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Jun-7-2006 16:32

OK, we've had a Biography Contest. We've had a Beauty Pageant. Why not write our own mystery fiction?

Listen up everyone! Starting today, all detectives here in Sleuth are now entitled to participate in the First Annual Sleuth Mystery Fiction Contest! The rules are simple: create a good mystery story, submit it before the deadline, and wait. Three/four judges (including myself) will judge the entries, and the winner will be announced on either June 19th or 20th (the date still needs to be confirmed).

SPECIFIC INFORMATION FOR ALL INTERESTED...
>>The story itself needs some specific components. First, it needs to be a mystery story. Second, it MUST include your detective as the sleuth. Suspects - you can have as many as you want, and their names should "reflect" the city your story takes place. You MUST choose one of the four Sleuth cities (New York, London, Shanghai, Delhi) as a setting. The minimum number of words should be at least 750. Maximum is up to you, but nothing too long. The murderer's identity should definatly be revealed in the end. Clues should be innovative and must point to the killer. Victim must die in an "old-fashioned" way (i.e stabbing, poisoning, strangling etc.). Victim should be included in the story in some way. The title must be appealing an appropriate for your piece of fiction. You CANNOT plagiarize a plot from a book, nor can you plagiarize a title. Not even one of the Featured Mysteries. Any questions concerning the outline of your fiction can be directed to me with PM.

>>Submission deadline is June 18th. No submissions can be accepted after that date.

>>PLEASE SUBMIT ALL ENTRIES TO THE FOLLOWING E-MAIL ADDRESS: mystery_submissions@hotmail.com Include your detective name, entry, and number of words used. If we have accepted your entry into the contest, we will send your confirmation by e-mail, or PM. If not, we will send you an e-mail or PM telling you this and explaining why it wasn't accepted.

More...

Jun-7-2006 16:55

>>TWO/THREE MORE JUDGES ARE NEEDED FOR THE JUDGING! This will be treated as a first-come, first-serve basis. If you are interested in being a judge, please post here. Once all judges are chosen, I will discuss the judging process with them separately. Note: Judges cannot participate in the contest.

>>The prize still hasn't been confirmed. However, if many good-quality entries are submitted, a special prize may already be in the works. But, for now, this topic is hush-hush material. Don't PM me to ask me about the prize, I'm not saying anything until the contest is over. :)

>>Another note, write your story on Notepad, Microsoft Word... something along the lines of that. Don't use the Biography space on your profile page: it's way too small to fit what you're trying to achieve. Once you're done drafting, editing, and proofing, and you are completely satisfied with your project, please copy and paste your material onto an e-mail and send it to the address above. Don't attach it with Notepad or Word, please. Just copy and paste your story onto a clean piece of e-mail paper, OK?

>>Any further questions regarding anything about this contest can be forwarded to me via PM. Do not e-mail the address listed above for questions: that is strictly for mystery submissions.

I'm sure this will be another successful contest. I'm pretty sure I've covered everything I've wanted to cover. Now, please start writing those mystery stories! Volunteers who'd like to help judge are welcome to volunteer anytime before the deadline. Only two or three volunteers needed: first-come, first-serve.

Thank you, and let us begin this contest!

Jun-8-2006 13:52

OK, I have picked the judges and now we have a final list...

>>Lucian Ty
>>Serena Siren
>>Rosamund Clifford
>>Lady Emerald Devon

No more judges are needed (at the moment).

Now everyone else can start writing those mysteries. :)

Jun-8-2006 14:56

Got a story cookin' up, but I'll forewarn you, it's going to be /long/. I've hit the 750 mark already and I'm barely done with introductions. I'll try and keep it under 4,000. ;)

Jun-8-2006 16:02

What's the longest our story has to be?

Jun-8-2006 19:10

Lucian said the minimum is 750 and didn't set an upper limit other than to say it shouldn't be too long :)

As far as "too long" goes, I think we can trust everyone to use his or her best judgment. Think short story not novel ;)

Jun-8-2006 19:33

Cool competition Lucian :) It's taken me this long to get around to read the rules of engagement. (ergh shouldn't have read Badass's post on war)

Can I just ask, 'June 18'? I know it's there in grey and white, but 10 days seems awfully short amount of time to write a meaningful 'longish' piece of fiction. Anyway I hope it's longer, but if it isn't oh well 'que sera sera'. I'll just have to go back to applying myself to the pub quiz and getting my PE in Delhi :) SS/PA

Jun-8-2006 20:26

Does anyone mind reading about 7 pages? :/ Sorry, but I just can't seem to keep it down.

Jun-9-2006 14:04

Squirrel/Android: Well, I could extend it to June 20th if I don't receive too many submissions. But, many people are already beyond the minimum of 750 words, so it shouldn't take too long. Just don't write a novel. Take your time, because the better the story is, the better chance of winning. I'm hoping you'll contribute to the contest in some way - I'm looking forward to it!

AZN Cinderella: I'm cool with 7 pages. Just as long as our judges agree... the more of a story, the better it will be. Just don't make it 20 pages, or we'll have a problem. ;)

So far, I haven't received any submissions yet. Which is fine - I don't want people to rush through their stories.

If you have a question, please post here or PM me or a judge and I'm sure someone will be able to answer it. :)

Good luck with your stories!

Jun-9-2006 14:10

I don't have a problem with seven pages either :)

Jun-9-2006 18:31

The contest website is now up! Important information regarding the mystery fiction contest can be found at

http://www.freewebs.com/sleuthmysteryfictioncontest

Check it out. Reading it may be worthwhile.