((Contest entries are listed below the rules and information; at the end of the Journal entry.))


Well, after much delay, it's time to finally launch the long-promised writing contest. ^^ Back during the "Bounty on TK" contest, a number of folks asked about participating with written entries, but because it had launched it as a strictly visual-art-based affair, I had to turn them aside - with promises that a contest for them would come along. Well, here ya go, folks! Sorry to have kept you waiting so long.

However, I'd planned before to have Cody and Bryn be the focal point of the next contest I ran...but since there seems to be so much call for TK, decided to throw her in the mix as well. So, here's how it's going to work: There will be two "categories" (or "sub-contests" if you like) running in this one. One for stories featuring TK, and one for those featuring Cody and/or Bryn. There will be a separate set of prizes awarded for each category (prizes are the same for each). The contest is open to any DA'er who'd like to participate, and people can enter both sub-contests if they want, of course.

Unlike the last contest, there's no over-arching "concept" to this one, other than (as the name implies) it being for stories involving suspense, peril, action, adventure, and derring-do...of the general sort you see around here. Kidnappings, snoopings-gone-wrong, ambushes, enemies-looking-for-revenge, treasure-hunts, villainous plots-to-be-foiled, and just about anything else you can come up with are fair game. Stories can have any sort of "atmosphere" and mood you'd like, from serious to more light-hearted, dire or wacky, or anything in-between...and don't have to follow "strict canon" as such. So long as you stay true to the characters as you see them, their general "themes", and have 'em in some sort of suspense, trouble, adventure, or the like, your story is entirely welcome.

As before, there will be a First, Second, and Third-place prize in each category. Voting will be open to all, with the story that receives the highest number of votes winning First place, the next Second, and so on. The voting will begin the day after the contest ends, run for a week, and each voter will be asked to cast three votes for each category in which they choose to vote.

Here's some additional general notes and info regarding the contest:

- Stories for the "TK category" should obviously feature her. Stories in the Cody and Bryn category can feature Cody, Bryn, or both, as you desire.

- Stories can be as long or as short as you'd like. If you want to do a multi-part story, you're more than welcome, so long as the parts follow a general thread or theme, and form an over-arching tale.

- Keep 'em basically clean, folks...no overtly "adult" situations, please.

- This contest is for text-based stories. You're free to create pictures to accompany your story if you'd like, but the contest itself will be for the written part (though "special awards" will probably be given for any art which might happen to be done).

- There's no need to "register" or anything of that sort. Just post your entry up on your DA site (or elsewhere, so long as it can be linked-to), send me a note with a link to your story, and I'll put it up on a list in this Journal entry, for public perusal.

- The contest runs from now until Sunday, July 20th, 2008 (at midnight, Pacific Standard Time; that's midnight on Sunday, going into Monday ) That gives us 9 weeks to play with. Once the contest closes, voting will be opened in a fresh Journal entry, and will run for one week. As before, the only time I will cast a vote is in the event of a tie; other than that, the voting is done by the community at large. Once the voting closes, I'll tally them up and announce the winners.

- The main prizes for each category will be as follows:

= 1st-Place: Winner's choice of a one-year subscription to DA, OR three commission pieces from me.

= 2nd-Place: Winner's choice of a three-month subscription to DA, OR two commission pieces from me.

= 3rd-Place: One commission piece from me

For this contest, "commission pieces" can be pictures, or text-based stories, as the winners prefer.

- I plan to award "special prizes" (chosen by me myself) as well... Just what they'll be awarded for, and what these prizes will be, I won't know until seeing what we have in the running.

- And everyone who participates will get a "thank-you gift" as well - which will go out when it's supposed to this time. (There will be a different "gift" for each category.)

- If anyone has any questions about the characters, their backgrounds, or other information that they'd like or need for their stories, shoot me a Note or Comment, and I'll be more than happy to help you out. But like I said before, feel free to take liberties and let the ol' imaginations flow. The whole idea is for us to have fun, so there'll be no judgments made on the creative front, my friends.

- For background and reference purposes on the characters and their personalities, you can find a linked "index" of their major stories to date here: [link]

Suppose that's about all for now. Thanks in advance to anyone who participates. ^^ Good luck, take care, and (most importantly) have fun!

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CONTEST ENTRIES

TK Category
- Jokerzthefox entry: (Part 1) [link] (Part 2 - conclusion) [link]
- GreaterLimits entry: [link]
- Shadowsoldier247 entry: (Part 1) [link] (Part 2 - conclusion) [link]
- UrbanSniper entry: [link]
- GracefulxAssassin entry: (Part 1) [link] (Part 2) [link] (Part 3) [link]
- David-Presents entry: [link]
- Side-Effect55 entry: [link]

Cody and/or Bryn Category
- Sabriel-Stock234 entry: (Part 1) [link] (Part 2) [link]
- POLE7645 entry: [link]