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[CLOSED] The Alternate Universe Contestthis contest is now closed.
do NOT note me!
I will have to tell you it's not valid, and that'll make me sad.

With a tip of the hat to all the people who came up with alternate universes as a way to explore awesome, impossible ideas...I bring you the alternate universe contest for original literature!
This contest is open from January 18-February 18 (PST, aka dA time). No extensions.
The process is simple.
Start with one of your own stories. It doesn't have to be super-fleshed out, but it does need to be written down in some form, even if it's as simple as a series of character sketches and the world they live in.Change something important. There's a lot of options. Ask yourself 'what if X had happened differently' and go from there. Aside from changing key plot points, you may want to significantly alter a character (yes, genderbending is acceptable).
Write it down! Not completely willy-nilly; there will be guidelines, of course. Oh my stars and gart

Vintage Christmas Short Story Contest

Officially, this contest is now closed, but I've given the green light to a late entry or two. If you still want to enter and need another day or so to finish up, please let me know if you haven't already. For the rest of you, closed! Judging is already in progress, and I hope to announce the results on Christmas Eve.

Entry Gallery
Come on, people! The deadline is TOMORROW and I only have two entries. Let's get the rest in! Please be aware that if they're a bit past the deadline, it won't matter. Just get them done as soon as you can. We don't want this contest to be a flop, now do we?
Halloween is over, and for many of us, that can only mean one thing: time to get excited about Christmas! Let us begin with a few definitions from good old dictionary.com.
vin·tage
[...]
9. representing the high quality of a past time: vintage car

Complaint Challenge Contest!

We got our complaints out in December 2012. Now, 2013 is about doing something productive with them. I am not going to sit and grumble about my pet peeves. Neither should you!
Anyone who knows me should have been suspicious from the start of Phase 1 because complaining is one of my own complaints. (And you saw this trick last year!) That's right. I complain about people complaining. Silly, yes? Well I decided to do something about it with this challenge.
I hope everyone enjoyed sharing their gripes in Phase 1 because it is time for Phase 2!

And Phase 2 is open to everyone, even if you didn't participate in Phase 1, or decided to change what complaint you'd like to address!
Complaint Challenge – Phase 2
The challenge in a nutshell: Pick one of your dA complaints and do something proactive about it. Work toward a solution or improvement in a positive way.
Now a few of you are probably thinking things like, "I

You know what? To hell with my self-pity!Here's a prompt for your face (it should be a fun one, though... hopefully!):
The WORST place to hear the phrase "Welcome Back."
The thing that I want to stand out is the SETTING. Sometimes settings are overlooked in stories or at very least, more phoned in than anything else. Settings are also characters, you know (well, if you didn't, you know now). We're all so much more concerned with silly things like character development and plot... so for once, let's focus in harder on something else! Where is the character? The more unique and specific the better. Say they're at the doctor's office. But are they at the proctologist? An abortionist? The plastic surgeon? Surprise me. And if you can't be unique, try harder. If you need help, note me.
Guidelines

Setting is key but also think about if they are with someone for the first time. Or their grandmother.

Why is it the worst place for them to hear this phrase?

Don't go

Thank you Lady Coconut! Hello everyone

Our lovely Lady Coconut of the literature team is hanging up her hat!

:iconthorns::iconthorns::iconthorns::iconthorns::iconthorns:
`thorns joined the Community Volunteer team this time last year and is now returning to the status of "writer-that's-a-little-thorny".

Its been a bit of a loopy year of Thorns and we cannot thank her enough for her time. We know full well she isn't going to fall into that mysterious sinkhole that some former volunteers go into and her heart will still be within the community!

For now, we'd like to ask you all to join us in thanking Julia and wishing her the best of luck. We also hope that her and `GrimFace242 will find reconciliation, since they parted a month ago.
In our own way of thanking her, we have some swanky Minotaur art...

Why not tell us your&

I'm PUBLISHED!

So, today I received my first acceptance letter for publication while I was driving. I screamed a little in my car.
My short creative non-fiction story "Levee Land" will be featured in the Spring 2013 issue of The Truth About The Fact, an international journal of literary nonfiction. It's set to be released in April.
After twenty years, I can FINALLY say that I'm published. I was pretty sure this would never happen and FINALLY it did.
Don't give up, folks

Word Wars Chat Tour this Saturday!Word Wars Chat Tour | Word Wars
You're Invited!
Join us in our next game which can be found here:
Details

Date: Saturday, January 26th, 2013

Time: 12:00 PM EST (USA)
[What time is that for me?]

