Discussion: Q1 Volume 40

And thank you all for your congratulations & cheerleading, now and before the result. This is such an amazing community, full of a wealth of knowledge, positivity, and good-hearted, talented people. 

To everyone, congrats on submitting! To anyone feeling the sting from not meeting personal expectations, take a look at my signature. My first three entries were Rs. One of those Rs, since reworked, is at a pro mag's inbox after a rewrite request.

To those meeting or exceeding expectations, well done!

To all, the world needs your voice, your art, your stories. 

Posted by: @jennyperrycarr

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I got a SHM from a story that previously was an R

Rock on! Congrats!!!

@kz_richards, I'm stoked for you! Congrats! You're a breath away from that call. I wouldn't be surprised if it's Q2. It's an amazing story!

Posted by: @sandy

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Back to the keyboard. That 3Q story won't write itself.

Congrats on your SHM & go get em! 

Posted by: @physa

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RWC for me. Not the result I was hoping for, obviously.

...

I'll get back on the horse after I lick my wounds and rethink my magic systems.

Thank you for sharing. I know it isn't hard to receive rejects (I have a box full of them) and I applaud your 'get back on the horse' view. 

Keep your spirits up, continue writing, and have fun.  

Posted by: @cedars

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I woke up this afternoon (I work nights) and my wife brought me coffee as well as news that the emails were starting to arrive. I felt a thunderstrike of that curious and now familiar mix of excitement-laced dread.  My last couple entries were straight R's, so I was bracing for the worst; Doing my best to hold the head high, chin-up-and-carry-on sort of thing.

 

Dreading another R, hoping an HM, yearning for an SHM, and aching for something beyond.

This time, it seems, it was to be a beyond!

 

It's a good thing I work nights, because I don't think I'd be sleeping at all tonight!

 

Dude! That's so awesome!!!!!!!!!! Beside the kick-butt result, you get a critique from Jody Lynn Nye. That alone is worth it's way in bit coin at its height!!!

Anyone else have troubles with the HM  certificate link?

Posted by: @watt_writes

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Surprise! I thought I'd get a DQ lol. Warning noted and filed: no more coarse language.

It had to be an amazing story then to earn that SHM! Congrats! Send that baby out to another market. & if it doesn't soon find a home, I say, clean it up and enter it again. My finalist is a revised SHM, earned last year. 

HM for me. 

Posted by: @nate

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Now I gotta go update my sig.

It's an impressive sig! Congrats!!!

Posted by: @angelslayah

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You know, the first solid 'speculative' element comes in on what, PAGE FOUR?

Clearly then, your prose shined! Well done!!!

Posted by: @spencer_s

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@jeschleicher Awesome! Congratulations, and best of luck! Feels good eh? Endorphins are flowing.

Thank you!!! & an emphatic yes on the endorphins! I totally fanboyed this contest when Joni called, wanting to tell how much this contest means to me, never quite finding the words. She took it w/ such grace and patience. 

The insomnia's been real, too between my calls. 

🙁
R withOUT comments.
I am sad not because it’s R, but because I don’t know why…
I mean I know I started in a wrong place… and it was on the darkish side… and i have already added 2000 words after submitting… and there might have been few typos… ok i guess it makes sense…
Ehh…

But congrats to you guys

Posted by: @vrlass

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🙁
R withOUT comments.
I am sad not because it’s R, but because I don’t know why…
I mean I know I started in a wrong place… and it was on the darkish side… and i have already added 2000 words after submitting… and there might have been few typos… ok i guess it makes sense…
Ehh…

But congrats to you guys

Don't get too down about it.  I've got a box full of Rs. You keep reading helpful hints from the forum, you keep writing, and you keep having fun doing it. 

Hi,

Total noob here, obviously.

It took me a while to figure out that I got a Rejected with Comments. I expected a label to say "Rejected with Comments." Didn't see that. There is an encouraging first paragraph that says some nice things and suggests a rewrite and try again. Then it lists things that could be wrong. (It must be a canned list of comments.) I expected as much and totally agree.  I process this as "good first try and try again!"

Being an optimist, I feel victorious in submitting on time.  I got #2 in on time and hope to get #3 and #4 in on time this year as well.

Congratulations to everyone who placed and won!

@jeschleicher Thank you! I think my eyes are opening to things I didn’t understand before, and now I can’t wait to start Q3 and try to apply them. I bet your story was amazing based on what I read of yours before. Fingers crossed for you!

Posted by: @vrlass

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🙁
R withOUT comments.
I am sad not because it’s R, but because I don’t know why…
I mean I know I started in a wrong place… and it was on the darkish side… and i have already added 2000 words after submitting… and there might have been few typos… ok i guess it makes sense…
Ehh…

But congrats to you guys

Usually Rs come from the first two pages, but sometimes they come from a story not being a match for this market. If it was too dark - it could be great, well written, polished prose, amazing characters, and still get an R because it's not a match.

Q2 is in the books, on to Q3. As always I'll look at the new 450 and offer my thoughts.

Congrats everyone! Regardless of the result, the communal blood and sweat you all put into your stories is the stuff of legends.

I'd like to pile on with one more:

I'm a finalist this time.

As always, whatever the result, I remain indebted to the forumites who propped me up with their crits.

I looked it up for fun, and I think I've been at this for nine years now, but I can't be sure. It was a while before I started tracking it. Anything to distract me for the next week, I think...

Posted by: @galen

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Congrats everyone! Regardless of the result, the communal blood and sweat you all put into your stories is the stuff of legends.

I'd like to pile on with one more:

I'm a finalist this time.

As always, whatever the result, I remain indebted to the forumites who propped me up with their crits.

I looked it up for fun, and I think I've been at this for nine years now, but I can't be sure. It was a while before I started tracking it. Anything to distract me for the next week, I think...

 

Heck yeah!!!! Congrats!!  Here's hoping we both do this banana dance together next April!!!

@galen Congratulations!! Good luck!

@galen Eyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy that's awesome! Congratulations!

I moved up to SHM in v40Q1. Gotta finish Q3's.

V40 SHM, P

V39 --, HM, HM, R

@galen Congrats!!!!!

Congratulations to everyone!

I got a Silver Honorable Mention, which is pretty good for a story I honestly didn't think was my best

@galen Congratulations!!!!!  Such a great victory. I'm very happy for you!

@wren Congratulations!!!  It must be a heck of a great story!

@jeschleicher Congratulations! I'm very happy for you! Thanks for the encouragement too.

Thank you @pegeen!!

HM again for me. Time to get writing the next one!

@writhmic 
Yes. Mine didn't work, either. I emailed Joni about it and am waiting to hear back.