Hello all. The updated and complete master story list is behind the cut. The grand total was 31: 20 gen, 6 het, 6 Sam/Dean, and 1 other Wincest. (There's some overlap between.) At the bottom, or under the second cut, you will find temporary links to stories that were disqualified from the challenge. They'll be removed in a week or so.

( Master Story List - complete )

( Temporary Links )

Hi all - the challenge is now over; no more extensions. If you haven't posted your story, it's too late for it to be included in the master listing. Later today I'll update the master list with the remaining stories. Some excellent reading material has come out of the challenge, and I hope you will all take a look once the master list is final! There were also several terrific stories written for f_s prompts that didn't meet the challenge criteria.

The challenge had a high rate of defaults, dropouts and disqualified stories (70%, alas), so I'm thinking there wouldn't be much point in doing this particular challenge again in the future. But I welcome your opinions, so please feel free to comment with any feedback or suggestions you may have about the challenge; I'll store it away for future reference.

Thank you to everyone who participated -- thank you for the wonderful stories. :)

Hi all - just a reminder that today is the deadline to either post your story, or request an extension. There are 13 of you I haven't heard from...now's the time. *g* Request extensions by commenting to this post; to submit your story, comment here.

There are a couple of you who've posted stories where the definition of secret is not the standard one, and I'm getting a second opinion on your interpretations. I'll get back to you soonly.

For those of you who requested extensions, your stories will need to be posted by midnight on June 8.

Meanwhile, the FAQ is here, and includes what I think is a pretty standard definition of secret: Secrecy is the condition of hiding information from others. That which is kept hidden is known as the secret. A secret is something one person knows - a belief, a piece of information, a feeling, whatever - and actively, deliberately chooses not to share with/tell other people. But it requires an act of deliberation - a choice not to share, to hide something, to keep secret. If your story doesn't fit this definition, it does not meet the challenge rules. Alas. If a story has some other creative interpretation, and I don't think it qualifies, I generally ask someone for a second opinion. Just to make sure I'm not being too concrete. *g*

Challenge rules and guidelines are here.

Thank you to everyone who has participated and written for this challenge! :)

Hi folks. Thank you to everyone who has posted stories thus far! There are some excellent stories popping up as a result of the challenge, and I hope folks are enjoying them. I know I am. :)

Just a couple things re the deadline, extensions and dropouts:

1. If you're dropping out, please let me know directly instead of mentioning it in your personal journal, where more than likely I won't see it. A comment here is fine, or an email.

2. Several people have asked about extensions, so...I'm going to give a one-week extension of the posting deadline to anyone who contacts me (comment here, or email) BEFORE June 1. If you don't contact me, and you haven't posted by June 1, I'll remove your name from the master list June 1. The extension deadline would be June 8, so we can finish the challenge before big bang posting begins.

3. I've clarified this in the FAQ already, but it bears repeating: if your story doesn't meet the challenge rules, I won't add it to the master list. The story must revolve around Winchesters and their secrets, and if it does not have an actual secret and actual Winchesters in some combination, it doesn't qualify. When you post, you're free to say your story was written for family_secret if you'd like, or share the prompt that inspired it, even if the story doesn't qualify for the challenge.

Story and participant master lists are here. FAQ is here; challenge rules and posting guidelines are here.

( stories posted, May 21 - 27 )

Story and participant master lists are here. FAQ is here; challenge rules and posting guidelines are here.

Just one story posted this week. 13 participants have posted; 46 to go. Y'all have about ten days to post your stories in order to be linked here; June 1 is the deadline. Happy writing!

( stories posted May 14 - May 20 )

Story and participant master lists are here. FAQ is here; challenge rules and posting guidelines are here.

Sadly, only one story was posted within the past week.

( stories posted May 7-13 )

As a reminder, your story must be posted by June 1 to be linked here. You have about 2-1/2 weeks left. No pressure, though. *g*

Story and participant master lists are here. FAQ is here; challenge rules and posting guidelines are here.

As of right now, about 20% of the expected stories are up. :)

( stories posted April 30 - May 6 )

The complete master list of participants and stories is here.

I'll be doing the weekly round-up on Mondays. Stories are listed in order of date posted. Also, stories which fall into two categories by virtue of pairings will be listed in both.

( Stories posted April 15-22 )

Revised May 31, 2007 to add 10 and 11.

