posted
Greetings, fellow hatrack colleagues. Welcome to the fifth WotF trigger challenge! Although this is the 4th annual challenge, it is our fifth contest for the illustrious prize of a Writers of the Future book (contest #2 was made possible by the very generous Kathleen-Dalton Woodbury, thank you very much).
This year’s challenges prize is made possible by this years Gold Award winner Tina Smith. More on that in a moment…
The WotF trigger challenge is a writing contest open to all hatrack writers. Be this your first day, or if you’ve been a member longer than youngest hatracker has been alive, you are eligible. A bit of a warning, to be part of the challenge garners some responsibility. All participant’s are expected to serves as judges. You will help determine the winner.
The prize for winning the competition will be your own copy of the latest Writers of the Future anthology (Volume 29).
First some ground rules…
This is a trigger challenge. You will need to come up with a story (genre is open) based on the trigger…
Twelve Seconds
Your story can be about anything as long as it has something to do with the trigger. The only limitations are you cannot plagiarize Ms Smith's work and you cannot exceed the 4000 word limit.
All submission will be sent to me…
snapperfjd@yahoo.com
…where I will assign it a number. The cut off date for submissions will be May 31th. If my Word program says your submission is over 4k, I will give you an opportunity to correct it. Please send your stories in a RTF file. Thank you for that.
Judging…
We will be voting on the best openings and best overall pieces. Once I get enough entries, I will start to post the opening 13. Everyone is expected to pick their first and second favorite opening, a point will be awarded for every second place, and two points for a first place. The judging for the first 13 lines will be a week, at that point I will send the entries out to everyone. You will read and pick your three favorite. The points will be 5 for first, 4 for second, and 3 for third. You may use any criteria you like in voting but I suggest you take how each one fits with the trigger into consideration If I get more than a few entries, I will separate them into groups and the top vote getters will face off for the grand prize. And because this is a friendly competition, and I would like to illicit interest by posting openings as soon as possible, 2 points will be awarded to the first entry I receive and 1 point will go to the second one for the 13 line challenge.
The winner of the 13 line challenge will receive a free detailed, critique for any work they would like me to look at of up to 10000 words (I'm flexible on that number). The winner of the general competetion will win a copy of the anthology, signed by the Gold Award winner, Tina Smith.
How to get disqualified…
The competition will be anonymous. If you post your entry in F & F to get some feedback, then I may have to disqualify you. If you fail to vote, you get disqualified. Other than that, it’s all open. If you whine, complain, or tell me I’m a cheat for any reason (private or public) I will only laugh at you. I am only interested in fair play and quality writing. When I say this is open to all, I mean it. If you want to join in but don’t feel you need the book, no problem. It can go to the second place finisher if you win…so now no one *coughNickcough* I mean no one *ah-ah- Kathleen-choo!* can use that as an excuse.
Any questions? Feel free to post them in this thread.
Additional rules (deadlines, votes, deviding up the entries) may apply later.
Now start your writing!!!!
Posts: 3072 | Registered: Dec 2007
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"Twelve Seconds" is only the trigger; the inspiration for your story. How you it inspires you, is entirely up to you. It doesn't even have to be about time. For example, you could write a story where one character keeps asking for an extra helping at a family dinner - twelve times (get it? asking for seconds?)
So write about whatever you like, but remember, your fellow writers who will be judging the first round, will penalize you if they can't tie your story to the trigger. Seen people lose points in the past for that.
posted
Newbie question, but should the entries not be titled so as not to count against the 4,000 word count?
Posts: 823 | Registered: May 2009
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Are you asking if you shouldn't title your story because not doing so will save you like two or three words in the story count? As in, your story is precisely 4000 words and the title pushes you over?
I have a feeling that's OK. Word count = Story word count.
I kinda assumed that, but thought it's easy enough to make sure. It was something in the way it was worded about the submission's word count that made me want to verify.
Posts: 823 | Registered: May 2009
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posted
Do you have a 22 word title planned, babooher? No worries. I won't count the title against the word count.
Posts: 3072 | Registered: Dec 2007
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posted
Actually, I was thinking of a (roughly) 3,000 word title that might have indicated an inciting incident, some back story, and introduced the setting and major characters.
I just had visions of you getting bogged down with life and submissions so that you were just opening the sub, looking at word count, and tossing if the number exceeded 4000. Not that I think you'd do that out of malice, just expedience in the face of Mt. Morework.
IN any even, I can procrastinate no longer. Back to the actual writing.
Posts: 823 | Registered: May 2009
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posted
This sounds interesting. Am I correct in assuming that there is no lower word limit? Like... at least 500 words or something?
Posts: 252 | Registered: Feb 2013
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posted
If you can write it in one word, then it counts, but it better be a great word that is based on the trigger.
Posts: 3072 | Registered: Dec 2007
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posted
What is going on? Come on now. Usually, I'd have posted 13 line openings to spur people into action, but I haven't received enough entries to start posting.
Look, we have an award winning author who is ready to judge and send a signed copy of the anthology for the winner.
posted
Sorry I have been busy with other things. I will get writing and have it posted by the end of the month.
Posts: 37 | Registered: May 2013
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posted
Working on it, Snapper! I made the mistake of trying to start early. That only ever leads to *bad things.* Now that the deadline is looming, story will start to flow. =)
Posts: 248 | Registered: May 2012
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quote:Originally posted by snapper: What is going on? Come on now. Usually, I'd have posted 13 line openings to spur people into action, but I haven't received enough entries to start posting.
Look, we have an award winning author who is ready to judge and send a signed copy of the anthology for the winner.
So, get writing.
