For Wayfarer's Year Five (Numbers 25-30),
we are running a Character Of The Month contest.
Here's how it works.
What the heck is a "COTM"?
Our "Character Of The Month" (COTM) feature appears twice in each bimonthly issue. It is usually a straight character profile, often heavy on history, but it can be pure character-study fiction instead, or even both, or something else entirely as long as it's character-focused.
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So how does this contest work?
There will be 12 COTM's in Year Five (one per month, of course), in Wayfarer Numbers Twenty-Five through Thirty. Depending on how many contest entries we receive for Wayf 25, two will win; the rest will carry over to compete in Wayf 26 along with however many more we receive, and so on until Wayf 30. At the end of Year Five (Wayf 30), we will publish a special insert with whichever accepted COTM's have not yet gone to print.
Hey, that means the sooner I enter my character, the better chance I have to win!
That's right. But don't rush, because rushing makes you sloppy, and sloppiness reduces your chances.
So I have to draw? (or paint?)
You don't have to. Text submissions will also win prizes.
But I want to draw!
Great! Art wins a higher prize than text, in this contest ...
What are the prizes?
GENERAL WINNERS: Here's the cool thing about this contest: EVERY accepted character (not just the 12 COTM's) wins a free author's copy of the issue in which his entry appears. (If you are a subscriber, your subscription will be extended by an issue.) (If you win twice in one issue, you can pick a free back issue from our Store.)
FIRST-PLACE WINNERS: At the end of Year Five, the best COTM text wins a US$25.00 credit in the MysteryAndMagic.com Store -- that amounts to a free T-shirt, or a Wayf subscription, or maybe a coffee mug and a couple back-issue Wayfs -- and the best COTM art wins a US$50.00 credit. (No cash redemption of the credit, sorry.)
So every entry wins a free issue?
LOL, no. There is a quality hurdle to surmount. You can't just slosh out a thoughtless, half-baked processed-cheese-food character and expect us to print it, let alone award you a prize for it. An entry will either be ACCEPTED, or sent back for REVISION with notes (meaning you are close to getting accepted), or PASSED altogether if we think your entry is just (sorry) hopeless.
How many times can I win?
We wish we could say "as many times as you can produce a winning entry," but there has to be a limit just so that one of you artistic geniuses doesn't dominate the field. So, the limit is THREE WINS of the twelve.
Who are the judges?
Honestly, we haven't decided. But when we do, it'll be a secret cabal. Obviously there will be judges; does it matter who they are? We'll say this much: the judges will not be contestants, and vice versa.
I will use HeroMachine!
No you won't. HeroMachine drawings are unacceptable, sorry, as is any other "art" primarily from imagery that you didn't create yourself, like a photoshopped screencapture of your favorite Everquest character.
What if somebody steals a picture from the web and says its his own? How can I compete against that?
Ah, shame shame. Because some people in this world are cheaters, we must ask for ALL ORIGINAL ARTWORK to be MAILED to us. Pack it carefully with stiff cardboard. We will return it intact after scanning. (This requirement is waived for previous contributors.) If you are creating your art digitally, you will need to provide your source files, not just a flat JPG.
Can I submit my current character profile from the game? My character is awesome!
No, sorry. All entries must be new and original.
So I can't ever use my new character in a game?
The "no online use" rule for Wayfarer is suspended for all content in this contest. However, please read again: "All entries must be new and original."
But there's that thing about "no art without text" ... so do I have to write something to go with my drawing?
(and)
What happens if you don't get enough entries for a month?
Ah, well, let's just say we have a person or two who stand in the wings to produce COTM text at need. You can submit art without text, and we will provide the text.
Wait a minute! Does that mean *you* will write up a profile for *my* art?
Yes. If you have something in mind for your drawing, let us know, and we will try to write along those lines. Otherwise, your art will receive a character profile of our choice. Of course, if you're really worried about it, write it up yourself. You could actually win twice for the same character, for text & art.
Who can enter?
Anybody.
Not just new contributors?
Nope. Anybody.
But only current players, right?
Nope. Anybody.
Have you ever done anything like this before?
Sure. Among other things, look at http://www.cityofsupers.com/cgi-bin/discus/show.cgi?51/3298
Ok, fine, what kind of character should I make?
The winning pieces will be the MOST INTERESTING characters, visually for art, and in complex detail for text.
Can I write/draw any character I want?
Yep. Your character must be based in a MysteryAndMagic.com gameworld. Otherwise, the sky's the limit.
What's the deadline?
Check the Wayfarer Status Narthex, which appears at the bottom of each M&M game page.
How do I enter?
Other than the fact that original artwork must be mailed, please refer to the standard Wayfarer submission guidelines.
Questions?
Email us! or discuss this contest in the MysteryAndMagic.com Forum.
Good luck!
The fine print ...
• Valid mailing address required to claim a prize. PO Boxes are OK, offices, whatever; you do not need to reveal your home address. But we do ship to a lot of people and we do NOT share personal information with anybody for any reason. But we can't send you a prize if we have no valid mailing address.
• All decisions by the judges are final.
• The rules are subject to change without advance notice; contest subject to cancellation without advance notice; we can do anything we want, and we often do.
• The COTM has not appeared in every issue to date; Wayfs 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 12, 13, 14, 22, 23, and 24 featured two COTM's each.