Malazan Empire: 2nd Grand Malazan Short Story Contest! - Malazan Empire

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2nd Grand Malazan Short Story Contest! Fabulous cash prizes!

#1 User is offline   Shinrei 

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Posted 27 March 2009 - 12:46 PM

Moderators, please KEEP the current sticky of this in the INN, since it gains much more traffic than the writing forum. After the word is out, it can be removed. Thank you for your consideration.
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This is a mirror of the announcement in the Inn, and is meant to become the main discussion thread after the word is out. Congratulations again to everyone involved in the first contest. Good luck to those who want to try this time around!!!

Authors who submitted works to the first contest are, of course, invited to participate again. Obviously, they must submit a different work. :ball:


DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSIONS: September 1st, 2009. The first competition deadline was 5 months after the announcement, so I'm making it the same this time.

I (Shinrei no Shintai) will not be a judge for the competition. In fact, I want to submit a work of my own this time! This means the grand prize needs to be different (since putting up my own money like last time makes no sense if I happen to win).

An anonymous (well, I know who it is) donor has agreed to put up $25 as a first prize. Also, in August I will make an official call for donations to either increase the 1st prize pot, created a prize for 2nd place, or both.

Writers who are submitting works are asked, on a voluntary basis, to donate a small amount to the MalazanEmpire website. This is entirely voluntary and donations will be kept anonymous (only Hetan will know).

Original rules as follows:
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Authors may choose between

a) Public Display of their submission in the writing forum.
b ) Private submission directly to judges.*

*Grand Prize submission will be made public on malazanempire.com/forums regardless of how the work was originally submitted.

ALL SUBMISSIONS MUST BE MADE TO: malazanwriting@live.com

Submissions sanctioned for public viewing will be posted in the Writing Forum in a special thread created for the contest. Link: http://www.malazanempire.com/IPBforum/inde...showtopic=14859

OFFICIAL RULES:

1) Volunteer Judges are not eligible to submit short stories for the contest.
2) Any previously published works and works currently considered for publication will not be accepted for this contest.
3) All works must be original creations of and by the person submitting them for the contest. NO THIRD PARTY SUBMISSIONS ALLOWED.
4) Any professionally edited (by editors, professors, english teachers/tutors) are not eligible. This will be on the honor system, so if you have submitted a story for review in a magazine, newspaper, college or high school english course, it is not eligible for this contest.
5) Works must be 7,500 words or less (per Wikipedia's short story definition).
6) Submitted works can be works in progress, IF the work has never been professionally edited or submitted for publication. Therefore, works not started specifically for the purpose of this contest ARE eligible. (If you've had something sitting in your computer forever but have never finished or edited it, this is your chance).
7) Only standing members of malazanempire.com/forums are eligible. User ID's created after the date of this rules post will NOT BE ALLOWED to submit works. (Exceptions made under certain circumstances).
8) If a volunteer judge opts to be anonymous and informs Shinrei no Shintai via Private Message of this desire, Privacy of said judge's ID will be honored.
9) Maximum of 1 submission is allowed per user ID. Single ownership of multiple IDs necessitates that ONE ID must be chosen under which to submit the work. In other words, only ONE SUBMISSION per ONE PERSON regardless of number of User ID's held.
10) Submitted works are intellectual property of the owner and author. Copyright will be honored and enforced, and any reproduction or use of submitted works without express written consent of the owner/author is prohibited.

Submission guidelines:

a) Original work of the person entering the submission.
Any subject matter/topic is allowed. The work does not need to be fantasy or science fiction.
c) 7,500 words or less.
d) English language only, except where other language is necessary for storytelling purposes.

Prizes:

GRAND PRIZE: Original Malazan Art provided by our very own forum artists + $25 Amazon Certificate
1st Finalist: Original Malazan Art + Amazon Voucher
2nd Finalist: Amazon Voucher
3rd Finalist: Possible Amazon Voucher + Bragging Rights


Edited to set the deadline in stone. Judge positions are currently filled. Prize information changed.

This post has been edited by Shinrei: 30 August 2009 - 03:03 AM

You’ve never heard of the Silanda? … It’s the ship that made the Warren of Telas run in less than 12 parsecs.
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#2 User is offline   Grimjust Bearegular 

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Posted 27 March 2009 - 01:16 PM

I'm in. Could probably donate too.


idea for prize:

original artwork from some of our artists (I'm in :ball: )
Things and stuffs...and other important objects.
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#3 User is offline   Yellow 

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Posted 27 March 2009 - 05:53 PM

View PostGrimhilde, on Mar 27 2009, 01:16 PM, said:

I'm in. Could probably donate too.


idea for prize:

original artwork from some of our artists (I'm in :ball: )


You know, that would actually be a kick-ass prize.

