It’s finally happening! The most awaited server event makes its yearly appearance! Can you believe it’s our third time?! Here’s to participation in whatever form you desire, let’s be strange together and make some spooky things!
Anyway, as our baby event grows, this year we decided to make one significant change: instead of lasting a whole month, the event is set during the last 2 weeks of October.
Brief info:
The event is set between 18–31 October 2024
We are open to all forms of creativity (fics, art, gifs, etc.) 🦋
42 prompts to choose from (2 types: words & sentences); 3 daily prompts
The main rule — works centred around Stephen Strange
Tag with #strangehalloween2024, so we can reblog on our Tumblr
If applicable, submit in our dedicated ao3 collection
Art by @unnnamedidiot with permission to use for the event. Show your support and reblog their amazing art!
We hope that you will once again have fun with Strange Tales of Halloween, whether by active participation or enjoyment of the contributions! Please remember to show your appreciation in comments, reblogs, kudos, etc. We encourage you to let others know that you like someone’s work! The fandom and its growing content exists because we want to be there, engaging with another. This is what allows Strange Tales of Halloween to be organised each year — you never disappoint by asking about said event!
🎃 Prompt list, FAQ & rules can be found bellow the line:
Prompt List
Friday 18 October — Bedtime story | Basement | Potion
Saturday 19 October — Claws | Whispers | “Follow me”
Sunday 20 October — Lies | Trick or treat | Zombies
Monday 21 October — Abandoned mansion | Scarecrow | “I don’t take orders from a cat”
Tuesday 22 October — Web | Cloak | Vampire
Wednesday 23 October — Spell book | Horns | “Stay still, or I’ll chop your hand off!”
Thursday 24 October — Candle | Wanderer | Shadow
Friday 25 October — Stars | Ruckus | “Say, weren’t you the one playing that creepy tune earlier?" "…I thought that was _you_.”
Saturday 26 October — Screams | Sacrifice | Poison
Sunday 27 October — Morbid curiosity | Wings | “Well, that’s a nifty spell!”
Monday 28 October — Summoning | Buried (alive) | Angel
Tuesday 29 October — Smile | Kingdom | “Are you speaking Latin?" "Why, aren’t _you_?”
Thursday 31 October — Full Moon Party | Halloween | “Don’t mind them, they’re in the wardrobe.”
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FAQ & rules 2024
1. What must be included in the content of a filled prompt?
Stephen Strange (any version of him: film, TV, or comics etc.) must be either the main or co-main character. Otherwise, anything goes!
2. Can I still take part in the event even if I ship Stephen with someone?
Well, that can be a bit tricky, but generally — yes, you can. We’d prefer to not having Stephen or the other character(s) being there for the sole purpose of shipping, but we’re not against shipping during the event, as long as it all resolves to showing the story or whatever you come up with, that regardless of the dynamic or chosen relationship (platonic, romantic, familial etc.), in the end, it is about Doctor Stephen Strange.
An established relationship, first meeting, or getting together could be allowed if shipping isn’t the driving force behind writing a prompt (yes, of course you can be wanting to have them together, but the thing is — dig harder. Romantic content is a given within the fandom, but the fandom also needs General content! Or/and especially good whumping or angst, or a detective story, an unique AU etc. There are a lot of interesting prompts, so it’s a very good opportunity to try something new or different.
3. What must be included in the tags of posts?
Use the hashtag #strangehalloween2024. Add either into description or a tag the prompts you use (or both). On Tumblr, please include additional tags for NSFW (or NSFT meaning Not Safe For Tumblr) and common triggers (see AO3 for examples). The triggers apply to SFW works if necessary.
4. When can I post my prompt fill(s)?
In the spirit of the theme, these should be posted between 18–31 October 2024. Any strict rules don’t really exist, but we'd prefer if you post prompts the day they were chosen to be posted, e.g. one of the prompts from Saturday 26 October (Screams | Sacrifice | Poison) on said Saturday or after it if you're late, but not eatlier (not on Oct. 20). Don’t worry if you won’t be able to fulfil something on time, you can always participate even if fashionably late. We’d still add it to the ao3 collection or reblog on Tumblr if we see it.
5. Where on the discord server do I post my submissions?
In our gallery for the event in #strange-halloween. It’s for submitting your finished works. Even if it's fanfiction or something that would usually go into art channels, this event is an exception.
Reminder: said channel is not for casual talking, not even about the event, there’s a separate thread within the channel for that.
If your work happens to be NSFW, the usual rules apply: post those into NSFW channels. But if you want, you can write a message in #strange-halloween channel to tell others that you have created something, and point to the appropriate channel.
6. What medium can I use?
Anything! Written prose, poetry, gifsets, mood boards, artwork, playlists, you can even cook or bake something! Make a figurine, crochet something, do a scrapbooking thing, do a cosplay, make a board game, or a quiz. An app for a phone. A game, a collage. Anything goes. All it has to do is to follow the main rule of the event — being about Stephen Strange. No Stephen? No contribution in this one, sorry. So, all is acceptable as a prompt fill. It's all about Stephen Strange in any form he comes in.
7. Can I combine different prompts into one submission (e.g.: Wednesday 23 October Spell book | Horns | “Stay still, or I’ll chop your hand off!” + an earlier/later one) ?
Sure!
8. There are 3 prompts per day. Do I have to do it all?
No. You can do whichever one you want. But if you want to do all no one would be stopping you.
9. Can I use your prompt list with other prompt lists/bingo cards?
Absolutely! Combine it with any other event you'd like to do.
10. Are there any limits to how many prompts I can use/have to use?
Nope! Participate with one or all 42 items! Do as much as you'd like!
11. I’m a bit confused about some prompts; what are the brackets for?
The prompts that have a word in the brackets or also a slash within are the ones where you can be a bit creative (and cheat the system to have more prompts if you try enough), e.g.:
Monday 28 Oct — there's Buried as a prompt. You can use just that word or include the one in the brackets to have Buried alive. Technically, you could also try a different way and get rid of the first one and only have Alive.
Wednesday 30 Oct — we have the prompt Pumpkin so either use this singular word or use the suggested ones to get a Pumpkin Spice Latte, or another option which is Pumpkin Carving!
So, you can either completely omit the additionally suggested words or not. Have fun!
12. I’m not a native English speaker, can I make something in my native language or the one I'm trying to learn?
Of course, there are no limitations. The more, the merrier! Any contribution is valid.
🦇 🎃 👻 🦋 Any other questions? Feel free to send an ask to this tumblr. We can't wait to see what you come up with!
