My Writers Circle

The Coffee Shop => Writing Games & Challenges => Topic started by: Xerika on December 19, 2008, 01:54:37 PM

Title: Writing Challenge No. 48
Post by: Xerika on December 19, 2008, 01:54:37 PM
As the last challenge was all about alcohol -- and no doubt many people carried out some intensive practical research -- I thought the next challenge should involve a bit of detoxing. Consequently, this new challenge is all about...

water.

As long as water features heavily, stories could be about...
- drinking it;
- having too much of it (flooding, drowning, etc.);
- having too little of it (deserts, droughts, etc.);
- travelling on it (or under it);
- nasty things being introduced into it by assorted baddies or aliens;
- saucy goings-on involving beds filled with it;
- passing it;
- any combination of the above;
- any other watery themes.

Get the pitcher? Good.

Water, water everywhere...

Any genre.
Maximum word length = 1,500 words.
Deadline for submissions = Sunday 25th January, 23.59 GMT.
Please PM all entries to me.

Go on. You know you want to.

Title: Re: Writing Challenge No. 48
Post by: Xerika on December 19, 2008, 01:56:29 PM
I would be most grateful if any passing moderator could sticky this. Thank you.
Title: Re: Writing Challenge No. 48
Post by: ma100 on December 19, 2008, 05:23:51 PM
Sounds good Mr X 

psst!! Xerika I hear there is going to be a special prize for this one if you get over 12 entries  ::)
Title: Re: Writing Challenge No. 48
Post by: Xerika on December 19, 2008, 06:10:05 PM
You're quite right, ma. Thanks for reminding me.  :)

Yes indeed, if I receive more than 12 entries for this challenge, there will be prizes for the first two entrants as follows:

Ist Prize = an evening with Brigadier 'Buffy'

2nd Prize = two evenings with Brigadier 'Buffy'.
Title: Re: Writing Challenge No. 48
Post by: fire-fly on December 19, 2008, 06:16:40 PM
Its all stickied X.  ;D ;D

I'm going to try and enter this one just for the prizes.  ::) ::)

Sounds like another fun challenge. :D
Title: Re: Writing Challenge No. 48
Post by: ma100 on December 19, 2008, 06:19:23 PM
I'm going to enter too Xerika because I want the booby prize. ;D
Title: Re: Writing Challenge No. 48
Post by: fire-fly on December 19, 2008, 06:21:50 PM
 :o :o :o :o :o :o :o

He never mentioned that Ma.
Title: Re: Writing Challenge No. 48
Post by: Xerika on December 19, 2008, 06:26:15 PM
FF. Thanks for making it sticky and I look forward to your entry.  ;D

Ma. The booby prize was supposed to be a secret. I suppose I'll have to make a clean breast of it now.  ;D
Title: Re: Writing Challenge No. 48
Post by: fire-fly on December 19, 2008, 06:30:22 PM
Yes, clean breasts is what we want to see X, spill.  ::) ::)
Title: Re: Writing Challenge No. 48
Post by: ma100 on December 19, 2008, 06:32:34 PM
Waaaaaaaaaa They will all want it X :'( :'(
Title: Re: Writing Challenge No. 48
Post by: fire-fly on December 19, 2008, 06:36:17 PM
Goes to show you Ma, loose lips sink ships and you just sunk yours.  ::) ::)

You could write this into your challenge entry, being all watery and all.  ;D
Title: Re: Writing Challenge No. 48
Post by: Xerika on December 19, 2008, 09:36:37 PM
Quote from: fire-fly on December 19, 2008, 06:30:22 PM
Yes, clean breasts is what we want to see X, spill.  ::) ::)

OK, OK, the booby prize will be a (slightly soiled) copy of Stephen King's The Tommyknockers.

Satisfied?  :o
Title: Re: Writing Challenge No. 48
Post by: Don on December 19, 2008, 10:19:25 PM
I thought the booby prize was going to be clean breasts? 

Is this one of those bait and switch tactics?
Title: Re: Writing Challenge No. 48
Post by: Xerika on December 19, 2008, 10:30:04 PM
'Bait and Switch'? Oh, jeez, don't tell me there's yet another of those crap US cop duo TV series.
Title: Re: Writing Challenge No. 48
Post by: DC on December 20, 2008, 06:40:08 AM
Hmmm... let me see...
Cheers Mr X, seems the odds are somewhat against my having reasons for not entering this...
Title: Re: Writing Challenge No. 48
Post by: thatollie on December 20, 2008, 03:38:01 PM
Interesting challenge, may enter something.
Title: Re: Writing Challenge No. 48
Post by: Xerika on December 23, 2008, 05:29:47 PM
I look forward to receiving your entries, Dave and Ollie.

Dave, I notice you didn't include owning a waterbed in your list of reasons for entering.  :)
Title: Re: Writing Challenge No. 48
Post by: DC on December 24, 2008, 08:09:59 PM
Quote from: Xerika on December 23, 2008, 05:29:47 PM
I look forward to receiving your entries, Dave and Ollie.

Dave, I notice you didn't include owning a waterbed in your list of reasons for entering.  :)

Hmm... Maybe a story based around not owning a waterbed...
Title: Re: Writing Challenge No. 48
Post by: thatollie on December 25, 2008, 09:01:07 PM
Quote from: DC on December 24, 2008, 08:09:59 PM
Hmm... Maybe a story based around not owning a waterbed...

Water, water everywhere and not a drop to sleep on.
Title: Re: Writing Challenge No. 48
Post by: confused guy on December 30, 2008, 01:14:12 PM
im in. ive got some twisted thoughts i need to clear from the Holidays..
what better way than a random tickle at the keyboard?

