The Concise Contest

Dear Friends, 

Yes. The contest you have been waiting for… and the one I have been promoting until my eyes have gone cross-eyed… is here at last. I don’t know about you, but I am very relieved. I couldn’t have held it another instant. Talk of labor pains. Phew…!!! 

The contest is an exercise in creativity through concise expression. The rules of play are a bit numerous… though simple. Read on…. 

1. There are two contests; you might like to participate in one, or both. But can submit just one entry per contest.
2. For the first you have to use your blog space. To be considered for the prize, you must paste the link of your blog in the comment space of this blog. Don’t, I beg you, expect me to go hunting for your blog.
3. For the second, you have to write your entry and send it as a message to me. No, you cannot scrap it. Message ONLY.
4. Last Date for entries is 27th June 2008. Results on 1st July 2008.
5. There are no judges. You will judge the entries by casting your votes. No short-list will be prepared. (Yeah… the people I wanted as judges refused…. So there.)
6. The best part. There will be NO prizes beyond an announcement. If you don’t think that’s motivating enough for you to strain yourself… *shrugs*… don’t. 

UPDATE: GOOD NEWS PEOPLE. FROPPER HAS GENEROUSLY OFFERED TO SPONSOR THE CONTEST. THE TOP THREE ENTRIES WILL RECIEVE A FROPPER MUG AND A CD. WOOOOOOPEEEEEEEEEE!!!!

7. Top ten entries will be announced for both contests as winners. 

CONTEST ONE: My picture speaks 

I am giving here 6 pictures of holiday destinations. You can choose any one of them. I don’t know whether you are single, married, separated, single AGAIN… or… er… have some other orientation. I don’t even care what stage your marriage is in… whether you are…
a) Deliriously happy
b) Bored to tears at the sight of each other
c) Indifferent to the point of callousness
d) Slowly (or rapidly) verging towards homicidal tendencies towards your partner and spend your day dreaming beatifically of doin’ em in… 

(Though if you are desirous of finding someone on these fertile hunting grounds… indicating your status might help a bunch. No no… I am NOT suggesting anything here. Just trying to be helpful… you know… out of the generosity of my soul… Take it or leave it…! Jeeezzz…!!!) 

After picking one of the pictures, in not more than 20 words you must say WHY you chose the picture as the ideal love tryst with the (current) object of your affections… your paramour. (And if you want to give their name… or zone name… be my guest. Give me something to smack my lips over…!). This, as I said earlier, must be done on your blog space… with a link here in the comments section. 

The pictures are at the bottom. And yes.. they move at will... so I will not be held responsible for their orientation.

CONTEST TWO: Short Story 

In this, you have to write a short story… a complete story… using ONLY SIX WORDS. YUP…!!! 

Examples: 

Baby shoes for sale. Never worn. -Ernest Hemingway 

Wasted day. Wasted life. Dessert, please. - Steven Meretzky 

Epitaph: Foolish humans, never escaped Earth. - Vernor Vinge 

It cost too much, staying human. - Bruce Sterling 

We kissed. She melted. Mop please! - James Patrick Kelly 

I’m your future, child. Don’t cry. - Stephen Baxter 

Lie detector eyeglasses perfected: Civilization collapses. - Richard Powers 

I’m dead. I’ve missed you. Kiss … ? - Neil Gaiman 

The baby’s blood type? Human, mostly. - Orson Scott Card 

Kirby had never eaten toes before. - Kevin Smith 

We went solar; sun went nova. - Ken MacLeod 

Don’t marry her. Buy a house. - Stephen R. Donaldson 

TIME MACHINE REACHES FUTURE!!! … nobody there … - Harry Harrison 

Lost, then found. Too bad. - Graeme Gibson 

Dinosaurs return. Want their oil back. - David Brin 

Bang postponed. Not Big enough. Reboot. - David Brin 

Temporal recursion. I'm dad AND mom? - David Brin 

Mind of its own. Damn lawnmower. - David Brin 

I saw, darling, but do lie. - Orson Scott Card 

H-bombs dropped; we all died. - Howard Waldrop 

I had a nightmare. He’s back!!! -Yours Truly

TO CLOSE: 

Only grown-ups are invited to the game. If there is ANY kind of moronic display… as on sgsweb’s space…. I will be forced to withdraw the contest.

Secondly, this is being played in order to play. NOT to serve as launching pad for anyone’s ego… mine included. 

Cheers, 

Dagny 

PS: No, Tough luck. It isnt Sangeet's B'day today. *sigh*

PPS: I am sorry the Pictures are not visible. To me they are visible at the end of the post... below this Post Script in fact. 
There will be ONE entry only for each conetst. BUT... you can post as many as you like in the comments. They wont be considered for contest... but you need not be denied the chance to display your creativity. Play on...!!!

PPPS: I wont be replying to individual comments. Yeah... so I am lazy. Lol.....! If you dont like the Pics... you can choose your own. No prizes for that. Lol...

Tags: contest, game, creativity

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