Spiral Knights - Zettalux's Spiral Knights Fanfiction contest - September Edition! (CE prizes inside!)

Zettalux's Spiral Knights Fanfiction contest - September Edition! (CE prizes inside!)

82 replies [Last post]

Tue, 08/23/2011 - 00:22

Zettalux

>>>>>>>>>>NEW DEADLINE: THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 29TH, 12 AM EST<<<<<<<<<<

--------------------------

Winners of last contest:

1st Place: "A Death He Could Live With" by shrinkshootr (http://forums.spiralknights.com/en/node/21956)

2nd Place: "The Grinder" by mosonofbo (http://forums.spiralknights.com/en/node/20563)

3rd Place: "Lone Knight" by CTsmith415 (https://docs.google.com/document/d/116juyk61nVsgByb64KMwUgwVdH0tcY_9rtSJ...)

^If you're wondering what you're up against, check these guys out! But don't worry, don't let them intimidate you. With practice and careful writing, maybe you could equal or best them. Writing is an art, after all.

------

What better way to start off the school year by completely ignoring your school work to write stories about a video game? Just kidding, of course!

And I'm back with my second edition of my Spiral Knights Fanfic Contest! With the decent turnout from last contest, I hope to gain more contestants this time around. Also, this gives a chance for those who did not win anything last time to win a prize this time. Hopefully we see new faces as well as familliar ones. And I'm manning up and gonna invest another 1k CE to the prizes this time.

Concerning that this is the second edition, here are a few rules I would like to add:

Submissions cannot be re-used from the previous contest. You MUST submit a different or new story

Winners of 1st, 2nd and 3rd place from last contest cannot win any of those three positions this time around. Instead, and ONLY if they submit a story this time that deserves the title, will win the award "Veteran's award." Keep in mind that this award will only be rewarded if their new story would have been picked for 1st/2nd/3rd place for this contest

------

Anyone who wants to participate has to write a Short-Fanfiction, based off of Spiral Knights. At the end of the deadline, I will award the winners (that myself and fellow judges will choose) with CE prizes! Your fanfics will be analyzed from the following: proper grammar/spelling/punctuation, quality of writing (not quantity!), originality/creativity, effect on reader (given the story's initial goal of being a grimdark/comedy/etc), and so on.

The awards will go as follows:

1st place: 1000 CE

2nd place: 600 CE

3rd place: 400 CE

Secondary possible Rewards:

Best Grimdark: 200 CE

Best Comedy: 200 CE

Most Creative: 200 CE

Other noteable mentions/Veteran Awards: 150 CE each (3 max)

*Note: Best Grimdark, Best Comedy and Most Creative may also be rewarded to 1st/2nd/3rd place, in which the prize CE will add to - but the three cannot be awarded to the same story
*Note: Veteran's Award will only be titled to submissions from people who have won 1st/2nd/3rd place in a previous contest (provided their new submission deserves a noteable mention), and can be stacked with Best Grimdark, Best Comedy and Most Creative

------

Here are rules that must be followed when writing your fanfics:

Nothing innapprioriate, keep it enjoyable to read (grimdark doesn't have to be senseless violence)

Must be minimum 1500 words! Maximum is your go, but don't make it unecessarily long! (anyone can write a 1500 or 15 000 word story; it just depends on the skills of the writer to make those words count)

It MUST be your own work - plagarism will result in the disqualification of the user (and many rotton tomatoes will be thrown)

Limited one submission per user

Remember that whatever state your story is in when you submit it, it will be considered the "final product." Re-submissions are allowed up until the deadline date, but re-submitting will null out your previous.

Don't write your submissions in this thread - provide an external link to your work such as your own thread, Fanfiction, Google Docs or Deviant Art

Upon submission, I will copy the story into a Google Doc in case the original source is lost

All submissions will be noted in the 'Submissions' list down below

Upon submission, post your link to the story in this thread along with your in-game name you want to go by

Deadline: 12 AM EST @ Thursday September 29th

You can contact me either by posting in this thread, posting in my discussion tab in my Spiral Knights Wiki profile (search "User:Zetta_Lux") or contacting me in-game as "Zettalux"

Your story can be on anything - just remember that it has to be related to Spiral Knights

Get writing!

