The Official Authors Hangout Winter Holiday 2023 Contest Support Thread

[Duleigh]

Take it from a dog from Buffalo, nothing beats the winter! Skiing, toboganning, tubing, ice skating... families gathered togeather in warmth, making love in front of a crackling fire by the light of a decorated tree... The theme coveres all of the winter holidays/events/activities from the end of November to the end of January. Some ideas are... winter holiday traditions (dreidles, gift giving, etc.), cold weather (snow, ice, thunder snow), holiday mythology (Santa, Father Christmas, Hogfather, Hanukkah Harry, elves) holiday relocation - running off to Florida, Spain, Australia, Aspen, Jackson Hole

STARTS: November 10
CLOSES: December 6
WINNERS ANNOUNCED: December 13

Further rules will be posted as they become available.

Remember to copy and paste the phrase "WINTER HOLIDAY 2023" to the "Notes to Admin" field of the submission (quotes are not needed).

This thread is to SUPPORT and ENCOURAGE authors to enter stories in the 2023 Winter Holiday Contest If you have questions, post them here and someone will answer. It might be me, it might be someone else here but don't be shy. Ask.

If you're a first time writer, or this is the first time you're putting a story in to a contest on Literotica, hey, don't get stressed about it. You don't have to have written anything before to write for this contest. This isn’t a “by invitation only” event it's open to everyone. Don't stress out, nobody is going to get hurt, just give it your best shot and the story with the highest scores win.

New Writers - these events are a chance to hone your skills and get your name out there, and we're here to help, this forum is for you and for the old hands with the skill to help you.

Experienced Writers - this forum is for you to step up and mentor a new generation of writers

We're all here just writing for fun, come join a bunch of other writers doing the same thing. If you're not sure about what to do, how to submit your story, anything at all in fact, just post your questions here. We've all been there and we're a bunch of very helpful people and we like to pass it on.

 

[StillStunned]

families gathered togeather in warmth, making love in front of a crackling fire by the light of a decorated tree...

There's a story there...

 

[Duleigh]

There's a story there...

Wow. You picked up on that quick!

 

[StillStunned]

Wow. You picked up on that quick!

I've been told I have a dirty mind.

 

[TxRad]

I think I have one more or less ready.

 

[Fatdog25]

I'm ready for this one too.

 

[alohadave]

Maybe I'll finish the Santa story I started last year.

 

[Voboy]

I wrote something for this, but I'm not sure I should submit. I'm debating.

So, meanwhile, I've got another one hopefully on the boil.

 

[Duleigh]

I wrote something for this, but I'm not sure I should submit

When in doubt, try it out.
I've written 2 pieces for this, one is ready, there's a hint in the instructions what it's based on. The other piece just won't clean up but I'm concentrating on Lit 25 right now.

 

[NoTalentHack]

Absent real life issues, I should have an entry for this.

 

[Duleigh]

 

[Trionyx]

I’ve got two. One is, in my opinion, a C+ or B- but still worth publishing while the other is maybe a B+ or even an A-. Neither are potential winners but I’m willing to toss them out there for everyone to consider. Having said that, I am continually surprised when the votes come in. I wrote one a few years ago which I believed to be one of my best and it garnered a polite “meh” at best while one I thought was only so-so went on to score very well. One never knows. This is why I write what I want to and let the chips (votes) fall where they may.

 

[Duleigh]

Yep, been there, done that. It's all worth a story​

 

[samhasstories]

Winter weather issues - car trouble, getting snowed in - definitely gets the imagination moving. Nothing like trapping a bunch of people in one place with nowhere to go and nothing to do, and seeing what they do to/with each other...

 

[Duleigh]

Here's some winter holiday stories from around the world, just to get the ideas flowing

• 1. Soyal, The Winter Solstice of the Hopi in Northern Arizona ...
• 2. Pancha Ganapati, The Hindu Alternative to Christmas ...
• 3. Chana and Her Seven Sons, A Celebration of Women in Yemen ...
• 4. Jólakötturinn, the Icelandic Yule Cat ...
• 5. Sankta Lucia, The Honoring of St. Lucy ...
• 6. Olentzero, the Basque Santa Claus ...
• 7. Befana the Witch and the Feast of the Epiphany ...
• 8. Perchta, The Bavarian Christmas Witch ...
• 9. Krampus, the Anti-Santa Claus ...

Hindu Christmas???

 

[BelleCanzuto]

Just finished my first one. It's the story that prompted the thread I started the other day about using I/you narration ("I see you" rather than "I see him"). It's also not a happy holiday story, so I don't know how that will go over. But I had the idea and it stuck with me, and now it's done.

I have the germ of an idea for a second one that should be happy or at least silly.

 

[KeithD]

I have a few.

 

[YDB95]

I've started one and I have an idea for a second (which I actually had kicking around last year, but I never got started on it). My Halloween one never came together, but maybe at least one of these will.

 

[MelissaBaby]

I've got an idea for this that I am very excited about. With no strippers or greasy hamburgers.

 

[SimonDoom]

With no strippers or greasy hamburgers.

Not even a few?

 

[Priscilla_June]

Hmmm why do these always creep up on me. Missed halloween so I have an inclination to enter something of a Christmas spooky story lol.

 

[MelissaBaby]

Not even a few?

I might find somewhere to slip in a burger.

 

[Duleigh]

Hmmm why do these always creep up on me. Missed halloween so I have an inclination to enter something of a Christmas spooky story lol.

Last year my entry was Erotic Horror, this year it's going to be Sci Fi - have fun, let your imagination fly!

 

[Kumquatqueen]

All my writing is ending up maudlin atm. Which could be fine for my Winter story if it wasn't that it gets me emotional and I need a break after every sentence or two. Like pulling teeth, I swear.

 

[Duleigh]

Nineteen Days Until Posting Opens​