Go *here* to see the winning entries
There are three rounds of competition. Therefore y ou must write three stories.
For Round 1 (Appetizer), you will write a story using NO MORE than 500 words.
For Round 2 (Entrée), you will write a story using NO LESS than 5000 words.
For Round 3 (Dessert), you will write a story using NO MORE than 2000 words.
The premise is simple:
Pick any day of the calendar year.
Yep, that's 365 big choices…366 if you use February 29th.
Now, write a holiday story for that day.
The catch: You can't use an established holiday.
The Challenge is to write a story giving at least one of your characters some kind of extraordinary super power(s).
The Challenge is to write a story giving at least one of your characters some kind of extraordinary super power(s).
Category 1 : Write a classic X&G story…
Category 2: Write an any character/fandom story (other than X&G)
The Challenge is to choose one of the 18 pitchers…I mean pictures…and write a story with the maximum word count being…either 100 words (SINGLE), 200 words (DOUBLE), 300 words (TRIPLE), 500 words (HOME RUN ) or 1000 words (GRAND SLAM ).
You may use any fandoms, uber or original characters. The choice is yours.
The catch?
None actually, this time.
<.pushes button on cyber tape recorder.>
Good Morning Agent Bard...
It's that time of year again. the organization know as The Royal Academy has issued a challenge to ALL writers. This time they are encouraging multifandom stories. MULTI-FANDOM.
Oh, the audacity...oh the humanity...oh what killer stories we will have to read.
<>ahem, yes<>
You mission, should you choose to accept it, is to infiltrate the Academy by participating in the challenge as a writer. You will communicate with headquarters with a series of code words that you must include in your story. Follow Da Roools and your survival is assured; break them and we disavow any knowledge of your mission. Good Luck.
Oh and we understand that EVIL J and OZ are also cooking up a PUNzle but we'll worry about that when it surfaces.
This cyber tape will not self-destruct...you'll have to delete it yourself. <.g.>
<.cue the Go-Gos.>
Vacation…all I ever wanted…Vacation…had to get away…Vacation…meant to spent alone.
EXCUSE ME? I don’t think so. <.g.>
The challenge is to write a vacation story. Heavenly vacation? Okay. Vacation from Hell? Sure, why not.
Oh and set your vacation story in any season you choose.
You can uber-ize it, Xena-tize it, Amazon-ize it or original-ize it. It’s up to you.
The catch? None this time.
The challenge is to choose one of the twenty pictures provided and write a story about it.
You can uber-ize it, Xena-tize it, Amazon-ize it or original-ize it.
It’s up to you.
The catch? You only have a thousand words.
The Challenge is to take one of the personal ads listed and write a story around it.
The catch?
The ad must appear (verbatim) at the start of your story (within the first page). What? Yep, that’s the whole catch. Easy, huh?
There is only one category of competition…Best story (voted upon by the public)
The Challenge is to take any of the 25 holiday classic television shows or motion pictures listed below and make it your own. You can uber-ize it, Xena-tize it, Amazon-ize it or original-ize it; It’s up to you.
The catch? You still must maintain the overall theme of the original.
Oh and notice that “A Christmas Carol” is not on the list. We weren’t going to make this that easy on you. <.g.>
Also be aware of these possible bonus opportunities:
There is only one category of competition this time: Best story (voted upon by the public)
The Christmas/Holiday Classics:
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The Challenge is to take a minimum of one of the fanfic singles or one of the fanfic pairings listed below and combine them with our favorite duo X&G in a story.
The catch? X&G must appear as themselves in the current time period and earthbound. You may make them immortal, make them reincarnations, time travelers or god help me…use the clone versions. How you get them into modern times is your choice. However, they must be the actual X&G we know and love with all their past memories intact, along with their canon physical descriptions and personalities. You know the drill: Tall dark and deadly with icy blue eyes and petite blonde and bardie with verdant green eyes.
The Challenge is to take a minimum of 24 words (one for each letter of the alphabet listed on the Roools™ page) and insert them into a story.
The catch? There isn't one. LOL
There are two categories of competition.
Your premise is this...put some favorite characters from the XWP Universe into a reality format show...either one that has already been on the air (Survivor, American Idol, The Apprentice, Big Brother, The Great Race, Surreal Life, So You Want To Be A Rock Star, Cops, etc.---there are tons of shows to choose from) or you may creatively "invent" your own reality show.
Why X & G?
Because everyone misses them. That's why. Plus, there are so many more intriguing opportunities available if you use them.
What???? Did I hear someone say they couldn't write classic X & G characters? Oh p'shaw. Sure you can. If I can...ANYONE can. Not that I call what I do...writing. But all right...if you must write Uber or original...then you will have to abide by a condition. If you write anything other than classic X & G Universe you must "create" your own reality format show. No using an established show.
