Wednesday, October 26, 2011

And The Winner Is...

I've just picked a winner.

It hasn't been easy. Dear GOD it hasn't been easy. There were so many great entries that offered up so many great ideas and moods. I narrowed it down to ten, then added five more, then did the whole process again, and again...

Then I started writing the story itself, writing from the middle on, and once I got the feel of the story I went back over the entries, searching for a line that fit with what I was writing. And that's how I found it.

There can, of course, be only one winner. But so many of you came close. I'm going to include just a handful of these entries, just to give you an idea of the broad range I was getting. First of all, there where the funny entries, entries like Kallista's:

Tanith Low found herself running for all  she was worth from a crazy pack of sugar-filled screaming, drooling zombie toddlers.

Or Zoodude254's:

It was a dark and stormy night... actually it was a perfectly bright Tuesday morning, but being chased down the street by a giant squid makes it feel like a dark and stormy night; squid spittle feels a lot like rain, and it blocks most of the sunlight as it's running towards you.

The BookNommer's:

Tanith was scared: not in the look-behind-you-feels-like-someone-is-watching-you-but-no one-is kind of way, but in the OHMIGOD-OHMIDGOD-I-AM-SO-SCARED-I-AM-GOING-TO-PEE-MY-PANTS-THEN-DIE kind of way.

Jaid's entry was a wonderful lesson in the surreal:

"I am going to kill you with this fork," said the man in the grey trenchcoat, standing before Tanith, holding a spoon.

And of course, there was Ann-Marie:

The man rounded the corner at a dead run and was immediately trampled by a herd of goats.

(Um, all of Ann-Marie's entries were about goats. I worry about her.)

Then there were the atmospheric entries, one of the best of which was Saoirse's:

The crescent moon rested its tired frame upon the peak of the South Sister that jutted, stark white, into the dwindling twilit sky. 

I was sorely tempted by this one. Not only is it well written, it's also set in Oregon, and I had a girlfriend who came from Portland... But no! It was beautiful, but it just didn't fit with the story I was writing.

Then there were the people who tried to sneakily undo the damage I had done to poor old Tanith at the end of Mortal Coil... JoelsCrazy tried it with:

The Remnant left Tanith's body.

And Dane Stull attempted to reverse the damage with:

Tanith felt terrible, her head felt like it weighed a thousand pounds, she hated lying to Val and Skulduggery about being fully possessed by the Remnant but she had bigger problems, here in the United States, the end of the world... again.

Very sneaky, but I spotted it just in time...!

As I said, many great entries, which only reinforces my belief that you're all insanely talented, and deeply disturbed, people. The less said about Lauren's attempt to put Valkyrie is a very revealing Wonder Woman outfit the better... Desmond would have a heart attack!

(Hmmmm... might put that Wonder Woman outfit into the next book...)

(No! No, I can't! Inappropriate for younger readers! You are a NAUGHTY girl, Lauren!)

I wish I could go through them all, but I simply can't.  And so it gives me great pleasure to announce that the winner of the Ameriminion competition is THALIA, with:

Tanith wiped the blood off the carving knife and, ignoring the body of the man she had just stabbed to death, went back to carving her Jack-o-Lantern. 


Simple, sinister, and there's already a corpse in the story. I like your style, Thalia. Now I have to go and finish the story.

Well done!

4,858 comments:

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Niamhy Jay said...

Digi, how many of the SP books have you read??

nights.raven said...

sure NJ

Alexa Lawless said...

:D I'm good, thanks Nights! (Is that what I call you?)
How are you?

Niamhy Jay said...

Thank you guys :)

nights.raven said...

im fine
u can call me that if u want 2

Anonymous said...

I'm in New England. It's only October and it's snowing oh my God why is it snowing.

IT'S SNOWING.

-dies-

Flame Phoenix (Fawkes)~roleplaying said...

Ivy I won?!? Cool... ;£ I had read the fanfic already

Nj I accepted the link...

Alexa Lawless said...

