This is definitely something I'd like to see succeed. As others have mentioned the chance of getting something new from accredited authors as well as simply new blood in the area is well worth the effort.

Sign me up for the list

 

Brilliant.

And my seductive descriptions of women could be orientated more toward aromatic vegetables. She carried herself with the earthy, resolute stance of a woman who had been pulled from the ground, roots and all, caught within an alluring and mixed cloud of scented turnips and potatoes...

Or something equally amazing.

I've got a few dark story ideas that would make a good read, I'm sure. Let us proceed with the contest!

 

I admit this has taken root in my mind too. And despite my joking around, I think writing under pseudonyms would be fun. I suggest we go with the Reservoir Dogs theme...someone can be Mr. Black, someone *cough-vash-cough* can be Mr. Pink, etc.

It would be fun as hell to write in someone else's style though. I think I could pull a Joe, Jon, and Swimdraconian. I've already done Vash, not that I wouldn't do him again, after all a sure thing is a sure thing.

 

Mr. Black? As in "Make a Wish" Mr. Black? :awesome

"What happened to the judges?"

"They had an accident."

--

Hmm...Sociopath!Hermione suffocates Ron with breakfast, and the casts a Confundus Charm on Harry so that he pours a tub of Ex-Lax into Ginny's morning drink.

Then they live happily ever after.

--

On topic, though: Yeah, trying to write in another author/authoress' style could be fun.

 

Is the point of this to be open to anybody, a not just the elite few?

If so, I'm in.

edit also,

Maybe in a successive version of the competition, unless people voluntarily want to try it? Getting people writing seems to be step one.

 

Pseudonyms like from Reservoir Dogs? Always a good idea.

About writing in different/someone else style - it's all fun, but let's not forget that main reason of this contest is to write decent Dark!Harry stories, so writers should think mainly about this, not how to write so nobody will tell he/she is the author.

 

Maybe for the advanced authors on the thread, but I though the contest was going to be helping newer authors as well. I'd love to enter a blind, or regular contest, just because it would be a fun opportunity to write and be a part of the community.

But if it ended up being basically a session of fanfiction musical chairs with all of the heavyweights here on DLP, there would be no chance I'd enter. I would bet there are others who feel the same way. So, I'm putting in a vote for a regular, or blind contest for all of us peons out here, and maybe a special challenge for you pros.

How about it?

Edit: Damnit, ninja'd by Grinning Lizard. But, whatever, point still stands.

 

I think Joe would be fairly easy to parody (just have to make everything outragously epic with lots of self-reflection and pseudo-philosophical one-liners, and swearing, lol), but pretty hard to get just right as he does. He has a unique ability to make stuff massively epic, both in content and style, without making it laughable.

 

Heh. I don't always pull it off, that's for damn sure. But thanks for the critique, Taure.

So is this happening? Do we need to propose rules and dueling etiquette? 10,000 words or less? 10,000 word minimum? A bottle of Snow Phoenix to the champion and choice of the finest dockside whore? Huzzah!

Huzzah to the whores!

 

I'd like to participate in this. I've got a few ideas stirring around, but probably nothing good for length (especially considering how low motivation is for it), but something that would guaruntee my participation would be the blind judging. I've been a member here for nearly three years, and my writing is likely subpar. I'd feel like a twit posting up a rough facsimile of a story to stand alongside the likes of many of DLP's authors.

Not gonna get any better if I don't try, but you can't be burned if you don't touch the stove.

 

@Joe

That powers that be seem to have gotten the hint that a lot of us would be interested in this. I'm hoping they do decide to do it, since it would be awesome.

 

I think we need to bang our cutlery on the table as hard as we can.

It directly equates to faster service.

 

Oh no, I'd never demand anything. Wouldn't want to be a petulant child. If people wish this to go through, ie motivation, start typing up your ideas or start working on the plots. Gonna wrap-up an original piece then start working on the Dark fic.

At this point, something is bound to happen, and I for one will be ready to post. Heck, even if this doesn't go through, I'll still post the story regardless. Been wanting to get back into HP fiction for a time now.

 

If we do the blind contest idea, I'm in. Reservoir Dogs pseudonyms is definitely the way to go.

 

Well, I'd definitely participate, that's for damn sure. As for the blind judging... heh, yeah, I'm fairly sure everyone would be able to figure out which of the stories was mine, even if I tried writing as Joe or Vash or Swim. But the cloak-and-dagger antics could be amusing, so count me in.

As a side note, I'd be in favour of a 10,000 word min, in order to separate those serious about the competition from those just fucking around, but I also realize writing 10,000 words is far from easy and might discourage even the better writers from trying. Eh, wouldn't matter to me all too much, I'd make it work.

But in any case, my brain juices started flowing sluggishly at this idea, and after devising one truly 'fucking retarded' idea (as according to Coyote - and really, he's right), I've already started. Contest or not, I've got a new Dark!Harry story coming.

 

I'd definitely pitch in for this, blind contest or no (Blind contest sounds good, but if we go with Reservoir Dogs pseudonyms, I'll skip on being called Mr Silver). 10,000 words min. is easy enough - I'd have more trouble with a maximum word count than a minimum one. Still, great idea and should definitely drum up some good Dark stories. Can't wait to see what comes of this.

 

I think it should be 7000 words minimum and no longer than 20,000.

Time to write - two months (mostly because right now I have about three weeks of exams and if this contest were to start now, I'd like to have time to write something ).

There also should be one person to whom we will send stories once they are done and he will post them with randomly color pseudonyms after two months time limit is finished. Every story should have its own thread in WbA section and star rating will decide who is the winner. Of course there may be some controversy if some stories will have much less votes than others, but I think it will not be a case.

There should be maybe a three weeks period of time for people to read and judge stories.

 

I think the min word limit should be shorter, if there at all. Otherwise you eliminate the possibility of a lot of decent one-shots.

 

No min, no max, just a deadline for a complete story, I'd say. Now I just have to drag Tinn back from real life so she can be my beta. Dibs on Tinn, bitches.

 

There could always be a different category for oneshots. It doesn't seem fair for people who write 1000-2000 words to beat someone who took the time to write 20,000. Plus, oneshots really are completely different in the way they're written.