Well, with the lottery finishing up and Blizzcon tickets on eBay winding down to lower auction values, I guess it's about time to get this started.
Since there's been a rash of fiction being written by a few of us (with more story postings to come soon), I've decided to make this contest for my last Blizzcon ticket a short story contest. Keep in mind, I'm keeping the extra goody bag from this trip, so the contest is for the ticket only.
Anyway, here are the rules.
Story Rules
1) Must be related to Wrath of the Lich King.
2) Must be at least 700 words (but please, dear god, no more than 2100 if you can help it). That's 2 pages, typed, double-spaced, with a 12 point font, at minimum.
3) Use original characters; you may include World of Warcraft's major players (Arthas, etc.), but don't make them the focus of your story.
4) Use any genre you like: Comedy, Drama, Horror, Action, whatever muse inspires you.
5) A semblance of proper grammar and sentence structure would be nice. 13375p34k will get thrown in the trash (even though I would probably still be able to read it).
6) Keep it clean - profanity to a minimum. I'm not against profanity as a rule; anyone in my guild will tell you that I'm probably the most foul-mouthed person around. But this is a public venue, and the winning story WILL be posted here (and I don't want to edit it all out).
7) Original work only, please. I do have access to plagiarism detection tools. ;)
Other Rules
1) Contest is for US residents only. (Sorry, Canada and other countries.)
2) Must be 18 or older.
3) Must be able to meet me in Anaheim to pick up your ticket/pass on Friday morning before the convention, and not object to being named "Alex" for the weekend. This leads into...
4) We hope you're not camera shy, or afraid of showing up on the internet. The winner must also be willing to have their photo taken in front of one of the displays inside the convention hall. Don't be afraid to gloat, cheer, or whatever, because it's going on the blog. After that, you're free to run off and do whatever you like.
Submit your contest entries to PixelatedExecutioner@gmail.com, and be sure to include your name, your character name, faction affiliation, and the server you're on. I'll be accepting contest entries until September 14, and announce the winner by September 19th.
So go ahead! Give it a shot! I can't imagine that I have that many readers, so I'd say your chances are pretty good to win if you throw a story together.
Good luck!
BISI Inc
7 hours ago
9 comments:
You should add a rule to make the story pine cone related, or at least have pine cone make some sort of cameo appearance :)
Dave, my friend, we're not going to go there.
I'ma try and win. Blizzard doesn't like me and wouldn't let me buy tickets.
So, let me see if I've got the rules right: 700 words, has to involve an original Arthas and should be comedy drama horror action with questionable English grammar... I think I can work something out.
Sadly, I'm not going to be on the West Coast :-(
I'm thinking a gnome named Arthas (yeah, imagine how the other gnomes must treat him) who sets out to kill the Lich King so that he can "clear his name" as it were, but of course he's not sure how to get to Northrend, and ends up lost in the Maelstrom only to become shipwrecked in the Howling Fjord. As he makes his long (and occasionally humorous) trek through the ice and snow, he begins to talk to himself more and more, and his attitude becomes grimmer. Eventually he realizes that he's retracing Arthas's footsteps, and that he might be going crazy. This is when he runs into the undead hordes and realizes that all hope is lost, not just for him, but for his people. So he decides to go down with a fight, and throws himself at the Scourge!
All, of course, in a somewhat eclectic and excitable tone, intended to give the impression that the story is narrated by the gnomish Arthas.
I'm almost ashamed to admit that I hope you're being serious. This is a story I want to read. LOL
Well, I don't think I was being serious, but I could perhaps do the trailer...
EXT. A GLACIER IN NORTHREND
The Scourge army is marching down a canyon in the ice. Over them stares a weary and gray looking gnome, dressed in dark leather with two knives at his hips.
ARTHAS (the gnome): All... all this way. Never thought...
(as the voice speaks ARTHAS looks around, puzzled, apparently hearing the voice)
VOICE: My son. I was so proud when the natalmatic 6,000 extracted you and I first called you... Arthas. Too bad that tall one ruined it for you, but how I was I supposed to know he would be named after the third Gnomish god of tinkering? Anyway, I just wanted to let you know that ... yes dear, I'll tell him ... yes dear, he knows you love him ... anyway, you were always destined for great things. We know that...
ARTHAS: I don't suppose you can get to the point? Kind of a bad time!
(Camera pans away from the hordes, pivoting on ARTHAS, and showing him from the front, in closeup)
VOICE: Oh right... well, it's important that you use your great power wisely...
ARTHAS: So I'm getting a disembodied visitation from dear old dad, and all it can tell me is don't do anything stupid?!
VOICE: Well, now if that's how you feel I won't tell you that you'll be king one day!
ARTHAS: I will?!
VOICE: No... that is, we don't have a king, but if we did, your mother and I are sure that...
ARTHAS: OK, that's it! Let me get on with what I came here for!
(Camera pivots back around ARTHAS to reveal that a large number of horde soldiers have walked up the cliff to where he is while he was distracted by his "vision" and now stand in front of him, poised to attack.)
ARTHAS: Oh. Oh dear.
(Suddenly a BONE DRAGON flies over the troops, breathing a blue flame into the air and making a terrible roar. The Scourge soldiers turn to face it and return the cry with blue flame coming from their mouths and eyes.)
ARTHAS: Well now... isn't that... interesting.
(He steps sideways into a shadow and vanishes. The Scourge turn back and are briefly puzzled before turning and continuing on.)
VOICE: I thought you were going to fight them. Didn't you want to be a hero?
ARTHAS: (harsh whisper) If you don't want the dwarves to know what you did to their beer, I'd suggest shutting it.
OTHER VOICE: (booming) Wrath of the Lich King will introduce achievements for everything from being the first Uber-Grand-Master Origamist to talking to yourself on the top of a glacier. Pre-order now or we'll kill this Gnome!
*laughs* That's the best non-machinima trailer I've ever seen. Thanks for the laugh, Aaron. :)
Great, everyone really appreciates you doing this. :)
I just blogged about your blizzcon ticket contest.
Thanks very much for the link! I'm hoping to see some great entries!
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