1. family_secret is the community journal for the Winchester Family Secrets challenge. For your story to be linked here, you must be a participant (ie, have signed up for the challenge while sign-ups were still open) and your story must be based on a prompt you selected at sign-up. This means you cannot offer up stories written in the past that appear to fit the theme.

2. Your story must meet the challenge guidelines and rules. If you choose a prompt centered around a secondary character, you must creatively find a way to work the prompt into a story based around the Winchesters and their secrets, as that is the focus of this challenge as noted in the rules: 4. Stories should have primary focus on the Winchesters (any/all) 'as is' and the secrets that can come from the lives they've led and choices they've made (ie, no girl!Dean AUs). For additional clarification on theme, please see the intro post, which says in part: This challenge is about secrets and Winchesters, in various combinations....How those secrets impact the Winchesters, and what the emotional consequences of knowing them or dealing with them may be - those things are the heart of the challenge.

3. Please do feel free to post your story to other relevant communities or to announce it in the newsletter. It would be awesome if you would mention you wrote it for family_secret, but not required.

4. All stories must be posted by June 1 in order to be linked/listed here. I may or may not give a grace period thereafter for people who contact me about it, but for now - that's the deadline. If your story is not posted by that date, your name will be taken off the final participant list, regardless of whether or not your story is later finished and posted.

5. Stories must meet the minimum word length requirement - 1,000 words. Again, please refer to the challenge rules and deadlines for clarification.

6. If you selected more than one prompt, you may combine them, or you may write a story based on each prompt. It's up to you.

New questions 27 April:

7. I initially said the stories must be about the Winchesters 'as is', aka no girl!Dean AUs, but I didn't really clarify if that included genderswap. If your story is already written, then don't worry about it, but if not - I will clarify that as no girl!brothers stories, including genderswap.

8. As soon as I pick up your comment and post your link, I will be deleting your comment. That's just to keep the load time short on the post.

9. I will only be scanning stories to be sure they meet the rules, and won't be looking for additional info to post (ie summaries, word counts, etc). What you provide in the comment is what I'll be posting in the master story list and the weekly update. So far, most people are leaving a very brief summary, prompt #, word count, and characters or pairings.

New questions 31 May:

10. My definition of secret is as follows: Secrecy is the condition of hiding information from others. That which is kept hidden is known as the secret. A secret is something one person knows - a belief, a piece of information, a feeling, whatever - and actively, deliberately chooses not to share with/tell other people. But it requires an act of deliberation - a choice not to share, to hide something, to keep information away.

11. Any AU needs to take off from the canon of the series and the present-day universe. So if you write an AU where Dean dies instead of John in IMToD, or where Mary lives and John and Dean die in the nursery, and it revolves around secrets - awesome. However, an AU where the characters are transposed into a different time and place - old west, Victorian England, dawn of time, WW II - is a no. Because the idea is to focus on secrets generated from or possible within the lives the characters have led in the canon universe.

Please comment here if you have any additional questions, and I'll add them to the post.

The extension deadline has passed and posting is closed. Please do not comment with any additional links. Thank you.

Challenge rules, posting guidelines and deadlines are here. FAQ is here. Many thanks to scarlett_o for the pretty community icon!


( Master story list by participant )

( Master story list by category and date of posting )

Hello, all. As promised, a quick reminder that the story posting period opens April 15 - via a master post, where you can leave comments with links to your completed stories.

Also, if anyone wants to take a crack at making the community a prettier icon, please feel free. :)

Deadlines and how/when to post:

1. Stories are due no later than June 1, but may be posted to your journal (and linked here) anytime after April 15.
2. I'll maintain a master story post (including a master participant list, and a story list broken down into slash, gen, het and other sections) beginning April 15, and will add your story to it once you've commented with a link.
3. I will also make a weekly post containing links to all the week's new stories.
4. Please don't post your story until it's complete.
5. Completed stories being posted in parts will not be linked until the entire story is available, so comment only when your story is on the net in its entirety.
6. Do label your story - Sam/Dean, gen, het, etc - to make it easier for people to find (or avoid), and for me to sort.

Guidelines and rules are here. Comments, questions, and suggestions are always welcomed.

Sign-ups are now closed, and the master participant list is below. 57 total participants! :D If you're curious, I've updated the prompts post to indicate who claimed what.

