Melanie Ezell's Ultimate Writer's Challenge 2014!

Yes, I know, I know, I skipped 2013 with these...

Eh. We'll just pick up where we left off, shall we?

As with the 2012 challenges, this is going to be a no-prize challenge. Presented below are sixty-five story seeds for your free use, separated into weekly challenges, monthly challenges, and one big whopping year-long challenge, to give you a taste of what can be done with a little hard work and elbow grease.

And, as always, remember people, the order below is just a recommendation, not a rule, just like the lengths presented and even the ratings. Ignoring the latter two kind of defeats the point of considering a story part of the challenge, but hey! We need all the stories we can get!

So, enjoy! If Miss Erin adds a contest tag again feel free to use it, otherwise just add the custom tag "Ultimate Writer's Challenge 2014" to anything you want to make it clear is a part! Also recommended is to add a note below your title indicating which challenge was being tackled -- it's been hard to tell on occasion with some of the stories from previous years!

And so, without further adieu, the challenges!

The Year Long Challenge:
A Simple Hello
"Good Morning, Miss."
This single, simple phrase takes our protagonist on a journey they never could have expected.
Magic? Mystery? Comedy? The choices are yours as you tackle this challenge's year-long portion.
Length: 25k+
Rating: Any

Weekly Challenges
Week 1: A Night On The Town
There are few things more special than having a chance to spend a night out with friends. How much more special can it be when it's also the one night you get to be yourself?
Length: Any
Rating: Any

Week 2: Why Can't We Be Friends?
Once upon a time they were the closest of allies, like siblings.
Now, they are torn apart because of a difference in ideals and perspective.
Write about a confrontation between two former best friends, one of whom is TG, as they either try to mend the rift or separate forever.
Length: Any
Rating: Any

Week 3: Flashbacks
Some times the things that are most telling about who we are are those things we lock away even from ourselves.
Length: Any
Rating: Any

Week 4: Rainbows
Having a group of friends or allies to turn to in times of need can be one of the best things to happen to anyone.
Write a story involving an LGBT support group of some kind, and how it helps the protagonist to deal with issues in their life.
Length: Any
Rating: Any

Week 5: Never Back Down
Standing up for yourself can be one of the hardest things anyone ever does. It can also be one of the greatest.
Write a story in which your protagonist stands up for who they are in the face of diversity.
Length: 10k words or less
Rating: Any

Week 6: Whose Line Is It Anyway?
Creativity isn't always planned ahead of time.
Write a story in the posting window for the site in one sitting. Or two, if you need a drink or bathroom break.
Length: No more than two hours of total work.
Rating: Any

Week 7: Gimme One Reason
There are times when, no matter how much you want something, the reasons to deny yourself it always outweigh the reasons to go for it.
Write a story where the protagonist finds that one reason that finally allows them to pursue their dreams.
Length: Any
Rating: Any

Week 8: The Road Less Traveled
Not every transgender character is transsexual, or even a full-time cross dresser.
Write a story in which a MtF or FtM character chooses to remain their birth gender.
Length: 10k words or less
Rating: Any

Week 9: Wax Poetic
Not many people,
Have the skill for poetry.
Try it anyway.
Length: Any, but must be in a poetic form. Epic, rhyming, whatever you feel fits your needs.
Rating: Any

Week 10: One Small Step
That first step is always the hardest, and always the one most worth taking.
Write a story in which your protagonist finally manages that first, and most important, step; admitting to themselves who they are.
Length: Any
Rating: Any

Week 11: Perspective
Just because a story involves a TG character doesn't mean they're always the main star.
Write a story from the viewpoint of someone experiencing the impact being TG can have by seeing it impacting someone close to them.
Length: 5k words or less
Rating: Any

Week 12: One Wish
Your protagonist, through some means, is given a chance to have one wish, ANY one wish they might have, granted.
What would that wish be?
Length: 1500 words or less
Rating: Any

Week 13: Spirits On High
Gods and goddesses appear in nearly every culture on the face of the planet.
Write a story in which the main character's spiritual beliefs impact on their feelings and actions concerning their own transgender nature.
Length: Any
Rating: Any

Week 14: Never Say Dye
What does one's hair color say about them?
Write a story in which a change of hair style and color gives the protagonist a new outlook on life.
Length: 10k words or less
Rating: Any

Week 15: Jordan's Way
Jordan has never fit in, and has always worked hard to hide that fact from parents and friends alike.
Today, though, Jordan has decided to do something to change all of that, and it's nothing like anyone could ever have expected.
From this story seed, write about Jordan's adventures.
Length: Any
Rating: Any

Week 16: The Wrong Jeans
Can grabbing the wrong pair of jeans make all the difference in the world?
Length: Any
Rating: Any

Week 17: Worried In Wauwatosa
You're an advice columnist, and have received a most unusual letter chronicling one reader's difficulties with a situation involving TG matters in some way.
What was the letter, and what is your response?
Length: 1200 words or less
Rating: Appropriate for teen audiences at worst. Keep in mind the typical newspaper's standards for print.