------

Submissions:
Trenny the Tortodrone by EcoRTB666; http://forums.spiralknights.com/en/node/22736

------

Tue, 08/23/2011 - 04:23

Asthix

Question

Well, at least I have longer to procrastinate this time.

I noticed you seemed to favor the google doc format last round. Is this my imagination or do you prefer a page style layout?

Tue, 08/23/2011 - 10:44

Shrinkshootr

Judging

I would like to suggest that we "veterans" might be allowed to judge the potentially CE-winning entries, as we cannot actually win those ourselves. The judgment of whether any of our works would have been in the top three would be left to you and anyone else (except for us), but I'd like to weight in with my opinion of the stories, if I may.

If not, it's totally understandable if you wish to judge these on your own; it's your CE, after all, and it's all coming from one perspective.

Tue, 08/23/2011 - 12:05

Corse

This is my first time using Docs. Hope it works!!!

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1IQzbsvVVY_DPo29R10g6iizmjO0CoFYODZAm... sorry. I am gonna have to edit it. I thought you said 500 words sorry XD

Tue, 08/23/2011 - 13:50

Radeko

I can't possibly write

I can't possibly write another story. I've said all I had to say on the subject of Spiral Knights in my fic Terra Incognita.

Tue, 08/23/2011 - 17:08

Nechrome

I knew it! I knew it! I knew

I knew it! I knew it! I knew you were going to start another contest! I even started writing my story at school before I even knew you started it again.

I WILL WIN.

Edit: O yeah, heres a link to mai story. It is NOT my submission yet, im still working on it. obviously. just thought u guys would want to know what im doing. i hope thats okay.

so remember, this is NOT turned in to you yet, got that?

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1WKeHwNX0nKlpZErKkL8eG26RC2ZetuIlDIJC...

Wed, 08/24/2011 - 17:58

Nechrome

o, darn. i have another one i

o, darn. i have another one i could do. dang it. ill need to see which one to enter. since 2 entries aren't allowed. dang it.

keep in mind this one is NOT entered yet either.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1RDe1CD8Z0o8dYcRjtWfsPZcWTtOvI8SqTyFD...

enjoy.

EDIT: o yeah, zet, could you sort of shorten the deadline a bit. i cant really wait that long and *coughitllgivemorepeoplemoretimetowritestoriessoicantwinsopleasecough*

yeah

Wed, 08/24/2011 - 21:47

Shrinkshootr

Necro, you have a problem

Necro, you have a problem with quantity over quality. You keep cranking out stories (I see three on the first page alone), and while they're different, I find them all to be structurally and grammatically the same, meaning...less than polished.

You need to sit down, think about what you'd want to incorporate into a story, and then slowly craft it. You need to put down with your keyboard exactly what you envision in your head, and then go back and read it several times, making sure it's just how you want to present it to the reader, almost as though you're writing for yourself an account of a dream that you had, so you might not forget it.

As it stands, you're pounding out fiction like you're firing a shotgun, hoping to hit the bullseye, and that's not quite how writing works. I don't want to be a killjoy or anything, but harsh criticism is some of the best for improvement.

Thu, 08/25/2011 - 01:46

CTsmith415

Legacy Username

Woohoo

I'll be sure to enter again, though of course with a different style. One month to go!

Thu, 08/25/2011 - 16:10

Nechrome

"Necro, you have a problem

"Necro, you have a problem with quantity over quality. You keep cranking out stories (I see three on the first page alone), and while they're different, I find them all to be structurally and grammatically the same, meaning...less than polished.

sad but true. but whoever said that these stories aren't a cover-up for a bigger thing? *hint hint*

Fri, 08/26/2011 - 04:58

#10

Romasanta

Agni kī Dū'ēla

I'm still not entirely done with it, but I figured I's better enter it as is, in case I forget to update it later.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1__e-ME9mApyZvhoHVtqTc_QVTk-aZgQZkjnw...

