It seems more open ended than it is. For example, let's say they challenge was to write a story with a bowling alley, hedge clippers, and a naked midget. No one probably has a story like that lying around. But there's a ton of room to get creative. The bowling alley could be magical, it could be a dream, there could be feuding gangs, there could be a troupe of circus people who bought it and are trying to run it, it could be in the future, in the past, there could be a mime throwing invisible balls.

Fish out of water combined with character restriction and the requirement to be real and in the present is a hard combo of things.

Dena and I do these MYC midnight competitions. They have prose and screen. They divide the writers, like 2000, into groups of 25 in the first round. Each group gets its own parameters. I think they probably use a program to generate it: genre, location, object.

Something like that.

For the flash fiction last week, we had fantasy, fountain, and food truck. So we had to use those things. The judges are not overly strict, as long as it has elements of those things, and the story is good, you'll be ok. We recently did the screen one and survived to the final round and finished 4th, won like $400.

The mix of things you need is speciifc enough that no one has a story lying around, but open enough where it's not too hard.

Anyway, good luck, I'm supporting! I'll read and review some anyway.

Quoted from Dreamscale Actually, I agree with you, but many dislike the open ended challenges - as if they need to be penned in. IMO, this is pretty open ended, though.  We have a theme, we have a number of genres to choose, a character limit, and a stipulation being set in 2017 and using real "things". I don't see where the problem lies here.

And you have to have some kind of parameter since it is a ONE week challenge. Otherwise, if too loose anyone could submit any script they've worked on for any length of time.

All that diatribe aside - it would be interesting would day just to have a short challenge. No restrictions but make it more than a week

Quoted Text . For example, let's say they challenge was to write a story with a bowling alley, hedge clippers, and a naked midget.

I've really enjoyed this challenge, that is until my script gets torn apart of course   . It's definitely been tighter parameter wise to what we normally get, but it was good to get pushed that little bit more.

The above naked midget challenge however, now that sounds right up my street. Possibly restrict it so it has to be a romance, and then we're looking at a proper creative mind bender.

Looks like I'm in.  It's horrid, but, I'm in...

Dan,  

ps, now, back to bed....

Quoted from leitskev It seems more open ended than it is. For example, let's say they challenge was to write a story with a bowling alley, hedge clippers, and a naked midget. No one probably has a story like that lying around. But there's a ton of room to get creative. The bowling alley could be magical, it could be a dream, there could be feuding gangs, there could be a troupe of circus people who bought it and are trying to run it, it could be in the future, in the past, there could be a mime throwing invisible balls. Fish out of water combined with character restriction and the requirement to be real and in the present is a hard combo of things. Dena and I do these MYC midnight competitions. They have prose and screen. They divide the writers, like 2000, into groups of 25 in the first round. Each group gets its own parameters. I think they probably use a program to generate it: genre, location, object. Something like that. For the flash fiction last week, we had fantasy, fountain, and food truck. So we had to use those things. The judges are not overly strict, as long as it has elements of those things, and the story is good, you'll be ok. We recently did the screen one and survived to the final round and finished 4th, won like $400. The mix of things you need is speciifc enough that no one has a story lying around, but open enough where it's not too hard. Anyway, good luck, I'm supporting! I'll read and review some anyway.

Love the sound of these, Kev. Those are the type of challenges that get the creative juices flowing.

Saturday morn here in oz and I have about 5 hours to get mine done. As usual I always vow to get them done early in the week but it never happens lol! Luckily I have about 9 pages written so only have to finish it and edit.

Lib, enter your please!  Mine is sort of in the parameters so hopefully perps will 'allow' it. I had this really great idea at the same time it was announced and this script had to be wriiten so this will be my entry. It does the 4 char max to a T and will be ok on page length.

Don, when i submit in a few hours can you confirm please that you received it and it was readable? i have a new laptop and am using these new pdf reader hings - Adobe have started charging money now, good on them, grr - so keen to see how they come out after I send it in, cheers mate

Good job, guys!  Keep 'em coming!!!

gotta bow out, which pains me.  6 hours and 3 pages of notes will not a script make.  just wasn't a good week for me to sit down and write a script, which sucks bc i liked the idea... well, the semblence of an idea I mapped out.  best of luck.

I wish I was in...

I hadn't put pen to paper in a while, but this challenge had me nibbling on the laptop for the last week. I'm glad to participate again, hoping it's a good icebreaker to get back in the mix.

First challenge I followed the code of war, but I usually don't catch others breaking the rules when I read anyway. Regardless, I wouldn't mind some weird in the entries.

An hour and 24 mins to go, peeps!  C'mon, you stragglers - and Mark's pisser!

You can do it!

Stevie, you arsehole, you better deliver a SOLID OWC this time, bro. I'm counting on you!!!

I literally just submitted mine... I'm so upset though because I was literally up ALL night trying to perfect it, and touch up the ending, when all of a sudden, RIGHT before I have to leave for work, Writer Duet, the website I was using (for free) to type it on, kept popping up and promoting the "new pro" version ad, every time I would hit the back space button, or any button to type ANYTHING for that matter... And of course I had no time to work on it today... so needless to say the ending is pretty rushed (but it's still the basic idea that I had wanted to end it with). I had A LOT of fun writing this...and it was good practice. I was just excited and wanted to make it as good as I possibly could, since this is my first ever OWC. However, it's still all in good fun, and I'm very excited to read/review what others have written. Good luck to everyone that enters!!! And just HAVE FUN WITH THIS!!!

P.S.

Looks like I'll be purchasing the "pro version" of Writer Duet...    

Submitted. Didn't even have a chance to give it a once-over, but it's done. Phew!

Quoted from stevie Lib, enter your please!

Okay, I'm in, last minute. You and Pia encouraged so I thought what the heck.
The Kid, and others might slam me on a dodgy parameter and slipshod ending but I'm prepared for that. It's always a bit of fun anyway.

You'd better be in Stevie.   Ironically you took a stand on my last cause I broke a rule so you have to read this one or else there'll be trouble.  

Quoted from oJOHNNYoNUTSo I hadn't put pen to paper in a while, but this challenge had me nibbling on the laptop for the last week. I'm glad to participate again, hoping it's a good icebreaker to get back in the mix. First challenge I followed the code of war, but I usually don't catch others breaking the rules when I read anyway. Regardless, I wouldn't mind some weird in the entries.

Good to see you Johnny! I like weird too.

Couldn't upload

Damn I thought I was just in time, typed in my logline and all but in the second window I couldn't open a file to send it over...