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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

















silveradept: A kodama with a trombone. The trombone is playing music, even though it is held in a rest position (Default)

His Greatest Game?

[personal profile] silveradept 2021-02-02 07:04 am (UTC)(link)
Dumbledore had called it the finest game of Wizard's Chess he had seen in years, but Ron knew it wasn't. He'd taken one look at the board and known the challenge wasn't going to be whether or not he could win the game.

The challenge was whether or not he was willing to sacrifice himself.
cofax7: climbing on an abbey wall  (Default)

[personal profile] cofax7 2021-02-02 07:07 am (UTC)(link)
Oh, Brava!
thenewbuzwuzz: converse on tree above ground (Default)

Re: Oh hey finally someone who agrees with me that Molly Weasley is terrible and Arthur's an enabler

[personal profile] thenewbuzwuzz 2021-02-02 07:07 am (UTC)(link)
I like Arthur's POV here.
thenewbuzwuzz: converse on tree above ground (Default)

Re: The Boggart, Ron and Hermione

[personal profile] thenewbuzwuzz 2021-02-02 07:08 am (UTC)(link)
Nice!
last_haven: (narnia)

[personal profile] last_haven 2021-02-02 07:09 am (UTC)(link)
"It's not like they were taking care of them!" the shorter penguin shouts between sobs as he clings to his husband's side.

The taller of the pair silently pleads with Edmund, his wounded heart in his gaze and it's all Edmund can do not pinch the bridge of his nose and sigh.

"Gentlemen," he begins as solemnly as he can because otherwise he might snap, "once again I have to remind you that those eggs are a result from this lady couple's nest and, once again mind you, they probably aren't going to hatch anyway."

That only causes tears from both sets of penguin spouses and Edmund resolves to see if maybe Susan can't help set up some sort of penguin mentoring program where the married couples can work out their parental urges by helping some needy chicks. If not, he's not sure what's going to break first--his sanity or his heart for the foolish, but sweet birds.
last_haven: (Default)

Re: Oh hey finally someone who agrees with me that Molly Weasley is terrible and Arthur's an enabler

[personal profile] last_haven 2021-02-02 07:19 am (UTC)(link)
I think he's the person I'm most interested to write here--and also I hope that now that he's realized how bad he's fucked up, maybe he can try to fix his own shit and work to reconcile with his children.
silveradept: A kodama with a trombone. The trombone is playing music, even though it is held in a rest position (Default)

[personal profile] silveradept 2021-02-02 07:19 am (UTC)(link)
Every sorceress falls in love with her knight, eventually. It's what's supposed to start her turn toward becoming a dark force, or at least that's what they thought before fighting Ultemecia. With the world saved, now Rinoa could enjoy the man she loved as fully as she desired, and if anyone objected, she could always remind them that the succession of witches hadn't fully stopped yet.
vialethe: (Susan)

Re: Susan and Lucy showcasing their skills.

[personal profile] vialethe 2021-02-02 07:22 am (UTC)(link)
Ah yes, the fatal combo of being young and girls. Lucy's smart to keep one last knife back!
ladyjax: (Default)

And the waters will take them

[personal profile] ladyjax 2021-02-02 07:22 am (UTC)(link)
Duane found Loretta sitting on a bench atop the levy at Jackson Square. "Thought you'd gone home," he said as he eased down beside her. The waters of the Mississippi slapped against the rocks as it flowed on its way to the Gulf.

"Still had a few things to do at the lab," she replied. "More bodies came in before I left so I stayed to get one of the other assistants to get started on the processing."

This many months in, Duane wasn't sure whether he'd become inured to the sheer amount of death that lingered about the streets of the city he loved or if he was just numb to it. He couldn't imagine how it was for Loretta.

He reached out and scooped up her hand from where it sat on the bench. Curling his fingers her warm, living ones, Duane asked, "Mind if I sit with you a bit?"

Loretta tightened her grip on Duane's as she watched another ghost slip by to board the ferry bobbing at the water's edge. The equality so often missing in life was evident in death as each soul was greeted with affection by those already aboard. Soon, this craft would cast off bearing the dead to the place beyond sunset.

