The McShep Match

[icarus]

My mcshep_match fic is done, christened, and sent.

I never read challenge rules. Just so long as I know:

A-- when it's due!
B-- how long it has to be, and
C-- what I'm supposed to write.

I didn't even notice mcshep_match last year until it was long over and the voting closed. But one of my favorite SGA stories, Catch-19 by mmmchelle, was in it. So I wanted to join this year.

Now that I'm done, I'm finally reading the rules. *cough*

This mcshep_match is kind of cool.

Behind the Scenes: I pounded out my story and sent it into a vacuum (with a cheery "we got it!" from trobadora). I have no idea when it will be posted. It will magically appear in the comm sometime between now and July 10th. The mcshep_match is a celebratory run up to opening night for Stargate Atlantis, season five.

Over the last couple of months the teams huddled behind locked posts in their comms, picked their prompts (mine was picked for me because I'm a pinch-hit), offered betas and advice, and cheered each other on. There's Team Spirit! I caught Team Spirit Saturday when I finished my fic! (I'm sure there's a pill for this.)

Stories are posted anonymously. *cue wiggly fingers* I get to watch people respond with no clue that it's me, bwahahaha! I wrote something that's not like anything I've written before. Not in this fandom anyway. The Harry Potter fen might recognize me. I'll be right here in my Masque.

How This Works: There are 24 prompts and two teams: mcshep_away and mcshep_home. I'm on the Away team, just in case you need a hint who to vote for. (auburnnothenna is so going to guess which story is mine. But no one else will.)

Over a period of 24 days, two stories will be posted for each prompt for say, "Face the Music," to use a 2007 prompt. One will have an Away Team "mission" (or "AU") spin. The other a Home Team "ordinary day" (or "canon") spin. They will be posted side-by-side, and people will vote on:

X - how well the story fits the team
Y - how well the story fits the prompt
Z - how well people liked the story overall

That's cool, isn't it? Someone can write a completely awe-inspiring story, but if it's too far afield, it won't matter. Let me point out that these are the real-life writing skills pros need. No doubt Carl Binder has great script ideas that'll never fly in the Stargate universe. Here's where you demonstrate not just writing ability, but control. Teams are encouraged to interpret the prompt and Team mission in creative ways, however. This is fanfic. Really, it's not hard to encourage flights of fancy.

The Teams: To add to the coolness, there are some knock-it-out-of-the-park authors participating. busaikko. wickedwords. mmmchelle. lamardeuse. villainny.

My Away Team:
busaikko
monanotlisa
telesilla
villainny
wickedwords
fluffyllama
gblvr
icarusancalion (hee!)
bluflamingo
quasar273
lavvyan
kyuuketsukirui
icantfollow
argosy
blueraccoon
ainsley
almostnever
commendaces
firedragon9
flatlanddan
flyakate
fractalreality
ismenetruth
ladyamarra
ldyanne
skinscript
tzzzz
yavannauk

I can grudgingly say that the Home Team's also pretty cool:
mmmchelle
thegrrrl2002
sheafrotherdon
velocitygrass
lamardeuse
fluffyllama
shetiger
torakowalski
the_cephalopod
lilac_way
sageness
moonlettuce
kassrachel
emeraldsword
wesleysgirl
roaringmice
hyperfocused
fiareynne
burkesl17
callmerizzo
chandri
eccentricweft
graffitiegg
pollitt
propinquitine
secondalto
sgamadison
soleta
syrenslure

Our Guarantee: In it for you are fifty SGA stories in a huge variety posted over less than a month in a wild run-up to season five.

Starting... *picks up stopwatch* ... in... five... four... three... two... one... *McKay pointy finger*

Now.

mcshep_match.


P.S. Think you'd might like to join the fun? Hey, I was a back-up writer, too, and didn't get tapped until last week. You can sign up to pinch-hit here.

Comments

[teenygozer.livejournal.com]

Yes, this is truly one of the pretty-honkin'-awesome challenges out there. I think the fact that the rules are somewhat constrictive, plus the competitive quality of going head-to-head with another team, is what makes people extra creative when they write for this challenge.

[icarusancalion.livejournal.com]

I like that it's leading right up to the beginning of the new season. Talk about building excitement!

[fractalreality.livejournal.com]

They very nearly needed a back-up for me; that was hard.

I'm just looking forward to reading everything now, it'll be a nice break!

[icarusancalion.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I saw your skidding track marks under the wire. That happened to me last SGA Santa. I ended up pulling out an unfinished fic from a year before.

Always keep you unfinished drafts. You never know when you'll need them.

[fractalreality.livejournal.com]

I would love to pull a Blue Peter, but it's the first thing I've actually written.

It gets easier, right?

[icarusancalion.livejournal.com]

Wait. This is the first story you've written? Ever?

[fractalreality.livejournal.com]

SGA? Yeah; I was meant to write something for reel_sga but work got in the way.
Other than a short drabble thing once, I pretty much threw myself straight into the deep end.

(is why, for me, it's nowhere near good but almost bordering acceptable.)

[icarusancalion.livejournal.com]

Holy cow. Well, congratulations. That's definitely impressive that you went for it.

[auburnnothenna.livejournal.com]

Did the word count change after your beta? Because otherwise I'm no more likely to figure it out than anyone else. I'm actually really bad at guessing writers unless they're really unique (there are a couple of people whose work I dislike I can usually spot though, haha).

Though I note, Away Team. My chances are now fifty percent better than before!

Sherlock Holmes is eating his heart out right now.

[icarusancalion.livejournal.com]

Wellll... let me answer that question with a question. How close to finished do you imagine I was?

Yeah, the only person I guessed last year was Chelle. And everyone else guessed her, too.