Official Rules & Guidelines

Competition Overview

Twisted Teams is a unique "coopetition" blending individual writing prowess with collaborative team support. Participants write their own original story based on a personalized prompt to compete for individual prizes, while also being part of a team that provides beta reading feedback and shares in success through team bonuses.

Contest Structure

• Individual Writing: Each participant writes their *own* story based on a unique, 3-part prompt (Genre + Fusion Element + Setting Element).
• Team Assignment: Participants are assigned to teams (approx. 5 - 7 writers) after registration. Friend invites are considered during team formation.
• Prompt Machine & Rerolls: Receive your prompt via the Contest Hub. You have 3 rerolls to customize prompt elements before locking it in.
• Team Beta Reading: Share drafts within the Contest Hub's "Team Drafts" section. Read and comment on teammates' work; receive feedback on yours.
• Individual Submission: Submit your final story through the Contest Hub before the deadline.
• Judging: Submissions undergo review and evaluation by professional judges based on defined criteria.
• Dual Awards: Individual winners receive cash prizes. If a teammate wins a top prize, the *entire* team receives a bonus cash prize.

Eligibility & Registration

Participant Requirements

• Open to writers 18 years of age or older.
• Valid email address and PayPal account (for award distribution) required.
• Registration and payment of entry fee must be completed before the contest begins.
• Participants agree to engage constructively with their assigned team for beta reading.
• By registering, participants acknowledge entering a skill-based competition with both individual and team reward components.

Registration Process

• Complete the registration form on our website.
• Pay the entry fee. Early bird pricing may be available.
• Optionally, invite friends during registration (we attempt to group accepted friends).
• Receive confirmation and access to the Contest Hub upon successful registration.
• Team assignments occur after the registration period closes.

Participation Requirements

Writing & Prompt Element Requirements

• Participants must write one original story based on their *individual*, locked 3-part prompt (obtained via the Prompt Machine).
• Submissions must adhere to the specified word count limits (e.g., 1000 words).
• Stories must be submitted through the Contest Hub by the deadline.
• Submissions must be original work created specifically for this contest during the writing phase.
• Use of the reroll feature is optional but final once a prompt is locked.

Team Collaboration (Beta Reading)

• Active participation in beta reading for teammates is expected but not required.
• Share your draft(s) in the "Team Drafts" section for feedback.
• Read and provide constructive comments on teammates' shared drafts using the Hub's tools.
• Maintain respectful and helpful communication on the Team Wall/Chat.
• Failure to reasonably participate in team feedback may impact eligibility for team bonuses, at the organizers' discretion.

Submission

• Final stories must be submitted individually via the "Submission" tab in the Contest Hub.
• Only the final submitted version will be judged for individual prizes.
• Ensure trigger warnings are appropriately marked if applicable during submission.

Content Guidelines

Permitted Content

• Original fiction created solely by the individual participant.
• Content that creatively incorporates the participant's locked 3-part prompt elements (Genre, Fusion, Setting).
• Diverse genres and themes are welcome within the bounds of the prompt elements and rules.

Prohibited Content

• AI-generated content is strictly prohibited for submitted stories.
• Co-authored stories are not permitted; submissions must be individual work.
• Extreme violence, gratuitous gore, or explicit pornographic content.
• Plagiarized material from any source.
• Content containing hate speech, discrimination, or targeted harassment.
• Personal identifying information within the story text.

Evaluation Criteria

Each story is evaluated **individually** by professional judges based on the following skill-based criteria (each scored 1-10):

• Overall Impact: The lasting impression and resonance of the story. Does it linger with the reader?
• Vision & Execution: Clarity of the story's purpose and how effectively the narrative delivers on its premise and potential.
• Distinctive Elements & Prompt Use: Creative and meaningful integration of the assigned prompt elements (Genre, Fusion, Setting). How well do these elements enhance the story?
• Reader Engagement: The story's ability to capture and maintain reader interest through pacing, tension, immersion, and emotional connection.
• Craft Mastery: Technical skill in prose, including sentence structure, word choice, grammar, punctuation, dialogue, and descriptive language.

The total score (out of 50) determines individual rankings.

Judging Process

• Initial Review: Submissions are screened for compliance with rules (word count, originality, prompt adherence).
• Professional Evaluation: Judges evaluate all compliant stories based on the criteria above to determine final rankings and winners.
• Feedback (Optional Add-on): Participants may have the option to purchase detailed written feedback from a judge during registration or the pre-writing phase. This feedbac is delivered after results are announced.

