Ceramic DM Winter 07 (Final Judgment Posted)
- Thread starter yangnome
- Start date
questing gm
First Post
tadk said:
That makes two of us then....go easy on the rookie, i haven't written anything for awhile (and certainly without a bizarre collection of pictures as my guide).
Best of luck to both of us then...
and whoever this 'lady death' is...i pray that her pictures would not smite me...
Last edited:
yangnome
First Post
An interesting thought came to me while laying in bed this morning also—ok, I wasn’t in bed, I was in the shower getting ready for work…I just wanted to copy everyone else. A number of CDM contestants make a showing at GenCon and I’ve been trying to think how we could have some in person CDM-style event given the time restrictions and such. I think it’d be cool to see each other in person and also make use of the creativity we bring to stories. Still, no one wants to waste three of their four days at the con writing a story—and that would only take care of one round.
So I was massaging shampoo into my hair when the idea hit me. What if we wrote our stories in the week preceding the con and had a get together at the con to read them-- a one round free-for-all with everyone writing on the same group of pictures.
But how would the stories be judged?
Everyone would be a judge. We would choose a time and place for live readings. Everyone would cast votes ranking stories in order of their preference and providing feedback on picture use and such. The contestants would all participate in the judging process.
But how would we get pictures if the contestants are the judges?
Depending on the number of people that sign up for the event, we have a few options.
1. Each contestant submits one picture to a common thread prior to the start of the event (assign a certain time window for posting the pics). Contestants have to use all the pictures in their story. Upside, no one has the great advantage of seeing all the pics first, or arranging the pic line-up. Downside: if too many people compete we have too many pics to make a cohesive story.
2. Contestants are randomly selected to provide a picture each. This is the solution if there are too many contestants to allow everyone to pick.
3. One person picks the pictures, but doesn’t compete.
Anyone interested in doing this? Sure ,it is only a one round deal, but it could be fun.
I wouldn’t imagine it taking more than an hour or two to get together, read the stories and make a decision.
Any thoughts?
So I was massaging shampoo into my hair when the idea hit me. What if we wrote our stories in the week preceding the con and had a get together at the con to read them-- a one round free-for-all with everyone writing on the same group of pictures.
But how would the stories be judged?
Everyone would be a judge. We would choose a time and place for live readings. Everyone would cast votes ranking stories in order of their preference and providing feedback on picture use and such. The contestants would all participate in the judging process.
But how would we get pictures if the contestants are the judges?
Depending on the number of people that sign up for the event, we have a few options.
1. Each contestant submits one picture to a common thread prior to the start of the event (assign a certain time window for posting the pics). Contestants have to use all the pictures in their story. Upside, no one has the great advantage of seeing all the pics first, or arranging the pic line-up. Downside: if too many people compete we have too many pics to make a cohesive story.
2. Contestants are randomly selected to provide a picture each. This is the solution if there are too many contestants to allow everyone to pick.
3. One person picks the pictures, but doesn’t compete.
Anyone interested in doing this? Sure ,it is only a one round deal, but it could be fun.
I wouldn’t imagine it taking more than an hour or two to get together, read the stories and make a decision.
Any thoughts?
WhimsyTheFae
Explorer
First, I will have to think about your idea, but it does intrigue me. As a n00blet, I'll have to ponder it a bit (and see how I do during my first go at this) before committing to another time.
Second, is there a minimum wordcount? I am preparing to post it and it clocks in at only 1390-ish words, according to Microsoft Word. I can fluff it up a bit, if necessary, but I wanted to keep the story moving and kept it short.
Third, do I just post it in this thread when I am ready? My n00bness is showing.
Second, is there a minimum wordcount? I am preparing to post it and it clocks in at only 1390-ish words, according to Microsoft Word. I can fluff it up a bit, if necessary, but I wanted to keep the story moving and kept it short.
Third, do I just post it in this thread when I am ready? My n00bness is showing.
yangnome
First Post
1) There is a minimum word count. You need to use the right amount of words to tell the story you are writing. it would also be a good idea to make certain you use all the (correct) pictures for your round 
(hey, its happened). So your word count is fine if you've told the story you want to tell--we've had short stories and long stories.
