Good morning, fellow Carylers! It's Graphics Auction Time!

Nine Lives Fundraiser 2016

Thanks for bearing with us through the hiccups. We've learned a lot while organizing this first-time fundraiser, mostly about having things better in hand before we launched... but hey! You've come through like the champs you always are.

As for how these silent online auctions will work: We're using the charity auction site 32Auctions. 

If you've ever bought anything through an Ebay auction, you already know how this goes: You enter the top amount you're willing to pay, and the auction service automatically enters the next bid increment on your behalf, up to your max. If you get outbid, you'll be notified.

***ALERT: you need to choose either "exact bid" or "proxy bid" when you enter your amount. "Exact bid" is the default. The "automatic bids until the max is reached" option is what is called "proxy bidding."***

The auctions will run until 11:45 PM (Eastern time) on November 15th. Once all auctions have closed, we will put the winning bidders and their respective artists in contact to work out the details of content and delivery.

Any questions?? PM subversivegrrl, ikkleosu, or Fairies Masquerade.

Now go forth and support your fan art creators, and simultaneously support Nine Lives!

Well that was a tough premiere, wasn't it? No spoilers but I'm sure we could all do with a warm hug, and some serious fluff in our lives right now.

It seems like this season of TWD is going to be covering a lot of unhappiness, hardship and brutal misery. Our beloved heroes are separated, and who knows how long it'll be until they see each other again.

In those conditions it can be really hard to get the shippy feels going, but never fear Nine Lives is here to help.

Every Friday on our tumblr page we're going to be posting a song that gives us Caryl feels. We'll post the video and the lyrics, and perhaps a word or two for why this song makes us think of our broken babies.

We know from chats we've held, and from fics themselves, that nothing inspires you guys to write some Caryl fic more than a song. Lyrics that capture the essence of Daryl or Carol or their love for each other, coupled with a haunting or spirited piece of music can bring forth more than just tears of recognition - they can spout forth entire multi-chaptered, fluff and angst-filled shipper goodness.

So, if you can think of some songs that give you serious Caryl vibes and you'd like to see them featured in our Friday Feels tumblr posts, please drop Ikkleosu a PM with the song, artist and - if you'd like - why it makes you think of Caryl. If you're stuck and can only remember a few lines of the song, you can even just send them and Ikkles will try and find out the song information for you.

Keep on carylin'!

To paraphrase Lin Manuel Miranda: HellohelloHELLO Nine Lives! We are one week from the Season 7 premiere. Can you believe it? We are so ready for this hiatus to be over. More Carol, more Daryl - give it to us!! But before that happens, we have some stuff to go over.

You may have noticed that the admin team has been rather quiet lately. Some of this has been life, but much has been an ongoing and very in depth discussion about the current state of the Nine Lives archive and its potential future. I think the best way to kick this off is to address the proverbial elephant in the room. About a month ago, there was an incident over a story posted on NL that led to such a rash of inexcusable abuse that FM deleted all of her social media accounts to escape it. It also led to a deep discussion behind the scenes with all admins pondering what we wanted, why we were here and putting our work into Nine Lives, and if the archive was worth continuing. We’re not going to get into the nitty gritty of that discussion because that isn’t the point of this post. What you need to know is the result of that conversation: Nine Lives is here to stay, but we’re making some changes.

One of those changes is our Member of the Month event. Honestly, it’s not getting a lot of participation these days, but a lot of work goes into its current incarnation. Taking into account suggestions FM received from site members last month along with some of our own ideas, we’re doing a full revamp of the Member of the Month feature. Part of this revamp will include resetting the previous winners list so that everyone can participate and be open for the accolades available in MOTM 2.0, as well as changing how the process is run behind the scenes and what is awarded to our winners. This new format will premiere on January 1, 2017 as part of our 3rd anniversary celebration. In the meantime, the Member of the Month feature is officially closed, effective immediately.

Now onto part 2: In September, we announced our plans for a fundraiser and asked for members’ votes on when we should hold it. The prevailing vote was for October and we figured the week of the S7 premiere would be the perfect time to host it. And then shit hit the fan, FM went off the grid, we all took time to regroup as a team and as participants of the TWD/Caryl fandom, which frankly threw our timetable of events into a tailspin while we figured ourselves out. So, we’d like to thank everyone who participated and apologize, because we will not be hosting a fundraiser this week.

Our fundraiser is coming though. We have what we feel is a really fun plan in place that we hope everyone is going to enjoy during our fundraiser. Mark your calendars: the fundraiser itself is going to run from November 1-15 and will be open to all who would like to participate and offer their support to the Nine Lives Archive. We’ll be posting the full fundraiser details, as well as why we’re fundraising and what our hopes/dreams/plans are later this week. So stay tuned for more details headed your way!

As always, if you have any questions, comment here or drop a private message to FM, Ikkles or Subs. Thank you and Caryl on!

It's a new month, and we have new Members of the Month for you to get to know better!

Author of the Month - jaibhagwan 

What draws you to the Caryl ship?

