Greetings my fellow writers! Welcome to the Third Feyfolken Short Story Contest. We have just started the writing stage, and it is certainly not too late to sign up. Thank you

The official http://s1.zetaboards.com/Feyfolken/index/ forum.

Now then, these are the official rules of the contest:

General Rules:

The story must be an Elder Scrolls fan fiction
The story must be between 1,000 and 3,000 words. We would appreciate everyone staying under 3,000, but you are allowed to go up to 3,200
The story must be original; that means it can't be a pre-made work
The story must not be posted anywhere else so as to preserve anonymity
The story must fall within the boundaries of the stated story starter


The Rating System:

Overall score is the sum of subscores divided by the total number of judges. Each story's final score is then added and divided by number of judges. The resulting over all score determines the overall winner, the subscores determine the "runners up," or winners in each category.

The categories are:

1) Creativity- Originality
2) Story- Development
3) Characters- Believable, with good interaction
4) Feel- Tone and how well it fits in Tamriel
5) General Impressions- Anything else, negative or positive; grammar, really good descriptions, very poetic description, etc.

Each subcategory will have a winner to themselves. The overall winner is decided by who has the best average of each element. The Judges will have their ratings using this system, then the general public will vote using the same categories, but simply choosing their favorite, General Impressions replaced with "Favorite Story". The general public's vote is to be submitted with a decent review (no one line critiques).


The current judges are:
Solidor
Half Tooth
Burnt Sierra (Maybe)
Evil Pigeon

To apply:

Please send your story to me, Darkom, by PM or email, both of which can be found on my profile. If you need to get into contact with me, you can do it via PM, MSN, or email (though I would prefer the other two). Thank you.

The Deadline:

2/1/10


If you would like to discuss anything regarding this contest, feel free to do so here. If you want to inform me of your intention of writing, that can be done here as well. Thank you all once more, we couldn't do these kinds of things without people like you.


We currently have 5 stories in for judging Keep up the good work everyone!

Dammit Darkom, if I am correct I was meant to be judging this contest, but I really really wanted story starters, I said that when we were discussing the contest for the first time back in August and July, and I would so love to have this contest be a "Day in the life of [insert character name here]" it would be so cool to have a whole bunch of different stories like that. Especially as you can inject some very serious tones to that as well as some really comical ones.

Anyway, I will stay as a judge unless we use a day in the life of as a story starter, then I would really really like to write instead.

:P Sorry Half Tooth (what is your preferred nick-name, by the way?). Personally, that is not one of my favorite story starters. But I'm not one for funny stories, I prefer character driven, mystery filled, sometimes heart pounding novels.

That's fine, I'm more than glad to have you as either.

Does anyone else have any ideas? C'mon, I know some of you have good ideas for story starters not listed yet

Also, if you plan on taking part in this contest, please tell me now, so I can have a good number to expect. The due date for stories is going to be around the end of January, so you have all Christmas break to write, and then another month or so. And with story starters it should speed up the process, being inspiration should be easier to find.

Thank you all.


EDIT: A quick answer to your question about which lands are considered unfamiliar, let's just say Cyrodiil and Vvardenfell are off limits for that starter. Sure Daggerfall covered High Rock and Hammerfell, but not in enough detail or recently for many people to know what they look like. So feel free to go anywhere but Cyrodiil and Vvardenfell. Thanks!

Hmm, I like this one a lot, as long as I'm understanding it correctly:

-Include one of the in-game books

I take that to mean that we write the happenings of a book sort of "as they 'actually' happened", before the book was written? Which would give us enough freedom to change things for our story/in order to make it original, but it would also focus on something that we don't generally focus much on in fan-fics (at least, the ones I've seen, lol) -- the books. If I'm misinterpreting that, can I put it forth as my suggestion?

