[2010: SEP-OCT] Writing Challenge: September-October 2010

[Chen]

Thanks again to everyone who entered in the last round! Let's push this round as much as possible - if you could work on people aboard your ship or who you know in the fleet to enter then that would be great!

Last rounds winner, LtCmdr Tal Tel-ar, has come up with the following topic for this round:

“Legends”

This should be a story from the far distant pre industrial past of one of the Federation Member species. A story that has survived the test of time. Something along the lines of Troy, Atlantis, King Solomons Mines or Shrangra La.

Guidelines: To participate, create a new thread. The subject of the thread must be the title of your story. If it is a Work In Progress, denote that with the heart post icon. Again, I'm not sure if the horizontal arrow marker works, but as with last round it will be the final draft posted in your topic that will be read and taken into consideration. Any unfinished entries marked as Work In Progress will not be considered for judging and will be moved to the "Character Cafe" forum at the end of the contest. Your work must be entirely your own. No co-authoring. You are welcome to create any character you so desire, but they must be from the Star Trek universe. No "canon" characters allowed. (i.e.- No one who has been on a show.)

Length: No more than 3000 words accepted.

Beginning Date: Sunday, August 29th

Ending Date: Friday, October 29th.

See Also: the Writing Challenge Website

Challenge: “Legends”

Edited August 29, 2010 by FltAdml. Wolf
Removing line about needing help to start new thread - that's no longer a requirement.

[Chen]

Just over a week to go until the deadline for this Challenge! Thankyou to those who have entered, and to those who have yet to do so - bring on those last minute entries!!

[Chen]

That concludes the entry period for this round's Challenge - the judges are deliberating, and we'll announce the results as soon as we can! Thankyou to everyone who entered - good turn out this time!

Edited October 30, 2010 by Tallis Rhul

[Chen]

Well, as they say in the trade, the lines are now closed, and the votes have been counted and verified, but first the reviews! Here they are, in no particular order:-

Uran Matie Rewrites History! by Lt. Thomas N. Gregory

Reviewed by LtCmdr Tal Tel-ar

I liked the concept of this story and while it did not really tell us much about a myth from the past it did deal with how people in the future might deal with a myth. The characters were well defined and his descriptions were well written. I think he could have developed the story better. I felt as if something important was missing by the time I was done. It was almost like a few brief glimpses into a full story. Still he was able to invoke some rather complex images mixed with the difficult ideas behind his subject. The bottom line however for me is that regardless of how well written it is there was a feeling of incompleteness. A sense that something was missing that left the story hanging.

[Chen]

Children Equally of Earth and Sky by CPO Radi Rais

Reviewed by LtCmdr Tallis Rhul

This was an interesting take on a creation story, and some of the ideas in this piece, particularly the explanation of how the Trill got their characteristic spots, were very cleverly thought out. There was a quality reminiscent of a mythological account to the writing, which was a good thing; it can be very difficult to structure and deliver a story that covers events of this magnitude without running a long way past the word limit for this type of competition. Concise descriptions and accounts of events are characteristic of that particular style, and this was a feature that came across well.

I did feel initially that the comparison of the four sisters to Water, Fire, Metal and Air borrowed too heavily from Chinese philosophy in that such parallels have a tendency to feel clichéd, but it quickly became apparent why this feature had been deployed. Having allegiances of the elements and the concepts into which they had been tied give birth to a new character was a nice touch. I enjoyed the creation of honour and loyalty as combinations of the four sisters, and the rationale behind it. However, I was a little less appreciative of the breakdown in relations and the formation of a second round of partnerships; the technique had worked well the first time, but lost its impact the second as it was still fresh in my mind.

The conclusion of the piece was strong. The four warring sisters, united by their stricken brother, form the avatar of the trill race, and the choice to leave joy out of the mix of qualities with which they had been built worked very nicely into the Trill’s perception of symbiosis. I also liked the idea that joy is in itself tainted somehow, as the image of the symbionts came about as a result of a spiteful act.

This was an entertaining and well thought-out read.

[Chen]

All That Remains by Commander Jhen Thelev

Reviewed by LtCmdr Tallis Rhul

The interpretation of the theme was interesting here, taking something that’s fairly well known, but giving it a fresh, Star Trek-themed twist. The structure is reminiscent of a sequence of flashbacks: we’re seeing the bare bones of a catastrophe as it unfolds. The most pleasing feature of this sequence is that the status quo is maintained for what seems like a long time, and when the inevitable report of the warning arrives, the atmosphere becomes dark and sinister very quickly.

Once the chaos has been initiated, things spiral very quickly towards a hopeless situation for the remaining crew. The Captain, a character that we’ve all come to see through our experiences with Star Trek as a figure of authority and the ultimate voice of control over the crew and the ship, is disempowered completely. Not only that, but the decision she is forced into making feels almost perverse: out of the fire and into the frying pan.

Again, the conclusion of the story was strong. In this case, we were already looking at something open-ended, as the altered members of the crew were left in control of the ship. However, the fate of Loxley suggests that there could still be more to come in the saga of the Pandora, and that the end of those that escaped is far from certain.I have to say - this went in a completely different direction than I thought it would at first, and I really liked that!

[Chen]

Decisions by Ens Charisse Trissta Ocran

Review by Cmdr Toni Turner

Ensign Ocran's rendition of "Decisions" was a fascinating work. My interpretation was that this eclectic mix of emotions pitted "mind over matter" making both characters winning, and losing, equally - the mentor wanting his student to fail, and disappointed that he did not . . . the student thinking he had failed, when he had won by walking away.

Ocran's first entry puts him right at the top as a strong contender in our Challenges. As with most Star Trek episodes, I look forward to seeing more of this Author's work.

Well done, Charisse.

[Chen]

Beneath the Raptor's Wings by Cmdr Quinn Reynolds

Review by Cmdr Toni Turner

The work of a discipline writer and storyteller is apparent in Reynold's tale of new beginnings dictated by devastation, hatred, defeat, and revenge. The descriptions, typical of Reynold's vocabulary, were somewhat distracting (in that I enjoyed them) and, put her clearly in command of this well-told story.

Entries from our more accomplished writers are few and far between, so it's an event to see work of this caliber.

Excellent work, Quinn.

[Chen]

And now the moment you've all been waiting for... the results!!!

First of all, congratulations to this round's runner up: Chief Petty Officer Radi Rais, with "Children Equally of Earth and Sky"!

...and a huge congratulations to this round's winner: Commander Quinn Reynolds, with "Beneath the Raptor's Wings"!

I'll be getting in touch with Commander Reynolds shortly to get her selection of theme for the next round, and as soon as I do we'll get the next round up and running!

A huge thankyou to everyone for entering, and I'll be looking forward to seeing what you come up with next time!