Thread: Monthly short story competition?

Sounds like a damn fine plan to me. I'm certainly game. Might give me some much-needed motivation. I can think of several others who would probably join in as well.


Great idea, IDX!

Count me in. I do hope I can find the time to put all my effort into this.

Originally Posted by Man of Steel

Might give me some much-needed motivation. ...
Great idea, IDX!

Yes that was exactly my own reason for proposing it.

Good that we have 3/4 interested members st the moment, but of course more would be nice!

And also

• We need to come up with a snappy name
• Have to fine tune the theme selection process and other such things.
• Did I mention MORE MEMBERS?

I'll try and get this stickied perhaps... what are the chances?

I'm definitely up for it, let me know when you plan to get this started and i'll be there.

Originally Posted by Lucid Seeker

I'm definitely up for it, let me know when you plan to get this started and i'll be there.

I'll probably get the first topic-selection thread up tomorrow afternoon (GMT) or the next. Give this thread a night yet, obviously anyone can join in whenever with or without posting here (t'would help me get an idea, though).

I imagine the topic selection thread will involve simply posting a phrase of one or two words each (for those who are going to participate). We then select a few days later either by poll or randomly (not sure how that'll work convincingly).

As for any official "rules", they will either be non-existant or merely advisory. Certainly nothing that will restrict any writing style or word count etc..

I may just join.

Can't guarantee I'll find time to do it every time, but definitely if we have some good themes

Ok, I propose the following mechanism:

Before each challenge, topic selection will take place within a period of a few days.

• Each member will suggest at most one topic in a special thread.
• Topics will consist of a phrase of one or two words. The topic has to allow for somewhat open interpretation. "Chinese Civil War", for example, is not a good topic; "Reflection" and "Storm" are.
• After topics are proposed, topics will be selected through poll with a fixed deadline. You can vote for your own topics.* If the poll ties, a random choice from the leaders will be made by a member. This is to be trusted as random.

The challenge itself will take place over a period of 28 days.

• Late submissions are very welcome, however the point of a fixed amount of time is to provide motivation and fixed scope. I think it will be easier to write a tight directed story within a fixed timeframe.

After the month is over, a thread will be posted (within the day or two) where the successful participants can show off their work.

• State the title of your work, and then provide a link to a pdf, doc, txt file, etc. Try not to post the story as a post itself; this way, members will have easy access to other works and there will be no "burying" of posts.
• Any length is fine. Hey, it may be the best paragraph ever written...
• Try to have your story reflect the topic, but how you do this up to you.
• There will be a seperate thread for discussion. This is keenly encouraged. Contrary to this thread's title, this is not going to be a competition. Be nice, but be a critic too!

*If we get a naff poll result, this may change...

I'm up for it. One question: Is there a limit to length?

Originally Posted by Kushna Mufeed

I'm up for it. One question: Is there a limit to length?

cf. above. Basically, none; although I will be impressed if you manage 200 pages

Thanks for your interest.

Sounds good, Identity. I like where you're going with this, definitely. My entries will probably be fairly short, in the realm of 1-5 pages or so, but as Yoda said, "Size matters not."

Can't wait to start.

Yeah, 200 pages is worthless unless its quality.

I am in!

Yeah, I've published in Skyve Short Stories before and think it sounds like fun. I'll use DV member as characters.

Originally Posted by ninja9578

Yeah, I've published in Skyve Short Stories before and think it sounds like fun. I'll use DV member as characters.

Well, you know who'll be the handsome dark stranger

Ok, since there's enough of us now (but that's not to say someone can't join at any point), I'll get the topic suggestion thread up.

Incidentally, nice choice of avatar, IDX. I keep forgetting to mention that. Just remember what happened to Kevin though...



Marv is my hero.

I'm always up for semi-structured ficting

I don't know if DV peoples are up for realtime events, but I've run round-robin storytelling online before, in second life, and I can see how it would work here, organizing in chat and posting in a thread. I'll throw up a seperate thread on that.

Oh, and an idea on topic voting, to avoid clutter: IDX, you can post declaring topic submissions closed, list the topics for consideration, and ask people to PM their votes. If you're worried about ties, you can ask for top 3, and weight them with 3, 2, or 1 points, using most points as a tie-breaker. Alternately, you could ask people to PM the suggestions in the first place and just make an executive decision.

Originally Posted by Taosaur

If you're worried about ties, you can ask for top 3, and weight them with 3, 2, or 1 points, using most points as a tie-breaker. Alternately, you could ask people to PM the suggestions in the first place and just make an executive decision.

I may just do that, thanks. As for the last point... have you heard of democracy in Ohio?

As we've already had some avatar talk what on earth is yours? It's a question that's been bugging me for a while...

I'm in =P

Originally Posted by Identity X

I may just do that, thanks. As for the last point... have you heard of democracy in Ohio?

As we've already had some avatar talk what on earth is yours? It's a question that's been bugging me for a while...

Hey, I put out the democratic options--you wanna vote on that, too? It's only fair if we vote on if we should vote on whether or not to vote

As for my av, I should put a one item FAQ in my profile. It's the Synanthropomorphax, from my freshman college sketchbook, finished in Photoshop or PSP. It was a doodle that went in the direction of Dali's figures rising from a landscape, then started to suggest a bust (head and shoulders), and I went with that.

Obviously, I liked the result--it has a psychedelic tension to it that people find unsettling but fascinating, the most common response to just about any arts I make.

Originally Posted by Taosaur

As for my av, I should pu- .... psychedelic tension to it that people find unsettling but fascinating, the most common response to just about any arts I make.

It's pretty terrible. All pixelated.

Originally Posted by Goldney

It's pretty terrible. All pixelated.

Gee, thanks
I admit, photoshop's not my forte, or 2D in general. Still, it gets a good response, being out of the ordinary.

To those who haven't seen it, the topic suggestion thread is up.

I am so game.