Now that the contest has taken off, I've received some common questions that I thought I should answer here :)

Can it be AU?

Truthfully, it depends on the prompt! Some prompts I may allow AU, some I want you guys to highlight their abilities, so I may not. However, for the first round, AU is allowed! Just a tip for AU (alternate universe, for those who were wondering) make sure you keep their personality the same, as that will count towards your score!

I've also decided that in each prompt, I'll put at the bottom either:

AU SAFE

or 

NON AU

This should be pretty self explanatory- AU SAFE means that yes, you can write AU, and NON AU means please don't write AU!

Is there a word limit, or a certain amount of words my one shot should be?

Nope! Not at all :) It can be 4000 words if you want, it can be 200 words- whatever is best for you! I won't be judging on how many words their are, simply on how well the one shot is written, and how well it can move me emotionally :)

I've read some amazing one shots, some of them only 100 words, and some of them as long as 5000! So really, you do what you do, just make sure it's not a book :)

What's the judging criteria, and what should I focus on to get a higher score?

The things I will be scoring on when I read your one shot:

Grammar: Are the words spelled correctly? Is there the correct punctuation? Can I make sense of the writing?

Feeling: Does this make me feel something? Is it making me laugh? Smile? Cry? Does it move me emotionally?

Make sense: Can I easily grasp the main idea of this one shot? Are the sentences well thought out, designed, and put together, or is it all mushed rather sloppily? Can I tell the author spent time on this?

Writing in general: Is this well written? Does it sound like a four year old's writing, or could this rival Shannon's? Could I easily imagine this being something that could really happen in a Keeper book?

Characters: Are the characters similar to Shannons? Do they have the same personality and traits? Do their actions reflect what the author is depicting of them?

Prompt: Does this fit the prompt? Does it go along with what I told them to write? Did they follow the directions?

The most important out of all of these would probably be: Characters, Feeling, and Prompt, but of course, all of these are essential to scoring well :)

I don't have time to complete the one shot by the due date! What can I do?

PM squishmallow09 and I'll see if I can extend the date :)

Can I use a prewritten one shot, or a scene that I've already written down before the contest started?

Sorry, no! Even if it matches the prompt, we're also testing to see if you can write well in the time limit :)

Also quick FYI guys: This contest is completely run by squishmallow09 so contact her for questions :)