I am holding another Shadowrun fiction contest.

I will try to answer the questions I always get, sometimes several times during the thread.

Deadline: I would like to run it similar to last time, that is, waiting until I get 10 submissions. (or half a dozen and the contest has drug on so long people forgot they submitted an entry, my call.) I always try to keep everyone updated on the progress of submissions as I receive them, so everyone can follow how the process is playing out. So there is no firm deadline - just when I get 10 submissions.

There is always the prospect of a future contest, so if you did not get it done in time for this one hold onto it for the next one.

Subject: I have asked that the stories conform to SR rules, meaning no time travel, meaning werewolves are animals that change into human form not humans bitten by other werewolves during the full moon, meaning etcetera. If you can pull it off while conforming to the rules, go for it.

In the past, I have had trouble with stories that seemed to deliberately try to skirt this issue. Since there is a new edition out and people still playing older editions that do not conform well with the new rule set, if your story makes use of an edition specific rule, for example the spirit wealth power, please note the edition in the header of the story after the title or around the authors name.

There is no specific topic other than A shadowrun story. The specific topic contests did not get many submissions. Readers may suggest topics, but that does not guarantee anyone writing them. But who knows, maybe it will get the creative juices going and inspire someone to write about a suggested topic. Maybe it cures someones writer's block.

Limitations: A man aught to know his limitations. Conform to SR rules.

UNPUBLISHED: This is about the only way to really get disqualified. Do not submit stories that have appeared on other websites or been previousely published. The point of the contest is to fill our hunger for fresh fiction. I have read a lot of fiction spread across the web. So have others that I hope will rat you out if you want to recycle a story.

Length: Long enough to tell the story, short enough to avoid ADD. An editor could help here.

You can write a War and Peace length novel as far as I am concerned, but make it a bit livelier than W&P or it will probably not be read by many who have also not bothered reading W&P. The only real problem with a lengthy submission (other than boredom) is making the page take longer to load when all the submissions are posted. My hint is to save the page and read it offline.

Postage: To keep from excluding long range submissions, I ask the winners to pay postage on the prize so I do not get hit with high shipping costs. I have also volunteered to deliver prizes in person at GenCon to avoid all shipping charges.

Prizes: Winner gets to choose from Shadowrun books. In the past I have only limited the selection once, and that was to 3 books. I forgot to include the option of novels. That happened to be the time I thought the winner was trying to skirt the contest rules. Other winners asked for a specific book and I awarded it. Last contest, I had some credit with the company store and extended the offer to also include any product they carried. I still have store credit left.

Submission Guide
I have the authors send me their story by Private Message.
Use the story title as the Message Title. If the title leaves room to add Fiction Entry, you should add that. This makes it a lot easier to manage the entries from the inevitable questions I will get concerning the contest (or Moderator Warnings, since I seem to be the leader in that category. )

Next, I have found the simplest way to get the correct formatting is for me to use the quote function on the story/message I received and copy it into a post. So authors can check their submissions the same way to get the formatting correct. Every now and then I still have to go through a submission line by line inserting italics and paragraph breaks which gets tedious, which makes me mad, which prejudices me against a story. (I will note that the most tedious story I posted overcame the bias to win.) I do accept and post edits to stories until the contest is concluded. Hopefully, the new board software will not screw me in this respect.

If you would like your story edited prior to submission, ask. I will do it and/or forward it to a volunteer. There is one author I can think of that I like the content of his stories (and he has previousely won) but the stories always need some editing. I will not hold poor grammar against someone who asks for help editing it before submitting it for posting. I have seen comments about poor grammar hindering a story's chance for winning.

Post Submission Edits: If submissions are still being taken, just resend the story with version 1.1 appended to the title. Or 1.2 or however many edits you have sent. I'll delete any prior copies and post the newest.
For example: You submit Who Cries for the Street Sam? then send a revision. Please title it: Who Cries for the Street Sam?1.1.

FAQ:

It will greatly hinder your chance of winning if the ultimate judge (myself) cannot read the story. I barely understand the written English language, I have almost no comprehension of other languages.


Good for you.

A month seems pretty quick when remembering previous contests. 2 months did not seem long enough to get more than a couple entries.


If you insist.

