On 9/11/2001, terrorists attacked the United States on four hijacked airplanes.

All four attacks failed (in the Prodigy universe).

Write the story of at least one attack, and how it was foiled by a superhero.

The story can take place on a plane and/or elsewhere.

All stories will be considered for publication in Wayfarer.

The winner gets a custom cover illustration based on the text, and a copy of the issue.

The contest runs until September 11, 2006 2007.

Email your story to wayfarer@mysteryandmagic.com

More details will follow.

Administration (Admin) Monday, January 2, 2006 - 1:38 am

Begin!

Tiara Man (Goldm2) Monday, January 2, 2006 - 10:04 am

ooh, i've got 9 montsh to write this. I think I could write a 50 page book like that in 9 months. What i don't get is, why so long?

Administration (Admin) Monday, January 2, 2006 - 2:58 pm

50 pages? There is no length limit, short or long. We are choosing the BEST story, not the longest.

töff (Töff) Monday, January 2, 2006 - 3:02 pm

I would suggest, for realism, that the facts be learned about the attacks. Who were the hijackers on each plane? They used boxcutters for crowd-control weapons, right? Some had piloting skills. What were their names? Who were their leaders? (besides bin Laden). I bet a lot of this is easily learned on the web. I might even surf up some links for you. These events really happened in our world. In Prodigy, they happened differently. *HOW* differently is up to you ... but I suspect that some nod to the actual details would enhance your story greatly. It's up to you!

Tiara Man (Goldm2) Monday, January 2, 2006 - 3:24 pm

wait, we has to write about the attacks on 9/11

Dr. Barrett Silvers (Grafter) Wednesday, January 18, 2006 - 3:41 am

This may interest those who want to write a story with an interesting 'spin' to it. Note that the video is about an hour long... http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-2023320890224991194

töff (Töff) Friday, August 11, 2006 - 9:35 pm

30 Day Notice! You guys are all done with your first drafts for your 9/11 stories, right? Just working on your revisions ... right? I can't believe anybody would miss out the chance of on getting his (or her) own cover story on Wayfarer! and all you have to do is write the tale.

Busy Learning (Goldm2) Monday, August 14, 2006 - 6:33 pm

I don't feel like doing stupid gang work, hmm maybe i can have the "Doctor" trigger something to happen. Would be a nice inside joke. If only this was a "write random story" contest, then i could have quite some fun. Telling the tale of how the man who cheated death got caught. Two forces of evil fighting each other, oh that was a load of fun to write. Nothing to do with superheroes though. Hmm... what would be a good substitute, one problem is, it needs to be wayfarer worthy. Tricky! But then again, it is a reuseable A+ for school. Anybody hear about the recent terror attack. Dumb terrorists tried to blow up planes, and you'd think they'd get creative.

töff (Töff) Thursday, August 17, 2006 - 9:36 pm

Anybody want an extension for this contest 'til 11 Sep. 2007?

fire witch. (Fuega) Friday, August 18, 2006 - 10:59 am

yes i want the extension please! do you give it for the both contests?

töff (Töff) Friday, August 18, 2006 - 2:29 pm

Sure why not. Or are these contests too hard? Should we just cancel them? That'd be sad! You know how much I love to give you guys free stuff.

Excitable moon boy (Jericho) Friday, August 18, 2006 - 3:47 pm

ohhh.. I just looked over all the contests.. these last 2 are definately harder than the first 2.. and the first is easier than second. Wish I could've done the first one! Some really good chars came outta that contest it seems. Too bad I don't see any in action right now.

Busy Learning (Goldm2) Sunday, August 20, 2006 - 4:39 pm

well another year is a lil too long though

töff (Töff) Monday, August 21, 2006 - 3:33 pm

Contests #3 and #4 were announced in January. That's 9 months, and has anybody done anything? So the question is, do you want another year, or should we just cancel them?

The Mysterious Mr. (X) Tuesday, August 22, 2006 - 2:18 am

Well, I was gonna submit something, but I kinda became ineligible about halfway through . . .

töff (Töff) Tuesday, August 22, 2006 - 10:15 am

Why ineligible? You are not a judge.

töff (Töff) Tuesday, August 22, 2006 - 10:21 am

Alright, how about this. Rather than make 9/11 the DEADLINE, we will make it the PUBLICATION date ... so bump the deadline back two months from that, for production time, and our special issue comes out in a timely fashion. New Deadline: July 11, 2007. How's that sound?

