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Post by tarulliah on Dec 21, 2022 19:18:48 GMT -5
Hi, I am new to the Neopian Times writer's forum, but I have won the neopian times 2x now with short stories, and I am looking for good tips on how to win. Anyone have some for me?
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Post by Coaster on Dec 21, 2022 20:51:22 GMT -5
A few quick thoughts! - The Times Lobby sub-board has a few threads with things to do or things to avoid, though in recent years a lot of the rules have been relaxed or opened up outright, so much of the latter thread is now out-of-date. General writing tips such as proofreading your grammar and having a unique, coherent concept still apply regardless of which section of the NT you're entering.
- Even though there's technically a limited amount of space (which mostly becomes a factor for special issues with prizes, such as holidays, collab-themed issues, or multiples of 25), the NT isn't a competition in the same way that something like the Random Contest or Caption Contest is. The NT editor (currently Stone but the practice has been in effect for a while) will often hold things over for a certain appropriate issue, will make special issues larger than normal to give more people chances at a bonus, sometimes prioritizes newer entrants to keep the barrier to entry low, and can sometimes be reached directly over Neomail if there are technical or scheduling concerns. So, it may help with motivation to think of it like a creative showcase rather than something to win.
- On a similar note: the first step would be submitting a complete work and seeing what kind of response you get (typically either a specific response if a rule is broken, a "Too Many Good Entries"/TMGE if there's not enough space any time soon or the story needs some polish/editing, or a "Held Over" if the editor has accepted it and just needs to slot it in somewhere). Just having 10 complete works and some patience can be enough if you're primarily going for the 10-entry avatar. But, writing/art tends to be more effective if it comes from a place of passion (having an idea you really want to pursue) and effort (taking time to polish your idea and/or follow through with it for a long time), and some degree of that is usually required for things like getting into special issues or seeing wider recognition.
It's hard to give specific tips without knowing what your overall goals for the Times are, but hopefully this helps as a starting point.
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Post by tarulliah on Dec 21, 2022 21:34:39 GMT -5
awesome, thanks!
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Post by Twillie on Dec 21, 2022 21:35:33 GMT -5
Hi there! I hope you don't mind me moving this thread to a more relevant board haha~
Coaster makes some good points, and I second her sentiment that it's good to approach the NT as a showcase and passion project, as this can add even more enjoyment to the process!
Some questions I have would be: How do you like your current NT submission process? Anything you're confused about? Do you like writing short stories, or are there other story formats you'd like advice on trying? Any specific upcoming issue you'd like to get into, or are you happy with any publication?
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Post by tarulliah on Dec 21, 2022 21:37:38 GMT -5
I love it, only the first short story I submitted (which got in) I had to lengthen to fit the requirements and so I had to trade a more dramatic, promising ending to a lesser one.
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Post by Twillie on Dec 21, 2022 21:52:05 GMT -5
Ah yeah, Times restrictions can often be some of the biggest challenges to deal with outside of the general creative process! I make comics, and I've got a similar problem with trying to fit my story within the strict file size limitations without everything looking too crunchy, oftentimes to mixed results lol. If you're ever struggling staying within a word limit or trying to reach the minimum, you're always welcome to share your story here to get feedback, we've got folks happy to help and who have been in similar spots :3 There's a Work Reviews and Advice board for that~
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Post by tarulliah on Dec 21, 2022 21:53:59 GMT -5
I will definitely do that, thank you!
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Post by June Scarlet on Dec 21, 2022 23:16:43 GMT -5
Hello Tallulah!
Winning the NT is like winning Neopets itself. There is no set goal, you have to come up with the goal yourself.
Personally, my goal is to tell stories and make comics and that means I have over one hundred pieces in the Times with no intention of stopping. Some people just want the avatar. I know one person whose goal was to get nine pieces in and stop forever to bother people that they didn't get an avatar when they were so close to it.
So I'd say, first off, set yourself a goal. It might be to tell the story of your Neopet, or a site character. It might be to get into a certain issue. And yes, it might be to get published a certain amount of times.
Once you have defined to yourself what it means to win the Neopian Times, then you can work towards your goal. Having gotten in two times already, it sounds like you have a good start at least, depending on what that goal is.
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Post by tarulliah on Dec 21, 2022 23:26:02 GMT -5
my goal is to make people laugh or have fun reading my stories, or be inspired, and also just to put my ideas out there.
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Post by June Scarlet on Dec 21, 2022 23:49:59 GMT -5
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Post by tarulliah on Dec 21, 2022 23:52:30 GMT -5
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Post by Stephanie (swordlilly) on Dec 22, 2022 14:35:45 GMT -5
Hey, welcome! Seems like you are off to a good start so far. Guess what, one of my first NT stories that I ever wrote, 15 years ago, was also about taking my pet to the Battledome xD www.neopets.com/ntimes/index.phtml?section=310606&week=281Anyway, about winning... Years ago, the Neopets site was in a much better shape financially and there was one person (sometimes even two) who worked on the Neopian Times, while other people ran the other creative contests around the site. Nowadays, it's just one staff member, Stone, who runs the Neopian Times in addition to the Storytelling and Poetry contests. So, if you ever feel like you submit something and it doesn't get in, it's not always your fault. It doesn't always mean that the winning entries are better than yours. It's just that the editor literally did not have time to read everything. Many of us are having a similar experience. On your end, you can always try to improve spelling, grammar, plot structure and so on. (I have a detailed story-writing guide at www.neopets.com/~Terrorless if you're interested!) Ultimately, though, what happens to your work after you click the Submit button is out of your control. That's just something all writers have to deal with, even experienced ones. The good news is, if you have something to share and you just really want to share it, the Neopian Times is not your only option. Petpages are another option. They offer a lot more freedom both in terms of formatting and the topics you can cover. You'd have to learn some coding to really make use of petpages, but coding is a good skill to have and very much worth it in the long run. Here are some examples of good petpages: - www.neopets.com/~Cineaste - a beautifully illustrated story about a Robot Ixi - www.neopets.com/~Claga - a very well-researched and important piece of journalism about various topics on Neopets - www.neopets.com/~Everly - a community poll and petition asking for the Caption Contest to be reformed Whatever you end up creating, I hope you continue to create for the joy of creating. It's great to have you here.
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Post by tarulliah on Dec 22, 2022 17:28:28 GMT -5
wow! thank you! what kind of poems do you write? I make ones about nature
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Post by Stephanie (swordlilly) on Dec 22, 2022 17:52:58 GMT -5
wow! thank you! what kind of poems do you write? I make ones about nature They are on my petpage www.neopets.com/~SwordLilly#poet Some are about my pets, some are based on random observations around Neopia. Some are experiments with form as well (villanelle, limerick, pantoum and a few others) I still need to update the petpage though; the last time I updated it was a few months ago x)
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Post by tarulliah on Dec 22, 2022 17:54:05 GMT -5
unfortunately I can't make my poems long enough to be submitted mind if I show you a sample?
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