Winter Holiday 2024 Contest Support and Seasonal Story Discussion Thread

[AlexFourways]

My entry False Gossip has been up for 24 hours. It's been getting reads and votes which is great. The ending is somewhat ambiguous which is kind of my thing. But I thought, for once, I had left enough breadcrumbs this time. However, one comment - which was kindly signed - asked for clarification. And one always assumes that one comment = probably plenty of other readers.

So do I spell it out in a reply? Or do I leave them guessing? Help!

If it is signed, then you can click on the name which will take you to their home page and from there on the top line there is their name ( follow ) (✉) and the envelope has the floating tag [ Contact Author ] and you can DM them. Note you can also see if they are an author and whether they have shared a bio which may help with the reply. YMMV but it saves spoiling the breadcrumbs for others. Also, if I ever want to comment on a story, but think it might be a spoiler, I use that route instead of the comments for all to read!

 

[summer_reine]

Thank you for the inspiration to write a new story! I've never entered an official contest here before. Is there a suggested word count for best results? I was working towards 5k words but it's developing a little more than I planned. My muse is determined to make it closer to 10,000 words. Is that too long?

 

[AlexFourways]

Thank you for the inspiration to write a new story! I've never entered an official contest here before. Is there a suggested word count for best results? I was working towards 5k words but it's developing a little more than I planned. My muse is determined to make it closer to 10,000 words. Is that too long?

Others will have their own advice, but I think the right length is the one needed for you to tell the tale without short changing the audience or labouring the story.

Mine is 10k mark but still 3 pages, so not frightening to the time constrained reader. - If you haven't got them by the end of page 1 you have lost them, even if there is only 10 lines on page 2!

An incomplete or rushed narrative is likely to lose points, one that loses engagement will suffer as people won't finish and might jump to the end to down mark in frustration that they have 'wasted their time'.

Mind you 15k or even 25k words can be like time - fly by if you are having fun - or drag like a rainy day if you are not!
As ever YMMV!

 

[Rustyoznail]

Thank you for the inspiration to write a new story! I've never entered an official contest here before. Is there a suggested word count for best results? I was working towards 5k words but it's developing a little more than I planned. My muse is determined to make it closer to 10,000 words. Is that too long?

I don't recall a novel getting a win, but I could be wrong. I picked up a 3rd with a 30k romance story, so longer stories are fine. As Alex said, don't rush it and make it complete. I made that mistake on a different story and rightly got hammered with the score and comments.

10k or 3 Lit pages is a good length.

 

[TheLobster]

Just finished with mine, at a modest (for me) length of 15k.

Since the first post doesn't mention it, what tags do we use to make it easier to find the contest stories? "winter holiday" and "winter holiday 2024"?

 

[AlexFourways]

Just finished with mine, at a modest (for me) length of 15k.

Since the first post doesn't mention it, what tags do we use to make it easier to find the contest stories? "winter holiday" and "winter holiday 2024"?

I did the latter, but have learnt that it's better to use the official list as the Halloween hit rate was about one in three as it is a recommendation, not a requirement. For that reason I'm not bothering trying to monitor the ratings. Also, as I suspect I had an early 1 bomb I know my rating is (assuming it was and will be swept) either 4.56/32 or 4.68/31!

 

[ChloeTzang]

Well, I found my song for "The Christmas Mass of the Order of the Blessed Magdalene" - and still writing away! So many mortal sins!!!!!!

 

[Voboy]

I just submitted my first Literotica poem into the Holiday Contest!! If you've been reading any of my stories, then I'm sure that you can imagine just how wacky, silly, and off-the-wall it is. Wish me luck and stay tuned!

Awesome!

I've never posted a poem to a contest, but when I post a "normal" poem it often takes weeks. We'll see what good the magic of Holiday Contest 24 brings!

 

[FreyaGersemi]

I've never posted a poem to a contest, but when I post a "normal" poem it often takes weeks. We'll see what good the magic of Holiday Contest 24 brings!

