Voting on the Submissions should tentatively occur between December 25, 2012 through December 31st, 2012(midnight Pacific time),
with the Winner Announcements on January 1, 2013.
Prizes have been adjusted upwards and finalized!
The theme for this year's Christmas Contest is One Winter's Eve. The only 2 requirements is that it involve a winter snowing or snowstorm on Christmas Eve and, secondly, a LGBIT character involved in the story.
That's it. How you develop the story is entirely up to you. You can have this story occur out in the woods, in an office, a home, a sleepover, a school party, a vacation.. anywhere or any setting that you like. ^^ |
The story can use any plot device, any theme variation from romantic, to horror, to comedy, etc. and any time period or setting.
Stories can be any length and chaptered. Stories must be brand new and never posted anywhere else on the Internet or published. Multiple submissions are allowed with only the top voted one submission of any author's total submissions to claim a prize. |
Please remember to label your submissions on the ++Fiction page under the heading box of Contests and properly select December 2012 One Winter's Eve Story Contest on your Submission(s). ONLY 1 vote per person using ONLY 1 of their registered site accounts for voting. Vote on the Flagged Contest Stories during this period for the ones you like best! The top 4 voted for stories will be the winners! Multiple attempts to vote using additional accounts owned or created by that person will nullify their votes and have us pull out the paddle of banishment! |
The 4 top stories will be awarded a prize designated as follows: 1st place - $75, 2nd place - $50, 3rd place - $50, 4th place - $25.* (prizes subject to increase with notice!) The winners will need to pm Erin or Sephrena with their mailing address or paypal account to transfer their prize awards to. All prizes will be mailed or transferred very soon after the winners announcement. |
BigCloset TopShelf
Comments
Too Long!!!!
It has taken me nearly 23 days of searching the net for images that I wanted to use for this posting and even still did not find exactly the ones I wanted. I spent 7 hrs tonight paring down the collection I gathered to just these 6. The banner took me 14 minutes to create in Photoscape. The .html coding was just cut 'n paste from previous coding I have done in various table sets and that took 2 hrs including adjustments. This was more work than writing :(
Sephrena
Beautiful
The work you put in created a beautiful post. So that work is appreciated.
Rami
RAMI
Although i love the piece i wrote last Christmas...
I'm going to write a new one for this year... Last years? A Visit From Saint Nicola
Love this theme,
Diana
I get visions of...
St. Nick and his two helpers, Mrs. Claus doing all the work because Santa ran off with one of the elves, A business owner, strangely fascinated by a famous yet unmentionable TG fiction website decides to give a skinny homeless kid with a secret a chance at a job, a rich boy that runs away from his family, hating the large amount of wealth and the way his family expected things from him and what to do after secreting a small amount of cash and heading to a hospital somewhere for a change of sex and to start a new life doing things how she would like :), or even f - m ( like Santa quitting his job and Mrs. Claus looking for a new husband to take over the family business). I know all of you will find some superb story plots. Just start writing now! :)
Sephrena
Ok Sephy because I promised
Ok Sephy because I promised you, I'm really going to try and get this done. The last time I wrote some fiction people actually read it was a forged note to get out of pre-algebra and Reagan was in the white house. Now when I hit this key a letter appears on the screen right? What's a comma?
Upon my liar's chair
Full of broken thoughts
I cannot repair
Christmas Eve?
Is it a hard requirement that the story happens on Christmas Eve? Would another winter milestone (Winter Solstice, for example) do? Also, is Christmas or Winter the important part? There are many stories on this site set in the southern hemisphere. A Christmas story for them might involve a summer day at the beach, while a snowy winter story takes place in July.
Hmmm, now that is hard one for me...
Well, I can suggest 2 things then: Have it take place either in the northern hemisphere during Christmas or in the southern hemisphere during Christmas. If it's in the southern hemisphere, have some freak storm produce a bit of snow at that time. With global warming, its plausible. Have the Christmas start out sunny then cloudy, then a touch of rain then sleet or snow. The duration is up to you.
The snowing is required because it's going to be a catalyst for story manipulation. Can cause cars to get stuck, go off the road, ground planes, cause people to get stuck at work, or be a sign, or change someone's way of thinking. That is my entire theme on the Winter's Eve.
I admit, I was thinking of the Northern part of the globe when I designed this. But it can work for a southern hemispheric story by having a freak storm.
please try that.
Sephrena
Sephrena, what about entering the contest using an
already established ongoing story and characters? Can an author use them, or only use new characters and stories.
May Your Light Forever Shine
This one is only New Material and Characters
I am sorry. I will do a contest early next year for valentine's day / easter. In that one I will allow existing universes and characters to be used in all new story material.