Haha, awesome. I would love it if it snowed here. I'm in regular England, by the way.

nights.raven said...

ok NJ, i checked it out and i commented :) (idk how to follow)

Alexa Lawless said...

Hey, Everisse, I just went on to BBC news and they're reporting your snowstorm! http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-15502380

Flame Phoenix (Fawkes)~roleplaying said...

I'm in Ireland!!! (if that helps) (but not really);£

Niamhy Jay said...

Woohoo welcome to the blog flame!!
Anyone else that wants anything up on the blog, to be mentioned or anything my OC E-Mail is on the blog.

Anonymous said...

I'd be happy if it wasn't right before Halloween. It's going to be freezing, and I'm going out to an amusement park.

I think the weather is broken.

Flame Phoenix (Fawkes)~roleplaying said...

*dances crazily around blogland*

Niamhy Jay said...

I am also in Ireland. :)

Flame Phoenix (Fawkes)~roleplaying said...

Oh the weather In Ireland is broken...

Anonymous said...

10 INCHES?
Oh heck no.

Alexa Lawless said...

The weather in England is...boring...

Flame Phoenix (Fawkes)~roleplaying said...

Lol...... I hate the cold... Snow/rain whatever!!

Niamhy Jay said...

It really is flame apparently it is set to snow between now and next week.

Alexa Lawless said...

I can see how 10 inches of snow could be problematic.

Anonymous said...

I've never been to England or Ireland...never been off the US East Coast, actually, but I'd like to.

Valkyrie V. - Ivy said...

Go to http://bringingskulduggerytothemasses.blogspot.com/2011/10/paintings.html

and I have two Skulduggery paintings posted

Flame Phoenix (Fawkes)~roleplaying said...

Oh jesus- DO NOT SAY THAT!!!!!!

Alexa Lawless said...

I've been to New England, briefly, on a school trip. I liked the accents.

Flame Phoenix (Fawkes)~roleplaying said...

Ok ivy brb!

Niamhy Jay said...

Ivy I can't see them :/

azzy98 said...

whoo!! england!!! hi guys

Valkyrie V. - Ivy said...

Flame, what ever weather you have, is almost always practically the same here. Same latitude.

Alexa Lawless said...

Hey, the pictures aren't coming up...

Moira Darke said...

Hi guys!

Valkyrie V. - Ivy said...

You can't? They're on the new post...

nights.raven said...

hi marine

Alexa Lawless said...

@Azzy98 Hey! You also from England?

azzy98 said...

HELLLOOOOOOO

azzy98 said...

yup i am

Valkyrie V. - Ivy said...

then just try going to bringingskulduggerytothemasses.blogspot.com

I'm gonna sign out then check if I can see them... brb...

Flame Phoenix (Fawkes)~roleplaying said...

Hi azzy,, not cumin up for me either....

azzy98 said...

and now i'm really depressed cos all the homework that i've left to dust over half term now has to be done. :(

Alexa Lawless said...

@Ivy It's not that the post's not there, the pictures just disappear.

Flame Phoenix (Fawkes)~roleplaying said...

Ivy I went to both.... Neither

Alexa Lawless said...

@Azzy Unlucky...I could rub it in by saying I finished all mine this morning, but I'm not that mean >:)

Flame Phoenix (Fawkes)~roleplaying said...

I got none... Yay!!

azzy98 said...

i think you just did :(

Valkyrie V. - Ivy said...

Weird... It still comes up on mine... the pics take a while to load though. Even if it says you're done loading, it usually isn't.

Flame Phoenix (Fawkes)~roleplaying said...

Yah u and I both did.... I only got my midterm only yesterday ;)

Niamhy Jay said...

bringbacktanith.blogspot.com

HEY NEW ARRIVALS LOOK AT THE LINK PLEASE :)

Anonymous said...

Hello guys, just wasted about twenty minutes of my life trying to reformat my blog. Back!

Niamhy Jay said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Niamhy Jay said...

WELCOME BACK EV *hugs*

Flame Phoenix (Fawkes)~roleplaying said...

Wb!!

Ivy still nothin...

Anonymous said...

