Contest Clarifications and Basic Update

So I go to check the mail on Tuesday and find a mysterious package from DA. Went upstairs, opened it,and found by AkubakaArts, straight from my wishlist. I had no idea who'd sent it, however but I went to the deviation comments for and told her how excited I was to have a print and she informed me that she sent it to. Which is awesome. As is she. Go look at her art and tell her she's amazing. Go!

Well, okay - don't go yet. Finish reading this and leave me a comment first. I want to thank you all for commenting on my poll. It's probably the longest poll ever, but that's my style - ridiculously wordy. Unfortunately I've now learned that no matter what I'm pretty much stuck here for another year, so I can have this surgery. Ah well. Gives me time to figure out my plan. I will be replying to you guys. Honestly I shouldn't even be doing THIS now, I should be in bed. Anyway, onward....

---

Contest update!

So sorry I've been quiet about this lately. I've been trying to figure out what to do, since I learned that dAGrants has shut down. I'm really bummed out that I cannot reward all of my winners with lavish prizes now, but I will of course still be holding the contest. In fact, this is my last test run before the official announcement!

First, everyone should go and give love to MotleyDreams for designing our excellent group icon! She is also our new co-founder, because she knows much more about groups than I do, and is just generally awesome.

Here's a breakdown of the basic contest facts:

Judges so far:

Lit: lonealphawolf Fluffysminion MotleyDreams WarriorStaerskye :devShroudedTemptest:

Visual: lonealphawolf Fluffysminion MotleyDreams WarriorStaerskye ShroudedTempest Evlydia MonsterDoll

Prizes: (So far)

Lit 1st Place:
3-Month Premium Membership or 636
Piece submitted to a minimum of 10 groups by LadyofGaerdon
Journal feature from LadyofGaerdon, MotleyDreams & lonealphawolf
6 constructive comments by MaddyJordan
Critique (on any lit work).
Scene illustration by Fluffysminion

Lit 2nd Place:
1-Month Premium Membership or 396
Piece submitted to a minimum of 10 groups by LadyofGaerdon
Journal feature from LadyofGaerdon, MotleyDreams & lonealphawolf
4 constructive comments by MaddyJordan
Constructive comment (on any work.
Character drawing by Fluffysminion

Lit 3rd Place:
250 points
Piece submitted to a minimum of 10 groups by LadyofGaerdon
Journal feature from LadyofGaerdon, MotleyDreams & lonealphawolf
2 constructive comments by MaddyJordan
Constructive comment (on any work) .
Headshot drawing by Fluffysminion

Visual 1st Place:
3-Month Premium Membership or 636
Piece submitted to a minimum of 10 groups by LadyofGaerdon
Journal feature from LadyofGaerdon, MotleyDreams & lonealphawolf
6 constructive comments by MaddyJordan
Constructive comment (on any work) .

Visual 2nd Place:
1-Month Premium Membership or 396
Piece submitted to a minimum of 10 groups by LadyofGaerdon
Journal feature from LadyofGaerdon, MotleyDreams & lonealphawolf
4 constructive comments by MaddyJordan
Constructive comment (on any work) and journal feature from :devloneaplhawolf:

Visual 3rd Place:
250 points
Piece submitted to a minimum of 10 groups by LadyofGaerdon
Journal feature from LadyofGaerdon, MotleyDreams & lonealphawolf
2 constructive comments by MaddyJordan
Constructive comment (on any work) and journal feature from lonealphawolf

ALL ENTRANTS:
Llama from LadyofGaerdon
Journal and news article feature by LadyofGaerdon
ENTRIES ARE UNLIMITED. GO WILD PEOPLE!
You can enter both categories, but can only win in one.

Contest ends...hmm lets see. I want to give enough time, but the judging and winner announcements should be done with before NaMoWriMo starts in November. I'm going to be in the hospital from about October 2nd to October 9th. Let's make it October 13th. Sound good? Still give everyone time to do Halloween contest stuff, too.

Entrants do not have to have read the book. But it would really help. Entries will be judged on the following criteria, in order: How well the piece relates to the theme, impact, creativity, and quality.


Questions? Did I leave anything out? Did I mention all of the judges and correctly state which categories you are judging? Would anyone else like to donate llamas or journal features or stuff like that? Would anyone else like to donate something else? Comments? Points? oes anyone else want to be a judge? PLEASE do - I need more, especially for lit. Yes, you CAN be a judge and still enter. You just can't vote for yourself. Fair?  All donors and judges will receive two news article features, and can submit work to the "Work of Donors & Judges" favorites folder for the group.

Maddy, are those comments on any work of the winner's choosing?

MotleyDreams you wanted to be a judge, too, right?

Also! Please feel free to submit work to the "inspiration" folders.

And guess what? We have our first entry! Yay! This is so exciting!

Questions, suggestions, input of any kind is greatly appreciated.

---

And because it wouldn't be a Rain journal without pretties, here are my features. The first few are new ones of AkubakaArts's - because you didn't forget to go check her out, right? Also go check out TamMebonia She's a new favorite of mine. Yeah, I know I'm kind of a digital painting fangirl...

:thumb203436644: :thumb195475674: :thumb204172674: :thumb182737234: :thumb207507853: Which Color, Which?What do you see?
I see everything: vivid, entwined, breathing; growing.
Every drop of radiant color sings to me a new song.
Let me breathe, let me sing; let me shout in exaltation!
Let me bleed, let me burn, let me fall; let me die.
Keep me from my fate and keep me from my life.
Hide me from their light; hide me from their darkness.
Can you feel them? Can you feel the colors?
They are separate, so far away!
Let them blend together, let them paint my picture.
Let them merge to tell my story before I fade like they do.
I can feel all of my colors aching inside:
Red is my lover – passionate and burning.
Orange is my warmth – glowing and still.
Yellow is my sickness – growing and aching.
Green is my mother – safe and warm.
Blue is my heaven – untouchable and high.
Purple is my vain – envious and hidden.
Pink is my image – smeared and broken.
Black is my killer – livid and powerful.
Gray is my mourning – present and dark.
White is my end :thumb184578435: LovelornThe bygone willows have wept
their strains into the streams,
which have drifted lyrical
past a gossamer lady.
In her ivory rook, she lingers,
the fey lady, the riddle of lore,
hearkening to her mirror and twining
her frail web close to a gentle soul.
Hers is a heart of a lonely boat,
and his is a fickle, relentless sailor.
So the shadows have sung her
ill-starred faith into lilting arcane fables.
Their destiny is of the
astronauts and astrologers,
and breathing out smoky valedictions
through the ages –
As the sunflower folk
reach for the epiphany;
in timeless, songless sunlight,
so does the lovelorn lady find her clarity. :thumb197767643: starcrossedand we sailed
in sinking ships
on borrowed tides
'neath starless skies
[i wonder, love,
why we never made it home.]