sicktember

[sicktember]

“Why are you so sweaty?”

Morning everyone!! (Or afternoon, evening, etc. It’s morning where I live). Today the prompt we’re going to discuss is prompt #3: “Why are you so sweaty?”

Well… why is your character sweaty?

Some possible reasons your sickie is drowning in their own perspiration can include:

— Fever

— Hot Flashes

Let’s also discuss tone. If your caregiver character is a rival to the sickie, “Why are you so sweaty?” might be asked in a teasing tone or even disgust. Meanwhile, a caregiver character who’s a close loved one might ask the same question with more concern. Tone will clue your readers in on how the caretaker feels about the sickie, the situation, and the world around them.

Happy Writing!

[sicktember]

Forced to go to school/work while sick

Hi all! Today the prompt I’ll be discussing is prompt #2: Forced to go to school/work while sick.

We’ve all been there at one point. (And if you haven’t, consider yourself lucky). Your guardian doesn’t believe you’re sick and makes you go to school anyway. You don’t have any sick time left or refuse the use it just for the sniffles.

Let’s talk about why our characters are being forced to go attend their daily tasks when they should be in bed!

If your characters are of school age, reasons for being forced to go include:

— Their guardian doesn’t believe they’re sick (pairs nicely with “The boy who cried wolf prompt)

— Their guardian won’t let them stay home unless [they have a fever/they’re throwing up/etc.]

— There’s a huge test that the character cannot miss!

These are just a few reasons your school-aged character might go to school while sick! Think about who your character is! Your troublemaking character probably wouldn’t insist on going to school while sick in order to take a test.

If your characters are working, reasons for being forced to go include:

— Can’t afford to take a day off

— No more sick leave

— Scared of falling behind on projects

Again, these are just a few reasons your character might be forced into work with a fever. It all depends on your character’s personality and the story you want to tell!

Happy Writing!

[sicktember]

Hello, I have another question! Since this event is hurt/comfort centric, are the prompts only allowed for sickfics, or is general hurt/comfort allowed? Thank you!

I’ve seen some writers use our prompts for genera hurt/comfort! Go ahead! :D

[sicktember]

Hello!! Really interested in this event since it's really right up my game 🥳 I have a question tho: is it okay for us to tag the blog and mention what prompts we use far before the event starts (say, like this month)? Thank you!! 💛

Hello! As long as you’re not posting your entire fics until the month of September starts, you’re good!

Feel free to share with your followers what prompts you’re using or sneak peaks of your sickfics! :D

[sicktember]

Hi hi!! I have 2 questions for u!

Can we write for this event alongside another? For example, for another event I am participating in at the same time as Sicktember there is a shared prompt of Pneumonia, could I write one piece to hit the prompt for both events? The other event I am refering to allows this but I wanted to check here first

2. If we are struggling to use the dialoge as it is on the list, can we change it slightly? Like with "There's a frog in my throat", could I change that to "You sound like you have a frog in your throat"? (Also, long shot but would it count if it wasn't excactly said but implied, such as saying a character 'croaked' when speaking?)

I apologise for my bad spelling as I do not have a spell checker haha, and I also apologise if these questions are worded strangely or require clarification, its my first time partaking in an event like this!

1. OF COURSE!!! :D Sicktember is an event to enhance creativity, not limit it!

2. As long as the spirit of the prompt is there, you’re good! We also have five alternative options listed. If there’s any prompts that you don’t want to use, for any reason, feel free to use the alternate prompts! And if you need more alternate prompts give this blog or my main ( @itsmechara426 ) a DM and I’ll be happy to provide some extras! I also love talking about prompts lmao!

[sicktember]

“It’s the middle of the night, why are you up?”

This is our first Sicktember prompt for the 2025 year! Here are some ideas to help you get started! :D

First of all, who’s speaking? Is it the caregiver wondering why the sick one is up in the middle of the night? Or is it the sick one wondering why their caregiver is still up with them, taking care of them?

Now the question… why are they up? Perhaps your sickie couldn’t sleep due to constant hot flashes and decided to forgo sleep altogether. Maybe they were throwing up and it woke up their caregiver. And insomnia is always an option!

Or maybe the reason the caregiver is up is because they refused to sleep while their loved one is in pain.

One more thing to consider… “the middle of the night,” will be different for everyone. Midnight could be “the middle of the night,” for an adult with a stressful job, but a reasonable time to be awake for a teenager on summer break.

Happy Writing Everyone! :D

[sicktember]

im so excited for this, gonna start right away and keep them. Waiting in my notes

😁

[sicktember]

I have 2 questions:

Can I repeat prompts? I am doing several fics with multiple prompts each and I want to know if they can 'prompt share' (ie two using prompt 22)

Can I use other forms of whump in addition to the illness?

Sorry if any of this is obvious, already been said somewhere etc. I'm autistic so I sometimes can't tell when people are implying something, and I've never done an event like this or posted fanfic before. Thank you!'

1. Repeating prompts is A-okay! :D

2. You can use other forms of whump in your stories as long as you follow the guidelines of Sicktember! We have two major guidelines which are: no explicit sexual content and no illegal relationships (such as incest or pedophilla). Basically, keep your stories SFW!

