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Week 228: Resolutions[]

Judge: Actene

It's that time of year again, the time when we all start making plans for how we'll do it all better next year. Some resolutions will be more successful than others. A simple prompt this time around: in 1000 words or less write a scene in which a character (or characters) resolves to enact change moving forward, either in themselves or the environment around them. You'll earn bonus points if you also use the text to allude to the success or failure of this resolution moving forward.

The end date for this prompt is a bit longer so as to reset the Weekly as having a start and end point in the middle of the week rather than the weekend. This also marks the final weekly prompt of 2021. I would like to thank the entire community for their involvement in this project, either through submissions or judging efforts. Writing is a skill that needs to be exercised just like any muscle. I hope these prompts help exercise that skill as well as offer an opportunity to engage with other users' work. Here's to the end of 2021 and the beginning of 2022!

Start Date: 26th December, 2021

End Date: 5th January, 2022

  • Who You Are With The Lights Out by Spartan-D042: I love the callback to the Missing Wall in this piece, though a few lines contextualizing exactly where Callum is and how he got there would have been welcome. There was some great introspection here as Callum reflected on where he’s been and where he’s going—I especially liked the juxtaposition of Callum’s background with Patel’s. It was a good way to highlight the differences between the earlier generations of Spartans and the SPARTAN-IVs and I found it interesting that Callum’s experiences allowed him to recognize the gravity of his actions in ways that Patel couldn’t. I did notice a few formatting errors, notably uncapitalized words like “grunts” and “jackals” that might merit some further proofreading.
  • DT 2021: Academy Days of Change by Distant Tide: It speaks volumes of all that’s happened with Halo in the past few months that I’m excited to start seeing pieces written in proximity to Infinite. This was a fun entry that combined the usual Merlin-Andra back and forth with lots of little details regarding what the future holds for them. I especially liked the idea of Althea being forced to conceal her true identity through the guise of one of the new generation of “dumb” companion AI. The uncertainty most of us feel about the future of the canon lore certainly showed in Merlin and Andra’s dialogue, which seems fitting considering the feelings that always accompany the dawn of a new year. Although this piece almost certainly ran over the word count (confession: I didn’t check for any of the entries) it moved past a single character’s introspection to include two other characters as well, which makes it my pick for this entry’s winner.
  • A Bit Cliché by Lieutenant Davis: Interestingly, both entries involving a “legacy” Spartan’s moment of introspection included a thoughtful engagement with the difference between the Spartan-IIs and IIIs and the IVs. I appreciated the acknowledgement of Spartan-IVs’ inherent grit as well as Colin’s rumination that perhaps the childhood bonds he shared with his fellow IIs weren’t quite as strong as he imagined. Regardless of whether this is true or just a product of Colin’s post-mission anxiety, it’s an interesting take that I rarely see considered in a fandom that typically views IIs and IIIs as inherently better formed than IVs. While this piece was primarily reflective exposition I felt drawn into the events Colin reflected on as well as to his uncertainty moving forward.
  • Betrayal by CBrando89: I was somewhat hesitant going into this piece since I didn’t have much context at all regarding what was going on. However, Cain’s situation became clear very quickly and I liked how her reaction to Klayton’s betrayal was conveyed in a relatively short amount of space. Out of all the pieces submitted for the prompt, Cain’s resolution to guard against betrayal by walling herself off feels like the most negative response—which makes it a great hook for future story beats and character development. One formatting aside, I would recommend removing the double space between line breaks as it made this piece a little harder to read through.

Week 229: Hope Delivered[]

Judge: Distant Tide

We're firmly in the next year. 2022 has arrived and with it, we are a few short days away from breaking open our own spoiler rule on Discord of a month regarding Halo Infinite spoilers. Therefore, let's write about a new year and some new ideas. For this Weekly, I'd like to see some positive new ideas actualized for 2022 and stories you want to tell. I know some might have a new threat on the way, or new challenges you want to write and address. But the events and ramifications of Infinite have returned us to a point in the Halo franchise where anything is possible due to a soft reboot nature. Let's return to old friends or embrace loved ones thought lost. Let's see the sun rise above a ringworld anew with purpose. What is in the future is anyone's guess. So let's play with that, shall we?

Write about any new ideas you like with a positive spin.

Start Date: 5th January, 2022

End Date: 12th January, 2022

Caught a double comma pair midway through the story. A very small number of the sentence structures were a little unconventional that I paused while reading them but hardly a speed bump if at all. You know, its very difficult to care for characters that are spawned very quickly and in the moment but its difficult not to like Kosterski/y and his squad. You did change his spelling halfway through that that gives me the impression you created these characters specifically for the weekly. For that I'm very impressed because I am made to care about these Marines in a very short span of time that I'm with them in their moment of dreaded respite. "Hopeless is the default" works fine as a section but I instinctually wanted to correct it to "hopelessness" though this doesn't really matter much at all. "Cole, and Reach, and found Earth" - don't need the first and there.

Given the time frame, the Banished didn't take prisoners initially but started to do so once their digging operations for the Endless began. Well that wasn't very uplifting but the moment counts very well because we get to see the terror and dread the average Marines face on Zeta Halo from Day 1 to six months later. It sucks but they make do because they have to. It reminds me very much of the Halo Infinite campaign audio logs that don't talk about the presences of Spartans or the Master Chief. Marines just trying to survive, and the memory they leave behind in the game's open world. Empty hammocks and bed rolls. Used food rations and abandoned vehicles. Forgotten weapons and vacant observation posts.

This is a war in its simplest of senses. Lives are lost, lives are taken. But as long as one of these warriors is still kicking against insurmountable odds, there's still hope that they can take the day or that someone can walk away from all this and live for the memories of those that didn't or won't make it. Great jumping off point, I'd like to see more from Sergeant Kay, maybe a collaboration in the near future? Make one shot characters into flagships for the journey forward? Who knows.

For this week, I felt Hope In One Hand resonated with me the most despite some very solid performances by D042 and Colin. Looking at what Sniper has put together, I feel like this story gives a unique feeling of crystalizing the Halo Infinite environmental storytelling experience. With Marines commenting and the story giving lip service to how beautiful Zeta Halo actually is. And the dire fight and cost of war that permeated the ringworld despite Halo Infinite's mostly single-tone, fight-and-fight-on campaign where a 6 month defeat is transformed into a victory overnight. We get the plight of the average marine in Sniper's story and the empty bed roll I found at the edge of the world hanging over empty space felt purposeful but also a little more empty. This is the least positive story of the three entries, but it also left me with the most feeling and concepts to think on. If feels very much like a piece of Halo Infinite and that's why I've decided to make it my choice for Weekly winner this week. Every story here is painting a picture for stories for the future and I look forward to reading more from all you in due time, recognizing the freedom that Infinite has opened us up to is important and I think I'm seeing that emerge in these stories.


Devoted to a message that may never make it to its intended receiver, but in the final moments we need to say what we need to say. Morris saw the writing on the wall and was prepared to go out with a melancholy love letter and a shotgun blast. His words were very sad, his expectations of how long left he had for live for. It's a great piece about someone in a desperate headspace as the looming and fatal threat of Brutes coming ever closer through a titanium door that will just not hold. Everyone else is dead. Morris should've died but he lived thanks to the just-in-time efforts of a surprise Fireteam Anchor appearance I want to say. I admit I didn't recognize them at first because the description didn't match what I thought they looked like. My bad on that side.

As the most action packed story of this lot, even though Hope In One Hand did have a degree of action through flashbacks, 'Til Death does a lot well with physicality of a normal person against alien odds. The Jackal hand to hand fighting could've been an extended spectacle of its own in a different premise. I especially like the gore with how it is handled around the Spartan's chewing through of alien forces. It's interesting choice of Morris to leave his voice recording there, almost like a callback to the audio recording in Halo Infinite which is a strong motif in my mind. Glad for once it was a recording that its storyteller was able to walk away from.

Kind of wish he took it with him or mulled over taking it with him more, either as a remark to "tell you how I feel myself when you hear it" or maybe recognizing taking what marked him as a dead man would be a self-fulfilling omen upon his life. I don't know, lot of stuff that could be done with this story idea and what's already here is very intriguing and thought provoking. I already might have another short story idea about the Banished propaganda efforts with regard to the audio logs spread across Zeta Halo. Not canonical in that nature itself but I this story gave me the most of the feeling of wanting to jump off and run with it towards the next tale of sorts. That's a sign of a great story in my opinion.

Still, I caught a few stylistic issues. Occasionally lower case names for nicknames of alien species like "brutes". I felt you not appending your weapon names with what type of gun they were was a mistake because its hard to tell for someone not intimate with Halo firearms and reading outside our lot would have a hard time understanding the importance of such weaponry. At least add "shotgun after "CQBS-48 Bulldog" or just "Bulldog shotgun" or something along those lines. The only outright spelling error I can recall is at the end where you say "wars" instead of "war's". Overall a great piece, glad to have read and really great to see Mortal Reveries getting some attention and new entries!


The Vegas is clearly caught in a difficult condition because despite the struggles of a less-tangible enemy evil like the Created to returning to fighting more conventional threats so abruptly. It speaks to bad writing on part of the franchise overhead but skill on the writers adapting to it in telling their stories, reacting, and articulating the feeling of whiplash and doing so in a reasonable and storied manner. This I think is something I can always expect of Colin's stories and the tail coats of Detachment SIGMA's original narrative plans moving on towards the Banished from the fragmented Created is a interesting one. I'm glad its not such an abrupt change either, remarks on the Created in this short do address how quick the change over was. There was no room for celebration. There was no room for renewed freedom, like the staple of the Halo formula - there's always a bigger fish and another war.

This isn't the place to lament a possible change in scenery or pacing though. Instead its to discuss the status update of Corin Davis and his whereabout struggles. Another happy surprise, the Vegas and Orphellion coming together feels like the set up to a Battlestar Galactica episode if I might say so. Pegasus and Galactica if I may. Old ships bring old friends, old loves. I don't get to see enough Corin stories but its always a good time when he gets written attention.

There's not much action or adrenaline to speak of here but there's characters getting respite from the big fight and taking a break, and receiving some good news at the front. Overt relationship in Halo are far and few between so I applaud seeing Spartans get a chance to be lovey-dovey even if in short spells. I wish I got more practice myself in this space. Colin executes fairly straightforward but in a way that's also very enjoyable. The galaxy seems a little lighter now. Glad to have read this entry, very solid work.

Week 230: Lucky Strikes[]

Judge: Quirel

They say that adversity is what proves a man's character. They also say that conflict is what drives a story. And let's be honest, it's fun to put our characters through the wringer. But that gets old after a while.

For this weekly, give your character a lucky break. Take the perpetually unlucky and chronically maladroit, and make things go their way for once. See how they handle the good fortune. Maybe an orbital insertion goes right, or maybe an analyst's hunch pays off, or maybe a clumsy gesture of affection is appreciated, or maybe a character draws a winning hand. The sky is the limit.

No word limit, because I get the feeling that this prompt might require a bit of setup.

Start date: 14th January 2022
End date: 21st January 2022

Week 231: Space Magic[]

Judge: Actene

Genesong, geas, Domain... love it or hate it, the expanded Forerunner lore provides the Halo universe with plenty of outlandish concepts so sufficiently advanced that they are indeed nigh indistinguishable from magic. Depending on your preferred outlook, this poses either an opportunity or a bit of a headache to any aspiring fan fiction writer. It provides plenty of flexibility for wild flights of fancy, but those flights can just as easily come back to bite you if you overindulge. For this prompt, write something involving one or more wild Forerunner concepts. The situation and circumstances are completely up to you, just write about characters engaging with the stranger side of Halo lore.

As always with my prompts, try to aim for around 1000 words but don't sweat too much about going over the word limit if that's how the spirit moves you.

Start date: 26th January 2022
End date: 2nd February 2022

Week 232: In The Cold[]

Judge: Distant Tide

It might rain, it might freeze where I'm at this weekend. So we're keeping things as simple as possible. The cold is a biting, long foe to life itself. A fight to stay warm, an invisible force that tests our limits at their least and worst. Tell a story involving your characters and their experience in the cold. It can be a wide range of interpretations, just involving the concept of the cold. Cryogenic cold. Blizzard cold. Hard vacuum cold. Death cold.

Do what you want and will. I'll play loose with the word count this week too.

Start date: 2nd February 2022
End date: 9th February 2022

  • Rasq Writes:Cold As Ice by Quirel: Winner - There's a lot of subtle and imaginative details worked into this short entry. A great use of disoriented verbalization that requires the audience and protagonist to decipher to survive with personal stakes. Unapparent, researched backdrop details like the background noise from Jupiter's radiation, the boiling of blood at contact with the hot-freeze of Europa's semi-hard vacuum, and the scientific solution that wraps the straightforward 'stranded and hunted' war story together with unfrozen water becoming the key to salvation in a frozen desert. What is not cold, is simply warm enough. Cold/Hot are relative and Alan Wallace's survival relies on it. I would've preferred you update your rank nomenclature in the story, "seamen" would be better suited as "crewman" at this point in our future space history but I'm very happy with the project overall. I struggled in picking a winner but ended up with Rasq's Cold As Ice because of the worthy prose mixed with its execution of underexplored concepts and the depth of research Rasq has at his disposal. The main idea might be familiar, but the details that support the premise push it into taking victory. Congratulations.
  • Slow Edge (TPF) by ThePeteFiles: Nice way to say "Spartan Time" without Spartan Time at the beginning. It's hard to imagine a supersoldier finding anything in the familiar universe to be afraid of, but I think anyone can share in the fear of not being able to find firm footing. Ice skating is a nice balancing act in humanizing Sam if he wasn't already so, connecting his superhuman nature with the irrational fears of normal people, especially the uninitiated. But he also recovers quickly, enough that he and his girlfriend can make it into a bonding moment and intermingling humor. I don't see Sam experience his non-service life much but the growing list of short stories dedicated to this point in his life is very enjoyable. I would also add that Slow Edge shows Pete's growth as a writer. The smoothness and polish of personality, action, and prose on display is excellent. I'd describe it as lively, and I see it as a learning period paid off compared to drier entries and larger projects I read from you in your early years of joining Halo Fanon. Slow Edge is another excellent entry in PeteFiles's list of short stories. As I think Pete predicted however, I don't think this entry can stand on execution alone because its prose quality is easily as good as its competitor.

