Sci-Fi Writing Contest

2006-09-07 [Kaimee]: What consitutes sci-fi in this contest? Does it have to be the typical futuristic society with space ships and aliens, or can we go by wikipedia definitions and involve any speculative fiction that encompasses the effects of science, technology, alternative societies/history/realities, and time?

2006-09-09 [The Dizzy Raven]: Well, I want the writers to write with the sci-fi (futuristic) world in mind, but i want them to be original about it...I suppose I should have put that up...I'm sorry that it wasn't up. I wasn't thinking about that

2006-09-09 [Kaimee]: "The sci-fi (futuristic) world"? There's one particular world/reality you want this written for? Please, provide references! I've read thousands of different worlds, universes, realities, dimensions... which?!

2006-09-09 [iippo]: If you've read about what you'll write, you won't follow the first rule...? o.O

2006-09-09 [Kaimee]: But the contest owner wants us to write about some specific scifi type futuristic world, how can we know what that is without having encountered said world before? O.o

2006-09-09 [The Dizzy Raven]: Please forgive me. I'm getting confused. I'll change what I can. I'm sorry

2006-09-09 [iippo]: Where are you getting the specific world -thing? o.O The page says "must be your own idea".

2006-09-10 [The Dizzy Raven]: Oh! okay. Well, I'm just saying that you can't submit something that was someone else's and you can't use something that already exists. If it confuses you please tell me.

2006-09-10 [Kaimee]: "I want the writers to write with the sci-fi (futuristic) world in mind" in reference to what I actually asked :P I asked what constituted scifi for this contest, as I've seen many different definitions. I asked whether we were going with the wikipedia definition (involving any speculative fiction that encompasses the effects of science, technology, alternative societies/history/realities, and time) or whether it was the shallower "futuristic space station type setting with aliens and transporter rays" :P

2006-09-10 [Kaimee]: The copyright rules are obvious and don't confuse me, I'm asking what you are defining as science fiction for the purposes of this contest, as the definition changes a lot.

2006-09-10 [Kaimee]: Also, is this a short story contest or a novel contest?
Rule 4. Prologues are ONLY necessary to make it easier for voting at the end, does that mean it's a novel contest but you only want the prologue? :S
What's the minimum/maximum word count requirement?