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NeoGAF Creative Writing Challenge #157 - "Abdication"

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C

Cyan

Banned
Theme - "Abdication"

Word Limit: 2015

Submission Deadline: Friday, January 9th by 11:59 PM Pacific.

Voting begins Saturday, January 10th and goes until Monday, January 12th 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: Start with the title

Don't start by thinking about possible plots or characters. Instead, come up with five possible titles for a story on this theme. Choose one (or post here and have us help you choose!), and then write a story that fits that title.


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
 
C

Cyan

Banned
Five titles I've come up with:

For Want of a Throne
The Great Abandonment
The Simplifier
Dealing Hope, Sowing Lies
Sic Semper Tyrannis

I'm not sure what some of them mean, necessarily. They're more inspired by quotes on leadership I looked up. :p

Edit:
Wound up going with The Simplifier.
 
HORRORSHØW

HORRORSHØW

Member
i undergo a ritualized abdication every morning, my porcelain throne bereft of its due offerings. there's this pit in my stomach, you see? hard as a marble and as big as an egg. it doesn't cause any pain. it just sits there, intimately throbbing like a teenage-lover's heart. my wife tells me to go see a doctor, but you know how they are. they have this blood-like eagerness to open you up and go prodding around your internal organs. no, they won't have me on their sterile slab of steel torn apart like christmas wrappings shredded by juvenile hands. besides, it may just be psychosomatic, a nervous symptom of my hypochondria. the birth of many illnesses are born in the mind, after all.
 
I

Iceman

Member
I know I won't have time for this but I want to contribute every dang time...

Possible Titles: (1) Blood Draw, (2) Otnemem, (3) Esau's Auncle, (4) The Flatulence King, (5) A Crown of Stars.
 
N

Nezumi

Member
Finally! I think I know the word. But i think i should consult a dictionary first just to be sure...

And I think this is the first time ever that I have no idea how to deal with the secondary.
 
C

Cyan

Banned
Nezumi said:
And I think this is the first time ever that I have no idea how to deal with the secondary.
Click to expand...

Could always google up a random title generator and see if any of them fit. :p I actually considered using that for the secondary.

It's kind of frustrating, I swear I thought up a really great secondary about two weeks ago that I figured I'd use the next time I did the thread, but then I couldn't remember anything about what it was... :/
 
D

Derwind

Member
Titles:
- "Power: The story of a struggle"
- "The dark glimmers of a departed seat"
- "Abandonment & the brevity of an occupation"
- "The abdicated soul"
- "The quiet resignation of a loud voice"
 
Z

Zweizer

Banned
Titles:
  • On the run
  • The Price of Freedom
  • Gods Bound By Rules
  • A Marionette's Happiness
  • My Little Kingdom Can't Be This Peaceful!
I'll pick the one that gets the most votes by Thursday 11.59 PM Pacific.
 
N

Nezumi

Member
Cyan said:
Could always google up a random title generator and see if any of them fit. :p I actually considered using that for the secondary
Click to expand...

It is just so juxtaposed as to how I come up with stories. I usually don't know what I'll call my story until I finish writing it and need to post it here. But how on earth am I supossed to name something without knowing what it is? Coming up with titles in the hope that something might hide a good story seems rather reckless... and this is coming from a person who has never heard of words like revision or second draft.
 
I

Iceman

Member
Zweizer said:
Titles:
  • On the run
  • The Price of Freedom
  • Gods Bound By Rules
  • A Marionette's Happiness
  • My Little Kingdom Can't Be This Peaceful!
I'll pick the one that gets the most votes by Thursday 11.59 PM Pacific.
Click to expand...

my pick: A marionette's happiness
 
C

Cyan

Banned
Nezumi said:
It is just so juxtaposed as to how I come up with stories. I usually don't know what I'll call my story until I finish writing it and need to post it here. But how on earth am I supossed to name something without knowing what it is? Coming up with titles in the hope that something might hide a good story seems rather reckless... and this is coming from a person who has never heard of words like revision or second draft.
Click to expand...

My rule of thumb: if the secondary would make me want to just not write a story, I skip the secondary. No need to do it if it's that antithetical to your process!
 
C

Charade

Member
Hmmm. Interesting...
knowing me I'll probably procrastinate even coming up with the titles :D

This could also be my last challenge for a couple months. Dreaded busy season... Unless I write poems or something.
 
