What Really Amps People? - a Writing Contest [WRAP] [Winners announced]

There you are. Thousands of you. Some talk, others text and a few even take the time to write. If ATS strikes your fancy, you must like to write or you'd never post, would you?

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/64c3c7c55050.jpg[/atsimg]

Here is your opportunity to put your most heartfelt thoughts into words. You can be direct or use parables, poems or prose (whatever turns your gears). You can ramble on or be short and concise.

This contest is about what's on our minds, so, obviously, any topic is fair game. What you love, hate, want, avoid or just plain bothers you are the things we'd like to read about.

RULES:


• Title must contain [WRAP]
  
• Submit as a seperate thread in the Member Short Story forum.
  
• No less than 300 words
  
• No more than 1,000,000 words
  
• All Terms and Conditions apply (and, yes, that means no profanity)
  
• One entry per member (entries can be replaced at any time by U2Uing me)
  
• Ends Feb 28 at midnight EST
  
  Prizes:
  
  
• 1st place - 30,000 ATS points
  
• 2nd place - 25,000 ATS points
  
• 3rd place - 20,000 ATS points
  
• Undetermined number of honourable mentions - 5,000 ATS points each
  
  Also
  
• All successfully entered submissions will receive Writer Status.
  
• The contest is open to all members of Abovetopsecret who have their 20 initial posts.
  
• The three best stories are entered into the Showcase of Winners
  
   
  
  
  So, get your beef/desert/candy on the platter so we can all dig in.
  
  If you have a question, ask it here and we'll try to answer it.
  
  
  
  edit on 6/1/11 by masqua because: entered date
  
  
  
  edit on 1/3/11 by masqua because: (no reason given)
  
  
  
  edit on 9/3/11 by masqua because: (no reason given)
  

I have to add that the contest ends February 28, at the stroke of midnight Eastern Standard Time.

reply to post by masqua


I've never noticed the showcase of winners before. Neat.

ETA: second question deleted (wondered what the end date was for the contest) but I see you've just added it.
Lol.

reply to post by LadySkadi


That's where all the best stories lay hidden.

never mind

AHHH, a purpose!! I am brewing up a mysterious topic right now!! I hooe we have many many entries this time around!

sounds like fun.

[Does wrapping my title mean to do this?]

reply to post by SLAYER69


Yeah... I'm already planning a story close to my heart. It won't be to win, of course, because I'm one of the judges, but it will take some courage to tell. There's one continuous line of thought that has filled most of the days of my life ever since I was old enough to understand what it means to be berated and shamed for things I've never done nor ever would do.

It'll be about religion and how it shaped my consciousness.

I want to write it in 'third person' though, as if it really isn't me the story is about but someone else and I'm the observer writing 'their history'.

reply to post by SubPop79


No.

Your title should look like this:

The Day I Won the Indy 500 [WRAP]

Just an example, unless that's what your story will be,

It's just so that the judges will know which threads are supposed to be contest submissions.

Be sure to start your thread in the Short Stories forum.

Are the stories to be non-fiction,
or are they allowed to be fiction as well?

Thanks~

reply to post by thegoodearth


They can be either one. I know lots of people that have a dream of doing something exceptional with their lives. It hasn't happened yet, perhaps, so their story would be complete fiction. When I was a little child, I had the feeling that, if I tried really hard, I could fly... float through the air like a ghost. That could be a story too.

reply to post by masqua


A 1,000,000 word limit?

Damn it.

Now I have to start trimming my 999,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 (sextillion) word Doctoral Thesis on Secret Societies ruining the world through massaging the mass mind into compliance through subversive television programming combined with Soccer Mom's who really run the world, the newest of "Secret Soceties", the "Mommy Dearest Club".

Always with your limits, masqua, always with your limits.

Seriously, my topic will be left unsaid, until my entry into the contest.

Originally posted by SpartanKingLeonidas
Now I have to start trimming my 999,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 (sextillion) word Doctoral Thesis on Secret Societies ruining the world through massaging the mass mind into compliance through subversive television programming combined with Soccer Mom's who really run the world, the newest of "Secret Soceties", the "Mommy Dearest Club".

Always with your limits, masqua, always with your limits.

Yeah... I'm a real verbosity pooper.

Originally posted by masqua
Yeah... I'm a real verbosity pooper.

He had that coming attacking the poor attractively single soccer moms that way.

So many ideas to pick from... so little time...

Not really. LOL (is this my second line)

Actually I had a meta-question... I have a nascent idea of a serial killer stalking ATS members who simply do that wretched (second line) thing I did above... Would that be appropriate? It'll tie into some other stuff that I dig...

I've got so many...hmmm this will be absolutely tough decision on my part. I don't know which one to use. there are so many things that get me AMPED!

Originally posted by MagoSA
Actually I had a meta-question... I have a nascent idea of a serial killer stalking ATS members who simply do that wretched (second line) thing I did above... Would that be appropriate? It'll tie into some other stuff that I dig...

Go for it.

Whatever fires your cylinders is teh shizzle. Law of averages states that there's one serial killer .pdf among a specific number of people (not sure what), So, if there's ~200,000 members of ATS....

hmmm

I think you've got a good topic although I'd advise against pointing a finger at anyone specifically.

reply to post by masqua


What a great feature of ATS. Could you explain a little about the judging process? Is there a voting process?

reply to post by StlSteve


There is a permanent dedicated staff/member judging panel set up for the writing contests. All the judges send their picks in to me via U2U and we go from that initial survey to get a final consensus agreed to by a majority vote. Sometimes it's quick, sometimes not so much, but in the end it always works nicely.