Fall Writing Competition 2017

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JediGuy
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Fall Writing Competition 2017

#1 Post by JediGuy »

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Did y'all really think I'd forget about you?

It's time for our 7th-annual
FALL WRITING COMPETITION! Now actually syncing up with NaNoWriMo!


Please read this whole post, even if you've participated in the contest before!

Continuing along with last year's grading changes, it seems that things went a lot smoother. The rules are the same: Everyone will be judged on 4 categories, on a scale of 1-10 (with 10 being the best). The main change is the number (and quality) of judges - we're upping from 3 to 4. All four judges have already been selected - including the return of the published author who helped me grade last year, and the addition of a second! Yay!

You'll recall, the four criteria for judging are:

I) Writing Skill - How well you can write, simple enough. Things like proper use of grammar, punctuation, using complete sentences and the like. This is the 'crunchy granola' of the grading scale.

II) Creativity - How creative you are with your writing. Whether this means taking an existing idea and giving it a new twist, coming up with something new, or taking us in unexpected directions. Everyone's read about the knight who fought the dragon and saved the girl; entice us.

III) World-Building - How invested we are in the story and world that we're in. This is a combination of the previous grading points of involvement and description. In essence, does the world, setting, or even the room that your story takes place in feel natural, alive - or are there just two voices talking in a blank white box?

IV) Investment - The last of the two 'new' additions to our grading roster, investment is just as it sounds. You can have a rich world with interesting characters, but if there's no hook, no reason for someone to get past the first page, something needs to be changed. What is it you're providing to keep us reading to the end, and leave us wanting more?

Scores will be added from each of the four categories at the end, for a possible X/40. The story with the highest average between all four judges reports will be our winner!

Speaking of winners:

Grand prize is the ever-coveted sketch commission from none other than Tom himself.

The first runner-up will receive a live audio version of their story, read and performed by yours truly with as much flare and bravado as I can muster. (PLEASE NOTE: Special consideration will be taken in regards to the length of the piece that wins, and if it's super long, we'll figure something else out.)

Important to note this year: ALL participants will receive a small badge they can put in their forum signature; the top three winners (the two mentioned above and third place) will receive unique / flared badges denoting their winnings.

SCHEDULING

Now, since I got this post up a bit later than I'd like (sorry), I'll be doing us all a quick favor: The writing and Submissions category will be open from Wednesday, November First through FRIDAY, DECEMBER FIRST. This is to give everyone the full 31 days to participate, plus it ends us on a Friday.


Now, for a few last pieces of information:

** The writing competition will last from Wednesday, November 1st - Friday, December 1st at 11:59PM Eastern US Time.
** Pieces should be submitted in their own thread, in the following format: [FWC 17] Title of Story
** Users may submit multiple pieces should they so choose, up to a maximum of two (2). However, for the purposes of prizes, only one prize may be awarded per contestant.
** Works with adult themes (swearing, excessive violence, gore, sexual events) should be marked with an 'NSFW' tag in their thread title.
** While there is no hard-set limit on submission length, please keep in mind that the judges are just human. Please keep the submission within 'short story' range.
** Poetry is allowed.
** Submissions are allowed to be editing as often as the author wishes to prior to closing. At closing, each submission will be copied as-is and considered its final format.
** Users are encouraged to comment on other contestants' submissions.
** Any contest-related discussion, questions, and comments should be kept in this thread.
** Submissions may exist in the setting of a pre-established work, but keep in mind that the reader may be new to your world.

As always, if you have any questions, feel free to ask them here.

Hope you're all ready, chaps. Greatness awaits!
Entries:
Escape by Wolf_Appledore999
The Whitefield Report by NuclearBird
The True Writer's Block by ThunderVolt
A Moment's Comfort by FiendishlyAdorable
The Wings of Giants by ClockworkPanda
Experimental Realism by Jam
Leaving Old Grounds by Warrl
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Myperson54
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Re: Fall Writing Competition 2017

#2 Post by Myperson54 »

I see you've emphasized some of the rules on length - sure hope I didn't have anything to do with that S:P I might enter this year, but I'm not sure. Haven't had a ton of ideas floating around and I'm limited in time thanks to a busy school schedule. As always I am excited though.
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BadFoMo
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Re: Fall Writing Competition 2017

#3 Post by BadFoMo »

Is the submission of a story that was made and uploaded well before this contest, but hasn't been entered into any previous contests allowed?
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Re: Fall Writing Competition 2017

#4 Post by Ketzal »

Myperson54 wrote: Tue Oct 31, 2017 11:09 am I see you've emphasized some of the rules on length - sure hope I didn't have anything to do with that S:P
Hey now, your story was a treat to read through :P

I'm definitely looking forward to this. Actually have a good couple of ideas this year

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Re: Fall Writing Competition 2017

#5 Post by JediGuy »

BadFoMo wrote: Tue Oct 31, 2017 1:29 pm Is the submission of a story that was made and uploaded well before this contest, but hasn't been entered into any previous contests allowed?
Aha, there it is! We get this question every year - I really aught to put it up in the head post.

If the story has been written and hasn't been posted on the forums before, previous to the competition, I can't really prove that it wasn't written during the submission period, so those are allowed, yes. That said, what you're asking seems to be that it was something you wrote and posted to the board previously, yes? If that's the case, no, since I've got the timestamps to prove it :P
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Re: Fall Writing Competition 2017

#6 Post by wolf_Appledore999 »

I'll give it a shot since this is my first TwoKinds Fanfiction ever.

