Winter Holiday 2024 Contest Support and Seasonal Story Discussion Thread

[Trionyx]

From the official announcement
“We will allow authors who have won in our monthly contests within the last 6 months to win in this special contest.”
I haven’t seen a monthly contest announcement in over a year. Are they still being held?

 

[Rustyoznail]

From the official announcement
“We will allow authors who have won in our monthly contests within the last 6 months to win in this special contest.”
I haven’t seen a monthly contest announcement in over a year. Are they still being held?

Not sure, so that's why it's allowed.

The results seem to pop up intermittently.

 

[Voboy]

From the official announcement
“We will allow authors who have won in our monthly contests within the last 6 months to win in this special contest.”
I haven’t seen a monthly contest announcement in over a year. Are they still being held?

That's boilerplate. The verbiage dates from a time when the monthlies were more frequent.

They're held periodically, and when they are? They don't disqualify you from a Special Contest win.

 

[AlexFourways]

Hi All!
This time I wrote the story in advance of the first day, had time to edit it and then for Freya Gersemi to sprinkle her magic on it!
So "The Druid's Winter Solstice Gift" is due to go live 11/11/24! For this one I have gone back to between 3000 and 2600 BCE for a bit of a Father Christmas* orgin story.

Good luck to all who throw their author's hat in the ring!
Alex.

*not at all the same as Santa Claus and I can spot the difference at over 100 yards (or metres) not that they had either back then!

 

[Actingup]

My story is up, and so are a number of others, although I think the story landing page isn't updated yet (I only noticed through the 'Latest Activity' home page). Good luck everybody, and for those furiously typing away at your entry, may the Spirit of Seasonal Competitions Past guide your pounding fingers on the keyboard.

My seasonal resolution is to try and make sensible comments on every story I read. We'll see!

 

[AlexFourways]

Two questions and one 'hear hear'.

My story is up, and so are a number of others, although I think the story landing page isn't updated yet (I only noticed through the 'Latest Activity' home page).

Is there a seperate story landing page as I can only find Winter Holidays Story Contest 2024?
Any reason it is under Loving Wives? [ Loving Wives ▶ Winter Holidays Story Contest 2024] on the top line.

Good luck everybody, and for those furiously typing away at your entry, may the Spirit of Seasonal Competitions Past guide your pounding fingers on the keyboard.

My seasonal resolution is to try and make sensible comments on every story I read. We'll see!

I second the above. May the spirits whisper their stories in your ears - but one at a time!
I'll read what I can, but I am not the quickest reader on the block, and comments are always a priority unless the hoards have said it all! Then my vote is the real thing!

 

[Actingup]

Is there a seperate story landing page as I can only find Winter Holidays Story Contest 2024?
Any reason it is under Loving Wives? [ Loving Wives ▶ Winter Holidays Story Contest 2024] on the top line.

I just mean when they have a list of the published stories and link to them from the home page - I presume that gets updated sometime today USA time?
No idea on the LW thing! But presumably the announcement has been 1-bombed and people are writing cranky messages about the contest rules not prohibiting extra-marital sex.

 

[Aoife_from_Ulster]

Gotta story to finish!!!! Fueled up on caffeine and carbs and down to writing for the rest of the day. Got tomorrow off too, so two whole days to blast out words.

Have a wonderful Sunday and the best of luck to anyone, who, like me, is still writing away on their entry.

View attachment 2424013

You are speaking my language. Coffee and a light breakfast

 

[Aoife_from_Ulster]

I hit a small bump in the road with my story and it being submitted. Hopefully it will be worked out today or tomorrow. Damnedist things happen at the last minute

 

[AlexFourways]

I just mean when they have a list of the published stories and link to them from the home page - I presume that gets updated sometime today USA time?

OK, but there is one for Halloween, listing the stories but I haven't seen / found the one for Winter Holiday, but possibly later this week!

No idea on the LW thing! But presumably the announcement has been 1-bombed and people are writing cranky messages about the contest rules not prohibiting extra-marital sex.

I think it's possibly a quirk - I didn't notice if the Halloween anoucement was in a category and the page has gone now. You can comment (not that anyone has - or they didn't pass moderation) and you can't vote!

 

[OffNSFW]

"Gift Givers," my Winter Holiday entry, is now available to read. A lesbian romance crossed with a comedy of errors, set in the gift giving season.