2) You post it to this thread. Once you post it, you cannot edit it, so make certain you upload the correct version. Also, make certain you reference where the pictures belong in this story. This can be done with hyperlinks or with footnotes. If you have questions about this, look at some of the competitions linked in this thread
(hey, its happened). So your word count is fine if you've told the story you want to tell--we've had short stories and long stories.2) You post it to this thread. Once you post it, you cannot edit it, so make certain you upload the correct version. Also, make certain you reference where the pictures belong in this story. This can be done with hyperlinks or with footnotes. If you have questions about this, look at some of the competitions linked in this thread
WhimsyTheFae
Explorer
Round 1 Match 3 (Friday): Berandor vs. Gabriel
--------------------
Day of the Goatsees
by Gabriel
“I can’t believe that we’re going to make it. We’re going to get out of the city alive.”
Smitty looked back at me, putting his finger to his lips, “Keep it down, man, or you’re going to get us all killed.”
He was right, but then again, he had been right since I met him today. Smitty was the smart one amongst us, the guy with the level head, the natural leader and the reason we were still alive.
“So, how did you make it this far?” Nora whispered.
Nora was the most recent addition to our group, and living on the outskirts of the city, she hadn’t gone through what we had. We found her in a park, playing an accordion, of all things. The look of uncertain fear on her face, as she played for the young goatman, was not concealed very well behind her forced smile [1_3_3]. Smitty made short work of the invader, and Nora gladly joined our small group, thankful to be rescued. After saving Nora, we had made our way to a convenience store at the edge of the city and were hiding behind a dumpster.
Smitty motioned for us to move and soon we were dashing from behind the dumpster toward the tree line and freedom. It looked like the five of us were actually going to make it out of the city, yet I was still nervous. I’ve seen what they were willing to do…it wasn’t pretty.
Stopping behind some bushes to catch our breath, I turned to Nora and in hushed words, began the tale of this morning’s events, “Well, I was at work, like most mornings. I work for LAM Studios, writing jokes for their comedy program – Lost Won Liners. Day after day, rolling out bad jokes, but I suppose it’s better than flipping burgers.”
Todd, who worked at Burgermeister Burgers, shot me a dirty look. I guess I should have used a different comparison.
“I love that show,” Nora quipped, breaking the tension.
“Anyway, I was cranking away at the typewriter when the doors burst open. Thinking quickly, I dove to the side of my desk, while my co-worker just pointed at the intruders and yelled, ‘You can’t be in here! Security!’ [1_3_1]. Those were Peter’s final words. I barely had the time to glance back as a shape hurtled past my desk and delivered a devastating head-butt to Peter’s skull, crushing it and killing him. I scampered on all fours as fast as I could and slipped out the side door. Luck was with me this morning, as the goatman’s hooves couldn’t gain any traction on the linoleum floor.”
Smitty motioned for silence and I looked to him to see if he was ready to move, but he shook his head from side to side and pointed between the trees. A couple hundred feet away, three of the horned intruders were moving through the woods. They were obviously looking for anyone who was trying to escape…like us.
As the goatmen moved out of sight, Smitty whispered, “We’ll wait a few more minutes and then move.”
Picking up where I left off, “Where was I? Oh yeah, having made it out of the room, I locked the door and ran down the hall toward the front lobby, oblivious to the fact that there would probably be more goatmen there. Since I was in a side hall, instead of the main hall, I lucked out and didn't run across any on my way.”
I looked over at the fifth member of our group, Shani, LAM Studio’s receptionist. The expression on her face grew ashen as I neared her part in this story. She had not said a word since we left the studio, which made it easy to forget that she was with us, but I knew that she was hiding something.
I continued my story, “Just before I got to the lobby, I heard a gasp off to my right, behind a supply closet door. I tried to open the door, but someone was holding it shut from the other side. I could hear the sound of hooves approaching, so I whispered through the door, ‘It’s me, Jack, let me in.’ Well, she hesitated for a moment, but eventually the door opened, revealing Shani.”
Shani looked a bit embarrassed at that part, but managed a tiny smile. Perhaps she would make it, after all.
“We hid in the closet for what seemed like an eternity. Finally, I decided that we had to go, so we crept out of the closet and moved back down the hall toward one of the side doors. As we reached the door, we heard the sounds of whistles blowing, screaming, fighting and breaking glass coming from outside. Looking out the window, we saw that the local constabulary was engaging the strange invaders on the streets.”
“Okay, let’s go,” Smitty commanded and we were off again.
The five of us ran into the woods and left the sounds of the goatman incursion behind us. You could feel the relief in the air, as we realized we were going to make it. We ran a short distance before stopping again to rest.
