Can you remember what it was like the first time you discovered the magic of Harry Potter? In honor of the Lily and Stag Inn reading groups' return to our first love, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, we'd like to invite you to "rediscover the magic" with us!
Your mission, should you choose to accept it: write a "vignette" describing the sights, sounds, smells and feelings Harry encounters as he enters Diagon Alley for the first time.
What's a vignette? A vignette is like a literary "snapshot" -- it's a quick glimpse of a scene that doesn't necessarily tell the full story. Vignettes tend to be rich in descriptive details.
Details:
• Your vignette should be no fewer than 300 and no longer than 650 words long and does not have to be strictly canon (e.g. can include smells, stores, items, etc that are not specifically mentioned in the book).
• There is a limit of one entry per person.
• All entries MUST be of an exemplary quality; they must be creative, organized, focused, coherent and not contain net speak. Spelling, grammar, and punctuation will be taken into consideration when judging.
• There is a strict PG-13 limit for all entries.
• All decisions by the judges are final.
• Anyone over the age of 13 can enter the contest, including staff members who are not involved in the judging process.
• Please e-mail your submissions to lilyandstaginn@gmail.com by 11:59 pm ET on May 21, 2008 and place in the e-mail header "Rediscover the magic." Please copy-paste the vignettes into the body of the e-mail and include a name to be used for authorship (real name or Leaky Lounge).
• Please refer to the Contest's FAQ if you are not sure of something.
• If you have any questions not answered on the FAQ, or would like to discuss this Contest, please come to the Contest Corner forum of The Leaky Lounge.