IWT8: Science Fiction

[End Master]

Since I'm seeing more than a few asking for it and not seeing anyone else protesting against it, we'll be experimental and try the grab bag sub-theme approach this time.

Here are 20 scifi related themes. You pick the 3 you want to use in your story, though if you want you can certainly use more.

Alien Invasion
Ancient Evil Space Horror (or horrors if you wish!)
Cloning
Colonization (Alien Planet, Space Station or Underwater)
Cybernetic Revolt
Dystopia
Exploration (Space or Alien Planet)
Galactic Hero (Or Anti-Hero if you prefer)
Generation/Sleeper Ship (Interstellar Ark)
Giant Battle Mechs
Human Enhancement (Cybernetic or genetic)
Non-Human protagonist (Alien, mutant, robot, hell child sex robot if you want)
Parallel Worlds
Post Apocalyptic (Nuclear war, asteroid, plague, ice age, etc)
Psionic Powers
Space Warfare (Interstellar, Intergalactic, Interplanetary)
Stranded (Ship or Planet)
Time Travel
Utopia
Virtual Reality

Deadline will be January 16th. That gives you plenty of time and doesn't interfere with your possible decadent New Years plans.

Same scoring as before, 1 to 10 scale in these 4 categories

Writing Style
Plot/Creativity
Enjoyment
Theme

Weight one category that you think is the most important so it will count for double for all stories.

Stories must be at least 20 rooms long to qualify. It can be 19 rooms and be the best thing ever written, but if it isn't 20 it doesn't count. So shove that extra crappy room on there if you must.

Now pay attention because this part is REALLY important.

1. If you’re interested in participating in the contest then make your announcement clear and post something like “I’m entering this contest.” in this thread. This commits you to submit a story.

2. If you commit yourself to writing a story and then fail to submit it by the time of the overly generous due date you will suffer SHAME.

3. If you submit a story and fail to use three of the twenty above themes you will suffer SHAME. (And be disqualified for not following the rules!) LIST YOUR THEMES FROM YOUR STORY.

4. If you’re already suffering SHAME due to your indecision and flip flopping last contest, this is the time to redeem yourself! Just submit a qualifying story, you don’t even need to win and all your SHAME goes away! Of course if you fail to submit something again, then you just suffer even more SHAME and you'll have to try again next contest.

5. If you're interested but you're confined to only lurking because you're stuck in limbo and can't post, send a PM to me letting me know that you're interesting in joining. (Same SHAME rules apply to you as well)

I think that's about it. I’ll update this first post on who is participating as people make their announcements of joining.

UPDATED:People who have committed to the contest and their stories when those are submitted.

BatCountry: The Galactic Adventures of Pierce Darkblade (Submitted and qualifies for themes)
BatCountry: The Machinist Child (Submitted and qualifies for themes)
Cat2000: Worlds Apart (Submitted and qualifies for themes)
ChubbyTeletubby
Crunchyfrog
DEP: Coitus Machina (Submitted and qualifies for themes)
Dreamshell
KazeYami: Catharsis of Cthulhu (Submitted and qualifies for themes)
Mizal: Following the Walking Call (Submitted and qualifies for themes)
Tim2000
Usoki Reality Shift (Submitted and qualifies for themes)
Zac6251: Jedi or Sith (Submitted and qualifies for themes)

[Usoki]

Ehhh... yeah, okay, those are the three I'll probably end up using.

This looks awesome. Count me in.

[Crunchyfrog]

*Steps forward bravely*

I'm in, too!

[JJJ-thebanisher]

I know it's better to have one work of excellent quality rather than multiple mediocre works but what's the rule on multiple submissions? Not sure about entering but I'm leaning towards it, I just don't want to impulsively join and then get shamed when I realize that I'm too busy to pump something out. I'm doing summer university as well as winter so I'm going to be rather busy straight through.

The reason I ask about multiple submissions is that I might be able to whip something off quickly since I'm on break right now.

[End Master]

You can submit as many stories as you like. As long as you submit one story that qualifies you'll be fine.

[JJJ-thebanisher]

Cool, thanks.

[donteatpoop]

I'm down like a clown named charlie brown whose always wearing a frown all around town.








mutha fuckaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaas.

[End Master]

Three people have officially entered. We now have the minimum number for a proper contest.

[mizal]

Hell yeah, now this is a theme I can work with.

I'm in!

Gonna write this fucker early just to get it over with and get rid of all that lingering SHAME. Maybe I'll even try for two.

[JJJ-thebanisher]

Are YOU participating, End?

[End Master]

Not for this one. These contests always end up distracting me from what I really want to work on. Sometimes I don't get around to finishing them, or at best it results in me attempting to change my non-contest story so it fits the contest. This approach has varying results, sometimes to the detriment of the story I originally envisioned.

Anyway I'm working on a new story and I'd like to stay a lot more focused this time. (Which is hard enough with real life getting in the way!) So no contest story for me.

Besides I've won 3 times, so I beat the current champ (Ves), and you guys get the chance to build up your wins this time.

(This is Usoki's year this time, I can sense it!)

[Cat2000]

This looks interesting. Maybe I could (should?) give it a go. Hopefully, I'll actually end up finishing something this time.

EDIT: Definitely participating. I've got plenty of time, after all.

[BatCountry]

Hey all, new to the forums here, just have some questions as I am thinking about participating in this. First question, does the story have to be private or are we allowed to have contributors to our story? Secondly, is it allowed to be a pre-existing story we are working on currently or do we have to start from scratch? I apologize in advance if these questions have been addressed elsewhere, I'm just curious because I am interested in joining this tournament. I've had a long hiatus from writing and just being on this site makes me remember why I love to write!

[Locke]

Collaboration is fine. Each person who wants to participate should write at least ten rooms, though (assuming you aren't going paragraph by paragraph or something). They can contribute less, but those who do will only receive ignominy and SHAME for their efforts. You might use that to your advantage by recruiting some stooges to write a few rooms each and taking the credit; that's how Ryan does it.

As long as the entry fits the theme in a general sense, some pre-existing material isn't an issue, either. I think a significant part of the story should be written with the contest in mind, but if it's new to online CYOA, at least, it's unlikely anyone will notice.

In any case, welcome to the forum. I'm glad to see that DEP is doing his job - sometimes he just drinks, instead. Life can be hard, though, and we don't blame him; he's actually very sensitive about it, so you probably shouldn't mention it until you can be certain he won't ban you. DEP gets angry when he drinks.

I'm guessing your username comes from Fear and Loathing over the Avenged Sevenfold track, but I'm still curious enough to ask (without going so far as to use a question mark). Actually, since I've managed the rest of this post without one, I think I'll indulge myself: which is it?

[End Master]

Yeah you'll have to make a new story. I'm guessing you might've wanted to submit your Pierce Darkblade story, but it was created last year. It would've been a good entry though.