FLASH CHALLENGE: November '11

[kailhofer]

The Space Opera Challenge:



As a youngster, I remember watching Captain Kirk fall for the space princess of the week, usually while something big was going on to the ship, like being attacked by superior forces or sinking into some outer-space phenomenon. I read "Golden Age" pulp novels and loved those classic book covers with the angry aliens chasing the scantily-clad heroine with the "gravity-defying" bra across the desert-like surface with the stereotypical rocket ship parked in the background. I wanted to be just like Kirk, or to go to worlds in my own rocket ship and meet my own hottie that needed saving.

In many ways, it seems like we've lost some of that genre energy in what people write these days, forgetting that people still want to see the hero beat the bad guys and get the girl.

I've wanted to do Space Opera in these challenges for a long time, but I was always concerned that there would be enough words in a flash piece to do it justice. I mean, how do you fall for the girl and set up the universe in only 1,000 words? After meeting with frequent contributors Sergio and Davidsonhero a short while ago, they convinced me that it could be done, and to not sweat the details. They said, in essence, let the writers work out how to make it go and just run with it.

Ok, writers.

I challenge you to tell a tale of Space Opera, wherein planetary forces somehow clash (or are threatening to), the important, otherworld hot-body falls for the hero or heroine, and the day is saved. How you focus on the tale to make your flash piece interesting to the reader is up to you.

Good luck.



REQUIREMENTS: (1) Your Space Opera tale must attempt to tell a good story where the hero succeeds, including an otherworld romantic interest and some kind of bigger conflict between two or more planets; (2) 1,000 words or less, not counting title, byline, or "The End"; (3) The characters, setting, and story must be fictional and not previously published, even in these challenges; (4) One entry per author; (5) Give your story a title and a byline; and (6) Keep it clean. Rated 'PG-13'. (Basically, think, "Could I see this on CSI?" That allows a lot, really.)

CHARACTERS & SETTING: No copyrighted characters or settings, or references thereto. Famous, non-copyrighted fictional characters like Santa Claus, or religious figures such as the Devil, named angels such as Gabriel, or gods like Thor, etc. as supporting characters at best and at my discretion. The Wicked Witch and Dracula may be in the public domain, but don't expect me to allow them. No person that was ever a "real life" human being may be used as a character, but can be referred to, as in "President Kennedy had declared it would be so." Except as noted above under non-copyrighted fictional persons, character names may not be copied from fiction or real life, even if changed, i.e. Char-less Darween. All non-copyrighted settings are ok. Famous, unique sites like Stonehenge may be used over and again. No fan fiction or sequels, so don't bother putting your story in the Land of Oz or that great place you thought up two challenges ago.

DISQUALIFICATIONS/REFUSALS: If, in my judgment, any requirement or rule is missed, I won't post the story for voting, but authors are free to resubmit with changes until the deadline. Should a story be initially accepted and posted in the challenge, but then later judged by me to be in violation, the story may be disqualified and removed from contention at any time before contest end. Authors who feel a story may be in violation should send me a PM and state their case.

HOW TO ENTER: Stories must be sent by PRIVATE MESSAGE, and NOT posted into a thread. Just click the 'PM' button at the bottom of this post and paste your story in the message. You are responsible for doing your own formatting, and leave an extra line between paragraphs, just like when you see them in the 'zine. I will allow different colors, but not changed fonts or sizes, artwork, or any other embedded or external links.

DO NOT send a regular email to me.

Stories will be posted "blind"--without the author's name on them. All the story titles are literally tossed into a pith helmet and chosen at in random order. When the poll closes after the voting week, I'll post a list of the stories and who wrote them. All entries will then be reposted in the Flash Archive with the author's byline.

Entries from new authors are strongly encouraged. C'mon. Give it a try!

NOTE: ONLY REGISTERED MEMBERS who have posted at least one message may submit a story. Without that one post, the system will not let you send a PM.

DEADLINE: Stories should be in by 9 p.m. Central Standard Time (GMT-6), Sunday, Nov. 27, 2011. The stories will then be posted for voting at 10 p.m. Voting will close on Sunday, Dec. 4 at approximately 9 p.m., GMT-6.

VOTING: Stories are rated on a scale of 0-10 in whole numbers in 6 different categories by filling in scores in a form that is posted by me immediately following the post containing the stories for this challenge. Voters copy and paste the form into a PM and send it to me for tallying. One vote per user (that is, per ip address), and authors may not vote for their own story.

Every effort will be made to keep the voting fair. In the past, some voters have abstained from voting for some of the stories while voting for the others. Since total points scored decides the winner, this put the stories that weren't voted on at a disadvantage. Should this happen again, the skipped stories will be given marks equaling whatever the story's average is at the time of contest close. IF YOU WISH TO SCORE A ZERO FOR A STORY, YOU MUST ENTER A ZERO IN THAT POSITION ON THE VOTING FORM. A challenge entrant who does not vote for the other stories will receive a 10% deduction in their own score at the time of contest close, and the other stories will be given marks equaling whatever their story's average is at the time of contest close.

