Please Note: This is now an open contest, having been selected as one of the top three creations for the "Where Have All the Contests Gone?" contest, hosted by simply_complex. YAY!

So much of who and what we are has already been determined by what has happened five, ten, or even a thousand years before any of us were a glimmer in our parents' eye. The world we live in is a product of, for example, the dominance of Rome two-thousand years ago and the rise of Christianity in the formative years of the common era. America is a product of a war, of several wars, actually, and Britain only exacerbated the crisis in the Middle East by chopping the region up during its tenure as the hegemonic power.

What if none of these things had happened?

I know many of us, especially given this is a community of writers, played the 'what if' game as children, probably perturbing our parents and teachers to no end. Now is the time to delve deep into our imagination, to play around with the details of history, to play the hand of fate.

What if Brutus decided to cancel Caesar's assassination? Or what if Caesar had taken Calpurnia's warning seriously and decided to stay home that fateful Ides of March?

What if Napoleon had won Waterloo in 1815?

What if Abraham Lincoln had never been assassinated?

What if Muhammad had been born into the Meccan elite?

And, what if Hitler's mother had had the abortion she'd planned on having? (As a quick note, this particular bullet is based on historical myth, similar to the Washington cherry tree scenario. There is no historical proof of this. However, because it is a commonly accepted story, it is part of the larger category of historical myth, i.e. the history people BELIEVE as opposed to the history that actually occurred. I put it here as dramatic license.)

So much of history revolves around the choices people make, and the circumstances of their lives. Change one detail, and the world is fundamentally changed.



So What Is This Contest About?

This contest is a way for the writers here at Writing.Com to crack those knuckles, blow the dust off of those history books, and rewrite Herodotus.

It will involve the writers changing a single detail of a historical event and writing how that changed the world. The story can take place then, now, or even hundreds of years in the future. What if 9/11 hadn't happened? How would the world be different two-hundred years from now? Would it be different? Rewrite the day Caesar is assassinated. Brutus changes his mind and his cabal turns on him, instead, for being a traitor. Or maybe Caesar lives and, contrary to popular belief, returns power to the Senate and the Roman Republic never falls. Octavian never becomes Augustus and the Empire is never born.

This is a chance to exercise your imagination in a fundamental way. If your beliefs and thoughts have been shaped by these events, can you even think outside of the box? Or are you bound to see the world as it is now? Even H.G. Wells' Time Machine is a product of Wells' time, and how he describes the future world is bound by his beliefs in social Darwinism. What if the Beagle had sunk, taking Darwin with it?

Yes, folks. A definite challenge, I think. But I know the W.com community can step up and grab the bull by the horns. (Coincidentally, what if Minoan culture had continued to flourish and Knossos not been destroyed by an earthquake?)

Who Is This Contest For?

Everyone and anyone with even a remote interest in history. Or even those who don't, but just like the challenge of it all. And anyone who doesn't mind having to do a little bit of research to write a good story.

Understand that I am a History major. History is my one, true love and everything must compete with that love. As such, if someone isn't willing to do the research and, thus, their historical facts are fundamentally flawed, I will disqualify the piece. So, this contest is not for those of the faint of heart.

What, Exactly, Are The Rules Of This Shindig?

At the beginning of each round (which will last approximately a month each), I will post a particular place and time (i.e. Russia, 20th century). During that round, the event that you change MUST take place in that particular setting. For example, with 20th Century Russia, I'd say that the most obvious change would be to have the Russian Revolution fail. Lenin is killed and, thus, cannot start the Bolshevik party. Without him, Trotsky and the others join the far more moderate Menshevik party and the Tzar is never overthrown.

I hate limiting the choices, but if I don't narrow it down, it limits my ability to be a fair-minded judge. I can compare the writing and the research of each piece to the others without having to worry whether or not the event one writer chose is more significant than another. It really does make my life (and, hopefully, any other judges' lives) much easier, especially since I am a college student.

Until the deadline, I will accept the following: short stories, poems (especially if they're Beowulf-esque epic poems), essays (for those of us who are, in fact, better at nonfiction writing), and chapters (especially if my contest is so fortunate to inspire novel-length responses!). I have no problems with length, as long as everyone else has no problems with waiting for me to read them all. If you have a novel, please don't expect me to read the whole thing, though I will read enough to satisfy the judging requirements. Also, only one entry is allowed per round. I don't foresee people wanting to do too much research, so I don't really think that's a problem.

Note: you may edit your piece all you want until the deadline, but after that, any changes will result in disqualification.

Following the deadline, I will read and review each piece. My mother is a Grammar Nazi and I'm basically Strunk and White Youth, so please PROOF READ your entries! I am especially picky about comma splices and proper use of adverbs. When I have finished (and conferred with my wonderful judges), I will determine the winners, post them in the forum, and then begin a new round. By all means, enter as many rounds as you like. If you've won the round before, up the ante and try to win the next one.

While I do prefer new pieces, if you've already written something that fits the criteria...you're clearly as obsessed with history as I am and I will not penalize you for beating me to the punch. Pieces that have already won an awardicon are also welcome.

I have no limits on rating. History is bloody, sexy, and definitely NOT rated E, so I don't expect your entries to be.

Please post your entries in bitem format. If you don't know how, please refer to to the following link for assistance. "Invalid Item" 

I don't have a lot of limitations, guys. So, if you do break one of my few rules, I do reserve the right to delete any of those entries. Thank you!

So, Oh Great One, What Are The Prizes?

Well, I'm poor. Hence this contest being an entry in "Invalid Item"   by A Guest Visitor . Because I was one of the lucky contestants chosen to open my contest, these are the prizes at a minimum. I have always depended on the kindness of strangers (my middle name is Blanche...) and really hope for some generous benefactors.

First Prize: A History Merit Badge and 15000gps (you can opt for the GPs or an Awardicon, as well)

Second Prize: 15000gps

Third Prize: 10000gps

If there are fewer than 10 entries, I will only give out the first two prizes, adding the 10000gps from third place to the 15000 for first place, making the first place prize an awardicon and 25000gift points.

Who Be Judging This Contest?

Quaddy
busy, taking a break from WDC
Matt le Couteau
2012 Writing.Com Meet & Greet

I've now got plenty of judges. If you would really like to be a part of this contest, any and all donations are incredibly welcome as are entries, of course. I promise you, it's not that hard!

Donations:

Because I am poor, the gps for the contest are coming almost (well, entirely) exclusively from donations and contest winnings. Any and all donations are greatly appreciated!

Please send any donations to the group associated with this contest: "Invalid Item" 

My wonderful benefactors:
simply_complex- 50,000gps as part of the "Where Have All the Contests Gone?" Contest (my 'mysterious' benefactor)
Matt le Couteau - 40,000gps AND he's a judge! What a sweetheart!
Anonymous- 20,000gps. Thank you!
Zephyr Shenkiken - 5000gps. Thank you for your generous support, love!


Thank you, and Good Luck!