Yeah, it worked, I think, but it's running really slow now. Oh well.

I'm really bad at staying on task.
And by task I mean chatting and blog-surfing.

Valkyrie V. - Ivy said...

Grr... It isn't showing up right... gonna go re upload it...

Flame Phoenix (Fawkes)~roleplaying said...

Go to mine.... Only profile!!

Alexa Lawless said...

Be right back guys, go to go have tea :)

Niamhy Jay said...

Okay, Digi.

:)

Valkyrie V. - Ivy said...

I want tea... I will have my mumzy (get used to that word) make me some...


Well, I'm back now.

Flame Phoenix (Fawkes)~roleplaying said...

I'm hungry too.... My mummy Is asleep... I ate in a fancy restaurant earlier so I didn't get dinner..

Valkyrie V. - Ivy said...

My mumzy just made me walk into the kitchen where her ipod is playing and said that the song "Who I am" reminds her of me... Weird...

Flame Phoenix (Fawkes)~roleplaying said...

Who I am? Who sings that?

Niamhy Jay said...

Good Question.

Anonymous said...

Back again. You made me crave tea. Now I have some.

Valkyrie V. - Ivy said...

*shrugs* Don't know. I'll ask.


*walks into kitchen*

Me: Who sings that song?
Mumzy: Something... Um... *looks for song* Jessica Andrews
Me: Ok

*comes back to computer* It's Jessica Andrews.

Niamhy Jay said...

Lawl.
In Ireland, well in my family, we have a thin for Tea it is AWESOME

Octa said...

Ev!

Hey!

*glomps*

It's been ages!

Niamhy Jay said...

Kewl

nights.raven said...

hi octa

Valkyrie V. - Ivy said...

'Ello Octa. Have we met?

Moira Darke said...

Hi Octa. I'm sure we haven't met, but hi all the same.

Anonymous said...

Octa!

-hugs-

I've been off for a month, but I swear I'll be regular again. How've you been?

Flame Phoenix (Fawkes)~roleplaying said...

Octaboona *hugs and glomps*

Niamhy Jay said...

HEY OCTA
*hugs*
How are you??

bringbacktanith.blogspot.com
CLICK THE LINK PLEASE

Valkyrie V. - Ivy said...

Hi Marine Grey. We haven't met either.

Alexa Lawless said...

Hey guy, I'm back!

Niamhy Jay said...

WB Digi :)

Moira Darke said...

I guess not... I read your blog on occasion but we've never spoken. I'm Mari, nice to meet you.

Octa said...

Hey Raven!

Hey Ivy/Val... whuch ever you want to be called.

Nice name change btw..

Hey Marine!

No we haven't met! Greetings!

*offers a cookie*

And Ivy I'm not sure we've actually spoken before.

I've seen you around the blog a lot though.

Do you know Pyro? He's my little brother.

Alexa Lawless said...

Lol, apparently I started a conversation about tea.

Alexa Lawless said...

Hi Marine and Octaboona! I don't believe we've met.

Octa said...

Flame! Digi!

Greetings!

I've been great Ev. Started A Levels. Sooo much work.

It's been restricitng my blog time :(

But I'm still great anyway :)

Flame Phoenix (Fawkes)~roleplaying said...

Seriously octal? Cooool...


Hi again...

Niamhy Jay said...

Hello Marine
Nice to meet you
thank you for commenting on the Blog :)

Octa said...

Will do NJ!

*offers Digi a cookie also*

Moira Darke said...

Hiya Digi! Nice to meetcha.

Valkyrie V. - Ivy said...

I know Pyro, yes... And I'm not surprised you've seen me around a lot... I'm practically always here...

Thanks for the compliment on my name! I have a whole list posted if you scroll up... Username's Valkyrie V. fo that though...


Nice to meet anyone who I've never met before this!

Niamhy Jay said...

OCTA
LINK LINK LINK
PLEASE CLICK IT!!

Octa said...

I must depart now to gorge myself on pasta and cheese.

And everyone can call me Octa if you wish.

*waves frantically*

Farewell for now!

