A New Contest: Your Input Needed!

[oggbashan]

If it's going to be completely divorced from a seasonal theme, the best bet is probably to take a page from FAWK and have a contest that doesn't have the same theme year after year.

Seed the theme with something like Oral Sex, Seduction, Workplace Flings, Travel, Forbidden Fruit, etc.

"Beginnings" and "Journey" could be seen as Spring/April related.

 

[Laurel]

If it's going to be completely divorced from a seasonal theme, the best bet is probably to take a page from FAWK and have a contest that doesn't have the same theme year after year.

Seed the theme with something like Oral Sex, Seduction, Workplace Flings, Travel, Forbidden Fruit, etc.

That might be an option - call it the Author's Choice Special Contest and have you all choose the theme each year.

We'd need a mechanism for choosing the theme - a theme nomination process, along with dates by which the theme should be decided and such to give us time to make a proper contest header.

TBH Spring Fling is also a solid concept as well. And I like many of the other ideas. Good stuff!

It all depends on what sounds compelling to you all.

 

[glynndah]

I rather like the idea of having a changeable theme; a new one each year.

 

[_Lynn_]

I rather like the idea of having a changeable theme; a new one each year.

Ditto.

 

[oggbashan]

I rather like the idea of having a changeable theme; a new one each year.

If so, the theme needs to be set before the end of the calendar year to allow those authors who take a long time to finish stories.

If Earth Day and Nude Day are scrapped, I will have about a dozen part-completed and now unusable stories unless I can rewrite them for whatever the new theme is.

But a dozen, in the massive pile of incomplete stories lurking on my hard drive, is a very small percentage of the total.

 

[RejectReality]

As to the process to choose it, we're doing that right now. The same blueprint would work.

Start it in January to give the process plenty of time to play out. A link on the main and index pages ( below the current contest link, perhaps ) to the thread would probably be a good idea, in order to bring in responses from other writers who don't typically come to the forum.

 

[soflabbwlvr]

How about a Historical Erotica story contest. That could cover most categories in Lit, just in a historical setting. Cave men using the club to court women, A lonely Neanterthal or Denesovian (spelling?) man or woman finding the Cro-Magnon mate of choice. Regency romance, Revolutionary war, Russian Revolution epic, Napoleonic wars, Depression era, etc, etc, etc.

I like this idea. All other contests are calendar based. I'd like to see a contest freed from the tyranny of the 365 day cycle, and instead cast across all of history.

Another idea I like is the workplace. That's where most of us spend.the most time fantasizing about coworkers, bosses, subordinates, customers, clients, etc.

And while I'm rambling, I'd be happy to see three or four new contest themes adopted, with two substited each year for the two with the lowest participation rates every year. The most popular themes recur, but the least popular get moved out of the rotation every year.

 

[SecondCircle]

That might be an option - call it the Author's Choice Special Contest and have you all choose the theme each year.

We'd need a mechanism for choosing the theme - a theme nomination process, along with dates by which the theme should be decided and such to give us time to make a proper contest header.

TBH Spring Fling is also a solid concept as well. And I like many of the other ideas. Good stuff!

It all depends on what sounds compelling to you all.

For the "author's choice" you could open an poll before the contest started, and put a link to that poll on the homepage for the authors that don't frequent the forums. Or something. That's as simple as I can think.

 

[Weird Harold]

How about a Historical Erotica story contest. That could cover most categories in Lit, just in a historical setting. Cave men using the club to court women, A lonely Neanterthal or Denesovian (spelling?) man or woman finding the Cro-Magnon mate of choice. Regency romance, Revolutionary war, Russian Revolution epic, Napoleonic wars, Depression era, etc, etc, etc.

How about "Time Travel"?

Set in any time-frame except the present or told in flashbacks. The difference to Historical Erotica would be the "Stranger in a Strange Land" aspect.

Both suggestions could well run afoul of Lit's age restrictions, though because 18 was considered very late blooming for most of the past.

PS: an alternate title might be, "Hindsight is 20-20."

 

[jomar]

That might be an option - call it the Author's Choice Special Contest and have you all choose the theme each year.

We'd need a mechanism for choosing the theme - a theme nomination process, along with dates by which the theme should be decided and such to give us time to make a proper contest header.