Sephrena
This contest is not primarily about religion
although you can pick from a variety of them in the contest. Im just looking for the snowstorm / snowing in December. Gift giving can occur in substitute for Christmas. The spirit of this is the catalyst of the snowing occurring during the celebrations in that month. Its to be a surprise or a change to alter the character or story flow.
I want to Include all the writers possible that I can for the contest.
I can bend some on the type of religion used, but I won't bend on the snowing nor the month of December. That is my entire purpose for this contest as the element of hardship / change for the stories.
Sephrena
Hmmm
I don't see anywhere that you said it has to be about religion. To be honest, I don't even see why it would be a big factor. Granted Christmas revolves around the birth of Christ traditionally, but it's still a day that everyone has to live and breathe through despite their beliefs. So I don't see what the big deal is. All that's being asked for is a lgbt character experiencing a snowstorm on December 24th.
At any rate, and in the spirit of things, I think I'm going to try getting a story done for this contest. If for nothing else, than to show my support for you taking the time to set up a fun holiday contest. I've already got about ten ideas for one.
~Taylor
~Taylor Ryan
My muse suffers from insomnia, and it keeps me up at night.
I have had questions asked about religions
and I answered that as long as the events occurred in the month of December and that snow occurred as a catalyst, I don't mind whatever religion is used. But when I am asked to keep it Christmas only or don't allow other religions - this tears my heart up and why I, myself, am anti religious. I want to keep this contest simple: Snowing, December, LGBIT, and if you so choose - maybe giving a gift or helping someone in the story. It can be any time setting, anyplace on earth (just has to have snow occur either normally or as a freak thing) and any country. If you want religion in it, by all means do so.
Use your creative skills to twist what you want around that.
The reconciliation contest was my most restrictive contest I ever put up. Every entry was a true gem. I know we have the talent here to do this contest. This one is one of the least restrictive - on par with the other Christmas contests of the past. All I did was specify December and snowing.
Wring a good story out of those imaginations of yours and put it into words!
Sephrena
Sinterklaas
What if I wrote a story about Sinterklaas? :P
We don't do gifts on Christmas here, although there are people that do. Sinterklaas is a bit more popular here. Actually Sinterklaas was one of the major influences behind Santa Claus, but certainly not the only influence.
P.S. I'm being somewhat tongue in cheek with my comment. I currently don't have any story idea for this contest.
A nice reminder...
...in Miracle on 34th Street (the original) a little Dutch girl sings this to Kris Kringle (Edmund Gwenn) after he speaks Dutch to her to help her feel safe. Thanks for the reminder!
Sinterklaas kapoentje
Gooi wat in mijn schoentje
Gooi wat mijn laarsje
Dank je Sinterklaasje
Saint Nic'las, my dear one,
Something in my shoe put,
Something in my stocking,
Thank you, Saint Nich-o-las!
Love, Andrea Lena
As long as It occurs
in the month of December, has snowing, and involves a gltib character.
It's alright for you lot
My muse has gone on an extended winter sun holiday to who knows where? (I've no idea; who knows where?)
S.
If it's any consolation
If this contest turns out with low author interest, I may hang up doing contests all together. Last contest I got gripes and complaints and authors refusing to enter because it wasn't a traditional Halloween theme. I bent over backwards, extended the deadlines, dropped a requirement and I still get complaints.
This contest hasn't even started yet and I have gotten a lot of complaints. I am trying to bridge cultural differences, but there is only so much I will bend. I want the theme to be as open as possible but I chose the minor requirements.
Is it possible for everyone to just stop being so picky with what you want that you would refuse to enter and just enter it going along with what I wanted laid out and try? I mean the purpose of me doing these is to make it a small exercise to do something different and learn while you write. Even if it is a little. And to have fun seeing what your sister authors have written. Not to do some pecking order thing.
I'm losing authors as friends running these things too. I have no control or touching of the voting part. Erin does that. It is not me. She shows me the results. So I don't choose who gets the prizes, I just do the contest page, design, and make sure the payments go to who had won. that is it.
This contest is as wide open as the 2011 Christmas one. Just I have gotten so many PM's griping and saying so and so wont enter, its tearing me down mentally: along with losing authors as friends. No matter what I do, the number of gripes increase. All I wanted was for everyone to have fun and for me to see what kind of talent could be generated on a certain catalyst. I would ensure that there would be cash prizes for them as well.
No cohesion, everyone at each others throats and at my throat for doing this this way or that or trying to include everyone into the contest by bending a requirement a little... or whatever.
I am the one who is suffering here. I can turn this contest over to Erin and just go. Im such a magnet for everyone's complaint's, without me here, they won't have a target.
I just want to curl up in a corner and just vanish. Life is not fair.
I want to support you!
I hadn't planned on entering the contest for personal reasons having nothing to do writing. But you've been such a stalwart in providing these opportunities for growth and challenge as authors; you deserve support for this very unique chance to be stretched; challenged as I mentioned. I dare say without many 'rules' that anyone here writing in any sub-genre' within the tg fiction framework could submit an entry; a real way to support the site AND hone their craft at the same time. Thanks for being here and providing such a great gift. I look forward to seeing each story and the vast and unique approaches each writer takes!
