Welp, I've been working for a while on compiling a list of weekly and monthly Writer's Challenges, enough to last an entire year. I've finally finished the list! At least, the first draft of the list. There's probably room for improvement, and a few missteps along the way, but here goes nothing:

MELANIE EZELL'S BIG CLOSET ULTIMATE WRITER'S CHALLENGE

A year's worth of story ideas

Warning: Some of these might make certain authors uncomfortable. This is not one giant challenge where you have to write every story -- simply have fun and write the ones you want! The goal is simply to spurn authors on and bring as much new content to the site as possible.

Rules: The weekly challenges are to be tackled in order. The Week 1 challenge ends at midnight on Saturday, February 19th, with each subsequent challenge ending the next Saturday. Alternatively, you could simply choose to start from the first at whatever time you choose to begin the challenge, and take them out as you come to them throughout the year. The monthly challenges are to take place from the first day of their month through to the final day of that month, ending on midnight of that day. The final challenge, "Written From The Heart," is pending Miss Erin's approval.

There is no prize for completing this challenge, but those who do will have made this site just a little better, and really, there's no better prize than that, is there? Also, SIXTY-FIVE Stories! That would be an accomplishment!

PER WEEK:
1. In the Blink of an Eye
idea: Write a story with an instantaneous transformation. Aliens, magic, weird nanobots, the method is up to you, but the change is instant. Explore how the change affects the character's views of social situations and day to day activities.
Length: 2000 words or less

2. The Uncomfortable Truth
idea: Write a story from the viewpoint of a non-passing transgender individual. This can explore any facet of the transgender spectrum, but try to focus on either the stigma of being one's self in a culture that values appearances or the difficulties of not being able to express ones inner self.
Length: Any

3. The Challenge
idea: Write a story based around either a deal, bet, or dare involving crossdressing, with the following limitations:
A: The character agrees to the transformation of their own free will (no coercion)
B: Keep things 'G' or 'PG' rated.
length: 500-1500 words

4. Reunion
idea: Write a story concerning the first meeting between an openly TG individual and a friend or relative they have not seen in a long time, focusing on the difficulties of reestablishing relationships after a long break, with the addition of overcoming any shock caused by the one character's gender expression.
length: 1500 words or less.

5. Opposing Views
idea: Write a story from the viewpoint of someone who has just found out that someone else close to them is TS, and who is having trouble accepting the idea.
length: 1500 words or less
limitations: Try to explore the idea of transgenderism or transsexualism from the viewpoint of one who is unlikely to be very accepting of the idea, while exploring what reasons they might have for those views. Whether their reasons could be considered rational or not, focus more on the difficulty of reconciling their views with trying to accept someone important to them who falls outside their comfort zone. Try to use a sympathetic viewpoint.

6. TG Or Not TG
idea: Write a story that is ambiguous as to whether the subject is transgender or not.
length: Any
limitations: While the goal is to be ambiguous as possible concerning the subject's gender status, this can be done in a number of different ways. Use your imagination, and have fun!

7. Burning Bridges
idea: Every person who comes out has a few people who are close to them who never come to fully accept them. Write an open letter to those who you feel would not accept you, explaining why you feel the way you do about who you are. Alternatively, write a letter from the view of a character facing the same problem.
length: 1000 words or less

8. Hit Me With Your Best Shot
idea: Write a story where the main TG character stands up for him or herself against someone who is against them.
length: any length

9. For Love Of Money
idea: Write a story in which greed drives a character's transformation from one sex to another.
length: Around 5000 words

10. Heaven's Gift
idea: Sometimes our prayers are answered in unexpected ways. Write a story in which the character's change is brought about by an act of the deity of your choice.
length: any

11. The Hand Me Down
idea: Personal discovery can be spurned on by the simplest of things -- even something as small as a misplaced item of clothing.
length: 1500 words or less

12. Spies Like Us?
idea: Write a story where the main character crossdresses or changes gender for the purposes of espionage.
length: Around 5000 words

13. The Song
idea: Pick a song you like and write a story based around either the lyrics or the title.
length: 500 words or more
limitations: While it would be nice to have some correlation between the song and the story itself beyond the title, it is not necessarily required. If possible, include the lyrics for the song at the bottom of the story (if the song has lyrics.)

