Of course when I decided that this would be an excellent idea, I also could not for the life of me come up with an appropriate contest.
So. After careful deliberation, I have decided that my contest will be a contest for the best idea for a contest. Something piratey, or adventurey, or really anything you can think of that might either be appropriate in relation to either Alex or myself.
The winning contest suggestion may possibly be used later in future, but right now I just want a list of the craziest contests you guys can think up. So leave your ideas in the comments section, and let's see what we shall see! The winner will be announced this time next week, at the which point I will request that he/she/it email me their mailing address.
Good luck to you all! (I've never run a contest before, so I really hope that this works out!)
21 comments:
Naturally a rum drinking contest is high on my list... but in ya, a fruit punch drinking contest might actually fly with parents.
Perhaps rum cake eating constest.
Also, kids could send in their best drawings of pirates and pirate things. A good skull and crossbones takes real talent.
"Name your own pirate" contest might be good. Come up with a pirate, complete with a piratey biography, and his piraterrific name.
A sing your own pirate shanty contest on YouTube might also be gobs of fun.
Anyway, I'll save some ideas for other people.
Really I'm procrastinating because I have to actually update my own blog sometimes today...
I'm down for anything rum-related. However. I do realize this is a middle-grade book; therefore, I think an appropriate contest would be to come up with the name and flag of the best pirate ship ever. Or write a sea shanty (I would definitely lose if it were a singing contest -- we would all be losers if I sang, actually).
being a bit of a trivial pursuit fan in addition to being the most boring person ever leads me to suggest a trivia contest. you know, questions about every well-known and not-so-well-known pirate book/movie ever, whether fiction or nonfiction. bluebeard, jack sparrow, davey jones, captain hook, that horrible geena davis movie, they're all part of the game. the only problem with such a contest is that it would require research or at the least some fact verification, but you could spice it up by just making up the answers you don't know. want extra salt? put answers in the form of a question. that way you get to combine canadian-invented trivial pursuit with canadian-hosted jeopardy, which would make the game relevant to fans of pirates, useless trivia and canadiana. ;)
i really would love a copy of your book...this is just as creative as i get. ;) keep up the good work with the writing, on the blog and on the books.
How about contestants have to name the three people they'd most like to see forced to walk the gangplank at cutlass point.
Reasons could be given and Adrienne could choose the ones that amuse her most.
Adrienne - I am your mysterious masked ARC reader. I have to say, with a heavy heart that...I loved it! I really mean it, I'm not trying to suck up to you! I wish you great success.
All these ideas are great so far!
I'm too unimaginative to think up one myself, but I'd like to vote for Welshcake's even though (a) we don't get a vote and (b) more clever ideas are no doubt on the way.
Not only is the plank walk notion funny and slightly mean-spirited, (yay!), but welshcake already has a copy of the book so it means more for everyone else for future contests! (Or, sigh, I suppose Welshcake could use a second copy as a gift to someone.)
This contest would require photographic entries, and be fun for all ages! You’d receive some hilarious images: great content for a webpage.
**DRESS YOUR FAVOURITE TOY AS A PIRATE**
Whether your favourite toy is a doll, a teddy bear, a phone, an espresso machine, a surfboard, or quad bike -- it can look like a pirate!
Sheesh! They're stealing all my ideas. (The early poster gets the worm -er the book!) I'll be back with an idea that will blow these other suggestions out of the water!
ARRGGHHH Best Hearty Pirate talkin' all ye mateys.
Walk the plank!
Shiver me timbers!
ARRGGHH...
ARGH..
suggestion 1
A contest for the best home made video depicting an aspect of your book uploaded to youtube
suggestion 2
write a blurb or review for an upcoming book
suggestion 3
write an imaginary review for the pirate
suggestion 4 (my fave)
Create an Ironic Gentleman cocktail
Now that's gotta win surely?
and for the middlegraders
suggestion 5
best non alcoholic cocktail
Interesting contest and thanks for the change of pace.
For middle schoolers, a treasure hunt of sorts. It would have to be something that can be done in different parts of the continent, but there could be a list of things to find and things to do.
