Unconventional Courtship 2018

[aralias]

Welcome to 'Unconventional Courtship 2018'!



'Unconventional Courtship' is a panfandom fic fest where you write and post a 1000w+ fic based on a M&B/Harlequin plot. Fics will be posted to this community, staggered through August 2018.

This year we are also welcoming a co-mod in the form of tidal_race!

How to play:

It's as simple as:

1. Sign up! All you need to do is comment on this post with the day you want to post your fic. You can tell us which summary/pairing you're going with, but you don't have to. You can also ask us to assign you a summary, if you want. (You don't need a Dreamwidth to play - just comment with OpenID, although you will need to ask us to post your fic on the com. If you are on DW, please follow the community!)

2. Choose a M&B/Harlequin summary (or two etc) - we have hundreds of suggestions here, but there are literally thousands. Our prompt generator may also help (thank you john_amend_all) You can write more than one fic, if you want. You can also combine prompts, if you like.

3. Replace the names (and pronouns if necessary) with the names (and pronouns) of the pairing of your choice. Any any all fandoms and pairings are welcome in this fest.

You can also replace place names and jobs as long as you keep to the spirit of the prompt. So, if you want to write Kirk/Spock, but you don't want to write a modern day AU, you could replace 'the Sahara desert' with 'a desert planet' and Kirk wouldn't need to be the boss at a law firm, he could be the boss... in the sense that he's the captain.

4. Write a fic based on your altered summary. You can take the prompt seriously or use it as an improbable basis for lols.

4.5. Pimp the fest far and wide. I'm hardly going to do this at all, so it's up to you - the players! I've re-uploaded the make-your-own banners and of course you can use any that I've already made

(N.B. Historically our banners were at Photobucket. I've re-uploaded to this post, but you should still see a lot of dead links around the place). Please do pimp where ever you think would be appropriate.

5. Post the fic to this community on your assigned day.

You can also post to our AO3 collection if you want!

You can see some examples of Unconventional Courtship fic by looking through the collection, or earlier in the com.

6. Profit! Fics for all! I'll post a masterlist once all the entries are in. Crossposting is encouraged.

Any questions? Leave a comment or PM me or (even better) tidal_race. Or email me at heroic.tendencies@gmail.com


Rules:

1. All fics must be over 1,000 words long.

2. You must use a modified Mills & Boon and/or Harlequin summary.

3. You don't have to use a beta, but it is strongly advised.

4. Please use the following header (or similar - the AO3 share function is fine) when you post to the community:

<b>Title:</b> <b>Author:</b> <b>Fandom:</b> <b>Pairing/Characters:</b> <b>Rating:</b> <b>Length:</b> <b>Summary:</b> <b>Notes:</b> <b>Link:</b>

5. Please post on your assigned day. If you can't for whatever reason, please let me or tidal_race know either by PM or email heroic.tendencies@gmail.com

6. You can use this fic for another challenge i.e. trope_bingo

7. You can sign up for any day you like, but if it is possible for you to sign up for a day that nobody else is interested in then that'd be best of all.

1 Aug: out_there
2 Aug: georgewashington
3 Aug: killaurey
4 Aug: raininshadows,
5 Aug: paranoidangel
6 Aug:
7 Aug: somehowunbroken
8 Aug: anoyo
9 Aug: innie_darling
10 Aug: gingayellow
11 Aug: merryghoul
12 Aug: meilan_firaga
13 Aug: estirose
14 Aug: navaan
15 Aug: samuraiter, ella_rose88
16 Aug: tigerlily, auroracloud
17 Aug: cestlamorte
18 Aug: sunrises, queso_amigo
19 Aug: celeste9
20 Aug: vilakins
21 Aug: apgeeksout
22 Aug: plaid_slytherin
23 Aug: devilswings
24 Aug: saiditallbefore
25 Aug: storyspinner70
26 Aug: vexed_wench, lordoflions
27 Aug: artemis10002000
28 Aug: luvbarryfefe,
29 Aug: sidhe_faerie meridian_rose
30 Aug: misslucyjane, 238900mi
31 Aug: liadt, rudigersmooch


If you have questions, feel free to ask! And/or consult the FAQs.

Comments

[samuraiter]

*waves*

Do I get to be first to sign up this year? Neat-o burrito. ... Going to pick August 15, and here is the summary provided by the Pairing Generator:

434) A Hero of Her Own by Carla Cassidy

Loki knew that something terrible haunted beautiful adventurer Ais Wallenstein. Now she wanted to help her move on, beginning with a sensual seduction. Yet can Ais trust Loki enough to accept the passion she has to offer?

[aralias]

yes! first!!

welcome on board.

Romance can be bold, but the entire comment does not need to be.)

*cries*

[killaurey]

Yeees, I love this! May I please have August 3, since that's my birthday? :)

I haven't settled on a prompt yet (or a fandom, or a pairing), but ngl, this one is looking terribly appealing to me:

https://www.millsandboon.co.uk/p55044/the-texas-shifters-mate.htm

When Zach Cantrell's mermaid sister disappears, he goes looking for answers. What he finds instead is Shayla Dover, a mermaid princess moonlighting as a paranormal investigator. Even for a mermaid, she's mesmerizingly gorgeous… Not that it should matter to Zach as his marriage has already been arranged. Shayla has her own reasons to keep her distance from this sexy shifter.

