Hello again Nine Lives family, friends, Caryl fans, Carol lovers, loyal Daryl followers, McReedusites, guests and everyone in between! We, your loyal Nine Lives admins, have decided that to celebrate the upcoming holiday season, we needed not just a challenge or two, but something extra special.

Which means I get to bust out my favorite gif!

This holiday season, we are hosting the first ever Caryl Team Write!

A Team Write is an open collaboration on a story from start to finish. Where with a Round Robin, the authors involved are reactive from one chapter to the next and don’t know what’s coming until the chapters are published - in a Team Write, everyone on the team gets to plot their story together from start to finish. Plot together, write together, publish together.

We want to see how you guys work together to create the best winter/holiday Caryl story you can! Angsty, fluffy, smutty, action packed, drama filled silliness - anything goes!

The best part: you can pick your team! We know some of you really want to be paired with your best buddies for a challenge, so we’re going to let you.

How many teams are we talking? Well, that depends on just how many people sign up. We want as many teams as possible, and while the teams do not have to have equal numbers of members, there will be no more than 5 members per team (and no less than 2, because duh).

There are a lot more details to share, because we’re doing everything different with this challenge, but those will be disclosed later. Here’s what you need to know to sign up:

• 
  

  Sign up for this challenge by sending a PM to Fairies Masquerade. You have 2 choices:

  
  
  
  
  • 
    

    Option 1: Send a PM with the people you want to be on your team (it would help if you talked to them first to make sure everyone is on the same page) OR

    
    
  
  
  • 
    

    Option 2: Send a PM saying you want to play & you don’t care who you get paired up with

    
    
  
  
  
  


• 
  

  All team members must be registered for an account on Nine Lives! If they’re new for the challenge, that’s totally fine, but they need to be registered to participate

  
  


• 
  

  Sign ups are open through Monday, November 16.

  
  


• 
  

  Teams will be announced on Thursday, November 19. You will then have several weeks to get together to plan and write your stories!

  
  


• 
  

  Story posting will occur from December 1 - December 18 (we will expand on this in the Team Announcement post on November 19)

  
  

So there you have it! It’s going to be an epic fest of holiday awesomeness here on Nine Lives, so come be part of the fun! Questions, please comment here or PM an admin. Caryl on, my lovelies!

Wow, where did that month go? It's time for MOTM again! Congrats, Stephtron312 and Lamport!

Stephtron312 - Author of the Month

IS THIS REAL LIFE?!?!?!!! I'm blushing so hard right now it's embarrassing and a noise just came out of my mouth that made my dog leave the room. ahhhhhhhhhhhhh THANK YOU!

Alright, down to business:

1. What draws you to the Caryl ship?

In one word: subtlety. Which looking back at Caryl through the years, there are very few things that are actually subtle about these two, but in the grand scheme of the show this relationship developed in such an understate, natural way that I didn't even know I was shipping them until it hit me with feels like a bad 80's ballad or something. I didn't watch TWD until last year, a few months before S5 started, and I was so caught up in the binging and the big plotlines of each season that I didn't have time to notice all the sweet moments between these two. But the buildup was so perfect that when Daryl sweeps Carol up into his arms during No Sanctuary and that darn hug, well, I felt like I was wrapped into that embrace right along with them. I was completely smitten. It's the kind of love story that I fall for; the ones that happen without you noticing it at all.

2. Who are your writing influences?

Oh boy, I have a lot! I read a ton and I always try to make note of things that stand out to me! JK Rowling can tell a story, the Harry Potter series is a masterpiece in the way she weaves plots together through seven books and her attention to detail is mind blowing. JD Salinger, too, is an author that has stuck with me since middle school. Especially his short story collection, Nine Stories, there's just such a depth to his writing that on the surface seems very simple but it's so multilayered that you can go back and re-read them and discover something new every time. But, really, I love anything that entertains me, and possibly makes me ache over fictional characters or a different world and that's what I hope to achieve with my writing as well!

3. How do you handle writer's block?

I feel like I get two types of writer's block. The first being the kind where I know what I want to write but the words are just not happening. I get too caught up in the semantics that nothing comes out at all. Or, I draw a blank and have absolutely nothing left. In the case of the first type, I just try to let it go and write! Doesn't matter if it sounds like gibberish because that's what editing and an amazing beta is for. In the case of the second I like to go back to my outline, or start a new one (I'm a planner through and through, I can't function without my outlines). Or I go to my beta or other writing buddies and bounce ideas off them! Just working through the simple actions of a piece is easier than trying to full on write it out sometimes. But if that doesn't work I try to distract myself completely. Read something else, write something else, listen to music, anything to stop myself from thinking about it. Typically that means I get a great idea just as I'm falling asleep and have to rush to write it down (which I never do because I'm lazy and like to sleep)! 

4. Anything you want to say to your readers? ;)

YOU GUYS ARE MY HEART!!! Anytime I see that reader count go up one, or get a review I just explode with happiness. To know that anything I write has connected with one of you, made you laugh or tear up or even just entertained you for twenty minutes while you were bored means the world to me. I love you all to the depths of my soul and cannot thank you enough! Cookies and Caryl hugs for you all <3

Lamport - Reviewer of the Month

Aw! I am very honoured. Thank you.

1. What draws you to the Caryl ship?

Everything.  The mutual respect and admiration that they show each other, and how it grew over time.  Their patience with each other.  The fact that they are equals, and treat each other as such.  Wordless communication.  Playfulness.  Comfort.  Love. Hot people.  

2. What do you look for in a story to keep reading?

A solid grasp on the characters and their motivations.  Of course, this is completely subjective since my versions of Carol and Daryl are different than other people’s.  A unique plot.  Canon moments expanded.  Insights into characters.  Humour, angst, fluff, I like it all!

