Writing Contest for Winter 2006/2007

[ScottyDM]

I hope it's okay I started a new thread. Each season is a bit different and the old thread was getting a bit long in the tooth.


The winter contest is off and running!

I'm doing something a bit different this season and I promise not to do this sort of thing to you too often. This season we have our required theme, but we also have a suggested plot. The two fit together like a hand in a glove, and I'm sure you'll find examples from literature and the movies where they've used the same plot and theme as this season's contest.

Without any further ado, I present the theme for winter 2006/2007:

Transformation

I'm thinking this will be fun!

On the main contest page I have a section titled Sample Story, but no links as of yet. I have my own sample story almost ready, but it needs work. I should have it posted shortly after Christmas.

I also have a basic outline of The Little Mermaid, by Hans Christian Anderson. I wanted to post the text of the original story (not the Disney version) as translated by J. Hersholt, but I ran out of time. Both the original and Disney versions of the story illustrate the plot. Disney changed the resolution, but the basic plot remains. I'll have the text up on Monday.

Beauty and the Beast is similar, but the transformation takes place as part of the resolution and not the turning point.

Scotty

[ScottyDM]

Instead of waiting for things to happen, let's discuss stuff.

If you're thinking of the contest at all, you've probably discovered I have an optional plot for you to follow which will boost your total score by 10% if you use it. So let's talk about some plot ideas.


First of all, I'm looking for a story, not a writing sample or a scene. But what is a story? Well, it has a beginning, middle, and end, but what makes a story satisfying? A story contains a character with problem, and the story is the character's attempt to solve the problem and the result of that attempt. The genre of the story is closely related. The genre (sci-fi, romance, self-discovery, horror, etc.) depends on the nature of the problem and/or the method used to attempt to solve the problem.

There are several plot structures, but for a short story we need to keep it simple. So for my suggested plot there are three parts:

1. Setup: This is where the reader discovers who the characters are and the nature of the problem. We should also discover how the main character feels about the problem and how important it is to him or her to solve it. That is, what price are they willing to pay?
2. Turning Point: This is where the reader gets to watch the character attempt to solve the problem.
3. Resolution: This is where the reader discovers the result of the character's attempt to solve the problem.

That is really, really basic (for a simple story) and we can go in all kinds of directions with this.


For my suggested plot I add a few restrictions. Since the theme is transformation (and it's required) I've decided to put transformation in the Turning Point phase. That is, the main character will attempt transformation as a solution to the problem. To further restrict the plot the main character will attempt the transformation on him or herself. That means the problem can't be an annoying neighbor and the turning point will be that the main character transforms him into a worm.

This begins to suggest possibilities for the Setup phase. My first thought was to have two characters, A and B (where A is the main character). A is in love with B, but A is frustrated by the fact they are different species.

Some people whined that this was too restrictive and I agreed, so I opened it up a bit. Rather than different species there is some reason (different species being the most obvious) why they are physically incompatible. Love, like, or a political alliance there must be some reason why A wishes to erase the physical incompatibility to join with B. How B feels about all of this is completely up to the author.

So as the Turning Point, A effects a transformation to become compatible with B. Hopefully A has paid some price for the transformation, it shouldn't be cheap or easy. I also want to see the transformation--but I think I won't get any complaints on that point from this crowd.

Finally, the resolution can be anything. How does B react to the new A? Did the transformation go as planned or did something go hideously awry?


The idea for my original sample story...

The Setup is that A is an anthro-cheetah girl and B is her human master. The law of the land forbids a relationship with very severe consequences and the master treats her well, but is emotionally distant. What she and the readers don't realize is that he is as deeply in love with her as she is with him.

In the Turning Point she realizes the answer is to give up her physical power and fantastic speed to become a human woman. She confronts Santa Claus on Christmas Eve and offers her power to run in trade for the transformation. Because Santa can use her power to give several lame human children Christmas miracles, he agrees.

In the Resolution we discover the result of her midnight adventure and how that impacts her master's plans. This is where the reader discovers how he feels about her.


While thinking about this plot structure I realized that The Little Mermaid fits perfectly--both the original version and the Disneyfied version.


Then I was thinking about another transformation fairytale: Beauty and the Beast

Beauty and the Beast does not quite fit the plot. In the Turning Point the Beast allows Beauty to go home to visit with her sick father, but tells her she must return by a certain date or he will die without her. She tells her family this and they attempt to keep her from leaving, but she escapes at the last moment and runs back to her Beast. She finds him in his garden, dying. The Resolution is that she falls on him, crying and kissing him because she doesn't want him to die. Then she confesses her love for the Beast. Her kisses and confession break the enchantment. The Beast is transformed back into a handsome prince (who recovers and doesn't die). They get married and live happily ever after.

I came up with an idea to "fracture" this fairytale and make it fit the plot.
Let's make Beauty A and Beast B. Through her captivity she comes to love him. He allows her to leave and rather than her family pulling some stunt, she heads back to her Beast with plenty of time to get there, but she's a confused girl.

The Turning Point comes when she's on the way back and spends the night with a friendly witch. She tells the witch of her love for her Beast and how she feels they cannot be truly together as long as they are different species. So the witch brews a potion that Beauty must drink on the night of the next full moon to transform herself into a hideous beast. She returns home (the Beast's home) and on the night of the full moon and confessing her love to her Beast she drinks the potion. Tusks and a tail sprout, her body twists, her nose and face are transformed, and she becomes like her beloved.

