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 DigestMarch 19, 2012 - 9:07pm
@Bill: Very well put.
Liana
from Romania and Texas is reading Naked LunchMarch 19, 2012 - 9:26pm
It seems I'm voting against the grain. Well, someone needs to love the underdogs.
As for the prompt issue, I do think it's too late to establish more rules at this point so it's fine to leave prompts slightly more open to interpretation.
Americantypo
from Philadelphia is reading The Bone ClocksMarch 19, 2012 - 9:30pm
@Liana- there were a couple of votes I had as well that were "underdogs". Funny how that works. I guess it really is anyone's game at the end of the day when it comes to a reader's sensibilities.
manda lynn
from Ohio is reading Of Love and Other Demons (again)March 19, 2012 - 9:39pm
yeah, i don't want to know before i vote which one (if any) is leading. i like to wait to see after - it's been a surprise for me several times.
Richard
from St. Louis is reading various anthologiesMarch 19, 2012 - 10:17pm
and that's the cool thing. i mean, nobody is losing 20-0 here, so the really eye-opening aspect of this competition is that ALL of us have "lost" a couple times, right? if you're winning 12-8, that still means you've lost 8 times. you've just won more than you've lost. it should keep us all humble. it actually helps me to see how editors must feel, and how accepting stories is all so subjective. very cool.
Flaminia Ferina
from Umbria is reading stuffMarch 20, 2012 - 5:08am
Interesting discussion indeed.
@Typo's intervention is rather complete.
I decided to do this in order to give myself a kick in the ass and produce some stories, not because I wanted a bunch of homework.
I am totally with this with regards to my take on the competition. Point is, each one of us experiences it in their own personal way. We're all here for different reasons, and as long as we're getting to our goal it's fine.
Like Richard is seeing this from an editor's point of view, me, I really need a deadline sometimes to produce something new and I just need to improve so I want to produce, produce, produce. That, and I love fighting, bullying and bragging. And insulting. In other words, friendly competition, where there's always something to learn.
Maybe someone is here just for the win, and would summon any kind of sorcery in function of that .That's also fine with me, hell, it makes things spicy and wtf-ish. It's really your business what you get from this.
Was the scroll bar always there by the way? ------------------------------------------------------------------->
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 DigestMarch 20, 2012 - 5:10am
Ran out of bumping time...
Fritz
March 20, 2012 - 5:28am
I second Richard. This competition lets you know that we all need to work on 'bringin the thunda' when we r out submitting because there are a lot of talented people out there.
Bekanator
from Kamloops, British Columbia is reading Ugly Girls by Lindsay HunterMarch 20, 2012 - 5:31am
I wanted to do this mainly to throw my writing out there. I get really cocky about my work at times, and I thought it would be a nice exercise to duke it out with other writers, and to write with the restriction of a prompt for once, get out of my comfort zone, force myself to keep writing even after the story has become one that I'm not used to telling. Thus far, it's been a pretty great experience.
Of course, at times I think it would be really fucking great to have a hundred bucks off a writing course. I don't expect to win, but seeing the competition now, anybody could take this. Just imagine what these stories would be like if we had time to workshop and perfect them a bit more.
Moderator
Utah
from Fort Worth, TX is reading Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtryMarch 20, 2012 - 5:45am
Wow, this is awesome. You guys are voting like crazy! Good turnout, guys.
Some of these races are very close! I see one in there that's sitting at 14-15. Amazing. I love some of these races not being so clear-cut. As I am seeing some of them so close, and as I do know every story/author matchup, I am going to withold my vote for at least this round to serve as a tie-breaker in the event some of these are still uncertain come next Sunday.
And I will tell you, without giving names or stories, that there are some Cinderella writers pulling some pretty surprising upsets this round. I can't wait for Sunday!
Covewriter
from Nashville, Tennessee is reading & SonsMarch 20, 2012 - 5:47am
Ran out of bumping time...
