[CONTEST OVER] JNC Original Light Novel Contest
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@Angelus I know what you mean. I cut my detailed synopsis back for both books back to around the 500-600 word mark.
They wound up being a hybrid of blurb, pitch and detailed synopsis. Effectively setting up the premise, introducing the characters and giving a overview of the plot (there’s a mystery, someone is kidnapped, our heroes have a kind of school reunion and it all culminates in them being locked in a room with a bomb).
It was more thematic than linear but important thing (in my mind anyway) was to show I had a defined ending. Our heroes survive (spoiler) and the villains are caught and brought to justice. Well, except one who escapes because, well, potential sequel.
Fingers crossed this is what they wanted. I almost went with a blurb style but that would have left too much unanswered about whether there was a completed plot or not.
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I'm too lazy to scroll upwards but if i may ask, is there going to be a similar contest someday in the future? (Also me coping if they will be extending the deadline)
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@atashisamasora If this contest is reasonably successful then it's likely, is what they've said before.
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@atashisamasora Definitely not extending deadline unless the website explodes in the final day.
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Just wondering, but is there a confirmation via mail if the work is submitted?
If yes, I did not receive one.(and I swear, writing a synopsis was the worst part for me)
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@Ade There's no confirmation via e-mail, just the confirmation after you submit the work. Plenty of people have asked about this, so if and when another contest is held I imagine JNC will add one.
On another note, is anyone else writing short stories to accompany their light novels? I have two planned and started writing one, but boy did it turn out much heavier than I originally intended.
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@Alfaerin I have a short story planned, but don't intend to start writing it until there's at least some sign that my submission even stands a chance. 😅
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@admin said in [SUBMISSIONS NOW OPEN!] JNC Original Light Novel Contest:
@atashisamasora Definitely not extending deadline unless the website explodes in the final day.
I had planned on submitting last Thursday but ended up spending the past four days rereading it over and over and over. But after reading your “unless the website explodes” thing had me sufficiently panicked that I sent the damn thing off just now!
Cheers!
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@Alfaerin, I already have 3 other volumes planned for my novel, but I've also been thinking about a 5th volume that could be a short story collection with a common thread running through them.
@jazzyjeoff, for you own sanity, if you haven't already stopped rereading your story, stop right now otherwise you may regret it if you find something you wished you'd done differently :)
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It’s funny, I quit this a little while when I decided that there was absolutely no way I could hit the original 50K word minimum—but then they dropped it to 35K and I went back to work. My final word-count broke 47K!
But stopping and restarting was for the best, it helped me sharpen my focus and my story has a much better ending as a result. -
Finished and submitted today. I'm very happy with the end result, even if I know there are things I could have done better. It's a nice, cohesive story with a beginning, middle, and end, but still leaves room for expansion with future volumes if I am so lucky as to get that far.
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@QuixoticHorizon Ultimately I think that's what I will end up with. Checking my manuscript for errors right now and I've got a little over twenty four hours left. Good Luck to everyone!
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Twas the eve of the deadline
And all through the forum
People were chatting with a sense of decorum
One voice could be heard over the lot:
“Good luck everyone,
Can’t wait to read what you’ve got!!”😉 👏🎉 -
@Lily-Garden and everyone really. Fingers crossed for you all. Even if we don’t progress (though I’m sure many of you will), you still have a completed work.
That is something a lot of people can’t say.
While my experience is all in short stories and not novels, there are lots of reasons stories don’t go forward that have nothing to do with the quality of the work. In some cases it may just not fit what they are looking for
Celebrate your writing and submissions. That’s the best first step you can make.
Really looking forward to seeing what does and doesn’t make the mark.
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@Damon-Cavalchini said in [SUBMISSIONS NOW OPEN!] JNC Original Light Novel Contest:
@Lily-Garden and everyone really. Fingers crossed for you all. Even if we don’t progress (though I’m sure many of you will), you still have a completed work.
That is something a lot of people can’t say.
While my experience is all in short stories and not novels, there are lots of reasons stories don’t go forward that have nothing to do with the quality of the work. In some cases it may just not fit what they are looking for
Celebrate your writing and submissions. That’s the best first step you can make.
Really looking forward to seeing what does and doesn’t make the mark.
Well said. It's been over a decade and a half since I last wrote seriously (thanks depression), and this really pushed me. Even if I don't get past the first round I am happy because I reached the three most important personal milestones:
- I went for it
- I finished it
- I'm happy with it
Regardless of whether I progress or not, I may keep on writing again. That for me is reward enough (though I'd be lying if I said I wasn't nervously anticipating the end of March!)
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@QuixoticHorizon said in [SUBMISSIONS NOW OPEN!] JNC Original Light Novel Contest:
Well said. It's been over a decade and a half since I last wrote seriously (thanks depression), and this really pushed me. Even if I don't get past the first round I am happy because I reached the three most important personal milestones:
I went for it
I finished it
I'm happy with itRegardless of whether I progress or not, I may keep on writing again. That for me is reward enough (though I'd be lying if I said I wasn't nervously anticipating the end of March!)
Boy, do I hear you. I also stopped writing for years due to depression, and working on this light novel really helped me both physically and mentally. That's why I'm going to continue writing no matter what happens. I really poured my all into this story, and it's by far the best thing I've ever written.
On another note, is anyone else interested in forming some kind of writing group, so we can encourage each other, proofread and give feedback?
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@Alfaerin said in [SUBMISSIONS NOW OPEN!] JNC Original Light Novel Contest:
On another note, is anyone else interested in forming some kind of writing group, so we can encourage each other, proofread and give feedback?
I love this idea!!
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@Lily-Garden said in [SUBMISSIONS NOW OPEN!] JNC Original Light Novel Contest:
@Alfaerin said in [SUBMISSIONS NOW OPEN!] JNC Original Light Novel Contest:
On another note, is anyone else interested in forming some kind of writing group, so we can encourage each other, proofread and give feedback?
I love this idea!!
Me too. I stopped writing for much more boring reasons than others (life, work, family, mortgage, a desire to sleep and so on).
But also a lack of a network who were interested in what I write.
Just being able to say I finished and submitted is a big won and I’d love to chat/work that writes the kinds of things I like to read.
Most of the writing groups where I live are more ‘literary’ or have a very western approach to works (fantasy must be big and fat).
A group will keep me honest in way that my stuffed lizard does not.
If nothing else, that may be the legacy of the competition for me.
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@Damon-Cavalchini said in [SUBMISSIONS NOW OPEN!] JNC Original Light Novel Contest:
(fantasy must be big and fat).
Interesting point. From what I've been looking at recently, although publishers generally seem to regard 60k words as the minimum for a novel, if it's fantasy then the minimum leaps to 100k "because of all the world-building that's needed". And that's the size of book where the production costs apparently start to go way up, which makes publishers more wary of taking it on.
On the other hand, JNC as a specific LN publisher, seems happy with fantasy works in the 50-60k range (or even 35k+, going by the competition rules), which is great.
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@Angelus I agree. Which is why a writing community that doesn’t just dismiss stuff as an overbloated novella would be great.
Plus light novels have their own rhythms and flows.
It is a pity isn’t the end of March yet (though that would mean I’ve basically missed several deadlines at work, so may it is good that it isn’t).
One of the weirdest things for me doing the competition this time was not have any readers I could call on.
Fingers crossed they run it again and we have a support group from the wonderful people in this thread already built.