Busy Learning (Goldm2) Tuesday, August 22, 2006 - 12:39 pm

Alright, though if my bandwidth wasn't so low, i could publish something cool once my new charachter is approved.

töff (Töff) Friday, January 19, 2007 - 1:11 pm

Less than SIX MONTHS remain. Sounds like a long time, but tempus fugit. Anybody considering entering this contest at all?

Beware the wail of the (Banshee) Friday, January 19, 2007 - 11:50 pm

Holy COW! there is another contest! ANd I might have a chance to enter...if no one else is alive to enter Muhwahahahaha!* I mean, I should keep some of this on inside voice, yes my precious, that is it! INSIDE VOICE! ::coffcoff:: inside voice. Ahem, now to prepare an entry; do I have enough caffeine and antipsychotics? Maaaaaybe! ::shartpens sword and sheaths wit:: Peace and roses, Deb *Becky's Patented Evil Laugh

töff (Töff) Saturday, January 20, 2007 - 2:46 pm

If there's only one entry, it wins by default. At this point, there's no competition at all. I hope that will change. I might have to add a disclaimer that an entry has to pass a minimum quality check to win. I'd hate to have to award the prize to the following 'fiction': quote: There was a plane of terrists and they bombed the pilots but then came my hero UltraFire and killd them all then he landeded the plain safley and evryone cheerd.

Alexander Stevenson (Xatmo97) Saturday, January 20, 2007 - 3:49 pm

'Shudder' Hopefully not.

Beware the wail of the (Banshee) Saturday, January 20, 2007 - 11:08 pm

HEY! How did you get into my computer to steal my entry?!? Dang UFO spies! I will have to put the aluminim foil hat on my monitor again! Peace and psychedelic roses, Deb

töff (Töff) Monday, January 22, 2007 - 6:11 pm

DOUBLE PRIZE. Suddenly I realize that whoever who wins this contest, if he/she/it has never before had a piece published in Wayfarer, will win not only this contest but also the Year Four contest [link]. (And I would adjust the prizes so that you get two different issues, not two copies of the same thing.) So you guys are all done with your first drafts, right?

Beware the wail of the (Banshee) Monday, January 22, 2007 - 11:59 pm

GET OUTTA MY PUTATER! How else would you know I have a first draft in progress? EH? FREAK! ::giggles and snorts talcum powder from a baggie:: Why does the world smell like clean baby butts? Peace and roses, Deb who is bound and determined to make Toff laufh out loud

Beware the wail of the (Banshee) Monday, May 28, 2007 - 8:06 pm

Heya! I just sent in my entry! I hoope it made it. Could someone please double check? And also, do I have any competition? I would rather WIN with competition than win by default! Peace and roses, Deb

töff (Töff) Thursday, May 31, 2007 - 3:21 pm

Your story was wonderful! If you win, even without any competition, you will have deserved it, not just defaulting as the only entry.

Beware the wail of the (Banshee) Thursday, May 31, 2007 - 3:57 pm

Thanks Toff! I really apprecoate that! Peace and roses, Deb

The lord of dragons (Dragos) Thursday, May 31, 2007 - 7:57 pm

well, this contest is quite a dandy. I had hoped to enter it,but I'm not entirely sure how my dragon would play into stopping the event. It's also kind of touchy for me since I live in NYC and watched it unfold. So, if any form of story builder, or hell, even include me into a story, it would be highly appreciated......and don't think I'm not trying to think of a good story.

Beware the wail of the (Banshee) Thursday, May 31, 2007 - 9:08 pm

Dear Drago: I can understand your hesitation in doing this tale, considering where you live, but I bet you could do a grand one if you set your mind to it. What if your character had his own plans for one of the planes and had to stop the other bad guys? Or you nearly get run out of the air by one of them and get crabby about it and get on board to make someone pay for it? These are just a couple of ideas, but your "bad guy" could become a good guy for a day! Peace and roses, Deb

töff (Töff) Thursday, May 31, 2007 - 9:45 pm

You don't have to write about how YOUR character stopped an attack. You can make up all new characters. Look at the COTM contest for more info about the difference between Wayf characters and RP characters. Time's running short, though. I count like 6 weeks til the deadline. I don't think you can convince me to extend it another year.

