Mea culpa! Mea culpa!

It's all my fault. I lost the Spring Trinket results. I closed the competition on 1 June. I checked the results and closed the window here at the site. It then disappeared before I could record the results. I've been trying to find it since then, seeking help from some of my counterparts. No luck. Our technical people have been notified.

We would like to open the fall competition soon, but we need to find the last one and why it vanished on me. I take full responsibility for the mess-up. It's no excuse it being my first time administering it. My apologies to SIYE and my thanks to Jenny Elf and Sir Ollivander for what help they offered.

Spenser Hemmingway

Senior Administrator for Having Egg on His Face.

(No, the mischief has not been managed yet).

Someone at the Burrow has a secret and it's causing tensions amongst the occupants.

Your challenge is to write a story about who is keeping the secret, why, and how it is revealed.

The categories for judging are Best Overall, Most Humerous, Most Unexpected, and the People's Choice Award.

Rules:

1.  All general submission rules apply.  Stories over 20,000 words are discouraged but not prohibited.  R-rated stories are allowed but discouraged.  Judges are not required to read stories over 20,000 words or any R-rated stories.

2.  All entries must be submitted under the Burrow Secret Challenge (2016-3) category sub-category of SIYE Challenges and be submitted by midnight SIYE time on Tuesday 15th November 2016.

3.  Only completed stories will be accepted.  Multiple chapters are allowed so long as all the requirements are in the chapters and the story is completed by the deadline.  All stories still go through the same approval process as normal submissions so please don't wait until last minute to submit your story.

Sincere appreciation to readers and writers who have offered suggestions for challenge topics!  Since we need to narrow our choices down to 1 topic by Aug. 1, GinnyWeasley777 and GHL have whittled the list down to 6 possibilities which, in no particular order, include:

1.  Write about a secret source of tensions at the Burrow.

2.  Years into their marriage, Ginny discovers something surprising about Harry.  Tell us about it.

3.  James, Albus and Lily Luna are throwing a long-anticipated retirement party for their illustrious parents.  Help everyone celebrate with some stories of our two hero's extraordinary and unconventional careers.

4.  Harry ran away for all the wrong reasons.  Ginny has finally tracked him down.  What happens next?

5.  Someone is going on a magical creature hunt.  The challenge would be to tell why they are hunting the creature, do they find it, and tell about the journey.

6.  Come on now -- did Harry truly have to wait until spring of his sixth year to snog a certain redhead?  Think of another good opportunity to get our favourite pair together earlier.  Carpe diem!

Please use this forum to express your preferences.  If you're vocal and persuasive, others may listen.

Note that if your idea hasn't made it this far, or if it isn't chosen on Aug. 1, then do know that it's still under consideration for the future.  Feel free to keep reminding us!

Pending official approval, GinnyWeasley777 and GHL have agreed to assume the mantle of SIYE challenge coordination.

Normally, the new challenge cycle would have started on July 1, however GW & GL have proposed to instead announce the next challenge on August 1, and to plan to run three challenges every year, on four month cycles (start dates of August 1, Dec. 1 and April 1).

Here's an example of how a proposed challenge cycle would run:

  - Aug. 1.  New challenge topic is announced

  - Nov. 15  Submission deadline; judging begins

  - Dec. 1   Winners are announced, and the next new challenge topic is revealed

Tentatively, we would like to have an ongoing solicitation for new challenge topics within the News forum...  starting right now!  Below are a few of the topics discussed in last month's challenge News item.  Please either tell us which one(s) you enjoy most either as a reader or an authour, or else please suggest new candidates!

Running List of Possible Topics

   1.  James and Lily Potter are still alive.  Write a brief story involving the two of them meeting Ginny.

   2.  Lily Luna decides she's had enough of living under her parent's spotlight and takes off to another country. She doesn't tell anyone where she's gone.

   3.  Harry and Ginny go out on a bender. The next morning they notice that something is missing... Uh oh...

   4.  Write about a place that is special to Harry and Ginny.

   5.  Write about a secret source of tensions at the Burrow

   6.  Years into their marriage, Ginny discovers something surprising about Harry. 

   7.  James, Albus and Lily Luna are throwing a long-anticipated retirement party for their illustrious parents. Help everyone celebrate with some stories of our two hero's extraordinary and unconventional careers.

