2020-04 The Reluctant Princess Contest - Closed to new entries

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No more new entries to contest, but new chapters of existing entries can still be posted with the tag. Voting procedures will be announced within a week or so.

The list of story squibs:

Princess Contest
2020-04 April
The Reluctant Princess Story Contest

Oh, if you use any of these ideas, you don't have to keep the details I came up with. You can invent your own, or invent your own story idea. Enjoy! - Erin

First Name, Princess

After his parents’ freakish deaths (involving a five-ton wrecking ball and a car full of clowns on their way to a birthday party), Dana finds out his first name is Princess. Worse, at 14, he’s already betrothed and, willy nilly, he’s on his way to meet his future husband, Prince Carlon of Bellefontaine. Things couldn’t get worse, could they? Well, the wedding is scheduled for… next Saturday?


A Neverworld Princess

Elvie is one of the Princesses of Neverworld, Losted Boys who disappeared into a magical place where they never have to grow up and be men, but instead, they can stay and be the little girls they always wanted to be.

It’s a magical life without end until trouble comes to Neverworld in the form of Ocie, a Losted Boy who wants to go home — and only Elvie can take him there.


The Once and Future Princess

A month before high school graduation, Cameron McPell discovers that he’s the princess of an obscure island in the North Atlantic and key to an important treaty among the NATO allies. “But I’m a boy,” Cam points out. That doesn’t seem to matter, no one cares, and the State Department insists on sending Cam off to Ys Gewaldentrop to take his spot on the throne of the quirky little principality.


The Princess and the Popstar

Austin Cleaver is a big singing star, almost by accident, and he’s just twelve! But the end of his career may be at hand: puberty looms. Still, a wacky adventure intervenes when Austin and Princess Gloriandelle of Blüffendorp discover they look exactly alike! For fun, they swap places and anything can happen next! Eventually, the problem becomes, how do they switch back -- and do they want to?


A Princess Bride

Georgie doesn’t know his real name or age, he’s been living on the streets of Philadelphia for at least six years; since he was eight or nine. When he’s taken in by a kind woman, fed, bathed and given new clothes to wear, he doesn’t object that they’re girl’s clothes. He’s done some things in the last couple of years, just to survive that he doesn’t want to talk about.

But Mrs. Vendall has a business, she finds brides for lonely men in the Far West and runs a hostel where she teaches destitute young women how to become a wife. Regular meals, a bed to sleep in, it’s almost like heaven. Georgie, now called Georgia, settles in and soon has a correspondence going with Wilson Prince, a mining foreman in Feldspar, Arizona.

Wilson seems nice and wants to marry Georgia and make her his Princess. With a new wardrobe and a train ticket in hand, Georgie realizes things may have already gone too far.


The Princess Curse

Prince Andrev Montcoeur expected to grow up and serve one of his brothers as a Knight of the Realm or something. But now his uncle has seized the throne and placed a curse on his three nephews, instead of princes, they’ve been turned to princesses! Princess Andrevya might possibly be able to reverse the curse and save the kingdom from her evil uncle. But her cousin Prince Svenbard is her uncle’s heir, and he’s asked her to marry him!

If only Sven wasn’t such a good kisser!


The Princess Files

Agent Dan Shelton didn’t think the girl with her wiggly fingers could do him any serious harm after he was rude to her on the subway. As an operative of the Department of Special Investigations, he didn’t believe in magic. At least, not professionally.

But something is happening to him…. And his partner, Wolf Belker, is no help at all. Especially after the powers above hand down their new assignment. Tracking down a series of missing princesses. One of whom Dan is starting to resemble….

“Don’t Say Impossible,” says Wolf, reminding them both of the agency’s motto.


Princess for a Day

Hilarie Doran hated his name but it turned out to be useful when he discovered a fluke in the school rules made it possible for a boy to run for Homecoming Queen. With a makeover from his sister and some slick photo-posters, he looked good enough to come in third in the contest. As a Homecoming Princess though, is he going to have to dress the part? His Homecoming Prince, Jaques Brock insists. “I ain’t standing on that float with a guy hanging off my arm!”


