The Official Authors' Hangout Halloween 2022 Contest Support Thread

[Duleigh]

I hope I'm not posting too much here (and that this isn't too extraneous of a post) ... but I'm kinda excited. I actually just got done writing my Author's Notes! Lol ... sorry ... kinda silly to be excited about that. But I am

Can't wait to see what you come up with

 

[TxRad]

We need more people posting about being excited in the contest threads. Excitement breeds plot bunnies and plot bunnies hump your leg until you write the damned story.

Sorry for the rant but some of us can get up to our ankles in plot bunny poop.

So post away, have a happy day writing. Beats the hell out of listening to people complain about Lovin Wives.

 

[Duleigh]

I'm closing up one story that is being submitted for Halloween AND Amorous Goods and starting up on my second Halloween story. Not sure why, but my muse has been shouting "CHINESE DRAGONS" in my ear since June and the plot bunnies are leaving hints about the Winter Holiday story already (red and green bunny turds.)

 

[DarkRaven13]

I'm closing up one story that is being submitted for Halloween AND Amorous Goods and starting up on my second Halloween story. Not sure why, but my muse has been shouting "CHINESE DRAGONS" in my ear since June and the plot bunnies are leaving hints about the Winter Holiday story already (red and green bunny turds.)

Two Halloween stories. A treat then, not a trick

 

[Voboy]

Thank you... and your reason for having done them is the same as mine. To see if I can do it. I figure it will push me out of my comfort zone, make my brain think a bit more creatively, and hopefully make me better at writing.

This is the reason I started doing contests.

Halloween is a fun one for me because I feel no qualms about using tropes. It helps, and it keeps it fun. I usually pick a stock Halloween character (vampire, werewolf, or witch), figure out a mortal for them to interact with, and just watch the fun.

 

[Duleigh]

Two Halloween stories. A treat then, not a trick

This year my muse isn't feeding me spooky stuff, other than angry Chinese dragons, just traditional stuff jack-o-lanterns, trick or treating, bobbing for apples, haunted houses (the fund raising kind)

Two shouldn't be too hard, BUT - want to know how to make your muse laugh? Tell her your plans.

 

[ScottishTexan]

So I started writing a Ghost Story last year because my friend 'shakna' threw down his gauntlet as a challenge. I did not get it completed in time to submit it for the 2021 contest, so I set it aside but continued to work on it from time to time. Just moments ago, I did my final proofread of it. I am sure that I have missed some errors because I always seem to do that. But I am uploading it just moments from now. I hope that you read and enjoy my first contest submission ever.

 

[DarkRaven13]

So I started writing a Ghost Story last year because my friend 'shakna' threw down his gauntlet as a challenge. I did not get it completed in time to submit it for the 2021 contest, so I set it aside but continued to work on it from time to time. Just moments ago, I did my final proofread of it. I am sure that I have missed some errors because I always seem to do that. But I am uploading it just moments from now. I hope that you read and enjoy my first contest submission ever.

How will we know when it actually gets posted? (Sorry, I'm kinda new to this.)

 

[TxRad]

ST, wait about another week before you submit and don't forget the "Halloween 2022" in the notes to admin section of the submission page. It only take an hour for Laurel to get the contest stories posted. A day at the max and the first ones will all come out at one time.

DR13, just make sure you put the Halloween phrase in the admin notes and it will get posted. Shortly after the start date, Laurel usually posts a list of the stories in random order.

Mine is finished. Short at two pages for me.

 

[DarkRaven13]

ST, wait about another week before you submit

Is this so the story doesn't get lost in the barrage of submissions?

 

[Duleigh]

Is this so the story doesn't get lost in the barrage of submissions?

It will be part of a barrage of submissions, if things go as they have been going for the past few months, the start of submission date, September 30 will be the day that stories go up. the folks like you that got your stories done in time for the September 30 date will receive more page views and potential votes before those of us who post later.

 

[KeithD]

Is this so the story doesn't get lost in the barrage of submissions?

For years the rules specified not to submit more than a few days before the opening posting day. The rules don't say that anymore, so it probably doesn't matter how much before the contest you submit as long as the submission is in order.

 

[DarkRaven13]

Is th

It will be part of a barrage of submissions, if things go as they have been going for the past few months, the start of submission date, September 30 will be the day that stories go up. the folks like you that got your stories done in time for the September 30 date will receive more page views and potential votes before those of us who post later.

