Flash Fiction Contest Format Guide

Are you a Flash Fiction contestant and are baffled by the HTML tags allowed in comments for Blogger.Com blogs (hosted at Blogspot.Com)? If so, then this topic is for those interested in how Blogger handles minimalistic HTML tagging of text for bold and underling in comments.

This applies to Flash Fiction contest which suggest certain key words be highlighted in the text. This is so the judge readily can confirm the required words are included. However, not every contestant is familiar with how to add the HTML tags.

You wouldn't want to distract the judge 

by making him or her work any harder 

than needed … would you? Of course not!

HTML is "hyper text markup language" and it is the "behind the scenes" way in which text can be formatted for display on a website. However, not everybody dares to delve "under the hood." Still, what do you do when a contest requires you to know a tiny amount about HTML?

This is how the minimalistic HTML tagging is described in one flash fiction contest on literary agent Janet Reid's blog:

Use the following words in the story:

star 

magazine 

crunch 

cog 

spree 

The actual word must appear but can be part of a word and still qualify: cog/cogitate.  It helps if you bold or underline the word prompt in your entry. 

The way to underline or bold is: 

Put  < b > (no spaces) in front of the word  and < /b > (no spaces) at the end of the word  you want bold 

Put < u > (no spaces) in front of the word and < /u >  (no spaces) at the end of the word you want underlined

—Source: http://jetreidliterary.blogspot.com/2012/06/writing-contest.html

For people already familiar with HTML tags the above instructions are clear. Right? For common mortals, see the graphical version.

GRAPHICAL VERSION OF INSTRUCTIONS
For those which are more visually minded, here is a graphical version:

GEEKY DESCRIPTION FOR THOSE WHO ARE STILL PUZZLED
Now, some of you might be puzzled by the "no spaces" part of the instruction for the contest version versus the actual HTML tags as shown in the graphic. If the actual HTML tags for bold were shown with NO SPACES in the text of the blog article (or the comments field) for Blogger, then the tags themselves would dutifully "disappear" and the word wrapped in the tags would be made bold. In other words, it works just as it was instructed.

Huh? So how can this be described in contest blog text without this "HTML interpretation" occurring? I'll let the HTML gurus discuss how comment sections can be added to HTML and still display without being "interpreted." Anyway, as done in the contest blog, the HTML tag can be "defeated" (for illustration purposes only), by inserting spaces.

Arggh! This means some people will get confused by the instructions. So, go back to the mini-tutorial in the graphich (which won't be interpreted as HTML by Blogger).


FYI - THERE ARE ALL SORTS OF BRACKETS … SO USE THE CORRECT ONES
For those semiotic and typography devotees, note that the type of brackets used in the HTML tags are "pointy brackets" of the type which look like conventional inequality signs (AKA "less than" and "greater than").

• ( ) — round brackets, open brackets, close brackets (UK), or parentheses
• [ ] — square brackets, closed brackets, or brackets (US)
• { } — curly brackets, definite brackets, swirly brackets, curly braces, birdie brackets, Scottish brackets, squirrelly brackets,braces, gullwings, seagull, fancy brackets, or DeLorean Brackets
• ⟨ ⟩ — pointy brackets, angle brackets, triangular brackets, diamond brackets, tuples, or chevrons
• < > — inequality signs, pointy brackets, or brackets. Sometimes referred to as angle brackets, in such cases as HTML markup. Occasionally known as broken brackets or brokets.
• ‹ ›; « » — angular quote brackets, or guillemets
• ⸤ ⸥; ｢ ｣ — corner brackets

—Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bracket

EXAMPLE OF FLASH FICTION WITH MINIMALISTIC HTML TAGGING
So what will the result be from using the HTML tags in comments? Here is a graphical representation:

Same thing in text version:

He slips from his "deathbed," removes the revolver from under the pillow, and slinks to the guard station outside his hospital room.
His shoes crunch on discarded pistachio shells.
"Useless rent-a-cop. Off chatting up the nurses again?"
He spies the Star Intelligencer magazine's headline: "Dying Detective Baffled By Crime Spree."
He frowns.
"Bunkum! Forget my reputation. The murders shall be avenged."
He sneaks out.
Later, the police burst in.
"The killer returned to the crime scene. Someone shot him. Who'd a'thunk it?"
He smiles.
"Haven't you heard of cognitive dissonance? Once the killer believed I was dying, he got sloppy."

FEEL BETTER NOW?
So, now you are ready for those flash fiction contests. Right?