The lord of dragons (Dragos) Friday, June 1, 2007 - 8:39 pm

well, i'm gonna go ahead and write up a story,hopefully it will be good enough to earn a place within the magazine.

töff (Töff) Saturday, July 7, 2007 - 7:05 pm

We have two entries complete, and two more in progress. I am extending the deadline until the end of the month, but that's it. Good luck!

The Flying Kiwi (Freerunner) Tuesday, July 10, 2007 - 4:04 am

Just to add my bit into the mix... I've got a story down on paper myself, but I'm currently travelling and hence cannot write it down. I'll be back home on the 16th of this month, finally, so I'll get a story out by July 31st. I hope. :-D

Sword Saint (Kensei) Tuesday, July 10, 2007 - 5:10 am

Bah, paper, the bane of mankind, I tell you....

Beware the wail of the (Banshee) Tuesday, July 10, 2007 - 2:29 pm

YAY!! Another entry on the way in! HUZZAH! And paper is a bane? LOL NO WAY! I love to sit and write in myjournal, putting ideas and ppems down in ink! Can't do that so much anymore with the vision change, but I remember! Somehow, as much as I love word processing programs, but they are just not the same! Peace and roses, Deb

Sword Saint (Kensei) Wednesday, July 11, 2007 - 2:31 am

If you had my handwriting you would hate paper, too. Sometimes I can't read my own words just a few minutes after I've written them....

Alexander Stevenson (Xatmo97) Thursday, July 12, 2007 - 4:57 pm

Yeeah I have that problem. English teacher last month: Connor, You have a fantastic way with words, and a brilliant pleathora of words under your command. Me: 'beams' English Teacher: But that disny help when a canny read the blasted thing. Me: 'crestfallen' Welcome to my life =P

Beware the wail of the (Banshee) Friday, July 13, 2007 - 10:48 am

Ybderstood! When I taught freshman comp as a graduate teaching assistant, I informed my students that they could indeed turn in handwritten essays, but that the English Dept. did not require that I translate hieroglyphics! LOL Peace and roses, Deb

töff (Töff) Friday, July 27, 2007 - 12:06 pm

This weekend is your final weekend to wrap up your 9/11 stories. The deadline is Tuesday, so your story has to be in my mailbox by Wednesday morning. The winner gets the cover of the Sep-Oct issue (#26).

töff (Töff) Friday, July 27, 2007 - 12:08 pm

btw ... the Character Of The Month for August 2007 was a Prodigy character. And she's kinda cute, too.

The lord of dragons (Dragos) Monday, August 20, 2007 - 6:08 am

just wondering how the contest is going.its been a bit since we heard anything.

töff (Töff) Monday, August 20, 2007 - 12:19 pm

Until this morning, there were still two entries in progress. One got cancelled. So there is one more. I am squeaking the deadline a bit. My plan is to ship the issue in the first week of September so everybody gets it by Sep.11.

Administration (Admin) Friday, August 24, 2007 - 2:42 pm

We are happy to announce the winner(s) of the 9/11 fiction contest: In 1st place is Deb with her story "Witch Without A Broom." The witch in question was the hero of the day, but the records are a bit vague as to who in the heck she was ... if she was even there. It's told as a series of interviews, very clever, top notch stuff, and it deserves the win! *applause* 2nd place goes to Drago for "Flight Of The Dragon," a rollicker with plenty of uberaction and womp-the-badguy. In 3rd place mostly not because of quality but because the entry came in so far past the deadline, is Krwth's sad tale, "Smokeless Fire," with an accompanying character profile that wins the September Character Of The Month contest. Three other entries were not completed in time for the contest ... everybody cross your fingers that we will see them some day. Congrats to all, well done, and thank you! Each contestant will receive a copy of the Wayfarer issue. Would you each please email me your postal addresses. Special congrats to our first place winner who will get some little bonus perk in the mail, I dunno what yet, maybe I can scrounge a copy of Wayf 14 wherein we had some other awesome Prodigy stuff.