G

GorillaWithDandruff

Member
I only have 3 that I really like and would actually run with. :/

1. They Called Me A Monster
2. The Stillborn Tyrant
3. Self-Sacrifice In the Hopes of Altruism
 
O

Ourobolus

Banned
Zweizer said:
Titles:
  • On the run
  • The Price of Freedom
  • Gods Bound By Rules
  • A Marionette's Happiness
  • My Little Kingdom Can't Be This Peaceful!
I'll pick the one that gets the most votes by Thursday 11.59 PM Pacific.
Click to expand...
Gods Bound by Rules. But only because I like Nier.

Screw it. Everyone suggest a title for me, and I'll work with the one I like the most. Don't even care how ridiculous it is.
 
Z

Zweizer

Banned
Ourobolus said:
Gods Bound by Rules. But only because I like Nier.

Screw it. Everyone suggest a title for me, and I'll work with the one I like the most. Don't even care how ridiculous it is.
Click to expand...

Teehee~ Pretty obvious reference. NieR is awesome!

Suggestion for a title:
I couldn't come up with a good title for my newest decree and now there is a civil war!
 
M

Mike M

Nick N
Despite being a day late, a holiday, the anniversary of my first date with my wife, and my being on vacation, I still got my draft in : P

Now if you'll excuse me, I'm apparently sleeping on the couch tonight.
 
N

Nezumi

Member
Cyan said:
Five titles I've come up with:

For Want of a Throne
The Great Abandonment
The Simplifier
Dealing Hope, Sowing Lies
Sic Semper Tyrannis

I'm not sure what some of them mean, necessarily. They're more inspired by quotes on leadership I looked up. :p
Click to expand...

Dealing Hope, Sowing Lies

Iceman said:
I know I won't have time for this but I want to contribute every dang time...

Possible Titles: (1) Blood Draw, (2) Otnemem, (3) Esau's Auncle, (4) The Flatulence King, (5) A Crown of Stars.
Click to expand...

The Flatulence King

Derwind said:
Titles:
- "Power: The story of a struggle"
- "The dark glimmers of a departed seat"
- "Abandonment & the brevity of an occupation"
- "The abdicated soul"
- "The quiet resignation of a loud voice"
Click to expand...

The quiet resignation of a loud voice

Zweizer said:
Titles:
  • On the run
  • The Price of Freedom
  • Gods Bound By Rules
  • A Marionette's Happiness
  • My Little Kingdom Can't Be This Peaceful!
I'll pick the one that gets the most votes by Thursday 11.59 PM Pacific.
Click to expand...

A Marionette's Happiness

GorillaWithDandruff said:
I only have 3 that I really like and would actually run with. :/

1. They Called Me A Monster
2. The Stillborn Tyrant
3. Self-Sacrifice In the Hopes of Altruism
Click to expand...

The Stillborn Tyrant

Ashes said:
Love.
Hate.
Life.
Death.
Birth.

Or Ashes.
Click to expand...

Life


I told my husband to give me five random titles. Here is what he came up with.

1.) The Black Ear
2.) A lighter Note
3.) The Nutcracker's Song
4.) Humbly Yours
5.) The Cardboard Horse

I'm very much open for suggestions which one to choose :)
 
C

Chainsawkitten

Member
Rename it to The Cardboar House and write it about a couple of boars playing poker and the protagonist finally winning back his earnings through bluffing when he actually had nothing and the opponent had a Full House.
 
C

Cyan

Banned
Hey dudes, you might remember me talking before about the short story intensive class that I took, taught by Mary Robinette Kowal. These things normally sell out way in advance, but she forgot to email out notices for the latest one due to the holiday crunch. So her class this weekend has 3 open spots.

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/short-story-intensive-2-january-2015-tickets-14920790486?

You'll need: an internet connection and a mic. A camera is nice but not required. You'll also need to have most of the weekend free to commit to this, and the class costs $250. Starts at 7 PM tomorrow with a brief session, then two most-of-the-day sessions.

For anyone with the time and money, I highly recommend this.

Edit:
And it turns out she's doing another one the following weekend, which still has 5 open spots! https://www.eventbrite.com/e/short-story-intensive-9-january-2014-tickets-14921114455

Somebody sign up!
 
C

Cyan

Banned
Mike M said:
Well fuck.

