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Spring 2011 Contest -- and 2011 Announcement

 
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ScottyDM
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Joined: 12 Feb 2005
Posts: 1142
Location: Colorado Springs, Colorado, USA

PostPosted: Wed Jan 12, 2011 7:17 pm    Post subject: Spring 2011 Contest -- and 2011 Announcement Reply with quote

Anthrofiction Network’s Short Story Contest, Overarching Theme for 2011

I thought it might be fun to have interlocking themes for the short story contest this year. If one plans ahead one may create a single story in four stand-alone parts.

What this means is I will announce the themes for all four quarters in spring, so you can plan ahead and even write rough drafts ahead. Because of the added planning necessary for interlocking stories, I will add time to the spring quarter, before judging starts. Then take a little time away from each of the following quarters (because you should have at least thought of what you’ll be writing).

Present rules allow the entry of up to two stories each quarter, and I’ve got an idea on how to allow you to use that to link not four stories, but as many as eight, over the coming year. However, all stories must be stand alone stories, not a part 1 and part 2. I’ll create some guidelines on how to successfully accomplish that.

So at the end of the year an author could take his or her four (or eight) part story, edit the whole to add some transition scenes, and end up with a single story.

I’m still working on the wording for the theme and guidelines, and I may need a tweak to the rules for 2011 too. I hope to have these tasks done by this coming weekend.

S~

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ScottyDM
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Joined: 12 Feb 2005
Posts: 1142
Location: Colorado Springs, Colorado, USA

PostPosted: Wed Jan 19, 2011 6:03 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I probably should officially announce what the themes for 2011 are.

The overarching theme is Foreign Affairs, which has four parts:

  1. A Foreign Affair: the inciting incident that gets the story moving. (spring)
  2. Diplomacy: the first attempt to patch things up. (summer)
  3. Physical Conflict: when diplomacy fails countries often go to war. (fall)
  4. Peace at Last: or the calm after the storm. (winter)

Here's a PDF of the whole writeup for the year. You can also find the link on the home page, and it'll be on the theme page for each quarter this year.

First, you do not have to create a four-part story to enter the contest this year. At a minimum follow the theme for that quarter.

Second, since there's no way to know if a story is part of a story arc until winter 2011, there will be no extra points or anything if you do create an overarching story arc. However, I suppose I should have two first places come winter: one for the best story and one for the best story arc. I'm open to suggestions on how to do this, but my thought is a reevaluation of storytelling goodness, plus overall enjoyability.

Third, since two stories per quarter are allowed, it's possible to make both part of your story arc for that quarter. The wrong way to do this is to write a single chapter over 3500 words, arbitrarily split it in two, and label it "part 1" and "part 2". The right way to do this is to split your part into two chapters. Chapters have a beginning, middle, and end--and the end will contain both some sort of resolution to some events, and a hook to propel the reader forward into the next chapter.

Fourth, I've pushed back the entry deadline by three weeks for spring, and I've tightened up the entry deadlines by one week each for summer, fall, and winter (so winter judging takes place during the normal time).

Fifth, have fun writing!

S~

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ScottyDM
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Joined: 12 Feb 2005
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Location: Colorado Springs, Colorado, USA

PostPosted: Wed Mar 30, 2011 12:22 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Yesterday the story entry deadline came, and then it went. Despite the interest, only three managed an entry before the deadline. And all came within the last day.

Does anyone else care?
Could you not think of a story?
Or was my deadline too long and you just plain forgot about it?


I've e-mailed the three authors, but I'll open it up for discussion:

I'm considering reopening the entry for another week (from the original deadline), or maybe as long as three weeks. I'll make my decision Thursday night my time, which works out to about 5:00 am UTC on Friday.

If you had an extra six days from now (or maybe longer) could you finish your story and enter it in time? Have you even started?


Manager of the writing contest,
Scott Miller (ScottyDM)

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tijn
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Joined: 27 Apr 2010
Posts: 273
Location: San Diego, CA

PostPosted: Thu Mar 31, 2011 4:18 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I'm wrapped up in two full size stories already, one is being proofread and posted by the Old Gray Raccoon while I add the second storyline, another is in overhaul and a third is bugging me almost daily but I can't let it out.

I'd like to do a short story for a contest once though... once I finish the first story. So it's not that I don't want to, or don't care!
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ScottyDM
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Joined: 12 Feb 2005
Posts: 1142
Location: Colorado Springs, Colorado, USA

PostPosted: Sat Apr 02, 2011 12:39 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thank you for saying so, Tijin. Sometimes I wonder if anyone reads these posts. Yes, the view count goes up, but maybe they're search engine spiders.

Anyway, the contest is now open for judging.

S~

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