Campfire in the Catacombs (Storytelling Contest)

[Schefflera]

Current Contest: www.neopets.com/art/storytell.phtml
Official FAQ: www.neopets.com/art/storytell.phtml?issue=155

FAQ Excerpts:
Because none of us here really need to be told that wRitInG LyKe thIS is not likely to get in... right? Actually, it's still informative to read through the whole FAQ, but here are some of what I'd consider the most useful bits. Notes from me will be in italics; summaries will lack a question in bold at the start and will be marked "Summary."

1. I don't understand how Story Telling works!

It's simple, really. On Monday morning, I write the beginning of a story. Users read my section, and then enter in the text box (at the bottom of the page) their version of what happens next. I choose one of these submitted sections, then place it on the site. Users then read what is now two sections, and write the third section according to what has already been put up on the site. In a normal week, 10 entries (including mine) are posted.

Variations: For a few weeks, two user entries were chosen on Monday and one on Friday. In weeks when the Neopets staff get a day off, the contest may run short or extend over two weeks. Occasionally there are other minor variations, as when the editor extends the story just because it seems like a good idea, or chooses two compatible entries for the same "slot" and posts both.

2. How often do you pick the best story for the next section?

I pick one winner on Monday afternoon, and then two daily from Tuesday through Friday. Winners are usually put up around noon and 4:00PM NST.

3. Ohhh, my entry never makes it in time! What time should I submit it so you can judge it before another entry is picked?

It's usually best to have your entries in before 11:00AM NST for the first section, and by 3:00PM NST for the second. I need time to edit the stories before putting them up! @_@

4. What tips would you give to someone who wants to enter the Story Telling Contest?

Things I look for in a story are:
~Do the characters stay true to their personality?
~Does it progress the story?
~Does it make sense? Does it not contradict something said earlier?
~Is it interesting?

5. (Summary:) Content should be in accordance with site Terms of Use. The Storytelling Contest content restrictions sometimes seem a bit looser than for the NT, but aim for the same ballpark.

6. How many sections can there be before you shouldn't add new characters?

Usually by the end of Tuesday no new main characters should be added, unless it's a villain. There just isn't time to develop the character.

7. How many characters should there be?

Oh good question. If I start the story with one character, that's usually a clue that'd I'd like you to add another character for them to interact with. If I start the story out with two characters... a third should only be added if they know a bit more about what's going on/the situation. If I start with three characters, that's pretty much a full house. Any other characters they may come across shouldn't join them. It gets too confusing. However, they can be characters that add to the plot.

5 and 6 here aren't written in stone, but basically, these stories aren't long enough to focus on a large ensemble cast most of the time.

8. Can you win the Story Telling contest more than one time?

Yes. We do, however, have an unofficial limit of two wins per week, just to be fair.

9. Can you submit more than one section per story to the Story Telling Competition?

Yes, you can submit as much as you'd like. Please don't spam a single entry, though. However, I don't mind if you submit the same entry twice, as long as you wait a little while before sending it the second time.

10. How long does my entry have to be?

I found a pretty good way of judging if an entry is long enough: in the text box below, as you type, a grey rectangle appears if you "overflow" the text box. When that grey bar reaches about the height of your cursor, you've probably written enough to progress the story. Occasionally, however, I will choose slightly shorter entries if I feel they are the best entry and also progress the story.

11. I had an entry chosen for the competition some time ago, and a few minor details were changed, is that common or was my writing in need of help?

Most of the time I only edit grammar/spelling, but sometimes I will alter a scene or name to make the story run more smoothly. Very occasionally I may add on to an entry if I feel the story/plot will not be fully explained before the Friday deadline. It's mainly just a push in the right direction for people who will write the next part, so please don't be offended if I tack on a small scene.

12. If you like the story that someone entered and want to put it in, but there is a detail that you are not happy with, are you allowed to change it?

Yes. If I like your story the best, but there is a minor flaw in it, like, gore, romance, or a contradictory statement, then I edit it. I'm sure you'd rather have me do this than not chose your entry at all!