My IGN is Romasanta

Also, I have no idea if I did this right. I've never used google docs, before.

Sat, 08/27/2011 - 13:45

#11

Zettalux

Somebody set up us the bomb.

Sat, 08/27/2011 - 16:39

#12

Remiliaoftheearth

My new story.

It's going to be called Trenny the Tortodrone.
Here's an exerpt from what I intend to be the end (I'm still thinking it out in my mind.).
"Her eyes tightly closed, she felt the one moment of stillness, hanging in the air, before she fell towards Cradle, her momentum forcing her to let go of the terrified Tortodrone."
Personally I think I'm wrestling with inevitability (Is there such a word?).
I think typing's faster....

Sun, 08/28/2011 - 07:34

#13

Remiliaoftheearth

Starting my story....

^
I'd give a "trailer" but that seems a bit stupid.

Tue, 08/30/2011 - 15:42

#14

Romasanta

Update: 2nd draft [Update]

Last time I revised the thing, I was very sleep deprived, and didn't realize what a terrible job I'd done.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1__e-ME9mApyZvhoHVtqTc_QVTk-aZgQZkjnw...

Here's a 2nd draft of the revised story. Also, since it took so long to fix the blasted thing, it still doesn't have a proper end. Working on that in the morning.

Update: I am stupid and forgot to make like half the changes to the online document

Tue, 08/30/2011 - 21:57

#15

Koi-Wa-Sensou

Draft

Please do not consider this a submission, but can anyone and everyone please help me with some criticism? Thanks all!

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ho6JE9i6MaK2u9NtQ90L0lfeqWnIkMdyiIhQ...

Wed, 08/31/2011 - 11:03

#16

Romasanta

Please try again

I'm not sure your story is "good," but it's surreal, and vaguely interesting. I feel it could be much better, and my biggest issue is that it doesn't feel very comfortable to read; it's too chaotic, and not in the sense that it portrays your character as being in a disheveled state of mind. If feels strange and unorganized. It might be because of that unusual present tense, third person perspective, that I imagine is supposed to convey a stream of thought. Your writing also feels sort of schizophrenic, since your formalistic approach to writing gave your story a very informal feeling, that made every remotely uncommon word feel out of place. If you want to go formalistic, you need to retain a feeling of cohesion, and and not remove your entire work prom the established norm, otherwise you end up with a something of little enjoyment value, but with potentially high academic value. In other words, if you create something that is difficult to enjoy because you made it in a unusual manner, then your creation is an experiment in form, and little else. An endeavor to create an artistic work that is distantly separated from the status quo will only very rarely result in anything enjoyable, unless the writer is blessed with luck, talent/intuition, and/or a great deal of knowledge pertaining to the more esoteric aspects of writing, such as composition theory.

I'm starting to get off topic. Anyway, re-write it in a more cohesive manner, because your composition distracts entirely too much from your story, try not to deviate from the established norms/rules of writing, unless doing so has a positive effect (ie: conveying psychological instability), and work on your segues.

Thu, 09/01/2011 - 18:01

#17

kraanox

Legacy Username

lulz

uhm, aavb123...... he swore an oat? (last paragraph, 5th line)

Thu, 09/01/2011 - 23:03

#18

Romasanta

Thanks, I meant "oath"

I keep having to re read it to check for typos, and the like. Still editing it, even as I finish the ending.

Tue, 09/06/2011 - 20:07

#19

Zettalux

Thiiis is your singing

Thiiis is your singing telegram, I hope it finds you well,
You're invited to a party 'cause we think you're really swell!

[insert name here]'s turning [year] year(s) old, so help us celebrate!
The cake will be DELICIOUS, the festivities first-rate.