True love. What can I say that hasn’t been said before? I think we all know why we are here: their chemistry is undeniable. That they love each other is clear. It’s in the smallest details of their actions, the words they don’t speak, the simple way they look at one another. But I think the mutual respect and trust they hold for one another is truly what keeps me tethered to this ship. I am a romantic at heart, so I’m a sucker for the slow burn. And I prefer to champion the underdog. After what they’ve both been through in their lifetimes, they truly deserve one another. It’s only fair.  

Who are your writing influences?

My mother, who taught me to read and write. And every English teacher I ever had. Seriously, I dislike this question! I read a lot and have fairly eclectic interests. But I think my style is my own. Some of my favorite authors/poets include Maya Angelou, Octavia Butler, E.E. Cummings, Barbara Kingsolver, Milan Kundera, Neil Gaiman, George R.R. Martin (that punk!), Mary Oliver, Tom Robbins, Rumi, and Sheri S. Tepper. I’ve also read a lot of trash and poorly written novels that have somehow managed to get published, and I think it’s those that give me the most hope about my own writing. If they can do it, why can’t I? So then I did. And now, I can’t stop the madness.

How do you handle writer’s block?

Netflix and chill? Lol! I spend a lot of time outdoors in nature. A nice hike will often fill my head with ideas. Sometimes I meditate. There’s nothing like trying to empty your mind only to have it fill up again with images of that perfect scene or line of dialog. It’s the wrangling of all the parts into a cohesive narrative that’s often the hardest, for me. As is trusting in the story as it wants to be told. I read, look at art, or listen to music that inspires me and makes me feel the things I want to write about. I seek support from other writers who understand this kind of torture and commiserate. It’s always nice to know that I’m not alone in my suffering. I surrender to the fact that the story comes in it’s own time. I go about my life and try not to sweat it. I mean, I sweat anyway, but I try not to dwell on the fact that I’m sweating. I usually end up writing a lot of things that I’ll simply never, ever publish just to keep at it. You have to be willing to write a lot of crap to get to the gold.

Anything you want to say to your readers?

Bless your hearts! I am filled with gratitude for your support and enthusiasm for our ship. Thank you for nominating me, for reading my work, for reviewing, for favoriting, for following, for shyly lurking, for demanding more—you have made me a better writer. I never expected to be here. I’m sure you didn’t either, but here we are. Sorry that I don’t write faster, but I promise, I will do everything in my power to finish all my fics. Thank you, Nine Lives, for fostering a loving community where we can all be transported into a magical world that is all Caryl, all the time. Stay safe!Love -jb

Reviewer of the Month - chemfemme   

What draws you to the Caryl ship?

I think I may be somewhat unusual in that I was first drawn to the Caryl ship through the fan stories I read. I became obsessed with the show during the summer hiatus between seasons four and five. The characters were on the cusp of some big changes at that point, and there were so many ways to interpret what had happened – I think that’s a nice way of saying, WTF were they thinking? So after I binged the first four seasons, I fed my obsession with all the characters with the stories I found online. Eventually, I realized I was especially drawn to Caryl stories.

I can’t help rooting for an underdog, and Carol and Daryl were the bottom of that social pile in the early seasons. Over and over, they had to fight to justify their right to be in that group; that’s how I saw it then, anyway. And who doesn’t love the idea that two people who can’t believe much in their own selves might reinvent themselves and find some redemption through love? That’s what I found in the stories. The stories made me re-watch the show through the Caryl lens, so to speak, and I couldn’t ignore what I hadn’t noticed before. I had to appreciate the subtle developments and changes both characters had undergone. I was hooked.

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

First, know that I am a compulsive reader. I will read the words at the bottom, rather than watch the TV show, if closed-captioning is active. I can’t help myself, I’m like a Labrador retriever: throw a story and I will read it; I’ll probably find something to like about it, every time.

So, forgive my impertinence, but the better question to ask me is, What makes you reread a story? Because I read a lot - and I admit, I’m not very discriminating, I enjoy storytelling as it comes. But, I truly love the stories that compel me to go back and reread. Even if I don’t think I like a story, if it haunts me, I’ll read it over and over again, and eventually, I find I love it. Sometimes, I don’t even know what draws me back to a story. I’ve reread one of my “favorites” at least five times; I still haven’t figured out what I want to say to the author about some of the chapters, but it draws me back.

I have noticed a few things about my reading habits, though. Any story that challenges common assumptions about a character will usually pique my curiosity, especially if it challenges my assumptions, and definitely if it brings me to a new insight about a character. Stories that have an interesting voice or rhythm for a character’s thoughts always fascinate me; stories told from Daryl’s perspective in particular draw me. As a kid, I reread the Little House books until they fell apart; I am a sucker for homesteading in the ZA stories, I revel in the nitty-gritty details of daily life and survival in the new world. If someone ever wrote a story about how to make cheese in the ZA, I would favorite it like my life depended on it! And if you know where that story exists, please PM me.