In the Resolution a transformed Beauty flies into the arms of her Beast and smothers him with bristly kisses.... Then he too starts to transform--into a handsome prince! Will they live happily ever after? Maybe... depends on the other details.


I'd thought of a way to twist this plot into a gender transform too

In Setup A and B are roommates. Let's make A a lesbian and B a gay guy. Best friends, they console each other as they both go through a series of failed relationships. Then A gets this idea that if she were a guy, she and her roommate B could become gay lovers and all would be well with the world. Heck, they're already best friends, what could go wrong?

In Turing Point she manages to pull this off and becomes a man.

In Resolution how will B react to this? And what if our gay female becomes a straight man? That is, what if she's still attracted to women?

Of course one problem with a gender transformation is you can write a perfectly wonderful story and stick to an all human cast. The contest is an anthrofiction contest, so that story would be disqualified. However if one took the effort to write anthos into the parts it would be a good entry.


I've outlined a story using two heterosexual male anthro-wolves who are roommates. A sort of Hokey Wolf and Ding-a-Ling. But I also dip deeply into real wolf physiology and behaviors. This story I will play for laughs.


Writing a story for the contest or not, do you have any ideas that would fit this plot outline?

Scotty

[ScottyDM]

Only 16 hours to go until the entry deadline!

I have two very nice entries and both fit the plot: The Magic of Music and The Festival. I know there is at least one other story out there.

If you've been working on a story, get cracking! If you just want to read some transformation (and both stories are pretty good) then stick around because Sunday these (and other) stories will be available for your pleasure.

Scotty

[ScottyDM]

There is about one hour left until the entry deadline.

Three more entries! Furvert, The Legend of Tal-niene, and A Little Slice For Desire.


All five stories feature physical transformation using: advanced science, magic, witchcraft, godly intervention, and surgery.


All stories are anthrofiction with the possible exception of one, which features the transformation of a human into an object. However, since the object seems to be aware, and the other character treats it as if it were, and the object contains the spirit of the human--I'm going to allow it.


The plot is a bit more difficult for two of the stories. Maybe you can help me decide. This is the suggested plot structure:

First, the Plot

Three basic parts: the setup, the turning point, and the resolution.

The setup: Start with two main characters, let’s call them A and B. A loves or desires B, but there must be some physical reason why A thinks the relationship cannot work: they could be different species, races, or lifeforms; perhaps the only problem is they are sexually incompatible; or A might have some deformity. How B feels about A is up to the author.

The turning point: A attempts to use physical transformation on himself or herself to erase the incompatibility that keeps A and B apart. Some ideas the author can explore: What price does A pay for this transformation? What is the form of the transformation or how does it happen?

The resolution: How does B react to A’s transformation? Is it a disaster or do they live happily ever after, or is your resolution something in between?

That’s it. Easy. A basic plot involving transformation.

In the first difficult story character B isn't a character at all, but an object of desire. Character A goes through a partial transformation to better accommodate this object. I hadn't thought of the possibility that B could be an object (and of course B doesn't go through the transformation). Everything else fits. So: yea, nay, or maybe?

In the second difficult story character A seems to go through two transformations: one at the turning point that isn't obvious and not fully revealed until the resolution, and a second an obvious physical transformation during the resolution. The plot calls for a transformation as the turning point, which this has... maybe. After the turning point character A completes a task that could only be completed by someone of supernatural ability (the granting of this ability might be considered the first transformation). Is a visitation by a god and the granting of supernatural ability, transformation enough to count as fulfilling the plot? So: yea, nay, or maybe?

I will consider your answers before I make my determination.

Thanks!

Scotty

[ScottyDM]

The Stories are Ready

And we have six strong stories this season. I've decided to give each of the stories a 5 for plot. Although some may not be obvious and some may have been a bit creative, all use the suggested plot elements in the correct order.

We have three new authors; one author returning from when the contest was the WatchingStone AnthroStory Contest, managed by Nadan; and two of our regulars. All have done quite well and this should be a close competition.

The Stories

• The Festival
• The Magic of Music
• Furvert
• The Legend of Tal-niene
• A Little Slice For Desire
• Love's Discretion

Authors, look over your stories and make sure everything looks right. If need be I can change things, but only during the first 24 hours.

Everyone, tell your friends about the contest. The more we have reading and judging the stories, the better for all. The deadline for filling in your ballots is March 10th, one second to midnight, GMT.

The website's homepage is www.anthrofiction.net.

Thanks again.

Scotty

[ScottyDM]

RESULTS!

Finally, the website is working... pretty much. I don't have next quarter's contest up yet... tomorrow.

Details and comments on each story's page.

The Winner with a score of 4.38
Love’s Discretion by Kada

Second place with a score of 4.19
A Little Slice For Desire by Dr. Kayngi

Third with a score of 4.01
The Festival by Vaperfox

With a score of 3.92
The Magic of Music by Tygon Panthera

With a score of 3.90
Furvert by Rabbit

With a score of 3.86
The Legend of Tal-niene by Red Vixen

Congratulations to Kada for the winning story. But also, congratulations to all the authors. These scores are the highest as a group for this past year, and I believe the spread is the narrowest. Every story got at least one five in every category.

We had a bigger turnout of stories and a bigger turnout of ballots than before. Be sure to thank your readers and I'll get your e-mails out soon.

Scotty