Announcing our Whodunnit competition

Quote by JourneyYoung
This is making me think of whether there is any "proper" forum area here for one to just kind of muse about the stories you are currently writing

"Ask the author" might work, e.g. What Are You Working On?

That’s a tempting topic.

My entry has just been published, and now I'm working my way through the other entries. This is a great theme, I wasn't sold at first and couldn't come up with a good concept but I've come around a full 180, I'm all in!

Quote by LuceDevlin

I hit the 8k word mark but I'm not done yet. I suspect it will go over 10k and I will have to tweak it down when I do the re-read and edits etc. I think this is the longest story I've written so far. That is, if it is still 8k or so words once I am officially done LOL

Yeah I had to edit mine down, ended up completely removing a character to reduce the word count.

For a girl who always starts with the beginning then the end of a story, the Whodunnit presents a unique challenge. I've written a 3000 word opening I like, and a 1500 word conclusion I like ... but how do I craft a disingenuous middle? My role model so far is a certain influential Agatha Christie story, but I don't want this to be too English (though it's set in England.) There's a bit of hard boiled Raymond Chandler style in my Aussie narrator.

I'm in two minds, to continue or to start again, but binning close to 5000 words is a tad traumatic.

Mine's done, finally. 10K reached. This time I've gone for sci-fi and concentrated on world-building, murder-mystery, detective work and sex in that order. I tend to make the sex the most important aspect of my stories and it tends to overpower other aspects of the plot. So here we have a murder mystery and a lovely love story taking place in the cold, remote reaches of interstellar space...

Embrace The Distant Stars | Lush Stories

(btw My love/hate, mostly hate relationship with Grammarly continues.)

Quote by Piquet
This time I've gone for sci-fi

And jolly good it is too.

Quote by Piquet
My love/hate, mostly hate relationship with Grammarly continues

ghostly voice uninstall it... uninstaaalll iiitttttt...

Quote by CuriousAnnie
My role model so far is a certain influential Agatha Christie story, but I don't want this to be too English (though it's set in England.) There's a bit of hard boiled Raymond Chandler style in my Aussie narrator.

Whilst, of course, our stories will be completely different, I definitely resemble this remark 😊- mine is (at least partially) set in England.

The cover for my entry...

Now I get to read all the stories from people who actually know how to write stories (unlike myself) 🤣

Quote by gonzo437

The cover for my entry...

Cool cover!

I think I get done reading through the list then another 10k monster appears. NOOOO (but also YESSSSSS)

slow but sure on the rough draft.

Quote by JourneyYoung

I think I get done reading through the list then another 10k monster appears. NOOOO (but also YESSSSSS)

Guilty, as charged. I'm loving yours right now.

Oh my god, I think I have permanently damaged my fingers. I know I need a better keyboard. Mine is done, and now I can read the other entries. To all the entrants so far, you have my undying respect, so, tough.... but so rewarding to complete.

To everyone, my best wishes...

The AUP policy was highlighted in another thread...

"Anything illegal and contrary to the laws of England, Wales and Ireland, including (but not limited to!) the promotion, suggestion or allusion to ********** ***, **** or any non consensual acts, hard drugs or any other kind of illegal activity."

How can you write a whodunnit story if you cant allude to any kind of illegal activity?

Are all the competition entries in contravention of the Acceptance Use Policy?

Quote by deviantsusie

The AUP policy was highlighted in another thread...

"Anything illegal and contrary to the laws of England, Wales and Ireland, including (but not limited to!) the promotion, suggestion or allusion to ********** ***, **** or any non consensual acts, hard drugs or any other kind of illegal activity."

How can you write a whodunnit story if you cant allude to any kind of illegal activity?

Are all the competition entries in contravention of the Acceptance Use Policy?

No. It's not illegal to write fictional stories about murders etc.

Quote by Piquet

Guilty, as charged. I'm loving yours right now.

After reading yours, my mind is churning over a possible space sci-fi idea of my own. Too bad I already have three series going so I'm not sure I have the bandwidth to work on it right now. Maybe I should take notes for the future though haha.

Quote by JourneyYoung

After reading yours, my mind is churning over a possible space sci-fi idea of my own. Too bad I already have three series going so I'm not sure I have the bandwidth to work on it right now. Maybe I should take notes for the future though haha.

Notes for the future are a great idea. I keep a notebook with synopses of possible stories, some quite complete and detailed. Other story ideas might be just the ending, a key scene or just a collection of brief notes. I was already writing 'Embrace The Distant Stars' when the competition came along so I was able to adapt it. I've written a few long series in the past but a stand alone story or one set in a world you've already established is more likely to be read. Cheers.

Quote by WannabeWordsmith

ghostly voice uninstall it... uninstaaalll iiitttttt...

Thanks WW, Actually, I'm feeling better about a certain app starting with 'G'. It turns out I had somehow turned it off on Lush. It was working fine elsewhere but not here. User friendly points aside, at least it's free.

Well, I just sent my entry in for moderation, which I hope is a little different. As soon as it is published (assuming it is good enough), I will be reading and commenting on the other entries. 😊

Hey, wait. This comp doesn't close until Nov 17!?!? I may have time to pound one out after all.

Quote by Ensorceled

Hey, wait. This comp doesn't close until Nov 17!?!? I may have time to pound one out after all.

But enough about what you do when the office door is closed... 😁

Quote by Ensorceled

I may have time to pound one out after all.

I take this to mean you're not participating in No-Nut November?

Well, my competition story is now up on the site: The Baskerville Hall Murder (Whodunnit)

I now feel free to read and comment on the other entries. 😊

Quote by Dani

I take this to mean you're not participating in No-Nut November?

I promise you I have never (willingly) participated in No Nut November.

I don't tend to do well with longer stories, but here's hoping my entry will be published sometime today - it was returned to me in the middle of the night because I'd used a word I didn't know I wasn't supposed to use - oops! Back in the queue now, and fingers crossed...

So, with 'Fabian's Folly' I offer something with a historical element, and a character with just a little bit of sass.

Hope you enjoy (assuming it gets published).

Returned once, hold my beer. I'm so pleased I'm not the only one. However, standards must be maintained.

Quote by TheShyThespian

I don't tend to do well with longer stories, but here's hoping my entry will be published sometime today - it was returned to me in the middle of the night because I'd used a word I didn't know I wasn't supposed to use - oops! Back in the queue now, and fingers crossed...

So, with 'Fabian's Folly' I offer something with a historical element, and a character with just a little bit of sass.

Hope you enjoy (assuming it gets published).

I look forward to reading your story, TheShyThespian. I am a little surprised there is an actual banned word here on this adult site, as I thought it would be all about context. However, I can guess what it is, and it is not a word I would ever want to use in any of my stories.

Yeah, there's more than one. It's all to make the site compliant with various US state laws, allowing those people living in those states to participate without issue.