Announcing our Simulation competition

As Artificial Intelligence and Virtual Reality become more mainstream and realistic, many entertain the theory that we exist in a computer-generated simulation. That a computer is writing our plot, and that some people may not even be real.

This competition should feature your characters in some sort of simulation, virtual or augmented reality. Maybe they find out their entire life has been a voyeuristic simulation and now are trying to get out of it. Perhaps they create a sim to work out real-life problems such as science experiments, or even to plan a bank heist. Or maybe they use a simulation to unwind, to experience a life they don’t have, or to be intimate with someone they cannot have in reality.

We welcome erotic thrillers, love stories, or hardcore fucking, and as always, we encourage you to look through the genres for additional inspiration. Get wild. Get weird. It is a fantasy, after all. The max word count for this competition is a generous 5,000 words. We will accept flash stories, but please, no micros or poetry.

Lush competitions bring out the best in our authors. Unfortunately, cash prizes also attract fraudsters. If we deem you to have submitted a story to the competition which uses AI for writing or editing, you will be banned from this, and all future competitions, so we would recommend keeping any working notes and drafts as you go. If you have used AI to translate, edit or enhance your work in the past, we would strongly advise against. We will treat this the same as using AI to create and you may be banned for cheating.

This competition will run through Nov 30th, and the results will be announced on Dec 14th.

Full details here

I am on this like Godzilla on Tokyo.

YAY Finally a new comp. Woot Woot!

Since we're living on the inside of a holographic boundary of an event horizon, this one should be easy.

Let's see … we're supposed to simulate sex with the intention of having sex, but not supposed to simulate writing, but instead actually write.

Got it.

I'll have to thumb through the categories and find something … stimulating for simulating … something unusual and unexpected …

Sounds like fun!

You had me at Get weird.

This is inspiring. What a great idea! I was considering a philosophy degree a long time ago (!) A friend recommended a book to me. I did not really understand it then. So, I focused on my art instead.

I flicked through it last night.

I have an idea. 😳

Got a good start! Only 4,000. Mote words to go 😈

Did i win yet?

Quote by sprite

Did i win yet?

This post made me think of that one quote "Would you like to play again?" Lol

Quote by sprite

Did i win yet?

In order to win, Sprite, you have to step up to plate and swing at the ball.

There is one way to guarantee that you win... That is to write it into your Simulation competition story. 😊

In your story, you could, because the judges liked it so much, be the winner, second and third. Get a like from every Lush member and, of course, a positive comment with it.

The only plot hole: proving it wasn't all a dream! 😈🤣

Quote by sprite

Did i win yet?

Only in a simulation. I want to be the person to tell you. 😘

Quote by JamesLlewellyn

Let's see … we're supposed to simulate sex with the intention of having sex, but not supposed to simulate writing, but instead actually write.

Got it.

I'll have to thumb through the categories and find something … stimulating for simulating … something unusual and unexpected …

Sounds like fun!

EPd

Quote by Meagananne1986

In order to win, Sprite, you have to step up to plate and swing at the ball.

You take all the fun out of not writing lol

Hmm, I'm a bit conflicted about this one. 'Simulation' has been a sci-fi staple since the 1950s. So staple in fact that it's in danger of falling into cliche, as anyone who's familiar with Star Trek's holodeck concept will attest. I certainly don't want somebody to read my entry and think, "So, the whole thing was just a simulation... duh." My point is, this is possibly one of the most challenging competitions we've ever had, in my experience at lest.

Quote by Piquet

Hmm, I'm a bit conflicted about this one. 'Simulation' has been a sci-fi staple since the 1950s. So staple in fact that it's in danger of falling into cliche, as anyone who's familiar with Star Trek's holodeck concept will attest. I certainly don't want somebody to read my entry and think, "So, the whole thing was just a simulation... duh." My point is, this is possibly one of the most challenging competitions we've ever had, in my experience at lest.

Dammit, I'm overthinking it now, Piquet!

Quote by Piquet

So staple in fact that it's in danger of falling into cliche

I hear you. I think it will require some careful thought to do this stim-sim thing without ending up trite and possibly even tired. Of course the addition of hardcore sex to the formula might have more saving power than I'm giving it credit for.

