To Matt Smith. A story competition.

[synapse]

You have decided to stop accepting/reading/throwing away script submissions.

Fair enough. But my guess is there's still the possibility of unknown writers being good enough to write for 2k.

Now we all know about the old future shock route. From reading last week's nerve centre, Tharg doesn't seem to have much faith in new writers coming up with the goods.  But how about this as an idea...

A competition to all aspiring writers.  The idea is to pitch an idea for a multi part 2k story to the powers that me. A few paragraphs.  Maybe even write the first part and enclose it with the pitch.

The competition is open to all readers, say for about six months. I am reasonable confident there will be a few ideas that interest Matt and the rest at Rebellion towers.

Surely it is more of a challenge for an aspiring writer to have a go at a full length story than a five page future shock?

Worth considering Tharg.

[paulvonscott]

The problem is then you HAVE to pick one of them.

[El Spurioso]

Quite.


Besides - how exactly does this differ from the futureshock submission policy?  If that wasn't a 'competition' with the best submissions winning the prize of publication then I can't see what it was?  If Tharg hasn't the time or inclination to read through tonnes and tonnes of short one-off entries, do you *honestly* think he'll happilly read through the same number of even longer drawn-out serial submissions?

[Adrian Bamforth]

"The idea is to pitch an idea for a multi part 2k story to the powers that me."

A Freudian slip if ever I heard one.

ADE

Link: http://www.adrianbamforth.co.uk/" target="_blank">http://www.adrianbamforth.co.uk/

[synapse]

Yes the synapse is quite mighty but he doesn't like to show it, you know.

That or he can't type.

scojo

[synapse]

Ignore that, that was a joke!

[almighty mat]

++Ignore that, that was a joke!++

Hmm. Surely not.

mat

[synapse]

Mat, where's your sense of humour?

Some people. Tsk. Anyway I think Bison is not as bad as people think.

Here's to its next 30 parts!

Synapse

[Devons Daddy]

now cleary was a joke.

[Devons Daddy]

now that was funny

[W. R. Logan]

>Surely it is more of a challenge for an aspiring writer to have a go at a full length story than a five page future shock?

As Gordon Rennie has said either here or on other 2000AD forums, if you can't write a future shock you don't stand much chance of being able to write anything more. Future Shocks aren't designed to stop people becoming script droids they are there to show if a writer has ability. If people want to be writers then 2000 isn't the only avenue to take, look at any writer who's name appears in any 2000AD credit box and you can guarantee that they don't pay their mortgage by just writing for 2000.

La Placa Rifa,
W. R. Logan.

[almighty mat]

No, not *surely not a joke*

but*surely not another secret identity for Scojo*


misunderstood mat

[John Caliber]

As Gordon Rennie has said either here or on other If you can't write a future shock you don't stand much chance of being able to write anything more.

Only as far as writing for 2000AD goes. For example, I can't write a five page future shock, but I can write a cracking multi-episode story. The answer is simply to get published elsewhere and then get into 2000AD that way. Though, saying that, 2000AD doesn't pay as well as overseas publishers, so once you've broken into their m, you won't really want to work for a UK publisher save for a bit of pocket money.
- TCC



 Future Shocks aren't designed to stop people becoming script droids they are there to show if a writer has ability. If people want to be writers then 2000 isn't the only avenue to take, look at any writer who's name appears in any 2000AD credit box and you can guarantee that they don't pay their mortgage by just writing for 2000.

Link: http://www.jdrpg.com/jdss" target="_blank">THE JUDGE DREDD STREET SIM

[Devons Daddy]

just a note of reference
when you do a job you enjoy the $$$ count less then when you hate it, if you have story which you feel would be just right for a certain genre based publication, then i would think its less about who pays best,

also as a professional in my own field, i have taken jobs in prestigous units because i wanted too. the pay as long as i considered acceptable did not have to be the highest paid one, often the next post would compensate based on my resume.as i have worked for QE2 & top hotels  my market value has risen. given our standard of writers we enjoy in tooth, this well may be the case in point.

writers are creators and future shocks are a kind of working interview,
short sharp and too the very core of their skills.

if you want to work for the best you start at the bottom , you still got to show you got what it takes.

if you manage to make it to tooth through other puiblications great no differnt to working your way up with tooth, likely a little easier as well.

tooth is the top british comic publication, working for it makes you have a value to other publishers,

[John Caliber]

I'd have to disagree with you regarding the value of Future Shocks. How is it that so many FS that get published are awful or merely mediocre? If a truly bad story makes it into 2000AD, is that prestigious or just a bad editorial call?

Judging by the god-awful standard of recent FS, is it any wonder that the 2000AD editorial team have scrapped them in favour of one-shots by established authors?

- TCC

Link: http://www.jdrpg.com/jdss" target="_blank">THE JUDGE DREDD STREET SIM