But if we're doing the money thing, I can still donate £10 to it.
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#4 User is offline   Wordmerchant 

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Posted 29 March 2009 - 04:17 AM

If I haven't worn out my welcome doing so, I"m willing to judge again.
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#5 User is offline   Fist Gamet 

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Posted 29 March 2009 - 06:52 PM

Oh, excellent, I have been waiting for this since Yellow stole the first one from me :D

Ahem, anyway, I will enter, of course, and I would be happy to make a contribution via paypal in whatever format we agree. I would say that I don't wish for the gift certificate / prize money thing to be the main motivation for entering so I would want it to remain modest, possibly split between the top three or four entries or such. I think all contributions would have to be converted to Amazon certificates, and I apologise if you have already covered this, Shin.

Gamet - remembers reading some impressive but unfinished writing by Shinrei, in an Abyss-style aside...
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#6 User is offline   Yellow 

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Posted 29 March 2009 - 11:38 PM

View PostFist Gamet, on Mar 29 2009, 07:52 PM, said:

Oh, excellent, I have been waiting for this since Yellow stole the first one from me :D


Oh, it's on.
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#7 User is offline   Darkwatch 

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Posted 01 April 2009 - 08:05 PM

I'm in.

I'll get killed, but it will be fun.
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#8 User is offline   Shinrei 

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Posted 03 April 2009 - 07:08 AM

Oh, I have just the story waiting in the wings.....
You’ve never heard of the Silanda? … It’s the ship that made the Warren of Telas run in less than 12 parsecs.
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#9 User is offline   Cusser 

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Posted 07 April 2009 - 02:28 PM

Does it have to partake in the Malazan world?
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#10 User is offline   Fist Gamet 

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Posted 07 April 2009 - 03:28 PM

:unworthy: No! Quite the opposite, it must not take place in the Malazan world (pretty sure we don't want fanfic). Have a look at the submissions in the 1st Contest for an idea.

This post has been edited by Fist Gamet: 07 April 2009 - 03:29 PM

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#11 User is offline   Shinrei 

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Posted 07 April 2009 - 11:45 PM

Well, technically fanfic isn't against the rules. However, works that are entirely original should fare better in the eye of the judges. So if you write fanfic, it would probably have to be pretty original and pretty kickass to succeed.

We didnt have any fanfic last contest, but like I said, its not against the rules. As Gamet said, it is certainly NOT in the rules that it has to take place in the Malazan world.
You’ve never heard of the Silanda? … It’s the ship that made the Warren of Telas run in less than 12 parsecs.
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#12 User is offline   Sixty 

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Posted 10 April 2009 - 02:15 AM

Hey since it looks like the inn thread is neglected:

1.) Are we allowed to submit multiple entries, as long as only one counts judging-wise? :p
2.) Are we allowed to solicit non-professional proof-readers?
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#13 User is offline   Yellow 

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Posted 10 April 2009 - 09:59 AM

If it were up to me, I'd say no to both of those.

If you want to submit other stories, just post them on the board... and if you have help writing your story, then it's not all your own work.
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#14 User is offline   Shinrei 

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Posted 10 April 2009 - 10:25 AM

1) No
2) No

Neither are fair, and I think the rules as written make this pretty clear.

Just chose the story you think is best and submit it! :p
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#15 User is offline   Zanth13 

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Posted 10 April 2009 - 05:18 PM

If its not taken already, I would volunteer as one of the judges,

my credentials: * said in an air of suppiority, ive been published and payed before.... lol but no seriously...

well ten bucks anyway... regardless, I would be honored, and if not then maybe I will enter....

Im willing to help out in what ever way...
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#16 User is offline   Sixty 

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Posted 10 April 2009 - 07:22 PM

By solicit non-professional proof-readers, it was more or less something along the lines of asking people to take a look and give opinions. :S

I have a hard time judging my own writing.
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#17 User is offline   Shinrei 

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Posted 11 April 2009 - 12:29 PM

I see no problem with you displaying your multiple works to someone and asking for their advice as to which one you should submit for the contest. As for giving advice..... we can't really police what you change as you make your own work so I'm not going to say "no". Obviously professional authors have readers who go through and help them with the screening of their work. In the rules post it says "professionals" like teachers or editors, so if your mom or best friend reads it and gives advice...use sparingly. Once they start changing sentences or editing syntax/suggesting vocab though, that sort of bends the spirit of the rules.
You’ve never heard of the Silanda? … It’s the ship that made the Warren of Telas run in less than 12 parsecs.
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#18 User is offline   Sixty 

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Posted 12 April 2009 - 11:30 PM

Well I posted the same thing like 10 times...then, when cleaning them up, accidentally managed to delete all of them.
At this point I've more or less finished a viable enough entry, but I don't exactly want to submit anything since inspiration might fly out of nowhere and pummel me across the face. In the meantime, I suppose it can just sit in my hard drive.
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#19 User is offline   twist 

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Posted 15 April 2009 - 11:15 AM

I might sign up for this, don't wanna win but
just to see how my writing is.
Is there a general type of story that has to be written?
I mean does it have to be fantasy or could it be anything.

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#20 User is offline   Shinrei 

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Posted 15 April 2009 - 11:43 AM

@twist, The story is entirely up to you. It does not have to be fantasy, although it does have to be fiction.
You’ve never heard of the Silanda? … It’s the ship that made the Warren of Telas run in less than 12 parsecs.
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