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Mike M · Jul 21, 2015

Theme - "What Lies Below"

Word Limit: 1500

Submission Deadline: Friday, July 31st by 11:59 PM Pacific.

Voting begins Saturday, August 1st, and goes until Monday, August 3rd at 11:59 PM Pacific.

Optional Secondary Objective: Anonymous

Awwwwww yeeeeeeah, let's do this shit. It's been more than a year since we last did this,and I've been sitting on this waiting for a win to post it. Last year my entry planted the seed for a NaNoWriMo novel that November, will this time have the same success?

Probably not. But fuck it, let's do it anyway!

Instead of posting entries as normal, everyone PMs me their entry, and I will post them in a single batch once the submission period closes. After voting closes, the authors will be revealed. Until then... feel free to obfuscate and misdirect as much as you please!

To submit your entry, please send me your story (and title!) via PM. This could be a link to a doc or txt file, or plaintext in the PM itself. I will format all the entries to look similar, password-protect and PDF them, and host them on my Dropbox. They will be removed a week after the end of the challenge. Feel free to note in-thread that you've submitted... or don't!

If you don't feel comfortable submitting this way, please instead password-protect and PDF your story on your own, host it, and send me the link. I will post the link alongside the others at the end of the submission period.

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

Nezumi · Jul 21, 2015

OMG I was literally going to do the same secondary if I had won

DD

Mike M · Jul 21, 2015

Nezumi said:
OMG I was literally going to do the same secondary if I had won DD

Damn right.

Gamerloid · Jul 21, 2015

Since you plain to format them into password protected PDFs, that means Evilore doesn't eat them right?

Gah, I been wanting to improve in my writing so I think I'll sfart joining these threads.

Neeener · Jul 21, 2015

Cool!! I'm overly excited about this!

Plus a lower word limit... That will be interesting.

Maklershed · Jul 21, 2015

Tagging for the magical moment I finally do this.

Nezumi · Jul 21, 2015

Maklershed said:
Tagging for the magical moment I finally do this.

Seriously dude...

Maklershed · Jul 21, 2015

I do/did have half a story written for Ouroboros but didn't know how to finish it. I think I bit off more than I could chew by making it cyberpunk rather than keeping it simple.

Nezumi · Jul 21, 2015

Maklershed said:
I do/did have half a story written for Ouroboros but didn't know how to finish it. I think I bit off more than I could chew by making it cyberpunk rather than keeping it simple.

You really shouldn't overthink it too much. Just write something

FlowersisBritish · Jul 21, 2015

I was excited for this challenge, then i saw the word count. I already feel claustrophobic.

Cheat Code · Jul 21, 2015

My first try I didn't rank.

My second try I did rank.

It's only natural I win this time.

Mike M · Jul 21, 2015

Cheat Code said:
My first try I didn't rank.

My second try I did rank.

It's only natural I win this time.

That's how it went with me.

John Dunbar · Jul 21, 2015

i'm going to enter this time.

or i'm just saying this so maybe someone will guess i wrote one of the stories and not think i'm dead.

Rest · Jul 21, 2015

I've got something started, if I manage to finish it then I guess you guys can read it.

Rest · Jul 21, 2015

Damn, my exposition just nuked a third of my word count. I'm not sure I can make this thing lean enough to do all the things I want to do.

Neeener · Jul 21, 2015

Cheat Code said:
My first try I didn't rank.

My second try I did rank.

It's only natural I win this time.

Took me several tries to rank, then about four months to win one! Hell, I'm just happy it's making me WRITE!

FlowersisBritish · Jul 21, 2015

Ah man, I've been doing this for a year, and only now have I started to consistently place.

Ain't no one taking that third place from me

Edit: Actually holy shit, It's been exactly a year since I started doing these!

Cyan · Jul 21, 2015

Oh, sweet! I'm definitely ready for another anonymous challenge.

Also, grats on the win, Mike!

Osorio · Jul 22, 2015

I will do this.

I will not start my first draft on the day of the deadline.

Cyan · Jul 22, 2015

John Dunbar said:
i'm going to enter this time.

or i'm just saying this so maybe someone will guess i wrote one of the stories and not think i'm dead.

Hurrah! I will put your name down for all of them.

zanos · Jul 22, 2015

Very cool idea, looking forward to participating this time around

Blargonaut · Jul 22, 2015

I swore an oath to return one day

By Crom, it will be this day

Cowlick · Jul 23, 2015

I thought I didn't have a worthy idea for this prompt. Then I did.

And I thought I liked that idea. Until I didn't.

That story I started writing? I stopped. And I figured I wouldn't have another idea. Until I did.

FlowersisBritish · Jul 24, 2015

So what are we to do with criticisms? Do we just do them normal? Or do we pretend we didn't write out stories and try to create an outside criticism?

marimorimo · Jul 24, 2015

Hi. I've never participated or even posted in any of the writing challenges but I usually browse through the threads. I think I'd like to give it a shot. Is there anything I should learn/do first?

/please don't bite >.<

megachao24 · Jul 24, 2015

I'll give this a shot.

Hope this will be fun.

Cyan · Jul 24, 2015

FlowersisBritish said:
So what are we to do with criticisms? Do we just do them normal? Or do we pretend we didn't write out stories and try to create an outside criticism?

You can always wait until the last minute to post your crits.

Mike M · Jul 24, 2015

FlowersisBritish said:
So what are we to do with criticisms? Do we just do them normal? Or do we pretend we didn't write out stories and try to create an outside criticism?

I'm planning the latter.

