SS the 5th

Phyrebrat

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I realised it's nearly 4 months since @hopewrites started the thread for SS4. I think I'm meant to be administering this one and wanted to check what time we start.

By my reckoning it'd be November for requests, deadline early in the new year. What do you think? I'd like to get it all sorted before Feb 2015 as I'll be in Ghana.

pH
 
Hey Phyre, I would probably take part. I haven't had much time for writing but something that forces me to write may be good for me.
 
Kerry, please come in no matter how it works!! :) I'll let the seasoned pros explain, but I think you'd love it! CC
 
Can someone please explain how it works?

Basically, you send me an undertaking to transfer a minimum of £5000 per month for the rest of your natural life (I think expecting your estate to cover it after your death is a bit unreasonable, call me a soft touch...) and that's about all there is to it? Can I sign you up? :D

Okay, so seriously, the Sekrit Santa is similar to the challenges, except it goes something like this:

  • There is a sign-up thread for interested parties, with a deadline (we haven't decided this yet).
  • You request a story that you would like to receive. This can be as general as 'I'd like a space opera' or as obscure as 'I'd like a story featuring herbs, particularly hemlock and lemon verbena, an MC who lost his or her little finger in the Boer War, and is trying to move a stone circle from Ireland to Africa...'
  • The Admin of the challenge (in this case, me) will then allocate your request to another entrant who will write it anonymously.
  • You then have until the deadline (normally around 6-8 weeks from close of sign-up) to write for your recipient.
  • When you've finished your story, you send it to me and I will pass it on to your recipient so they do not know who wrote it.
  • When all stories have been submitted, I will post excerpts in a guessing thread and we will try and guess who wrote which one - it is a fun exercise identifying chron members' voices in their writing.
  • After a week or so of guessing, I reveal who wrote which story.
  • Springs then pays to take us to Barbados for a week in the sun to recover.
  • We recover.

Did I miss anything out? ;)

pH
 
Did I miss anything out? ;)
There is no word limit as such, but aiming for 1k-10k words would seem reasonable.

After the revelation of the authors, there can be a decision by the persons involved - (s)he by whom and (s)he for whom the piece has been written (I believe passive is tolerable here) and the full length text can be attached.

Since it's pretty well certain somebody's going to be running late (I still haven't received mine for SS4), if any of the themes inspires you, write a spare piece, after having submitted your requested one. Certainly, this could result in someone getting two interpretations, but this is more pleasant than none at all.

Whilst the pieces do not appear in their entirety on the forum, and so writing standards are a little more relaxed it is polite to assure that at least an excerpt worth be family friendly, with no determined pornography, excessive delectation in torture or unacceptable language. If the full length version is to be attached, this holds for the submission as a whole ;).

However early you write even if you start as soon as the subjects are requested, before they are handed out, springs is going to get in first. This doesn't seem to be a rule of the game, just a law of nature. I think there is a sort of committee meeting deciding whose job it is to run really late (with excuses) and drive the admin nutser (must already be nutsish, or wouldn't have volunteered)

November would seem a very bad month to set the writing, with numerous potential contributors attempting to generate 50k nanowords.

Chrispy is not allowed to use his red pen on anybody's contribution. In which case, nobody else is, either.

I'm very bad at it, so will join in to improve.
 
Cheeky boys. I was trying to ignore this thread knowing my imminent to do list and then, and then, I'm mentioned. In a competitive fashion (although Kerry could see my writing speed and raise me some) and then I said with my eyes closed

So, okay then.

I'll just go and write it now, okay? :d
 
Good tips from Chrispenycate, there. Although, the no delectation bit? That's the part I always look forward to <pH rubs his thighs creepily>

I think there is a sort of committee meeting deciding whose job it is to run really late (with excuses) and drive the admin nutser (must already be nutsish, or wouldn't have volunteered)

Well, as I am admin this time round (and still writing my last one) I shall be punishing myself if I am late for the third time in a row. In fact, I still haven't finished TDZs from SS3! ssssh, don't wake her up.

I've had some truly magnificent stories, so you'll probably love the challenge.

Oh, an unwritten rule is that I will probably always ask for something horrorish ;)

pH
 
Is the fact you are admin this time not your punishment for previous tardiness? I was thinking that justice had been served. Hmm, what would seem a good subject to receive a story about? Something equestrian, perchance?
 
Well, as I am admin this time round (and still writing my last one) I shall be punishing myself if I am late for the third time in a row. In fact, I still haven't finished TDZs from SS3! ssssh, don't wake her up.


Yawn... What?

Actually, that was hope's story from SS3. I'm just the one who bugs you the most about it. :D
 
I'm so happy we're going ahead with this! And to help Phyrebrat, I will make my request in bold type:

I would like please a murder mystery set on an interstellar passenger ship (one that ferries alien as well as human passengers).
 
My request: A lesbian romance. In space.

Oh gosh... I'd like a story where the mc deals with a central emotional issue which is conflicting in a non-conventional manner. Any genre etc. Etc.

I don't even understand this one!
 
To expand then, oh Rodent Queen:

I'd like the main character to face an emotional issue which causes conflict in them, and to face it in an unconventional manner. You know, like someone in pain deciding serial killing is the only way to relieve the pain. Or ballet dancing to overcome a club foot that they've been bullied for...
 
Well there are now a couple I am scared to get....Phyre...don't do it to me...PLEASE!!!!!!!!!!!!

I would like a post-apololyptic story on another planet with alien zombies
 
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