This changes my plan to stagger across the Omnium finish line in February with the Sci-Fi story that I've been working on - one which is not really amenable to simulation - and I haven't yet figured out a new plan. Fortunately for purposes of the contest, the process of conceiving that one has given me other ideas that I can use. Given some of the other time-sensitive stuff in my queue, I won't likely have it ready until mid-November, but I'll get there.

Quote by sprite

Did i win yet?

Yes. I'll PM you a website link where you can collect your prize.

Quote by Piquet
'Simulation' has been a sci-fi staple since the 1950s.

Indeed. I enjoyed The Thirteenth Floor in that regard. Great idea, imo, if a little clunky. My wife (a sci-fi fan) hated it. Mind you, she hated Cypher too, which I loved.

Still not sure I can manipulate this sci-fi piece I'd started and make it have a decent simulation angle, but I'm still trying. Might work out with another week or so of hard editing. Or it might not, and I'll be back to a blank page.

I have a question about the editing with AI thing. First, I don't use AI directly for anything, but I do use editing tools such as Grammarly (basic version) to help me edit stories; for that matter, any written work I do. Does this fall under the AI banner? The topic of this comp has caught my interest, and although I don't participate in publishing stories much anymore, I might give this a whirl. I just don't want to run afoul of the rules. TIA for any feedback. 😊

Quote by Road_Runner

I have a question about the editing with AI thing. First, I don't use AI directly for anything, but I do use editing tools such as Grammarly (basic version) to help me edit stories; for that matter, any written work I do. Does this fall under the AI banner? The topic of this comp has caught my interest, and although I don't participate in publishing stories much anymore, I might give this a whirl. I just don't want to run afoul of the rules. TIA for any feedback. 😊

A lot of us use Basic Grammarly, especially for punctuation. It's not a problem.

Quote by Road_Runner
Does this fall under the AI banner?

Not if you solely use it for grammar/punctuation. If you allow it to massage / reword anything to "improve" your work, that's where you'd run afoul (and trust me, it won't improve it).

Just remember, there's a hypothesis that our very existence is all a simulation in some alien quantum computer. So all the sex you've ever had has been a simulation (assuming that hypothesis is correct). 😲😋🤣

Good luck to those entering. I am probably not unless something hits me.

Quote by joe71

Yes. I'll PM you a website link where you can collect your prize.

Finally someone who acknowledges my genius

Quote by Piquet

Hmm, I'm a bit conflicted about this one. 'Simulation' has been a sci-fi staple since the 1950s. So staple in fact that it's in danger of falling into cliche, as anyone who's familiar with Star Trek's holodeck concept will attest. I certainly don't want somebody to read my entry and think, "So, the whole thing was just a simulation... duh." My point is, this is possibly one of the most challenging competitions we've ever had, in my experience at lest.

Heh this is where being a late blooming nerd will play to my favor, I'm behind on most scifi classics so if I duplicate a trope, it will be unknown to me unless someone points it out. Either way. I have a few ideas already, its just the max word limit that always tends to get me in the end. once I crossed the 10k word mark its been hard to write under it unless its poetry or something.

Quote by Seeker4

Just remember, there's a hypothesis that our very existence is all a simulation in some alien quantum computer. So all the sex you've ever had has been a simulation (assuming that hypothesis is correct). 😲😋🤣

And in one of those simulations of that quantum computer, Sprite wins all the competitions. I'll leave it to you to tell her that isn't the reality those pesky aliens have chosen for us today .... but there's always tomorrow's computer run.

Quote by KimmiBeGood

Dammit, I'm overthinking it now, Piquet!

Ain't that the truth, I've never been this uncertain about whether my story idea meets the competition brief. Whatever, I'm going for it. Oh, and whenever you smack his bottom, do sell tickets.

Quote by CuriousAnnie

Ain't that the truth, I've never been this uncertain about whether my story idea meets the competition brief. Whatever, I'm going for it. Oh, and whenever you smack his bottom, do sell tickets.

Annie, I'm shocked. However, since we inhabit the same continent, I'll speak to you later...

Quote by Seeker4

Good luck to those entering. I am probably not unless something hits me.

Smacks you with a banana skin

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