1. DLP Flash Christmas Competition + Writing Marathon 2024!

    Competition topic: Magical New Year!

    Marathon goal? Crank out words!

    Check the marathon thread or competition thread for details.

    Dismiss Notice
  2. Hi there, Guest

    Only registered users can really experience what DLP has to offer. Many forums are only accessible if you have an account. Why don't you register?
    Dismiss Notice
  3. Introducing for your Perusing Pleasure

    New Thread Thursday
    +
    Shit Post Sunday

    READ ME
    Dismiss Notice

Q3 - 2021 - DLP Writing Competition!

Discussion in 'Q3 Competition Before Christmas' started by Ched, Jul 18, 2021.

?

What prompt shall we have this time?

Poll closed Jul 25, 2021.
  1. Aftermath (i.e. Wizarding Chernobyl)

    37.5%
  2. The most accurate prediction Sybill Trelawney ever made

    12.5%
  3. Random Point of Divergence

    29.2%
  4. Post-Epilogue

    4.2%
  5. 'That's a stupendously stupid idea. Let's do it.'

    16.7%
  1. Ched

    Ched Da Trek Moderator DLP Supporter ⭐⭐

    Joined:
    Jan 6, 2009
    Messages:
    8,379
    Location:
    The South
    CONGRATS to Entry #5 - Aftermath!
    RunnerUP - Entry #4!

    Please let me know if you'd like to claim your story (author)!

    Disclaimer 1: As we only had two entries be 'on time' there may be a second award for whoever did the best of those two.

    Disclaimer 2: To qualify as a "runner up" the second place score must be closer in points to the winner than to third place. In this case, if I counted right, there is no runner up by standard rules, but see Disclaimer #1.

    Disclaimer 3: Second place has been upgraded to RunnerUP in a special exception, due to that entrant being on time when most entrants (including third place) were not. First place was also on time.


    == == == ==


    'I love deadlines. I love the whooshing noise they make as they go by.'
    —Douglas Adams


    Q3 2021 - Writing Competition!
    Topic: AFTERMATH
    AKA "Wizarding Chernobyl" - interpret this how you will, but personally I see it as "A widespread disaster occurs in the HPverse, what happens next?"

    Word Count: 50-17,500 words

    Due Date: September 30th at 11:59 PM EST - October 31st send stories to @Xiph0 via private message

    Voting: November 1st - 21st

    The winner gets a star and a nifty banner/color until the end of the next competition! Plus winners and runners-ups get to pick prompts for the next poll.

    "Anonymous" means that you don't widely advertise / discuss your story. PLEASE feel free to grab a handful of beta readers / brainstormers to help you out. This has always been the case but I want to emphasize it - run your ideas / drafts by people you trust! Get feedback and help with edits, etc.

    Xiph0 and I may know your identity but otherwise you'll be kept anonymous unless you choose to claim your story after the competition.

    VOTING
    1. Leave a 200+ word review for each story in the story thread
    2. Distribute 5 points between the stories as you see fit (( in this thread ))**
    3. Authors MUST vote but cannot vote for themselves
    **subject to change depending upon number of entries
     
    Last edited: Nov 29, 2021
  2. Ched

    Ched Da Trek Moderator DLP Supporter ⭐⭐

    Joined:
    Jan 6, 2009
    Messages:
    8,379
    Location:
    The South
    AFTERMATH
    AKA "Wizarding Chernobyl" - interpret this how you will, but personally I see it as "A widespread disaster occurs in the HPverse, what happens next?"
     
  3. H_A_Greene

    H_A_Greene Unspeakable –§ Prestigious §– DLP Supporter

    Joined:
    Aug 30, 2009
    Messages:
    715
    High Score:
    4,492
    How is everyone doing so far? I have my concept roughly outlined, just working on the ending and nailing down the themes with some help ;) Hope to turn in a strong entry next month.
     
