About changes to our Wyn Lit 2four...

After careful consideration and taking into account the feedback we have received regarding our monthly Wyn Lit 2four, the submission and judging rules have changed as follows:

1. Beginning in 2012, all voting and story submitting will be done online by your fellow contestants and Wynterblue Members through the password protected 'Members Only' page.

2. The submitting process will be done in a forum which has been specially created for contestants and members.

   1. This forum is dedicated to the Wyn Lit 24 Hour Writing Contests only:

   2. Every month throughout the year, contestants may post their 2four entries in this forum and will receive votes and comments by members.

   3. The author/story with the most votes during a one month period will be the top winner for that particular 2four.

   4. The top 12 stories will be voted on at the end of the year and the winner will receive a monetary prize.

   5. This forum will replace the annual print publication of Confabulation.

   6. The winners of the 12 monthly contests as well as the overall winner will be published in eBook format only.

3. The forum will contain one post for each Wyn Lit 2four, beginning with January Wyn Lit 24 #57.

   1. All contestants must submit their stories in this post in order to be eligible.

   2. We will no longer accept Wyn Lit 24 submissions by email.

When the first post in this forum is opened, you will see the following:

Subject: January 2012 - Wyn Lit 2four # ...

This post is for Wyn Lit 2four #57 ONLY!

SUBMITTING A SHORT STORY in Wyn Lit #...

--- You will receive an email that will let you know the Subject Matter is now available online.  If you intend to write for this contest, please reply to the email so that we can register you and so that we will know what NAME you will be using when you submit your story.

--- Stories submitted by unregistered authors will be deleted. There are no exceptions.

--- Click the 'Reply' button on this post

--- Fill out your NAME (you do not have to use your real name but, as the author you MUST let us know who you are! You can let us know in your email when you register for this contest. i.e. “Please register me. I will submit my story in the forum under the name of Bologna.”)

--- Put the TITLE of your story into the proper field

--- As the author, you are permitted one vote for your story in each of the three categories presented when you submit:

• Short Story

• Opening Paragraph

• Character Development

--- DO NOT use this forum to create your story... Please use the program you always use to create your story (Word, etc). Use double spacing BETWEEN paragraphs (hit enter twice before starting a new paragraph).

--- Be sure that your story is saved to your computer before submitting in this forum. We are not responsible for stories that get lost in cyberspace due to technical glitches related to the internet or this forum.

--- This forum posts submissions in 'text format' only so, in order to preserve your formatting, paste your story from the program you are using to create it (Word, etc) into the message field.  Making sure that you have double spaced between paragraphs.

--- NOTE: Wyn Lit stories submitted in a 'New Post' will not be accepted and will be deleted. Be sure to click the 'Reply' button on this post and follow the directions above.


SUBMITTING COMMENTS & VOTING:

--- Open the story and read it! Please don’t vote just for the sake of voting. The stories written during the 2four’s were written to be read and none of the authors would be submitting them to this forum if they didn’t appreciate your feedback and your honest vote.

--- Click the 'Reply' button related to the story

--- Fill in your name (you do not have to use your real name – but one way or another, we do have to know that you are a member in good standing

--- Cast your votes in all three categories presented: (One vote per member – the IP submitted with your vote is sent back to us and we will keep track!)

• Short Story

• Opening Paragraph

• Character Development
  
  --- Write your comment/feedback about the story and then click "Post Message"
  
  --- To view your comment after it has been posted, please wait a few minutes and then refresh your browser. Sometimes it takes a few minutes to appear.
  
  --- Constructive Feedback is very important to all authors. All unprofessional or personally aggressive comments will be deleted. Your comment should reflect the content of the story only. Please be sure to comment about the three categories presented: Short Story, Opening Paragraph, and Character Development. We do not expect you to pat every author on the back with a “job well done” attitude because we all know that some creative writing sucks – plain and simple. Well written authors can write badly too and some authors, well, they just need some constructive help. Be nice!

--- Inviting New Members: Please be sure to let members of your local writer’s group and your friends know about this forum so that they can not only contribute their writing, but also vote for you! This is a Members Only forum – only members are able to participate. You will have the opportunity to submit 12 stories during your one-year membership.

FAQ's

Now that the 2four’s are set from January to December, what happens to the winning authors from 2four #’s 45 – 56?

• The winning authors from 2four #’s 45 – 56 (January to December 2011, inclusive) which are listed in the short list and wish to have their stories posted into the forum and voted on, must Contact Us and I will place their stories into a “2011 Top 12” post for commenting and voting by members. An over-all winner will be chosen from this list and that winner will represent Wyn Lit 2four 2011. An eBook will be created from the 12 stories and sold through our website on Amazon on a royalty basis.

Does this mean we won’t have the top three short list anymore?

• There will only be one monthly winner every month for a total of 12 winners in the course of a single year. Of these 12, one absolute winner will be chosen in December of each year. This author will win a monetary prize and be proclaimed the Wyn Lit 2four author of that year.

With so many successful 2four’s behind Wynterblue, why change things now?

• Because we have so many authors on our mailing list and yet none of you, or very few of you, are able to comment on each other’s writing or communicate with each other. This leaves the Wynterblue writing community with a big hole that needs filling: communication, feedback, encouragement, critique, friendships, etc.

• Because we are progressively reaching deeper into the eBook market and we want to create eBooks on a royalty basis with our authors. Like many of you, I still love the feel and smell of fresh ink and paper; I like holding a book in my hand when I read. But, the newer generations are moving away from that concept and if we don’t keep up by making Wynterblue eBooks available, we will lose an entire reading generation.

• Because, simply put, we cannot afford to do it any other way any longer. And, I refuse to quit - therefore, I have to find a way to make it work not only for Wynterblue, but for everything that Wynterblue represents to you. Times are tough for all publishers everywhere but we are an exception in the fact that we refuse to quit!

Now that the contest is going on line (for submitting and voting), does this mean that the contest will not be exclusive to Canadian authors only?

• The Wyn Lit 2four will be open to Canadian and US membership only – as it was originally when it was first created. That said, at this time our membership is 95% Canadian!