As far as ones that I don't like, this one would have to be it:

-Unfamiliar Territory (an area that we haven't seen in the games, or at least since Arena)

For the simple reason that I've not played the other games (a little of Morrowind, but neither of the previous two), and so would have to do a bunch of research to figure out what lands are 'unfamiliar' or not. So, yes, the dislike is purely personal, LOL, so take it for what it's worth.

When can we do our stories?

Edit: I am planning on doing a story about Lord Indoril Nerevar and Lord Voryn Dagoth (maybe it will eventually evolve into the Nerevarine and Dagoth Ur, but most likely not)

I think it would rock if all the stories were set in the same city, and were presented as the "Chronicles of Chorrol" or something. Like the Star Wars book Tales from Jabba's Palace.

The only reason I suggested we do A day in the life of... is because it's like a set out story already which may be kinder to people who aren't used to writing. The time scale of it is.. well one day so you don't have to worry about trying to cram in a story line like a couple of stories have done in these contests. And it is as rigid or as versatile as people want to make it, and you can include as much or as little information as you want about your character, you could almost go completely off the point and have your character remember things about their past.

You can make it as funny or as serious as you want. And it's just one day from someone's life it could be the happiest day of their life or the saddest, it could be the day they die and how that happens. You can have really clumsy characters who keep getting injured or putting their foot in their mouths, I just have so many ideas for this, it could be a day in the life of an assasin, a monk, a theif or someone completely ordinary doing ordinary things, or someone completely odirnary finding themself in a crazy situation.

I also like this idea because of it's sturdy structure and as I mentioned before it is difficult trying to think of a decent plot for a short story and trying to fit everything in that you want to, where as with this idea you have a structure set out for your story you just have to fill in all the blanks with whatever you want.

And I don't know how much time people will have over christmas. I know I'm going to get getting an essay to do and in the UK we usually have lots of exams either just before christmas or in January I'm not sure what it's like in other countries. And as it's christmas a lot of people are likely to to be busy, so to sum myself up I just think that this would be a perfect framework for a short story and it is pretty versatile in what you want to do with it.

I wouldn't advise starting until we have the story starter ready... But you'll have two, maybe two and a half months after the start of the contest, so probably around February they'll be due.




That could be the story starter, I'll put your idea down. Now, do you guys want a specific story starter or a broad one?



It's a perfectly fine idea, and has plenty of strong points, but besides me wanting you juding it's just not my favorite. Nothing against it, I just like other ideas better, not to say that that might not end up being the one we do. Besides, if we don't do one this time, we can do it next time

I have midterms next week, and I'll be at my grandparents most of Christmas, but I'll have enough time to write a short story, I believe. Along with starting an RP, continue my current story, and start a new one, as well as participating in several roleplays. I know my schedule is more free than most people's, but I think two or so months is plenty of time. That's at least eight to ten weekends. Thanks.



EDIT: Thank you for letting me know, Elite. I appreciate the heads up. If you would like to contribute to the decision of the story starters, please voice your opinions. I might put a poll question up for which we are going to use if people don't start commenting

I would like to participate as a writer, por favor.

I'll judge. Id write but i really dont like being restricted to a word limit so thats a no go area for me.

Thanks for the clarification, Darkom. That sounds fine by me then. Although so far I'm preferring the book one or Shades's suggestion of "Chronicles of Chorrol", or something like that. Just as long as it's not to restrictive (as in, not a specific event or focal point, like "an Oblivion gate opens outside of Chorrol" or "you're in a bookstore in Chorrol"). As long as it isn't that specific, I think that sort of framework could be really cool.

Also "a day in the life of" could be pretty interesting, but -- in that case -- I think we should open it up to multiple "lives" (ie you can write about an assassin's day, a monk's day, etc.); I know you wouldn't want to open to many possibilities, because then it's just about the same as having no starter...so maybe two or three choices at most? It could also be interesting to do two opposing lives...like the writer gets to choose between a monk's and an assassin's day; or a thief's and a guard's day. But then it might be more challenging when you only have one "life", too, so that would be more interesting for the author. Hmm...

