Fortnightly Writing Competition - Revolution! (Results!)

[Sinitrena]

Hallo everyone!

Long live the revolution!

[embed=560,315]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pJmuHNDcXLQ[/embed]

No dictator... no invader... can hold an imprisoned population by force of arms forever. There is no greater power in the universe than the need for freedom. Against that power, governments and tyrants and armies cannot stand. The Centauri learned this lesson once. We will teach it to them again. Though it take a thousand years, we will be free.

G'kar (Babylon 5: S 02 E 20 The Long Twilight Struggle)

This Fortnightly Writing Competition is about any kind of revolution or rebellion. It can be an oppressed population rebelling against a tyrant or a military putsch against a democratic government - or even something non-political like a couple of students rebelling against their teacher. It doesn't matter what side your "heroes" are on or if there is a "good" or "bad" side.

The only thing I don't want to see: I'm a bit sick of Trump jokes, so I'm banning all current American politics.


Please overthrow all governments until the 4. May.

[Adeel]

Is it necessary for the revolution to be...successful? What about the failed ones?

[Sinitrena]

Is it necessary for the revolution to be...successful? What about the failed ones?

No need to be successful. It can be successful, failed, or not even leave the planning stage. Doesn't matter.

[Baron]

What about a revolution against the tyrannical banning of current American political topics?

[SilverSpook]

My thought exactly, Baron.  As one of the few (I think) Americans participating in these Fortnightly events, I refuse to accept this censorship!  This is a US-Establishment media blackout!  The revolution will not be televised writing competitionized! 

In the words of my forefather, Thomas Jefferson, "The tree of liberty must be watered, from time to time, with the angering of writer-group participants!" 

[JudasFm]

Is game fanfic allowed as an entry? I have an idea for a King's Quest story that would fit nicely with this theme

[Sinitrena]

What about a revolution against the tyrannical banning of current American political topics?

Oh, I see how it is: The evieeeeeeeeeeel participants want to overthrow their fair and honest and benevolent moderater just so they can use cheap jokes that we all read a thousand times already.

In all honesty, I really am bored of all things preliminaries and would really prefer if we could keep the topic out of this competition for once. In the last three writing competitions, at least one story each time had some reference to Trump - and this round being a more or less political topic, it is prone to some such mention again. Banning current American politics forces you all to think of something else and I think this would spur your creativity.

But if you really want to write about the unfair censorship of your host, do it. And if you manage to conceal American politics in a way that I can't recognise them, then this is also fine. Besides, the ban is limited to current politics, writing about the American Revolution is perfectly fine and should satisfy all petriotic thoughts of my friends across the pond, right?

Is game fanfic allowed as an entry? I have an idea for a King's Quest story that would fit nicely with this theme

The way I see it, as long as fanfic isn't specifically excluded, it is fine. Personally, I vote different for fanfic: a pre-existing character or setting doesn't get a vote as easily as a newly created one. But others might see it diefferently. So yes, if you want to write fanfic, go ahead.

[SilverSpook]

Sorry, I'm going to have to call bullshit. 

Oh, I see how it is: The evieeeeeeeeeeel participants want to overthrow their fair and honest and benevolent moderater just so they can use cheap jokes that we all read a thousand times already.

I don't remember making any cheap jokes that we all read a thousand times already, and seeing as I'm (I believe) the only one who had references to Trump in the last story, WTF?  I *referred* to Trump in the story, and I didn't find any of the Trump stuff "funny" -- on the contrary, I was dead serious.  Do you think it's funny that truck drivers, plant workers and other blue collar males in the U.S. who feel emasculated and disenfranchised are being manipulated into electing a psychopath in the US?  I didn't find that part funny.  Is it funny that half of college graduates in the U.S. can't get a job other than temp work / Uber driving / pornography / something that doesn't pay their bills back and are drowning in debt?  I find it sad, incredibly serious, and worthy of discussion.  My brother is being chased around by college-debt collection agencies and is struggling to get his head above water with slightly-above minimum wage work.  A President Bernie Sanders could mean debt forgiveness maybe affording to not live with parents at age 30.  A President Trump could mean his non-profit community center going under from cuts.  It is not funny.