The irony of only ever being able to afford these things if I were a wildly successful writer : P
Click to expand...

:(

I really do think you'd find it worth it, but it's definitely a decent chunk of change right after the holidays.
 
M

Mike M

Nick N
Cyan said:
:(

I really do think you'd find it worth it, but it's definitely a decent chunk of change right after the holidays.
Click to expand...
I think I'd find it worth it too!

My goal is to attend at least one workshop/class/conference by 2016. It just takes way more planning than it did when I was a bachelor.
 
N

Nezumi

Member
Cyan said:
Hey dudes, you might remember me talking before about the short story intensive class that I took, taught by Mary Robinette Kowal. These things normally sell out way in advance, but she forgot to email out notices for the latest one due to the holiday crunch. So her class this weekend has 3 open spots.

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/short-story-intensive-2-january-2015-tickets-14920790486?

You'll need: an internet connection and a mic. A camera is nice but not required. You'll also need to have most of the weekend free to commit to this, and the class costs $250. Starts at 7 PM tomorrow with a brief session, then two most-of-the-day sessions.

For anyone with the time and money, I highly recommend this.

Edit:
And it turns out she's doing another one the following weekend, which still has 5 open spots! https://www.eventbrite.com/e/short-story-intensive-9-january-2014-tickets-14921114455

Somebody sign up!
Click to expand...

Tempting. I definitely had the money but time might be a problem...
 
N

Nezumi

Member
It's more the failing I fear :( though I know that this is kind of stupid. I'm usually not bad at taking criticism. But I just realized that there won't be any time for my husband to recheck the spelling in my assignments and this is something I'm really self-conscious about because even though I know how a word is written I am simply unable to see my spot any mistake once I write it wrong. So at the moment all I can think of is how I'm going to present bad stories full of spelling mistakes to a bunch of strangers that are probably way better at the whole thing than I am.
 
A

Ashes

Banned
Spelling errors?
Hate to break to you, but you're doomed to fail, with no possibility of ever overcoming this with like a spellchecker or something.

Just be optimist optimistic Nez; its' it's much mor more useful to you.
 
N

Nezumi

Member
The problem with English is that there are a lot of words that can be written wrong in the context but still be a perfectly correct word ergo not getting picked up by spellchecking-softwares.

But you are right, of course. And I actually think that once the whole thing starts I'll be just fine.

Until then I'm gonna be a nervous wreck that will probably look for her old school books to make sure she has at least her grammar more or less right... and her punctuation... and... OK I might also freak out a little bit because English is not my native language...

Which is stupid because it would never occur to me to write my stories in another language. Every time I start writing something in German it just sounds wrong in my head.

...I'll stop rambling now...
 
C

Cyan

Banned
Seriously Nez, don't worry about it. Mary is a really nice person; let her know that it's not your first language and you're a little nervous about spelling and grammar and I'm sure she'll reassure you that it's not a big deal. :)

As far as general writing level, I'd put you more or less on par with the group I was a part of. I don't think you have anything to worry about on that score!

Anyway, I'm really glad you signed up, can't wait to hear how it goes. :)
 
N

Nezumi

Member
I know. And freaking out is especially stupid since every time you posted about one of those writing retreats or so, I would be like "Damn! I really want to do something like that as well but there isn't anything even remotely comparable over here." This workshop is finally a chance to do something like this without having to spend an additional thousand bucks on plane tickets :)

So yeah. Gotta keep calm and think about this weeks story instead, because I have to get it ready before Friday night this time around lest I don't fail with my new years resolution really fast.

Ashes said:
I think you should go run and hide under the bed.
Click to expand...

What? Last time you recommended a book as help in one of these threads I have found it to be really useful.
 
A

Ashes

Banned
Nezumi said:
What? Last time you recommended a book as help in one of these threads I have found it to be really useful.
Click to expand...

I was just making a poor excuse of a joke with reference to an idiomatic expression - the sky is falling. TBH, I don't think native speakers would have caught on. I don't have a funny bone. It is known.

The 'sky is falling' part is in reference to a little chicken who overeacted to an acorn falling on their head, and thought the sky was actually falling on them.

So I guess, I'm saying, you don't really have anything to worry about. It's just a workshop. You'll be fine. :p

Just find another kindle book. Or order this on Amazon.de if you want.
 
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