3. What are your top five favorite stories?

Well, this is an impossible question.  There are so many gems on Nine Lives, it’s hard to narrow it down.  The featured stories are all amazing!  And looking back through the recs from other ROTM, I see some overlap.  So, I’m going to make my suggestions based on fics from my personal favourite authors that maybe haven’t received as much love as they deserve.  Check them out!  There are more than 5.  Oops!  :P

1. Poker Night by EleanorK

2. What Remains by leigh57

3. Absolution by Lena Carr

4. State Lines by NotLaura

5. The Watch by Stephtron312

6. hold my hand consign me not to darkness by queenpeletier

7. Promise by strychnine

8. Fallen by sweettooth7

9. i can make you forget (all the chaos) by wndrw8

10. Last Refuge by jaibhagwan

4. Anything you want to say to all the Caryl authors out there?

Thank you.  I know that it can be incredibly nerve wracking to put your writing out there for the world to see.  Thank you for being brave enough to post, because then we all get to enjoy your interpretation of characters and events, and share our love of Caryl together. 

When Hallowe'en looms t'wards the end of the year
Elements arrive to play on our fear,
The dead start to walk and the darkness takes hold,
As magical mystics and horrors unfold
When the transparent veil between this life and next,
Is pushed to the side with a word and a hex.
But what of a world where there's no dead to rise?
When the mystical forms must take some other guise?
Imagine our heroes with no walkers or geeks,
But with ghosties and monsters and other strange freaks.
A Walking Dead world without a zombie in sight,
Just traditional scares to give them a fright!
Can Daryl take on a werewolf or ghost,
When his bow no longer turns them to toast?
And what about Carol, can she last the night,
When it's vampires who yearn to give her a bite?
So this Hallowe'en a challenge we give:
A world without zombies where our duo live,
But death they must face when darkness descends,
Against mystical creatures, with the help of their friends.
So this fine October don't just watch Walking Dead,
Write us some Hallowe'en fanfic instead!

• THE CHALLENGE: Write a Caryl Halloween-themed AU! Vampires, werewolves, ghosts, haunted houses, witches - the world of Halloween themed spooks is your oyster, with one exception: NO ZOMBIES! Mwahaha...


• THE DEADLINE:  Stories must be turned in by 11:59pm PST October 23. Posting day is October 24.


• THE RULES:




• Send a PM to Fairies Masquerade, Ikkleosu or subversivegrrl stating that you’re going to enter the challenge. This is very important! If we do not get a PM, you won’t be on the list.


• Write your fic!


• Caryl only this time! (Sorry, McReedus fans - we will get you on the next one!)


• You can submit multiple entries! It's actually encouraged.
  


• Each story submitted must be a minimum of 100 words


• DO NOT UPLOAD IT YET! Wait until October 23 to upload your fic – just like in challenges past, we will be suspending automatic validation for that day for all authors who enter the challenge.


• Submission Day is October 23 – post your fic. It will not appear on the archive, but will enter our validation queue. Make sure you submit it under the Nine Lives Challenge category!


• Posting Day is October 24 – We will post the master list and all of the challenges entries so everything shows up at once. That way, we’re all surprised by what we get to read! Any challenge fics posted before October 23 will be deleted.

'Tis the season for spooktacular stories and we are embracing it wholeheartedly. (FM has been waiting to do this challenge for this for months!) So go forth, tiny Caryling goblins, and write the scariest story you can muster. Just remember - NO ZOMBIES! 

As always, if you have any questions, comment here or drop a PM to FM, Ikkles or Subs. Happy Haunting, Caryl fans!

Hey everyone! IT. IS. HERE. Our "first" challenge, started on the old Nine Lives and completed on the new. We can't quite believe we're actually here yet, but that's something for another post. Who wants to hear us ramble when there are new stories to read?!

Without further ado, we present the master list for the Pleasure & Pain challenge:

• Without Her by vickih


• Love You Forever by ramblesandshambles


• It's Five O'Clock Somewhere by krissyg927


• Maybe by vickih


• Make Me Forget by hickandhousewife


• More Than This by Peonies01 (McReedus)


• Just Lick It by vickih


• Rockwell Ain't Got Nothin' On Us by liddym2113


• What to Say? by lovesdaryl


• Stir It Up by krissyg927


• Tease by HobxNob (new author alert!!)


• Beneath a Red Soaked Sky by Stephtron312


• Mouth of Madness by Haitus80


• The Name Game by vickih


• Last Refuge by jaibhagwan


• Hey Little Sister by Haitus80


• Honeysuckle and Moonshine by indigo_bunting

Thank you and congrats to everyone who participated in this newest challenge! To the rest of you, we bid you good reading and Caryl on!

Hello everyone and welcome to the new Nine Lives Fanfiction Archive! We’re finally here! Months and months of planning have come to fruition at long last. It doesn’t seem real yet to the admin team; and yet, it finally is. So much has changed, but hopefully it’s familiar enough to still feel like home.

We have a lot to show you all, but first, we wanted to reaffirm what makes up the core of Nine Lives.

The Nine Lives Archive initially was created as a place to store all the treasures of Caryl fanfiction. It has since grown into a safe haven for all Caryl fans, new and old, free from the trolls and harassment prominent on other fanfiction websites. We strive to show support for our fellow writers and readers in every way: through chats and challenges, through providing a list of willing betas and a moderated service that helps all to improve their work and thus improve the reading experience of all Carylers searching for quality fanfiction. We are a community created by Caryl fans for Caryl fans. We are, in so many ways, a family.

So welcome, our dear and beloved Nine Lives family, to your new home! Here’s a few things you’ll want to check out:

• 
  

  We’ve updated our FAQ page, as well as our Submission Rules. Please take a few minutes to review both.