"I wouldn't mind the company, Duane," Loretta said quietly. "I wouldn't mind it at all."
Edited 2021-02-02 07:24 (UTC)
vialethe: (Lamia - Waterhouse)

Re: Wrath and Will (Greek Mythology; Hades/Persephone, Persephone & Demeter)

[personal profile] vialethe 2021-02-02 07:24 am (UTC)(link)
Oh, this is chilling (no pun intended) and really shows off that version of Persephone the queen, with steel in her spine and a little in her heart, too. I love the idea that so much of that strength (and, surely, the force of her love for Hades) comes from Demeter, rather than from being a queen! Demeter's got only herself to blame, when you look at it that way.

Re: His Greatest Game?

(Anonymous) 2021-02-02 07:25 am (UTC)(link)
Love this! Though this also makes me wonder if Mcgonnagal set it up this way, to make it impossible to win so to speak, or if quirrel manipulated the game to stop anyone coming after him (or maybe I'm just overthinking this, lol)
vialethe: (River)

[personal profile] vialethe 2021-02-02 07:26 am (UTC)(link)
Ha, that last line! Oh, Naomi. Stuff like that is how Amos knows she really loves him, surely.
vialethe: (River)

[personal profile] vialethe 2021-02-02 07:28 am (UTC)(link)
Oh, at first this was so cute, and then it was so painful! Poor little Mei. I did love seeing all of them here together - that's been so rare in canon.
vialethe: (Narnia)

Re: TSG Narnia AU

[personal profile] vialethe 2021-02-02 07:30 am (UTC)(link)
Yesss, I was hoping you'd fill this one, as I had your Peter in particular in mind. I feel like Peter's making a sly comparison there between two witches, and I love it! Of course, I also love seeing him older, and comfortable, and content. <3

Re: Downton Abbey, Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries (Edith Crawley, Phryne Fisher)

(Anonymous) 2021-02-02 07:31 am (UTC)(link)
Aah, I love this! (and I always love to see women being awesome in various ways, so subtly awesome definitely hit the mark!)

(Anonymous) 2021-02-02 07:32 am (UTC)(link)
Ooh, love this take on their relationship!
vialethe: (Susan)

Re: TSG Narnia AU

[personal profile] vialethe 2021-02-02 07:34 am (UTC)(link)
You know I always love to see Tebbitt - and I like what he knows, and more importantly, how he knows it. This is such a good interpretation of the prompt - only 'ruining' anything from a certain point of view!

Re: Susan and Lucy showcasing their skills.

(Anonymous) 2021-02-02 07:34 am (UTC)(link)
I feel you, Susan. Sister power, though!
silveradept: A kodama with a trombone. The trombone is playing music, even though it is held in a rest position (Default)

Those Who Continue To Walk Away

[personal profile] silveradept 2021-02-02 07:35 am (UTC)(link)
The Ones Who Walk Away deliberately scatter themselves, so that they may raise the alarm about what happens when others believe they should create their own Omelas. But because they are so effective at being heard, The Ones Who Walk Away inevitably find each other again, and they begin to talk. And in a generation or two, the faces of Those Who Walk Away change.
Edited 2021-02-02 07:35 (UTC)
loveandrockmusic: (Default)

Re: how your memories nest (ATLA/Korra, Zuko & Katara & Toph gen)

[personal profile] loveandrockmusic 2021-02-02 07:36 am (UTC)(link)
Gorgeous!! So lovely and happy and crabby, just a sweet bite of their wonderful friendship! I want the whole cake tbh

(Anonymous) 2021-02-02 07:38 am (UTC)(link)
Ooh, clever and appropriately bittersweet.
loveandrockmusic: (Default)

Re: narnia, eustace/jill

[personal profile] loveandrockmusic 2021-02-02 07:38 am (UTC)(link)
*soulful sigh* Absolute perfection.
vialethe: (Susan)

[personal profile] vialethe 2021-02-02 07:39 am (UTC)(link)
Narnia/Silmarillion, Susan/Maglor, they say she was seen on occasion/pacing the rocks/staring out at the midnight sea
vialethe: (Susan)

[personal profile] vialethe 2021-02-02 07:40 am (UTC)(link)
Narnia, Susan Pevensie, long story short, it was a bad time/long story short, I survived
vialethe: (River+Mal)

[personal profile] vialethe 2021-02-02 07:40 am (UTC)(link)
Firefly, River/Mal, I knew you, your heartbeat on the highline/once in twenty lifetimes