Richard's picture
Richard from St. Louis is reading various anthologies April 3, 2012 - 6:03am

ideally the first round you had at least 32 votes, mine had 31. i would NOT be surprised if we had more like 16 votes in this round, people that are out, no longer participating. but i'd be kind of bummed if that happened.  guess we'll see.

we can't worry about total votes. people may only have time to read some stories, not all of them. if one wins 15-14 and another wins 11-8, so be it. nothing we can really do.

Utah's picture
Moderator
Utah from Fort Worth, TX is reading Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry April 3, 2012 - 6:08am

Yep.  It's pretty much like presidential elections.  40% turnout at the polls?  That's just fine.  The majority of that 40% carries the winner.  Exluding, of course, any consideration of the electoral college, which does the actual voting.  Which might defeat this as an example.  But consider an election day without the electoral college.  And then apply this example.

It's like that.  Only way smaller.  And hopefully with less corruption*.

 

 

 

*I am accepting donations to my Paypal account.  PM for details!

avery of the dead's picture
avery of the dead from Kentucky is reading Cipher Sisters April 3, 2012 - 6:43am

Corrupt me!!

I actually expect this rouund and the following ones to get more votes, just because there is less to read.  But I may be wrong. 

 

Jason Van Horn's picture
Jason Van Horn from North Carolina is reading A Feast For Crows April 3, 2012 - 1:58pm

I lost the first round and I'm reading and voting still

Nikki Guerlain's picture
Nikki Guerlain from Portlandia April 3, 2012 - 2:01pm

Me too! still reading, still voting!

 

Flaminia Ferina's picture
Flaminia Ferina from Umbria is reading stuff April 3, 2012 - 2:08pm

same here! reading, voting and corruptable!

aliensoul77's picture
aliensoul77 from a cold distant star is reading the writing on the wall. April 3, 2012 - 2:33pm

I will send nude photos for votes.

Profunda Saint-Sylvain's picture
Profunda Saint-... from Calgary, AB is reading Hitchiker's Guide to the Galaxy Series April 3, 2012 - 2:49pm

I'll also send nude photos of Danny for votes.

NikKorpon's picture
NikKorpon from Baltimore is reading Book and books and books and April 3, 2012 - 4:56pm

Man, I step away for a week and there're bodies ury-where.

Chester Pane's picture
Chester Pane from Portland, Oregon is reading The Brief and Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz April 3, 2012 - 5:29pm

KORP!

THE KORPEDO!

Can't wait till they release the Korpon next time. Talk about carnage!

Profunda Saint-Sylvain's picture
Profunda Saint-... from Calgary, AB is reading Hitchiker's Guide to the Galaxy Series April 3, 2012 - 8:03pm

I  have had a hell of a time voting this round. I've only actually pick a winner in 3 matchups so far. Too much good stuff going on, it's really difficult! Damn yous all for being so good at writing stuff I like!

Bekanator's picture
Bekanator from Kamloops, British Columbia is reading Ugly Girls by Lindsay Hunter April 3, 2012 - 8:33pm

Half the matchups are pretty damn close races.

Richard's picture
Richard from St. Louis is reading various anthologies April 3, 2012 - 9:01pm

yeah, most are very close, and even those with larger leads are not insurmountable. i can't imagine how tough it'll be in the next round, or beyond.

R.Moon's picture
R.Moon from The City of Champions is reading The Last Thing He Wanted by Joan Didion; Story Structure Architect by Victoria Lynn Schimdt PH.D; Creating Characters by the editors of Writer's Digest April 3, 2012 - 9:09pm

Yeah, every one is pretty close. Good battles going on here. But, my plan, Mr. Thomas, is to meet you in a later round... WWWWAAAARRRR!!!!

Utah's picture
Moderator
Utah from Fort Worth, TX is reading Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry April 4, 2012 - 5:24am

Honestly, after reading all the entries yesterday I'm really impressed with how everybody upped their game for this round.  There certainly aren't any "gimmes" for matchups this week. 

Good job, everybody. 

wickedvoodoo's picture
wickedvoodoo from Mansfield, England is reading stuff. April 4, 2012 - 5:52am

@ Moon man.

Your plan is flawed. Because you and Richard both know damn will your scalps are going on my shelf by the time this is done.

Nah nah nah.

 

EDIT - maybe, anyway. Heh.