Week 233: Return of Microfiction v2[]

Judge: ThePeteFiles

Microfictions, all you got is a 100 words. Maximum cap is 105. You have free reign to write about whatever you want in Halo. The only thing you need to keep in mind is word count. Combat, a command sequence, a short dialogue, poem, and even song can be created. If you want to base it around the upcoming Valentine Day and have an element of love, that can be a starting point. Also, I'm allowing multiple submissions from one author, but with one rule. Each submission must not be related to each other. Good luck!

Start date: 9 February 2022
End date: 16 February 2022

  • The Deck by Spartan-D042: What the short does is pave a great glimpse of how people deal with their realities. It's not a grand realization or a moment of epiphany. It's a slow build with a blunt comment about the situation.
  • Prelude to a Blinding Flash by Ahalosniper: It's a great trick and has the perfect cut to give the reader the idea of what exactly happens. The dialogue is quick, to the point, and provides just enough details. It brings in an iconic character with one single word and that's impressive.
  • DT 2022: Operating Room by Distant Tide: It's just the dentist, right? It's a great snapshot for children to realize the weight of their decision for joining the S-III program. It's not some sort of soft tale, but gives a very realistic glimpse of an orphan's decision to join a supersoldier program.
  • DT 2022: Sundered Protector by Distant Tide: This is one of the more unique submissions. I had to read and re-read it again to gather an understanding and the scope of the short. Overall, it does a very good job of keeping mystery while also proving a point.
  • Shore Leave by StribogE17: The first iteration of Vilmos provides a humorous and tragic reality. A supersoldier trying to find a piece of humanity, only to find out he doesn't fit the world. The reality is often hard for people to hit, and the last line displays it perfectly.
  • DT 2022: Reassured by Distant Tide: I like the focus on the relationship and the hopes each other have for one another. It's not something too extreme or stressful. Coming back to each other seems to be the goal for them, and they make sure to do it every time.
  • Outreach by LegendOfElTopo: I like Hari looking to talk with someone. She has the idea of wanting to talk with Owain, but when it comes, she doesn't take it. It's a honest moment where the opportunity arises and don't take it. I like the collaboration with Owain and Hari.
  • A Brief Dispute by Slower Than Most: Both my dads work at Section Three. It's a very good power move by the individual advocating for their subordinate. The back and forth provides the insight of how leverage can be used to get what you need.
  • Blellow by Arminius Fiddywinks: The magic of mixing colors brings forth the idea of people who think they are genius. The simple realization of mixing things together provides a unique insight of how to live a life.
  • Ehe (2022 Weekly 233) by Bag of Rations: See, bullying gets results. ploine doing things. While a lot of other individuals focused on characters, the focus on a vehicle gave life to the efforts of surviving. The description of the environment while it still focuses on the sky is impressive.
  • Final Words by Slower Than Most: The short message and the gravity of it needs no further explanation. The individual in the message is blunt and paints a hard reality of what happened. It gives the reader a great understanding and why it is important in the later time.
  • A Didactic Sacrifice by S-D379: The iconic scene from Halo 4 is portrayed here perfectly through the eyes of our protagonist. It showcases his pain and determination to execute the mission for Earth. A planet he had little interaction with, but knew its symbol to Humanity.
  • DT 2022: Small Town Mystery by Distant Tide: While the Halo universe is such a vast and intergalactic story, the micro focus on Oregon is a large change of pace to what an everyday citizen can experience. They may not worry about the Covenant as much as the eerie backyard terror.
  • Doubt by LegendOfElTopo: Even in the darkest hour, there's always a chance to get help. I like the quick paint of the story with the death and the dialogue encompassing the frantic feeling of the two. The simple question gives them all the hope they need to make it out alive.
  • With Dignity by Spartan-D042: It's a simple order that can rally the troops to fight like hell despite their odds. They're facing a defeat and they want to believe they died fighting for their cause. The last line paints a hard truth many military commanders made in their past when nothing was left for them.

Week 234: Dare to Love[]

Judge: Actene

We missed the mark on the Valentine's holiday by a couple days but that's no reason to miss the chance to write some fluff. For this prompt, write an affectionate scene between two characters--lovers, spouses, a child and a parent, very good friends, wherever your imagination takes you. There aren't many stipulations on this one; feel free to run the gamut between sweet and bittersweet. Just do your best to convey the bonds of affection between your chosen characters within roughly 1000 words.

Start date: 16 February 2022
End date: 23 February 2022

  • DT 2022: After Rain by Distant Tide - Easily the better of your two entries—this was a very well crafted piece that hit the prompt while also telling a compelling, self-contained story in its own right. Having this piece and Noodle Night side by side was a great way of showcasing your strengths and avoidance of earlier weaknesses (Noodle Night fell into a few instances of overwrought prose and redundant descriptors, which this piece largely avoided). I recommend using the skills showcased in this piece as a template for future entries.
  • Eternity by Falkeno - Winner - My enjoyment of this piece may be entirely subjective, but I confess that out of all the scenarios presented I found that this one best captured the feeling of tenderness I was looking for in the prompt. The spontaneity and happy resolution of Joseph and Carris’s encounter made for a fun, quick read. One item of criticism I will level merely because it pops up in site work quite frequently: acronyms and military designations (In this case “NAVSPECWAR/Group 3”) stick out like a sore thumb in this kind of work and can easily be avoided with simpler terminology that doesn’t break the narrative flow.
  • DT 2022: Noodle Night by Distant Tide - : I joked and then Tide followed through. I’m impressed with Tide’s ability to crank out two entries on short notice, especially without needing to ask for any detailed guidance. That being said, it was clear that there was some situational uncertainty—not a whole lot of context was offered for this story—and that made it a little hard to follow at times. Still, I enjoyed the sweet little moment between Simon and Cassandra. It certainly isn’t one I would have thought up, but that’s the point of seeing other people work with your characters and it gives me material to work with in the future.
  • Brothers, Cousins, House Plants by Arminius Fiddywinks - Props to this piece for being the only one to explore fraternal affection, another concept that often goes unnoticed or unwritten of in fan fiction. Conveying most of the piece through dialogue was an interesting choice, though a bit more prose description would have helped flesh out the scene and keep the reader engaged given the apocalyptic setting.
  • Narcissus (2022 Weekly 234) by Bag of Rations - This was an unexpected take on the prompt that reminded me of some of the marketing for Halo: Infinite emphasizing the unsung heroes whose sacrifices enable the heroics of the universe’s flashier denizens. Although a few components of this piece slipped out of prose and into exposition, the exchange between Horner and Nas was an interesting delve into the peculiarities of AI characters that are often hard for a writer to nail down. My one criticism would be that there are a few too many proper nouns being thrown around in prose and dialogue—I had to read through the piece a few times in order to make sure I knew exactly what was going on.
  • To be young by Ajax 013 - If there were runner ups in Weekly judging this would be my pick. This piece offered an interesting change of pace by imagining Sangheili marriage practices (which remain somewhat nebulous, changing between one canon source to another). I particularly appreciated the lavish depictions of the grand keep and the ornate costumes, which gave the scene a vivid, grandiose appeal.

Week 235: Bulwark[]

Judge: Bag of Rations

There are moments in your life that you can’t help but admire the behemoths humanity has created for a simple purpose - the sword for the vulnerable and the bulwark against aggressors. To the denizens of the UEG, Marathon Heavy Cruisers had served such a role for half a century. To the Covenant, quite possibly a massive headache they want gone. To the Insurrection, a symbol of oppression and militarism. Write a short story, around 1200 words, that encapsulates such ideas. Any POVs are fine so long as it involves this flying brick.

Start date: 23rd February 2022
End date: 3rd March 2022

The Real Thing by Arminius Fiddywinks

Of the three this is the only one that decided to have a Covenant POV, which means this submission is the most unique of the three at least when it involves species POV. Yay!

The descriptions don’t hit hard like an energy projector gutting the bowels of a Marathon. A lot of the scenery involved is too muted in my opinion, rather barebones in the fire fights. I expected to be thrust into the eyes of this elite who probably has a mix of curiosity and adrenaline pouring into him from the ‘alien’ and ‘cramped’ corridors.

Instead of being told plainly it was a Marathon, we could have enjoyed an alien’s POV (not necessarily the MC but his peers could be a bit more curious on the matter) on what he could describe the ship as: blocky with little to know curves, brutal and reminiscent of the lesser brutes minus the spikes, etc. You have this opportunity of giving off an alien reaction but for the most part in your writings I believe you need to work on that.

That said I enjoyed the dialogue between the crew, and in a way they came of almost ‘human-like’ which depending on your goals is a good thing or bad thing. The squad moved in with rhythm frighteningly similar to human fireteams. Take that as you will.

Also

While I haven’t read much of Covenant focused stories, it irks at some moments on why these aliens speak much more like a group of folks headed for Sunday church than proud religious and boisterous ETs. I feel like there needs to be more effort in making the ‘alien and pious’ consistent in their mannerisms throughout the piece. Now I’m not gonna judge base on that as that’s far from the focused of the prompt but I thought you might wanna hear some of the observations I’ve had.

Thank you for participating.

DT 2022: Clearessa's Battle by Distant Tide

Whatever it takes. That’s what I’d imagine Clearessa’s motto to be. And did she sure show it. An AI on its last leg impossibly trying to stall the inevitable steam roller that was the Covenant armada. We got to see good interactions with both Admiral Harper and several AI characters. Much of the battle took place in dialogue rather than paragraphs of description. In the right moments it can certainly make the battle feel much more fast paced than usual… as is the case with Halo Space Battles so that’s a point in favor of this writing choice.

We have very strong descriptions in this story as well. I’d say of the three this one takes the cake. Enough descriptions to give me an image of the characters and a glimmer of the battle in the dark seas.

That said it still reads a bit clunky at times. Sentences are more or less within the same lengths and tempo that you can turn a fierce battle into a monotonous slug fest. It hurt my second reread of this submission so that’s something this writer has to take note of if he wants to keep the momentum good and energetic.

Thank you for participating.

Darkness Waits by Timothy Emeigh - Winner

Well… when I made the prompt I expected something closer to a propaganda reel than what you just wrote. Well that’s what it felt like initially, then the rug pull…

It’s pretty haunting, what you’ve written. The prose and descriptions made sure of that. Could practically feel the captain’s willpower drain the moment things went wrong. And boy did things go wrong.

The Marathon could survive a dozen battles… the Narrows a dozen reentries. No ship can truly survive a slipspace rupture in the gut.

Well done. I hate you <3

Thank you for your participation.

Week 236: Break Time[]

Judge: Distant Tide

For many of us, recent days have been anywhere from a little stressful to a great deal so. For this reason, I figure we could all use some warmer, more relaxed subjects to work on. Let's write around the theme of "break time," what are your characters doing for relaxation away from their usual activities, or are they going on vacation, or are they making a pitstop somewhere and slowing down to visit something different from their usual adventures? Talk about breaktime or a more relaxed moment in your characters' lives.

Word target is a blank check this week once again. Write as little or as much as you wish. I'll judge it all regardless.

Start date: 4th March 2022
End date: 9th March 2022

  • Maintenance and Manicures (2022 Weekly 236) by Bag of Rations: Maintenance and Manicures offers a interesting focus on lore history and wonderful physical description. The focus on character physical features is used to great effect in building or reinforcing personality expressed in the characters' dialogue and behaviors. Bagration also again exemplifies great setting and physical description for his locations. However despite these positives I felt the entry lacked polish. I caught a few stylistic and grammatic errors that I feel should've received a once or twice read over before delivery. I also felt that despite some very unique and lively characters, the outer colony military general didn't grow beyond his former rebel background personality, the Marathon captain didn't go anywhere deeper beyond her teasing remarks and pursuit of treating herself. While history and lore was richly developed, I had a hard time seeing if there was more there. The theme I came away with from this short story may be "don't judge a book by its cover" or "enjoy the time that you have."
  • Golden Fields by Arminius Fiddywinks: I think Golden Fields is one of Arminius's strongest entries to my memory so far. I don't see any apparent issues with grammar, spelling or punctuation. That said, I lacked investment in the story because very little seem to happen. While its a very realistic moment to explore a character in their most bored moments, the middle section of the short story in particular drove my decision to not choose it as this week's winner. Despite the name of golden fields, there isn't much time spent on describing/including the setting in the overall narrative. The best moments were rather when the characters began to reminisce or discuss observations in the world but for the most part, very little happened. It's not quite a detraction not to have a story about nothing happening but about five short dialogue sentences dedicated to just saying "I'm bored" seems excessive. I would've liked to see more out of your characters. A recurring issue I do have as well was not actually knowing the name of the protagonist because they're never referenced by name in descriptors or dialogue.
  • Mortal Reveries: Rest And Little Reprieve by Spartan-D042 - Winner: I ultimately chose Rest and Little Reprieve for the Weekly winner because I felt it balanced out issues and strengths I saw with the other two entries giving both a good setting and a sense of purpose in this story. It's a bonding moment between battles, not exactly the happiest place I wanted to end up in but it in a sense made do like its characters having to adapt to their hunted reality. There's a particularly noticeable incomplete sentence at the middle point in the story that requires fixing I'd say. I think that this story was the most polished of the lot due to how it drills in on character relations and building up both the setting and stakes while in a relative relaxed environment compared to the described off-screen norm. Some might called me biased given that one of my characters is featured in this short but despite that, I didn't have any role in determining her depiction her and I'm pleased with how Bless and Gil interact, bonding in less-than-convenient times. D042's entry is my pick for this weekly.

