Writers of the Future Contest

[Zkribbler]

I received a very nice reminder from galaxypress that this quarter's deadline for submitting fantasy/science-fiction stories to their Writers of the Future Contest is the end of this month.

https://www.writersofthefuture.com/contest-rules-writers/

The Writers of the Future Contest is free to enter & pays its winner well. Although I couldn't possibly put together something this quickly, galaxypress informs me that I may resubmit a story which was not selected in a previous quarter. I'm taking a hard look at resubmitting my Bethlehem Delictum.

This started out as a detective story set in the near future with a Christmas background. My editor suggested I imbue the story with "more Christmas." I did. The crime story is all still there, but now the raison d'etre of the story is my main character's rediscovering the Christmas spirit within himself. It's very sweet.

I had so much fun writing this story. e.g. the juxtaposing of tiny Jerusalem with the megalopolis of L.A., at that time stretching from Arizona to the Pacific and from Mexico to San Luis Obispo, and my disgust at LA's giant, concrete buildings devoid of soul. I built a new University of California, Palmdale campus [Go Cavebears!] and spanned L.A. with a monorail system. I'm usually lousy at romances but managed this time to put my main character into a loving marriage [although boy, he can piss his wife off]. It was just fun.

 

[Timsup2nothin]

Cavebears? You created a UC Palmdale and they call their team the Cavebears?

 

[Zkribbler]

A huge, periwinkle and yellow mosaic dominated the faux-adobe wall marking the entrance to the campus. Up on its rear paws loomed a twelve-foot-tall, one-ton cave bear. In front of it, a hunting party of Neanderthals was breaking ranks and beginning to flee.

Later: Bethlehem Delictum submitted.

For those who will submit electronically, don't bother to create a title page. The electronic application form will serve as your title page. Good luck, all.

 

[Timsup2nothin]

To the best of my knowledge (which is pretty good) there is no hint of fossilized cavebears anywhere near Palmdale, and it is a totally paleontology free zone. Our local minor league baseball team is, unsurprisingly, the Jethawks, and I would guess that any UC Palmdale team would feature some sort of aerospace motif. The product we are best known for would indicate that "Go Bombers!" would be a more appropriate cheer.

 

[Zkribbler]

There's no gauchos in Santa Barbara and no anteaters in Irvine, so suck it up.

Besides, cave bears are the baddest mascots ever! They would utterly devour any Trojan, fighting Irishman, or corn husker they'd come across.

 

[Timsup2nothin]

There's no gauchos in Santa Barbara and no anteaters in Irvine, so suck it up.

Besides, cave bears are the baddest mascots ever! They would utterly devour any Trojan, fighting Irishman, or corn husker they'd come across.

I think there used to be Gauchos in Santa Barbara, and there's nothing in Irvine so they were sort of stuck with a 'just pick anything' approach.

We don't even have caves.

 

[Zkribbler]

I don't see a stampede of people here rushing to get their submissions in. Sad.

 

[Synobun]

One week isn't enough time to whip something together. Cutting it close there, Zkribbs. All a ruse, I know, to increase your chances.

 

[Zkribbler]

I just got the reminder a few days ago.

The good news is that every three months, there's a new contest.

 

[Valka D'Ur]

I don't see a stampede of people here rushing to get their submissions in. Sad.

Sorry, I've got more fanfic ideas running around in my head, demanding to be written, and that contest doesn't allow fanfic.

It's nearly October, so that's my one-month countdown to NaNoWriMo - I need more prep work for November than I do for either April or July.