Covewriter's picture
Covewriter from Nashville, Tennessee is reading & Sons November 26, 2012 - 7:13pm

Congratz Fritz. Publication is the carrot on the stick for me. That's awesome you got it published. For WAR I started with a shitty idea that I thought I would dump. But then it got slightly better. So I'm sticking with it. It might reveal some more to me tonight.  Reading the round one stories  makes me think Holy Shit! You have to do a damn good story to compete, which is awesome. This is exactly what I want. Competition to make us all better. Oh I want to win, but if not I'm not complaining. This is so fun and helpful to me as a writer. 

 

 

drea's picture
drea from Rural Alberta, Canada is reading between the lines November 26, 2012 - 7:16pm

Was Bye, I Love You the one where the guy had won the lotto and was giving his cheating girlfriend the house? Because I remember that one. I was hoping he'd left the gas on while lighting a smoke and then would throw a lighter over his shoulder on his way down the sidewalk if it was. 

 

J.Y. that bird is trim, in the aviation sense. 

jyh's picture
jyh from VA is reading whatever he feels like November 26, 2012 - 7:24pm

Had to look that up, Drea.    http://www.blueridgejournal.com/navy/lingo.htm#Trim

Unrelated: I'm always rockin the Irish pennants.

drea's picture
drea from Rural Alberta, Canada is reading between the lines November 26, 2012 - 7:37pm

And I had to look http://http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Irish_pennant up. I was afraid I'd get something like tubgirl or meatspin again. It's been years and two gallons of purell in my eyes, and I'm still scarred. 

ReneeAPickup's picture
Class Facilitator
ReneeAPickup from Southern California is reading Wanderers by Chuck Wendig November 26, 2012 - 7:58pm

I'm confused as to how Irish pennants work into this conversation...

drea's picture
drea from Rural Alberta, Canada is reading between the lines November 26, 2012 - 8:11pm

They were worked in under the "unrelated" clause.

 

 

 

 

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 November 26, 2012 - 8:29pm

@Drea: Bye, I Love You was about a guy writing the book about his wife who died while giving birth to their daughter. She was relaying her story to him via telephone ala EVP (electronic voice phenomenon). He then saved the story to a flash drive and gave it to his daughter when she was older. She, as a woman, became an author and was writing her father's story the same way (EVP).

Fritz's picture
Fritz November 26, 2012 - 8:36pm

@Cove - I'm with you - the friendly, learning competition is fun - plus we all get so involved - good stuff

@Jeff - Man - I send this stuff out same day I send it to WAR - I figure, if I think it's good enough for war - then I think it's good enough for whatever market I intend to send it to.

gotta love it.

Dino Parenti's picture
Dino Parenti from Los Angeles is reading Everything He Gets His Hands On November 26, 2012 - 8:39pm

@Fritz: But how the hell did they respond so fast? I don't even get rejections that fast!

Fritz's picture
Fritz November 26, 2012 - 9:06pm

you know lightspeed has a 2 day accept/reject cycle

clarksworlds is 4days

the colored lens is 1-2 days

the mag I sent it to was a fledgling - I didn't know how fast they'd be - turned out pretty fast.

if you don't have duotrope - get it.

I sent my war2 story to them on 11//14 - and got my acceptance 12 days later.

Mess_Jess's picture
Mess_Jess from Sydney, Australia, living in Toronto, Canada is reading Perfect by Rachael Joyce November 26, 2012 - 9:13pm

@fritz - I always wonder how many slushies they have at those magazines. I'm a slushie at a semi-pro speculative 'zine, and our turn around is perhaps 10 days? And I feel like we churn through the the submissions!

Fritz's picture
Fritz November 26, 2012 - 9:28pm

They must have a team - either that, or they got a system to weed them down quick.

Dino Parenti's picture
Dino Parenti from Los Angeles is reading Everything He Gets His Hands On November 26, 2012 - 10:02pm

I just signed up for Duotrope--thanks!

Dino Parenti's picture
Dino Parenti from Los Angeles is reading Everything He Gets His Hands On November 26, 2012 - 10:02pm

I just signed up for Duotrope--thanks!

drea's picture
drea from Rural Alberta, Canada is reading between the lines November 26, 2012 - 10:16pm

R. Moon, thanks for the synopsis. I remember Bye, I Love You now. I liked that you wrote about a writer and it is a good story. Do whatever you feel works for you this round, though. There's always the fact that a losing story would kill vs, a different opponent. I'm still figuring out what works for me, so I'm literally ALL over the place in terms of POV, period, genre, format, structure, dialogue, etc. The whole, "you throw enough shit," and all that...

