Fortnightly Writing Competition: The World Within (CLOSED!)

[JudasFm]

Oh, frell it all to France on a frothy frappucino!  I really wanted to enter this one, but real life and writing deadlines got in the way.

Oh well, I can still vote!

Character: Baron with Dr. Bellerophon. Although he was a bit character, he seemed more real than Dr. Bazaar, who was too ridiculous for me to really enjoy.
Plot: This was a tough call, but I vote Sinitrena. Although Baron's was also good, Sinitrena's was more original and had a clear beginning-middle-end structure.
Writing Style: Sinitrena. Generally speaking, I prefer Sinitrena's style in any case, but in this particular story, one line got me: "For their freedom, they paid with their home." It summed up the message of so many people in similar situations.
Atmosphere: Sinitrena. Baron's story was fairly dialog-heavy, so I didn't get much of a sense of atmosphere or surroundings; it was a group of people on a tiny ship arguing with each other.

If it's allowed, I would vote, though I'm not sure that's acceptable considering I'm administering the contest and must remain impartial.

There was a bit of debate about this during one of the contests I administered. Speaking personally, I award myself one tiebreaker vote, to be used only after it's very clear no more votes are going to be forthcoming. This stops the contest dragging on, but it's an ultimate last resort.

In the end we all agreed that it was up to the particular administrator I've known admins vote just like readers, and even enter their own contests occasionally. So relax and enjoy running the contest your way

[Ess2s2]

Oh My, a two-way tie...

Character: Baron with Dr. Bazaar. His rantings made me think of a bit-part Douglas Adams character that has happened to get their own story. Though insane, the dialogue kept me engaged and amused, with Dr Bazaar having the stage most often.
Plot: Sinitrena. Unexpected but beautifully wrought, I found myself wanting more of that world, and I really wanted to know how everything was going to get fixed, if at all. Great concept.
Writing Style: Again, Sinitrena takes the lead on this one. While Baron's story was energetic and amusing, it was also a bit blustery and all the characters were yelling in my head. Warranted, likely given the situation, but it also took away from the sense of place whereas Sinitrena's writing was simply the translation layer between that world and ours.
Atmosphere: This was a tough one, but I have to give it to Sinitrena. While Baron took the "world within" concept to the utmost, I never got the sense that I was inside Mrs. Dr. Bellerophan's colon like I had wished. Sinitrena fleshed out her world the best, and I truly felt a sense of anxiety at the end.

[Ess2s2]

Thank you for the insight Judas, it's very much appreciated!

Now, onto the awards!

Though our contest this time around was a bit lean on participants, we still got two high-quality stories from Sinitrena and Baron.

Sinitrena offered up a chilling story about the secret lives of some very familiar companions.

Baron created something that both Douglas Adams and H.G. Wells could have been proud of.

Soooooooo...Due to how the votes fell out, I took the liberty of casting my tiebreaker vote, and the results are as follows!

Sinitrena wins the gold with her story When They Dance...! Great job Sinitrena, here's your well-deserved gold!


Baron takes second place with his excellent entry A Little Crazy! Congratulations on winning the silver!


A homeless cat came in from the rain to take a nap in 3rd place!


Everyone gets a trophy for voting and participating! Thank you!!


Thanks to everyone who participated, voted, and special thanks to those who wrote stories! Sinitrena, it's up to you now! See you in the next contest!!

[Sinitrena]

Thank you all for your kind words.
This topic was interesting and I really wish more people had entered. Well, maybe we have more luck in the next round - see you there!

[Baron]

Congratulations Sinitrena!  A well deserved victory.