Challenge The Kessel Run 2024 | 12 Weeks, 11 Prompts, 1 Wild Fanfic Challenge | Thanks for a fantastic Run!

Happy New Year, everyone! 2024 is here at last, and that means it’s time once again to partake in a challenge so extreme, it’s been known to cause bouts of psychic screaming in even the most seasoned writers. So whether you’ve made a resolution to write more this year or you just want to have fun and win some colors (or you enjoy tormenting yourself with strict word counts and deadlines), I invite you to join me for…

The Kessel Run!
* * 2024 * *


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Welcome to the Kessel Run, a fast-paced fanfic challenge worthy of the Millennium Falcon itself! Over the next twelve weeks, you’ll be pushed to your writing limits as you complete eleven different fanfic prompts. Here’s the catch: once each prompt is posted, you’ll have only one week to write and post your response.

Okay, so it’s somewhat fast-paced, and the prompts aren’t nearly as wild as the previous paragraph would suggest, but I hope it will be a fun and challenging experience for everyone who signs up!

Let’s break it down a little more…


How Does This Work?

We all know that Han and Chewie made the Kessel Run in less than twelve parsecs, so in honor of that achievement, you will complete eleven writing prompts spread out over twelve weeks. Ten of these prompts will be secret prompts – you won’t know what they are in advance, and once they’re posted, you’ll have one week to write and post your fic. Given the time limits involved, most of these prompts will have a word range of 100 to 1,000 words, with a few exceptions. There will also be one longer prompt for a 2,000+ word vignette. This prompt will be revealed at the very beginning of the challenge, and you’ll have the whole twelve weeks to write it.

Because life sometimes gets in the way of fanfic, I’m including a bye week in the schedule, to be taken totally at your discretion. If you know you can’t finish your prompt during a certain week, you can opt to skip that week and make it up during Week 11. (I’ve included a sample schedule below so you can see how this would work.)

In addition to the eleven prompts already mentioned, there will be a twelfth “substitute” prompt (formerly known as the “get out of jail free” prompt). If one of the secret prompts just isn’t doing it for you, you can replace it with the substitute prompt. Be selective with this one, because you only get one, and you won’t know what any of the other prompts are until they’re posted. You cannot use this twelfth prompt to replace the 2,000+ word prompt.

Spoiler: Sample Schedules

Normal Schedule – No changes

Week 1 – secret prompt #1
Week 2 – secret prompt #2
Week 3 – secret prompt #3
Week 4 – secret prompt #4
Week 5 – secret prompt #5
Week 6 – secret prompt #6
Week 7 – secret prompt #7
Week 8 – secret prompt #8
Week 9 – secret prompt #9
Week 10 – secret prompt #10
Week 11 – no new prompts (you could use this time to work on the Week 12 fic)
Week 12 – 2,000+ word prompt

Sample Schedule with a Bye Week

Week 1 – secret prompt #1
Week 2 – secret prompt #2
Week 3 – secret prompt #3
Week 4 – secret prompt #4
Week 5 – choose not to write this week, make-up during Week 11
Week 6 – secret prompt #6
Week 7 – secret prompt #7
Week 8 – secret prompt #8
Week 9 – secret prompt #9
Week 10 – secret prompt #10
Week 11 – secret prompt #5
Week 12 – 2,000+ word prompt

The Rules

1. In order to participate, you must post in this thread stating you’d like to sign up.
   
   
2. All of your vignettes, ficlets, drabbles, one-shots, short stories, etc. written for this challenge must be posted in one story thread, and your story thread must be a new thread created for the 2024 Kessel Run challenge. Please also include a reference to the Kessel Run in the header for your thread, so that I can keep track more easily.
   
   
3. Prompts will be posted in this thread each Monday, and responses must be posted in your own story threads by the following Monday at 11:59pm EST. (That gives you a week plus 12 hours, give or take, to write and post your fics.) The first prompt will be posted Monday, January 8th.
   
   
4. The final vignette (the 2,000+ word story) is due Monday, April 1st at 11:59pm EST. Please wait until the start of Week 12 to post these fics!
   
   
5. Please post a link to your story thread in this thread once you’ve started. You may also post links here each time you update your thread, if you wish.
   
   
6. The substitute prompt can replace any one of the secret prompts, but it must still be completed by that prompt’s deadline. The substitute prompt cannot be used to replace the longer 2,000+ word vignette.
   
   
7. You do not have to stick to a single character, theme, time period, fandom, etc. for the entire challenge. Go wherever the muse takes you! (Of course, if you want to focus on a single character or ‘verse or theme, go for it!)
   
   
8. Even though each response to the challenge should be posted in your Kessel Run thread, feel free to double up on challenges, if you have another writing challenge that applies. (Please also check the rules for the other challenge to make sure that it’s okay!)
   
