6th Annual 73 Hour Novella Writing Contest

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Wynterblue Publishing Canada Inc.

We wish all contestants the endurance, the will, the spirit,
the blessings and the power to achieve your goal: 
to write 16,000 somewhat-coherent words within 73 hours.

About the 73

Guidelines

Following the Outline

Character Development

Starting Your Novella

          The beginning is a good place to start, but not every story begins at the beginning. When you receive the subjects for the 73, you’ll notice that they only give a snapshot of an event or character - a short, two or three paragraph synopsis - like the kind you can find on the backs of books. The snapshot has holes that need filling. Begin by finding one hole and filling it. Don’t try to write the entire novella during the first night.

          Use a comfortable chair and wear comfortable clothes. Appearance doesn’t matter during a novella writing contest! Start at 12:01am on the 6th. Write for about 3 or 4 hours at most and then take a nap or sleep for the night if possible. This will give you a fresh outlook in the morning. Don’t try to stay awake for 73 hours.

           The contest begins at 12:01am sharp on Saturday November 6th and finishes at 1:01am on Tuesday November 9th.

           At 10:pm on Friday November 5th, the subject matter for the contest will be available on this page.  During this two hour period, most of the contestants will be visiting the Chatterbox. This is a good time to say hello and introduce yourself - please do not use your real name because the judges will be listening. The Chatterbox will be the place where the announcement to begin will be made. Watch for the post that says something weird like: “Authors start your typertips.....”.

           Please read the subjects carefully, paying close attention to the details in the “Novella Presentation” section beneath the subjects. Not all subjects will have a Novella Presentation section, but those that do, mean that the judges are looking for something specific in your novella.

          Don’t forget to save your work regularly.

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          You’ll have two hours to look over the subjects, discuss and dissect them, make your choice and create a rough outline. Although you may decide to do so, please be aware that it is not a good idea to change your subject midway through the contest. Changing subjects half way through is never, never a good idea! No matter which subject you choose, you will likely reach a point during the contest where you will begin to think that you made the incorrect choice – when in fact you will have likely only reached that point of hitting a brick wall. Those bricks come down easily one word at a time, so don’t give up. If it happens, just start a new chapter!

          Don’t forget to save your work regularly.

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          Please follow the contest and the finished novella submission guidelines closely:

          The Contest Guidelines are simple:

1. Don’t change names or the obvious gender of the characters in the subject matter unless your storyline can justify it. If Fred is a male (he, him, his) in the subject you chose, then he must stay male unless you can pull off a believable sex change operation or a seriously obvious split personality disorder.
    

2. Contestants will choose their subject matter from a selection of detailed subjects and will write their entry on that subject. We will not accept any entries that are not based on the subjects supplied to the contestants.
    

3. Don't change the subject matter in such a way that the subject cannot be recognized. If the subject says that the novella is about Susan being buried alive and digging her way out of the grave, then that subject should be recognizable throughout the novella. Remember that your novella is filling in the holes in the subjects.
    

4. Don't use your real name in the Chatterbox. The judges might be listening!
    

5. You are being asked to write a minimum of 16,000 words in order to qualify for the Short List - no exceptions. Average word count expected is between: 16,000 - 30,000 words. Seven winners will be chosen for the Short List. The Short List will be announced at the end of January. First and Second Place winners and the Student Winner will be announced in early February.

1. No more blind judging:
   Due to the number of submissions received during the 2010 73, the judges have determined that the work involved in the blind judging process is a bit much. Instead of being careful not to mention or chat about your submission content in the chatterbox during the contest, the judges have promised to stay out of the chatterbox. In their words: "It doesn't matter if we recognize an author's name because the writing speaks for the author - not the other way around."

What the Judges are looking for:

1. word count
To qualify, authors must write 16,000 words minimum within 73 hours.

2. ability to tell a story
The judges must be able to easily identify one of the subjects presented in this year's contest.

3. plot resolution
The first submissions to be eliminated will be those that have plots and sub-plots without resolution

4. over-all impact
The judges want to feel something - anything - when they read your submission. Make them laugh, cry or even throw up - but make them feel something that will help them remember your words.

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          Use the chatterbox for whining, complaining, screaming, crying, cheering, laughing, sighing, supporting, asking questions, marking milestones, etc.

          Remember, the chatterbox is there for all of you to support each other along the way. In 2007, the chatterbox had just over 2000 posts. In 2008, there were over 3000. Don’t waste time in the chatterbox unless you are taking a break. Use the chatterbox wisely!

          Because so many posts are made - and easily lost in the shuffle - during this contest, there will be a designated message at the top of the page with the subject line that reads: WYN LIT 73 MESSAGES - or something like that.  All Chatterbox posts will be in that message until it’s full and then a new one will be started. To send a comment to the Chatterbox, just click reply to that message.

          For the sake of keeping things fair and aboveboard, there will be no private communications between the Wynterblue office and the contestants except through the Chatterbox for the duration of the contest. All questions about the Wyn Lit 73, must be made via the Chatterbox. Please create a new post and in block letters put: QUESTION in the subject line. Oftentimes other authors have the same questions and will reply/comment as well.

