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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

















siver: (Default)

Re: Fill: A new albatross in the World (Piranesi).

[personal profile] siver 2021-02-12 04:53 pm (UTC)(link)
Aww yes! " I am delighted to see that he has already learnt to stretch out his throat towards the Ceiling, and make joyful, clacking noises, like his parents" This really made me smile. Thank you!

Re: A băga mâna în foc pentru cineva (put your hand in the fire for someone)

[personal profile] buttonloops 2021-02-12 05:30 pm (UTC)(link)
WOW WOW WOW WOW WOW

WHAT A SCENE wow! Absolutely incredible
elementalraven: (Default)

[personal profile] elementalraven 2021-02-12 05:33 pm (UTC)(link)
Ooohh, I love this so much!! Wow, the idea Narnia with a god like that, the Four learning to rule with those teachings, that is extremely interesting, I'm just thinking about all the possibilities of this au
silveradept: A kodama with a trombone. The trombone is playing music, even though it is held in a rest position (Default)

Going M.A.D. [Coulson & Fury]

[personal profile] silveradept 2021-02-12 05:53 pm (UTC)(link)
"I have questions, Director Fury," Coulson said, "not about whether we need to have some way of keeping up with supers, but whether this way is the correct one."

"I understand your concerns, Phil," Director Fury said, "and I am not looking forward to any time where we might have to test and see if our preparations have been sufficient to contain anyone going rogue."

"Yes, sir, but I think the question on the people's mind is less about whether the destruction would be mutually assured and more about whether or not Little Man and Fat Boy are going to be dropped on them in the attempt."
edenfalling: stylized black-and-white line art of a sunset over water (Default)

Own the Night

[personal profile] edenfalling 2021-02-12 06:03 pm (UTC)(link)
"And what, Mister Professional Doubt, do you think of my fireworks show now?" Ariadne said, half-shouting to be heard over the deafening blast of the mid-show psuedo finale: pinwheels and flashbangs, whistlers and falling stars, and a carefully timed curtain of golden dust sparklers trailing down over the well-groomed suburban lakeshore.

Arthur glanced over to the neighboring blanket where Eames, forged into the target's long-regretted high school what-if (bad timing, social awkwardness, unfortunate weather -- Arthur didn't remember and didn't particularly care what had kept them from getting together and getting over the infatuation like most people did, instead of slipping into obsession) slipped a scrap of paper from the target's back pocket under cover of an enthusiastic grope, then looked back to Ariadne with a rueful smile and shrug: "I stand corrected; the nostalgia factor worked, the bangs haven't startled the subject into waking prematurely, and while the lack of mosquitoes is unrealistic, I appreciate your consideration in leaving them out."

Ariadne flicked her fingers toward Eames and the target without turning -- mouthed 'progress?' with a tilt of her head that would read as flirtatious to any watching projections -- then relaxed at Arthur's nod; "There are more enjoyable ways to suck your blood," she said with a gleeful wiggle of her eyebrows, and leaned in to give him a hickey.
theseatheseatheopensea: Illustration by James Marsh, cover of the album Missing pieces, by Talk Talk. (Missing pieces Dodo.)

Re: Fill: A new albatross in the World (Piranesi).

[personal profile] theseatheseatheopensea 2021-02-12 06:06 pm (UTC)(link)
Yay! You're welcome! :D
ceruleantactician: Yellow roses against a blue sky. (Default)

Re: Hope

[personal profile] ceruleantactician 2021-02-12 06:13 pm (UTC)(link)
Oh, this is great. Poor Grogu!
silveradept: A kodama with a trombone. The trombone is playing music, even though it is held in a rest position (Default)

Metaphorical Catnip [Miraculous Ladybug, Chat Noir/Ladybug]

[personal profile] silveradept 2021-02-12 06:42 pm (UTC)(link)
When they'd finished, he laid his head on her stomach and purred, making her giggle at the feeling.

"I'm really happy," Chat said.

"I'm glad," Ladybug replied, adjusting herself for a more comfortable position, "but that doesn't mean you get to roll around on me like I smell of catnip."
silveradept: A kodama with a trombone. The trombone is playing music, even though it is held in a rest position (Default)

Boop [RWBY, Nora/Ren]

[personal profile] silveradept 2021-02-12 06:55 pm (UTC)(link)
"Ren, no," Nora said, standing squarely in the doorway, "you can't beat that by yourself."

