Announcing the #HappyTrackerDays writing challenge
So since the Tracker midseason hiatus is seemingly significantly longer than last season's for no apparent reason and because the Tracker fan activity on this blue hellsite seems rather one-sided and because we all need something light after that cliffhanger despite how I think the not-the-protag guy's still gonna make it too, I thought I might want to take it into my own hands to inspire the rest of the Tracker fandom (who really need a better demonym than the one I've seen around as Trackerbackers just makes me think of tracker jackers from The Hunger Games) to try and be more actively creating fanwork with some fic etc. challenges. And why not start with a holiday one (that since tonight is also the first night of Hanukkah I thought why not make more inclusive than just some kind of 12 Days Of Trackmas type event)
So as this is the first of this sort of thing I've done and also starting in the middle of the month this won't be one of those prompt-a-day things, just choose prompts from a list you feel comfortable writing on (I did 10 for each to halfway between 8 days of Hanukkah and 12 days of Christmas) and try to have at least one Tracker fanfic finished by when the challenge ends.
Rules
The deadline for the challenge is December 31st, 2025. People writing works for this challenge must tag them with #HappyTrackerDays and #HappyTrackerDays 2025 and post them on Tumblr by no later than that (other than that, since this isn't a prompt-a-day thing take all the time you need as long as they're up on Tumblr and/or Ao3 by the 31st or before and if you finish your first one before feel free to write another with a different prompt). Also I am currently on the Ao3 account waiting list, as long as you tag your fic with the tags I mentioned once I have an account I will create a collection for any works this challenge brings about
While non-Jews can write on the Hanukkah prompts they should only do so if they feel comfortable and either know or can research from reputable sources enough about Judaism and Hanukkah to know what they're talking about
Writing fanfics that ship a self-insert or original female character with either Colter or Russell Shaw while not not-allowed are at least strongly discouraged if you have other ideas as that's most of what Tracker fanfics exist right now online and part of the point of these challenges I'm doing is to diversify that (so if you truly want to write one for this you have to (if you can finish this second one by the deadline) write a second one on a different prompt that isn't like this)
No bigotry or use of generative AI allowed
Minimum fic length must be 300 words
If your idea turns multi-chapter you only have to have the first chapter up by the deadline to be a part of this, you're not required to write the whole thing by the deadline
Even though these holiday prompts are mostly intended to imply fic on the lighter side, your fic can be whatever you want it to be rating-wise just make sure you TAG IT APPROPRIATELY
Only reblog this post if you're interested in the challenge
Prompts
Christmas Prompts
Christmas traditions
Kiss under the mistletoe
Christmas music
Hallmark Christmas movies
Santa Claus
Finding the perfect present
A Christmas Carol
Christmas decorations or lights
Literal Christmas magic (as lest we forget the supernatural does exist in the Tracker universe, up to you if you want to go the Supernatural route with it or not)
homage to your favorite non-Hallmark non-Die-Hard Christmas movie
Hanukkah Prompts (Feel free to make any of the main characters Jewish if you feel that's the way to fill any of the first few prompts, just keep any jokes that might arise at Jewish stereotypes etc. they'd inadvertently fulfill if made Jewish (like Reenie being a lawyer who is also a little shit) either in good taste or put them in the mouth of the kind of bad guy who wouldn't say them in good taste and no, take it from someone with a mom with an as "what kind of name is that for a Jewish girl to have" name, Colter could still hypothetically be Jewish despite his mom's name being Mary Dove)
Menorah lighting
Latkes or sufganiyot
Dreidel
Mixed families/the "December dilemma"
the Maccabees
Miracles
The many and the few
Something lasting eight days (or even eight hours if that works better for your idea) that was enough to last only one
Refusal to assimilate
a job where a Jew goes missing on Hanukkah for reasons unrelated to hate crimes/antisemitism (think the kind of thing Tracker would do for a Hanukkah special if it had an actually-Jewish regular character enough to warrant one)
Misc. Prompts (Generic winter ones and some that could work for either Christmas or Hanukkah depending on what the writer celebrates/if they choose to write any mains as Jewish)
Snowed in
Visiting family (either character visiting family or their family visiting them) for the holidays
Outdoor winter sports (skiing, snowboarding or sledding)
Ice skating
Team holiday party
[Preferred pairing of yours] spending their first holidays as a couple once officially together
[Preferred pairing of yours as even the supports have gone out in the field with Colter sometimes] trapped somewhere in the cold finding warmth in each other
Snowball fight
Sleigh ride
city or town holiday festival
So as I said, here's the prompts, if any of these inspires some festive Tracker fanfic ideas for you, reblog this post if you're interested in doing this challenge (also maybe cut me a little slack on how everything's set up, first time doing this shit)
Good luck and it'd be a true Hanukkah miracle if anyone writes for any Hanukkah prompts and I'm not the only Jewish Tracker fan on Tumblr