The ability to add story status to individual stories has been added now.
Thus far the options are:
Active
On hiatus indefinitely
Taking a short break from this story
Completed
Authors, if you could please include the status of all new stories and if you want to edit any current ones that would be very helpful. You will find it with the classifications and pairings etc
Readers, if a story is marked as on hiatus, we ask you to respect that and to not continually request updates from the authors, as sometimes that kind of pressure can be very daunting and if they are on a break, it is likely for a good reason, which is personal. Real life must come first.
If anybody would like any more statuses added, please resond using the comments link immediatley below or give a shout in the shoutbox.
In preparation for the much anticipated return of Scandal for season 2, the Chamber is hosting a Scandal Challenge. It can be anythign you like related to the show, missing scenes or episodes, back stories on Olivia and the Prez... anything at all your imagination only is the limit!!!
You can respond to the challenge here
The challenge is to write about a superhero/s. Perhaps the the perils of loving one and being loved by one. A secret desire to be one? A hidden identity? Any form or length you like, even maybe a little daydream incorporated into an existing fic? Make up an original, or some kind of hybrid... It is up to you!!!
You can respond to the challenge here.
Hello everyone, I was just contacted recently and the Chamber authors have been invited to participate in the Giggle Snort Awards. It is open to all fandoms and original fiction, for the category of humour. So if anybody has read anythign funny here and would like to nominate it, please go ahead. It might be a good way to open up stories on the Chamber to a whole new readership!! Good luck to anybody nominated!!!!
Fantasies are ghosts that lurk in the darkest corners of our minds. Visiting the world of BDSM allows us to face them (whether we like it or not). Who hasn't had at least one fantasy of being dominated, blindfolded, handcuffed, and spanked? For this challenge, create a story that centers around a character entering the dark world of BDSM and the kinky experiences along their journey. Maybe beneath the leather, chains, and whips, love can be found.
Respond to the challenge here
Even crazy people need love
This challenge focuses on the character that is so crazily intent on getting the one they want to love them in return, that it clouds all rational thought. Or maybe that mental patient has a heart of gold as long as they take their meds. Either way love should be for everyone…right? So whether your character is a schitzo or a stalker, how far will they go to get the one they want?
You can respond to the challenge here
We’ve all heard the saying but never take it literally. This challenge is to create a story centered on a character that has a disability of any sort. Whether he/she is a blind gardener, a paraplegic teacher or a mute mechanic, they may have their limitations but their hearts are always capable of love.
You can respond to the challenge here.
Thanks to all those who donated, we have reached our goal in record time. Your support is incredible. For anybody not listed in the thank you ticker thingy yet, awaiting reply from emails for penames if you wish to be listed. Or just shout out here and i will make sure names are included.
If anybody still wants to contribute, they can and that will offset next years fund raising drive.
There are also other ways to show support for the site: post stories, review reveiw review!!! Post challenges, ideas for polls and submit recommendations or suggestions for the site.
Once again, thank you so much for support, and long live the Chamber!!!
It is that time of the year again, when the Chamber is up for renewal and we put our hand out for donations. Hard to believe it has been an entire year!!!!! We are asking anybody if they would like to help contribute to the running costs of the site, it would be incredibly appreciated. Every small contribution adds up so even a few dollars goes a long way. The Chamber is free of any kind of adverstising due to donations, without them we would have to start including ads to help for the running costs: domain registration, hosting and most importantly of all the shoutbox!!!
If you would like to contribute, it would be greatly appreciated. You can contact me directly or donate via paypal, info for that can be found here. Or just press the give button in the paypal box above after choosing your amount!
Thanks, your continued support, both financial and non, is greatly appreciated.
Roses are red. Blood is blue. Love is forever, but revenge can be too...
They say that what goes around comes back around three fold. This month's challenge is all about the flip side of attraction, love, and lust. But instead of the typical love gone wrong cliché, this challenge focuses on selfish, self-serving you-know-what's getting their hearts handed back to them on a silver platter. Literally. The couples can be male/female, male/male, female/female, or any other combination so long as one of them is getting his or her just desserts.
You can respond to the challenge here.
When "happily ever after" fails
And we've been poisoned by these fairy tales
The challenge is to write about what happens when things don't work. When our childish dreams prove to be exactly nothing more than chilish fantasies? Expectations are failed to be met and it is time to pick up the pieces? How do you start again? Do we learn from our mistakes and do things better next time? Does it make you a better person? Is it ineviatable?
You can respond to the challenge here.
We have very happy news for the New Year. The Chamber is extremely happy and pleased to announce a partnership with Divasnluv. This is a very exciting time for both sites and a great way to bring in the New Year. If you haven't already been over there, do yourself a favour and head on over.
New Years Eve is a time for celebration, partying, and of course, New Year's Resolutions | |
This challenge is to write a story about a New Year's Resolution. What is it? How do you feel about them? Do you keep them? Are they a complete waste of time and a lie to oursevlves? You can respond to the challenge here. Any type of story you wish, no restrictions other than a New Year Resolution is involved in some way. Happy New Year everyone!!!!! |
Merry Christmas to all at The Chamber. We hope you have a wonderful Christmas and a very safe and prosperous New Year. Hopefully you all made the 'nice" list and kept off the "naughty"!! May all your hopes and dreams come true in the New Year. |
Christmas is a time of year that is wonderful for many of us, and sometimes sad too. A time of family and friends, feasting and overindulging, and of course, a time for GIFTS!!! | |
This challenge is to write a story about a Christmas gift, Giving or receiving, or perhaps one wished for and never given or never received. You can respond to the challenge here. Any type of story you wish, no restrictions other than a Christmas Gift is involved in some way. Merry Christmas to those that celebrate it, and Happy Holidays to those that don't. |
There is no need for authors to add disclaimers any longer. An automatic standard disclaimer is now included with every chapter. If you wish to include your own personalised disclaimer, then please feel free to do so.
