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Welcome to our 5th Annual
~ Wyn Lit 73 ~
73 Hour Novella Writing Contest
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Who: |
Canada
This contest is open to Canadian writers
only.
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What: |
The Wyn Lit 73
Hour Novella Writing Contest
This writing contest
originally started out as a 72 hour writing
contest, but the first one was held during a
weekend when the clocks turned back one hour. .
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When: |
November 5, 6, 7, 2011
1.
The contest begins
promptly at 12:01am on Nov. 5 and finishes
exactly 73 hours later.
2.
Registration
for the 2011 Wyn Lit 73 is now open. The cost is
$35 for non-members and $30 for members. You may
register online via PayPal (above). The deadline
for registration is: 1pm November 4, 2010
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Where: |
Location! Location! Location!
1.
The Wyn Lit 73 is an
online, home based, writing contest.
All participants are able to sit in the comfort
and privacy of their own homes, in front of
their own computers, for the duration.
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How: |
How to play:
1.
Contestants will receive the
subject matter and guidelines at 10pm on Nov. 4
and will have 2 hours to look over the subjects
before the contest officially begins at
12:01am November 5.
2.
Contestants have 73 hours to
write a minimum of
16,000 words based on one
of the subjects provided to them on our website.
Novellas that do not contain 16,000 words are
disqualified. The average word count written
during the 73 is 18,000 - 25,000
3.
The Wyn Lit Chatterbox
will be open for the duration of the 73. This
forum is available for venting frustrations,
questions and support. The link to the
chatterbox will be provided on the Wyn Lit 73
page at wynter.ca
4.
7 qualifying novellas will be
chosen for the short list (announced in February
2012). The top 2 novellas chosen from the short
list will receive a limited print run of the
novella.
5.
Wyn Lit 73 Survival Tips
and Guidelines will be
posted on the wynter.ca website during
Pre-73 week: November 1 - 4.
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Why: |
because we love words:
No one is exactly sure why we
challenge
ourselves to this gruelling, exciting, and
fulfilling contest ~ but one thing is for sure:
writers love to write. Words are our life. And a
challenge that gets the ink flowing is like
icing on the cake.
Many authors who have entered previous 73’s have
stated that, at the end of the contest, although
their exhaustion was
overwhelming, the fact that they reached their
16,000 word goal was an experience
unlike any other.
In the end, authors do not write their novella
to win the contest: they write it because it
needs to be written; they write it because of
the challenge; they write it because
they can; and they write it because,
through the Chatterbox, they are not alone in
doing so.
The 73 is the single most active time in the
Chatterbox forum. Contestants, although sitting
in the privacy of their own homes, are able to
visit and chat with an extended family of
authors going through exactly the same thing:
surviving the 73. The friendships and
bonds created during the 73 are
priceless.
There is no single, completely understandable
reason why authors participate in the Wyn Lit
73, but there is a common goal
among all contestants: write a minimum of 16,000
words within 73 hours - or be disqualified.
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Starting Your Novella
The beginning is a good place to start, but not every story begins
at the beginning. When you receive the subjects for the 73, you’ll
notice that they only give a snapshot of an event or character - a
short, two or three paragraph synopsis - like the kind you can find
on the backs of books. The snapshot has holes that need filling.
Begin by finding one hole and filling it. Don’t try to write the
entire novella during the first night.
Use a comfortable chair and wear comfortable clothes. Appearance
doesn’t matter during a novella writing contest! Start at 12:01am on
the 6th. Write for about 3 or 4 hours at most and then take a nap or
sleep for the night if possible. This will give you a fresh outlook
in the morning. Don’t try to stay awake for 73 hours.
The contest begins
at 12:01am sharp on Saturday November 6th and finishes at 1:01am on
Tuesday November 9th.
At 10:pm on Friday November 5th, the subject
matter for the contest will be available on this page. During this
two hour period, most of the contestants will be visiting the
Chatterbox. This is a good time
to say hello and introduce yourself - please do not use your real
name because the judges will be listening. The Chatterbox will be
the place where the announcement to begin will be made. Watch for
the post that says something weird like: “Authors start your
typertips.....”.
Please read the subjects
carefully, paying close attention to the details in the
“Novella Presentation”
section beneath the subjects. Not all subjects will have a Novella Presentation section, but those that do, mean that the
judges are looking for something specific in your novella.
Don’t forget to save your work regularly.
