November KSG Writing/Drawing Contest

Katawa Shoujo General Fanart and Fanfiction Contest

NEWS:  December Contest, Anyone?

What the hell?  Let's do another one!  It'll have to be sometime in the latter half of December though.  I'm 90% sure it will be a "no repeat winners" contest, meaning that the last six winners are ineligible for prizes.  But are still encouraged to participate, of course!

I'm putting together another prize bin and trying to think of things people would like.  It will likely have another 4chan pass and some Steam games, one of the Humble THQ bundles (which will hopefully have its charm again by that time), and maybe some other e-goodies.  If you have suggestions or ideas for other prizes (or if you're willing to donate anything to the prize bin) please notify me on steam!

Also, if you have any OTHER things you'd like to discuss about the contest, or any past contests, please contact me on Steam and I'd happily speak privately with you:

http://steamcommunity.com/id/heartstm

November Contest Winners:

#6:  "The Rose and the Thistle" by Aster.
This was the only submission in either category that was nominated by all three judges.  Chosen for its strong characterization of Hanako, and insight into a possible connection she has with a character who is in many ways her complete opposite.
>http://pastebin.com/SfA0f6bD


#5:  Shizune and Rin by Anonymous.
The contrast of personalities and excellent colouring are what made this a favourite.  One judge described it as "just an excuse to show two girls in their underwear."  Good enough for me.
http://i.imgur.com/84STH.png

#4:  "Happy Holidays" by Capslock Drawfriend.
In many ways the most unique submission in the art category, and its creativity, simplicity and charm made it an early favourite.
http://i.imgur.com/AyEvt.png

#3:  "A Master Stroke" by Garver.
I was hoping one of the written submissions would take the challenge of writing Shizune interacting with a character other than Misha, because of the obvious difficulty that presents.  Like many of the other winning entries, the story begins with a clear disparity between personalities and culminates in the discovery of a common ground.  It also manages to capture well the original flavour of KS and has an excellent day-at-school vibe.  Highly recommended reading, especially for fans of Shizune.
http://pastebin.com/VA0ewtE3

#2:  Rin and Hanako by Twrlare.
Our artist judge described it as the "clear winner."  The expressive poses and immense personality in this image gave it a narrow but decisive lead over the other art entries.
http://i.imgur.com/LGcBu.jpg

#1:  "Morning Fog" by That Guy.
This was chosen as the first-place entry by two out of three judges, placing it narrowly ahead of Twrlare's drawing.  Even if the choice of pairing is a little obvious to anyone familiar with the author, and the word count exceeds the originally suggested but ultimately rescinded maximum, it's a highly amusing read that touches on an impressive array of moods, as well as showing excellent insight into the two characters that make up its subject matter.
>http://pastebin.com/wtMHtS5v

Update:  That Guy has decided to forgo his prize, meaning that the next statistical winner in the written category (FluffandCrunch) will get sixth prize, and so on up the ladder.

Honorable Mentions

Here are the submissions that were nominated but did not place in the top six:
http://i.imgur.com/dlBRi.png
http://i.imgur.com/vzDnG.png
http://i.imgur.com/cduyJ.jpg
http://pastebin.com/5trLdC2e
http://pastebin.com/66BbmuFD

Prizes:

**NEW** 1 4chan Pass (For the less vidya inclined)
Dota 2 invites (7 of them)
Mass Effect 2
Borderlands 2 (chosen by Twr)
Skyrim
Frozen Synapse
Secret of the Magic Crystals
Scribblenauts Unlimited (chosen by Caps)
Saint's Row the Third (chosen by Garver)
Deus Ex: Human Revolution
Civilization V
Sonic Generations
Orcs Must Die 2
Batman: Arkham Asylum GOTY Edition
The Witcher 2: Enhanced Edition
Torchlight 2
Your choice of any game $20 or under (any winner may pick this option)

First prize:  First choice of any one game from this list.
Second prize:  Second choice.
Third prize:  Third choice.

Contest Rules:

There will be three winners in total.  Fanart submissions may be either in colour or in black and white.  Fanfiction submissions must be around 1500-3000 words.

UPDATE:  FluffandCrunch has already demolished the upper word limit, so feel free to do the same if you have to.

The theme is "odd couples."  Rin/Hanako, Lilly/Misha, you get the idea.  Any pairing from the six core Katawa Shoujo girls outside of the conventional pairings is fine.  That is the only restriction.  So in other words, any pair of girls other than Rin/Emi, Lilly/Hanako, or Misha/Shizune.

Ideally, submissions should in some way focus on the relationship between the two characters, but that is just a guideline and shouldn't be viewed as a restriction.

This is a KSG contest, so all submissions must be posted in Katawa Shoujo General WITH your steam ID in order to qualify.  If you prefer not to post your steam ID in the thread, you may instead contact me directly to verify your identity:
http://steamcommunity.com/id/heartstm

Winners will be chosen by a panel of three judges, one of whom is going to be me.  Don't worry, this isn't a popularity contest.  We'll do everything we can to make sure it's a fair result.

To make a submission, post it in KSG and it will be added to the list of submissions here.

The deadline for submissions is Tuesday, November 27 at 8:00 PM EST.

Submissions:

Here is a gallery of the art submissions so far:

http://imgur.com/a/zOzwa

And here are the written submissions:

"Girl's Night Out" by Amateur Writefag (Lilly/Emi)
http://pastebin.com/SuzErvLC

"The Buddy System" by FluffandCrunch (Lilly/Rin)
http://pastebin.com/66BbmuFD

"Morning Fog" by That Guy (Emi/Hanako)
http://pastebin.com/wtMHtS5v

"Cracked Sash" by Brogurt (Hanako/Misha)
http://ks.renai.us/viewtopic.php?f=52&t=3319&p=128473#p128472

"The Rose and the Thistle" by Aster (Hanako/Misha)
http://pastebin.com/SfA0f6bD

"Two of a Kind" by Daedalus (Misha/Emi)
http://pastebin.com/d13U1njU

"A Master Stroke" by Garver (Emi/Shizune)
http://pastebin.com/VA0ewtE3

"Sunset" by Vic (Hanako/Rin)
http://pastebin.com/5trLdC2e

"Untitled" by Another Random Guy (Emi/Misha)
http://pastebin.com/wEyeLkJp