Unofficial short-story challenge topics!

#1

Hello everyone interested in bringing some life back on this part of the forum!

We have a great new challenge in cooperation with the daily sketch thread.

What is the Challenge?
At the start date we will post a few images. All participants may choose one and write a short story inspired by that image. The story has to be between under a certain page count in length and finished in the allotted time (right now we think 2-6 pages in 2 weeks)

How does it work?
You can post topics, characters, genres, everything you’d like to write about in this thread.
Those topics will then serve as inspiration for the daily sketch thread attendees who will make images based on them. Afterwards those images will get back here to serve us as inspiration for the short story challenge.

That said, I am looking forward to seeing what you’ll want to be writing about. So press reply and post! :slight_smile:

Greetings!

#2

Matsman said it best: Lets bring life back to the forum.

I have asked on the artist to use his picture as a story; He has not responded yet but when he does I will let you know.

here is the link to his portfolio http://azazel.cgsociety.org/gallery/ I love the picture “Trip to the Souk”. There is so much going on in that picture you can come up with so many ideas. That is one picture I am suggesting. I would love to see what everybody else has or when we can start this. I vote for the 1st of June but no rules have been set aside.

Of course the biggest rule is the Judging.

My vote is too judge the Stories and I would be more than happy to read as many as I can. Coming up with a matrix on how it is graded is easy. We just have to post what the judges or every one is looking for in a story. Are we going by traditionally standards or breaking the mold. Remember short stories tend to be a little different than feature length.

Also, just a quick tally of who is available for this.

So far I count about seven, but please in the Title that you are available for this short story write off. Unofficial or not we need to get something going. Okay, enough of the rambling.

It is May 26th and I suggest we start this on the 1st and it ends on the 15th. Any Suggestings?

It has to be in standard Script format A4.

I suggest everyone at least use Screenplay software if you have it. CeltX is free and conforms to British and American formats. If you use Final Draft then you are familiar with the guidelines.

Any other suggestions from anyone else?

#3

Thanks! very nice to see someone with enthusiasm. I like the picture. I think your plan is great on the judging and timing and something like a judging matrix will be quite helpful I think… something to discuss in the other thread surely.

The only thing I wanted to add is that I was looking for something like a title or something people could still work with as a topic.

Like:
It happened at the marketplace
in a dark recess
the conversation
is that you?
lost briefcase

Just to give the daily sketch people something to think about.
But I agree that we need a backup plan if we actually want to start at the first.
I would appreciate more topics (like above) though, so I have something to bring back to Roberto.

Thanks!

#4

Well, I wouldn’t mind writing something from a stream punk picture. But I would really love to do something with a Noire feel to it. So my two suggestions are:

Noire Theme
Steam Punk Theme

I don’t understand this matrix judging so I’m going to ask someone to explain it in the other thread.

#5

Wow. SO great to be back matsman. Sorry for the long absence. Can I join in. Good ideas going on here. Count me in. Here are my ideas:

(1) The ALIEN circus ring leader
(2) Two cops in a room with a cyborg disguised as a geisha
(3) Encountering what remains of the statue of liberty in a barren wasteland
(4) A man looking away from the half frozen corpse inside a morgue
(5) The scavenger drone encountering life on the new planet
(6) A serial killer in solitary confinement face to face with his victim (HORROR)
(7) Four financially challenged artists trying to come up with a script…kidding!!

So excited. Can’t wait.

#6

Received a message from Azazel and he likes the idea for using his Picture as long as it is for non-Commercial use. He is curious on what ideas can come from his picture…

Junior

#7

im a little confused. are we using the picture or do you need topics for the guys over at the daily sketch thread? seems if we already have permission to use this picture, then might as well go with it. seems like a very cool pic…a bit STAR WARS, but cool nonetheless.

#8

Keep posting ideas, just because we have one to use now doesn’t mean we will not need ideas for future challenges:D

2010-Just saying it twenty ten makes it sound as if its the future. So this theme would be the artists view of what 2010 should be. I don’t know about you but I want my flying car. Maybe the dawn of something new?

What do you think?

#9

Hi Kadetkebab! welcome back and glad you want to join in this effort. The more the merrier!- also check the ideas thread -how to jumpstart this forum-

We are just starting this up and want the first challenge to start at the first of the month… so we have at least a starting picture… going with the daily sketch thread takes time so that is for the next I think. especially since the topics are not gathering as hard as I hoped :slight_smile:
So thanks for your list! and I actually like that artist script thing… has lots of possibilities

on the twenty-ten thing… I think it is great but there needs to be a “future” part too… because I think that 2010 for a lot of people isn’t the future.
Possibly something like 2010: age of the future or 2010 as seen in 1990 :stuck_out_tongue: which is kinda hard to do but also kinda cool.

and possibly some more action packed scenes?

basejumping
barfight
hiding behind the door
guns ablazing
…and they both hit the water
anger management

#10

I just like the mystery behind the market and what could be happening in the alley.

The First is just around the corner…

I guess we need to establish an outline on how this is going to work. Any Ideas?

Guidelines:

 1. Establish what the picture is going to be
 2. How long does the story have to be? 1 pages to 10 pages
 3. What format American or British (A4)?
 4. Judging? Who is going to judge? Are we going to have an active poll on the site? 
 5. Upload in PDF format? Or any other format that fits.
 6. Constructive Criticism in the judging, a story that portrays the picture and what can be brought from it.
 7. Do we need to have character list?

Also I forgot to add, how long is this going to be? 2 weeks, 1 month?

These are just ideas that I am suggesting to work with or from. Thanks.

Juior

#11

okay. since we are press for time I agree we should go ahead and use that pic ‘A Trip to the Souk’ for our first challenge.

Junioedebo likes it and frankly so do I. I think it has potential. The idea is for us to interpret our own story from the picture. So I suppose we don’t need a topic. Just a 2 to 6 page short story. from what I read in the previous thread, you guys had ideas to turn the short story into a script then storyboards. There was the debate that 2 pages is way too short for a script and I agree. But if you guys are up for jumping straight to the script I am fine with that.

There are so many questions about moderators and judging. I thought the moderator would be Roberto who issued the drawing. But since we wont be working with a drawing from the daily sketchers first, we can assign a moderator. MAtsman would you do us the honors? And let us do the judging. The matrix judging sounds cool so maybe we can quickly come up with elements that we would like to judge a story by.

so:

  1. Can we establish the picture to be ‘A trip to the Souk’?
  2. Short story 2 pages…Script 10-15 pages.
  3. Either format.
  4. Participants judge.
  5. PDF format.
  6. What can be brought from the picture. That leaves more room for interpretation and imagination.
  7. no
#12

you can put a flying car in there too ThaNemesis :stuck_out_tongue:

#13

This thread has been automatically closed as it remained inactive for 12 months. If you wish to continue the discussion, please create a new thread in the appropriate forum.