 pm (UTC)(link)
The Queen's Gambit; Beth/Benny; sugar, we're going down swinging
myrdschaem: watercolour art of ginko from mushishi, sitting in plants (Default)

Re: Transformers G1, Starscream

[personal profile] myrdschaem 2021-02-10 07:21 pm (UTC)(link)
He knew the rules going in and yet ignored them entirely.

True, the real AAM person is way too professional for that. Maybe Megatron left out some crucial details in an effort to anonymise himself? Or he is getting advice from sources with worse moral integrity. XD
vialethe: (Narnia Group)

[personal profile] vialethe 2021-02-10 07:26 pm (UTC)(link)
Aww, I like how their opinion of their mother is turned around in an instant once they're able to see the magic that had always been in her. That they're both hopeful and dreading seeing her again is so bittersweet; adult children trying to reconnect with a parent, but with the added complication of not being obviously adult! I think they'll do just fine with her, though.
raisedbymoogles: (Default)

Re: Transformers G1, Starscream

[personal profile] raisedbymoogles 2021-02-10 07:31 pm (UTC)(link)
That phrase is inscribed on Starscream's tombstone. :D

I can see Megatron using "and then I disciplined him" as a euphemism right up until "and then I disciplined him right into a wall" pops up in a follow-up post and he realizes that using Find&Replace has pitfalls.
fallen_stage: Kuja standing in the wind, facing down Bahamut (Default)

[personal profile] fallen_stage 2021-02-10 07:36 pm (UTC)(link)
im going to make the botw zelda+link as sibs agenda happen by showing how stinkin cute it is <3

link: sees the heir of the realm, future monarch, prophesised incarnation of the goddess
link: its free Little Sister
elementalraven: (Default)

[personal profile] elementalraven 2021-02-10 07:47 pm (UTC)(link)
Ooh I love this! Narnia as a chance to be more connected to their mother instead of less, amazing!
vialethe: (Narnia Group)

A Big Cat is Still a Cat

[personal profile] vialethe 2021-02-10 07:53 pm (UTC)(link)
“Really?” Aslan says, his voice rumbling, on the edge of laughter, the edge of a growl - almost, but not quite.

“Well you see, they don’t have the bones for it - smaller cats traded the ability to roar in order to purr, but a lion...a lion would never do that - would he, Sir?” Eustace says, already feeling miserable, certain he’s put his foot in it again.

“Ah, but you must remember, Master Scrubb,” Aslan says, shaking out his golden mane, “that I am not a normal lion,” and so saying, let loose a purr that fairly shook Eustace’s bones.
fallen_stage: Kuja standing in the wind, facing down Bahamut (Default)

[personal profile] fallen_stage 2021-02-10 07:55 pm (UTC)(link)
holy Shit you weren't kidding! what a lovely long comment! <3 what a nice surprise :D

yes!! it reflects how they approach things and it was that parallel that punched me in the face and made me Sad so i knew it would inspire emotions too. :3 im glad the term was clear in context, I didn't think it would need to be explained. do the kids call it savescumming anymore...

Yep! that was the implication, but i didnt want to make it explicit in case a reader didn't want to think homura shoplifted. either way, you're right that homura is very laser focused and probably eats a lot of ready-made stuff. i mean, since shes so likely to just reset, its not like she has to worry about the longterm effects of any nutrient deficiency, so as long as she eats a vegetable thats good enough. i bet she eats those like. nutrient gel packs too. That said, konbinis can have a pretty wide selection of stuff, and heating up bentos and things are very common. so at least she isnt always eating cold stuff, poor kid.

That's homura's approach in one! Poor kid, she kind of treats the situation like a VN, or a resource management game, because if something goes wrong (and its been going wrong so many, many times) then clearly its because she did something wrong, didnt plan enough, didn't allocate enough resources, overlooked some factor. i got into pathologic lately and it has similarities w homura's situation because like the real world, events will happen with or without you, but unlike a game, homura feels the need to be everywhere at once.

