Incendiels
Let me begin by saying that this contest is slightly different than other writing contests. With that annoyingly overused phrase…I hand you over to my contest…READ THE WHOLE FIRST POST!
Update:
Judging will be done by February 7th. Sorry for the delay - my life has been very hectic!
No new entrants will be accepted. Judging should be finished by about the 23rd of January and winners should hopefully be announced by the 24th.
Entrance Fee: No gold (You must read a page and a half – I consider that fee enough)
Prizes: At least half of everyone who comes here is going to scroll until they find the prizes before they even consider entering. Let me just say – don’t bother – they’re good, I promise.
Due Date: Worried about school and being busy? The deadline isn't til December 31, 2004 and may possibly be pushed back if the need arises(Good writing takes a long time; that’s why it’s so far away)
Length: 1,000-50,000 At least 1,000 words please because it’s really hard to make short stories that are really good. You can try if you like, but you’re pushing your luck (then again, you have nothing to lose). If you write me an entire book I will be super duper impressed, but I don’t expect it. There is practically no limit to how long it can be. I will read into the wee hours of the night if I have to but make sure it’s worth it.
Quickie Rules: No plagiarism; enter as many times as you like; post them here so others can read it; no fanfiction please; no pms please, only pm me if above PG-13; have other questions – just ask.
Required Reading (just put up with it okay?):
That adrenalin that you so desire, comes with knowing characters and comes with sympathy. First you must learn to love, to care for all those rounded characters before you throw them, heart-wrenchingly into jarring danger. For put a dagger to an unknown throat and the story is doomed lest you teach the reader who the character is. Hold a loaded gun to a mysterious man and you have a plot-stopper. Put into chains a flat person and you have a dead end. The words must instead be played out to their full extent, and the victim must have a face; the victim must have a place with the reader. For once that character is near and dear, you throw them to the wolves and the adrenalin can begin.
Let me toy with your emotions; let me throw you into the midst of the unknown and you shall see for yourself. It is pointless unless your very heart beats for the character. Curiosity, a good emotion yet not the goal, will emerge instead of adrenalin; I can guarantee that.
Heart racing, feet pounding, he glanced over his shoulder. Yup, still there, still chasing him. How long would this go on for? Perspiration drenched the back of his loose tank top and beaded on his forehead. His lungs heaved just to pull in new air as a cramp ran it’s course under his ribs. Mouth hanging open to pant, he continued dashing forward. There was no stopping now, no turning back. A hot sun beat down relentlessly and made the soles of his shoes hot with friction and light. The sunglasses perched precariously upon his nose protected his eyes from the glaring heat. Many minutes ago he had shrugged off his jacket as it made him slower. The muscles in his legs cried out to him but still he hammered on.
You had a good run for your money in that paragraph. Who is this guy that is running? What is he running from? Where is he going and etcetera, and yet you still get no adrenalin, no rush, no feeling of concern. Why should one worry over this character? I’ll tell you why: he dies at the end of the next paragraph. That’s right, you heard me – this character is going to die. Now read on.
A crack like a whip sounded through the air and his left shoulder burned with intense flames. His mind took several long seconds to realize that he had been shot. Feet still pounding, the blood rushed through his head louder than ever. He slowed, staggering now as he heard the men behind him catching up. With the pathetic idea that he could somehow quench the burning shoulder he reached his hand back as he slowly walked on. When pulled back, his hand was covered in blood and he felt lightheaded. The men behind him waited for him to slow down; they knew they could take their time. They watched him suffer as he tripped over an uneven part of the pavement and went crashing to the ground. With great effort, he pushed himself up and over his good shoulder so that he faced the dazzling sun. His sunglasses were lost in the fall and he felt blind looking up into the glaring light. A shadow came over the sun and his eyes refocused on the figure standing right over him. In a haze of pain he saw the barrel of the gun pointed straight at his head.
I took the fun out of it didn’t I? I told you that the poor guy was going to die. But he is not dead yet, and there is a slight chance that he might live. Yup, I lied, he didn’t die at the end of that last paragraph, but he will at the end of the next. Now you don’t believe me; you think he will live forever, and perhaps that is true. What keeps you connected to that character now? Is it that chance that he could go away forever, or is it that chance that he could live? How many times could I tell you that he was going to die, and still expect you to believe me? How long could the suspense possibly last like this? I could concoct an infinite number of situations in which to bring him close to death, and yet what suspense is there when you know he will survive?