Richard's picture
Richard from St. Louis is reading various anthologies April 4, 2012 - 6:04am

every round is like the finals, IMO. i'd have to possibly get past both of you to make to the finals. not that i'm counting any chickens.

wickedvoodoo's picture
wickedvoodoo from Mansfield, England is reading stuff. April 4, 2012 - 6:07am

It is getting tough to predict the match-ups. Exciting stuff though. At this point it really is anyone's competition.

Nick Wilczynski's picture
Nick Wilczynski from Greensboro, NC is reading A Dance with Dragons by George R.R. Martin April 4, 2012 - 6:10am

I ain't dead yet.

wickedvoodoo's picture
wickedvoodoo from Mansfield, England is reading stuff. April 4, 2012 - 6:12am

Too damn right.

Nicky boy could well be the one winning this. Anyone's game I tell ya. Could well be Chester popping up with those last minute death blows that shows us all up yet.

Utah's picture
Moderator
Utah from Fort Worth, TX is reading Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry April 4, 2012 - 6:31am

I find myself hoping somebody bumps me off so I don't have to face Chester.  There's some weird magic from the continent that makes me nervous.

Utah's picture
Moderator
Utah from Fort Worth, TX is reading Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry April 4, 2012 - 6:35am

P.S.  Matchups 5-8 have just more than half the votes of Matchups 1-4.  Lets give some love to those "later" battles, everybody.  Votevotevote!

Americantypo's picture
Americantypo from Philadelphia is reading The Bone Clocks April 4, 2012 - 6:37am

More than half way through voting. Am taking on a few a day while at work, literally reading them off my phone when it's slow. Some tough decisions, especially in choosing a favorite.

-Bill

Bekanator's picture
Bekanator from Kamloops, British Columbia is reading Ugly Girls by Lindsay Hunter April 4, 2012 - 8:19am

I find myself hoping somebody bumps me off so I don't have to face Chester.  There's some weird magic from the continent that makes me nervous.

I'm up against him right now!  How do you think I feel?

Utah's picture
Moderator
Utah from Fort Worth, TX is reading Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry April 4, 2012 - 8:41am

Probably very focused.

Bekanator's picture
Bekanator from Kamloops, British Columbia is reading Ugly Girls by Lindsay Hunter April 4, 2012 - 8:59am

It's really not so bad, although I definately didn't want to duke it out with him at first.

Utah's picture
Moderator
Utah from Fort Worth, TX is reading Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry April 4, 2012 - 9:31am

Well, you should learn karate.

Jason Van Horn's picture
Jason Van Horn from North Carolina is reading A Feast For Crows April 4, 2012 - 10:37am

I want to do third round prompts - they'd be like one or two words max.

Prompt: Knife

Prompt: Boobs

Prompt: Planet

Oh the endless possibilities!

avery of the dead's picture
avery of the dead from Kentucky is reading Cipher Sisters April 4, 2012 - 10:39am

@ Jason - negative!  Prompt creation is all I have in my pitiful life.  You can't have it. 

Utah's picture
Moderator
Utah from Fort Worth, TX is reading Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry April 4, 2012 - 10:52am

Boobs. 

Go!

avery of the dead's picture
avery of the dead from Kentucky is reading Cipher Sisters April 4, 2012 - 11:16am

I find that very limiting.

Chester Pane's picture
Chester Pane from Portland, Oregon is reading The Brief and Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz April 4, 2012 - 12:00pm

Limiting?

If there were nothing but boobs in the universe, I think I would be eternally happy. I often fantasize, while I am at McDonalds eating one of their hot apple pies, using my tongue as a martyr in hopes of scoring a  humongous McSettlement from the blistered and singed tastebuds, that the polychromatic ball pit is really filled with boobs.

And for the record: I personally feel that the first round showed just how tough this thing was going to be. First off, every one of those stories was good. Already too many close calls and casualties. Sometimes it is just painful to choose one story over the other. That is actually becoming a PTSD side-effect that I hadn't reckoned on. 

And it is getting worse, well, as the numbers are in many cases showing. But even in the ones with wider vote discrepancies, they were, for me at least, a lot more difficult to call. Really a pleasure to read. But voting, not so much a pleasure. But that is War.

It doesn't look like I will even have to worry about it, but (although it would be a pleasure and honor) matching up against any of these writers gives me fitful sleep. And that goes for the first rounders too.

