At 3/5/11 12:22 AM, Phobotech wrote: Right on, thanks for clearing that up

No problem.

It's been the slowest week ever, and each day I check back on both threads for activity. Where the hell are the participants?

At 3/9/11 06:13 PM, Phobotech wrote: It's been the slowest week ever, and each day I check back on both threads for activity. Where the hell are the participants?

I'm praying that they got the memo to spend time writing a decent piece for it. We have weeks left for entries to be submitted, so just bide your time and work on something else while you wait.

At 3/9/11 06:14 PM, Coop wrote: so just bide your time and work on something else while you wait.

I'm on it, boss

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I'm unsure whether this has been answered fully from a prior post but when including the four picture elements into our entry, do they have to be obviously presented as a person or place or can we apply them in a metaphorical sense?

I know to judge the entries you have to see how this has been done by the writer which means if one should decide to pursue the metaphor aspect, we would need to reveal certain connotations regarding these four pictures.

What do you guys think about this?

From Coop's original post:

Construct a story based around the four elements of the image posted below. What you see is what you tell us about. How does it affect the surroundings, are there characters? How do they interact? How far can human imagination take us with this?

The brief may seem constrictive in places, but it does allow a lot of secondary freedom. Try not to get too complex, as you are working to a word and time limit - there are only so many of us judging the piece on quality, not quantity. The same goes for characters, though please try to be original. Historical figures are permitted, but descending into some sort of piece based around characters from a fictional work that you have recently read should be steered clear of.

As long as we can bask in your creativity. Flex your imagination on how you can cleverly implement the four visual elements provided. The more creatively integrated into the story, the better, so long as the story is good.

At 3/12/11 11:24 PM, Phobotech wrote: As long as we can bask in your creativity. Flex your imagination on how you can cleverly implement the four visual elements provided. The more creatively integrated into the story, the better, so long as the story is good.

Ambiguity is a wonderful tool, so long as you know how to apply it!

At 3/14/11 05:14 PM, Coop wrote: Ambiguity is a wonderful tool, so long as you know how to apply it!

"With great power comes great responsibly"
Just don't get too carried away with the metaphor. My rule of thumb: at least one of the pictures should be physical in the piece. That way, it's not too deep.

I'm with whatever. As long as I'm entertained, impressed with how it's crafted, or involved with the story as I read it, that should be a good sign. Anything opposite to each effect will likely result in my disapproval.

I haven't entered one of these in a while. I haven't really been on this site much in months, I might try to write something up for this competition.

At 3/15/11 10:44 PM, WritersBlock wrote: I haven't entered one of these in a while. I haven't really been on this site much in months, I might try to write something up for this competition.

Please do, I always enjoy your entries!

Almost done with my first draft, anyone for peer review?

I've been sitting on this theme, waiting for the right story to come, and today, I started writing. I'm aiming for something just over the 1000 word limit, with four flash fiction "chapters" loosely focusing on one of the four pictures. The story is called Zero, and it's a second person microfictive post-apocalypse narrative. Each section will probably be about 250-300 words, as I really want to focus on the whole "less is more" approach. The four sections are respectively: The Wall, the Walk, the Wastelands and the Wildflower.

Here's the first section:

The Wall

Year Zero. It hits you like a freight train moving beyond its capacity and you're only left with the trail of ruins it leaves behind. Women and children walk the streets in search of food and water and shotgun shells. You may turn a corner and find the barrel of a gun pushed up against the back of your head or pushed into your throat or the blade of a hunting knife pushing up against your neck. Talk about a close shave, rip your fucking head off.

Year Zero. You're not the person you used to be. The brightness in your eyes has gone and replaced itself with a madness, an instinct you never thought you had. Your senses jump up a notch or two. Before Year Zero, you were homeless. You still are, but now everyone is. You killed a yuppie and stole his suit because it was the start of Spring and your jacket was too hot and you wanted to wear something that wasn't so filthy.

Year Zero. Everyone you meet thinks you're some sort of post-apocalypse warlord. You've got a bigger gun than they do and a wicked scar down your face from when you fought a stray dog for your dinner. And your new suit, with its blood-crusted lapel, it says you're not someone to fuck with. Some people hide from you, some people beg for your help, some try to assassinate you. You don't like those guys. But really, you just want to get up and over the wall before the New Suits come along and clear out the town of all the living bodies.

