Alex Walz
10-07-2009, 09:04 PM
Sadly, our last fan fiction competition only gathered two entries. So I looked back at the requirements and thought we might try toning things down a bit. Let’s say, a six word max?
Before you react, imagine this: you want to get published in a newspaper ad. You’ve got the material, only problem is, it costs 30 cents a word. You’re a struggling author; you don't want to pay for every word in your great saga. Condense it. “Flash fiction” is a great way to get your point across clearly and concisely and works great for those of us with a shorter-than-average attention span. The great American writer Ernest Hemingway wrote one of the most famous pieces of “flash fiction” comprising of only six words: “For Sale: Baby shoes, never worn.”
Want some more inspiration? Wired asked popular sci-fi writers to create six-word stories. Here are some of the results:
The baby’s blood type? Human, mostly. — Orson Scott Card
I’m your future, child. Don’t cry. — Stephen Baxter
Epitaph: Foolish humans, never escaped Earth. — Vernor Vinge
With bloody hands, I say good-bye. — Frank Miller
Automobile warranty expires. So does engine. — Stan Lee
Failed SAT. Lost scholarship. Invented rocket. — William Shatner
Not so hard, is it? Oh, and one more thing, it must be related to Dawn of Fantasy.
Here's what I came up with: “Orc meet Elf, Elf meet defeat.”
Think you can do better? Post a six-word story by October 12, 12:59 PM EST in this thread (http://dof.heavengames.com/cgi-bin/forums/display.cgi?action=ct&f=45,334224,,10). After the deadline, the entries will be judged by DoFH Staff and the author of the winning entry will be presented with a key to the second closed beta.
Articles (a, an, the) do not need to add to the word count, but can if you need it to get to six.
Before you react, imagine this: you want to get published in a newspaper ad. You’ve got the material, only problem is, it costs 30 cents a word. You’re a struggling author; you don't want to pay for every word in your great saga. Condense it. “Flash fiction” is a great way to get your point across clearly and concisely and works great for those of us with a shorter-than-average attention span. The great American writer Ernest Hemingway wrote one of the most famous pieces of “flash fiction” comprising of only six words: “For Sale: Baby shoes, never worn.”
Want some more inspiration? Wired asked popular sci-fi writers to create six-word stories. Here are some of the results:
The baby’s blood type? Human, mostly. — Orson Scott Card
I’m your future, child. Don’t cry. — Stephen Baxter
Epitaph: Foolish humans, never escaped Earth. — Vernor Vinge
With bloody hands, I say good-bye. — Frank Miller
Automobile warranty expires. So does engine. — Stan Lee
Failed SAT. Lost scholarship. Invented rocket. — William Shatner
Not so hard, is it? Oh, and one more thing, it must be related to Dawn of Fantasy.
Here's what I came up with: “Orc meet Elf, Elf meet defeat.”
Think you can do better? Post a six-word story by October 12, 12:59 PM EST in this thread (http://dof.heavengames.com/cgi-bin/forums/display.cgi?action=ct&f=45,334224,,10). After the deadline, the entries will be judged by DoFH Staff and the author of the winning entry will be presented with a key to the second closed beta.
Articles (a, an, the) do not need to add to the word count, but can if you need it to get to six.