Moira Darke said...

Oh and hi, NJ too. Didn't catch your post there.

Flame Phoenix (Fawkes)~roleplaying said...

Is pyro ur brother?

Alexa Lawless said...

:) Hey guys! *accepts cookie from Octa*
Nice to meet you too, Mari!

Niamhy Jay said...

Yea Pyro and Octa are Brothers :)

Anonymous said...

See you around, Octa!

Ew, okay, this tea has way too much sugar.

...

-drinks it anyway-

Valkyrie V. - Ivy said...

Like, brothers by blood, or...?


Hey any of you guys know anyone else in persson who comes here? I've got Amanda Moore/China Sorrows...

Niamhy Jay said...

Bye Octa
*hugs*

Alexa Lawless said...

I had steak and ale pie for tea. It was kind of delicious.

Flame Phoenix (Fawkes)~roleplaying said...

Bye.....


Nope...

Moira Darke said...

Hey Digi, I have a definite American question for you... Around what time is tea?

Alexa Lawless said...

I usually have mine around 6/7, but it kind of varies.

Anonymous said...

Nobody in person, but I am good friends with someone through email.

Niamhy Jay said...

I gotta go get dinner now, i am having Chinese :)
Honey Chili Chicken LOVELY

Moira Darke said...

Ah, thanks. I was never very clear on whether it's just drinking tea, or an actual meal, or around what time of day, so I was curious.

Alexa Lawless said...

@Mari why do you ask?

Valkyrie V. - Ivy said...

Who here's Irish? *raises hand* *someone slaps it down* Who lives in Ireland?



Brb to eat breakfast..

Flame Phoenix (Fawkes)~roleplaying said...

Bye nj

Alexa Lawless said...

Lol, everyone's going off to eat. I have started a trend.

Moira Darke said...

Just curious... Someone mentioned it in a book and I had no idea what time it was supposed to be.

Flame Phoenix (Fawkes)~roleplaying said...

I am *seriously*

Anonymous said...

I'm here. It's only 2:30, so already ate lunch.

It would be awesome if we had tea as a meal/snack/thing in America.

Alexa Lawless said...

You are seriously what?

Moira Darke said...

Yeah, it would. Gotta love tea.

Alexa Lawless said...

What do you have instead of tea?

Flame Phoenix (Fawkes)~roleplaying said...

It's half seven here!


Brb

Alexa Lawless said...

Bye Flame

Moira Darke said...

Lunch? I don't know... Possibly assorted snacks? I have no clue.

Alexa Lawless said...

What do you call your evening meal? I mean, it must have a name?

Anonymous said...

@Digi

We just have breakfast, lunch and dinner, and you can have a snack whenever if you want. I just drink tea with breakfast.

Moira Darke said...

Just dinner. Or supper, if you're from the south.

Alexa Lawless said...

Ohhhhhhh I see!
We have breakfast, lunch, and tea. Tea is the evening meal but also the drink. I don't ever drink tea, I don't like it.

Anonymous said...

Wait, so do you have tea instead of dinner, or after or before?

Excuse my Americanness... ^_^º

Moira Darke said...

How can you not like tea...?

Alexa Lawless said...

Lol, no, it's as confusing for me as you :D
The word 'tea' is used instead of your 'dinner'. As a meal.

To further confuse things, people in my county usually call lunch 'dinner'.

Octa said...

I return!

Well it varies all over the world but here in London we have breakfast lunch and supper/dinner...

Tea is used more in the north....

Anonymous said...

Oh okay, I'm a slow poster. So is tea just a small meal, or a regular sized one?

Octa said...

Or the 1950s....

Valkyrie V. - Ivy said...

I was eating breakfast XD

Flame Phoenix (Fawkes)~roleplaying said...

I also return!!!

Alexa Lawless said...

@Octa ;) that's me! I'm a Northerner.

@Eve Regular sized.

Moira Darke said...

I think it would be easier if all meals were called "food." Breakfast could be called "food 1." Dinner could be "food 3." It would simplify things.

