Richard
from St. Louis is reading various anthologiesApril 16, 2012 - 6:56am
yeah, exhausted. it's like after each round i keep telling myself, "okay, you need to ratchet this up a notch." not sure how many notches i've got left it the old kit bag. i'm just going whole hog and praying i squeak past. tough battles this week, i'm sure, for everyone.
Bekanator
from Kamloops, British Columbia is reading Ugly Girls by Lindsay HunterApril 16, 2012 - 10:38am
Didn't help that I wrote my story while on the road and visiting with family. It wasn't easy, and I feel like I copped out this round, but I did give it my best and I am proud of what I wrote. I just wish I'd had more time to myself this last week.
But yeah. Now isn't the time to get disgruntled.
Chester Pane
from Portland, Oregon is reading The Brief and Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot DiazApril 16, 2012 - 11:14am
Yeah, the final four is just around the bend.
Just think, too, how motivational it has been for the writing.
I am curious to see how many published stories this thing yields.
We should compile a list as time goes on.
Profunda Saint-...
from Calgary, AB is reading Hitchiker's Guide to the Galaxy SeriesApril 16, 2012 - 11:58am
Hmmm, someone found out about my winner kidnapping ring.... I'm going to have to up security at the rape dungeon.
Richard
from St. Louis is reading various anthologiesApril 16, 2012 - 1:48pm
^good idea, chester. we should put together a list of where all of these stories end up. i even suggested to Utah that LR should publish an anthology, but, that may be too much.
both of my stories from the first two rounds of the competition have been accepted for publication, btw, and my other WAR story vs. LK, too.
Chester Pane
from Portland, Oregon is reading The Brief and Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot DiazApril 16, 2012 - 1:56pm
Yeah, I have heard here and there of stories being published--a surprising number. I was surprised my second round story (only the second thing I will ever have published!) found a home so fast--and that is a direct result of WAR. I think that story was born thanks to WAR. Not only that, but it has been chosen as the inaugural story to kick off the very first week of Phantasmagorium.
I think Danny has some and Nikki and you....who else?
That would be awesome--a WAR anthology.
wickedvoodoo
from Mansfield, England is reading stuff.April 16, 2012 - 2:30pm
Well my first round story is likely going to end up in the same publication as Richards Beyond Thunderdome story, in a project we have planned for Solarcide this summer. Thats going to be a lot of fun.
My round two story is going to be in issue two of Danny's Surreal Grotesque project, alongside, I believe, Carlton Mellick and Nik Korpon.
Round three story - who knows? I will be looking for a home for it as soon as the vote is finished.
Richard
from St. Louis is reading various anthologiesApril 16, 2012 - 7:07pm
^looks like we'll be sharing some space, VooDoo
wickedvoodoo
from Mansfield, England is reading stuff.April 16, 2012 - 8:21pm
@ Richard - I very much look forward to it. Between the various projects people have going on, there might be two or three spaces we end up sharing. Very cool.
avery of the dead
from Kentucky is reading Cipher SistersApril 17, 2012 - 9:45am
I am so nervous about these polls! It is still anyone's game. Everyone wrote truly wonderful stories.
Ice cream for EVERYONE!
Chester Pane
from Portland, Oregon is reading The Brief and Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot DiazApril 17, 2012 - 12:17pm
Eye cream for everyone!
I cream for everyone!
Yeah, I think voters are taking their time now that there are fewer stories too, so we could see some swinging back-and-forth going on, like we have already experienced.
Don't get too comfortable soldiers lest you wake up with a bomb between your legs.
Profunda Saint-...
from Calgary, AB is reading Hitchiker's Guide to the Galaxy SeriesApril 19, 2012 - 8:55pm
OH NOES! My temporary membership expired. Can't vote! :'(
avery of the dead
from Kentucky is reading Cipher SistersApril 20, 2012 - 4:55am
(Un)Official Announcement:
Polls will be closing tomorrow night! 9pm CST! If you plan to vote, do it before then!!!
Prompts* for out beautiful winners will drop Sunday at 10am CST.
*I don't know what they are yet - sigh.
Richard
from St. Louis is reading various anthologiesApril 20, 2012 - 6:37am
^maybe photo prompts?
closure
from Australia is reading The Ghormenghast Trilogy, by Mervyn PeakeApril 20, 2012 - 9:30am
Matchups 1, 2, and 3 have around 20/21 votes each, Matchup 4 has only 16.
