Well folks, it's that time again! Welcome to the writing phase of Calling All Writers Challenge! I would like to invite all to Join in the fun! This is a competition where you can see how your writing stacks up. Never written before? Just starting out? Been writing for years? Well, put a submission together and see how it goes!

I have always been a fan of history, and more precisely the people in history. That someone can be remembered years and years after their deaths is really a tribute to their accomplishments. We can name facts and deeds from people who lived hundreds and sometimes thousands of years ago. However... What do we know about their personal lives? What did these amazing people do behind closed doors? Theodore Roosevelt spoke softly, but was he really swinging a big "stick"? What did Joan of Arc like to wear under her armor? Was Alexander really that great? Or did his lovers just call him Alexander the So-So? What could Wallis Simpson do that was worth giving up the throne of England for?

Let's hear some theories! Your challenge as a writer is to pick an historical character, and write a story about their personal lives. Your character can be any throughout history. If it is someone who is well known in your culture but not so much elsewhere, that's fine. I think we are all able to use Google if we need to. This historical figure need not be the main character, but should feature prominently in your tale.

You may write your story about anything that you would like. If an historically accurate piece is what you want, then great! If you would prefer to take your character into another setting? Feel free! Maybe King Henry VIII was abducted by a race of 4 breasted, nymphomaniacs, and that is why no normal human wife was ever good enough for him. Great! Let's hear it!

If the character you want to write about, is one from fiction, I'd say use your own judgement. I'm certainly not going to disqualify anyone for writing about Zeus, or Paul Bunyan. I would suggest that we stay away from any religious figures, so as not to offend anyone. Likewise, I have often wondered what they were like behind closed doors, but a story about Adolf and Eva might be in bad taste.

There is really only site rules that you must follow. Any submission must be Your Own original, unpublished work. Perhaps you would like to write about King Tut? Be careful! He is believed to have died at 17-19. No Characters under the age of 18 can participate, or witness any sexual acts! (Not my rule, and we can leave discussion about this to the various other threads devoted to this topic.) I can see this as the ONLY reason I would disqualify an entry.

This will be an anonymous entry. All entries must be sent to me for posting under the CAW SOP account. Please do not discuss your story with anyone else. (though the use of a proof reader is acceptable, and encouraged.) You may submit more than one entry, but lets say a maximum of three. Also feel free to write a story as a team, there have been many great team stories in the past. I am wary of placing a word limit on any story, but I would suggest trying to keep it under 30,000. Once again, I can't see disqualifying any story, but lets not go overboard either. ( No offense meant to any author of longer works )

Due to the holidays, I would like to give ample time for writing. Six weeks will put us at January 25. I will post my E-mail two weeks previous on Jan. 11 for people to start submitting. This should give EVERYONE sufficient time to get at least one entry in. I would like to see a record number of entries! New writers, seasoned veterans, previous winners, some of you who keep saying you just couldn't finish in time. Let's get those keyboards humming! I would also like to ask some of you for help. Let's contact some of the writers that haven't been around for a bit. Invite anyone that used to write here to come back and submit a story. The more the merrier!

I hope that we can have a fun, drama free competition here. Hope to see your story involved!

 

I'm not a big fan of history, but I like the 'lack of limitations' while not swaying too much from who they were, and if I manage to think of something, I'll participate. Cheers & Good to have you back.

 

Interesting.

 

My mind is exploding just thinking about every possible story that could be written for this CAW. Fantastic idea, UncleB71.

 

Well I know that I said that I will not participate again in one of these...but...may I over-rule myself just this once and enter as well?

After writing Valhalla Calling, I have found that it is fun writing about Mythology and even with a sex scene or two it can't offend, how else does demi-gods come to life?

And now you went and plant an idea into my head about aliens as well! I WANT TO WRITE!!

So may I enter? Pretty Please?

 

I also said in the past that I would take no further part in CAWs but there is a historical story I am just dying to write and this is as good an excuse as any. I'm glad we shall have a long period before submission as it is going to need a great deal of research. For the moment, I'm in.

 

Tempted. No promises, but tempted. At least I have an idea early on.

 

You seem to have given us plenty of time.

Hmmm.....

 

uh oh, the beast is released if super winner ejls enters this then I will respectfully bow out (see me bowing?) I still a young 'un when it comes to writing

 

Nonsense. She's lost more than she's won, and she was a first-time winner once too. She's consistently one of the best writers here, but I'd be willing to bet she writes her stuff sitting on the couch in comfy clothes and bedroom slippers like the rest of us.

