Seeking new contest ideas
Its easy to fill up short contests, but the prose ones tend to have fewer takers. Exception: last year's incredibly epic "The Importance of a Single Letter". Anyone got a great idea for a contest?
RE: Seeking new contest ideas
I looked over the few dozen prose prompts I've posted to see which had the best response. The best attended ones were nonfiction, some sort of word play (like the one you mentioned), and working with a single literary technique (like using a powerful first line).
The ones not as well attended, including two that had no takers, were story scenarios.
The more open-ended ones did better (write a horror story) than the more specific (write a horror story about grandma on a rampage).
Not sure if that helps, but maybe will spark some ideas.
RE: Seeking new contest ideas
I've put up 6 new competitions today with staggered end dates 4 weeks, 6 weeks and eight weeks.
All are prose fiction of varying length. Hopefully there will be some takers. Most of these were quite well represented in the past, so fingers crossed...
RE: Seeking new contest ideas
Sweet! Thanks for answering the challenge. They look pretty creative and I hope they are better attended than my recent contests, some of which have been extended out three times already.
Sallyo
Level 3 Pro
Poet Rating
Rank: 18
Short Works Rating
Rank: 91
Novel Rating
Rank: 14
Script Rating
Review Stars
Rank: 108
RE: Seeking new contest ideas
Three objects make a story: This one is fun. You pick three cards out of a pile and write a story that connects the three objects. Without a physical pile of cards you'd need to be assigned words, or maybe there could be a list of 20 and writers could pick three.
The silver shoes is another good one: The prompt is: The silver shoes ... and the story has to answer the question: where did they come from, who wore them, why were they worn and what happened as a result. I use these for real-world writing workshops. They could adapy okay for FS.
Sallyo
Level 3 Pro
Poet Rating
Rank: 18
Short Works Rating
Rank: 91
Novel Rating
Rank: 14
Script Rating
Review Stars
Rank: 108
RE: Seeking new contest ideas
Single object contests work well too... List 10 or so objects and have entrants pick one as a central point to a story.
Rachelle Allen
Poet Rating
Rank: 24
Short Works Rating
Rank: 20
Novel Rating
Rank: 12
Review Stars
Rank: 47
RE: Seeking new contest ideas
What if you let members put a spotlight on themselves in the form of essays.
How about: What Would Have Happened to My Life If Only...
or maybe:
Everyone's Hindsight Is 20/20. (Times you wished you were paying better attention to red flags.)
Then there's: Karma I Have Seen and Loved
How about:
Be your next-door neighbor watching you, and give an account of your life in one 24-hour period.
Or:
Why My Best Friend Is My Best Friend
Hope these help to ignite that brilliant Harambe mind!! xoxox
Rachelle Allen
Poet Rating
Rank: 24
Short Works Rating
Rank: 20
Novel Rating
Rank: 12
Review Stars
Rank: 47
RE: Seeking new contest ideas
What if you let members put a spotlight on themselves in the form of essays.
How about: What Would Have Happened to My Life If Only...
or maybe:
Everyone's Hindsight Is 20/20. (Times you wished you were paying better attention to red flags.)
Then there's: Karma I Have Seen and Loved
How about:
Be your next-door neighbor watching you, and give an account of your life in one 24-hour period.
Or:
Why My Best Friend Is My Best Friend
Hope these help to ignite that brilliant Harambe mind!! xoxox
Rachelle Allen
Poet Rating
Rank: 24
Short Works Rating
Rank: 20
Novel Rating
Rank: 12
Review Stars
Rank: 47
RE: Seeking new contest ideas
What if you let members put a spotlight on themselves in the form of essays.
How about: What Would Have Happened to My Life If Only...
or maybe:
Everyone's Hindsight Is 20/20. (Times you wished you were paying better attention to red flags.)
Then there's: Karma I Have Seen and Loved
How about:
Be your next-door neighbor watching you, and give an account of your life in one 24-hour period.
Or:
Why My Best Friend Is My Best Friend
Hope these help to ignite that brilliant Harambe mind!! xoxox
Rachelle Allen
Poet Rating
Rank: 24
Short Works Rating
Rank: 20
Novel Rating
Rank: 12
Review Stars
Rank: 47
RE: Seeking new contest ideas
What if you let members put a spotlight on themselves in the form of essays.
How about: What Would Have Happened to My Life If Only...
or maybe:
Everyone's Hindsight Is 20/20. (Times you wished you were paying better attention to red flags.)
Then there's: Karma I Have Seen and Loved
How about:
Be your next-door neighbor watching you, and give an account of your life in one 24-hour period.
Or:
Why My Best Friend Is My Best Friend
Hope these help to ignite that brilliant Harambe contest-making mind!! xoxox