What does that mean exactly? I keep seeing the word "bump" and not sure what it means in relation to War. (Newbie still! )
As far as the competition, it's been great! A deadline, some competition and a somewhat narrow topic to write about is exactly what I need to make myself work. Plus I've loved reading all the stories.
Moderator
Utah
from Fort Worth, TX is reading Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtryMarch 20, 2012 - 5:49am
Cove, if you notice when you post in a thread, it "bumps" that thread to the top of the list on the main thread page. So when you post, it keeps that thread in front of everybody.
Richard
from St. Louis is reading various anthologiesMarch 20, 2012 - 6:08am
i also need the deadline to push me to write. and i like the personal challenge. this is HARD, but i didn't expect it to be easy.
avery of the dead
from Kentucky is reading Cipher SistersMarch 20, 2012 - 6:15am
I'm such an idiot. So, before you vote, you can view the results, and then still go back and vote?? I had no idea.
I love using a prompt. It makes me think about things in a different way. And a deadline forces me to take action. I sort of need someone to follow me around and scream, "Write about a dolphin with food poisoning by Friday!!"
I think that would help me. Anyone want that job?
Moderator
Utah
from Fort Worth, TX is reading Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtryMarch 20, 2012 - 6:19am
I didn't know that either until Dakota pointed out that there is a "results" button at the top of the poll. I'd recommend not using it before you vote, so it doesn't skew your take on the stories. But it is there.
Grigori Black
from US is reading Radium Girls by Amanda GowinMarch 20, 2012 - 6:22am
@Avery
WRITE ABOUT A DOLPHIN WITH FOOD POISONING BY FRIDAY!
Somehow I just don't think that it's effective this way.
Flaminia Ferina
from Umbria is reading stuffMarch 20, 2012 - 6:23am
Yeah, I don't check the results before voting, cause I really hooked on that "Cool! I've given illusions to another minority!" feeling.
avery of the dead
from Kentucky is reading Cipher SistersMarch 20, 2012 - 6:26am
@ Grigori - If I did, do you think I could sell the movie rights to Disney?
An inspiring story about a dolphin that defied all the odds..,
Americantypo
from Philadelphia is reading The Bone ClocksMarch 20, 2012 - 6:31am
I agree with not seeing the results prior to voting. Some people might be tempted to give the underdog a nudge.
So far it looks like it's still anyone's game. How many voters are there exactly?
manda lynn
from Ohio is reading Of Love and Other Demons (again)March 20, 2012 - 6:41am
that's what i think, don't look til after - and Utah, VOTE! vote what you want right now, if you're the deciding tiebreaker for all battles that would make you God. tiebreakers should be dealt with IF they pop up at the end. still a lot of time to go..... ;)
avery of the dead
from Kentucky is reading Cipher SistersMarch 20, 2012 - 6:42am
There were 32 participants, so i suppose there should be 32 voters. Also, other workshop members are allowed to vote I assume - although I don't know that. I mean I know they can. But does anyone care if they do?
manda lynn
from Ohio is reading Of Love and Other Demons (again)March 20, 2012 - 6:48am
what do you mean, it shouldn't matter if people not in the battles vote? i think it matters, reading eyes are valuable whether they're on the competition list. i mean, they have at least as much if not more importance in the voting than i do, i'm not a workshopper here and i still get to vote. as many reads as possible, as many varied opinions as possible. then afterwards those same people can help you shred and re-build these stories in the workshop....
avery of the dead
from Kentucky is reading Cipher SistersMarch 20, 2012 - 6:52am
No. I just meant that we can't say for certain that we will have X number of votes, because anyone who is in the workshop can vote.
I would certainly encourage anyone who can vote to vote.
manda lynn
from Ohio is reading Of Love and Other Demons (again)March 20, 2012 - 7:00am
totally didn't read that in conjunction with the comment above it, sorry.