I don’t exactly look for darker-themed stories, but I am particularly drawn to them when they tap into deeper speculations I have about TWD. I don’t want to get too political, but for me, TWD is about looking obliquely at a society that is engaged in ongoing war. Stories that explore those themes - psychology of battle, loss, collateral damage, breakdown of social structures, futility of hope, erosion of civil conventions, suffering of the innocent at what cost – those just suck me in. On a side-note, I have never enjoyed violent TV or movies - until TWD. In stories, I also find portraying realistic consequences of violence to be more honest and readable than stories that use violence in a back-handed way and gloss over the after-effects. That said, sadism repels me, and honest doesn’t necessarily mean graphic.

A few stories that I’ve read recently highlight this for me. A Drop of Blood among the Sharks by silversundown began with, for me, a very uncomfortable and frank starting scenario, then dealt with it realistically and unflinchingly. An in-progress story, The Man with the Bat by Viktories, set up a scenario that I found extremely harsh to read at times; yet it falls within a certain realm of plausibility in the world as I know it, and it is exploring some depths of Carol’s character that I haven’t seen plumbed in many stories. I love the fun and fluffy and entertaining stories as much as anyone, but I hope authors don’t shy away from exploring darker human stories that mirror real darkness in our world, especially at this juncture of human civilization. This reader, at least, appreciates your willingness to venture into the darkness to spread some light.

What are your top five favorite stories?

Wow, now I understand why previous reviewers found this hard. To badly paraphrase the first Georgia heroine I ever remember reading, the winnowing is harsh when loved ones are being winnowed. (Has anyone done a Gone with the Wind adaptation of TWD? I know there are all sorts of modern concerns around that book, but I cannot be the first person who’s thought there could be some interesting parallels and contrasts between Scarlett O’Hara and Carol Peletier.)

Here are five stories that had special impact on me. Okay, I cheated and did some pairings…and other weird things…because it’s really hard to decide!

Landslide by Lamport I couldn’t stop reading this one until I finished, then again two days later. I had seen references to Nine Lives challenges on other stories, but I was such a newbie to fan fiction I had no idea what those tags meant when I read the story on another site. (Just imagine my shock when I discovered what E-RPF meant, ha!) So this is the story that brought me to NineLives, because I loved it so much I went searching for more stories by this author, and that brought me here.

Broken Mirrors by ramblinrose I was so new to fan fiction when I read this, I wondered: why would anyone want to put TWD characters in a story that wasn’t, y’know, like TWD? One of the first AU stories I read, it hooked me before I finished the first chapter. I love that it’s a three-way love story about becoming a family, and that the author made Sophia into an OC of the most invisible kind of kid, the unadoptable teen, and she hit all the little things that means so well.

Your Name is Merle vs. The One What Brung Ya, both by Lena Carr. I’m going to let these two duke it out for placement. I know why I love the first story; I can’t even explain to myself why I love the second story, but someday I will figure it out. The first story is part of a series and I sincerely hope there will be more additions. I also loved Marginalia and Harriers and Straight and Narrow – natural history and multi-chapter homesteading on the road, yes!

Other Half by Not Laura / You Are the Sun Gone Down by lilabut I doubt authors like being paired like this, but these two stories have a symmetry in my head that makes them whatever the story-equivalent of a diptych is. They are dark and lovely and encompass soft, squishy, savory truths like the opposite shells of a bivalve. I love them both and when I reread one, I always end up rereading the other.

Looks Good on You by Michelle del Vale This is the kind of story I wish I could write: succinct, fun, flirty. It colors inside all the lines of decorum, yet knocks the needle off the dial on the sexy-meter. Her special talent, I think, the blush-worthy T-rated story.

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

Well, authors, if you’ve read this far, you deserve to know my dirty secret. Deep breath, let it out: As far as the show goes, I have almost no confidence that Daryl will ever be emotionally ready to be more than a comrade-in-arms to Carol, and breaking off pieces of her until she’s equally emotionally stunted will not make them any more ready for each other. They're wonderful characters, and the actors do them justice; but if either were a good friend, I’d lose some sleep if they started going in a romantic direction with each other.

There, I said it.

Before you stone me – or, worst fate of all, block me from reading your stories – please remember what I told you at the beginning: You brought me to the Caryl ship through your stories. Your stories have made me want to believe.

The once-in-a-blue-moon-Caryl moments on the show are sweet, but your stories fuel my Caryl fantasies. You’ve made me laugh out loud and you’ve brought me to tears. Who knew G-rated meant watch-a-character-die or suffer-horribly-depressing-stuff? Seriously: browse it by rating, read 10 random stories, then try to tell me I lied; I thought they’d be funny fluff, ha! I have yelled at characters and I’ve dropped my ipod, stunned, while reading. I’ve spent traffic jams speculating what the heck you were going to do in the next chapter - and by that, I mean talking out loud as if you were in the car with me and had any interest in my opinions about what Carol and Daryl were thinking. I’ve stayed up way too late because I couldn’t stop reading, and too often I’ve woken up way too early to check for updates. You have crafted moments in your stories that helped me rethink loss, and grief, and fights with my mother, and dramas with my students, and if the ongoing construction in my neighbor’s garage at odd hours should be something to worry me. There have been some particularly difficult days over the past few years when the best thing I had to look forward to at the end of the day was one of your stories. And yes, I may have made incoherent squeaking sounds upon receiving your thoughtful responses to my comments.