Alexa Lawless said...

@Mari XD that would work!

Flame Phoenix (Fawkes)~roleplaying said...

??

Anonymous said...

Octa! You're back!

It's still snowing. I hate you nature.

Alexa Lawless said...

Hi Flame :) We're discussing terms for food in different countries.

Moira Darke said...

Or everyone could say it the way I do. That sounds like a better idea to me. Maybe not to everyone else...

Alexa Lawless said...

I prefer the first idea.

Flame Phoenix (Fawkes)~roleplaying said...

I realised XD

Anyway snowing is cool.. Sometimes

Anonymous said...

@Marine, I agree! XD

Moira Darke said...

Anyone who's not me probably does.

Moira Darke said...

That last one was @Digi, not Eve.

Anonymous said...

The first one, I meant. But what would we call snacks?

Alexa Lawless said...

I've just realised, there are some people here who weren't around for my very first post...those people, prepare yourselves for some shameless self-promotion...

Skulduggery Pumpkin!
http://its-a-digiconspiracy.deviantart.com/#/d4ec3rm

Flame Phoenix (Fawkes)~roleplaying said...

XP

Moira Darke said...

@Eve: I think it would be "Small food."

Anonymous said...

(Ev, BTW. It's pronounced kind of weird, sorry)

Alexa Lawless said...

@Mari Excellent idea! But what if it was a large snack?

Flame Phoenix (Fawkes)~roleplaying said...

1st

Alexa Lawless said...

@Ev is it pronounced ev-er-eece?

Anonymous said...

...Hm. Large small food?

Flame Phoenix (Fawkes)~roleplaying said...

1st

Octa said...

Sorry... writing is distracting me...

And I love snow.

Tis my favourite weather!

nights.raven said...

congratz on first ev!

Anonymous said...

Ooh, first!

I dedicate this page to the fact that it is SNOWING IN OCTOBER, and also my unicorn friend Juan Pedro.

Alexa Lawless said...

Unlucky, Flame.

Moira Darke said...

@Digi, it could be called "Extra food," then, for all snacks. That way we wouldn't need to specify size.

Valkyrie V. - Ivy said...

I think I'm not gonna suddenly disappear again...


Speaking of disappearances, at our school dance, if I was out of Amanda's sight she'd find me and scream, "I thought Caelan got you! Don't disappear! You can't do that!" XD

Alexa Lawless said...

That works. Brb guys, just got to fetch something.

Flame Phoenix (Fawkes)~roleplaying said...

Octa does poetry run in ur family?

Alexa Lawless said...

Actually, scratch last post. Harry Hill's TV Burp is on!

Anonymous said...

@Digi

Yeah. Not sure what I was thinking when I named myself, but kind of too late to change it.

Moira Darke said...

Well, guys, I gotta head. Thanks for clearing up the 'tea' concept. Don't forget to start calling meals "food 1," etc. And always remember, we need Tanith back. See yas!

Flame Phoenix (Fawkes)~roleplaying said...

Bye bye

Skyril A.K.A the Vociferous Chatterer, Loyal Forever and Always, The Ever-Present, the Pluviophile said...

Ooo, wow, awesome-sauce
THALIA!




THALIA!!




THALIA!!!




THALIA!!!!!




THALIA!!!!!!


































Congratulations, my brilliant friend :D

Anonymous said...

Skyril!

-glomps-

Hey! :-D

Valkyrie V. - Ivy said...

Hi Skyril!


Flame! Watch out! *kills zombie behind Flame*

Flame Phoenix (Fawkes)~roleplaying said...

Skyril glomps.... Hey!!!

nights.raven said...

hi sky *hugs* how r u?

Valkyrie V. - Ivy said...

I wanna fight something... How about toddlers? They are the enemy.... No offense to Alice...

Octa said...

Hey Skyril!

@ Flame... well Pyro and I write it...

Anonymous said...

Toddlers are fair game. Don't touch the puppies, though, or I'll have to kill you.

Valkyrie V. - Ivy said...

*impales zombie toddler head*

Flame Phoenix (Fawkes)~roleplaying said...