Dang, the stories are a bit longer this time around. At least the quality looks pretty solid. Keep it up guys!

Damn word limits! GAH! So many ideas but not enough space. Oh well. Edit edit edit!

I do think though a "good" old friend will make an appearance.

Hope everybody else's piece is coming along great too.

I'm experimenting with a different type of writing style, and I also tossed three story ideas before finally deciding on the one I'm currently working on. I hope that I can finish my story before the due date.

Sounds really interesting, I realise I'm a little late to the party here so I'd just like to ask a few questions

1. Is this comp still open for submissions?
2. Is there any rules regarding writing in UK / US English?
3. How loosely can we interpret the pictures?

Cheers in advance! I've got the seed of a good idea for this I think :)

At 4/3/11 03:50 PM, Fim wrote: Sounds really interesting, I realise I'm a little late to the party here so I'd just like to ask a few questions

Most everything you need to know is already in this thread

1. Is this comp still open for submissions?

Yep, you've still got about a month

2. Is there any rules regarding writing in UK / US English?

None that I'm aware of, as long as it's understandable

3. How loosely can we interpret the pictures?

Interpret the pictures in whatever way you want, but I wouldn't go on a crazy acid trip and write a crazy abstract interpretation of the pictures.

Almost complete boys and girls, anyone feel like reviewing it for me? I'll do yours in return.

Hopefully it'll be finalised in the next few days :)

At 4/6/11 05:46 PM, Fim wrote: Almost complete boys and girls, anyone feel like reviewing it for me? I'll do yours in return.

For sure. Just send it my way via pm. I don't think I will submit an entry because I am judging and I haven't found any inspiration. I may submit an entry if I can find something to write about by the deadline.

Literally just posted it ;O

spent a lot longer than I planned going through it tweaking and spell checking, I really shouldn't really be up this late on a work night :) If you guys could give me some feedback that would be great. I've never participated in one competitions before but I really enjoyed it, it was a nice challenge.

There we go, finished. Thank God too, had a bit of the opposite of a writer's block, I had too many ideas to fit into one story. Oh well, I'm happy with the product.

Best of luck to everybody else, and I can't wait for the results.

Finally, done. Took me waay too long, but I guess hours spent writing is better than hours spent doing bio homework :p

Four days left.

Gives me plenty of time to sit down and read each of these lengthy entries...I kinda wish I had paid attention to the rules so I didn't have to lop so much detail off of my own entry but, meh. I'm a judge now, so I'm probably not going to win. lulz

Glanced over some of the other entries and they've all been fairly decent so far, although I've noticed a couple of spelling errors (their/ there and they're isn't so hard people get it right!!) and a LOT of people have written about characters who smoked :P

hmm not much time left time to get cracking

At 4/12/11 04:12 PM, Fim wrote: and a LOT of people have written about characters who smoked :P

The thing about smoking is that if used right, it can show deep characterization. But, most of the time, it's just something to put in for no real reason what so ever besides something else to do besides talking.

lol, my character was modeled COMPLETELY after my brother. He smokes cloves, he has long hair, that shit happened to his Del Sol, and he currently loads up a white hearse with his audio engineering equipment. It ain't haunted though...and I DO hope he drives safely.

At 4/12/11 08:03 PM, BrianEtrius wrote:

At 4/12/11 04:12 PM, Fim wrote: and a LOT of people have written about characters who smoked :P

The thing about smoking is that if used right, it can show deep characterization. But, most of the time, it's just something to put in for no real reason what so ever besides something else to do besides talking.

I wasn't having a go at anybody, I wrote that myself because I felt it tied into my character, but I've just noticed that a few other people had done it as well. They seem to have craftily stolen my idea before I had even submitted it.

At 4/14/11 01:29 PM, Lemonator wrote:

At 4/10/11 02:06 AM, Jessprw wrote: Finally, done. Took me waay too long, but I guess hours spent writing is better than hours spent doing bio homework :p

Your story was awesome dude, I loved it. Few grammatical errors here and there, but I think the quality of your writing definitely outshadows it.

Thanks bro! Took me a damn long time to write, but knowing that someone really enjoyed it makes it completely worthwhile :)