But, after an attack on Shayla's life, their undeniable attraction grows into something much deeper. Then they find themselves pitted in a race against time amidst a sea of lies, betrayal, and an enemy that threatens them both…

[aralias]

oh my goodness, that summary!!

it is so outrageous that you should definitely do it.

[liadt]

\o/ August 31st, please, as I have no idea what I'm going for this year!

[aralias]

awesome! i will faff around and work out whether i am going to do anything too...

[wendelah1]

I'd like August 10, please. If it's okay with you, I'm going to use the same time travel/romance crack!fic prompt that I signed up with last year (and failed to write...).

[aralias]

awesome! i love time travel and crack fic :D

[misslucyjane]

YAY! May I have August 30th, please. I'm planning to use this summary:

114) His Mistress for a Million- Trish Morey

For one million dollars: mistress at his mercy! Jobless, homeless and penniless: humble housekeeper Cleo Taylor seeks a suitable position of employment. All good offers accepted… Billionaire tycoon Andreas Xenides seeks beautiful woman for business contract on the luxury island of Santorini. Terms: mistress for a month. Salary: one million dollars. Training will be given…

I think I'm going to do something different this year. *cackles*

[aralias]

cackling is always good :D

[anoyo]

I'd love to sign up for August 8, as it is my birthday. I'd also like to request a prompt: too many decisions and I end up writing them all. Not good for anyone.

[aralias]

August 8th is yours!

How about this one?

260) If I Can't Let Go - Beth Kery

The moment Liam Kavanaugh first glimpsed the exotic beauty dancing across a moonlit beach, he was captivated. Until he realised it was Natalie Reyes - the woman forcing him to confront the dark past they share…
Natalie just wants to move on. She isn’t prepared for the passion that flares between them. And now her very future was in the hands of a man who just might be able to heal her with his touch.…

[auroracloud]

I totally want to do this, but I haven't picked a story yet and am not sure which time in August will be the best for me, so I'll come back a bit later with comments. However, I just want to say that the prompt generator was incredibly great entertainment, and it also made the summaries much more bearable than the original one. Also, it kept wanting me to pair up Gwen Cooper and Amy Pond. Maybe I should take a hint? (It also kept trying to scar me with unlikely Dalek Sec pairings. *goes to look for brain scrub*)

[aralias]

ahha. yes - not sure why dalek sec comes up so often. thisbluespirit often writes posts with the weirdest summaries she's found, and dalek sec comes up often ;)

where's gwen/amy just sounds good!

[vexed_wench]

I would love the 26th if I may have it. I am thinking about this one from their website.

A Lady Becomes a Governess.

Thank you for running this again this year.

[aralias]

26th is yours.

thank tidal_race! she ensured the fest came back :)

[luvbarryfefe]

Yay! I am so glad you're doing this again. I want to play! I'll be back with my summary but please put me down for 28 Aug! Thank you :)

[aralias]

will do! no worries about not having a summary yet - plenty of time.

[estirose]

I would like to sign up for August 13!

Fandom and characters yet to be announced, but I know the one I'm using:

Hell might be heavenly…
…for one of the Sisters in Sin

Lucien Smok is heir to the Smok fortune. He’s also the crown prince of Hell, a legacy he despises. Clairvoyant Theia Dawn tries to convince herself that she’s only interested in Lucien because of his family’s role in the persecution of her ancestor, not because he’s the most beguiling man she’s ever met. The attraction that burns between them might be her downfall. Or it might be his salvation.

[aralias]

aha - that's a brilliant summary, i love it.

put you down for august 13th.

[sidhe_faerie]

August 29

I have a few picked out. I just have to narrow it down.

[aralias]

awesome! i'll put you down for the 29th.

no rush (yet)

[storyspinner70]

August 25th, please. The day after my birthday. :D I clicked through till I saw this...lol Had to have it.


385) 40 TONNES OF TROUBLE - Connie Flynn
Moving on down the highway… That's all Dean wants to do, but it's getting harder and harder. That's because someone's trying to ruin Winchester Transport. Dean's trucks have suffered a rash of break-ins, and a slimy competitor keeps underbidding him and offering to buy him out.

Worse, Dean's at odds with his sister and brother. They want him to get out from behind the wheel and take over the day-to-day running of the family company—from behind a desk!

Then Dean takes on a six-foot-five certified 'stunner' as a temporary codriver and his problems really escalate! Right along with his heart rate...

[aralias]

how could you resist a book with a title like that??

august 25th is great.