Week 237: To Whom It May Concern[]

Judge: Actene

The lost art of written correspondence is a time-honored literary tradition. An intentional letter often offers character insights that can't be conveyed in prose or dialogue and offers the reader a deeper look into one character's relationship with another. For this prompt, write a letter from one character to another. The subject matter is up to you; the only criteria is that you communicate solely through the correspondence rather than through any prose setup. If you are so inclined you may also want to include a response to the first letter.

I'll set a soft limit of 1000 words on this prompt with all the usual flexibility, particularly if an entry chooses to incorporate multiple instances of correspondence.

Start date: 9th March 2022
End date: 16th March 2022

  • The Letter by slowfuture: I have to say, it’s great to see slowfuture putting out site content after all this time. The enigmatic bond between Joshua and Fireteam Boson feels like a bridge connecting two very different bits of site history, so it was good to see that explored a little here. The letter’s contents, particularly the bits dealing with Joshua’s misgivings about Delta Company and Spartans in general, went a long way toward establishing where Joshua is at this point in his life. The letter felt a bit detached, almost as if Joshua were writing more for his own benefit than Andra’s, but I found the situation laid out in the letter very interesting. I did quibble a bit with Joshua’s repeatedly referring to Andra as “little one”—it felt a bit too affectionate as a term of endearment between Spartans—and noticed that the Infinity was not capitalized, but those are small criticisms at best.
  • The Former Disciple by Navisiul97 (Winner): The provocative exchange between Jegi and Lezo was a neat take on the prompt. The letters gave these two enemies the chance for a dialogue they could never have in a face-to-face encounter. Your references to various canon figures (Ripa, Xytan, Jul, etc.) offered some background reflection on the events of history playing out as conflict consumed Sangheili society after the schism. This offered a new dimension on Jegi and Lezo’s conflict, which plays out the larger events on a smaller scale. Jegi’s final grim communique ends the exchange with a sense of tension given his plans and our own knowledge of what transpires on Kamchatka. I’m not sure if the large space breaks were necessary (or if they were even intentional) but a few technical issues aside I appreciated the story playing out between the characters behind the letters.
  • Ophelia by Arminius Fiddywinks: Well done with the hidden meaning. Although the decoding aspect of the piece made it a bit harder to read through than the others I don’t think I’ve seen someone toss that kind of stylistic curveball into a Weekly entry before. I will say that the hidden meaning was a bit simplistic after the notebook-scrounging I needed to do in order to decode, but given the code format you chose I appreciate that you didn’t have a lot of letters to work with here. The otherwise banal corporate back and forth becomes far greater than the sum of its parts thanks to the references to Ophelia. By the end of the piece I was considering the backstories and points of view of two characters who are barely present in the text. I especially like the reminder of just how covert and below the radar a lot of Insurrectionist organizations and operations tend to be. The spycraft angle often gets ignored in favor of less subtle kinetic action.
  • DT 2022: Sister's Remorse by Distant Tide: I appreciated that this endearing little piece addressed the animosity between Andra and Shizuko that was pretty apparent during the Imperium RP. With the Delta lore and backstories constantly shifting it’s sometimes hard to get a real read on just what’s gone on between the various members of Delta Company. Given that I don’t know where Andra and Shizuko’s paths will intersect in future stories, I like the thought of them being on good terms at the eve of the Created Crisis. Andra’s references to various other Delta characters were nice, though some of the information bordered on unnecessary exposition. It might have helped to make some of the references more oblique given that Shizuko would know many of the details Andra’s expressing.
  • DT 2022: Parting Messages by Distant Tide: As I mentioned in my feedback for your other entry, my understanding of much of Fireteam Boson’s early backstory is fuzzy so this piece didn’t mean quite as much to me as it might otherwise have. Andra’s message to Duceppe and his reply seemed more about reminding the reader about Roxanne and co.’s defection than revealing character, though Andra’s gift of the turtles was rather sweet. Some more lines from Duceppe about his personal circumstances might have expanded on the relationship between him and Andra a bit more.

Week 238: On the Blood of Our Fathers...[]

Judge: Timothy Emeigh

Oaths. Bonds. Obligations. Everyone has something they must do, though the severity of not doing so may change. You swear to lose weight for new years? Well, who actually completes their resolution. But you're an Elite swearing to uphold the Covenant? You don't even get a choice whether to make the oath or not.

In 1,000 words or less, explore this idea. What obligations do your characters have? What oaths have they taken? Were they taken freely? What do they stand to lose carrying it out? What is the punishment for breaking it? As long as it relates to Oaths and their implications, I want to hear about it!

Start date: 16th March 2022
End date: 23rd March 2022

  • True Honor by Underlord1271: Too far over the word count to judge, but you already knew that, so on to the feedback! First, a perspective on it as a story. I really felt that Atu had a good unique voice to him and that it hit on a proper 'Sangheili' feel that is often hard to grasp rather than just making such alien characters come across as too human. I know I certainly struggle with this. There were a few moments in the middle where this was less felt from Atu, but even in this situation, I felt it made sense as Atu was still young and just picking up the Sangheili way of things. It makes sense he feels less "Sangheili." On the other hand, something felt a little bit off about the Spartans, though that could also just be playing into the imperfect nature of the translations? Or maybe just a lack of background on what happened before. For example, what led the Spartan in the first paragraph to think Atu would be different? It feels almost like the Spartan claims this and then learns afterward why Atu would be different. Either way, I like the focus of the work being in the middle portion, on how he picked up this atypical sense of Sangheili honor, and why it held so much meaning to him. Accounting for the prompt and word count, I might even say that the framing device of sharing this story with the Spartans may not have been needed. Very little was developed about what they were actually doing together, and the flashback could easily be reworked to a self-contained story. On a technical side, it was a very tight work that I see minimal areas to improve in. This late in the war, there may have been fewer "[UNKKNOWN]"s showing up in the translations, but that's more an issue of personal taste. There were some areas that I felt may have been heavy on description with minimal contribution to the theme of the story, most notably the composition of the team. Some other aspects could have either been cut or developed more to serve this theme as well, such as his courtship with Sav. It comes up and then is relatively quickly dropped. The dialogue is a bit drawn-out and doesn't feel quite so natural in places, going back to what I said about the Spartans. All in all, it's a good piece, with a solid middle section that really hits on the prompt, that could simply use some more tightening up on what really needs to be said and what can be cut, and perhaps a few more drafts at the dialogue to make sure all the characters have a consistent, natural-feeling voice. I hope to see you submit more in the future and get work you are happier and happier with!
  • Heaven and Earth Interlude: Fulfilling Selfish Honor by Distant Tide: For being an interlude to a story I have yet to read, this piece did wonderfully standing on its own. What areas were confusing at first were mostly resolved by later on in the story, and a quick re-read allowed me to put almost everything back into context. I'm sure it would stand even more fully accessible if I were to be familiar with the happenings of Heaven and Earth, and I don't fault the piece for not reiterating everything that needs to be known about the characters and situation. Would probably be saying it was repetitive right now if it had done that. When it comes to the prompt, this is one of those aspects that only became clear later on in the text. While the earlier sections gave the impression of there being some sort of obligation to Simon and the cause Argo chose to serve—what with the focus on their opponents being on the wrong side—the final ending seems to flip this a bit by pushing a dedication to getting Andra home safe. Yet even here, the aspects of earlier in the story of Argo feeling a bit guilty and focused on his deeds and how they would forever mark him rang through, ending with the line that Argo could be free. The story raises some good themes in the limit set upon it (or, well, 200 words or so over that limit), and I'd love to see them expanded in other works. On the technical side, it's a very good piece in terms of varying sentence structures and voiding too much description or flowery text. The grammar and spelling were all suitable, and I only noticed a few points that jumped out at me as feeling a bit out of place. First, "It wasn’t that long ago he killed his teammates once converted into the parasitic Flood’s zombie abominations or as a “race traitor” fighting on behalf of his specie’s enemies to advance the agenda of human benefactors." is a bit hard to parse. Was he a race traitor and supporting the UNSC? Or did he kill others who were? Later on, you used a few instances of re-naming Argo to avoid repetition. For example, the "Saurian warrior" in "the saurian warrior had to wrap the winter garments he stole from the ransacked Baran keep over his exposed scales" could probably have just been "he." There were also a few areas where I'd recommend watching out for tense consistency and reviewing whether included commas were necessary. All in all, though, an excellent piece, if a bit minimal in its focus on the prompt.
  • Heaven and Earth Interlude: The Farewell and Into the Inevitable by slowfuture: Much like in the past work, I'm coming at this with very minimal understanding of the characters involved or the story this is an interlude for. This one feels more intricately connected with other works, but as before, I won't hold that against it either. No need to pull a strike at the work for something that I'd otherwise perhaps be calling repetitive, and what it does do to stand on its own is more than enough to get the sorts of feelings across that I think it was going for. One of the things it has going for it in this regard is the unique voice each character had, both in the dialogue and—most notably in Hera—with their internal thoughts and relations to the other characters. I really did believe that this was Hera finally reaching into doing things she wanted to do and letting go of past commitments that no longer defined her. I could easily tell her apart from the other active participant even in aspects of the dialogue that weren't marked. The only potential downside I can give it from a story perspective isn't even one that would stand in a vacuum: I don't quite get a solid sense of what oaths or commitments are playing into this. I know there's something there—or rather, something she's moving beyond—but this is one area I feel it could have leaned more heavily on reiterating insights from external works, even if just for the sake of prompt relevance. There is little to say about the piece technically, except maybe that the first paragraph had a few repetitive sentence openings that could do with some more time. Another good piece, and excellent presentation for the only ~1000 words it used, with few words if any wasted.
  • Oath's End by Brodie-001: A tight story, hitting on the prompt fully and strongly in just a few dozen words over the prompt. I felt nothing wasted or missed, the past brought up just enough to provide context to Rora's future. I like that it touched on a "trope-y" approach to honor without falling fully to it, with Rora able to move past and recognize the self-inflicted nature of his honor and what it meant to hold. I like that it explores a healthy self-reflection for the character that allows him to grow with minimal need to compare himself to others, or the definitions others impose on honor and oaths. All in all, it hit the prompt, kept a smooth character throughout, and allowed a very Sangheili-feeling while still unique and individual insight to the character. Combined with an excellent technical execution and efficient use of language, and I mark this entry the winner.
  • An Oath by StribogE17: The shortest of our story, sitting at a few words below the limit, it nevertheless managed to tell an interesting snippet of Vilmos's life in the time it (and he) had. The are several things to like: the implied connection he had with the Marines, the care it showed him having for others—and not just Spartans or killing the enemy—with his brief focus on the dead and his longer focus on keeping those alive who remained that way, and the fact that these all mix together to form an implied oath even when the story doesn't come out and immediately state one, though I feel the latter approach could have been done as well to provide a more solid foundation in the prompt. I also liked the competence the other characters show. Vilmos is the best fighter—as a Spartan—dropping several enemies even when outnumbered and providing a suitable distraction to cover Lila and Chad escaping, but Lila herself was competent enough to make her escape the way she did, and even the Skirmisher put Vilmos on the back foot and managed to survive a point-blank attempt to shoot it. It allowed the situation to feel reasonable to the levels of what is expected from a Spartan without overriding the motivations or making caricatures of the other actors present. Technically, some areas could be tightened up. For example, the M46 is inherently a triple-barreled weapon, so it was a bit redundant to point that out. None of it was deal-breaking or made it difficult to read or parse the meaning, just a few small tweaks to make everything fit together that much more perfectly. In the end, a solid piece in need of minimal polishing, that hit on the prompt enough to fit while still leaving room for me to desire a bit more focus on that side of things.
  • Heaven and Earth Interlude: War's Children by Spartan-D042: Another Heaven and Earth Interlude, yet one that I feel stands very well on its own without pushing into what may be repetitive. What needs context gets it, what doesn't, doesn't. It clears up who is fighting for who, and who is properly aligned with who beyond that. Callum certainly comes across as consistent through the whole thing and the few situations I know of him and interactions he's had in external works, while also doing so in his own unique voice and personality, something that I find is very hard to achieve both of at once. He is consistent without becoming flat. Though the actual oath or commitment the story focuses on doesn't fully come out until the end of the work, the development to that point is all focused on approaching that conclusion and preps us to receive such a response, letting it fit with the prompt as a whole. Some very minor polishing could go into the technical side of things. There was a few instances of the 'renaming' approach that could probably have been simplified, such as "green spheres settling on the younger Spartan making her approach," but nothing story-breaking or utterly unacceptable. It also pushed over the word count to around the 1200 word mark, though I can see that it would take effort to reduce this side of things without disrupting important presentation and content elements. I see very little that needs improvement here, and it was certainly a close push for the victory.
  • Forever! by Arminius Fiddywinks: Another Arminius Fiddywinks piece, and much of what I had to say last time about the style remains. First-person is an interesting choice but not a bad one, and I'm still not sure about Sangheili cursing, but this is definitely one of the best stories of yours I've read for sticking to a "Sangheili vibe" otherwise. Some lines stood out to me as breaking from this, such as "Can't see that promise being kept anymore," though I also don't know how I would particularly approach fixes other than recommending reading into the sorts of tones from the books and games for Sangheili. On the other hand, at this point, it may as well just be a stylistic choice, and if this is how you want to continue writing them, go for it. I can't recommend you 'fix' something you're doing on purpose, even if it's not how I would (if you are, in fact, doing this on purpose). The story fits well with the prompt, with an oath coming up, and a unique twist focusing on how it is both broken and maintained at the same time, focusing on the personal view and definitions of what oaths are, and how they aren't some immutable force. Yet it also portrays the start of the consequences or follow-up results of such mutation. I see you used the prompt title in there, though the title was also taken from a known in-universe oath, so it doesn't feel so "corny" as it may have otherwise. Technically, it's an easily approachable read, lacking flaws to take me out of the story or break my understanding. The quote blocks without any markers of who are speaking is a bit harder to follow with a crowd of the size presented, especially with only about 1000 words and the challenges this forces on giving each an established voice, so this could perhaps be an area for improvement. In the end, a fine piece, and perhaps the closest we get to seeing a view of the actual oath that inspired this prompt.
  • Light, Inextinguishable by LegendOfElTopo: A unique story composed almost, in a way, of a smattering of "micro-stories" all within the same event. I really enjoyed how the format was able to approach the story uniquely and separate it out as it did to fit in the interjections of the oath fragments while still holding onto its own cohesive nature: an interesting stylistic choice that really works in the realm of a single short story. The story itself is also excellent, knowing when to change perspectives to provide just what information was needed from other views without minimizing the focus on Kaur as the primary element. Sure, Owain and the Pelican may have been the in-universe "most important" character, with all of this being done to protect them, but Kaur and Lighthouse truly steal the show when it comes to delivering the themes and hitting the prompt. It highlights both the importance of Spartans and the ability of other members of the UNSC to be more than minimized supporting cast (ironically doing so in a story where they're literally a supporting cast). There are very few technical qualms I had with the submission, too. In the end, another excellent submission that made deciding the ultimate winner quite difficult.