#Elocutionists's Chatroom: http://chat.deviantart.com/chat/SpeakTheWords
Next Stop, #Elocutionists!
Our long overdue return to a regular Chat Tour will be kicked off with a wonderful group!
:iconelocutionists:
The Host Group
#Elocutionists is a somewhat new lit group on dA but with a unique vision of turning literature into spoken word.
That's right, you submit your literature to their favorites and they'll make a recording of it to be posted on their WordPress Blog.
Take a day and explore this awesome group.

Prizes!
You can support the C

Join us on April 19th!Word Wars Instructions | Chatroom Rules
We're ~~stopping~~ parking at #WordWars!
:iconwordwars:
We had bunches of fun during our Grand Opening last month and can't wait to see you all again! We promise there will be no doom, gloom, nor *torturing of the staff this time.

There will be some writing, chatting, and random ways to fill in the half time break.
For this month's event, we're trying a new time slot to hopefully reach some people who can't make some of our more regular time selections. We hope everyone understands if this is an awkward time for you that dA is a global site (but staff are primarily EST USA) and we'd like to spread the fun around when schedules allow.
Next month should have two events and increase everyone's attendance options.
Reminder Notes
We're also rebuilding our reminder note list! For anyone new or unfamiliar, Wor

Lit Linked: Volume VI

Welcome to the sixth issue of Lit Linked! This is an article featuring ten literature pieces that have Linked to another deviation [or deviations].
#dALinkSystem is a group dedicated towards increasing artists exposure by helping others and themselves through a simple and effective "Linking" system: Link another artist's submission in your artist's comment box. It helps everyone's exposure and finds undiscovered art.
#dALinkSystem's Literature Folder

linked to

:icondividerplz::icondivider1plz::icondivider1plz::icondivider1plz::icondivider1plz::icondivider1plz::icondivider2plz:

linked to

:icondividerplz::icondivider1plz::icondivider1plz::icondivider1plz::icondivider1plz::icondivider1plz::icondivider2plz:
:thumb28651758

Operation WFP is coming! [Started!]Find the start article here: http://nicswaner.deviantart.com/journal/Operation-WFP-Start-344101940
You have around 12 hours remaining to submit your feedback comment and wishlists to win a prize! We've only had a few entries thus far so your chances of winning are good.
It's been nearly a year since Operation TYP. `GrimFace242 and I have plotted some terrible shenanigans, but this time it's even worse! We've flung poop at ^NicSwaner and ~~brainwashed~~ convinced him to join the dark side with us! Why? To remind you guys that giving is important.
What is Operation WFP?
It's 48 hours of fun for the entire community. At the start date you will be given a short list of simple tasks that can be done in as little as half an hour.
What is this task? It's so super secret we can't tell you until the start date!

Brevity Pays: Announcing the Winners!Ladies and gentlemen, here are the results you've been waiting for: the winners of our first contest, Brevity Is the Soul of Lit!

But first, an important notification: there has been a last-minute rule change. As it turns out, every one of our 10 valid entries incorporated some sort of theme. So rather than separate the entries into Themed and Open Theme as originally planned, we've divided them instead into those which have focused more on an overall Theme, and those whose theme was primarily in their Structure.
And now, without further ado:
Best in Show: =Vigilo, "dialogue of the tides"

3-month sub from $wreckling, 700 points, our Featured folder, a critique from `tiganusi, a llama, and journal features!
Best of Breed (Theme): =TwilightPoetess, "Animal Ridges"

450 po

Literature DD Roundup- December 2012Greetings everyone!
Today is New Years Eve, so before we share the roundup for December, on behalf of the Lit CVs, I wish you all a fantastic 2013!
It’s been a year of progression for the literature community, one I hope you will all join us on the continued journey for 2013. The community isn’t just 4 volunteers, it is ALL OF YOU, and I hope you share your ideas and get involved.
December has showcased some fantastic pieces of writing, and because of this we have actually snuck in a few bonus features. On Christmas day, we had 4 Literature DDs and from mid-December onwards we added some extra DDs over the weekend- something which we will now be doing every weekend!