Is the early posting good then? More time for views. Or is it the opposite and you would get less views due to the sheer number of new posts and having ones work lost in the shuffle?

 

[Duleigh]

I hope that you read and enjoy my first contest submission ever.

I will - cool feeling, isn't it? My first contest was this year also, the Nude Day, and I had no idea what to expect. I'm still trying to figure it out.

Like you I wrote a story for a contest last year but didn't make it in time, I loved that story so much I wrote a LONG back story that I'm rolling out chapter by chapter, and the original story will finally get posted in 2 months!

 

[KeithD]

Is th

Is the early posting good then? More time for views. Or is it the opposite and you would get less views due to the sheer number of new posts and having ones work lost in the shuffle?

Six of this and a half dozen of that. There are too many readers at Literotica for there to be one pattern that works better than another pattern with any consistency.

 

[Duleigh]

Is th

Is the early posting good then? More time for views. Or is it the opposite and you would get less views due to the sheer number of new posts and having ones work lost in the shuffle?

I'm not quite sure, I've only been in 2 contests so far, and 3 or 4 challenges and I try to beat the start time every time.

 

[DarkRaven13]

Six of this and a half dozen of that. There are too many readers at Literotica for there to be one pattern that works better than another pattern with any consistency.

I'm not quite sure, I've only been in 2 contests so far, and 3 or 4 challenges and I try to beat the start time every time.

Ok I think there's no real pattern to discern from what you both have said. Thank you again KeithD and Duleigh.

I'm not too worried about the voting, as I'm pretty sure I won't be a serious contender. I more want to get others to read and critique my work.

I do want to read the submissions by those I've been conversing with. Besides doing a "follow," is there a way to know where all the stories are? Or is there a thread where we place links to our stories?

And ... thanks for being patient with all my questions.

 

[Rustyoznail]

There'll be a page with all entries listed, similar to this one for the Summer Lovin comp. https://www.literotica.com/stories/contest.php/summer-lovin-2022
The order of the stories regularly gets randomized.

A link to the Halloween stories will be posted here.

 

[MelissaBaby]

We need more people posting about being excited in the contest threads. Excitement breeds plot bunnies and plot bunnies hump your leg until you write the damned story.

Sorry for the rant but some of us can get up to our ankles in plot bunny poop.

So post away, have a happy day writing. Beats the hell out of listening to people complain about Lovin Wives.

How about a Loving Ghost story, where the guy falls in love with a sexy ghost, but she keeps haunting other men?

 

[Duleigh]

How about a Loving Ghost story, where the guy falls in love with a sexy ghost, but she keeps haunting other men?

A Phickle Phantom? Is he being cucked from beyond the grave? Getting the truly ice-cold shoulder?

Maybe she likes him and doesn't want him to have nightmares?

 

[TarnishedPenny]

Post away, Raven! Enthusiasm brings life to everyone.

 

[DarkRaven13]

Ok I have another question - we were discussing the timing of turning in our submissions. I realized I am gone from Sept 24th - Oct 2nd. That means when I come back the soonest I could turn it in is Oct 3rd. Assuming it takes a day to turn around (given that you've mentioned that for the contest there's a faster turn around time) ... should I wait then? Or turn it in earlier?

And ... am I overthinking this?

 

[NotWise]

Ok I have another question - we were discussing the timing of turning in our submissions. I realized I am gone from Sept 24th - Oct 2nd. That means when I come back the soonest I could turn it in is Oct 3rd. Assuming it takes a day to turn around (given that you've mentioned that for the contest there's a faster turn around time) ... should I wait then? Or turn it in earlier?

And ... am I overthinking this?

You're overthinking it.

 

[Duleigh]

Ok I have another question - we were discussing the timing of turning in our submissions. I realized I am gone from Sept 24th - Oct 2nd. That means when I come back the soonest I could turn it in is Oct 3rd. Assuming it takes a day to turn around (given that you've mentioned that for the contest there's a faster turn around time) ... should I wait then? Or turn it in earlier?

And ... am I overthinking this?

If you turn it in early, as long as you have the correct notes to admin, it will sit in pending until September 30 and go live with all the other early entrants

And you truly are overthinking it.

 

[Ian_Snow]

I don't think I'll have anything for this one, but good luck to everyone. Hope you have a ton of readers and all the five-stars you can handle.