Vaporware fiction: a story that is promoted when it may never be written
I completed most of a book proposal for a collection of short stories about Ambrose Bierce and Jerry O’ Connell having adventures together chasing after Bierce’s run away moustache. Many writers would begin by writing the story first and then writing a proposal to submit to publishers and agents. I, on the other hand with my background working for software companies, have done the reverse and created fiction vaporware. According to dictionary.com, “Vaporware is a product, esp. software, that is promoted or marketed while it is still in development and that may never be produced.” Likewise, I am unlikely to ever write this book, but I am going to write that book proposal.
Writing the book proposal was part of my five point plan to becoming publishable. My five point plan included several other accomplishments that I have already completed: a synopsis of the vaporware book, which you can read in one my other posts; a promotion plan to sell the hypothetical book, and a section all about me and my amazing publishing related accomplishments.
My book proposal is now nearly complete, but it is missing one important part—three important parts, actually: three sample chapters. Now, I could write three sample chapters on my own, but why do that if someone else can write them for me? Any volunteers? OK, maybe not a whole chapter. How about the first 200 words?
Rules for Unpublished Guy Vaporware Fiction Contest
I am seeking the beginnings of stories. Not whole stories. Just the muffin tops. I’m writing a book proposal and need to include three sample chapters; I’ll send three people five bucks (by paypal) for submitting the opening of a story that I deem worthy to develop as a sample chapter in my book proposal. (With the number of people that visit my site, everyone that enters will probably win. The contest rules:
- Submit entries by January 30th, 2010.
- Submit as many entries as you wish
- Write exactly 200 words of the opening of a story
- Follow the parameters of the book’s concept (click here to learn what the book is about)
- Submit your entries as a comment to this blog post if you’re an exhibitionist or in my contact form if you’re a prude
- Agree to post your content subject to the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 United States License.
Note: Judgment will be arbitrary and irrational.
Related posts:
- Announcing Winner of Vaporware Creative Writing Contest
- The Unparalleled Fiction Publishing Expertise and Many Writing Accomplishments of Unpublished Guy
- Description of a Struggle, Writing a Fiction Book Proposal
- Hello, My Name is Unpublished Guy, and I am an Unpublished Writer
- Italo Calvino Good, Unpublished Guy’s Overstructured Plots Not So Good
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