:: Current Contest Details
 
The third official IA contest is a fanfiction contest. After perusing the rules below, you can direct submissions to cashewschu @ gmail.com. (If you don't get a response from me within a couple days, please leave a message on the tagboard or forum and we can sort out what's wrong. My spam filter is very aggressive.)
 
If you don't write, don't worry about it - there'll be other contests for things like drawing, riddles/puzzles, scavenger hunts, or even just being the nth visitor. ^_^

:: Prizes
 
1. First Place: The first place author will have two scenes from their fanfiction illustrated, and will also receive a commission of their choice. Full-colour digital art, limit of three characters in the shot, and no or very very simple background, OR A one-page guest strip for your own comic, if you have one, in whatever medium you prefer.
 
2. Second Place: One scene illustrated, and one commission piece.
 
3. Third Place: If there are more than 10 entries, a third place will also be awarded. Third place winner can choose between an illustration of a scene from their fic or a commission.

:: Official Rules
 
1. Any type of fic will be accepted; romance, adventure, comedy, whatever. Any rating is also accepted, though.. please try to avoid subjects that may induce nausea. XD;
 
2. The minimum length for an entry is around 1000 words. That's two pages. They can be as long as you want, however. Just make sure it's a completed, stand-alone story, and not a chapter or a story that cuts off in the middle.
 
3. You may only enter once. Multiple submissions, while certainly appreciated, do not count. Before voting begins you will be asked to chose the piece which you would like to be considered for a prize.
 
4. Entries must be received at or before 11:59PM PST on March 31, 2006.
 
5. There will be three prizes awarded if more than 10 entries are received: First place, second place, and third place. If ten or fewer entries are received, there will be two places, first and second. In the event that one of the winners can not be reached after two weeks have passed, the prize goes on to the next in line and if necessary a new piece will be chosen for the third prize.
 
7. If I receive fewer than 6 entries, I reserve the right to call off the contest. I don't think it's very practical for me to have to craft such time-consuming prizes when I only have a couple entries to pick from. ^^; I think a choice of three pictures (at least) for each prize is fair.
 
8. Plagiarism, copying other people's stories, or any other forms of cheating will cause your entry to be automatically disqualified.
 
9. Your story will be posted on the site after the contest for all to read.
 
10. Entries will be judged by me, not by vote. That means they'll be somewhat subjective; my apologies. Please not that above all I prize proper grammar and spelling, so please try to pay attention to that.

:: Tips
 
1. Try to keep the cast in-character. If you have any questions about their personalities or preferences, please feel free to ask. Obviously things happen for the sake of humour that may be somewhat OOC, but I'd rather not have, say, Sevrin suddenly performing a striptease in the middle fo the forest.
 
2. Please spell the character's names right if you use them. This is one of Kai's biggest pet peeves. It's S-E-V-R-I-N, not "Servin" or "Severin" or any of the other bizarre mispellings I see constantly. "Talyn," "Ghost," "D-O-K-U-J-A" (how come everyone gets his name right and butchers Sevrin's?), "C-A-O-L" (not "coal"), "A-Y-L-A," "H-A-L-E-Y," etc.
 
3. Your fic does NOT have to be yaoi. Hell, it doesn't have to be romantic in any way, shape, or form. Neither does it have to be funny. The topic and mood is entirely up to you.
 
4. PROOFREAD. Having someone else beta the story is also recommended, to make sure everything makes sense.

Well? What are you waiting for? Go get started!