The official Authors' Hangout Winter Holiday 2022 contest Support Thread

[Rustyoznail]

Bloody hell! It's mid-October, the Halloween comp is in full swing and an ad came on for Diwali...

So that means you lot up there are heading into winter - so we'd better kick off the thread for the 2022 Winter Holidays Competition!

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The theme covers all holidays/events/activities from November through January so some ideas are -
winter holiday traditions (dreidels, gift giving, etc.), cold weather (snow), holiday mythology (Santa, elves), etc.

Starts: November 11
Closes: December 2
Winners announced: December 9

And for those south of the equator - A Christmas barby at the beach is a legitimate story for the comp!

Remember to copy and paste the phrase "WINTER HOLIDAY 2022" to the "Notes to Admin" field of the submission (quotes are not needed).

Go on, write. You know you want to...

 

[TxRad]

I've got a few started but finding the time to finish them is another thing altogether.

 

[KeithD]

I have a few ready.

 

[Bazzle]

I've got a standalone story of my Starry Night series ready to go!

 

[Trionyx]

One I really like in the can. Already thinking about VD & AF contests next year.

 

[JuanSeiszFitzHall]

Today I've gone from nothing to a maybe.

 

[JuanSeiszFitzHall]

And now from a maybe to a project, with characters and a premise.

 

[TruthwithaTwist]

I'm getting my Winter Holiday story ready now so it's ready to go for the launch date. I SWORE to myself that I wouldn't do the same thing I did for Halloween which was:

• July - I have a great idea for Halloween story
• August - Yup! Really like the idea.
• September - I'm gonna start writing my Halloween story
• October - OH SHIT!!!!! I NEVER FINISHED MY FUCKING STORY!!!! THE CONTEST JUST OPENED!!!!! DAMMIT! WHY DO I DO THIS!?!?!?!

 

[lovecraft68]

One I really like in the can.

So I take it the category is Anal?

 

[Duleigh]

Aaaand - Done!

Actually I was done last December but missed the deadline and I decided to wait for this year. While I waited I wrote the backstory to my entry. My backstory is up to 232,000 words and I'm getting ready to post Chapter 10 in time to post the actual story.

Is Erotic Horror troll bait?

 

[Voboy]

Mine's done, but it's not going to do well. It went off in an unexpected direction, and even I don't like the characters.

Still. I enjoyed writing it, so... game on!

 

[Duleigh]

Mine's done, but it's not going to do well. It went off in an unexpected direction, and even I don't like the characters.

Still. I enjoyed writing it, so... game on!

Yeah, that's not a good sign. I wrote one a few months ago where I didn't like the characters and it's my lowest rated story. But it gets a lot of page views, I can't figure that out.

 

[JuanSeiszFitzHall]

I have the first two scenes, some vignettes later on, and some notes that contain what might be all of the events. I've decided that continuing to work on this is worthwhile, for now.

 

[JuanSeiszFitzHall]

The first draft is done. Around 4200 words, not likely to get much longer. There should be plenty of time for me to get this into submittable form.

 

[DarkRaven13]

Ohhhhh .. another contest!!!

So the story can really be anything winter holiday-ish???

I have a question - if the contest starts on November 11th....when can we submit our stories? Is it like the Halloween 2022 contest where we can turn it in early and Lit will just hold onto it and release them on the 11th?

I'm excited!!! The Halloween contest, and a couple forum shorts contests have me a little addicted I think.

Hmmm ....can I think up a storyline in time, write a story, edit it, and submit it in time for the start?!??;?!?

All these contests are making me place my other stories on the back burner...ahhhghhh....but I don't care haha.

Now....ideas....ideas....ideas....what to write....what to write?????

 

[KeithD]

Is it like the Halloween 2022 contest where we can turn it in early and Lit will just hold onto it and release them on the 11th?

Yes, it is.

 

[DarkRaven13]

Yes, it is.

Thank you.

 

[Duleigh]

Ohhhhh .. another contest!!!

So the story can really be anything winter holiday-ish???

I have a question - if the contest starts on November 11th....when can we submit our stories? Is it like the Halloween 2022 contest where we can turn it in early and Lit will just hold onto it and release them on the 11th?

I'm excited!!! The Halloween contest, and a couple forum shorts contests have me a little addicted I think.

Hmmm ....can I think up a storyline in time, write a story, edit it, and submit it in time for the start?!??;?!?

All these contests are making me place my other stories on the back burner...ahhhghhh....but I don't care haha.

Now....ideas....ideas....ideas....what to write....what to write?????

How about a young couple, just turned 18, trying to decide just what to kiss under the mistletoe?

 

[DarkRaven13]

How about a young couple, just turned 18, trying to decide just what to kiss under the mistletoe?

Now I need to research about mistletoe lol.

I am still actually trying to determine what to write. My brain has a few ideas but there's gaps. (In my ideas damnit...not in my brain lol.)

 

[sirhugs]

Just saw this today, so I started the unofficial Story Ideas companion thread, if you need an idea, or have extras to share (tis the season for giving).

 

[Duleigh]

Just saw this today, so I started the unofficial Story Ideas companion thread, if you need an idea, or have extras to share (tis the season for giving).

Thank you SirHugs, my primary story is complete, it's going into final proof mode soon. I left an idea at the Unofficial Idea thread, it may blow Rusty's mind, but it happens in my neck of the woods

 

[Duleigh]

Now I need to research about mistletoe lol.

Oh grrl, you don't know mistletoe? We got work to do...

 

[Rustyoznail]

Thank you SirHugs, my primary story is complete, it's going into final proof mode soon. I left an idea at the Unofficial Idea thread, it may blow Rusty's mind, but it happens in my neck of the woods

Still don't have an idea for a story...

 

[sirhugs]

are the plot bunnies al hibernating?
the ideas have just started at my place, but check there.

 

[Duleigh]

Still don't have an idea for a story...

That is such a cool auditorium!

Have you ever heard of a group called "Hayseed Dixie?" They play AC/DC songs in old fashion bluegrass style. It's all acoustic, no amps, and they use banjos, guitars, and fiddles. I listened to an interview with the lead singer of Hayseed Dixie and Brian Johnson of AC/DC and Brian loved Hayseed Dixie's music so much that he took a few old American bluegrass songs and did them AC/DC style. I love it when people play with music like that.