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'Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house, not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse…
yadda yadda yadda…
The children were nestled all snug in their beds,
while visions of sugarplums danced in their heads.
Sugarplums?
SUGARPLUMS?
What in tarnation are sugarplums?
I WANT CANDY!
The Royal Academy of Bards
is proud to present
Bard Challenge #14: The 2005 Winter Solstice Challenge
I WANT CANDY!!!!
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.
There are two categories of competition.
Category 1: Best story (voted upon by the public)
Category 2: Most overall candy names crammed into your story (highest count/verified by the Academy Roools Committee)
ROOOL #1a: ALL entries must contain a minimum of 20 candy products. Just to be nice, it is Solstice afterall, I’ll give you a sample list. Use some of these or don’t use any of these…..it’s entirely up to you. There are lots of candy names out there to choose from. I am just getting your sugar train on the right track here <.g.>…
The Sample List:
1. Kiss or Kisses
2. Hugs
3. Snickers
4. Chuckles
5. Treasures
6. Skittles
7. Mounds
8. Butterfinger
9. 100 Grand
10. Crunch
11. Symphony
12. M&M
13. KitKat
14. Fast Break
15. Nerds
16. Runts
17. Chunky
18. 5th Avenue
19. Goobers
20. Milky Way
21. Starburst
22. Lifesaver
23. PayDay
24. Zero
25. Sugar Daddy
ROOOL #1b: You may insert any candy name you can think of in your story. The more the merrier. However, they cannot be used as or referred to as candy. Also, please do not name your characters after candybars. EHHHHH...nice try. ;o) The candy names must be used in normal conversation. The highest overall count wins CATEGORY 2. All stories entered are eligible to compete in CATEGORY 2. If there is a tie, random draw will determine the winner of Category 2.
ROOOL #2a: Participants are limited to only one entry. Please UNDERLINE all candy names used.
ROOOL #2b: Entries can be classic X&G, Uber or original…thy choice is yours. However, X&G or stories containing Amazons get a few extra head start points.
Why? Cuz I am the Great OZ™ and I said so.
I miss the girls, okay?
OH yeah, and the story doesn’t have to be a holiday/solstice story but, c’mon….’tis the season, y’know?
ROOOL #3a: The writing entries in the competing category (CATEGORY 1) will be posted anonymously. These stories are also eligible for the CATEGORY 2 prize.
ROOOL #3b: If you choose to participate but not compete in the voting category (CATEGORY 1), your entry will be posted with your identification on it. Since it is not anonymous, you are allowed to use any characters that belong to you. Your entry will only be eligible for the overall candy name usage prize (CATEGORY 2-winner determined by actual highest count as verified by Munchkins). Please indicate on your entry whether or not you are competing.
ROOOL #4: Story length is a maximum of 25 pages, normal margins and minimum of 11 font. (I promised Steph)
ROOOL #5a: If you are competing in Category 1, please do not reveal your participation to anyone who has the potential for being a voter…the only exception being…
ROOOL #5b: 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 #5c: Posting any of your entries on any other sites or lists (private or public) before the end of the contest is a BIG NO NO.
We ask that entrants who are only participating in CATEGORY 2 also voluntarily obey this roool for the duration of the contest.
ROOOL #6: There is no number six.
ROOOL #7: Please do not stuff the ballot box or lobby for votes...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.
The Academy folks are everywhere and know everything…we will find out.
ROOOL #8a:
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.>
ROOOL #8b:
The entries become the property of the Academy and will live forever on the contest page. They become ours…Ours…OURS! Got it? Good.
Do not ask that they be taken down. If you want your contact info removed, we can do that…but the story entry stays. Don't like this Roool…don't enter.
Your submitted entry means that you understand the Academy's position and agree to abide by it.
This in no way means we are claiming your characters or rights to your story. They are yours. We are just refusing to remove it from the Academy.
WHY?
Steph really, really, really hates putting up those "removed from the web" messages on the Challenge pages.
And if da Boss ain't happy, ain't nobody happy. Got it? <.g.>
ROOOL #8c:
Please turn in your best copy of your story. In past challenges, as a courtesy, we have allowed revisions so long as they were sent before the deadline. But please don’t expect these overachieving Munchkins to recode your story 10 times. They will greatly appreciate that gesture.
DEADLINE FOR ENTRIES IS DECEMBER 17TH…Send it to: academy_contest@yahoogroups.com
I will acknowledge receipt of it within 24 hours, if I do not…please send it again to or contact me at PHIL728@aol.com
Winners (top in each category, plus an honorable mention each category) get some nifty prizes (including personalized tile boxes). Top in each category will also receive their choice of a B&N, Amazon or (in keeping with the theme) Godiva Gift Certificate.
GOOD LUCK.