LITERARY OUTBREAK: Survive or Die One-Shot Writing Contest

Delusive Outbreak: Round Three

Once upon a time, you live in a loving home with loving parents. Your life has been nothing but normal, and you can't be any happier. You have amazing friends and your crush seems to like you back. It may not be like a fairytale but it is close enough. Everything goes as you planned... or so you thought.

Rumors have been spreading about a new disease caused by prions. You've read about it from some Biology books your older brother uses. They are a type of protein that acts like a virus. They replicate themselves and infect other proteins. They're not living, but they can destroy someone from the inside, especially the neocortex and thalamus, the parts of your brain that controls your imagination. And they can be transferred through body fluids.

Here's the thing, there's an outbreak out there, and for some reason, it has affected you as a person. Or is it something else? Your thinking starts to be unclear. The joy you once felt with your friends starts to fade. The attachment you have for the apple of your eye just disappears all of a sudden. You've been hearing things, seeing things. You start to imagine things that are not real and to confuse reality with your imaginations.

You're losing grip to who you are. You may not know it, but you are infected. Depression, anxiety, loss of speech, paranoia, seizure, inability to sleep, and urge to attack others... Your mind goes to places that don't exist. You are beginning to be trapped in your own world; and that world is one hell of a nightmare full of wonder.

That's when you know something's wrong with you. Your brain is starting to deteriorate, and you're slowly dying. You can't escape from the world your dying brain has been creating. But you need to get out! You need to stay alive!

You may have started from a 'once upon a time,' but you may end up with a 'happily never after' if you don't hurry. Can you get out from the fantasy your mind has built? Or will you stay trapped as you slowly die?

The Genres
Action is the main genre of this competition and this round, our new subgenre is FANTASY. It's time to decide which world you will choose, subjects! Will you continue to dwell in a world full of fantasy? Or fight to break through the dream's surface to face reality?

The Themes
The prions target your imagination and consciousness. It confuses you and you have no control of yourself. You become pretentious and untruthful to others. You start acting out of the norm and you become a different person living in your fantasy world. But in truth, you pray for the strength to fight the infection and break free from your fantasy. After all, it's all in the head.

DECEPTION. ANOMALY. VALOR. These are your themes.

TEAMS AND GUIDES
A team will not be functional without someone that leads and guides it, because of that, a member of Team Baliw will be assigned to each teams as "Guides" each round. They will help you in your cures.

They CAN: 1. help you proofread your finished entries; and, 2.give you honest advice and suggestions on how to improve your entries.

But, they CANNOT: 1. help you think of or give you a plot or concept; 2. demand you to change anything from your entry.

It is up to you if you will follow the guide's suggestions or advices, but your entries should already be finished and on the stage of proofreading, before you let your guides read it. Every decision should be based on your own will.

Your guides will just be "guides", they won't be your assistant or personal editor. They will direct you to the right path of creating your cures, but they will not spoonfeed you. You can treat them as your friends, but remember that they are still your guides.

The theme that is assigned to each team will be its name. They are:

TEAM DECEPTION: RLance (Guide)

1. Jhavril
2. BarangayTanod
3. TECHKILLA
4. RHMDeLeon
5. JLorenz
6. yumi_aya

TEAM ANOMALY: NixieYume (Guide)

1. Alexandrea29
2. CallMeBoss
3. CheaterCatcher
4. MoonlightMaester
5. Sektha
6. JustPlainlyMe
7. Maimaying

TEAM VALOR: Emtimony (Guide)

1. deeeym
2. Kyrian18
3. ClareFontana
4. yourpapergirl
5. GreatPretender04
6. Youniqueen

After this mechanics is posted, your guides will add you to your team's group chat in facebook. You can interact with your teammates and Guide there.

ELEMENTS
This round, you will be given again two (2) elements that you need to use creatively in your entry. Once you are added to your team's group chat, you need to go to your respective Guides because they have your assigned elements. Again, play with your imagination and use them creatively.

Rules and Mechanics:
Obviously, you must be one of the Top 6 survivors from each of the last round's teams to participate. So, here are the things you need to do and remember.

Procedure in creating the cure:

1. Write a One Shot Story within the range of 2000-3000 word limit following the Microsoft Office Word count.

Note: For this round, an excess word will be equivalent to a one (1) point deduction from your final score. Title is excluded from the final word count. CHECK your word count before you submit your cure.

2. Genre should be ACTION-FANTASY.

3. It must be WRITTEN FORMALLY, FRESH, NEW and NOT POSTED, BASED ON or COPIED from any sites/ books/ magazines.

4. File format should be .doc or .docx.

5. Language use should be in Tagalog/Taglish/English.

6. Remember to proofread for a perfect cure.

7. Name the file with: TeamName-Username

The Formula:
Content (Plot, concept) - 30%
Creativity (Execution) - 20%
Relevance to the Theme - 20%
Requirements (Elements& Genres) - 15%
Technicalities - 10%
Impact - 5%
----------------------
100%

Salvation points:
1. Take note of our email add: tkseriouslyinsane@gmail.com

• Input in the subject area of your email: TeamName/TitlebyUsername

2. Take note of these dates:
• September 28-30, 2015 - Distribution of Elements

• October 1, 2015, 12:01 am - Start of Submission

• October 9, 2015, 11:59 pm - Deadline without deduction

• October 10, 2015, 12:00 nn - Deadline with 3pts deduction

• October 10, 2015, 6:00 pm - Posting of Entries

WARNING:
• No multiple entries.

• No multiple accounts.

• No collaboration.

• No plagiarizing.

• No changing of username.

• No replying to comments or commenting on your own entry. Be anonymous. Don't tell others which is your entry.

Any violation of any of the above-mentioned rules will result to DISQUALIFICATION.

Four (4) infected subjects from each teams will be cleared from the outbreak and will advance to the next outbreak, next round.

Let's see how strong your mind is. So, hurry! You only have 12 days to submit the cure! Will you survive? Or will you die?

Goodluck!

- Team Baliw

09/27/15