A very brilliant writer once wrote a very twisted story called, "I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream."
The story itself was disturbing, but it wasn't my most favorite short story of all time. What stayed with me since then, however, was the title. It's a f-ing GREAT title, one of the GREATEST titles I've ever seen.
Hell, even reading it now gives me the shivers, it's that AWESOME of a title. I wish I could come up with a title that good.
...Which brings me to my contest:
I want great stories. But, more importantly, these great stories must have EXTREMELY ORIGINAL, HAUNTING, AMAZING TITLES. Not any of that One Word Title shit that seems to be popular with publishers these days, but AWESOME titles that evoke EMOTIONS of all sorts in a reader without them even knowing the content of the book.
So, for this option, you must have written a GREAT story that GOES WITH the title, and the title must be GRIPPING.
If the title alone would make me want to read it, that means that it's a good title.
*Note* - I particularly like horror/fantasy/bizarre/twisted-romance stories, so those types of stories will get preference.
*Note #2* - Even if you have the greatest title in the universe, your story had better be great as well. I don't want to read any crappy stories you just made up in the last five minutes to support your story "Werewolf Women of the S.S." or whatever.
Heheh. Rob Zombie has awesome titles. /digression
...
...
Realizing that I want people to actually participate in this contest, I offer up a second option.
I love horror.
I write horror. I read horror. I watch horror movies on TV and in theaters. I listen to gloomy, scary music, Danny Elfman is my composer GOD, and Clive Barker's voice sends pleasurable shivers down my spine.
I. Love. Horror.
The problem with being such a horror fanatic is that eventually the SAME DAMN PLOTS show up in like, every other horror movie I've seen and EVERY OTHER BOOK.
So I want ABSOLUTELY ORIGINAL HORROR STORIES.
I do NOT WANT any of the following plots:
-A killer kills people.
-A vampire/werewolf bites someone.
-A female character dies after having sex and/or presenting herself as sexy in some way.
-Satanic Ritual Occurs and/or Weird Things Happen. Gasp! It's Satan!
-Something picks off the characters one-by-one and they all die horribly and there's no hope whatsoever so that by the end I'm horribly depressed and why even bother getting out of bed in the morning, you know? I'm looking at YOU, The Grudge 2! There should have been some way to kill that damn ghost, you stupid movie!
Um. That last bit is residual anger from last night's movie. Please ignore it. (Psst! The Grudge 2 is horribly frustrating and Sarah Michelle Geller has like, 3 lines in the entire film, despite being advertised as starring in it! THEY LIE! And contrary to what the Japanese seem to think, HAIR IS NOT SCARY! Thank you!)
Um. Yeah.
So. Rules.
1. Have a fantastically original horror story. I realize that this is a very vague and relative request, but do your best. Just make sure it doesn't have the same plot as a horror movie.
2. Grammar and spelling ARE A MUST.
3. Paragraphs are your friends. Put a line of blank space in between each paragraph. It makes it easier to read.
4. Use as much sex/blood/gore/swearing/testicle explosions as you want. Just remember, I'm more impressed by creativity and GREAT CHARACTERS than I am by descriptions of gore. Anyone can write about vivisections. Good writers can write about horrific murderers/monsters and make me LIKE THEM.
5. If this great horror story has an amazingly excellent title, you totally rule!
6. New stories get +5 bonus points (whatever that means) so I'll be putting extra weight on their side when judging.
Wow. I'm such a demanding contest judge. Sorry.
Hopefully people will actually participate in this contest instead of being scared off by my 3209348023489 rules.
Good luck! Be Creative! Be Original!
The story itself was disturbing, but it wasn't my most favorite short story of all time. What stayed with me since then, however, was the title. It's a f-ing GREAT title, one of the GREATEST titles I've ever seen.
Hell, even reading it now gives me the shivers, it's that AWESOME of a title. I wish I could come up with a title that good.
...Which brings me to my contest:
I want great stories. But, more importantly, these great stories must have EXTREMELY ORIGINAL, HAUNTING, AMAZING TITLES. Not any of that One Word Title shit that seems to be popular with publishers these days, but AWESOME titles that evoke EMOTIONS of all sorts in a reader without them even knowing the content of the book.