COMPLETELY misunderstood. now feel silly and mean :(
back to reading...
avery of the dead
from Kentucky is reading Cipher SistersMarch 20, 2012 - 7:24am
You're fine. I said it wonky. You aren't mean! :)
Grigori Black
from US is reading Radium Girls by Amanda GowinMarch 20, 2012 - 8:02am
@Avery
An inspiring story about a dolphin that defied all the odds..,
And wound up getting canned.
manda lynn
from Ohio is reading Of Love and Other Demons (again)March 20, 2012 - 8:56am
this was harder than i thought it would be. only a couple matches turned out to be slam dunks, most seemed pretty evenly matched.
Liana
from Romania and Texas is reading Naked LunchMarch 20, 2012 - 9:09am
I think I spotted a story that was written before the competition because I remember commenting on it. Sorry author of that story, I voted for the other one.
I didn't want to look at the votes before voting for any of the stories. After I finished reading all the stories, I looked at where my story was standing.
So yeah, now I read all the stories and I can say that there are about 5 favorites for me. I really want to know who wrote those.
manda lynn
from Ohio is reading Of Love and Other Demons (again)March 20, 2012 - 9:22am
yeah, i can't wait to find out who did 'em. i have three favorites, but i know who one was because it was my competition...
p.s. going back and looking at the polls, i like the way this is turning out, because tastes are so obviously varied, and that's good. like the 'slam dunks' (in my opinion) are pretty even in voting, and the ones i had trouble choosing between seem to have larger gaps.
avery of the dead
from Kentucky is reading Cipher SistersMarch 20, 2012 - 9:26am
I can't wait to be allowed to talk about these stories!! It's been hard for me to keep my lips zipped about all these great things.
manda lynn
from Ohio is reading Of Love and Other Demons (again)March 20, 2012 - 9:31am
i know!! i'm ready for discussion and hand-shaking and "sorry i underestimated you"s! i also want closure to be my new best friend but he won't reveal any knowledge about himself so i sense that he might not be ready to hang out with me.
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 DigestMarch 20, 2012 - 9:37am
I haven't seen my competitor on the forums either.
Liana
from Romania and Texas is reading Naked LunchMarch 20, 2012 - 9:39am
Americantypo and I already shook hands, so there!
SConley
from Texas is reading Coin Locker BabiesMarch 20, 2012 - 9:45am
I'll be honest, straying from the prompt too much swayed me away from one story and towards the other. Just sayin'.
avery of the dead
from Kentucky is reading Cipher SistersMarch 20, 2012 - 9:46am
Yeah, I had to message Clint and call him names for writing such an awesome story. I'm very impressed with what he put together.
There are still a few stories I haven't guessed at and i want to know who wrote them so I can harass them about how cool they are. You people have no idea the depths of my geeky writer-ness. I want to talk about it!!!!!!
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 DigestMarch 20, 2012 - 9:48am
I'm with ya Doll. I wanna know who wrote what. There are some really awesome stories here.
Jose F. Diaz
from Boston is reading Wolf Hall by Hilary MantelMarch 20, 2012 - 10:29am
This is how I put a positive spin on my loss.
If we both put our stories out at the same time he would get 85% of the people to buy his book and I would get the remainder. That means if we were to market our books throughout the world I would get around one billion people to buy my work. At ten cents per story that would come out to one hundred million dollars. I may not have won the war, but I am not going to starve and I will have entertained a few people.
Mission accomplished.
And that my friends is how you turn a frown upside down staple it, use duck tape, and a few screws to ensure it stays in place.
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 DigestMarch 20, 2012 - 10:43am
Nice spin Joe. Good positive outlook.
Nikki Guerlain
from Portlandia
March 20, 2012 - 11:55am
yeah, i'm totally getting spanked but have already sent my work out to people conducive to my kind of thing. it's all good.
Nikki Guerlain
from Portlandia
March 20, 2012 - 11:59am
that said, i think that the writer who wrote the walking on water should at the very least send that piece to thunderdomemag.com (site got a reboot) and tell them when you submit it that nikki guerlain liked it and suggested to send it in. :-) it's like the only piece that really called to me.