And regardless of how crazy I probably sound at this point, please remember that I am just a fan and you are all rock stars to me. I thank you all for sharing your time and talent, with an extra dollop of thank you sauce to whoever nominated me; I had fun revisiting stories, despite the agony of decision. And, I forgive you all, one-by-one, for hooking me on the drug that is Caryl.

Super exciting news that entertainment website Refinery29 has given your little fanfic home away from home a shoutout.

In an article titled Is There Hope For A Carol & Daryl Romance On The Walking Dead? Refinery29 mentions Nine Lives when discussing the existence of Caryl and Carryl fans.

"including one site, Nine Lives: A Caryl Fanfiction Archive, that boasts works from more than 200 authors."

That's YOU guys, and it's thanks to YOU this site exists. You make it wonderful with your amazing stories, thoughtful reviews and community spirit. Round of applause for you all!

Thanks to Refinery29 for the shoutout, and let's welcome with excitement any new Carylers, writers and readers to our corner of the internet.

We have stories for every taste - fluffy drabbles, poems, angtsy sagas, post-episode stories, AUs in the wild west and high schools, and of course, let us not forget the (well written and very classy) smut.

Come and indulge your love for Carol and Daryl's love.

And don't forget.... Caryl on!

Congratulations to our September Members of the Month: Na Bruma Leve for Author and our esteemed Reviewer - RandomCat!

Na Bruma Leve - Author of the Month

1. What draws you to the Caryl ship?
I think shipping Caryl was inevitable. I always tended to fall in love with those couples that have an unique story, where things are not even close to perfect, and you can actually relate to them in a sense where that story could be actually true. And there is this element in their relationship, of trusting and being a better person when the other is around. They have so many issues, they have so many problems surrounding not only the present world they live in, but their past and what they went through, and still, you feel that what they really want and value are the simple things. They respect each other, they trust each other, and they try to be a better person for the other. They see in each other what they can't see in themselves, and I think this is so beautiful. They love each other in every sense of the word. I can't think of a fictional couple that have such a rich and unique relationship.

2. Who are your writing influences?  
I'm a huge huge fan of Agatha Christie. I think I read 99% of her work, and she is a huge inspiration when it comes to creativity. Especially in the way she gives her characters a depth even though falling in love with any of them is a huge risk, especially if they are the killer at the end of her story haha. And, coming from the fandom, I know so many wonderful writers, like Saedhriel, Lovesdaryl and Lilabut. I think the way they can convey the love between Carol and Daryl and how some of their stories stuck with me, is what made me want to write for this ship.

4. How do you handle writer’s block?
I think I actually don't handle it lmao. I don't know if there is a right way to deal with writer's block, but when I feel I reached that point, I just don't push myself to write something. I feel like I need to respect what I'm feeling right now, and I need to respect the story I was building up. If I keep forcing myself to do it, it becomes worse. It's difficult, because as a reader, I know how much it's frustrating to wait for an update of a story you were really into, but I also feel I own this person the best I can give, and for that, I need to respect my time. 

4. Anything you want to say to your readers? ;)
First of all, thank you soooo much for the support and the encouragement, I wasn't expecting this at all. To be Author Of The Month is a huge huge honor to me. It's a joy to know that people appreciate my writing and my stories. And it's actually you who inspires me to continue. The Caryl community is one of the best fandoms I ever had the pleasure to be part of, and I hope that with my stories, I can provide an escape from the sometimes not so nice canon events we have happening with our favorite characters lmao. I feel that this here, being able to create new stories and feel that you are contributing to this amazing world, is what makes me continue to be in this fandom. I hope you feel as happy by reading my stories as I am for writing them.

And thank you so much NineLives, for give us the opportunity to become better as writers and to provide such a wonderful place to show our love for this two life ruiners <33

RandomCat - Reviewer of the Month

1. What draws you to the Caryl ship?
Honestly, they blindsided me and I love a good surprise. I disliked Daryl at first and even though Carol had won me over with the pickaxe to Ed's head and hiding the grenade in her purse, I was focusing on the Grimes family and Glenn for the first season. And then bam! Second season comes around and we get these really beautiful scenes between the two of them.  I really enjoyed the what they brought out in each other during their interactions and by the end of the second season, I was sold. I don't think I shipped them super hard until the third season, but I definitely had two new favorite characters by the time the barn burned down.  Both of them proved to be more than meets the eye, and I really enjoyed the reveal.

Since then, their interactions are always a treat. They clearly would do anything for each other and watching these two damaged people come together and support one another, I found that to be a really beautiful thing to watch and I just couldn't help but ship it. They've both suffered so much and I feel like it's pretty clear that they need each other.  They're better together!!

