Theme: The Unexpected
Word Limit: 2400
Submission Deadline: Saturday, May 8th by 11:59 PM Pacific.
Voting begins Sunday, May 9th and goes until Tuesday, May 11th at 11:59 PM Pacific.
Optional Secondary Objective: Videogame Inspired: This is a gaming forum after all. Take some aspect of a video game and try and put your own spin on it. This is purposefully vague, so you can go in whatever direction you like. Maybe you just want to write Mass Effect fanfiction? Or you really like the Elder Scrolls magic system and want to make a suspiciously similar one yourself? Or maybe you just really dig the gritty tone of Max Payne? You can be as direct or indirect in your inspiration as you like.
On the Sunday during the challenge period, we have a regular writing hangout in the Discord server. Pretend to work on your alleged entry with a whole group!
Hidden content
You need to reply to this thread in order to see this content.
If you're new to the group and haven't found the general Writing OT yet, here it is:
https://www.resetera.com/threads/writersera-ot-publish-before-you-die.369/
Submission Guidelines:
- One entry per poster.
- Collaborations between two posters are welcome for all challenges, but they cannot also write a second submission individually. Collabs get 1.5X the stated word count maximum, rounded down to the nearest divisible-by-5 integer. Special collaborative challenges may have different rules.
- 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!
- See image, ask for help if you have trouble viewing.
Voting Guidelines:
- Three votes per voter. Please denote in your voting your 1st (3 pts), 2nd (2 pts), and 3rd (1 pt) place votes. You may add an honorable mention (HM).
- 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 using the thread creation Template
What if I win but I am too shy to make the new challenge?
You can pass on the new challenge honors to the second place winner.
Miscellaneous:
I missed this until too late. When's the next challenge?
They generally run every two weeks. The writing period goes for eleven days (Wednesday to Saturday), then voting goes for three days (Sunday to Tuesday). If you've missed one challenge, you only have to wait a few days for the next one.
Previous challenges can be found in the Thread Archive
Thanks to C.B. For the lovely banners, and ashes for the entry finding script, and all the users who have contributed to the rules and methods of the regular contests.
Here is our full, expanded FAQ