   8.  Harry ran away for all the wrong reasons. Ginny has finally tracked him down. What happens next?

   9.  Someone is going on a magical creature hunt. The challenge would be to tell why they are hunting the creature, do they find it, and tell about the journey.

  10.  Seeing names on the Potter Family tapestry left Harry with more questions than answers.  He begins to do some research.  What interesting stories does he uncover?

  11.  Really wicked topic suggested by *you*

Sir Ollivander is resigning from the positions of Senior Administrator and Chief Challenger at Sink Into Your Eyes web site effective the end of June.  He is stepping down from his areas of leadership and responsibility to become a regular member of SIYE.  The staff of SIYE have been aware of this move since the beginning of June.

My private and family life is beginning to take on more of a priority.  Working with SIYE is beginning to take a back seat when it comes to managing my time and energy.  I don’t want SIYE to suffer from my lack of attention.

Since December of 2003, I became an avid reader of SIYE stories.  Little by little, I was asked to join different positions in SIYE to the point of Senior Administrator under the owner, Robert.  I have enjoyed running the web site and adding my contributions.  I even had the pleasure of meeting Robert when on vacation near his hometown a few years ago.  Although I am leaving my positions, I will still be around, reading a story here and there.  I wish to thanks everybody who have made my jobs so easy.  Take care and best of luck to all.

Tom

Sir Ollivander

SIYE Administration

At the height of its popularity, the SIYE Challenge received 15 to 25 submitted stories per Challenge.  The judges had a lot of reading to do.  The last few years has seen the Challenge submissions dwindle down to 2 or 3 per contest.  A few occasions we were worried that we would have no submissions.  With such a very low turnout lately, the Challenge is being put on hold at this time.  I would like to thank a) those judges that continued to help out by reading and judging the stories and b) those authors that accepted the Challenge and came up with original stories to meet the it.  Overall, we received over 550 stories over the years.

For this Challenge, we had eight judges and the People's choice Award voting on the two stories submitted.  It was a virtual clean sweep.  And the winner is...

The award for Best Overall, Most Useful, Most Unexpected and the People's Choice Award goes to:

Biscuits Deferred by GHL

The winning story is now prominently listed in our Featured Stories section.  The Challenge category is back open.

My thanks to judges AM, JG, HW, NS, ZA, EB, SM, & FD.  Without judges taking the time to read and judge, the Challenge would not be happening.

The deadline has passed and The Potter Trunk Challenge (2016-2) is now closed.  The judges are being given their instructions to judge the two stories that have been submitted.  Remember, the categories are Best Overall, Most Useful, and Most Unexpected.  The People's Choice Award is open to all SIYE members and can be voted on only once.  Make your vote count. The winners will be posted at the end of the month.

The People's Choice award: http://siye.co.uk/trinkets.php?peopleschoice=Y

Greetings to one and all!

With the help of our Administrator Emeritus Jenny Elf, I think that I've finally figured out how to work of Silver Trinket Award system. Logged in members can vote at their home page. There are quite a few nominations to wade through, so please take your time voting. Winners will be anounced on 1 June. Thank you for participating and thank you again Jenny for your patience with me.

Mischief managed everyone!

Spenser Hemmingway

PS: http://www.siye.co.uk/trinkets.php

After Harry got over his shock at receiving something from his parents, he expanded the trunk to full size and went inside.  On the table in the den was the second letter.  He grabbed it, sat down and read it.

The Potter trunk library was better than the Hogwarts library.  Those books deemed not suitable or restricted at school was fully accessible in the trunk.  Also, the potions lab was better stocked than Snape's classroom.  Plus Snape wouldn't be standing over you, yelling insults at you, while you practice your potions.  The study room/den was a nice and quiet room to read or study without interruptions.  It could easily turn into a sleep room if needed.

Harry looked around the various rooms and through about it.  Given a kitchen & loo type room and one could live in the trunk.

What would be your reason of creating such a trunk for your child?  Write down your answer as a story and submit it for the Challenge.