There will be games and dancing, bob for apples, cut a rug,
And when the party's over we'll gather around for a group hug!

No need to bring a gift, being there will be enough,
Birthday's mean having fun with friends, not getting lots of stuff.

It won't be the same without you so we hope that you say yes,
So please oh please R-S-V-P and come and be our guest!

Tue, 09/06/2011 - 20:15

#20

Shadownox

my bros, ummm.. *ahem*

my bros, ummm.. *ahem* story... IS 14 PAGES LONG AND HES NOT EVEN HALFWAY DONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! NOW QUICK, BEFORE HE FINDS OUT I SAID THAT! HIDE ME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Tue, 09/06/2011 - 21:32

#21

Nechrome

LIES!!! *ahem* it is 18 pages

LIES!!!

*ahem*

it is 18 pages (1.5 spaced, of course), has 6422 words, 28916 characters without spaces, 35152 characters with spaces, and is only about 1/3 complete.

welcome to the party.

sadly, i cannot copy it onto google docs. it is on microscoftword, whenever i try to copy it over the computer crashes.

Wed, 09/07/2011 - 17:39

#22

Remiliaoftheearth

Finished.

http://forums.spiralknights.com/en/node/22736

Wed, 09/07/2011 - 17:56

#23

Zettalux

Oooh, added to submissions.

Wed, 09/07/2011 - 21:59

#24

Zettalux

Hoo, I just realized that the

Hoo, I just realized that the days are beginning to hasten. Already 16 days till the deadline!

Fri, 09/09/2011 - 15:20

#25

Remiliaoftheearth

Wierd.

Either something's seriously wrong with my computer, or I'm the only contestant. O.O

Fri, 09/09/2011 - 21:47

#26

Nechrome

hey! im entering too! the

hey! im entering too! the only problem is that it is now about 22 pages and only maybe 1.5/3 finished. and i cant copy it over to the google docs page, cause the computer crashes when that happens. so ill have to make an entirely new thread. i hope that it doesnt crash the SK server. =P

Sat, 09/10/2011 - 02:26

#27

Zettalux

I mean this in no way

I mean this in no way offensive but... Are you serious about 22 pages? Because from your submission last contest, I'd say work on your actual writing process rather than pile up a bunch of content. I'm looking for writing style as much as I'm looking for plot, if not more.

If you can honestly keep a reader interested for that long, then sir you'd have talent. But I'm sorry to bring it down to you but even very talented/scholarly writers would have difficulty with such a lengthly piece.

Allow me to compose some critisism of your story in my first contest:
-It had a good amount of Mary-Sue in it. If you don't know what that means, bascically, in the fiction universe, your story contained a character who has that 'better-than-everyone-else' or 'i'm-so-perfect' vibe to them. Bottom line, a character who made things uninteresting.
-Your writing style needs a lot of work. Again, from your mary-sue character, things became really predictable or typical. Most of the themes/topics in your story felt as though they were pulled out of a hat titled 'overused-but-what-I-think-is-awesome stuff'
-On top of your themes, you need work on your grammar and punctuation

A story doesn't have to be about some evil lord taking over the world and doing other crazy stuff like that. A fic about a Knight getting their lunch has much more (and I'm serious) potential of being interesting. Try writing something people can relate to... Engage the reader and their emotions. Get them attached.

Please take this as a heed of warning. If I become uninterested from a story, chances are I won't read the rest of it.

Sat, 09/10/2011 - 10:22

#28

Remiliaoftheearth

Well...

Any critiscism on mine? I could fix anything and resubmit it.

Sat, 09/10/2011 - 10:31

#29

Shadownox

@ zettalux

yeah, i understand. it's just that i just keep getting new ideas about stuff, and i add them to the story. but i've changed sort of a lot of things. but maybe your right. to long. but it's only 21 pages because its 2.0 spacing. or 1.5. forget which. =P

or maybe i should start an entirely new story altogether. i don't hink that i'll be able to finish my current one in time. or maybe not enter at all. then again, if i enter, ill win something anyways, because ecort is currently the only entreant. well, maybe not.

im not exactly good at short things. I tend to go over board. A lot.