Week 239: ...On the Blood of Our Sons[]

Judge: Timothy Emeigh

Your moment? Your time in the sun? It's over. Here, at the end of your days, when all has been said and done... What do you leave behind?

Let's focus on legacy, this week. What do your characters leave behind when they're gone? What have they picked up from those that came before? What consequences do their actions set in motion? Actions in the present cascade into the future, and I want to hear all about that.

Looking at the lengths from last week, the most typical one they seemed to come in at was 1200 words, so let's aim for that as a maximum, this time. Can go shorter, of course, but try not to go over.

Start date: 23rd March 2022
End date: 3rd April 2022

  • Laconian Crossroads: To Conquer Dreaded Sleep by Spartan-D042: This week's winner (though I am loathe to reward such tremendous over-extension of the word count...), this piece was perhaps the more subdued of the two entries. It didn't hit me quite as hard emotionally—though perhaps that's just due to less familiarity with the characters involved—yet I was still able to feel a distinct characterization from the two focus characters and empathize with their rough experiences, even from what little is said about them directly in the work. While I joke about the story being longer than the word count, I also felt that it used each bit of that length well, and probably would have sufferred if it was pushed more into a smaller count. Perhaps that makes it not the best plotline for the prompt, then, but the other piece went over the word count as well, and it was an excellent story, so I'm happy to say it was for the best that this is what you went with. Technically, there is little to say, and that's a good thing. A dialogue-driven piece, it was able to keep up a clear voice for each of the two characters that made it easy to follow even when the quote blocks lacked tags for who was speaking, and the intermittent descriptions were 'snappy' and provided just enough context as was needed without interrupting the flow. There was a brief spot where there seemed to be line-break issues? Or maybe this was an intentional gap in the text for narrative purposes, though it didn't quite seem to fit as a 'natural' break in the conversation, so I'm not so sure on that front. On a final note, I like how the connection to the prompt carried throughout the whole piece yet did so subtly, and from multiple angles. It was able to bring up the legacies of Callum, Hector, Hector's teammates, the spartan programs in general, and so much more, all while set in a setting that is, itself, a legacy of the old days of the UNSC. Yet these all felt natural. A solid piece, with very few tweaks that I noticed needing to be made. As I said at the start, happy to dub this one this week's winner!
  • DT 2022: Nightfall by Distant Tide: A solid piece, both technically and from the perspective of story beats and emotional impact. I can certainly say it was one of the more 'punchy' pieces I've ever judged, with it knowing what it wanted the reader to feel and how to instill that feeling in them. It fits the prompt well enough as well, with Viktoria's last thoughts reflecting back on her husband and daughter, more specifically the latter in the final few lines. Yet it doesn't save this focus for just those last few lines as a 'gotcha' for prompt inclusion, rather spreading her foreseen death over the length of the piece and giving plenty of time to come to terms with it, or at least reflect on what it means. That being said, there are a few areas I feel it could see improvement in for an even stronger version of the piece. From a technical standpoint, there are a few descriptive phrases that felt a bit 'clunky' or perhaps even contradictory in metaphor. For example, "The lights could bring no depth to the dark. A blackness deeper than night where even night vision became almost useless" could both be condensed in the second paragraph to a simple note of the darkness and rephrased to avoid using depth in two precisely opposite meanings within two consecutive sentences. A few other phrases hit me as standing in a similar vein and I feel a quick review and revision of the work could make it tighter if done with these ideas in mind. The second area I feel it could tighten up is with regards to the prompt inclusion. While it was spread throughout the work, it did feel particularly 'noticeable' in some spots despite that. I don't have as much of a concrete example here—and perhaps just condensing the story as a whole to make it a tighter piece, in general, could help this—but it had a mild feeling of being a bit drawn out and less subtle in the portions surrounding her final moments before death and her thoughts of her husband and daughter. Still, an excellent piece that hit me with those feelings I believe it was meaning to, and one that I feel could be even better with a slight revision!

Week 240: Odd Ones Out-Of-Context[]

Judge: LegendOfElTopo

Prompt: April Fool's! Or at least, well, soon, at the time of writing. So of course this week I'm going to ask you to write something daft. In particular, I want you to transpose your favourite elements - characters, organisations, even stories themselves - and then transpose the out of Halo, across settings and genres into the most cliché fanfic scenarios you can think of. As far as ideas go, I'd be after things like:

  • Beach/Hot Springs Special™ (courtesy of Navisul97)
  • Highschool/College (bonus points for a superpowered/Battle Academia setting)
  • Idols, band, or other musical scenarios
  • Isekai (being taken out of the Halo setting, into it, or something else entirely!)
  • Mobsters and gangs
  • Roommat or Coffee Shop AUs
  • Sportsball!
  • Stereotypical high fantasy

Over-the-top, flanderised interpretations of fanon (or even canon) characters are very welcome and genderswaps if you're brave enough. Still, as always - and especially for something like this - if you're using someone else's characters please make sure to get the go-ahead from the writer first!

Given that this is a prompt primarily focused on daft fun, there are no limits on word-count or number of entries per author. I will, however, mercilessly mock you if you bite off more than you can chew and overshoot the end date as a result. Otherwise, go wild!

Start Date: 30th March 2022

End Date: 5th April 2022


Week 241: What Do They Mean, Mason?[]

Judge: LastnameSilver

Prompt: Numbers define our reality, from the gilded glint of money, to the ticking seconds of a clock. We measure, we define, and we partition everything into numbers. Numbers help us make sense of and digest the world around us. For the prompt this week, I want to explore an oft-overlooked side of Halo; its numbers. Your entry can be anything, so long as it's to do with numbers; from an AI crunching code to a dishevelled Colonel balking at the staggering casualties of his latest engagement. Something as simple as a Fleet composition document, or an overly complex interstellar goods shipment, with all the trimmings attached. Perhaps even the inclusion of Halo's favourite number of all time. Numbers must be a central point around which the story revolves.

In 1,500 words, write me a story that deals with numbers.

Start Date: 6th April 2022

End Date: 13th April 2022

  • DT 2022: Bodies Don't Add Up by Distant Tide: This piece of prose stuck with me for a while, because it describes quite well the volume of human suffering brought to bear by the Created's artificial army. High quality descriptions, enough twists from present to past to keep a reader engaged, and it felt like the characters were adequately explored without needing a thesis course on their backgrounds. But... I could only see the most tenuous of connections to the prompt to do with numbers, and I felt personally that by the time the first numbers were mentioned, enough had passed in the story for the piece to now be about something else. So while the sense of community and character remained throughout, the thread of numbers arrived too late to meaningfully affect the story in any way. A solid entry, with an idea that has potential, but sadly one that I cannot call a winner.
  • We Need to Talk About Oh-Five-Five by LegendOfElTopo: Right off the bat I will admit an inherent bias towards ONI Shenanigans, especially presented in a manner that suggests deeper connotations within connotations right from the start. The decision to have the piece in PRESENT tense was one I immediately latched onto as interesting. It gave a sense of unfamiliar discomfort the scene, as though the reader is themselves in the room. This fly-on-the-wall nature of the piece lends itself well to an Office Shakedown, the layers upon layers of redaction and secrecy, of unsaid meanings and unspoken jabs. My one and only complaint here, ironically, is the exact opposite of the previous piece. While the previous piece didn't seem to have enough truly coherent narrative connections to numbers, here there seems to be too many. I feel like this piece would've done better had Harriet been referred to by her Gamma number all throughout, especially considering the title of the piece. The nature of the piece is, after all, her 'duplications' in Zone 67. Nevertheless, it had significance assigned to numbers, which is what I asked, and is well deserving of the win.

Week 242: Renewed, Both In Body And Mind[]

Judge: Actene

Prompt: We find ourselves in Holy Week, the week leading up to Easter Sunday (at least in the western tradition). This observance is more meaningful to some than others, but I find it seasonally appropriate to ask for a reflection on renewal or new life. There's nothing fancy here, just come up with a short piece that deals with some form of rejuvenation--of hope, of health, of a relationship or plans for the future. Have some fun with it and cut your characters a break with a new lease on life.

Ballpark of one thousand words while bearing in mind my usual lenience regarding the word limit.

Start Date: 13th April 2022

End Date: 20th April 2022

  • DT 2022: Second Visit by Distant Tide: It’s always nice to see Andra and Merlin moving forward into the uncertain future. This piece offered a good blend of action and location establishment as the team inserted onto Furthest Point. I particularly appreciated the exchanges between the Spartans showing how Andra’s role has shifted over the last couple years. There was a real sense that her relationships with the teammates around her has changed, though perhaps more could be done with the fact that Andra has not previously been portrayed in a Spartan leadership role before. You slipped some great little details into the prose—I particularly liked the imagery of drones helping to herd cattle—but some sections felt a little over-wrought considering the subject material. I’d particularly suggest that you review your syntax as several sentences felt awkward and difficult to read.
  • The Farm by slowfuture (Winner): Oozing with a sense of melancholic hopefulness, this piece felt less like rejuvenation and more like the end of an era. Amy/Hera carries over a decade’s worth of site history with her and this short epilogue (if that’s an appropriate word) feels monumental. Despite the lack of action and the heavy emphasis on personal introspection, you made a good use of the present tense to convey Hera’s feelings on her history. It seems very fitting that Joshua continues to mark a conflicted space within her mental furniture, but I’m glad to see that he became part of Hera’s foundation rather than a cast-off bit of dead history. Even if this is the close of Hera’s journey I like the hopeful note you landed on with this space and am happy to declare it the overall winner.
  • Someone Greater by Arminius Fiddywinks: The Farm edged this out for the win, but only by a hair and admittedly because of its broader ramifications for site lore. Someone Greater really rounds the corner on your Weekly submissions, combining your knack for well-crafted scenarios with a sense of elevated grandeur that really fits the Covenant we’ve come to know from the games and books. Kai’s promotion helps the reader connect to the character through his charming humility. The interior monologue was very compelling, though I couldn’t shake the feeling that it could have been framed in a clearer fashion—perhaps as a prayer to some unseen god or a figure from Kai’s past. The way you bolded the response text to set it apart called for some extra detail to really engage the soliloquy. All in all this was a fun piece to read and I look forward to seeing how future submissions build on this foundation.

Week 243: Another Year Older[]

Judge: Distant Tide

Prompt: Everyone's got a special day of renewal. Afterall, they came from somewhere. And yeah, age makes it seem less important but it's a day recognizing the uniqueness of life and its experiences. Write a story about a birthday no matter the means of procreation nor the time in which its of note in your tale. It can be celebrated, or lamented. It can be happy, sad, or any other mix of melancholy and bliss. Try for a word count around 1000 words and I'm not really setting hard word limits.

Start Date: 20th April 2022

End Date: 27th April 2022

  • Waiting... by LowBudgetKnight: LBK returns to writing Fanon while also returning to familiar details of his Spartan-IV's Earth and German origins. Cortana's powers transforms the Earth, returning to a seeming more desperate and perilous time but some things don't change in the face of innocence and nostalgia. A son waits for a father to come home but such wishes are far flung in the face of interstellar war and sometimes the simplest wishes become as difficult and fleeting as legends of great, mythical heroes long past. Waiting... is a little on the shorter side of Weekly entries than I'm familiar with it but LBK does a lot with the short tale he offers. There's a slow but consistent pace describing the setting, and a great emotional depth invested in describing the needs of his relevant characters between two separate generations. The descriptions, intuitions, and feelings aren't told through dialogue which can be considered a minus as it's more tell than show without a central character to focus. However, the strength of this story is in its relationships and is emphasized effectively through allegory and metaphor. Overall what we have is an evocative short story telling an empathetic tale I think any audience can sympathize with. I enjoyed it, I look forward to more pieces from LBK and any constructive criticism to offer may simply be to encourage him to experiment more with his descriptions to read aloud when proofreading as he missed the occasional grammatical/stylistic/narrative mistake but these are far and few between.

Week 244: Does it have to go this way?[]

Judge: LowBudgetKnight

Prompt: Choices, while most might seem small and not much of a life changer, there are those moments in life that the choice will change everything in and around a person. These aren't easy to choose and aren't easier to weigh out, but sometimes you don't have time, it's now or never.  This 600 - 1200 word prompt is all about making a heavy decision. Will you risk your life to save your friend or leave him behind to ensure the mission gets completed? Is killing this person the best choice? Or is mercy the better option. Choices aren't easy, and their outcomes aren't always the best choices made.

Start Date: April 28th, 2022

End Date May 4th, 2022


Week 245: Have you found me, O my enemy?[]

Judge: Actene

Prompt: Simple prompt this time, write a scene that details an encounter between enemies. "Enemies" here can mean anything from a mortal foe to people at odds with each other over a dispute or disagreement. The circumstances surrounding this encounter are entirely up to you; this can be a violent exchange or simply a tense conversation. I do encourage you to write something more substantive than a straightforward action scene and I will give greater consideration to entries that manage to surprise me with the direction they take. Be creative!

