Short Story Contest #8 - Knife-edge [Lack of activity]

[The World Is Flat]

Knife-Edge
Contestants are required to write a short story based around a character 'on thin ice'. A tension featured through-out the work, which must come full circle by the end of the work. Cliffhangers suggested The story must be written in the vein of Realistic Literary Fiction; ...The term is principally used to distinguish "serious fiction" which is a work that claims to hold literary merit, in comparison from genre fiction and popular fiction (i.e., paraliterature). In broad terms, literary fiction focuses more upon style, psychological depth, and character. This is in contrast to Mainstream commercial fiction, which focuses more on narrative and plot. Literary fiction may also be characterized as lasting fiction — literature which continues to be read and in-demand many decades and perhaps centuries after the author has died.' There are no constraints on the time-period of the story. [][]
(Note that the next theme will be a fantasy theme if this one is accepted.)

On a further note about 'knife-edge': the theme is rather loose, contestants are only required to include a tension or balance featured through out the story that must find break in one way or another. Besides this tension and breaking, nothing else is constrained. (other than the genre)

• The entry must be a minimum of 3,000 words and a maximum of 12,000
• The entry must be a work of Realistic Literary Fiction, and abide by the theme.
• No plagiarism will be accepted. Period.
• All entries must be written in fluent English, illegible entries will be disqualified.
• At least one WIP (Work In Progress) must be presented before the deadline.
• The entry must abide by the theme.
• The story may NOT be derived from preexisting works of literature/art by any author, including yourself.
  

• First Place: 50 reputation points and your entry on the award icon
  
• Second Place: 35 reputation points and an award icon
  
• Third Place: 15 reputation points and an award icon

• Available slot!
• Available slot!
• Available slot!

Characterization	The depth and psychology of your characters.	/25
Theme	How well you followed the theme.	/25
Flow & Pacing	The writer's ability to pace appropriately.	/15
Creativity & Originality	The ability of the writer to spin his characters in a new light.	/15
Eloquence	The beauty, efficiency, and function of the writers paragraphs and grammar	/20

• 80 % of the winner shall be determined by the contest's appointed judge(s).
• 20 % of the winner shall be determined by the results of a public poll.

• The contest shall begin on 11/2/11 and conclude on 12/22/11, GMT
• There will only be ONE extension possible and the maximum duration of this will be 8 days.
• The contest will only conclude and if there are a minimum of 3 completed entries. If there are not, then the contest will be extended.

 

[Pharaoh_]

A very interesting concept! Have fun

 

[Hubcool]

~in~

 

[Dynamiczx]

Count me in as well!

 

[RiotZ]

Damn 11|2|11 that's today, I don't know if I can do this one because of time constraints.

 

[Edhel-dur]

Yeah cool, will there be more than 1 judge this time around?

 

[Dynamiczx]

Yeah cool, will there be more than 1 judge this time around?

There seem to be 3 available judge slots so i think yes, as long as more than 1 person applies for the post of judge

 

[Edhel-dur]

There seem to be 3 available judge slots so i think yes, as long as more than 1 person applies for the post of judge

I'm asking because last time again there were 3 judge slots but no one wanted to judge that contest.

 

[Traxamillion]

I'm in.

Can we change the judging weight? more towards 50/50?

Also this is not going to be anonymous submissions right?

 

[GunSlinger]

Eloquence

The beauty, efficiency, and function of the writers paragraphs and grammar

/20

Damn.

 

[Dentothor]

id be down to give this a try.

 

[The World Is Flat]

I'm in.

Can we change the judging weight? more towards 50/50?

Also this is not going to be anonymous submissions right?

Votes tend to be more of a popularity vote rather than a serious vote. Not all, but most, and with 3 judges, we probably won't have problems.

 

[Pharaoh_]

On the other hand, why someone that belongs to the public voters should vote wisely, when only 20% of the final score will affect the contestant? Isn't this a ticket to trolling?

 

[Fussiler1]

I'll try to finish something, for once. However, I think this is the third Story Contest in a row, so don't count on it.

 

[RiotZ]

Eloquence

The beauty, efficiency, and function of the writers paragraphs and grammar

/20

That's grammatically incorrect, you missed your apostrophe. C:

*writer's or writers' for multiple people.

 

[Dentothor]

yeah we need to past a WIP so heres a preview

My eyes flutter as my consciousness waxes and wanes. The world opens up before me as I take in a slow shallow breath. My eyes open just enough to see what pains the air pressing its way to my lungs. Pockets of black and blue lie upon my bare chest. I lazily lift my head to the barren room before me. Blood is pooling in the center of the room; my blood. Questions instantly flood into my mind, and I struggle to back away from the blood as much as possible. My efforts are in vain, and I come to the realization that my arms are tied behind my back. My eyes dart around the room of light green ceramic tiles and I see a fortified door as well as a barred window on the opposite side. The room is stuffy, and smells rotten, and the corners have scattered amounts of cockroaches. Among the questions flooding into my head, one rings in loud and clear, “How did I get here?” As if in answer, the lock on the fortified door thumps open and the door swings open with a shriek that burns in my ears. Two men in suits walk in casually, stepping over my blood and staring down at me, as if I were a wounded animal in their hunting grounds. I sense an anger burning in their eyes through their dark glasses. They untie me and pick me up, dragging me out into the clammy thin corridors outside my isolated room.

