Category: Writing Challenges
Challenges from the Bonanza Brand Forums.
2026 Ponderosa Paddlewheel Poker Tournament
Welcome to the 2026 Ponderosa Paddlewheel Poker Tournament! Begun in 2013, this cherished challenge has resulted in numerous stories being added to the library that have made fans laugh, cry, or tremble in fear at a villian’s evil exploits. A deck of 52 cards is used per table (up to…
Dreams #2 – Epoch of a Dream (by BluewindFarm)
Summary: Choosing to act on one’s dream was the easy part. Handling the aftermath with his family was easier than he expected. What more is there other than an epoch of a dream?
Rating: G (890 words)
Part of the Dreams series, links to stories included within.
Dreams #1 – Chasing Dreams (by BluewindFarm)
Summary: Inspired by a Pinecone Challenge. A conversation between two brothers. One we were never privy to hear.
Rating: G (955 words)
Part of the Dreams series, links included within.
Truth and Rain (by JaneYvanne)
Summary: Jamie barely knows his eldest brother, so he writes a letter to Adam to tell him about himself. Based on “A Matter of Faith”, with a bit of pre-canon background.
Rating: PG Word Count: 1901
My Brother’s Brother (by Tavia42)
Hoss and Clay bump into each other again, with some brotherly conflict to work out, in a What Happened Later for The First Born. Written for the 2026 Brothers Day Challenge.
Rating: G | Word Count: 994
What Brothers Do (by CareBear)
Summary: Hoss and Adam step in when Joe riles up the saloon, but not in the way you’d think.
Rating: G Word Count: 1808
Divide and Conquer – Cartwright Style (by AC1830)
Summary: Once again Adam is unable to get his ideas across to his father. Adam wonders if there will ever be peace between them, until a brother steps in to help. Written for the Brand Brother’s Day Challenge – write a story involving Hoss and at least one of this brothers (Adam, Joe, Jamie, or Clay).
Rating: G
Word Count: 708
The Gentle Giant (By MelissaR1992)
Summary: After moving to a new town with her sister, Schoolteacher Clara Hartley meets a kind stranger who comes to her rescue and she finds herself falling for him. This was written for the Camp in the Pines challenge 2026.
Rating: PG
Word Count: 13,354
Vows and Loopholes (by DJK)
Summary: Adam is determined to know why Ben Cartwright always refused his sons’ requests for a family dog. This was written for the 2026 Lorne Green’s Birthday Challenge which required the author to write a Carwright story that included a dog in honor of Lorne’s love of dogs.
rating: teen word count : 2843
Bringing Harmony into the World (by DJK)
Summary: Alone at the ranch, Hop Sing and a young Little Joe assist a mare in delivering her foal. Written for the 2026 Hop Sing’s Chinese New Year Challenge. rating: teen word count: 2633
Tiānyì (by PatD in PA)
Summary: Written for “Hop Sing’s Chinese New Year Challenge 2026,” honoring the year of the Fire Horse.
Rating: G/K
Word Count: 1,350
The Road to Hell (by Cheaux)
Summary: Despite good intentions, a good deed turns deadly and the Cartwrights must grapple with the outcome.
Rating: T Word Count: 4,632
A Surprise Friend (By AC1830)
Summary – Ben discovers a surprising friendship when he gets maneuvered into helping out a friend. Written for the 2026 Lorne Greene Birthday Challenge.
Rating: G; Word Count: 785
The Ones Who Left (by VCLS)
Summary: After two years away from the Ponderosa, Candy finds work at a traveling carnival, only to encounter the familiar face of a man he’s never met. Set between Seasons 13 and 14.
Rating: G Word Count: 8,785
The Thousandth-and-First Time (by VCLS)
Summary: Joe, poker, and Adam’s guitar. What could go wrong?
Rating: G Word count: 2,731