Rough word cap of 1000 words, but my usual flexibility applies.

Start Date: May 5th, 2022

End Date May 12th, 2022

  • Understanding by Brodie-001 : The tense confrontation between Nikita and Alex-A121 outside the downed shuttle plays out with an appropriate ruthlessness. You give the reader a very good sense of the grim contrast between the triumphant Alex and the beaten Nikita. Alex in particular holds the peculiar position of holding all the power in the exchange and yet being made somewhat vulnerable by his own lack of experience. The exchange doesn’t slip into sentimentality and Alex carries out the execution with a ruthless vigor that makes the scene all the more vivid. I did think the story got bogged down a bit in expository details (Weekly entries make it very hard to set an appropriate scene while staying close to the word count). I would have suggested ripping off the band-aid and dumping all the exposition at the beginning of the piece rather than dropping it near the end. But this is a small criticism of a good piece that captures your knack for visceral confrontations.
  • DT 2022: No Victor by Distant Tide (Winner) : This entry’s subject matter was a pleasant surprise. At first I assumed this would be a flashback to the Human-Forerunner war, but the realization that this was in fact a recounting of the events of Halo 4 seems appropriate given the Didact’s belief that he was simply waging a continuation of that conflict by attacking Earth. Your narrative did a great job of conveying the Didact’s arrogance and wounded pride while softening the portrayal with his sense of righteousness and nostalgia. This kind of contrast makes for a great villain and I enjoyed the flow of the action between physical and digital spaces. The inclusion of the Den Mother character near the end felt a little out of place, particularly since “Den Mother” doesn’t seem quite so appropriate for a Forerunner name. I appreciate the desire to draw a parallel between the Master Chief and the Didact but the execution felt a little forced in my reading. This aside, the blend of past and future makes for a very compelling portrait of the Didact, which makes it my pick for this topic’s winner.


Week 246: One Man Wolf Pack[]

Judge: Ajax 013

Prompt: With the release Season 2 of Halo: Infinite, and the focus on the Lone Wolf Delta-6 operators, I decided to give them some attention with the Weekly. With 1000 worlds, detail a micro-story showing one of the Delta-6 operators fighting far from home, all alone. You should look at themes of isolation, mental fortitude, resilience, dogged determination, and violence of action against their foes.

Start Date: May 11th, 2022

End Date May 18th, 2022

  • DT 2022: Janitor's Bloody Works by Distant Tide : While this is somewhat personal preference, the heavy amounts of purple prose somewhat dilute the story itself. Its good for setting the stage, but somewhat overstays its welcome. In a longer story, this might work, but for the compacted nature of the Weekly, it feels like its a long while before getting to the action scene. This is well offset by the visceral nature of the all too brief action scene, where the violence of action is shown well.
  • Expendable Wolves by Actene : The story is tense, and sets the tone nicely, and paints a vivid picture of the world, and those on it for the reader. It really gets under the skin of the isolation and hopelessness of a Delta-6 operator, far flung from home and alone against seemingly impossible odds. Its also good at showing the kind of foxhole humour soldiers in this situation would fallback on, and their relationship with those that ordered them here. My only main feedback of it, and this may just be me being bloodthirsty, but I would have liked some violence to cap it off.
  • Dragon From Afar by Lieutenant Davis : In the balance of action to inner space, this definitely leans heavily into the action area. The action is very well written, and easy to follow, with concise but well chosen descriptions, giving a good sense of whats happening around the protagonist. What edges it out of the lead is the lack of inner thought from the protagonist, dwelling on their thoughts, personality, not giving words to their inner space. It could of done with time spent focusing on Jin's thoughts, and the loneliness and isolation of his profession.

Week 247: A Little Chat[]

Judge: Actene

Prompt: Thanks to a few discussions on the site Discord, this entry is a simple one: write a conversation between two or more characters, conveying something of substance within the usual constraints of 1000 words or so. The subject matter and theme is entirely up to you, just try to create a compelling exchange through whatever approach you choose.

Start Date: May 18th, 2022

End Date May 25th, 2022

  • Laconian Crossroads: Empty Rooms by Distant Tide: It feels a bit weird dropping feedback on an incomplete piece, so for now I'll say that I enjoy just about anything taking place at AJJAMS ("A-jams," because I will make that a thing) and that you do a pretty good job setting the scene. A bit too long of a job given the weekly format, but this still has potential to be an interesting piece. I'd be happy to drop some more substantive feedback either here or via messaging once the short is complete, so keep up the good work!
  • Job Interview by Lieutenant Davis : Although your piece is largely a vehicle for establishing facts about the state of Colonial Militia forces in 2560, you avoided the frequent trap of expository dialogue by framing the conversation as an interview—exactly the type of environment where these awkward explanatory questions get asked. The piece served as a great means of establishing Anwar’s character as he steps into a larger world. The details provided about the nature of the militia were well thought out, as were references to security measures the UNSC is falling back on in a post-Created galaxy. If I had to be nitpicky I’d say that Anwar could have used a bit more characterization, either through some social cues or internal narrative. I can’t say I’m coming away from this piece knowing much about him other than his understandable affection for the Colonial Militia, but the limitations of a weekly prompt being what they are I can’t criticize very strongly there. All in all a very solid piece that continues the themes you played with in last week’s entry.


Week 248: In Memoriam[]

Judge: Distant Tide

Prompt: I did it last year too, leave me alone. It's Memorial Day weekend this week for Americans. While I'm not asking anyone to fly any patriotic colors, I thought I'd bring back a somber prompt about remembering history, fallen, past, and loved ones. Remembering the things we cherish, loved, and cared about. What's something your character remembers or remembered and how are they dealing with somber emotions in a sometimes harsh reality and a lesser world without something they held or remembered dearly. It can be a positive, even cheerful prompt too but try to keep the topic within "in memory of." Aim for around 1000 words maximum but I won't worry too much about word counts as per usual.

Start Date: May 26th, 2022

End Date June 2nd, 2022

  • Arthur.txt by Underlord1271: I like this format, reminds me of some of those pre-Halo sci fi computer games with their storytelling hidden away in text-based narratives split from the main plot and gameplay and yet I also felt a slight chuckle that we're still using .mp3 and .txt file formats in the 26th century. Next time I recommend try coming up with a more unique way to identify a file format so it doesn't feel as dated or take the reader out of the narrative though its more nitpicking than anything else. I really liked this letter, while its a bit on the 'you know this is a story' rather than someone writing a letter of frustration at the universe, it does a very good job of connecting the dots and offering material that a reader can say "Yep, that a parent of a Spartan-II" and the horrifying consequences that come with it. The hint of an "imposter syndrome" of sorts to what the audience knows to be a matter of fact where the protagonist only has a crazy suspicion and how other worldly it must feel to not trust anyone around your or your own reality because you realize your child is somewhere out there in the universe, that must be utterly terrifying and this letter communicates it very well. Add that with some of Kilo-5's best beats, this short story joins a lot of in-universe implications that make it a very enjoyable read.
  • Etched in Stardust by LastnameSilver - Winner: Another fancy page format and from Silver no less, both a surprise and an awesome one at that. Glad to see a post from you again! I wouldn't have capitalized "glassfield" personally since its more of a new noun that isn't a name for a specific object but a generic term for a location/geographical feature. MST calendar - North America/Mountain Standard Time/Earth? 10 light years is almost Earth anyway... I really like this short's physical description and scene setting because the presentation is very strong and emphasize a feeling of "being there" though the "why" eluded me for some time until I made it close to the end and the story clicked. Excellent use of science fiction, and "light as a time machine" of sorts. I'm a little dubious that any telescope on a planet with an atmosphere could get such clean visuals of Reach from 10 light years but that can be easily written off for the benefit of the story because it is very inventive. I really dug your "remember Reach" story, it handles remembrance in a very unique way. All the stories in this line up were excellent, easily some of the best collections of entries I've read in some time and they all handle the theme perfectly. I ended up choosing Silver's story as the winner in the end because I think it was the most inventive with its premise which is no slight at the quality in the other works, I just find the concept of using the speed of light as a matter of memorialization to be a very impressive display of storytelling. Congrats Silver, glad to read another excellent tale from you!
  • Rasq Writes: For Us The Living by Quirel: There's an interesting nature to this short with the date of its setting, May - 2 months after the ceasefire. There's an underlying implication that it took 2 months for many of these UNSC veterans and GIs to even start to relax a little that their long war might be coming to an end or a close. The Chaplin's speech implies there's still some doubt to that too. South Ossetia, as in the Georgian microstate? Interesting choice of mention - not important but my brain latched onto that for some reason or another. Oh, this is a very inspired ceremony - the drink for the fallen will break new ground for the next generation of human defenders, I like that. One more for the dead. One more for you, Dad. I like the implication of this story as it handles a familiar scene but one with details that aren't easily or rarely are apparent in other examples of the gathered soldiers remembering the fallen. The details and objects in the scene have a purpose and they come together to tell a wider story. I can't think of a better way to show a writer's skill than their ability to take many pieces of an idea like lego bricks, stitch them together, and turn it into a narrative that resonates in the audience. That's some excellent handling and very appropriate for following Memorial Day in particular.


Week 249: To Be Continued[]

Judge: Actene

Prompt: Weeklies prompts intentionally do not seek to produce short stories - the intent of these prompts is to invite large swathes of the community to exercise their writing muscles and some users have more time and experience with longform stories than others. However, small chunks of writing - 500 words here, 500 words there - gradually add up to a far greater whole over time, enabling anyone with enough focus to produce longer stories and narratives. This prompt invites you to experiment with this by writing a short piece (roughly 1000 words, as always) that you intend to continue next week with another 1000 word entry.

There's no theme here, just have fun and write whatever you please. Entries will be judged subjectively and there's no guarantee that the sequel to this week's winner will win the next prompt as well. I do suggest that you try to catch your reader's interest with your ending this week to build anticipation for whatever you plan to bring to the table next week.

Start Date: June 1st, 2022

End Date June 8th, 2022

  • Carnaphract by LastnameSilver: The Banished continue to be a criminally under-utilized faction within site lore, so I really appreciate entries like this that flesh them out and take advantage of their raw, brutal power. I loved the creative terms you drew up (“Gunketch”, “Carnaphrakt”, “Ketchmaster”) that fit neatly into the distinctive Banished style and did a lot of work to help the reader associate the raiding sequence with the broader Banished arsenal. Your vivid descriptions of space combat gave the sequence momentum and made it a lot of fun to read. I did notice a few run-on sentences that didn’t seem to serve much purpose as well as punctuation issues (typically non-proper capitalized nouns, “Fleet,” “Cruiser”, etc.) that distracted from the reading. Fortunately these can easily be addressed with a quick proofread. The omniscient narrative helped paint a broad picture of the action, but the lack of a named point of view character made it somewhat difficult to follow the action in places. These points aside, great job; I’m excited to see how you follow this entry up.
  • DT 2022: In The Mud by Distant Tide (Winner): Poor Merlin can’t catch a break. This piece is a fun turn to the beginning of Merlin and Andra’s relationship, if you can call brawling and Andra’s headspace trauma fun. Although it is somewhat predictable that Merlin and Andra’s relationship would get off to a rocky start, I liked the little details you slipped in to highlight both characters’ immaturity. Andra’s internal coping mechanisms and Merlin’s inability to take the hint reminds the reader that these characters are children, which isn’t something you often encounter with Spartan training stories. With regards to overall writing, I noticed a lot less filler prose here than I’ve seen in your older pieces, which helped keep me focused on the more important details within the story. This week’s winner is a tough call, but as I’m subjectively predisposed to character work I land on “In The Mud” as this prompt’s winner.


Week 250: As You May Recall...[]

Judge: Actene

Prompt: As per last week's prompt, this entry invites you to write a continuation of your previous submission. There's no further stipulations, just write something fun that moves your story forward. As a caveat, if you didn't submit anything for the last prompt you are free to participate in this one; just write a follow-up to any Weekly entry you've previously submitted. You may choose to either write the new content into the existing entry's page or create a new page. In the latter case, please include an introductory blurb linking back to whatever piece you're continuing. As with last week, try to aim for around 1000 words.

Start Date: June 8th, 2022

End Date June 15th, 2022

  • A Letter to the Metal Men by EvenManatee887 (Continuation of Humanity): It’s interesting to see a follow-up for a Weekly entry written back in 2019, and while the brevity of your entry makes the scene a bit jarring I was impressed by the jump in quality you show through more complex paragraphs and thematic pacing. The core of Lyzander’s conflict—his perceived failure to live up to the Spartans who came before him—is a great way to note the generational divide separating the Spartan-IIs and IIIs and feels fitting given Lyzander’s liminal experience on psychological leave (the correlation between Lyzander’s recollection of being hoisted up by an evacuation craft as a child and his feelings of emotional suspension was particularly striking.) One small form criticism I offer is that numbers ought to be written out in prose form—“one” rather than “1”, “two” rather than “2” etc.
  • DT 2022: Their Small Start by Distant Tide: This is a hefty entry, clocking in at nearly 2000 words. I know I frequently advise potential writers that the word limit on entries is more a suggestion than a rule, but lengthier pieces are a bit more difficult to power through, particularly when matched up against a bountiful field like this one. With that bit of whining out of the way, this is a nice follow-up to your last piece. I find myself increasingly interested in the various side characters like Dellend or Romero who pop up in Delta Company’s training cycle. This piece was a bit heavy on exposition and might have benefited from condensing the time between Merlin and Andra’s punishment and subsequent reconciliation to a single paragraph. The scene in Dr. Romero’s office was a neat way of highlighting the differences between the two characters and the encounter is one I hope to see referenced and utilized in future shorts.
  • Carnaphract by LastnameSilver (Winner): I’m very glad that you chose to simply expand on your existing page rather than create a new one. Your combined entries come the closest to what I envisioned for these twin prompts: two separate efforts coming together to compose a larger story (though that is by no means a criticism of the other entries). As I noted in last week’s feedback, the action flowed better once named characters emerged in the text. The earlier battle reads even better as part of the combined piece and once again you do a great job in evoking the techno-savage brutality of the Banished. If I had to criticize anything I’d suggest that you should have left the last segment with Belmont out entirely (at least in its unfinished state) as it detracts from the origin of Lucarius Casketborn. The effort you put in to formatting the page itself is just icing on the cake and I’m happy to list this second iteration as this prompt’s winner.
  • Delayed Blowback by LegendOfElTopo (Follow-up to Outreach): This continuation of an older piece doesn’t reach quite so far back in time as Even’s, but it marks a welcome return to form and makes me think we should encourage linked Weekly entries more often. You did a great job in capturing Owain’s frustration and the tension between him and Hari. As characters defined as much by their physical capabilities as their personalities, Spartans are even more vulnerable to bodily deterioration than other people. Your piece did some good work in capturing the effect Owain’s injuries had on his psyche as well as his relationship with Hari. I’d be interested in a future piece that looked at the effect Hari’s junior status as a member of Gamma Company had on her relationship with the more senior Owain—its omission here felt a bit surprising.

