Extra! Extra! Read all about it! Or rather, write all about it...


Concept: Write a newspaper article with a picture with your chosen prompts for each round.


Qualifications to Host: hosted Trading Spaces: Sims Edition and Build A Business


Requirements
All skill levels welcome. Basic knowledge of writing and picture taking would be helpful, but anyone is welcome to give it a try!

Rules

• Please follow the Forum Rules.
• Can be Sims 2, 3 or 4.
• Any CC are allowed.
• Must be your own original work. No plagiarism.
• You may edit your post, up until the deadline for the round, if you must. But will only be added to the table when your post meets the minimum requirements. You may not post a couple lines as a place holder.
• Profanity: If it wouldn't be in a real paper, there's no need for it here either.
• Word count: 750-1200 words. Please use Microsoft Word or Word Counter to get your count.
• You will only have one picture per round (excluding bonus). Pics must be at least 800x600, but can be up to the maximum allowed per the Creator Guidelines
• Minimal photoshopping is allowed. You may use filters, add borders, sharpen, etc.

How It Works
Each round you will be given 2 sets of prompts to choose from. You much choose one from each set. We will be going through different "sections" of a newspaper. The first set of prompts will be the "event" prompts. What's happening in your article. These prompts will be different each round, never repeating. The second set will be the where/who prompts that may repeat through rounds, but you may only use a prompt once. So if you use "At the senior center" in round 1, you may not use it again in round 2.

There will be 4 rounds. Each round will last 2 weeks. Extensions may be given with good cause. Just PM me before the end of the round.

You may choose to write serious articles, or not That's entirely up to you!

I will accept up to 20 contestants. We need at least 5 to keep going though. So give it a shot!

Judges
I will need 2 other judges, besides myself. And would like to have at least one emergency judge. Judges will be expected to have their scores within 6 days of the round closing, so that I can post them by the 7th day. If you would like to be a judge/ej, Pm me and let me know.

Judge 1	Judge 2	Judge 3	EJ
justJones	KarenLorraine	CatherineTCJD	BlakeS5678

Scoring
Each round will be worth up to 50 points, for a grand total of 200 possible for the contest.

Creativity(15pts): Is your story original? Is it entertaining?

Presentation(15pts): Is it presented like a real newspaper article? Does it follow the rules; word count etc?

Prompt Usage(10pts): Does it use the chosen prompts well?

Picture(10pts): Does the picture suite the story well? Does it follow the rules?

There will be a bonus for each round worth up to 5 pts.

Late entries will be docked .5 pts per day late and may be submitted no more than 3 days after the round closes.

Post Set-Up

Posts should be set up as follows-

Prompts: whatever you chose for the round

Word Count

Pic

Headline

Article under a spoiler

Bonus under a spoiler


Round 1/Application Round is now closed! - Scores



Round 2 is now closed! - Scores



Round 3 is now closed! - Scores



Round 4 is closed!







Contestants

Contestant	Round 1	Score	Round 2	Score	Round 3	Score	Round4	Score	Total Score
d_dgjdhh	entry	50.4	entry	51.9	entry	51.8	entry	45.9	200
Charmful	entry	52.2	entry	53.2	entry	53.8	entry	47.8	207
Enki	entry	52.8	entry	50.6	entry	52.1	entry	47.5	203
fairycake89	entry	53.3	entry	54	-	-	-	-	107.3
Justpetro	entry	49.3	entry	50.6	entry	52.6	entry	47.8	200.3
TimberWolfer	entry	46.5	entry	48.5	-	-	-	-	95
clw8	entry	54.2	entry	49.3	-	-	-	-	103.5
Capulina	entry	48.6	entry	49.6	entry	48.6	-	-	146.8
TMBrandon	entry	49.2	entry	51.3	entry	51.9	entry	48.1	200.5
tcbandie10	entry	50.9	entry	52	entry	51.6	entry	45.9	200.4
zaleth	entry	51.2	entry	50	entry	49.7	entry	45.5	196.4
PSDuckie	entry	48.8	entry	46.5	entry	40.9	entry	42.2	178.4
ioana0720	entry	50.4	-	-	-	-	-	-	50.4
Qnshr5	entry	53.1	entry	48.8	entry	55	entry	49.6	206.5
esmeiolanthe	entry	47.2	-	-	-	-	-	-	47.2
Scarlet Love	entry	42.3	entry	49.3	entry	50.3	-	-	141.9

Look! Look I approved a contest! I don't think this has ever happened before! TAKE COVER!


