posted
The triggers are:Firm Contract—Sinking Deeper--Ancient Sunrise
I chose three different triggers to give a variety of stories--it's meant to be fun after all.
You may use any (or all if you are very skilled) of these as triggers for your story. I said it would be easy! The phrases themselves don't have to appear in your story.
Please email your stories to me preferably before Sunday 16th December 12.00 GMT (I am posting this at 11am GMT so check the posting time for US ET time). Email your story, preferably as an attached word document, or in the body of the email. The sooner I get them the quicker I can post the first 13. Once emailed to me, that’s it—no revisions.
At the top of the story please put the story title, your Hatrack name, and the number of words.
posted
Also, can I please reiterate how to send your completed story to me. I have a fair bit to do and if everyone does this it will save me a lot of time and confusion.
Please use the title of your story as the file name.
I would prefer an MS Word file(.doc). If you don't have MS Word please tell me and I will send to you in a different format.
In the email subject line put: Hatrack name: Story Title
At the top of your story please put:
Your Hatrack Name. (your email name means nothing!) Story Title. Words.
All of this is just to help keep track of everything. It is quite complicated!
posted
I will obviously be the slow one in the group. Came up with my idea (using all 3 triggers) yesterday while driving my family around. I am just now sitting down to write.
I should not have checked the thread. THREE done already? I have never participated in a Flash Fiction contest, so just to make sure I have it right:
skadder - Are we trying to create a finished work, or just slap an idea together?
posted
erm.... we have two weeks to write, right? Am I wrong on the deadline? I haven't even started yet... I guess I'm a muller!
Posts: 2185 | Registered: Aug 2007
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posted
This isn't a race. Something so short can be more difficult than writing 6000 words. Keep with it--I almost didn't post ready right away because I didn't want to make it seem to be a rush. Posts: 121 | Registered: Sep 2002
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posted
You have two weeks to produce (but please complete it before then or I will be inundated with stuff to do at the last moment!) the best piece of flash fiction based around the triggers that you can.
Some people are quick writers. Perhaps they have adapted a story they already had rattling about in their craniums, either way don't worry. Take whatever (but in the less-than-two-weeks category) time you need.
[This message has been edited by skadder (edited December 03, 2007).]
posted
Members of Liberty Hall (as are KayTi and I) are accustomed to writing a first-draft flash in 90 minutes. It's a little hair-raising the first time or two, but then you get used to it. Point is: if you can write the idea down in an hour/hour and a half, you'll have a surfeit of time to polish it.
I wrote it. Watched the Colts/Jaguars, Giants/Bears-Bengals/Steelers games. Read it again for spelling errors, trimmed and buffed some--played with my 4-year-old--gave it another read, and called it done. Whether the plot/story sucks or not isn't going to change, just the words I use to tell it.
I think that you can easily overwork a flash piece. Granted, you can take a year to make each word choice (1000) be perfect, but for what you can do pre-critique, it's limited.
[This message has been edited by InarticulateBabbler (edited December 03, 2007).]
posted
First drafts aren't perfect. I'm sure, if you put yourself in the situation to have something with a beginning, conflict, and end in 9o minutes you could. Yeah, there are spelling mistakes, and continuity slips (as well as the usual PoV slips and /or tense slippages), but that is not so much of what is judged at Liberty Hall--but, it is pointed out when a critiquer discovers it. Most critiques for that weekly contest are pointing out what threw somebody, what hooked somebody, and/or whether the ending made sense, was likeable/dislikeable, or if it was non sequitur/deus ex machina.
There are 7 categories voted on (The major components of a story):
Hook (Everyone at Hatrack kows what this is ) Narrative Voice Dialogue Characterization Story Arc (Plot) Setting/World Developement Best Flash (This is the best of the critiquing group. Usually, there are two or three groups.)
The next day is for Best of the Best, which is the best of the competing critiquing groups.
There is a separate Polish challenge for when the critiques are put into effect.
posted
Eep! Still working out concepts! I have a hard enough time with short stories, but it's tricky figuring out if you've got an idea you really can tell in less than 1,000 words.
Anyway, I've tossed out the first thirty ideas or so... still thinking... (I told you I'm a muller!)
posted
Wrote my rough draft on the 4th (90 mins, 540 words). My next pocket of available time will be tomorrow morning - I hope to make my 2nd pass then. It should only take one more pass after that (probably all I have time for, anyway....)
Posts: 406 | Registered: Mar 2007
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quote: Wrote my rough draft on the 4th (90 mins, 540 words).
See? It can ber done. I'm not the only one.
(Just kidding, every member of Liberty Hall who has flashed has done it too. At least, I think they have. There may be a few that DQ all the time from the time limit, but most that I've seen finish.)
[This message has been edited by InarticulateBabbler (edited December 07, 2007).]
posted
I just sent it to you. I was going to send it before the weekend, but I did not have access to it.
Posts: 80 | Registered: Oct 2007
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