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Sleuthville 2016 Holiday Writing Competition
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Riza Hawkeye
First Nomad
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Dec-20-2016 15:32
With the holidays quickly approaching and the weather getting colder, I’d like to invite you all to participate in something that doesn’t require you to get out of bed or wear pants. :) It’s been a while since we’ve had one of these, so I’m happy to announce the Sleuthville 2016 Holiday Writing Competition! Everyone, either subbed or unsubbed, is welcome to participate.
The format will be a narrative poem. Narrative poems usually tell stories, have a strong sense of characters and narration, and have plots that go from beginning--> middle--> end. They do not have to rhyme, but you are certainly welcome to make your poem rhyme if you want to.
Poems MUST:
1) Have a December holiday theme (you can write about a specific holiday, the holiday season in general, etc.)
2) Take place in the Noir world and time period.
Rules:
1) Poems have a strict 1-post limit (~2000 characters). Less is fine, but any bits that go over will not be counted as part of the entry.
2) You may submit as many poems as you like.
3) All poems must have a title.
4) Entries will be looked at by a panel of 4 judges, myself included. They will be evaluated on creativity, flow, accordance with the theme, and spelling/grammar.
5) All entries must be submitted between now and 23:59 SST on January 3, 2017. Judging will begin on January 4th and hopefully conclude within that week.
Prizes:
The 1st place winner will receive $100,000 and custom item prize! Ooh, aah.
The second place winner will receive $50,000.
The third place winner will receive $25,000.
Furthermore, all participants will have their entries featured in a new in-game book, so they can be forever immortalized! The book will then be hidden somewhere in Sleuthville so you can all search for it.
If you have any questions, feel free to shoot me a message. Most importantly of all, make sure to have fun! :D
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Replies |
Adela Bradley
Rudolph Sleigher
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Dec-26-2016 08:56
Thank you, Saint Nicholas, for aquitting me of this dreadful crime. I am just a Rudolph Sleigher, not a Rudolph Slayer. :D
Great poem, Cathy, I enjoyed reading it very much.
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Adela Bradley
Rudolph Sleigher
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Dec-26-2016 08:57
*acquitting* :)
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Cathy Rose
Lucky Stiff
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Dec-26-2016 12:26
Thank you, Adela! Happy you enjoyed the poem :)
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Breitkat
Pinball Amateur
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Dec-29-2016 00:51
Wow, I wish I could do something like that. That's fantastic, Cathy Rose!! ;-D
I'm nowhere near as talented as you, but I gave it a go....
So, from the Official World's Worst Poet... :-D
Hanukkah
It's Hanukkah week
Time to feast and celebrate
The Maccabees live!!
Light the Menorah
Sing the old songs; find the gelt
We must not forget.
The light of hope must
Outlast the world's fires of hate
Too many people died.
It's Hanukkah week
Light one candle for peace then
Show it to the world.
Chag Chanukah Sameach!! (Happy Hanukkah!! ;-)
(Special thanks to President Obama for the original words of the third verse.)
Again, great work, Cathy!! Happy Holidays, Everyone!! ;-D
Breit and the rest of the Wish Zoo
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Cathy Rose
Lucky Stiff
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Jan-2-2017 00:47
Thank you :)
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Autumnsprings
Con Artist
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Jan-2-2017 22:44
An Unmerry Christmas
'Twas the night before Christmas,
and someone was dead.
Hated by many,
Now a bullet in his head.
So many suspects,
And so many lies.
My dreams of a Merry Christmas with Ignatius died.
No Christmas ham
Or decking the halls.
Just more paperwork
And beating the walls.
In my shiny red suit
I thought it'd be quickly resolved.
But the killer struck again
Neatly ruining that plan.
If I dropped the case, I could be rich.
My life was threatened.
The factions were all a'twitch.
But I persevered.
Found the guilty one.
His name was Rudolph,
Like the red nosed reindeer!
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Cathy Rose
Lucky Stiff
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Jan-3-2017 19:21
The Only One
Once I spent all my Christmases alone
To those days I think not, for now I have a home
I curled up and sank warmly into a holiday dream
While Mommy decorated her nativity scene
“'Tis Joseph and Mary, and baby Jesus,” she said,
“Who was born and who chose as a manger his bed”
Me and My Mommy, Mommy and Me
Forever and ever, I wished that may be
But somebody startled me by ringing our bell
I thought they were mean, and did not wish them well
My Mommy hurried to open the door
No one was there but a box on the floor
And from it came the noise of unanimous cries
My eardrums were throbbing and I covered my eyes
There were kittens. Creatures newborn and tiny
I thought they were icky and disgusting and slimy
“This house is mine and Only I belong here
I am the only One whom Mommy holds dear”
But Mommy shook her head and picked me up from the floor
She whispered: “There was once a cat who cried at my door
She was hungry and cold and in her heart was great sorrow
She struggled daily and had no hope for the morrow
Her coat was muddy and her eyes were light blue
But I gave her a home, and that cat... it was You!”
I gasped at her story and rounded my eyes
How could it be! She was telling me lies
Me, a stray? Yet I remembered the pain
The hunger and despair, and the crying in vain
I stared at my Mommy and made up my mind
I was a Good Kitty, and decided to be kind
We were all fed our dinner as outside raged a storm
I pressed the babies against me and we stayed happy and warm
Merry Christmas everyone!
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Riza Hawkeye
First Nomad
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Jan-4-2017 14:12
I'm extending the deadline to the end of January 11, since I know people have been busy with the holidays. Some great entries so far! I've really enjoyed reading them. :)
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Riza Hawkeye
First Nomad
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Jan-16-2017 17:52
The results of the Holiday Writing Competition are in!
*drumroll*
First Place: Cathy Rose’s “The Horrifying Case of the Christmastime Murder”
Second Place: Autumnsprings’ “An Unmerry Christmas”
Third Place: Breitkat’s “Hanukkah”
Great job, everyone! We have some very talented writers in our community. Thanks for helping to bring a little holiday cheer to Sleuthville. :)
I’ll be sending out prize money to all the winners momentarily.
Cathy, please PM SS to arrange for delivery of your custom item prize!
If anyone else wants to submit any holiday poems to be included as part of the book, please feel free to send them my way within the next week. I’ll be compiling everything after that, so the book should hopefully be released sometime before the 2017 holidays arrive. ;)
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Autumnsprings
Con Artist
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Jan-16-2017 19:10
Riza, thank you and squirrel and the rest of the judges for putting this together. Congrats Cathy! You'll have to show us your prize so we can all drool appropriately. ;)
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