Yes!! so a lot of things are written here not as deliberately for xyz reason, per se, but it feels right. so im really happy you managed to put why what i wrote works into words. i remember reading a fic where kyoko's past starvation resulted in some serious food security issues, to the point where she'd rather eat rotten food than let it go to waste, and it had like, the idea of the food being stored safe in her stomach. it really stuck with me.
I agree definitely that for their different approaches, homura and kyoko have very similar goals and attitudes. i can see why you'd want more content! theres a lot to dig into here.

Yep :,) spoilers i didnt actually watch the movie bc i couldn't handle homura suffering even more. what made pmmm good and worthwhile was its happy and hopeful (wistful?) ending, that even if it was bittersweet it really ended on hope. by tearing that down it just felt like more suffering porn, and the girls' misery lost all meanging in favor of, idk, cheap moe and shock factor. im sure the movie has good parts and could even be meangingful too, im just a weenie and cant handle it lol.
Point is, homura is Absolutely into sunk cost fallacy bc she's 1. so deeply unhappy 2. isolated emotionally and physically 3. like 12, so of course shes more prone to poor decision making.

Absolutely!! i imagine homura is like, notices that she's constantly snacking, figures getting her sweets would be an appropriate overture. then the offerings become greater since kyoko really responds to food gifts.

Yep! we see her split an apple with her sister in a flashback, and that hunger is a huge part of her personality. her own stomach may be "safe", but someone elses stomach is also "safe"; especially if that other stomach is someone she cares about. i imagine kyoko really wanted to help her little sister, and it was her sisters hunger more than her own that made kyoko desperate enough to catch kyuubey's attention.
And like you said, Kyoko shares something less risky first, since she doesnt trust homura 100% yet, so its like a test. i had the original gameboy and gbc when i was a kid and they really are nigh indestructable; we joked about "nintendium", jokes about testing durability by chucking em off a roof, and one memorable magazine letter about a gameboy that got left in a horse stall during a blizzard that came out the other side. so kyoko does like viddy games, but an gameboy is much more reliable than something more modern and fragile. it also means her gameboy cant get smashed by a witch so easily too.

You're welcome! i liked that detail bc i think homura doesn't want to be as cold as she comes off, but is just feeling so burdened and miserable she goes like, well, as long as things turn out well its okay to be disliked. so despite her attitude, homura is holding out an olive branch by trying to be sensitive when she makes a comment on a tender spot. kyoko does notice, and its anotehr notch in her favor.

Yeah!! like most ppl i do love the interaction between sayaka and kyoko, the contrast between the idealism and cynicism. i mean, kyoko felt sayaka worth of sacrifice because she saw so much of her past self in sayaka, and her anger was a lot of displacement of anger at her past naive self. I think the contrast with homura makes it even better, and i think kyoko is definitely worthy of having her deeps explored. I'm glad i could contribute! it was lots of fun writing in her voice, deciding how to "translate" her colloquially.

Thank you so much for the lovely comment! it's really made my day and im so happy you sank your teeth into it. ive been really prolific on this meme and im proud how ive managed to make such toothsome, meaty bites that other people appreciate too. its been a fun exercise of how to pack in a lot of meaning into a short piece.
athoughtfox: (Default)

[personal profile] athoughtfox 2021-02-10 07:58 pm (UTC)(link)
Thanks!
athoughtfox: (Default)

[personal profile] athoughtfox 2021-02-10 07:59 pm (UTC)(link)
Ah thank you so much!
theseatheseatheopensea: A person reading, with a cat on their lap. (Reader and cat.)

Re: A Big Cat is Still a Cat

[personal profile] theseatheseatheopensea 2021-02-10 08:00 pm (UTC)(link)
Perfect!!
athoughtfox: (Default)

[personal profile] athoughtfox 2021-02-10 08:02 pm (UTC)(link)
I love this! I always thought those years must have been horrendous for Rilian, it's great to see him happy at the end
myrdschaem: watercolour art of ginko from mushishi, sitting in plants (Default)

Re: Transformers G1, Starscream

[personal profile] myrdschaem 2021-02-10 08:03 pm (UTC)(link)
Truly, the gig is up pretty soon. I imagine Soundwave maybe helped him with the first one while judging him, that's the only way it's not a post full of red flags.
athoughtfox: (Default)

Re: ghost au? ghost au.

