# Anthroficiton Network Short Story Contest for Fall 2010



## ScottyDM (Jul 9, 2010)

Greetings, my Peeps!

It's a new contest quarter at Anthrofiction Network and the theme is the Gift. This is what I have to say about this quarter's theme:





> Itâ€™s simple this quarterâ€”build your story around a gift.


"Gee, Scotty," I hear you say, "It's not Christmas. Why a gift?"

Heck, why not? And don't feel you must use a Christmas theme, unless you want to.

S~


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## Shouden (Jul 10, 2010)

oooooooo That's a very broad topic. It could imply a physical gift or present, or it could be a like a superpower or something. Heck, it could be life itself, if you know how to use it. Very nice. I think, finally, I'm actually going to write another story for this contest.


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## Shouden (Jul 10, 2010)

sorry for the double post, but...Story's written. I think it's a unique idea on the theme, but I need to delete 43 words. Shouldn't a problem. That's why there's editing.


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## ScottyDM (Jul 11, 2010)

Cool beans!

I've got an editing pass yet to do on my sample story. Then I'll post it. I hope to have it posted by Friday the 16th.

S~


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## Shouden (Jul 15, 2010)

first draft submitted. Managed to get it down to 3499 words.  That means, I can add and extra word if I want.


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## ScottyDM (Jul 16, 2010)

You'll have a lower SID number this quarter than the sample story.

I should have the sample posted and available sometime tomorrow. If nothing else it should be interesting because it's right up against the limits of "PG-13". Or as I think of it, family friendly. The sample will make a terrible bedtime story for grade schoolers.

S~


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## ScottyDM (Jul 19, 2010)

Sample story Pandora's Demise available.

S~


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## Fere (Jul 27, 2010)

Intriguing theme.. bit broad, but interesting.

Not sure whether I shall be here for this one. But I shall have a ponder. Many cliches come to mind, but it's trying to put a unique slant on it that's proving difficult. 

Should I go for the Welsh aspect of things, or take it to another corner of this sceptred isle? I guess I'm too predictable looking at previous entries


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## ScottyDM (Aug 18, 2010)

Gotta write what you know and love. Like bunnies. Bunnies are good to eat.  

*Just popped in to say there are three weeks left before the entry deadline, which is September 7th. Contest link.* And FYI, I'll be uploading an edited version of the sample story next week. Decided the second scene isn't needed for the short (but is necessary in the novel), and I tightened things up a touch.

Pulling a chapter from a novel and spinning it into a short is always interesting. Tried it for the sample story back in summer 2006 and it worked quite well, except the title was lame. Again for summer 2008 and that was a disaster. Storywise there was no beginning and no middle, it was all end. Plus it was chock-a-block with unnecessary story threads. I should have shifted focus from Tedd to his sister and made it her story. And again last quarter and that time my efforts didn't suck quite so hard.

S~


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## Fere (Aug 25, 2010)

That was a tough one this quarter


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## ScottyDM (Aug 25, 2010)

< looks at inbox > "You've got mail!"

Ahhh, intriguing title, Fere. Do any bunnies get eaten? :lol: (JK, of course)

Maybe I should start looking over the entries.

S~


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## Shouden (Aug 28, 2010)

WOO! Completely forgot about this. I have no clue what story I entered.


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## ScottyDM (Aug 29, 2010)

You could look. Part of the story entry system (version 2) is that you can select one of your existing stories from a drop-down list to view and edit it.

S~


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## Shouden (Aug 29, 2010)

Checked....I remember now.  Mine should be a very unique take on the theme.


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## NightHawkX (Sep 4, 2010)

Sorry for the bump, but this seems really interesting.

I'll try this


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## Shouden (Sep 6, 2010)

I think the deadline to turn something in is tomorrow., if I'm not mistaken.


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## Shouden (Sep 8, 2010)

HOLY CRAP! 8 entries and out of those, only 3 are under 3400 words and of those 3 only one is under 3000 words. Should make for some interesting reading.


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## ScottyDM (Sep 9, 2010)

*Judgment is Upon Us!*

And you can help by reading and judging the stories in this quarterâ€™s Anthrofiction Short Story Contest (a free membership is required to view the stories).

The ballots have a space for comments. While you donâ€™t need to do a full critique, comments are always welcome.

If you donâ€™t have time to read and score all eight stories, I still welcome your participation. Feel free to choose which stories youâ€™ll read and score by the samples show below. In the real world readers often make snap decisions about what to spend time reading based on the title and first few lines of a story, so I feel this method is fair.