Chester Pane
from Portland, Oregon is reading The Brief and Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot DiazMarch 20, 2012 - 11:57am
yeah, i'm totally getting spanked
Pictures?
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 DigestMarch 20, 2012 - 11:58am
Yeah. Walking on water is really good.
Nikki Guerlain
from Portlandia
March 20, 2012 - 12:01pm
heh heh @chestie. i would but i'm helping another writer with his story and i don't think he's the spanking type. but maybe later!
Laramore Black
from Joplin, Missouri is reading Mario Kart 8March 20, 2012 - 12:06pm
Congrats to my opponent. I actually raced to make the deadline, there was probably 800-900 words on paper and I planned to work on it all weekend, but kept getting dragged to pubs. (Turned 21 and Saint Patty's all in one week!) Being all lazy I didn't expect to win much, but figured racing the clock was better than not showing up at all. Of course there is that slim chance that the remaining people will vote in my favor, but they'd be silly to. You can tell Voodoo_em really put in the work and time on her piece. Good luck to everyone else!
I'm very happy with my premise though, it's a story I'll work on, that's for sure.
Fritz
March 20, 2012 - 1:29pm
Is it bad that when I first saw this I related a little too much with this guy?
Ha.
avery of the dead
from Kentucky is reading Cipher SistersMarch 20, 2012 - 2:08pm
So, would it be better to let your hate build over the years, or just let it form quickly all at once?
Fritz
March 20, 2012 - 2:40pm
Slower takes deeper root. Fast just leaves u feeling kinda embarrassed
Profunda Saint-...
from Calgary, AB is reading Hitchiker's Guide to the Galaxy SeriesMarch 20, 2012 - 3:37pm
Holy shit, just finished reading/voting on all of them (except overall best. Srsly? I can't decide!). Really awesome stories, amazing how different each one is even with the same prompt. Y'all are good.
I just read mine out of curiosity, and realized I sent in my first draft by mistake. Durrrrrp. Ah well, I had a shit ton of codeine in my system when I emailed that. Such is life.
Thanks Chester for making it possible for me to read and vote, that was way more fun than actually doing whatever it is I'm supposed to be doing at work.
Seriously, whomever wins deserves it. Much talent in these parts.
aliensoul77
from a cold distant star is reading the writing on the wall.March 20, 2012 - 3:38pm
Its like my story, I prefer the 30 year long revenge method.
Chester Pane
from Portland, Oregon is reading The Brief and Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot DiazMarch 20, 2012 - 4:18pm
You are very welcome Fist Kitten. Just mail some of that T3 and we'll call it steven.
@Bill: Very well put.
It seems I'm voting against the grain. Well, someone needs to love the underdogs.
As for the prompt issue, I do think it's too late to establish more rules at this point so it's fine to leave prompts slightly more open to interpretation.
@Liana- there were a couple of votes I had as well that were "underdogs". Funny how that works. I guess it really is anyone's game at the end of the day when it comes to a reader's sensibilities.
yeah, i don't want to know before i vote which one (if any) is leading. i like to wait to see after - it's been a surprise for me several times.
and that's the cool thing. i mean, nobody is losing 20-0 here, so the really eye-opening aspect of this competition is that ALL of us have "lost" a couple times, right? if you're winning 12-8, that still means you've lost 8 times. you've just won more than you've lost. it should keep us all humble. it actually helps me to see how editors must feel, and how accepting stories is all so subjective. very cool.
Interesting discussion indeed.
@Typo's intervention is rather complete.
I am totally with this with regards to my take on the competition. Point is, each one of us experiences it in their own personal way. We're all here for different reasons, and as long as we're getting to our goal it's fine.
Like Richard is seeing this from an editor's point of view, me, I really need a deadline sometimes to produce something new and I just need to improve so I want to produce, produce, produce. That, and I love fighting, bullying and bragging. And insulting. In other words, friendly competition, where there's always something to learn.
