So I created an account to enter this thing at the last minute but I don't really understand the theme. I thought it was about living houses, but many people have just posted stories with the setting as a house. Could someone please tell me exactly what the theme is, as my idea is focused around the living house idea, and I want to check if it is allowed before I start working on it. Thanks!
At 5/5/13 02:04 PM, Madhogwolf wrote: So I created an account to enter this thing at the last minute but I don't really understand the theme. I thought it was about living houses, but many people have just posted stories with the setting as a house. Could someone please tell me exactly what the theme is, as my idea is focused around the living house idea, and I want to check if it is allowed before I start working on it. Thanks!
I'm super pumped this contest got you to create an account!
The theme is however you interpret it, whether it be houses that come alive and walk, or houses where you enter and can never leave, or exploding houses, whatever!
So I think your idea would do just fine! Looking forward to reading your entry!
At 5/5/13 02:04 PM, Madhogwolf wrote: So I created an account to enter this thing at the last minute but I don't really understand the theme. I thought it was about living houses, but many people have just posted stories with the setting as a house. Could someone please tell me exactly what the theme is, as my idea is focused around the living house idea, and I want to check if it is allowed before I start working on it. Thanks!
In general, these contests are pretty flexible. It's much more exciting to see a writer respond with their own interpretation of a theme rather than being told is must strictly be about something.
My story is posted. Short in comparison to some others, but I am pretty pleased with how it turned out considering I wrote this at 11pm. This was definately a story that I had a lot of fun experimenting with, and adding a few (hopefully) thought provoking lines. I would like to thank you all for hosting this lovely contest and allowing me the honour of participating! Good luck to everyone!
I would have taken part in this if it wasn't taking place during my finals. I had some great ideas, but I have to prioritize and put college first. Maybe next time. Good luck everybody.
Bah! Of course I'd come across so awesome a prompt too late to contribute! ;? Maybe next time... I'll have to remember to peek in here more often. O.o!
When will the results for this contest be posted?
I have a friend who entered and they were wondering..
And no, this isn't that lame "I have this friend.." excuse of putting it on an imaginary friend because I'm too embarrassed to tell you it's me kinda thing. I didn't enter, should have but didn't..anyway..yeah.
......
So when will the results be posted? :p
At 5/8/13 11:47 AM, Kairos wrote: When will the results for this contest be posted?
Results should be posted hopefully within a week, or two at max.
Results should be posted hopefully within a week, or two at max.
Cool man! Hope you have fun reading the submissions!
First writing contest I've entered here on NG. I'd like to be a part of more, with more challenges. I think it's a fun way to be creative and think differently.
Man, I couldn't make it.
I wrote about 500 words one night and decided to finish later. I had my story all thought out, but then I was suddenly put in charge of writing a skit and creating awards for a dinner next week.
I'll try to make it next time, if I finish my story I'll post it on my page but I don't really think I will.
Well, I'm ready for the next one.
Oh and I read some of the entries, they look good, was sad that I couldn't make it.
At 5/9/13 04:51 PM, roadguy5 wrote: Oh and I read some of the entries, they look good, was sad that I couldn't make it.
It's alright! I do hope to see you next contest! I remember really enjoying reading "The Box".
I would also like to say, if you've read any of the submissions, giving a few words of feedback or comments on the story would be awesome! I am sure the authors would greatly appreciate knowing people are reading (or even liking!) their work, and would be even more grateful for some feedback.
So I strongly encourage people to read and critique other's work. They will likely return the favor to you, and even if you haven't entered this contest, it's really good karma, and people will return the favor eventually.
If you want to get in the mood of fiction critique, grab a cup of tea, get in your comfy chair, and check out this brief critique tutorial on Lit101.
At 5/8/13 11:24 PM, RedXBlood wrote: Question. How can i be notified for contests in the future?
I mean, i understand i would probably have to look for a thread with a similar name, but does the same person
hold the contest always for example? Are they done every single month?
Oh, and it would be nice to know who the judges will be when they are chosen
The writing contests are posted with the name "MWC". When they are announced, Tom will mention it in a front page post, as well as it will be mentioned in that little calender on the front page in the top left.
Some statistics:
Total Number of Stories: 20
Total Word Count: 36720
Average Word Count: ~2000
At 5/10/13 05:15 AM, 4urentertainment wrote: Some statistics:
Total Number of Stories: 20
Total Word Count: 36720
Average Word Count: ~2000
Average number of winners: 1
Good luck, eveyone - I'm going to start reading them all tonight!
