» Mon May 07, 2012 11:07 am -Created by Yttrium and Undead Fiend
How This Works:
At the beginning of each month a theme will be given, the writer is expected to write a short piece of prose that fits said theme. All stories will be submitted on the thread and may be commented or critiqued by other writers. But Yttirum, Undead Fiend, Drop_Dead, Tycho the Wanderer, and Schmuty Buncis are currently the only judges as of now and we remain the ultimate factor on who wins the contest.
What do you get for winning? The chance to show off your awesomeness and to have bragging rights. You could also display it colorfully in your sig.
Rules:
-It must be prose (poetry is more abstract, and thus harder to judge)
-Though there are no length requirements, remember that a short, short story may not get everything that needs to be said, said, while a long story may say too much.
-It must incorporate the theme.
-Must meet the end of the month deadline (April 30th at 11:59:59 PST).
Anyone can submit an entry and you may submit as many as you like, or revise an old one as many times as you like up until the deadline.
This Month's Theme: Innocence
Lack of guile or corruption; purity. 
Hall of Fame
October: f8Icobra: http://www.gamesas.com/topic/1235108-monthly-writing-contest/page__view__findpost__p__18778378
November: kdn003: http://www.gamesas.com/topic/1249814-monthly-writing-contest-november-edition/page__view__findpost__p__19154847
December: Josh gro-Graz: http://www.gamesas.com/topic/1313249-monthly-writing-contest-december-edition/page__view__findpost__p__19864553
January: Styles: http://www.gamesas.com/topic/1335272-monthly-writing-contest-january/page__view__findpost__p__20166889
February: Schmuty Buncis: http://www.gamesas.com/topic/1343817-monthly-writing-contest-february-edition/page__view__findpost__p__20394994
March: MrSmileySmile: Georgia Border
April: Styles: A Desperate Time
Here's a quote from JE Sawyer about how to get out of a creative slump. I thought I would post it here since this is a creative writing competition and since I couldn't think of anywhere else to post it. The source is JE Sawyer's formspring.
Q: What's your advice on somebody who's in a bit of a creative slump, but wants to make really original content like Fallout?
JE Sawyer: Leave all of your familiar places and activities to do something that is not creative.
Q: Why would I want to do something not creative?
JE Sawyer: You don't. You want to do something creative, but you can't. If you were in a creative state, you wouldn't be asking me for advice.
Fresh ideas are synthesized out of disparate experiences. The reason why so much "creative" content isn't creative is because it's made by people who ingest from, and then regurgitate back into, the same stale stream of ideas.
If your goal is to "be original", you're really going to have a lot of trouble. Go out into the world and do things. Among the things you do, you will hopefully find things that you love. Those things that you love will interact in your mind and produce ideas. Eventually, the volume of ideas in your mind will exceed your will and ability to contain them. That's when you will create -- because you need to, not because you want to.