2. What do you look for in a story to keep reading?
Characterization and dialogue are really important to me for these two.  I gotta be able to visualize and hear them in my head. Daryl has a very distinct way of speaking and then to top it off, he and Carol tend to not mince words. I also really get into stories that look at the whole picture and not forget that their pasts greatly impact who they are today. If I'm completely honest, I'm a sucker for angst, but really it's about them working through their troubles together.

I gravitate towards stories that fit with the canon.  The zombie apocalypse is a very exciting environment to explore and there are so many stages to Caryl's relationship. The farm, the prison, and Alexandria offer so many possibilities, so I like seeing people's unique versions of them at each of these stages. 

3. What are your top 5 favorite stories?
Ooh boy, I'll go with a mix of all time favs and current favs. Hard to narrow it down to 5, that's for sure! I'm not sure I even reviewed some of these on ninelives, I probably did some over on fanfiction.net, but here we go:

• 1. A Drop of Blood Among The Sharks by silversundown


• 2. Home by Lamport


• 3. Spark by Tinkerbell99


• 4. Other Half by NotLaura


• 5. static by lilabut

4. Anything you want to say to all the Caryl authors out there?
First things first: Thank you all! I don't think I've ever been part of a ship with so many talented writers.  The quality of the stuff here is incredible to me.  I've spent many hours tearing through the stories posted here and it's been nothing but great fun. I've cried, laughed, and sighed probably as much as I have watching the show, so thank you all for expanding upon the world and this relationship!

Second, I lurked on this site for...ehhhh, almost embarrassed to say, but probably four months before joining.  I plan on going back and reviewing what I read during my lurker days. I will spam your inboxes with comments! Hope nobody minds reviews on older stories!

I'm so happy I found this site! Keep up the great work!!

Happy Sunday Carylers! Only 8 more Sundays until Season 7! We're getting close. ;) You can fill up this Sunday by enjoying the results of our 'Missing Moments' challenge - our final from this year's Summer Survival Series!

'Missing Moments' Master List

• When the world fell down, they held each other up by serpetinefire


• I Miss My Maytag by whowhatsitwhich


• Little Girl by saedhriel


• Light the sky an hold on tight (the world is burning down) by AlannasTara

Thank you to everyone who participated in our final S3 challenge! We hope you all enjoy and we hope we have provided you with some wonderful Carylness this hiatus. 

Remember: FM is currently taking feedback on the S3 series as well as the archive itself, so please send her a PM and then go vote for our fundraiser party!

Happy reading and Caryl on!

Challenge Dates: submission date August 27th; publication August 28th

Open to: Fan Fiction, Fan Art, Graphics, Fan Videos

THE PROMPT:

With 16 hour-long episodes per year, there’s only so much time to devote to our favorite characters on an ensemble show. Thus the showrunners have admitted that we miss a lot of the moments in our characters’ lives. So much of what makes our heroes “Team Family” happens offscreen… dammit. Well, this is where you get to fix that by focusing on the missing moments we know have happened, but never got to see unfold on our screens. Did Lori see what was developing between Carol and Daryl? How much did Daryl resist being voted onto the council? Who taught Carol to be so handy with a gun? These and many other questions can be answered by you.

You can pick any scene that is “missing” from the series,  but remember, this is a Caryl archive, so your story has to prominently feature both Daryl and Carol.

(image source - elewings-caryl.tumblr.com)

GO DEEP ON THIS ONE, PEOPLE!  We have SIX SEASONS (whoops, almost wrote “sex seasons” there) to pull from.

THE DEADLINE: Submissions must be turned in by midnight Pacific Time on August 27.

THE RULES:

For FANFICTION:

Send a PM to Ikkleosu or subversivegrrl that you want to enter the challenge. Even if you're not sure you'll have anything ready in time - let us know you're planning on it. YOU MUST DO THIS TO BE INCLUDED.

WRITE! Stories must be at least 100 words.

Multiple entries are allowed!

No McReedus (given the theme, we assume you already knew that.)

Do not upload it yet! Wait until August 27 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 August 27– 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!

Publication Day is August 28 – 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 August 27th will be deleted.

For FAN ART/GRAPHICS

Send a PM to Ikkleosu or subversivegrrl that you want to enter the challenge --OR--

Send an ask to the Nine Lives tumblr account. Anonymous submissions are not allowed! Your Ask must include your Nine Lives username if different from your Tumblr URL.

CREATE!!

Submit your challenge piece via one of the following channels:

Nine Lives Tumblr submissions box, OR

Email your submission to challenges@ninelivesarchive.com

Email title: Missing Moments Challenge Submission

Emails must include your Nine Lives Archive username along with any other information you wanted posted with your artwork.

Submission Day is August 27 - We need to have your artwork submitted to our Tumblr or email by 12:00 midnight Pacific time on 8/27.