The man standing over him gruffly told him to get up. Disbelieving that he could possibly still be alive, he shakily got to his feet. He clutched his shoulder and winced with every movement. Squinting in the light, he saw at least twenty men standing about, all with guns out. There could be no possible escape. Everything faded in and out of focus as he stood dizzily awaiting his death. The thunder sounded in his ears as a dozen shots went off at once.
Is he dead? I starve you of that vital answer. Why was he running? Who was he running from? What did he do to deserve being shot? Ah, curiosity is a marvel. You must answer those questions, that is your challenge. Creativity counts dearly and I love twists. Grammar and spelling ought to be good, so proofread please. Avoid anything cliché. I will be mightily impressed if you can give your story a lighthearted mood. I am looking for something out of the ordinary; how you achieve that is up to you. Because I am worried about people not reading this, the twelfth entrant and on must put the word 'bubblegum' somewhere in their first post (Sorry about this...). You may make slight modifications to what I have written above to fit your writing style. Please do not change the content of what I have provided without first gaining permission; I am flexible so feel free to inquire.
Why did I make you read this whole long thing? Because I know that if you have invested the time to read this, your writing will be wonderful. There is no entry fee of gold, so consider this the entry fee – reading a page and a half. Good luck and let the writing begin!
Prizes (Because I know you just love to see this section):
((Prone to going up in value ^_^ Total Value=7,850g))
Grand Prize ~ 4,000 (started at 3,000g)
Second Place ~ 2,000g (started at 1,000g)
Runner Up ~ 1,000g (started at 500g)
Catches my eye ~ 600g (started at 500g)
Good effort ~ 250g (started at 0g)
Jenparakeet donated 1000g which will be handed out as I see fit unless jenparakeet has a preference of catagory.
Thank you to the wonderful Writer's Contest Grant Organization! If you ever have the urge to donate - they are the place to go. They can be found at the top of the writing contest forum as they are a sticky.
At least 5k (maybe more by the end of the contest) is from my own pocket so please feel free to donate! You can also help by visiting my shop - here.
Entrants
Axanthisis Page 9
BatNeko Page 10
Alanasweets1 Page 8
Abhorsenzuka Page 8
Demonic-Elementalist (HK)
Aadela Page 10
Whataloser Page 10
1. ~ Ryer
2. ~ alexiswingz
3.
4. Axanthisis Page 9
5. ~ sugarhappy10
6. BatNeko Page 10
7. ~ aeri_iijiri
8. ~ GraySkies
9. ~ Kichora
10. ~ Weixuan
11. ~ Sacred Flame
12. ~ Miss Tink
13. ~ Hylath
14. ~ JuNo HoT StUfF
15. ~ Rahien
16. ~ Chalibaeus
17. ~ Andrau
18. ~ XoSwingFoxoX
19. ~ no_es_linda
20. Alanasweets1 Page 8
21. ~ Athena_Minerva
22. ~ Yellie
23. ~ Jay-Chan
24. ~ czechxican
25. Abhorsenzuka Page 8
26. ~ TheSilverBlood
27. Demonic-Elementalist (HK)
28. ~ Aeryn-Kit
29. ~ jenparakeet
30. Aadela Page 10
31. ~ Deathbreak911
32. Whataloser Page 10
Interested ~
Story Submitted
If your name is not on the list it is either because I haven't gotten to it or you didn't read ALL of the first post.
F.A.Q.
Q: Can I change the style of the writing to fit a different time period?
A: Yes you may - just keep the emotion and general idea.
Q: Can I submit poetry?
A: The answer is a blatant no. sweatdrop
Q: How should I submit my entry?
A: Post it here on the thread after you have been accepted and put on the list. I will put the page number up and hopefully a link so that everyone can find and read it.
Q: Can I completely leave out the passage?
A: Ummm...no, part of the contest rules are to include it... (Okay, so this wasn't actually asked. If you have any other questions feel free to ask)
Want to link to the contest? Feel free to use the following banner. The url has changed since the prizes have increased and the banner was updated. From now on however it will be uploaded under the same name and there should be no problems if you use the code.
