You don't have to ask for permission at the end of a month. It was never meant to be a formal probationary thing, just a ballpark suggestion for giving people time to get to know you. Feel free to ask for permission whenever you feel comfortable and confident. {= )

~Neshomeh

I went with the typical 'how my agents met' piece for mine, and that's always a good fall-back if you can't think of anything else.

To make it more interesting you could always have them meet in the Cafeteria and explore how they react to the 'food', or while collecting some equipment from DoSAT (endless possibilities for crazy in that department), or during FicPsych induction into the PPC, etc. The possibilities are endless!

If you want to do something original, here's a sci-fi plot bunny that I found in my head this morning: alien refugee ship enters Earth orbit requesting asylum from $randomnastyempire, what do? Are the aliens who they say they are? If so, what would the consequences for humanity be if the nasties find the refugees?

Hope that helps! ^_^

Honestly, when I came to the PPC I was already a fanfiction writer with fanfics and original fiction under my belt. I always saw it as kind of like... your resume. You bring your resume to a job interview so the interviewer can review what you can do. I used past work I had created.

Though, I guess not all applicants are like me... it may even be changing now that many more people are drawn to the PPC through things like tvTropes, which isn't so much a part of fandom/fanfiction culture as it is a part of internet culture.

To get on with it, I'd focus most of all on simply trying to do your best. It doesn't matter so much of what that best is: it's a resume, so you show us the very best work you can dream up... Just so long as you show us you're right for the job (In the same way you don't hire a plumber to do wiring, too much srs bsns in your sample probably won't coax PGs).

A great bit of original or fanfiction is way better than a forced bit of PPC fiction. I know with the comparison to resumes and stuff this may seem like a stressful post... but just relax. Permission isn't too hard to get. And it's easiest when you put your best work forward, rather than a forced work.

Why not write a scene with your agents in HQ, perhaps meeting each other? You'll almost certainly need to do that anyway - unless you plan to start your first mission in the middle of it.

Anything? Chuck Wendig posts a weekly flash fiction subject on his blog. They are different subjects, but a lot of them lends themselves well to genre-fiction. Just go to his blog and search for flash fiction. Link is NSFW. No, really. I love Chuck Wendig and he gives out great advice, but he swears like a dozen sailors and is creative about it. This linked should not be clicked, while in the presence of your boss, small siblings or elderly relatives with a heart condition? Ok? Then here's the link: http://terribleminds.com/

Another suggestion is to try to come up with something scary for the Halloween Co-Write. You don't need permission to write in it and if you want to write your agents as being new to the job, it could be fun to see them get their first sample of life in the HQ. http://ppc.wikia.com/wiki/Halloween_Co-Write