Princess for Life

Pretty boy Preston Lucie is going to serve three life terms for his part in a bank robbery gone wrong. His only hope of survival in prison is becoming one of the “princesses” of the King of Cell Block Six, Balderon di Brazzi. Di Brazzi likes his “girlfriends” to compete for his favors. Can Lucie be bitch enough to keep his place?


Princess from Another Planet

Auvrabrede was the Princess of the planet Ratheon but a palace coup forced her parents to hide her on Earth. She’s grown up thinking she’s Orville Brady but the twelve-year-old boy is heir to a galactic empire. And some cool superpowers!

Adjusting to her new identity is tough, especially since her best friend, Ollie Jameson, thinks she should stay on Earth as a superhero, er, superheroine.


The Princess Game

Kevin’s dad works a confidence game on a wealthy mark that involves Kevin posing as Princess Kelwynne from an obscure (fictional) European kingdom. Things get complicated. Is someone else working a con, too? They’re trying to convince Kevin that he really is a missing princess, and heir to some fabulous riches.

“Stop drooling, Daddy,” Kevin, or Kelwynne, protests. “You can’t possibly believe your own con!”

“But Princess….”


The Princess Knight

Sir Orrigan rescued Princess Delfina from the clutches of a necromancer who wanted to use the beautiful young girl to make herself immortal. The witch is dead but Orrigan and Delfina are in the wrong bodies now and a thousand leagues from home. Can they survive in their new forms and even better, can they find someone to switch them back?


The Princess Plague

A bioweapon escapes the lab and the government is terrified. This particular nanoergatronic plague is designed to turn men into women of the most desirable sort -- princesses. Bobby is pretty sure he’s caught the plague, still, who wouldn’t want to be Princess Roberta?

But he must have known it would happen…. The government says they’ve developed a cure!


Princess Planet

Wanted for crimes of confidence against the ruling class, Cody Stannis escapes by taking the first ship leaving High Woomera Station. But he may have jumped from the griddle to the deep-fat fryer. On Neocalypso, all men work like slaves and all women live like princesses. Cody hates work and enjoys the good life but if his disguise fails even once, he’s going to find out what happens in the Bathysamba mines from which no man returns.


Princess School

Kayden Winne’s family is poor so when he gets a scholarship to a prestigious private high school, he is at first happy about it. Then he realizes he knows just enough French to translate the name of the school, L’École pour les Dauphines, to English: School for Princesses.


Virtual Princess

Andrew Porter is an online Princess in the long-running MMORPG “Unreal Earth”. It sort of happened by accident but he keeps winning the contests to advance into higher and higher levels. It’s becoming a big thing, drawing attention outside of the virtual world. Now Andy has discovered that one of the Princes of the game is a classmate at his school. Mark Duke is a genius and it’s no surprise that he can excel at this. But suddenly, it’s beginning to look like someone is rigging things for Andy to win….


Voodoo Princess

Dan, delivering a non-criminal payment to an associate for his gangster father is forced to fight off thugs trying to extort his father’s debt holder, Avery.

Avery is impressed by Dan’s resolve and courage and introduces him to his very beautiful daughter Sofia, who has another problem, she needs a man to accompany her to tell her old boyfriend she is breaking off the relationship.

Dan is smitten by Sofia’s beauty, face, and figure and agrees without considering too deeply. Things go from bad to worse and Dan ends up wounded. He passes out.

He has a dream where a spirit named Papaloa explains that someone is bargaining for his life.


Were Princess

On moonlit nights, Arthur turns into a princess…

It sure causes problems with his opportunities for dating.

TG Themes: 

Comments

This looks like fun!

I do believe I'll give it a go.

Thanks Erin!

Jenna

Princess

OK. Here it is. Now I'm in.
Maryanne

You've inspired me

I'll definitely give it a go. How do I make sure you know it's an entry in the competition? Thanks Erin.

