Scared To Death: Halloween Quicksand Story Contest

[stevensenechal]

After speaking with Fred last night and a few others, the Halloween Quicksand Story Contest is a reality! The contest will be open to all the Fans and short stories (and essays) will be accepted in the Stories forum from now until midnight on Halloween (your time zone). You should indicate in some form of introduction that your submission is for the Halloween Quicksand Story Contest. A couple of guidelines regarding the theme are mentioned below but creativity within these is definitely encouraged as the eventual winner will be decided in a vote conducted by the Fans in early November.

As to the winner, I thought they should at least receive recognition in the form of some title ( perhaps Creepiest Fan 2009 or some such thing ) but Fred at Studio 588 has graciously offered some fantastic downloads as a prize. Information regarding the prize will be available on the Studio 588 site presently and other goodies may also show up as more jump on board. The enticement, however, should be the awesome works of fiction produced by the Fans for all to share. We have a good many fine writers with equally fine ( and perverse ) imaginations and no doubt they will take up the challenge. Given the time constraints mentioned by a few of you, short stories and essays will probably be the norm.

With regards to the theme, it was thought that a couple of guidelines would be both helpful and aid in the expedience of the compositions ( not to mention making voting easier as well ). The guidelines are as follows;

1. The story must take place on Halloween ( pretty simple when you think of it ).
2. The story must involve a victim (or victims) sinking in quicksand.
3. The story must involve quicksand, substances that behave as quicksand, or substances made to behave like quicksand.

Well, that is all we can think of for now, no doubt you may have questions so feel free to field them here and the powers that be will answer them as best they can. Good luck Quicksand Fans!

[dlodoski]

2. The story must involve a group of sinkers going out sinking.

Isn't guideline #2 arbitrarily restrictive?

I can think of several outlines that would involve a single 'scared to death' victim. And what about a haunted house that contained (accidentally or otherwise) real quicksand. That could be a group, but they wouldn't be 'going out sinking' per se (unless you meant 'checking out' ).

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[stevensenechal]

Scared To Death: Halloween Quicksand Story Contest is merely a catchy 'marketing' phrase designed to elicit interest from the Fans, no one need necessarily be "scared to death' in the story ( but I am glad I thought of it ). As for the Haunted House idea you should have kept that one a little closer to your chest as I have patented it and already secured the movie rights! Ha ha ha! Besides, guideline #2 was Fred's idea.

MODERATORS EDIT - Off topic picture removed.

[water_bug_62208]

Isn't guideline #2 arbitrarily restrictive?

I can think of several outlines that would involve a single 'scared to death' victim. And what about a haunted house that contained (accidentally or otherwise) real quicksand. That could be a group, but they wouldn't be 'going out sinking' per se (unless you meant 'checking out' ).

I'll echo Dave's concern regarding the restrictive nature of Guideline #2. There's also concerns about the potential restrictive nature of Guideline #3. If we need to appeal this to Fred for a final call, that's fine.


- Recommendation: That Guideline #2 be reconsidered as, "The story must involve a victim (or victims) sinking in quicksand," which makes sense being that this is a "Halloween Quicksand Story."


- Recommendation: That Guideline #3 be reconsidered as, "The story must involve quicksand, substances that behave as quicksand, or substances made to behave like quicksand."


Reason for consideration of the above recommendations...


Guideline #2...

- If by, "2. The story must involve a group of sinkers going out sinking." you mean we have to have several people sinking? Are they required to actively seek out quicksand?

- Concern: Generally speaking, a typical "Halloween-based" story or movie focuses on one individual, or the individual fates of each member of a group, so it seems requiring that there must be a group of people and that they must all sink in quicksand takes away from that "Halloween tradition."

- Concern: If these people are specifically going out sinking, that again impacts on the traditional "Halloween storyline" where the fate(s) of an indivdual(s) is something of surprise and is unexpected. If one is looking for quicksand and gets sucked under, where's the terror and suspense found in the unanticpated or unexpected where one gets surprised when caught in quicksand? Basically, you add way too much "predictability" into a story, and it's the "creativity" and "unpredictability" that makes a good Halloween story or movie, even if we know that somewhere along the line the victim(s) encounters quicksand.

- Thus, recommend that Guideline #2 be reconsidered as, "The story must involve a victim (or victims) sinking in quicksand," which makes sense being that this is a "Halloween Quicksand Story."


Guideline #3

- If by, "3. The story must involve quicksand." do you mean the quicksand must be the typical quicksand (in the everyday natural sense) found in a river bed or along the coast, i.e., it has to be sand forced to hold water turning it into the natural substance we love?

- Concern: Again, if it must be quicksand in the truest sense per the dictionary or encyclopedia, you take away the creativity and unpredictabilty of Halloween. We're talking about an event where natural and the supernatural both exist, and it's usually the supernatural that adds flavor to a good Halloween story.

- Concern: There can be "other things" that can be just as good, if not better than, real quicksand. In a supernatural environmemnt, one can make quicksand, or materials or substances that act like quicksand, do things that typically isn't found in naturally occuring quicksand.

- Thus, recommend that Guideline #3 be reconsidered as, "The story must involve quicksand, substances that behave as quicksand, or substances made to behave like quicksand."


Whatever Fred decides is fine, just concerned about how Guidelines #2 and #3, as they are currently written, may impact the participants' creativity.


Also, is there a set length to the story, such as the story must be under so many words so as to make it practical for voters to read all of the stories entered?

[stevensenechal]

All of Waterbug's ammendments are easily included in the general guidelines so consider them in! (I trust we will have a story from you then Waterbug? ) I'm glad such participation was evoked and I'm sure similar clarifications will be ongoing. But alas the clock is ticking! Tick tock tick tock. Get on with the writing and may the best Bug win!

[water_bug_62208]

All of Waterbug's ammendments are easily included in the general guidelines so consider them in! (I trust we will have a story from you then Waterbug? ) I'm glad such participation was evoked and I'm sure similar clarifications will be ongoing. But alas the clock is ticking! Tick tock tick tock. Get on with the writing and may the best Bug win!

Got something planned.

So, basically we create a thread as we have been doing when we post a story to the Stories Forum, just we need to indicate in the title that the story is for the Halloween Quicksand Story Contest, correct?

And, I take it we should post the story directly into the thread versus it being an attachment (since some document programs can't be read by some people's computers), correct?

[stevensenechal]

All of Waterbug's ammendments are easily included in the general guidelines so consider them in! (I trust we will have a story from you then Waterbug? ) I'm glad such participation was evoked and I'm sure similar clarifications will be ongoing. But alas the clock is ticking! Tick tock tick tock. Get on with the writing and may the best Bug win!

Got something planned.

So, basically we create a thread as we have been doing when we post a story to the Stories Forum, just we need to indicate in the title that the story is for the Halloween Quicksand Story Contest, correct?

And, I take it we should post the story directly into the thread versus it being an attachment (since some document programs can't be read by some people's computers), correct?

Yes, yes and yes. (Boy, I'm sure glad this guy's on our side!)

[nachtjaeger]

Hmm. . . this has possibilities.

[Swampficious]

Good luck to everyone who writes one.
I'm considering it, but depending how it turns out, I might be posting the worst story in history, or not.
Either way, in contests before now, the standard was pretty high, and some of the ideas were great!!!
So yeah, good luck everyone.

[stevensenechal]

I have edited the original invitation to include the amendments to the guidelines discussed so far. This should get everyone going as it's now October 15 and that leaves TWO WHOLE WEEKS to come up with some fantastic stories!