At 5/10/13 05:15 AM, 4urentertainment wrote: Some statistics:
Total Number of Stories: 20
Total Word Count: 36720
Average Word Count: ~2000
Sorry, we're the judges announced? How many are there?
At 5/13/13 01:06 PM, EKublai wrote: Sorry, we're the judges announced? How many are there?
The judges this time are just me and Writersblock.
Disclaimer: I am not a judge in this contest, but rather an entrant. My views do not reflect those of the judges' and have zero influence on the final outcome.
In reading each of these stories, I've been blown away by the talent here, and moved, in a way, to comment on these pieces. Hopefully each of you find my criticism useful.
Deathcon7 "Madman Story"
At first (through no fault of your imagery) I imagined Zapp Brannigan and the AI from "Love and Rocket" as the protagonists. That did eventually evolve, and disappear once the characters had more depth. The one thing that struck me is how you developed their relationship for me. What started off superficial, soon made me imagine two different characters (than I previously mentioned) because there was more content to each persona because of that relationship. I actually felt empathy, perhaps on behalf of James, for the ailing ship. The Eewok reference was a bit cheeky, but I really want to know what he ends up finding.
Let us know if you ever get this finished. I'm probably not the only one who wants to read more!
Jennaskook "The Home That Built Us"
I'm going to be honest, the whole mother-daughter dichotomy is still elusive. I mean, I get the appeal of the relationships in Gilmore Girls, The Golden Girls, even Black Swan - but more from a scholarly side than emotional. Maybe it's a guy thing, maybe it's how I use the drama to drive character development rather than let it be the story arc itself, I dunno.
I realize, at this point, I've done a bunch of writing, and it sounds like I might be tearing into you. I'm not. I liked the story, a lot. The most destructive power in the universe is regret, and to me, nothing is more beautiful than the bittersweet, which I can see here in the characters' struggle to understand each other while each of them wonders 'what if'. The only other thing that would have made this more complete, was if I were a Lambert fan - I probably would have gotten the references right away, but that's on me.
I look forward to seeing what else you come up with in the future!
BoobMarley "Home is Where the Heart Was"
Someone said this was like Phillip K. Dick. Whether you agree or not, I would be a bit incensed at this. "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep" was pretty cool, maybe because I saw Blade Runner first, but his other stuff is so slow to develop. This didn't feel that way, at all. I would liken it more to Asimov.
In your writing, you make the future seem within reach. What would be miraculous today is mundane and what is boring to us today becomes a campy throw-back, valued for its nostalgia, if not mocked for its primitive nature. Images of "Minority Report" come to mind, but with more depth to the relationship because there's actual regret. I could actually see him looping the part where he "...hope[s] you fucking die..." as a punishment, living with that guilt.
Really good stuff here, be sure to enter the next contest!
EKublai "I've Been Sleeping With Mrs. Murphy"
I don't remember when you first used a gender pronoun, but it took me a while to realize the protagonist was a woman. That definitely changed the mood and made it a little more suspenseful for me, so, thank you for that! What seemed a bit disjointed were the beginning and end. I say this just because I'm a bit confused on the details - first it seems like her dad is having an affair, and that memory left its mark on her psyche. Then, in an earlier memory, we're told everything's okay and it's just a misunderstanding. At this point, I'm not sure how complicated her relationship with her father really is. And when she brushes off her husband at the end, it's kind of ambiguous to me what could happen next.
But this is shadowed by the twist in the middle. Like I said earlier, you are able to build the kind of don't-blink-I-want-to-know-what-happens-next suspense. At one point, I wished I was there in the basement, so I could kick the dog. I just kept thinking "shit shit shit shit - shut up shut up shut up shut up!"
I really think you have a talent for the cliff hangers, if you work on the exposition and endings, you're golden!
It's 2am - I'm gonna get some rest.
I'll finish with these tomorrow!
Disclaimer: I am not a judge in this contest, but rather an entrant. My views do not reflect those of the judges' and have zero influence on the final outcome.
In reading each of these stories, I've been blown away by the talent here, and moved, in a way, to comment on these pieces. Hopefully each of you find my criticism useful.
Picking up where I left off:
Mohabot "The Stranded Survivor"
This one was a trip, trying to figure out how he was castaway, and what (if any) the house's intentions were. I think a lot of this ambiguity came from how short it was. I think you could take more time to develop the character, especially since most 'survivor' stories don't include a house washing to shore.
