The Dresden Files fandom has gotten a little stale. That is understandable but in no way excusable. We only have a handful of great authors writing Dresden content. The real shame is I can count on one hand the well written multi- chapter works. While smut and oneshot are always nice, I am sending out a call of sustenance. We need more multi-chapter plot based works. Here are several plot based prompts I'm throwing out there as a challenge and/or request.


Plot 1- Orphaned at 6 and cast into the foster system, Harry Dresden learns from the School of Hard Knocks. Nobody will look after him except himself. His life gets further complicated by his budding magic, faeire godmother, and that asshole Morgan who brings him bound before a group of old men who are bent on telling him what to do. How would Harry Dresden grow up without Justin DuMorne or Elaine?


Plot 2- Molly is left alone while Harry is out of town on Warden business. However an urgent matter forces her to solve her first solo case. This is a Post-White Night tale of the growth of Molly Carpenter, apprentice of the infamous Dresden. How would she deal with being cast into Dresden's shoes?

Plot 3- He knows its morally wrong. She's almost half his age, his own apprentice, and his friend's eldest daughter to boot. She's also young, beautiful, courageous, and been through more crazy shit with him than any other female. Harry Dresden/Molly Carpenter done right. Post Dead Beat AU telling of the growing relationship between an adult Molly and her boss.


Plot 4- He was not prepared for this. Why didn't she tell him? How could she do that? Why did she have to die? How would Harry deal with raising his daughter Maggie when Susan dies on a St Giles mission. She's a vulnerability, she's his own blood. His enemies (and even allies) would be thrilled at such an opportunity. Between the corruptive influence of a shadow of a fallen angel, the Vampire Courts, manipulative Faerie Queens, and his "allies" on the White Council he has quite the challenge to keep her safe. He must rise up like never before to the occasion. For its not his own life or an random innocent's on the line. Harry was willing to go to extreme lengths to protect a daughter he didn't even know existed in Changes. How far would Papa Dresden rise, how far would he go to protect the daughter he raised personally? Post Death Masks AU


Plot 5- She's manipulative, ruthlessly amoral, seductive, dangerous, intelligent, potentially deadly, and exists only in his own head. Dresden's head gets more cramped when the shadow of the Fallen Angel Lasciel moves in. We need more Lash. Give a Post Death Masks AU of how Dresden deals with his own personal fallen angel on his shoulder.


Feel free to leave questions, your own prompts and requests, or replies down below. This is an attempt to bring more Dresden fanfiction to the world. Also feel free to give smut and oneshot prompts. While I prefer more plot-based Dresden works, any new Dresden Files fanficiton is good.

P.S. - I'm half snagging Prompt 3 to write. The tentative title is My Boss, My Love and will be my first attempt at fanfiction and first plunge into Dresden fandom. Hope to have 1 to 4 chapters out by the end of the summer. Feel free to PM me here or on fanfiction.net (under hothead1986) to show support, offer to be an idea soundboard, or suggest a Beta.

 

1. Sounds kinda like it'd end up in bad Indy!Harry territory. Having him more directly raised by Lea could be fun, though.

2. Definitely. Should be done.

3. Good luck.

4. I guess. It could be cute if written more as a slice-of-life story. It might change the landscape of his world quite a bit, force other choices in other situations and change his relationship with his allies.

5. Lasciel and Lash are great, interesting characters and while it's true we don't have many fanfics focusing heavily on either, so sure. Bit tricky to pull off, though.

 

Thanks for sending out the call. Nobody would have ever thought to write about Dresden if you weren't sounding the trumpets. We all appreciate it so very much.

 

Besides the second prompt, these ideas were not really made to be easy or simple oneshots. This is a call of multiple chapter plot driven Dresden perfection.

1) Mostly did this as an early AU idea for the fandom. Something radically different and unique. Yes you could do young Harry mentored by Lea. You could show him in various foster homes and orphanages, unintentional causing chaos, mayhem, and fires with his budding magic. While difficult you could also do a crack or humor piece with Bob and young Harry. The snark and disrespect would reach insane levels. I can actually imagine a young Harry (about 14 to 17) being found out as a wizard and brought before the Senor Council for trials and mentorship. Being a young teenage male that is dragged against his will, he says no thanks, flips them off, and tries to walk away.

2) This is mostly a oneshot idea. Would like to see some of Molly's POV. Could have her face off against a weekly monster. Could have a supernatural nation try an assassination attempt on her to get back at Dresden. Pretty much show how she does things. Not really looking for something like or as far as Bombshells. Want her first problems, mistakes, and thoughts as she starts to take the training wheels off.

3) Thanks. I'm in process of gathering thoughts, forming outlines, looking for Betas, and contacting authors to bounce ideas off of. Hopefully we can get this started and really off the ground this summer. However don't be shy everyone. Show your Harry/Molly colors with pride. (While smut of them is good this is more a prompt of the progression of their relationship over time)

4) The most ambitious and difficult of my prompts. Will need to be well thought out and requires a bold author of vision. It is possible to do a slice of life and gooey goo of Daddy Dresden and Baby Maggie. However that's not what this is asking for. This is Papa Dresden and him murderlizing everything that dares think about threatening his little girl. This would be highly plot driven and pretty much alters the landscape of the entire series. That is not a bad thing. How many stories in other fandoms goes insanely AU from the baseline? We need more Dresden fics that are actually fiction; meaning a plot driven story over 30K.

5) Ah Lash. It may have rarely been done before but we need more of this fascinating character. This is a call of a short story. Show the various ways she trys to corrupt and seduce Harry. Show what exactly she does and how she acts when everything isn't blowing up. Just show more of her.