   
9. Non-SW stories are welcome!
   
   
10. As always, all entries must abide by the Fanfic rules and the TOS for the site.

The Rewards

Anyone who competes in the Kessel Run has a chance to win colors! Here’s the breakdown:

• If you complete the entire Kessel Run on time (that’s 10 secret prompts, plus the longer 2,000+ word vignette), you will receive 10 days of colors!

• If you complete 8 of the secret prompts, plus the longer vignette, on time, you will receive 7 days of colors!

• If you complete 6 of the secret prompts, plus the longer vignette, on time, you will receive 5 days of colors!

• If you complete all 10 of the secret prompts on time, but are unable to finish the longer vignette before the deadline, you will receive 5 days of colors!

~


FAQ

Wait, when does this challenge begin?

The first prompts will be posted in this thread on Monday, January 8th to kick things off!


What is the deadline to sign up?

Sign-ups are open for the duration of the challenge. The longer you wait to sign up, the less your potential prize will be at the end, but if you’re not concerned about colors or want to join the fun anyway, you are more than welcome to!


Are the word limits absolute, or is there some wiggle room?

In short, yes, they are absolute. The word limits are part of the challenge and must be adhered to. However, I’m not likely to go around doing a word count on everyone’s entries, so I’m relying on the honor system here!


Is there a specific word counter I should use?

You may use whichever word counter you prefer, whether that’s an online counter, your word processor, or if you want to count the words yourself. Whichever method you decide on, please stick with it for the entirety of the challenge.


What if I miss the deadline for one of the prompts? Can I still win colors?

You can definitely still win colors! There are multiple tiers based on how many prompts you finish on time, so even if you miss a week, keep writing! (See “The Rewards” section above for a breakdown of the prizes.)


Can I use the substitute prompt and the bye week during the same week?

No, the substitute prompt cannot be combined with your bye week. You can use each at separate times, but not together.


Where can I find the master list of prompts?

An index of all prompts will be included in the next post!


Have a question that you don’t see answered here? Post it in this thread, and I’ll get back to you as quickly as possible!

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Previous Challenges:
The Kessel Run (2022)
The Kessel Run 2023



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Index of Prompts
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Long vignette (2,000+ words)

• Over the next twelve weeks, you will write a story in which two or more characters exchange letters with one another. There should be no additional narrative framing – only the letters themselves! You may substitute a fandom equivalent (e.g. voice recordings, holo messages, email, etc.) if actual letters don’t fit the world you’re writing in. However these should not be real-time conversations, so no phone calls, comlinks, video chats, or anything of that sort. Let your characters express their thoughts at length, without the benefit of instant feedback from the person they’re corresponding with.
• Word limit = minimum 2,000 words, no maximum limit
• Entries due Monday, April 1st at 11:59pm EST (please wait until the beginning of Week 12 to post these responses!)

Substitute prompt
(you may use this as a substitute for one of the weekly prompts)

• Write a story between 300 and 1,200 words in which your characters must deal with that most classic of fanfic tropes: There Is Only One Bed

Weekly Secret Prompts

Week 1 | January 8-15

• Write a story between 100 and 1,000 words that begins with this sentence: “The rain hadn’t let up in days, and all I wanted to do was scream.”
• Word limit = 100-1,000 words
• Entries due Monday, January 15th at 11:59pm EST

Week 2 | January 15-22

• Write a story between 400 and 800 words in which a character admits a secret to another character without directly speaking to them. Indirect means of communication are fair game.
• Word limit = 400-800 words
• Entries due Monday, January 22nd at 11:59pm EST

Week 3 | January 22-29
Complete ONE of these two prompts:

Prompt #1

• Write a set of 5 drabbles with the following prompts: midnight, endeavor, inheritance, disaster, horizon
• Each drabble must be exactly 100 words, for a total of 500 words
• Entries due Monday, January 29th at 11:59pm EST

OR

Prompt #2

• Write a sestina
• No word limit
• Entries due Monday, January 29th at 11:59pm EST

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Week 4 | January 29-February 5

• Write a story between 100 and 1,000 words from the perspective of an inanimate object
• Word limit = 100-1,000 words
• Entries are due Monday, February 5th at 11:59pm EST

Week 5 | February 5-12

• Write an AU (alternate universe) story of at least 500 words in which your narrator has amnesia, using this picture as inspiration:
  Spoiler

  
• Minimum 500 words, no maximum limit
• Entries are due Monday, February 12th at 11:59pm EST

Week 6 | February 12-19

• Write a story between 600 and 1,500 words with your OTP (or other romantic pairing) that includes one or more flashforwards and takes place entirely in the same setting.
• Word limit = 600-1,500 words
• Entries due Monday, February 19th at 11:59pm EST