Week 18: Sleepless Night
Sometimes, when the world has you down and you just want to buckle, it can be hard to get the good night's sleep you deserve.
What issues cause our protagonist to be so sleepless? And what do they plan to do about them, if anything?
Length: 2500 words or less
Rating: Any

Week 19: I Do?
Mawwwage... Twoo wuv...
It might not be the event they were expecting, but our main character is more than happy to be experiencing it at last.
Write a story concerning a rather atypical wedding or marriage proposal.
Length: 5k words or less
Rating: Any

Week 20: Pobody's Nerfect
Everyone has flaws, even the hero of a story.
Write a tale in which the main character's flaws come to the forefront.
Length: 10k words or less
Rating: Any

Week 21: Shaggy Dogs
It's simple. Write a shaggy dog story.
Length: 5k words or less
Rating: Any

Week 22: Are You Afraid Of The Dark?
Write a horror story.
Length: Any
Rating: Any

Week 23: Plus One
Write a story in which the main character is a rather unlikely plus one for a friend to a fancy event or large social gathering.
Length: Any
Rating: Any

Week 24: Anytown
Anytown, US, or UK, or wherever.
Write a story concerning a rather special town, whose peculiar customs make a TG character's journey of discovery that much more special.
Length: Any
Rating: Any

Week 25: The Mix-Up
Airports can be places where one can have some rather interesting experiences.
One such experience is opening your bags, only to find they're not your clothes.
Write a story in which this happens, and what the consequences of that situation are.
Length: 15k words or less
Rating: Any

Week 26: Chain Gang (Idea courtesy of DallasF)
Write a story concerning a prison chain gang in some way.
Perhaps two criminals escape, and go to strange measures to get away? Or maybe the prison itself has some rather odd ideas about keeping chain gang members in line?
Length: Any
Rating: Any

Week 27: It's What's Inside That Counts
We can't always express ourselves or present ourselves as we like. But, some times, we can make do with being the person we're meant to be in the most important place: our hearts.
Write a story who the main character is on the inside is more important than anything in the outside world.
Length: Any
Rating: Any

Week 28: More Than A Feeling
sometimes our emotions run stronger than we ever want to admit.
Write a story in which the protagonist begins to realize that their feelings concerning someone -- even themselves -- are more than they first want to admit.
Length: 2k words or less
Rating: Any

Week 29: Torn Asunder
Sometimes the illusions and masks we build up around ourselves are much more fragile than we might care to believe.
Write a story in which the main character's illusion of their life or how they fit into it/present themselves is shattered violently.
Length: 20k words or less
Rating: Any, though keep in mind that the illusion being shattered violently does not imply violence itself is necessary.

Week 30: Ask Me Again
Sometimes making a necessary change in our life can lead to far-reaching changes in our attitudes or choices.
Write a story in which a TG character is presented with a situation, question, or choice, both before and after their gender presentation change, and show how their attitudes change toward the decision they make.
Length: Any
Rating: Any

Week 31: Bestworld (idea courtesy of DallasF)
So many of us are unhappy with our day to day lives. But what if there was a place that could provide us with the experience of living another life -- a better life, perhaps -- without any permanent changes?
At least, there aren't SUPPOSED to be any permanent changes...
Length: Any
Rating: Any

Week 32: Current Events
Take a current non-political event and write a story based around it. Depending on the time of year you get to this story this could be anything from a motorcycle rally to a pageant to the start of school or a sporting event.
Length: 2500 words or less
Rating: Any

Week 33: The Mediator
Sometimes the hardest side to take in an argument can be no side at all.
Write a story in which the main character is mediating a disagreement between two parties.
Length: Any
Rating: Any

Week 34: A Colorful Evening
Write a story inspired by a color.
Length: 10k words or less
Rating: Any

Week 35: Free Write Challenge
Write anything you want!
Length: Any
Rating: Any

Week 36: Short Stuff
Write a super-short story. No sequels!
Length: 750 words or less
Rating: Any

Week 37: By Morning's Light
Sometimes the fresh light of day will give us a perspective on a situation we might not have had the previous night.
Write a story concerning this kind of awakening.
Length: 5k words or less
Rating: Any

Week 38: The Majestic One
The Majestic One is a cruise liner with a very particular type of clientele.
Write a story taking place during a cruise on the ship. What's so special about it?
Length: Any
Rating: Any

Week 39: A Question Of Legality
Sometimes laws get broken. For good or for bad? That's a different issue entirely.
Write a story in which the protagonist breaks the law in a major way. Why does it happen? What are the consequences?
Length: Any
Rating: Any

Week 40: Sci Fi Fiasco
Write a science fiction comedy piece.
Length: 10k words or less
Rating: Teen to Mature. Imagine it a a SyFy original movie, and have fun with it!