Is it a cheap, overused joke that half of all jobs will be outsourced to automation and robotics in 50 years and that a select class of moguls (like Trump) who win the capitalism lottery ticket will likely benefit the most (In "Noah's Ark"), as has been the pattern over the past decade or three?  And that most of us "Great Flood Victims", the 99% will likely suffer horribly if politics continues to remain corrupt and dysfunctional?  This is one of the most serious issues of our time IMHO that plagues the minds of our brightest who have not yet found a solution, as some permutation of this question took up three events at the 2016 Davos World Economic Forum.  I make jokes, yes, but the core of this is serious as cancer.  I throw in references to American politics not because "Trump is hot" or to score some political joke-points, but because that is what many *actual* people in this moment are thinking about and talking about, and I believe literature should not settle for cookie cutters and be about "making up fun stories" but about illuminating reality.

Call me an idealist but I feel stories should be more than just "entertainment" to keep you occupied while waiting at the doctors, pretending to work in your office, or settling down to go to sleep.  Stories should move, enlighten, challenge, illuminate the time in which they are written (to quote Gibson) and, in the case of science fiction -- which it's fairly obvious that I write -- the stories have the potential of offering a cautionary tale or providing a way forward.

I'm sorry, yes I throw on sarcasm and make jokes during banter, and perhaps you feel that the characters, settings and situations in my stories are just some kind of humorous dystopia version of America.  Well, I'm sorry to have to inform you that they are all too close to reality, for me and many others. 

If you want to go ahead and ban current American politics, that's your prerogative.  But if the reason is too many, "cheap jokes" -- I'm sorry, but I think I submitted, hands-down, the most serious, uncheap, unjoking story last round.

Peace out.

[Sinitrena]

First of all, I'm not sure this is the right place to discuss this. But as I get the impression you see my ban here as a personal attack against you, I think it really is necessary to answer.

Sorry, I'm going to have to call bullshit. 

Oh, I see how it is: The evieeeeeeeeeeel participants want to overthrow their fair and honest and benevolent moderater just so they can use cheap jokes that we all read a thousand times already.

I don't remember making any cheap jokes that we all read a thousand times already, and seeing as I'm (I believe) the only one who had references to Trump in the last story, WTF?

You do realise that I was kidding in this part of my post, don't you? I really hope you do.

Anyways, I specifically said that we had references to Trump in at least one story in the last three writing competitions. Granted, all three of your stories fall in this category, but they are not the only ones. Mandle had one, as well as kconan (probably - more in spirit than in name). So I did not specifically refer to you. If you feel personally attacked, I truly am sorry. That is not what I meant. Neither with the fact that your stories happen to fall under this ban, nor with the cheap jokes comment. That was meant as a joke in the context of our competition and was meant halfway serious in a broader context - as in: jokes about Donald Trump, and less so about the other candidates, are rather ubiquitous in all media at the moment.

I make jokes, yes, but the core of this is serious as cancer.  I throw in references to American politics not because "Trump is hot" or to score some political joke-points, but because that is what many *actual* people in this moment are thinking about and talking about, and I believe literature should not settle for cookie cutters and be about "making up fun stories" but about illuminating reality.

I completely agree with you here. This is serious. All politics are serious, and some even more so than others. I really wouldn't want Trump as the next american president, but I really don't think this discussion belongs here - not in this thread, probably not even in these forums.

Call me an idealist but I feel stories should be more than just "entertainment" to keep you occupied while waiting at the doctors, pretending to work in your office, or settling down to go to sleep.  Stories should move, enlighten, challenge, illuminate the time in which they are written (to quote Gibson*) and, in the case of science fiction -- which it's fairly obvious that I write -- the stories have the potential of offering a cautionary tale or providing a way forward.

*I unfortunately have absolutely no idea who Gibson is, sorry.

And yes, stories can "illuminate reality" and this is often a good thing. But it isn't necessary. It's not the only thing that makes a story good or intersting or meaningful. There is more to writing than reflecting reality. There are more topics that could benefit from a "cautionary tale".

But if the reason is too many, "cheap jokes" -- I'm sorry, but I think I submitted, hands-down, the most serious, uncheap, unjoking story last round.

Maybe "cheap jokes" was an unfortunate choice of words. My point still stands: A topic that comes up over and over again in all media is boring.

As for your story in the last round - and I want to reinforce that this additional rule had nothing to do with you or your stories - I really don't think your story was "unjoking", not in general and not concerning politics. It was sarcastic humour, but humour nonetheless.

If you want to go ahead and ban current American politics, that's your prerogative.

It is and I stand by this decision.

If you truly think banning one single topic limits you so much that you feel personally attacked (and I really get this impression), instead of seeing it as an oportunity to try something else for once, then maybe you simply take a competition in a random internet forum too serious. This competition was always about offering a challange - by providing topics that might be out of the comfort zone of the writer - or offering inspiration.

