The Build A Scene Writing Contest is a multi-round contest. It starts on April 14th and will end on June 29. By the end your entry will be up to 2,000 words long. While the final product is short, the overall contest has more complexity than your standard one and done style contest. Please make sure you read all the rules for this contest before you start. This includes the Judging Criteria.
Contest Overview
For this contest you will write a fantasy scene. By the end of the contest that scene will evolve from a few paragraphs into a full scene with plot, tension and conflict. A full story within a scene.
The fun of this contest is not to plot out each round ahead of time. While you can, I suggest you start with an idea, like a moment in a scene, and then nurture that idea through the rounds of the contest. Naturally allowing the idea to grow as you build upon it.
This contest was born from such a process and I wanted to allow the opportunity for others to experience it much like I did. I started with a few paragraphs of a scene, a moment in the life of a character. I didn’t know where it would go. Over a few weeks I worked on the scene. Each time I added a little more, sometimes before my original paragraph, sometimes after and sometimes even between sentences.
In some ways, it’s a condensed version of writing and editing a novel. Many novel writers start out with a basic idea and build around it. Through the editing process, they might add a few paragraphs here or a few pages there as they go along. In that way, this contest is similar, albeit in a condensed version.
Contest Rules
The following are the rules for the contest.
The Rounds
There are four rounds for this contest. Between each round you will receive feedback and scores. Please see the judging criteria to better understand what the judges will be looking for.
Round 1 (350 Max Words) Deadline April 27th
The first round you will write a small scene, Your entry can have up to 350 words, but there is no minimum.
Feedback and scores will be given no later than May 11th.
Round 2 (+450 Words) Deadline May18
For the second round you can add an additional 450 words to your scene. Starting in this round and each additional round, you will need to pay attention to how you integrate your previous writing with this new round. See the How to Add to Your Scene for more details
Feedback and scores will be given no later than June 1st.
Round 3 (+600 Words) Deadline June 8th
In round three you are given more scope to extend the scene, you can add an additional 600 words.
Feedback and scores will be given no later than June 22nd.
Round 4 (+600 Words) Deadline June 29th
In this final round you are given an additional 600 words to finish your scene. Here you are focusing on rounding out your scene and finishing the story. You will be creating a resolution and making sure the scene has some emotional impact. You will want to make sure that your final scene is cohesive and maintains a consistent theme.
How to Add To Your Scene
For rounds 2 through 4 you will be adding to what you started in round one. You may not alter the sentences from round 1 (other than noted In “Editing Previous Rounds:). You can, however, add other sentences between the ones you wrote. You may not add words to a sentence constructed in a previous round.
Editing Previous Rounds
You may make minor edits to your work from the previous rounds. These edits are limited to things such as spelling or punctuation. Additionally you may make minor word tweaks to make sure your paragraphs contextually make sense but the essence of each individual sentence must be maintained between rounds. Any edits to the previous rounds must be noted on the current rounds submission.
For example, If in round one your character is throwing a brown ball, they must still be throwing that brown ball throughout the contest. The action, event or description must generally stay the same.
Note that doesn’t mean adding a paragraph or putting a sentence between two original sentences can’t change the context of those elements.
Word Minimums and Maximums
There is no minimum amount of words required for this contest, there are only maximums. The previous rounds’ word counts are locked in at the end of the round. The next round states how many words you can add for that round, but you do not have to add the maximum words allotted. By the end of the contest you cannot have more than 2,000 words in your entry.
Submitting Entries
Below you will find the explanation of how you will submit your entries, both in the first round and in subsequent rounds.
Round 1 Entry
You will follow THIS LINK to a form. Fill out your form, with your entry. You’ll need a Gmail account and the total word count of your entry. Your entry should be in the form of a pdf file.
Round 2-4 Entries
At the start of rounds 2-4 you will be e-mailed a link to the form to enter your submission. The form will request your word count and ask you to explain any changes you made to the previous round’s writing. Make sure those changes you made are allowed within the rules of the contest.
Within your document, make sure you highlight all of the previous rounds’ writing so judges can easily determine what writing was from previous rounds and what is the new content you are adding for the current round..
The Judging Criteria
Each round will be judged on three criteria, with round 2-4 having a fourth criteria. Each criteria will be judged on a scale from 1 to 10 with 4 being the baseline.
For each round the scores from each judge will be added together and averaged for each criteria. To get each contestant’s overall round score, each criteria from each judge will be added together and averaged to get one overall number for a round. Contests will get the average score, for each criteria from each round before the deadline of the next round.
Please read the following to better understand what the judges will be looking for for each round.
Scoring Criteria
- Originality and Imagination: We’re looking for fresh ideas, unique world-building, and creative character and plot development. Surprise us with your imagination!
- Engaging Storytelling: Captivate us from the first sentence! Craft a narrative that hooks the reader, builds tension, and keeps them eagerly turning the page.
- Voice and Atmosphere: Transport us to your fantasy world! Use evocative descriptions, vivid imagery, and a consistent style to create a distinct mood and atmosphere that resonates with the genre.
- Seamless Integration (Round 2-4): Ensure the new content flows naturally from your initial concept. Maintain consistency in world-building, characterization, and plot.
The Prize
The winner will be gnomerized! I’ll pay to have the winner turned into a gnome and put onto a mug. You’ll be the first person, outside of Baelnorn, to join in the cast of gnomes in the Gnome Nation. You will also receive a mug with the image!
Contest Time Line
April 14: Round 1 entries are open to be submitted.
April 27: Last day to submit Round 1 entries.
May 11: The deadline for judges to give scores and feedback for Round 1.
May 12: The e-mail with the link to submit Round 2 will be sent.
May 18: Last day to submit Round 2 entries.
June 1: The deadline for judges to give scores and feedback for Round 2.
June 2: The e-mail with the link to submit Round 3 will be sent.
June 8: Last day to submit Round 3 entries.
June 22: The deadline for judges to give scores and Feedback for Round 3
June 23: The e-mail for judges to give scores and feedback for Round 3.
June 29: Last day to submit Round 4 entries.
July 14: The winner will be announced.
When It Starts
