January Topics

INKsters Daily Writing Competition for January 2008

Happy New Year! Come Join Us!

The contest rules and submission requirements are on the bottom of the notecard. Please read them to prevent driving me crazy.

MOST IMPORTANT THING OF ALL: Please hit SEARCH on the bottom of your screen, select the "Groups" tab, and join the INKsters. I'm positively indulgent with telling you about literary events all around Second Life to improve your writing.

This month, for the first time ever, I will be hosting "themed judging parties" with the aim of finding contest winners faster, to help all of us learn how to be better writers, and to visit places in Second Life we might find interesting.

Please take these topics as starting points. They're designed to expand your mind and suggest a possible direction for you today, rather than being a specific task for you to complete. Please think divergently and create something beautiful, funny, poignant, interesting or informative. If the topic doesn't work for "you," create a character or situation to make it work.

Daily Topics Begin Here:

Tuesday, January 01, 2008: New Year's Resolution
What are you REALLY going to set your mind, your body, and your fortune toward accomplishing this year?

Wednesday, January 02, 2008: Hot Tea
January is hot tea month and every writer should know the effect Earl Grey or chamomile will produce as those dazzling words of wisdom magically appear on the paper. When you write, are you for tea, coffee, wine, or whiskey? Why?

Thursday, January 03, 2008: Handwriting
You're a writer. You probably use a computer ... such a shame ... but when you handwrite what does it say about you?

Friday, January 04, 2008: Trivia
It's Trivia Day in America (did you know that?) You're probably an expert on something esoteric. Give us a lesson about it.

Saturday, January 05, 2008: Twelfth Night
It's the twelfth day of Christmas making tonight Twelfth Night. You may know the Shakespeare play by the same name? You almost certainly have some type of Shakespearean experience worth sharing. Maybe you can write just like William? Do it!

Sunday, January 06, 2008: Epiphany
Every writer sets out a candle to light the world a little bit brighter. Sometimes the candles blow out, but readers come along and light them anew. What type of candle will you set out to light the world?

Monday, January 07, 2008: Radiation
The United States Environmental Protection Agency designates January as National Radon Action Month. What makes you or somebody you know radioactive?

Tuesday, January 08, 2008: Elvis
It's his birthday! What has rock and roll done for you lately?

Wednesday, January 09, 2008: Snowman
Your snowman is alive! Now what?

Thursday, January 10, 2008: The Rubicon
Julius Caesar crossed the Rubicon in January (I think?). Describe a point of no return you've faced in life?

Friday, January 11, 2008: Potter
J.K. Rowling finished the last Harry Potter book on January 11. Turns out she sold a few copies of that book. What will you do this year to catch up with Ms. Rowling?

Saturday, January 12, 2008: Eiffel Tower
A long-distance radio message was sent from the Eiffel Tower for the first time on this date. What message would you like to radio back to France?

Sunday, January 13, 2008: Peace
Peace and love, or chaos and war?

Monday, January 14, 2008: Gravity
If you could spend a day without gravity in the real world, where would you fly?

Tuesday, January 15, 2008: President
Hey! You've been nominated by your political party to run for the leadership of your country! Congratulations. You need to put together a press release saying what you stand for. It's due at midnight.

Wednesday, January 16, 2008: Deceit
You've been lied to and you know it. Describe what happened.

Thursday, January 17, 2008: Distraction
January is half over and the biggest obstacle preventing you from accomplishing your literary goals is...? What needs to happen to eliminate the obstacle?

Friday, January 18, 2008: Pooh Bear
Winnie the Pooh author A.A. Milne was born today. If you could spend the day as a teddy bear, how would that go?

Saturday, January 19, 2008: Game Night
Recall a childhood game you've played in the past. Which game? What memories does it evoke?

Sunday, January 20, 2008: MLK
Martin Luther King, Jr., fought for what was the right thing to do. What is your crusade?

Monday, January 21, 2008: Nautilus
The first atomic submarine was christened on this day in 1954. I've heard you've just moved into a yellow submarine. How do you like it?

Tuesday, January 22, 2008: The HOT One
Somebody in your life (other than your committed partner) is exceedingly sexy to you. Fess up. Describe what makes that person so delicious to you.