TBH Spring Fling is also a solid concept as well. And I like many of the other ideas. Good stuff!

It all depends on what sounds compelling to you all.

Maybe a vote. A time to submit themes which are then subjected to a poll and the winner gets the nod.

 

[MeowflashNotSponson]

My idea: The National Cleavage Month Writing Challenge!

 

[sheablue]

To me, the changeable theme is too complicated, and for me that itch is scratched by the FAWC contest.

I really like having something set, so one can plan ahead a little bit. I actually like Earth Day, but I think a nice replacement would be New Beginnings or Journeys. Both can be interpreted in different ways, literally or not.

Spring Flings is nice, and could encompass Earth Day and so many other things, but may be too broad?

I personally would rather replace Nude Day than Earth Day.

 

[Hypoxia]

I disagree that an author's poll should select themes. What the fuck do WE know? Most of us would probably run off in various directions ala headless-chicken mode -- UNLESS we are forced into something. We might elect a theme-tyrant to select for us; or we can just run with the usual dictatorial fiat.

So, VOTE FOR ME FOR THEME-TYRANT! If elected, I promise to choose... arts. Arts other than writing. Now, you may ask, "G'z, Hypnoxia, what arts are you thinking of?" Easy: Music. Painting. Sculpture. Nude dance. Et fucking cetera. (oops, gotta go now. More later.)

 

[jomar]

I disagree that an author's poll should select themes. What the fuck do WE know? Most of us would probably run off in various directions ala headless-chicken mode -- UNLESS we are forced into something. We might elect a theme-tyrant to select for us; or we can just run with the usual dictatorial fiat.

So, VOTE FOR ME FOR THEME-TYRANT! If elected, I promise to choose... arts. Arts other than writing. Now, you may ask, "G'z, Hypnoxia, what arts are you thinking of?" Easy: Music. Painting. Sculpture. Nude dance. Et fucking cetera. (oops, gotta go now. More later.)

We don't know shit, but neither does anybody else. Not sure what you're on about here, but a vote isn't a tyrant...what do you mean?

 

[xelliebabex]

We could always go back to Chaucer's April, at which time, you will remember, 'Thanne longen folk to goon on pilgrimages'. Not necessarily literal, of course, unless one has Sadean urges about nuns and consecrated wafers. Pilgrimage could be a trip abroad for the first time - a visit to the town where one first lost one's innocence - a retirement round the world cruise - endless possibilities.

I love this idea!

Again, I'll ask: springtime WHERE?

I'm an Aussie and I think I speak for most of us by saying, it doesn't really matter, I can dream about spring in autumn and vice-versa, I have no problem writing about summery Christmases in the holiday contest. Earth Day bothered me a whole lot more than anything seasonal as it really doesn't have the meaning or cache it once did (I had never heard of it before coming to lit).
Personally I wouldn't mind writing to a spring fling theme, its not my favorite idea but it fine, if that is what is decided.
Do something religious like Easter or Ramadan would be dreadful and could be fraught with peril for those who are not as evolved and tolerant as we would hope society as a whole was.

I have a part completed story about a modern pilgrimage, seeking something to heal his girlfriend's loss of voice.

But for a contest theme why not widen Pilgrimage to "Journey" - travelling to a different place, different relationship or different sexual experience?

One of my Christmas stories gives a version of that theme:

http://www.literotica.com/s/christmas-journey-1

It is about a journey to a happy ending.

Journey's would be great and go with my original suggestion of a Club Med sort of theme.

I rather like the idea of having a changeable theme; a new one each year.

me too!

How about "Time Travel"?

Set in any time-frame except the present or told in flashbacks. The difference to Historical Erotica would be the "Stranger in a Strange Land" aspect.

Both suggestions could well run afoul of Lit's age restrictions, though because 18 was considered very late blooming for most of the past.

PS: an alternate title might be, "Hindsight is 20-20."

Travel alone or the Journey could encompass these other ideas and open the scope to teh broader world which could include sci-fi and time travel as well as the usual road trips and trysts on a train for all those who liek to keep their feet firmly planted in the present and or on terra firma.

I have enjoyed reading this thread and think by far the best suggestions have been non-seasonal or culture specific

 

[sr71plt]

I wonder when Laurel floated this thread to try to distract attention from other threads running if she knew the issue would become so complicated.

