Summer Writing Contest 2009

[Rouge]

Here's the original post:
Well kiddo's, I thought of an idea to get some of you writing again.

Its pretty simple, and if this one goes well I shall hold another contest with a harder prompt.

Here it is.

Pick a song that you enjoy (any artist, any genre) and write a fictional story based on the song.

Simple enough right?

If you think you got what it takes, start writing!
The deadline is and will be strictly enforced to AUGUST 2ND.

Its not a lot of time, but its not a short amount either.
Its the summer, you've got nothing better to do. Why not have some fun with something you already enjoy?

The entries shall be judged by yours truly and the top three submissions will go up in a poll for your peers to decide who wins the contest.

For winning I shall see about getting free points for the new point system coming up and if that doesn't wet your whistle I will also be giving a free critique to the winner on any piece of writing they choose.
Still not enough?
Well lets just see what else I can dig up for the winner. ;)

If you're in, sign up in the thread.
The clock is ticking.

:D I'm not going to make any changes, except I don't know if the points thing will work, seeing as how everyone almost always has 30 points. Also, provide a link to whatever song you used when you submit it so we know what it sounds like.
Whoever wins gets a crit on whatever you want by us three. :D

Also, here's an example of a story did over a year ago based on The Window Song (http://www.playlist.com/search/tracks/Finger%20Eleven%20Window) by Finger Eleven. It's sort of . . . out there, but it's at least something for you to go by.

Example: Lack of Clarity
Sitting on my window seat, thinking, thinking, thinking. My head is down between my knees, my eyes are staring at the red cushions, paying no attention to the volcanic orb rising above the hills. The words are rushing to my head, but I have no where to put them, no where to write them down. My head is aching from the strain. It hurts from not allowing the words to get out; from not allowing them to flood.

Then my mind stops. Slowly, I pull my head up, and I look at all the opaque glass around my room. There are no walls, only the foggy windows. Maybe. . . I could write the words on the windows? Everything I had ever wanted to say, I could write here and they would disappear later. After the fog faded, the words would be lost. No one would ever know, but I could be satisfied, and maybe my head would stop hurting.

My index finger moves up to the closest window and touches the cool glass. Yes, this is what I will do. All the words in my head were being released, all on these foggy windows.

###

I’m sitting on my window seat again, now paying absolute attention to the volcanic orb melting below the hills. The words have lasted all day to my enjoyment. I can read them over and over and I can see them. I can see them.

My head finally stopped hurting. Now the words are written on my windows. No longer can my mind taunt me with its lack of clarity. Now, everything is clear to me.

I hear a quiet tapping. Someone’s at my door. Damn them for interrupting my thoughts of crystal clearness. I get up from the red cushions and look through the writ windows to the person standing outside.

The woman is young, and I feel that I should recognize her. I shake my head; the fog is settling again. No, not again. It was just so clear! Not again. Not . . . again. Maybe if I let her in, the fog will dissipate. I grab the diamond handle, and turn it, door opening.

She’s just standing there, looking at the ground.

“Hayden?”

I cock my head to the side, not understanding the tongue she speaks.

“I see that you don’t remember much . . . I like your house.” She looks around at my windows, my words, my letters. Then her eyes lock back with mine.

“You’ve written my name, Hayden. Surely you remember me?”

I look around, but all I see are the letters and words that I wrote earlier, nothing even close to resembling a name.

She sighed and looked around at the hills and the half flaming moon.

She began to look awkward, so she turned and began to walk away. “I’ll see you tomorrow evening.”

I close the door and go back to my red window seat to wait for the fog in my mind to disappear, forgetting about the woman completely. Forgetting her would clear my mind.

Yeah, that would work.


Judges:
Tsuki (Adri) (Me) :P
Bowie
Scotty McGee
Special Judge: Zombified


Contestants:
Ichigo
Simmi
Master Carlton
Starry -- Maybe
sXe_jinxeh
ReccyV
Iridescence
Eilidh
Mercy

[Ichigo]

Auughhh. I'm a horrible writer when it comes to stories. But I do want to do this. Sign me up and force me to keep it up. Throw virtual food at me if you must.

I might not enter it in the contest though, but I'll finish it and post it for the crits anyways...

[Zombified]

I have popped out of hiding again when I saw this thread.

I am glad it has been reinstated for this summer! It's a good contest, folks. A real nice way to get you writing again during the hottest time of the year.

Perhaps with the new administration this offer will not be accepted, but seeing as how I founded the idea, would it be horribly wrong to request I "guest judge" the entries?

Being gone all this time has really had a profound effect on my songwriting, so it would be interesting to see how others interpret one's lyrics to a story.

[jordanisonfire]

Guess it could be fun.

