The
idea for this new challenge pack is to elicit short fics from the
prompts, but if you feel the need to write something longer, you’re
allowed to.
Choose one prompt to write about, or tackle them all.
Write
story about a mom. This mom can be any female character from the
X-Files from Scully, Reyes, Marita, Kimberly or Diana to Tara, Melissa,
Samantha, Mrs Mulder or Mrs Scully or William’s future spouse.
I. Actually, It’s A…
Your
mom-to-be gets news that she wasn’t expecting late into her pregnancy
or at the birth: the ultrasound that revealed the baby’s sex was wrong. How does she feel about that? And what is she going to do with all the pink or blue stuff she got at her baby shower?
Bonus: Just for writers who pick Scully -
While
it’s not a hard and fast rule, traditionally baby showers are just for a
mom’s firstborn because it’s assumed that the family will already have a
lot of what’s needed for a baby (though there’s such a thing as a “sprinkle”
that’s fewer gifts for later-born babies). Have Scully be unexpectedly
thrown a big baby shower for her post-series baby…and realize that the
throw-er doesn’t know about William.
II. Too Soon
The
baby-to-be isn’t supposed to be born for at least two more months, but
he or she (or the womb itself after an illness or injury) has other
ideas. Tell us what your mom and her partner go through when the baby
arrives far earlier than planned.
III. Heatwave
No
one ever said that being in your third trimester or parenting a newborn
would be easy. They certainly didn’t say it would be easy when the
thermometer reaches 95F. It’s hot, it’s sweaty, but your mom’s got an
idea for cooling off.
IV. Back to Work
If there’s
one thing that everyone can agree on, workers in the US get the short
straw when it comes to maternity leaves. Send your mom back to the
office. Is she ready to go back? Does anyone help her make the
transition easier?
V. Lullaby (But No Good Night)
It’s 3am and your mom’s still awake. The baby has to fall asleep eventually, right?
VI. The Scare
She
only looked away for a moment, and then the baby’s scream chilled her
blood. Tell us what happens when the baby hurts him/herself for the
first time.
VII. The No Good, Rotten Day
There was
no seat on the subway or the taxi doesn’t stop. Feeding the baby goes
horribly wrong. A puddle drenches mom and baby/toddler both. Tell us
about a mom’s rotten day. Does it have any bright spots?
VIII. The Sweetest Thing
On
the other hand, there are moments that overwhelm a mom with their
sweetness, be it a gesture by one’s child or one’s partner. Tell us
about a moment when your mom is bowled over by something one of her
favorite people does.
Please submit your story or the link to it to nurseryfiles@mulderscreek.com, post it on our submissions Tumblr, or send me a message with a link to your story on your own Tumblr so I can reblog it