Add a story

Andrea Lena's picture

It's listed in the 'contests' drop-down menu

  

To be alive is to be vulnerable. Madeleine L'Engle
Love, Andrea Lena

Not going to make it

BarbieLee's picture

The story grew until I'm dreaming of the different parts of the darn thing. Gah! Go away, I only intended to drop a ultra short blurb on Erin just out of meanness. Let this monster go and I'm giving War and Peace a run for it's money.
Erin, my love, you are a cruel woman. I'm losing my sanity to this mess.
hugs hon
Barb

Oklahoma born and raised cowgirl

Please?

I seem to recall that the rules say that you don't have to post a whole story to the contest if it is a long one, just a part. Maybe you can do it that way?

Since you say that you have already written so much of it, will we see it anyway?

Penny

That's right

erin's picture

Any part of a story can count as an entry. Even a chapter of an ongoing serial. :)

Hugs,
Erin

= Give everyone the benefit of the doubt because certainty is a fragile thing that can be shattered by one overlooked fact.

Can't roll half a tire, sail half a ship

BarbieLee's picture

Erin, Penny, all the ladies and gentlemen on BCTS, you know I love all of you with all my heart. The story of the Disowned Princess will be posted when complete. I've posted stories where readers wish for more. There isn't more. I'm not a writer. I put these dang things down to paper and ink and that's that. All you writers are gifted, I'm envious, I'm not.
If I manage to convert the dreams true to what I have been having, to paper, I'll be satisfied. Wish I could move all the colors in those dreams to paper. It isn't the same describing them individually as seeing the riot of colors the guards are wearing, the polished silver and gold armor, the weapons. The armor has got out of hand. No mortal could carry what they are. No military would be traveling in the formations they are. I swear to God I'm insane. Then aren't we all? Or am I the only one?
hugs ladies
always
Barb
Life is a gift. Treasure it.

Oklahoma born and raised cowgirl

Queen Sized Princess Story?

If Lev Nikolayevich could publish "Война и миръ" in installments (over several years), and then completely re-rewrite it, why should should an Okie cowgirl be less restrained than a Russian Count?

Oh, my! I just realised that I encouraged Barb to be LESS restrained!
Please forgive me!

Bru

PS
This comment was in the process of writing when Barb published her refusal to comproimise her artistic integrity. Sorry Barb. I'll let the comment remain here to remind us of relative principledness.

Bru My Pet!

BarbieLee's picture

Your snarky thinly veiled comment is going to cost you. You wore the most deliciously eye catching, OMG red cocktail dress to Edward's Fox Hunt invitational last week. Suddenly all the men were concentrating on the Fox all right. She was wearing a red dress. Correct me if I'm wrong. Not a single hunter went out with the hounds and horses for the hunt.
Why did it seem to me the Fox had outsmarted the men before the hunt began? Up too your usual tricks? Who did you seduce into spilling state or military secrets?
Loan me that dress and we might be BFF again until I need to borrow another dress.
hugs hon, stay well, this virus is a bitch, think I might have it, they are monitoring me at home
always
Barb

Oklahoma born and raised cowgirl

I wouldn't exactly say that

"Not a single hunter went out with the hounds and horses for the hunt." Well, I was hounded all night and there certainly was a lot of horsing around.

I'll lend you my newest red dress, though not the one refer to. The new dress, just for you, is heat sensitive. You will start out the evening in a demure red coctail dress. If you get a bit flushed, well the dress will be less so. In heat it will definitely be a "tail" dress (cock optional). I got the idea from "novelty" coffe mugs with pin-up girls.

School for Dolphins

I think I'll take a stab at "Princess School."

Good!

erin's picture

Hugs,
Erin

= Give everyone the benefit of the doubt because certainty is a fragile thing that can be shattered by one overlooked fact.

Can't participate in the contest, but...

With already too many projects of my own, I can't spare the time to write a contest entry.
But that won't stop me from adding my two cents.