[artemis10002000]

I would like August 27th, please

Not sure yet what I'll write (but it's likely to be some sort of Star Wars, knowing me)

[aralias]

cool cool. i've put your name on the list :)

[paranoidangel]

Please can I have the 5th August with this summary:

49)AT THE CATTLEMAN'S COMMAND by LINDSAY ARMSTRONG
Coming home to the country offered Barbara Wright the chance to make a settled, secure life for herself. But there was a complication – in the shape of her ex-fiancé, millionaire ex-colleague Ian Chesterton. He was still the gorgeous man who had swept her off her feet before – and the attraction between them was electric!
It would have been easy for Barbara to let Ian seduce her. But not so simple to explain the secret she'd kept hidden for years. If Ian learned the truth, would he be so keen to reclaim his runaway bride colleague?

[aralias]

good summary! runaway colleague is a good title, too ;)

[saiditallbefore]

I’d like to claim the 24th, if I can.

I haven’t decided on a summary yet, so I’ll be back with that.

[aralias]

yes! sounds good. no worries about the summary - you've got a while to get to it.

[plaid_slytherin]

I will ask for August 22, please! Probably will use this one, for A Song of Ice and Fire, Stannis/Davos.


186) The Pirate's Willing Captive by Anne Herries
Kept for the pirate’s pleasure!

Instinct told her that Captain Justin Sylvester was a man she could trust. But how could this pirate, who had just stormed her ship, be a true man of honour? Captive on the high seas, with nowhere to run, curiously Maribel Sanchez had never felt more free. If she returned to rigid society she’d become an old man’s unwilling wife. If she stayed with Justin he’d made it abundantly clear she would become his more than willing mistress…

[aralias]

awesome. and i'm pretty sure i've used an anne herries summary about pirates before, but NOT this one. she must have a thing for them.

[lordoflions]

I'd like to sign up, please! I'll need to crowd in on August 26th, though, if that's okay. I'm just not confident in my ability to have anything done before then, haha.

Thanks very much!

[aralias]

no worries - we'll need to double up at the end, anyway :)

[georgewashington]

I’d love to post on August 2nd!

[aralias]

awesome!

[devilswings]

Hello,

I'd like to sign up and post on August 23rd! Fandom is Final Fantasy XV and for prompts I'm looking at 9, 11, or 14 but leaning heavily towards 14.

[aralias]

cool! still plenty of time to decide.

i'll add you to the list.

[apgeeksout]

Please count me in for August 21. c:

I’m leaning pretty heavily toward this summary:

101) Montana mail-order Wife – Charlotte Douglas
Rancher Dean Ambrose ’s mail-order bride turned up with a huge bump on her forehead and a case of amnesia. Renee Young didn’t know who she was let alone that she’d agreed to a marriage in name only! But handsome Dean certainly aroused her interest.

[aralias]

you're officially signed up.

good summary :)

[celeste9]

Can I sign up for August 19th please? I'm leaning towards summary 191) Double Exposure by Erin McCarthy. :)

[aralias]

august 19th is yours!

[raininshadows]

Hi! Can I have August 4th? I'm still looking at summaries; would it be okay to comment to say which one I'm going with once I have that decided? Thanks!

[aralias]

absolutely - no rush. lots of good summaries out there :)

and thanks for choosing a nice early date!

Eggsy Unwin is very inspiring!

[innie_darling]

Could I get August 9, please? I'm going to use a portmanteau summary:

22)SEDUCING REILLY

by MAUREEN CHILD

Silhouette Desire

The Tempting Mrs Reilly

Brian Reilly was a man on the edge. It had been two long weeks since he and his brothers had made the bet, before Tina Coretti Reilly turned up on his doorstep. And now that his beautiful ex-wife was within arm’s reach again, he didn’t know how he’d survive! Because Tina wanted a baby. Brian’s baby.

Whatever Reilly Wants…

For two years Connor had been coming to Emma Jacobsen’s shop, she’d listened to him talk about this woman and that one. She’d thought their friendship was special. Until he admitted how ‘safe’ and ‘comfortable’ he felt around her, how he’d laughed at his brother. Well, war was declared! She was going to show her ‘pal’ just how much of a threat she could be to his chastity!


(Question: I actually meant to sign up using a different prompt [#167] but already started writing this one. If I get my act together and want to write a second fic, should I claim a second posting date or just post them on the same day? Thanks!)

Re: Eggsy Unwin is very inspiring!

[aralias]

you can do either - it's quite nice if you can spread it over two dates, but i don't mind. whichever you want :)

[merryghoul]

August 11, please.

[aralias]

it's yours!

[sunrises]

I'd love August 18, if no one's taken it yet!

The summary that I gleaned from the Harlequin website itself:

He never mixed business with pleasure. But when fresh-faced Shana O'Reilly appeared at his office door, she threw no-nonsense attorney Travis Marlowe's carefully ordered world into a tailspin. For the first time ever, he couldn't stop thinking about a client—and not just because of her father's mysterious request to adjust his will.

Shana wasn't looking for romance—she had her hands full with her family and her business. But she couldn't shut off the electric current humming between her and—of all people—the new family attorney.

Talk about finding love where you least expect it….

Ideally, the fandom is Ace Attorney and the pairing would be Maya Fey / Simon Blackquill, but I'm not 100% certain on that yet.

[aralias]

sounds good :)

august 18th is free, as well.