The Dragon Challenge Stories!

[pensnest]

It's D-Day again, so the stories for the Dragons/Dwarves/Dolphins/Diamonds/Demons challenge are now—or imminently—available.

I've changed things around a bit this time, for two reasons: one, that there were not many entrants this year, and it seemed a bit pointless to insist on the anonymity. Two, I've been rather busy with one thing and another this week and wouldn't have had time to get everything onto my website even if I had managed to finish my own entry before, um, two o'clock this morning.

So if you've written a DDDDD story for this year's challenge, please post it wherever suits you and comment with a link to the story. I'll edit this post as the other stories arrive.

HERE is the "Director's Cut" of the story Tabula Rasa, Lacuna Caeruleus by ninjetti75.

Strange Brew is a brand new dragon story for this year from syncalot.

Meddling hits more than one of the prompts, also brand new for this year, by chalcopyrite.

Read! Enjoy! Send feedback!

My own offerings are several (for values of 'several' that equal 'ten') ficlets up in the CrackSparklePop community on DreamWidth (you don't need a DW account to read or comment). Two each featuring each Nsync and Backstreet boy, but I'll leave you to discover* who turns up where. Can be read in any order.

I An Association with Dolphins
II Sparkle
III Talking it up
IV The Steel Dragon
V Dreamer
VI Someday he'll be taller
VII Water Baby
VIII La Leyenda
IX Bargain
X Aces High

* or if you're desperate to know, you can ask me


I hope you guys will enjoy all the stories again this time round, please leave feedback! And if anyone decides to do a rec post or a commentary on everything, drop me a link. There won't be any more popslash Dragon Challenges from me, but we've had a good run and I'm very proud to have inspired more than a few of you into creating some wonderful stories that would otherwise never have been written.

Yay, Dragons!

Comments

[chalcopyrite]

Mine is here: Meddling

(http://chalcopyrite.dreamwidth.org/150212.html for ease of copy-pasta)

Thank you for running this challenge -- it's been a blast.

[pensnest]

Got it - thank you!

[turlough]

I don't read popslash any longer but when I did I loved your dragon challenge so much, there was some truely excellent fics written for it. So thank you so much for all your work with it through the years!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!

[pensnest]

Thank you!

[ninjetti75.livejournal.com]

Awww, no more Next Year?

I suppose, given the lack this year. But it's sad to see it end.


That said, I hope to have at least one Actual Demon story at SOME point....

..but in the meanwhile, HAPPY BIRTHDAY, PEN, and _here_ is the Director's Cut of last year's Dragon Story, with the commentary and explanations you had expressed an interest in seeing, once upon a time long ago.

Hope your birthday's fantastic!

*hugs*

[pensnest]

Excellent, and I definitely want to see that Demon story at some point. Can't read this yet as I have to get sorted out (eg showered and dressed) for lunch...

*hugs*

[pensnest]

Lots of good stuff in that commentary—the 'historical' bits relating to the MMC, and indeed, the translations, I didn't spot at all. Thanks so much for doing this, I very much enjoyed being reminded of your story.

[withdiamonds.livejournal.com]

Happy Birthday! I think I only did this challenge once, but that story ended up being one of the best I've written. And of course this challenge has produced one of my favorite stories of all time, If You Want to Fly. Which you already know. It's been a fabulous challenge, so thank you.

[pensnest]

I only don't re-read your Green Scales... story more often because it makes me Very Sad. Dragons are inspiring!

[puszysty.livejournal.com]

Happy birthday!

[pensnest]

Thank you! I had a very nice day.

[syncalot.livejournal.com]

Happy Birthday, Pen!

It's always sad to see a challenge end, but your Dragon Challenge has spawned many a wonderful story and I enjoyed participating in it the last couple of years.

Anyway, here's mine:
Strange Brew

[pensnest]

Thank you! Dragons are inspiring, and thank you for taking part.

[turps33.livejournal.com]

Your dragon challenge has been very good to me. I've had a lot of fun each time I took part.

Thank you for all you've done.

[pensnest]

Dragons, it turns out, are a brilliant prompt, there seem to be so many ways you can go with a dragon. But the other prompts have done some jolly good service, too. Thank you for taking part—I enjoyed all the stories you wrote for this challenge.