The Trek BBS: Writing Challenges (2024)

The Trek BBS: Writing Challenges (2024) were a two-month recurring writing challenge, written by the previous challenge's winner, posted to The Trek BBS forums and open to anyone. These were the challenges for 2024.

Writing challenges

January/February Challenge - Stand-Off

The new year brought a small sensation: all the contestants of the last challenge won. Fittingly, the theme for this challenge is "Stand-Off". Any crew, any time in the Trekiverse.

March/April Challenge - Wet and Wild

The theme for the next story contest is... WET AND WILD.

• Entries:
  • "Cetacean Observations" by Hawku

May/June Challenge: Archaeological Anarchy

Whether it's hunting tox uthats, assembling stones of Gols or transporting kir'sharas, your Captain or crew, in some form, accidentally or on mission, has to deal with an ancient artifact. Where and when is it from? Does it hold any meaning, have any supernatural power or were the legends just legends?

• Entries:
  • "Archaeological Anarchy" by Hawku

July/August Challenge: Storytime

Storytime. Any Star Trek series, era, canon, non-canon, ships, crews or characters welcome. Stories are a universal form of social and cultural activity. The means and motive behind the telling and sharing of stories are endless. The challenge is to write a story about a story or storytelling. Possible examples are an officer telling a story in order to inspire others, a wise elder passing on wisdom and moral lessons to a younger generation, a historic account or record of epic lore, someone spinning grand tales of excitement and adventure or a simple exchange of amusing anecdotes for fun and entertainment.

• Entries:
  • "Tales of Recollection" by Hawku

September/October 2024 Fiction Challenge "For a Kingdom, and for Less"

It's said that everyone has their price, that one thing that they would trade absolutely anything for, or stop at nothing to get. For this challenge, what is that price, and what would your character(s) do when offered the chance to have their deepest desire? Maybe a "friend" is involved, a superior officer, a Q (or similar being of your own devising), or perhaps it's Ol' Scratch himself looking to make a deal. Or maybe the deal is made, and the character(s) are dealing with the aftermath, and perhaps a bit of buyer's remorse? How you approach the challenge is up to you. Entries will be accepted up to October 31st, with judging to run for a few days after. Any setting, any characters; I'd prefer to see new stories, but if you have an existing piece that fits, go for it.

• Entries:
  • "Face/On" by Hawku

Appendices

External links

• January/February Challenge - Stand-Off
• March/April Challange - Wet and Wild
• May/June Challenge: Archaeological Anarchy
• July/August Challenge: Storytime
• September/October 2024 Fiction Challenge "For a Kingdom, and for Less"