FlowersisBritish · Jul 24, 2015

marimorimo said:
Hi. I've never participated or even posted in any of the writing challenges but I usually browse through the threads. I think I'd like to give it a shot. Is there anything I should learn/do first?

/please don't bite >.<

My best advice is start as soon as you can. If you have an idea, strike while the iron is hot, it's alright if it's not fully fleshed out, the key here is you've got to put the effort in, and the longer you wait the harder it's gonna be. Maybe join the writing hangout we have Sunday? Those are a good time to actually get some work done.

Mike M said:
I'm planning the latter.

HaHA! let the ruses commence!

Neeener · Jul 24, 2015

marimorimo said:
Hi. I've never participated or even posted in any of the writing challenges but I usually browse through the threads. I think I'd like to give it a shot. Is there anything I should learn/do first?

/please don't bite >.<

Cyan gave me the best tip ever when I started... just always submit something, no matter what.
It takes a lot of the uncertainty and overwhelm out when you see it as an assignment that must be done even if it's not your best work ever. This is not about being judged or impressing anyone, it's really about writing consistently so you improve consistently... Plus it's fun!
So this is my approach... go to the hangout, turn something in.

Maklershed · Jul 24, 2015

What does 'anonymous' as a secondary objective mean?

Dandy Crocodile · Jul 24, 2015

Maklershed said:
What does 'anonymous' as a secondary objective mean?

Did you read the text below it?
Basically if you submit a story, send it to Mike M who will work some magic and post the stories without the GAF names attached to them. This way they can be judged without anybody knowing who wrote them.

Neeener · Jul 24, 2015

Dandy Crocodile said:
Did you read the text below it?
Basically if you submit a story, send it to Mike M who will work some magic and post the stories without the GAF names attached to them. This way they can be judged without anybody knowing who wrote them.

It's a pity MikeM doesn't get to join the fun though, knowing who wrote what... maybe would could submit them anonymously to an email address he provides?? It would be cool if it was TOTALLY anonymous.
I'd totally just go get a gmail for one time use!

Nezumi · Jul 24, 2015

Neeener said:
It's a pity MikeM doesn't get to join the fun though, knowing who wrote what... maybe would could submit them anonymously to an email address he provides?? It would be cool if it was TOTALLY anonymous.
I'd totally just go get a gmail for one time use!

We had this discussion last time we did this and I made the exact same suggestion... I was I mocked for overcomplicating things...

Neeener · Jul 24, 2015

Nezumi said:
We had this discussion last time we did this and I made the exact same suggestion... I was I mocked for overcomplicating things...

ah man! I'd totally do it so that everyone could be in the dark. Even more fun!

Nezumi · Jul 24, 2015

Neeener said:
ah man! I'd totally do it so that everyone could be in the dark. Even more fun!

I totally agree with you. And personally I don't think it would be that much more work for everyone involved...

Mike M · Jul 24, 2015

I actually am driven mad by the not knowing, so this works out pretty well for me this round : )

Nezumi · Jul 24, 2015

Mike M said:
I actually am driven mad by the not knowing, so this works out pretty well for me this round : )

I can hear your maniac laughter already...

Edit: I think we should have a vote on how many of us want to drive Mike mad.
*Raises hand*

FlowersisBritish · Jul 24, 2015

Wait... I just noticed there were no grace periods listed. God damn it Mike. Do you want to drive everyone here nuts?

Mike M · Jul 24, 2015

FlowersisBritish said:
Wait... I just noticed there were no grace periods listed. God damn it Mike. Do you want to drive everyone here nuts?

I actually never put in the grace period unless I get sloppy cutting and pasting the previous OP. Keep your deadlines!

Seriously, though, my philosophy is that if you get it in before I wake up the next morning, it still counts. But I'm not about to tell people that.

Cyan · Jul 24, 2015

Nezumi said:
We had this discussion last time we did this and I made the exact same suggestion... I was I mocked for overcomplicating things...

Haha, poor Nezumi. I'm in favor of keeping it simple tbh though.

Neeener · Jul 25, 2015

Mike M said:
I actually never put in the grace period unless I get sloppy cutting and pasting the previous OP. Keep your deadlines!

Well that's pretty much Nezumi, Ashes, and me out!

Someone want to slip MikeM a sleeping pill?

trying to resist the temptation of last minute Saturday morning writing! It seems I do my best work under pressure.

Nezumi · Jul 25, 2015

Neeener said:
Well that's pretty much Nezumi, Ashes, and me out!
Someone want to slip MikeM a sleeping pill?

trying to resist the temptation of last minute Saturday morning writing! It seems I do my best work under pressure.

Can't do it this week either because we go on a trip Saturday morning.

Shokifer · Jul 25, 2015

I wanna do this but I'm scared. And a week left too.

Welp, the least i can do is try.

Cheat Code · Jul 25, 2015

Shokifer said:
I wanna do this but I'm scared. And a week left too.

Welp, the least i can do is try.

If you have any motivation to write, do it. It's a good time.

Shokifer · Jul 25, 2015

Cheat Code said:
If you have any motivation to write, do it. It's a good time.

I'll do anything Karl Pilkington tells me.

Noisy Ninj4 · Jul 26, 2015

Been lurking these off and on for a while. Guess I'll throw my lot in. Hopefully the story I write isn't too mundane.

Maklershed · Jul 26, 2015

Shokifer said:
I'll do anything Karl Pilkington tells me.

Send maklershed money.

Neeener · Jul 26, 2015

Maklershed said:
Send maklershed money.

Shokifer · Jul 26, 2015

Maklershed said:
Send maklershed money.

Cartoon Pilkington is a false prophet.

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NeoGAF Creative Writing Challenge #171 - "What Lies Below"

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