  4. Ched

    Ched Da Trek Moderator DLP Supporter ⭐⭐

    Joined:
    Jan 6, 2009
    Messages:
    8,379
    Location:
    The South
    Reusing an old idea if I can find time to write!
     
  5. Ched

    Ched Da Trek Moderator DLP Supporter ⭐⭐

    Joined:
    Jan 6, 2009
    Messages:
    8,379
    Location:
    The South
    LEZ GOOOOOOOO - fingers crossed I have time to write! Haven't started yet.
     
  6. H_A_Greene

    H_A_Greene Unspeakable –§ Prestigious §– DLP Supporter

    Joined:
    Aug 30, 2009
    Messages:
    715
    High Score:
    4,492
    Likewise! Between work and personal life struggles I've been a zombie just trying to get through each day. Hoping I hit on a patch of motivation and can churn out a rough first draft and polish that up in time, but outlook not so good as it stands.
     
  7. haphnepls

    haphnepls Seventh Year

    Joined:
    Mar 26, 2019
    Messages:
    288
    Gender:
    Male
    Location:
    Croatia
    I think I've started half a dozen times, and then realized I wrote about before, and not about the aftermath. So I figured I have to think this one through the other way around, and that isn't going as well as it should. :( All the ideas I have are long-ass ones, ones that need at least 15k of words, and I don't think I'll manage to do that well enough to muster balls to actually submit it. As interesting as comp prompt is, I kinda liked it more as a possibility than as a real thing to write.

    Still, I'll do my best to put forward something readable for the sake of the competitions. I like em.
     
  8. Erotic Adventures of S

    Erotic Adventures of S Denarii Host

    Joined:
    Aug 21, 2006
    Messages:
    3,804
    Location:
    New Zealand
    I have an idea, a draft outline and some notes. I’ve settled to the fact I can’t write a clean story with my English issues. But I enjoy it so I’ll try anyway and hope for at least a ok story line.
     
    Last edited: Aug 28, 2021
  9. Ched

    Ched Da Trek Moderator DLP Supporter ⭐⭐

    Joined:
    Jan 6, 2009
    Messages:
    8,379
    Location:
    The South
    English issues? Always figured it as your first language.
     
  10. Erotic Adventures of S

    Erotic Adventures of S Denarii Host

    Joined:
    Aug 21, 2006
    Messages:
    3,804
    Location:
    New Zealand
    Dyslexic, not as bad as some, but enough to make writing a few thousand word story with out errors a impossibility.
     
  11. LucyInTheSkye

    LucyInTheSkye Seventh Year

    Joined:
    May 29, 2020
    Messages:
    213
    Location:
    Away with the fairies
    I'm loving these competitions, but this isn't my kind of theme at all. If I come up with a way of twisting the prompt that suits my type of story I'll try and enter. Already looking forward to q4 though :)
     
  12. Microwave

    Microwave Professor

    Joined:
    Oct 21, 2017
    Messages:
    477
    Not a huge fan of the prompt either, but I think I can write something fun that works around it.
     
  13. H_A_Greene

    H_A_Greene Unspeakable –§ Prestigious §– DLP Supporter

    Joined:
    Aug 30, 2009
    Messages:
    715
    High Score:
    4,492
    Unfortunately I'm bowing out. I know myself, and my writing habits, and with work and issues in my rl dragging me down I just cannot focus on writing. But this is what I would have aimed for.

    While researching alternative energy sources, the Department of Mysteries accidentally bores a hole into hell. For an hour things spiral toward the brink of annihilation. Just barely managing to contain the hordes of demonic and spiritual beings, they seal the dimensional rift and make amendments and redactions to their notes before the entire operation is shuffled into their archives.

    Cue Voldemort's hostile takeover of the Ministry. Secrets are torn out of safe keeping. Private projects unearthed. Most, harmless, meaningless to his personal goals, his obsession with the Deathly Hallows. A largely neutered report on otherworldly energy means nothing to him.