Happy writing!

[sicktember]

Hey, I was just looking through the prompts that were posted (which are amazing, already have way too many ideas) and noticed that Day 3 and 9 are both "why are you so sweaty?", is that a mistake?

Hello! This was an error on my part! 9 is now changed to “Get your butt back in bed!” :D

[sicktember]

Hi everyone!

There was a mistake on my part where prompts 3 & 9 and prompts 11 & 26 were accidentally the same. This has now been fixed! :D

HAPPY JUNE 15TH, EVERYONE!!! Here is the official Sicktember 2025 Prompts list!

Here are some helpful links to help you get started:

Event FAQ: https://www.tumblr.com/sicktember/785439209109454849/sicktember-faqs-for-the-2025-year?source=share

Past Prompts: https://sicktember.tumblr.com/prompts

How to Submit Your Work: https://www.tumblr.com/sicktember/760549128005615616/content-promotion-reminder?source=share

Sicktember 2025 AO3 Collection: https://archiveofourown.org/collections/Sicktember_2025

Text List of 2025 Sicktember Prompts:

Sicktember Prompts Text Version:

“It’s the middle of the night, why are you up?”

Forced to go to school/work while sick 

“Why are you so sweaty?” 

Pneumonia 

Worst possible timing 

The boy who cried sick

“There’s a frog in my throat,” 

Aches and pains 

“Get your butt back in back!” 

Red eyes 

No known cure 

“You’re adorable when you’re sick,” 

Chronic Illness 

Bedridden 

“This is the worst headache of my life,” 

Misery loves company 

Infection

“We’re going to the hospital,” 

Stomach ache 

Fever Nightmares

“I’ll make you some tea,”/tea 

Sobbing 

Overdoing it 

“I feel like I’m dying,” 

Medicine

Slow Recovery Time

“I’m sick, not stupid!” 

Ghostly Pale

Came back worse/round two 

“You’re too sick to (blank)

Alt Prompts:

Gentle Back/Belly Rub

Warm Bath

“I want my (comfort item),”

Lullaby

“I love you,”

[sicktember]

HAPPY JUNE 15TH, EVERYONE!!! Here is the official Sicktember 2025 Prompts list!

Here are some helpful links to help you get started:

Event FAQ: https://www.tumblr.com/sicktember/785439209109454849/sicktember-faqs-for-the-2025-year?source=share

Past Prompts: https://sicktember.tumblr.com/prompts

How to Submit Your Work: https://www.tumblr.com/sicktember/760549128005615616/content-promotion-reminder?source=share

Sicktember 2025 AO3 Collection: https://archiveofourown.org/collections/Sicktember_2025

Text List of 2025 Sicktember Prompts:

Sicktember Prompts Text Version:

“It’s the middle of the night, why are you up?”

Forced to go to school/work while sick 

“Why are you so sweaty?” 

Pneumonia 

Worst possible timing 

The boy who cried sick

“There’s a frog in my throat,” 

Aches and pains 

“Get your butt back in back!” 

Red eyes 

No known cure 

“You’re adorable when you’re sick,” 

Chronic Illness 

Bedridden 

“This is the worst headache of my life,” 

Misery loves company 

Infection

“We’re going to the hospital,” 

Stomach ache 

Fever Nightmares

“I’ll make you some tea,”/tea 

Sobbing 

Overdoing it 

“I feel like I’m dying,” 

Medicine

Slow Recovery Time

“I’m sick, not stupid!” 

Ghostly Pale

Came back worse/round two 

“You’re too sick to (blank)

Alt Prompts:

Gentle Back/Belly Rub

Warm Bath

“I want my (comfort item),”

Lullaby

“I love you,”

[sicktember]

Just wanted to say thank you for keeping Sicktember going in the other mods' absence! I'm excited to see the prompts :D

Thank you!!! We have some really good ones this year!!

[sicktember]

Hey I have a small question (sorry if someon has been asked this before) But let's assume I have a fic that was written couple weeks before Sicktember opened. Can such a work be added to the collection or do all works have to start from the beginning of Sicktember?

You’re allowed to begin writing as soon as you’d like! Lots of participants begin writing as soon as the prompts are posted (which will be on the 15th)

[sicktember]

Sicktember FAQs for the 2025 year!

FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions/Rules

* What is Sicktember?

-Sicktember is a fan-run,  September-long hurt/comfort prompt event focused on sick characters and their caregivers.

* What fandoms can participate?

- Every fandom is welcome to participate, including Original Characters and Original Works!

* When does Sicktember begin?

-The idea is to have a prompt a day for the entire month of September, but that’s more of a guideline than an actual rule.

* Do I have to write all 30 prompts in order to participate?

- Not at all! Don’t feel pressured into writing all 30 prompts. You can write as few or as many as you want. This list is meant to spark inspiration, not cause any undue stress.

* Do I have to write all of the prompts separately or can I combine them?