Excellent, glad to have you aboard, Solidor Please make an account on Feyfolken and I'll give you moderator powers, so you can see the judges section. Thank you.



Alright, so we're liking the more open starters than the specific ones, I see where you're coming from, and I agree with you. Story starters can be good, but they shouldn't be restrictive.

I'll try to remain impartial as far as the starters go, and leave it up to you all to decide, but let me say my vote is going towards historical, though the npc one is looking attractive. I just love historical fan fics myself, elaborating on the existing lore, especially when that lore is biased and you can be skeptical with it, it just makes my story feel better to be playing a well known person. Like my Lucien Lachance story, Oblivion never gave him much personality, so I get the chance to. It's great!

But, it's not my decision, it's yours, so I'll start the poll sometime tomorrow to give anyone who wants to post a new idea time to get it in. Thank you

I have added the story starters as a poll. Please vote for your favorite story starter.

For the seven of you that have already voted, you may post your votes here or send them to me via PM. Thank you

Even if we do do a day in the life of, I'll still judge even though that's the one I want to do most. but if you want to vount my vote it would be for a day in the life of

The votes for the story starters will be tallied one week from today, on Sunday, December 20th at exactly six P.M. If you have not yet cast your vote please do so now, and if you were one of the seven that cannot vote please post your vote. If you have your own idea it is not too late to submit it.

As of now "A Day in the Life of..." is winning, so if you wish to start planning now that is what you should keep in mind. To clarify, that story starter consists of the author choosing an average (or not so average) citizen of Tamriel and writing from their perspective on the events of one to two days. These events can be mundane or extraordinary, the choice is yours. The only real restriction is that it must be one character, it must start out like any other day, and it can only last one or two days (in case you wish to start at night or later in the first day). It is a fairly unrestrictive story starter, and if you want to clarify that your idea is within its boundaries check with me or Half Tooth.

If you want to judge please let me know, right now the only confirmation I have is from Half Tooth and Solidor. I would like one or two more judges for the contest, so message me or post if you wish to do so. You must have a decent history of critiquing or at least writing stories, beyond that it is my choice. Your duties as a judge fall mostly in the rating and critiquing of the story at the end of the contest, you must give a detailed critique of the story and rate it based on the five categories we have.

Thank you all very much.

Are Sparrow and Lady N not judging this time again? Might be worth checking with them first.

Exactly what I was planning on doing after about a day. I just wanted to ask here first, and then start sending out messages.

What is your plan, BurntSierra, are you planning on writing a story? If not I understand, don't worry about it. If so, then huzzah

Thanks, I'll do that soon.



EDIT: I thought so as well. I planned to have the deadline be somewhere in February, and then however long it takes the judges to decide, plus about half a week for the general election (the public voting starting either the same time or half way through the judge's voting, once again depending on how long the judges take)

Evil, what are your plans for this contest? Once again, it doesn't really matter to me, I'm just trying to get tabs on everyone. Thanks.



EDIT AGAIN: Okay, Burnt, good to hear Thanks :goodjob:

Ohh good, nicely timed, when dya plan to finish the comp?

I'm easy mate. If you're short on judges, I'll judge. If you have plenty, then I'll enter as a writer. Whatever is going to be most useful.

Five days until the voting for story starters deadline, I hate to bump like this but I urge anyone that wants to write to vote. Also, if you plan on writing a story, please let me know. In the past I have recieved random stories from people I'd never heard from, and they nearly didn't make the deadline. If I know you are working on a story but have yet to turn it in, there's a good chance I'll smudge the due date a bit so you can finish. So please, if you haven't done so yet, tell me of any plans you have regarding the contest. Also, it would be wise to sign up for the official Feyfolken Forum, where you can recieve early warnings or any advice you need on writing your story.

Thank you.

PS Burntsierra, if you hadn't seen my edit, I am pleased to hear of your versatile help. Thank you.

Darkom, I am planning to write for this contest. Could you add my vote to "day in the life of"?