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 November 26, 2012 - 10:21pm

@Drea: Thanks. I've got something worked out with my prompt, although I must say that I'm not crazy about it. But, it'll be a challenge. My POV, format, structure and dialogue are usually pretty consistent. But, good luck this round!

Matt's picture
Matt from New Zealand is reading This is how you lose her by Junot Diaz November 26, 2012 - 10:50pm

We're matched up in this round. This is the first contest to determine the Alpha-Mat(t). The one in New Zealand doesn't count since he's at the bottom of the world. 

Sorry, just noticed this. Mattattack and Sound, i'll let you fight it out for 2nd place in the losers bracket. If you're lucky, one of you might see me in the final.

Courtney's picture
Courtney from the Midwest is reading Monkey: A Journey to the West and a thousand college textbooks November 26, 2012 - 10:53pm

Holy shit. Teach me how to shit talk?!

Fritz's picture
Fritz November 26, 2012 - 11:06pm

@dino - you will be very pleased. 

Gordon Highland's picture
Gordon Highland from Kansas City is reading Secondhand Souls by Christopher Moore November 26, 2012 - 11:13pm

"I'm going to break everything you love!"

wickedvoodoo's picture
wickedvoodoo from Mansfield, England is reading stuff. November 26, 2012 - 11:17pm

Gordon - that is brilliant. That wins the internet for tonight.

Renfield's picture
Renfield from Hell is reading 20th Century Ghosts November 26, 2012 - 11:32pm

Ben Freeman's picture
Ben Freeman from Charlottesville, Virginia is reading everything I can November 26, 2012 - 11:53pm

@R. Moon I really dug your story. I read it the days the polls came out (gotta read the competition obviously) then just assumed, well that story was way more interesting than mine, how's that losers bracket look? Needless to say, when I finally checked the polls later in the week, I was surprised.

I do appreciate the love "Pink Cupcakes" got and am always glad to hear input from people. Going to do another draft soon and then maybe workshop it, we'll see. First I have to figure out this week's story. 

Gordon Highland's picture
Gordon Highland from Kansas City is reading Secondhand Souls by Christopher Moore November 27, 2012 - 12:18am

Ren, I believe that was Martin Luther King, Jr.'s first draft, yeah?

Matt Attack's picture
Matt Attack from Richmond, Va. is reading As I Lay Dying, William Faulkner November 27, 2012 - 5:22am

Grats Fritz! 

 

Also Duotrope is the shit. 

 

That is all. Carry on. 

leah_beth's picture
leah_beth from New Jersey - now in Charleston, SC is reading five different books at once. November 27, 2012 - 5:29am

So....it's a sick day with my kiddo today. What are the chances I'll get my Round 2 story edited?? Hmm...

And - Duotrope is AMAZING. I second that sentiment.

Also....the kiddo's watching a movie called Soccer Dog. Someone...help? Save me??

Matt Attack's picture
Matt Attack from Richmond, Va. is reading As I Lay Dying, William Faulkner November 27, 2012 - 5:58am

Add the words- "on drugs" to the end of that movie title. Everytime Soccer Dog does something, think: Soccer Dog....on drugs. Instantly the kids movie become a William S. Burroughs novella. 

leah_beth's picture
leah_beth from New Jersey - now in Charleston, SC is reading five different books at once. November 27, 2012 - 6:12am

Ah, perfection! Thank you, Matt. That'll help.  :)

Dino Parenti's picture
Dino Parenti from Los Angeles is reading Everything He Gets His Hands On November 27, 2012 - 6:13am

Sorry to hear about the little one, Leah. Can't help you with Soccer Dog, other than recommending wine? Lots of it?

leah_beth's picture
leah_beth from New Jersey - now in Charleston, SC is reading five different books at once. November 27, 2012 - 6:21am

It's 5:00 somewhere, right? :)

SConley's picture
SConley from Texas is reading Coin Locker Babies November 27, 2012 - 6:25am

bryanhowie's picture
bryanhowie from FW, ID is reading East of Eden. Steinbeck is FUCKING AMAZING. November 27, 2012 - 6:49am

Around these parts, we don't add 'on drugs' or 'in bed' to the end of our fortune cookies.  We add "like a goddamn idiot."

avery of the dead's picture
avery of the dead from Kentucky is reading Cipher Sisters November 27, 2012 - 7:20am

We add "like a goddamn idiot." 