Who Wants To Be A Princess?
With plummeting birth rates for the female gender, the few remaining are treated like a princess. Then the salvation comes: magic is discovered that can turn a man into a woman. But it is expensive. Soon TV stations pick up on a new trend. Make game shows with the price being the gender-bend. Andrew has the smart idea to take part in Who Wants To Be A Princess but loose on purpose. As the losers get a consolation price and get to be part of the harem for the newly made woman. But once the gameshow starts, Andrew is in trouble. Somehow all the other contestants are better at losing than himself...


Princess Worship
Ever since elven princess Bellathin visited the western orc tribes of the Bongena desert they've been enamored with elven princesses. Probably because Bellathin saved them from a horrible plague. Now, two centuries later, the elf Esekoar is saved from being lost in the said desert. But is he? For the orcs are excited. An elven princess has graced their lands again. Can Esekoar convince them he is not a princess? Or a woman for that matter? How many gifts can he receive before his mind cracks? Maybe he is a princess after all...


It's Your Turn Being Princess
The king of Alfusien has a problem. Every one hundred years a powerful half-god descends the mountain in the middle of the kingdom and demands tribute. Namely the firstborn daughter of the ruling king. But despite best affords he only got sons! He proclaims that each son, in turn, will be made a woman for one month by means of magic. Reverting only back if they remain a virgin. As it is each prince's turn they stay away from temptation. Happy to return to a male form. But the half-god looms and time is running out. Each turn the tactics of the other princes get more underhanded. Who will it be who loses their virginity to intrigue? Who's turn as the princess will never end?

These are great

erin's picture

Especially that second one. :)

These are officially added as possible story seeds to the contest. Thanks, Casey.

Hugs,
Erin

= Give everyone the benefit of the doubt because certainty is a fragile thing that can be shattered by one overlooked fact.

I've had a princess story

I've had a princess story poking at the back of my mind for a while now, absolutely nothing like any of your prompts, but uh... hmm.

Maybe I could start it at least?

Go for it!

erin's picture

Get a chapter up by Sunday, Midnight, PDT and it counts as an entry. Good luck!

Hugs,
Erin

= Give everyone the benefit of the doubt because certainty is a fragile thing that can be shattered by one overlooked fact.

Can't complete by May 30 ?? What do I do

I have a story going for the contest. however, I have to drive 800 miles tomorrow and will not be able to get it finished by tomorrow midnight. Any chance of a small extension? Does it have to be finished by midnight?

DD

Two things

erin's picture

Deadline is midnight pacific time May 31. Also, stories do not have to be complete to be entered in contest. There's be at least a week of voting, maybe two, so even tho chapters posted after deadline won't count as entries for prizes, they may still effect voting.

Hugs,
Erin

= Give everyone the benefit of the doubt because certainty is a fragile thing that can be shattered by one overlooked fact.

Can 2 people try to use the same seed?

I am also not a writer but one of your story seeds that is already claimed by someone else sparked a short passage that I could try writing. (I don’t know if it’s a short story or a chapter 1).

Is that allowed for 2 people to try to write off 1 story seed?

Thanks,
A

Sure

erin's picture

I expected that. :) If it's one of the ones that uses names, you might want to change those.

Hugs,
Erin

= Give everyone the benefit of the doubt because certainty is a fragile thing that can be shattered by one overlooked fact.

Thank you for the quick

Thank you for the quick response...
Now that leads to my next question:

I posted what felt like a stand alone experience but surprisingly, as I’m not a person to think up story ideas, the character/story felt like I could write at least a few more experiences...
•the test on the handbook
•the course selections
•first visit home
Maybe even slices of daily Princess school life, etc...

But Never having been in this situation before, does this mean I should avoid reading the other Princess School entry to keep my ideas separate or should I read the other story to make sure I don’t duplicate the other author’s story?

I’m really confused because I’ve never been able to have ideas to write about before and certainly not multiple experiences for the same story....

I hope I explained this clearly...