  
  

• 
  

  By popular demand, we now have 13 layouts! 8 fabulous new skins, thanks to the incredible talents of our coder, meeshie, plus the original skins that have been carried over from the old site. We’ve also got about 4 more skins that weren’t quite ready for today’s reveal, but they’ll be up soon. With so much to choose from, there should be something for just about everyone! The headers for the new skins were created by our fantastically talented members PixieGrunger, untapdtreasure, Equuleus86, Stephtron312 and meeshie. Thank you so much to everyone who helped make our new home look amazing!

  
  




• 
  

  How to Change The Site Skin: Go to the left sidebar, just under the icons for our Twitter, tumblr, etc. There is a little drop down box. Pick which skin you want to see! Your choices are Mobile, Simple, Night and skins Nine01 - Nine10

  
  


• 
  

  If you had your favorite skin preset on the old Nine Lives, you will need to reset it, as the skin names have changed from what we had before. You can pick your favorite skin by going to Account Info > Edit Preferences and picking from the drop down box labeled Skin.

  
  

• 
  

  To go along with the new looks, we’ve reorganized the top menu. You should find everything you need to get along on Nine Lives, but if for some reason you’re struggling finding something, please don’t hesitate to shout for help! There are two great new additions to the site that can be found in the revised top menu:

  
  




• 
  

  About Us, which holds a brief summary of Nine Lives’ history, its mission statement and the full list of archive staff.

  
  


• 
  

  The new Writing Resources section, full of helpful links and articles gleaned from months of writer’s chats and pooled from the resources of some of our most prolific authors. It’ll be a constant work in progress as more sections are added, so always keep checking back to see what’s new there!

  
  

Of course your old favorites are here as well - the ShoutBox, Members of the Month, Featured Stories and challenges galore to inspire your creativity and feed your fic needs.

And keep your eyes peeled for new features to get rolled out over the coming days - not everything ended up ready in time for The Move. We might be live, but the work is not finished! As always, let us know if there’s something you’d like to see on Nine Lives. We got a lot of great suggestions before The Move that are on our list, but we're always open to more! We can’t promise, but we’re happy to look into the possibilities and make things happen if we can!

Now, it's a whole new system behind the scenes as well, which means you need to update one more thing. Your update notification emails, PM notices, all of that will be coming from a new email: ninelives@ninelivesarchive.com. Make sure you update your email permissions so we don't end up in yor spam/junk folders! 

We tested everything pretty thoroughly before going live, but sometimes things might slip through the cracks. If you don't get an email when you should, or you find something else hinky and not working properly, please send a PM to Fairies Masquerade. 

Before we close out, the 'we' of this announcement becomes i - as in Fairies Masquerade - because I have something personal I wanted to add. The big push to become our own identity was a group thing but none of this would have been possible without the combined talents, individual patience and support of Ikkleosu, Subversivegrrl and meeshie. I can't even begin to describe the countless hours they have stayed up with me to discuss and plot all things Nine Lives. I am indebted to them forever for all they've done to help make this possible. They are the truest of friends and all of them hugely devoted to this archive's success. They have given their time, their talents, their resources for this place, and all of it unquestioningly, unhesitatingly. 

We on the admin team love Nine Lives - the community this place has become, the love, the overwhelming support from all of you. You are the other reason this Move (forever a proper pronoun in my head) became possible. Thank you for being here. Thank you for creating the most positive, vibrant, energetic community in the fandom. Not even 2 years and it's already come so far. I can't wait to see where we go next.

[/sentimental moment]

That's it! Feel free to explore your new home and don't forget about the Pleasure and Pain challenge. Submissions are due September 30!

I’m not even going to quibble with an intro on this one, because it’s time for the news you’ve all been waiting for! Let’s talk about Moving Day.

Moving Day is going to occur on Thursday, September 24. That’s just about a day and a half away. (I know, we’re cutting it close. Things are moving at a breakneck pace behind the scenes, believe me.)

By the way, yes: The Move has earned proper pronoun status. Can you blame us? It's so exciting!

How are you going to keep up with what’s happening during down time? We will be posting updates in 3 places during The Move: Our Twitter account, our tumblr account and in our Chat Room. The Nine lives chat room is a Chatzy room, which means that it isn’t integrated into the actual site and will remain open for your use during transition.

Here are the links, which we highly recommend saving individually sooner rather than later:

• Nine Lives Chat Room: http://www.chatzy.com/carylwriters


• Nine Lives tumblr: http://ninelives2.tumblr.com/


• Nine lives Twitter: @NineLivesCaryl

There is one more link you’re going to want to bookmark, and it’s a pretty important one:

www.ninelivesarchive.com

That’s the site of our new home! All it is now is a very hastily thrown together “holding” page, but soon… very soon… it will be the Nine Lives Archive! It won’t show you anything until the site is ready to be revealed though, so you won’t get to see the work in progress.

So here's how this is all going to go down:

Very early Thursday morning (probably somewhere around 6am MST Thursday morning), FM is going to turn off the active functions of the site. That means no shout box, no new chapters/stories posted and no new reviews. This will happen as we run one final backup of the site as it exists here on the Dark Solace servers, and will officially be the start of The Move. If we left those things running during the backup, anything new added would not make the transition to the new site.

Once the backup is done, the site will be dropped into maintenance mode, which means you won’t be able to see it anymore. Once Nine Lives drops, the real work has begun and you can start watching our social media accounts or hang out in the chat room for updates. From there, it’s anyone’s guess as to how long it will take us to get our new home up and running. The idealistic goal (which we actually feel pretty good about, but still...) is to finish the transition of the site to our new home on Thursday. We really don’t anticipate The Move taking more than 24 hours, but anything is possible & we’re leaving lots of room to fix any issues that might arise.

So now is the time. Save any stories you want to read during down time. If you want to update your fic, do it now! You've got until 6am MST Thursday or you'll have to wait until the new site is up. Go vote for MOTM! Make sure you’ve updated your links and can find us however is easiest to you during The Move so you can keep up to date on what is happening.