Bumped everything. Voted on my all around fave for the round. Going to bed!
aliensoul77
from a cold distant star is reading the writing on the wall.April 20, 2012 - 11:37am
This contest is like taking a college course, its 10 weeks of torture lol
Good luck winners.
Bekanator
from Kamloops, British Columbia is reading Ugly Girls by Lindsay HunterApril 20, 2012 - 11:46am
^ No wonder I've been feeling like it's four years ago!
Chester Pane
from Portland, Oregon is reading The Brief and Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot DiazApril 20, 2012 - 11:56am
I have a final four prediction. I am sending it only to Avery.
avery of the dead
from Kentucky is reading Cipher SistersApril 20, 2012 - 5:30pm
If anyone wondered - Chester was wrong.
So far, no one has been very good at guessing. So I hope you are all freaked out when you see the results.
Chester Pane
from Portland, Oregon is reading The Brief and Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot DiazApril 20, 2012 - 5:35pm
Like I always say, I usually am.
avery of the dead
from Kentucky is reading Cipher SistersApril 20, 2012 - 5:43pm
Well, Utah was also wrong.
Chester Pane
from Portland, Oregon is reading The Brief and Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot DiazApril 20, 2012 - 5:53pm
Partially wrong. There are gradations of wrongness.
avery of the dead
from Kentucky is reading Cipher SistersApril 20, 2012 - 5:55pm
WRONG!
Chester Pane
from Portland, Oregon is reading The Brief and Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot DiazApril 20, 2012 - 5:55pm
Also, did anyone else find this comment to be curious:
Not a huge fan of SF, although I did grow up reading Heinlein and Bradbury.
avery of the dead
from Kentucky is reading Cipher SistersApril 20, 2012 - 5:59pm
I did.
Maybe not the same way you did.
aliensoul77
from a cold distant star is reading the writing on the wall.April 20, 2012 - 6:05pm
What avery isnt telling you is that there is a bonus round where 8 losers are coming back in round 4 and team up with the winners to run a website or they get voted off the island.
Bekanator
from Kamloops, British Columbia is reading Ugly Girls by Lindsay HunterApril 20, 2012 - 6:52pm
What island? Since when was there an island?!
Chester Pane
from Portland, Oregon is reading The Brief and Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot DiazApril 20, 2012 - 7:00pm
Okay.
So what if I were to tell everyone what I REALLY think?
Right here. Right now?
I don't have any idea who wrote what.
I still think Richard was misdirecting us.
avery of the dead
from Kentucky is reading Cipher SistersApril 20, 2012 - 7:03pm
Oh. I think you were just looking too hard at that comment.
Chester Pane
from Portland, Oregon is reading The Brief and Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot DiazApril 20, 2012 - 7:05pm
Wrong answer.
Richard doesn't say shit like that for no reason.
avery of the dead
from Kentucky is reading Cipher SistersApril 20, 2012 - 7:10pm
Well. I cannot say anymore without revealing what I know. And I know very very little.
wickedvoodoo
from Mansfield, England is reading stuff.April 20, 2012 - 9:58pm
Well I know which story is Richard's.
Other than our match-up though, I have only half-cooked guesses as to who wrote what. It will be very interesting to find out.
voodoo_em
from England is reading All the books by Ira LevinApril 21, 2012 - 5:48am
I have "clue-style" appointed an author to each story but am quite looking forward to being proven wrong. While there is satisfaction in being right, I also enjoy the "damn, didn't see that coming" moment of realization when I'm wrong.
Americantypo
from Philadelphia is reading The Bone ClocksApril 21, 2012 - 10:44am
I just submitted Executioner's Son to Shimmer. They like all the stuff I send them but so far none of it has been a good fit (which I can only say with sincerity based on personal rejection letters with specific reasons as to why what I wrote wasn't what they were looking for). FINALLY, I read an issue, which I rarely do, and I have a weird feeling, gut instinct I guess, that Executioner's Son will get accepted by them. But we'll see.
Did I just fucking jinx myself? Arrrghgghghgh!
Richard
from St. Louis is reading various anthologiesApril 21, 2012 - 11:06am
^good luck, AT. i've been trying to get into Shimmer forever. just got a really nice rejection today from them. so close.
