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Contest July-August Short Story Contest

Discussion in 'Fluff and Stories' started by Scalenex, Jul 1, 2016.

  1. Scalenex
    Slann

    Scalenex Keeper of the Indexes Staff Member

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    It is with great pride that I announce this next contest. This is our seventh contest and our second April-May Contest.

    So we had three winners of last contest,@spawning of Bob, @thedarkfourth, and @Scalenex

    Bob and TDF each put forth an idea. As a cowinner I get to break the tie (or flip the coin).

    The two themes they came up with are "Conjunction" and "Choice." Here's my interpretation: Conjunctions combined disparate nouns and you can choose which theme to use, or both.

    So our Theme is "Conjunction and/or Choices"

    The Rules

    -We'd like you to try to keep your story between 500 and 2000 words. I am requiring that entries do not exceed 2400 words. This is counting title, poems, quotes, any add-ons. If I get a submssion that exceeds 2400 words, I will trim it till it meets the limit and you may not like what I choose to cut.
    -Your name must appear nowhere with the story. There is no point in having an anonymous competition based on skill if we know whose entry is whose.
    -You must send your story via private message to Scalenex by midnight (US Central time) on July 31. .
    -The story must be new. No dragging up a story you wrote months or years ago.
    -No plagiarism. This means no stealing a story verbatim. You are free to use characters or settings from other works.
    -The story must involve Lizardmen (or Seraphon or Salamanders) to some extant
    -The story must stick roughly within the theme, at least a little.
    -No comics or illustrations. This is a short story contest. Visuals are limited to fonts and text colors.
    -Only one entry allowed per person.
    I will do my best to providing proofreading and general advise to writers who ask for it. Keep in mind there is usually a flood of entries coming in the last week, so the earlier you submit your piece to me, the easier it will be for me to help you.. @spawning of Bob is traditionally willing to give fellow writers advice as well, and you probably talk a lot of people into helping you if want.

    Once again, the winner of this contest has the honor of choosing the next contest theme. Unless they don't want to it which I case I'll come up with something and/or steal something from Slanputins very long list of perfectly reasonable themes or another forumites modest list of slightly less reasonable themes.

    Hopefully we won't get another tie, we'll come up with some way to split the prize if there is a tie again. I haven't ruled out setting the poll to NOT show running totals, so no one can vote to knowingly create a three-way tie....I got a month to decide that. If you want to discuss HOW votes are set up. Please do so here.

    If you want to talk about the theme, your eagerness to write or read something. Please do so below!
     
  2. Y'ttar Scaletail
    Troglodon

    Y'ttar Scaletail Well-Known Member

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    Hmm very interesting themes indeed. :)
     
  3. Bowser
    Slann

    Bowser Third Spawning

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    Interesting choices.
    Conjunction junction what's your function?
    Now that song will be in my head all day. But I do have an idea starting to form.
    More research is needed.
     
  4. SlanntaClause
    Carnasaur

    SlanntaClause Well-Known Member

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    Another writing competition so many choices :D - looking forward to this :D
     
  5. Killer Angel
    Slann

    Killer Angel Prophet of the Stars Staff Member

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    Ah, choices...

    Probably I'll jump on the boat. :D
     
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  6. Bowser
    Slann

    Bowser Third Spawning

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    Alright, I made my choices and worked in conjunction with my phone to get my story in. Now to wait for @Scalenex to tell me what I need to change. I like working in conjunction with him, he makes good choices.
     
  7. Y'ttar Scaletail
    Troglodon

    Y'ttar Scaletail Well-Known Member

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    Hmm, do you lizard-things think I should go dark and serious or comedy for this one? :p
     
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  8. Bowser
    Slann

    Bowser Third Spawning

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    I think you mix the comedy with the tragedy. Maybe a Pagliacci of the Lizard things.
     
  9. Scalenex
    Slann

    Scalenex Keeper of the Indexes Staff Member

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    I have yet to read the Complete Works of Ratty (meaning to). I would be interested in seeing a Ratty comedy piece. I also thought our last piece was rather comedy light, though maybe that is strategic. Comedy pieces rarely end up in the top three.
     
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  10. Y'ttar Scaletail
    Troglodon

    Y'ttar Scaletail Well-Known Member

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    My short story entries are usually silly or comedic, it's just in the last year or so that they've been growing darker and more serious. It might be a case of the themes and/or my mentality having entered darker plains.

    As for more complete stories: Ratty's Rats is fairly light hearted with very silly moments (*Still ongoing slowly*), Only Fools and Goblins is a parody of a Goblin trading company done in a similar style to a certain popular TV show, Three Rats in a Boat (*Very unfinished though*) was an attempt of full on comedy, and The Rat and the Bull is pretty silly. Otherwise, look up most of my rpg characters on the UE, very few of them are fully serious. :p
     
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  11. Bowser
    Slann

    Bowser Third Spawning

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    I am laughing already. Keep thinking on this one! Great book to parody!
     
  12. Y'ttar Scaletail
    Troglodon

    Y'ttar Scaletail Well-Known Member

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    It helps that the three are my elemental Warlock Engineers: Whizz-Bang (Lightning/Air), Fyr-Claw (Fire), and Jekrome (Earth/Nature). It's one of many things I need to finish sometime... :p
     
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  13. Bowser
    Slann

    Bowser Third Spawning

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    And their wolf rat.... or rather fox terrier rat Montmorency
     
  14. Y'ttar Scaletail
    Troglodon

    Y'ttar Scaletail Well-Known Member

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    Montmoratcy, aye. There's also technically a fifth member with Whizz-Bang's Thing in the Cage, but it's not mentioned much. I will admit, there is a lot of reskinning of the plot and some of the jokes. Though i'm fairly sure they don't set fire to the Shattered Tower in Skavenblight. Here's a link anyway: here.

    So yes, partially comedic then? :p
     
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  15. Bowser
    Slann

    Bowser Third Spawning

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    Hilarious! I silently rage at the fact the UE does not have a like button!
     
  16. Y'ttar Scaletail
    Troglodon

    Y'ttar Scaletail Well-Known Member

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    Yeah...even I find it jarring now when moving between forums. I don't think Zetaboards supports that function, and I dread if we had a big change in forum it'd wreck all the story links again and cause me to froth at the mouth as I spend a year fixing them all again! :p

    So, back on topic: without giving away your own pieces, what does everyone make of the themes in term of being the basis for a serious story or something more comedic?

    For me, something more serious seemed to jump out, but I wonder if it'd be fun to row against the tide or so to speak. :p
     
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  17. Bowser
    Slann

    Bowser Third Spawning

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    I went more serious this time. I have thought of a funnier idea after I wrote my entry. Choices and Conjunction can be really funny, the more you think about odd pairs working together or silly choices, hilarity could ensue. Lizardmen/Seraphon tend to take themselves so seriously, so you always have a straight man for the comedy to bounce off of.
     
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  18. Otzi'mandias
    Ripperdactil

    Otzi'mandias Well-Known Member

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    Well I went comedy last time and came last:eek:
    So maybe I'll try something different and go serious. You never know.
     
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  19. Scalenex
    Slann

    Scalenex Keeper of the Indexes Staff Member

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    Thank you to two of you that submitted stories already. Minor request. I have hundreds or archived messages in my in-box. I use subcategory folders a plenty. Please do not piggyback your current submission off of your last submission. It helps my organization that way.

    I should have proofreading for both of you by the end of the week.
     
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  20. Otzi'mandias
    Ripperdactil

    Otzi'mandias Well-Known Member

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    Sure.
     

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