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World of Darkness Novel Contest: Five Winners of Round Two Announced

November 28, 2005 - From an initial field of over a thousand entries, the World of Darkness Novel Contest enters the Final Round with these five winners of Round Two:

Cody Bye
Joshua Alan Doetsch
David Nurenberg
Harley Stroh
Brayton Tompkins

These authors wins prizes of $1000 and the opportunity to complete their World of Darkness novels. The winning novel will be published by White Wolf Inc., though all of the other completed novels will be considered for publication as well.

Thanks to everyone who entered, and congratulations to the other winners of Round One, especially the five authors who finished in places 6th-10th (alphabetically): Christopher Frye, Max Gladstone, Andrew Peregrine, Mary Pletsch and Chad Welch.

Winners entering the Final Round will be contacted directly by contest judge Stewart Wieck, co-founder of White Wolf and co-creator of the World of Darkness.

Thanks for all your thoughts, guys. It’s enough to make an old skull smile.

There was a saying that used to circulate amongst my friends back in college. I only said it once, but if you ascribe to the idea of memes, you know how ideas can have a life of their own. Anyhow, this one has remarkable staying power and still comes back to haunt me on occasion. This is one of those occasions.

It went a little something like this:“Life is too short not to be a hypocrite.”

The idea I was trying to convey was that, in a finite life, standing on principle for principle’s sake can get you into trouble. As far as I know I have one shot at this life. There are good reasons to cling to principles, but just “because” isn’t one of them.

When the world changes, adjust.

Given my current schedule, do I have time to write a novel? Absolutely not. Work is eating up 60+ hours per week, and I’m booked on gaming material through the summer.

So what does one do? Start by waking up at 4 in the morning. Make coffee and write for two hours before going to work. Throw myself into this with all the hungry, desperate passion I can muster. Lean on my friends for editing; skate until I cry. Try not to be this melodramatic in the actual novel. :)

As far as I know this might be my one and only chance to publish a book. I have to crunch words like my life depends on it, because –in a very real sense– my “life” as an author does depend on this.

To be clear, I’m still a ways from selling any book. There are four fantastic writers who are doing their best as well, and only one of us gets the sale. All I can count on is the opportunity to write and to be read.

What a blessing.

One chance. Marks, set, go. Time to write a book.