Luka's 2015 Novella and Novelette Challenge and Contest

@JonLaidlow, I agree. All of the forum's other contests have but one theme each, which writers are to do with it whatever they will. However, I am worried that having a loose theme, such as revenge or love, would be difficult to write such a long story to. Full novels, after all, are about many things. Novellas are the same way. Because of the length of them, novellas allow for an exploration of multiple themes all within the same piece. This is why I was putting my hand up for No Theme.

What if we did something like genre, instead? Space opera, gaslight fantasy, dieselpunk. I can see goods and bads to it.
 
I just looked at 3 of those links @Facing gave. The Unbound one gave simple, two or three word themes while the others I looked at gave a short paragraph. If we are to do themes, I would rather it be a theme to the order of the short, defining paragraph. Otherwise, there is so much room for interpretation that I, personally, would most likely not participate in that particular contest because I either couldn't decide what to write or all I do is examine and second guess my choice with only 1/4 of it written. In other words, people enter contests with a reasonable expectation of winning and I would not have that expectation if the theme is simply "love" or some such
 
Yes, writing to a genre would be too difficult. A very very general theme would be best, to leave lots of room for interpretation. Much more open than the shorter contests though. It's pretty difficult to pick a theme that gives the amount of freedom here required now I think about it. A theme that would encourage more people to participate. Personally I would shy away from writing about love and squirrels :D Something more abstract would suit me though. Maybe two word themes of opposites or similar's like 'dark and light', 'indoors and outside', 'time and space', 'squirrels and nuts'. :D
 
I wasn't trying to pigeon hole anyone's creative process. I just think the point of the exercise is to enhance our abilities as writers and get published. I agree that it might be difficult to judge but we already face that with the other contests. Part of the fun of reading is seeing where everyone will take their stories.
 
Facing said:
I wasn't trying to pigeon hole anyone's creative process. I just think the point of the exercise is to enhance our abilities as writers and get published. I agree that it might be difficult to judge but we already face that with the other contests. Part of the fun of reading is seeing where everyone will take their stories.
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I didn't think you were pigeon holing at all. Rather, I'm grateful for those links you provided as its been a few years since I've even looked at any calls by mags and such.

What we have is a bit of a conundrum. I think if we keep talking about having a theme or no theme we're going to start alienating one side or the other, making them feel they that they don't want to participate at all. I'm already starting to feel this way a bit because I am a long form writer who really struggles to not only write anything shorter than a Novella, but also to write to a topic chosen by someone else. Now, that's not to discourage the group here from making a group decision that goes against me. Rather, it's simply me arguing in favor of what I would like to see.
 
Here's an idea I've just had: rather than a contest, we could simply do a NaNoWriMo type thing, but for novellas. We could challenge ourselves (and each other) to write a novella between the the months of July and December 2015, then share them in the Stories subforum or wherever at the end. We might even be able to get the site's powers that be to help us share them with the forum as a whole in some way---by which I mean the non-writer members---perhaps in the form of reviews by our official reviewers that could come out in January next year. And, of course, we would be able to workshop our novellas and improve them before any official review.

Any thoughts?
 
I kind of think some form of theme or guideline would also compel a writer to write something they might not have written otherwise. You know, that old moody blues lyric, "It's easier to try than to prove it can't be done." might even apply here,..?

Maybe set up guidelines for people who want or need something to work around but not be hardarses about it if people veer away from them in their process or ignore them altogether from the outset.

I'm not sure also that novellas necessarily do have multiple themes either... I would have guessed really that what novellas actually do is just examine their theme in much greater depth and from a unique perspective.
 
Luka Datas said:
or ignore them altogether from the outset.
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Haha, probably not the best idea for a forum challenge that will maaaybe have 10-15 contributors...

I'm just sayin, it makes sense to be as inclusive as possible. The more guidelines you make, the more potential you have to ward off a possible contributor who decides they'd rather just do their own thing.
 
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Interesting thread...
Dreaming said:
Thinking about it. How many chapters is a novelette? If five people enter with between ten and twenty chapters each, that's a whole LOT of threads. It'll eat up the stories subforum in no time...
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This might not be so big a deal if the maximum post content has just been boosted, but one strategy to allow people to post parts/chapters over time (as opposed to dropping the whole thing finished at the close of the deadline) would be:
  1. keep your Novella/ette thread "author only", so they can add subsequent parts one after another without forum interaction breaking the flow; and
  2. simultaneously start a feedback thread for each Novella/ette, where the readers can post their comments all in one place
Now you only have two threads, instead of a new one for every new bit of each novella. Your Novella/ette thread stays nice and readable, and the dedicated feedback thread means the author gets all their responses in one place as well.
 
I think 10-15 stories is a bit like wishful thinking. When you consider Micro comps get the most entries and the number of entries steadily decreases through the comps as the word count and commitment required of the writer increases.

But anyway, before we hear anything more about a mass exodus from the comp. I'd like to nominate @Facing to be the thread starter for a July 15 - Jan 1 Novella comp.
 
I don't think I'd be best thread starter because I don't really have a clear idea either of how I'd like to see it started or what would be the best way to entice other writers to join, without alienating anyone. I even got stuck on the thread's title...


July- December Novelette Novella Collaborated upon World/ Solo Writers Serialized Fully Submitted Prep for Sub-Call Open Platform Genre Inclusive/ Exclusive Difficult Easy Sci-Fi Fantasy My Way or the Highway or Your Way Challenge Contest #1.:);):(:mad::confused::cool::p:D:eek::oops:o_O

with links to submission calls and their themes

word length 7500 - 40 000

Submissions close 1st January 2016

see...?
 
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RedMage said:
Otherwise, there is so much room for interpretation that I, personally, would most likely not participate in that particular contest because I either couldn't decide what to write or all I do is examine and second guess my choice with only 1/4 of it written. In other words, people enter contests with a reasonable expectation of winning and I would not have that expectation if the theme is simply "love" or some such
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We are exact opposites. When something is super defined, I walk away.
 
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