- You can write all of the prompts in one continuous fic, write them all separately or combine a handful at a time. Do what works for you!  Just, please, specify which prompts inspired your work.

* Do I have to write the prompts in order?

-No. You can write them in whatever order you’d like, but again, please identify which prompts your work is based on.

* Can I combine with prompts from other events?

-As long as the other events you’re participating in are okay with it, so are we! Combine all you’d like!

* I don’t write but I can draw. Can I participate?

-Yes! All types of content creators are welcome to join in the fun.

* What if I don’t finish the prompts by the end of September?

- No problem! Take your time and create at your own pace!  There’s no rush. But also keep in mind that you are not obligated to fill each and every prompt.

* Are there any restrictions?

- There are only two major restrictions. No sexually explicit material and no illegal or non-consensual relationships.

    - No explicit descriptions of sexual encounters (smut/erotica/pornography)

           - Innuendo and passing mentions of sexual encounters are okay. 

    -No romantic relationships between adults and minors, relationships that are incestuous, and/or relationships that are stockholm syndrome based.

            - As a hurt/comfort-focused event, we would like to keep the main focus of this particular event on the sick character and their caregiver/caretaker

 -This also allows us to leave this event open to a broader range of participants.

*What if I want to use one of the prompts to write something that doesn’t fit within the event rules?

 - We understand that inspiration comes from many places and we certainly aren’t here to tell you what you should and shouldn’t write.

 - If your prompt-inspired content is outside of the event’s restrictions, then it is no longer for the event, and it should not be associated with it. At that point, your content is for you, and all of the people who would enjoy it!

     - In this situation, we ask that you please do not use the event tags, submit the content to the blog, or enter the content into the AO3 collection.

*Can dark themes, character death and/or swearing be included in my content?

- there are no rules against the use of heavy subjects or character death or swearing

-All we ask is that you tag your content appropriately so that readers can decide whether or not that’s the kind of content they want to read.

*There aren’t enough alternate prompts for me. Can you add more? Can I add my own?

- If you need additional alternate prompts let us know! We would be happy to discuss the potentiality of adding one or two more if the need to do so becomes apparent.

-You are also welcome to suggest an additional alternate prompt if you have an idea of what you would like to use. However, there is no guarantee that it will be added to the official list.

-But also, please keep in mind that you are not obligated to write thirty prompts. If you find that there are only a few or perhaps only a single prompt on the list that you’re comfortable working with, then that is absolutely fine! No pressure!

* Once the event begins, will projects be collected anywhere?

- Authors who post their work on the Archive of Our Own (AO3) website are welcome and encouraged to add their work to the collection, ‘Sicktember 2025’ 

- Content Creators who post or cross-post on Tumblr are encouraged to use the tag #sicktember 2025 so that others can find and enjoy their work.

*How do I post my work to the collection on Archive of Our Own (AO3)?

-When you create a draft or edit your work, there is a section titled [Associations]

-In the section, you will find a text box labeled [Post to Collections/Challenges]  

-That is where you will type,  Sicktember_2025  (It should auto-fill for you to make a selection. However, if it doesn’t, you can type the name of the collection into the bar- exactly as you see it here- and it will still post appropriately.) 

- You can also post to the collection by using the ‘post collection’ button on the top right corner of the Sicktember_2025 collection’s page. 

*Keep in mind that (a) the collection will not be open until September and (b) your work will not be added to the collection until you hit [Post]

* Will you be promoting/featuring completed projects on Tumblr?

You are welcome and encouraged to submit your work for posting on the @sicktember blog.

Your submission should be formatted as follows

- A link to your content (a tumblr post about fic, ao3, ff.net, wattpad, etc…)

 - The fandom or alternative fandom tag you wish to be included on your submission. (No fandom tag, original work, owl house, m/arvel, c*bra k*i, etc…) ** Please limit your fandom tags to 5 or less **

- The prompt you used (the number and the prompt itself)

 - A Summary, description, or snippet of your content (not a full fic)

The above-mentioned Information does not have to be in that order, but it does have to be clearly included.

** Important things to keep in mind when submitting:

- We will be posting no more than 10 submissions a day.

- To be posted, your submission must include the correct information.

- Submissions will close one week after the event (Oct. 7)

- We will queue submissions until the inbox is empty (ALL submissions will be posted)

⭐⭐ Please keep in mind that this is a fan-run event. If you don’t agree with the above-mentioned parameters, that’s okay! We want you to feel comfortable with the events you choose to participate in. And if that means not participating in this one, that’s okay too! Find one you love. If you can’t, consider creating one of your own!⭐⭐ 

 **If you have any further questions, send an ask to the @sicktember blog or reach out to:@itsmechara426

[sicktember]

when will the full prompt list be released?

Full prompts will be released on June 15th :)

[sicktember]

hiya legend, hope you’re well <3 if it’s not any trouble, can we get an update on when prompts for sicktember 2025 will drop :))

Hello! Prompts will be released on June 15th so be sure to keep an eye out for them!!

[sicktember]

And the winner is…

“Gentle Back/Belly Rub,”

This prompt will be used for one of our five alternate prompts for Sicktember 2025! :D