The "A Picture is Worth 1,000 Words" Challenge:
We're trying something a little different for the first time, a purely visual prompt. We've always heard 'a picture's worth a thousand words,' but it's time to put that adage to the test.
I challenge you to write a speculative fiction story inspired by this image, drawn by our own Long Fiction Editor, Lester Curtis:
What's going on in this picture? Who's that guy? What's he holding? What kind of bird is that? What are those tall things? Does the tree have only one branch? Don't you want to know?
Let's find out together!
REQUIREMENTS: (1) Your speculative fiction story must be based in a world inspired by the sample picture above. (2) You must have at least two characters that "talk" to each other in some fashion. (3) 1,000 words or less, not counting title, byline, or "The End"; (4) The characters and story must be fictional and not previously published, even in these challenges; (5) One entry per author; (6) Give your story a title and a byline; and (7) Keep it clean. Rated 'PG-13'. (Basically, think, "Could I see or say this on network television, even late at night?" 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 tales are literally tossed into a pith helmet and chosen 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, May 15, 2016. The stories will then be posted for voting at approximately 10 p.m. Voting will close on Sunday, May 22nd at approximately 9 p.m., GMT-6.
VOTING: Stories are now rated in two different ways. First, by a poll for most liked. Second, in a "long form" version 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.
Entrants get a boost equal to one quarter of their story's percentage of the total poll vote to their total in the long-form vote. For example, if an entrant received 60% of the poll vote, their score would be multiplied by 15%.
Voters copy and paste the "long 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 in the long form. Authors
may vote for their own stories in the poll if they feel their story truly deserves their vote.
IF YOU WISH TO SCORE A ZERO FOR A STORY, YOU MUST ENTER A ZERO IN THAT POSITION ON THE VOTING FORM.
Do not include comments about the stories with your vote. Post them in the forum after the contest is concluded. Discussion of stories is the whole purpose of our forum, so that is where your thoughts about them should be posted.
A challenge entrant who does not vote for the other stories in the long-form vote 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.
Entrants may choose to vote or not in the poll portion of the voting, but only that portion is optional without penalty.
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.
All the things I do to get Aphelion out each month (find the artwork, design the covers, correspond with submitting authors, read & format the short stories, format Dan's editorial, upload all the sections, and create the forum folders) do not allow me time to write an example. I will, however, write one right alongside the rest of you. Whatever I come up with, even if unfinished, will be posted for voting with the rest of the entries.
Good luck to all of us.