Sat, 09/10/2011 - 10:46

#30

Koi-Wa-Sensou

Don't forget me!

Heeey I've got something too!

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ho6JE9i6MaK2u9NtQ90L0lfeqWnIkMdyiIhQ...

It's just about as edited as editing can get, so have at thee!

Sun, 09/11/2011 - 00:37

#31

Zettalux

@EcoRTB666 While I won't

@EcoRTB666

While I won't provide feedback for your current fic, I can give critisisms of your last contest's submission. Bear in mind this is in no ways offensive, but constructive.

Your problem lies within the perameters of N3cr0; the storyline was too strange. It's as if you took everything in Spiral Knights and crammed it into one, making events/themes that you think are 'cool' to give birth to no meaning whatsoever ('meaning' meaning engagement with the reader in any way). I hate to say it but you could probably combine both stories and get the same results.

Plot details aside, grammar and punctuation made it really hard to read. Not that it wasn't illegible, but it just seemed extremely awkward here and there.

Like I said to N3cr0, try something simple. I'm not kidding when I say that a story about a Knight getting lunch doesn't have to be uninteresting. This is, of course, one of the extreme examples; it's really not so much as how complex or simple your plot is - it's how you deliver it. But a simple story line can be easily expanded on, as opposed to expanding on something that's already fine on its own, don't you think?

Take last contest's #1 for example. His story is about the events that happened in the Skylark before arriving to Haven. Think about it: we know nothing canon about the Skylark or the Spiral Knights before their arrival to Haven. All we know is that the Skylark is the mothership the Spiral Knights came from, and for some reason the Skylark is now somewhat damaged. Shrinkshootr did a beautiful job expanding on this, detailing on every aspect he presented. All of his content is somewhat his own Original Content; all he took from the video game itself was pretty much names and places.

And that's just the summary of the plot. All the details of the emotions the characters went through to the details of the settings; it all really fit together.

Second place is a great example too. His plot is about two of your every-day knights (not knights who are destined to be 'the one' or some other overused thing like that, okay?) adventuring into an unknown part of the Clockworks, but find themselves in for really something more than they gambled for. No, it wasn't all of the 'bosses' of Spiral Knights fighting each other or the take over of an evil lord killing his brother and commanding an army of some undead demon things that came out of nowhere. All the story is, is about those two Knights. The Clockworks itself is the antagonist, yes, but the story is of those two knights alone if you think about it. Being a Grimdark, Moson did a very well job of putting the reader in the shoes of the characters. The ending made me shiver, too... I'll never look at the Clockworks elevators the same again.

Sun, 09/11/2011 - 04:09

#32

Remiliaoftheearth

Exactly.

I get my writing into such a muddle I often, even when I'm just chatting, confuse myself and others.
Next contest, if you make another, I will try to make something better. Using just one subject.
I'm going to haunt your contests as long as they go on, trying to better my work.

Sun, 09/11/2011 - 12:15

#33

Zettalux

You could always re-submit

You could always re-submit for this one, there's 11 days left.

Sun, 09/11/2011 - 13:35

#34

Koi-Wa-Sensou

Derp

Forgot to add my IGN and stuff over in my entry post, so here it is:
IGN: xairathan
Title of Story: Just a Bad Dream

Mon, 09/12/2011 - 18:54

#35

Nechrome

holy carp... that last post i

holy carp... that last post i posted was on shadow's account...

oops. guess that's what happens when u share the same computer with your bro. but i remeber logging onto mai accoutn...

Sat, 09/17/2011 - 10:48

#36

Remiliaoftheearth

Helloooooo!!

It's been some time since anyone's posted.
Hellooooo!!

Sat, 09/17/2011 - 22:54

#37

Zettalux

If there aren't at least 10

If there aren't at least 8 submissions by the 20th, the contest is off.