Not entering because a past winner does misses the point of the whole CAW concept. Sure, winning is great (and something of a pain in the ass), but this was set up as a challenge to see what people could do working from a common starting point. Think of it as a writing workshop or a party game. Take the theme, come up with a cool idea, write it out, and to hell with what the other entrants do. You'll probably get pretty honest feedback on your work, both positive and negative, as will others.

Enter, compare, see what you liked in other people's stories, learn what readers liked and didn't like about yours, and worry about votes later.

This is supposed to be fun.

 

I began writing my story yesterday evening and gave up on it within an hour as it was extremely difficult to get my head round the whole conspiracy I wanted to put forward. However, within another couple of hours, I came up with a new and even better idea as I've developed a new take on a well-documented story. And it is likely to be long, very long.

 

Though I write fast I'm still not sure wantssome lot of you primo writes enter the Caws don't feel I'd have a chance, but we'll see.

 

Pars, I hope you'll reconsider your decision to write. I won't be able to start my story until after the new year, so I'm just going to cross my fingers and hope I finish on time. There are several CAWs that I haven't entered. An issue here over a year ago pretty much ruined writing for me. Please, your entry to the KAW is so good. Try to find a way to grace us with a submission.

 

It's not a question of writing fast. It's not a question of whether you will win. It's all about writing. Last I checked, you were tied for 1st place in the KAW. Are you saying that those who voted for you have misplaced their votes, that if you don't have confidence in what you write, that they shouldn't have be giving your story, and you, their vote?

Last I checked, Dan Brown, Clive Cussler, J.K. Rowling, W.E.B. Griffin, and Nora Roberts were not submitting stories, so I'm pretty sure that the competition, as always, is wide open. Will the CAW provide tougher competition than the KAW? Perhaps, if nothing else by the sheer number of entries, yes, but that's no reason not to participate. It isn't necessarily the "best" story that wins, because what judgment is there for "best" other than which one gets the most votes? I can tell you that I've voted for what I deemed to be the best story (to me) and on a number of occasions it didn't win. As another good writer here once said, it's all about timing.

You certainly aren't required to write, and if you don't have time due to other obligations, that's fine. But if you have the time, if you have an idea, then you should write. You won't get better sitting on the sidelines. You'll get better getting in here and mixing it up. Write a story. Edit it. Edit it again. Get satisfied that you've done your best, then submit it and see where it takes you. Competition breeds excellence.

 

Horse has said it good enough, but I'd just like to expand on that.

You also should write for yourself. In the past CAWs (and KAW) I did so too, although with stories told in different ways, and while some of them were decent, all of them weren't even close to winning. And while that might be considered bad to some - and personally to me - it's just the way it is. Compared to my first story here, I feel I've gotten better, and found ways to tell and write things I previously couldn't - The Fox Sister (I don't remember exactly how I named it, but it's called that way in the original story) made me see I can do horror, even though the story sucked at the end. It was too calm, too serious, and too 'meh', while also screwed up in few ways plot-wise, something that BR has helped me see.

And while I may not be much better yet, it definitely helps to improve. And jeez, I wish those authors were here! While their constructive criticism would probably destroy some of the stories to shreds, including mine, it'd definitely make it even more fun.

 

+1

If you are happy when writing, then write. If you aren't, I dunno, try knitting, lol! But serious...writing should be fun. I get excited by a new CAW because of the possibilities. Just look at this CAW...writing about a historical figure, and, not even limited to a "real" historical figure. That means you can write about George Washington, or George Jetson. And, looking at the rules, you can write about George Washington meeting George Jetson! The possibilities are endless.

 

The posters above got it right.

People should write for their own enjoyment. If you try to write a "winning story", you'll likely fail, simply because no one has yet found the formula for a sure-fire winner. Write what YOU like. Someone will probably like it too. Work on it till you're satisfied, maybe get someone to proofread it for you, submit, and see what happens.

Stories have won that were, perhaps, not as "good" as stories they beat, but the way they were told and their appeal at the moment made them top choices. I feel my own solo winner years ago fits that description.

These writing challenges are an opportunity to improve as writers through comparison, feedback, and competition. Winning is a bit like the lottery -- you can't win if you don't play.

 

How can you be sure? The entries have to be anonymous.