Maybe someone is here just for the win, and would summon any kind of sorcery in function of that .That's also fine with me, hell, it makes things spicy and wtf-ish. It's really your business what you get from this.
Was the scroll bar always there by the way? ------------------------------------------------------------------->
Ran out of bumping time...
I second Richard. This competition lets you know that we all need to work on 'bringin the thunda' when we r out submitting because there are a lot of talented people out there.
I wanted to do this mainly to throw my writing out there. I get really cocky about my work at times, and I thought it would be a nice exercise to duke it out with other writers, and to write with the restriction of a prompt for once, get out of my comfort zone, force myself to keep writing even after the story has become one that I'm not used to telling. Thus far, it's been a pretty great experience.
Of course, at times I think it would be really fucking great to have a hundred bucks off a writing course. I don't expect to win, but seeing the competition now, anybody could take this. Just imagine what these stories would be like if we had time to workshop and perfect them a bit more.
Wow, this is awesome. You guys are voting like crazy! Good turnout, guys.
Some of these races are very close! I see one in there that's sitting at 14-15. Amazing. I love some of these races not being so clear-cut. As I am seeing some of them so close, and as I do know every story/author matchup, I am going to withold my vote for at least this round to serve as a tie-breaker in the event some of these are still uncertain come next Sunday.
And I will tell you, without giving names or stories, that there are some Cinderella writers pulling some pretty surprising upsets this round. I can't wait for Sunday!
Cove, if you notice when you post in a thread, it "bumps" that thread to the top of the list on the main thread page. So when you post, it keeps that thread in front of everybody.
i also need the deadline to push me to write. and i like the personal challenge. this is HARD, but i didn't expect it to be easy.
I'm such an idiot. So, before you vote, you can view the results, and then still go back and vote?? I had no idea.
I love using a prompt. It makes me think about things in a different way. And a deadline forces me to take action. I sort of need someone to follow me around and scream, "Write about a dolphin with food poisoning by Friday!!"
I think that would help me. Anyone want that job?
I didn't know that either until Dakota pointed out that there is a "results" button at the top of the poll. I'd recommend not using it before you vote, so it doesn't skew your take on the stories. But it is there.
@Avery
WRITE ABOUT A DOLPHIN WITH FOOD POISONING BY FRIDAY!
Somehow I just don't think that it's effective this way.
Yeah, I don't check the results before voting, cause I really hooked on that "Cool! I've given illusions to another minority!" feeling.
@ Grigori - If I did, do you think I could sell the movie rights to Disney?
An inspiring story about a dolphin that defied all the odds..,
I agree with not seeing the results prior to voting. Some people might be tempted to give the underdog a nudge.
So far it looks like it's still anyone's game. How many voters are there exactly?
that's what i think, don't look til after - and Utah, VOTE! vote what you want right now, if you're the deciding tiebreaker for all battles that would make you God. tiebreakers should be dealt with IF they pop up at the end. still a lot of time to go..... ;)
There were 32 participants, so i suppose there should be 32 voters. Also, other workshop members are allowed to vote I assume - although I don't know that. I mean I know they can. But does anyone care if they do?
what do you mean, it shouldn't matter if people not in the battles vote? i think it matters, reading eyes are valuable whether they're on the competition list. i mean, they have at least as much if not more importance in the voting than i do, i'm not a workshopper here and i still get to vote. as many reads as possible, as many varied opinions as possible. then afterwards those same people can help you shred and re-build these stories in the workshop....
No. I just meant that we can't say for certain that we will have X number of votes, because anyone who is in the workshop can vote.
I would certainly encourage anyone who can vote to vote.
totally didn't read that in conjunction with the comment above it, sorry.
COMPLETELY misunderstood. now feel silly and mean :(
back to reading...
You're fine. I said it wonky. You aren't mean! :)
@Avery
this was harder than i thought it would be. only a couple matches turned out to be slam dunks, most seemed pretty evenly matched.
