Edge of Thorns Tri-Contest!

UPDATE: For easier access to those of you who might be new to the story, here are some quick links to the text. Note that additional references for the art contest may also be found in Book 2's gallery.

• Book 1
• Book 2 (still in progress)

It's here at last! As promised, I am holding yet another contest related to my interactive fiction, Edge of Thorns. There were three types of contests that I had wanted to run, so instead of doing them each separately, I thought why not run them all at once? This is the result, and I hope you all enjoy it!

CONTEST SYNOPSIS

Contest Runs from February 13, 2012 to May 13, 2012

• There are three (3) categories: Art, Writing, and Trope.
• There are three (3) grand prizes: A 1-year Premium Membership to DeviantART for the winner of each category.
• There are nine (9) runner-up prizes: For Art and Writing, the artists' deviations featured in my journal; for Trope, a shout-out to the artists' Devpage in my journal (as there won't be a deviation to feature). Three (3) runners-up will be chosen for each category.

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ART CONTEST ~ VISIONS OF DEATH / RISING POP STAR

This is your basic art contest. Choose one or both of the following characters to draw, with the theme provided:

Visions of Death:
Since Gabriel is hands-down the most popular character, naturally he had to be chosen for a subject. Gabriel is the angel of death, but as Death, he has many incarnations. Draw Gabriel as some version of Death (classic grim reaper, Egyptian god, Styx ferryman, etc). Major points are awarded for creativity here, especially if you find an unusual cultural representation of Death and apply it well.

Rising Pop Star:
Enya is an aspiring singer, and as such, needs some performance costumes. Design a costume for Enya to wear during one of her shows. Keep in mind, she's an admitted Lady Gaga fan, but she does have to be able to sign in her clothes (that is part of her gig). Major points for drawing her while performing, as opposed to a straight costume sheet.

Art Contest Rules:

1. Art may be any visual medium, with a few exceptions: You can draw your piece free-hand, render it, make a baked good, cosplay, pretty much anything… but please, NO PHOTOMANIPULATIONS. You may use stock in your work, but it should still be mostly your own.
2. You may submit up to two (2) entries per character, maximum four (4) entries overall: That's to say, you may submit up to two designs for Gabriel and two designs for Enya, but not four of one or the other. Pictures featuring both characters together will be considered two entries (one for each character).
3. You may submit as many "for fun" entries as you want: "For fun" is just that, pictures drawn just for the fun of drawing them and not to be judged in the contest. Just be sure to specify which entries are official and which are not if you submit them.
4. Submit entries via note titled EoT ART CONTEST: Simply, so I know at a glance which contest you're entering.

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WRITING CONTEST ~ A DAY IN THE LIFE…

Being a writer (obviously), I can't overlook the others out there whose preferred medium is the written word. This contest is relatively simple: choose any one character (with a few exceptions) and write a brief story about an average day in his/her life. Note that, if I really like your entry, I may make it canon. No promises, but we'll see what we get.

Writing Contest Rules:

1. Entries must be between 500 and 1,000 words: That's around three pages typed, give or take, and the approximate length of one of my chapters. Now, if you go a few hundred words over a thousand, I won't care, but try to keep it within reason.
2. You MAY NOT write about Nathan, Alton, Micah, or Gabriel: Nathan already has an established past pre-story, as do the angels, and they are severely plot relevant. Any of the other major characters (Avery, Wren, Scott, Sloane, Enya, Lawrence, or Gloria) are acceptable.
3. If you have questions about a character, don't be afraid to note me: I will answer any questions that could help you with your story, so long as they don't reveal any spoilers.
4. The story must take place prior to Nathan's arrival in Virtue: That is, before October 2010, to be specific. On a similar note, Alton is the only angel that may make a cameo in these stories, as he was a resident of Virtue before Nathan arrived.
5. You may submit up to seven entries, but no more than one per character: This speaks for itself. Personally, two entries for writing is quite a bit, but if you're up for the challenge...
6. Submit entries via note titled EoT WRITING CONTEST: Again, so I know at a glance which contest you're entering.

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TROPE CONTEST ~ THE MOST ADDICTING

I love tropes, and have (like many others) become enamored with the site TV Tropes. This is a sort of scavenger hunt: your objective is to find the most tropes that apply to Edge of Thorns and the characters therein.

Sounds easy, doesn't it?

Trope Contest Rules:

1. Entries may be made on a rolling basis: Let's say you send me a list of five tropes, then discover five more later. Just send me the new list and I'll add it to your overall total. That way, you don't have to wait until the last minute to send me everything.
2. Obscure tropes have more weight than obvious ones: As I mentioned, Most Writers Are Writers is a very obvious trope in this work. A less obvious one, such as Significant Birth Date, is naturally worth more because it was mentioned much more indirectly in the story (by the way, if you want to use that one, you'll have to figure out who's and why for credit). I will count these as double, or even triple (if it's really obscure, like that one), and I'll let you know how much it's worth. Which brings me too…
3. You must explain the tropes you list: It isn't enough to say there's Leaning On The Fourth Wall without saying who did it and when. The explanations can be brief, but (unless they're painfully obvious) they need to be there.
4. Link to the listed trope: You don't have to use fancy html like I do, but be sure to link to the trope your citing, so I can double check your answers.
5. I'll let you know if a trope you listed is flat-out wrong: If you list a trope that is totally random and has nothing to do with the story, I'll tell you. It won't count towards your total.
6. Submit entries via note titled EoT TROPE CONTEST: Again, so I know at a glance which contest you're entering. Putting them in a neat list is best.

Whew! I think that covers everything. I'll make spots for entries as they come in, showing off the art and writing, but tropes will be kept secret until the very end (so people can't steal from each other to improve their own lists). I will, however, list the current winning total, but not mention how many are obscure tropes worth extra points.

Good luck everyone!