An idea for the next T.T. story contest

[Dr. Bill Kobb]

So, a couple of us were batting this around, and I wanted to hear input from others on the idea:

How about for the second big Tickle Theater story contest, if we had some sort of "theme" to it? You know, like for instance:
Jungle
Period Piece
Western
Nazis
Arabian

...or any of a thousand other themes. Good idea? Bad? Input wanted.

 

[taxwaxus]

Although I'm not a writer I think thats a good idea. I'll also expound on your previous post (thanks for the compliment BTW):
How about as a theme writers choose their favorite piece of art and write a story based on it? Its win-win-win. It will give readers a visual, give writers inspiration, and artists a warm fuzzy feeling inside.
The idea could later be applied to any future art contests, whereby artists choose their favorite story and draw a picture based on it.

 

[melanie2]

It's a good idea..i would like a gothic horror type theme myself..

 

[Dr. Bill Kobb]

Although I'm not a writer I think thats a good idea. I'll also expound on your previous post (thanks for the compliment BTW):
How about as a theme writers choose their favorite piece of art and write a story based on it? Its win-win-win. It will give readers a visual, give writers inspiration, and artists a warm fuzzy feeling inside.
The idea could later be applied to any future art contests, whereby artists choose their favorite story and draw a picture based on it.

Damn. Now THAT'S thinking outside of the box, there! I like it! We should really, truly do this!!!

The only slight drawback I can think of is if either artists or storytellers utilize characters from some series(comics/TV/movies/games/etc) that others might not be familiar with, or even want to delve into in any depth.

Beyond that minor quibble, I think it's a smashing idea! 🙂

 

[Dr. Bill Kobb]

It's a good idea..i would like a gothic horror type theme myself..

I think I could cook up a story from that angle.

 

[Bashiku]

I unfortunately hate it... it is already hard to write a good enough story when you are without boundry's, but adding chains to writers hands is depressing to me. Everyone has their own style and that doesn't mean they will adapt to the theme. I for matter of fact am writer of fantasies, but I couldn't adapt myself to real situation, like Nazis or something similar.

 

[the_jimmy_james]

I think it's a great idea. The lack of a theme is one of the things that kept me out of the story contest the first time around. How can people judge if there's no guidelines? Someone could just come and submit a mediocre novella and sweep through the contest simply because they delivered a huge quantity of work, while someone may deliver a publishing-quality short story and get looked over because the topic they picked was outside of most peoples' rather limited interest.

 

[Sablesword]

How about as a theme writers choose their favorite piece of art and write a story based on it?

I've already done this a few times, so I know it can work.

("A Secret Military Experiment," "Cutting Out Expedition," and less directly all the other tee-pod/leotaur stories, based on art by Scavenger. Also "The Cult of Cuddles" from a piece by Caroo, and "Subject A" from a piece by Nessonite.)

The only drawback, as mentioned above, are stories based on fan-art, which would either have to be fanfic, or else create a disconnect of "same scene, completely different characters." But I'm biased; I really don't like either fanfic or fan-art.

 

[Sablesword]

I unfortunately hate it... it is already hard to write a good enough story when you are without boundry's, but adding chains to writers hands is depressing to me. Everyone has their own style and that doesn't mean they will adapt to the theme. I for matter of fact am writer of fantasies, but I couldn't adapt myself to real situation, like Nazis or something similar.

I think more structure can be a good thing, more often than not. But as a writer of fantasy & science fiction myself, I do see your point. To some extent it depends on how much the theme can be subverted. Ferx, if the theme is "Nazis" one might do a fantasy story about Evil Nazi Elves (blue-eyed and blond, of course) tormenting Jewish Genies...

OTOH, the choice of theme for a contest can lead to a writer saying "Meh, count me out for this contest."

 

[FeatherDaemon1]

I suppose it really depends on what the themes would be. Maybe we could nominate some themes, those of us interested in doing the writing that is. Put it to a vote then write away.

 

[Dr. Bill Kobb]

I suppose it really depends on what the themes would be. Maybe we could nominate some themes, those of us interested in doing the writing that is. Put it to a vote then write away.

Good idea, FeatherDaemon. Perhaps we should start a new thread for that. One for just brainstorming-up some theme-ideas.

 

[Cbarton]

I could see some drawbacks. For example, so many here are anime freaks that any of those characters could easily get selected as the subject. But I would bow out, since I couldn't tell the difference between a Sailor Moon and a Paper Moon...

 

[Dr. Bill Kobb]

I could see some drawbacks. For example, so many here are anime freaks that any of those characters could easily get selected as the subject. But I would bow out, since I couldn't tell the difference between a Sailor Moon and a Paper Moon...

I concur with you on this, especially if you're referring to the idea of stories based from art. I dunno squat about anime or video-games, so either of those would require me to do some studying to learn more about the characters, which I'm frankly just not going to do.



Perhaps if we kept the tickle-story theme to very broad things, like:

Lite & Fluffy
Revenge
Interrogation
Supernatural
Science Experiment
Etc.
?


All I know is, the first one was way too broad in scope, IMHO.

 

[FeatherDaemon1]

I concur with you on this, especially if you're referring to the idea of stories based from art. I dunno squat about anime or video-games, so either of those would require me to do some studying to learn more about the characters, which I'm frankly just not going to do.



Perhaps if we kept the tickle-story theme to very broad things, like:

Lite & Fluffy
Revenge
Interrogation
Supernatural
Science Experiment
Etc.
?


All I know is, the first one was way too broad in scope, IMHO.

Yeah, this is more along the lines of what I was thinking. Just a general direction and not a specific target.

 

[Sablesword]

Brainstorming...