Thanks!

Well, I'm a little late, but we may now officially start the Third Feyfolken Short Story Contest. The story starter we shall be using is "A Day in the Life of...", in which you must place yourself in the shoes of an average citizen of Tamriel. This may be anyone from a thief to a priest, a beggar to a king, so long as it is original and meets the requirements of the contest.

To all who wish to write, I wish you good luck, and set the due date for stories as February first. Please have your stories in to me before then, or else they will not be counted.

To all who wish to judge, please PM me, and I'll get back to you on whether or not we would appreciate your help. There is really no limit on judges, but we would prefer for you to write. Thank you.

Now then, these are the official rules of the contest:

General Rules:

The story must be an Elder Scrolls fan fiction
The story must be between 1,000 and 3,000 words. We would appreciate everyone staying under 3,000, but you are allowed to go up to 3,200
The story must be original; that means it can't be a pre-made work
The story must not be posted anywhere else so as to preserve anonymity
The story must fall within the boundaries of the stated story starter


The Rating System:

Overall score is the sum of subscores divided by the total number of judges. Each story's final score is then added and divided by number of judges. The resulting over all score determines the overall winner, the subscores determine the "runners up," or winners in each category.

The categories are:

1) Creativity- Originality
2) Story- Development
3) Characters- Believable, with good interaction
4) Feel- Tone and how well it fits in Tamriel
5) General Impressions- Anything else, negative or positive; grammar, really good descriptions, very poetic description, etc.

Each subcategory will have a winner to themselves. The overall winner is decided by who has the best average of each element. The Judges will have their ratings using this system, then the general public will vote using the same categories, but simply choosing their favorite, General Impressions replaced with "Favorite Story". The general public's vote is to be submitted with a decent review (no one line critiques).

The current judges are:
Solidor
Half Tooth
Burnt Sierra (Maybe)
Evil Pigeon

To apply:

Please send your story to me, Darkom, by PM or email, both of which can be found on my profile. If you need to get into contact with me, you can do it via PM, MSN, or email (though I would prefer the other two). Thank you.

If you would like to discuss anything regarding this contest, feel free to do so here. If you want to inform me of your intention of writing, that can be done here as well. Thank you all once more, we couldn't do these kinds of things without people like you

The Deadline:

2/1/10

The judges list has been updated, which means over at Feyfolken that the new judges can now view the judge's section. So for all my judges, I have a small thread up there to discuss the new contest, and will be posting the stories there on the first of February.

To my writers: you have just over a month to write your story. If any of you think you won't be able to finish in that time, let me know, and we can discuss the date. Otherwise, just keep working on those stories If you have any questions, or if you aren't sure if your topic falls within the story starter, feel free to let me know. I am always available for help, and should be able to respond to your questions within the day you ask. Thank you.

And remember, it is not too late to join in, we have only just begun

Thanks again everyone.

Greetings once again my fellow writers. I just wanted to swing by this thread before I leave on vacation, and give anyone who wishes to participate the chance to see the contest. If you are interested, and you see this starting to fall to the third page or so, please feel free to leave a small comment and bump it back up to the top. I have loved the results of the past two contests, and wouldn't want this to end at three Thank you all very much, I appreciate your help, and look forward to reading your short stories.

So, 1st February 2010 is deadline day. Cool, plenty of time for everyone then. Did you decide whether you wanted me a judge or entrant this time, Darkom? Either is fine

Perhaps we should try getting some of these author's who've done so well in the end of the year awards to enter this time as well. Maybe if I name and shame 'em, eh?

*Cough, looking at you guys: Rumple, Peleus, Trey, Malx1, Subrosa, Acadian & a few others*

So far we've had an incredible list of author's who have participated:

Rachel the Breton (Twice - Star!)
Shades
Darkom
Person from Anticlere
FC4
Half Tooth
Evil Pigeon
Luagar
Demonstar

Nine top authors. It would be nice to add to that list, as well as keep those who've been with it from the start