Iron Writer

Iron Writer is a contest based on the Japanese television show Iron Chef held yearly and bi-yearly since 2001, depending on the whims of the writers at the time. It has ran since 2001. The exact rules have differed each time, with some debate occurring over specifics (especially a word limit), but the basic rules have remained the same each time with one notable exception.

Rules of the Main Contest

Iron Writer, in the spirit of its inspiration, revolves around a contest in which authors submit a story that makes use of three ingredients. The story is supposed to incorporate each of the three ingredients heavily in the plot. The ingredients are wide and varied, making each contest different. Ingredients for the first contest were chosen by Celiose. The following contests have had their ingredients chosen by the top three placing winners of the previous contest.

Beyond this, there are two simple rules. The first is that all entries must be finished in the span of one week. The second is that the work must take place in the Kupopolis universe.

Voting involves each participant and any interest readers scoring each piece between 1 (the lowest) and 10 (the highest).

Alternate Rules

The 2005 Iron Writer used a different rules list. In this one, it was a two round contest. The first operated much like the rest, with three ingredients, a week to write, and a word limit of 3,000 (which is far lower than any other word limit used). However, six winners were chosen to go onto the second round. Several authors decided to contribute non-competing pieces to the second round, as well. Each of the six authors chose ingredients for the second round, and authors had the choice of using three or more ingredients. They also had a week to write and a 6,000 word limit. From this, three winners were chosen.

Results

IW 1: 2001

Ingredients:

• A Famous Landmark in the Kupopolis Universe
• Secret Development of a New Technology
• A Love Confession

Winners:

1. Firefly, by Jipster
2. Wave of the Future, by Celiose
3. Iso Belle, by Jerry

IW 2: 2002

Ingredients:

• From Jipster: A time scope of 24 hours
• From Cel: A Quote from Shakespeare
• From Jerry: Unity

Winners:

1. A Wrath Most Dark, by DL
2. Keychain, by Jipster
3. Irrevocable Doom, by RawleyCoop

IW 3: 2003 Summer

Ingredients:

• From Rawley: A desolate mountaintop
• From Jipster: The exclusive use of three different perspectives
• From Tex: A traveling salesman

Winners:

1. You Won't Believe What It Can Do!, by M3May
2. Little Suzy and the Demon, by RawleyCoop
3. A Not So Far Off Place, by DL

IW 4: 2003 Winter

Ingredients:

• From Tex: A song and dance routine
• From M3: Three generations of a family
• From Rawley: A violent storm

Winners:

1. Fulfilling a Dream, by M3May
2. Fable, by Michael
3. Some Pig!, by Scen

IW 5: 2004

Ingredients:

• From Scen: The story must be in the form of a three-act play
• From M3: A secret society
• From Michael: A connection to a previous Iron Writer entry

Winners:

1. Picking Up Strays, by Jipster
2. A Little Company War, by RawleyCoop
3. Dirty Pool, by Jay2K

IW 6: 2005

Ingredients: First round

• A unique item of clothing
• A prominent chase scene
• A semi-truck

Qualifiers:

• Absence of Humanity, by DL
• Good Men, by Jipster
• Embers Then Drift, by Jerry
• Field Test, by M3May
• The Hero of the Goddess, by RawleyCoop
• Prayer, by Nick

Second round

• A bet
• A humorous moogle
• A foreign language
• A story in three Dimensions
• Bringing a gun to a sword fight
• A connection to a second first-round entry

Winners:

1. The Department, by DL
2. Contributing, by Jipster
3. When the Darkness Comes to Sleep, by Jerry

IW 7: 2006 Winter

Ingredients:

• From Tex: A New Video Game System
• From Jay2K: The first and last line must be the same
• From Jerry: A Siege Weapon

Winners:

1. The Sport of Kings, by Nick
2. The Neverendingest Story Ever Told, by Scen
3. Paradise, by Jipster

IW 8: 2006 Summer

Ingredients:

• From Jipster: The End of the World (As We Know It)
• From Scen: Story must revolve around a contentious interracial/intercultural/international love story
• From Nick: Story must feature a character who is the last survivor a race/planet/nation/civilization

Winners:

1. The Family Cole, by X Stryker
2. Chain the Fire, by Jerry
3. Nothing So Easily Given, by Jipster

IW 9: The Return of Iron Writer (Spring 2008)

Ingredients:

• From X Stryker: An antagonist that cannot be defeated
• From Jerry: A catastrophic disaster (natural, man-made, personal, it just has to be CATASTROPHIC)
• From Dustin: A grudge