I would make it as reader friendly as possible because if it does not get read, you will not win. I would just as soon see the default 12 pt used by Dumpshock as well as the standard for DS posts of double spacing between paragraphs. The contest is appearing on DS and is going to be read mainly by DS regulars, so post to their taste. Personally, my eyes are getting worse all the time and 14 pt is appreciated.

If you are not the writer type, you might paticipate by suggesting storylines or topics you would like to see (inspire someone else), or volunteer to edit/proofread if you have the ability and an interest in helping there.

I'd love to try my pen .... uh, keyboard ... at writing.

Yes! *slaps arm* but I'm a reader, not a writer...

I would make myself available to edit/proofread, also. Let me know.

I'd like to very hesitantly toss my name into the hat. It'll just depend on when the deadline is, what theme/topic gets picked (if any), and how busy I am with this freelance nonsense.

No he shouldn't. Bleargh.

I'd be willing to write about my Russian Sammie lovingly nicknamed Mister Moscow. Deadlines? Limitations? Details needed.

Yeah, what the hell, I'm in. But I'd need at least a month to do the writing.

What about an idea on how long it should be? Short story? 500 page novel?

I could try and give it a shot. Love writing, but time is at a premium. Would it be topic specific or just "write a Shadowrun story"?

SR13

I have no objection to suggestions, but I state now my categorical opposition to required topics, themes, settings, or any other restriction except word count and English.

Nah ... he's an I.E.

I'll write a story. I'm taking over GM for my group, so I'm all full of SR lore. Ready for the word count when you are.

Well I'll submit an entry. Point worth making - I don't think contest is the main element, but we should be avoiding saying "I'm writing about a character called X" to avoid mucking up the anonymity.

I actually have a story ready written which has now been accepted three times by editors for the Shadowrun site web-fiction (the editors keep changing and one accepted my story twice). But it's been over a year of waiting for them to bring back the fiction and I've now been referred to the next editor in the chain. So I may just submit that to the competition. I wrote it because I wanted to contribute something to Shadowrun (it's not like you get paid) and it's doing nothing sitting in someone's inbox month after month.

Okay, rant over. This is a 'yes' from Nasser Press.

-K.

So we have a few months yet?

I might want to get in on this.

I've had a story brewing for a while, maybe I can make something of it and turn it in!

I don't plan on waiting by any means - I just may need some time given that I have a job that takes up a lot of my time.

I'm in; the muse has been extremely talkative of late and having another outlet might help for those times when the other stories that I'm working on start flowing like honey in Maine in January.

Fiction contest. Awesome.

*bump*

... & an update.

No entries yet. Not worried, just keeping it somewhat fresh.

I should have mine ready in a few more days.

Mine's started - work just got in the way the past couple of weeks.

Mine is "done". But depending on how long it takes for the actual competition to happen, I may complete and enter a different piece. The one I have at the moment is currently accepted (I was told so at least) for the Shadowrun webfiction, but it's been accepted for over a year now, so if nothing happens by the time your ready for it, I'll withdraw it and enter it here. If they publish it, I'll enter one of my other pieces. Let me know when your close to printing the submissions and I'll send it. How many are you waiting for?

-K.

usually it is until he gets ten submissions / or just enough and he gets bored. Whatever comes first... =)

Cheers,

Max

P.S. good to see you back here K.

usually it is until he gets ten submissions / or just enough and he gets bored. Whatever comes first... =)

Cheers,

Max

P.S. good to see you back here K.

Thanks. It's good to be back.

Thanks. It's good to be back.

Definitely started, I hope to be done within the next week or so.

Hey Alex and knasser, how many words do you you'll have when all is said and done? I'm hoping to be around 5,000, but after editing it could (should) be shorter.

Mine is just under 5,000 (about 50 under) because the Shadowrun site guidelines insisted on 5,000 word limit. I might tweak it to be a little more now I have the freedom, but if I do a different one in time to submit instead it may come in slightly shorter (or longer).

I wouldn't tie yourself to aiming for a particular length though. Write what suits the story.

-K.

Mine is still a work in progress. I have no idea how many words right now because I got started and then realized there was a giant hole that I had to fix. I ended up starting over so I have material that is still hanging in there but may not stay.