Discussion: Q1 Volume 38

Posted by: @wulfmoon

Dave reported that he only recently received the culled Q1 stories.

Do you know more about this "culling" process?

@lambenttyto

Kary English is first reader, winnowing out stories that aren’t up to professional standards, sending Dave those that are. She reads the first two pages. If the writing craft and story look good, she’ll check the ending to see if the story did a good job of wrapping up on its opening promise. If it does, she assumes the rest works and sends it on to Dave to judge its placement. That stack doesn’t automatically mean you get a certificate, but it’s likely. When you read slush, which is the total stack of stories in an open call, it’s very easy to spot a story that shines, and one that’s still a diamond in the rough. Or a plane reservation. Or a homework assignment. Or a grocery list. Or a 200,000 word novel when it’s supposed to be under 17K.  

@wulfmoon

Thanks for the answer. I always wondered if Dave sat there reading thousands of stories. I assumed he would read page one and decide to chuck it into the rejections or not.

Posted by: @lambenttyto

@wulfmoon

Thanks for the answer. I always wondered if Dave sat there reading thousands of stories. I assumed he would read page one and decide to chuck it into the rejections or not.

He used to be the only reader before finalists got passed on to the judges, but that changed in recent years. (Depending on the quality of the story, we usually have one to four pages to hook him, but it's always best to get those hooks in on page one--and again on page two, and again on page three, and so on. "Hooks all the way down.")

Posted by: @henckel

Here a special shout out to all you who’ve submitted in Q1: Let us know who you are.

Reply and say:

      “I submitted in Q1. This is my the # time I’ve submitted to WOTF.”

Then disclose one deep dark secret you'd only share with people you're almost certainly never goin to meet in person ? 

I submitted in Q1. This is the fourth time I've submitted to WotF.

Since I broke my thumb (about 3 years ago), I'm really lazy.

Love the dark secrets everyone. I totally got a kick out of the sense of smell. As for the # of times submitted, it’s awesome to see so many people submitting for the 1^st and 2^nd times (remember, Swiftpotato won with her 2^nd submission!!!). Yet its Beth Powers that’s takes the cake with 54 entries.  

As for me, I’ve submitted 10 times. The last 8 have been consecutive.

As for my dark secret, I have an extra tooth. I tell my kids it’s my sweet tooth and that’s why I’m allowed to eat so much sugar while they can’t. ? 

Posted by: @henckel

Here a special shout out to all you who’ve submitted in Q1: Let us know who you are.

Reply and say:

      “I submitted in Q1. This is my the # time I’ve submitted to WOTF.”

Then disclose one deep dark secret you'd only share with people you're almost certainly never goin to meet in person ? 

Q1 was my 10th time submitting (Q2 is my 11th)... all consecutive.  My first time submitting was actually before I had any idea what this contest even was... it was like midnight, I was bored, and I had written a short story tied to my novel series and thought, "Huh, I wonder if there's anywhere I could submit this thing?"  I Googled and found this contest... didn't even know there were famous authors involved as judges or anything, just went, "This looks cool I guess," and sent it in.  Then forgot about it until I got notified I'd gotten an HM... got curious what that meant and did some research, then realized Holy Moly, this HM actually means something! Lol. My next 4 entries were straight R's and I got frustrated, wasn't sure what I did right the first time that I wasn't doing now... I then became a forum lurker, stumbled on Wulf Moon's Super Secrets thread, lurked until he re-opened the signups, and that was 2 years ago... here we are!  Lol. 

Can that count as my dark secret?  No?  Well, here's another, I suppose:  I sing. Used to do chorus and solos and even some competitions. But given that I'm also terribly shy and hate being in front of people, I rarely bring it up and find very few opportunities outside my house to use it (except for that time my husband coerced me into karaoke with his business friends. Lol). 

Posted by: @henckel

Here a special shout out to all you who’ve submitted in Q1: Let us know who you are.

Reply and say:

      “I submitted in Q1. This is my the # time I’ve submitted to WOTF.”

Then disclose one deep dark secret you'd only share with people you're almost certainly never goin to meet in person ? 

I submitted in Q1. This is my fifth consecutive submission in WOTF.

I only came back to writing about a year and a half ago after a surgery forced me off work for 3 months.  I am so grateful to have found this contest and this forum. I may not say much but I have learned a lot from this amazing group of writers.

Q37- R, HM, SHM, HM

Q38- ?, ?

fourth consec.

it'll be my first year!

~m

@henckel

I’ve submitted seven times, the last five being consecutive (although I’ve cheated a bit and used stories that stray too far over genre lines at times).

Secrets... well, Canada denied me entry last year after hiking 2,653 miles. This was vexing, as I was tired and there was a storm bearing down on the Northern Cascades. So, I made the extra effort to sneak across the boarder and poop on Canada before trekking home ?. 