I think I spotted a story that was written before the competition because I remember commenting on it. Sorry author of that story, I voted for the other one.
I didn't want to look at the votes before voting for any of the stories. After I finished reading all the stories, I looked at where my story was standing.
So yeah, now I read all the stories and I can say that there are about 5 favorites for me. I really want to know who wrote those.
yeah, i can't wait to find out who did 'em. i have three favorites, but i know who one was because it was my competition...
p.s. going back and looking at the polls, i like the way this is turning out, because tastes are so obviously varied, and that's good. like the 'slam dunks' (in my opinion) are pretty even in voting, and the ones i had trouble choosing between seem to have larger gaps.
I can't wait to be allowed to talk about these stories!! It's been hard for me to keep my lips zipped about all these great things.
i know!! i'm ready for discussion and hand-shaking and "sorry i underestimated you"s! i also want closure to be my new best friend but he won't reveal any knowledge about himself so i sense that he might not be ready to hang out with me.
I haven't seen my competitor on the forums either.
Americantypo and I already shook hands, so there!
I'll be honest, straying from the prompt too much swayed me away from one story and towards the other. Just sayin'.
Yeah, I had to message Clint and call him names for writing such an awesome story. I'm very impressed with what he put together.
There are still a few stories I haven't guessed at and i want to know who wrote them so I can harass them about how cool they are. You people have no idea the depths of my geeky writer-ness. I want to talk about it!!!!!!
I'm with ya Doll. I wanna know who wrote what. There are some really awesome stories here.
This is how I put a positive spin on my loss.
If we both put our stories out at the same time he would get 85% of the people to buy his book and I would get the remainder. That means if we were to market our books throughout the world I would get around one billion people to buy my work. At ten cents per story that would come out to one hundred million dollars. I may not have won the war, but I am not going to starve and I will have entertained a few people.
Mission accomplished.
And that my friends is how you turn a frown upside down staple it, use duck tape, and a few screws to ensure it stays in place.
Nice spin Joe. Good positive outlook.
yeah, i'm totally getting spanked but have already sent my work out to people conducive to my kind of thing. it's all good.
that said, i think that the writer who wrote the walking on water should at the very least send that piece to thunderdomemag.com (site got a reboot) and tell them when you submit it that nikki guerlain liked it and suggested to send it in. :-) it's like the only piece that really called to me.
Yeah. Walking on water is really good.
heh heh @chestie. i would but i'm helping another writer with his story and i don't think he's the spanking type. but maybe later!
Congrats to my opponent. I actually raced to make the deadline, there was probably 800-900 words on paper and I planned to work on it all weekend, but kept getting dragged to pubs. (Turned 21 and Saint Patty's all in one week!) Being all lazy I didn't expect to win much, but figured racing the clock was better than not showing up at all. Of course there is that slim chance that the remaining people will vote in my favor, but they'd be silly to. You can tell Voodoo_em really put in the work and time on her piece. Good luck to everyone else!
I'm very happy with my premise though, it's a story I'll work on, that's for sure.
Is it bad that when I first saw this I related a little too much with this guy?
Ha.
So, would it be better to let your hate build over the years, or just let it form quickly all at once?
Slower takes deeper root. Fast just leaves u feeling kinda embarrassed
Holy shit, just finished reading/voting on all of them (except overall best. Srsly? I can't decide!). Really awesome stories, amazing how different each one is even with the same prompt. Y'all are good.
I just read mine out of curiosity, and realized I sent in my first draft by mistake. Durrrrrp. Ah well, I had a shit ton of codeine in my system when I emailed that. Such is life.
Thanks Chester for making it possible for me to read and vote, that was way more fun than actually doing whatever it is I'm supposed to be doing at work.
Seriously, whomever wins deserves it. Much talent in these parts.
Its like my story, I prefer the 30 year long revenge method.
You are very welcome Fist Kitten. Just mail some of that T3 and we'll call it steven.