Hmm, if there are so few maybe I will give it a try, I would need to put away my other writing for a few days but I've done that before. I'm sure I can come up with some idea--hopefully unique--and make it around a thousand words.
Posts: 5289 | Registered: Jun 2010
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posted
Okay, couldn't help myself, I started a story at work today. I might be able to finish it tomorrow or the next day.
Posts: 5289 | Registered: Jun 2010
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posted
Sorry I didn't join in. I had started on an idea, but my favorite cat finally started going down hill with his cancer. Had to withdraw from society for a while. Had him put down today. Still crying, but using it to my advantage as I have a scene where my character is in tears over what she cannot control. Actors use "method" acting, I'm using "method" writing. Letting out my tears via my character in book three. Next challange, I promise. KT
Posts: 96 | Registered: Dec 2012
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posted
KellyTharp, please accept my condolences on your having to put down your cat. I know how that is--it's a terrible decision. Hugs.
Posts: 8826 | Registered: A Long Time Ago!
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My and my wife have had to do that a couple of times. It's not easy. You can put you cat in a story. I'm not trying to be funny, writers have done that before, they say it makes it a bit better.
Posts: 5289 | Registered: Jun 2010
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posted
My cat-in-the-story will come in book 4. It's a long standing joke between the two main charaters about what a "Mother Penchot" is and she will find out the hard way that they are rather large, ferocious, alien panthers. Worse is when the General discovers she's bring it home as a pet!
Posts: 96 | Registered: Dec 2012
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posted
Hmm, I just might be able to make the deadline--tomorrow, depends on how well I sleep tonight. Been smashed at work for the last month-and-a-half and, while most people wouldn't think so, it's both physically and mentally draining. I come home, fall asleep, cook a meal, fall asleep, watch some telly, fall asleep, go to be and sleep, wake-up, go to work, and it all starts over again. Oh, plus 'unforeseen emergencies'.
I have an idea I like, and an opening and ending, it just won't get on the damn computer screen.
posted
Rebecca, Deadline is usually midnight in whatever timezone Snapper happens to be in at the time.
Although sometimes it's an arbitrary number like 11:42pm.
But seriously, I'm sure it's pretty loose. If your e-mail is time-stamped for May, you're good. After all, what fun is a contest regarding Tina's story without a last-second deadline?
posted
As long as I haven't said 'time's up' you are free to submit an entry. I have an early morning so that deadline won't be for a few hours yet (when I get up).
If any one is close - and you need just a little bit of time - email me and I'm sure we can work something out.
Got more entries - will be posting them next
Posts: 3072 | Registered: Dec 2007
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posted
Okay, it's been awhile since we have done this challenge: So Snapper How do we list our votes on the Openings?
On the Opening Thread? Send them to you? If we list them do we wait the full week? I can see waiting a day or two to make sure you listed them all but a week?
And is it one week from the point you say "Times Up" which you haven't said yet-here anyway.
Posts: 5289 | Registered: Jun 2010
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posted
And this would be a good set of stories to do an online anthology --for the title anyway. Have it be "Tina Smith presents Eleven 12 Seconds".
We have been though a discussion on the anthology idea and it could get complicated to actually do it but that doesn't change that I think the idea would be neat.
Eleven--if that is all--would be a small anthology but it's E-publishing.
posted
Sorry to take so long to post here. I had to work today and going to see Star Trek in a minute.
The last entry I received hours ago, well within the time I allotted - just incase you thought the holdup was for that (it wasn't)
The judging for openings will be as such.
Pick you're first, second, and third choice for best opening. Whoever receives the most votes wins a free critique of anything up to 10,000 (and I'm flexible on that number), from me (whoopee) - be it a short story or the first few chapters of a novel. You win, you get to get bashed by me . send your votes and any comments you have to me. I will post them on your behalf
The main contest: I am thinking of sending all the stories to everyone. They are 32300 words all together (including the one you wrote). If that is too much - let me know and I will divide them into two groups (as I have done in the past). Since we have an odd number of entries - whoever wins the opening competition, will receive an automatic pass to the final round.
So I am looking for input on what scenario you would prefer, all the stories get read by everyone or a split and a lighter reading load?
And to make it official...Submission for entries is now closedPosts: 3072 | Registered: Dec 2007
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posted
Personally, I would be reading them all, but I can appreciate those that don't want to. However...
11 is difficult to split fairly. How about this option:
Each person can opt in or out of the preliminary round. If they opt in, they must give a critique to all stories, even if they don't win.
Preliminary round: Vote for best opening.
Prize for preliminary round: Double chance. Top opening (or three) get to be in both groups.
Example1: (Three chosen example)
1,2 and 3 win preliminary round.
Split is as follows: 1,2,3,4,5,6,7 and 1,2,3,8,9,10,11
Example2: (One chosen example)
1 wins preliminary round.
Split is as follows: 1,2,3,4,5,6 and 1,7,8,9,10,11
Of course, the split of 4 to 11 above can be split differently to above, even optimised to make the two groups close to the same size (in number of words).
posted
I don't mind reading them all, so long as you give us long enough. I'm pretty busy a this time of year and my mind isn't always in the right place at the moment anyway.
Posts: 778 | Registered: Aug 2010
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posted
In actuality, there are only ten stories to read, since we wouldn't be voting for our own. If we do a split, then send out all of the stories and we read the five stories that follow our own.
Example. If I am #7, I'd read 8, 9,10,11, and 1. If I was #2, I'd read 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7.
That would ensure every story has at least five critiques.
You could even make additional reviews optional, but the five following your own entry would be mandatory.
How does that sound?
Posts: 1608 | Registered: Feb 2009
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. send your votes and any comments you have to me. I will post them on your behalf