The RCMP would like to know your location. 

Posted by: @henckel

Here a special shout out to all you who’ve submitted in Q1: Let us know who you are.

Reply and say:

      “I submitted in Q1. This is my the # time I’ve submitted to WOTF.”

Then disclose one deep dark secret you'd only share with people you're almost certainly never goin to meet in person ? 

I submitted in Q1. When I sent it I thought this was my first time submitting but then I remembered that I submitted one way back in 2005ish (really not sure when it was. It could’ve been as late as 2007). So this is actually my 2nd entry. I can only imagine how ill-formed and misspelled that first one must’ve been.

I’ve imagined being a writer for years without really putting in the work. I very much consider myself a beginner since I’ve managed to spread maybe three years’ lessons and experience over the space of nearly twenty. So maybe that’s my requested admission...I’m lazy.

It's not laziness, it's delaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaayed gratification.  

It's definitely laziness on my part. Whenever someone asks me what I do for a living the answer is as little as possible.  

I'll join in on this, why not? 

I submitted in Q1. This is the 12th time I've submitted.

For dark secrets...if they're legitimately dark, then my wife knows them, and the rest of you guys can remain ignorant. However, one secret that people often don't guess is that I used to weigh very close to three hundred pounds (or maybe more, as I lost some weight before I took that measurement). Today, although I'm still a far cry from where I would like to be, I'm just a little below two hundred and ten. For the curious, that also translates to me shedding more than a foot from my waistline.

Posted by: @doctorjest

For the curious, that also translates to me shedding more than a foot from my waistline.

Whoa, Doc! That is EXCELLENT!

Congratulations on that amazing accomplishment. You must absolutely ecstatic.

Respect!

@brandoncase1235

Ha ha ha. Brilliant. 

I got shot at once in WV and chased by some angry guy with a pitchfork in KY. but to be fair, I deserved it both times.     ... yet, I've had not a lick of trouble in Canada.   

Yet. ? 

@axeminister

Dustin. You asked a question.... and I can't find it. Ha! Ha! I think you asked why I'm trying to get my 8k wordcount down to 5k.   Well, 2 answers. Firstly, I like to take my first draft and set a final word count goal of about 30% less (my math stinks, but let's go with it). Secondly, I've gone to submit a lot of my stories lately and found they have limits between 4,500 and 6k. So, I'm thinking forward. 

Ultimately, the word count will be as long as the story requires.

I haven't kept count, but I joined the forum 2 years ago and probably submitted 3 or 4 before that, so I'm guessing around 12 entries. Haven't got any juicy secrets, but if I talk while I'm writing, my voice reverberates musically. My voice isn't anything special, but I've just turned a 110 year old upright piano into my desktop.

Posted by: @time

. . . if I talk while I'm writing, my voice reverberates musically. My voice isn't anything special, but I've just turned a 110 year old upright piano into my desktop.

Noice!!!

@henckel

A wizard writes stories precisely the length he means to?  

You know it's been a while when Grinder shows you a pop saying "eh its been six months,  maybe you should query" ? 

Posted by: @dragonchef

Posted by: @doctorjest

For the curious, that also translates to me shedding more than a foot from my waistline.

Whoa, Doc! That is EXCELLENT!

Congratulations on that amazing accomplishment. You must absolutely ecstatic.

Respect!

Actually, I only feel that way sometimes--I still have a way to go, so sometimes I see what I've managed, and other times I only see what I still have to do. Which sounds familiar, come to think of it...

Posted by: @doctorjest

. . . other times I only see what I still have to do.

The bear climbed over the mountain and only saw another mountain that he had to climb. A familiar theme. We should all take some time and consider our accomplishments. It might make that next climb less mountainous, and more mole-hill-odious (yeah, I know a bit of a stretch).

Posted by: @axeminister

@henckel

A wizard writes stories precisely the length he means to?  

YES.  

So, at 4am, my girlfriend woke me up saying my phone was ringing. (10am Pacific time).

I was up like a bullet.

My phone was turned off. 

... it was a bird singing!!!!!!!! ? 

@henckel HAHAHA

I got a call from an unknown # while I was driving (picking kiddo up from school). Caller ID says LA. You bet I answered it...

Spam call about last chance for some auto deal. 🙁 

Boy everyone is jumpy today. Wulf said 1 week from April 16 so we are talking April 23. However, to adjust for the Thursday rule I will bet on April 22 being the day the first wave of replies come out.

@craydimensional Ahh, but every day is Thursday.  

@disgruntledpeony

Aha! My new story for Q3, entitled: "But Every Day is Thursday," Protested The Disgruntled Peony. I can just imagine it: full of disgruntled flowers, bewildering judges and Unexpected Hanging Paradoxes.