SHORT STORY WRITERS CONTEST for July-August 2021 -- CAFE DELIRIUM -- CD2021

This is an Official ATS Short Story Writers Contest!



It is open to ALL members of ATS.

There are prizes to be won in the form of ATS "Applause" and even the opportunity for entrants to acquire official ATS "writer" status, but it is more about sharing our creative ideas, encouraging & developing new talent and having Fun!
We will try to hold around one contest 4-6 times per year.

The current contest theme is: " -- "CAFE DELIRIUM" [CD2021]
This topic was chosen by jensouth31, runner-up from the previous contest.


Cafe Delirium, what is it: a state of mind, a place. Whatever it may mean to you, your assignment is writing a SHORT STORY, which contains or relates to the theme: "CAFE DELIRIUM"


HOW you do that is... of course, up to YOU!



RULES of ENTRY:
Original written entries only please.

The contest will run from NOW to Friday, August 6, 2021.
(Any submissions after that date will be disqualified.)

A period of ONE WEEK after the closing of the contest will be provided for reading & voting.

All TERMS and CONDITIONS Apply.

All entries MUST include [CD2021] in the title.
(e.g. "Cafe Delirium was my favorite vacation spot [CD2021]”)



There is no word count limit, but please remember that it is a SHORT story contest but the story should be confined to the OP!!!
Stories that run past the OP are accepted but no points given for additional posts, see SCORING below.

All entries must be posted in their own thread within the SHORT STORIES forum HERE, with a link (to your entry) added to a post in this contest thread. (Just ask if you're not sure how to link!)

Please END all of your submissions with "THE END" so that everyone is clear that your entry is complete.



WINNERS:
There will be 3 winners among members who already have ATS "Writer" status, prizes as follows:

1st Place -- 5 Applause, and selection of the next contest theme (limited to one in a row)
2nd Place -- 3 Applause
3rd Place -- 1 Applause

There will also be 3 winners from the non-writer category who will receive the following:

1st Place -- 3 Applause & Writer Status
2nd Place -- 2 Applause & Writer Status
3rd Place -- 1 Applause

SCORING

Points are awarded by ATS members giving FLAGS to their favorite story threads and STARS to their favorite story opening post.
(You can award a Flag and/or star(s) to any stories that you like, but please don't give flags or stars for any other reasons!!)

Flags awarded will be worth 2 points each.
Stars in the opening post will be worth 1 point each.
*******No other posts will earn points for the contest.********

If the winner of the "Writers" section is the same person who chose the current theme, then the opportunity to choose the next theme will fall to the runner up.
Only one prize per member per contest.

I am happy to try answer anything else the contests/rules etc.

And please... ENJOY this new contest, GOOD LUCK, HAPPY READING and HAVE FUN!

Note: Image selection and artwork thanks to JohnnyAnonymous.

Great topic, this should be fun!

a reply to: DontTreadOnMe

Excellent!

Now all I've got to do is take that story I've been thinking of, substitute a café for the arts and crafts museum and boom!

Or, I'll just think of something else.

Yay! This is exciting! Everything has been connecting like a beautiful spider web.. or a messy one

This is a perfect topic. Thanks jensouth31 for the topic.

And thank you dtom for creating this thread! I’m giddy
Oh and thank you JohnnyAnonymous for the art

a reply to: DontTreadOnMe

Before I post my story I thought I would check that I haven't misunderstood the theme

Would this be acceptable premise of a story, for the theme?:

Cafe Delirium. To partake only of ones self, can be to forsake ones self

What is annoyance to your heart, may mean everything to another. And discarding any heart which bleeds for you, may be to destroy more than you know

a reply to: DontTreadOnMe

Just a quickie www.abovetopsecret.com... "Friends (CD2021)"

a reply to: DontTreadOnMe

My entry "The Wolf Who Cried Man"

The Wolf Who Cried Man [CD2021]

That is an amazing theme choice. Very inspiring!
*rubs hands together

Hey Folks.. Have a great Contest!

