Printer-friendly version"What It Was, Was Magic"
Yes, it's time for a new story contest! Summer is over and it's back to school, work or whatever.
The last contest had a Science Fiction theme so let's do something different this time; the theme of the new contest will be:
"What it was, was Magic!"
Now that's the theme, the story should include magic, or something that looks like or could be magic or just feels like magic. You're writers, use your imaginations!
Contest entries must be new original stories written for the contest and posted to Stardust between 12:01 A.M. EDT, Saturday, 6 October 2007 and 11:59 P.M. EDT, Saturday, 3 November, 2007. Note that the closing date was chosen to remove any uncertainty over Daylight Savings Time changes. This time there will be no extension of the final posting date. If you don’t have your story finished by then you are free to post it after the contest ends but it will NOT be accepted as an official entry. Stories can be posted to other sites first as long as the first posting is in that time frame and the posting or re-posting to Stardust is also in that time frame. And, of course, the author retains all rights in the story. Only stories posted to the Stardust web site will be accepted as entries in the contest. The story must be in the “What it was, was Magic!” category to be an official entry.
Yes, Halloween occurs in that time period but the story does not have to involve Halloween or witches or anything like that.
Story length, well, let's exclude drabbles and novels, so 1000 to 25,000 words. Only one official entry per author (regardless of number of pseudonyms), but authors can change which story is their official entry up to the contest deadline.
No fan-fiction but stories in established open universes are okay. If you are writing in an established open story universe please follow the rules set up for that universe by its creator. You must include a link to the rules for the story universe at the end of the story. We WILL be checking stories to make sure at least the basic rules are followed. Sorry, no Bikini Beach stories since it is NOT a completely open universe.
There's going to be a first prize of $40 (US) and a second prize of $20 (US). There will be Honorable Mentions.
The voting will take place in the week or so following the contest and the winner will be announced about a week after the voting ends.
Please ask questions if you have any.
Bob Arnold
Is Psionics classified as Science or Magic?
Uually we deal with psi null individuals in our stories so this doesn't come into play. Somtimes the mentor of the person with psionics is clearly from the world of science or magic and we can deduce a simular leaning to the student. I can see a case for it being classified either place and was wanting your take on it.
All my hopes,
Sasha
All my hopes,
Ariel Montine
I'd say go for it
I'm trying to keep things pretty loose for this contest. The operative phrase here is : "the story should include magic, or something that looks like or could be magic or just feels like magic".
Bob Arnold
What it wus, wus football
That is from a classic mid 1950's Andy Grifths -- yes Maybury and Matlock -- commedy monolog about a country boy accidently seeing a football game. A total laugh riot.
Anyother contest, have we gone mad?!
Oh no!!! My muse is trying to think of something, AaaaacK!
John in Wauwatosa
But you're not a scientist. Surely you believe in all this superstitious nonsense. (MAD Magazine)
Could be worse, could be raining. (Young Frankenstein)
But you're not a scientist. Surely you believe in all this superstitious nonsense. (MAD Magazine) Could be worse, could be raining. (Young Frankenstein)
And the object?
Maybe the object is to get from one side of the pasture to another without fallin' down or stepin' in something. :: giggle::
All my hopes,
Sasha
PS... sounds like an interesting plot line...
All my hopes,
Ariel Montine
As I seem to recall...
...he thought the two teams were fighting over a watermelon.
And since my "serious" story doesn't seem to be going anywhere,
maybe I'll try my hand at this. I have the title and the closing gag
in my mind for SRU: OPERATION SUCKER PUNCH...
Ciao, I love this site, Bob!
---Laika
Yes
Definitely. :0
That clears that up!
Thanks for the help!
All my hopes,
Sasha (who is not psionic, wonders if she asked a yes or no question)
::giggling::
All my hopes,
Ariel Montine
Interesting
I haven't done anything magic in a while. Count me in.
Are there any other rules we should be aware of?
The rules for the contest
I've tried to keep the rules very simple for this contest and the entire rules are posted already. Of course, they are subject to change if someone has a question I haven't thought of yet. The one rule I'm sticking to is that there will be NO EXTENSIONS of time in this contest as I did in the previous one. Since I'm not accepting super-large stories in this contest around a month or so should be more then enough time for a write/proof/edit cycle.
