FAQ

[gimmighoulcoins]

So, what do exactly do we write here?
You'll pick a theme set, and write 50 sentences inspired by the prompts on it! These sentences don't have to be in order, and they don't have to form a single story - traditionally, these comms are for writing 50 stand-alone sentences, each its own little micro-fic. And realistically the themes sets are built with that kind of writing in mind. But creating a single, cohesive story is allowed if you wish to do so! However you approach your sentences, once you're done you'll share them as a post on this community. Questions later in this post have more information on the details of that.

A theme set?
That's right! You'll find the theme sets here!

How often are claims responded to/how often does the FAQ get updated?
The claims post will be checked, and any new ones responded to, twice a day (starting 8/22/25) - though there may be cases where, due to irl commitments, things are delayed. We ask for your patience with that! The FAQ post will be updated roughly once a week on Friday, on an as-needed basis, with any questions that have general application to the community. FAQ questions will be responded to more frequently, with an aim of at least once a day, as needed.

Does the prompt word(s) need to appear in the sentence?
No, it can be implied! The prompt only needs to be what inspires the sentence.

May I claim a character if someone else has completed and posted a set of sentences for that character?
Yes, as long as only one person is claiming a character at a time. The exception being "original character" claims, as that is an umbrella term and (presumably!) no two actually apply to the same character.

Can I claim a different version of a character that has already been claimed?
If they are from different canons, yes. This covers cases like Sherlock Holmes from the books vs. Holmes from BBC's Sherlock vs. from Holmes from the 1984 tv series, from the 2009 movie, from the 1939 movie, etc. People may claim a character for an entire franchise in instances where those individual canons are connected (for example, the Legend of Zelda video games), and specific, individual instances of that character within the franchise can still be claimed.

Can only my claimed character be included in my sentences, or can I include others?
You can absolutely include other characters! In fact, you may even claim one character and write 50 sentences on a ship (or multiple ships!) involving them, so long as those sentences approach the ship with a focus on your claimed character's point of view/part within the ship.

I've claimed two characters. After I finish one of those claims, may I make another claim? Do I have to wait until I've finished both claims to make another claim?
At any given time, you can have two characters claimed. So when you finish one, you may claim another, as long as you never surpass two uncompleted claims.

May I do two (or more) theme sets for one character?
You may only do one theme set at a time - and prompts cannot be mixed from two or more - but you may claim the character again after you've finished one theme set.

What about repeating theme sets? Can I use the same theme set more than once?
Absolutely! You can use, for example, Theme Set Alpha for any and every character you claim if you'd like - using a theme set more than once is totally fine.

Is it okay if my sentences are run-on sentences?
100% yes! Run-on sentences are traditionally fairly common in these challenges, so go for it.

Do I post my sentences as I go?
Please post your sentences only when all 50 are written, keeping it to one post.

Do my sentences all need to connect and make one story?
While you certainly may do that, that's not at all required! The only shared theme necessary is the character you've claimed.

How should I post my sentences?
Use the following format to post your sentences. You may add to it as needed, but please keep everything that's there! As for the sentences themselves, they can be formatted however you'd like under your cut!
<b>Character:</b><br /><b>Fandom:</b> or Original Work<br /><b>Theme set:</b><br /><b>Rating:</b><br /><b>Warnings:</b><br /><lj-cut><br />Your Sentences Go Here!

Can I post my sentences other places, like AO3, Tumblr, or my personal Dreamwidth journal?
Of course! You may post your writing wherever you like. A link back to the community is appreciated if you do, but not necessary!

Is there any off-limits topics?
Fic about real people, and fictionalized versions of living people, is not allowed. Other than that, as long as you are in keeping within Dreamwidth's rules, there are no restrictions! But please be mindful of warning for your content.

Are crossovers and AUs allowed?
Yes, as long as your sentences focus on that character, you may write about them however you like. Claim your character as usual, whether they're AU or not.

Can I write about my OC?
Yes! Both OCs created for original works and fandom OCs are welcome, so long as they are your own OCs. You do still need to claim them, for the sake of tracking claims - but you may simply do so by claiming "original character".

Other questions?
Leave a comment and ask!

Comments

[facethestrange]

I'm pondering if I'm going to do it, but first I have a couple questions. :) Do I pick the theme set I like the most or are they assigned? And do the sentences have to be in order (first prompt #1, then #2, etc.) or is any order okay?

[gimmighoulcoins]

Happy to answer! First off, no, theme sets are not assigned. You are free to choose which set to work with!

