Competition: Variations on a theme 7 (Photo)

pickarooney

After a year off, VOAT is back.

WTF is VOAT?
An informal short story competition open to anyone with a boards account.

"Back", you say?
Yup, there were seven previous incarnations of the competition in 2010 and due to popular demand/lack of anything better to do, it's been relaunched for 2012.

Cool. So is this a regular thing or...?
Hopefully. It all depends on how interested everyone is in keeping it going.

It's for established writers though, right? I haven't written anything in years and even then it was just a best man speech. People laughed, but they were pretty drunk.
There's no money involved so that rules out most of the big Nobel/Booker nominees. There's no better way to find out if you have some sort of talent than by posting up something you've written for other people to look at. It could be the start of something you've always wanted to get into. Besides, we need someone to come last.

Where can I see previous rounds so I know what I'm up against?
Search for variations on a theme and you'll see all the discussion threads of rounds 1 to 6. There was even a 3.5 for reasons we won't go into.

To see the stories themselves, search this forum for short story competition and you should find threads like this (1), this (6) and this (3.5)


Pfff, every one of those is hopeless. Where do I sign up?
Just follow the instructions below.

There's no way in hell I could write anything that good but I'm nothing if not a masochist. Where do I sign up?
Just follow the instructions below.


Instructions for use
You will write a short story of no more than 2000 words. The story should be in some way inspired by this image


If that's not showing up for you, you can see it at this link:
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7151/6640605851_8086731f3e.jpg

If you still can't see it, first stop using Lynx browser then imagine a large boat in motion, view from the deck and looking out past a smoking mustard and blue coloured chimney stack. There is a helipad in the foreground. The image was chosen at random from flickr. It was the second image picked. The first was a nudey lady. Your story may also feature nudey ladies but it is not a prerequisite.

Once you're done, send me a PM with the story. If it's too big to fit in a PM, break it up or PM me a link to a version of it online or something. Do not post it in the thread.

The closing date for competition entries is midnight GMT on the 22nd of January. I'll be accepting submissions via PM as of today. Voting will run from the 23rd to the 31st of January.

As is the rule, all votes must be accompanied by a post on the thread giving feedback to at least one of the stories, although obviously the more time you take to give your impressions the more the writers will benefit.

Please post in here with any queries on the competition itself.
Please do not post pieces directly in the thread.

Best of luck!

Antilles

Has it been a year?

pickarooney

I didn't think it had but Version 6 was in November 2010

alchemist33

I couldn't see who wrote story 3 in competition 6, but they wrote a tremendous story. That's a very high bar.

Mr E

That was Antilles...... yeah, scary good.

alchemist33

Maybe his keyboard will be broken this month...

Antilles

Antilles

pickarooney wrote: »

I didn't think it had but Version 6 was in November 2010

I think you mean relaunched for 2012 in the first post!

Mr E

No word limit mentioned in OP. 2000?

The Mad Hatter

Mr E wrote: »

No word limit mentioned in OP. 2000?

First sentence under "Instructions for use" :P

Mr E

I blame old age.

Looking forward to this....

Mr E

Mr E wrote: »

I blame old age.

Looking forward to this....

i missed it as well, i was going to ask

i duno if i can manage this but sure... we'll see!

pickarooney

One week to go. Anyone written anything?

no
cant see that changing for me...

Antilles

Nope, but I'm just back from hols!

Mr E

Wrote a nice opening, now I've no idea where to go!

Must do some old fashioned brainstorming. I hope to submit something.

meganj

Tis very quiet in work at the moment so I just might take a crack at this...

Well I say that, but already the tightness in my chest is building from the threat of ridicule... The HORROR!!

pickarooney

meganj wrote: »

Tis very quiet in work at the moment so I just might take a crack at this...

Well I say that, but already the tightness in my chest is building from the threat of ridicule... The HORROR!!

Take it and run with it. Go meta - a story about a panic-stricken author... on some sort of military vessel.

Oryx

Ive been away too long. Only saw this now!

Blush_01

Ditto Oryx.