Richard
from St. Louis is reading various anthologiesApril 21, 2012 - 11:10am
man, these are all really close. one tied, two up by one, one up by four. we need to get the full 22 votes on all of these. or MORE. hoping people have time to read and vote. it's a shame that several of our temporary pass holders had their time expire. i didn't expect 32 votes, but, we're obviously missing some of them.
Richard
from St. Louis is reading various anthologiesApril 21, 2012 - 11:12am
oh, and what if we have a tie (or several ties) at 10 pm tonight?
Americantypo
from Philadelphia is reading The Bone ClocksApril 21, 2012 - 11:17am
@Richard- they DO write very nice rejection letters don't they?
Bekanator
from Kamloops, British Columbia is reading Ugly Girls by Lindsay HunterApril 21, 2012 - 11:48am
I actually had a dream the other night about a brilliant solution of what to do in the case of a tie, but then I didn't write it down after waking up and I forgot what it was...
avery of the dead
from Kentucky is reading Cipher SistersApril 21, 2012 - 12:14pm
I'll worry about the tie breaking. You guys just...do...something else. I don't know what.
Polls close at 9pm CST.
Because I say so.
Bekanator
from Kamloops, British Columbia is reading Ugly Girls by Lindsay HunterApril 21, 2012 - 12:22pm
@Bill - I like hearing that people are sending out WAR stories. I haven't sent anything out this year, but hearing of the success from a lot of you is making me delve into it again. I'm working on Blue Hawaii right now. I'll probably send it out tonight.
Richard
from St. Louis is reading various anthologiesApril 21, 2012 - 12:38pm
@AT, i've gotten a lot, a wide variety of forms, personal notes, and everything in between.
@avery - no YOU do something else. sorry. tense.
@bek - for sure you need to be sending out your work. you're one of the most talented people here. "Blue Hawaii" was my favorite story that round. let me know if you need any help. Duotrope of course, and you know i have a column up here and also a long list at my blog. if you need links, just speak up.
wickedvoodoo
from Mansfield, England is reading stuff.April 21, 2012 - 12:48pm
You know how much it sucks to have to wait until two in the morning (real time) for your guys' clocks to catch up?
Bekanator
from Kamloops, British Columbia is reading Ugly Girls by Lindsay HunterApril 21, 2012 - 12:52pm
@Richard - I'm probably going to send it off to L'Allure des Mots for their summer issue. I had a story published there last year. It's not a big magazine by any means, but I really love the themes they have going with their magazine.
I'll definately take you up on your offer for some of my other pieces, though. I haven't yet found other magazines that really "speak for my work", if you will. That's the hardest part of submitting, is finding the fucking right place.
wickedvoodoo
from Mansfield, England is reading stuff.April 21, 2012 - 1:00pm
@ Beka. Agreed. I'm not so keen on sending out simultaneous subs, I prefer to send stuff to one place at a time, but I take a fair while beforehand choosing which ones to send each story to. It makes the process slower, but means I can be slightly more confident about my chances.
Bekanator
from Kamloops, British Columbia is reading Ugly Girls by Lindsay HunterApril 21, 2012 - 1:03pm
I shoot for my "ideal" places first, one at a time if their response is quick. After I get rejected, then I usually compile five or so magazines and send them out. I haven't done a whole lot of submitting. I only really seriously started last year, but I'm trying to amp up my story selection so I'll have more to work with. WAR's been pretty good for doing that.
Richard
from St. Louis is reading various anthologiesApril 21, 2012 - 1:05pm
^for sure, bek. did you read my column on voice? i'm sure you probably have a pretty good idea about what you are writing, how to define it, but just in case.
based on the website at LADM, mabye try Vain, Camera Obscura, Canteen, Fence, Midwestern Gothic, Polluto, Annalemma. just some ideas off the top of my head.
wickedvoodoo
from Mansfield, England is reading stuff.April 21, 2012 - 1:17pm
That article was fookin awesome.
Richard
from St. Louis is reading various anthologiesApril 21, 2012 - 1:54pm
^thanks, bro. it's tough to nail down exactly what you do, especially if it's constantly changing and evolving. i'd never heard the term "grotesque" until a few months ago, now i use it all the time, often to refer to my own work. same thing for "transgressive" a few years ago, didn't know what that mean. even "neo-noir" was a term i only heard about five years ago.
wickedvoodoo
from Mansfield, England is reading stuff.April 21, 2012 - 2:17pm
Yeah, weird thing is, as much as I liked that article I never really did it myself. I can't. I have never cared for writing with one 'voice' even though I totally hear you on why it is a good thing to do so.
