Where Knowledge Rules

Tantalizing Tales

Basics of this Zone

M C Escher

 

The purpose of Tantalizing Tales is to highlight exceptional short stories, which will be displayed or linked on a rotational basis. There will also be an opportunity to ask for a critique of your work in the forums section of Helium which will be linked to this page. We are looking for fictional short stories to display, and value originality above all else. We accept mainstream, science fiction, horror, fantasy, and everything in between as long as it is a valid short story published on Helim.com. All are welcome to contribute and comment as we take a trip into whatever fictional world you desire.

We will also offer monthly short story contests with no cash prize, although prestige is surely worth something.  These contests are not sponsored by Helium.com, but are meant to provide an entertaining competition where writers can vote for their favorites and watch the votes being tallied. While I will run the contest, the participants alone will be the ones who determine the winner. Please read the instructions in the contest block at the bottom of the page, as each contest will have a different theme. Thanks to Jim Bessey for providing the model and inspiration for these contests.

Please join me and other authors as we enter the world of Tantalizing Tales. If you would like to nominate your story or one of another author, please use the "Contact" button in the manager's corner on the right, although we can't promise that your story will be selected. You must be a member of Helium to contribute. If you are not a member you can join Helium by clicking on the "Join" button at the top of the page.

David Elder

 

1st place winner for October

Twisted Dark Angel by April May Maple

It was astounding how I was still capable of enjoying the cloudless starry sky, even when the night brought such a curse upon it. For more nights than one could recount, I gazed up at the night sky consumed by vengeance, still, I was torn between adoration and revulsion. The first fleeting moments, just as the sunset, were perfect, unspoiled, until the cravings set in. All too soon the cramps and pangs would start, signifying it was time to feed.


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1st place winner for October

How to eliminate your worst enemy by Glory Lennon

He glowered at her from the opened door hating every bit of her from her big brown eyes, her long, dark, silky hair all the way down to her cute little.... Whoa! He shook his head of such thoughts. He hated her. He had to remember that. So what if she looked hot today? She always did, blast her! Regardless of that she was his worst enemy and he wanted her gone.

 

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1st place winner for October

Halloween Mask by David Elder

Jonathan Crowley pulled the collar of his coat tightly around his neck and winced at the stinging sleet that had descended with no warning from the west. It was the afternoon of October 31st, and he still hadn't found the perfect outfit for the Halloween Bash that was to take place that evening at the Hilton. Normally he would have avoided such an event as a waste of time, but tonight was different. A cash prize was to be awarded for the best costume in the amount of five thousand dollars.

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Suggested Reading


photo by Adam (adamjinj)

This Month's Tantalizing Tales Contest Winners


photo by Colure

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Contest Rules


photo by zhurnaly
  • Please request entry into the contest with the URL of your short story that has been either published on Helium, or entered in a thread on the Creative Writing forums of Helium.com. All entries are to be new and posted after the starting date of the contest. Entry and voting areas are linked in the announcements section of this page. Enter only one story per contest please unless the current contest calls for more than one. When voting, participants state who they are voting for by name and vote for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place. 1st place adds 3 points, 2nd place adds 2 points, and 3rd place adds 1 point. You may not vote for yourself. Prize is bragging rights only. Word count will be from 1000 to 2500 words, but not strictly so. The list of links to entered stories is in the upper right hand corner of this page and is labeled The Roster. The list of titles related to the current contest is in the box labeled Current Contest. Writers are encouraged to submit to those titles, but may choose their own or write to a different existing title.

