Criminally in vain : A Thrillogy. Announcing our new contest!

By On August 30, 2011 · 48 Comments · In Criminally in Vain : A Thrillogy., Featured, Past Contests: Rules & Winners

Literati!

The time for plea bargaining is through–you are hereby sentenced to compete in our new contest:

Criminally in Vain:  A Thrillogy

Ever wanted to write a crime thriller?  Here is your chance.  You have three prompts from which to choose, and  you may enter an independent story with each prompt.   Crimes you write about can be  against humanity, common sense, nature, lovers and friends, and even: crimes against the law.  You choose.  Each story will judged independently, so you have up to three chances to win.  Stories can be witty, pretty, or gritty. You do the time.  You write the crime.

Here are the prompts. Each prompt should appear as a line somewhere in your submission.

#1  It’s a Crime        #2   The Smoking Gun      #3  Its Complicated

Pizza! Pizza! Cheesey stories are a crime

Is that a Smoking Gun in your tv series or Kitty from Gunsmoke coming clean?

Back to square one

Each entry must be on a separate word doc attachment, must identify the author, the prompt, and have a title.  By submitting your story to A Word with You Press you are giving us permission to publish this on line and one time rights to include your work in a digital or hard copy anthology at our discretion.  We are under no obligation to produce the anthology.

Word count? Exactly 150 words for your first entry, 300 words for your second entry, and 450 words for your third entry.  Alcatraz became a detention center 150 years ago. 450 was the maximum number of prisoners it was supposed to hold, and 300 is right in the middle. If your story is even a word too long, parole will be denied.  You have to learn to reduce your own sentence(s).  If your story is too short, you will have see if you can do the stretch.  EXACT WORD counts, but remember, you can’t do a 300 word story unless you have first done one 150 words, and you can’t do a 450 word-er until you have done the short-timers.  You can submit the stories in any order.

Writer's retreat in San Francisco Bay--writer's block takes on a whole new demeaning

send your stories to thorn@awordwithyoupress no sooner than hard Labor Day, and before midnight, September 23rd–the first day of fall!

Prize to be announced over hard Labor Day weekend.

As always, have fun with this, encourage your friends to enter, and to leave comments.

best

thorn

no-more-vampires-keeping-me-up-past-midnight-in-chief

 
About The Author

Thornton

Someday, I'll get it write...

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  • Diane Cresswell

    Who knows what evil lurks in the minds and hearts of men – The shadow editor in crime do.  I want the vamps back!  Does this mean from the prompts  that each entry must bear these titles?

  • http://www.alongthewritelines.blogspot.com Derek

    Frankly my dear, we’re vamped out for the time being!

  • http://www.awordwithyoupress.com/ Thornton Sully

    no.  you pick the title, we just want to know which prompt you used, though they are all similar.  Your prompt should appear as a line in your story somewhere.  I will go back now and edit the blog to see that is made clear.

  • Diane Cresswell

    Darn cuz I was just getting in this – something to chew on while the midnight hour rolled around.  Now we go from the undead to a crime scene…what’s the difference she asks innocently while laughing her manical laugh!!!! 

  • Mac Eagan

    So, if we can submit the stories in any order and I decide to first send you my 300-word story, how do you know I really have a 150-word story sitting on my desk(top)?
    If I don’t ever send in the 150, does my 300 get disqualified?

  • Anonymous

    Only if you cross the international dateline and howl at the moon while drinking stump water from a banyan tree from the Canadian tundra. Otherwise, I’d go back and read the instructions. Just sayin’

  • Stars Fall On My Heart

    =O How could you expect me to write stories of such a nature?! I’m too sweet and innocent!

  • http://www.awordwithyoupress.com/ Thornton Sully

    The first story you submit must be 150 words, but it can be any prompt.  Second story with a different prompt is 300 words, and remaining story with the remaining prompt is 45o words.

  • Tlrelf

    ooh, how did you know I wanted to do a crime thriller?! Thank you, Det. Sully!

  • M. Stang

    Laugh on you crazy diamond

  • M. Stang

    just sayin what?

  • Mac Eagan

    HA HA HA HA HA HA . . . wait, were you being serious or joking around?