Bob Arnold
Kool!
I read this last night and after having a rough night sleeping did come up with a story idea. Wrote it up this morning and now its on the the backburner to simmer for awhile before proof/edit. Heck I even have a title "The Fairy Queen's Ring: Another Halloween Fairy Tale. Yes, a sorta kinda sequel to my very first story posted here almost exactly a year ago. Fitting yes?
hugs!
grover
Plan? Ain't got no Plan!
"Beyond Thunder Dome"
Plan? Ain't got no Plan!
"Beyond Thunder Dome"
Hmmmm
Are you doing this so we can practice for NaNoWriMo?
Edeyn Hannah Blackeney
Edeyn Hannah Blackeney
Wasn't it Jim Henson that said, "Without faith, I am nothing," after all? Wait, no, that was God. Sorry, common mistake...
I'll have out dig out my old Andy Grifth record
I got a copy of the Andy and Cleopatra LP at a YMCA fund raiser in 1969/70 or so.
Darn another contest and I'm still working on my How novel is it BC entry. And then there are these several crossovers for Timeout people want me to work on. There is this smilodon mad Floridian, an anchient history nut in Michagan and, I won't even hint at the other one in the Mid Atlantic states -- yes, yes I'm working on it. Stop jabbing me with that pointed stick. Plus one of these days Rhodes may do something.
Heck I got a sideways mention in Brandy Dewinter's excellent Whateley fan fic. I've hit the big time.
John in Wauwatosa
But you're not a scientist. Surely you believe in all this superstitious nonsense. (MAD Magazine)
Could be worse, could be raining. (Young Frankenstein)
But you're not a scientist. Surely you believe in all this superstitious nonsense. (MAD Magazine) Could be worse, could be raining. (Young Frankenstein)
Vegas Books
Have the odds against my completing my entry at 3-1 right now. Hopefully I can prove them wrong.
Tick Tick Tick Tick
Author seeking intern with the ability to run around the sun backwards in order to slow down time.
No experience necessary.
O.K., so I'm stupid...
Or at least cyber-illiterate. Provided I get this story done by Saturday,
how do I add a link to the rules for BILL HART'S SRU UNIVERSE???
If anyone has the time I'd appreciate having it explained to me
like I knew nothing about computer stuff.
Thanks!
LAIKA
TG Universes
Bill Hart's Spells'r'Us universe category is listed. You can add a link to the rules (wherever they are) by just copy and pasting the URL of the rules page. Bob's software turns anything that looks like a web addy into a link.
- Erin
groovy!
Thanks Erin.
Since I'm very much down to the wire on this
(I figure 4 pm will give me a decent margin of error,
to get all the italics, boldface, center-aligns in place...)
I don't need any last minit surprises...SRU: OPERATION SUCKER
PUNCH would've been done long ago but I switched horses in midstream,
to a story that's a lot less glib & snotty.
Now, back to it! More coffee! Phone off the hook!
Damn the typos, full speed ahead!!!!
~~~Laika
phew!
I got it in just under the wire.
Congratulations to all the authors
Congratulations to all the authors entered in the "What it was, wss magic!" contest at Stardust. From begining to end this contest has brought out the best in the authors who have entered. Good luck to all in the prize competion!
All my hopes
Sasha Nexus
All my hopes,
Ariel Montine
I made it too
Great to see a bunch of my fellow word manglers made it in under the wire.
Sorry about the minimal proofing but I only finished the basic story around eight CDT today.
And one of the stories posted this evening had the SRU Wizard in Mayfair Mall, just over two miles west of my house. Talk about excitement! If I hadn't been typing and did not have a cold, I would have been there tonight with the Milwaukee Time Lords. Wow SRU meets Geeks Is Us. --snikcker, gufaw. Stop hitting me, evil blonde sister --
John in Wauwatosa
P.S. I advise taking two aspirin BEFORE reading my story.
But you're not a scientist. Surely you believe in all this superstitious nonsense. (MAD Magazine)
Could be worse, could be raining. (Young Frankenstein)
But you're not a scientist. Surely you believe in all this superstitious nonsense. (MAD Magazine) Could be worse, could be raining. (Young Frankenstein)