Publication Day is August 28 - We will post all artwork via the Nine Lives tumblr account and add them to the master list of challenge entries on the Nine Lives Archive.

For FAN VIDEOS:

Send a PM to Ikkleosu or subversivegrrl that you want to enter the challenge --OR--

Send an ask to the Nine Lives tumblr account.  Anonymous submissions are not allowed! Your Ask must include your Nine Lives username if different from your Tumblr URL.

Upload your video to YouTube - ensuring you select "UNLISTED" as the privacy setting. You will have a URL for your video.

Send a PM to Ikkleosu or subversivegrrl with the URL for your video, along with a title and the name you use on YouTube (if it is different to your Nine Lives name) --OR--

Email that information to challenges@ninelivesarchive.com.

Email title: Missing Moments Challenge Submission

Submission Day is August 27 - We need to have your artwork submitted to our inbox by 12:00 midnight Pacific time on 8/27.

Publication Day is August 28 - We will post all artwork via the Nine Lives tumblr account and add them to the master list of challenge entries on the Nine Lives Archive.

You can change you video's privacy setting to PUBLIC once it has been listed on Nine Lives.

Any questions? please PM an admin.

It's finally here! We asked you, our oh-so creative members, to consider what would happen to Carol - and Caryl - at her (presumed temporary) refuge in The Kingdom, and you came through!

Not so many entries this time around, but you're going to love what our authors (and artist!) have served up for you. 

Go, enjoy!

Fanfic

Burn by Sira

Proving Reality by silversundown

Finding Home by AmalynJon

Her Heart by mellovesall

Fanart

Healing Hands by Ikkleosu 

Video

They Kingdom Come  by kingstoken

Not too long ago Nine Lives hit a milestone, when we topped 200 authors publishing on the site. TWO HUNDRED. Amazing, right? (We're now at 208, and that number is growing almost daily.) We're proud to count among those authors many of the most well-known, well-respected, and prolific "names" in the TWD fandom.

In the course of looking at site statistics, though, we discovered that almost half of our authors have published only one or two stories on Nine Lives. That's a lot of people whose work might not get much attention, and we'd like to try to remedy that by reacquainting our readers with some of those unsung authors.

So we've created a list of those writers with two or fewer stories on the site - and the rest is up to you!

From now until August 7th, we'll be collecting nominations from among those stories for Featured Story of the Week. Check out the list HERE, read some stories you might have missed the first time around (or read and loved, but forgot to bookmark as favorites!) and then share the love with the rest of us by sending a PM to ikkleosu or subversivegrrl with your FSOTW recommendation/s (please don't put them in the Shout Box.) We'll start featuring them the first week of August, and a complete list of the recommendations will be published on the site at the end of the month. NO LIMIT on the number of recommendations you can make, so go crazy!

Note: If you're an author with slightly more stories published on the site - don't worry, we haven't forgotten you! We'll be coming around again sometime over the next couple of months to revisit your work as well.

Questions? PM an admin!

Challenge Dates: submission date July 30th; publication July 31st

Open to: Fan Fiction, Fan Art, Graphics, Fan Videos

THE PROMPT:

In the final episode of season 6, Last Day on Earth, we left Carol at death's door (thanks to a couple of Saviors) with Morgan her only companion, when along came two literal knights on horseback to save the day.

These armoured knights were from The Kingdom, another community we are going to be introduced to in season 7.

We want you to imagine what comes to be at this new location where we expect Carol to spend some time. How will she recover? What will she discover? Will Daryl show up? These are questions we'd love you to answer in this month's challenge.

You can create the Kingdom entirely from your imagination, however if you want to follow the comics we have put together a brief guide to the Kingdom HERE (Note: it contains some comic book spoilers) to help you. If you have a specific question about the comic depiction of the Kingdom not answered by the guide, please pm Ikkles.

Alternatively, you can wait until July 22nd when the season 7 trailer will be premiered at the Walking Dead panel at SDCC, and see if there's any Kingdom content to inspire you.

If you include filming spoilers in your story, please mention this in the summary so those who want to avoid spoilers can do so.

THE DEADLINE: Submissions must be turned in by midnight Pacific Time on July 30.

THE RULES:

For FANFICTION:

Send a PM to Ikkleosu or subversivegrrl that you want to enter the challenge. Even if you're not sure you'll have anything ready in time - let us know you're planning on it. YOU MUST DO THIS TO BE INCLUDED.

Write! Stories must be at least 100 words

Multiple entries are allowed!

No McReedus this time (given the theme, we assume you already knew that.)

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 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!

Publication 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.

For FAN ART/GRAPHICS

Send a PM to Ikkleosu or subversivegrrl that you want to enter the challenge --OR--

Send an ask to the Nine Lives tumblr account. Anonymous submissions are not allowed! Your Ask must include your Nine Lives username if different from your Tumblr URL.

Create!

Submit your challenge piece via one of the following channels:

Nine Lives Tumblr submissions box, OR

Email your submission to challenges@ninelivesarchive.com

Email title: First Kiss Challenge Submission
Emails must include your Tumblr OR Nine Lives Archive username along with any other information you wanted posted with your artwork.