 

Membership is not optional and one does not flip off the Senior Council. This is not indy!Harry and a poorly written manipulative Dumbledore. The Merlin would smack Dresden into the fucking ground if he disrespected him.

 

Umm where does it say anywhere that you absolutely have to be a member of White Council? Sure its recommended and you will be left out in the cold if you aren't. However I have never seen any exact rule saying membership is fully required. Is Hannah Ashcher a member of White Council? Cowl? Any of the Denarian sorcerers? This may be darker examples but the point is you can have the juice of a wizard and not be within White Council. Your right that prompt one approaches Indi Harry. Mostly had prompt 1 as an idea for an very early AU or divergence idea.

Sorry if I was unclear in last part about Dresden disrespecting Merlin and Senior Council. Mostly used to tie in with suggestion to take a humor or crack spin on early AU idea (as stated in above reply). Also I have ample evidence that Harry doesn't always do the smart or wise thing, especially under pressure or stress. (Also remember this is a 14 to 17 year old Harry)

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I'm new and will probably get roasted for this but whatever.

Zeelthor and Zennith I'm calling you out. Throw your own Dresden Files ideas and prompts on this thread.

Prefer plot driven ideas for this.

 

The Denarians are signed onto the accords as their own entity, and because of the coins, they're not members. Nor would the White Council wish they were. Hannah Ascher was still going to face the justice, such as it were, of the White Council.

So yeah. You don't get to pick. If you have power, you are bound by their rules. You don't have to play ball, but they'll probably make your life hell if you don't.

There are already threads for prompts where we can discuss such ideas. Check those. Creating new threads when there is no need, or discussing matters in the wrong place, is the kinda thing you wish to avoid here.

 

The White Council will ensure their laws are followed no matter what a mortal claims, rather like the IRS, but I think a wizard could state that they were not a member. Of course membership has all sorts of benefits, like other supernatural nations not being able to legally enslave you, but Listen-to-Winds or somebody of his stature could probably try to create their own independent wizarding nation.

How much that matters or means is debatable, but I don't think membership of the council is mandatory except when the White Council is actively drafting people for their war.

 

I get the point Zeelthor. You don't like my prompt 1, no need to keep at it. Stated before earlier that it was an idea to have an idea for AU timeline from Book 1. As for creating new thread when there is no need, let's go over it.

TGYH (Dresden Version) - This not a short introduction, one liner, or similar concept. This thread seems more for oneshot challenges, not full plot ideas for longer stories.

Fight Club - Oneshot challenge thread with focus on fights wanted to happen. Not what my story thread is about.

Hotel Rendezvous- Smut challenges and desired pairings. Not what my story thread is about.

Serious Short Story Challenge - Not updated since 2008. Already got warning about necroposting and a short story is not what this is about. This thread is for Dresden Files story ideas over 30K, has a heavy plot base, and not really has a focus on any short ideas, pairing shots, or smut.


I've stated before this thread doesn't have a primary focus on smut, oneshot challenges, or brief short stories. This thread is an attempt to bring well written Dresden works with a heavy plot emphasis, multiple chapters, and/or over 30K.

P.S. - Thanks for the interaction on the thread. Give more of your thoughts on the other prompts also. Also don't be shy to state your own plot driven story prompt. Good or bad will do.

 

An interesting AU would be a fic in which Dresden has dumped all of his magic into a single ability, like the Alphas have put all of their (limited) magic into transforming into wolves. Obviously since Harry has the magic of a wizard as opposed to a regular person his single ability would be more awesome than that of the Alphas. And no doubt you'd have it so that his ability was flexible i.e. he would be learning how to do new things with it over time.

 

Like... fire? I can see him walking around with a flame cloak. Obviously this is an AU where the Chicago Fire department is full of twitching nervous wrecks...

 

Honestly, recently been very interested in a Dresden Files x Dishonored crossover. Wonder what giving Harry or Molly the mark of The Outsider would do to the story, and how The Outsider would fit in with the other outsiders.

 

The Senior Council - The war with the outsiders is over as the White Council has suffered devastating losses including the disappearance of most of the members of the Senior Council. Fragmented and still reeling from war the new senior council must unite the greatest human magical body to defend itself former allies who now smeel blood in the water and new enemies. Harry Dresden The Warden, Harry Potter The Master of Death, Alex Verus apprentice to The Gatekeeper, Stephen Strange The Sorcerer Supreme, Declan Hale The Shadowless Arbiter, Lord El-Mellio and Timothy Hunter The Merlin reborn are just the ones for the job that is they can get over their differences and work together.

Always wanted a story where most of my favorite magical characters interact and are also at their strongest. The setting is the Dresden files world and the magic and back stories of the others are made to fit into the universe.

 

I've been thinking of a Buffy crossover, but a somewhat atypical one. Faith's Watcher was killed and she ran to Sunnydale, and nominally around the same time Dresden killed Dumorne and was in the wind for a little at least. As usual I wouldn't explain why Dresden was in the Buffy universe, but it could be fun to have Faith and a young Dresden running across the US in near total ignorance as they try to avoid Kakistos while killing the various monsters they encounter.

Early Dresden and early season Buffy mesh pretty well, and having Dresden and Faith be slightly adversarial towards the Sunnydale gang due to their rather terrible experiences would be fun. A flaw is that Dresden doesn't know the laws and is thus ripe for going mad, but giving them an extremely confused Bob as a mostly incorrect advisor could solve that.