The theme this quarter is The Gift.



> *Lesson*
> 
> Ever since I can remember Iâ€™ve loved dogs. I even bugged my parents to get me one and they did. Jinx and I were the best of friends, too. The only time we were separated was when I was at school. Jinx was a Labrador retriever and the best friend a boy could have.
> 
> I was lucky, though: my parents were very wealthy and they could afford to buy me anything my heart desired. I was never without the latest video game consoles or toys; I even had my own personal butler. But, they loved me, too. â€¦





> *My Sisterâ€™s Gift*
> 
> It seemed I was quite the source of some racket this morning. I canâ€™t really imagine why, I mean, whatâ€™s so strange about a cat wearing a ragged business suit and riding a rusty shopping cart down a traffic-heavy road? I donâ€™t think thereâ€™s anything strange about it, it takes all kinds to fill a city, you know.
> 
> I guess I just happen to be the kind who likes to see other peopleâ€™s smiles, especially my cute little kitten sister. See sweetheart, you donâ€™t need to be so shy. â€¦





> *Cut me, Keep me, Love me*
> 
> It was one of those inevitabilities that came along in the life of every young dobermann. Driven by tradition, by a society that expected a certain image and appearance.
> 
> â€œWell, why donâ€™t you want it done? Your brothers all had it. It happened to me, your Mum too, God rest her soul.â€ Paul was desperately trying to get to the bottom of all this, but not getting very far. He reached a paw over the table and cupped it over his sonâ€™s. â€¦





> *Last Tango*
> 
> Jason was bored. He was so bored that he unintentionally started pacing back and fourth in the small flat in which he resided for the moment. Usually when he got annoyed or bored out of his mind he ate, but because of his roommateâ€™s ridiculously diet of only lettuce and tomatoes he had no choice but to starve. Honestly if that boy became any slimmer he would resemble a toothpick.
> 
> Video games were no thrill for him either. He had already beaten most of the ones lying around, even though he hated pointless waste of time, â€¦





> *A Coyote Called Bluebird*
> 
> Iâ€™m from here in Chicagoâ€”near north side, but youâ€™d never know it by looking at me. We coyotes arenâ€™t seen in the city very often. Yeah, the faded feathers I wear make me look like I belong on the plains with my family. But I assure you I can hold my own; be it here in the Loop or in the projects of Cabrini Green.
> 
> Yâ€™know, life has a way of changing directions suddenlyâ€”like the winter wind on Wacker. It cuts you apart. Itâ€™s easy to lose faith in the power of the spirit and focus on wickedness. â€¦





> *What I Gave My Murderer for Christmas*
> 
> I tiredly yet hurriedly hopped on my way home. I finished my shift at All-Mart, and with the paycheck I got that day, I got some Christmas gifts for my kids and a few groceries. Just in time too, that night was Christmas Eve. With both arms full of shopping bags, I managed to glance at my watch. If I hurried, I could get home before midnight.
> 
> As I headed towards my apartment and tried to think of a plan for tomorrow, I passed by a Doberman policeman. â€¦





> *Gifts of the Father*
> 
> Sure, his wings were beginning to ache more than just a little, and sure, his tail was falling asleep underneath himâ€¦ but it was totally worth it for the sweet sounds of silence he had discovered, disrupted only by the footfalls and murmurs he could make miles away.
> 
> From the symphony of silence there arose a single discordant note, barely audible to the normal individual, but positively klaxon-like to his sensitive ears. The sound of a doorknobâ€™s mechanisms falling into place, followed by the squeak of door hinges and the silence that stood before open doors. â€¦





> *Pavla and the Greedy Fox*
> 
> The snow was bright and clean. Pavla would have thought it looked beautiful if it wasnâ€™t so deep that it stuck to her fur-lined boots and clumped around her legs as she hiked through the forest. Light flakes were falling and sticking to her dark brown hair and long eyelashes. Even though she had no coat, just a thick wool dress and a blanket wrapped around her shoulders, she was determined. With her arms wrapped around her tightly she trudged along through the naked black trees and brambles. She was sure she would find Jakov the hunterâ€™s cabin soon. â€¦



Finally we come to the sample story for this quarter. I wrote it to illustrate one possible use of the theme. While not in the competition against the other stories, if you do read it Iâ€™d love to hear your thoughts. Please fill out the comments section of the ballot for this story.

Oh yea, I rewrote this a few days ago, so new version.