Week 251: Little Blue Lady[]

Judge: Distant Tide

Prompt: In awe or horror, depending on how you feel about the topic, let's have some writing around the theme of artificial intelligence because another image generator is running around giving the Internet some laughs and discussions of self-aware machines is in the news again. With a 1000 word prompt soft target as always, write a story that explores AI or features something in relation to AI. Since its become common for feedback not to arrive until the weekend, new deadline for weeklies going forward will be Friday nights, per Actene's suggestion.

Start Date: June 17th, 2022

End Date June 24th, 2022

  • Halo: Memento Mori by LastnameSilver: Silver, 6000+ words. You’re killing me, man. I’ll let the word count go this time, but I won’t do it next time. While I’m not against long stories with an interesting story and a writer’s polish, there are limits and this story is throwing me a challenge to read it. In terms of overall presentation, it’s a great display of wordsmithing and prose to establish a nontangible space as a tangible one. However, you use more words than you need and overdo it – explaining cyberspace with words that sometimes feel more like they were slapped in to establish the setting as ‘Tron-like’ but the number of times I saw things like “parsing protocol” feel more like set dressing than something useful to the story. The method of non-conversation using vague-HTML-like strings and dialogue between the AI is alien and there is a current of a horror story underneath the technobabble and jargon. In short order, this story is body horror for a non-human entity with very human-like characteristics and that’s cool. However, I think the Tron-like setting, neck collars, and silent demises remind me of I Have No Mouth And I Must Scream, it struggles to balance its human and unhuman characteristics and the number of things happening weigh the story down when it its way beyond the word count. The concept of a Banished AI eating human AI, and technically Covenant equivalent ones is intriguing and I like the macro-horror of it. I also got a bit of an Alien w/ Ripley kind of feel midway through the story fighting between the human AI and the later-established non-sapient-till-later Banished AI. And then the redemption, I could call it Beauty and the Beast by the roles but I’m probably stretching my own analogies in my own right here. I really liked the experimentation but this story really overstayed its welcome and I did struggle to get through it. You did great work but I can’t mince words when I say I struggled reading this story. Still, this short story makes me want to take Baleful for a spin, seems like a very interesting character with the establishment of Banished AI being out there now thanks to Halo Infinite.
  • Incident Report by Navisul97 and LegendOfElTopo - Winner: I’m surprised to see a collaboration for the weekly. I’m not even sure we have rules for or against these things. Anyway, getting into the meat of it, this is a fun story between AIs acting very human in a universe that otherwise tries often to balance between subdued and overexaggerated human expressions for what only amount to human simulacra. I really love human-like portrayals in AI and Incident Report scratches that itch. I don’t know what that says about me but a lot of people also don’t like that. If it’s another judge, maybe I would’ve taken points off for both entries due to the very human portrayals. Last time I wrote a short story about Yuki, one of my non-Halo fanfic friends was horrified to learn she was a catgirl (not that the guy is ever above reproach – one of his current fanfics is about a girl stuck in a cat avatar in an FPS VR game). While we’re not told much of Owain’s circumstances, the impression by the three separate AI dancing around jurisdiction, policy, and general human emotion give the reader hints and ideas of the incident, doing more with less. This was a fun scene that exemplifies the idea of a minimalist play: a few actors on a stage with no props and just telling their story. In the end I decided to give Zoup and Navi the win for this week. While I think Silver’s fiction was more inventive, my engagement mileage was more with Incident Report than Memento Mori.


Week 252: Spirit of Competition[]

Judge: Ajax 013

Prompt: With the canonisation of multiplayer through things like War Games, and Anvil Station we now have an entire world of Spartan (and occasionally Sangheili) competition, fighting in training with a competitive aim. For this weekly, your task is to use 1000 words to show competition between individuals or teams in these simulated combat exercises.

Start Date: June 26th, 2022

End Date July 1st, 2022

  • Sims (2022 Weekly 252) by Bag of Rations: So most of my feedback centres around issues with the dialogue, but there's some other points. A lot of the dialogue feels somewhat... unnatural, stilted. It didn't flow very well and didn't feel like natural, human dialogue. Along with this, dialogue usually slips right into a description or some prose. This is usually to describe the character at length, where it becomes somewhat tricky to read. There's a lot of run on sentences here, or sentences where it goes on too long. Sometimes there's also issues with repetition, like the director being described an oni officer on multiple occasions. On occasions it also jumps between first person and third person perspective at a few points that kinda causes issues with it.
  • Halo: Stardriver by LastnameSilver: Yeah, you uh, you went over the 1000 word limit by 1500 words, so I had to disqualify you. Other than that, a great read! nothing much to really feed back. Oh, except for the page formatting makes it a bastard to read and i have to scroll right and left to read it.


Weekly 253: Look To Thine Enemy[]

Judge: LastnameSilver

Prompt: Plenty of stories in Halo deal with shady ONI Projects. Secret organisations, clandestine programmes, black ops—plenty that explore ONIs magic bullets and Wunderwaffen. What I wanna see is something from the Covenant side of things; like the weapons smuggling on The Rubble, or the Silent Shadow ambushing Headhunter teams.

Your prompt, in 1,500 - 2,000 words-ish, tell me a story about a Covenant magic bullet, wonder weapon, special secret project, or Black Op aimed at winning any of their myriad historic wars, or just dishing out a little havoc.

Bonus points if Forerunner shenaniganising is kept to a minimum.

Start Date: July 2nd, 2022

End Date: July 9th, 2022


Weekly 254: Eaglestrike[]

Judge: Actene

Prompt: There's been a lot of community enthusiasm over the recent Infinite Fracture "Eaglestrike," which transposes the Halo universe into a dieseltech world of irradiated continents and hellish trench warfare. Unlike the previous Tenrai fracture, 343i has dropped a significant amount of lore snippets about this strange alternate universe (including a community story). For this weekly, take what you know of the Eaglestrike universe and write a scene bringing that world to life. Since we know so little about the Earth of the Eaglestrike continuity you can be as creative as you want. Imagine your existing fanon characters in this setting or invent new ones out of whole cloth in around 1000 words or so.

Note: This is a one-off writing prompt, not an invitation to introduce more Eaglestrike-themed work on the site. To avoid future confusion on this point, please make a note of the special circumstances on the page you create for your entry. Thanks!

Start Date: July 8th, 2022

End Date: July 15th, 2022

  • Eaglestrike: An Eagle Called Nicole by Distant Tide (Winner): Yet another long-form entry here, but you definitely took the challenge of depicting the Eaglestrike setting to heart. Eagle offers an impressive spread laying out your vision of what this strange alternative take on Halo might look like. You did a particularly good job of depicting the grinding toll the terrible war against the Covenant would take on human society, as well as nice snippets of the dieseltech alternatives to canon tech (COSMOCOM, Wunder-bird, etc.). The heavy use of exposition on the front end does make the transition into Nicole’s immediate perspective a bit jarring, but I can hardly fault you for focusing on the setting rather than the characters. I did find a few awkward sentences that could use a bit of refining, but the prose was still fun to read through. This piece is a nice little snippet of speculative fiction and hopefully we can find more use for these prompts in the future.

Weekly 255: Across the Dark Sea[]

Judge: Distant Tide

Prompt: Halo spends much of its time and focus on humanity's place in the universe. But what of the aliens? While we won't discount human stories within alien territory, let's tell some stories about alien life in the under-explored spaces of the former Covenant, Banished, and maybe even the spaces beyond if you're feeling adventurous. Just make sure its a story set in alien space and have alien elements to it, try to aim for 1000 words.

Start Date: July 17th, 2022

End Date: July 24th, 2022

  • The Adversary by Arminius Fiddywinks - Winner: The intro sentence of this short story does a good job of setting expectations and contrasting reality from fiction, though I think it also undercuts your story by revealing to the audience they're not as impressive as the stories told. I find the million vs. billion statistic over 300 years to be a bit problematic due to being a factor of 100x lives lost over the official number and not even accounting for civilian lives lost (usually 2x or higher than military casualties in war). While it sets up a sense of true threat from your new enemy, its still a little inconsistent and undercut by their mundanity. You expositive descriptions are fairly simple but very effective in communicating your message, I don't see any frivolous use of extra words here. Your use of human-like time stamps I feel is unimaginative, especially when the Covenant have a different calendar and measures of time. Sanghelios is on a almost 30 hour day. I was a little disappointed that you didn't give your new aliens much of a distinct, a lot of this short story felt too human-like but I liked the little details you added to the Covenant side. This short story also does a good job of giving Rik a unique character moment though I'm missing a "why" part to this tale which is why I can't really call it a personality. Still, its a unique tale - about a soldier having the choice to take life and not too, and choosing the latter. I appreciate the contribute of this story and I enjoyed reading it, I look forward to reading from you more in the future.


Weekly 256: Bon Appetit[]

Judge: Actene

Prompt: Meals can be great settings for prose scenes, be they a shared moment between characters or a time for solitary introspection. A meal's setting is also incredibly flexible, ranging from a dining room or restaurant to a hurried meal in a cramped work setting. For this prompt, work in a scene of about 1000 words involving some kind of meal. The meal itself can be the focal point of your prose or merely incidental to the scene itself - do what works best for whatever you're trying to convey.

Start Date: July 24th, 2022

End Date: July 31st, 2022

  • The Next Step by Spartan-D042 : Bluntness up front, this piece reads as if it were written in a hurry. There isn’t anything wrong with that but I did notice an unusual number of punctuality typos and disjointed sentences that took me out of the story during reading. With that out of the way, I very much enjoyed reading this short. You crafted a genuine tension as the conversation between Andra and Callum escalated while Merlin desperately tried to soothe the waters. Although Andra’s heated remarks about the UNSC seemed a bit extreme for her character they did a great job of ramping up the discord between her and Callum. It would have been interesting to see how the conversation progressed further given Callum’s growing paternal feelings regarding Andra, but perhaps that’s a story for another day.
  • A Lunchtime Proposal by Lieutenant Davis : It’s always interesting when someone drops new (or at least less-established) characters into a Weekly entry. Your mealtime encounter between Jonas and Akeyo was a great example of speculative worldbuilding surrounding humanity’s postwar economic situation. The thematic tie-in between the shared meal and the topic of food scarcity lent some real weight to the conversation. The polite tension woven into Jonas and Akeyo’s conversation also helped elevate the conversation, giving me the impression that groundwork was being laid for more momentous developments down the line. You went all-in on taking advantage of the prompt’s food-based theme, which is why A Lunchtime Proposal is my pick for the prompt’s winner.
  • Coquito for the Soul by LegendOfElTopo : This sweet little vignette did a wonderful job establishing the Puerto Rican cityscape—a common fanon destination of late. The exposition woven into the dialogue did a great job establishing Harriet and Owain’s relationship. I only had a couple stylistic criticisms, firstly that the line break near the start of the piece isn’t really necessary for the transition and secondly that you tend to overuse italicized emphatics in both exposition and dialogue. Visual critiques aside this was a solid piece that blended a charming relationship with the unique character of Puerto Rican cuisine.


Weekly 257: A Galaxy on Fire[]

Judge: Spartan-D042

Prompt: Consider this a spiritual sequel to Weekly #70 AI's a Crapshoot, give me a tease or idea of what your characters are up to in the wake of Halo: Infinite's events, more precisely, the spread of the Banished and the death of Cortana. Try and keep it around 1000 words.

Start Date: July 31st, 2022

End Date: August 14th, 2022


Weekly 258: Let Your Hair Down[]

Judge: Actene

Prompt: Stories on this site tend to fixate on combat and other acts of grim derring-do at the expense of more commonplace or relatable situations. There's nothing wrong with that given that we're a fan fiction site built around a FPS video game franchise, but Weeklies are a great opportunity to branch out and tread new ground. For this prompt, write something involving a party. This can be anything from a raucous dance club to a refined colonial ball. Be creative and give your characters a chance to relax (or stiffen up, depending on the situation).

Start Date: August 14th, 2022

End Date: August 28th, 2022


Weekly 259: Crossover Chaos[]

Judge: Falkeno

Prompt: As we know, Halo Fanon is both a place where we Halo fans can create and share our own ideas, but also help others, all in the service of a sci-fi series that all started with the story of a man in a set green armour and his electronic girlfriend friend.

So in the interest of promoting this sense of collaboration, this one is a case of 'what it (sort of) says on the tin'. For this weekly I want you to write a crossover between your own (if there is an issue here, please contact me so we can make a work around) and another writers character(s) that have never met before (no established crossovers as an easy out!) Feel free to do whatever comes to mind, just have fun and see where the writing takes you. Due to the nature of the prompt I'm going to be sporting and give a thousand word maximum limit for this one.

(Important Notes - This goes without saying, but you MUST obtain the other author's permission first).