And yes, any order is okay, so long as all 50 prompts in your chosen theme set get a sentence. The format of posting them, including order, is entirely up to you!

[elenscaie]

I wanted to ask: Do our sentences have to involve the claimed character only, or can we bring other character in as well?

[gimmighoulcoins]

Yes, you're welcome to include any other characters, as long as your claim remains the focus!

[the_no_name_system]

Hi! I’d like to claim an original character with Theme Set Alpha! Looking forward to doing this!

[gimmighoulcoins]

Glad to hear it, and thank you for your interest! Please head over to the claims post to make your claim using the provided format!

[badly_knitted]

Are run-on sentences allowed? I have a bad habit of seeing how many words I can fit into a single sentence...

[gimmighoulcoins]

As long as it's one sentence, it can be as much of a run-on one as you'd like, absolutely!

[elenscaie]

Might be a dumb question, but where exactly do we post our sentences? Under which post?

[gimmighoulcoins]

It would be your own post made to the comm, once all sentences are completed! The formatting of the sentences themselves is up to you, but the FAQ contains the required heading information to include.

[sweetsorcery]

Great idea for a challenge! :)

Does each prompt word have to appear within the sentence or does it only need to be implied? For example, for the prompt 'medicine', would the swallowing of a pill fulfill it?

[gimmighoulcoins]

I appreciate it, but this comm actually started on LiveJournal, quite a while back - unfortunately, it's no longer active there, but was brought over to Dreamwidth with permission from the original mod, to my understanding, and now the reins have been given to Samifer and myself! Sorry, just felt right to clarify.

To answer your actual question, the prompt being implied is absolutely okay! It doesn’t need to appear outright.

[subukunojess]

This seems pretty cool! Once we finish the 50 sentences and post them, are we allowed to post it to other platforms like AO3 or is it just for this comm only?

[gimmighoulcoins]

You aren't limited to only posting to this comm - it's your writing, feel free to post it wherever you please!

[lexicalcrow]

I'm interested in doing this, but still pondering which character to do. I wanted to check if mcyt characters count for this? I'm writing the fictional characters, not the rl ppl.

[gimmighoulcoins]

I have to ask for more information before making a call. What kind of videos are these characters coming from, what's the nature of the storytelling? Can you give me details?

[ibissal]

Will there be a main information post soon? Especially for those of us who haven't come in with pre-existing knowledge of inspiring challenges.

[rionaleonhart]

Hi! I'm not one of the mods, but I did love the 1sentence challenge that originally inspired this community, so, if you'd find it helpful to see an example set of sentences, I can offer the link to the Mark/Jeremy Peep Show set I wrote back in the day. (This community takes character claims, rather than ship claims, but these sentences would probably also have worked if I'd claimed Mark Corrigan as a character.) Some people link their fifty sentences into a single story, but I took the 'fifty individual one-sentence fics' approach.

If you end up signing up to write, I hope you have a good time!

[rionaleonhart]

I've noticed that the profile of this community says that authors should choose a character 'to write 50 sentences about', but it doesn't specify whether those sentences should be fanfiction. Could someone theoretically write e.g. fifty sentences of meta or squeeing, or is this specifically a fanfiction community? In the latter case, it might be worth saying something like '50 sentences of fanfiction' (or maybe '50 one-sentence fics', to make it clear this community isn't just for fics that are fifty sentences long) rather than just '50 sentences'.

(Just realised how weirdly formal and cold this comment sounds! Sorry about that; apparently my brain kicked into 'professional editing mode' rather than 'talking to a fellow fan mode'. I just thought I should mention this in case it's helpful; I didn't mean to sound like I'm talking to a client!)

[gimmighoulcoins]

That's a good point, and as this is a fanfic community specifically, I'll edit the profile accordingly. Thanks for pointing that out!

(And no worries, it happens! I appreciate you taking the time to note that, though!)

[althea_valara]

So... is there any penalty if we don't complete the challenge during the timeframe?

I ask because I actually don't write all that much (I have a mere 13 works on Ao3, and some of those works are fiber arts fanart!) but I've always loved the idea of writing, and this sounds like a good challenge to try to prompt me to write more. But I also know myself, and know there's a small chance I'd flake out for whatever reason. Since this comm is all about claiming a character, it doesn't seem fair to claim one and then not complete! I'd like your thoughts/opinion on this.

[gimmighoulcoins]

The only thing that happens if you don't finish within the time-frame is that the character is made open for claiming again, to give others a chance to write for them if they might be interested. There's no penalty, and you can claim the character again when you're able!