    But in his haste, that report lands in the hands of the much reduced Unspeakables following the end of the war, and seeking this possible stopgap to restoring order under Minister Shacklebolt, the bore is reopened-- and this time it is not a team of long standing and capable agents, but a small and equally unaware group who are slaughtered to the last wizard. Hell remembers the last time this chance slipped through its hands.

    Roughly 3 years after Voldemort's defeat sees demons emerge into the wizarding world and overrun the Ministry. A year later and they have dispersed across the world, reducing the collective humanity to a handful of dwindling enclaves, places of holy ground becoming fewer and far between.

    Harry manages to survive. Whether thru sheer dumb luck, a gift of the Hallows, or some preternatural skill with the wand, he has no real idea why but he is among the few alive who has fought and defeated a demon, and it once again falls upon his shoulders to rally the wizarding world and stand against this terrible fate.

    Heading up a group of those equally willing to lead a strike into the remains of the Ministry and attempt to seal the bore again, Harry is forced to make a choice as the tide turns against them, to give up or to sacrifice his life, and he chooses to sacrifice himself to close the gate from the inside-out, trapping himself in hell and cutting off the demons from their energy source.

    Over the next decade, the demons' physical manifestations in the world fade and their spiritual strength is depleted. They are contained and eradicated. Humanity ebbs on.

    And Harry continues his battle alone. He cannot die-- that is what it means to be the Master of Death. Rip and Tear, blah blah surprise DOOM crossover lmao.
     
  14. H_A_Greene

    H_A_Greene Unspeakable –§ Prestigious §– DLP Supporter

    Joined:
    Aug 30, 2009
    Messages:
    715
    High Score:
    4,492
    We only have a few days left folks. Anyone manage to get a submission in yet?
     
  15. Niez

    Niez Competition Winner CHAMPION ⭐⭐

    Joined:
    Jun 26, 2018
    Messages:
    277
    Location:
    Behind you
    You fool, everyone knows submissions are handed in at the last possible minute, sometimes later, if you manage to game the system using timezones.
     
  16. H_A_Greene

    H_A_Greene Unspeakable –§ Prestigious §– DLP Supporter

    Joined:
    Aug 30, 2009
    Messages:
    715
    High Score:
    4,492
    Right, duh. Plenty of time to smash out my Mad Max Dystopian Future Post-Muggle World War 3 Wandless masterpiece over the next 3 days :D Oh wait that isn't Aftermath-y enough um oh it was clearly caused by Voldemort! There we go -ding ding ding-.
     
  17. Joe

    Joe The Reminiscent Exile ~ Prestige ~ DLP Supporter ⭐⭐⭐

    Joined:
    Jan 24, 2008
    Messages:
    1,016
    Location:
    Canberra, ACT
    High Score:
    1,800
    I missed the boat on this one. Had a cool idea, as well, got about 40% of the way. Fallout from unleashing the Dementors from Azkaban is the whole globe is covered in a dementor-fog, the surface and oceans are entirely breeding grounds.

    I'll polish it good and post it after the competition comes to a conclusion.
     
  18. Erotic Adventures of S

    Erotic Adventures of S Denarii Host

    Joined:
    Aug 21, 2006
    Messages:
    3,804
    Location:
    New Zealand
    New kid takes more time than you’d think. I got maybe 1600 words into it.
     
    Last edited: Oct 3, 2021
  19. H_A_Greene

    H_A_Greene Unspeakable –§ Prestigious §– DLP Supporter

    Joined:
    Aug 30, 2009
    Messages:
    715
    High Score:
    4,492
    Did... no one actually submit for this in time?
     
  20. Ched

    Ched Da Trek Moderator DLP Supporter ⭐⭐

    Joined:
    Jan 6, 2009
    Messages:
    8,379
    Location:
    The South
    They did, I think - bit of a delay getting them up.