NEW!!! The First ATS Collaborative Fiction Contest

This contest is open to ALL members with writer status.

This contest is for collaborative submissions only.

Please U2U each other and make teams of either 2 or 3.

If you wish to invite a member as a co-writer, then U2U me and I will grant that member permanent writer status so that they are able to participate.

Teams can either work on their stories within the Collaborative Fiction forum itself, or work it out via U2U.




The Rules;

1) Only the final completed version can be accepted as a submission with (FACFC) in the title.

2) Contest closes on January 1/2008

3) No length limits, neither short or long.

4) No more than 3 per team

5) All relevant T&C's apply



The Topic;

Any theme will be acceptable as long as it contains a weather event. It can be a hurricane, a drought, a thunderstorm, it doesn't matter. The idea is that in your story, the weather plays a part throughout. The story itself can take any form of writing.

judging will focus primarily on your ability to create vivid landscapes in the readers mind.

Prizes

1rst - 15,000 points
2nd - 10,000 points
3rd - 5,000 points

All participants in the winning teams will receive the same prize. If a team of 3 wins 1rst prize, then all 3 win 15,000 points

[edit on 27/11/07 by masqua]

Ahhhh, so no Halloween theme eh. Ok that changes I and TheDuckster's plot. So weather huh, hmmm. Well I think that can be done. Back to the drawing board Ducky.

First... who says it can't have a Hallowe'en theme? Throw in a snow storm or a thick fog and you're away to the races.



Secondly, there just might be a Hallowe'en contest yet. Better keep your pillow cases ready for tricks and treats.

On a fine sunny spring morning... enough weather?

I prefer nice sunny warm mornings myself, but I wouldn't call it a 'weather event'.

Keeping your powder dry used to be a real problem once.

masqua I have not heard from DgTempe for over a week? I have been keeping her updated on the collaborative efforts of myself and Badge01 by u2u. There is still plenty of time its just that she is missing out on a lot of fun.

Originally posted by antar
masqua I have not heard from DgTempe for over a week? I have been keeping her updated on the collaborative efforts of myself and Badge01 by u2u. There is still plenty of time its just that she is missing out on a lot of fun.

Fun? There's been fun?

Don't let her fool you. It's been darn hard work. Fingers to the bone, wot say.

(note to Antar - don't forget the keg for the next chapter re-write. I'll heat up the virtual hot tub.)

Since there has not been a single submission to this contest, the deadline will be extended dramatically, from October 21 ti January 1/ 2008.

There are several teams working on stories (according to the U2U's I have received), but now everyone will have more time to create something special.

They will also now have the time to write and submit to the Scary Short Story Contest (SSSC)





[edit on 5/10/07 by masqua]

I and Ducky have our story well under way masqua. We may get more members interested after all the halloween and nov. 5th stuff passes.

We would have been ready by the 21st anyway, this just gives us time to write an even better story.

Ahh cool masqua, maria_stardust and myself are working on something but i must admit the extra time will help.
RL is such an intrusion into my time sometimes!!!

A collaborative contest is a totally new idea but, imo, worth trying out.

We are, as a society, becoming more and more individualistic in everything we do. The examples of this are everywhere. Whether it's something as basic as the structure of the family and how careers affect birthrates, it's a fact that 'working together' is getting to be a rare event.

I think that's a sad state of affairs. Divide and conquer, etc.

You know the old saying; 'Two heads are better than one"?

Time to prove it.

Not to worry masqua our story is still waiting in the ethers.

Nice to see some renewed interest in this idea, so I'm bumping this thread.

Writing a collaborative story is hard enough, but it seems partnering up has been a stumbling block too.

Getting a U2U notification of a 3-member team today has given me new hope that there are some willing to give this a try.

I'd give this ago if anyone would like to form a team or have an extra hand. Im a bit of a loner on ATS *sniff* so dont know anyone who would be interested...

U2U me if you'd like to give it a go.

reply to post by Argos


I hope someone will come forward soon.

Anyone who has shown an interest in this has a little better than a month to get it together.

An example for a two-member team working a story;



1. Evelyn saw the signs. Horsetail clouds, stretching from a hazy white western horizon to the dark blue sky above were a portend she had always heeded. Guessing that the inevitable storm was heading her way could be deduced by reversing the long fingers of wispy 'hair' pointing east. The fields of summer wheat undulated, looking for all the world like waves upon a sea of green. Far away and over the low hills, beyond the cold meltwater creek which bisected their ten thousand acres, she knew her husband Sam and his three hands would be on horseback, cutting spring calves from the herd for the yearly ritual of ear tagging and innoculation. They would be gone another day or two, she reckoned, camping under the open skies. She smiled as she recollected past homecomings... rough men, dusty and slouching from the corral to the bunkhouse, sore from days spent in the saddle but smiling, eyes sparkling in sunburnt, unshaved faces. Dragging their saddles and gear, they would not show up to the sprawling ranchhouse until they'd cleaned up and whetted their thirst with a few beers over a poker game, giving her ample time to prepare a feast of roast beef, fresh baked bread, pies and other delectables this hungry bunch would quickly devour.

Her smile faded, though, as she once again viewed the threatening skies. Tomorrow morning, she guessed, and the storm gathering over the distant Rockies would be upon them. Putting her back to the window, she turned her attention to the meal she would prepare for the other ranch hands busily working the garden plots, tending horses and other duties which made this operation so successful.

2. Sam pulled his black Stetson down upon his forehead as he gazed towards the distant line of mountains drifting what seemed to be above the rolling foothills. Grimacing, he leaned back in his creaking saddle as the chestnut quarterhorse pawed at the sod below. Holding the reins taut in his hand, he turned to watch the men lasso another wild calf, bringing it to ground with a jerk. The youngest of the bunch, Luke, was quick to dismount, tie its kicking legs and throw his arms apart in a style that brought a slight grin to Sam's face. He knew that Luke was practicing for next years Calgary Stampede and a trophy belt buckle. Such eager young men were to be treasured.

Dropping the reins and gently pushing his knees into the horse's sides, he turned the three year old mare toward the nearby Bow River to fetch water for tonights meal. The men should be fed well tonight, he figured, since tomorrow held the threat of rain and wind or worse. Old hands never took their eyes off the skies in this hard place, where home is an old canvas bell tent and a good warm fire a fleeting luxury during these cold Alberta nights.

(to be continued)

How did I miss this? GREAT idea. I'll see if my padawan is up for this. He's better than me.