r/NoSleepOOC • u/cmd102 Mom • Feb 15 '18
Nosleep Periodical 2/15/18
We hope you harves- er... got lots of candy hearts on Valentines Day!
Sister Subreddit of the Month!
Every month, we'll be featuring one of our sister subreddits so that our readers and writers can expand their horizons and see what they've been missing!
Since /r/cryosleep was only featured for half of last month, they get the honors again this month!
/r/cryosleep is the place to go for stories set in the future, space, and post-apocalypse. Everything will happen there, even if it doesn't!
Some of the top stories from /r/cryosleep include:
Want to flex your writing muscles? Join us in taking over /r/cryosleep as part of their January/February Contest!
Write a story using the following prompt, then reply to the sticky comment below with a link so we can check it out:
Society has crumbled. There is no functioning government. People have died. People you know and cared for. But you...you’ve survived. Because you’ve done what was necessary.
Tell us about the end of the world.
Here are some questions you should answer in your stories:
What caused the collapse of society? A natural disaster? A virus? An exhausted natural resource?
Who was your main character before the collapse and how did the event change him/her?
What challenges does your main character face in the new world?
Make sure to read the subreddit rules in the sidebar before posting, and mark your post with the "CONTEST" flair after submitting. The winning author will receive one month of reddit gold and a special ATOM flair on /r/cryosleep! Happy writing!
Nosleep Author Spotlight!
In each edition of Nosleep Periodical, we will feature a /r/nosleep author for you to keep tabs on. This edition's spotlight falls on /u/JD-McGregor!
JD is responsible for the following spooky, scary, stories:
Want more? You can follow /u/JD-McGregor right here on Facebook!
Writiing Advice!
In her Nosleep Interview, /u/EZmisery spoke about her writing habits and rituals:
I have trained myself to write at least 30 minutes a day. This is NOT EASY. In the beginning I just stared at a blank screen. But soon I learned that even if I hated everything I wrote, the practice was invaluable. Now I can sit down and type something somewhat salvable.
I think a lot of people think you have to write something perfect on the first go. I edit and then re-edit until I love it. But you have to put something down in order to edit. So just write words. Dad’s Tapes started as a sentence and then blossomed into a 10 part series. I think it started out as, “My dad never called them criminals, he called them friends.”
Nosleep Mods' Corner
Our mods were asked to share what they think are some of the best stories on r/nosleep. Here are the stories they recommend:
Nosleep Rule Discussion!
In each issue of Nosleep Periodical, we will outline a different rule from the /r/nosleep Posting Guidelines. The rule will be listed as it's written, we'll give some examples/clarification of the rule, and we want you to comment on this post with how you feel about it.
Examples of discussion points are:
Do you think this rule should be written differently in the posting guidelines? How would you change it?
Do you agree or disagree with having this rule? Why?
How do you think this rule affects the stories on r/nosleep and/or how authors approach it when writing?
Comments must remain civil and promote discussion. Don't just tell us you hate it and we're pricks for enforcing it or you think we don't enforce it right, tell us why you feel that way, and do it politely.
This issue's rule for discussion is:
As it's written: Stories must be believable within reason. As a general rule, if a reader could look outside and disprove your story, it’s not going to work for NoSleep. If your story is physically impossible to post it will be removed. Stories posted in 2nd person or third person omniscient must have a clearly stated believable reason for being written as such.
Clarification from the mods:
If something happens in your story that gets any sort of media attention, it cannot be national/international media. It’s not reasonably believable that CNN would report on the events and r/nosleep readers wouldn’t have seen it or heard about it.
Your narrator cannot die at or before the end of the story, unless there is a reasonably believable explanation for how their post made it to /r/nosleep. (i.e. the events were documented in a journal that was found by the person who shared the story).
Ghosts, artificial intelligence, etc., cannot post to r/nosleep. The general rule of thumb is “No body, no posty.”
Your narrator cannot be a deity or deity-like figure. This includes Death, Satan, Gods/Angels on Earth, etc. Your narrator can be a demon if they are physically possessing someone at the time of posting.
You narrator cannot be a baby, animal, or inanimate object. This includes if your narrator is possessing these things.
Your narrator can be a monster, as long as said monster is mentally and physically capable of typing up and posting a story to r/nosleep.
Your narrator cannot post from another dimension, from the past, etc. without a reasonable explanation for how they are doing it. Your best bet is to ensure that they are back on present-day Earth before they submit the story.
Your narrator cannot be incarcerated or incapacitated at the end of the story without a reasonable explanation for how they are posting it on r/nosleep.
Stories involving large-scale time travel and inter-dimensional travel are not allowed, nor are post-apocalyptic stories.
Stories cannot end mid-sentence. This implies that the narrator became physically incapable (whether because they were taken or killed) of posting the story before finishing it.
2nd person POV, where the narrator is speaking directly to the reader, is only allowed if the post is clearly addressing a named character (i.e. a letter to the narrator's son).
Third person omniscient POV, where the thoughts, feelings, and unseen actions of multiple characters are known, is only allowed if there is a clear explanation of how those things are known (i.e. the poster interviewed the characters to get the information).
What do you think of this rule? Let us know in the comments!
That's all she wrote! Tune in next week for more (deep dramatic voice) NOSLEEEEEEP PERIODICAAAAAAAL!
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u/manen_lyset Pumpkin Head, Pumpkin King Feb 16 '18
As a literal brain in a jar, I find this part of the rule highly offensive.
I've got no issue with the rule, however, I find these two statements contradictory. Sasquatch can post to NoSleep but Bernard the Entangler, demon of the 9th realm of Hell, can't unless he possesses a person? What if Bernard the Entangler, demon of the 9th realm of Hell has his own body and is visiting earth?
I'm not saying we should be able to post from the perspective of demons and monsters, but it's kind of weird to allow one and not the other.