So, for this option, you must have written a GREAT story that GOES WITH the title, and the title must be GRIPPING.
If the title alone would make me want to read it, that means that it's a good title.
*Note* - I particularly like horror/fantasy/bizarre/twisted-romance stories, so those types of stories will get preference.
*Note #2* - Even if you have the greatest title in the universe, your story had better be great as well. I don't want to read any crappy stories you just made up in the last five minutes to support your story "Werewolf Women of the S.S." or whatever.
Heheh. Rob Zombie has awesome titles. /digression
...
...
Realizing that I want people to actually participate in this contest, I offer up a second option.
I love horror.
I write horror. I read horror. I watch horror movies on TV and in theaters. I listen to gloomy, scary music, Danny Elfman is my composer GOD, and Clive Barker's voice sends pleasurable shivers down my spine.
I. Love. Horror.
The problem with being such a horror fanatic is that eventually the SAME DAMN PLOTS show up in like, every other horror movie I've seen and EVERY OTHER BOOK.
So I want ABSOLUTELY ORIGINAL HORROR STORIES.
I do NOT WANT any of the following plots:
-A killer kills people.
-A vampire/werewolf bites someone.
-A female character dies after having sex and/or presenting herself as sexy in some way.
-Satanic Ritual Occurs and/or Weird Things Happen. Gasp! It's Satan!
-Something picks off the characters one-by-one and they all die horribly and there's no hope whatsoever so that by the end I'm horribly depressed and why even bother getting out of bed in the morning, you know? I'm looking at YOU, The Grudge 2! There should have been some way to kill that damn ghost, you stupid movie!
Um. That last bit is residual anger from last night's movie. Please ignore it. (Psst! The Grudge 2 is horribly frustrating and Sarah Michelle Geller has like, 3 lines in the entire film, despite being advertised as starring in it! THEY LIE! And contrary to what the Japanese seem to think, HAIR IS NOT SCARY! Thank you!)
Um. Yeah.
So. Rules.
1. Have a fantastically original horror story. I realize that this is a very vague and relative request, but do your best. Just make sure it doesn't have the same plot as a horror movie.
2. Grammar and spelling ARE A MUST.
3. Paragraphs are your friends. Put a line of blank space in between each paragraph. It makes it easier to read.
4. Use as much sex/blood/gore/swearing/testicle explosions as you want. Just remember, I'm more impressed by creativity and GREAT CHARACTERS than I am by descriptions of gore. Anyone can write about vivisections. Good writers can write about horrific murderers/monsters and make me LIKE THEM.
5. If this great horror story has an amazingly excellent title, you totally rule!
6. New stories get +5 bonus points (whatever that means) so I'll be putting extra weight on their side when judging.
Wow. I'm such a demanding contest judge. Sorry.
Hopefully people will actually participate in this contest instead of being scared off by my 3209348023489 rules.
Good luck! Be Creative! Be Original!
Contest is Over
- Contest was judged on May 7, 2007
- Rewards: Gold: 200, Silver: 100, Bronze: 50, Honorable mention: 3 people
- Final notes: Thanks to everyone for submitting their stories! I enjoyed reading all of them (and I can't believe how quickly this contest filled up! I thought very few people would actually participate!).
Anyway, great job and congratulations to the winners.