Oh, well. At least it should post before Christmas!! I was wondering because the contest rules keep saying "story" this and "story" that. Maybe poetry isn't even allowed (which would be fine with me -- I have a story already submitted). That's what I get for playing fast and loose with the rules, I guess!! I'm used to my life being utter confusion and chaos all the time. Thankfully, I have a solid family to keep things in control!!!

 

[NotWise]

I don't recall a novel getting a win, but I could be wrong. I picked up a 3rd with a 30k romance story, so longer stories are fine. As Alex said, don't rush it and make it complete. I made that mistake on a different story and rightly got hammered with the score and comments.

10k or 3 Lit pages is a good length.

xelliebabex's Her Fairy-Tale Life won the 2017 Valentine's Day contest with a length approaching 70k words or 19 Lit pages. In my book, that qualifies as a novel. She has more than 5K followers, so that probably helped.

I expect there are other examples.

 

[OffNSFW]

xelliebabex's Her Fairy-Tale Life won the 2017 Valentine's Day contest with a length approaching 70k words or 19 Lit pages. In my book, that qualifies as a novel. She has more than 5K followers, so that probably helped.

I expect there are other examples.

The Great Gatsby is... what, 50k?

 

[NotWise]

The Great Gatsby is... what, 50k?

47K according to Mr. Google.

 

[Actingup]

The Great Gatsby is... what, 50k?

Would be good to come in less than these ones though. I still remember the day I finished reading Les Mis. I cried, I laughed, I gave it a five star rating, but geez I wish it had been shorter.

 

[Wark2002]

Does the winter contest - or all contests, for that matter, include poetry?

 

[MrStill]

I still remember the day I finished reading Les Mis. I cried, I laughed, I gave it a five star rating, but geez I wish it had been shorter.

Did Victor publish it all in one go in Novels and Novellas or did he publish it in chapters in, I guess, Erotic Couplings?

 

[AlexFourways]

My story count of published stories - 11th 14, 12th 26, 13th 31, 14th 36.
So 14 + 12 + 5 + 5
Will be interesting if there is a late surge or have all the presents been delivered?

I I have made a (small) rod for my own back and would stop the flagilation but have been told NOT TO!

 

[oneagainst]

Got mine in. A lonely night on the night manager desk of the hotel, just before Christmas. Entry went into the Toys category... I believe that's number 20 in the categories list for me.

Oh, and there's an AI up to no good, for good measure.

 

[AlexFourways]

View attachment 2426542
Would be good to come in less than these ones though. I still remember the day I finished reading Les Mis. I cried, I laughed, I gave it a five star rating, but geez I wish it had been shorter.

That is a list of books. My sister, who had several (self) published works advised me that:-
Short stories are up to about 30k words and would be publised in a book of several.
Novellas are 50k words and up.
Novels are 70k words and up.
Obviously long Novels are considered to be books.
I would note that Lord of the Rings is in 6 books, within 3 volumes plus appendicies. So 3 volumes of average 188k each of two 'books' average 94k. So basically written as a set of 6 longer novels, but never sold that way (AFAIK).

I also understand that Novel was coined as a term for a new type of fiction that was shorter than the likes of the above and then not so short stories that could be published as a thin paperback were little novels, or novellas. (But I reserve the right to be wrong.)
YMMV etc!

 

[Fatdog25]

I just posted Deal is a Deal in I/T. Neglecting possible rejections, it's my first story in a year and a half. It's been fun to write, but we'll see how it goes. Being in I/T, I can expect a lot of views and votes, but not a competitive score.

Wow.

Just...wow.

 

[ShelbyDawn57]

That is a list of books. My sister, who had several (self) published works advised me that:-
Short stories are up to about 30k words and would be publised in a book of several.
Novellas are 50k words and up.
Novels are 70k words and up.
Obviously long Novels are considered to be books.
I would note that Lord of the Rings is in 6 books, within 3 volumes plus appendicies. So 3 volumes of average 188k each of two 'books' average 94k. So basically written as a set of 6 longer novels, but never sold that way (AFAIK).

I also understand that Novel was coined as a term for a new type of fiction that was shorter than the likes of the above and then not so short stories that could be published as a thin paperback were little novels, or novellas. (But I reserve the right to be wrong.)
YMMV etc!