I'll be posting a quick reminder a few days before April 15, and another before June 1. The challenge rules are over here, including story length and content guidelines - but I'm going to repost the deadlines/how to post information now:

Deadlines and how/when to post:

1. Stories are due no later than June 1, but may be posted to your journal (and linked here) anytime after April 15.
2. I'll maintain a master story post (broken down into slash, gen, het and other sections) beginning April 15, and will add your story to it as soon as you comment to that post with a link. I'll also be posting once a week with a list of the newest stories posted that week, and a link back to the master list.
3, Please don't post your story until it's complete.
4. Completed stories being posted in parts will not be linked until the entire story is available, so comment only when your story is on the net in its entirety.
5. Please label your story - wincest, gen, het, etc - to make it easier for people to find (or avoid).

( participant master list )

As always, comments/questions/suggestions are welcomed. (When the challenge is over, I'll be asking for feedback on how the challenge worked for you, and constructive criticism, input on whether to do it again, etc.)

Hi all - just a quick reminder that sign-ups are open until March 25. Just want to make sure no one misses the drop-dead date, if you're planning on throwing your name in. There are 39 participants signed up thus far, and some fascinating prompt combinations have been claimed. I can't wait to see what people are going to come up with. *g*

On the 25th, I'll post a master list of all participants, and a revised prompts list showing what's been claimed.

ETA March 25: Sign-ups are now closed. For the master participant list and other information, please go here.

Sign-ups are live! Please read the instructions FIRST. *g* Sign-ups will remain open until March 25. Once you've claimed your prompt, feel free to start writing, but please note the posting guidelines below, and don't post until April 15.

To sign up:

1. Go to the prompts list, here, and choose your prompt(s). More than one person may choose the same prompt. Also, a writer may sign up for more than one prompt, and combine them in weird and interesting ways, or write them separately. It's up to you.

2. Come back here and comment below with the following information:

LJ username:
Author name:
Email where I can reach you:
Number(s) of the prompt(s) you've chosen:

And you're done!

3. If there are absolutely no prompts that appeal to you, and you want to write your own idea (not recommended), please make sure you specifically claim that idea in lieu of a prompt number.

Challenge Rules:

1. Stories must have a minimum length of 1000 words. There's no maximum story length. No drabbles; no WIPs.
2. All genres accepted - slash (including Wincest), gen, and het.
3. Almost anything goes (comedy, romance, drama, hurt/comfort, etc), with the following exceptions: no crossovers or songfic. (I'd say 'no crackfic', but that's all in the definitions, so I can't, really.) AUs taking off from canon are awesome, but should be set in the basic Supernatural universe (ie, no Winchesters In Space).
4. Stories should have primary focus on the Winchesters (any/all) 'as is' and the secrets that can come from the lives they've led and choices they've made (ie, no girl!Dean AUs).
5. Stories must be complete at the time they are posted, and must not be posted to the net before the start of the posting period.

Deadlines and how/when to post:

1. Stories are due no later than June 1, but may be posted to your journal (and linked here) anytime after April 15.
2. I'll maintain a master story post (broken down into slash, gen, het and other sections) beginning April 15, and will add your story to it as soon as you comment with a link. I'll also be posting once a week with a list of the newest stories, and a link back to the master list.
3, Please don't post your story until it's complete.
4. Completed stories being posted in parts will not be linked until the entire story is available, so comment only when your story is on the net in its entirety.
5. Please label your story - wincest, gen, het, etc - to make it easier for people to find (or avoid).

Think that's it. Comments, suggestions, questions should be left over here, in the intro post.

Note, March 25: now that sign-ups are closing, the prompts list has been revised to show which prompts were claimed. There were certainly some prompts that were particularly popular. *g*

This is the master prompts list, grouped by category. Each prompt has been assigned a number, which is directly above the prompt; you'll need those when you sign up. I just wanted to thank everyone who took time to leave something. You guys absolutely outdid yourselves, and we have a total of 106 excellent and diverse prompts as a result. :) If you see anything omitted or misattributed, please let me know.

This is NOT where you sign up; comments to this post are disabled. Sign-ups will be in comments to the post following this one. As always, suggestions/comments/questions can be left here, at the intro post.

( Poetry/Verse: 12 prompts )

( Quotations: 20 prompts )

( Story prompts/ideas: 49 prompts )

( Song lyrics: 11 prompts )

( Images: 14 prompts )

ETA: The prompts period is now closed, so I can finish up the master list and get ready for sign-ups.

