Prompt Woes

[bk_forever]

*sighs heavily and droops* Looks like my drabble run is over =(

The new prompt is 'Women's History' and will run for 2 weeks. I have nothing. Not the faintest idea. And to keep on schedule for 100 drabbles this year, I have to write at least three over the next two weeks.

Is it just me or is this the worst prompt EVER? I'm not a history buff, most of the Torchwood women don't even interest me and the ones that do don't seem to lend themselves to anything remotely historical anyway.

Does anyone out there have any ideas of someone or something I could use? Because I'm stumped. Maybe I'll just crawl under the bed and stay there for the next two weeks.

*sits in corner wibbling*

Comments

[iantojjackh.livejournal.com]

I'm with you. When I saw it this morning I thought WTF. I'm lost on his one too. Two weeks is crazy for such a prompt. I might go back and look over some challenges from before I joined.

[bk_forever]

I hate breaking my unbroken run, but really, this one has me completely stumped. I don't think I can even get a Tosh drabble out of it.

Maybe I'll try the older prompts too, just so I can keep to schedule with drabble writing. After all, I said I wanted to write 100 drabbles this year, I never said I would stick only to the weekly prompts. I have a feeling there aren't going to be many drabbles posted at tw100 over the next two weeks. It's all very well being topical, but... o_O

[aviv-b.livejournal.com]

Well I have one idea - but we'll see.

[bk_forever]

Oooh, good luck! At least the prompt will generate an actual drabble! My brain just took one look and said "No way!" =S

[fanbot.livejournal.com]

Jack can tell a lot about a woman's history by...

An antique device falls through the rift. Only Jack knows it's a device from women's (sexual) history.

Jack has slept with a couple of important woman in history.

Owen makes a chart of his history with women.

Tosh doesn't really have a history of "boyfriends."

[iantojjackh.livejournal.com]

hmm some of those might give me an idea or two...thanks

[bk_forever]

Don't pinch all the best ones, lol!

Let me know what you're trying for and I'll try not to use the same idea.

[iantojjackh.livejournal.com]

I already did one. Heh

[bk_forever]

I saw, but I haven't read it yet as I've been trying to write my own. I've managed to turn one idea into a pair of drabbles, one from Jack's POV, one from the historical figure's. I'll probably post them separately on my journal, but put them in one post on tw100.

I still don't like the prompt though...

[iantojjackh.livejournal.com]

Hmm interesting. Can't wait to see them.

Is it bad my mind defaults to angst?

Still not fond of it either, but at least I did one.

[bk_forever]

Not at all! Mine usually defaults to fluff.... Possibly why I couldn't come up with any ideas. There are more ideas below, if you're still looking - easily enough for everyone to write a few drabbles! I might even manage another one or two, clearly other people have better brains than mine at the moment because the sheer variety of ideas is astounding!

[iantojjackh.livejournal.com]

I got a second idea for a follow up to first blood, but not sure if it really works.

[bk_forever]

Only way to find out is to try writing it! Good luck!

[bk_forever]

Ooh, ideas! Thank you, I'll see if I can make my brain take interest. *pokes brain*

[tardisjournal.livejournal.com]

A bit weird, I'll admit. But really, anything in the past of a female character would be a "woman's history" and would therefore apply. Such as,

Alice or Emily--She wasn't always a sadist

Alice/Emily--being gay in Victorian England

Or anything to do with them, as they are important female figures in Torchwood's history

Or:

Lisa--She wasn't the first female Cyberman in history

Tosh--Her mom always encouraged her to pursue science and maths instead of a more traditional path

Or how about Jack meeting any historical woman. He must have done, between his time-travel and long time on Earth!

As I was pondering this, the title "Five Times Jack met the Queen (and One Time They Did More Than Talk)" popped into my head. That's probably a bit long for a drabble, but you get the idea!

[bk_forever]

Thanks! Not sure about Alice/Emily - they're interesting characters but I don't think I'd be good at writing them, I just don't understand them.

I don't know many historical women *frowns* Might have to research. I hate researching, lol! Although... I might havr the faintest glimmering of an idea....



You should write the Queen one yourself, lol!

[tardisjournal.livejournal.com]

Good luck with your "glimmering"! Usually that's all it takes. :)

LOL! That Jack/Queen fic would be awesome but I'm not sure I'm the one to do it. Seems to me a native Brit or a historian would be better suited to the task!

[bk_forever]

I'm a Brit, but not an historian - plus I'm allergic to research, so that rules me out!

Turned my glimmer into a pair of drabbles. I'll have a shot at another idea on another day - I have two weeks, after all!

[iantojjackh.livejournal.com]

Oh oh you are evil with the cyber woman on...gah I should be working

[bk_forever]

Cyberwoman is irresistible to you, isn't it, lol!

