Official Ship’s Rules:

• The synopsis writer (SW) sends the President or a nominated Vice-President (here after called the Committee) the synopsis on the Friday before it is due to be posted—a week early. If the synopsis has not been received, the committee will contact the next SW and request their synopsis by Sunday night. If this is not received a committee member will post a reserve synopsis.

• The ship sets sail every Friday when a new synopsis is posted by the President or one of his Vice-Presidents.

• Once the synopsis is posted, you may begin writing 13 lines (see Hatrack guidelines for ensuring it is 13 lines).

• You can begin the story from any chronological part of the synopsis.

• Any details not specified in the plan can be made up as long as they do not SERIOUSLY alter the story.

• Remember, this contest is ABOUT mastering the hook--so have one.

• The President or his nominated stand in, will assign your story a number and post it between Monday and Thursday. They will not be posted over the weekend.

• PLEASE don’t look at what other people have done until after you have sent yours to the moderator.

• Edit your work before sending it—no corrections will be made after it has been emailed, and email it only once.

• Email your entry to the President, or his nominated deputy (a post will identify any changes) by latest Thursday night (GMT in my case). Ensure any bold or italic formatting is included exactly as you would format it if you posted it on Hatrack yourself.
Example:

skadder (my hatrack nickname)

Entry # (Committee will fill in number)

Title: The Wrathful Gaze of Allah

The scout’s hand shook as he pointed to the dune. “It lies on the other side, my Lord.”
Caliph Abu Bakr eyed the dune. The cool evening breeze plucked at his robes. Yes, let’s see. He began to walk up the hot sand.
“Caliph, you must not go—it could be a desert djinn.”
“Perhaps.” Abu Bakr turned to grin at the shivering guard. “If Allah wills it so--but Allah put it here, so I will look.”
As he crested the dune he gasped. Before him, half buried in molten, glowing sand, lay a vast metal structure. To one side lay a winged creature with a body like a man. It was totally covered in intricate armour and a single crystal was set in its helm. An angel--a dead one. Then it stirred.
“Quick,” Abu Bakr shouted, “It is messenger of Allah—bring the h

This is the format that you should use to send your work in. I have not included formatting--but you should--as the above is exactly 13 lines--if yours is longer it may get cut. More detailed instructions on how to ensure your intro is 13 lines can be found here.

• I will post the competition is closed and voting can commence. If you enter you are expected to vote. People who enter and don’t vote will be mocked in a 'Walked the Plank' thread. Critting, although useful, is not required, but you are expected to identify a first, second and third, and best title.

• Future Synopsis Writers:

1) illiterate
2) Unwritten
3) Grant John

o Copy the above and add your name to the list if you wish to write a synopsis, however pay attention to point one above and try to get something ready at least a week earlier.

Now for this weeks synopsis by Annepin.

quote:

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Eddie Busco went AWOL from the Federated Star Alliance peacekeeping squad long ago, too many years for him to remember now. He'd been a ship's mechanic, and so proud of his daughter, who'd become field commander of a small but elite strike force--until she defected to the rivaling Sedonian Republic reputedly because of a man.

He's spent the last Sol-knows-how-many-years on a small recycling colony of the FSA. He lives by himself deep in a scrap heap, salvaging what he can to adapt for his own needs and exchanging services or things he makes with the local townspeople in exchange for food and such, but mostly keeping to himself and trying to forget everything that has happened to him since.

As he's rooting around one day he comes across what looks like a small computing unit. He finds a lot of these, but this one is of a design that he's not familiar with. Curious, he decides to take it home. He manages to hook it up to a battery, fix a few things here and there, and bingo! It turns on. He almost can't believe it. He hooks up a small screen and a vocal command interface, and asks to see its root directory, a basic command all computers should be able to do. He discovers the computer is very much alive and aware. Gradually, he begins to talk to it and builds it a body. In some odd way, it reminds him of his daughter. The computer, whom he names Arale, constantly thanks him for finding her and helping her. He feels like there's more to her story she's just not telling, but he's unable to access her core programming. He also catches her tinkering with things herself. He confronts her about this. She tells him that she was part of a surveillance probe sent by Sedonian Republic but crashed and was salvaged somewhere far away. Now she's managed to fix herself and her communication systems and has contacted SR. She reports back that they are on course for Earth, possibly with a new weapon. She tells him that together they could build a ship and get out of there. Eddie is torn. He feels betrayed again. At the same time, he loves her as a daughter, and begins to realize what it is to make decisions with the heart. At the same time, he can't betray FSA, even though he feels little loyalty to them.

Meanwhile, the townspeople have gotten wind of her. The mayor thinks she's actually a bomb planted by the SR and they are intent on destroying her…

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Basically it is exactly the same as before except the weeks no longer overlap--so in a four week period there are two competitions rather than four--which is more manageable from the perspective of those who run it.

You have until Thursday midnight GMT to get your entries to me if you wish to enter.