Since you asked my thoughts and opinions, I will say that I think it's worth going for it and making a claim if you're intetested in the challenge! If you get to a point where you feel you're not uo to finishing in 3 months - or 4, with an extension - that's okay, and if you'd like to you can elect to open the character back up by ending your claim early, even without completing the 50 sentences!

I also see it this way: There's a lot of canons, most with many characters in them. So even if someone wanted to claim an already-claimed character, the chances are very high there's other characters that they'd be interested in!

Question Regarding Theme Sets

[sapientesgladio]

Hello! I will definitely be a first time participant for the 1character event and I'm pretty excited, I've been desiring to write and such too. So this will be helpful.

(I removed this section because I was able to find the answer to my first question LMFAO)

Question: For the strange case if there's a multiple versions of the same character across fandoms, like who I want to claim is Squall Leonhart from Final Fantasy VIII, but he also has a 25 year old version of himself in Kingdom Hearts, but he goes by "Leon" there. Could it be possible for those characters to be requested at the same time (not by the same person, but if someone wanted to claim Leon from Kingdom Hearts while I claim Squall Leonhart from Final Fantasy VIII) but by two different people?

Thanks so much for answering my questions and I'm super stoked to participate!

[gimmighoulcoins]

Yes, different canon's versions of the same character, such as your example, can be claimed by two different people at the same time.

Glad you're interested in participating, hope you have fun!

[ibissal]

Coming back with another top level question for organization (and many kudos on the fantastic treatment of my earlier one!): do you need to fill the prompts in the same order as the theme set? Obviously it wouldn't necessarily matter for the classic standalone sentence approach, but for less classic approaches or even just for general vibe preferences.

[gimmighoulcoins]

No, the order of the sentences doesn't have to be the same as the prompts in the theme set! Whether it's for a non-traditional approach or just the vibes, you can put the sentences in whatever order works for you!

(And thank you, I'm glad that was helpful!)

[switchbladeeyes]

Is it okay if pictures accompany the sentences?

[gimmighoulcoins]

Yes, feel free to go for that! The only note is that, in addition to any necessary warnings for the sentences (and pictures, of course), you gives a heads-up if your post is particularly image-heavy. That way, people know what to expect with load times, etc.

[alicedyer]

Hi! I see mentions of time limits and extensions but can't find what the limit actually is? Please help! :0

[alicedyer]

Ok I found it. 3 months. 🙈 Sorry

[saintofcrowns]

I'd like to claim an original character with Theme Set Delta.

[gimmighoulcoins]

Thank you for your interest! Please head over to the claims post to make your claim using the provided format! It will then be replied to on the next round of checking claims (this happens twice a day!) after you comment your claim!

[but_can_i_be_trusted]

Out of curiosity, since there's only one theme set I haven't done, yet: Will there be more theme sets in the future? Or can we go back and sign up with one we've already completed, with different characters? For example, I just completed Epsilon, with Giovanni from the Pokemon franchise; if I wanted to sign up with that, with some other character/fandom, is that permissible?

[gimmighoulcoins]

While I can't promise more theme sets in the future, it is something under consideration and certainly not an impossibility!

And yes, you can absolutely revisit a theme set you've already done for a different character - or heck, even the same one if you felt so inclined, so long as you write new sentences! You are welcome to use theme set Epsilon, or any other theme set you've already used, again.

Technical difficulties

[varlaamthecreator]

Having a lot of fun writing my sentences :) how do I fulfill my claim once it's finished? How can I post to 1character?

Re: Technical difficulties

[gimmighoulcoins]

Once you've joined the 1character comm, if you haven't already done so, you will have the ability to post to the community. Please do so using the header template included on the claims page!

[goddess47]

I failed once and will try again with a different character... and I'm going to use the prompt list I already picked... but your FAQ doesn't seem to have a link to the themes...

Thanks for running this community... it's fun to see what people do!

[gimmighoulcoins]

Oh shoot, no there wasn't! Thank you for pointing that out, I've added a link!

And thank you!

Posting Question

[sapientesgladio]

Hey hey!

So I have a unique (or not, I have no idea) question. If I utilize Notion not only for organization but also as a means of posting, would that be an accepting posting format until I post it to my Dreamwidth/Tumblr, etc?

Re: Posting Question

[gimmighoulcoins]

Yeah, you could absolutely make a post on the comm that links to your Notion entry - as a placeholder or permanently! Just be sure to include the textbox above in this FAQ along with with your link in said post, so all the important info is covered.