Week 7 | February 19-26

• Write a story between 100 and 1,000 words that is set in a dream and told from the perspective of an EC (established character)
• Word limit = 100-1,000 words
• Entries due Monday, February 26th at 11:59pm EST

Week 8 | February 26-March 4

• Write a story of at least 400 words in which a villain has to protect a hero. You must also include this line of dialogue: “I always wondered what that was like.”
• Minimum 400 words, no maximum limit
• Entries due Monday, March 4th at 11:59pm EST

Week 9 | March 4-11

• Pick your least favorite piece that you’ve posted for this year’s (2024) Kessel Run challenge and rewrite it in a different genre, using between 300 and 1,200 words to do so.
• Word limit = 300-1,200 words
• Entries due Monday, March 11th at 11:59pm EST

Week 10 | March 11-18

• Write a story between 100 and 400 words, and include these three words: diligent, grandiose, berate
• Word limit = 100-400 words
• Entries due Monday, March 18th at 11:59pm EST

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Index of Participants​

• Gabri_Jade | Goes On and On

• Mira_Jade | A Brighter Sun, a Bigger Sky

• devilinthedetails | [Multi-fandom] Even Odder Ends

• WarmNyota_SweetAyesha | Medley of Unforgettable Happenings

• amidalachick | [Stranger Things] Sleep Beneath Peaceful Skies

• Thumper09 | Artifact or Fiction

• JediMaster_Jen | Black Knights: Legend of the Sith Hunters

• ViariSkywalker | Stardust and Steel

• earlybird-obi-wan | Archive adventures with Hessy Teack

• Chyntuck | [The Longest Day] Radio Londres

• DarthIshtar | Traitors and Other Terms of Endearment

• Findswoman | Purple, Rose, and Gold

• Force of Light | [Multi-fandom] Survival of the fittest

• Pandora | My Life in the Forest

• Kit' | Journeys through the Kit'verse

• Theodore Hawkwood | 2024 Kessel Run and Assorted Tales Thereof

• Mira Grau | Tales of Two Siblings

• Raissa Baiard | Who Writes, Remains

• Seldes_Katne | Wherever the River Flows

• Vek Talis | Laments

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Sign me up, babe

 

Woohoo! Sign me up please. This is going to be fun as a writer and reviewer given the other sign uppers.

 

Sign me up please! So excited for this!

 

Me, please.

 

I’m definitely in! Sign me up.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

I am in. With two 'cat' themed diaries I will need this

 

... please

 

I’m in. I was curious about this before and want to give it a shot.

 

Look at all of you intrepid writers. I can't wait to see what you make of this year's prompts...

And the participant list has been updated! Any other takers?

 

I've added you to the list! I hope things work out so that you can participate to the fullest, but if not, know that you can join in at any time!

 

Sign me up as well, since this might be a better option than the Dear Diary challenge (since I'm not a diary writer, so it might be a bit too challenging for me at the moment). I only have one Star Wars character, and that's Jira (that's her in my avvie that I made on Doll Divine when they still had Flash games), so it will be mostly Non Star Wars related (Supernatural, Jurassic World, LotR, etc.).

 

Sign me up please!

 

Other than the fandom I have no ideas yet, but I do know I'll be sitting in class Monday morning checking for the prompts so I can (hopefully) start thinking about it.

 

My muse has been MIA for nearly a year now, but it'll probably be my usual fare of sad murder dad and/or Luke Skywalker's goth phase [face_shrug]

Sent from my Pixel 6 using Tapatalk

 

Not a clue. I'm hoping I'll derive some inspiration at the grocery store today.

 

On 28 June I started a folder titled "Long Challenge Ideas" where I've been keeping track of flashes of lucidity concepts that could work for this challenge and the Fanfic Olympics. By now, I have 13 concept documents in there, so I'm waiting to see the first three prompts and decide which one I'll be writing. If none work, I'll just write Intermezzi III

 

I have a couple of thoughts but I'm not sure what I'll be doing yet. For myself, I need some kind of overarching theme or connection to make myself narrow things down each week or I don't get traction on writing, but in the previous KRs I've also tied myself into things that were too narrow for some of the prompts. I have not yet found an idea that achieves the magical balance point I'm seeking.

 

Me, once the challenge starts and you guys see the prompts:





And the participant index is updated! I'd say we're in great shape so far.

I have a sort of out there (for me, anyway) idea, but I'll have to see what your first prompt sparks.

Yaaasss! (Not that I'm encouraging daydreaming about fanfic while sitting in class, I would never do that )


To everyone who has signed up or is thinking about signing up - don't stress if you haven't come up with the perfect overarching theme or story yet! For both of the previous KRs, I didn't decide on my overall theme until a day or two before the Week 1 deadline, and I know I'm not the only one. So you definitely don't need to have things figured out completely in advance. There's no right or wrong way to approach this aspect of the challenge; do what feels right for you.