Theme - "Make Sense"
We live in troubled times. I suppose one could also ask when do we not? Regardless, I'd like to make sense of it. Some of it. All of it. I dunno.
Take a break from your life. Find a space. And Think.
Don't think that this necessarily corners you into 'serious fiction'. You can absolutely do this - write serious fiction - if you want. But you can just as well think we need a bit of escapism. A comedy even. Or a nonsense poem.
Come to think of it, it doesn't even have to reflect the times we live in. You could try and make sense of anything you like. Whether it's the wars of old. Or Love in the modern age.
Interpret the theme however you like.
Word Limit: 2016 words
Submission Deadline: Friday January 1st 11:59 pacific time.
Voting Deadline: Monday January 4th 11:59 pacific time.
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: Literary Story
'...works that offer deliberate social commentary, political criticism, or focus on the individual to explore some part of the human condition.'
[Also Optional] Super bonus op's special request:
Please write with children in mind. Whether that's very young children or young adults, I'm not fussed. It's Christmas. And I Iike reading Children's fiction at Christmas.
Writing Hangout: The first sunday of every challenge we have a two hour google hangout to give people a chance to write and talk shop. It happens Sunday 2pm pacific time and lasts till 4pm. While at least a mic is recommended, you DON'T need that nor a webcam to participate. We have a text chat too. The way they're laid out, is 10 minutes of chatting, then everyone turns off their mic and hunkers down to write for half an hour. Rinse and repeat. Anyone is welcome to join, newcomers and vets alike.
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.
-Critiques are NOT required. They're simply a thing some posters do. That said, if you like feedback, people would probably like to hear your feedback.
NeoGAF Creative Writing Challenge FAQ
Previous Challenge Threads and Themes
We live in troubled times. I suppose one could also ask when do we not? Regardless, I'd like to make sense of it. Some of it. All of it. I dunno.
Take a break from your life. Find a space. And Think.
Don't think that this necessarily corners you into 'serious fiction'. You can absolutely do this - write serious fiction - if you want. But you can just as well think we need a bit of escapism. A comedy even. Or a nonsense poem.
Come to think of it, it doesn't even have to reflect the times we live in. You could try and make sense of anything you like. Whether it's the wars of old. Or Love in the modern age.
Interpret the theme however you like.
Word Limit: 2016 words
Submission Deadline: Friday January 1st 11:59 pacific time.
Voting Deadline: Monday January 4th 11:59 pacific time.
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: Literary Story
'...works that offer deliberate social commentary, political criticism, or focus on the individual to explore some part of the human condition.'
[Also Optional] Super bonus op's special request:
Please write with children in mind. Whether that's very young children or young adults, I'm not fussed. It's Christmas. And I Iike reading Children's fiction at Christmas.
Writing Hangout: The first sunday of every challenge we have a two hour google hangout to give people a chance to write and talk shop. It happens Sunday 2pm pacific time and lasts till 4pm. While at least a mic is recommended, you DON'T need that nor a webcam to participate. We have a text chat too. The way they're laid out, is 10 minutes of chatting, then everyone turns off their mic and hunkers down to write for half an hour. Rinse and repeat. Anyone is welcome to join, newcomers and vets alike.
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.
-Critiques are NOT required. They're simply a thing some posters do. That said, if you like feedback, people would probably like to hear your feedback.
NeoGAF Creative Writing Challenge FAQ
Previous Challenge Threads and Themes