Awards & Recognition

Twisted Teams features a unique dual reward structure:

Individual Prizes

Awarded based on the final score of your individual story:

• 1st Place: $[Individual 1st Prize Amount]
• 2nd Place: $[Individual 2nd Prize Amount]
• 3rd Place: $[Individual 3rd Prize Amount]
• Honorable Mentions ([Number]): $[Individual HM Prize Amount] each

Team Bonus Prizes

If a member of your team wins an individual prize, the **entire team** benefits:

• If a teammate wins 1st Place, **every** eligible team member receives: $[Team Bonus for 1st Amount]
• If a teammate wins 2nd Place, **every** eligible team member receives: $[Team Bonus for 2nd Amount]
• If a teammate wins 3rd Place, **every** eligible team member receives: $[Team Bonus for 3rd Amount]
• *(Note: Team bonuses can stack! If multiple teammates win, you receive multiple bonuses.)*

Award Distribution

• All cash prizes (Individual and Team Bonus) are distributed via PayPal.
• Recipients are responsible for any applicable taxes.
• Eligibility for Team Bonuses requires meeting participation requirements (submission + reasonable team engagement).

Rights and Usage

Intellectual Property

• Participants retain all copyrights to their submitted stories.
• By participating, you grant Twist in the Tale a temporary, non-exclusive license to:
  • Share your submitted story with assigned judges for evaluation.
  • Share your drafts *within your assigned team* via the Contest Hub for beta reading purposes.
• Publication of winning stories or excerpts on our site or promotional materials is optional and requires separate, explicit permission from the author.
• You are free to publish your story elsewhere after the contest concludes.

Terms and Conditions

Payment Agreement

By submitting payment and registering for Twisted Teams, participants acknowledge and agree that:

• This is a skill-based competition where individual outcomes are determined by writing ability and evaluation, and team bonuses are contingent on these individual achievements.
• Payment covers contest entry, access to the Contest Hub, team assignment, and participation rights.
• Success depends on writing skills, prompt implementation, and constructive team engagement.
• Results are determined through professional evaluation of written submissions.
• No refunds will be provided after the contest begins or after team assignments are made.

Disqualification

Twist in the Tale reserves the right to disqualify participants for:

• Failure to submit an individual story by the deadline.
• Submission of prohibited content (AI-generated, plagiarism, hate speech, etc.).
• Egregious failure to participate constructively in team beta reading (at organizers' discretion).
• Harassment or abuse directed at teammates, judges, or organizers.
• Attempts to manipulate judging or gain unfair advantages.

Forum Rules

Improve the Discussion

• Help us make this a great place for discussion by always working to improve the conversation in some way, however small.
• If you are not sure your post adds to the conversation, think over what you want to say and try again later.
• The topics discussed here matter to us, and we want you to act as if they matter to you, too.
• Be respectful of the topics and the people discussing them, even if you disagree with some of what is being said.

Be Agreeable, Even When You Disagree

• You may wish to respond to something by disagreeing with it. That's fine. But, remember to criticize ideas, not people.
• Please avoid: Name calling, Ad hominem attacks, Responding to a post's tone instead of its actual content, Knee-jerk contradiction.
• Instead, provide reasoned counter-arguments that improve the conversation.

Your Participation Counts

• The conversations we have here set the tone for everyone. Help us influence the future of this community by choosing to engage in discussions that make this forum an interesting place to be.

Be Respectful

• Nothing sabotages a healthy conversation like rudeness. Please ensure that:
• Be civil. Don't post anything that a reasonable person would consider offensive, abusive, or hate speech.
• Keep it clean. Don't post anything obscene or sexually explicit.
• Respect each other. Don't harass or grief anyone, impersonate people, or expose their private information.
• It is vital that you respect other members of the forum. You must be professional at all times.
• Please ensure that any disagreements are explained clearly, not targeting other members in a negative way.
• These forums are an open space for all users to have a fair discussion around the topics listed.

General Conduct

• Treat all members with respect and kindness. No hate speech, harassment, or personal attacks.
• Constructive criticism is encouraged, but be courteous and helpful in your feedback.
• Do not spam in the forum. Spam is constituted as posting numerous posts of the same kind or aiming to disrupt the forums. Spam also constitutes commenting on posts with no relevance to the post.
• Do not argue with judges or moderators publicly—address any issues through private messages.

Moderation Policy

Moderator Rights

• Moderators reserve the right to remove or edit posts that violate these rules.
• Repeat offenders may be warned, temporarily banned, or permanently removed from the forum.
• If a discussion becomes too personal or heated, moderators may step in to de-escalate.
• Ganging up on or excessively criticizing a single contestant is strictly prohibited. Healthy discussion and feedback are welcome, but excessive negative comments or repeated attacks on a contestant will not be tolerated.
• Moderators and administrators reserve the right to temporarily mute or permanently ban users for behavior that is deemed detrimental to the forum or community, even if not explicitly covered by these rules.
• The determination of what constitutes "bad behavior" is at the discretion of the moderation team, with the primary goal of maintaining a positive, respectful, and productive community environment.