It’s happening, you guys! It’s really happening! Start your countdowns and get ready. Moving Day approaches!

Hang with us! Here we go…

-FM, Ikkles, Subs, Tech Guy & Meeshie

Hello Nine Lives family and friends! As we announced last week, the Nine Lives Archive is breaking away from our current host site, the Spuffy archive Elysian Fields. This is no small change, and we’ll be talking more specifically about Elysian Fields later this week so you guys get the full depth of just what a big change this is. However, such a massive shift inevitably kicks off a chain reaction of other changes. For us, a big one is within the administration staff.

It was Ravenesque who started the Nine Lives Archive, an effort to fill a void she saw within the fandom: to create a community by Caryl fans for Caryl fans. She is the reason we have Nine Lives at all. Ravenesque, while no longer an active admin, has still been the liaison between Nine Lives and Elysian Fields for the past year. With the break to a new domain and our own server, Ravenesque has passed full ownership of the Nine Lives Archive to Fairies Masquerade. She may not be continuing with the administration team, but she will continue to be recognized and respected as Nine Lives’ founder, with the mission statement she set forth at the beginning continuing onto the new version of Nine Lives and beyond.

Leaving Elysian Fields means that we will also be saying goodbye to our tech goddess, Susan. Susan is an administrator of Elysian Fields but she is not a Caryler, nor even in The Walking Dead fandom at all. Yet she has acted as our only tech support since our inception. Her time and assistance here has been nothing but pure generosity on her end. Many of the things that could be taken for granted - beyond the archive itself, like our private message system, the shout box, the MOTM system - were all done by Susan. She has been a huge lifesaver for us and we are eternally thankful for everything Susan has done for the archive.

With that, we get to announce an addition to the Nine Lives administration team. We were in need of a new tech guru to help us out behind the scenes of our new home and we’ve found him: the aptly named Tech Guy. (Don’t blame him - FM created his account & we all know she’s bad at naming things, so… yeah.) Tech Guy is actually a real-life friend of Ikkleosu, giving us 2 Scots on the admin team now! While he isn’t in the fandom, he’s agreed to help us out with any server issues or upgrades that may come up that are beyond the scope of what FM, Subs & Ikkles can handle on their own.

(A note on that - most of the issues you might experience are things that can actually be resolved by FM, Subs or Ikkles, so please do not PM Tech Guy if you can’t remember how to change your password. He’s here strictly for major behind the scenes issues. Everything else is handled by the regular admin team.)

And finally, we have one more addition to our administration team! Meeshie has served as the Chat Administrator since Nine Lives opened. With the move to a new site, she has also taken it upon herself to be our official coder, and is the one creating the new site skins we will be premiering upon our move. With this increase in status, we’ve accorded meeshie full administrator status of Nine Lives. She is not a full site administrator (by her own request), but she will continue to serve as our Chat Administrator and be recognized as an equal alongside the regular admin team.

The rest of the staff lineup will stay the same! Jaibhagwan and sweettooth7 will continue to serve as chat moderators under meeshie on the new Nine Lives site. Fairies Masquerade, Subversivegrrl and Ikkleosu will continue to work hard as the administrators of Nine Lives, doing their best to keep this place running as the Caryl safe haven it’s become.

Greetings and salutations Caryl fans, McReedus lovers, readers, authors, guests and all the wonderful members of our Nine Lives family!

We’ve come a long way in the year and a half this archive has existed. We’re nearing the end of our 2nd hiatus stretch (4 weeks until Season 6! Woooo!) and we’ve experienced games, challenges & amazing themed events. We’ve laughed together (thanks Team Fluff!), cried together (curse you, Team Angst!), and everything in between.

When Ravenesque launched Nine Lives in January 2014, it was with the intent of creating a safe haven for Caryl fans, free from the rampant troll attacks and drama that permeates other fan fiction sites to this day. She stated our mission with the following:

I believe there is a great need to foster community around our ship, gathering all our fantastic fanfiction in one place so that anyone seeking it out can find it easily. With this site I hope to foster that sense of safety within our own community, support for writers and readers with the inclusion of the chat box and chat room, a beta service, a moderated service that helps those entering the fandom to improve their work and thus improving the reading experience of all Carylers that want to read quality fanfiction. What we are about is acceptance and support, love of Carol and Daryl, Melissa and Norman, and hopefully a place where our detractors can recognize that this is not their space to impose upon.

In large part, we feel we have succeeded in carrying out that vision. Our growth has surpassed anything we could have ever imagined for ourselves at this point and all of that is in thanks to you: the members of the Nine Lives Archive. Without you, there is no Nine Lives Archive. To those who are here, from the daily shout box chatters to the constant reviewers to those who lurk and read from the quiet shadows: thank you. 

The archive itself was created and has been maintained for the duration of its run to this point as an offshoot of the Spuffy fan fiction archive Elysian Fields. We are a guest, hosted on their servers, created with their resources, their time and from their members, especially our tech goddess Susan (neither a TWD fan nor Caryler, she nevertheless has devoted huge chunks of time behind the scenes to keeping Nine Lives alive). Their generosity has been overwhelming, their support unwavering and we owe them a huge debt of gratitude that we will carry with us forever.

After much discussion between the various admins, we feel that the time has come for change and further growth. Nine Lives is strong enough to stand on its own two feet. We are breaking away from Elysian Fields, ready to stand tall amongst the halls of fandom with our own true identity. In other words:

WE’RE MOVING! 

Breaking away from Elysian Fields means a lot of changes ahead for us. In two weeks, we will be moving the site to our new servers. We’ll be announcing a lot of changes and modifications over the next few weeks, both before and after the move, including: 

• A new domain (website) – this will be announced shortly before the move itself so you can update your bookmarks accordingly


• New site skins!


• New events and challenges


• New and updated site content!