Start Date: August 24th, 2022

End Date: September 11th, 2022

  • DT 2022: Venezian Irk Pub by Distant Tide The biggest problem I have with this entrance is that the pay-off isn’t worth the build-up. Half the story is spent on building up on things that are irrelevant to the actual plot, with the interaction between Vilmios and Professor Manchester taking up only half of what is left of the word count. If the story had been shorter, this issue would not have been as noticeable (and probably have meant it would have been closer to the 1k word count suggestion). The sad thing is that I found the interaction between Manchester and Vilmios to be the highlight of the story and should have been developed further, with the Spartan putting on the face of a keen listener, whilst providing an internal narrative as he puts up with the professor’s ‘nonsense’ all while trying to get as many drinks down the mans throat as fast as possible. But instead, we skip from the first drinks to him being passed out drunk, which I do feel has wasted the stories potential in my mind.
  • I’m going to preface these submissions before I go into specifics due to the nature of these two submissions. I do appreciate you submitting these two Tide, but I feel that if you had focused on just two rather than spreading yourself thin with all three then you could have probably had two complete stories, rather than just the one. Saying that I can see what you were trying to do here, and I would like to see the stories completed as they are interesting (I have a prompt like this planned in the future so hold on to them).
    • DT 2022: Things Bigger Than Me by Distant Tide Of the two this is the stronger submission as you managed to get into the meat of the story in a clear and understandable way that kept the pacing up, weaving dialogue and descriptive wording that I never felt like it was getting bogged down. One part that really impressed me was how you used Zach-D111 as your choice of crossover character as (to my knowledge) he isn’t one that has been given much of a chance to shine due to being overshadowed by Merlin and Andra. I can’t offer much more judgement than this as it is incomplete but still a good effort so far.
    • DT 2022: Pebbles of Mamore by Distant Tide This was the weaker of the two as I felt bogged down with the lore regarding Mamore and Simon. If you had started at ‘Welcome to Mamore’ and had sprinkled this information throughout the story (maybe through some dialogue) then you could have alleviated this problem. As I didn’t have enough of the main plot to make a proper call this is the best I can offer but keep at it all the same and maybe work on in the future.
  • Picking Up The Pieces by ActeneI struggled to find much to criticize with this submission. The narrative was intriguing but so long that I became sick of it, and the way you described the setting painted a brilliantly vivid picture in my head. The only major drawback I could find with it was that it was the longest submission by far at nearly three times the length I advised, which I did factor into my judgement hence why it took me so long to make my judgement. It is worth mentioning that whilst it didn’t strictly stick to the prompt, I was allowing some wiggle room for authors who didn’t have an character's they could use or couldn’t find someone who was willing to let them use their characters (In the latter case I’d have thrown one of my few characters at them). But as Actene explained that this was an idea that he’d been looking for an excuse to do, I cannot penalise him.
  • Knowledge Transfer (TPF) by ThePeteFiles The main problem I had with this story was that it lacked any description of the environment that the story was taking place in, other than it was set around a mountain. Whilst I can guess you did this to cut down on the word count, the problem with this is that it makes it difficult to visualise the story. I didn’t know if it was cold, warm, barren of vegetation, covered in lush foliage, or set during the day or the night. The plot itself makes sense for the most part, but one part that cropped up was that from the outside it was two Beta company headhunters chatting, with Violet inquiring if Sam wanted to re-join the headhunters. But one of the important parts of Violets story is that she was a regular company Beta who missed Operation: TORPEDO due to being badly injured, but this fact appears to have been missed (not too well read up on the character so maybe there is an in-universe reason, if so Ignore this part.
  • All Things Wrong by Timothy Emeigh Deciding between this and ‘Picking up the pieces’ was not easy. I actually had to make a list of reasons for and against when deciding the winner and sadly this one had (slightly) more reasons against. I loved the plot, which had the right mix of intrigue and action to make it an enjoyable read for me and the action scene was well written in how it depicted a brutal fight between two evenly matched opponents that ended in a way that left neither the loser in a way that was both satisfying and was logical. Unfortunately, whilst the fight made sense, there were two parts that didn’t have the same effect. The first was found in the line ‘The camp fell silent for what seemed to be an eternity. And then chaos erupted’ as you wrote that the distraction for Bless’ attack was an attack on the guards by her allies, did they just stop fighting all of a sudden? Since as they were a distraction they would have wanted to drag out the gun battle as long as possible (maybe until Bless told them to retreat?). The second section of note was when Elena tells Jack to retreat as ‘the camp [was] lost’ which to me seems to be quite presumptive. The thing is that at that moment the only threats are Bless’ allies who are being dealt with by the security, and Bless who Elena is shown to be able to handle (I know you did this so it was a 1v1) so maybe the inclusion of a more overt threat would have helped. The other two (minor) issues that tipped the judgement was that whilst you did provide some descriptive terms, such as how the wall Bless climbed was made of rusty metal, I found this still lacking. You said that the story was set in a refugee camp, but this still leaves quite a bit up to guess work, as whilst the rusty metal of the walls implies the camp isn’t in great condition, we don’t know if it’s a sprawl of stacked houses, a tent-like city, or laid out like a military camp. This could have been an easy fix describing Bless’ escape from the camp in greater detail, (she has just been shot at and is presumably being chased by the Chivomengro. The other thing that tipped it to Actene was my bug bear of repeating the same word in a short time frame, in this case the word ‘wall’ or ‘walls’ appears four times when only once is needed as it is implied that her focus is on the wall. If you’d used a couple of synonyms then this wouldn’t be an issue, so maybe factor that into the future.
  • Erd-El-Ey by Arminius Fiddywinks As we worked out this was a case of misreading the prompt I can’t really comment on this submission, but I can point an issue that is one of my main bug bears. I noticed that in sections that you repeated the same words over multiple sentences in quick succession which undermines both the story’s narrative and its readability as I found myself struggling to reading this in places. For example, this section stands out is where you are describing the aliens’ features ‘They were definitely alien, with faintly canine cranial features. [...] They looked distinctly canine, but not quite. The snout and nostrils weren’t canine at all...’. This is mostly an issue stemming from the proof-reading stage, so I can’t judge as this issue crops up from time to time.


Weekly 260: School Is Back In Session[]

Judge: Actene

Prompt: September is upon us and for many people that means school semesters are starting back up again. For this prompt, write a character or characters in some sort of learning environment - anything ranging from an actual schoolhouse to a military training camp or perhaps just a moment of education in the ways of the world. This is a very broad prompt so be creative and try to craft a meaningful moment for your characters. Roughly 1000 words, please.

Start Date: September 11th, 2022

End Date: September 18th, 2022

  • History written by survivors (TPF) by ThePeteFiles: I promised bonus points for writing in a classroom setting and you certainly earned those points here. The concept of human students analyzing the great battles of Halo lore as history is a good one and you seem to have had a lot of fun name-dropping famous Reach locations. Your interplay between Samuel and Rowen’s characters was an interesting one, particularly as the narrative pulled back the curtain on Samuel’s history with Reach. There was a raw tension bubbling beneath the surface—a traumatic experience in Samuel’s life being treated as an academic study—that you never fully tapped into, though as always the limitations of a weekly entry don’t often let us explore a scene’s full potential.
  • Intelligence Failure by Arminius Fiddywinks: This short was a neat little introduction into the Assembly of Worlds. You managed to fit an admirably large number of characters and concepts into a relatively small amount of space. This short was a great display of economy of writing, not only setting up the narrator and their family but also the various characters of the Assembly court, their relationship with the Covenant, and their plans for the future. There are quibbles to be made about how this scenario fits into the larger scheme of Halo canon but a Weekly feedback section is not the place to hash that out. I did notice a few odd syntax choices early in the piece but these receded as the scene transitioned to a heavier focus on dialogue.
  • Showing Tells by LegendOfElTopo (Winner): All of the entries for this prompt did an admirable amount of heavy lifting while remaining true to the word count, but I think Showing Tells lifted the most. Between the twin characterizations of Reyes and “Arianne,” the skillful tech lesson regarding power converters, and the unspoken nature of Harriet’s deep cover operation this piece managed to be both a part of a larger story and a ground-level snapshot of daily life in the Halo universe. I confess I found myself a little envious as I read through the dialogue, and that is reason enough to declare Showing Tells the winner.


Weekly 261: What could've been[]

Judge: ThePeteFiles

Prompt: Many of us have a character where something happens to them and it sets them on a different path. Covenant glass a colony, defecting from a cause, losing a close companion, and so forth. The prompt for this week is to challenge the writer in where their character might be if they didn't have the life changing event. Where does your character end up if they don't defect or escape from a glassing, what do their lives look like? 500 words total, 600 is the max. Explore where your character could've gone had you not written them the way to did.

EDIT: As of 09/19, you can do an event such as the Battle of Harvest and so forth. The idea remains, what would've happened if X thing didn't happen to Y.

Start Date: September 18th, 2022

End Date: September 25th, 2022

Prior to handing out feedback, I want to apologize for the complexity of this week's writing prompt. I learned through feedback that this prompt was much more complicated than previous. For future reference, I am willing to adjust rules to be more flexible if the individuals are having a hard time creating ideas. Anyways, to the Feedback...

  • Cornered Rat by Actene: Team Jian is still going after Simon, but was that Redmond Venter in command of ODSTs? I like the idea of Simon remaining on the run and with the Syndicate. The battle between Cassandra and Simon seems to fit right into Simon blowing things up to throw the enemy off balance. The interactions between the characters still feels natural while also giving a touch of what could've happened. I applaud you for taking a stab at this prompt despite the word requirement and the open-ended idea of what could've been.
  • DT 2022: Stray's Shadow by Distant Tide: Hyper-Lethal Asset, that's a cool name for lying on your resume. Andra killing her own puts things into a different perspective where she's killing Spartans from her company. The idea of shoving Andra through the hell of killing her peers, even if she didn't know them as well, as Stray, puts her into a crisis of trying to figure out where she fits into everything. It's quite a unique touch on how Andra is dealing with her adoption to Stray's moniker. Also, I applaud you for taking a stab when you been busy and further. I appreciate the prompt and the attempt.


Weekly 262: A Comedy of Errors[]

Judge: Actene

Prompt: The title says it all. For obvious reasons, writing around here tends to lean towards the grim and serious. But comedy, particularly in written form, can be an even more challenging task than action or drama. For this entry, try to compose a short scene presenting something comic or absurd. Try to make me laugh. I will caveat this by stipulating that you must still adhere to standard canon rules. Nothing too over the top; just remember, real life can be funny!

Benchmark word count should be between 600 to 1000 words.

Start Date: September 25th, 2022

End Date: October 2nd, 2022

  • Intimate and Strong Relations by Arminius Fiddywinks (Winner) : For a comedy-focused entry, I found the foundational elements of this piece very compelling, particularly the details surrounding Mik and Kai’s origins and relationship. Your early paragraphs did a good job impressing on the reader the different places these characters come from and how that impacts their personality. The reunion of John and the Arbiter was also a nice touch, and while the comedy element itself was more farcical than amusing the concept of a translation error at a diplomatic event struck a chord with me as a very Star Trek occurrence, which really fit the atmosphere you set with the diverse array of entities represented at the conference. All in all, another very solid entry.


Weekly 263: Lonely Frontier[]

Judge: Distant Tide

Prompt: Out there in the darkness and less-traveled roads are mysteries and dangers hidden and unseen. Let's take our characters and tales there. In under 1500 words at your own pace, write a short story about being in a lonely and desolate place and what characters might find there. It can be both indoor and outdoor, unnerving or calming. The feeling is yours to choose, but set it somewhere out of the way.

Start Date: October 3rd, 2022

End Date: October 10th, 2022

  • How Are You? by Arminius Fiddywinks: Mik found himself in a paradise, and began to think about himself. How Are You is the shortest of this week's entries and begins with a very strong description of a hunting ground without the prey called humans, and that got your protagonist thinking about everything and anything except the stress and single-mindedness that combat brings. It's an interesting approach to storytelling, having a character present in the setting but they're not present for the interaction. Kai is sleeping, so an imaginary Kai of Mik's thoughts fills that void and these two have a considerate chat about Mik and the self. Your use of first-person continues to be strong, unique, and well-polished. Overall a great entry, however, I found the lack of relevance of the backdrop beyond two paragraphs as only a segway into self-reflection wasn't as strongly aligned to the weekly theme. Quality is excellent, but I would've liked some more interaction or relevance of the backdrop in this short story.
  • Lonely Decks by Underlord1271: Captain Jameson found himself in a silent ship, and didn't know what a life was without war. Lonely Decks became the longest entry of this Weekly competition and kind of acted like two stories instead of one thanks to the hard break in-between and I would've liked a more polished segway between the two comparative events that make this short story whole. However, the sudden shock of the Covenant War ending, the references to canon and the UNSC's history and how it plays with the slice-of-life importance/unimportance of replacing starships from one game to another. Somehow, there is an enduring quality of knowing that this ship told has a long story. A history going untold and suddenly gone quiet as it's crew vacates for home and vacation, the captain prepares to hand-in his ship but also his service, his known life, and all the memories he's come to know. He is part of the ship, and the ship a part of him. Memories and ghosts wander the halls and old fixtures that once were normal aboard are just quiet now. The ship's future maybe death, but the captain's future still remains - a nice retirement, or an unknown possibility not yet decided. I like how you pulled from Halo Wars in the style of how ships remember their captains that really sells the concept of history. I was sold by the general phrase of "never again," that had an effect on me and I think its what sold me on determining it as the winner this week. Congratulations Underlord.
  • A Strange and Terrible Land by Actene: Mohsin Shah found himself in a destroyed homeland, and decided the past wasn't so glorious. Surprisingly, this short story is not the longest entry for this Weekly, coming as a close second in length. For its prose, somehow feels longer than its competitors but not in a bad way, more like the story's concept of time is extended and narratively it is as Mohsin reflects on each exposited scene that he and Simon venture through from one backdrop to the next. The theme of the short story doesn't really settle in until the characters cross beyond the view of the space port and into the wilds and badlands of Mamore and the desolation and isolation really emphasize this story's reflection on legacy but also expanding on Mohsin's backstory and character. I like how you interweave your future plans into this story along with old plotlines emphasizing the amount of worldbuilding and thought you've put into your characters and setting. I have no complaints, I'd say this is the most dynamic piece of the lot and tackles some very complex themes. In the end, I chose not to go with this story as the winner because the consequences of war as so tragic but Mamore also feels hollow in this narrative. If that makes any sense: ghosts of the past but a lack of presence in the present. Mamore is a character in your story and yet its a cutout of one, someone left the planet a seat for the table read but they never showed up for the set date. I struggled with this one but I decided I found Lonely Decks and its sudden change in liveliness a only slightly more interesting desolation.