Was just thinking of these competitions this afternoon actually!

Das Kitty

Just spotted this today.

Can it be done I wonder?

Just to make sure, midnight on the 22nd: that means I can submit on Saturday? 00:00 can be tricky.

pickarooney

You can submit it right now if you like, just no later than the deadline.

Das Kitty

pickarooney wrote: »

You can submit it right now if you like, just no later than the deadline.

Oh I know, I was just wondering if the deadline is at the end of the day, or the start of the day on Saturday. End, I'm guessing?

pickarooney

Midnight on Sunday the 22nd, just before the clock ticks over into Monday

Das Kitty

pickarooney wrote: »

Midnight on Sunday the 22nd, just before the clock ticks over into Monday

Ha ha, totally forgot that there was a 20th of the month. I really need to start sleeping more! So I have a day more than I thought.

pickarooney

Das Kitty wrote: »

Ha ha, totally forgot that there was a 20th of the month. I really need to start sleeping more! So I have a day more than I thought.

Spend it sleeping!

Das Kitty

pickarooney wrote: »

Spend it sleeping!

I wish! So I have my idea now and I'm going to churn out a first draft tonight.

--Kaiser--

pickarooney wrote: »

Besides, we need someone to come last.

LOL. Might give this a go

Antilles

Got any submissions yet, Pickarooney?

pickarooney

I have enough for a poll...

Antilles

You'll have mine before midnight

pickarooney

I'll put these up as soon as I can, probably early afternoon. I got eight entries, six of which are from first-timers.

pickarooney

The stories are up: see the thread here.

Please let me know by PM ASAP if you notice anything wrong with the formatting of your story, if you had submitted an updated one or if I've accidentally posted the same part twice.

Best of luck to everyone. I hope to get a chance to read them tonight.

Toasterspark

I always feel guilty picking the first story as one of my votes. I'm afraid people are thinking 'Yeah, you didn't read half of them, did you?'. I honestly did!!

Antilles

Lol, I'm the same, Toaster

Oryx

I'll admit I nearly just skimmed some, but no. I ended up reading every one.

hcass

Hey - is there going to be another comp. I don't use boards that regularly so I missed the one just gone. I read the stories there and voted though. I'd love to take part in the next one if you can give us an idea of when it will be?

Blush_01

Is it physically possible (for Picka) for us to do this once a month?

Would be great to have something that regular!

pickarooney

Once a month is a little too often, I feel. Voter/reader/writer fatigue tends to set in if they're bunched too close together. I think a flash fiction comp might be good for February though.

pickarooney

pickarooney wrote: »

. I think a flash fiction comp might be good for February though.

i can't do it anymore !!! *cry*

pickarooney

bluewolf wrote: »

i can't do it anymore !!! *cry*

She says after one day of PI modding?

Blush_01

pickarooney wrote: »

Once a month is a little too often, I feel. Voter/reader/writer fatigue tends to set in if they're bunched too close together. I think a flash fiction comp might be good for February though.

My first reaction was "I like flashing". Yeah, need to censor myself far too much these days. Don't think I should be allowed out in public, think I'm regressing when it comes to naivety and saying inappropriate things without realising.

Looking forward to the flash fiction though. Was fun the last time.

pickarooney

pickarooney wrote: »

She says after one day of PI modding?

dear PI,
someone on the c.w. forum called pickarooney keeps making me write stories. i am very sad and tired. i can't do it anymore. advice please? should i join a club or go travelling?
thx xx

pickarooney

Dear XX

Join a travelling writers' club.

Your sincerely
3.1415926535

:D:D

Antilles

So has the deadline for voting passed yet? Can we congratulate the winner?

pickarooney

Yup, just got around to checking on this now... congrats Das Kitty!

Mr E

Das Meeeowww! Well done, great job. Won by a fair margin too.

Antilles

Congrats, Das Kitty! A well deserved and comprehensive win.

Mine was #6.

Oryx

Well done on a strong victory.

Mr E

By the way, mine was #5 (Die Hard at Sea!).
Not my strongest work, but I had fun writing it.