Garden of Prose poll!

[clare_dragonfly]

Okay, I've now done herbs, fences & gates, and paths, and I have a long list still of other garden-related themes. But I can't decide, so I'm asking you to help me pick the next theme!

Poll #9253

Open to: Registered Users, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 9

View Respondents

What should the next theme be?

View Answers

fruits & vegetables
2 (22.2%)

flowers
0 (0.0%)

ground cover
0 (0.0%)

fountains, statues, & gazing balls
5 (55.6%)

insects & spiders
3 (33.3%)

seeds & planting
1 (11.1%)

rain & drought
1 (11.1%)

dirt, mud, & fertilizer
1 (11.1%)

Feel free to suggest other ideas in the comments as well.

Comments

[aldersprig]

I've read too much Pratchett lately.

And Toby Keith.

(re. fruit-and-veg)

[clare_dragonfly]

I... have clearly not read enough Pratchett to know what you're talking about. Mostly I've just read the Guards books.

"Fountains, statues, & gazing balls" does seem to be emerging as a clear winner, though.

[aldersprig]

Pratchett often uses "fruit and veg" as a euphemism for a guy's manparts, as in "she kicked him in the fruit-and-veg."

[clare_dragonfly]

Oh my. Well, I won't abbreviate it yet when I use it :-P (I probably will--it's gotten a vote!)

[aldersprig]

:-D

[wyld_dandelyon]

Though if you might be interested in writing for www.tornworld.net, I'd suggest insects, since we have a Critters of Torn World contest coming up.

[clare_dragonfly]

Hmm, intriguing. I am interested in Torn World, but I'm finding it hard to get into (I tried taking a tour a while back, but it kept logging me out and losing my place... and now I can't find tours at all). A contest might give me the impetus to dig into it properly, though! What does the contest entail?

[wyld_dandelyon]

Tours didn't work out as well as we hoped, but now there's a new story-landing page where you can pick either a theme, a length (for instance, there's a section for drabbles), or a story line (Wild Snowy Chase, for example). That's here: http://www.tornworld.net/fiction.php

The contest that ends in a few days is themed Fads and Fashions, the next one is Critters of Torn World. You can enter a (or more than one) story, poem, artwork, or metafiction (new article about some aspect of Torn World), or more than one category, whether the pieces are linked or not. We are planning another Sea Monster month in May and are hoping for more Sea Monster work as part of the contest, but I'm also hoping for stories about how the disaster that isolated the different areas of Torn World has affected their ecology.

You can do a story about new characters or established characters, or focus on new characters with a cameo appearance by one or more established characters. (Established characters require getting approval for how they're portrayed and whether they're in the right place at the time of your story, but that's not hard.) You could design a creature and ask for help placing it in the world. You could draw a random person with their pet or fighting a sea monster (or a more prosaic pest)--we call pictures that aren't assigned to a character "mystery art", so they can be assigned to a character later. If you do that, posting a rough sketch in the "works in progress" forum (see below) will let people help you get stuff like clothing right.

If you have an idea that you think might fit in to Torn World, I'd be happy to make time to forward links to appropriate stories or articles to help you get started. Or you can ask for such links in the Forums--other creators and canon board members might answer before I get the chance.

There's a Works In Progress section in the forums that is visible only to creators, and you do have to sign up as a Torn World creator to participate in the contest. (That does not, of course, affect any non-Torn World stuff you do.)

I'd encourage you posting a rough draft in Works In Progress for comments, that way people can help make sure you didn't miss something about the world before you submit it to the canon board--and people will often help with stuff like pointing out typos too.

Please, let me know if you have questions!

[clare_dragonfly]

The story-landing page should be helpful, thanks.

But how does the contest work? From what you've described it doesn't sound any different from (what I know of) the regular submissions process. What makes it a contest?

[wyld_dandelyon]

What makes it a contest? It has to fit the theme and there are prizes.

Winning also gives you bragging rights. Winning a contest always gives you bragging rights.

Is there some type of contest, or some aspect thereof, that would be more exciting/interesting?

[wyld_dandelyon]

This might help. Here's the official Contest Post over at Torn World: http://www.tornworld.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=20&t=913&p=10604#p10604

[clare_dragonfly]

Oh, thank you, that does have more of the information I was looking for (judging, existence of prizes, existence of a deadline). Do you know when the Critters contest deadline will be? Deadlines are very motivating for me :D

[wyld_dandelyon]

The official announcement for the Critters contest isn't up yet. My unassisted memory is that it will be open for a month, which would make the contest deadline April Fools Day. But I will look into it, since it's time to get that contest officially announced!

Contest prizes are listed here: http://www.tornworld.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=20&t=134

[clare_dragonfly]

Thanks!

[wyld_dandelyon]

And herd it is: http://www.tornworld.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=20&t=944