14. Creepshow
idea: Write a story featuring a creepy, scary, or otherwise disturbing world or character.
length: 1500 words or less.
limitations: Though the name of the game is to go creepy, try to keep from going too sadistic. Think Tim Burton rather than Hellraiser, and you should have the general idea.

15. Life On Stage
idea; Write a one-act play featuring a transgender character in a prominent role.
length: Approximate performance time 30 minutes or less.
limitations: Must be written as a script rather than a story.

16. You've Gotta Be Kidding Me!
idea: Write a story featuring either a TG child from the viewpoint of a parent, or a TG parent from the viewpoint of a child.
length: 1000 words or less.

17. Tropes Galore
idea: Fit as many TG tropes and stereotypes into one story as you can while still maintaining at least marginal coherency.
length: 5000 words or less.
limitations: The shorter the better, and the more densely packed the better. Bonus points for finding a way to mix tropes that are usually seen as being at cross purposes.

18. Cartoon Cartoon
idea: Write a fanfiction of a cartoon with one of the main characters being TG.
length: Any
limitations: Try to steer away from dropping in characters unrelated to the show unless such characters popping up is a routine element (for example, a new Scooby Doo villain is probably better than introducing a new Powerpuff Girl unless it is very well explained.)

19. The Diary of Hortense
idea: Hortense Willikins always had a reputation as a witch among the people of her small town. After her death, it came as a surprise when the locals discovered that she had left everything she had to one person. Write a story from the viewpoint of this recipient as they explore exactly what they have inherited from her.
length: 500 words or more.
limitations: Reputations are often well deserved. Magic or magically-induced transformations only, please.

20. Feedback
idea: With all the advancements electronics have made over the last few years, it is inevitable that certain... unlikely, glitches will turn up. Write a TG story based around the occurrence of one such glitch.
length: Any
limitations: None! The transformation can be anything from a Freakazoid-style change to something as simple as a records mix up. Have fun with all the possibilities!

21. Open Mic Night
idea: Write a piece of spoken word poetry with a TG theme.
length: any
limitations: Rhyme is not necessary so long as meter and "flow" are good. Bonus points for creative alliteration.

22. Games People Play
idea: Write a story centered around a character who uses games and social media to express themself as the person they want to be.
length: 5000 words or less.
limitations: While the actual player/user does not have to have any sort of physical change, and their ability to pass or not is unimportant, their portrayal of themself is. Try to emphasize the difference between how people want to see themselves and how they truly portray themselves.

23. An Ordinary Girl
idea: Write a story from the viewpoint of an easily passing TG character as they go about an ordinary day, with an emphasis on the small differences that such a person might notice in how they think or react versus the other people around them.
length: 500 words or less

24. BYOB (Build Your Own Body)
idea: BYOB is a new chain of stores popping up across the country. For a fee, customers can create a model of their ideal personal appearance, and the specialists at BYOB will go about making that person's dreams come true using a new, mysterious technology. Are you ready to make the change?
length: any
limitations: BYOB is a corporation that prides itself on its customer service and satisfaction. As such, all transformations are by choice, and a person can change bodies as often as they want... for a fee, of course. Mistakes do occur on occasion, but those customers are always given the opportunity to fix the mistake free of charge if they are unhappy with the body they receive.

25. Dressing
idea: Write a story concerning a CD character (not TS.) Try to explore the mental view of one who enjoys having the option to express themselves as either gender, but who is mostly comfortable in their own physical body.
length: any
limitations: The most important ones are listed in the idea section. It is not necessary that the main character be able to "pass" as such for this challenge, and in fact, a character who doesn't could provide the most interesting catalyst for a story within this challenge. It is about the character's happiness with themselves rather than society's view of them, and that focus should be evident in the story.

26. Close Encounters
Idea: Write a short scene in which a TG person is coming out to their wife/husband/boyfriend/girlfriend/lover about their transgender status.
length: 1000 words or less
limitations: Any element of the TG spectrum can be represented here, and any range of reactions is acceptable. The story can take place from the viewpoint of either participant.

27. Who I Am
idea: Write a monologue detailing what being TG means to you.
length: 2500 words or less
limitations: Monologues are meant to be delivered orally, so keep this in mind when writing. Write the piece from first person view, as you would actually deliver it to a crowd. More than anything, be honest -- BC is, after all, a friendly place to read, write, and discuss transgender fiction, and this should include how we each interpret what exactly being transgender means.

