.Org Fall writing contest.

[Monk]

That's right, it's back and (oh you guess it.) better than ever! The .org writing contest returns for the Fall and we've gotten back to the basics with a story format this go around. Think you got what it takes to be able to win this go around? Then show us your stuff! We judges are eagerly awaiting your submissions. Find below a copy of the rules. Good luck!

The Challenge: Write a story, any type of fiction, max 1.500 words.

The Theme: The prosperity scene in Summer is slowly falling into decay with Fall, and thus that is our theme this time around. Decay. (This can take on many forms, be it the fall of a mighty empire, exile of a king, anything that fits the theme!)

The Prize: Winner and runner-up will both recieve a prized .Org literary badge to show off their victory.

The Rules

1) One submission per person. All submissions must be original work, published or unpublished.

2) The story must be fiction, and must be 1.500 words or less. Use word-counting software or web site if you need help with this. (Microsoft Word has it built in. For other word counting software try Q10)

3) The standard Org rules regarding language (and not the more lenient Mead-Hall ones) apply for the contest.

4) The submission period will run from a minute past midnight GMT on Friday, 3rd October to the same time on Saturday, 1st November. To submit your entry, PM your story to Monk. The story will be posted in a separate submission thread.

5) Everyone may write and enter, from Junior Members to Org staff, except for the judges.

6) ALL SUBMISSIONS ARE FINAL. Submissions are posted “as is” when received by Monk. Once posted it is not permitted to be edited (unless I screw up the bolding or formatting which I sometimes do, then I will fix.)

The Judging

Impress us with your creativity and your ability to hook us into your story in the first two paragraphs.

The winner will be decided by three judges:

Monk
{BHC}AntiWarmanCake88
Martok

What we're looking for is mainly a few things; Originality, Creativity, How well you express your ideas and captivate us. Judges will discuss which story is their favorite and after many hours (and threats!) a winner will be at last selected.

View the original post here. Check this thread for submissions, and feel free to voice any comments either in this thread or the one we've set up in the Mead hall!

[edyzmedieval]

In! I hope this time i'll win the badge, I tried 3 times but I failed each time.

[naut]

Time to get writing.

[Thermal]

ill try this....does anyone actually do 1500 words though? i could never find enough to talk about

[Monk]

ill try this....does anyone actually do 1500 words though? i could never find enough to talk about

You'd be surprised how little 1500 words can be. Some people have actually complained that conveying a meaningful story in so little can be hard, but then we remind them our first contests had a limit of 1000 words!

It's all in the spirit of challenge of course, we don't put these limits on you for our own amusement!

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

or.. do we?

[seireikhaan]

I'll give this a shot.

[Caius]

I'll give a try.

[Fragony]

I'm in.

[shlin28]

ill try this....does anyone actually do 1500 words though? i could never find enough to talk about

1500 words should be ridiculously easy to get though... for example, I'm doing my history coursework right now and my half-finished introduction is already 300 words... when the limit is 1500! (Half of my class complained as well, we thought its gonna be something reasonable like 5000 words...)

I'll probably write something for this contest once I finish my coursework.

[Thermal]

1500 words should be ridiculously easy to get though... for example, I'm doing my history coursework right now and my half-finished introduction is already 300 words... when the limit is 1500! (Half of my class complained as well, we thought its gonna be something reasonable like 5000 words...)

I'll probably write something for this contest once I finish my coursework.

i thought about 200 words was a page though, if so i think nearly 8 pages is alot...

[Alexanderofmacedon]

i thought about 200 words was a page though, if so i think nearly 8 pages is alot...

I have around 700 words already and I'm about 1.5 pages in Word.

[cmacq]

economy of word

[Ramses II CP]

I've written a little something for this ('decay' caught my fancy), to whom do we submit it?

[naut]

1500 words should be ridiculously easy to get though... for example, I'm doing my history coursework right now and my half-finished introduction is already 300 words... when the limit is 1500! (Half of my class complained as well, we thought its gonna be something reasonable like 5000 words...)

I'll probably write something for this contest once I finish my coursework.

The less words you write, the more words you make.

[edyzmedieval]

The less words you write, the more words you make.

Sigged.

1500 words is really not a lot. I have around 24000 words for my Fall of Constantinople writing, and its only 52 pages.

Perhaps we can do it a bit longer? More than 1500, so we can portray decay properly?