Contest Approved

• Do not post replies and/or contest applications before the contest host has checked in on this thread, or your post will be deleted.
• DO NOT WRITE USELESS POSTS like "Hey cool contest, I think I might join." Reserve type posts and useless posts about coming back with an application will be deleted.

Ok, I'm checking in. Let's get this show on the road!

I would like to sign up, please! I will try to stay involved for all four rounds, since I can write on my commute to and from work.

I don't see anything about application requirements. Is this post all I need to do to be signed up, or is there something I'm missing? (If I'm missing something, that does not bode well... )

I'll play too

Esme, the "application" is just your first round entry

Do we just post our apps to this thread if we want to join?

Yes. Just make your first "article" and post it in this thread.

I'd like to participate in the contest too. I can't wait to post my first round article.

EDIT: Here's my front page article. World breaking...for the late '30s, early '40s.

Prompt 1: Crime (housing sales fraud)
Prompt 2: In Sim City (businesses complaining)
Word Count: 834 words (excluding headlines)

Quick question, does kidnapping count as a crime? And also, does the crime have to be ongoing or can it be solved? >

Just saw the banner in the opening post and now I wonder: Do we all pretend to write for the Sim City times or can every participant work for an individual paper?

@TMBrandon, yes kidnapping most definitely counts. And it can be a solved crime.

@Enki, It doesn't have to be the Sim City times, is just what I came up with for the banner

@d_dgjdhh, wow! You've really gone all out. The headline and article do not have to be images as well, however I will allow it as I'm sure not going to stifle such creativity Did you choose a prompt from the second set? You need one from each set. I can't tell for certain, though it seems it may have the Sim City prompt, but it's not listed in your post.

Also, I forgot to put the word count in the post set up bit. Have added it now for future entries. If you would please add it under the prompts d_dgjdhh, that'd be great :D

Don't forget to post your second prompt. You're supposed to use one prompt from each prompt set.

Great article, btw!
Way to get this party started!

Oh I see, so 1 article that contains a subject from each Prompt. Okay, I updated my post.

Thank you Still need to add a word count though, please. Which was my bad for forgetting to put it in the "post set-up" section originally

Do we all have to write for the same paper as each other? And does it have to be the same paper for every article? Or could I do a tabloid this time, and a boring financial paper the next time, and a local free paper the time after that?

Oh no, I wrote a news Article before I read the prompts.
My article would come under a medical prompt if there was one, is there any way I could still use my article I have wrote

Esme, you can write for whatever paper you want, and it can change per round. If you want a sensational tabloid story this round, and a serious respectable story next, that's fine

coolsim22, well, without reading your article, I don't know for certain, but I doubt it But you could hold on to that one, you never know what might come in the next rounds. There's still plenty of time to get in this round.

@d_dgjdhh Lovely looking article, as CatherineTCJD said.

Anywho, just kinda checking in as EJ/4th Judge. Can't wait for the fun to begin!

Prompts:
1: Political
2: At the Senior Center

Article Word Count: 766

I can certainly write a story - a pic is another matter; I am rather stupid with pics - but I would love to try. Having to so some pic practice first.

@Justpetro, don't let the pic intimidate you You are only required one pic. It doesn't have to be a photographic masterpiece. As long as it suits your story, it'll be fine.

Here´s my appliccation. For now it is just the text, still need to apply the proper newspapery look.

Prompts:
What = Natural Disaster (Earthquake)
Where = In Heaven or Hell (Hell)
Wordcount: 1025 (text body only)

For the The Pleasant Cryer, local paper of Pleasentview, Enki Schmidt

Picture:



I kept the pause-border to make it look a little more like a sec cam footage.
In the Pleasant Cryer the picture is captioned:
„Footage of a pole mounted security camera in the Strangetown Mall.
Another camera outside the electronics store managed to capture the offender´s face (upper left).“

Headline:

Mass breakout from Hell
Alleged dark angel harasses shopkeepers in Strangetown!

Text:


Bonus:

Very nice, Enki Your post as you have it is fine. Making it look like an actual newspaper clipping is not required. Of course, you may still do that if you want, but it is not required.

I know it wasn't a part of the instructions, but was it okay that uploaded my own newspaper header? I am not expecting any extra credit for it but just wanted to give an idea of what newspaper this article was for.