The now fully official Author’s Hangout Halloween 2025 competition support thread

[BryanRichardson]

In fact I think most readers would never pick up on it unless someone consistently insisted on pointing it out...

I wonder what you mean…

 

[EmilyMiller]

I think our interwoven saga has managed to work quite well despite that internal contradiction. In fact I think most readers would never pick up on it unless someone consistently insisted on pointing it out...

Who on Earth would be that fucking stupid?

 

[TheDok]

Here's a question. The first competition entries are published, but no mention of it on the homepage. Is this usual? does anybody know when a list of entrants will be available? I want to suss out the competition LOL

 

[EmilyMiller]

Here's a question. The first competition entries are published, but no mention of it on the homepage. Is this usual? does anybody know when a list of entrants will be available? I want to suss out the competition LOL

No it’s not normal. There is a list of entrants - I published a link above. And I’m kinda pissed that my story isn’t on it. It seems like lots is going wrong at the moment.

https://www.literotica.com/stories/contest.php/halloween-2025

 

[TheDok]

No it’s not normal. There is a list of entrants - I published a link above. And I’m kinda pissed that my story isn’t on it. It seems like lots is going wrong at the moment.

https://www.literotica.com/stories/contest.php/halloween-2025

Thanks for the info. Sorry to hear if the probs with your story.

 

[PennyThompson]

I'm leaning towards abandoning my story concept. I had been playing with the idea of a prequel to 'Dark Waters: Mothman vs the Bunyip', which was a joint effort with @PennyThompson. The story was going to be set near the beginning of the frontier wars between colonists and the Djab Wurrung people of SW Victoria in Australia, told from the Djab Wurrung perspective and with a significant supernatural element. But I just can't tell the story without making up a lot of cultural stuff (it's very hard even to find authentic personal names from the region - huge amounts of knowledge have been lost), and it feels very disrespectful to do that when there are living Djab Wurrung descendents trying to articulate and celebrate their real history without people appropriating bits for silly stories. So... I might think of another story... or not.

Although that's a story I would love to read, I hugely respect your desire to not misuse a real people's sensitive and vulnerable history

It might be more challenging, but I wonder if you've considered like an alt-fantasy setting that could rhyme with Australian history and the themes that you're thinking about without directly using real cultures and peoples?

 

[NotWise]

No it’s not normal. There is a list of entrants - I published a link above. And I’m kinda pissed that my story isn’t on it. It seems like lots is going wrong at the moment.

https://www.literotica.com/stories/contest.php/halloween-2025

As near as I can tell, the Halloween story list isn't linked anywhere on the site. So far, there's not much downside to your story being omitted from the list.

The story list may not appear on the Categories page at the beginning of a contest. The Nude Day list never appeared on the Category page. It was only linked on the front page. When last I checked, the Halloween contest link on the front page showed the contest info, but not the story list. I expect that will change.

 

[EmilyMiller]

As near as I can tell, the Halloween story list isn't linked anywhere on the site. So far, there's not much downside to your story being omitted from the list.

I agree. I’ve messaged them in the hope that they address the error before they start promoting. It just feels like they have an intern running the show. I am increasingly thinking someone is unwell and hope they recover soon.

The story list may not appear on the Categories page at the beginning of a contest. The Nude Day list never appeared on the Category page. It was only linked on the front page. When last I checked, the Halloween contest link on the front page showed the contest info, but not the story list. I expect that will change.

Let’s hope. The front page is normally updated overnight and appears an hour or so after the first stories are published.

 

[Tenehua_Xochipoca]

First time participating, do we have to sign up somewhere or literally just "HALLOWEEN 2025" into the admin notes?

 

[TheDok]

First time participating, do we have to sign up somewhere or literally just "HALLOWEEN 2025" into the admin notes?

Yes, that's right, and you can include it in a tag too, if you wish. Good luck.

 

[Tenehua_Xochipoca]

Yes, that's right, and you can include it in a tag too, if you wish. Good luck.

Thank you! Good luck to you, too!

 

[StrangeLife]

First time participating, do we have to sign up somewhere or literally just "HALLOWEEN 2025" into the admin notes?

Yes, and in one of your tags. Then you're in.

Good luck.

 

[WittyUserName]

Weird question. In my story, the MC's think they might have seen the ghost of a nine-year-old who drowned. Not long after they have their first kiss. Will that run afoul of Lit's under 18 rule? I wouldn't think so, but I know how strict they are about it...