• Updates to our tumblr and twitter accounts


• Staffing changes


• And so much more…

The move will occur around September 24-25. The exact date will be announced soon so you can “prepare” yourselves, as the site will be down for a minimum of 24 hours while the move takes place. NOTE: Everything - your user accounts, including PMs, preferences, favorites & reviews - will transfer as is to the new server. You shouldn't lose anything in transition.

It’s big days ahead for us! We know that for some, change can be scary – please trust us. We’ve worked incredibly hard at this for a long time and we think you’ll be very happy with what we’ve cooked up. We know a lot of you may have questions, so feel free to hit up the comments section of this post or send a PM to Fairies Masquerade, subversivegrrl or Ikkleosu. Flail in the shout box, by all means, but if you have questions, it’s much better to reach out to the admins via post comments or PM.

Onward and upwards, Nine Lives family! Away we go!

Greetings and salutations to all the members of our Nine Lives family: old and new, young and small, tall and… something else. The days are long and warm, the sun is shining but alas, the lack of The Walking Dead, and more particularly Caryl, tears at our souls. Luckily for us, we have had quite the eventful summer here on Nine Lives so far!

Our Round Robin teams are still going strong & putting out amazing new chapters to kill us with feels. We’ve done Smutfest!, Featured Flashbacks, Awesome AU Featured Stories, the AU Prompt-A-Thon, all while continuing our monthly traditions of Members of the Month and our ongoing Writers Chats series.

What more could we possibly bring you for August? Well, I’ll tell you. The theme for August here on Nine Lives is... VACATION! 

As in: we the administration staff are taking one.

That’s actually not as terrible as it sounds. There is a LOT cooking behind the scenes of Nine Lives, stuff that has been simmering between FM, Ikkles & subs for months now and it’s all about to come to fruition in September. The three of us really need to take the time to make sure everything is ready for those upcoming events; so in August, there won’t be any writing challenges. (Emphasis on the writing – you’re still getting a challenge! You didn’t think we’d leave you guys with nothing, did you?) We’re also putting the Writers Chats on hold until September. However, as always, the chat room itself is open to our members for their use & we highly encourage you guys to take advantage of it!

All of us – FM, Ikkles & subs – will still be on Nine Lives every day doing our usual admin tasks, writing and reading all of the amazing stories the archive has to offer. So while we’re on ‘vacation’ from all the extra stuff, we won’t actually be gone. (In fact, we'll be working harder than ever - you just won't see it for a while.)

“But what are we supposed to do for all of August?” we hear you ask.

Summertime vacation is all about relaxing and the ideal summer day is spent lazing about in the sunshine reading a good book. With that in mind, we present to you your challenge for August:

THE CHALLENGE

Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to read and review as much Caryl OR McReedus fanfiction as this site has to offer! (And that’s a lot!)

The fun part? WE WANT PROOF! This is a Photo Challenge! Take your laptop or phone or Kindle and read new stories, or your old favorites: on your porch, in a hammock, in a tree, at the beach, by the pool, in a coffee shop, at the mall, with your pets, with your friends (for those of you lucky enough to live near other Caryl fans!), using Carol and Daryl Funko pops or action figures, wearing TWD merch. Anywhere and any which way you can think of. You do not have to show your face in these photos – we know that’s not everyone’s jam and that’s ok! Just have fun with it.

THE RULES

• Read and review stories here on NL!


• Take a picture! Take LOTS of pictures – multiple submissions are not only allowed, but encouraged!
  
  
  
  • You do not have to include your face in the photo
  
  
  • Photos must show a story on Nine Lives open on your phone, computer, Kindle, whatever
  
  
  • It must be a different story open per photo!
  
  
  
  


• You must leave a review on that photographed story for each photo submitted. We will be checking!


• Submit your photo via one of these methods:
  
  
  
  • tumblr: http://ninelives2.tumblr.com/submit
  
  
  • Email: http://ninelivesarchive.com/contact.php
  
  
  • Twitter: https://twitter.com/NineLivesCaryl
    
    
    
    • Please do not submit your photos to an admin via PM – that’s more than our inboxes are prepared to take on.
    
    
    
    
  
  
  
  


• Submissions must include the following in addition to the photo itself:
  
  
  
  • Your Nine Lives username
  
  
  • What country you’re from
  
  
  • What story you’re reading in the photo
  
  
  
  


• Photo submissions are due by August 29!

We will be doing some cool stuff with the photos submitted, so stay tuned for more on that later! In the meantime, get out and get reading! As always, if you have any questions, please PM an admin.

Happy reading and Caryl on!

Happy Weekend, Caryl fans! Today, we round out our All About AUs theme here at Nine Lives with our final challenge event of the month - the AU Prompt-A-Thon!

Nobody wants to hear us ramble on when there are new stories to read, so here is the list of those brave folks who took our challenge head on:

• Private Tour by Stellamare - Aquarium AU


• Last Call Coffee Guy by Starfur373 - Last Minute Customer AU


• Guns and Roses by Equuleus86 - Old West AU (multi-chapter)


• Stolen Cars, Stolen Hearts by mamatito40 - Stolen car w/ other person asleep in the back AU (multi-chapter)


• Sand In Your Fingers by lovesdaryl - Old West AU (multi-chapter)


• Marry You by sweettooth7 - combined Last Minute Customer/Panic Attack-Comfort AU


• Dust in the Wind by faegal04 - Old West AU (multi-chapter)


• The Lion, The Drunk and The Wardrobe! by ramblesandshambles - Mutual drunk friend calls both to pick him up AU


• On the Run by AmalynJon - Stolen car w/ other person asleep in the back AU


• Crimson Heart by Stephtron312 - Old West AU


• Mermaid Matchmaker by Argent Gale - Aquarium AU


• Iced Tea and Cigarettes by krissgy927 - Last Minute Customer AU
  


• Shut Up and Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is by Liddym2113 - Memory Loss AU (multi-chapter)


• Drunk Dialing by ramblinrose - Mutual drunk friend calls both to pick them up AU


• Every Friday Night by vickih - Last Minute Customer AU

Many challenge participants sent the admins some frantic PMs going "OMG THIS HAS GOTTEN TO BIG WHAT DO I DO?!" which (aside from making FM cackle with glee to the point she started scaring people) opened up the door to several multi-chapter stories getting their start with this challenge. We have noted those stories whose authors have intended to go on longer than your average one-shot.

