2021 Prompt Calendar

Fandom: The Hobbit
Thorin Oakenshield is working in Bree the first time he meets the Baggins of Bag End.

Fandom: Criminal Minds
Penelope Garcia meets someone new and interesting.

Theme: Fresh Start
And suddenly you know: It’s time to start something new and trust the magic of beginnings. ―Meister Eckhart

Fandom: The Witcher
Geralt decides to extend an invitation during his bath time.

Fandom: The Addams Family
Wednesday Addams receives an unexpected invitation.

Theme: Good vs. Evil
The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing. ― Edmund Burke

Fandom: The Mandalorian
Din Djarin didn’t know what to do with a 50-year-old toddler and he figured it showed.

Fandom: Star Trek
Amanda Grayson knew what it meant to fall in love at first sight.

Theme: Coming of Age
Age is a question of mind over matter. If you don’t mind, it doesn’t matter. — Leroy “Satchel” Paige

Fandom: Stargate: Atlantis
John Sheppard takes a leap of faith.

Fandom: MCU
Pepper Potts doesn’t know how to give up.

Theme: Redemption
Seeking to forget makes exile all the longer; the secret of redemption lies in remembrance. — Richard von Weizsaecker

Fandom: NCIS
Tony DiNozzo finds love in an unexpected place.

Fandom: Stargate: Atlantis
Teyla Emmagan knows the intimacies of hope better than most.

Theme: Revenge
The best revenge is to live on and prove yourself. — Eddie Vedder

Fandom: The Untamed
Wei Wuxian was a better teacher than Lan Qiren.

Fandom: The Mandalorian
Cara Dune knew deep down in her bones that Din Djarin was a problem. (Fan Casting: Gabrielle Union)

Theme: Survival
We don’t even know how strong we are until we are forced to bring that hidden strength forward. — Isabel Allende

Fandom: Teen Wolf
Derek Hale does what is necessary, no matter the cost.

Fandom: Stargate: SG-1
Sam Carter sees more than she would like.

Theme: Fate
The true adventurer goes forth aimless and uncalculating to meet and greet unknown fate. — O. Henry

Fandom: Sherlock Holmes (any media type)
Sherlock Holmes notices something unusual about the very dear Dr. Watson.

Fandom: Stargate: Atlantis
Miko Kusanagi helps Atlantis.

Theme: Faith
In faith there is enough light for those who want to believe and enough shadows to blind those who don’t. — Blaise Pascal

Fandom: Stargate: SG-1
Jack O’Neill lets his heart lead him for the first time since the death of his son.

Fandom: Harry Potter
Minerva McGonagall discovers a deeply painful truth.

Theme: War
The supreme art of war is to subdue the enemy without fighting.— Sun Tzu

Fandom: MCU
Tony Stark makes a mistake and takes the lesson to heart.

Fandom: The X-Files
Dana Scully didn’t want Mulder to be right.

Theme: Courage
Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go. — T. S. Eliot

Fandom: Stark Trek
S’chn T’gai Spock comes to understand the meaning of home.

Fandom: Agents of SHIELD
Melinda May takes no shit and no prisoners.

Theme: Reunion
Every parting gives a foretaste of death, every reunion a hint of the resurrection. — Arthur Schopenhauer

Fandom: The Hobbit
Bilbo Baggins knew the moment he set eyes on Thorin Oakenshield that his life would never be the same.

Fandom: Firefly/Serenity
Zoë Washburne carries love and grief like a weapon.

Theme: Loyalty
Nothing is more noble, nothing more venerable, than loyalty. – Cicero

Q. Is there a time limit on posting?
A. No, if you stumble across this page in 2030, you’re welcome to do a prompt and post your link!

Q. What if my response turns into a novel?
A. A pantser is gonna pants. Your link to a completed work is still welcome!

Q. Can I do a prompt more than once?
A. Yes! You can do them a thousand times.

Q. Will you customize a banner for me?
A. No, we don’t have time for that. But, it will be seriously super easy for you to do it on Fotojet or Befunky. We promise!

Q. Do I have to use the banner you provided for a prompt?
A. Everyone, but Ladyholder, can use whatever banner they would like or none at all. Ladyholder is required to use our art. It’s in the bitch code.

Q. For the themed prompts, can I base my story just on the theme, or do I have to use the quote for inspiration?
A. You can just use the theme, the quote is just for further inspiration and perspective.

Q. Can I just use the image for inspiration without the sentence prompt?
A. Yes, of course. You do you, boo.

Q. Can I use more than one prompt in a single story?
A. Yes, good luck with that! Fusions and crossovers are totally okay.

Q. Do I have to do all the prompts?
A. No, you can do one prompt or 20. The important part is being inspired.

Q. Do I have to write/post the prompts in order?
A. No, you can start in July for all we care. We did the calendar format because we knew it would appeal to some and it made organizing the page easier. You can post as you finish, no matter where the prompt is placed on the calendar.

Q. Can I write a series with the prompts or a novel featuring all of the prompts?
A. Sounds like fun! Here’s hoping that Geralt doesn’t piss Wednesday off! But, yes, please feel free to use any combination of fandoms or themes to get your creative juices flowing.

Q. The suggested minimum word count is 2,000 words, what if I write less? Can I still post a link?
A. Yes, you can still post a link and Keira won’t judge you.

Q. Can I use one of these prompts to participate in a bang or writing challenge?
A. Yes, but please don’t attempt to use our banner art for any sort of bang as those events usually have fan artists participating and it would be weird. You can, however, use our banner art on Rough Trade challenges.

Q. Is there an AO3 Collection?
A. Yes, and you can find it here: 2021 Prompt Calendar