Leave your prompts in comments to this post; I've made a couple to get things started. (Challenge intro and rules are here.)

Guidelines:

1. Prompts can be images, phrases, words, poems, art, bits of song lyrics, individual screencaps, or anything else you think might inspire someone to write, or to get thinky about the topic. It can be a story idea, or a 'what if?' question, too. The prompt doesn't have to directly relate to secrets.
2. Feel free to make as many prompts as you like, but only one per comment. (This helps me keep track of how many prompts have actually been left, and makes it easier to sort out when it comes time to claim them.)
3. Anyone can post prompts; you don't have to be a member of the community or planning to sign up for the challenge.
4. No NC-17 images in comments, please; off-site links to those images are ok.
5. DO NOT claim prompts yet. Hold off on that until the sign-ups begin in a week.
6. Prompts will be taken until the sign-up post goes up on March 19.

Ready, set, prompt.

Also, please do pimp the challenge!

Every Winchester is hiding something...and the Winchesters fiercely protect their secrets.

This challenge is about secrets and Winchesters, in various combinations. Secrets they choose to keep, because to share them is too dangerous or difficult or impossible; secrets discovered and exposed, because some things can't remain hidden forever. Secrets they share with each other, because they can only trust each other; secrets they keep from each other, because the damage would be too much to risk, and the lengths they'll go to in order to keep things hidden. Secrets that destroy, or heal; secrets with consequences no one could foresee. Secrets that can jeopardize the foundations of family and their relationships to each other. Secrets too big to contain that can change the world, or quiet secrets that no one will ever know.

How those secrets impact the Winchesters, and what the emotional consequences of knowing them or dealing with them may be - those things are the heart of the challenge.

How this challenge works:

1. In a few days, I'll open a post for prompts and suggestions. Please comment there with your prompts, which can take any form you like - words, phrases, poetry, snippets of lyrics, pictures, or anything else you can think of. Feel free to leave more than one.
2. Anyone can leave a prompt, even if you don't plan to write in the challenge. The more, the better!
3. Once the prompts period is over, I will then make a separate post for sign-ups. You can choose a prompt from the list generated by the community (recommended), or you can write any idea you may already have. But you must specifically claim a prompt or idea of some kind.
4. Please note that you are NOT writing your story for the person who left the prompt; the prompts are just to give you something to work with. This is not a fic exchange.
5. More than one person may claim any prompt. It's the unique spin you put on it that matters.

Challenge Rules:

1. Stories must have a minimum length of 1000 words. There's no maximum story length. No drabbles; no WIPs.
2. All genres accepted - slash (including Wincest), gen, and het.
3. Almost anything goes (comedy, romance, drama, hurt/comfort, etc), with the following exceptions: no crossovers or songfic. (I'd say 'no crackfic', but that's all in the definitions, so I can't, really.) AUs taking off from canon are awesome, but should be set in the basic Supernatural universe (ie, no Winchesters In Space).
4. Stories should have primary focus on the Winchesters (any/all) 'as is' and the secrets that can come from the lives they've led and choices they've made (ie, no girl!Dean AUs).
5. Stories must be complete at the time they are posted, and must not be posted to the net before the start of the posting period.

Deadlines and how/when to post:

1. Prompts/suggestions will be taken March 12-18.
2. Sign-ups and claiming of prompts will begin March 19 and close March 25. As soon as you've claimed your prompt, feel free to start writing.
3. Stories are due no later than June 1, but may be posted to your journal (and linked here) anytime after April 15.
4. I will maintain a master story post (broken down into slash, gen, het and other sections) beginning April 15, and will add your story to it as soon as you comment with a link.
5. Please don't post your story until it's complete.
6. Completed stories being posted in parts will not be linked until the entire story is available, so comment only when your story is on the net in its entirety.

Questions and/or suggestions? Please comment here; this is my first time running a challenge like this, so please let me know if I've forgotten any details. (Or if you think the deadlines are too close/too far; I'm trying to give plenty of time to folks who are writing in the bigbang challenge.) And on a personal note: I am going to love you forever if the secret you choose to deal with is 'John finds out about SamnDean' in the most serious and intense way possible. JUST SO YOU KNOW. *g*

And please - feel free to pimp the community and the challenge.