[personal profile] athoughtfox 2021-02-10 08:04 pm (UTC)(link)
What a concept! I love how spooky this would be, especially ruling there for years
athoughtfox: (Default)

[personal profile] athoughtfox 2021-02-10 08:06 pm (UTC)(link)
This is such an interesting thought! and that last line especially is so lovely and so sad.
athoughtfox: (Default)

Re: Can’t Look at You Straight On

[personal profile] athoughtfox 2021-02-10 08:07 pm (UTC)(link)
This is a great reordering, and a really fabulous job of putting all those characters in roles they don't originally have but having their personalities shine though anyway!
athoughtfox: (Default)

Re: Edges

[personal profile] athoughtfox 2021-02-10 08:09 pm (UTC)(link)
This is such a fantastic portrait of Peter, I love to see him characterised in this way - and I can just imagine how bewildered and cautious Arthur is here. I especially loved the touch about Merlin!
athoughtfox: (Default)

[personal profile] athoughtfox 2021-02-10 08:15 pm (UTC)(link)
This is a fabulous take on that little thought, the details of the way their mother treats them and how concerned they are are so vivid, and then what a brilliant ending!
ceruleantactician: Yellow roses against a blue sky. (Default)

[personal profile] ceruleantactician 2021-02-10 08:25 pm (UTC)(link)
Aww, I love Leia sharing her memories of Padmé, however few they are, with Luke. This was so sweet, thank you for sharing.
ceruleantactician: Yellow roses against a blue sky. (Default)

Star Wars, Anakin (cw: death, suicide)

[personal profile] ceruleantactician 2021-02-10 08:36 pm (UTC)(link)
Padmé is already dead by the time Anakin gets back to the ship, Obi-Wan’s death still fresh on his hands.

He stays there for a long time, in complete disbelief- she still looks so alive, her skin is still warm, her neck only slightly swollen- the bruises hadn’t even begun to form yet, but no matter how much Force energy Anakin pours into her, Padmé is dead, and so is their baby- babies, the Force whispers to him.

Sidious had not foreseen what would happen when Vader returns to Coruscant alone; after the Emperor is dead, the last thing Anakin does is put his lightsaber through his own heart, thinking to himself that he is about to restore balance, once and for all.
Edited (formatting) 2021-02-10 20:36 (UTC)
ernest: (Default)

Umineko, Ushiromiya Battler

[personal profile] ernest 2021-02-10 08:52 pm (UTC)(link)
The red text is a line thrown out to him from behind enemy lines; it is a tether, a tightrope through the darkness, the only thing he can trust to be the truth.

He answers with the blue text, hooks thrown out to catch on the red and knit up the truth of the matter into an explanation of how it all might have been managed by human means, as many explanations as it takes to defeat the witch.

But even that is only the ‘how’ and he hasn’t begun to think about why any of this was done at all – until he dies from lack of thought, and finally emerges bearing the gold text, not a line, but a net to fish all wayward hearts from the Sea of Fragments.
alexseanchai: Katsuki Yuuri wearing a blue jacket and his glasses and holding a poodle, in front of the asexual pride flag with a rainbow heart inset. (Default)

Re: 3SF Friending Meme! Come introduce yourself!

[personal profile] alexseanchai 2021-02-10 08:53 pm (UTC)(link)
tbh I'm surprised you haven't yet
smallhobbit: (butterfly)

[personal profile] smallhobbit 2021-02-10 08:54 pm (UTC)(link)
Claudius and Hamlet both look up at the extremely ornate ceiling, which looks as if it has been painted by one of the worst students of Michaelangelo when suffering from a hangover.

"You must admit, your father had appalling taste," Claudius says.

"Maybe you could paint it over, and add some mood lighting," Hamlet replies.