Can any authors please advise?

Thanks!

Write

erin's picture

Write what you're inspired to write. Read what you want to read. This is all supposed to be fun. Remember Rules One and Three: Be friendly, and it's not about you. It's about the stories. :)

Hugs,
Erin

= Give everyone the benefit of the doubt because certainty is a fragile thing that can be shattered by one overlooked fact.

I feel compelled to ask....

Andrea Lena's picture
Will you call up the winners on.....
princess-phone.jpg
a Princess Phone?

  

To be alive is to be vulnerable. Madeleine L'Engle
Love, Andrea Lena

Lol

erin's picture

When those came out they seemed so small and delicate. :)

Hugs,
Erin

= Give everyone the benefit of the doubt because certainty is a fragile thing that can be shattered by one overlooked fact.

No phone, try dragon

BarbieLee's picture

LOL, Princess Catswell doesn't answer phones. They haven't been invented. However if you would like to announce by messenger call up one of the dragons and give him or her, the message and to whom it is to be delivered.
If I can't get this story wrapped up, I'm going to hate you for putting the idea in my mind.
Hugs hon, hope you girls didn't have to break open the piggy bank to stay open this month.
Barb
Life is a gift. Treasure it until it's time to return it.

Oklahoma born and raised cowgirl

Oh Crap and Oh Well...

laika's picture

I don't seem to manage my writing time very well at all.
I'd written a quarter of NOBODY'S PRINCESS when I had
an idea for a little toss-off side story about social distancing
and a brother and sister discovering their inventor dad's
mind-swapping machine in his garage lab (think Rick Moranis...)
that I figured I could knock out in a day...

Four days before the deadline I realized I was still working
on MAD SCIENCE and jumped back into my contest story
and worked on it feverishly trying to finish it by the 31st...
I could have posted the first half of it and qualified,
but it all takes place in an hour's time
and is just NOT a multi-part story.
Oh well...

Congrats to all the entrants who have made this such a great contest!
Most I've read are fun + some are absolutely brilliant takes on this theme.
Hopefully people won't be too burnt out on Reluctant Princess stories
when mine finally gets posted in the next week or so to check it out,
but if they are I got nobody but me to blame.
~hugs, Veronica

Sorry about that, chief.

erin's picture

Looking forward to your belated entry. You have my permission to mark it as an entry, even though votes for it will not be counted. :) In fact, anyone who has a late entry can mark it as one with the contest tag, it just won't count in the voting, like chapters of a multipart that get posted after the deadline.

Hugs,
Erin

= Give everyone the benefit of the doubt because certainty is a fragile thing that can be shattered by one overlooked fact.

Missed it by that much!

laika's picture

It was a generous deadline, twice as long as most contests and challenges.
Maybe next time I'll GET SMART and finish on time so I won't be 86'd...
Thanks for letting me stick the Reluctant Princess tag on it,
so when folks look up the titles offered mine won't be
stranded in the Cone of Silence :)
~hugs again, V

Yes, we definitely

want to avoid that silly cone.

Would you believe...

Aylesea Malcolm's picture

Would you believe...

Right you are

If Erin did not keep CONTROL there would be KAOS! You’re just an unlucky 13 stuck in an awkward place I guess.

uh....

Andrea Lena's picture
49232b5ea1d5390bf9c40bb4da02c7d4.jpg

  

To be alive is to be vulnerable. Madeleine L'Engle
Love, Andrea Lena

Hi Schmoopie!

laika's picture

I was waiting for you to comment and I was
sure you were going to say: "I wish I was 99!"
I would've said: "I've heard of age dysphoria
but that's a new one to me!"
(YASAP!)

Pondered

Andrea Lena's picture

I actually thought about this when I was sooooooo much younger - I really wondered what if I somehow was Barbara Feldon romantically involved with Barbara Bain. Well...it COULD work... That would really have been a Mission Impossible.

  

To be alive is to be vulnerable. Madeleine L'Engle
Love, Andrea Lena