Author Games: Murder & Margaritas

The Right Way to Party

Ah yes, the rules. You see them everywhere, but at TheRealEnemy, some of them might differ from those of other accounts. Several rules have changed since our last Games due to our schedules becoming busier, so please do take a few minutes to read these for your own convenience—they'll benefit you more than they do us.

All competitors are welcome, regardless of age or experience.

For those who don't know how an Author Games works, here is the general format: every week, we will post a task. This task could be very specific on what you're supposed to write or it could be incredibly vague and you get a lot of freedom on what to do. Each competitor writes an entry and sends it in by email. On the due date, all entries will be scored. Week by week, the scores will become cumulative and the lowest total scorers go up for votes. This will continue for a certain amount of tasks until there is only one competitor left. If you have any questions about this, don't hesitate to ask. Alternatively, you could check out the guide on @AuthorGamesHQ for a thorough walkthrough.

Respect your fellow writers and competitors.

If you have nothing nice to say, say nothing! If we see any form of bullying or harassment, there will be harsh penalties and you could potentially be eliminated depending on the extent.

Be committed to these Games. (Be a loyal ho.)

Do not sign up unless you're 100% willing to write entries for the tasks we give you. Not handing in is frustrating for us as well as other competitors. Failing to hand in once will put you up for votes. Doing so twice will result in automatic elimination.

Hand in on time.

Late entries that are received during voting period will be accepted with a penalty given as we see fit. Entries that are handed in any time after voting has ended will not be accepted.

Extensions work differently here.

Due to all of our Gamemakers being from different time zones and with equally busy schedules, all extensions given out are to be of a maximum of two hours only. You may use as many two-hour extensions as you need, but you may not stack them, and we will not be happy to see you using one each task. Please do not abuse this system as this has been a problem in the past. We're on a tight schedule and we want our Games to run as smoothly as possible with all Gamemakers available to score. However, we do deal with each extension request on a case-by-case basis, so if there are any exceptional cases, please notify us at least three (3) days in advance so we can arrange scores and voting accordingly.

Twice bitten, thrice shy.

Reservations last 48 hours. If you do not hand in a form on time, your spot will be reopened. After your reservation expires, you will be allowed to re-reserve. However, if you fail to hand in your form yet again, you will not be allowed a third chance unless you notify us of possible complications beforehand.

Watch the deadline.

All due dates will be in PDT and SGT. If you are confused by this, you can always ask for conversions, though it is highly recommended that you do so yourself.

Send entries to the correct email.

All entries must be sent in by email to realenemy375(at)gmail.com. Entries will not be accepted otherwise. If you happen to have a problem with your email, don't be afraid to message us and we'll work out a solution.

Vote fairly.

You may vote for yourself. However, begging others for votes will not be tolerated. Directing others to the voting page without telling them to vote for you is an example of vote-begging as well. Any evidence of vote-begging or voting for yourself from alternate accounts will lead to immediate disqualification. If you've read up to this point, list your favorite book. Any unfamiliar accounts will be investigated to the best of our abilities.

Follow the voting rules.

Voting will last exactly 24 hours after the voting page is put up. Vote for only the number of people specified, or else your vote will not count. Please vote for the quality of the entry and not the author. This is a writing competition, not a popularity contest.

There will be ballot challenges.

To fit in with the murder mystery theme, we will be implementing a new trial system that allows you to vote for the tribute you think is the murderer. The tribute that's most voted guilty will then face a ballot challenge the following task. There will be more on this in the next chapter. Additionally, if you've read up to this point, ignore the first password and include your favorite candy somewhere in the email you send with your form.

There will be no smut.

By this we mean, please please don't include sex in your entry. Really, if you include sex in your entry, we're gonna cry, and probably take a bunch of points off your score (possibly even have you subject to disciplinary action). Innuendos are one thing, but don't make our eyes bleed.

Have common sense.

If you're writing something in your entry and you're questioning whether or not it's appropriate or breaks one of the rules, don't do it. Most likely if you're questioning whether or not it breaks the rules, it probably breaks the rules. If you have to question it, don't do it. Have a little common sense when dealing with these rules.

PM us if you have questions.

For all concerns related to the account and our Games, PM the TRE account and do not approach a Gamemaker personally. This is to ensure that all issues are settled as an account and not up to individual discretion.

Pity us pls.

Please keep in mind that we, too, are human and can have very busy schedules. If something crops up and we are unable to post on time, we will do our best to notify you in advance.

Follow this account.

We require everyone who would like to participate or vote in our Games to follow this account. In case we are unable to reach you when we post our countdowns, you'll still be able to see the post in your feed. Don't worry, we won't spam your newsfeed with unnecessary activity!

Have fun!

If you don't do well these Games, cheer up! It's not the end of the world. We've got plenty more Games coming your way after these :)

~~~

Thank you for reading this, we really appreciate it. You're helping yourself by reading these rules, honestly.

Hope to see you guys at reservations!

~ TheReal3x