Through labored breathing, I turned back to Nora and resumed the story; “The scene on the streets was absolute chaos. I started to have second thoughts about whether or not I should leave the building, but Shani pushed the doors open and ran out into the mayhem.”
“Well, this is where we met Smitty,” I looked toward our bald leader, but he looked away, obviously his modesty did not allow him take too much pride in his heroics. "He was one of the riot squad, fighting the goatmen on the streets and trying to protect the city’s population. The stern look on his face, along with the panicked mass of officers behind him, told me that the riot squad was not winning the battle [1_3_2]. As his companions fell to the invaders and broke rank to save their lives, Smitty motioned to me to follow him as he grabbed Shani and pushed his way through the battle. You should have seen him, swinging his baton in front of him and kicking goatmen out of the way.”
Smitty looked back, “I abandoned my men to save the two of you, it wasn’t heroism, it was desperation.”
I nodded solemnly, but chose not to argue with him; “Well, the riot squad was already scattered and the battle appeared to be lost, so I was very thankful that he chose to save us.”
Smitty stood up and prepared to move again, “I would like to get a few miles between us and the city before we stop for the night.”
As we walked through the forest, I kept talking, “Smitty led us down the back alleys and side streets in order to avoid the strange attackers. We had gone about ten blocks when we ran into Todd…literally.”
Todd shot me another look, but this time it was apologetic in nature. I smiled back my forgiveness.
“I heard the humming sound of a motor and turned to see him speeding down the street on a scooter, with a giant fan strapped to his back [1_3_4]. Unfortunately, he was distracted by Shani and did not notice me. Needless to say, my suit was ruined in the resulting collision, but it protected me from getting all scraped up. As you can see by the scrapes and cuts on Todd, his shorts and tee-shirt didn’t offer the same protection.”
Nora gasped and then giggled, “Here I thought that you guys were beat up fighting the goatmen.”
“Alas, no. Only Smitty actually engaged the goatmen in combat. After brushing ourselves off and making quick introductions, we continued our journey out of the city, which brings us to meeting you in the park.”
Nora smiled, “I am just glad that young goatman was a fan of accordion music. Who would have thought that learning to play the instrument would save my life? It’s too bad we had to leave it behind, but I suppose that it would have been too loud to bring along.”
A sudden scream of pain interrupted our conversation. We turned to see Shani sprawled on the ground, having tripped over some roots and lost her shoe. It was then that we noticed her cloven foot…
--------------------
Day of the Goatsees
by Gabriel
“I can’t believe that we’re going to make it. We’re going to get out of the city alive.”
Smitty looked back at me, putting his finger to his lips, “Keep it down, man, or you’re going to get us all killed.”
He was right, but then again, he had been right since I met him today. Smitty was the smart one amongst us, the guy with the level head, the natural leader and the reason we were still alive.
“So, how did you make it this far?” Nora whispered.
Nora was the most recent addition to our group, and living on the outskirts of the city, she hadn’t gone through what we had. We found her in a park, playing an accordion, of all things. The look of uncertain fear on her face, as she played for the young goatman, was not concealed very well behind her forced smile [1_3_3]. Smitty made short work of the invader, and Nora gladly joined our small group, thankful to be rescued. After saving Nora, we had made our way to a convenience store at the edge of the city and were hiding behind a dumpster.
Smitty motioned for us to move and soon we were dashing from behind the dumpster toward the tree line and freedom. It looked like the five of us were actually going to make it out of the city, yet I was still nervous. I’ve seen what they were willing to do…it wasn’t pretty.
Stopping behind some bushes to catch our breath, I turned to Nora and in hushed words, began the tale of this morning’s events, “Well, I was at work, like most mornings. I work for LAM Studios, writing jokes for their comedy program – Lost Won Liners. Day after day, rolling out bad jokes, but I suppose it’s better than flipping burgers.”
Todd, who worked at Burgermeister Burgers, shot me a dirty look. I guess I should have used a different comparison.
“I love that show,” Nora quipped, breaking the tension.
“Anyway, I was cranking away at the typewriter when the doors burst open. Thinking quickly, I dove to the side of my desk, while my co-worker just pointed at the intruders and yelled, ‘You can’t be in here! Security!’ [1_3_1]. Those were Peter’s final words. I barely had the time to glance back as a shape hurtled past my desk and delivered a devastating head-butt to Peter’s skull, crushing it and killing him. I scampered on all fours as fast as I could and slipped out the side door. Luck was with me this morning, as the goatman’s hooves couldn’t gain any traction on the linoleum floor.”