Sorry guys, but it just has to be that way.

Sun, 09/18/2011 - 08:11

#38

Remiliaoftheearth

Hey, wait!

Another guy posted a submission!
I'm certain you just want the contest to be cancelled.
>:(

Mon, 09/19/2011 - 08:45

#39

Zettalux

Another guy = 2 total

Another guy = 2 total submissions. I said I require 8. I have more than 8 rewards. wat.

School's started for most people including myself. I understand the lack of submissions, and I'm not blaming anyone for this. It just merely seems like this contest was prone to be a dud, as I predicted when I decided to make it.

Also, it is my CE that I've bought with my real money. If you want free CE, wait for the next lottery weekend.

Contest canceled everyone. Sorry.

Mon, 09/19/2011 - 14:33

#40

Bopp

Basil: More Money, More Problems

I have posted my submission, Basil: More Money, More Problems, to my wiki page. IGN: Bopp. I hope that your contest does happen.

Mon, 09/19/2011 - 22:04

#41

Psychorazer

Nyweis...

Dam was hoping I could enter...Working on my story as of a while ago, but still not finished.

HEY PEOPLE! If you're going to enter this thing but haven't finished your story like myself, could you just post here saying 'i'm going to enter, but working on my story' or something?! Just in case there are more than 8 people actually going to enter this that we don't kno about!

Would that change your mind if there are, Zetta? :D

Wed, 09/21/2011 - 05:53

#42

Asthix

Really?

I'm disappointed that you cancelled your contest. I'm writing a piece I hope to get in by the deadline. You had about 5 entries last time in the last 24 hours of the contest. Please consider reopening this otherwise you'll never get to see the next part of Blast! Also, you never answered my questions from the second post. :)

Wed, 09/21/2011 - 15:26

#43

Scarred-Knight

Shame...

Been working on my own story to put into this contest for some time now. Only recently has it been in the "presentable" stages (been "done" 2 weeks ago, yet I've been spending a lot of time correcting mistakes and fixing errors). If your interested, I may find a link for it so you can at least read it.

Wed, 09/21/2011 - 18:23

#44

Psychorazer

Any more?

Cmon, thats about...6 people already? Anyone else that wanted to try out for this so he/she knows that people DID intend to enter?

Thu, 09/22/2011 - 15:36

#45

Zettalux

Hm. If I give another week or

Hm. If I give another week or so, do you guys think you can fill those spaces?

New deadline: Thursday Sept 19th at 12 AM EST

School's starting to heat up for me, so this is a stretch. Though, I guess another week won't hurt. Contest re-opened :D

Thu, 09/22/2011 - 19:04

#46

Scarred-Knight

Erm...

Disregard this post, although you may wanna re-edit the post above me, you do have the date on the top post...

Thu, 09/22/2011 - 19:14

#47

Xylka-Mkii

Rawr

I better get to work if im gonna make it in!
BTW some nice stories going on here! I have one in mind I wanna write but sadly...not a fanfic...or related to SK... QQ
Ah well I just like reading these. So much Epic in one place. If only prizes were every month.
This is every month right?
Yes?
No?!?
MAYBE?!?!?!?!?!?!?
I MUST KNOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
ok so time to start typing!

Thu, 09/22/2011 - 21:35

#48

Cavadus

Entry

I'm entering too! Solus Inflammo. I'll type it up and put it here. =D

Thu, 09/22/2011 - 22:00

#49

Scarred-Knight

Well...

...looks like thats at least 8, assuming the two above me finish by the new deadline...

I'll put the finishing touches onto my story, and then post it so you can put it under submissions Zetta.

Fri, 09/23/2011 - 04:00

#50

Psychorazer

WOO!

YAY ME! Nyweis, all the more I better get back to work on my story! THNX zetta!

Search

Zettalux's Spiral Knights Fanfiction contest - September Edition! (CE prizes inside!)