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.

What?

That doesn't sound like much of a challenge, you say...

Boring, you say…

You're absolutely right.

So just to make it a little more interesting...

we assigned each list to a different holiday.

For example:

the list of Halloween items must be worked into the context of a Christmas based story...the Thanksgiving list of items into a Valentines Day based story...the Christmas list of items into an Easter based story...The Valentines list of items goes into a Halloween story...the Easter list is used for a Thanksgiving story.

HEH! SO THERE!

In the Graphics category...the challenge is to design a greeting card for the holiday, while working as many of the elements off the specified list into it.

Each entry must contain a minimum of 10 items off the list.

Please underline the list words used in your story.

***BONUS OPPORTUNITY #1***

receive a 1/2 vote bonus per each item included

above the minimum required 10

AND receive an additional 5 votes bonus for using the entire list of items

(possible total bonus of 10 votes)

The ROOOLS....

okay, every time I list these someone comes up with a valid loophole...the first one that finds one this time and sends me an e-mail at (WarriorNutcase@aol.com) gets a BardCon2003 T-Shirt of their choice.

**Deadline for entries is December 14th at midnight....

WE decide which time zone <g>**

ROOOL #1a: A participant may enter both categories, if they wish.

The writing category entries will be posted anonymously.

ROOOL #1b: A writing category participant may submit up to 5 stories.

One per holiday list.

ROOOL #1c: A participant may use original, uber or Xenaverse characters…the choice is yours.

But please do not use previously established characters that can be readily

identified as yours. (See ROOOL #1a)

***BONUS OPPORTUNITY #2***

Use Amazon characters and receive a 5 vote bonus

ROOOL #1d: Please keep the length of the story entry to 50 pages or less.

ROOOL #2a: Please do not reveal your participation to anyone who has the potential for being a voter…the only exception being…

ROOOL #2b: You may use a beta reader, but please keep the number of beta readers to a reasonable limit…anything more than three will be considered a violation of…

ROOOL #3: Please do not post any of your entries on any other sites or lists (private or public) until the end of the contest.

ROOOL #4: Please do not stuff the ballot box...we at the Academy have gotten very good at identifying this behavior. We won't publicly embarrass you but we will quietly eliminate you from the contest.

ROOOL #5a: If you are entering the graphics category, please sign your work. These will not be posted anonymously. Many artists have a particular style, which will be quite evident <.shrug.> so we won't bother with anonymous posting. Also please keep your entries to under 125K.

ROOOL #5b: A graphics category participant may submit up to 5 cards.

One per holiday list.

ROOOL #7: Voting rules will still be the same, even though the graphics category is not anonymous, so please do not lobby for votes on any other lists (private or public).

The Academy folks are everywhere and know everything…we will find out.

ROOOL #8: Please do not post your graphics entry on any other site until after the contest is over.

The "Roools Committee":

Steph (Ms Mighty Munchkin),

Cadryn, Ruth, and I, the great OZ™

reserve the final say on everything and anything concerning this challenge.

It's our sandbox <.Nyah.>

The top vote-getter in each category will receive a LL or ROC signed pic and a BardCon2003 (OBC or Lucia graphic) t-shirt or mug of their choice. The top runner up (next highest in total votes) will receive a BardCon2003 (OBC or Lucia graphic) t-shirt or mug of their choice.

Sooooooo…

Are you up to the challenge?

Entries go to: academy_contest@yahoogroups.com

Must be received by December 14^th

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