Mailing Format: Email to xistudios(at)hotmail(dot)com with "First 13" and your Hatrack Nick in the subject line. (This will allow me to run a search through my email.)

I'll close the polls on rising the following Tuesday and post the results that evening.

Rules:

• You can begin the story from any chronological part of the synopsis.

• Ensure it is only 13 lines. Read this thread for instructions on how to be certain.

• Any details not specified in the plan can be made up as long as they do not SERIOUSLY alter the story.

• Include all italic and bold formatting code in the text so the moderator can just cut and paste the text when he/she posts them.

• Remember, this contest is ABOUT mastering the hook--so have one.

• When you have finished email it to the moderator (by WEDNESDAY). The moderator will then assign it a number and record the authors name next to it. The moderator will then post it with the number only, not the name, in a separate thread from the story outline thread as he/she receives them. *PLEASE don’t look at what other people have done until after you have sent yours to the moderator.*

• Edit your work before sending it—no corrections will be made after it has been emailed, and email it only once. Put your HATRACK name at the top of the 13 lines, the moderator will remove it before he posts it, replacing it with a number.

• From Thursday onward voting/analysis can begin. The moderator will post the list of who did which intro on Saturday. **No voting for yourself**

Then a new moderator volunteers (it’s not much work--unless you consider creating the outline difficult) and then we start again.

Future moderators

1) Just in Prose
2) Grex42
3) Wolfe_Boy
4) Bent Tree
5) Doctor

MORE VOLUNTEERS??

Synopsis:

quote:

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Will Scoresby is an English man-at-arms in the Hundred Years War. He lost his father to the French at Calais. His thirst for revenge against the hedge knight Sir Francis Guillaume has made him legendary for his prowess. In his quest for vengeance, Will slays another man-at-arms, who turns out to be Pierre Guillaume, and gains Sir Francis Guillaume's attention.

After loosing his lands to English King Edward's invasion, Sir Francis Guillaume fights the enemy as if inspired by God. In his battles, he begins to hear of an Englishman who is out for his blood. When his little brother hears of this, he seeks battle with the English man-at-arms and is killed. Sir Guillaume vows revenge.

Sir Guillaume and Will Scoresby are separated from the main battlefield, their ranks fight into a mountainous terrain. The skies grow dark as inky clouds envelope them. Corpses claw their way free of the earth until the battlefield is littered with them. The newly slain within the foggy crucible join the growing army of the dead. Some men try to flee and run into the smoky barrier, only to fall back in their death throes, flesh burned from anything that touched the dark clouds.

Will Scoresby and Sir Guillaume, across a small battlefield from one another, both notice the robed figure standing halfway up the mountain, flinging his hands about as if he were a puppet-master manipulating the corrupt army. They, and the ragtag remains of their men, must bury their differences and fight their way to the wizard, who must be slain if they want to live, and return home. Any who fall rise again...an enemy.

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Feel free to substitue François for Francis (if you're more of a traditional mind).

Begin.

[This message has been edited by InarticulateBabbler to clarify a couple of points.]

[This message has been edited by InarticulateBabbler (edited May 02, 2008).]

[Edited to fix the grammatical error annepin pointed out. ]

IB, the change looks good. There's a grammatical error in the line:
When you have finished email it tothe moderator

quote:

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• You can begin the story from any chronological part of the synopsis.

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If so, I hate to say it, I might go so far as saying, make sure the 13 lines you post are the start of your story.

And yes, it is past time for me to sign up, so here goes:

Future moderators

1) Just in Prose
2) Grex42
3) Wolfe_Boy
4) Bent Tree
5) Doctor
6) Tiergan

MORE VOLUNTEERS??

quote:

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(sorry, but since we tend to cut and paste the direction I figured we should fix it now or it will linger for all eternity...)

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Fixed. I tried to clean up some other stuff, too. (Not putting excessive effort into it, because I want to keep the nature light.)

quote:

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If so, I hate to say it, I might go so far as saying, make sure the 13 lines you post are the start of your story

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I'm waiting to hear back from a few people on week six. I don't think it's fair to let them place if they haven't voted. On the other hand, since this is a weekly competition, I don't want to create a lot of hullaboo about recasting votes, etc.

Please e-mail me. kathytonb(at)gmail(dot)com

It's going to be a day late, been busy (last weekend of the school year was a weekend to choose). I'll have it up tomorrow by 3pm Central time. Entries will be allowed until thursday to make up for the delay.