[Monk]

Sigged.

1500 words is really not a lot. I have around 24000 words for my Fall of Constantinople writing, and its only 52 pages.

Perhaps we can do it a bit longer? More than 1500, so we can portray decay properly?

That I believe is where the greatest and perhaps more engaging challenge comes from for these contests, the word limit. In the past we have done much tighter restrictions and also much looser ones. The spectrum being anywhere from 1000 to 3000 words allowed. Personally I always felt 1000 words was too few, and when i lurked the .org in 06 during my inactivity i felt 3000 was far too much. Therefore I sought to strike a balance, and i felt 1500 was a good place to sit the limit for now.

I've written a little something for this ('decay' caught my fancy), to whom do we submit it?

PM your story to me when you feel it is done. Submission guidelines are posted in rules 4-6 of the original post, so pay CLOSE ATTENTION.

Another link to the rules thread is here. Just in case some of you guys missed it the first time around.

[Thermal]

I have around 700 words already and I'm about 1.5 pages in Word.

oh...good, my estimates are a bit off then, unless your doing your font in size 1 font lol

[Ramses II CP]

Just wanted to post a link to a super quick java word count app, no downloading required:

http://www.javascriptkit.com/script/...untwords.shtml

[Monk]

Quick update.

The first submission was received and posted, you can read it (and all future submissions) here!

If you want to comment on the submissions or the contest as a whole, we highly encourage the use of this thread over in the Mead Hall. Continued good luck to all you writers!

[Monk]

A little over two weeks remain and still only one entry has been submitted in full, c'mon don't tell me that's all we're going to see!

Procrastination is the work of the devil! (well not really.)

[Decker]

A little over two weeks remain and still only one entry has been submitted in full, c'mon don't tell me that's all we're going to see!

Procrastination is the work of the devil! (well not really.)

I would love to put down a few ideas I have mulling about in my head, but school is a fantastic handicap . I hope to pump something out before the due date is due

[The Stranger]

I vote 2000 words!!!!!!!!!

cmon im on 1300 already and not yet finished, I have to add some convos here and there and also an end... 200 words aint gonna do it... and I HATE cutting in my stories.

[Monk]

Another submission added.Newest submission can be read here.

Don't forget about the deadline, it's only about a week and a half away.

[Monk]

New submission up.

[naut]

400 words left to play with, two scenes to finish. I'm assuming any numbering/the title doesn't count towards the 1500 limit.

[Monk]

400 words left to play with, two scenes to finish. I'm assuming any numbering/the title doesn't count towards the 1500 limit.

No it does not.

[Thermal]

ooh, i just read rames, i havent a chance if i enter mine
though what looked like a war turned more into an autopsy on his! but about the most technical one ive seen...

also what some others says not everyone has time 4 over 1500 words, putting in this amount as a maximum focuses on quality instead of quantity, how much can you write on decaying that is truly meaningful? this limit makes it easier to read also, much longer pieces can feel like there really dragging on, and chances our the extra work will be a waste and unnecessarily because to capture a scene you only a few words, its how efficient you are with the words which decides this, showing skill in itself if you can complete a meaningful piece of writing within the limit of words

[Decker]

Shouldda posted that in the critueqe section no? Wouldda been good for the authors to see

As for me... I just finished writing mine out on some paper. I think it needs to be shortened...we shall see! Hopefully I'll get in by Thursday.

[Yoyoma1910]

I've been working on a piece of poetry all month, but I haven't gotten past the line


"There once was a man from Nantucket..."


I just don't know where to go from there.

[Thermal]

mine so far, ive set up a serene scene and i just cant bring myself to making it decay

The Day Life Vanished


Amongst the cobalt of an aquatic surf silver scaled Capelin fish relish and splash in a crimson burnt sun. Fossilized shell occupies the under bank of some shallow waters accompanied with vibrant vitalized lily pads. Marshland surrounds the gentle sea with cotton grass dancing in a violent gust, while sparse rabbits hop tentatively and patiently while adapting to manoeuvre in the passive ground beneath them. The marsh is saturated with age more primarily than liquid. But soon everything hides and waits for reincarnation after sunset cloaks the vast terrain and a seemingly perfect scenery evaporates into the essence of heinous darkness.

Vitality was assumed to continue as it always did, only no light came on the next subsequent day, vegetation shrivelled