 

[PayDay]

April Fool's Day?

Since I didn't see a "1 entry per user notice':

The Spring Fling seems like a good idea, and would be distinctly different from Summer Lovin' both of which could include Earth Day Based themes, but then again, Summer Lovin' could very well incorporate Spring Fling themes.

I think the New Beginnings or any existing author styled contest would alienate first time writers. The same with Author's choice. I think an Author based contest would be almost an oxymoron since any contest story could be almost any category, and the Contests are always Author's choice

The dragging up old stories and posting them as contest stories idea should be burnt to the ground. <--::


The April Fool's Non-Erotic/Essay/Review Contest
(since the April Fool's idea is pretty good, but lacks spicy)
like: "April Fool's! I didn't write an erotic story!"
...Not to mention these vastly overlooked categories.
This contest, even with the category limts, really does have a ton of options for writing and free speech.

or

The Travel Contest
(as in any form, including time, so this would include historical themes, which was a good idea)
"Time Travel? Space Travel? Automotive Travel? Plane Travel? A story from the destination?"

or

The 'Not Safe For Work' Contest
(work or employment themed stories was a good idea, and covers 'Spring Cleaning'.)

or

The Miltary Contest

or

The Infinity Contest
"Any Category, Any Theme, Any Length"

or

The 2-Parter/Chain Story Contest
"1Author writes a two part continuing story, or 2Authors write one part each."
(Either chapter can win or The highest voted Part 2 wins, Chain Authors split the prize)

I got a month to come up with some more.

I think I might start enterig contest under a Pen Name

 

[HeyAll]

I'd like to add another vote for a general Spring contest, which would encompass April Fool's, graduations, spring cleaning, spring break ect...

There would be so many fun options there.

And if I could make another suggestion, there is a large gap in time between the April Contest (currently Earth Day), and the Nude Day contest.

Do you think the April contest could be moved so that it could begin at the start of April? It'll help reduce the long time gap between contests.

http://forum.literotica.com/showthread.php?p=52684854#post526848542

Valentine's Day
themes: romantic love, Valentine's Day, Cupid, sensuality, etc.
starts: January 20
closes: February 5
winners announced: February 12

Earth Day (April 22)
themes: nature appreciation, outdoors, etc.
starts: March 28
closes: April 13
winners announced: April 20

National Nude Day (July 14)
themes: public nudity, exhibitionism, etc.
starts: June 20
closes: July 11
winners announced: July 18

 

[sr71plt]

I think the New Beginnings or any existing author styled contest would alienate first time writers.

I don't understand what this means? Why would "Beginnings" alienate first-time writers? What's an "existing author-styled contest"?

 

[PayDay]

I don't understand what this means? Why would "Beginnings" alienate first-time writers? What's an "existing author-styled contest"?

Which way is Up?

 

[slyc_willie]

Both the "beginnings" and "spring fling" stories sound good to me. I think a revolving theme for a site this large would be an overly complicated exercise in reinventing the wheel every year.

 

[3113]

I vote for historical.

While I appreciate the seasonal celebrations, I think this would be more of a challenge for writers and great reads for Litizens than stories of proms and April Fools and May Day (all of which, of course, could be done "historically" if the writer wished to honor Spring, too).

I think both writers and readers would look forward to a "historical" themed contest.

 

[sr71plt]

Which way is Up?

OK, if you didn't understand what you meant, maybe someone else here could take a stab at figuring it out?

 

[PayDay]

OK, if you didn't understand what you meant, maybe someone else here could take a stab at figuring it out?

I like how your not understanding is my fault. I also like how you assumed I didn't understand what you wrote. Thanks for bringing angst to the thread.

 

[sr71plt]

I like how your not understanding is my fault. I also like how you assumed I didn't understand what you wrote. Thanks for bringing angst to the thread.

Just asked you if you could explain what you, yourself wrote. Anyone else here understand it and can explain why newer writers couldn't write about beginnings or what an "existing author styled contest" is? Since, apparently, PayDay can't/won't.

Moving on, I think revolving themes would be good. Summer/spring/winter seem to be getting so broad that there would be little reason even to designate a theme. But I think a free-for-all on what the revolving themes would be is too complicated for a forum vote. Somebody could just pick them.