Interrogation
Punishment/Revenge
Pleasure
Treatment/Empowerment
Experimentation

Magic/Fantasy/Supernatural
Technological/Robots/Devices

Mystery
Escape
Romance
Competition

 

[Dr. Bill Kobb]

Brainstorming...

Interrogation
Punishment/Revenge
Pleasure
Treatment/Empowerment
Experimentation

Magic/Fantasy/Supernatural
Technological/Robots/Devices

Mystery
Escape
Romance
Competition

Yeah! See, I could rally around any of those themes/ideas. I mean, I understand Brother Bashiku's concerns about feeling constricted by too tight a theme, but with broad ones like these above to role with*, I'd think anyone would still have enough leeway to create terrific fiction.

Should we try to take it to the main forum as a poll-vote? If so, we might need someone who can figure out the blithering "poll" function here; i.e.-someone besides me!





*Okay, I admit that I am not sure I fully grasp the "Treatment/Empowerment" story concept, but I jibe with the others!

 

[sadi]

Would it be possible for any one of those themes chosen as the headliner for the story, to include any of the other themes? It seems as is most of the themes listed here can quite easily meld or include another (except for the scenery options; those would have to be based on a more character-development/heritage instead of multiple use).

 

[MistressValerie1]

My only concern is that because our last contest only attracted seven entries, if we narrow the topic for the next contest, we may not get enough entries to hold a meaningful competition.

 

[Duke Diablo]

I don't like themes. They are too restrictive. Also, one writer might have an unfair advantage, as let's say a modern horror/tickle story might be his favorite, and he writes a story that is as good as when he is unrestricted, yet the other writer, maybe even better originally, dislikes the theme and doesn't write nearly as good as he usually does, if he even enters.

I personally know that I work best when unrestrained, and when I want to write a tickle story, I prefer being able to choose whichever setting I want, whichever characters I want, whichever methods I want, etc.

Also, describing a picture doesn't seem like my cup of tea, either, sorry. The very point of my stories is that people don't have anything visualized already, and I am trying to do it for them, to show them everything about the situation, about the characters, etc. The point of a good story is for the illustration to be unnecessary.

The only thing I would change is to make the entries anonymous (for example, for every writer to send their story to the referee, who then posts all the competition entries when the comp. opens), so that the readers actually vote for a story and not for the man who wrote it. That way, neither writer would have the upper hand of popularity. The name of the winner would be declared after the voting is closed.

 

[Cbarton]

The only thing I would change is to make the entries anonymous (for example, for every writer to send their story to the referee, who then posts all the competition entries when the comp. opens), so that the readers actually vote for a story and not for the man who wrote it. That way, neither writer would have the upper hand of popularity. The name of the winner would be declared after the voting is closed.

I like that idea, Duke! We want it to be a writing contest, not a popularity contest.

 

[Dr. Bill Kobb]

My only concern is that because our last contest only attracted seven entries, if we narrow the topic for the next contest, we may not get enough entries to hold a meaningful competition.

I suspect that we might be able to garner more entries if we can figure out a way to give it abit more publicity. I may be mistaken on that, though. If so, the artists have totally outdone the writers on this site, as their contest really brought forth some excellent entries.

 

[Dr. Bill Kobb]

Would it be possible for any one of those themes chosen as the headliner for the story, to include any of the other themes? It seems as is most of the themes listed here can quite easily meld or include another (except for the scenery options; those would have to be based on a more character-development/heritage instead of multiple use).

Most certainly. :super_hap

 

[Dr. Bill Kobb]

The only thing I would change is to make the entries anonymous (for example, for every writer to send their story to the referee, who then posts all the competition entries when the comp. opens), so that the readers actually vote for a story and not for the man who wrote it. That way, neither writer would have the upper hand of popularity. The name of the winner would be declared after the voting is closed.

That is indeed a fine idea, Duke! :super_hap

 

[Sablesword]

*Okay, I admit that I am not sure I fully grasp the "Treatment/Empowerment" story concept, but I jibe with the others!

OK, what I meant by "Treatment/Empowerment" are stories involving

a. tickling to cure medical or psychological problems or

b. tickling to extract special energies or grant special powers.

Things like:

the stereotypical brat who gets tickled in an asylum until she learns better behavior

a new or exotic medical treatement that has the side effect of tickling unbearably

spaceships that operate off of "tickle energies"

"tickle vampires" that need to extract such energies in order to live

a teaching machine that pipes knowledge directly into the student's brain, but requires the student to be vigorously tickled in order for the knowledge to stick

tickling as a fat-farm weight-loss technique

telepaths used to communicate between star systems in a science fiction setting who need to be tickled for their telepathic powers to kick in.

Clear as mud?

 

[Sablesword]

An imposed structure can be a spur to creativity rather than a hinderance. There have been times when I hated having to write within an imposed structure, but it really is Good For You. It's a challenge, in the good sense of the word, a point of departure. It's something the writer can push off of, or climb up on, rather than thrashing around and not getting anywhere.

The trick, I think, at least for this contest is to have a theme that's sufficiently broad and abstract as to cut across genres. For example "Woman Warrior" - that's a theme that can be used in a fantasy, modern-day, or science fiction setting; in a romantic story, in a horror story, in an interrogation story... The woman warrior in the story could turn out to be the ler, or the lee, or both. Or neither - "the amazon warrior goes to rescue the captive prince from the evil countess who is tickle-tormenting him. Only... he doesn't want to be rescued." That much detail would be too much for this story contest's theme, but it is one of the many concepts that could spring from a simple theme of "Woman Warrior."

So put me down in favor of having a theme for the next contest. I don't think it will stifle creativity and I don't think it will reduce the numbers of entries.