Most writing contests give you a writing prompt or at least a couple of words to work your idea around, which is why I decided to host a slightly different contest.
A constrained writing contest
Instead of being given an idea or a writing prompt, you are allowed to choose the topic completely by yourself. But, varying from week to week, you will face different challenges that limit your writing.
You will be required to omit certain words, use a specific word in every second sentence, use a given sentence unchanged, write a story with a certain amount of words... or a combination of all.
Winners of constrained writing contest #31
The winners of this week’s Constrained Writing Contest are:
- 1st Place - @calluna the entry She walked in the darkest sunshine
Judge’s notes: A mad scientist who doesn't want to destroy the world, but instead wants to learn the truth about... everything? A mad scientist who wishes to give, not destroy? A mad scientist who is madly in love with everything around herself? That, in itself is an awesome concept. Add to that your amazing skill of writing and describing, and you've got yourself a winning story. Very well done! A very good read.
- 2nd Place - @pelusa with the entry We forget how everything was before
Judge’s notes: I think you raised some very powerful existential questions in your story, and you did so very well. If all goes forgotten, then what's the point? What's the point of change, if after a while it feels as if it wasn't a change at all? We adapt. Forget. Change. Evolve. And never look back.
- 3rd Place - @theironfelix with the entry A travelling wonderer
Judge’s notes: You introduced a whole new race that can see during the night, but not during the day. And a portal to their dimension. Loved the idea behind it, and wished it continued a bit more. It felt me wanting more. Much more. :D
Honorable Mention In Alphabetical Order:
- @tokiya with the entry Experimenting the true light
If I, by any chance, missed your entry, please do not hesitate to let me know, and I will do my best to redeem myself. I have missed an entry in the past, so I now pay extra attention, but ... It can happen still.
Sorry and thanks!
With that out of the way, onto constrained writing contest #32!
Rules:
This week I am the sole judge of the contest again, and here's what I've come up with for this week:
- Don't use any verbs in their continuous form. (no -ing)
- The story must be at least 250 words in length.
And as for the usual mumbo jumbo, here's the rest of the rules just about every contest has:
- Upvote this post
- Post a link to your entry in the comments below
- Include tag #constrainedwriting among your other tags
- Should you wish to help raise awareness of the contest, please consider resteeming this post (it is by no means compulsory)
Prizes
- 1st place: 45% of post's payout
- 2nd place: 27% of post's payout
- 3rd place 18 % of post's payout
- Judge takes 5 % for his/her efforts
- I will take 5 % for hosting, writing and editing the contest
*Note: In case I receive any donations for the contest, the payout percentages apply to the donation itself as well.
Judges
This week I am the sole judge of the Constrained Writing Contest, and am responsible for picking the winners on my own discretion. I promise to try my best and be as objective as possible.
What's that I hear? You wish to be a judge too? Well look no further!
To apply for a judge and make up your own rules, simply send @svashta a hearty hello on Discord (Svashta#5207).
*Disclaimer: I will only allow fellow writers as judges to keep the competition high quality.
Deadline
- Entries are accepted until this post's payout
- Your entry post must be newer than this post
Good luck!
I'm getting mine in before the time has ended! hahaha.
https://steemit.com/constrainedwriting/@tristancarax/ramble-constrained-writing-contest-32
Awesome! :D
Thanks for your entry!
Woow, thank you very much for this! I'm very happy to have been among the three winners, just participating had already been very entertaining, thank you very much and I look forward to continue participating in this contest.
! :D Very much deserved ^.^
Very interested to seeing what you come up with for this one! :D
Welp, see [censor noises] that everything was fine, I managed to sleep easy now now because I can use the word "everything" without hav [censor noises] to dig out a Thesaurus to find synonyms to "everything." Anyways here be me entry for this contest.
Also I want to point out that the 3rd place section is broken, doesn't have my entry title or link in that vicinity.
Haha! :D Yeah, prohibiting the use of everything would be a bit too much of a stretch. :P
Thank you for pointing it out! Fixing now!
Sorry for the mistake.
I'll give your entry a read closer to the end of the contest, as always.
Thank you very much for your entry! :D
Your welcome, and hope more will come to post their entries.
Woot!
Now, let’s see how this next story will go. We can’t use verbs with -ing yah say?
Yep. Everything but the -ing verbs. :P
i read your post then I join in your program.
here my entry. i hope you give me suggest to make better post later
https://steemit.com/fiction/@rokhani/saved-by-panglima-sudirman-eng-bahasa-indonesia
warm regard from Indonesia
Thank you very much for your entry! :D I'll give it a read closer to contest end ;D
Hello.
This is my first entry to your contests. Hope you'll like it!
Hey! :D
Awesome! :D I'll give it a read soon! :D
Thank you very much for your entry! :D
The reason am entering into this contest is to write better, I'll be glad if I can get more correction in a bid to be better at this.
Thank you very much for your entry! :D
I'll provide some feedback when I read it in the form of a comment, sure :D
Hello @svashta, thank you for sharing this creative work! We just stopped by to say that you've been upvoted by the @creativecrypto magazine. The Creative Crypto is all about art on the blockchain and learning from creatives like you. Looking forward to crossing paths again soon. Steem on!
Hey! :D Thanks! :D
Thank you so much!
To say I loved writing this would be an understatement, this was such a great prompt, I have often wondered how the world would look with the limits lifted, so I loved having the oppertunity <3
There were some good entries, I had really enjoyed @pelusa 's story, I am really looking forward to this next one. No 'ing'... gunna be tricky, but I can't wait to see what we all end up with! Lots of possible work arounds to be explored! I tried to write the rest of this comment without any 'ing's - let's hope a story comes a little easier!
Very happy to hear you're participating again! :D
Oh, and, "gonna" is an abbreviation of "going to", so that's not going to work. :P
Well, best of luck >;D
Oh darn, I thought I may slip colloquial abbreviations in there, I will have to think hard, hopefully if I start to do it, I may be able to get in to the mode and write a full story. Phew that was some feat of concentration ;)
Nope. No abbreviations. :p Sorry. Rules are rules. :p
It's not supposed to be easy, yaknow ;P
Phew, ok, here we have it, a story with no -ings
A nice jolly story ;) - Suicide By Degrees
Another one I have got a lot from doing, thank you so much for this inspiring contest!!
I'll give it a read soon and keep my eyes peeled for any abbreviations! >;P
Yepp. The title sure sounds jolly! More scary!
So very happy to hear that! I'll give it a read soon!
Thank you very much for your entry!
You just planted 0.42 tree(s)!
Thanks to @theironfelix
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Let's save and restore Abongphen Highland Forest
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Plant trees with @treeplanter and get paid for it!
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Thanks a lot!
@martin.mikes coordinator of @kedjom-keku
Happy day Here my entry again