Official Annual Story Writing Contest Discussion Thread

[Muezzin]

At the time of writing, we've had four previous writing contests, and they've all been fantastic mashallah.

Let's make this an annual thing.

This thread will be the main hub for the general discussion about the Story Writing Contest. Each year, a separate thread can be created to house that year's entries.

So just to get discussion going, here's some suggested rules for the contest, based on the rules we've had previously:

Stories can be about any topic, theme or genre, but must be the entrant's own work and must be in English

Stories can be any length, but no longer than 5,000 words - this is a limit not a target

Stories should be submitted by Private Message to the Host - Yanal

Stories can be edited and formatted etc however the author chooses before submission, but the Host will not alter or reformat the story once it has been submitted

This year's deadline is 28 December 2012 - That is the last day on which entries shall be accepted.

Again, just suggestions, and if you have any please share them.

[sister herb]

I have no idea what to write about... I guess I'll have to make my writing so, that it amuses me - if I can do that, then no doubt you will be entertained... unless you harbour some sort of humour defect.

Or am I throwing you a curve ball?

lol

Write about your life!

[Muhaba]

i like the idea. in fact i love the idea! but i haven't got short story to enter into the contest. (I already posted my short stories.) i'll see if i can write something new. but i'm so out of ideas tooo.

[Scimitar]

Write about your life!

my life in 5000 words? oh dear... thats just a chapter.

besides - if i did that, then everyone will know its my story, which defeats the purpose of maintaining anonymity

[sister herb]

I could creat that thread but I can´t send PMs here.

[sister herb]

my life in 5000 words? oh dear... thats just a chapter.

besides - if i did that, then everyone will know its my story, which defeats the purpose of maintaining anonymity

Part of your life!

[Scimitar]

i guess I could write about a very amazing something that happened to me once...

...or I can make a story up about crows

I'll not tell, because I want people not to know that I was the author to the story, until the votes are cast.

We'll see insha-Allah

[Muezzin]

About the voting - there's a bit of controversy as to whether entrants should be allowed to vote for their own entry (it's a public poll, everyone can see who voted for what).

Personally, I think that members should not be allowed to vote for their own entries.

The counter-argument to this is that even the US President votes for himself, but my counter-counter argument is that this is IB dagnabbit, and we have standards!

[Scimitar]

Sam looked at frank with a beady eye, it didn't go unnoticed.

"what's that look for Sam?, don't tell me you're still offended about the parrot jokes." Frank ruffled his feathers to show his annoyance at Sam's touchiness.
"yeah I'm sick and tired of your lame humour Frank. I ain't no clown bird, and I have feelings you know."
"that's why you eat dead animals squawk"
"there you go making fun of me again dammit, Frank don't you ever consider my feelings? I thought we were pals."
"Pals?... Pals? heck I trained you, you dumb ox"
"I think I prefer it when you call me parrot"

a quiet moment of uneasiness passed between them. Best of buddies, they didn't like to feel sq-awkward with each other.

"what do you mean by 'clown bird' Sam?"
"well it's obvious isn't it. You clearly lack imagination"
"indulge me" frank lifted on talon off the wire, in a gesture reminiscent of an invitation to indulge him.
"Well, it's simple. Those humans dress up with make up on their faces and big shoes with baggy trousers and fall over themselves like idiots, repeating the same jokes Frank. If anything, by that description, I'd say you was the parrot. You're jokes are painfully repetitive."
"hah, very clever Sam. I see what you did there. If I'm the clown - what does that make you?"
"You really wanna know?"
"Yeah let's have it Sam" a challenge.
"Ok, well, unlike you Frank, I always have my morning bath in the pond, I fly for a full ten minutes to shake off the water and look prim. My black feathers shine majestic. I'm the equivalent of a businessman in black suit in comparison to you buddy."

This time round, it was Franks turn to look at Sam with a beady eye. Sam felt smug, and let laid one on the car passing below. "bank deposit"

[sister herb]

A ghost story

Years before my birth, my old grandmother became ill. She knew my mother was pregnant and wanted to leave a letter and gift to the child who would be born after her death.

