WCT - [COMPETITION OVERHAUL - NEED IDEAS] The Writing Competition Thread

[SoulinEther]

oh shit i have to vote!!!!!!!1111!!!!111

seriously it's been busy. mid-semester and everything.

edit: ugh 6 points, 3 entries and one is mine. #awkward

[HalcyonSpirit]

I'm pushing back the voting deadline one week. Why? Because I've only gotten one person's vote so far! Seriously, people, vote!

[Diodes]

Sorry if this is too off-topic, but...

Is anybody doing NaNoWriMo? I was just wondering.

[HalcyonSpirit]

I'm not participating in it, technically, but I am going to be using next month for reviving the novel I had to put aside in favor of college a few years back.

On a different note, this competition needs more voting participation! I still haven't gotten any other votes from people! You can't just put in a submission and then disappear; the competition can't survive that way. If you're going to participate in submitting your work, please have the decency to vote as well!

[SoulinEther]

Sorry if this is too off-topic, but...

Is anybody doing NaNoWriMo? I was just wondering.

that looks ridiculously fun... i might give it a try, if I can find a suitable topic.

[Random Hajile]

God, I can't wait for November .

It'll be the incentive for me to finish my story.

[HalcyonSpirit]

THE RESULTS ARE IN!

The winners of the September 2010 Short Story Competition are:

1st Place: Love by SoulinEther

Runner-Up: Silence by Bakuri

Here's the point distribution:

Love by SoulinEther - 7

Silence... by Bakuri - 5

Throw-down in Snowtown! by Contricity - 4

Congrats to SoulinEther for winning, and thanks to those who participated, especially those who made the effort to actually vote. The submission period for the Poetry round begins on November 1st, so get ready!

I'll hopefully have critiques of the submissions up by Sunday night.

Also, I've been thinking about two changes to the rules.

The first is a change to the word limit for short stories. I just realized that Freeform has a 3000-word limit while Short Story only has a 2500-word limit. I haven't been able to reason why this is the case, so I'm considering bumping up the Short Story limit to 3000.

The second change is a modification to the voting rules. I want to encourage voting participation, particularly with previous entrants. To this end, I'm thinking about changing the rules so that anyone who has submitted in the past has 6 points to distribute instead of just 3. I don't see any reason why we should limit previous entrants like we do non-entrants, and letting them have more points to influence a decision might help encourage them to vote more often.

Let me know what you guys think.

[SoulinEther]

hey, woo... thanks. congratulations to the other two people who submitted just the same - churning out any body of text really is an accomplishment.

while my thoughts on the other entries are still fresh in my mind, allow me to address them! er... and I hope I don't come off as harsh or snobby at all - if I do, I swear I don't mean to (it seems I have a lot lately, though, to those who don't know me so well). These are just my criticisms, and I am only expressing them because I think they will help and because I want to help if I can .

Silence is a convincing work, but I do think it could have used more beef/length, particularly with characterization and some detail, but at the same time, dreams often don't make sense. I think my feelings are best put in saying that I think this is a good piece of "flash fiction," and I don't mean to put it down in any way by saying this. It's possible this could have taken place in a larger work, and then perhaps this would have fit better in this competition?

I thoroughly enjoyed the premise of Throw-down in Snowtown!, particularly in terms of the title of the work and how personal it felt for the narrator. I can relate to the jack of all trades vs master of one concept, but (if you're about to stop reading, I swear I do throw in praise later!) I'm not sure how well that worked with the plot of the text, since it seems that the person "good at a ridiculous variety of things" suddenly becomes better than someone "who strive to be great" without even a Rocky workout montage (this is his first tournament after being injured and he wins!). Maybe thematically emphasizing bringing your A-game when it counts most or something would have worked better. Plus, you used something like "intensity filled the air" twice, and in a short work...it sticks out (just saying, lol).

And that last paragraph. The resolution was way too...corny. "I went on with a newfound self-confidence that helped me accomplish a variety of achievements" was vague and unsatisfying, and the next sentence didn't redeem it at all...I felt like I wanted more out of the scene you were in and not just a brief fast-forward that briefly touches upon how the protagonist's life has changed. the quote at the end felt really out of place and like you sort of just...glued it on. It works, but I needed to be prepared for it with some context and narration.

HOWEVER!!!!! The story-telling was marvelous. I don't know much about amateur wrestling, but you included just enough details to keep it convincing, realistic and exhilarating without alienating someone who is unfamiliar with the sport. Everything in the body felt very natural and flowed wonderfully.

To wrap it up, I'd say your ability to communicate events and, really, a story, is strong, but there are I guess some "housekeeping" and refining to do in the presentation of your overall work. Think of it as a sort of polish that makes everything really shine.

[DragnBreth]

that looks ridiculously fun... i might give it a try, if I can find a suitable topic.

It is rediculously fun.

[JH Sounds]

Sorry if this is too off-topic, but...

Is anybody doing NaNoWriMo? I was just wondering.

I had to get my laptop repaired and I'm mostly recovered from fever, so after that sight delay I'm gonna go headfirst into this.

[Random Hajile]

I'm in nanowrimo, I'm at 8.5k

My story is really good

We should all share if we win

[Princess Amethyst]

I've tried NaNoWriMo, and I just cannot make myself write that fast! I fail. I'm working on a novel now and have managed 20K words in a little over a month, and that feels like my comfortable writing pace. Best of luck to everyone who entered; wishing you all great success with your stories!

[HalcyonSpirit]

I just want to remind everyone that the submission period for this month's poetry competition is, and has been for a week, underway!

[HalcyonSpirit]

The submission period ends on Tuesday! People, get in your poetry submissions as soon as possible!

[Imagist]

Hey.