 

[Dynamiczx]

What exactly is a WIP?

 

[Dentothor]

Work in Progress...

 

[The World Is Flat]

I suggest you ALL read some literary fiction to familiarize yourselves with the style.

And dent, slow down, your making it more about plot, and less about the people. I know its one paragraph, but slow down.

 

[RiotZ]

I suppose I'll write about the psychological scorn that is war.

 

[The World Is Flat]

Remember, literary fiction is about the characters. not the plot.

 

[RiotZ]

Remember, literary fiction is about the characters. not the plot.

The characters are the plot. PARADOX.

 

[The World Is Flat]

But if the characters are the plot then the plot is the characters and the plot is the plot so the plot remains the plot while the characters remain them.

So no.

 

[RiotZ]

But if the characters are the plot then the plot is the characters and the plot is the plot so the plot remains the plot while the characters remain them.

So no.

No'n'n'n'n'n no, you said, "and the plot is the plot" the characters are the plot, and the plot is the characters. So yarly.

 

[Avator]

I can't believe this is going to be the theme. Last contest, there were several issues with people not fully understanding the term 'space opera', even though there were plenty of examples. And now the theme is an even more vague term. I predict trouble and this very page has already proven that (the very first WIP of the contest and its comment by TWIF). I didn't check the theme picking thread, but this is going to be a very bad theme for sure. Next time, let's take one that everybody understands without any required references to a wiki site. It's like a music thread where only melodic death metal is allowed; nobody will know the exact lines of where it's melodic (instead of e.g. symphonic) and when it's death (instead of e.g. heavy, trash or viking). I hope that illustrates my point clear enough. That would mean that the upcoming fantasy theme should not be narrowed down to something ridiculously specific like 'Wuxia fantasy' (found after a quick wiki search).

 

[Vengeancekael]

My god, 20 points for grammar? That's a lot <.<

 

[Dynamiczx]

I suggest you ALL read some literary fiction to familiarize yourselves with the style.

And dent, slow down, your making it more about plot, and less about the people. I know its one paragraph, but slow down.

Any literary fiction books you might suggest?

 

[Bugz]

Joining this one, i already have an idea in mind.

 

[supertoinkz]

Any literary fiction books you might suggest?

Cold Mountain (its a novel) I think is one.

 

[Dentothor]

the story is going to be based around the characters metal state. the beginnning is only the backstory towards his state of mentality

 

[RiotZ]

the story is going to be based around the characters metal state. the beginnning is only the backstory towards his state of mentality

That's how I set mine up.

 

[GunSlinger]

Can it be written in first person?

 

[The World Is Flat]

It CAN be, but I haven't been able to recall any decent Literary Fiction i've read that has been written in the first person.

 

[RiotZ]

My story is kind of corky and out of theme, I think I may rewrite when I have time.

 

[RiotZ]

Valid double-post.

Am I the only one without a story at this point?

SOMEONE HELP ME! I'VE ONLY GOT A MONTH LEFT. xD

 

[Dynamiczx]

Valid double-post.

Am I the only one without a story at this point?

SOMEONE HELP ME! I'VE ONLY GOT A MONTH LEFT. xD

I am also...i think i will start at the beggining of december as in the next 2 weeks i got exams

 

[Wolfe]

My hand is up to judge.

 

[GunSlinger]

Just can't think of a good story!
gaah!

 

[RiotZ]

Just can't think of a good story!
gaah!

It's terrible isn't it?

 

[Apheraz Lucent]

To avoid certain issues, if Drake isn't joining this contest, count me as judge.
If he is attending, then count me as a participant.

 

[RiotZ]

To avoid certain issues, if Drake isn't joining this contest, count me as judge.
If he is attending, then count me as a participant.

Nathan Drake? Huh? Who? xD

 

[GunSlinger]

Nathan Drake? Huh? Who? xD

Drake/Dragonson.

 

[RiotZ]

Drake/Dragonson.

Oh, I do believe he is judging.

 

[Magtheridon96]

My god, 20 points for grammar? That's a lot <.<

English grammar isn't that complex anyway.
It's like a +20.

 

[Apheraz Lucent]

Oh, I do believe he is judging.

You all got a complete cycle then. One of us will mimic the other, meaning that if I am judging, he will too, and if he's going for an entry, I will too. But we need to make some sort of agreement before anything is confirmed, lol.

 

[GunSlinger]

Gonna pass on this one but I would like to judge if I'm qualified though.
:/

 

[RiotZ]

Gonna pass on this one but I would like to judge if I'm qualified though.
:/

Sad face.

 

[Apheraz Lucent]

Drake's not going after this contest. Count me as a participant. When this starts?

 

[RiotZ]

Drake's not going after this contest. Count me as a participant. When this starts?

Started in November, concludes Dec 22.

 

[Gilles]

If there's trouble getting judges, I'd be happy to volunteer.