thejadefalcon's Creative Giveaway - Rules

Month 1 is here.

I'm starting my creative giveaways after the interest thread got such a positive response. I decided it would be simpler to have the rules in their own separate thread.

Step 1: I will give you a key word to use as a prompt for your work. In this example, it shall be "Cornfield" but it will be totally random with one exception (see below). Alternate word meanings are accepted and, in fact, highly encouraged. If I choose "duck" as a prompt, if half of the entries use it in the form of the cute little bird, and the other half have someone dodging a brick, both are acceptable ways to interpret the prompt. I choose this prompt by randomly flicking through the nearest book I have to hand and pointing blindly at a word. If it's too obscure, I rechoose, but otherwise, it's completely random.

Step 2: You make something creative that relates to a cornfield. This can be anything: it could be a painting of one; it could be a story about aliens making a crop circle in one or two lovers taking a sunset stroll around one; it could be a fanfiction or original fiction; it could even be a papier-mâché if you can figure out how you'd do that with a cornfield. It can be as simple as a stick figure or it can be a fifty page epic (please try not to go to either extreme though). The only thing that is certain is that the centrepiece, the major plot device or a key line is centred around a cornfield.

Step 3: Send it to my e-mail, which I will give out in each thread, in some sort of file (.doc, .jpg, .png, whatever your format of entry happens to be). Tell me what you used to create your entry. Leave your Steamgift profile name and address in the e-mail so I can contact you if you win. The entries will be private for the duration of the giveaway, so that none can influence each other. Afterwards, however, I have a basic wiki set up to host the entries so others can enjoy them. Tell me in the e-mail if you don't want me to post your entry to the wiki.

Step 4: Wait.

Step 5: I will read/view all entries and pick the best, based on personal preference. You may be an incredible painter or you may have simply made a funny limerick up that made me laugh loudly and lose six years off of my maturity level. Note: it would have to be a incredibly good limerick to stand up to a quality piece of fiction or artwork.

Step 6: Winner gets the game. You are happy. The rest of you wait until the next contest.

The games: Unless clearly stated, the game will be your choice in whatever price range I set for the giveaway. Any funds not used will likely go towards the next giveaway (hopefully, though the decision will be based on my personal finances at the time). The higher value of game, the longer the giveaway lasts. Steam games only (unless you ask very nicely).

The condition on Step 1: Occasionally, I will give away a specific game with the funds I have built up. In this example instance, I am giving a copy of Skyrim. Since I am giving away a set game, the prompt word will be based on that game. In Skyrim's case, the prompt would obviously be "Bugs."

Ties: Draws between two pieces are theoretically possible if I absolutely cannot decide between two entries, in which case, I will discuss what to do with the winners at the time. Possible solutions: send each winner the other person's work and see if one of them is kind enough to bow out if they believe the other should win; split the prize money in half; go all out and get both the prize they want within the original price range if they accept that it will be a while before I can build up my funds to gift both of them.

Acceptable entries: Thank you, Yatterman, for reminding me I needed to add what content is acceptable as an entry. Writing is allowed. Artwork is allowed. Photography is allowed. Film is allowed. Music (instrumental and vocal) is allowed. Origami is allowed. Screenshots are allowed. Photoshop is allowed. If I've missed a potential artform, just tell me. The only thing you have to do is tell me what you used in the e-mail. The simpler the artform, the better it should be in order to compete. Please only use your own work. I haven't yet found a way to prove a lot of these yet, and help would be appreciated on that. Artwork would be just as simple as signing a name and date onto the art. Everything else, though, I think I'm just going to have to trust you. If I find you have lied and used someone else's work, you will be banned from all future competitions. Mature content is totally acceptable, whether it's language, violence or sex. I'm not a prude and I'm okay with all of them.

If there are any problems with these rules (loopholes, ambiguous wording, additions needed, whatever), tell me and I'll sort them out.