[Carraka]

Zombie!! Why would we deny you anything? xP

Okay, "new" administration. Don't make me look bad.

[Simmi]

I'm alll up for it! I haven't been writing lately even though ideas have been swimming in the deep end of the pool (if that makes any sense). But does it have to be a lyrical song? I have an instrumental song in mind, not Lux Aeterna, but I have many lyrical in mind, just incase.

P.S. I know it says any song, artist or genre, I'm just wondering. ;D

[Rouge]

I have popped out of hiding again when I saw this thread.

I am glad it has been reinstated for this summer! It's a good contest, folks. A real nice way to get you writing again during the hottest time of the year.

Perhaps with the new administration this offer will not be accepted, but seeing as how I founded the idea, would it be horribly wrong to request I "guest judge" the entries?

Being gone all this time has really had a profound effect on my songwriting, so it would be interesting to see how others interpret one's lyrics to a story.

Absolutely. I wouldn't deny you anything, especially something that you came up with. You know that!

:D

[Shaun]

I would deny you things, Zombie. Good lord. You're not banned from the site. If you want to pop in once in a while and post and crap, do it :P. I don't care. Worry about this kind of crap when I ban you.

[MasterCarlton]

Is it too late to sign up for this???

[Shaun]

Well it just started, so I assume it's not too late.

[MasterCarlton]

Awsome, then SIGN ME UP :D

[Starry]

Hm. I'm usually horrible at taking inspiration from songs, but I've been so devoid of inspiration lately that it might work. I'll consider it, at least.

[sXe_Jinxeh]

I'm so freaking in! :D

[ReccyV]

Sure, I've nothing better to do.

[Iridescence]

Two words.
HECK.
YEA.

[Eilidh]

Ahh, can I do it, or am I too late D:

[Rouge]

Nope, still can sign up. ^^

[Mercy]

Sign me up - I can't promise anything, but I'll try.

[Shaun]

Cause she's a mod here :P.

[Rouge]

Tsuki - why not run something like this on TW? I'm far more active there.

I only lurk TW. This is my site.

[Simmi]

Jeez, I never thought this would be so hard. Will we get to read eachother's storys?

[Rouge]

Uhhh. . . Probably only first, second and third place.

I don't think we're going to post all of them; there are ten signed up. I mean, I could if all of you were okay with that.

[Simmi]

Okay. That makes sense.

[Shaun]

Well, I imagine the stories will end up getting critted here. That would be ideal. Even if they didn't win it would be nice to see all the things people wrote and to get them in good shape. You all should be working on improving your writing here :P.

[Eilidh]

When is the deadline? Sorry if someone posted it D:, just because not everyones summer ends on the same day.

[Rouge]

Just by the first of August. You can send it in before though, so whenever's good for you.

[Eilidh]

Just by the first of August. You can send it in before though, so whenever's good for you.
Ah, okay. I'll start working on it as soon as I get my new laptop :D

[Fiction]

I'm signing up. So I just post it in a thread, right?


Nevermind.

[Rouge]

Anyone who's signed up, don't forget that your stories are due in less than a month.

[jordanisonfire]

Yeah, I want to quit from this. I'd rather work on some other stuff I got going than this.

[Rouge]

'Kay, it's cool. ^^

[johnroyal]

Could I still sign up for this?

[Rouge]

Yes, so long as you have the entry in by the first of August, anyone can still join. :D

[Alice Glitterhorn]

Let's see what I can muster up for this... I'm definitely signing up. Two weeks, though... Jeez. Oh well, that's what comes from disappearing for months :) Besides, I can think of DOZENS of good songs to write stories on :D

Oh... how long does the story have to be? The length of the one you made or longer?

[johnroyal]

I sincerely hope Adri is the one taking the entries... Cuz thats who I sent mine to.

[Mercy]

You send one to all the judges. ^^

[johnroyal]

*feels noobish and embarrassed, like a puppy*
Okay.

[Mercy]

It's fine, I didn't know it, either, until Adri told me. ^^

[Rouge]

o.o You wrote that really fast. xDDDD
-applauds-

[johnroyal]

I wrote it late June as an excercise/challenge but I didn't say so because I didn't want to clutter the thread, which I am doing with this post.

[Zombified]

Tomorrow is the deadline, everyone!

Congrats to those who have already sent in your stories. So far they are all very good.

[Rouge]

^^ Yep. Tomorrow, by midnight, if anyone else has stories, you better send them to us! :)
When we judgin', boys?

[Zombified]

I'm reading all the stories today.
By tomorrow I will have my pick.

[Rouge]

I think I have mine, but I don't think you're going to agree with me. ^^ I'm going to finish reading them now.