Under the Boardwalk: Summer Poetry Contest

[Angeline]

Under the Boardwalk, Lit's 2013 summer poetry contest is about to begin.

Rules

1. Write an erotic poem about summer. Your poem should be no more than 40 lines long. How you incorporate the idea of "summer" or interpret "erotic" is up to you. Your poem can be more graphic or more metaphoric, written in a traditional form (like a sonnet, for example), in free verse, or with whatever approach works for you. However no illustrated poems or audio poems will be accepted. Just the written words, please.

2. You can submit your entry anytime between 12 AM EST on July 1 and 12 AM PST on July 16. One entry per customer! Submit your entry here on the forum via private message to The Poets. The subject line of your message should read "contest entry." Please put the title of your poem in the body of the message. The title does not count as one of the 40 lines.

3. On July 18 we will post the poems anonymously in a semi-finals voting round. You'll have a week to choose the top three poems. A finals voting round will follow and the winner will be awarded a prize courtesy of Literotica. After the winner is selected, we will reveal who wrote each entry (so don't tell anyone which poem is yours: that's part of the fun!).

Now get those thinking caps on and start writing! Good luck to all. If you have questions or comments feel free to ask, discuss, etc., in this thread or pm me. Thanks again to Laurel and Manu for supporting their local poets!

 

[bronzeage]

The rules are pretty straight forward. We'll take sonnets, we'll take a sestina and you can take a siesta. We'll even accept the seven lined non-rhyming limerick. If you call it a poem, we'll call it a poem.

 

[butters]

how exciting po-onymousy poems on t'internets

 

[Angeline]

how exciting po-onymousy poems on t'internets

One of my favorite parts of these contests is watching peeps try to figure out who wrote what. My batting record with that kinda sucks, but this time I'll know. And I'm not telling!

Did you see that kitty mama got the announcement up on the home page already? (I love me some Laurel.)

 

[Angeline]

Monday, Monday

is the first day you can send contest entries in. Remember to send them to The Poets via private message.

 

[Angeline]

The countdown is on!

In just a few short hours you can submit contest entries. Good luck to all: I can't wait to read your poems! Remember one entry per poet and send it here.

 

[HarryHill]

You sound excited.

 

[Angeline]

You sound excited.

I am. I look forward to these contests and find them fun, even though as a moderator I won't be competing. I think these competitions are good for the forum.

 

[JudasIscariot]

I would like to enter this, could be fun

 

[Angeline]

I would like to enter this, could be fun

Please do. It's open to all.

 

[HarryHill]

I am. I look forward to these contests and find them fun, even though as a moderator I won't be competing. I think these competitions are good for the forum.

..
Growth, Mme. Angeline, here's hoping we all, ahem, rise to the occasion.

 

[Angeline]

Here it is July 2nd

and we already have four entries in. Go poets!

However. The contest rules say the poem has to be 40 lines or less. We can be very open-minded about what constitutes summer or erotic, but 40 lines is 40 lines folks. If you submitted a poem that is more than 40 lines you will need to edit it down and resubmit it. We can't let a few people go over the limit after we told everyone not to.

Why am I saying this here? Because the person who sent the longer poem is not accepting private messages. So there you go. Forty lines or less!

 

[Angeline]

The Return of the 40 Line Dilemma

If you are submitting a contest entry and you are concerned that the settings for margins in the private message box are truncating your lines (i.e., breaking them somewhere other than where you want them to break), here's what you need to do:

1. Before you submit your entry click on "Preview Post" to make sure the lines are breaking exactly where you want them. If they are not

2. Resubmit your entry but put a slash at the point where you want each line to break, like this:

I'm writing this poem about summer/
but the margins are screwing my lines./
If I lose it'll be a total bummer/
and I'll blame the mods for their crimes./

That way, if what I get is:

I'm writing this poem
about summer/
but the margins are screwing
my lines/If I lose it'll be
a total bummer/ and I'll blame
the mods for their crimes./

I will still know where your lines are supposed to break and there will be no questions as to how many lines your poem is. I can't do that for anyone because only you know where you want your lines to break. And if your line breaks are truncated when you submit your entry, it will be posted with that truncation when the poems are put up for voting. That is, it will not reflect what you intend. So check and make sure it's right in the preview and resubmit with the slashes if it isn't.

 

[Angeline]

Happy Fourth of July! *

We currently have seven entries and eleven days to go before the submission period ends. Thanks especially to those of you who resubmitted your entries with your line breaks clarified. Everything looks great and ready to go.

Keep those entries coming!


*(Yes, I stole the color scheme idea from Tristesse.)

 

[UnderYourSpell]

Do we get to know who has actually submitted or is that told afterwards?

 

[Angeline]

Do we get to know who has actually submitted or is that told afterwards?

Hi Annie. I was hoping you'd check in. Actually I would have hectored you elsewhere if you didn't.

We're doing it same as previous contests. Two rounds of voting, one to determine the three finalists and then a vote for the winner. And once the winner is announced I'll post names with all the entrants' poems.

 

[UnderYourSpell]

Hi Annie. I was hoping you'd check in. Actually I would have hectored you elsewhere if you didn't.

We're doing it same as previous contests. Two rounds of voting, one to determine the three finalists and then a vote for the winner. And once the winner is announced I'll post names with all the entrants' poems.

Glad I did although I fear the rust is showing!

 

[Angeline]

Glad I did although I fear the rust is showing!

Rusty for you is still pretty darn good!

 

[GuiltyPleasure]

Glad I did although I fear the rust is showing!

Come play Annie! We miss you. Rust never dies, only grows if we let it. Keep those poetic hinges swinging!

I'll even bring the oil.

 

[HarryHill]

Keep those poetic hinges swinging!

I'll even bring the oil.

..
She may become unhinged if you bring oil.

 

[GuiltyPleasure]

Annie's unhinged poetry......now there's a thought.

 

[Angeline]

Annie's unhinged poetry......now there's a thought.

Annie is definitely already unhinged. And in the most delightful way!

 

[UnderYourSpell]

Rusty for you is still pretty darn good!

Come play Annie! We miss you. Rust never dies, only grows if we let it. Keep those poetic hinges swinging!

I'll even bring the oil.

..
She may become unhinged if you bring oil.

Annie's unhinged poetry......now there's a thought.

Annie is definitely already unhinged. And in the most delightful way!

I'll have you know I was 'normal' until I came in here ........... well maybe a trifle unhinged

 

[Angeline]

I'll have you know I was 'normal' until I came in here ........... well maybe a trifle unhinged

Ok er uh

 

[UnderYourSpell]

It was the first comment I got on my first submissions that did it ......... Tess thought I was a man!!