28. A Funny Thing Happened On My Way To Calcutta...
idea: Write a short story in which the character is involved in a rather strange series of circumstances resulting in an outcome that should only be expected considering the nature of the site.
length: any
limitations: Despite the title, Calcutta is not a necessary location for the story. Go wild, the more unlikely and preposterous the situation the better. Try starting small, and escalating the situation by degrees through the story until it is truly an epic case of circumstance.

29. TH3 L337 CH4LL3NG3
idea: Write a story that is exactly 1,337 words long. Are you L337 enough to do it?
length: 1,337 words

30. Team Player
idea: Write a story concerning a sports figure transitioning while still being involved in their sport.
length: 5000 words or less
limitations: There are a number of different ways this could be done. A press conference announcing the player's transition? Or perhaps a foul or injury in the middle of a game leads to their discovery? Emphasize not only the player's own feelings about their situation, but take into account the public and media's reactions as well.

31. Mystery Science Closet
idea: Write a parody or send-up of one of your favorite TG stories.
length: Any
limitations: The main goal here is to have fun and be silly without being hurtful to the story's original writer. All stories parodied should be given credit for inspiration either at the beginning of the story or at the end, with the story's original author listed as well. Again, be nice -- if you can't write your story without intentionally insulting the original story or its author, then pick a different one.

32. To Be Continued...
idea: Write the opening paragraphs of a TG story, establishing characters and their situation. Never finish it.
length: 5 paragraphs or 300 words.
limitations: Alright so perhaps saying "never finish it" is a bit harsh. The goal here is to test how efficiently you can establish characters and hook readers. The lengths given are the maximum you can go -- the shorter the better. Really good authors should be able to nail this in less than a paragraph. The best should be able to do it in a single sentence.

33. Who Says What Now?
idea: Write a scene from the middle of a story without providing either the buildup to the scene or the culmination of the plot.
length: 500 words or less
limitations: In a similar vein to "To Be Continued..." this story is not intended to be finished. In fact, doing this for a section of, say, chapter 12 of the story you started in the previous challenge could provide you with an interesting sub-challenge, and drive your readers even crazier to boot! Leave how the badger learned to talk and why everyone is wearing yellow leiderhosen to their imaginations -- the implications should be enough to boggle them for some time to come.

34. This Space Intentionally Left Blank
idea: Any
length: Any
limitations: None

35. The Bonds Of Friendship
idea: Write a story where the main character has at least one friend who goes out of their way to support their transition.
length: 5000 words or less
limitations: This story is not intended to involve a romance subplot with the friend -- their relationship is strictly platonic.

36. Heavy Metal!
idea: Write a story with an over-the-top Science Fantasy theme, ala the stories from the old Heavy Meal cartoon and magazines.
length: 1500 words or more
limitations: Dragons, laser cannons, and chainmail bikinis are optional. References to Blue Oyster Cult's "Veteran Of The Psychic Wars" will be met with much approval.

37. Strong Of Will, Stout Of Heart
idea: Undermine the conventions of a typical forced femme plotline with a strong-willed character who stands up for themselves.
length: any
limitations: While the story will ostensibly contain elements of forced femininity, the goal here is to take those elements and turn them on the head by giving the transformee the advantage and having them come out on top, and as the gender they choose to be, whichever that might be.

38. Out Of the Box
idea: The goal is simple: write a TG story from a viewpoint or content type you have never written a story from before.
length: 500 words to 2500 words
limitations: Do you usually write lesbian romance stories? Try writing a story where the main character falls for a man. Do you only ever write MtF transformations? Try your hand at a female to male story for once! Work outside your comfort zone. It's good for you.

39. Universe Challenge
idea: Choose an open story universe or get an author's permission to use their limited universe. Write a story contained within that universe.
length: Any
limitations: Stories must conform to the rules of whichever universe they are written in. MORFS stories must meet that universe's requirements, Whateley theirs, Medallion of Zulu... you get the picture.

40. True Colors
idea: Write a story focused around a color as a theme.
length: 2500 words or less
limitations: Think long and hard before picking a color, as it must be used often in your story. For example, a story related to the color green could involve money, jealousy, springtime, or even Martian Manhunter. Heck, why not include them all?