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Choosing Your Subject
You’ll have two hours to look over the subjects, discuss and dissect
them, make your choice and create a
rough outline.
Although you may decide to do so, please
be aware that it is not a good idea to change your subject midway
through the contest. Changing
subjects half way through is never, never a good idea!
No matter which subject you choose, you will
likely reach a point during the contest where you will begin to
think that you made the incorrect choice – when in fact you will
have likely only reached that point of hitting a brick wall. Those
bricks come down easily one word at a time, so don’t give up. If it
happens, just start a new chapter!
Don’t forget to save your work regularly.
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Guidelines
Please follow the contest and the finished novella submission
guidelines closely:
The Contest Guidelines are simple:
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Don’t change
names or the obvious gender of the characters in the subject
matter unless your storyline can justify it. If Fred is a male
(he, him, his) in the subject you chose, then he must stay male
unless you can pull off a believable sex change operation or a
seriously obvious split personality disorder.
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Contestants will choose their subject matter from a selection of detailed subjects and will
write their entry on that subject. We will not accept any entries
that are not based on the subjects supplied to the contestants.
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Don't change
the subject matter in such a way that the subject cannot be
recognized. If the subject says that the novella is about Susan
being buried alive and digging her way out of the grave, then
that subject should be recognizable throughout the novella.
Remember that your novella is filling in the holes in the
subjects.
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Don't use your real name in the
Chatterbox. The judges might
be listening!
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You are being asked
to write a
minimum of 16,000 words in order to qualify
for the Short List - no exceptions.
Average word count expected is between: 16,000 - 30,000 words. Seven winners will be chosen for the Short
List. The Short List will be announced at the end of
January 2010. First and Second Place winners and the Student
Winner will be announced in early February. The
prizes
are listed below.
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Using the Chatterbox
Use the chatterbox for whining, complaining, screaming, crying,
cheering, laughing, sighing, supporting, asking questions, marking
milestones, etc.
Remember, the chatterbox is there for all of you to support each
other along the way. In 2007, the chatterbox had just over 2000
posts. In 2008, there were over 3000. Don’t waste time in the
chatterbox unless you are taking a break. Use the chatterbox wisely!
Because so many posts are made -
and easily
lost in the shuffle -
during this contest, there will be a designated message
at the top of the page with the subject line that reads: WYN LIT 73
MESSAGES - or something like that. All Chatterbox posts will be in
that message until it’s full and then a new one will be started. To
send a comment to the Chatterbox, just click reply to that message.
For the sake of keeping things fair and aboveboard, there will be no
private communications between the Wynterblue office and the
contestants except through the Chatterbox for the duration of the
contest. All
questions about the Wyn Lit
73, must be made via the Chatterbox. Please create a new post and in
block letters put: QUESTION in the subject line. Oftentimes
other authors have the same questions and will reply/comment as
well.
Magpie, the chief bird of Wynterblue Publishing has appointed
moderators to watch over the chatterbox when she is nesting - or
hunting for worms of course.
The Chatterbox has only two serious rules:
1.) Be nice. You will be banned if you’re not. No exceptions.
2.) Don't use your real name!
The
Chatterbox is now officially open for pre-73
chatter. . . .
Don’t forget to save your work regularly.
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Editing
As You Go
Try to use spell check as you go. Your grammar and typo’s don’t
count in the judging. But, keep in mind that if the judges find your
work impossible to read, they may just move on to the next one! Use
good judgment. Don’t just write words for the sake of writing words.
Don’t check your word count more than once every two hours. It’s a
waste of time and it won’t make the words happen any faster.
Writing 16,000 words in 73 hours is not easy. Try to keep a steady
pace. You’ll have time to edit your novella when the contest is over
and the winners have been announced. Make each word count. Remember
that the judges want to read a
complete
story with a beginning, middle and end.
Don’t try to do nit-pick-editing during the contest. It wastes time!
If your novella is short listed, you will have 9 months to edit (and
add to) your novella.
Don’t forget to save your work regularly.
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Creating & Following
the Outline
Outlines are passing thoughts, useful while they’re happening, and
important to give direction as you start the 73. Remember your story
will gain momentum and a life of its own and will refuse to follow
the outline no matter how hard you try. Write a rough outline during
the first two hours after receiving the 73 Subjects and use it as a
starting point only.
Don’t forget to save your work regularly.