We have just added a new feature to the Chamber to help people looking for beta readers. If you go the Members/Authors Link in the menu and change the dropdown to Beta Reader, you will be able to see a list of people who have offered their services as beta. You can then use the contact author form to contact them and ask if they would like to help.
This is NOT a promise of help, we are all volunteers here and nobody is obligated to help if they do not wish to, for whatever reason. We all have busy lives and may be able to help sometimes but not other times. Please be considerate when asking for help.
If you would like to get yourself added to this list, go into your Account Info/Edit Bio and select Yes for the beta reader option. if you find yourself already on this list and do not wish to be, please edit your info and set it to NO.
If anybody has any issues or problems with this, unsure how to use it, or wishing to report abuse of the system, please contact administrators immediatly at chamber@valentchamber.com
This month as we move into the holiday season, the time of year when we come together with those we love, the Chamber wants to challenge our writers and some readers too, to pen a tale about our brave military heroes who will be returning home from the wars in Afghanistan or Iraq.
All of us here have either seen our real life GI Joes moving quickly through the airport; or perhaps he is the man in your life, who is on his way back to you. Who doesn't love a man in uniform?
The story can be a fanfic or an original piece, just get writing as we honor our brave, loyal, sexy, military men. Are you up for the challenge?
Hello Ladies (and Gentlemen),
For the most part, we all want the Chamber to be a positive site and experience for everyone, readers and writers. Unfortunately every now and then there is someone who doesn’t want to play by the same rules as every one else. Disrespect of any kind, in the shoutbox, in reviews, in PMs, is not acceptable and will not be tolerated. Period.
However, in many cases, the only way the moderators will know if reviews/reviewers are abusive is if writers and readers inform the moderating staff. All members, if at anytime you see a review or behavior that is derogatory, offensive, or mean report it immediately.
There is absolutely nothing wrong with constructive criticism. Many writers find it just as motivating and invigorating as reviews that are solely positive. However, when the criticism is no longer constructive and is just critical and mean-spirited, there is a problem.
We have many talented authors here who depend on reviewers to keep them going, but criticism from a reviewer that is not constructive will not be tolerated. Authors please, if you are getting abusive reviews say something. This is a form of bullying and abusive reviews and reviewers need to be reported to the moderators so that action can be taken.
Just like this type of behavior is not tolerated in our personal lives it shouldn’t be acceptable in our internet lives and will not be tolerated. The Chamber is a site that was started with the goal of providing empowering stories about women of color to the public and we should not allow a few bullies to ruin it for the rest of us.
So if you see an abusive review, report it. If you receive an abusive review, report it, if someone gets mean in the ShoutBox report it. We all have to do our part, both writers and readers, to keep the Chamber a positive experience for everyone.
Due to some persisting problems that we haven't been able to fix with the beta support request script, we are shutting down that system and moving to one that is very similar within the forum.
It is very easy to use, although it will require that you be logged into the forum to utilise it. Once you log in, you can access it through the HELPDESK link in the menu. Hopefully we will have a little more luck with this one.
Authors, members, readers, lurkers, new and old, please take the time to review the new rules that have been uploaded here. All who visit the Chamber are expected to read and abide by them. Thank you for doing your part in keeping the Chamber one of the best sites for stories about women of color. If there are any questions about these rules, feel free to contact a site Admin.
Authors, your mission, if you choose to accept it, is to take these romantic clichés and turn them on their proverbial heads.
Sand can get pretty itchy if it gets into the wrong places, plus you have to watch out for that seaweed. Oh, did we mention the sand crabs?
Don’t get to enthusiastic with your lovemaking in that candle lit room – you might kick over a candle and…..whoops!
Oh, wow, you didn’t see the ring in the glass of champagne? You….swallowed it??
No trope is off limits, go where your imagination takes you.
Respond to this awesome challenge Now!
We are now adding the option for authors to add video trailers to their summaries or chapters. At the moment the only way to do this is for an author to submit a request to an admin (we are working on fixing this but for now this is the best we can offer)
The vid has to be hosted on youtube, and requests can be submitted through the Helpdesk within the forum. Instructions for submissions can be found here.
Please note though, once the vid is coded in, if the author edits the summary or the chapter, the vid will be stripped and another submission will need to be made to get it back.
I know this is a hassle and not the ideal solution, for now this is the best we can offer, and we are working on improving this system.
Everyone wants to be someone, right? Well at The Chamber we all are. With the classic yet poignant color scheme, you’ll find yourself feeling as fabulous as a Hollywood starlet. Enjoy the lush, bold and elegant look of The Fame skin.
If you are having trouble with formatting, especially pasting from Word or any word processor, using the tinyMCE (the thing with the format buttons on), you will likely find a lot of mess and wrong sizing turning up.
The best way to avoid this is to press the little clipboard with the W on it (just under the font size dropdown) and paste your text in there. Then press insert. Once you do it that way, all the 'junk code' from the word processor is stripped and you can format your fonts normally to whatever sizes and style you like.
The other option is to uncheck the use tinyMCE box and paste your text directly into the box and format manually with code.