[iantojjackh.livejournal.com]

Yup it is.

Its so delciously evil, like me:)

[tardisjournal.livejournal.com]

That's why you love me. ;)

[iantojjackh.livejournal.com]

Humph. Maybe. It did spawn something, not exactly what your idea was, but still evil.

[star54kar.livejournal.com]

Just a thought...If Tosh and Jack had been stuck in the 1940's then Tosh would have been a woman living in history.

Hope that helps.

*hugs*

[bk_forever]

Hmmm, that's an interesting thought. Tosh doesn't even need to get stuck in 1941, she's still seeing the past right in front of her.... I might be able to do something with that, thanks!

[captain91.livejournal.com]

i've been really struggling with the last few, i don't get t them until the en of the week and y then the obvious ones have all been done. i hadn't seen this weeks yet... WTF?!

i need to go and look i think and see this fr myself

oh, and if you like drabble writing have a look at charloft, every summer they do a challenge to do 100 prompts n 100 days, i've never completed it yet, but it is fun trying and sharing

[bk_forever]

Thanks, I'll go take a look at that.

Would it help if I emailed the prompt to you each week as soon as it appeared or something?

[captain91.livejournal.com]

would you really do that?
with a mix of all the fandoms i'm in being currently active and my health taking a turn for the worst meaning i don' tend to get through my flists new posts. i spend most of my time on a tablet now so i can recline my bed, unless i see a post tot he prompt i don't know what it is!

i know it would be a pain to have to email them so i get it if you've changed your mind but if now it would be really helpful

[bk_forever]

It's no problem at all, I think I have your email addy already. I just need to make a note to myself to remind me. I usually see the prompt sometime Tuesday, depending on when it's put up.

We're stuck with Women's History for the next two weeks, so maybe you'll have time to write something. If you're stuck for ideas, take a look through the comments below on this post - clearly other people have better brains than mine and there are some great ideas, so help yourself! I've managed to get two out of one idea, looking at it from two perspectives, and I might try to get a couple more from some of the other ideas. I'm so glad I complained about the promt, lol!

*Hugs* Sorry to hear you're not doing so well.

[captain91.livejournal.com]

thaks hun

i always kind f fancied a torchwood historical thing (i read way to many historical romances) maybe i'll get luck this week. but i think it will be missing caps, i just got a new comp, installed ms office and it isn't auto cping. using shift hurts too much and my techy friend is is disney land. hopefuly i can get away with it without the caps

[bk_forever]

You can always send it to me to add the caps if you're using ms word. I'm online most of the day and always checking my email. Hopefully your friend will be able to fix the problem when they get back.

[silver_sun]

Just going to throw a few ideas out there.

Eleanor (from the radio play Golden Age) - Her and Jack in India in the 1920s.

The unnamed woman from the photograph in Something Borrowed that might have may have been married to Jack. Who was she? Did she work for Torchwood.

Harriet Derbyshire - Seeing how WW1 changed attitudes towards women working. Or perhaps her thoughts on how she could risk her life for the country working for Torchwood but couldn't get a degree at Oxford because she was a women (it was 1921 before they could)

Estelle - seeing the world change but Jack staying the same - although she'll never tell him she's realised it's him.

Pearl (Night Travellers) She didn't fit in in her own time/stifled by society at the time she ran away to the circus and joined the Night Travellers.

Diane and/or Emma (Out of Time) their thoughts on being in a new century.

Mary (Greeks Bearing Gifts) She'd seen a lot living in Cardiff for 200 years.

Team Torchwood meet a famous historical woman who's fallen through the Rift.

Any of the Torchwood women ending up in the past. or I suppose the future, as they would be part of women's history then.

Or perhaps Tosh makes a discovery that will earn her a place in history.

Torchwood was founded by Queen Victoria, did she ever meet Jack?

[bk_forever]

Wow, thanks! There's some great ideas there.

How come everyone else can think of lots of good ideas while I couldn't think of anything? I know I'm getting on a bit, but I was hoping my brain would last me a bit longer.

[(Anonymous)]

Woman's rights. Jack not understanding that women dont have them when he first arrives. Women were effectively the possession of their fathers and husbands.
Woman's sexual emancipation when the pill arrived and jacks joy in that.
Jacks anger that woman field operatives got paid less than their male counterparts, or men generally devaluing the skills of the women around them.
Dealing with the women at prospect park who became inmates because they had illegitemate children. Perhaps one was jacks lover and he helps her or the child escape.
When abortion was illegal or legal, how jack deals with the loss of an unborn child.
Celebrating the first time woman were allowed to vote.
The first time jack sees a woman in slacks....

[bk_forever]

Some fascinating ideas there, thanks very much!