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Submitting Your Novella
All novellas must be emailed to Wynterblue in the following format
absolutely no later than 1:01am Tuesday November 9:
Save your novella in a Word document
Title Page (the
first page of your document):
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Your name
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Your address
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Your phone
number
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Your email
address
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The title of
the Novella
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The word
count
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Your subject
choice
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The genre
Send it as an attachment to:
wt
(at) wynter.ca (Remove the spaces and replace
(at) with @.)
Subject line:
Wyn Lit 73
Submission
& your name
OR:
submit your
novella via the form below:
NOTE:
if you do
not receive a reply email to your submission within 10 minutes of
sending it, please let us know asap via the Chatterbox!
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That Brick Wall
It's going to happen. Sunday afternoon comes along and you are
tired, creatively spent, and ready to throw in the towel. Start a
new chapter when you’re stuck in the story line. A new chapter
changes everything, gives a new outlook, adds twists and turns to
the story. If you’re stuck in a chapter, move on to the next one and
spend Monday finishing up unfinished chapters. Don’t waste time
trying to think of what to write next.
Don’t stagnate within your mind-space - do things that will
assist your creative energy:
Get up and stretch your legs and arms at least once every 2 hours.
Don’t wait until your legs fall asleep.
Take time to stare out the window for imagery-inspiration. Drink
lots of water. Water keeps the bodily functions going - which means
you’ll have no choice but to get up regularly and stretch your legs
on the way to the loo - just don’t spill water on your computer
station!
Don’t give up! Check into the Chatterbox for inspiration and
support.
Don’t forget to save your work regularly.
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Character Development
Try to keep your characters
to a minimum. Use a notepad or sheet of paper to keep track of your
characters. Make two columns and head one with: Main
Characters and the second with: Secondary
Characters.
Main Characters: Try to keep your main
characters interesting. Give them quirky mannerisms or green hair or
bad breath. Keep them ‘human’ so that the reader can identify with
them and ultimately wants to know what happens to them. Give them a
real and believable life.
Secondary Characters: Remember that secondary
characters don’t need full descriptions. We don't need to know the
colour of their eyebrows or their family history. Oftentimes, they
don't even need a name - they just need a purpose:
to assist the main character in his
role of being the main character, so that the story line can move
forward. Don’t create characters that aren’t needed. Don’t give
useless details or descriptions about characters that only play a
minor role in the storyline. Use your secondary characters
wisely.
Don’t forget to save your work regularly.
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Genre
The subjects are varied
and will fall into common genres. That said, the choice of genre is
yours – just because it says this subject is for horror fiction
writers, doesn’t mean it can’t become a fantasy fiction or a
romance. The genre of the novella belongs to you in every way!
Don’t forget to save your work regularly.
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First / Third Person Voice
If you choose to write the story in the
first person: It’s ok to tell
us the thoughts of a character if the story is being written in the
first person ---but we don’t want to know what everyone else is
thinking.
Written in the
third person: This means we
do not get a snapshot of any characters’ thoughts, except possibly
the main character. No other characters’ thoughts should be evident
to the reader.
Don’t
head-hop. The judges do not
want to read the ‘thoughts’ of every single character. Head-hopping
is one of the worst plagues of creative writing. It can destroy a
perfectly good storyline. Head-hopping simply means jumping from the
first person thoughts and feelings of one character to another, back
and forth. Don’t tell us what the characters are thinking,
instead, show us their thoughts through actions or through dialogue.
Show, don't tell.
Don’t (never,
ever) use complete sentences
to tell us what the character is thinking: i.e. Gee, I really
need to get my nails done, Susan thought on her way to the store.
If it's important to the storyline to let the reader know what a
character is thinking or feeling, use descriptive language or
dialogue instead. Remember, the reader can usually figure it out all
on his own!
Don’t forget to save your work regularly.
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Dialogue
Keep dialogue between characters realistic. Dialogue helps the
reader discover the thoughts - the innards - of the character you
are working so hard to build. Don’t let drunken, old Jack, the guy
that lives on the street, speak like this:
“Of course
I will
put it in the garbage when
I am
finished. Thank you for your
concern.”
Instead, he should say: “I’ll throw it in the trash when I’m done. F * off and leave me alone!”
Don’t forget to save your work regularly.
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The F***
Word?
The f*** word (all swear
words) are acceptable in dialogue because characters use them when
they
speak
- but only if that type of language is acceptable to the character’s
image.
