Unofficial Competition - Historical Fiction Banner!
Greetings you talented masses.
It may have come to your attention that the T.W.C. fora have undergone a small re-structuring in the last 24 hours. The After Action Reports, Tale of the Week, and other writing-related sections have been organized into a central structure, called "The Study". Within this structure is a new sub-forum called, simply, "Historical Fiction"; it has an unofficial title, and that is "Refectorium". This name comes from the old room where monks ate in monastery during the Middle Ages: Refectory. It was a sort-of dining hall where a chosen monk would sit atop a raised podium and read scriptures while the other monks ate their suppers in silence. Discipline was the order of the day, and many Refectories were austere and sparse in their furnishings.
The point of this topic is to ask that a small competition be held. We who are interested in advertising the Refectorium ("Historical Fiction sub-forum") wish to have a small banner, badge, or signature picture for its own advertisement. It must be something of a small-ish size, but still large enough to display a cosy room like a study, library, or smoking lounge, with words in each corner. The top-left (or top-right, depending) should say "The Refectorium" in elegant font, and the bottom-right (or bottom-left, depending) should say "A place for Historical Fiction", or something to that effect. Be very creative in your backgrounds, and try to convey a sense of comfort, cosiness, warmth, and atmosphere.
The winner of the competition shall get lots of reppage from historical fiction authors (I shall order it!), and will have his/her banner featured in the "Introductions" area of the Refectorium for all to see. Credit due will be given in the O.P., and I shall personally give lots of rep., and good words to others, of the talents of the winner.
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My own idea is a small, scroll-like parchment (rather like the appearance of "Artifex" and "Civitate" badges), within which is an animated version of a study. Within this study is a set of warm, velvet couches and chairs, all facing a little fireplace in the wall. Books sit about on the floor and on coffee tables, some open and some closed. A little bit of light snow falls outside, beyond the large windows, and one can almost hear the sleighbells of a horse-and-carriage passing by on a wintry evening. The fire is on, casting a little light in the dark, snug room; the dog is asleep, and a man rests in his waistcoat after a long day of cross-referencing Shakespeare treatises. A small glass of wine sits, half-empty, on one of the tables, nearly pushed off by one of the many books lying about.
Does this give sufficient inspiration? Need I say any more in regards to what we are looking for?
The competition will work in a simple manner, if it is approved of by you Workshoppers. We shall have many different contributors, all of whom will P.M. their first draft or version to me. Once we work out details and the contributor is happy with the final product, I will begin posting them in this O.P. Once everyone that wants to contribute has finalized his submission, I will add a poll for people to select the three "best" submissions. After those three are selected, a "Finals" vote will be held to choose which seems to most represent the cosy, happy, after-dinner atmosphere of a little study in a countryside house or mansion.
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It would be best not to have a banner showing marines fighting Roman legionaries, though, at least... at first!
Originally Posted by abbews