I am really impressed by what this War is doing for the Writing around here. You should all give yourselves a pat on the genitals.

Bekanator's picture
Bekanator from Kamloops, British Columbia is reading Ugly Girls by Lindsay Hunter April 4, 2012 - 12:15pm

I'll have to do that later.  I'm already running late for work.

Chester Pane's picture
Chester Pane from Portland, Oregon is reading The Brief and Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz April 4, 2012 - 1:24pm

Oh, you can do it at work. I do all the time.

Liana's picture
Liana from Romania and Texas is reading Naked Lunch April 4, 2012 - 1:30pm

But if I lose, I can't take back the patting, retroactively.

aliensoul77's picture
aliensoul77 from a cold distant star is reading the writing on the wall. April 4, 2012 - 1:34pm

This voting is giving me an ulcer. Stop the polls soon.

Nikki Guerlain's picture
Nikki Guerlain from Portlandia April 4, 2012 - 4:28pm

Yeah so I will go to the whore thread when my story goes live but ... I just placed Succubus in the Attic (story from first round) with Phantasmagorium. They're starting a weekly story section and it looks like it's going to kick off with a bit of Trent Zelazny and yours truly thanks to the capable hands of editor Edward Morris. :-)

R.Moon's picture
R.Moon from The City of Champions is reading The Last Thing He Wanted by Joan Didion; Story Structure Architect by Victoria Lynn Schimdt PH.D; Creating Characters by the editors of Writer's Digest April 4, 2012 - 2:03pm

Nice job Nikki! COngrats

Nikki Guerlain's picture
Nikki Guerlain from Portlandia April 4, 2012 - 2:12pm

Thx moon! They're calling it High Bizarro. So I guess that's what I like. Good to have a label sometimes :-)

Chester Pane's picture
Chester Pane from Portland, Oregon is reading The Brief and Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz April 4, 2012 - 2:27pm

Fuck yeah Nikkles.That is tits girl. Edward Morris knows his shit. I knew that story was ready to roll.

It pays to write outside the parameters.

Shatter the paradigms.

Keep on shattering.

Nikki Guerlain's picture
Nikki Guerlain from Portlandia April 4, 2012 - 2:28pm

thx chestie! :-)

R.Moon's picture
R.Moon from The City of Champions is reading The Last Thing He Wanted by Joan Didion; Story Structure Architect by Victoria Lynn Schimdt PH.D; Creating Characters by the editors of Writer's Digest April 4, 2012 - 2:29pm

I'm gonna go with 'that's vagina' because vag is better than tits IMO.

wickedvoodoo's picture
wickedvoodoo from Mansfield, England is reading stuff. April 4, 2012 - 2:30pm

Nice one, Nikki! Sounds like good times.

Liana's picture
Liana from Romania and Texas is reading Naked Lunch April 4, 2012 - 4:25pm

Yay Nikki!

Nikki Guerlain's picture
Nikki Guerlain from Portlandia April 4, 2012 - 4:35pm

moon- you crack me up! that's vagina ... gonna be smiling with that one.

thx voodoo- man walking on water ... where'd you send yours out to?

liana- you're awesome and feisty. :-) i mean, a little too nice but ... I can take care of that. jk.

Richard's picture
Richard from St. Louis is reading various anthologies April 4, 2012 - 5:24pm

i think i know which battle is bek vs. chester. i kept thinking to myself, well, at least ONE of these guys is going down, thank god.

Bekanator's picture
Bekanator from Kamloops, British Columbia is reading Ugly Girls by Lindsay Hunter April 4, 2012 - 6:57pm

Scared to do the dirty work yourself, Richard?

Jason Van Horn's picture
Jason Van Horn from North Carolina is reading A Feast For Crows April 4, 2012 - 7:53pm

See you joke about that prompts are all you have, but I'd be 100% serious in saying that.

aliensoul77's picture
aliensoul77 from a cold distant star is reading the writing on the wall. April 4, 2012 - 7:56pm

Well according to the chart, I believe I go up against either chester or becky next if I win.

Richard's picture
Richard from St. Louis is reading various anthologies April 4, 2012 - 10:05pm

lol...bek. well, i can't very well face BOTH of you, right? wrong set of brackets. how's that saying go? the enemy of my enemy is my friend? maybe i'll see YOU in the finals, sister.

oh, when does voting end, saturday at midnight or something? i forget.