Plotto in a Texas Town
Build a Western story from a table of Plotto prompts.
Write a complete story (beginning, middle, and end) that incorporates a character from column A, a dilemma from column B, and a resolution from column C. For the sake of this contest, that is your premise. The numbers in your premise are your choice. For example, you may write a story using 03, 16, and 22. Selections do not have to be from the same row, but you must use an A, a B, and a C.
Your entry does not have to be a gunfight, or on a stagecoach, or at a hanging. Consider a plot using 01, 13, and 21. Just be sure to include western settings, characters, and themes.
The table above is a subset of Plotto. Plotto is the invention of William Wallace Cook. In his book, first copyrighted in 1928, Mr. Cook provides hundreds of characters, situations and scenarios that help a writer with plot construction. In this contest, only eighteen elements are listed for you to pick from. The full list is available in book-form on Amazon. The member initiating this contest has no financial interest in Plotto book sales.
Minimum length 500 words. Maximum Length 750 words.
Added contest rules:
- Contest entries must not include art.
- Contest entries must not include sound.
- Contest entries must include the word count in the author's notes.
- Contest entries must also list their premise in the author's notes.
For example, my author's notes might look like this:
Word count = 638 words
A lawless character, opposing the plans of a crafty schemer, undertakes a role that leads straight to catastrophe.
It is a contest goal for a voter to open the booth and blindly read stories that stand on the merits of the writing and are not influenced by media.
The contest winner will win the full prize pool. This is a winner take all contest. In this contest at least 2 submissions must be made for the vote to begin.
Deadline: Contest is closed. Deadline was Saturday, January 13, 2018.
Full Contest Listing
Write a complete story (beginning, middle, and end) that incorporates a character from column A, a dilemma from column B, and a resolution from column C. For the sake of this contest, that is your premise. The numbers in your premise are your choice. For example, you may write a story using 03, 16, and 22. Selections do not have to be from the same row, but you must use an A, a B, and a C.
Your entry does not have to be a gunfight, or on a stagecoach, or at a hanging. Consider a plot using 01, 13, and 21. Just be sure to include western settings, characters, and themes.
The table above is a subset of Plotto. Plotto is the invention of William Wallace Cook. In his book, first copyrighted in 1928, Mr. Cook provides hundreds of characters, situations and scenarios that help a writer with plot construction. In this contest, only eighteen elements are listed for you to pick from. The full list is available in book-form on Amazon. The member initiating this contest has no financial interest in Plotto book sales.
Minimum length 500 words. Maximum Length 750 words.
Added contest rules:
- Contest entries must not include art.
- Contest entries must not include sound.
- Contest entries must include the word count in the author's notes.
- Contest entries must also list their premise in the author's notes.
For example, my author's notes might look like this:
Word count = 638 words
A lawless character, opposing the plans of a crafty schemer, undertakes a role that leads straight to catastrophe.
It is a contest goal for a voter to open the booth and blindly read stories that stand on the merits of the writing and are not influenced by media.
The contest winner will win the full prize pool. This is a winner take all contest. In this contest at least 2 submissions must be made for the vote to begin.
Deadline: Contest is closed. Deadline was Saturday, January 13, 2018.