Submission Day is July 30- We need to have your artwork submitted to our Tumblr or email by 12:00 midnight Pacific time on 7/30.

Publication Day is July 31 - We will post all artwork via the Nine Lives tumblr account and add them to the master list of challenge entries on the Nine Lives Archive.

For FAN VIDEOS:

Send a PM to Ikkleosu or subversivegrrl that you want to enter the challenge --OR--

Send an ask to the Nine Lives tumblr account.  Anonymous submissions are not allowed! Your Ask must include your Nine Lives username if different from your Tumblr URL.

Upload your video to YouTube - ensuring you select "UNLISTED" as the privacy setting. You will have a URL for your video.

Send a PM to Ikkleosu or subversivegrrl with the URL for your video, along with a title and the name you use on YouTube (if it is different to your Nine Lives name).

Submission Day is July 30- We need to have your artwork submitted to our inbox by 12:00 midnight Pacific time on 7/30.

Publication Day is July 31 - We will post all artwork via the Nine Lives tumblr account and add them to the master list of challenge entries on the Nine Lives Archive.

You can change you video's privacy setting to PUBLIC once it has been listed on Nine Lives.

Any questions? please PM an admin.

Let thy will be done!

I've read it happening so many different ways.
So have you.

I've written it before.
You may have too.

It has to be one of the most cherished headcanons of a Caryler: when and how they will kiss for the first time. 

Now we've dedicated an entire challenge to more speculation on that most desired of moments: When Carol and Daryl finally LOCK LIPS.

You know when it happens in canon, Caryl shippers all over the globe will shatter glass with the sound of our screaming.

But, until then - we give you Nine Lives' FIRST KISS challenge.

(This is the first time we've had fan videos submitted and I'm so excited I have to list them first. LET THE WILD RUMPUS START!!)

THE FAN VIDEOS!!!

• The only one by Cherokee Rose (Na Bruma Leve)


• don't let me go -- carol + daryl by 1lilabut (lilabut)

 THE FAN FIC!!!

• I will pull you so close ('Til no space lies in between) by Na Bruma Leve


• What If? by Ab0810


• The Walls Between Us by mellovesall


• How to save a life by Saedhriel


• Genesis by silversundown


• Nothing Else Matters by Sira


• Fearless by Phantom


• Sleepless Nights by kaoscraze82


• She Wasn’t Mine by krissyg927


• dreams of a kiss by serpetinefire


• Of Course by Phantom


• Eight First Kisses and One Near Miss by viktories

Hey, everyone -

Due to the demands of trying to juggle both grad school and a full-time job, FairiesMasquerade is going to step back a bit on her admin activities here at Nine Lives.

All that means for you folks is that we're going to ask you to direct PMs about Nine Lives business to either subversivegrrl or ikkleosu for the time being, so that our beloved FM can get caught up with Real Life and have some breathing room.

Don't worry, she's not going anywhere - we're just shifting some of the who-does-what. She will be keeping up with what's happening, & will be involved in larger events & issues as needed.

If you've got any questions, shoot 'em to ikkles or SG!

Congratulations to Nine Lives' Members of the Month for June 2016 - Leigh57 (author) and Herrc715 (reviewer)!!!

Leigh57 - Author of the Month

What draws you to the Caryl ship?

The list of what doesn't would be a lot shorter;) Okay but seriously, pretty much everything? I love the fact that at first glance, Carol and Daryl aren't a very likely love story at all. They started out as strangers who didn't have anything in common beyond their abusive pasts and outsider status. But over the seasons, they've transformed in a very organic way (personally I think that the Sophia arc was one of the most instrumental parts of this transformation) into a relationship where they are unquestionably each other's person.

I'm a complete sucker for mutually supportive relationships where each person would do anything for the other, and yet there's no jealousy or childishness in the way they relate. As Melissa mentioned in the LA Times interview, I love the room they give each other, the space to be themselves. It's just unconditional, non-judgmental love, and I'm reasonably sure that no matter what happens in canon, I'll be crying about it until the end of time.

Who are your writing influences?

I look up to so many writers. High on that list are Jane Austen, Emily Bronte, Madeleine L'Engle, Barbara Kingsolver, and Alice Hoffman. But that's just the tip of the iceberg. Anyone who can use words to make me lose myself in a story has my never-ending admiration.

How do you handle writer's block?

Not very well, tbh! This is one of the many reasons why I've never written a multi-chapter story in the TWD-verse. When writer's block hits, I tend to spend a lot of time angrily texting my poor friends, drinking wine, and sobbing while I read the brilliant work of people who aren't suffering from the same affliction. When I really really really need to cure myself quickly, I find that music is the fastest way for me to get the words flowing. I have some go-to songs that give me all the feels, and I'll just pop one of those on repeat.

Anything you want to say to your readers?

