Welcome to the first round of my contest! This competition will follow an almost-traditional tournament-style bracket with 4 rounds. In this round, nine writers will be eliminated. The general rules are as follows:

1. Entries are due on 1 January, 2019. No late entries will be accepted*, however if all contestants submit their entries early, judging and the next round will begin early.
   
2. Entries must be exclusively yours. No collaboration is allowed.
   
3. Whether you advance to the next round of competition is determined solely by the judges. The amount of diamonds or favorites on your submission will not count toward your chance of moving on.
   
4. This round requires the submission of a short story of 500-5,000 words in prose. Please leave a word count somewhere on your submission. Link your submission in the comments of this post.
   
5. Only the text of your story will be judged. Any visuals you use will not be judged, though they will be appreciated.
   
6. All submissions must be linked in a comment on this forum post before the deadline.
   

The challenge for the first round is “Everyday”. We always tell stories about the extraordinary, the fantastical, glorious tales of a famous hero who leads a life of constant adventure and excitement. But what about the rest of us? Those who stay at home, living the quiet life, spending time with friends or family or just alone. We, too, deserve to have our stories told.

For this challenge, tell a story of a regular day in the life of an unexceptional character. What does she or he do every day? Consider how you might beautify daily routine—this is not a particularly action-packed prompt, so focus on descriptions and emotions. How you might make art out of the mundane?


The writers of this first bracket (in no particular order) are:

Xaphanx
ieryana
DinowCookie
Inspiring
SmolFairy
TheSilentWind
TheDarkOracle
JaiiDann
DarthSpookoden
Totocchio
Yelloe
CrazyChicken1
Ivain
Zatharel
lilyaa
Peridot XJ9
ChocolateGhast


This season will be judged by myself, CaelChan, and Artsy_Lady. The breakdown of the judging is as follows:

Originality – Make your stories new and interesting! I want to see you think outside the box, present plots in unexpected ways, write something I’ve not read before.

Quality – Write well and present clearly. Proofread your entries!

Cohesion – Organize your thoughts and finish your stories. Make sure that your story is a complete package as-is, without the need for “Part 2” or other accessories.

Let me know if you would like my in-depth feedback of your work and I will PM my thoughts to you. However, keep in mind that my writing is not perfect and I judge from my perspective as a reader and writer.

If you missed the entry for this contest and would like to participate in a future one, let me know and I’ll be sure to contact you when the next one happens.

Good luck writers!

*If you need more time than is currently allowed, contact me and suggest a new end date. A majority of the writers in the competition must agree to your extension in order for it to be valid.