A very original twist on the desert island scheme, I just wish I knew more about the protagonist and the house. Keep on writing, I want to see where you go from here!
Ironboy4928 "House of Dreams"
This was very Steven King-esque in the way there was a magic closet that made manifest the kid's dreams. Especially with the clown ("It"), I thought it would be a horror story, but it wasn't - and that's perfectly fine. You made it work as a sort of redemption through escape, and that's great.
Overall, it was short. You beat me over the head with descriptors, where there could have been more room to describe character traits, setting and even plot development. It takes me (and I imagine most readers) a few pages to identify with a character, and even more to feel empathy for them, as if they were real. When the story is over in a paragraph, we don't get that connection.
This was a good start, don't be afraid to make it longer! I look forward to watching you develop as a writer!
RedXBlood "Enlightenment"
Boy, this one was a trip! Moral ambiguity, right up to the end. Not knowing what this house really is, or what it's really doing let me explore a bunch of different story lines! For me, the ending wrapped up a little too neatly. All the uncertainty you developed so well came to a stop and I all but forgot about the house But that's okay. It ended up adding an unexpected twist, and I always appreciate when I can be surprised.
Best of luck in this contest, hope to see you in the next!
derek93 "How to Play Hide-and-Seek by Yourself"
Two words: cree py! The hair stood up on the back of my neck while she was in the closet! Definitely one you don't want to read right before you go to bed. He's not old enough yet to understand why, but I'm definitely burning all my son's stuffed animals!
Great job capturing such tension in a short span of time!
Luke "Untitled"
A sad story and, even if you're not the victim of abuse, still easily relate-able. This was right on the cusp of making me feel for Jake, when he grew up to basically become his dad. This kind of worked in a way, because then I didn't empathize with him and I was able to focus on the house more. In an ironic way, it made it difficult to empathize with the house, without that connection they would have had. The supernatural ending (if taken literally, and I think it was meant to be, based on the two men's reaction) was a twist I wasn't ready for since so much of the lead up had focused on the shared drama and emotions that go with it.
Pretty good for something you threw together for this. I look forward to your more 'refined' works!
LtMosely "When a Place Forgets"
This one had a touch of the supernatural, seen through a child's imagination. It was fun picturing the house looking after the kid, or playing games with him, without making anthropomorphic the building itself. What bugged me were the texts, and only because I'm married and I would not be that patient if my wife were bugging me about going with to something that is personal and a bit painful.
It did feel painful, though, when he realized that, whatever it was he shared with his old house, was gone. Kind of brought to life the old saying "You can never go back, again". A touch of the bittersweet, and I appreciate that.
I look forward to seeing your other works here!
Amaranthus "Alien in the Attic"
I'm sorry, but whether it was your intention or not, I read the Alien in Paul's (Americna Dad) voice, even though the whole spaceship in the attic is more along the lines of 'Alf'.
This piece got some momentum right near the end, I was disappointed to see it end so soon. With short pieces it is next to impossible to get the reader to feel like they could be the main character. When we are given such blunt descriptors "Jason was a selfish teen" and the exposition the alien gives in the attic, it feels more like a newspaper article we would read to learn something, rather than a story to make us think or feel.
You are definitely creative enough. If you work on making longer, more detailed pieces with some formatting, your works can take off!
Madhogwolf "The Time That House Forgot"
Kind of like Omega Man, if Charleton Heston were a house. I imagine Hiroshima, or some other demi-apocalyptic scenario, and now the house finds itself alone with nothing but its thoughts. This was another piece that I felt ended abruptly. Without more to the back story of how it came to be like this, there's no conflict. What we're left with is a lonely house that tries to remember what it was like when everything was peaceful. Very descriptive imagery here, the stage was set very well, if you can add some external catalyst this type of piece will really open up.
Hopefully I get to read more of your work!
CrackerJack30 "Haunted...?"
A neat twist on the traditional haunted house story. The house itself is sentient and punishes the lawyer, very creative! I found out quickly that I'm not supposed to feel any pathos for the lawyer - good job depicting a jerk there. What I could have used more of was the house as the protagonist. Considering the way things ended up, I wanted to feel sorry for the house, but the twist was over too soon!
A little more time developing the characters we identify with, and this can really speak to people on a personal level.
I'm glad you went with the haunted house, even after the warnings not to! I look forward to seeing you in the next contest!