Love, Andrea Lena
I agree, this wide open.
I do not write very much or post stories normally when I do, but enjoy reading. As I have free time from school right now until after the first of the year. I will try to write on to help support the site and the contest.
Thank you
I look forward to the story contests as a reader and I hope you do continue to run these contests as they produce such wonderful stories. That being said from the sounds of things I can understand if you don't, though it would be sad. As for the contest themes, again I like that you do them differently and don't just go for the obvious. There's nothing to stop anyone writing a non-contest Christmas story for example.
So thank you for the contests.
*hugs*
"Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it."
Well you have my support dammit!
If people don't want to do a contest because they don't like the clauses in it then simply don't. But really people don't come after Sephrena for it. I had fun with the last one and the one I did before that yes I placed in both but It was never the intent.
I see this as a great idea. Wintertime, Christmas and Snow... This contest will be a great thing to sit down and read as a collection on a night with maybe a little hot chocolate or snuggle beverage of your choice. I've done it with the last few.
The writers here are good writers the contests are a great way to get better and see what others have done. These contests are supposed to be fun and inspiring and they are except for these ego stroking whining people that are ruining something great for he rest of us and a really sweet person that does a lot of things for a lot of people here.
Sephrena....You're a great person to do everything that you do for all of us here and please, please take it to heart that there are people that care about you here and really and truly are thankful for the things you do for us.
*Great Big Huge Hugs*
Bailey.
Bailey Summers
Arrgh!
Come on folks, don't be griping at Sephy!
She's an AWESOME hostess here. She popped up and helped me tons getting the hang of the site and how to use it to make my stories look good. I only asked one question and she flooded me with help and ideas and even prettified my second story. Without her this place would be so drab. Don't make her all sad and regret the work she puts in!
I think the contest idea is just fine and if my muse will cooperate I will try to write a story within the guidelines.
Hey, it is not like she said "... and your main character must be a left-handed transgendered woman from Finland with a limp and has to be scared of reindeer but only on Tuesdays!"
Give her a break :)
"O Captain! My Captain!"
You have my support too, people if you don't like the rules don't play, don't throw things at the referee. Anyway, Wintertime & Snow & Holiday (whichever one) is a good idea, and your right it can bring conflict. Always did when I was growing up :) Please don't stop with the contests Sephrena, they are a great idea and fun.
-Elsbeth
Is fearr Gaeilge briste, ná Béarla clíste.
Broken Irish is better than clever English.
Hugs
Hun just know no one can be mad or upset with you, in reality they are upset or mad at themselves and take it out on you. True friends are there no matter what, the People that are not are no true friends.
Love and Hugs Hanna
Love And Hugs Hanna
((((((((♥)))))))((((((((♥)))))))((((((((♥)))))))((((((((♥)))))))((((((((♥)))))))
Blessed Be
Sephrena rocks
You guys know, there is no other place like this around. The sisterhood, the writing, the support, the positive vibes - and it's all at a FREE site!!!
And the contest winners not only get kudos and comments - they get money!
Sephrena, Erin, et al are so giving and awesome. We all need to appreciate what we've got here, and realize there's no guarantee it will be here forever. Or even tomorrow.
So I'm enjoying this while it lasts.
And I'm working feverishly on what's becoming a novelette (yikes) for the contest.
And I think we should declare a " no whine zone" around Sephrena.
You make a whine, you pay a fine. $25 to the hatbox per whiny sentence. I so move. Do I hear a second?
**Sigh**
Sighs are the natural language of the heart.
-Thomas Shadwell
Seconded.
Seconded.
Upon my liar's chair
Full of broken thoughts
I cannot repair
Fourthed
Fourthed
I was lying down minding my own business when life came by and drove right over me
PLEASE SEPHY Dont despair Hon!!! Shame on the complainers!
Hi Sephy,
Just read your message about some people complaining to you about the constraints, which I think are pretty open, on the Christmas Eve story contest. I was very disheartened and saddened to think that a few spoiled sports would be so unfairly inundating you with silly complaints about the contest outlines. I just dont get it at all. I mean you and Erin do so much here for us an other authors and readers in our little community for your own enjoyment and pleasure. It's not like your getting rich off of this!
I LOVE the contests and your challenges to stretch our creative juices and come up with something fun and lovely for others to enjoy! I love the chance to compete with other fine authors and see what turns up and compare notes and styles it like all such exercises has taught me so much as it should others I would think. I wish I had time to enter them all and read them all. But there just aren't enough hours in the day sometimes.
