SDMB Short Fiction Contest, late 2011/early 2012 edition - Logistics Thread.

[cmyk]

I am determined not to let work ruin it for me this time. I missed two in a row, and I was bummed.

Look forward to it!

[Le_Ministre_de_l_au-dela]

The auto-reply is set up and we are off and running. Best of luck to everyone.

[Heart_of_Dorkness]

Whew! I almost screwed this up! I saw this part of the instructions:

@Le_Ministre_de_l_au-dela

So, I’d like to suggest the following - the contest will run from 9 AM EST, Tuesday, December 20th, 2011 until 10 PM EST, Sunday, January 8th, 2012.

…and skimmed right over this part:

@Le_Ministre_de_l_au-dela

The writer will then have 60 (sixty) hours from the time and date of that auto-reply to submit a story of no more than 2,000 words.

So of course, I sent for my auto-reply at 9:00 on Tuesday, thinking that would give me almost three full weeks to work on my story.

:smack:

Fortunately, I started on it right away, and then checked back here today to review the rules, and… yikes! Got it in just under the wire.

So I just figured I’d mention this in case anyone else had the same reading impairment I did.

[Le_Ministre_de_l_au-dela]

Catching up - Heart of Dorkness, I received your story at around 4 PM yesterday. Well done!

For the first time for any of the Poetry Sweatshops/Short Fiction contests, I have to declare myself a drop-out. I knew that time was going to be tight, but between Christmas shopping, cleaning, baking, sorting out kids and a fund-raiser concert on Wednesday night, I didn’t have time to write a word. If I get a chance to write something between now and the end, I may submit it, but it won’t be in the voting.

Meanwhile - any other writers game? So far, Heart of Dorkness wins by acclimation…

[Jules_Andre]

I got the prompts earlier today. It immediately brought to mind an idea I’ve played with for years. I should have it in before my deadline. I’m excited by this one, hopefully it turns out well.

In other words, bump.

[chrisk]

Well, it’s taken me nearly 32 hours, but I think I’ve finished hatching and outlining my story idea.

I decided that I wanted to do more planning this time instead of just starting writing as soon as the prompt gave me an idea. Hopefully that’ll pay off, and I’ll be able to get something good written in the next 28 hours. (And get some sleep.)

[UFC_Is_Sux]

@Le_Ministre_de_l_au-dela

Yes, by all means describe the scene and make your story make sense; no, you do not have to copy or link the picture.

The reply to the email I sent said thusly:

“The story must incorporate photograph in the signature file …”

Do I still need to do that? And if so, how is that done?

[TriPolar]

@UFC_Is_Sux

The reply to the email I sent said thusly:

“The story must incorporate photograph in the signature file …”

Do I still need to do that? And if so, how is that done?

@Le_Ministre_de_l_au-dela

I’ll chime in with the others - the words can simply be present. If, for example ‘Complete, Unleashed and Kinetic’ were the three words, you could write ‘Stan’s exaggerated, kinetic energy, when he unleashes it, completely repels anyone he’s dancing with.’ Notice that I didn’t feel compelled to stick with the words in their original form - I conjugated unleash as a verb, and turned complete into an adverb. Totally acceptable.

You can also use the words as an inspiration for the story - what is it that is ‘complete’? Is it about to be completed? Has it been completed? What will be the effect when it is completed? Is it really completed, or did I just think it was? Will it never be completed?

The combination of the three can give you an idea as well - for me those three words send me in a scientific direction, especially ‘kinetic’. ‘Unleashed’ with ‘kinetic’ make me think of some force suddenly set in motion by the completion of what? an experiment? a computer model?

The photograph also features in a similar way. If those really were the obligatory words, a picture of a laboratory would further send me in a scientific direction, whereas a picture of a dog might make me write a story about finishing a business deal and taking the dog for a run. What if it’s a picture of a glacier? I dunno, there’s something quirky about describing a glacier’s kinetic movement as being unleashed, but there might be something really interesting in describing the ‘mindset’ of a glacier that feels like ‘an inch an hour, two feet a day’ is a roaring pace.

If you like, take a casual glance at some of the past contests to see how different writers have approached the same material. Or an in-depth glance - there are some great moments in there.

Hoping this helps and encourages.

The image in the photograph should be part of the story. You seem to have free rein in how to do that.

[jackdavinci]

@UFC_Is_Sux

The reply to the email I sent said thusly:

“The story must incorporate photograph in the signature file …”

Do I still need to do that? And if so, how is that done?

Sig file? Mine had a URL link to a photo on flickr.

Use it the same way you use the words. It doesn’t have to be super literal, just inspirational.

[Spoons]

@Le_Ministre_de_l_au-dela

For the first time for any of the Poetry Sweatshops/Short Fiction contests, I have to declare myself a drop-out. I knew that time was going to be tight, but between Christmas shopping, cleaning, baking, sorting out kids and a fund-raiser concert on Wednesday night, I didn’t have time to write a word. If I get a chance to write something between now and the end, I may submit it, but it won’t be in the voting.

Le Ministre, you have two weeks (well, two weeks less a day from now). I hope we see something from you–your stories are always interesting.

[chrisk]

Okay, just sent my story in.

Does anybody else feel like they’d like to have just a few more hundred words to play with in one of these contests? 2000 is not much. Of course, that would mean longer stories to read during the voting, but still… sigh.

But I do rather like this one!

[Spoons]

@chrisk

Does anybody else feel like they’d like to have just a few more hundred words to play with in one of these contests?

I occasionally would; and a few times, have found myself editing like mad to get the word count down. But I like the idea of a 2000-word cap. It keeps me from going on too long with unnecessary detail (like Arthur Hailey).

[UFC_Is_Sux]

@jackdavinci

Sig file? Mine had a URL link to a photo on flickr.

Use it the same way you use the words. It doesn’t have to be super literal, just inspirational.

Noted, and thanks. As an ancient former technical writer, I tend to wring out words in instructions until they beg for mercy. And I have a very cool way of incorporating the picture in my story - it’s over halfway done and I’m just working on the weenie now.

[Savannah]

Okay, mine’s sent, warts and all! Gotta work tomorrow.

[elfkin477]

@chrisk

Does anybody else feel like they’d like to have just a few more hundred words to play with in one of these contests?

Always. But as someone who also likes to write the occasional sestina, I like challenges with strict limitations too.

[TriPolar]

@chrisk

Does anybody else feel like they’d like to have just a few more hundred words to play with in one of these contests? 2000 is not much. Of course, that would mean longer stories to read during the voting, but still… sigh.

Not me. I already find this daunting, and I haven’t even entered yet. I’d like a contest based on 100 words or less. But that’s just me. And I’d probably run out of words right before the

[Jules_Andre]

Just sent mine in with minutes to spare. I’m just glad to have gotten something finished after missing out on the last three contests. Good luck everyone!

[jackdavinci]

Submitted just under the wire!

[Le_Ministre_de_l_au-dela]

Hello, I’m back, however briefly, and I just wanted to acknowledge that I have received stories from chrisk, Savannah, Jules Andre and jackdavinci. Well done, all of you - I’m sorry to have taken so long to re-assure you that the hamsters have done their work well. I’ve been in a reality-free zone where there is no internet to speak of…

With a little bit of luck, I’ll be around a little more over the next week and change. There are still eleven more days in which to find 60 hours of writing time, for anyone else who wants to try. And yes, I still hope to have something to submit (outside of the poll, of course).

[Le_Ministre_de_l_au-dela]

…and there’s a fresh submission from Baker - bravo!