Theme - "The Gift"
Word Limit: 2100
Submission Deadline: Friday, Sept 25th by 11:59 PM Pacific.
Voting begins Saturday, Sept 26th, and goes until Monday, Sept 28th at 11:59 PM Pacific.
Grace Periods: Each of the above deadlines will be followed by a 6-hour grace period. Submissions made after the end of the grace period will be ineligible, and votes cast after the end of the grace period will not be counted. Remember that these are grace periods, not extensions of the deadline--you should still submit your work or cast your vote by the deadline set above.
Optional Secondary Objective: Specificity in Verbs
Remember how we did "Specificity in Nouns" a while back? As with nouns, choosing specific verbs over generic ones can strengthen and clarify your writing. Do an edit pass of your story where you consider replacing vague, generic verbs with specific ones. Does Nick really just walk into the office? Maybe he shuffles in. Maybe he strides in. Maybe he slinks in. Maybe he struts in. These all carry different meanings and different flavors, so of course you'll want to be deliberate in your selection. But it's an opportunity to make your verbs do additional work.
As with generic nouns, sometimes generic verbs are the appropriate choice. Maybe you just want to quickly convey that Nick is in the office now, without calling attention to how he gets there. That's fine! The aim of this secondary is that you make deliberate choices about your verbs, not that you turn every action into something overwrought and flowery. Strike a balance! ("Said" is a great example of where you should just stick with the generic verb, because you almost never want to pull attention away from the dialogue.)
Submission Guidelines:
- One entry per poster.
- All submissions must be written during the time of the challenge.
- Using the topic as the title of your piece is discouraged.
- Keep to the word count!
Voting Guidelines:
- Three votes per voter. Please denote in your voting your 1st (3 pts), 2nd (2 pts), and 3rd (1 pt) place votes.
- Please read all submissions before voting.
- You must vote in order to be eligible to win the challenge.
- When voting ends, the winner gets a collective pat on the back, and starts the new challenge.
NeoGAF Creative Writing Challenge FAQ
Previous Challenge Threads and Themes
Word Limit: 2100
Submission Deadline: Friday, Sept 25th by 11:59 PM Pacific.
Voting begins Saturday, Sept 26th, and goes until Monday, Sept 28th at 11:59 PM Pacific.
Grace Periods: Each of the above deadlines will be followed by a 6-hour grace period. Submissions made after the end of the grace period will be ineligible, and votes cast after the end of the grace period will not be counted. Remember that these are grace periods, not extensions of the deadline--you should still submit your work or cast your vote by the deadline set above.
Optional Secondary Objective: Specificity in Verbs
Remember how we did "Specificity in Nouns" a while back? As with nouns, choosing specific verbs over generic ones can strengthen and clarify your writing. Do an edit pass of your story where you consider replacing vague, generic verbs with specific ones. Does Nick really just walk into the office? Maybe he shuffles in. Maybe he strides in. Maybe he slinks in. Maybe he struts in. These all carry different meanings and different flavors, so of course you'll want to be deliberate in your selection. But it's an opportunity to make your verbs do additional work.
As with generic nouns, sometimes generic verbs are the appropriate choice. Maybe you just want to quickly convey that Nick is in the office now, without calling attention to how he gets there. That's fine! The aim of this secondary is that you make deliberate choices about your verbs, not that you turn every action into something overwrought and flowery. Strike a balance! ("Said" is a great example of where you should just stick with the generic verb, because you almost never want to pull attention away from the dialogue.)
Submission Guidelines:
- One entry per poster.
- All submissions must be written during the time of the challenge.
- Using the topic as the title of your piece is discouraged.
- Keep to the word count!
Voting Guidelines:
- Three votes per voter. Please denote in your voting your 1st (3 pts), 2nd (2 pts), and 3rd (1 pt) place votes.
- Please read all submissions before voting.
- You must vote in order to be eligible to win the challenge.
- When voting ends, the winner gets a collective pat on the back, and starts the new challenge.
NeoGAF Creative Writing Challenge FAQ
Previous Challenge Threads and Themes
