UPDATES: Halloween Challenge 2017 Edition

by **chrisbishop** » Fri Jul 28, 2017 6:02 pm

The Halloween Challenge is now officially launched!

You are now all officially invited to participate to our most popular challenge and to submit your stories in the coming weeks/months for the Halloween Fan Fiction Challenge. Please see the page here for all the information you need!

Hoping you'll participate in great number!

PLUS:

Big Finish recently released synopsis and cover art for "Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons: Spectrum File 1", one of their audio books which will be available in September. See the News page for more!

by **Lt. Pine** » Sat Jul 29, 2017 2:03 am

I've emailed Chris with my intention to participate and I already have a few pages written! I hope I can produce fine fiction like the other writers here on Spectrum Headquarters.

by **Isabelle** » Sat Jul 29, 2017 2:35 pm

You'll see, once you start writing it's pretty addictive.

Can't wait to read what you'll come up with, welcome to the group!

by **Skybase Girl** » Tue Aug 01, 2017 7:19 pm

I echo what Isabelle has said. It's great fun when you're not bashing your head against the keyboard... :roll:

Speaking personally, while I've written several stories for the website, I've never been much good at the Halloween Challenge. My mind simply doesn't work like that. Yet it's always been the most participated -in challenge of the year as far as SHQ is concerned, so clearly other people don't have that problem! :grin:

I will, as always, give it my vague attention in the hope that something springs to mind...... But Andrew, (Lt Pine), I hope the Inspiration Fairy comes good for you. Looking forward to seeing whatever you come up with (no pressure!). I'm sure that all the fan fic writers on this site will be happy to share, discuss or just generally support your writing if you want it.

Good luck!

by **Lt. Pine** » Wed Aug 02, 2017 1:44 am

Thanks for the messages, Isabelle and Skybase Girl! Ha, ha. Pressure is what I need to make me complete this. If I didn't have a deadline, I probably would never get this done. I've got plenty of general ideas - filling in the details is a little harder. I've already mentioned to Chris that I will take advantage of beta readers. I'm from the USA and my story is taking place in England, so I'm sure some Americanisms will be prevalent. But I can worry about them later...

I'm having fun and that's the whole idea!

by **Isabelle** » Sun Aug 06, 2017 5:58 pm

The beta readers are really there to help and I applaud the fact that you want to make sure what you write makes sense in England (not everyone does...). As a French Canadian writer who writes in US English (not making things easy, am I?

), I make sure to tell them not to hesitate to tell me if they spot weird things.

They also act as a fresh pair of eyes on the story to spot things you don't see anymore because you've read and re-read your text and know it by heart.

by **Marion** » Mon Aug 07, 2017 6:40 am

Speaking as a beta-reader - even we can miss things (there is always something that leaps out from the screen the day it is posted!) However, we're there to make suggestions, corrections and (hopefully) constructive criticism, if any is needed.
Good luck!

by **Carrie** » Sun Aug 20, 2017 1:00 pm

You'll have more beta-readers than you can handle, Lt Pine! :grin:

Good for you writing a story, new fiction and writers are always heartily welcomed on the site, they can often bring refreshing new angles and insights to the Scarlet universe.

by **Lt. Pine** » Sun Aug 20, 2017 11:31 pm

I may have bitten off more than I can chew here... Life keeps getting in the way! I will have something done, though. It just won't be as grandiose as I thought it would be. What I need is a good long rainy weekend. That way I won't feel obligated to be doing something outside. :lol:

by **Marion** » Mon Aug 21, 2017 6:38 am

We're all with you there, Lt Pine!
Mind you, there have been enough wet weekends in the UK this summer for us to have no excuse at all

by **Carrie** » Tue Aug 22, 2017 10:08 pm

Just write what you can,Lt Pine, and worry about it later...
Bum on seat, and don't wait for the Inspiration Fairy, I think she's gone on strike.
(fairy)

by **Lt. Pine** » Sun Aug 27, 2017 11:15 pm

Ha, ha, Carrie! The Inspiration Fairy flew by here yesterday morning. I caught her in a net and trapped her in my home for 2 days! I finished my 1st part/chapter today even though it was nice outside. 3 more to go. Although I'm thinking I might skip ahead and do the last part next. Parts 2 and 3 will add to the story, but aren't critical. I can condense them into a few paragraphs at the beginning of part 4 if I get crunched for time.

I can write straight descriptive text and have no problems with punctuation. It's the dialogue that I get confused over. I guess I'll do a re-read towards the end and concentrate solely on fixing those errors. I don't want to give the beta reader(s) too much work.

EDIT: I just noticed Chris' post on "Punctuation and Speech Tags", but it led to a dead link for the document.

Google just gave me plenty of pages to look at!

by **Lt. Pine** » Tue Sep 19, 2017 11:24 pm

Well, time for a break from writing... Isabelle was right - writing is addictive!

I'm well into my last part. I did do a part 2 separately. It's part 3 that I condensed and am using as a preamble into my last part. I wrote Chris to say I hope to have my story submitted by the end of the September.

I'm also finding out that writing is giving me a sense of power. I'm giving my characters feelings, emotions and actions. I can make them polite or nasty. I can endow them with the lost arts of common courtesy and common sense. I can make them behave like I would like to see all of society behave. I can make them say and do things I normally wouldn't do or say myself. I can push the envelope :twisted:

and not get in trouble for it (at least not until my story is published :roll:

).

I hope the other writers in the Halloween Challenge are enjoying their work too.

by **Skybase Girl** » Wed Sep 20, 2017 12:00 am

Sounds like you're thinking like a writer, Andrew!
And yes, you're right, it's both a privilege and a feeling of power to inhabit the worlds of characters you've created (or expanded on someone else's creation). There's nothing like it. But beware.... never imagine you're totally in control because you may find your little darlings doing and saying things you didn't expect them to...and then s**t creek beckons. And they will expect you, as the narrator, to get them out of this twisted mess they've ended up in. And of course, it will be all your fault that you didn't see it coming...they knew all along.

Good luck, hope you continue to enjoy the ride!

by **Isabelle** » Wed Sep 20, 2017 4:19 am

When the characters take over and say or do things that you hadn't planned, you know you're doing something right!