It is not acceptable to
use swear words in text outside of dialogue - because that text is
the narrator's voice, not the characters’ voice. But, you ask, what
if the novella is written in the first person? Well, that's simple:
if it's written in the first person, then we are in the mind of the
narrator. If that person can't use better descriptive language to
tell his story, (that's not to say you can't sneak one or two in
there) then what is the story about: swearing???
Keep the swearing in
dialogue only, even when writing in the first person, and keep it to
a minimum. A 'character' can get away with a swear word 100 times
faster than a narrator can. Use swear words wisely. One or two swear
words in 16,000 words will have impact - ten or twenty of them
won't.
The power
of the written word is not in the type of word you use, it is
in how the word is used. If you want to portray Jacob as an
absolute asshole, then show us. We'll get it! The minute you call
him an asshole, we likely won't believe you anyway because we'll
need proof. We've been spoiled with tons of well written books that
show us what the author wants us to think - if you tell
us, well . . . you get the point?
Don’t forget to save your work regularly.
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Plots
and Sub-plots
Sub-Plots:
sub-plots are important and they must be resolved. Use a
notepad or sheet of paper to keep track of your subplots. Don’t
insert plots into the story that aren’t resolved.
In the 2008 Wyn Lit 73, two novellas were omitted from the short
list because the authors created subplots that had no resolution -
in spite of the fact that the story lines were very well written.
The authors assumed that they could fill in the holes after
they made the short list. The entire purpose of the
length of time between being short listed and publishing the novella
is exactly that: to give the author time to build on the storyline
with sub-plots and their subsequent resolution.
Any novella that does not have clear resolution of the main plot or
any subplots will likely not be short listed. This means that your
story needs to be crisp and to the point. A clear and precise
beginning, middle and end.
An example:
The Plot - who killed
Agatha: Bertha was discovered hovering over the body of the murder
victim, Agatha.
The Sub-plot - a
romantic twist: In chapter three, the author creates a romance
between Bertha and the investigating detective.
There's no problem with the sub-plot, it's a good twist to the
storyline, except for the fact that the author takes it nowhere. It's brought up in
chapter three and never mentioned again. This means that there was
no resolution - no purpose for bringing it up in the first place.
Use your sub-plots wisely! Don't create one unless you can
resolve it.
Don’t forget to save your work regularly.
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'LY'
Adverbs and Adjectives
Try to stay away from the overuse of the blasted LY adjectives and adverbs:
“Susan was
bitterly disappointed about
the
lovely pillows she purchased
for an
exceedingly unmentionable
amount. She placed them on the overly stuffed, yellow
couch and sat quietly, staring at them, as she thought
about what she should do about her financially troubled
life.”
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6 LY words were used.
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The words "Susan was bitterly disappointed"
indicate that we are in Susan's mind because we are being told
what she feels. If the rest of the writing doesn't fit
in, and if Susan isn't the main character so that we are
permitted to know what she thinks and feels, then the sentence
is written incorrectly. This is a clear indication of word usage
that could determine if the author is head-hopping!
The golden rule: Don’t use
more than one LY word per 1000 words. Overuse of the LY word
quickly becomes telling, not showing.
Don’t forget to save your work regularly.
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Submitting Questions
During the 73
Private emails
from contestants asking questions about the contest will not be replied to during
the contest.
For the sake of keeping things fair and above board, there will
be no communication between the Wynterblue office and the
contestants except through the Chatterbox for the duration of the
contest.
Please, use the Chatterbox to
ask questions. Create a new post and in block letters put: QUESTION in the subject line. All questions will be answered in
the Chatterbox.
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The Prizes
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Seven novellas will be chosen for the short
list.
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First and Second Place winners will receive a
limited print run of their novellas with full publishing
credits.
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The remaining five authors will have their
novellas published in an anthology.
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All seven authors receive royalties for their
work after publication.
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Exception:
This exception is a separate category
for students only! Because we have students from two
schools participating this year - Canadore College and
Laurentian University - the top novella written by a student
will receive a limited print run of their novella with full
publishing credits.
All participating students are eligible for
all prizes - the only thing that is an exception
is that they are also competing against each other.
All Students must be registered through the English
Department of the participating school.
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About the 73
The Wyn Lit 73 Hour Novella Writing Contest began in November 2007
as an incentive for Canadian writers to show their stuff. It
happened, by chance, that the contest was held on the weekend when
the clocks were turned back, resulting in a 73 hour contest instead
of the originally planned 72 hour contest.