Just sneaked it to check out the competition! Will quietly sneak away to do more thinking!
Photoshop your ARC into the most amusing, amazing, or just plain silly situation you can come up with.
I tried to keep my idea kid friendly and one that would be assessible for almost any one to enter so that eliminated lots - so here goes -
A treasure map contest - design your own treasure map. With secret codes for landmarks etc. (base it loosely on real world geography - so they have to do a bit of research) - describe the map and what the codes mean, where the treasure is buried, what you would bury (what you consider real treasure and why), creating a short imaginative story about your map and the treasure.
Combines art and writing, the maps could be scanned and sent so winner and runner's up could be displayed.
My suggestion for a contest for middle graders would be to post pictures on your website and somewhere in each picture "hide" a treasure chest. The first ten children (or however many you decide) who find all the treasure chests wins a prize.
You could even set up an e-mail address such as wigpowdertreasure@adriennekress.comwhere they could e-mail their answers.
Guys, these are such totally awesome ideas! Man who knew that my sexy readers were also so smart and creative too!
Totally keep 'em coming, the contest ain't over yet (and thank you so much to all who have participated already, I am finding it much fun!)!
Hmmmm...Adrienne, a contest for a contest for a contest idea -- great idea.
Writers write, in part, because they want to connect with their readers. The book or story acts as a host -- taking the reader on an incredible tour through the secret passageways of the writer's imagination.
In the spirit of truly connecting with your readership, I respectively submit the following contest idea:
Adrienne, you write the first sentence, the 'hook' if you will and contestants must land the rest of Chapter 1. (If a chapter is deemed too long then perhaps the next couple of paragraphs will suffice - whichever you choose, as this is your idea for a contest for a contest for the best idea contest - sorry couldn't resist writing that again :)
What better way to reward a loyal reader than by connecting your imagination with his/hers.
I love the other ideas too...creativity runs awild!
I feel so conflicted. On the one hand, "Sweet! Free book!" But on the other hand, I have solid plans to buy this book, but will have a harder time justifying that if I've already read it.
This is, of course, assuming I have any chance of beating a bunch of ten year olds in a Cuteness Contest, which I DO NOT. But on that note, if anybody here can pick a favourite anything amongst a bunch of kids and crush the dreams of the others, they are a better person than I. (Or maybe I'm just trying to sabotage the kids' chances... Uh oh.)
Any idea I come up with will involve loads of self-interest (hey, I was born and raised in the Caribbean, a well-known pirate hangout, AND I have a picture of myself with the ship used in the Pirates of the Caribbean movie, so I'd totally win any "pirate credentials" contest), so I'll repress my instincts and just offer up these two words:
"Pirate diorama."
Arr!
Simple, really. The contest should be that whoever can come up with the best synopsis for their own pirate adventure in 250 words or less wins the book.
Sheesh! It's not brain surgery, guys.
Jane
How about an internet treasure hunt? You think of a site, perhaps an Alex and the Ironic Gentleman promotional site, and leave clues. One clue could lead to a website that would have another clue, and so on and so forth, until finally, after successfully navigating their way though a maze of websites, the "Treasure Hunter" would find themselves on a site with more info about the book, and the first visitor to the site would win the ARC.
Sounds like a treasure to me. ;)
How about a 'make your own edible pirate costume' competition for the young uns. Licorice beards, hats fashioned out of pita bread, iced gems for welts and sores etc.
And for the taller people, a Pirates of the Caribbean drinking game. Four glugs of chosen grog whenever confused by the plot. Four more glugs whenever Special KK sticks her chin out. A boozy evening's fun for one and all.
Super good luck with the book. It's been fun reading about it for this insomniac scribbler.
Ahoy my hearties! Pirate Dawn reporting in with treasure.
How about - we live in a world of pirates (so we have the contestants dressed up as pirates) BUT bird flu has decimated the parrot population. It is up to each contestant what they have perched on their shoulder. It could be a parrot made of vegetables or paper-mache or it might not be a parrot at all.
This means, it's the kids that do all the work - not you! They post the photos and you judge.
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