I don't think there is a wrong.

I looked this up a few years ago when I decided I wanted to organize my stories by type(length) to make it easier to find or some other made up excuse. I honestly think I was just bored...
Anyway, I got the list below from Kindle. As you said, YMMV...

• Novel: 40,000+ words (though you’re better off above 50,000 words) <I like the 40K boundary because it means I can claim three novels instead of just one.>
• Novella: 17,500-40,000 words
• Novelette: 7,500-20,000 words
• Short story: 1,000-10,000 words
• Flash fiction: 1-1,000 words

There was a bunch of other stuff qualifying these limits(?), but I didn't think anybody would want to read all that.

As for worrying about length in Lit. I've never been told a story was too long. I do, however, get told all the time they wished the story was longer.

 

[FreyaGersemi]

• Flash fiction: 1-1,000 words

I just wrote a new story.

Love.

One word. It's flash fiction. My new favorite genre!

 

[NotWise]

Wow.

Just...wow.

Thanks, @Fatdog25.

 

[OffNSFW]

View attachment 2426542
Would be good to come in less than these ones though. I still remember the day I finished reading Les Mis. I cried, I laughed, I gave it a five star rating, but geez I wish it had been shorter.

For accuracy's sake, Moby Dick is a textbook on cetology that got mixed up at the printer with a rather lean tale about a man who hates an animal.

That is a list of books. My sister, who had several (self) published works advised me that:-
Short stories are up to about 30k words and would be publised in a book of several.
Novellas are 50k words and up.
Novels are 70k words and up.
Obviously long Novels are considered to be books.
I would note that Lord of the Rings is in 6 books, within 3 volumes plus appendicies. So 3 volumes of average 188k each of two 'books' average 94k. So basically written as a set of 6 longer novels, but never sold that way (AFAIK).

I also understand that Novel was coined as a term for a new type of fiction that was shorter than the likes of the above and then not so short stories that could be published as a thin paperback were little novels, or novellas. (But I reserve the right to be wrong.)
YMMV etc!

I don't think there is a wrong.

I looked this up a few years ago when I decided I wanted to organize my stories by type(length) to make it easier to find or some other made up excuse. I honestly think I was just bored...
Anyway, I got the list below from Kindle. As you said, YMMV...

• Novel: 40,000+ words (though you’re better off above 50,000 words) <I like the 40K boundary because it means I can claim three novels instead of just one.>
• Novella: 17,500-40,000 words
• Novelette: 7,500-20,000 words
• Short story: 1,000-10,000 words
• Flash fiction: 1-1,000 words

There was a bunch of other stuff qualifying these limits(?), but I didn't think anybody would want to read all that.

As for worrying about length in Lit. I've never been told a story was too long. I do, however, get told all the time they wished the story was longer.

I believe the Hugo awards cut novels off at 40k, and several other awards organizations put it at 50k. There seems to be more disagreement on novellas vs. novellettes vs. short stories vs. flash fiction.

I do think "novel" implies a certain level of complexity, which is probably why people are fine with Gatsby sliding through.

 

[AlexFourways]

I just wrote a new story.

Love.

One word. It's flash fiction. My new favorite genre!

And the follow up stories, getting longer.
And Sex!
And Rock'n'Roll!!

 

[Morevinila]

Hi all - I started a story as soon as I finished my Summer 2024 story, thinking I didn't have material for Halloween (I finally did but that's another story) and I've been waiting for the official start of the contest without realising it was already there.
Then when I read the rules, I was in for a shock: it was all about winter, snow and the like and I started writing my story thinking it was more centred on end-of-year festivities.
I'm in doubt now, will my story qualify? it's about a family Christmas celebration where things go wrong (or right ) when an unexpected picture comes up on the slide show. but it's not in winter. Like all my stories so far, it's set on a tropical island in the Southern hemisphere. Down here it's summer and even if it was winter, no snow,
So before I send my story, I would like your opinion. Is the reference to Christmas enough?
Thank you.