This year is our 5th annual Wyn Lit 73 and contestants have
registered from across Canada. We are proud to announce that Canadore College
students in North Bay ON will be competing once again this year. We foresee that
this competition will be fierce and we wish all students the best of
luck and tons of ink for their typertips! We look forward to reading
their comments in the Chatterbox.
Over the years, Wynterblue Publishing has held many writing
contests, including 55 monthly Wyn Lit 24 Hour Short Story Writing
Contests and many of the Wyn Lit 24 contestants will be
participating in the Wyn Lit 73.
We wish all participating contestants endurance and success in their
endeavour to write a minimum of 16,000 words that make sense within 73
hours!
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The Subjects: |
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Subject #1:
A Demise
(for those of you who like to create
sick and twisted characters)
Covina and Gordon didn't have much they could
call their own, but they did have that plot of land adjacent to the
highway. When Gordon decided it was time to fix it up and sell it to
a fancy land investor, Covina begged him not to do it. It was her
great-grandmother's land, passed down through the generations. But,
as all things marriage would have it, Gordon talked her into it.
. . . now, Gordon is missing and Covina is in an
apparent state of shock, unable to speak.
Novella Presentation:
The judges are looking for a page-turner with tons
of action and a punch line delivery with a shocking ending.
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Subject #
2:
Dirt-shame
(a challenge to write about
society's dirty little secrets)
Sixteen year old Mathias knew he was adopted and
he'd been searching online for his birth parents for over a year
now. His process was simple: log onto the adoption search sites,
type in a name or two and, voila!, something was bound to show up.
When Mathias found George, he thought his prayers
had been answered. ...so did George.
Novella Presentation:
Tough subject folks! Dirty little secrets are exactly that:
dirty. The Judges are not looking for that dirt; but they are
searching for an author that will not sugar coat the
issue. They do not want graphic details either. The Judges are
searching for an author who can write clearly and precisely for an
intelligent reader who demands honesty and knows how to read between
the lines. The judges are expecting tons of online chat within the
text as well as an unexpected ending.
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Subject #
3:
His Hand, Her Story: The Kee
(for all you fantasy fiction
writers out there)Ward was all of 79 years old when he
died in the attic. When they found him a week later, they wanted
nothing to do with the small music box that was in his hand. They
packed it up along with the other things in the attic and sent them
off to the local second-hand store. . .
Emily was all of 10 years old when her mother handed her a small
music box for her birthday. Emily knew where it came from... they'd
been shopping for school clothes at the same place they always shop.
She'd seen it sitting atop one of the shelves in the 'odds and ends'
aisle and begged her mother for it.
When Emily brought it to her room and examined it, a tiny, silver
kee fell out from beneath the bright blue velvet cloth that lined
the inside of the lid . . .
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Subject #
4:
Today
(for all you romance and / or mystery
writers out there)Twenty people lived at the old age
home, but only five of them regularly forgot they were supposed to
be old.
The small group, three men and two women, went for their daily
walk. They followed the trail leading to the river's edge and from
there climbed onto the big boulder. They sat basking in the sunshine
when Ingrid said: "Folks, we've planned this long enough. Today is
the day . . ."
Novella Presentation:
The judges are looking for excellent character development
through well written dialogue. They want to know about these
characters by what they say more than what they do.
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Subject #
5:
The Crispy Bits
( for all short story or youth
writers)After three days adrift, fatigue, thirst and
hunger set in and the group of 8 survivors begin to speak about
their lives. They all have little hope of ever being rescued and all
believe that they will die in this life raft.
Novella Presentation:
This novella is a collection of - 10 - short stories:
A.
Write 1 short story about the first three days.
B. Write
8 short
stories about the individual people in the life raft in the
first person.
C.
Write 1 short story that concludes the collection: i.e. do
they get rescued or do they die - or a bit of both?
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Subject #
6
Surprise
Subject!
The
ultra
subject challenge:
When Slaves Think
( for all writers in need
of the ultimate "Historic Fiction" 16,000 word challenge)
Story #1:
age 5 - Michael wanted to be loved by his master, to be accepted by
him and eventually freed by him. Michael wasn't old enough to know
better yet, but he was old enough to know that his mother died
giving birth to his younger sister . . .
Story #2:
age 10 -
Story #3:
age 20 -
Story #4:
age 30 -
Story #5:
age 40 -
Story #6:
age 50 -
Story #7:
age 60 -
Novella Presentation:
Show the development of this character over the
course of his life. This novella must be written in Michael's voice,
in the first person.
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