Can someone explain what cafe delirium means? I know it was explained in the op "a state of mind, a place" but is there another way to explain it? Ive never heard the term before, is it popular in America?

I googled delirium and this is what i got

Delirium is a serious disturbance in mental abilities that results in confused thinking and reduced awareness of the environment

So cafe delirium would be a state of mind or place where one is on a down slope, losing ones senses? A psychotic breakdown kinda thing?

Sorry for being a pain but i genuinely dont know what it means. I wanted to enter i just want to be clear on what it means

Hopefully more than one "Part" is okay. If so, here will be my entry, although not complete yet.

FCD's Entry

a reply to: SecretKnowledge

For some reason when I read cafe delirium, I think:


In order to show reduced sense of awareness, two points of view must be present; viewer and afflicted. It looks like this:

Jim was sitting at the table telling his story and drinking the red tea. Melinda got up several times to refill Jim's cup. Finally the pot was empty so she filled the cup with water.
------
Jim was telling Melinda about what had led up to those two lost days. Melinda sat intently listening to the whole story. When Jim had finished, he finally reached over to take his first sip of the red tea. "What happened? It's a miracle! I've turned tea into water!"

Thanks for the new topic for us. Here is mine:
www.abovetopsecret.com...

originally posted by: SecretKnowledge
Can someone explain what cafe delirium means?... I googled delirium and this is what i got is "Delirium is a serious disturbance in mental abilities that results in confused thinking and reduced awareness of the environment"

I had to google it also... turns out that there are some Cafe's (not just in the USA) that incorporates the two words (Cafe' Delirium).

But as it was suggested to me was it can be what ever you want it to be for example maybe it's a side mention from some story your thinking of:
(IE: "then Bill met Jane at the Cafe Delirium and then drove to the park")
Maybe it's a phrase:
(IE: "Dont get all "Cafe' Delirium" with me Young woman and claim you don't remember... you know full well what you did")

The answer to your query is that it's what ever you want it to be. Maybe something as silly as this;

He's bored and fidgety too, "I think I've recanted every opening theme song I can think of", he said to himself.

"Come and listen to my story about a man named Jed, a poor mountaineer, barely kept his family fed," yep that's about all of them he thought. The more he sat there the more upset he get, "I mean seriously, who am I kidding...", he had spent more than enough time waiting for her to show up and his stomach was already in turmoil.

Waiting no longer, he straighten his tie and reached for his briefcase, the bell on the door rings as some one enters the Cafe, could it be her? Sadly it's not, and under his breath he grumbles to himself.

As he make his way towards the door the ground below him begins to shake. Glasses were falling off shelves, customers were screaming as they fell to the floor. The ground felt as if it was a large continuing sea wave and we were but inconsequential pieces of human-debris, struggling to just ride it out.

It seem like it took forever to crawl to the door, chairs were sliding and crashing into themselves, the walls seem to breathe in and out in the strangest way. He reached up and grasped the doorknob to see his beloved on the other side of the door. She too was grasping at the door desperately trying to get in. It was just then that she saw that it was him on the other side. She yelled out his name and that was the last thing he recalled.

The newspaper said that in total 18 people had lost their life's at the Cafe Delirium during the 7.0 Earthquake...

The End


Now I'm just showing a silly little example.. again the answer is "It's whatever you want it to be".
Johnny

a reply to: JohnnyAnonymous


Cheers Johnny thanks for that.

Its whatever i want it to mean. Perfect. Cheers

Writer's Status
My submission
~~CAFE DELIRIUM ~~

a reply to: DontTreadOnMe

My entry in the contest - writer.

Another Cup of Coffee CD2021

Good luck to all who enter and thank you for reading!

a reply to: DontTreadOnMe

Nice Topic

Here is my entry
Click HERE!

Ooh this topic brings back memories, especially as Delirium was the name of a goth/alternative club in Cape Town in the 1990's.
mybroadband.co.za...
But going to think carefully this time before I post in haste.
Good luck everyone!

My humble story:

Rise and Shine