And let's be absolutely honest here: The prevalence of the preliminaries in all media and in the minds of many people combined with a topic that is mostly about politics makes it fairly certain that someone would use this in their story. Therefore, banning it adds an extra challange and makes the competition more interesting. This is a writing competition, not a place to showcase anyones political views. In case you didn't notice: I said all current American politics, not just everything refering to Trump.


Again, I apologize if you see this as an attack against you or your writing. It's not meant as such.

[SilverSpook]

I was mostly angered by a perceived singling out of my entry as the one with cheap old Trump jokes, mine being a story centering around American politics and involving references to Trump.  But you've made it clear that was apparently a misunderstanding.  So thank you for clearing that up.

[Baron]

Oh, I see how it is: The evieeeeeeeeeeel participants want to overthrow their fair and honest and benevolent moderater just so they can use cheap jokes that we all read a thousand times already.

....my joke was cheap.

I'm of two minds about this.  Firstly, it's Sinitrena's competition so she gets to set the rules.  So no current American politics.  But secondly, and I don't say this to antagonize Sinitrena who I really think is well-meaning and has done her best to set the record straight, I've seen enough bending and dodging and even outright breaking of the rules of this competition over the years to know that we'll basically accept anything short of a cut & paste job.  It is very unlikely that you would win by flouting the rules, but as my cheap joke above implies this topic practically asks you to rebel by attempting to flout them. I mean, what is "current" anyway, if not happening right now.  But is what happened ten minutes ago current?  Ask a day-trader or a traffic reporter or horse racer or....

Anyway, I hope SilverSpook you won't be put off from participating by Sinitrena's legitimate defence of her prerogative as contest adminstratrix (she's German: it's a rules-based culture -it's not her fault!); and Sinitrena, I hope you won't hold a grudge against SilverSpook for his fiery beliefs in libertarian free-speech and corporate armageddon against civil-society (he's American: it's hard-wired into him -it's not his fault!).

[kconan]

  My political entry was focused on American politics and especially the far-right, but no Trump.  The only Trump-esque aspects were the over-the-top patriotism and insult hurling done by the two candidates.

  This topic sounds fine to me.  Revolution or rebellion in anything other than U.S. politics which has been done to death.

[DBoyWheeler]

I had a good chuckle from the cracks Baron started. 

Best of luck to the writers here.

[Baron]

I've finally got an idea.  Who else is joining the revolution with me?  We have COOKIES!

[Sinitrena]

So, some people showed interest but we don't have an actual entry yet.

There's still a bit more than a day left, but should someone need an extension, just ask.

[Stupot]

I started something but in honesty I totally forgot about it. I'll read back what I had and if it's not to embarrassing I'll upload it as it is.

[Danvzare]

So, some people showed interest but we don't have an actual entry yet.

There's still a bit more than a day left, but should someone need an extension, just ask.

Seriously? Not a single entry?
Well in that case, I'll make a quick, short, rushed entry.

Two people, one called Bill, and the other named Will, were celebrating New Years day.
The clock was ticking down, and then Bill asked Will what his New Year Revolution would be.
Will said it would be to overthrow the government. They both laughed because Bill had said revolution instead of resolution.
But in actual fact, Will hadn't realized that Bill had said the wrong word. He meant what he said. He was going to overthrow the government.
Although like all New Year Resolutions, he gave up the very next day.

[Adeel]

Sorry, I'd been quite busy even though I had some interest in this month's theme. Here's what I had in my mind---not an entry, but a synopsis, if you will:

Basically, the story would have been set in some third world country such as Pakistan, about one (or maybe a few) teenager(s) naively believing that they can "revolutionize" the world with their cute, fanciful ideas. Attending "motivational" seminars doesn't help much either. Eventually they come to realize that everything isn't just what it seemingly appears to be. Most of the people aren't willing to bring the change, and those who do: either they meet a horrible fate or their work isn't as revolutionary as it appears to be. References of Parween Rahman, Sabeen Mahmud, and others would have been thrown in here and there. Ultimately, the teenager(s) decide that all their efforts to "revolutionize" the society around them are fruitless and they revert back to their former, calm lives --- with nothing but a facebook page of 10K likes as a reminder of their (failed) "revolution".

Yeah, it would have been a morbid piece. For extra flavouring, one of those teenagers could also have been killed to further solidify the vanity of their so called revolution in their minds.

[Stupot]

I just found the story I mentioned yesterday and remembered it was actually intended for the previous FWC about something random. So yeah, I won't be posting it here.

[Baron]

I was banking on the 4th not being over for another 26 hours here....  If that's not the case then I will need an extension.