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BadFoMo
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Re: Fall Writing Competition 2017

#7 Post by BadFoMo »

JediGuy wrote: Tue Oct 31, 2017 4:08 pm
BadFoMo wrote: Tue Oct 31, 2017 1:29 pmIs the submission of a story that was made and uploaded well before this contest, but hasn't been entered into any previous contests allowed?
Aha, there it is! We get this question every year - I really aught to put it up in the head post.

If the story has been written and hasn't been posted on the forums before, previous to the competition, I can't really prove that it wasn't written during the submission period, so those are allowed, yes. That said, what you're asking seems to be that it was something you wrote and posted to the board previously, yes? If that's the case, no, since I've got the timestamps to prove it :P
Just as well, I was mostly doing it to for laughs/trolling. Wait, what if I change them a little bit and re-upload them (he asked having a strong suspicion that this is not allowed ether.)?
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Re: Fall Writing Competition 2017

#8 Post by Warrl »

Hm... that... no, most of it's been publicly posted (elsewhere) and it's specific to an existing fan-fiction universe (not TwoKinds-related) and wouldn't work out of context. Also it might be too long.

That... no, same universe and wouldn't work out of context.

That... no, I'm intending it to be novel-length and want to sell it.

That... no, definitely novel-length and I want to sell it.

That... oops, I only have a setting, no plot that needs it.

That... argh, another setting with no plot.

At the moment I don't have a story idea available for this contest. And since I'm already under pressure to get a significant amount done on three others, I don't know if I'll have time...

Oh wait, THAT's done (first draft), isn't dependent on other stories, and hasn't been publicly posted. Maybe I'll polish it up and put it here.

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Re: Fall Writing Competition 2017

#9 Post by wolf_Appledore999 »

JediGuy wrote: Tue Oct 31, 2017 4:08 pm
BadFoMo wrote: Tue Oct 31, 2017 1:29 pm Is the submission of a story that was made and uploaded well before this contest, but hasn't been entered into any previous contests allowed?
Aha, there it is! We get this question every year - I really aught to put it up in the head post.

If the story has been written and hasn't been posted on the forums before, previous to the competition, I can't really prove that it wasn't written during the submission period, so those are allowed, yes. That said, what you're asking seems to be that it was something you wrote and posted to the board previously, yes? If that's the case, no, since I've got the timestamps to prove it :P
I have a story, albeit one chapter-part since that's the style I do it in, is done and ready, but I want to know where to post it. ^^, I'm new to this site AND competition. Any help is quite useful.

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Re: Fall Writing Competition 2017

#10 Post by JediGuy »

wolf_Appledore999 wrote: Wed Nov 08, 2017 7:06 pm I have a story, albeit one chapter-part since that's the style I do it in, is done and ready, but I want to know where to post it. ^^, I'm new to this site AND competition. Any help is quite useful.
Check it in the rules above! Post it in the Story Board, with the following:
Pieces should be submitted in their own thread, in the following format: [FWC 17] Title of Story
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Re: Fall Writing Competition 2017

#11 Post by wolf_Appledore999 »

JediGuy wrote: Thu Nov 09, 2017 1:51 am
wolf_Appledore999 wrote: Wed Nov 08, 2017 7:06 pm I have a story, albeit one chapter-part since that's the style I do it in, is done and ready, but I want to know where to post it. ^^, I'm new to this site AND competition. Any help is quite useful.
Check it in the rules above! Post it in the Story Board, with the following:
Pieces should be submitted in their own thread, in the following format: [FWC 17] Title of Story
Thanks.. I'll get that up sometime today.

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Re: Fall Writing Competition 2017

#12 Post by JediGuy »

Hey all! We're about a third of the way through the competition and have one submission in thusfar (I know usually things don't get submitted until the last week or so, for everyone to work on their craft.)

Hows it coming along?
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Re: Fall Writing Competition 2017

#13 Post by jacobc62 »

In regards to "short story"..... I would like to enter this contest, however, I'd like to write my story in a word-document editing program first to make sure I can stay within the short story constraint..... How many pages would be the absolute maximum for this approach to writing a story?
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Re: Fall Writing Competition 2017

#14 Post by NuclearBird »

JediGuy wrote: Sat Nov 11, 2017 3:45 pm Hey all! We're about a third of the way through the competition and have one submission in thusfar (I know usually things don't get submitted until the last week or so, for everyone to work on their craft.)

Hows it coming along?
I already have the first chapter ready to be posted on the Story Forum. Regarding that, what's the upper limit on word count? I assume it's somewhere around 30 000 or so.
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Re: Fall Writing Competition 2017

#15 Post by wolf_Appledore999 »

JediGuy wrote: Sat Nov 11, 2017 3:45 pm Hey all! We're about a third of the way through the competition and have one submission in thusfar (I know usually things don't get submitted until the last week or so, for everyone to work on their craft.)

Hows it coming along?
I'm doing fairly well. My submission is about 7 GoogleDocs pages long. I'm not that good at "Short Stories" if you consider Short to be >4 Pages long (Less then 4 Pages Long). All of my stories are at least 6+ pages. 30 pages is so far my Maximum and that along is pushing my luck. 10-15 is my Normal range of Pages.

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