You can find the full list of prompts the authors had to chose from here.

THANK YOU EVERYONE WHO HAS PARTICIPATED IN ALL ABOUT AU MONTH! This has been a resounding success for the Nine Lives Archive! Repeat next year? We think so!

Happy reading and Caryl on!

Happy “All About AU” month, everyone! Can you believe we’re halfway through the hiatus already? Season 6 will be here before we know it! The response this month for our AU theme has been huge, so thank you to everyone that has participated so far! To continue with our theme for July, we decided to present the next challenge in our 2nd annual Summer Survival Series. It’s an AU Prompt-A-Thon, y’all!

THE CHALLENGE: Write your very own Caryl-AU story based on one of the prompts listed below (No McReedus this time – sorry, folks!)

THE DEADLINE: Submissions are due by midnight PST on July 30! Posting day is July 31.

THE RULES: Our oldies should know the routine by now, but for our wonderful newbies, here’s how this works:

• Send a PM to Fairies Masquerade,  Ikkleosu or subversivegrrl stating that you’re going to enter the challenge. This is very important! If we do not get a PM, you won’t be on the list.


• Write your fic!


• You can submit multiple entries – as many as you like, but each must be based off a different prompt provided


• Each story submitted must be a minimum of 100 words


• DO NOT UPLOAD IT YET! Wait until July 30 to upload your fic – just like in challenges past, we will be suspending automatic validation for that day for all authors who enter the challenge.


• Submission Day is July 30 – post your story. It will not appear on the archive, but will enter our validation queue. Make sure you submit it under the Nine Lives Challenge category!


• Posting Day is July 31 – We will post the master list and all of the challenges entries so everything shows up at once. That way, we’re all surprised by what we get to read! Any challenge fics posted before July 30 will be deleted.

THE PROMPT LIST: I have to say, there was much hilarity between the admins as we combed through dozens and dozens of prompt ideas for this. In the end, we tried to go with AU ideas that we haven’t seen put forward as often within the Caryl fandom. Some are silly, some are way out of the box, but all should be loads of fun to write and read! Here is what you have to pick from for this challenge:

• “We both tried to rob a bank at the same time”


• “That one jerk customer who always comes in 5 minutes before the store is about to close”


• “Person A’s band plays a gig and Person B is drunk as hell dancing in front of the stage”


• “Person A calling Person B while having a breakdown and Person B running as fast as they can to comfort Person A”


• “Person A works at an aquarium, Person B is a regular visitor.”


• “Person A is a prince/ess, Person B is a servant. They weren’t supposed to fall in love but it happened anyway.”


• “Person A knows nothing about camping and comes across Person B while freaking out because they think they heard a bear”


• “Caryl in the Old West”


• “A mutual drunk friend called both Person A & B to come pick them up from a party. Awkwardness ensues.”


• “Person A slapped Person B’s ass thinking it was their friend but realizing Person B is a stranger”


• “Person A stole Person B’s car without realizing Person B was asleep in the back”


• “Both woke up in the middle of nowhere together with no memory of who they are or why they’re there.  From ID cards/licenses, they figure out their names but that’s it. They have to work together to remember what happened and get back to civilization.”

Who is Person A and Person B for each prompt? Well, that’s entirely up to you! We’ve given you 12 possible starting points. You have 2 weeks. What are you still reading this for? GET WRITING ALREADY! 

As always, PM an admin or comment here if you have any questions.

Happy writing and Caryl on!

Greetings and salutations, Nine Lives family! The time has come once again to shine the spotlight on two of our members. Nominated from within your ranks, please give a shout of hooray for July's Members of the Month: CarolPeletier and Liddym2113!!

CarolPeletier - Author of the Month

What draws you to the Caryl ship?
I watched my first episode of The Walking Dead in late September of 2014.  My sister bought me the first season and just said “trust me, you’ll love it.”  And I went out and bought the other four seasons as soon as I finished with Season 1.  By early Season 2, it was obvious to me that Daryl was much more than what he was presented to be at first.  And then when they were interacting more with Sophia being gone, I was totally enthralled by the chemistry between the two of them.  I was already shipping them before I ever even went online and saw there was a whole community of shippers out there thinking the same things I was!

I love the parallels between the characters.  He comes from an abusive home.  She comes from an abusive marriage.  He doesn’t really know how to connect to people, and she seems to flourish after Ed’s death. I love the way they can tease each other and talk to each other and understand each other so easily.  I especially love how Carol has such faith in him; how she believes he’s a good man and a man of honor.  I also love how Daryl so quickly understands that Carol did what she did to Karen and David, knowing she had her reasons and how he knows she would understand if he left with Merle.  They are so connected, even when they’re apart, and it’s just the most fascinating thing to watch.  I hope to see them interacting on my TV for many more seasons together.

Who are your writing influences?
Oh, that’s a tough question.  I’ve always loved to read.  In college, I especially got into short stories, stories that had a punch and really made you think.  I love to read all genres and styles, and I have had a passion for writing since I was young.  Other fanfic writers inspire me.  I hadn’t written much of anything for a few years before I discovered the beauty of The Walking Dead and began to read fan fictions.  I’ve read some beautiful ones here on Nine Lives.  TheWalkingCaryl is one of my biggest influences (and sounding boards) because I am constantly amazed at the beauty that comes out of her fingertips when she writes. 

