text: # Happy Weekend, serialists! Welcome to Serial Saturday... ish! \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ ***New here?*** If you’re brand new to and thinking about participating in Serial Saturday, welcome! Feel free to dip your toes in by writing for this challenge or any others we have listed on the handy dandy! We appreciate all contributions made to this thread, and all submissions are of course welcomed, whether it addresses a previous challenge or the current one. We hope you enjoy your time in the community! Take a look at our inaugural Serial Saturday post for some helpful tips. You don’t need to catch up by writing for each of the previous assignments, feel free to jump right in wherever fits for you, with whatever assignment or theme fits for you, and post it on the current thread with a link to whichever previously posted challenge you chose to start with. \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ # This week it’s all about: The Spoils I’ll keep it short this week because by now most are pretty hip to where we’re going with these themes. =) What a wild ride we’ve been on these past couple weeks! But it ain’t over yet. After all, there’s titles to hand out, promotions to brag over, and . There’s ghostwriters to hire and hotels to book for that . If you still have loose ends to tie up from the fallout of all that has happened, treat this installment like an extension of loose ends. We’ve seen dark moments, hard won victories, , conflicts of interests that stopped us in our tracks, and unresolved issues that won’t be ignored. Now it’s time to straighten ties, pour one out for the homies, and begin the first of many press interviews. Get the sharpies out, they're about to get a lot of use. What if all your characters wanted was to go home and have a hot cup of tea? I bet that cuppa will be , so tell us about it. Tell us about the moment when they finally get to sit down for the first time in months and just... *.* **Things to think about this time around:** What do your heroes enjoy more, the spoils of war, or being in the thick of conflict? Would they prefer to be back in the command center, deep in case files, or do they find themselves more suited to the limelight? Are they miserable as they step foot on Oprah’s stage, or are they secretly loving it? Did your protagonist earn what they set out to win? Do they feel better or worse off for the outcome? Did this story bring your characters together, or drive them apart? Will they live out the rest of their days wondering ‘what if’? **\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*** **For the final installments of Serial Saturday the word count has been upped to 800 words.** **You have until \*next\* Saturday, 11/21, to submit and comment on everyone else's stories here. Make sure to check back on this thread periodically to lay some sweet, sweet crit down on those who don't have any yet!** \*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\* # Top picks from last week’s assignment, Loose Ends: **Fan favorite with the most votes:** /u/Kammerice, as Obcas fits the final puzzle pieces together. This week the **Smoking Hot Challenge Sash** goes to an author that nailed the spirit of the assignment: /u/ChineseArtist, for weaving in his loose ends with a smoking hot reveal we did not see coming. And two honorable mentions: /u/mobaisle_writing, bringing some levity to a story that has had us on the edge of our seats. And /u/LitCityBlues, with a story that wraps up with some unexpected developments. \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ **The Rules:** * In the comments below submit a story that is between **500 - 800** words in your own original universe. * Submissions are limited to ***one*** serial submission from each author per week. * **Each author should comment on at least 2 other stories** during the course of the week. * That comment must include ***at least one*** **detail** about what the author has done well. * Authors who successfully finish a serial lasting longer than 8 installments will be featured with a modpost recognizing their completion and a flair banner on the sub. * Authors are eligible for this highlight post only if they have followed the 2 feedback comments per thread rule. *Yes, we will check*. * While content rules are more lax here at /r/ShortStories, we’re going to roll with the loose guidelines of "vaguely ***family friendly***" being the rule of thumb for now. If you’re ever unsure if your story would cross the line, feel free to modmail! \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ Reminders: * Make sure your post on this thread also includes links to your previous installments if you have a currently in-progress serial. Those links must be direct links to the previous installment on the preceding Serial Saturday post or to your own subreddit/profile. * Authors that complete a serial with 8 or more installments get a fancy banner and modpost to highlight their stories. * Saturdays we will be hosting a Serials Campfire on the main voice lounge. Join us to read your story aloud, hear other stories, and share your own thoughts on serial writing! We start on Saturdays at 9AM CST. **Don’t worry about being late, just join!** There’s a *Super Serial* role on the Discord server, so make sure you grab that so you’re notified of all Serial Saturday related news! **Join the** **to chat with prompters, authors, and readers!** Previous constraint: **Loose Ends** Have you seen the ? No? Oh boy! Here's the current cycle's challenge schedule.