HERESY! The Org's Spring Writing Contest

[Ludens]

HERESY! The Org's Spring Writing Contest

The Challenge Write a story, fiction, max 1.500 words.

The Theme Heresy (definition: any opinions or doctrines at variance with the official or orthodox position)

This can be the usual conception of radicals defying the Muslim or Catholic faiths. But there are a lot of other settings where it fits -- A sci-fi future where a woman without multiple eyebrow rings is shunned as deeply offensive. A Ceilt druid who wants to incorporate the cross into a midwinter rite and nearly pays with his life. An Athenian general who overcomes a move to ostracise him because he ignored the Delphic oracle.

The Prize As the winner, you will receive a highly-sought-after Org literary badge under your avatar to remind everyone of your victory for years to come!

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 All submissions must be original work, published or unpublished.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.

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 Monday, 19 March to the same time on Monday, 9 April. To submit your entry, PM your story to Tamur. The story will be posted in a separate submission thread.

5) Everyone may write and enter, from Junior Members to Org staff.

The Judging

The winner will be decided by two simultaneous votes:

• a poll open to all but Junior Members of the Org, and
• a PM-only vote from the contestants themselves. Contestants should PM their vote to Tamur by the vote closure date.

Both voting halves will be weighted equally in the final tally. In the case of a tie, both parties will receive the winner's badge.

The voting period will be opened shortly after the submission period has closed, and will run until 23:59 GMT on Friday, 13 April.

Good luck!

[edyzmedieval]

I'm in, but if I lose again, do I get a badge please? I participated in every writing contest(except one) and I lost every time.

Something like "Loser in a row - Writing Contest".

[Orb]

In!

[Monk]

Interesting indeed.

[King Henry V]

Gah! 1500 words is a tight limit!

[Crazed Rabbit]

I think I'll try this time.

I agree, 1500 words is very tight - why not 2000 or 2500? How are we supposed to be able to paint a magnificent tableau of a scene, with context, good characters, and a story arc? *

Crazed Rabbit
*Somewhat less than seriously stated. But only somewhat!

[Franconicus]

Picasso could express more with a single point than most others with thousand colors. Restrictions are the key to creativity!

[matteus the inbred]

It's true y'know...the story I entered last time was far too long and complicated and only got one vote.
Or possibly it was just rubbish and hence only got one vote (my mother is still wondering why I wanted her to choose a username and password and click a box on this brightly coloured screen thingy...).
2,000-2,500 words is, like, undergraduate degree essay length. Few people have the time to read a dozen essays and appreciate them.
Keep it short and sweet. Or, given the subject matter, short, sharp and heated till it's glowing.

This time will be different. I will, as Prince Ludwig the Indestructible would say, have my rewengey.

[The Stranger]

there arent that many submissions yet :P... i though the deadline had already passed... idiot i am... now i don't have any time to write one... exams... but ill try... have a dozen of good ideas

[Tamur]

Still have a ways to go before the deadline -- in fact, two weeks of procrastination await! You'd be surprised how busy procrastinating writers can be.

[sapi]

Still not a single good idea, probably because I'm too busy studying

When's the deadline again Tamur?

I'm free from the end of this week and might be able to cobble something together.

[Franconicus]

Just call me. I have more ideas than I can use

[sapi]

Nah, for stories i find it hard to write to another person's idea

[Tamur]

hi sapi, deadline is 23:59 GMT on 9th April --- just under two weeks. Glad to hear you can join us!

[sapi]

Okay - I'll see what I can throw together next week

[Franconicus]

Who is still writing on a story?

[pevergreen]

No chance ill be finished in time.

[sapi]

Unfortunately, I just haven't had any inspiration.

I could still turn something out, but I feel that it just wouldn't be any good

[Tamur]

I'm working on it! I had hoped we'd have more entries by now, but maybe everyone is just waiting (like me) till the last minute.

[Ludens]

I tend to do that as well, but I wouldn't expect a flurry of submissions on the last day. Perhaps we should post a "Last call for writing contest submissions!" threads in the EH and frontroom?

P.s. Just in case you got the wrong impression: I haven't got anything for this contest. I am lacking both the time and the inspiration to write.

[Franconicus]

What happened to the org of poets and philosophers?

[Tamur]

Perhaps we should post a "Last call for writing contest submissions!" threads in the EH and frontroom?

Done.

[Agent Miles]

Come on already! Look, here’s an idea. Some kid from far away uses his father’s sword to resist the heretical belief in a dark force.
No wait, that’s already been done. Crap!

[Tamur]

Just a final reminder --- we're leaving the contest open for entries until 23:59 GMT today. Please PM stories to me. Last call! We've got six entries so far, hope to see them piling up in my inbox in the next seven hours!

[Tamur]

The contest has closed. Polls will go up for those who submitted and the general Org audience as soon as possible.

Thanks to all who entered, and good luck!

[Franconicus]

How does this writers poll work? Do we send you a pm with our favorite? I assume that one shouldn't vote for his own, right?

[Tamur]

hi Franconicus,

Yes, those who wrote and submitted to the contest can PM me with their favourite from the entries. And, as you said, this cannot be your own, it must be your favourite out of all the other entries submitted.

I should PM all the entrants just to remind them of this, but writers can PM me with their vote as soon as they're able. There's no need to wait for the members-at-large poll to go up.