Kat's Sentinel Story Challenges

We all like fanfic, yes? So here's some challenges to get your creative juices flowing. If you actually do write a story fitting one of these challenges, let me know where it lives, so I can put a link to it from here.

Challenge #1 - Invisible Man Challenge

Jim meets the Invisible Man.

Which version of the Invisible Man is up to you, though I must admit I have a preference for the TV series starring David McCallum. Also the more recent TV series where the Invisible Man is an ex-thief working for the government (Darrien). As for style, I'm not looking for humour/parody here, but serious drama.

  • Auntie Hill has written a Sentinel/Invisible Man crossover, "Sight Unseen", though she didn't do it in response to this challenge. It is archived at Cascade Library

Challenge #2 - Rain Challenge

The challenge is this: take the following paragraph as your starting point, and write the rest of the story.

It was raining. Jim could hear the rain tapping on the windows, gurgling down the drains, tumbling through the gutters. He could hear the splash of the water as the cars drove through the puddles. His mood was as grey as the clouds.

That's it. Bonus points if you actually don't put Blair in hospital - that would be too easy. Now I guess we'll have the problem of not thinking of a black cat - nobody will be able to think of anything except Blair in hospital. But, hey, lots of rain itself might be enough to put Jim in a grey mood. Or Jim could be in hospital. Or Blair could be away. Or Simon could be in hospital! Or Jim could have just heard that Carolyn remarried. Or something.

Challenge #3 - Dr. Suess Challenge

It's simple: just write a story in the style of Dr. Suess. All in rhyme.

Challenge #4 - New Partner Challenge

This one was inspired by Jael Lyn's "Patrol".

Write a story where Blair (as cop) is (temporarily) moved to another department of the PD. He is assigned a new partner. Said partner believes Blair is a fraud, and hates Blair's guts. However, said partner is not a villain, but a good cop. Learns to appreciate Blair. Bonus points if Blair learns some valuable lessons too.

Challenge #5 - Friendship Challenge

Write a story which includes the following sentence: "Sometimes we just need those people in our life, whom just thinking about them cheers us up." You can rephrase the sentence to make it fit a particular character, but the meaning must remain the same.

Challenge #6 - Amnesia Challenge

"Can friendship survive the loss of memory?" That was a phrase that struck me from either the actual story or the summary of JJ's "Into The Wilderness". Now, we've all read stories where either Jim or Blair gets amnesia. But what if both of them got amnesia at the same time -- and were stuck somewhere away from their other friends?

Write the story of what would happen.

Challenge #7 - Times Past Challenge

(Inspired by watching too much Hornblower)

Take the following and make a story of it:

The pitiful creature that whimpered in the corner of the room was but a pale shadow of a man. His hair and beard were long and matted, and though he still wore the navy trousers of a seaman, his chest was bare, and covered with the red pinpricks of a rash. His muscles, once strong, were wasted as with one of those devlish tropical fevers. He had his hands pressed over his ears.

"Who is he?"

"Lieutenant James Ellison, Dr. Sandburg," the seaman said. "That's what he said when we rescued him. Late of His Majesty's Frigate Brigante which sank with all hands down the coast of South America nigh two years ago. He were fine when we picked him up, sir, but the journey treated him poorly."

Challenge #8 - Beach Challenge

Write a story containing the following:

Blair gasped and spluttered as his head broke the surface. He brushed his tangled wet hair out of his eyes while he treaded water. The intensity of the light hit his eyes like a sledge-hammer. Then a curling wave buffeted his head, drenching him in cool salt water again. He turned his head. Land. Barely 40 yards away. A bright line of sand, and vegetation of every shade of green imaginable. He swam for the shore. He stood up when his feet found bottom, and waded through the mild breakers onto the pristine white sand, and walked further up, into the shade of a tree. He sat down and looked back at his footprints, the only sign of humanity on the entire shore.

Where the hell was he?

Bonus points for making this a place that was jaunted, teleported, zapped or wormholed to.