Comments (1 to 10 of 37)

Olivia Bredbenner
Oct 11, 09 at 04:04 PM
Hi Dave, It looks great here....wish I could think of a scary story.. LOL Maybe , I'm doing too many med articles LOL Olivia
Daniel Xiao Wang
Oct 10, 09 at 04:42 PM
I started a zone today for my demon hunter: http://www.helium.com/zone/3061-demon-hunter-bay As these stories accumulate they will collect there.
Daniel Xiao Wang
Oct 10, 09 at 01:01 AM
Here is my entry. The story took on a life of its own. Like you said. this story will soon undergo an expansion and a filling in. Enjoy what is now essentially an outline and soon to be a novella: http://www.helium.com/items/1611260-short-stories-halloween-tales
Daniel Xiao Wang
Oct 09, 09 at 06:31 AM
David, I love it! It has continued to grow and evolve
Olivia Bredbenner
Sep 28, 09 at 11:58 PM
Hi Dave, Nice Place you have here...I gotta think of a scary story..and get away from my other stuff for a while LOL I'll stop by again soon. Olivia
Melissa R. Bickel
Sep 24, 09 at 03:36 AM
David this looks nice and love what you've done to the place :) It's rather creepy in here. You just need some cobwebs now and a cauldron or two
David Elder
Jun 28, 09 at 01:34 PM
Terry, I'll email you.
Terry Mahoney
Jun 26, 09 at 06:54 PM
Dave, The activity seems pretty light here compared to when I was last writing to these contests. Is there some issue, or have submissions just gone down?
Terry Mahoney
Jun 23, 09 at 04:17 PM
Dave, I enjoyed posting a new story, and I just finished reading the other three. There's some good work there. I like the 1000 word target. Terry
Petra Newman
May 31, 09 at 04:39 PM
Hi Dave; I love this zone. The images are great and the stories are fantastic. This is a great place for showcasing the talented writers here at Helium:) A big thunbs up:)
Journalist: David Elder
Helium member since Sep 06, 07
Number of Zones: 1
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Announcements


photo by Tavallai

It occured to me that some writers would like to enter the monthly short story contests, but would prefer to enter their stories via the Helium forums, rather than publishing them first in the Creative Writing channel. They may want to do so for various reasons, which in my mind, is their own business. An author may want to polish their work free of the temporary time restrictions of a leapfrog, for instance, or even rewrite it entirely before posting it permanently on the site. From now on, at least in this venue, that decision will be their prerogative.

Please feel free to enter the contest by either posting a new story permanently on Helium, or by using the Helium forums in the Creative Writing section to post your story, and then provide a link on the contest thread to the thread that you just created. The link for the creative writing forums is: http://www.helium.com/smf/index.php?board=17.0 and to post your story, just push the "new topic" button and write or paste it there.   

After all, we offer no monetary reward for the winners, so it is all in fun anyway. Along the way we may all learn something.

 

Entry and voting for the current contest: 

The October short story contest will have a theme of Halloween. The story may be humorous, tragic, scary, heartwarming, mysterious, or anything in between. In order to make things more interesting, the word Halloween, the word trick, and the word treat must be used at least once, but must be separated into different sentences.

 

The winners of this contest will be the ones who submit the most original story. With that in mind, all voters should consider that aspect above all others. At times, the stories we come up with can be expanded into a greater length. Originality is the seed from which great stories grow, and this contest is meant to encourage that characteristic.

 

In this contest only one submission is allowed. The points will revert to our normal format of 3 points for 1st place, 2 points for 2nd place, and 1 point for 3rd place. One bonus point will be awarded for anyone who successfully invites a new writer to the contest.

 

When voting occurs the format is as follows:

 

Most original story

1st place – Joe Schmo

2nd place – Joan Schmo

3rd place – Jackie Schmo

 

The hyperlink to your submission should be placed in this thread. http://www.helium.com/smf/index.php?topic=50000.0 .  The top three stories will be posted on the zone.

 

Commenting on all the other stories is expected for all those who submit. The main point of these contests is to have your work read and commented upon, with winning being a secondary benefit.

 

The contest begins on October 1st and will be open for submissions until the witching hour on Saturday, October 31st. Voting will follow immediately and will continue until all votes are tallied.

 
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