text: # Happy Saturday, serialists! Welcome to Serial Saturday! \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ ***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: Loose Ends William Tecumseh Sherman is famously known for this declaration. War is hell. Battles hard-won through personal sacrifice leaves scars far and wide on its . At this point in our stories some of our characters may have gotten a taste of that hell. The good news is that at this point in our stories, the fever pitch of conflict has died down. The worst is over, they say. No more buildings falling around people’s ears, no more and vengeance quests to find peace, no more running. The dust has to settle, and the crowds will clear out. Or at least that’s . The major conflict of this story may be over, but there’s still plenty to do, and things can still get worse (or better? ). *Oh and just a note for any dragon queens here: Ya burned Kings Landing and lost 2 dragons and a boyfriend along the way. Maybe slow your roll on making any drastic decisions, m’kay?* But enough of the tomfoolery. There’s one thing for sure: Lord of the Rings didn’t end when Sam and Frodo deliver their package to the fires of Mount Doom. When they reached the Shire it’d been decimated, and Saruman still had some tricks up his sleeve. The heroes of Middle Earth weren’t done yet, as it turns out. And neither are our protagonists in SerSat. It’s not all over yet. There are villages to rebuild, , will and testaments to write, , loyalties to shore up, commendations to dole out, and . **Things to think about this time around:** ? How will they treat those they had to go up against? How are their relationships going to change? Did they pick up some bragging rights and titles along the way? If your story is one of political or social dexterity, what messes have to be cleaned up in the wake of fallout? Was their morality compromised? What backlash do they face for making ? Is this a story of finding a way to work together, or is this going to look like a ? If your story is one of internal struggle, how does this arc affect how they will move on with their lives? Did , or what they needed? I’ll be the first to admit here that all of this is a lot to think about. What if your characters just... aren’t that deep? Sometimes it’s not that complicated. Sometimes after it’s all said and done, all that’s left to do is &#x200B; **\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*** **With the ranks whittling down as we close in on our final chapters, a boon has been granted from the writing gods on high! I give you:** **FIFTY! FIFTY MORE WORDS PER INSTALLMENT!** **That’s right, folks. For the last chapters you now may write \*up to 800\* words for the rest of the beats. I hope that helps wrap some precious words up,** **!** **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, Victors: **Fan favorite with the most votes:** /u/Xacktar, bringing us to new heights and a whole new world of sequel material. This week the **Smoking Hot Challenge Sash** goes to an author that nailed the spirit of the assignment: /u/ColeZalias, showing that not every conflict is a battle of armies, but the victory can be just as hard won. **And two honorable mentions:** /u/Lynx_Elia, with a great juxtaposition of characters and how they see themselves and each other. And /u/Mazinjaz, for a great mixture of bringing us into the pitch of battle and then pulling us back down to earth with a dose of perspective. \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ **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: **Victors** Have you seen the? No? Oh boy! Here's the current cycle's challenge schedule.