Update:
Judging will be done by February 7th. Sorry for the delay - my life has been very hectic!
No new entrants will be accepted. Judging should be finished by about the 23rd of January and winners should hopefully be announced by the 24th.
Entrance Fee: No gold (You must read a page and a half – I consider that fee enough)
Prizes: At least half of everyone who comes here is going to scroll until they find the prizes before they even consider entering. Let me just say – don’t bother – they’re good, I promise.
Due Date: Worried about school and being busy? The deadline isn't til December 31, 2004 and may possibly be pushed back if the need arises(Good writing takes a long time; that’s why it’s so far away)
Length: 1,000-50,000 At least 1,000 words please because it’s really hard to make short stories that are really good. You can try if you like, but you’re pushing your luck (then again, you have nothing to lose). If you write me an entire book I will be super duper impressed, but I don’t expect it. There is practically no limit to how long it can be. I will read into the wee hours of the night if I have to but make sure it’s worth it.
Quickie Rules: No plagiarism; enter as many times as you like; post them here so others can read it; no fanfiction please; no pms please, only pm me if above PG-13; have other questions – just ask.
Required Reading (just put up with it okay?):
That adrenalin that you so desire, comes with knowing characters and comes with sympathy. First you must learn to love, to care for all those rounded characters before you throw them, heart-wrenchingly into jarring danger. For put a dagger to an unknown throat and the story is doomed lest you teach the reader who the character is. Hold a loaded gun to a mysterious man and you have a plot-stopper. Put into chains a flat person and you have a dead end. The words must instead be played out to their full extent, and the victim must have a face; the victim must have a place with the reader. For once that character is near and dear, you throw them to the wolves and the adrenalin can begin.
Let me toy with your emotions; let me throw you into the midst of the unknown and you shall see for yourself. It is pointless unless your very heart beats for the character. Curiosity, a good emotion yet not the goal, will emerge instead of adrenalin; I can guarantee that.
Heart racing, feet pounding, he glanced over his shoulder. Yup, still there, still chasing him. How long would this go on for? Perspiration drenched the back of his loose tank top and beaded on his forehead. His lungs heaved just to pull in new air as a cramp ran it’s course under his ribs. Mouth hanging open to pant, he continued dashing forward. There was no stopping now, no turning back. A hot sun beat down relentlessly and made the soles of his shoes hot with friction and light. The sunglasses perched precariously upon his nose protected his eyes from the glaring heat. Many minutes ago he had shrugged off his jacket as it made him slower. The muscles in his legs cried out to him but still he hammered on.
You had a good run for your money in that paragraph. Who is this guy that is running? What is he running from? Where is he going and etcetera, and yet you still get no adrenalin, no rush, no feeling of concern. Why should one worry over this character? I’ll tell you why: he dies at the end of the next paragraph. That’s right, you heard me – this character is going to die. Now read on.
A crack like a whip sounded through the air and his left shoulder burned with intense flames. His mind took several long seconds to realize that he had been shot. Feet still pounding, the blood rushed through his head louder than ever. He slowed, staggering now as he heard the men behind him catching up. With the pathetic idea that he could somehow quench the burning shoulder he reached his hand back as he slowly walked on. When pulled back, his hand was covered in blood and he felt lightheaded. The men behind him waited for him to slow down; they knew they could take their time. They watched him suffer as he tripped over an uneven part of the pavement and went crashing to the ground. With great effort, he pushed himself up and over his good shoulder so that he faced the dazzling sun. His sunglasses were lost in the fall and he felt blind looking up into the glaring light. A shadow came over the sun and his eyes refocused on the figure standing right over him. In a haze of pain he saw the barrel of the gun pointed straight at his head.
I took the fun out of it didn’t I? I told you that the poor guy was going to die. But he is not dead yet, and there is a slight chance that he might live. Yup, I lied, he didn’t die at the end of that last paragraph, but he will at the end of the next. Now you don’t believe me; you think he will live forever, and perhaps that is true. What keeps you connected to that character now? Is it that chance that he could go away forever, or is it that chance that he could live? How many times could I tell you that he was going to die, and still expect you to believe me? How long could the suspense possibly last like this? I could concoct an infinite number of situations in which to bring him close to death, and yet what suspense is there when you know he will survive?
