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