The biggest thing I can think of is "Thank you!!!" Every time someone comments on a story or leaves warm, helpful feedback, I appreciate it so much. I love to write, but it's inevitably a struggle to make words sound even remotely the way I want them to. Since there's always so much frustration involved, sweet reviews are just a gift. So I'm pretty much a huge explosion of gratitude to everyone who reads!

Herrc715 - Reviewer of the Month

What draws you to the Caryl ship?

What draws me to the Caryl ship is their cherished bond. Anyone can see their bonds runs deep (like my older brother who is a casual viewer and isn't a hardcore fan. He always asks when they will get together, hehe). I began shipping Caryl after the Cherokee Rose scene. When I started watching the show, I assumed Daryl would be as pompous as Merle. However, I was in awe how his deameanor changed with Carol, and how she brought out this sweet side to him. Since then, I enjoyed their blossoming relationship-I love how they are always there for each other and genuinely care about one another.

Like Melissa said, there is an understanding they have with each other that no one else can possibly understand. Carol can't hide anything from Daryl because he sees right through her (as evidenced this season) and vice versa with him. I love their bond, and I keep holding out hope that they can actually cross that line to romance because they are the most compatable and they need and deserve each other.

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

What I look for in a story is to have a deep and enticing storyline that explores their bond. I love stories that explore the beginning of their relationship -whether it is an easy start or not- and how it develops into something more. Also, it's pretty cute seeing them act as a couple already, something I'm sure we all wish for.

I actually prefer AU stories because I am not happy with the pacing of the show. Call me impatient, but I've been shipping Caryl since season 2, and reading brilliant stories from fanfic writers that seem to have a better handle than the actual writers makes more sense and makes me happy. AUs work because Caryl has such a strong bond and chemistry, and I enjoy seeing them interact in different scenerios that we're not used to seeing on TV.

What are your top five favorite Caryl stories?

This is so difficult because if I could list all of my favorites, it would amount to more than 5 stories! This is so tough! I wish I could list all of the fanfics I have favorited and added to my iBook to re-read over and over on my tablet daily. But here are some of my favorites:

1- Sometimes Love Is Not Enough by Krissyg927

Caryl actually starts off divorced, which immediately grabbed my attention because I've never read anything with this storyline. But to see them make their way back to another blew my mind because it showed how strong their bond is and how nothing can really separate them. This just reassured me how strong Caryl is.

2- A Cry in the Thunder by CarolPeletier

This one takes place during the ZA where Caryl meet in a different scenerio and Daryl creeps his way into Carol's remaining family after her hardships. I'm a sucker for Daryl and baby fics!

3- Just One Line by Krissyg927

By the time I finished reading this one-shot story, I was sobbing! It was such a beautiful, heartbreaking story with hope that really hit me in the feels.

4- Out in the Cold by Haitus80

I love stories where Daryl goes out of his way to save and protect Carol because this is fundamental to their deep bond. This story is an example of this, where Daryl saves Carol from Ed and attempts to empower her after so many years of abuse. I feel that this is what TV Daryl would've done if he met Carol without the ZA because of their similar backgrounds.

5- We Get to Start Over by Starfur373

Daryl uncharacteristically makes his way into Carol's heart after she moves into the neighborhood with Sophia after her divorce. This scenerio makes perfect sense because Daryl has a soft spot for Carol and would do things that don't seem like him at all, and this is demonstrated in an AU that is so heartwarming.

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

I want to say to ALL Caryl authors out there a big THANK YOU! In all sincerity, I appreciate all of you taking time from your busy, daily lives to actually write and share your creativety with all of us. Speaking for myself, all of these fanfics make my day, and bring me so much joy. I am in awe of all of you: I seriously hope many of you are encouraged to seek a career in writing (books, novels or even for TV or films) because you guys are so brilliant. Getting email updates of my favorite stories are the highlights of my day.

I also want to give a shoutout to the authors who frequently update their stories for all of us and diminsh the wait time. I understand life happens, and the fact that you update constantly for readers is a testiment of your underlying hard work and dedication for creativity. Trust me, for readers who enjoy fanfics and are super into it, this feat is not a small one to be overlooked, and I thank you so, so, so, so much for updating asap! 

Finally, thank you also for giving me hope to not give up on the Caryl ship after 6 seasons of not going canon. Your works remind me over and over of their special bond and why this is not a ship to merely forget about or give up on. Keep writing and never give up! I look forward to reading more of your fanfics.

It is Sunday and the world is as it should be because Daryl and Carol are interacting, thanks to our members and their entries in the Caryl-fy Season 6 Challenge!

Enjoy all the entries below and revel in a happy place of Carylosity that should have been season 6.

The Law of Averages by kaoscraze82

My Last Secret :The Last Good Thing on Earth by Phantom

Words Unspoken by krissyg927

From the Shadows by Phantom

Safe by MoonChild1993

As The World Falls Down by Equuleus86

The Hardest Words Are Spoken Softly by viktories

In this together by fricks75

I Can Smell the Sorrow on Your Breath by heyansky99

Thanks to all participants. Happy reading!