The man standing over him gruffly told him to get up. Disbelieving that he could possibly still be alive, he shakily got to his feet. He clutched his shoulder and winced with every movement. Squinting in the light, he saw at least twenty men standing about, all with guns out. There could be no possible escape. Everything faded in and out of focus as he stood dizzily awaiting his death. The thunder sounded in his ears as a dozen shots went off at once.
Is he dead? I starve you of that vital answer. Why was he running? Who was he running from? What did he do to deserve being shot? Ah, curiosity is a marvel. You must answer those questions, that is your challenge. Creativity counts dearly and I love twists. Grammar and spelling ought to be good, so proofread please. Avoid anything cliché. I will be mightily impressed if you can give your story a lighthearted mood. I am looking for something out of the ordinary; how you achieve that is up to you. Because I am worried about people not reading this, the twelfth entrant and on must put the word 'bubblegum' somewhere in their first post (Sorry about this...). You may make slight modifications to what I have written above to fit your writing style. Please do not change the content of what I have provided without first gaining permission; I am flexible so feel free to inquire.
Why did I make you read this whole long thing? Because I know that if you have invested the time to read this, your writing will be wonderful. There is no entry fee of gold, so consider this the entry fee – reading a page and a half. Good luck and let the writing begin!
Prizes (Because I know you just love to see this section):
((Prone to going up in value ^_^ Total Value=7,850g))
Grand Prize ~ 4,000 (started at 3,000g)
Second Place ~ 2,000g (started at 1,000g)
Runner Up ~ 1,000g (started at 500g)
Catches my eye ~ 600g (started at 500g)
Good effort ~ 250g (started at 0g)
Jenparakeet donated 1000g which will be handed out as I see fit unless jenparakeet has a preference of catagory.
Thank you to the wonderful Writer's Contest Grant Organization! If you ever have the urge to donate - they are the place to go. They can be found at the top of the writing contest forum as they are a sticky.
At least 5k (maybe more by the end of the contest) is from my own pocket so please feel free to donate! You can also help by visiting my shop - here.
Entrants
Axanthisis Page 9
BatNeko Page 10
Alanasweets1 Page 8
Abhorsenzuka Page 8
Demonic-Elementalist (HK)
Aadela Page 10
Whataloser Page 10
1. ~ Ryer
2. ~ alexiswingz
3.
4. Axanthisis Page 9
5. ~ sugarhappy10
6. BatNeko Page 10
7. ~ aeri_iijiri
8. ~ GraySkies
9. ~ Kichora
10. ~ Weixuan
11. ~ Sacred Flame
12. ~ Miss Tink
13. ~ Hylath
14. ~ JuNo HoT StUfF
15. ~ Rahien
16. ~ Chalibaeus
17. ~ Andrau
18. ~ XoSwingFoxoX
19. ~ no_es_linda
20. Alanasweets1 Page 8
21. ~ Athena_Minerva
22. ~ Yellie
23. ~ Jay-Chan
24. ~ czechxican
25. Abhorsenzuka Page 8
26. ~ TheSilverBlood
27. Demonic-Elementalist (HK)
28. ~ Aeryn-Kit
29. ~ jenparakeet
30. Aadela Page 10
31. ~ Deathbreak911
32. Whataloser Page 10
Interested ~
Story Submitted
If your name is not on the list it is either because I haven't gotten to it or you didn't read ALL of the first post.
F.A.Q.
Q: Can I change the style of the writing to fit a different time period?
A: Yes you may - just keep the emotion and general idea.
Q: Can I submit poetry?
A: The answer is a blatant no. sweatdrop
Q: How should I submit my entry?
A: Post it here on the thread after you have been accepted and put on the list. I will put the page number up and hopefully a link so that everyone can find and read it.
Q: Can I completely leave out the passage?
A: Ummm...no, part of the contest rules are to include it... (Okay, so this wasn't actually asked. If you have any other questions feel free to ask)
Want to link to the contest? Feel free to use the following banner. The url has changed since the prizes have increased and the banner was updated. From now on however it will be uploaded under the same name and there should be no problems if you use the code.
[URL=http://www.gaiaonline.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=3406060][img]http://www.silverfeathers.com/pic/ban2.gif[/img][/URL]