13. How do you know when it's a good time to bring a story to a close? For instance, what if time runs out but the plot isn't wrapped up yet?

On a normal workweek, the story's last two sections appear on Friday. The section that goes up at noon should have all or most of the climax. The story that is put up around 4:00PM NST should be more falling action and wrapping up of the story.

14. What happens if two users submit the same story, but the story is so good you want to put it in?

Sorry, if two unrelated users submit the exact same story, someone is obviously cheating. In that case, both entries are disqualified, as I have no way of knowing who really wrote it. Please don't ever post your story anywhere for other people to "read through and check" before sending.



NT Articles:
Keeping the Campfire Going: A Storytelling Guide by knitting_knut (NT 27)
Storytelling Made Simple by Tdyans (NT 35)
Not Just Another Storytelling Article by oily106 (NT 46)
A Grundo's Guide to the Storytelling Competition by too_kule (NT 65)
Guide to Storytelling by ginger23456 (NT 76)
The Wars of Storytelling by blubblub317 (NT 127)
Storytelling - Why Cant I Get in? by _joleveeflareporeon (NT 137)
Let Me Tell You a Story... by nightcrawlers_secret (NT 195)
Once Upon a Time in Pet Central by tj_wagner (NT 218)

Petpages:
www.neopets.com/~Tropicandy

~~~~~

Come gather round the campfire in the Deep Catacombs; listen as the mysterious editor begins a tale, and whisper in her ear what you think should happen next....

Okay, I'll stop fooling around. Welcome to the NTWF's thread for the Storytelling Contest, for discussion of the ongoing story and of the contest in general. Call it our own little campfire where we can celebrate, commiserate, and conspire. The contest link, official FAQ, and some assorted resources are linked above. Bear in mind when reading the articles and tips that the contest does evolve; patterns are useful but can be broken; and the FAQ probably trumps everything.

Ground rules for the thread:
1. Anything about the Storytelling Contest is on topic.
2. It's safer to post only rejected entries. Anyone can read this board, and I don't think Storytelling's schedule allows for plagiarism disputes.
3. Be respectful, even in disagreement.

[Tam]

Yay Storytelling thread! ^_^

Tj_wagner wrote a very helpful petpage guide, with a section on what is expected plot-wise from entries on each day the story continues. Tropicandy is the name of the pet, and thus is the URL.

[Schefflera]

Aha! Thanks. I think that might be the one I remember running across recently. It looks different, but the content seems to be the same, so I'm guessing he just changed the appearance. Either that or I ran across another that was last updated around the same time; there were a few weeks in a row where the editor was choosing two user entries on Monday and one on Friday, and then it went back to the previous (and current) schedule. I'll add it.

[Yuka]

Thanks for making this thread - I enter from time to time but I've never won the contest. It'd be nice to win, but I'll keep entering either way, because it's good practice and a lot of fun.

[Schefflera]

If it makes you feel any better, at one point I had entered it multiple times and given it up as hopeless. It seemed futile and frustrating to write a bunch of entries that would probably just disappear into the ether of cyberspace and could never be reused for anything; I thought I should concentrate on NT and Poetry entries instead, because even if they were rejected once I could always edit or just try again for a better time.

Then #198 caught my attention (hey, it was set in Meridell!) and I wanted to write my section even if it did disappear -- and I won. Once that had happened, it seemed much more possible to do it again... which is pretty much how I felt with poetry and the NT, come to think of it. (The NT seemed entirely inaccessible at first, although it turned out this was largely because the new submission form had eaten my story. I think I nearly cried when I submitted my first poem and one of the next to be published was... something I didn't like very much. Storytelling seemed next to impossible for a while, though after my first couple of wins I formed the theory that this had been partly because I didn't know when to stop.)

So, anyway, yes. Do keep trying, as you say, and best of luck getting in. Maybe some of the ideas here will be able to help?

...I didn't stop caring altogether about the entries that disappear, though. I've taken up preserving a lot of them in friendlocked posts on my Livejournal. The people on my friendlist who don't play Neopets must think I'm nuts, but I think they mostly ignore it... although somebody did drop by once to say some of them looked interesting, which really startled me since they don't usually seem like they'd make much sense out of context!