          Magpie, the chief bird of Wynterblue Publishing  has appointed moderators to watch over the chatterbox when she is nesting - or hunting for worms of course. 

          The Chatterbox has only two serious rules:
                    1.) Be nice. You will be banned if you’re not. No exceptions.
                    2.) Don't use your real name!

          The Chatterbox is now officially open for pre-73 chatter. . . .

          Don’t forget to save your work regularly.

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          Try to use spell check as you go. Your grammar and typo’s don’t count in the judging. But, keep in mind that if the judges find your work impossible to read, they may just move on to the next one! Use good judgment. Don’t just write words for the sake of writing words. Don’t check your word count more than once every two hours. It’s a waste of time and it won’t make the words happen any faster.

          Writing 16,000 words in 73 hours is not easy. Try to keep a steady pace. You’ll have time to edit your novella when the contest is over and the winners have been announced. Make each word count. Remember that the judges want to read a complete story with a beginning, middle and end.

          Don’t try to do nit-pick-editing during the contest. It wastes time! If your novella is short listed, you will have 9 months to edit (and add to) your novella.

          Don’t forget to save your work regularly.

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          Outlines are passing thoughts, useful while they’re happening, and important to give direction as you start the 73. Remember your story will gain momentum and a life of its own and will refuse to follow the outline no matter how hard you try. Write a rough outline during the first two hours after receiving the 73 Subjects and use it as a starting point only.

          Don’t forget to save your work regularly.

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          All novellas must be emailed to Wynterblue in the following format absolutely no later than 12:01am Tuesday November 6:

          Save your novella in a Word document

Title Page (the first page of your document):

1. Your name

2. Your address

3. Your phone number

4. Your email address

5. The title of the Novella

6. The word count

7. Your subject choice

8. The genre

Send it as an attachment to: wt (at) wynter.ca (Remove the spaces and replace (at) with @.)

Subject line: Wyn Lit 73 Submission & your name

OR:

submit your novella via the form below:

NOTE: if you do not receive a reply email to your submission within 10 minutes of sending it, please let us know asap via the Chatterbox!

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          It's going to happen. Sunday afternoon comes along and you are tired, creatively spent, and ready to throw in the towel. Start a new chapter when you’re stuck in the story line. A new chapter changes everything, gives a new outlook, adds twists and turns to the story. If you’re stuck in a chapter, move on to the next one and spend Monday finishing up unfinished chapters. Don’t waste time trying to think of what to write next.

          Don’t stagnate within your mind-space - do things that will assist your creative energy:

          Get up and stretch your legs and arms at least once every 2 hours. Don’t wait until your legs fall asleep.

          Take time to stare out the window for imagery-inspiration. Drink lots of water. Water keeps the bodily functions going - which means you’ll have no choice but to get up regularly and stretch your legs on the way to the loo - just don’t spill water on your computer station!

          Don’t give up! Check into the Chatterbox for inspiration and support.

          Don’t forget to save your work regularly.

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          Try to keep your characters to a minimum. Use a notepad or sheet of paper to keep track of your characters. Make two columns and head one with: Main Characters and the second with: Secondary Characters.

          Main Characters: Try to keep your main characters interesting. Give them quirky mannerisms or green hair or bad breath. Keep them ‘human’ so that the reader can identify with them and ultimately wants to know what happens to them. Give them a real and believable life.

          Secondary Characters: Remember that secondary characters don’t need full descriptions. We don't need to know the colour of their eyebrows or their family history. Oftentimes, they don't even need a name - they just need a purpose: to assist the main character in his role of being the main character, so that the story line can move forward. Don’t create characters that aren’t needed. Don’t give useless details or descriptions about characters that only play a minor role in the storyline. Use your secondary characters wisely.

          Don’t forget to save your work regularly.

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          The subjects are varied and will fall into common genres. That said, the choice of genre is yours – just because it says this subject is for horror fiction writers, doesn’t mean it can’t become a fantasy fiction or a romance. The genre of the novella belongs to you in every way!

          Don’t forget to save your work regularly.

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          If you choose to write the story in the first person: It’s ok to tell us the thoughts of a character if the story is being written in the first person ---but we don’t want to know what everyone else is thinking. 

          Written in the third person: This means we do not get a snapshot of any characters’ thoughts, except possibly the main character. No other characters’ thoughts should be evident to the reader.

          Don’t head-hop. The judges do not want to read the ‘thoughts’ of every single character. Head-hopping is one of the worst plagues of creative writing. It can destroy a perfectly good storyline. Head-hopping simply means jumping from the first person thoughts and feelings of one character to another, back and forth.  Don’t tell us what the characters are thinking, instead, show us their thoughts through actions or through dialogue. Show, don't tell.

          Don’t (never, ever) use complete sentences to tell us what the character is thinking: i.e. Gee, I really need to get my nails done, Susan thought on her way to the store. If it's important to the storyline to let the reader know what a character is thinking or feeling, use descriptive language or dialogue instead. Remember, the reader can usually figure it out all on his own!