If more than two stories are tied at the end of voting, there will be a succession of one-day runoff votes until a single winner is chosen or the number of winners is reduced to two.

WHAT YOU WIN: Writers get improved short fiction skills, increasing their chances in the marketplace, without the lengthy investment in time a longer story would take. That, as well as bragging rights and pride--there is stiff competition each month amongst some great stories.

LEGAL STUFF: I'll try to do my best lawyer impersonation: By entering this challenge you are technically granting Aphelion: The Webzine of Science Fiction and Fantasy perpetual electronic rights only to post and archive your challenge entry. Aphelion would rather not lay any claim on them at all, but by posting them on a public site, they'd legally count as being published no matter what.

Ok. A real lawyer would have been less interesting. I tried.

[Lester Curtis]

Gods, Nate -- you don't want too much all at once, do you?

I remember all that old stuff too, and the action scenes alone could easily run several pages -- each -- and one was never enough . . . damn . . .

Rick, I don't agree with you on the sex angle for this challenge -- as I remember those stories, it was never very explicit. Heavily implied, perhaps, and that can be done economically enough. Graphic sex eats up a lot of verbiage; implication can be done in as little as a sentence or two, and let the reader's imagination fill in the rest.

I'll think about this. Maybe I'll get an idea. It's gonna be difficult.

[Lester Curtis]

I'm working on it . . . developing a couple characters and a sketchy idea for a plot.

Verse -- you really are a dog, aren't you?

[Robert_Moriyama]

Hmmm!

I can't seem to PM at the moment. All my messages are stuck in the Outbox. Any Admins on hand to advise?

Verse

It seems like messages stay in the Outbox until opened by the recipient(s). Not to worry, the message(s) should move from Outbox to Sent once Nate reads them. (So it would probably be a good idea to refrain from resending and resending and resending...)

RM

[Lester Curtis]

So, if we are looking to write about the golden age of pulp fiction, would the examples be starting with Buck Rogers and endng with Star Trek the original series.

If so, then this would not be inspired by the actual space exploration as it happened, BUT more from the way it was imagined it would be with obvious fantasy thrown in such as for example the purple three-breasted females of the planet Alpha Lutarey who's scent turn men into ravaging beasts. Hummm, that's not too bad!

So then Star Wars would then be too late and long after the golden age of science fiction to draw from as an example.

There would be a tendency to frame this story as a parody or stand alone comedy, but I would like to try and do this in the spirit in which it was challanged.

Mmm, yes and no . . . there were writers working in the 40's and 50's (and beyond) who blended fantasy (BEM's, or Bug-Eyed Monsters, etc., etc.) with actual science (Heinlein comes to mind). Of course, the best of those writers knew that if a particular character seemed Larger Than Life, s/he needed a hidden flaw. But I think that for this challenge, we can look more towards the ones like Buck Rogers and his ilk. Ever read Doc Savage? I think we're looking to produce High Melodrama. Don't forget your exclamation points (aka 'bang'); your characters are free to bang with abandon.

[Lester Curtis]

Don't forget your exclamation points (aka 'bang'); your characters are free to bang with abandon.

There are so many ways one could take that!!!!!

I only count two . . .

So if I had a character, let's say like "Buck" Rogers and he was banging one alien femme fatale after another, would I be giving the readers more "BANG" for the "BUCK".

That's clever...ain't it!

P. S. Thanks for the clarification.

More BANGS for the Buck . . . plural. And, since they don't affect the word count (the punctuations, at least), they're free!

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

There, that should keep you happy for a while.

Now, are we done being crude and tasteless yet?

[kailhofer]

One accepted and one sent back for a minor rewrite so far. Looking good!

[Megawatts]

I'm going to start mine today. I got my wife home from the Cleveland Clinic the other day and
I can easily say that if you have any medical problems, go there!!

I

[Megawatts]

I'm having a little trouble with this one. So much in so little space, but I think I like this challenge better that any other one so far. It is making me think! Which is hard for me to do anyhow!!

[Lester Curtis]

I've got one in the works . . . may finish it tonight, maybe tomorrow. Gotta squeeze really hard for the word limit.

[Lester Curtis]

I just sent mine . . . I hope the Ice Gnome approves.

(I think he will . . . I did a kick-ass job!)

[Megawatts]

In this story, I'm going to pretend that I'm a Boa-constrictor!!!

[kailhofer]

3 takers so far and one rewrite expected. Plenty of time this long holiday weekend (if you're in the US). Deadline is Sunday night.

[Lester Curtis]

Mine has been accepted . . . looks like I have a good chance this time, with only two others in the competition so far. Come on, folks, get some stuff in here, let's make it more interesting!

Oh, and have a safe and enjoyable Thanksgiving holiday!

[Robert_Moriyama]

Oh, I almost forgot...

Happy Thanksgiving....eh,eh!!!

The turkeys will only be happy until the farmer remembers that he doesn't own any cows...

[kailhofer]

I think mine was accepted, if not, I trust the evil ice gnome will put down his thanksgiving frozen drumstick (Like the ice cream cone thingy) and send me a message.

The last message message I got from you was that you were going to make that change, which I replied to. Haven't received any new submission since.