Weekly 264: The Little Guy[]

Judge: Actene

Prompt: While it's our prerogative as fan fiction writers to fill our stories with Spartans, blademasters, and other larger than life characters, the teeming masses of a vast and diverse galaxy (the ones closest to our own lives) often go cruelly overlooked in visualizations of the Halo universe. For this challenge, set aside the franchise's blanket militarism and write about some of these so-called "ordinary" folk. Your short piece can be about anything you like; the only stipulation is that the characters must be civilians - no UNSC (undercover or otherwise), no rebels (ditto), no Covenant soldier-fanatics. Try to find something intriguing about daily life outside of a galaxy-consuming war. 1000 to 1500 words are recommended to give your scene and characters space to grow.

Start Date: October 9th, 2022

End Date: October 16th, 2022

  • Here I Remain by Arminius Fiddywinks (Winner) : I confess that even after a couple Weekly entries set within Erdellia I do not have a firm grasp on the setting or the species portrayed here. As such these passages read like fairly generic science-fiction rather than something grounded in Halo (the odd presence of Sangheili notwithstanding). With this being said, your discussion of Keleon’s day is fully realized and packed with vivid details that breathe a lot of life into the setting as he goes about his business. The firehose of detail does pack the piece a bit too much, with several thick paragraphs in quick succession that make Keleon’s journey through the city a bit hard to follow. A point that gives me pause—and I do not know whether this should be an object of praise or criticism—is just how human-like Keleon’s interests and internal life come across. They certainly go a long way towards fleshing out this little snapshot, but I couldn’t help but wonder if so much creative effort might have been better served exploring a human setting. Still, the juxtaposition between Keleon’s life and the disruption of the declaration of war helped hammer home his isolation from more dramatic events, prompting me to declare this piece the winner.
  • DT 2022: A Private Memorial by Distant Tide : I had honestly forgotten that the Missing Wall was on Merken so thank you for reminding me of that particular bit of lore. I enjoyed the little team of scientists you created for this piece—the dynamics between the characters was fun and the fact that they’re working for the Created was an interesting touch. The excavation setting felt grounded in the atmosphere we typically get from promotional material, which seemed like a fitting way to link the piece to some broader site lore. Grytha’s appearance near the end of the piece was particularly poignant and makes me hope we’ll see more of these characters moving forward.


Weekly 265: Shifting Sands[]

Judge: Actene

Prompt: Although most character development in action-adventure oriented prose is a response to external events, a significant amount of a character's growth can occur through their inner life. Perspectives and emotions can shift unexpectedly as a character progresses through their journey. Deeply held beliefs are lost or change their form. Feelings about ideals or other people can shift unexpectedly — someone may be convinced that they despise another person only to abruptly realize that they care deeply for them. For this prompt, explore such a radical shift in one of your own characters. There's no need to limit your perspective the character's inner thoughts or feelings, but try to focus on the shift as an internal realization rather than some abrupt action or spoken dialogue. I'm offering a fair amount of leeway on this one; just try to be creative with your themes and ideas.

Roughly 1000 words for this prompt.

Start Date: October 16th, 2022

End Date: October 23rd, 2022

  • Past the Door (TPF) by ThePeteFiles: The colonial estate setting made me smile because it hewed so close to the novel passage that inspired this prompt—but that’s beside the point. Judging Weekly entries can be difficult since the reader often encounters characters they aren’t fully familiar with and I confess I’m more up to speed on Aniela’s backstory than Sam’s but you still crafted an incredibly poignant scene for the Spartan’s return home. I’m curious if you drew any inspiration from Homecoming for this scene, as much of this piece seemed to evoke similar imagery. I did note a fairly major proofreading issue: the stuffed toy that triggers Sam’s grief does not seem to be introduced within the text. I apologize if I’ve overlooked something, but a close reading of the text only seems to refer to the toy after the fact. Still, I found the piece very moving particularly through Sam’s self-questioning at the very end.
  • Breaking Point by Brodie-001: It’s always fun to see a piece featuring Carlos Driscol, one of Sigmaverse’s iconic human antagonists. You did a great job setting the scene on Tantalus in short order as well as interspersing details regarding Papadakis’s death with Carlos’s own spiraling loyalties. Major Keelan’s presence in the story feels a bit off given his role in Carlos’s defection. Some more details fleshing out his relationship with Carlos might have given the ending a bit more weight, and his threat to have Carlos shot for disobeying orders felt a bit over the top given the more grounded tone usually set even in negative depictions of the UNSC. That aside, this entry was a well-crafted set piece that offered an interesting insight into Carlos Driscol’s departure from the UNSC.
  • I Wept by Arminius Fiddywinks: This one was an interesting break from form. Kai’s stream of consciousness reminiscence over the Great Schism offered a neat look at how various Covenant soldiers might have confronted the shattering of their universe. You offer some great imagery throughout the piece that helps the reader visualize Kai’s tangled emotions. There is some awkward phrasing throughout the piece that jumps out even with the stream of consciousness approach that might have been ironed out with a bit of proofreading but otherwise this was a nice look back at a pivotal moment in the Halo timeline.
  • Whispers of Spring by Timothy Emeigh (Winner): I’ll start with a mix of praise and criticism: the use of grey font intermittently throughout the story was both a creative use of the wiki formatting and a bit disconcerting. The flashbacks helped contextualize Harmony’s journey but also felt a bit cramped in such a short space. That said, I was impressed by your choice to feature a Forerunner character and by the forlorn, almost wistful tone of Harmony’s narrative. Her brief journey across the abandoned world and abrupt encounter with a lone animal felt incredibly poignant and a great illustration of the Forerunners’ transition from masters of the galaxy to dispossessed outsiders. The fluid nature of your piece and its unique subject matter push this entry over the line to make it the winner.
  • The Community Meeting by slowfuture: It’s great to see an entry with Joshua after such a long time—another character who’s become a bit of a ghost, more defined by his legacy in other people’s stories than a character in his own right. I tried to read this without constantly referencing back to years of in-jokes, but Joshua feeling miserable feels like a bit of a meme at this point so I confess that some of the poignancy in his disillusionment was dulled by some of those memories. I’ve also noticed in this and other stories that your portrayal of Kropotkin is positive to the point of polemical—characters often observe how much more cheerful and fulfilled the people of Kropotkin are compared to the rest of the universe, which tends to prevent Kropotkin figures form really standing out as characters unto themselves. Still, Joshua’s return was presented with a lush and entertainingly dense prose that did a great job sculpting the setting of his break from UNSC orthodoxy.
  • DT 2022: Friends, Enemies by Distant Tide: Encounters with the Boson deserters are few and far between, so a piece featuring Daniele and Kathy was interesting, as was the decision to relegate most of the piece to spoken dialogue. Andra’s 256X wanderings have had an air of decided vagueness to them, so it was nice to see you dropping hints in the text about a coming confrontation with the Far Harvest Legion. There was a real air of tension to Andra’s discussion with Daniele that never really shifted at any point in the piece. I admired your ability to communicate that tension almost entirely through dialogue, as well as the closing sentences which managed to communicate Andra’s state of mind without entirely dipping into her inner point of view. There’s certainly a lot more to be told within this uncertain future.


Weekly 266: Feet First into Hell[]

Judge: Ajax 013

Prompt: For this week's prompt, we're taking a closer look at the UNSC's (second) best special forces unit. Dropping into the heat of battle with their signature black armour and their strong esprit de corps, they have turned the tide of many conflicts. A near constant in the Halo universe, ODSTs are an absolute fan favourite. For this weekly, I want an ODST centric from their perspective, whether its relaxing with their fellow Shock Troopers, dropping onto their target, fighting hard on the ground, or mourning their dead. Limit is 1000 words, and the only scope is for it to be from the perspective, and about, ODSTs.

Roughly 1000 words for this prompt.

Start Date: October 24th, 2022

End Date: October 30th, 2022

  • The Woods by Arminius Fiddywinks: Story gets lost in little details that derail it and cause the early part of the story to feel a little meandering. What should be a tense and careful march through the woods feels like a yomp in the rain. The situation has a certain gravity to it and it doesn’t really feel like they’re investigating a missing squad. Even if it was gallows humour, it feels a little strained and out of place for the situation they find themselves in. The entire story sort of deflates at the end, with the introduction of the fanon species, where the little tension it had just all goes away. The finale would have been better suited perhaps teasing or starting a Covenant ambush, or being engaged by a spec ops elite. There’s a lot of nice detail, but a lot of these feel superfluous and contribute to it being significantly over length, and while they might work drip fed over the course of a longer story, in a short format story it feels clustered.
  • Misunderstand by Timothy Emeigh: While the story has a strong start, and Abigail has a strong internal monologue, but the story starts to fall apart in coherency when the corpsman tells Abigail to stick close. It becomes a little hard to keep track of exactly what is going on, and I had to go back and reread a few times to make sure I fully understood. I did like a lot of the place descriptors, the scenes are especially well set, especially in the cave network below. Though I think the biggest issue is that the ODSTs are not front and centre for the story.
  • DT 2022: Brave the Interdictor by Distant Tide: Whew, nearly twice the rough limit. However, its pretty jampacked, and entertaining to boot. It does a good job of putting us front and centre of an ODST drop. It’s a really tense drop, which puts us into the mind of an ODST at the heart of their operation, and has an excellent plot twist of, they’re not exactly the only drop pod in the sky. There are some spelling/grammar errors here and there, but the key problem I did have is the introduction of the pod, which was a little strange on the first few reads. Especially the description of the jackal sniper coming out to shoot at him.
  • Memorial by Brodie-001: Getting some big “We Are ODST” vibes from this one. Even without a big action segment, it feels like a sombre ODST moment. It hits the right mixture of sombre, gallows humour, and military life to give it a great feel. It feels rightly placed in the universe, and meshes seamlessly with a lot of the depictions of ODSTs from various appearances. It’s got a lot of character in a short story that brings it to life. Also I’m a sucker for a giant robot in every appearance.
  • The Mud by Falkeno: The story does a good job of weaving the narrative elements together to create a cohesive flow, but is held back by the fact it doesn’t really have three act structure and seems to just sort of end without resolution. The story doesn’t really do much with the ODST concept and meanders around a bit, along with some general grammar issues that take away from some of the polish of it.


Weekly 267: To Explore Strange New Worlds[]

Judge: Actene

'Prompt: A key feature of compelling science fiction is the way a skilled writer can introduce the reader to beautiful and unworldly settings. A key element of the Halo franchise's appeal has always been its otherworldly atmosphere across alien ringworlds, battleships, and planets. For this prompt, write a scene-any scene, I'm not picky-that features scenery evoking this otherworldly legacy. The scenery itself doesn't need to be the centerpiece of whatever you choose to write about, just include some substantive description that fits into your entry.

(Fall is one of my favorite seasons, so bonus points if you can work in some fall or autumn imagery.)

Stick to around 1000 words or less.

Start Date: October 30th, 2022

End Date: November 6th, 2022

  • Photograph by Arminius Fiddywinks (Winner): Something felt a little off about this piece, perhaps because it attempted to cover so much ground within the dynamics of the lance – the usual dialogue between Mik and Kai, but also interactions with other Sangheili moving through the outpost. Thanks to how long the piece was it was hard to get a feel for where it was going, though you did a good job of foregrounding the winter environment within the team’s interactions. The idea of a Covenant photographer and the various reactions to his efforts was an interesting innovation. I hate to tread ground that has been discussed before, but the use of human profanity throughout the piece felt rather lazy given worldbuilding efforts elsewhere in the piece. It may be a bit cliché, but it would behoove you to invent fictional profanity for Covenant characters to use. As things stand now the more common swear words serve little purpose other than to draw the reader out of your setting.


Weekly 268: The Duel[]

Judge: Actene

Prompt: My last few prompts have been a bit opaque, so I'll go with something more straightforward this week: just write a fight sequence, one character pitted against another. The circumstances are entirely up to you, just try to insert some melodrama into the action for the sake of a variety and interesting reading.

1000 word maximum, but if there was ever a prompt where you could pull off something substantive within the old 500 word limit, this would be the one.

Start Date: November 6th, 2022

End Date: November 13th, 2022


Weekly 269: Voice in My Ear[]

Judge: Actene

Prompt: Like many military shooters, Halo often features helpful side characters who guide the player through combat engagements without being present on the battlefield. Although AI are the most common "com bunny" characters in a Halo setting, this role can also be filled by a flesh and blood character from a different location - think Miranda Keyes in Halo 3, the Pilot in Halo: Infinite or even Tartarus in Halo 2. For this prompt, go behind the com and write a piece from the perspective of a character providing tactical support and viewing the battlefield through another person's eyes. You may use an AI character if you really want to, but I'd prefer something more creative. Try to visualize what a tactical control center might look or feel like in its removal from the immediate action.

Roughly 1000 words, as usual.

Start Date: November 13th, 2022

End Date: November 20th, 2022

Weekly 270: Cortana, It's Cold Outside[]

Judge: Distant Tide

Prompt: It's cold outside. Maybe we should go inside. And no I really don't want to stay outside. Very basic prompt for this holiday week to not push you guys too hard, write something about dealing with colder weather. 500 words or more, open prompt. Enjoy your holidays, friends.

Start Date: November 20th, 2022

End Date: November 27th, 2022


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