"We can't let it go by unchecked," Ren began, but Nora stopped him with a gentle boop.

"We are in this together," she reminded him, color filling her cheeks, "so if you're going to try and take down an unlikable Grimm, at least have the courtesy to take your team with you."

Re: Obsidian & Blood, Acatl/Teomitl

[personal profile] notapaladin 2021-02-12 07:07 pm (UTC)(link)
It is a LOT of fun, though the tone leans far more towards noir (nobody fully trusts anyone else, our protag spends most of the books running on very little food/sleep, his higher-ups have it out for him) than say, Fun and Upbeat Fantasy Adventure.

...so of course I write a lot of fics wherein he gets the love, peace, and REST he goddamn deserves. Kiss Your Local Death Priest Today!
silveradept: A kodama with a trombone. The trombone is playing music, even though it is held in a rest position (Default)

Jaegerdraft [Girl Genius]

[personal profile] silveradept 2021-02-12 07:08 pm (UTC)(link)
"You know," Agatha said aloud, "for all the Heterodyne Boys tales, and the stories we have of Sparks creating great things, and then everyone having to deal with them, very few of those inventions seem to last past their creation. Except for the Jaegerdraft."

"Ho, dat's eazy to answer," Dimo said, grinning, "because de Barons always wuz engineers before they wuz Sparks."

Re: The secret garden - Colin/Dickon - he is an animal charmer and i am sort of an boy animal

(Anonymous) 2021-02-12 07:39 pm (UTC)(link)
Every time Colin comes home from college, he needs some time to decompress from his high flights, which means that for a few hours, he buzzes about the place, chattering, rediscovering his tracks, occasionally flailing, and darting in all directions.

Dickon just waits him out, quiet and present and with a slight smile, until Colin's circles around him become smaller and slower. Then Dickon reaches out and draws him in, carefully carding his fingers through Colin's hair while he rests.
stephmcx: (Default)

Hawaii 5-0, McDanno

[personal profile] stephmcx 2021-02-12 07:45 pm (UTC)(link)
What Steve needs to do is regain control of the situation: step down, step away, get himself out of the danger zone, keep his distance and keep it that way.

What Steve wants to do is the exact opposite: take a step closer to Danny, smell the sweat on his skin, feel the warmth of his body, the beat of his heart, make sure he's still alive, that they both are still alive.

Time passes slowly and Steve doesn't move, frozen to the spot, torn between need and want until Danny makes the decision for him: walks over and stands close, pulls Steve down and even closer, wraps his arms around Steve's shoulders, and when he starts stroking one hand comfortingly up and down Steve's back instead of doing the manly back-slap Steve had been expecting, he closes his eyes and buries his nose in Danny's neck, breathing deep, giving in to the want.
sholio: sun on winter trees (Default)

Re: Going M.A.D. [Coulson & Fury]

[personal profile] sholio 2021-02-12 08:37 pm (UTC)(link)
Aaahhh, nice!!

[personal profile] embraidery 2021-02-12 09:04 pm (UTC)(link)
glad you liked it! :^) I'm gonna keep this prompt in mind for a potential longer fic...
raisedbymoogles: (Default)

Transformers (G1), Ironhide

[personal profile] raisedbymoogles 2021-02-12 10:58 pm (UTC)(link)
Every time Optimus Prime gives the order to transform, Ironhide is tempted to take it far too literally. Surge into his true form, show the universe and the Decepticons his reinforced grill and spiked armor and tires that tore the ground like claws. He doesn't - his position protecting the Prime is more important than his body's urgings - but he tells himself someday, either when the war's over or when they're so desperate that his secret won't matter anymore.