(ps. Did anyone notice we’d snuck in some extra DDs lately?)
Here is the roundup for December:
:iconbeccalicious:
Features by ^Beccalicious

:thu

How to Suggest a DDThe beauty of Daily Deviations is that they can be suggested by all members of the Deviantart community, including you!
To put forward a suggestion, just compose a new note addressed to one of the Lit CVs. Please note just ONE CV as multiple notes tend to create confusion.
If you're stumped on which CV to send in your suggestions to, you can check out their preferences which are stated in their profiles.
Before you Suggest
Having found the perfect piece of writing for a DD (maybe even with the help of this guide), there are a few things you should check before making your suggestion.

If the author has used a preview image, please make sure it's theirs or one they have permission to use. For further reading about this, see http://crliterature.deviantart.com/journal/Literature-Previews-DDs-and-You-339976813

Check whether the deviant has been featured in the past six months.

Sundae Treat- Sammur-amat's Sunday Feature + MOARPLEASE

this feature and these wonderful works of art, thank you!

The amount of artistic talent here on dA has always amazed me, I feel like it should be a privilege to be able to feature such amazing pieces as these. Therefore, without further ado this Sunday's Specials

2013 AND A TIME MACHINE WINNERS
Poetry 1st place 2nd place 3rd place

Prose 1st place 2nd place 3rd place
:thumb34

Your plot is boring.After the last one, it's only fair I rag on plot oriented people, right?
No. The question isn't fairness, it's making you think about your writing. If you're trying to improve, you should be constantly reevaluating anyway, but sometimes people don't know where to start. The point of having a community is to talk about it, so let's do that. Cool. 'K.
I realized it's hard to draw out some aspect of a plot that doesn't intertwine with characters. Us plotheads (plotstarters, really, if you do it properly and end your story by finding a balance) get a little fucked over that way, because it's hard to get advice that explicitly calls out too much time on moving things forward. But there is one thing people who get too wrapped up in plot do horrendously: VOICE.
Okay so I have this awesome story and this guy goes on a journey and like the journey takes him to a wizard but the wizard is actually evil and like HERE'S A TWIST they team up because the guy realises evil is better and

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Submitted: October 19, 2012

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A Realistic Short Fiction Contest Is now over.

Journal Entry: Fri Oct 19, 2012, 6:53 PM

Realistic Short Fiction Competition ^{Results will be given out as promptly as possible. There will be a new journal for that announcement}

Definition: Realistic fiction, although untrue, could actually happen. Some events, people, and places may even be real.

The prompt/subject/theme is rust. Go crazy, be creative. Think broadly.

This is a prose contest. Please submit only one entry between 1,000, and 2,000 words.

The judges will be, `raspil, *The-Monoblos, and myself.

Prizes
1st. A six month premium membership to DeviantArt, along with 250

and a custom journal skin.
2nd. A three month premium membership to DeviantArt, along with 200

3rd. A one month premium membership to DeviantArt, along with 150

DEADLINE: December 8th 11:59 pm Greenwich Mean time.

Submitting process, please in your work of literature put the link to this journal in it. Then make a comment on this journal, with a link to your piece in it. All submissions will be put into a folder =Allysmurfy makes called Realistic Short Fiction Competition

39 Comments

A Realistic Short Fiction Contest Is now over.by =Allysmurfy

Journals / Personal

~Zippy-Zapmeister Dec 9, 2012

Damn, can I remove my entry?!

=Allysmurfy Dec 9, 2012 Writer

Um, why? You have a great chance of placing. There's six entries

~Zippy-Zapmeister Dec 10, 2012

Because my entry isn't about rust. I thought you used the term "rust" as in nothing, make up your own.

=Allysmurfy Dec 11, 2012 Writer

It was submitted. I'll go over it with the other judges.

~Zippy-Zapmeister Dec 12, 2012

Bloody hell...okay.

*doodlerTM Dec 8, 2012 Student Writer

Really really pushing-the-deadline entry: [link]

=Allysmurfy Dec 8, 2012 Writer

Yes, that was awfully close.

Congrats for getting it in.

~DamianDrazhar Dec 7, 2012

yo, I punched my keyboard for an hour. this is what happened -> [link]

=Allysmurfy Dec 8, 2012 Writer

Huzzah! I'll add it to the folder now.

*RubySmiley Dec 7, 2012 Hobbyist Digital Artist

[link]

DONE!

I hope I'm not too late.

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A Realistic Short Fiction Contest Is now over.

A Realistic Short Fiction Contest Is now over.by =Allysmurfy

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