Say, it occurred to me earlier today that the 300th contest just about coincides with Thanksgiving this year -- and, of course, that's a short week. I really don't think they'll do a short contest; they usually don't for 3-workday weeks anyway, and pretty definitely wouldn't for this. I wonder if they'll just skip it or make it a long one?

[Oily]

Story Telling ;D
I used to have the most Story Telling trophies long long ago! Back when having won twice was, like, woah! I started entering from no. 7, I think, and I got an entry in number 100 and so won the cool Storyteller card ^___^ I LOVE that card. Why? Because, literally, a week before, I'd changed my profile name to "The Story Teller" then I won the comp, and that card came out. It's the coolest coincidence ever, and I like to pretend it was named after me

And I got to do a beginning for the Story Telling comp (no 159 was that competition) - that was so much fun! I didn't win the beginnings competition (no 160 was the winning entry) but I still got the chance to have a beginning in 161! And I didn't need a second The Storyteller anyway

Thanks for putting my article in I just read it back, and I practically wrote it in bullet points! My writing has improved so much since then - the Story Telling too. The endings every week used to be "It was all a dream." "Cut said the director." "And so they got married. The End."

I love the creativity of extended two-week stories, or stories using the same beginning but going in different direction. You can also win some awesome prizes (though I did once get a Dried Bamboo Bed - worth all of 2k - when compared to my prize of a Blue Jetsam Morphing Potion - 200k - or some of the p/bs I won!) Still, I'm grateful for the reward!

I entered multiple times, and it didn't get easier until I'd won about twice (which was a surprising amount to win, at the time.) I used to enter once an English day, so about once every two entries, and sometimes, two entries to take the stories different ways. Some of the better ones didn't get picked - but others did. It really depends.
I haven't entered for so long - my attentions transferred to the NT. I was going to bombard the 300th contest though

[Nut]

Yippee, thread! ^_^

It looks like everyone's telling their Storytelling stories, so I'll join in. xD 'Tis fun.

When I first discovered Storytelling, I wanted very much to win. (At that time, my obsession was with the Caption Contest, which had been a pretty futile interest.) I read all the entries, looking for my chance, but for the most part I never entered because I just couldn't think of what would happen next. The one time I did enter, it was with a weak piece that I forced out of myself, and naturally I didn't win. So I gave up on it for a while.

Then, half a year ago or so (was it more? I can't remember), I saw a new contest had been put up, and it was about Slorgs. *loves Slorgs* So I entered, feeling lucky, and won. ^^ And then I abandoned the contest for half a year or whatever the amount of time was.

Just a couple of months ago or so, I had the bright idea to enter the contest again. I won. After that, I was pretty much hooked... I've been entering somewhat frequently (for me, that is) since then, and I've gotten 6 trophies in that time, which pleases me. ^^ It's the most I've gotten for anything other than the NT.

The experience I have with the Storytelling Contest is nothing compared to many here, but I think I'm decent at figuring out what's needed in the contest... I don't bombard it with entries (too lazy usually ), but write an entry when I feel like I have a good idea, and that's gotten me in about 60% of the time so far.

I do plan on bombarding Contest #300, though. ;D

[Schefflera]

And it's up! Actually it's probably been up for a while. I checked when I got back to the computer after a seminar, but I don't know how long it was up before then. I guess I should have posted here sooner.

Incidentally, even though it's after the optimum time, it might not be too late to enter. I'm pretty sure that the start wasn't up by noon NST today, and so the editor might check later in the afternoon to give more time for entries. (Or be too busy with whatever was occupying her in the morning. You never know.) I've put in one entry, but I can think of a couple of ways it could go. Decisions, decisions.

...Heh, I guess Sloth decided to handle things in person this week.

[Yuka]

I've only entered once for this section. It looks quite interesting this week. I was late entering, so I hope she has time to read my entry, but I've saved it in word anyway. Not that it'll be useful in the future, but I don't like to think of it disappearing forever... I don't know why, since it's essentially pointless out of context, but there you go.