41. The Oldest Trick In The Book
idea: Write a story utilizing what you think is the most common and overdone TG theme you can think of.
length: any
limitations: Try to stick to a single theme, such as "The Magnificent Shopping Trip" or "Bridesmaid On A Shoestring" or even "The Deus Ex Machina Transformation Paradigm." Whatever it is you want to do, do it as over the top as possible.

42. This Space Intentionally Left Blank, Part Deux
idea: any
length: any
limitations: none

43. Lather, Rinse, Repeat
idea: Pick a challenge from one of the previous weeks or months that you have already participated in and write another story that fits that challenge's theme.
length: Same as original challenge
limitations: same as original challenge

44. Drabble Rabble
idea: Write a collection of related drabbles.
length: No more than 5 drabbles, each at 100 words.
limitations: Any TG theme can be used, though humor would tend to fit the drabble format best since you can think in terms of "setup, setup, punchline," much like a comic strip.

45. Tropes Galore: The Tropening
idea: Same as the Tropes Galore Challenge, minus the limit on story length.
length: Any
limitations: Go as crazy as you can on the tropes and stereotypes, taking as much time and room as you need to create as densely packed a story as you can.

46. What's In A Name?
idea: Write a story concerning the journey of a TG character to find their chosen name.
length: 1500 words or less
limitations: The picking of a name is often something simple in TG stories, as the name is either given by another or something that comes naturally to the character. This is not one of those stories. Explore the impact of what a name says about the person who bears it, and how being able to choose their own name changes that person as well.

47. Guest Starring...
idea: Write an "episode" of a popular television sitcom or drama featuring a "guest appearance" from a TG actor, actress, or a popular character in TG fiction.
length: Appropriate to the chosen show
limitations: Characters used without permission are the responsibility of the writer of the story. The "guest star" character should be playing themself in the episode to make sure it is immediately obvious who they are. If the chosen "guest star" is a character from a story, then the story's author as well as the title of the story should be provided.

48. Real Romance
idea: Write as realistic a romance story as possible.
length: any
limitations: Not everything is always rosy between lovers. Make sure to note how the TG character in the romance's status affects their interactions and feelings/thoughts about their lover if the story is written from their viewpoint. If the story is instead written from the view of their lover, note how the TG character's status instead affects their own thoughts and actions.

49. And Now For Something Completely Different...
idea: Write a comedy story.
length: 2500 words or less
limitations: While not necessary, an obvious influence from Monty Python, Saturday Night Live, Kids In The Hall, or other somewhat absurd comedy troupe is highly recommended, the more madcap the better.

50. Artist's Interpretation
idea: Find a picture online and write a story based on it.
length: 1000 words or less.
limitations: The influencing image should be included in the story. Images used should be either public domain or used with permission.

51. Return Of The Son Of The Bride Of This Space Intentionally Left Blank
idea: Any
length: Any
limitations: None

52. A Mind Is A Terrible Thing To Waste
idea: Explore the internal workings of the mind of a TG individual suffering from a disconnect from reality as they deal with the blurred line between what is real and what is in their imagination.
length: any
limitations: While potentially disturbing, there is a lot of free room to explore in the concept of this challenge. Does the character know they have this problem? Perhaps it is not a problem at all, but simply a strange daydream they have that they realize is false all along? How does their TG status affect the events in both the real world and their fantasy world? Explore the possibilities.

PER MONTH:
January: A Study in Scarlet
Idea: Write a detective story featuring a TG character in the role of an investigator of some kind, ala Sherlock Holmes, Nancy Drew, or even Harry Dresden.
Length: between 5000 and 20000 words, give or take a couple hundred

February: Where No (Wo)man Has Gone Before
Idea: It is 500 years in the future, and mankind has finally begun mass exploration and colonization of our surrounding stars. What kind of adventures does our kind have, and what changes must we face to survive in this harsh new environment?
Length: 1500 words or more.
Limitations: The story must take place outside of the confines of planet earth. TG content must be based on either the ideas of a changing social structure or some other reason that can be attributed to man's expansion into the wider universe.