As she was thinking, she died before the child was born but that child also died while still in my mother's womb.

It took time for my mother to become pregnant again. This time it was me.

My grandmother had told in her Will that the letter and gift had to be given to the next child on their 16th birthday. Once I became of age, I read the old letter. In that letter my grandmother told me she had found great relief during painful times and she hoped I too would try to read it when I felt pain in my life.

The book was old and it's name was The Quran.

Where is the ghost in this story? Every time I sit to read that book I feel like someone else is sitting beside me, reading with me and even finding the right verses for me.

She is my ghost sister, the one who the letter and book was originally meant for.


Story is true.

[Yanal]

Masha'Allaah, good to see that this thread has garnered much interest! I don't mind being the host if everyone agrees,unless someone else wishes to be the host.

[sister herb]

I have to thank sisters Glo and Jen whose corrected my grammatical mistakes of story.

[glo]

And I have to thank you, sister harb, for inspiring me to write a story myself. (I haven't written a story since I was in school!)

[glo]

Have we been told who to send the stories to? Or are we posting them here in this thread?

My story is only short. Does that matter?

[aamirsaab]

Have we been told who to send the stories to? Or are we posting them here in this thread?

My story is only short. Does that matter?

We're still working on a host. Don't post your story on here (or anything to do with it), as the contest is supposed to be anonymous. It's cool if your story is short, just think of the word count as a budget - you can spend up to that amount, but no more.

[sister herb]

Other ghost story from Glo?

[sister herb]

We're still working on a host. Don't post your story on here (or anything to do with it), as the contest is supposed to be anonymous. It's cool if your story is short, just think of the word count as a budget - you can spend up to that amount, but no more.

Move my story then to right thread.

[glo]

you can spend up to that amount, but no more

So it's a limit, not a target?

At least I won't lose readers with short attention spans ...

[Muezzin]

Being stuck behind a tractor on your way home from work really helps you focus on cool stuff you want to incorporate into your entry.

Thank you, mobile-phone-using-driver-of-muddy-tractor!

Masha'Allaah, good to see that this thread has garnered much interest! I don't mind being the host if everyone agrees,unless someone else wishes to be the host.

You'd be a great host! Plus you have experience in the role!

EDIT: Also, uh... you can't really enter a story if you have already posted it on this thread, as they're supposed to be anonymous. So while it's cool that people are amped up enough to start writing here and now, it would be best to channel that energy into your entry rather than a post on this particular thread.

[aamirsaab]

Move my story then to right thread.

1. As has been said, we are still working on a host.
2. The contest isn't until 23rd December (tentative)
3. Since you have posted it already (so now basically everyone knows it's yours) it cannot be entered in the contest which was supposed to be anonymous. This is to create a fair test so that readers can vote based on merit/quality of writing, rather than a popularity contest.
4. You're going to have to write a new story for the contest.

So it's a limit, not a target?

At least I won't lose readers with short attention spans ...

Absolutely. No entry will be discarded because it's only 300 words or w.e. As long as it doesn't exceed 5000 (and hasn't already been posted or is a blatant rip-off of some existing work already [we have checks in place, don't worry]), then it's perfectly viable for the competition.

On a related note: The whole purpose of the contest is to give it your best shot at writing. Yes votes are up for grabs (it's not like you win anything other than kudos anyway), but this should make you want to put in as much effort as possible. I personally think 5k words is a huge budget to play around with (yes I know my entry last year was the longest...boo hoo) and the deadline currently being set at 23rd December (so 2 1/2 months away) should be ample time. There are a number of resource outlets in this current sub board, as well as the entirety of the internet. Please make use of them and most importantly, enjoy the process of writing a creative story. Take pride in it and give it your all.

I look forward to reading each and every entry as well as entering my own in the upcoming contest.

[Scimitar]

My story won't be about crows I was just having a laugh in this thread, trying to get people inspired really.