Wednesday, January 23, 2008: The COLD One
Somebody in your life is exceedingly aggravating to you. Fess up. Describe what makes that person so irritating to you.

Thursday, January 24, 2008: Naked
"The most fun I ever had with my clothes OFF was...."

Friday, January 25, 2008: Dressed
"The most fun I ever had with my clothes ON was...."

Saturday, January 26, 2008: Australia Day
Australia Day is the biggest day of celebration in the country. On Australia Day we come together as a nation to celebrate what's great about Australia and being Australian. What's so great about Oz?

Sunday, January 27, 2008: Light Bulb
Thomas Edison filed a patent request for his electric incandescent lamp on this day and by so doing he solved the problem of darkness and lit the world. What problem in life would you like the inventors of today to fix?

Monday, January 28, 2008: Diet of Worms
You can Wikipedia-ize today's topic for an interesting challenge on the protestant reformation, or you can be more obvious and bring new meaning to mud pies. What do you think of the Diet of Worms?

Tuesday, January 29, 2008: By Any Other Name
Romeo and Juliet was probably first performed on this day in 1595. If you were planning on taking a new lover your family would hate, what would attract you and repel your family to that person?

Wednesday, January 30, 2008: THWACK
King Charles I of England was beheaded on January 30th. Now it's your turn. Describe your last few minutes as you crawl into the gallows.

Thursday, January 31, 2008: Train Wreck
Your worst experience on public transportation went a little like this....

HOW TO ENTER:

1. From your Inventory, select the Create menu and then begin a New Note. Write your entry onto the notecard (or Control-V to paste it onto the card from your word processor). Your entry should have your name at the bottom. Rename the description on the notecard to be the same as the competition name and date. Save your notecard in your inventory and you MUST rename the notecard with your name first, then the title of the competition, then the due date.

2. Next, from your saved notecard in your inventory you MUST right-click on the notecard select Properties. Make sure the toggle boxes at the bottom are checked to allow future owners to modify, copy, AND give/transfer. I must have full permissions from you to place the notecard in our anthologies.

3. Teleport to the INKsters Headquarters:

(SLurl found under "Links")

and drag and drop your finished notecard into our mailbox. Then send me an IM to let me know you've completed your entry. If you have any technical difficulties, please let me know and I will help you.

THE RULES:

1. You have until 11:59 p.m. Second Life time on each day to write one entry in English related to the topic. I reserve the right in my sole discretion to grant a wee bit of wiggle room when necessary for late entries (but don't count on it bub!).

2. Your entry must be NO MORE than 500 words. If it's a little over, I won't disqualify you; if it's a lot over, I will. Brevity is the soul of wit, so please stop when you're done!

3. An illustration, photo or texture usable in Second Life to accompany the story is strongly encouraged, but not required. Please drop your illustration onto your notecard (make sure the properties are set to full permissions).

PRIZES:

I award L$25 to the best entry. If I decide none of the entries are a winner, I reserve the right to award no prize on a given day. I also reserve the right to award more than one prize if I have ants in my pants.

I am occasionally asked, "What are you looking for?" Short answer: Quality writing. I don't care if it's poetry, prose, fiction, essays, journalism, or alleged non-fiction. If your writing is the best today, you'll win. Also, please note the vagaries of competition: Sometimes your most beautiful work ever is overlooked in the judging process, and sometimes a total piece of poop wins, and those of us who've been writers for a long time are so used to this we don't even notice it anymore. We hope you understand completing and submitting your writing makes you a champion, and the judging and competition portion of our group is a motivational tactic to help you AND us AND me get off our collective keisters and create something beautiful from nothingness.

PROCEDURAL MUMBO JUMBO:

I publish the writing prompts monthly. William Shakespeare in the INKsters Headquarters will always know what's what. Touch him, like he's touched you.

There is no fee to compete. All times are Second Life time. By entering, you grant me the permanent right to use your story in our Second Life anthologies and on our blog related to Second Life on the internet. http://slinksters.blogspot.com/

You retain all other rights. I encourage you to submit your writing to other people and places in the real world and in Second Life.