Smitty motioned for silence and I looked to him to see if he was ready to move, but he shook his head from side to side and pointed between the trees. A couple hundred feet away, three of the horned intruders were moving through the woods. They were obviously looking for anyone who was trying to escape…like us.
As the goatmen moved out of sight, Smitty whispered, “We’ll wait a few more minutes and then move.”
Picking up where I left off, “Where was I? Oh yeah, having made it out of the room, I locked the door and ran down the hall toward the front lobby, oblivious to the fact that there would probably be more goatmen there. Since I was in a side hall, instead of the main hall, I lucked out and didn't run across any on my way.”
I looked over at the fifth member of our group, Shani, LAM Studio’s receptionist. The expression on her face grew ashen as I neared her part in this story. She had not said a word since we left the studio, which made it easy to forget that she was with us, but I knew that she was hiding something.
I continued my story, “Just before I got to the lobby, I heard a gasp off to my right, behind a supply closet door. I tried to open the door, but someone was holding it shut from the other side. I could hear the sound of hooves approaching, so I whispered through the door, ‘It’s me, Jack, let me in.’ Well, she hesitated for a moment, but eventually the door opened, revealing Shani.”
Shani looked a bit embarrassed at that part, but managed a tiny smile. Perhaps she would make it, after all.
“We hid in the closet for what seemed like an eternity. Finally, I decided that we had to go, so we crept out of the closet and moved back down the hall toward one of the side doors. As we reached the door, we heard the sounds of whistles blowing, screaming, fighting and breaking glass coming from outside. Looking out the window, we saw that the local constabulary was engaging the strange invaders on the streets.”
“Okay, let’s go,” Smitty commanded and we were off again.
The five of us ran into the woods and left the sounds of the goatman incursion behind us. You could feel the relief in the air, as we realized we were going to make it. We ran a short distance before stopping again to rest.
Through labored breathing, I turned back to Nora and resumed the story; “The scene on the streets was absolute chaos. I started to have second thoughts about whether or not I should leave the building, but Shani pushed the doors open and ran out into the mayhem.”
“Well, this is where we met Smitty,” I looked toward our bald leader, but he looked away, obviously his modesty did not allow him take too much pride in his heroics. "He was one of the riot squad, fighting the goatmen on the streets and trying to protect the city’s population. The stern look on his face, along with the panicked mass of officers behind him, told me that the riot squad was not winning the battle [1_3_2]. As his companions fell to the invaders and broke rank to save their lives, Smitty motioned to me to follow him as he grabbed Shani and pushed his way through the battle. You should have seen him, swinging his baton in front of him and kicking goatmen out of the way.”
Smitty looked back, “I abandoned my men to save the two of you, it wasn’t heroism, it was desperation.”
I nodded solemnly, but chose not to argue with him; “Well, the riot squad was already scattered and the battle appeared to be lost, so I was very thankful that he chose to save us.”
Smitty stood up and prepared to move again, “I would like to get a few miles between us and the city before we stop for the night.”
As we walked through the forest, I kept talking, “Smitty led us down the back alleys and side streets in order to avoid the strange attackers. We had gone about ten blocks when we ran into Todd…literally.”
Todd shot me another look, but this time it was apologetic in nature. I smiled back my forgiveness.
“I heard the humming sound of a motor and turned to see him speeding down the street on a scooter, with a giant fan strapped to his back [1_3_4]. Unfortunately, he was distracted by Shani and did not notice me. Needless to say, my suit was ruined in the resulting collision, but it protected me from getting all scraped up. As you can see by the scrapes and cuts on Todd, his shorts and tee-shirt didn’t offer the same protection.”
Nora gasped and then giggled, “Here I thought that you guys were beat up fighting the goatmen.”
“Alas, no. Only Smitty actually engaged the goatmen in combat. After brushing ourselves off and making quick introductions, we continued our journey out of the city, which brings us to meeting you in the park.”
Nora smiled, “I am just glad that young goatman was a fan of accordion music. Who would have thought that learning to play the instrument would save my life? It’s too bad we had to leave it behind, but I suppose that it would have been too loud to bring along.”
A sudden scream of pain interrupted our conversation. We turned to see Shani sprawled on the ground, having tripped over some roots and lost her shoe. It was then that we noticed her cloven foot…
