The Ostracon Contest
Details
| Deadline: | Jul 31, 2012 |
| Fee: | Free |
Gather, citizens! On this day, under the wise gaze of Athena, the city of Athens unveils its newest voice: the ostraca. It may look but a simple vase, but it is much more. Into this vase, each citizen may place an ostracon, a shard of pottery with another citizen’s name scratched on the surface. At the end of the year (a month in Scribophile's case), whosoever has their name in the vase the most will be banished from our fair city, ostracized and cast out. However, you must write much more than a mere name.
Your task is to write the story of someone who is the victim of the ostraca. Different perspectives are welcome, be they from the person voting, the person banished, or perhaps someone plotting against another using the ostraca as a weapon. The setting does not have to be ancient Greece (and is actually encouraged to be elsewhere), but the style must fit one of two categories: Greek Tragedy or Greek Comedy.
Entries can be no more than 3000 words long. You are not limited to writing a script, either, so long as you utilize the elements of what constitutes a Greek tragedy or comedy. One entry per person (afterall, we do not want to sway the scales of the ostraca too much).
- First place wins a copy of Five Great Greek Tragedies and a copy of Six Classical Greek Comedies.
- Second place wins a copy of Heroes, Gods and Monsters of Greek Myth.
Should these prizes not suit the winner (as we are all in times of hardship and you cannot exactly eat a book), I will discuss it with them when the time comes.
May the gods be on your side in this endeavour.
Winning entries
Winners have been announced! Log in to see them.
Prizes
| 1st prize: | Dover Thrift's "Five Great Greek Tragedies", J. Michael Walton and Kenneth McLeish's "Six Classical Greek Comedies" |
| 2nd prize: | Bernard Evslin's "Heroes Gods and Monsters of Greek Myths" |
Rules
Your entry must be a piece of fiction totaling 3000 words or fewer as counted by Scribophile.
Entries must be received before midnight on July 31, 2012 (UTC time), and winners will be announced within two weeks of that date.
Entries will be judged by the Scribophile staff. Decisions are final.
Only one entry is allowed per member. Multiple entries will all be disqualified.
Work must have Public visibility on Scribophile until winners are announced.
Submission guidelines
To enter the contest, post your work on Scribophile and check the box that says "Enter this work into The Ostracon Contest". Your work will automatically be considered. The checkbox will be visible until the contest deadline, which is in UTC time.
Entry is free, but you'll need karma points to post your work. You can earn karma points by writing critiques of work by other members.