March: Henry Harrelson's Custom Fit Boots
Idea: Henry Harrelson's Custom Fit Boots has a reputation for always matching an individual to the absolute perfect pair of boots -- boots that not only fit well, but whose very design says something deep and meaningful about the person who wears them. Sometimes, it's even something they are hesitant to admit even to themselves. Write a story exploring the feelings of an individual after receiving a pair of boots from said store that are, perhaps, not exactly what they were expecting.
Length: Any

April: Wonders of the Ancient World
Idea: Write a story exploring the difficulties of a transgendered person in a culture from long ago, such as ancient Egypt or the mediterranean before the fall of Rome. Try to keep the story as realistic as possible. This can focus on any element of the transgender spectrum.
Length: 1000 words or more

May: Holding Out For A Hero
Idea: Everybody wants to be a superhero, right? To have fantastic powers, to fight the good fight... every young person dreams of such a thing at some time in their life. But what happens when those superpowers come with a rather unexpected price?
Length: 500 words or more
Limitations: Heroes must be original; no alternate origins for well known comic or TV characters, please. Heroes can be part of an established universe, however.

June: Mad Max(ine)
Idea: It's finally happened -- mankind has finally gone and destroyed civilization as we know it. You are one of those lucky (or unlucky) enough to have survived. Now you're faced with a new problem: how do you deal with gender issues when survival itself is so hard to manage?
Length: Any

July: Bedtime Stories
Idea: Write a story for young audiences featuring a prominent TG character, attempting to provide information on what being TG means in a way that younger children could understand.
Length: 5000 words or less
Limitations: Word choice and subject matter should be appropriate for readers ages 10 and/or younger, with an emphasis on education.

August: Wonders of the Ancient World Revisited
Idea: Similar to the "Wonders of the Ancient World" stories from earlier, but this time around, the goal is to take an ancient culture or civilization and write a story concerning a mystical or magical transformation associated with some element of that culture. Perhaps there's a Mayan pyramid with a strange curse? Or maybe the Aztec calendar brings about an entirely different type of change when it switches over? The options are endless.
Length: Any

September: Give It The Old English Try
Idea: Trying something new never hurt anyone, did it? Write a story where a character experiments with a TG lifestyle at the urging (but not coercion) of another. Whether this be a deal/bet/dare situation, or simply their already present curiosity being spurred on by someone in their life.
Length: 5000 to 15000 words
Limitations: While not necessarily against the rules, fem/dom would more than likely violate the "no coercion" terms of the story. If you can write around such a limitation, then feel free to try, but it might be easiest to avoid said subset for this challenge.

October: What Do You Mean It's Not A Costume?
Idea: The typical "Halloween costume gone wrong" story. Through some means, a character is forced into carrying on living as their halloween alter ego after the fact. Perhaps a mysterious spell changes them into the character they dressed as, or a poor judgement call leads to their presence as this character or a similar one being required again. You decide how it's done.
Length: Any

November: The Velvet Kitten Club
Idea: The Velvet Kitten is the name shared by a series of clubs that have opened up across the world catering to a young audience that likes to live a little wild. Little known to many of its customers, however, the club's wait staff and other employees are of a somewhat more... alternative ilk, than some might expect.
Length: 1500 words or more
Limitations: Since The Velvet Kitten is a franchise, it's likely that each club will have it's own take on exactly what is needed or not needed to meet expectations for employees. The only requirement is that everything be kept legal and above board.

December: 'Tis The Season (or: The Twelve Days Of Discovery)
Idea: No matter what religion you are or holiday you celebrate, December is almost always a special month in some way. Write a story where, over the course of twelve days in the month of December, a character finds the truth about who they are.
Length: Any
Limitations: It's a festive season, so try to keep the stories as upbeat as possible! Other than that, take whatever path you want to your character's final destination. Young or old, magic or mundane, anything can happen this time of year!

THE ONE YEAR CHALLENGE:

Written From The Heart
Idea: Write a novel-length TG story of any genre for consideration as a donation premium for the site.
Length: 40,000 words or more
Limitations: Stories should be thoroughly proofread by a reliable editor before being submitted as a possibility for use as a donation premium for the site. Any stories submitted to this challenge cannot be posted to the main site unless Miss Erin has chosen not to use them as a donation premium. Should a story be chosen, then further arrangements can be made through her if you wish to eventually have the story available for free as well.