Writing in different styles and genres is what stops me getting jaded I think. I want to get to the point where I can write any of the genres I am a fan of comfortably. So when I have a range of transgressive/noir/sci-fi/horror/bizarro/fantansy stories under my belt, maybe then I'll finally know which I like best. Ha.
I usually try not to write the same style twice in a row, I switch back and forth. It's just more fun for me that way.
yeah, exhausted. it's like after each round i keep telling myself, "okay, you need to ratchet this up a notch." not sure how many notches i've got left it the old kit bag. i'm just going whole hog and praying i squeak past. tough battles this week, i'm sure, for everyone.
Didn't help that I wrote my story while on the road and visiting with family. It wasn't easy, and I feel like I copped out this round, but I did give it my best and I am proud of what I wrote. I just wish I'd had more time to myself this last week.
But yeah. Now isn't the time to get disgruntled.
Yeah, the final four is just around the bend.
Just think, too, how motivational it has been for the writing.
I am curious to see how many published stories this thing yields.
We should compile a list as time goes on.
Hmmm, someone found out about my winner kidnapping ring.... I'm going to have to up security at the rape dungeon.
^good idea, chester. we should put together a list of where all of these stories end up. i even suggested to Utah that LR should publish an anthology, but, that may be too much.
both of my stories from the first two rounds of the competition have been accepted for publication, btw, and my other WAR story vs. LK, too.
Yeah, I have heard here and there of stories being published--a surprising number. I was surprised my second round story (only the second thing I will ever have published!) found a home so fast--and that is a direct result of WAR. I think that story was born thanks to WAR. Not only that, but it has been chosen as the inaugural story to kick off the very first week of Phantasmagorium.
I think Danny has some and Nikki and you....who else?
That would be awesome--a WAR anthology.
Well my first round story is likely going to end up in the same publication as Richards Beyond Thunderdome story, in a project we have planned for Solarcide this summer. Thats going to be a lot of fun.
My round two story is going to be in issue two of Danny's Surreal Grotesque project, alongside, I believe, Carlton Mellick and Nik Korpon.
Round three story - who knows? I will be looking for a home for it as soon as the vote is finished.
^looks like we'll be sharing some space, VooDoo
@ Richard - I very much look forward to it. Between the various projects people have going on, there might be two or three spaces we end up sharing. Very cool.
I am so nervous about these polls! It is still anyone's game. Everyone wrote truly wonderful stories.
Ice cream for EVERYONE!
Eye cream for everyone!
I cream for everyone!
Yeah, I think voters are taking their time now that there are fewer stories too, so we could see some swinging back-and-forth going on, like we have already experienced.
Don't get too comfortable soldiers lest you wake up with a bomb between your legs.
OH NOES! My temporary membership expired. Can't vote! :'(
(Un)Official Announcement:
Polls will be closing tomorrow night! 9pm CST! If you plan to vote, do it before then!!!
Prompts* for out beautiful winners will drop Sunday at 10am CST.
*I don't know what they are yet - sigh.
^maybe photo prompts?
Matchups 1, 2, and 3 have around 20/21 votes each, Matchup 4 has only 16.
Bumped everything. Voted on my all around fave for the round. Going to bed!
This contest is like taking a college course, its 10 weeks of torture lol
Good luck winners.
^ No wonder I've been feeling like it's four years ago!
I have a final four prediction. I am sending it only to Avery.
If anyone wondered - Chester was wrong.
So far, no one has been very good at guessing. So I hope you are all freaked out when you see the results.
Like I always say, I usually am.
Well, Utah was also wrong.
Partially wrong. There are gradations of wrongness.
WRONG!
Also, did anyone else find this comment to be curious:
I did.
Maybe not the same way you did.
What avery isnt telling you is that there is a bonus round where 8 losers are coming back in round 4 and team up with the winners to run a website or they get voted off the island.
What island? Since when was there an island?!
Okay.
So what if I were to tell everyone what I REALLY think?
Right here. Right now?
I don't have any idea who wrote what.
I still think Richard was misdirecting us.
Oh. I think you were just looking too hard at that comment.
Wrong answer.
Richard doesn't say shit like that for no reason.
Well. I cannot say anymore without revealing what I know. And I know very very little.
Well I know which story is Richard's.
Other than our match-up though, I have only half-cooked guesses as to who wrote what. It will be very interesting to find out.