> *Pandoraâ€™s Demise*
> 
> I love the way a young girlâ€™s eyes light up, the little gasp of surprise, the subtle shift of her scent. And I loved the way this oneâ€™s brown fur faded to orange-tan around her lips and white on her chin and throat. A real beauty.
> 
> ...



Thanks for your time and effort in reading and scoring the stories for this quarter.

And yep! Eight stories this time. :-D 

S~


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## Fere (Oct 1, 2010)

Plenty of interesting takes, and there's a couple that stand out in my mind; some really inventive stories that don't play on the cliches that perhaps might have been expected. Another close call on the horizon methinks.


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## ScottyDM (Oct 6, 2010)

Thanks for the bump, Fere.

Just a quick note. *Only 24 hours left to read and judge the stories.* Try do do at least a few of them.

S~


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## M. LeRenard (Oct 7, 2010)

Finally got around to reading them all, though I wasn't able to comment on every one.  I think I missed two.
Either way, some real good pieces mixed in with some mediocre ones.  No bad ones, which is nice.  I have a real clear winner in my mind, but I could see something else beating it, because several of these are really pretty damn good.  I guess we'll give it a day or two and see what happens.
People need to stop pushing the damn word-count limit so hard.  Brevity, after all, is the soul of wit.  And I don't always feel like reading 9 stories over 3000 words, because I'm lazy.
;-)


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## ScottyDM (Oct 7, 2010)

The normal judging period closed about 15 minutes ago. Except I've got an event and will be gone for the next 5 hours. So I've reopened the judging. The new deadline is 4 hours and 45 minutes from now (about).

If you haven't had a chance to turn in a ballot or two, now's the time.

http://www.anthrofiction.net/short_stories/index.php?contestID=2010_q3

S~


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## M. LeRenard (Oct 7, 2010)

Cool.  Thanks, Scotty.  Now I've got scores and comments on all of the stories.


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## ScottyDM (Oct 9, 2010)

Now this is late...

I should have stayed up last night and started calculating the scores when I got home, but went to bed. Then when I did finally jump on it (about 4 today), my PC flaked out. It's developed _selectivitis_. Some apps crash it and some are okay. Fortunately I have a notebook too, but the tiny screen is a pain to use.

*The results are* mostly *ready.* I don't have the little graphs yet, but here's the rest of it. First, the overall results for fall 2010.

First place goes to *WendyKitten's* story *Pavla and the Greedy Fox*, which earned a score of *4.65*. Wendy has been a participating member of Anthrofiction Network a long time, but this is the first time she entered a story.

*Fere's* story *Cut me, Keep me, Love me* earned a score of *4.24*.

*Daniel King's* story *A Coyote Called Bluebird* earned a score of *3.75*.

*Azola's* story *Lesson* earned a score of *3.50*.

*Traven Jâ€™Cory's* story *Gifts of the Father* earned a score of *3.48*.

*Mediteral's* story *My Sisterâ€™s Gift* earned a score of *3.16*.

*Kevin Crest's* story *Last Tango* earned a score of *3.08*.

*Murphy Z's* story *What I Gave My Murderer for Christmas* earned a score of *2.93*.

I'd like to thank two faithful participants. *Le Renard* and *Vaperfox* have read, scored, and given useful comments on every story for these past many quarters. Thank you guys!

And now, back to the notebook.

S~


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## ScottyDM (Oct 9, 2010)

The graphs are up.

S~


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## TakeWalker (Oct 9, 2010)

I'm sorry I didn't have time to read this quarter. :/ Some of those sounded fairly interesting. But 8 stories was just too much with everything else I've got going on. Congrats to the winners.


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## Shouden (Oct 10, 2010)

Hey, I got third! My best position ever. Looks like everyone enjoyed my take on the theme but I needed to work on my delivery a bit more. Yeah, sometimes stories take themselves in a different direction than what you originally intend. I had a lot more to it, but I had to cut out some stuff to make it fit within the 3500 word limit. Maybe this would be one to rewrite and expand on now that I don't have those constraints. And next time, I'll be sure to read at least one story. I meant to this time and completely forgot.


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## Fere (Oct 20, 2010)

Was in Houston TX visting my fiance when the results came through. Well done everyone. 

I was really chuffed with 2nd, but I really enjoyed Murphy Z's little tale and the Last Tango by Kevin Crest; and both undeservedly end up at the bottom of the pile. Thought they were the very best of the rest; touching, heartfelt little stories that got to the nitty gritty of reality. 

Excellent stories lads.


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