I go for too mins and ur killing zombie toddlers..

I might have to go in a min or 2 *shrugs*


*kicks toddler to the moon*

Valkyrie V. - Ivy said...

Flame wanna join?

Anonymous said...

BRB, have to wash dishes.

Flame Phoenix (Fawkes)~roleplaying said...

Already have... Jeez.... When did I nee an invite


*buries toddler in sandpit* ;)

lego said...

hi everyone! *hugs*

EVERISSE! HI! I haven't seen you in forever, and I barely know you sort of!

SKYRIL! I haven't seen you in forever too! But it's been a shorter forever!

Flame Phoenix (Fawkes)~roleplaying said...

*knocks Lego down in an overenthuasiastic hug*

Valkyrie V. - Ivy said...

*gets trampled by little kids* NO NO NO NO NOOOOO!!! LITTLE KIDS ARE MY WORST FEAR!!! ESPECIALLY ZOMBIES!!! GET THEM OFF!!!!

Pyro-Dawn Tyromant said...

Hi all!!!¡¡¡!!!

Flame Phoenix (Fawkes)~roleplaying said...

*turns into giant*

*stamps kiddies*

Valkyrie V. - Ivy said...

*throws stick at flame* HELP ME

Flame Phoenix (Fawkes)~roleplaying said...

Pyro *hugs* ur octas brother (still cant get over it)

Flame Phoenix (Fawkes)~roleplaying said...

I stomped kiddies!!!

Pyro-Dawn Tyromant said...

Hi Flame!!!¡¡¡!!!

Yes, yes I am.

Valkyrie V. - Ivy said...

Hi Pyro! Hi Lego! We're fighting zombies! *sees wave off zombies who ae my age (12)* Hey we've got the toddlers' older siblings!

Flame Phoenix (Fawkes)~roleplaying said...

Coool

Valkyrie V. - Ivy said...

*sends spear of shadow through zombie creeping up on Flame*

Pyro-Dawn Tyromant said...

Hi Ivy!!!¡¡¡!!!

Yay! Zombies!!!

*hands glow a blinding white, and suddenly 5 of the zombies are in flames*

Anonymous said...

Lego, hi!

-hugs-

Yeah, still need to wash those dishes. Back in five!

Flame Phoenix (Fawkes)~roleplaying said...

Omfg!!! Why am I the target....


*kicks zombies head in* I'm confused and angry

Valkyrie V. - Ivy said...

*waits till Pyro's magical light is gone then runs and jumps into the air* *kicks zombie head off*

Pyro-Dawn Tyromant said...

*leaps into the air, incinerating zombies from above*

Flame Phoenix (Fawkes)~roleplaying said...

*sings happily while stabbing zombies*


*cleans blade*

*sticks head around corner*

Guys there are more

Valkyrie V. - Ivy said...

*rolls under a table to avoid being hit by pyro's incinerating powers*

Flame Phoenix (Fawkes)~roleplaying said...

Pyro I was nearly burned

*feels hair*


My hair it's messed up *grrrr*

Pyro-Dawn Tyromant said...

Yay! More!

*draws twin katanas from crossed scabbards on his back*

*the katanas burst into flames*

Bring it on.

Valkyrie V. - Ivy said...

*crawls back out and lunges on zombie*
*glances around* Flame's right, there are more coming...

Any one got a spare sword?

Flame Phoenix (Fawkes)~roleplaying said...

*Kicks pYros shins*


No more fire

*burns zombies* ooops

Pyro-Dawn Tyromant said...

Hey, it's only fire.

*glances at the miniature bonfire atop his head*

This thing's permanent, it's awesome!

Flame Phoenix (Fawkes)~roleplaying said...

Nopes I only gotta a machete

Pyro-Dawn Tyromant said...

*throws one of the katanas to Ivy*

You can take this one.

Flame Phoenix (Fawkes)~roleplaying said...

*pulls sorting hat from heroines bag*

*pulls sword of gryfimdor*

*kills zombies 1,2,3 and 7

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