I will never get tired of that.

Skygrotto's picture
Skygrotto from Southwestern Ontario is reading Europe: A History by Norman Davies November 27, 2012 - 7:23am

My story passed into the night unheard of ever again.

Has Duotrope expanded its resources recently?

Matt Attack's picture
Matt Attack from Richmond, Va. is reading As I Lay Dying, William Faulkner November 27, 2012 - 7:30am

I will never get tired of that."

Part of me is crestfallen that my only contribution to the world is a vague blasphemous simile. It is pretty good though. 

 

Soccer Dog kicks like a goddamn idiot. 

leah_beth's picture
leah_beth from New Jersey - now in Charleston, SC is reading five different books at once. November 27, 2012 - 7:36am

Soccer Dog barks and whines like a goddamn idiot.

Utah's picture
Moderator
Utah from Fort Worth, TX is reading Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry November 27, 2012 - 7:45am

Soccer Dog leg-humps like a goddamn idiot.

Soccer Dog licks his ass like a goddamn idiot.

Soccer Dog eats vomit (his own and others') like a goddamn idiot.

 

OtisTheBulldog's picture
OtisTheBulldog from Somerville, MA is reading The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz November 27, 2012 - 8:00am

I still haven't figure out what I'm going to actually write. Maybe I shouldn't have bitched about getting an opponent. Alcohol - the root of my bad decision making since the early 90s.

Think I can just change the title, character names and like 6 words from my Rd 1 submission and nobody will notice? 

How much $$ will it take for J.Y. to throw this round?

Utah's picture
Moderator
Utah from Fort Worth, TX is reading Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry November 27, 2012 - 8:05am

Otis whines and shows his belly like Soccer Dog.  Who is a goddamn idiot.

H.I.Marcuson's picture
H.I.Marcuson from Toulouse is reading a book on spelling November 27, 2012 - 8:28am

For someone who logs on and goes straight to the end of the thread...  Well, sometimes the conversations seem VerY abstract...      Soccer Dogs?  Huh? wha? Are there baseball dogs too? Hell, I think I'll just lurk.

Renfield's picture
Renfield from Hell is reading 20th Century Ghosts November 27, 2012 - 8:29am

Angels in the Outfield? No, those weren't basset hounds, just Christopher Lloyd and Danny Glover. I think there was an baseball version Air Bud too though.

OtisTheBulldog's picture
OtisTheBulldog from Somerville, MA is reading The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz November 27, 2012 - 8:31am

Rub my belly! Feed me pork ear. I am not an empathetic writer.

Matt Attack's picture
Matt Attack from Richmond, Va. is reading As I Lay Dying, William Faulkner November 27, 2012 - 8:32am

For someone who logs on and goes straight to the end of the thread"

 

H.I.Marcuson's picture
H.I.Marcuson from Toulouse is reading a book on spelling November 27, 2012 - 8:36am

Did you send that video because I'm black?

H.I.Marcuson's picture
H.I.Marcuson from Toulouse is reading a book on spelling November 27, 2012 - 8:39am

Or because I'm jewish.

avery of the dead's picture
avery of the dead from Kentucky is reading Cipher Sisters November 27, 2012 - 8:41am

Probably both.

H.I.Marcuson's picture
H.I.Marcuson from Toulouse is reading a book on spelling November 27, 2012 - 8:43am

Seriously, is it Tara's mother?

jyh's picture
jyh from VA is reading whatever he feels like November 27, 2012 - 8:46am

How much $$ will it take for J.Y. to throw this round?

For $500 I'll make sure my story is about kids having fun without conflict and has a happy ending.

avery of the dead's picture
avery of the dead from Kentucky is reading Cipher Sisters November 27, 2012 - 8:50am

Is that what your story was about?

jyh's picture
jyh from VA is reading whatever he feels like November 27, 2012 - 8:52am

What story? Is "that" in italics for some reason?