Drawing Miss Fisher / LeChatNoir

Poor Phryne has had a bit of a shock, she just received word that the MFMM Flashfic Challenge is back!

That’s right, people of the internet, please make a note in your diaries because on 25 February 2023 we will be doing another Flashfic Challenge and we really want you all to join in.

It’s been so long since we did this, and we know that this absolutely amazing fandom has grown since the last time so let’s explain really quickly (Well, actually this does go on a bit and we’re very sorry.):

The flashfic challenge is a writing prompt challenge where members of the fandom provide prompts and then fics are written based on those prompts. Which seems simple enough, but that’s not really how we roll, so there’s more:

Fic writers only have 2 hours from when they receive their prompts until they must have posted their fics on AO3. (Which explains why Phryne looks so worried.)

Because the fandom is spread all over the globe, we run 4 heats so we hopefully have one at a time of day that works for most people:

Time slot 1: 10am GMT / 2am PST / 5am EST / 11am CET / 9pm AEDT Time slot 2: 4pm GMT / 8am PST / 11am EST / 5pm CET / 3am AEDT (Sunday) Time slot 3: 10pm GMT / 2pm PST / 5pm EST / 11pm CET / 9am AEDT (Sunday) Time slot 4: 4am GMT (Sunday) / 8pm PST / 11pm EST / 5am CET (Sunday) / 3am AEDT (Sunday)

Prompts are submitted by members of the fandom - you don’t need to submit prompts in order to write, and you aren’t excluded from writing if you do submit some. You can do one or the other or both. (Yes, it is also okay to just submit prompts.) We then divvy up the prompts so we have a reasonable amount for each heat and then prompt lists are published when each heat begins.

There are 2 ways to receive the prompts: You can follow this blog, where they’ll be posted when the heat begins, or you can sign up to receive the prompts for whatever heats you want by email. Signing up for prompt emails does NOT mean you’re obligated to write anything, it just means you’ll receive the prompts and what happens next is 100% your business. If you want the prompts by email, just send a message to [email protected] no later than February 22nd and let us know which heat(s) you’d like us to email you and that’s it.

Each heat has its own collection on AO3 where writers can publish their fics, and those collections all close when their respective heats end, so after the two hours are over. Because writing can be stressful and sometimes it takes longer or life gets in the way mid-heat, we also have a flash free collection where any fics that are completed later can be published. That collection will not close at any point and can be added to whenever you want.

Each flashfic challenge has a theme for the prompts and this time the theme is AO3 tags. That means anything you could imagine being a tag on AO3, so either a warning label, a descriptive tag, or a more random freeform tag. Anything goes and feel free to get creative! We’re asking for these tags in sets of three, so for example: “Why Is This Happening?? // Domesticity // Also Cats Can Talk Now” Writers can of course add as many of their own tags to their fics as they want, all we ask is that you use all three tags in the set you choose, and that they apply to your fic in some way.

We’d love it if you send us your prompts no later than February 20th by emailing [email protected]. (And you can send as many sets as you’d like!)

Hopefully that’s it - the only rule that’s left is: Have fun! It’s fine if your version of fun is the traditional writer’s agony, obviously! (And we’re not thinking of anyone in particular as we type that. At all.)

Oh, yes, and the most important rule of all: It doesn’t matter if you’re new to the fandom or new to ficcing, or if you just arrived here and you don’t know anyone yet, or you used to hang out here but haven’t been back for ages. Everyone is welcome and we’d LOVE for you to join us in this madness! Submit prompts, write fic, and (hopefully) READ fic.

Come play with us! ❤︎ 

@whopooh​ & @olderbynow​

The TL;DR for the experienced Flashers:

We’re back(!) and we’re ficcing on February 25th

The prompt theme is AO3 tags and prompts need to be submitted by February 20th to [email protected]

i’ve just seen unnatural habits

OH BOY DO I????

Tagging @captainofthefallen @gelbmantrees @fillorysjulia and @madamewriterofwrongs, my fellow MFMM enthusiasts.

1. Chief Inspector Jack Robinson is not a morning person. Neither is Phryne. The excuses they come up with to not get out of bed are many and varied and Mr. Butler is an expert at refuting all of them.

2. When Dot gets pregnant there is so much arguing between her family and Hugh’s over what to name the baby. So. Much. Arguing. Dot ends up naming the baby Phryne to the shock of everyone (Phryne doesn’t cry, no she doesn’t, why are you staring).

3. Jack and Phryne have been interrupted in his office enough times to know it’s best not to have sex in there, so they don’t. This doesn’t stop the entire precinct from thinking they have sex in there.

4. Phryne definitely wants Jack to recite Shakespeare at her in bed.

5. Jack is terrified of Phryne’s mother and now knows exactly where Phryne gets it from.

6. They don’t get married, and they don’t have kids, but Jack becomes Jane’s foster father at some point. Seeing as he’s pretty much living at Phryne’s by now and if something happens to Phryne they want Jane to be taken care of, it just makes sense.

7. Speaking of moving in, Jack did that by accident. Mr. Butler just kept taking care of his clothes for him and he was sleeping over every night and ended up bringing a toothbrush and nobody can prove Ces and Burt snuck some of his belongings into the house but then how else did they get there and well since all his stuff’s here and he’s never home anyway… might as well just stay.

8. They can’t prove that Aunt Pru is cockblocking them on purpose but that is the only possible explanation at this point, especially once they’re officially and publicly a couple. Phryne wants to kiss the man whenever she feels like it, damn it!

9. Phryne has Mr. Butler make Jack’s favorite food when she sees he’s had a bad day. She always denies it if asked.

10. Jack isn’t usually the one to come up with a new idea for the bedroom but you’re a fool if you think he doesn’t 110% enthusiastically go along with whatever idea Phryne has.

11. Phryne doesn’t have nightmares about Jane often, but every once in a while that old ghost will come creeping back. Jack sings to her quietly when that happens, holding her hand until she falls back asleep.

12. People sometimes mutter things about their continued lack of marriage. They don’t give a damn.