PLEASE ENTER MY CONTEST! I AM DESPERATE!

Please enter my contest!!!!  I am desperate for more contestants. There aren't even enough participants to give out all the prizes!   Even if you don't feel you could do very well, I would really appreciate it if you joined, and you never know, you could surprise yourself!!! 

If you didn't see it before, I have copied and pasted the previous journal below. I am willing to extend the deadline if people don't feel they can complete the task in time.

PLEASE!!! PLEASE!!! PLEASE!!! I AM DESPERATE!!!  

Hey everyone, I have recently participated in some literature prompts and contests and stuff like that, and I have come to realise what an awesome, fun idea it is  I have really enjoyed participating in these things and it has really got my creative juices flowing (even if my entries weren't too good), and so I have decided to do my own 

I know I don't have many watchers so I can't expect a big turn out on this, but I really hope that some of you will enter and put in a bit of effort.

Please be aware that this will be my first attempt and so I can hardly be expected to do the whole thing expertly, but I will try my best 

The point of this contest is to get people to try out stuff they have never done before, and since I am almost certain that none of you have tried to write an epic poem before, that is what I am going to ask you to do!

Basically, your task is to write a fixed form (but not necessarily rhyming) poem of at least 50 lines (to keep it manageable). The plot must revolve around some type of heroic journey which should preferably end with some kind of enlightening experience/realisation on the protagonist's part. It can be light-hearted but not humorous (except for the occasional use of satire and irony).

The setting can be historical; contemporary; futuristic or just plain fantastical!  The protagonist can be any species or whatever but try make his/her profile relevant to the setting and plot of the epic. 

For more information on epic poetry, check out this link:

www.google.co.za/url?q=… 

and if you have any questions, feel free to ask 

The rules are: 
Have fun! I don't believe that there is such a thing as an unfair advantage in this kind of thing; everyone is entitled to use whatever resources they have available to them. However, please try to be original. If you just copy and paste the text of Homer's 'Iliad' or Milton's 'Paradise Lost', and change the character's names, and stuff like that, well then shame on you, and if I notice, you will be disqualified.

I will judge the poems myself but you are welcome to 'vote' for a poem (as long as it is not your own) to receive whatever position you think it deserves, and I will take that into account when deciding. To do this, just send me a personal note with the name of the poem and its author and which place you think it deserves, and anything else you want to put in the note.

The prizes are:

1st place: 15 points and a free art/literature request from me (if you want it)

2nd place:10 points and a free art/literature request from me (if you want it)

3rd place: 5 points and a free art/literature request from me (if you want it)

4th place: A free art/literature request from me (if you want it)

5th place: A figurative pat on the back (from me and only if you want it) 

All contestants are also welcome to request art/literature commissions (free or paid) but they will not necessarily be granted.

The reason that I am putting so much into the prizes (for me, this is a lot) is because I would really like people to participate and put in effort, and I know that it is not such an easy task so...

Your poems will be judged according to the following: 

1. Adherence to the specifics of the task, basically I want a real epic poem, not just a long narrative;

2. Good use of language and general knowledge/research where necessary; 

3. Show of intelligent planning and a fair amount of effort (subjective);

4. Emotive language/story line: literature is supposed to leave the reader emotionally unsettled, not blank;

5. Revelation of a good moral/ prompting of an epiphany;

6. And most fundamentally, an interesting and COHERENT plot! I don't want stories that jump around and leave out important details! I need to be able to understand it!

Well built characters and fine details are always extra 

Tip: Attempted or correct use of dactylic hexameter (heroic hexameter) will impress me severely, and may warrant automatic qualification for awards 

Remember that there is no maximum word limit, just keep going until you feel you are done 

The deadline for entry will be Thursday 10 July at 1:15pm GMT +2 (my time zone) but a few minutes leeway will be allowed. Winner announcement will take place as soon as I have finished judging and deciding. 

When you have finished your poem, just post it as a deviation and leave a comment here with a link to it.

Let the games begin and may the best one win!!!

P.S. If you would like an extension, please send me a note why and for how long, and I will consider allowing it. Depending on the reason, an extension may be given for all contestants; only for the contestant who requests it; or not at all.