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Hidden nuggets in your story

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GabriellaMargarita View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote GabriellaMargarita Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 18 Sep 2019 at 1:45pm
I added a lot of hidden nuggets in my FFC2019 Challenge 1 story. But I didn't expect the judges to pick up on them, they were more there for me!

My main character was named after my great-grandmother, and the year the story was set in is the same year my great-grandmother was born. I also had the 3 main characters wearing colours that symbolised Portugal's flag/nationhood (where the story was set). MC was wearing blue, which used to be the main colour of the Portuguese flag when it was still a monarchy. Her mother and step-father wore green and red, respectively, symbolising the new colours of the Portuguese flag coming together. MC was also born in the year that the Portuguese monarchy ended! 

Link in signature if anyone wants to read :)
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (1) Thanks(1)   Quote Charlie272 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 18 Sep 2019 at 2:00pm
Days before I ended up getting assigned Spy in challenge 2, I learned that James Bond was named after the author of a book on birdwatching.
So when I wrote my story, I named all my characters after actual ornithologists.  No one will get it but I was cracking myself up.
Flash '23 Finals: Delicate Silk, Woven Strands
Short Screenplay '22 Finals: Without Music
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote jdadams1 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 18 Sep 2019 at 3:09pm
This isn’t really a “hidden” nugget since it is in the title of my story, but I am concerned that some judges may not know what a “prom-posal” is. I do not think these existed when I was in high school, and I never really define what they are in my story. (I show an example, but do not define.)

I’m hoping since it is in the title, any judge who does not know what it is will cautiously dive in with open ears, as opposed to stumbling onto the term mid-story and getting tripped up.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Maddoris Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 18 Sep 2019 at 3:26pm
In Challenge 1, my fairy tale was loosely inspired by Little Red Riding Hood, but a 19th century French version where the girl was named Blanchette and nicknamed Little Goldenhood because of the golden cloak that her grandmother (a witch) gave her and which had magical powers. FYI - In the end, Blachette and Granny kill the wolf and make a nice fur coat out of him. Lady Power!

So I called the girl in my story Blanchette, made her grandmother a witch, and had her wearing an antique golden-coloured, hooded raincoat given to her by the grandmother.  But several of my betas felt that the raincoat should be red and I changed it at the 11th hour.  Still thinking of changing it back.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote louciferish Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 18 Sep 2019 at 3:27pm
My perspective character for round two is gay, and one of the side characters is his ex-boyfriend. I didn't conceive of the characters that way, but as I was writing, I found myself going in that direction and ran with it.

This nugget isn't exactly hidden anymore, though. When I put my draft through beta readers, most of my friends (who are, by and large, LGBT themselves) noticed the detail and remarked on it. However, when I sent it to beta volunteers I don't know personally, they expressed confusion over that aspect or missed it entirely. 

I had to decide if I wanted to keep it subtle or make it so blatant that no reader could possibly miss it, and I decided to go blatant. The story now specifically uses the word boyfriend as well as gendering the characters earlier so no one will mistake my characters for straight. ;)


Edited by louciferish - 18 Sep 2019 at 3:28pm
FF19, R1, Everybody Wants to Rule the World (12pts)
R2, Nothing Good (10 pts)
R3, Painless
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote shanan187 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 18 Sep 2019 at 3:59pm
This round, I wrote a historical fiction piece about something that's not a prominent historical event... in fact, the only people it really mattered to were the 20 people involved. If at least one judge doesn't try to DQ me for "not choosing a true event from history" I'll be shocked. LOL

I did try to avoid that possibility through a carefully worded synopsis. Here's hoping! 
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Littledaylight Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 18 Sep 2019 at 5:17pm
Originally posted by shanan187 shanan187 wrote:

This round, I wrote a historical fiction piece about something that's not a prominent historical event... in fact, the only people it really mattered to were the 20 people involved. If at least one judge doesn't try to DQ me for "not choosing a true event from history" I'll be shocked. LOL

I did try to avoid that possibility through a carefully worded synopsis. Here's hoping! 

I have a similar fear... While mine is based on an actual historical event, it is a little-known one and I doubt the judges have heard of it. Anyone here heard of the dancing plague of 1518? 
Littledaylight
Round 1 Microfiction
https://forums.nycmidnight.com/topic23907_post302843.html#302843
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote LyndaD Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 18 Sep 2019 at 6:19pm
Originally posted by Littledaylight Littledaylight wrote:

Originally posted by shanan187 shanan187 wrote:

This round, I wrote a historical fiction piece about something that's not a prominent historical event... in fact, the only people it really mattered to were the 20 people involved. If at least one judge doesn't try to DQ me for "not choosing a true event from history" I'll be shocked. LOL

I did try to avoid that possibility through a carefully worded synopsis. Here's hoping! 

I have a similar fear... While mine is based on an actual historical event, it is a little-known one and I doubt the judges have heard of it. Anyone here heard of the dancing plague of 1518? 

The Tarantella?
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote woodpijn Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 24 Sep 2019 at 6:53am
@mhelgens

So I titled my story The Soles That Survive, and so many people on the forums complimented my word play with the reference to the shoes. But one of my judges thought it was just a typo and proceeded to explain to me the difference between “souls” and “soles.” 

Argh, how incredibly frustrating!
That's quite discouraging to read, as a newbie to this competition.
(note to self: remember to spoonfeed the judges and spell things out for them clearly)
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Puckerby Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 26 Sep 2019 at 1:55pm
I spent a lot of time coming up with the perfect name for my toy car character (it's Mother in Greek) which basically gives away my whole plot. No one will ever notice but me but those nuggets are always just for my own enjoyment. And for me to tell my husband about so he can tell me how clever I am (as contractually obligated as per our marriage vows.)

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