augustwritingchallenge

[augustwritingchallenge]

For the Chimera prompt, were you wanting a story about an actual chimera from Greek mythology or do you mean it as like, the biology/DNA/cell chimera? I'm drawing a blank for that one

Love the prompt list this year btw!

Both. :) It is up to you how you interpret it. To me, chiméra is a mythological creature. To others, it is a reference to a very sad scene in a certain anime. There are more than those two interpretations.

[augustwritingchallenge]

Wait I just realised that alot of the fics I've planned for AU-gust are just missing scenes/scenes that could have happened in canon 😭 could I still use those or do they have to be STRICTLY AUs?

Anything that is not strictly canon (= happened on-screen, in-writing, in-game, etc) is an AU. In my opinion, missing scenes too. You don't need to flip the original universe upside down to write an AU. And in the end, the goal of this challenge is to inspire you to create, not to give you strict rules about how to do it.

[augustwritingchallenge]

For the Chimera prompt, were you wanting a story about an actual chimera from Greek mythology or do you mean it as like, the biology/DNA/cell chimera? I'm drawing a blank for that one

Love the prompt list this year btw!

Both. :) It is up to you how you interpret it. To me, chiméra is a mythological creature. To others, it is a reference to a very sad scene in a certain anime. There are more than those two interpretations.

[augustwritingchallenge]

sorry if this has been asked before! can you use the same AU for different prompts? Like Romance and Masquerade Ball having the same AU but aren't connected like for day 31. I hope i'm making sense

Sorry if I got you wrong but if you're asking whether you can write Romance and Masquerade Ball in the same "universe", one being a sequel, prequel, something like that to the other, than yes, that is allowed! :) I've even seen people write all 31 prompts into one AU, but that is considered hardcore difficulty. XD

[augustwritingchallenge]

can it be one shots of aus?

Yes! There are no requirements for the length or size of what you create. :)

[augustwritingchallenge]

Hi, I just wanted to say that I love this year's prompt list! I'm usually a bit picky with AU prompts (100% a me problem lol) but this list is so fun I think I'll be able to write more than I ever did for this challenge this year. Thank you! 💙

Glad to hear it! 💚

[augustwritingchallenge]

I don't understand 9 and 19...

The Will-'o-the-Wisp prompt is explained here. :)

And the Alignment Swap prompt here. :)

Sorry about linking but it seems cleaner than copying the texts. 😅

[augustwritingchallenge]

Hi! I love this fest and I LOVE this year's prompt list!!

I have one question: what's the Will-o'-the-Wisp prompt, and the Alignment Swap prompt?

Thanks!!

I explain Alignment Swap thoroughly here. :)

Will-o'-the-Wisps are creatures from folklore, little spirits made of light that are either helpful or mean, depending on where you're from. Where I live, they are believed to lead travellers off the path and into traps. In the Disney movie Brave, they lead you towards your destiny. Your interpretation for AU-gust might also be metaphorical if you don't feel like writing a folklore-inspired story.

[augustwritingchallenge]

not the same anon but i think you may be overestimating how much the average person know about stargate, i've heard the name but just saying that doesn't do much to help explain it 😭 like i kind of get the prompt but it might not be as obvious as you think

That was just a little joke. 🥺 Just a little nod to fellow Stargate fans. 🥺 The prompt really wasn't intended to be directly referencing Stargate; I was going for something more... mystical. 🥺 It's just that the interpretation, as always, is mostly up to the person, and if it were me... Stargate is the obvious choice for me! 😊

[augustwritingchallenge]

Does a crossover have to include characters from the both universes or can it just be putting the characters from one media into the setting of a different media?

Both are valid options for crossovers!

[augustwritingchallenge]

I'm so sorry to immediately start the trend of asking for clarification, but what things did you have in mind for Alignment Swap and Gateways Between Worlds? I know it's all up for interpretation, but those are the two that are stumping me at first glance; ideas would be appreciated!

I explain Alignment Swap here. :) (Long explanation, lol.)

Gateways Between Worlds... Obvious Stargate AU is obvious! This is a pretty broad prompt, so while going the Stargate route is a possibility for sure, using this to create a different type of crossover is also an option. It could also be playing into folklore, the fey in particular, who use inconspicuous places in nature as their portals. I hope this sparks inspiration! :)

[augustwritingchallenge]

Dare I say... this is the best prompt list we've ever had for AU-gust!? I'm so pumped, thank you so much :)

Aww, thank you! <3 Messages like this keep me going!

[augustwritingchallenge]

What can we expect with the "alignment swap"? What does that mean?

Borrowing a Wiki definition: alignment is a categorization of the ethical and moral perspective of characters.

Like Role Reversal, Alignment Swap changes a character's nature. But while usually, you would only be changing good to evil and evil to good, this time, you can branch out. Using the Dungeons & Dragons alignment chart, try to imagine your character(s) with a differently oriented moral compass. A hero might still be a hero, but instead of always doing the Right Thing, they might lean towards doing a good thing the Fun Way - making things explode just to make a friend smile, for example.

This will also be easier for the morally grey character lovers! :D

[augustwritingchallenge]

Hear ye, hear ye! Ye AU-gust 2025 prompt list is here!

What is AU-gust? It stands for Alternate Universe August, and it is a creative challenge for everyone. Writers, artists, fans; anyone can join! Be sure to check out our FAQ for more answers! Join us on BlueSky, AO3, Discord and under the tags #au gust and #au gust 2025.

Special thanks to @yaoyorozoops for creating our wonderful graphics!

[augustwritingchallenge]

Hi guys!!! i just wanted to say y’all are fucking awesome!! Thanks for putting on this fest! i’m ALWAYS excited about it and it’s cool as hell that you’re all out here bringing more fun and joy into fandom!!!!! Have a great LIFE

Hi, thank you so much! We're glad that you share our excitement for this challenge! By the way, did you know that we have a Discord server too? You can find like-minded people, make friends, and join AU-themed mini-challenges throughout the year!

Link!

[augustwritingchallenge]

hi, i hope you are doing well! i am not trying to stress you out at all, just doing some planning for my next few weeks and was wondering if you had an estimate for when thei year's prompts may be released? if you aren't sure or it's a surprise then that's okay! i just thought i might ask :)

have a great day!

Midnight in my time zone is in 4 hours... Just saying... Might be completely unrelated...

[augustwritingchallenge]

hii! looking forward to the prompt list, do you have any idea when it’ll drop? thanks ^^

Hey, I don't know yet unfortunately but I'm aiming for May 1st. Error margin two months. 😅