I do admit the last Halloween contest I wished was more of an actual Halloween project only because I had a really great story idea I had written an outline for hoping there would be a more Halloween theme, all though I did LOVE the story submission guidance and I had a great romantic themed reconciliation type story idea but just didn't get time to finish it. I was already trying to finish a fall/Halloween story series on FM that was already taking an emotional toll and time and also fall classes so I couldn't get it done.
I love the Snow storm Christmas idea, and have something in the works. I dont get the problem with some others though maybe I missed something lately. I mean what could be simpler?
Are people afraid to write something with a Christmas religious theme or do they want it to be religious? It is what this season is about really, when one strips away the commercialism and Black Friday sales. A time of giving, of sacrifice, of rejoicing in our differences and our love and hope for each other and ourselves. No matter what religion you are or if you aren't any. Have so many become so secular and politically correct and self absorbed that we cant remember the joy we felt about Christmas and the holidays seen through our childhood eyes, when we were innocent and carefree. Are we as humans now so filled with suspicion and self loathing that we cant look at pretty colored lights and the idea of what Christmas is about and wish for miracles and love and peace? This time of year I am always looking for those that still feel that childhood joy in their hearts, and that spirit of giving and loving without conditions or preconceived notions or expectations. In my travels around the world I have seen them first hand and was brought to tears by it and thankful that it still exists and hope and yes pray that it could be felt all year long.
Call me a Pollyanna, or a Romantic I accept the label proudly I still listen for Reindeer and smile at twinkling lights and Christmas music because it reminds me of happy, carefree, joyous times, when I was much younger and things were simpler and salespeople wished you Merry Christmas and kids sat on Santa's lap and someone didn't accuse him of being a child molester. We waited until Christmas Eve to put the baby Jesus in the manger and sang Little Town O' Bethlehem, and all was right with the world. But if others dont believe or celebrate it the same way I always said that's their right too, but I will still wish them Merry Christmas just the same and wish them peace and love. Because that's my right. Sure there were times I was jealous of my sister because she got the pretty night gown and dolls for Christmas and I wanted them but I never let her know or took her joy away from her. What good would it do?
So with all that said, I hope you feel better now, that others will still participate and put aside the animosity and other issues and just let the words flow.
Love and peace to all...never let them see you sweat, especially in a blizzard it gets colder!
Nikki
Nikki Thong
"Be loving, forgiving, open, happy, sharing, thoughtful, musical, cry a little everyday, but for goodness sakes be honest with yourself!"
"Satin makes me sooooo happy! Giggles!"
omigosh! nikki ^^
*hugs* I think everyone sort of understands the contest now... I hope? :) Anyways, everyone started posting weeks ahead of schedule so no biggy. I want to try and include as many as possible so I'm not penalizing for that anyhow.
Thank you so much for sticking up for me. I truly appreciate it ^^ I need all the love and help I can get.
Sephrena
Well You Work So Hard
You work so hard Sephrena and deserve our support and backing. We all need a big hug now and then to know others do care! I'm just glad people are OK now. Well back to the grind.
Huggies
Nikki
Nikki Thong
"Be loving, forgiving, open, happy, sharing, thoughtful, musical, cry a little everyday, but for goodness sakes be honest with yourself!"
"Satin makes me sooooo happy! Giggles!"
Confused Ditz
Okay so I'm a ditz but I'm totally confused I read the rules: snowing, Christmas Eve, LGBIT character now even I can count up to 3 so great I geddit first time of askin I'm just so totally confused by all the whingin n whinin like how can it be clearer? Sometimes I wonder why you wonderful people at BCTS bother but am so greatful you do thanks for givin me so much xx k-jo
I was lying down minding my own business when life came by and drove right over me
A Probably Dumb Question
I think I know the answer (No), but I'll ask anyway. Could Chris and I resubmit our story "Eerie Saloon: Toy Soldier"? The story was intended for submission in an earlier contest, but I goofed and forgot to say that it was a contest submission when I sent it in.
It has to be new material
that has never been published or presented anywhere ever before on the web. If you wrote it, and it was never posted nor published anywhere ever before, then you could use it. And if it meets snowing in december and one of the toons is gltib, then yes, post it.
Sephrena
I think I may
I think I may enter this one. I had an idea for a short little story pop into my head late last night and it shows no signs of going away. ^_^
Have delightfully devious day,
Well... my entry is almost
Well... my entry is almost finished, but I really really really really hate editing stories longer than 3k words. It just takes forever *groan*
Good thing I started writing early. I hope I'll be finished until december 24th :D
Thanks for this contest,
Beyogi
Question...
Do multi-part stories have to be complete before they're submitted? (Or before they're considered for the top prizes?) I ask because I have enough material for perhaps three installments, and the whole thing could run as long as six parts, assuming each part is about 4000 words.
Livin' A Ragtime Life,
Rachel
No they do not need to be complete
as long as the submitted parts have the requirements.
Sephrena