(taking a liberal interpretation of the term "monster truck")
raisedbymoogles: (Default)

Re: Buy Me Dinner First (Final Fantasy 7, Barret/Cloud)

[personal profile] raisedbymoogles 2021-02-12 11:04 pm (UTC)(link)
this is adorable but the bit with Cloud crossing his arms to protect his too-soft heart is so fucking him it hurts <3
raisedbymoogles: (Default)

[personal profile] raisedbymoogles 2021-02-12 11:14 pm (UTC)(link)
Data, scribbled on a sheet in multiple styles of handwriting, proof of the passage of time and the movements of his pawns. Data that could unlock the secrets of life itself, if he gathered enough of it. Hojo hoarded every lab report with the jealousy of a dragon and dreamed of the day he would crack open the realm of the gods.
edenfalling: stylized black-and-white line art of a sunset over water (Default)

And a Following Sea

[personal profile] edenfalling 2021-02-12 11:58 pm (UTC)(link)
"Fair winds, Wraith," Kaz says, and dares to tuck his cane into the crook of his elbow and offer both hands (gloved, of course, here in Fifth Harbor, so close to a thousand sweating bodies and the hungry sea) to Inej; she sets her own slim fingers over his own and lets him press their hands together in what feels half like a too-solemn version of a Kerch farmer's greeting and half like a (too-revealing) suitor's plea.

"Unfair deals," she says in return, and Kaz allows the corner of his mouth to quirk in a smile at the joke.

When she smiles in return, and reclaims her hands, and glides away to her waiting ship, Kaz forces himself to turn aside and walk toward the harbormaster's office for the business that nominally brought him here; it won't stop him from wondering how many times Inej can leave before he bleeds to death from each new cut of loss, but he refuses to mourn in advance of a funeral -- especially when, beyond all his hope and understanding, she keeps coming back.
raisedbymoogles: (Default)

[personal profile] raisedbymoogles 2021-02-13 12:00 am (UTC)(link)
"-completely lost it, there's no way the musical numbers in Chocochicago are meant to be non-diagetic-"

"Oh, whatever, are you gonna start quoting The Phantom of the Airship at me?"

Baku joined the fascinated princess at the railing as the argument turned to a schoolyard-worthy brawl, grunting "Theater nerds" in fond exasperation.
edenfalling: stylized black-and-white line art of a sunset over water (Default)

Eeling Contrary

[personal profile] edenfalling 2021-02-13 12:24 am (UTC)(link)
"Beg pardon, but if I may steal a moment of my gracious sister's time," Edmund said, and whirled Susan away from the Terebinthian crown prince (and his entourage) without stopping to wait for a reply; as he threaded neatly through the crowded room, gesturing with his wineglass to ward off interruptions, he muttered under his breath, "I could read the cast of your countenance from a mile away; what incredible nonsense did you convince him to swallow this time?"

Susan smiled as if she hadn't a care in the world and said, "I merely explained the true origin of eels, which, as everyone in Narnia knows, are born when a hair from a horse's tail falls into river or pond; wouldst believe the poor man was convinced that, instead, eels are born when the first light of the spring moon falls on newly dampened mud?"

"Someday someone other than myself will call you out on your fabrications," Edmund said, but he knew Susan could read the laughter in his eyes just as clearly as he had read her contrarian glee, and resigned himself to many years more of running interference.
edenfalling: stylized black-and-white line art of a sunset over water (Default)

Re: A băga mâna în foc pentru cineva (put your hand in the fire for someone)

[personal profile] edenfalling 2021-02-13 12:33 am (UTC)(link)
*applause*
kore: (Default)

Re: time for memory, 12 Monkeys, Jennifer Goines

[personal profile] kore 2021-02-13 12:37 am (UTC)(link)
Oh wow, this is fantastic.
edenfalling: stylized black-and-white line art of a sunset over water (Default)

Make Your Choice

[personal profile] edenfalling 2021-02-13 12:42 am (UTC)(link)
"I think, when you're younger, it's easier to balance between two worlds," Susan says haltingly as she and Peter sit in the back garden -- he on the wall and she in the apple tree, flicking a blossom-heavy twig back and forth between her fingers -- "easier to believe six impossible things before breakfast, so to speak, and to accept that Narnia is still Narnia even after a thousand years instead of mourning what was lost."

"To see it as an adventure as much as a duty," Peter suggests, his ragged nails picking and picking at the mortar between the bricks.

"Yes," Susan agrees, fingers stilling; "They can still bend -- but you and me?"

She snaps the twig. Peter stifles a flinch.

"This is our world now, the only one left to us," Susan says as she leaps down from the apple tree, "and I plan to make the most of it."
edenfalling: stylized black-and-white line art of a sunset over water (Default)

[personal profile] edenfalling 2021-02-13 12:45 am (UTC)(link)
That is fascinating.