The Challenge is to take a minimum of 20 names of popular candy products and insert them in your story. The CATCH: you cannot refer to them as candy.
The Challenge is to include as many food items into your story.
Too easy, right?
Well there are a few little technicalities you need to work around...
1) You can't use the food items in context as food.
For example...calling someone "bananas" as in "insane" is fine. Referring to the color of an item "banana yellow" is not.
Homonyms/Homophones are fine... IE: "stake" instead of "steak"..."plumb" instead of "plum"..."pair" instead of "pear."
2) You can't use the food items as proper names of your characters.
No naming your characters..."Candy" or "Olive" or "Chip" etc...get the idea?
3) You must include at least one item/reference from each of the 5 food groups.
DAIRY--VEGETABLE--MEAT--FRUIT--GRAIN
The Challenge is to take as many of the listed items and use them in a story.
There are two categories of competition.
Category 1: Most items Used (all entries submitted will be included in this category automatically–in case of a tie, random draw will determine the winner)
Category 2: Best Story Click here for more
The Challenge is to take a character on a journey from an assigned place to a specified destination. The destination: Orlandopolis, Greece.
The Challenge is to take a minimum of 10 of the 25 Holiday song titles listed in the Roools™ and insert them into a story. The CATCH: you cannot refer to them as titles.
There are two categories of competition.
Category 1: Best story (voted upon by the public)
Category 2: Most overall song titles used (highest count/verified by the
Academy Roools Committee) Click here
for more
The Challenge is to take one of the classic TV shows listed below and insert Xenaverse characters into the main character roles and then write a story, a script, a skit...something <.g.>
If you are a graphic artist...the challenge is to insert Xenaverse characters visually into (your choice of) the opening logo or a scene from the show.
The Royal Academy of Bards would like to announce that in conjunction with the MGBC...we will have, for a limited time, a special CafePress shop which will debut right after the conclusion of the contest. The proceeds from this shop will go to Pediatric Aids.
The Challenge is to work a list of items into a holiday themed submission. There are 5 lists of 20 items each associated with 5 different holidays. This is a hard one to explain in just a few sentences, go to the rules page and find out more!
♫ Summer lovin' had me a blast
Summer lovin' happened so fast
I met a warrior/doctor/cop/CEO/FBI Agent/lawyer/chef...crazy for me.
Met a bard/nurse/reporter/assistant/spy/paralegal/waitress...cute as can be. ♪
Summer days drifting away...
to oh oh the summer nights. ♪
Tell me more,
tell me more...
It's based on those suggestive, offbeat, irreverent (and cheese-filled <.g.>) postcard-type images that graced the covers of paperbacks from the thirties to the seventies (the golden age of the paperback publishing business).
For examples go here: PulpPostcards or The History of Lesbian Pulp Fiction
Write a Solstice/holiday (in the winter or Christmas/New Years-time frame) story any length/any style (prose/verse/play-gen/alt), which contains certain elements
or....
Design the Solstice/Holiday card (cover image) and write the inside sentiment that any character(s) in the Xenaverse (you choose) would send to her/his/their friends.
CONGRATULATIONS... You have just been awarded the dream job of the
television writing industry. You have been handpicked by the masses of fans
to write the series ender for a beloved syndicated show about a kickass Warrior
and her faithful Bard. You've been a fan of the show (and a renowned fanfic
writer) for years and have your own thoughts as to the characters and their
relationship. You come on board right after mid-season and know that they have
several scripts already in preproduction but can choose to pick up your story
(or story arc): 1) after MHR or WFC or SP and ignore FIN OR 2) extend the series
one episode beyond the storyline of FIN OR 3) rewrite the storyline of FIN OR
4) you can scrap any/all those episodes and do it all your way You know it's
gonna be a challenge...are you up to it? Do you go with your gut feelings ignoring
the masses or cave in to the wishes of rabid fans who want final answers and
resolution? Do you finally answer the "are they or aren't they" questions, graphically
and without any doubts or do you dance around it to the bitter end? Do you tie
up all the loose ends? Do you create new loose ends? Do you end it ambiguously
in hopes you get a shot at a movie somewhere down the line? You have been given
a blank check and complete creative control...will be it a raging epic action
storyline or a smaller heartfelt relationship storyline? Drama or comedy? You
are the boss.
To create an original fictional interviewer character. It may be any type of media (TV talk show/news or radio, etc.), however, no name or likeness of a known celebrity. The fiction may be of any length and be seriously dramatic or incredibly comedic. Present or past seasons are fair game but no extreme future time periods. It must be set during a reasonable lifetime of the characters being interviewed. Your subject(s) for the interview...Xena:Warrior Princess and/or Gabrielle:Battling Bard of Potedia. This challenge was based on the Xena:Warrior Princess episode, "You Are There."