 

[Actingup]

Story page is up: https://www.literotica.com/stories/contest.php/winter-holidays-2024

 

[ShelbyDawn57]

My humble offering, Making the Crew (not so subtle pandering for views) and a dozen or so other stories are already up.
Enjoy. I have a feeling this is going to be a great event.

 

[AlexFourways]

Story page is up: https://www.literotica.com/stories/contest.php/winter-holidays-2024

Thanks for that Actingup!
The first vote I got for The Druid's Winter Solstice Gift (well if ShelbyDawn57 can do it ) was a 5, then after 4 votes it was 4, so either the first 1 bomb of the season or a 3 and two 4s. Impossible to tell but not a bad start in 8 hours and 355 visits* towards 25 minimum! Also two favourites as well!
Hope you are all getting great figures as well.

AlexFourways

*I expect that a number of them will be click scan and leave!

 

[Voboy]

Mine's getting slow traction. I like it, though, so I'm sure it'll find its audience.

 

[ShelbyDawn57]

For anyone that cares, I do suggest joining these competitions and events. Not only is it a nice challenge to write a topic specific story, but I have been seeing a noticeable increase in traffic on my older stories sine i submitted What are the Odds for Halloween. This event has been up for less than a day, and some of my older stories are getting hits in addition to the views my entry is getting.

 

[MelissaBaby]

As for winning strategies, I also favor the last-minute solution. The sole contest I won featured Vanessa frantically writing up to the deadline and hitting "submit" about 90 seconds before the deadline. I would add that once the story won, it was featured on the Lit landing page as a winner for a couple of weeks, and the story got a lot more views than usual because of that.

I almost already submit late, and I have done very well in contest voting. Whether there is a correlation there, I can't say. I do agree with Chloe that a late submission ought to benefit an author with a substantial number of followers, because they will be predisposed to vote, and to give a high score. But there are enough other factors involved to make me skeptical that it makes a significant difference.

What I will say, from experience, is that if you win, the increase in views and follows that result is substantial, not just in regard to the particular winning entry, but to your work in general.

 

[OffNSFW]

Mine's getting slow traction. I like it, though, so I'm sure it'll find its audience.

Mine is also launching unusually slowly. Possibly due to the delay in the front page announcement?

 

[Actingup]

Mine is also launching unusually slowly. Possibly due to the delay in the front page announcement?

I'm sure that things will pick up quickly as the various audiences spin through the evening time zones. I've had a couple of really positive comments in already which is nice. I'm not going to obsess about scores - as we know, that way lies madness.
And I'm halfway through @Voboy's very enjoyable story, but the new working day has dawned...

 

[Voboy]

And I'm halfway through @Voboy's very enjoyable story, but the new working day has dawned...

Thanks, but I may have missed the mark. LOL!

My first comment:

"What an awful story. Try writing one with some holiday cheer in it."

Ah well. I thought it was touching.

 

[Aoife_from_Ulster]

I am aware I will not be anywhere in the running for a prize but I do this for fun.

So, for better or worse, for richer or poorer, it is submitted.

The Cruise Companion - The Holidays (Julie finds a holiday companion on the high seas)/ Let's see how it is received and enjoyed.

 

[MyBareTorso]

Thanks for that Actingup!
The first vote I got for The Druid's Winter Solstice Gift (well if ShelbyDawn57 can do it ) was a 5, then after 4 votes it was 4, so either the first 1 bomb of the season or a 3 and two 4s. Impossible to tell but not a bad start in 8 hours and 355 visits* towards 25 minimum! Also two favourites as well!
Hope you are all getting great figures as well.

AlexFourways

*I expect that a number of them will be click scan and leave!

I just high fives ya, brother!

 

[Bassytian]

Got two I'm going to be working on. One is romantic in nature, and the other is a comedy featuring the return of Molly, Lindsay, and Shirley from Spellbound and Stupefied as elves in Santa's shop, what could go wrong? A certain elf may also appear in my comedy as a special guest.

 

[WriterPerson314159]

Sheesh. 30k words. I like these three, I really do. And if it wasn't for a contest, I'd break it up into smaller stories, but the rules are the rules.

I think I can see the finish line now. Well, at least I can see what obstacles I have to get over to get to the finish line. Whether there's any plot demons waiting for me around any of those obstacles who will decide that I need to take some sort of massive detours, I'll find out.

 

[Candy_Kane54]

I've only got two more scenes to write and I'll be done with my story (after editing, etc.).