Honestly, when I read a really good fanfic, and it makes me think, it’ll stay with me, and sometimes, I think that influences the way I write, the way I view things, and the way I want my readers to view a scene.  I love those writers who can really evoke a powerful emotion in their readers.

How do you handle writer’s block?
Admittedly, not very well.  Sometimes I have the hardest time just thinking of something to write.  I will stare at my computer for the longest time, read other fics, watch a favorite TWD episode, and still, sometimes, that inspiration never comes.  I sometimes get on Tumblr and encourage people to send me prompts.  I love to brainstorm.  Sometimes, I will type out a list of scenarios I would love to read in fanfic, and sometimes, I attempt to write them. 

I think my most successful method of handling writer’s block is to just start writing.  Sometimes it’s no good, sometimes it stirs something inside of me that gets me writing like crazy.  No Regrets happened when I was having terrible writer’s block, and so did Kismet.  They are two of the fics I’m most proud of today.

Anything you want to say to your readers?
Thank you!  Just simply, thank you.  I know I don’t always respond to feedback, and my crazy busy life and work schedule keeps me off the net a lot, but I truly appreciate each and every review left, because sometimes, just reading your reactions helps me form the next piece of my story.  Sometimes I’m hanging on the precipice of a decision, and reading a particularly moving review might sway me in one direction or the other.  I sometimes enjoy NOT knowing where I’m going to end, even if I have a general idea of what I want to do, and I like having a sort of interactive approach to it, and you guys have no idea how many times I’ve been inspired by a simple review.  Thank you so much for your support!  You guys are amazing!

Liddym2113 - Reviewer of the Month

What draws you to the Caryl ship?
First of all, I would say it is the AMAZING chemistry between Melissa McBride and Norman Reedus. The two of them on screen together have something incredibly rare and special and it is simply magnetic. I can't help but be drawn to them. Secondly, the characters simply "get" one another. I am a huge fan of the shows Friends and Grey's Anatomy, and I feel like their relationship is a great combination of both being one another's "Lobster" and being one another's "person." I can't help but think of a post I saw on tumblr one time that said, in any world, in any universe, I would choose you. That to me is Caryl defined and what makes me love them so much.

What do you look for in a story to keep reading?
I love it when there is simmering chemistry and tension betwen the characters. Believable, natural dialogue is important to me as well. It doesn't matter if it has fluff, angst, smut, or drama...I just like a story to make me feel things. Stories that jump off my screen and bleed emotions through the words, whether happy or sad, are my favorite thing.

What are your top five favorite stories?
Here is where I'm gonna cheat because I can't pick just five, so I'm going to pick 5 WIP's and 5 Completed ones. (FM knows I'm a rebel.) WIPs: Mad City by Fairiesmasquerade, My Heart is In You by Bonnyblonde, Contrapposto by Darylsdiva1, Sunny Side of You and Me by Stephtron312, The Spare Room by 27 dayz (on ff). Completed: I am the Danger by wndrw8, Caress by Stephtron312, Salt and Stone by FM, Slow Fire Burn by Racerlovesloopy, and Roses and Thorns by Bonnyblonde. Legit, I love so many fics that this doesn't even begin to cover them all, but these are ones I go back to again and again (and again.)

Anything you want to say to all the Caryl authors out there?
I LOVE YOU, I LOVE YOU, I LOVE YOU!!! No, seriously. I do. Caryl fic has gotten me through some of the worst times of my life lately, and it is such a form of escape that I can't thank all of you enough for putting yourselves out there and creating these wonderful works of art! You all are such talented, gorgeous, lovely people. Truly the best in the fandom. And to anyone who is considering writing, don't be afraid. It's scary but so worth it, and you never know whose lives you may impact with your words. xoxoxo!!!!

Hello Caryl fans! This was the down and out dirtiest challenge ever: SMUTFEST! To those who answered the call, we salute you.

Without any further ado, here is the master list of fics for the Smutfest! challenge:

• Peel Me A Grape by If not for the moonlight




• Onesies and water bowls


• The red beanie


• The black rhinoceros


• From under the blanket




• Rush by Equuleus86 (McReedus)


• Five Minutes by Caryl Warrior


• Stages of Grief by NotLaura


• Is That the Diet Coke Guy? Take 2 by Cooperative Pants


• Is That Alright? by PixieGrunger


• Watching and Waiting by halohunter89


• Pride by Lamport

There you have it! The smutiest of the smut from our Nine Lives members. 

A few people made arrangements with FM to post their stories a smidge late due to real life time constraints, so check back periodically - the list may get updated throughout the day! 

Otherwise, Caryl (or McReedus) on and happy reading!

Hi everyone! The time has come once more to celebrate two of our own, chosen by you to as stand out members of the Nine Lives family. Your June Members of the Month: wndrw8 (Author) and Rodgerse (Reviewer)!

As always, a huge shout out of thanks to untapdtreasure for creating the MOTM banners. 

Now, onto our featured members! :)

Wndrw8 (Author of the Month)

AWWW this made my day! I’m on vacation right now so my answers will be a bit short but this makes me so happy :))))

What draws you to the Caryl ship?
I'm drawn to this ship because I love Carol and I want her to be with the person that makes her happiest! On many occasions, Daryl's just really proven to be the man. I love how he looks at her--like she's his world. Love like that is rare and beautiful.

Who are your writing influences?
In the real world, I worship Hannah Tinti and Karen Russell. In fanfic I adore Lamport, NotLaura, sweettooth, leigh, and EleanorK.

How do you handle writer’s block?
I don't believe in writer's block. Sometimes you write more and sometimes you write less. Being forgiving of the leaner times is so important. Writing is like everything else--it ebbs and flows.

Anything you want to say to your readers? ;)
I love my readers. Like so much. There are a few of you (and you know who you are) that read and review everything I write. Such support is simply astounding!