 

[ChloeTzang]

I'm leaning towards abandoning my story concept. I had been playing with the idea of a prequel to 'Dark Waters: Mothman vs the Bunyip', which was a joint effort with @PennyThompson. The story was going to be set near the beginning of the frontier wars between colonists and the Djab Wurrung people of SW Victoria in Australia, told from the Djab Wurrung perspective and with a significant supernatural element. But I just can't tell the story without making up a lot of cultural stuff (it's very hard even to find authentic personal names from the region - huge amounts of knowledge have been lost), and it feels very disrespectful to do that when there are living Djab Wurrung descendents trying to articulate and celebrate their real history without people appropriating bits for silly stories. So... I might think of another story... or not.

My take would be write it - it's so obscure that no-one even knows about it and your story may well encourage people to do a bit more reading on the actual real history. Australian aboriginal history is quite fascinating - The oldest living continuous art tradition in the worldn amongst other things, dating all the way back to 65,000 years ago. It’s as if the culture that created the Altamira Cave paintings (35,000 BCE) and Lascaux Paintings (17,000 BCE – recent stuff, really) was still with us, alive and maintaining a continuous artistic tradition dating all the way back to the first humans in Australia and maybe even prior to that. When you look at Australian aboriginal culture, you’re looking at the oldest continuously existing culture in the world. A culture that makes ancient Sumer and Mohenjo-daro / Harappa look positively modern.

And hardly anyone knows anything about it. I'd say whatever you write is going to be a plus so do it!!!!! Please. Even if its just for me LOL.

I actually have something a little but related where I was diving into Australian aborginal history - “Dead Heart: On the Trail of Thylarctos Plummetus” - a monster hunting story of course, set in Australia, and the team ends up in the Northern Territory taking on a monster crocodile from the Dreamtime (Dungalaba - it's from, I think, the Larrakia people in Djarrtjuntjun, I'd have to look up all my notes but I was going thru what little I could find on their culture and myths to use in the story).

Anyhow, most people don't read obscure history, and by including something like you're doing, you're spreading the awareness, probably far more so than some obscure history text is EVER going to do.

Like, if I didn't mention Albert Namatjira's art here, who here would even have heard of the guy.

 

[EmilyMiller]

First time participating, do we have to sign up somewhere or literally just "HALLOWEEN 2025" into the admin notes?

Just add that in the note and hope that someone takes notice of the text.

 

[EmilyMiller]

Weird question. In my story, the MC's think they might have seen the ghost of a nine-year-old who drowned. Not long after they have their first kiss. Will that run afoul of Lit's under 18 rule? I wouldn't think so, but I know how strict they are about it...

It shouldn’t, but only one person takes these decisions.

 

[WittyUserName]

It shouldn’t, but only one person takes these decisions.

Yeah, it never would have occurred to me it might be an issue. But, I always worry. I guess I'll find out. Maybe I'll have one of them make a comment about the ghost 'leaving'

 

[Tenehua_Xochipoca]

Yes, and in one of your tags. Then you're in.

Good luck.

Thank you! Good luck to you as well!

 

[StrangeLife]

Yeah, it never would have occurred to me it might be an issue. But, I always worry. I guess I'll find out. Maybe I'll have one of them make a comment about the ghost 'leaving'

If you run afoul of the rules, they'll just reject it with a comment. Then you'll need to correct the story and resubmit. They won't call the FBI on you or anything.

So there's nothing lost by trying.

 

[WittyUserName]

If you run afoul of the rules, they'll just reject it with a comment. They you'll need to correct the story and resubmit. They won't call the FBI on you or anything.

So there's nothing lost by trying.

Normally, I'd agree. The issue in this case is that I'm leaving on an extended trip for most of October. I won't have much, if any time to correct and resubmit for the contest.

 

[BryanRichardson]

Weird question. In my story, the MC's think they might have seen the ghost of a nine-year-old who drowned. Not long after they have their first kiss. Will that run afoul of Lit's under 18 rule? I wouldn't think so, but I know how strict they are about it...

Kids can be in the story, they just can’t be involved in any sex.

 

[WittyUserName]

Kids can be in the story, they just can’t be involved in any sex.

I know, I've had kids in my stories. They can't be involved or witness anything. I know someone who had a story bounced back for two people talking about kissing when they were sixteen. I wasn't sure if the ghost possibly witnessing the kiss would be a problem.

 

[NuclearFairy]

I know, I've had kids in my stories. They can't be involved or witness anything. I know someone who had a story bounced back for two people talking about kissing when they were sixteen. I wasn't sure if the ghost possibly witnessing the kiss would be a problem.

That's crazy, I had a guy mention losing his virginity when he was sixteen without it getting bounced.

 

[MelissaBaby]

Here's a question. The first competition entries are published, but no mention of it on the homepage. Is this usual? does anybody know when a list of entrants will be available? I want to suss out the competition LOL

You can see many of them by doing a tag search for “Halloween 2025”

 

[NuclearFairy]

My story now has a score of 4.3 with 10 votes.