Contest Winners
- Error: Unable to find finalist item 78085, it seems to have been deleted :( [remove]
-
Hot water poured into the bathtub, and bubbles frothed from the pink soapy liquid Megan squirted into the stream. Waiting for the bath to fill, she arranged the shampoo bottles neatly on the edge of the tub. She poked a toe into the water. Perfect tempera• Commented on by judge. [remove]
- Error: Unable to find finalist item 79683, it seems to have been deleted :( [remove]
-
by Comicfreak1007 1700 words, 10 comments, on Apr 15 6:13 PM 2007. In First person, Horror, Scary, Werewolf, Young adult
Honorable mention
• Commented on by judge. Prewrite [remove] -
A brief insight into the life of a demented and prolific serial killer, and the mind of the man assigned to interview him.by Xineph 5900 words, 57 comments, on Mar 8 5:54 PM 2007. In Crime, Dark, Fiction, First person, Murder, Other, Short story Honorable mention
• Commented on by judge. Prewrite [remove]
Silver trophy winner
Bronze trophy winner
Entries [9]
1 - 9 of 9
-
by robert davidson 300 words, 10 comments, on Mar 8 3:31 PM 2007• Commented on by judge. Prewrite
-
My story begins in the form of a unique and dedicated man of purpose. His purpose, no one really knew not even himself, which is understandable given his situation. You see, being a man of purpose it was extraordinary that hiby KingPoe 900 words, 20 comments, on Jan 25 5:54 PM 2007. In Dark, Fiction, Horror, Murder, Short story, Strange• Commented on by judge. Prewrite
Add a comment
Comments
1 - 17 of 17
-
oh
"'Repent, Harlequin!' Said the Ticktockman" is another favorite title name.
Harlen Ellison is beyond awesome. He even has his own computer game based on his stories! -
I have nothing for this, sadly, and am currently working on a series so no time to come up with something. So why, you maybe asking yourself, am I posting a comment? Because, this is quite possibly the most entertaining contest I've read to date during my time at SW! I just had to give u props for that.
I hope this contest turns out well for you...maybe I'll have time to enter your next one. (two toes up for great contest content)
-
I agree with Keli!!!! This is.. a great piece.. OMG.. and I scanned all my posted stories.. and... am not satisfied with my titles
My current AND unfinished works may work BUT... I HAVE to finish them x.x
Than again, great idea just thought you oughtta know I shall post when I can!
-
I will definitely attempt to write for this. Finals are coming up though, so I may not have all the time I need
-
-
please
enter anything, if you have time. it doesn't look like you'll have much competition for a trophy, going at this rate of entries.
-
-
AAAAGH!
Curse your already having read "The Man Who Never Smiled"! -
No Killers?
No killers, vampires and werewolves that don't bite, no sex followed by the female's death; you've destroyed most of my plots. I don't think I can write for this one.
Andy
-
-
lol
You can HAVE a plot about killers so as long as there's more to it than just the killing. Um, let me think of an example....
Like Bonnie and Clyde (did you ever see that movie)? They killed a bunch of people in their bank-robbing spree, but the focus of the story was on their relationship and not on the death.
Or Silence of the Lambs (sorry, I'm using movies as an example because they're so much more likely to have been seen, unlike books) where there were serial killers galore in it, but the main focus was on the depths to which Clarice would go with Hannible in order to rescue the senator's daughter.
That's kinda what I'm looking for. Something where killing is second-hand in the story and not the entire point (at least, in serial killer fics)
Do you have anything like that in your collection? If not, new stories are also accepted. *hint hint*
*grins*
-
-
is there a word limit and does it have to be a complete story? Ihave a good horror story but it's long
-
-
please
Enter whatever you feel would qualify. It looks like very few people are gonna do this contest, so I'll take anything, even if it's like 500 pages of Swahili intersperced with swear words. -
hey
hey you got it! 65K words! Wow! Wish I could write that much about one subject. You get props for sheer tenacity. -
-
it took months but it's well worth it ... oh and it's not in swahili but there is cursing so i hope that's alright
-
-
-
Eh, what the hell.
I might as well enter it anyway. There's always the chance that all the other entries are horrendous -_- -
-
or
Or, as seems more likely, absolutely no one will enter anything else, so you're doomed to a trophy.
Not too bad of a thing to be doomed to, to be true.
-
-
Sowwy
But I'm up against Totem.
I really don't expect to compete with THAT -_- -
I shall win!
The Grudge 2 was so dumb. I can kill her, I need the Pope,50 Cent,Chuck Norris,and a meatball sub. -
Sorry
I just added this story tonight and then remembered your contest...so technically it's a pre-write. Don't be hatin'! I know the title is boring, but it's difficult to compete with Harlan Ellison.
Adding your comment:
1 - 17 of 17
