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Traveling to Another World YCM Fun Fest [Isekai Writing Competition]


mitchermitcher

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Traveling to Another World YCM Fun Fest

Event Duration: From now - October 23rd

 

Isekai Writing Competition

 

In which various writers and wannabes of YCM write out a pilot chapter that follows 'isekai' conventions for the sake of fun and thus by definition is not a competition and then will vote for the best entry.

 

What on earth is an isekai?

 

To put it simply, 'isekai' refers to the plot device of having a character get transported or reincarnated in a foreign world. While this tried-and-true plot device has countless applications, the term itself refers to a specific style that has become popular in contemporary Japanese amateur fiction.The main character in these tend to be guys, are sent to fantasy worlds that may or may not operate on magic stat screens, gain strong empowering abilities or weapons gradually or at the start, and will more often than not encounter a variety of cute heroines that conveniently fall into familiar character archetypes. The spirit of the 'genre' is mostly wish-fulfillment and authors basing their understanding of fantasy from a familiarity with Japanese role-playing games such as Dragon Quest.

 

Examples include: Mushoku Tensei(online webnovel/light novel), Re:zero(has an anime), SAO(has an anime)...the genre isn't well-known for quality writing, Alice in Wonderland(yes)

 

While we call the event an isekai writing competition and indeed we are interested in entrants writing stories that follow the aforementioned modern Japanese variant, that is not a hard requirement in any way.

 

How this event will work

 

Posting in this thread with a declaration that you will enter is enough. Then you will write(or have already written!) a single chapter and submit it to Nai (http://forum.yugiohcardmaker.net/user/671695-%E8%93%AE%E5%AD%90/) by October 23rd. With consideration to timezone differences between the submission receiver and potential submitters, entries submitted on October 24th are acceptable but it is best to believe your entry's due on the 23rd. Voting can be done by anyone and will take place on the following day and last until November 1st.

 

All entrants who successfully submit a piece that qualifies will receive 1000 points courtesy of the mods, and the winner can negotiate their prize from the following list:

  • Custom member group item
  • 3(THREE) name change items
  • Topic color and two-week pin
  • mod for a day
  • 10000 points
  • You will be transported to your written world
  • A PM'd love confession from your favorite mod team member(YCMaker not guaranteed, sorry friend, didn't mean to offend)

 

Submission details/guidelines

  • As a requirement, your story must involve a viewpoint character traveling to another world, whether they are physically transplanted, reincarnated, or through other means. The 'fantasy' world that the transportee will arrive in should be introduced to some extent.
  • While stories of this 'genre' generally utilize a medieval fantasy setting with swords and magic, that is not a hard prerequisite and you are free to do something different. With that said, fanfiction is not allowed. Creating your own setting and having others discover it is generally a vital part of an isekai's enjoyment.
  • As stated, the word count should not exceed 5000 by a wide margin but an extra hundred or two may be acceptable.
  • Isekai stories tend to be serializations or at least, not one-shots. Therefore, your story does not have to be conclusive and instead, will be judged on the strength of its ideas, prose, overall enjoyment, or whatever other criterias voters want to use.
  • Stories must be titled. The authorship is kept anonymous until the results but the stories must have a name. The name is very important to the appeal. If you are lazy you can call it something creatively bankrupt like I Reincarnated Into Another World With A Cheat And A Harem But I Still Can't Find Tasty Peanut Butter if you have to.
  • Other YCM rules and Creative Writing section rules apply.

Anyhow, keeping in mind YCM's successful history of writing competitions I do hope whoever enters at least has fun trying to write it. Isekai's a saturated and not very well respected genre but it is fun.

 

fDvUBhy.jpg

 

Enter and restore shieldbro's smile and tanuki

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I'd like to join, however before I do I have a question I'd like answered.

The definition you provided states "'isekai' refers to the plot device of having a character get transported or reincarnated in a foreign world".

Your submission guidelines state: "As a requirement, your story must involve a viewpoint character traveling to another world, whether they are physically transplanted, reincarnated, or through other means."

You then go on to say: "The 'fantasy' world that the transportee will arrive in should be introduced to some extent."

TO MAKE A LONG STORY SHORT:

My idea was for a Princess or a Knight or some Final Fantasy-ripoff being transported to like, our world. It would be a character in a foreign world, and it would be involve them traveling to this other world. But then you mention the "fantasy world" should be introduced. I wanted to do opposite. Fantasy character in regular normal world.

Would that be acceptable or should I retool my idea?

... Or does none of that matter since this is a "fun" competition? ;D

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Would that be acceptable yes

 

... Or does none of that matter since this is a "fun" competition? ;D yes

 

Sure, it could be fun. Count me in. What happens if somebody wins and they already have a custom membergroup though?

UPDATE 1.34... EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY(mod consent kinda confirmed i guess)

 

THE FIRST PLACE PRIZE IS NEGOTIABLE BETWEEN ONE OF THE FOLLOWING AND MAYBE MORE

 

  • Custom member group item
  • 3(THREE) name change items
  • Topic color and two-week pin
  • mod for a day
  • 10000 points
  • You will be transported to your written world
  • A PM'd love confession from your favorite mod team member(YCMaker not guaranteed)
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I'd like to join, however before I do I have a question I'd like answered.

 

The definition you provided states "'isekai' refers to the plot device of having a character get transported or reincarnated in a foreign world".

 

Your submission guidelines state: "As a requirement, your story must involve a viewpoint character traveling to another world, whether they are physically transplanted, reincarnated, or through other means."

 

You then go on to say: "The 'fantasy' world that the transportee will arrive in should be introduced to some extent."

 

TO MAKE A LONG STORY SHORT:

 

My idea was for a Princess or a Knight or some Final Fantasy-ripoff being transported to like, our world. It would be a character in a foreign world, and it would be involve them traveling to this other world. But then you mention the "fantasy world" should be introduced. I wanted to do opposite. Fantasy character in regular normal world.

 

Would that be acceptable or should I retool my idea?

 

... Or does none of that matter since this is a "fun" competition? ;D

To actually elaborate in a way that is useful,

 

the foreign in this case means foreign to the transportee in question. The joy of discovering a new world is at the core of the isekai plot device, therefore having a viewpoint character feel that way is crucial. The world itself does not necessarily have to be a fantasy world, as long as it is foreign to the transportee. This is the exact reason the viewpoint character must be the person being transported.

 

Of course, they do not have to know absolutely nothing about the world they're getting transported into. They could be a researcher studying about a supposed lost land through old artifacts. They would have a fair amount of knowledge if they somehow stumble upon this land, but this premise would retain the feeling of adventure. In your example, the foreign world is the one we are familiar with but again,  your character(s) is experiencing a new world and thus would form unique and interesting insights about the various things we take as granted in our everyday lives. That definitely follows the spirit of adventure and discovery I mentioned earlier.

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On a side note, I hope all entrants are fine with having to vote.

 

If nothing else read the other entries. The idea is to explore together how the plot device can be used and all it's kinda a disservice to pen out and submit something and just wait for the results.

 

And naturally if you aren't entering you can still vote.

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Okay, announcement. Sure this forum fuckup isn't affecting your ability to write or anything but it hinders your ability to submit your entry...

 

So if by say, the 18th this isn't fixed yet I shall provide a new way to submit.

 

And yes you PM it to Nai and only Nai...not that you know, you can do that right now.

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