          Don’t forget to save your work regularly.

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          Keep dialogue between characters realistic. Dialogue helps the reader discover the thoughts - the innards - of the character you are working so hard to build. Don’t let drunken, old Jack, the guy that lives on the street, speak like this:

          “Of course I will put it in the garbage when I am finished. Thank you for your concern.”

          Instead, he should say: “I’ll throw it in the trash when I’m done. F * off and leave me alone!”

           Don’t forget to save your work regularly.

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          The f*** word (all swear words) are acceptable in dialogue because characters use them when they speak - but only if that type of language is acceptable to the character’s image.

          It is not acceptable to use swear words in text outside of dialogue - because that text is the narrator's voice, not the characters’ voice. But, you ask, what if the novella is written in the first person? Well, that's simple: if it's written in the first person, then we are in the mind of the narrator. If that person can't use better descriptive language to tell his story, (that's not to say you can't sneak one or two in there) then what is the story about: swearing???

          Keep the swearing in dialogue only, even when writing in the first person, and keep it to a minimum. A 'character' can get away with a swear word 100 times faster than a narrator can. Use swear words wisely. One or two swear words in 16,000 words will have impact - ten or twenty of them won't.

          The power of the written word is not in the type of word you use, it is in how the word is used. If you want to portray Jacob as an absolute asshole, then show us. We'll get it! The minute you call him an asshole, we likely won't believe you anyway because we'll need proof. We've been spoiled with tons of well written books that show us what the author wants us to think - if you tell us, well . . . you get the point?

          Don’t forget to save your work regularly.

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          Sub-Plots: sub-plots are important and they must be resolved. Use a notepad or sheet of paper to keep track of your subplots. Don’t insert plots into the story that aren’t resolved.

          In the 2008 Wyn Lit 73, two novellas were omitted from the short list because the authors created subplots that had no resolution - in spite of the fact that the story lines were very well written. The authors assumed that they could fill in the holes after they made the short list. The entire purpose of the length of time between being short listed and publishing the novella is exactly that: to give the author time to build on the storyline with sub-plots and their subsequent resolution.

          Any novella that does not have clear resolution of the main plot or any subplots will likely not be short listed. This means that your story needs to be crisp and to the point. A clear and precise beginning, middle and end.

          An example:

          The Plot - who killed Agatha: Bertha was discovered hovering over the body of the murder victim, Agatha.

          The Sub-plot - a romantic twist: In chapter three, the author creates a romance between Bertha and the investigating detective.

          There's no problem with the sub-plot, it's a good twist to the storyline, except for the fact that the author takes it nowhere. It's brought up in chapter three and never mentioned again. This means that there was no resolution - no purpose for bringing it up in the first place.

          Use your sub-plots wisely! Don't create one unless you can resolve it.

          Don’t forget to save your work regularly.

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          Try to stay away from the overuse of the blasted LY adjectives and adverbs:

          “Susan was bitterly disappointed about the lovely pillows she purchased for an exceedingly unmentionable amount. She placed them on the overly stuffed, yellow couch and sat quietly, staring at them, as she thought about what she should do about her financially troubled life.”

1. 6 LY words were used.

2. The words "Susan was bitterly disappointed" indicate that we are in Susan's mind because we are being told what she feels. If the rest of the writing doesn't fit in, and if Susan isn't the main character so that we are permitted to know what she thinks and feels, then the sentence is written incorrectly. This is a clear indication of word usage that could determine if the author is head-hopping!

         The golden rule: Don’t use more than one LY word per 1000 words. Overuse of the LY word quickly becomes telling, not showing.

          Don’t forget to save your work regularly.

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          Private emails from contestants asking questions about the contest will not be replied to during the contest.

         For the sake of keeping things fair and above board, there will be no communication between the Wynterblue office and the contestants except through the Chatterbox for the duration of the contest.

         Please, use the Chatterbox to ask questions. Create a new post and in block letters put: QUESTION in the subject line. All questions will be answered in the Chatterbox.

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          The Wyn Lit 73 Hour Novella Writing Contest began in November 2007 as an incentive for Canadian writers to show their stuff. It happened, by chance, that the contest was held on the weekend when the clocks were turned back, resulting in a 73 hour contest instead of the originally planned 72 hour contest.

          This year is our 5th annual Wyn Lit 73 and contestants have registered from across Canada. We are proud to announce that Canadore College students in North Bay ON will be competing once again this year. We foresee that this competition will be fierce and we wish all students the best of luck and tons of ink for their typertips! We look forward to reading their comments in the Chatterbox.

          Over the years, Wynterblue Publishing has held many writing contests, including 55 monthly Wyn Lit 24 Hour Short Story Writing Contests and many of the Wyn Lit 24 contestants will be participating in the Wyn Lit 73. 

          We wish all participating contestants endurance and success in their endeavour to write a minimum of 16,000 words that make sense within 73 hours!

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