I have "clue-style" appointed an author to each story but am quite looking forward to being proven wrong. While there is satisfaction in being right, I also enjoy the "damn, didn't see that coming" moment of realization when I'm wrong.
I just submitted Executioner's Son to Shimmer. They like all the stuff I send them but so far none of it has been a good fit (which I can only say with sincerity based on personal rejection letters with specific reasons as to why what I wrote wasn't what they were looking for). FINALLY, I read an issue, which I rarely do, and I have a weird feeling, gut instinct I guess, that Executioner's Son will get accepted by them. But we'll see.
Did I just fucking jinx myself? Arrrghgghghgh!
^good luck, AT. i've been trying to get into Shimmer forever. just got a really nice rejection today from them. so close.
man, these are all really close. one tied, two up by one, one up by four. we need to get the full 22 votes on all of these. or MORE. hoping people have time to read and vote. it's a shame that several of our temporary pass holders had their time expire. i didn't expect 32 votes, but, we're obviously missing some of them.
oh, and what if we have a tie (or several ties) at 10 pm tonight?
@Richard- they DO write very nice rejection letters don't they?
I actually had a dream the other night about a brilliant solution of what to do in the case of a tie, but then I didn't write it down after waking up and I forgot what it was...
I'll worry about the tie breaking. You guys just...do...something else. I don't know what.
Polls close at 9pm CST.
Because I say so.
@Bill - I like hearing that people are sending out WAR stories. I haven't sent anything out this year, but hearing of the success from a lot of you is making me delve into it again. I'm working on Blue Hawaii right now. I'll probably send it out tonight.
@AT, i've gotten a lot, a wide variety of forms, personal notes, and everything in between.
@avery - no YOU do something else. sorry. tense.
@bek - for sure you need to be sending out your work. you're one of the most talented people here. "Blue Hawaii" was my favorite story that round. let me know if you need any help. Duotrope of course, and you know i have a column up here and also a long list at my blog. if you need links, just speak up.
You know how much it sucks to have to wait until two in the morning (real time) for your guys' clocks to catch up?
@Richard - I'm probably going to send it off to L'Allure des Mots for their summer issue. I had a story published there last year. It's not a big magazine by any means, but I really love the themes they have going with their magazine.
I'll definately take you up on your offer for some of my other pieces, though. I haven't yet found other magazines that really "speak for my work", if you will. That's the hardest part of submitting, is finding the fucking right place.
@ Beka. Agreed. I'm not so keen on sending out simultaneous subs, I prefer to send stuff to one place at a time, but I take a fair while beforehand choosing which ones to send each story to. It makes the process slower, but means I can be slightly more confident about my chances.
I shoot for my "ideal" places first, one at a time if their response is quick. After I get rejected, then I usually compile five or so magazines and send them out. I haven't done a whole lot of submitting. I only really seriously started last year, but I'm trying to amp up my story selection so I'll have more to work with. WAR's been pretty good for doing that.
^for sure, bek. did you read my column on voice? i'm sure you probably have a pretty good idea about what you are writing, how to define it, but just in case.
http://litreactor.com/columns/storyville-finding-your-voice
based on the website at LADM, mabye try Vain, Camera Obscura, Canteen, Fence, Midwestern Gothic, Polluto, Annalemma. just some ideas off the top of my head.
That article was fookin awesome.
^thanks, bro. it's tough to nail down exactly what you do, especially if it's constantly changing and evolving. i'd never heard the term "grotesque" until a few months ago, now i use it all the time, often to refer to my own work. same thing for "transgressive" a few years ago, didn't know what that mean. even "neo-noir" was a term i only heard about five years ago.
FYI:
Grotesque: http://www.en.utexas.edu/amlit/amlitprivate/scans/grotesque.html
Transgressive: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transgressive_fiction
Neo-noir: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neo-noir
Yeah, weird thing is, as much as I liked that article I never really did it myself. I can't. I have never cared for writing with one 'voice' even though I totally hear you on why it is a good thing to do so.
Writing in different styles and genres is what stops me getting jaded I think. I want to get to the point where I can write any of the genres I am a fan of comfortably. So when I have a range of transgressive/noir/sci-fi/horror/bizarro/fantansy stories under my belt, maybe then I'll finally know which I like best. Ha.
I usually try not to write the same style twice in a row, I switch back and forth. It's just more fun for me that way.
Maybe that's my voice. Confused ecclecticism.