Title: Re: Writing Challenge No. 48
Post by: Xerika on January 02, 2009, 08:05:33 PM
I look forward to receiving your entry, confused guy. Twisted thoughts and keyboard tickling? Sounds interesting.  :)

Only three weeks to go, folks. Get tickling (trickling?).  :D
Title: Re: Writing Challenge No. 48
Post by: Xerika on January 11, 2009, 02:52:18 PM
Hi c-lion,

Thanks for posting this. If I'm right in assuming that this is your entry for the challenge, I'd be grateful if you could remove it from here and PM it to me instead as all entries have to be anonymous when it comes to the voting stage.

Thank you.  :)
Title: Re: Writing Challenge No. 48
Post by: hagaraiseiji on January 11, 2009, 04:04:53 PM
Hello Xerika, I would like to know when the results of this contest should be anounced
Title: Re: Writing Challenge No. 48
Post by: Xerika on January 11, 2009, 04:54:22 PM
Hi Hagarai Seiji.

The closing date for submissions is not until 25th January, so the results won't be announced for another week or two after that.
Title: Re: Writing Challenge No. 48
Post by: davidleejones13 on January 12, 2009, 04:11:47 PM
I am concocting some fun on the waterpark kind of scale!
 ;D
Title: Re: Writing Challenge No. 48
Post by: Xerika on January 12, 2009, 04:52:06 PM
Excellent! I look foward to reading it. I just hope that it's not too big to fit in my mailbox.  ;D
Title: Re: Writing Challenge No. 48
Post by: davidleejones13 on January 17, 2009, 04:05:38 AM
Xerika,
How many entries so far?
Title: Re: Writing Challenge No. 48
Post by: Xerika on January 17, 2009, 10:43:43 AM
Three so far, Lee.

Still a week to go, so keep 'em coming, folks.  :)
Title: Re: Writing Challenge No. 48
Post by: Xerika on January 25, 2009, 07:19:13 PM
Game Over

Okay, folks, that's the deadline passed for Challenge 48, so no more entries please.

Many thanks to everyone who has submitted.

I'll be posting all the entries and the voting thingy in the next few hours(ish).  :)
Title: Re: Writing Challenge No. 48
Post by: Jade on January 28, 2009, 02:36:56 PM
I must be the most impatient person I know.

I read the entries, and voted, but now I really desperately need to know the final result.

And purely because one entry was so overwhelmingly well written in my opinion. I would like to know if it was only me, or am I part of the majority to think so.

The more I look at the watch and the calendar, the slower the time passes.

Come on Tuesday!! Move it... move it....
Title: Re: Writing Challenge No. 48
Post by: Xerika on January 29, 2009, 12:56:37 PM
Glad to hear that the voting is causing some excitement.  :)

So you won't be wanting me to extend the deadline for the poll then, Jade?  ;)

For anyone who hasn't voted yet, the poll is at http://www.mywriterscircle.com/index.php?topic=18798.0 (http://www.mywriterscircle.com/index.php?topic=18798.0)
Title: Re: Writing Challenge No. 48
Post by: Jade on January 29, 2009, 01:14:16 PM
Xerika - don't you dare... I might grow a second head with horns... and teleportation-broom that fires missiles the shape of pigme-darts ... and you'll become a porcupine... heh.  ;)
Title: Re: Writing Challenge No. 48
Post by: Xerika on January 29, 2009, 05:51:09 PM
Well er... thank you, Jade, for your er... cogently reasoned argument in favour of keeping the voting deadline as originally specified.

However, having given this matter some considerable thought -- and not being influenced one jot by any actual or perceived threat to my own physical wellbeing -- I have concluded that er... when all's said and done and at the end of the day, er... it would perhaps be the most equitable solution (vis-a-vis the aforementioned poll deadline) to er... well, keep it as it was, I suppose (i.e. 23.59 GMT on Tuesday 3rd February).

I sincerely hope that this decision will meet with your approval, Jade, and I would be most grateful if you could assure me thereof at your earliest convenience as people here are beginning to ask why I'm sitting at the computer wearing a full-face motorcycle helmet and full racing leathers.

P.S. I have a very low pain threshold.
Title: Re: Writing Challenge No. 48
Post by: eric on January 29, 2009, 06:05:59 PM
Whew ... I suppose you won't be reconsidering then, X., old boy?  Woof ... persuasive sort of woman that, eh?
Title: Re: Writing Challenge No. 48
Post by: Xerika on January 29, 2009, 06:50:13 PM
Renconsidering, eric, old chap? Heaven forefend. As the great Bard* himself once wrote:

"Hell hath no fury like a woman
Who canst grow a second hornèd head,
Nor yet a teleportation broom
That doth fire missiles of pigme-dart
To make of me the porcupine."

* Or was it Congreve? Answers on a postcard please...
Title: Re: Writing Challenge No. 48
Post by: Jade on February 03, 2009, 02:37:40 PM
Nagging voice -- Are we there yet?
Title: Re: Writing Challenge No. 48
Post by: Xerika on February 03, 2009, 03:14:58 PM
Almost. Only another four hours pacing left.

Then of course there'll be another couple of days for the committee to formally ratify the result, and then there's the invitations to send out and the envelopes to be printed, etc, etc.  :)
Title: Re: Writing Challenge No. 48
Post by: Xerika on February 03, 2009, 07:26:26 PM
OK, Jade, you can stop pacing now.  ;D

The winner is...

http://www.mywriterscircle.com/index.php?topic=19011.0 (http://www.mywriterscircle.com/index.php?topic=19011.0)
Title: Re: Writing Challenge No. 48
Post by: Jade on February 04, 2009, 12:20:24 PM
phew - what a long journey... heh