Week 41: The Great Geisel
Write a story based on a Dr. Seuss story.
Length: 2k words or less
Rating: Appropriate for all audiences

Week 42: Once More, With Feeling!
Write a story based on a challenge from either the 2011 or 2012 challenges.
Length: As per original challenge
Rating: As per original challenge

Week 43: Grabbing Life By The Horns
Write a story in which the protagonist faces a tough situation in life, tackles it head on... and overcomes it.
Length: Any
Rating: Any

Week 44: ...Are Doomed To Repeat It.
Write a story based on another 2013 challenge you've already completed.
Length: As per original challenge
Rating: As per original challenge

Week 45: Laura and the Lion
"Laura and the Lion" is your story title. What happens from there is up to you!
Length: Any
Rating: Any

Week 46: Circus, Circus
The circus is a world of magic and fun, capturing the hearts of the young and old alike.
Write a story involving a circus in some way.
Length: Any
Rating: Any

Week 47: Rosie The Riveter
Write a story in which the main character becomes a symbol for women's strength and determination in the face of adversity.
Choose a form of adversity other than simply being TG itself.
Length: Any
Rating: Any

Week 48: Cars
Not every girl is all sweetness and light and feminine imagery.
Some still enjoy the occasional pursuit that most would consider more masculine.
Cars are one of those.
Write a story based around a car, truck, or other motor vehicle and its special place in the main character's heart.
Length: Any
Rating: Any

Week 49: It All Started With A Bang
Write a story in which the main character's introduction to the world is spectacularly over-the-top.
Length: 5k words or less
Rating: Any

Week 50: Who Knew?
Write a story in which the main character's revelation about their sex/sexuality is a complete surprise to everyone they know.
Length: 5k words or less
Rating: Any

Week 51: Stream Of Consciousness
Write a story in a stream of consciousness style.
Length: 10k words or less (that's about the outer limit for me on being able to read it :P)
Rating: Any

Week 52: Unchained
Sometimes life leaves us in situations where we simply don't have any choice about who and what we are.
When those situations suddenly change, that revelation of freedom can be a shock.
Write a story in which the protagonist escapes a bad situation, and only in escaping it, begins to discover who they are.
Length: Any
Rating: Any

Monthly Challenges
January: A New Year, A New Life
Write a story in which the dawning of the new year serves as the main character's inspiration to change their life for the better.
Length: 15k+
Rating: Any

February: A Romantic Interlude... Or Two
28 days to find true love. That's what your protagonist is given by the letter that sets a change in their life in motion.
28 days... or lose it all.
Length: Any
Rating: Any

March: I Walk Alone
Some changes in life involve more than money, or friends, or even the spiritual or emotional journey always depicted.
Sometimes, an actual journey is a part of things too.
And, sometimes, that journey must be walked alone.
Length: Any
Rating: Any

April: The Cleansing Rain
A record number of showers and storms are predicted this April, days on end of rain being expected.
Write a story concerning a character's discovery of who they are that takes place from the beginning of a rain storm... until the clouds break and the sun returns.
Length: Any
Rating: Any

May: Victorian Victoria
Write a story set in the Victorian era.
Length: 5k words or more
Rating: Any, though hopefully the "bodice rippers" will be few and far between

June: A Song About Horses
Jamie has spent his entire life on his family's ranch. With the passing of his parents, the ranch is now his, with all the responsibilities involved.
Of course, Jamie's troubles are only just beginning when his personal life is pulled into the mix as well...
Length: 12k words or more
Rating: Mature or less. If it were a movie then it should earn no worse than an R rating.

July: More Beautiful By Far
Dr. Harold Chronkel has created an amazing new cosmetic application that allows one's true inner beauty to shine through to the outside.
When his son, John, tries it on a lark, the outcome is quite unexpected!
Length: Any
Rating: Teen or lighter

August: Lost
Write a story inspired by the word "lost."
Lost innocence? Lost time? Lost in a moment? Any of the myriad interpretations work.
Length: Any
Rating: Any

September: Never A Doubt
Write a story with an incredibly confident protagonist, sure of who they are, what they are, and never straying from the path they think is what they need to do to reach their goals.
Length: Any
Rating: Any

October: I Am Who I Am
Too often we have to compromise elements of who we are for what society thinks we should be.
Well, this October, the masks for once come off, as your main character decides it is past time to let people know that they are who they are, no matter what society might think.
Length: Any
Rating: Any

November: Letters From Family
We're not always as alone as we think we are.
Write a story revolving around a character whose transition is eased by a slew of letters from family and friends, detailing just how much they care.
Length: 5k or more
Rating: Any

December: Boxing Day
Write a story taking place entirely on the day after the best Christmas ever.
Length: Any
Rating: PG or Teen

That's this coming year's challenge list! Again, the most important thing isn't to finish, or even try. It's to write what stories inspire you, whether they inspire you in order or not. Have fun, be merry, and most importantly, keep writing!

Melanie E.