[Schefflera]

I have this vague notion that I might someday come up with a plot that some of my extra entries could contribute to. Not in their original form, generally, but there might be reusable elements. And it's theoretically possible that if I submit multiple ones and get one in, it might be instructive to be able to look at the differences.

And sometimes it just amuses me to go back and read some of them. :-D

[Lau]

I began entering storytelling on my old account, Nurluen, and entered every day for a month before finally winning. To me, it seems that eventually you sort of get a knack of where to start and where to stop, how much to include, etc. The talent of some of the writers in the contest is amazing.

Then, when I created this account, I already had the "knack" down and started winning right off the bat. I LOVE storytelling, even though a lot of weeks I don't have time to enter depending on my tests or homework at the time, but whenever I get the chance, I do! But to me, even when I don't win I don't really feel like my entry was a waste of time, because I know that every time I write it out I am improving my writing skills. I think the contest is fun to enter even if I don't win (which is probably why I have been entering for over a year now!)

[Nut]

schefflera said:

I have this vague notion that I might someday come up with a plot that some of my extra entries could contribute to. Not in their original form, generally, but there might be reusable elements. And it's theoretically possible that if I submit multiple ones and get one in, it might be instructive to be able to look at the differences.

And sometimes it just amuses me to go back and read some of them. :-D

I've sometimes wanted to use characters from the Storytelling Contest in an NT story, but then I feel as though I should get permission from everyone who won that week. I liked the Madness Faerie. ^^

I remember the first Storytelling Contest entry I ever wrote... it was a supreme lack of creativity in which I described a bunch of Neggs hatching into other Neggs. A bit like what happens with Pteri eggs I suppose.

[Lau]

I've found that being a practiced Storyteller helps a lot with writing collabs for the NT. The whole flow of the paragraphs comes very easily; most of my favorite collabs have been with fellow Storytellers.

In addition, like you said, Nut, sometimes the stories can be great inspirations for NT short stories. I have never used Storytelling characters in any of my stories, but sometimes the situations they get themselves into can inspire stories. For example, one story took place in the lost desert and had to do with unraveling a curse of some sort. That gave me the idea for a collab I wrote, "Curse of the Urn." The plots were totally unrelated in all other ways, but they both concerned a curse in the lost desert.

[Nut]

Congratulations, Scheff! ^^ I like the humor in your part. ;D

laurelinden said:

I've found that being a practiced Storyteller helps a lot with writing collabs for the NT. The whole flow of the paragraphs comes very easily; most of my favorite collabs have been with fellow Storytellers.

Oh, that's interesting. Come to think of it, I see how it would help. ^^ I don't know if I'm "practiced" enough yet for that to rub off on my collabs, especially since I don't really do that many collabs anyway, but it is a handy skill to have.

laurelinden said:

In addition, like you said, Nut, sometimes the stories can be great inspirations for NT short stories. I have never used Storytelling characters in any of my stories, but sometimes the situations they get themselves into can inspire stories. For example, one story took place in the lost desert and had to do with unraveling a curse of some sort. That gave me the idea for a collab I wrote, "Curse of the Urn." The plots were totally unrelated in all other ways, but they both concerned a curse in the lost desert.

I remember reading that. Several of the contests have left me wanting to write an NT story along the same lines, but the desire seems to get whisked out with the coming of a new story. They are very inspiring, though.

[Lau]

'Grats, Scheff! I like the part in your entry about the dark faerie... that seems to tie a few ends together.

I have a question, though... what exactly IS the green faerie? She's so massive that she fills up the doorway and her mouth is squished limes? I am afraid I am missing something. Is this all alluding to something else? I know you are just continuing with missjessiegirl's setup, but I didn't get it then, either. At first I thought she was supposed to be Edna in disguise, but now I'm not so sure...