Some thoughts on modern technology...

You know the classic mad scientist trope, as seen in Frankenstein, Jurassic Park, The Fly, etc, where some scientists create something they don't understand? Where they've had the inspiration to achieve something amazing, but they don't really control it or know how it works, and it inevitably breaks free and confounds/betrays/eats them?

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I need judges for the Season 10 Bingo Writing Contest. The more judges I get, the fewer stories each one has to read.

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Recent events (which I won't go into here) have got me thinking about the subject of readiness for death.

You will die. We all do, at some point. If we're lucky, it's at a ripe old age when we've done all the things we wanted to do; but not everybody gets to be that lucky. The stupidest little thing can upend the life we take for granted. And when we finally do pop our clogs, some poor sod is going to have to deal with all the stuff we leave behind.

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If you're interested in the Season 10 Bingo Writing Contest, you have until tomorrow to sign up. After that, I won't be handing out new cards any more.

Two things happen on 19th January, ie in a week's time. First, I stop giving out new cards, so if you want to join this writing contest, apply now.

Second, for those authors already on the list, I'd like to see your story's title and description.

What do I need to supply?

The same title and description you'd put on the website. It doesn't have to be the final version, you can still change your mind when you publish the real thing.

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I've just sent out the 100th prompt card in the Season 10 Bingo Writing Contest. There are now 100 places left, so grab yourself a card while you can.

I've just sent out the first set of prompt cards to the authors in the Season 10 Bingo Writing Contest. That's 49 of them so far, including one for myself.

It's not too late! You can still join in and get your own random writing prompt.

So apparently I've published the only story on this site about hippogriffs to date.

This seems, perhaps, implausible. I think "hippogriffs" must be a pretty new tag, which nobody's got round to using yet. Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to go and find stories about hippogriffs and pester the authors to get them tagged.

(to the tune of "I Kissed a Girl" by Katy Perry)

This was never the way we planned
Our five year mission
We remade the promised land
Without permission
We thought it was over
Starfleet was glad of our return
Now we're going back cause
I can't escape the wrath of Khan

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Do you feel like a challenge? Do you need to step outside your writing comfort zone? Or are you just curious what fate has in store for you?

This is a writing contest with an unusual premise: each writer gets a random prompt card.

Interested? Comment on this thread to sign up.

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