So I've been back a while but kind of busy. It takes time to get a life back in order after two years overseas, I guess. Anyway, I don't know if I'll have time to squeeze something in this go around, but it's nice to see things still alive as ever (I fully realize the implications of this in conjunction with the recent level of activity ). Thanks for handling things so well, HalcyonSpirit, and keep it up, guys.

[M W]

An object-oriented poem.

"genesis.mwx"

  int time = 1;


  while (time == 1)
  {
  create ("light");
  if (light.isGood)
  {
      divide (light, "light", "darkness", attr brightness);
      string light.name = "day";
      string darkness.name = "night";
      time++;
  }
  else
  {
      destroy (light);
  }
  }


  while (time == 2)
  {
  create ("water");
  divide (water, "water", "expanse", attr air);
  string expanse.name = "sky";
  time++;
  }


  while (time == 3)
  {
  divide (water, "water", "land", attr dry);
  string water.name = "sea";
  string land.name = "earth";
  if (land.isGood)
  {
      land.create ("grass");
         land.create ("herbs");
          land.create ("trees");
          if (land.isGood)
          {
            time++;
          }
          else
          {
            destroy (land);
                   }
  }
  else
  {
      destroy (land);
  }
  }


  while (time == 4)
  {
  while (true)
  {
      expanse.create ("sun");
      if (expanse.sun.isGood)
      {
         light += assign (expanse.sun);
         break;
      }
      else
      {
         destroy (expanse.sun);
      }
  }
  while (true)
  {
      expanse.create ("moon");
      if (expanse.moon.isGood)
      {
         darkness += assign (expanse.moon);
         break;
      }
      else
      {
         destroy (expanse.moon);
      }
  }
  while (true)
  {
      expanse.create ("stars");
      if (expanse.stars.isGood)
      {
         darkness += assign (expanse.stars);
         break;
      }
      else
      {
         destroy (expanse.stars);
      }
  }
  time++;
  }


  while (time == 5)
  {
  while (true)
  {
      create ("fish");
      if (fish.isGood)
      {
         water += assign (fish);
         break;
      }
      else
      {
         destroy (fish);
      }
  }
  while (true)
  {
      create ("bird");
      if (bird.isGood)
      {
         expanse += assign (bird);
         break;
      }
      else
      {
         destroy (bird);
      }
  }
  boolean fish.isFruitful = true;
  boolean bird.isFruitful = true;
  time++;
  }


  while (time == 6)
  {
  while (true)
  {
      create ("animal");
      if (animal.isGood)
      {
         break;
      }
      else
      {
         destroy (animal);
      }
  }
  while (true)
  {
      create ("man", modify ("in our image"));
      divide (man, "male", "female", attr sex);
      if (man.isGood)
      {
         boolean man.isFruitful = true;
         boolean man.hasDominion = true;
         break;
      }
      else
      {
         destroy (man);
      }
  }
  bless (man);
  time++;
  }


 while (time == 7)
  {
  rest ();
  }

[HalcyonSpirit]

Are there at least 2 other people planning on submitting? If so, I'll extend the round another week. If not, I'm going to call this one dead. I've seen no one else express an interest in submitting this round.

[Imagist]

Oh, what the hell. There's no reason to let this die when I have written something recently, polished or not.

Steam Engine

I pilot a curious engine

of pudgy fitted coats upon a

flimsy calcite frame.

The armored exterior submits to every

errant untamed ghost of pressure

placed against its shell.

There is a gleam of black on black

I almost do not see. A feathered scout

perched upon the night

cocks its head from the other side.

Perhaps the double-pane is a focusing lens

or its sights are granted mine are not;

I do not know--

but while my fuels are fumes

and hours of operation long,

it sees that from my unseen exhaust

weak steam burst forth does not.

[HalcyonSpirit]

Two submissions...

If you two want to duke it out in the voting period alone, I'll open up the voting period for the rest of the month. The other option, which is the default, is to allow this round to fall through and you'll be able to resubmit your entries in January for the Freeform round if you desire to do so. Personally, I say resubmit next month, but that's my opinion.

[Imagist]

What the... wasn't there a third one? I swear Zeality had PM'd something in. I think I'm going crazy, and that's saying something since that already happened a while ago.

[M W]

Duke it out if we authors are not allowed to vote.

else {resub("next_month");}

[Darklink42]

A new challenger appears!

Don't want to let this come down to a no vote situation, and I happen to have written a poem somewhat recently. Just something I was experimenting with, since I'm usually not a poet.If it's not too late. If it is, I'd like to throw down for next month's resubmit. Either way, here you go:

Mother is Dead

The sky turned black, the day you died

and never did turn back

Even after you rose again,

I kept you alive when I lied

You were no more, whom death defied

when knocking at his door.

But to be fair, what ventures far

that returns again untried?

Was it I, who made you decide

to start it all anew?

You chose to be a man of strength

enough to throw the old aside.

I am a-part, essential and outside,

discarded from your heart.

Close to the Blind Fate stole from you

A reminder you denied.

Father what’s left when tears are dried?

Were you the more bereft?

I stay to fight for your remains;

the scraps that you provide.

[HalcyonSpirit]

Alright, we'll try for a vote this round. Since this is starting late, if votes are sparse, I'll nullify them and have you guys resubmit for Freeform in January.

This round's submissions are:

genesis.mwx by M W

Steam Engine by Imagist

Mother is Dead by Darklink42

Everyone, and I mean everyone, should vote! Voting ends at the end of the month!

[JH Sounds]

My NaNoWriMo attempt failed, but I figured I'd link what I had and possibly get some feedback on it.

http://www.fictionpress.com/s/2873734/1/Grey_Stone

[HalcyonSpirit]

If you have any last-minute votes, now's the time. I'm giving it until the end of today (the 1st) before calling it.