Phinatic
OK, I have an idea and I'm starting to write now.
I would like to participate. Whether I'll actually get round to it I don't know, but I may as well put my name down. The sentences give me some intriguing ideas.
"Steel wins battles. Gold wins wars."
That's a lot of participants. I wonder how many will actually finish?
Apparition in the Woods
I might. I might not. Writing is a weird thing for me sometimes.
I'll hide your name inside a word and paint your eyes with false perception.
![[up]](https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/smiles/arrow_up.png "[up]"){kind=icon}
Few, if we draw from past experiences. Usually only 10-13 finish.
So...yeah.
2k down. This idea might actually work out.
Complicated - because simple is simply too simple.
Third time's a charm, eh?
Well, I think that I've managed to find a story; I stand at 858 words at the moment, I believe, the two required sentences included. Not a hugely impressive start, but a start nonetheless. ^_^
My Games & Writing
I think I got the story going. The sentences feel kind of awkwardly placed though...
Dapper Gentleman
Well, well, it would seem I've actually started something. It will unquestionably need a good deal of editing, and like many things I write it's a bit derivative of Ray Bradbury, but still—it's a start! 
I think there is a lot I do not understand about writing short stories...
I'm up to 2549 words now, I believe, with a reasonable distance yet to go. ^_^
I'm fairly happy with the amount of writing that I managed to do today, but I'm not at all sure of the quality of it. Ah well, we'll see how it turns out, and the editing phase should hopefully at the least improve things.
On that note, are we allowed to get feedback on our pieces from beta readers before we submit? (In my case that likely involves sending it via an IM file transfer.)
What are you having trouble with, if I may ask?
edited 27th Apr '13 6:54:52 PM by ArsThaumaturgis
My Games & Writing
As long as the beta readers aren't any of the judges, I see no problem with that.
Okay, when you mean original work only, would references to other works interfere with that rule?
Depends what you mean by references. Fanfiction isn't allowed.
Like... Okay, I don't want to spoil my fanfic, so I'll use an example completely unrelated to it. Basically just mentions to stuff, like...
"So he was going on and on talking about how he watched [INSERT SHOW HERE] at 8:00 PM..." Basically something like that.
edited 27th Apr '13 10:11:46 PM by Psyga315
Yes, that would be fine.
Alright. Thanks.
edited 27th Apr '13 10:33:58 PM by Psyga315
@Ars: I was thinking about this for a while last night, and I was really tired, but here is what I came up with: you either need to 1) make things simple enough that they do not need to be explained or 2) leave important explanations out and let the audience fill in the blanks for themselves, and neither of those two options are something that I'm entirely comfortable with.
I've come up with a pretty great idea for my story. Might actually start writing it soon.
"Steel wins battles. Gold wins wars."
And I have finished my first draft.
Have most of the first draft written. Got the beginning and ending, just need a bit in the middle.
Then to get one of my friends from somewhere else on the internet to proof read it.
I'm 2/3 of the way done with mine. Though to me, there's no thing as "draft".
Err, what do you mean?
Oooooooookay.
I believe I have a workable idea.
1.2 k down for the scene from which I developed it, though this will change drastically as the story takes shape.
Complicated - because simple is simply too simple.