ADMIN: GotR challenge

[china_shop]

I came across Michael Chabon's new book Gentlemen of the Road in a bookstore on Thursday and was immediately captivated by the title of the first chapter: On discord arising from the excessive love of a hat. I mean, come on! Could it be more Due South?! When I read the other titles, they all seemed deliciously evocative too. So I present to you, the Gentlemen of the Road (GotR) challenge.

Write a flashfic inspired by one of the following chapter titles:

• On discord arising from the excessive love of a hat.
• On payment - and trouble, its inevitable gratuity.
• On the burdens and cruelties of the road.
• On the substitution of one angel, and one cause, for another.
• On the observance of the fourth commandment among horse thieves.
• On some peculiarities in the trading practices of northmen.
• On the seizing of a low moment.
• On a niceness of moral discernment uncommon among gentlemen of the road.
• On anxieties arising from the impermissibility, however unreasonable, of an elephant's rounding out a prayer quorum.
• On the belated repayment of a gift of a pear.
• On the unforeseen and annoying resemblance of a Bek's life to an ill-played game of Shatranj.
• On a consignment of flesh.
• On swimming to the library at the heart of the world.
• On the melancholy duty of soldiers to contend with the messes left by kings.
• On following the road to one's destiny, with the usual intrusions of violence and grace.

Many thanks to i_naiad for sending me the list.

It's May 23, CDT -- stories are due by midnight, June 6, Chicago time.

Comments

[raveninthewind.livejournal.com]

Best challenge ever! I look forward to reading the stories.

[china_shop]

\o/

[malnpudl.livejournal.com]

That is an awesome challenge!

[china_shop]

\o/

*sends inspiration your way*

[meresy.livejournal.com]

Win!

[china_shop]

*beam*

[green-grrl.livejournal.com]

Are you sure these aren't actual DS episode titles? *salivates*

[china_shop]

\o/

[cesperanza.livejournal.com]

SO. AWESOME.

[china_shop]

*glee*

[aingeal8c.livejournal.com]

That is brilliant.

[china_shop]

\o/

[eskarinasmith.livejournal.com]

The last one? Has to be CotW.

[china_shop]

Or set during the Pilot? :-)

[eskarinasmith.livejournal.com]

Ah! Yes!

[sdwolfpup.livejournal.com]

Holy cow. This is my favorite challenge EVER.

[china_shop]

\o/ \o/ \o/

[sage]

Oh wow, okay, I'm reading this with a clear head now and I love it about a million times more than I did on first sight. Wow! Other comments are right -- this may well be the best challenge EVER. I want to write something for nearly ALL of them.

*strives for a clear head and good hands*

[china_shop]

Yayayayayaye!

[nos4a2no9.livejournal.com]

Wow, those are so beautiful! I'm definitely in for this one. (I say that every time, I know. But! Michael Chabon chapter titles! Eeeee!)

[china_shop]

Fantastic!

[j-s-cavalcante.livejournal.com]

These are terrific. Wish I had time to do this. I know just which one I'd start with.

[china_shop]

:-)

[etcetera-cat.livejournal.com]

Oh--oh-- okay. *beats writer's block over the head with a stick and stuffs it in a cupboard*

[china_shop]

*cheers you on*

[troyswann.livejournal.com]

These are MOST EXCELLENT prompts. *thinky*

Challenge suggestion: on the road trip brynnmck and I saw this sign *points to icon* which we promptly named "Compulsory bondage!" and we thought that maybe a road/traffic sign challenge could be good. "Dead end," "Yield," "Construction zone," "Beaver crossing" (okay, that last one isn't real, but you'd be amazed what you can find in the way of traffic signs on the internetz).

[china_shop]

Hee! To me the sign in the icon says, "Compulsory Sam Browne!" *g* But yes! Awesome idea! *adds to list*

\o/

[mnervosa [typekey.com] (from livejournal.com)]

Hi there! The chapter titles are great!

Is there any chance, do you think, of a hoof-fic and horn-fic challenge? Centaurs, minotaurs, satyrs, maybe (by extension) dryads... your basic Thomas Burnett Swann kind of people. I would dearly love to see Turnbull as a centaur. And the Musical Ride would be something entirely different.

[china_shop]

Oh, cool idea. Thanks! *adds to list* :-D