  • Stars Fall On My Heart

    You doubt the truth of my innocence? *gasps and faints*

  • http://theturnofthekarmicwheel.blogspot.com Monica M Brinkman

    Am asking if the title is included in the word count this time? Thanks much

  • http://theturnofthekarmicwheel.blogspot.com Monica M Brinkman

    Am asking if the title is included in the word count this time? Thanks much

  • http://tinyurl.com/237mvru Monica M. Brinkman

    My blood is curdling just thinking of what fiendish plots the authors will produce. Love this contest!

  • http://tinyurl.com/237mvru Monica M. Brinkman

    My blood is curdling just thinking of what fiendish plots the authors will produce. Love this contest!

  • Mari Maiko

    Oooh…I’ve actually had a crime story in mind for a while now…mwuhahaha…

    THANK YOU MR. THORN!

  • Mac Eagan

    I thought you’ve been looking at me kinda funny these last few days.  Everyone, if I don’t enter this contest for some reason – I know who your first suspect should be!

  • Mac Eagan

    I hope not.  He’s never done that before.

  • Mac Eagan

    Great.  First I upset Chuck, and now Stars.  There ought to be a law.

  • http://www.awordwithyoupress.com/ Thornton Sully

    nope

  • M. Stang

    There is

  • Tlrelf

    So, these are three different stories, not three versions, right?

  • Tlrelf

    Good to know, as my first entry is 450 words, and I’m struggling with a title. . .

  • Tlrelf

    Oh, now I get it. Whew, as I was going to send you the 450 first.

  • Mac Eagan

    Thank, Teri.  I’m glad I’m not the only one who “misunderstood.”

  • Mac Eagan

    Three versions of the same story?  I think that would be interesting.

    Mari had a similar question (sort of).  She wanted to know if she could write three parts to the same story.  That question has been asked here before, so I repeated the answer the way I remembered it:  You can send a three-part story, just make sure each part can stand as an independent story.

    Ter, my only suggestion if you decide to do three versions is that you do each one from a different POV.

  • Tlrelf

    Well, I’ve submitted all three, and am anxiously awaiting reading everyone’s entries. I haven’t written many stories like this, but then again, I suppose some of these types of elements are in a lot of my fiction. . .

  • Tlrelf

    P.S. Am loving the challenge! I forgot to mention Carolyn Wheat, who has a book out on writing thrillers, etc. I forget the title, and it’s buried somewhere in my book shelves, but it’s excellent. I also got to hear her speak, and meet her, a few years back at a Con.

  • Tlrelf

    You’re welcome, Mac. Sometimes, I am easily confused!

  • Tlrelf

    Okay. I did as you instructed and then fortunately, Thorn clarified in the meantime. What an adventure. That stump water has magical properties. . .

  • Tlrelf

    I fought the urge to include a vamp. I will say that there are some aliens, though. hehe

  • Tlrelf

    How about shapeshifters for the next contest? Werewolves?

  • M. Stang

    Communication is a wonderful thing.  I’d lay off the stump water if I were you.  Howling at the moon is okay.

  • Diane Cresswell

    Yah and I know a few of them – they’re going to be in the sequel!!!! LOL

  • Tlrelf

    Argh! I already did three different stories and sent them in. I like the different POVs for the next contest. A great exercise!

  • SalvatoreButtaci

    Of all contests so far, this has been the most fun for me. I love writing crime stories and paring down to the required exact number of words. 

  • http://www.alongthewritelines.blogspot.com Derek

    Never has, never will be. We’re not that devious. And e have a hard enough time doing the math as it is!

  • http://www.alongthewritelines.blogspot.com Derek

    I read therefore I is.

  • http://www.alongthewritelines.blogspot.com Derek

    I find everyday people shapeshifty enough.

  • http://www.alongthewritelines.blogspot.com Derek

    I have a friend who says that laws, like wind, are made to be broken.

  • http://wmadvantage.tumblr.com Chuck

    It’s stuck in committee. 

  • Tlrelf

    I can’t believe tomorrow is the first day of fall already! We should each do our own individual sacrifices to the Moon Goddess!

    Can hardly wait to read the remaining entries!

  • Tlrelf

    This has been a fun one. . .I was partial to the vampires suck contest myself. But that’s an occupational mandate!

  • Mari Maiko

    *evil giggle* Oh, you know I would NEVER try and murder you Daddy. >:D

  • Mac Eagan

    And yet, living with a Type 1 diabetic (moi), you send in a murder story where the weapon may have been a syringe filled with insulin.

  • Chuck

    When will the finalists be announced?