Rodgerse (Reviewer of the Month)

I am completely floored by this win. I didn't think I had a chance since I haven't been reviewing as much since real life got busy and I have been beta-ing for lovesdaryl. I always keep reading but sometimes I don't want to just say "great job!” But I try to really make an effort in giving feedback. So here are my responses:

What draws you to the Caryl ship?
I am going to be totally honest here. What draws me to Caryl is Daryl. Daryl is a manifestation of all the hurt, anguish, and sadness a man can be while still trying to be a good man. His abusive childhood, dysfunctional love/hate relationship with Merle and his longing to belong make my heart cry. And because I want so much to make him better, I want the best for him and that can only be Carol. Carol has grown through her abusive marriage, loss of Sophia, and betrayal by Rick to become an extremely strong woman --a survivor. She also has an insight like no one else on what it takes to overcome abuse and rejection. This experience gives her the ability to not only understand Daryl but to feel what he feels. Her empathy and understanding of him goes beyond simple love but manifests itself as more like soul mates rather than just mates. And though at times TWD does not emphasize or show directly that bonding, I believe it is always there. Perhaps sometimes hidden but always there just below the surface.

Because this relationship is so different, so unlike other pairings, I am drawn to the possibilities. And it is these possibilities that draw me to Nine Lives. It is here that every aspect of this relationship can be explored. From an A.U. set on an alligator farm, to fighting aliens who have conquered earth, from the dark recesses of a back alley speak easy to the telling of each moment and scene we did not see on TWD—Nine Lives gives me a glimpse, a chance, a moment when the two can come together and just BE.

What do you look for in a story to keep reading?
Honestly, I just keep reading--good, bad, sad, smut, angst, love or just plain bad--I keep reading. I can't stop myself. It's like an addiction. And often, especially on this site, I find the golden moment--the words that give me the profound feeling "he has found her and he is going to be O.K." This moment can show up in a story that makes him laugh, that causes Daryl to give his trademark smirk. The moment Carol's eyes touch his and I just know from what I have read that they both know, they both feel the connection. Her teasing, her disappointment, and her fear for him I find all of these somewhere in each and every story I read. Even in stories where they don't get together--even there as painful as it is to know they won't be together--they really are because in spite of themselves their bond will never be broken and as such they will always be together even when their not. And so I keep reading, always on the look out for the "moment" and I am happy to say the writers on this site do not disappoint.

What are your top 5 favorite stories?
Impossible to answer!! How do I pick five gems from a chest over flowing with precious jewels? I have authors that I return to again and again-- lovesdaryl, bonnyblonde, Booksrbetter, CarolPeletier, clare009, DaisyG80, definitelywalkerbait, EleanorK, Fairies Masquerade, Haitus80, Jennifer_Collins, JJDernhelm, Lena Carr, Little Cinch, liveinadive, meeshie, NotLaura, queenpeletier, ramblinrose, Ravenesque, sweettooth7, The Readers Muse, TheWalkingCaryl, wndrw8, youremykindoftrouble and probably a dozen more that I have forgotten to list.

There is one story though that I have to say is my all time favorite but unfortunately it is not on this site even though I have asked the author to visit and consider contributing. Some of you may know her from Tumblr, her name is Praxid and she wrote "Wild", a story where Carol and Daryl are separated (kind of like FM’s "Three Little Birds"). This story moved me so much that I read it to my husband when we were on a car trip and (he will kill me for saying this) he wept and told me that was the most romantic thing he has ever heard. Pretty powerful stuff so I guess that's why it stuck with me. I truly have to say the authors on this site move me this way everyday and that it is why it is just too difficult to pick just five favorites.

Anything you want to say to all the Caryl authors out there?
First and foremost THANK YOU! You provide for all of us an opportunity to have our dreams become a reality through the thousands of words each of you provide this site. This community this "family" is one of the kindest, caring, and giving of any online community I have encountered. It is so obvious that the respect each and everyone has from writer to reviewer manifests into a loving, safe place. Please, please continue writing your wonderful stories; please continue sharing a little piece of yourselves with us. I know there is always someone's heart inside each and every story and I am so proud of the fact that each of you has the courage to share that special part of who you are with us. Because even though everyone is building around the characters of Daryl and Carol each story is still a part of the author--their baby. So for that reason I thank you again for sharing, for overcoming all obstacles and putting yourself out there. I am humbled by your awesome talent. Live Long and Caryl On.

At long last, after weeks of behind the scenes planning, of our teams coming together, planning and plotting, of writing, of gorgeous works of art being created, of pimping and promoting and basically the Caryl fandom coming together in the most positive way imaginable to make this happen, it’s finally here. The Nine Lives Caryl Round Robin is alive!

And wow, are we off to a rocking start! FM haas read both and let her tell you: feels. Feels everywhere. Feels beyond measure. But don’t take our word for it. Go read them yourself!

Team Angst presents: Seperari (dividus) To summarize, they simply posted the Team Angst motto - “Nos epulum super vestri lacrima” or “We feast upon your tears”. Our suggestion? Tissues. Lots of them.

Team Fluff presents: What’s In A Name It starts with a little fluff and will be followed by more fluff and will then maybe also have a little more fluff and then always added on top, a great big scoop of fluff! It's going to be great. Come ready to indulge in your sweet tooth!

SO GO FORTH, CARYL FANS! Feel the full spectrum of emotions these talented writers are bringing forth and stay tuned, because more is coming! Each team has nearly 20 members, so these stories have a ways to go yet! Members have been randomly assigned a chapter for their team and will have up to 2 weeks each to get their subsequent chapters posted, so keep an eye out for the updates on these two stories. It’s up to you now...

P.S. Thank you to memoriesinatrunk, Stephtron312, liddym2113, and littlecrossbow for sharing your incredible talents and giving us these amazing banners! (Listed in order of banner used)