Writing Competition Sparks Creativity Across NationStates

By Ecclestia
2nd November 2024

NEWS: Two major writing contests are taking place on NationStates throughout November. These contests, Forest's Storytelling Showdown and The South Pacific's Poetry Contest 2024, invite players to showcase their literary talent, with the goal of winning each competition's prize.

Forest’s Storytelling Showdown: Exploring 'There’s No Planet B'

The Forest Storytelling Showdown is centred on the theme “There’s No Planet B”, inviting participants to explore environmental and nature-related stories with large room for creativity in responses.

The submission period runs from October 25th to November 20th, with results announced on November 21st. Stories are judged anonymously by a panel led by Garbelia, Forest’s leader, and Jutsa, an experienced author and leader of Forest's Foreign Affairs branch. The third judge is still be announced.

In a statement to The NationStates Times, The Realizer, event organiser and the leader of Forest's events branch, said:

'Cultural events are a great way to bring a region together, no matter how big or small you are. There are tonnes of options for events but writing events, in particular, are perfect. What better way to bring your region together than sharing stories with each other - just like our ancestors did thousands upon thousands fo years ago! It may seem like a daunting task to run an event for your region (trust me, I know) but give it a shot and i'm sure your region-mates will thank you for it.'

The open theme provides participants with flexibility, but the contest organisers caution against excessively long submissions, given the limited time judges have to review entries. In a nod to authenticity, AI-generated content is strictly prohibited. This contest not only challenges writers to reflect on environmental issues but also celebrates Forest’s longstanding love of storytelling.

Forest's Storytelling Showdown is open to all NationStates users.

The South Pacific’s Poetry Contest 2024: Freedom of Expression

The Poetry Contest 2024 in The South Pacific takes a more open-ended approach by allowing participants to write on any topic. This freedom emphasises individual expression and creativity without thematic constraints. Participants must follow a few essential rules: poems must be original, include a title, and remain PG-13. AI involvement is again banned to maintain fairness.

The submission period is shorter than Forest’s, running from October 24th to November 5th. Poems can be submitted via dispatch, telegram, or Discord, offering multiple ways to participate. A community voting system will determine the winners through regional polls, giving every resident a voice in the outcome.

Virifortis, The South Pacific's Minister of Culture, provided this statement to The NationStates Times:

'I see a lot of creative minds playing NationStates, and you can see this mainly through the RP and the dispatches, so part of the choice of the Poetry Contest comes precisely from encouraging people's creativity and giving them an incentive to write. The South Pacific is full of people like this, who love to write stories, so I wondered fi this might not apply to other areas of literature as well. That's where the idea for the Poetry Contest came from, besides the fact that we haven't had one for a while. My desire here is to show people how capable they are and to highlight each other's creativity. I hope they get to see this, or at least have fun with the contest.'

The contest’s top prize is a Legendary Card from the organiser’s collection, with public recognition given to the top three entries.

Two Different Paths to Creativity

Forest’s contest emphasises thematic storytelling with anonymous judging, promoting reflection on environmental themes while keeping submissions fair and unbiased. In contrast, The South Pacific’s open poetry contest embraces community engagement through public voting, encouraging residents to actively participate in the creative process.

Despite these differences, both competitions prioritise original work and reject AI-generated entries, reflecting a preference for human-sourced creativity. Despite this, no public details have been given by event organisers on how this would be tested and enforced. These contests reflect broader trends within NationStates, where creativity and community engagement remain central to regional life.

Both the Storytelling Showdown and Poetry Contest 2024 offer players meaningful ways to connect through writing. Whether participants are crafting a story with a purpose or composing a poem with personal flair, these competitions celebrate the power of words to bring the NationStates community together across regional boundries. The NationStates Times will continue to cover these events and will provide coverage on the winners and impact in the near future.

For more information, you can visit the factbooks of each contest below: