Elftown Prose Contest - Fairy tales

2006-01-03 [Love The Kittens]: Also, it's supposed to be "as" not "so" in the second line after exceptional. It's comparing, right? So it's supposed to be "as." Umm, okay. There are other mistakes, and I know we're not being judged on this portion of the story...but ti makes me skeptical. I mean, one of the things they're judging on are GRAMMAR. It's kinda sad that the people judging out stories partly based on grammar can't catch the grammatical mistakes in the paragraphs THEY approved to be the opening for all the entries. Comma usage in front of prepositional phrases and all. Okay, so I sound like a grammar Nazi, but in reality, I suck at grammar that's why I have to burn the rules in my mind. 

2006-01-03 [Love The Kittens]: I don't want to sound rude. Blah. I'm sorry if I offended, I'm just being a bitch. I hope I don't get banned for this ><

2006-01-03 [shotokan_gal]: I did check it, those are more grammar mistakes than spelling mistakes though which are easier to miss #^_^#

2006-01-03 [shotokan_gal]: As for the grammar rules, we didn't have much time to look over this before wanting to open the contest. We're unfortunately not professional editors, and there are currently three judges, possibly to be increased. So give us a little slack for now :P Maybe the winning entry won't have 100% perfect grammar, but the main point of grammar is for a story to read well. And that's really what we're looking for overall, not whether the commas are necessarily always in the right place.

2006-01-03 [shotokan_gal]: As for two lands, you can connect them if you like. The opening is more to set the scene, in a fairy-tale kind of 'world' if you like. Whereas the characters in the second are to be what the story is hopefully going to be about. But be creative with how you connect them, if you wish too. The significance of the first could just be to set the scene, it's a land with castles and princesses etc. 'Far' is also very subjective, it can mean a few days travel away in a medieval context such as this. Use your imagination!

2006-01-03 [Love The Kittens]: Mmmmkay. Thanks ^_^ HIGHFIVE

2006-01-05 [Rochala]: can i start the story with this opening and then add the phrase "But this story has nothing to do with our ..."? :P

2006-01-05 [shotokan_gal]: We want you to link your story somehow to this opening, even if you don't use all of it. That is really the point.

2006-01-06 [-Shadow-Nell-]: Question! *waves hand in air* I've got my first draft laid out, but unfortunately it's just over the limit...by five hundred words. I'm working on it, but I haven't yet found something to cut out! I promise you won't notice the length, but will it be acceptable?

2006-01-06 [shotokan_gal]: Unfortunately not. You may post it now if you wish, but after the deadline anything a word over 2000 (not counting the opening paragraph - everything on this page) will be removed. Sorry, but we have to be strict or everyone will demand an extension.

2006-01-06 [Melocrie]: I am sorry [Love The Kittens], for the many mistakes in the opening. But you see, I am not English myself, and as [shotokan_gal] said, we didn't have time to look it over^^ But actually, I should thank you, this brings me a step closer to my perfect English^^

2006-01-06 [elfflower1989]: As in linked somehow to this story...how about if it's the story of the flea that lives in the dwarf's beard? ^^ Or maybe something like Canterbury Tales where the children...nevermind. Hm.

2006-01-06 [elfflower1989]: Oh, also, is there any specific way to write to make it "prose"?

2006-01-06 [Melocrie]: About the flea, it is possibe. It depends on the rest of the story. Personally, I think it's quite original^^

2006-01-06 [shotokan_gal]: Prose is just definied as ordinary writing - i.e. not poetry or something with a rhyming structure. Just a story in our case :)

2006-01-07 [-Shadow-Nell-]: *Goes to edit story with axe.*

2006-01-07 [Elmiira]: ah well.. no hope for me then. :) I don't have enough grammar or vocabulary in my head to make a fairy tale good enough. And I think finnish isn't accepted. :D

2006-01-07 [Melocrie]: You can always enter! Just try your best. We can tell the difference between trying and laziness. My grammer isn't the best either, because I'm Dutch. It's okay to make mistakes, as long as they are not mistakes because you didn't try. We can tell the difference^^

2006-01-10 [gypsygrl]: My sister is very dyslexic and those os us who can read her spelling think she is the most creative authress in bloom we have ever read. a little thing like lousey grammer ain't no good reason to feel shy. Write away!.

2006-01-10 [Melocrie]: Exactly! I have the same problem myself, though it's not really terrible. Yet I try^^

2006-01-11 [lolbriena]: The begginging description is good, but the second paragraph needs work!