Discussion: Q2 Volume 37

So. Calls should be happening soon. If not already. (Checks missed calls log on phone)

Woodstock Writer, I wish you the best, no matter which choice you chose.

There is one BEYOND FABULOUS writer in our Challenge Beasties group. None other than Swift Potato, our Keeper of Records. This woman was able to WIN the contest on her second attempt. I'm not privy to WOTF historical records, but I'm sure WINNING THE TROPHY on your second try is nothing short of miraculous.

My point: These things do happen. You never know.

Best,

Retro

Woodstock Writer, I wish you the best, no matter which choice you chose.

There is one BEYOND FABULOUS writer in our Challenge Beasties group. None other than Swift Potato, our Keeper of Records. This woman was able to WIN the contest on her second attempt. I'm not privy to WOTF historical records, but I'm sure WINNING THE TROPHY on your second try is nothing short of miraculous.

My point: These things do happen. You never know.

Best,

Retro

Thank you. And that’s pretty impressive! I don’t think I’m that good, sadly.

Only people who can decide that are the judges, Woodstock. I was convinced my winner was going to get an R up until the day Joni called.

Only people who can decide that are the judges, Woodstock. I was convinced my winner was going to get an R up until the day Joni called.

After four years, I finally came around to posting in the forum. I am trying not to go crazy while waiting for results. Good luck everyone!

Good to see you, sorte001! Throw the nervous energy into the next story! Win or rejection, the story's already done. Time to write the next one.

It's actually quite exciting isn't it, all this waiting around. Almost worth entering just to get that anticipatory thrill (oh so fleeting). Though the revelation that Joni calls the finalists before the rejection emails come out means that the whole 'dodged the first wave, maybe I'll go all the way' fantasy will now hit a wall somewhere around semi-finalist. Unless of course I turn my phone off...

After four years, I finally came around to posting in the forum. I am trying not to go crazy while waiting for results. Good luck everyone!

Welcome!!

Hope you found lots of good info during your perusing. Now you're engaged.

It's actually quite exciting isn't it, all this waiting around. Almost worth entering just to get that anticipatory thrill (oh so fleeting). Though the revelation that Joni calls the finalists before the rejection emails come out means that the whole 'dodged the first wave, maybe I'll go all the way' fantasy will now hit a wall somewhere around semi-finalist. Unless of course I turn my phone off...

Like everything else with WotF, it really varies. When I got my finalist call it was several hours after the first wave started, and I was in the middle of having the same thoughts you're having...

Like everything else with WotF, it really varies. When I got my finalist call it was several hours after the first wave started, and I was in the middle of having the same thoughts you're having...

I don't think I knew that happened. Interesting.

Has anyone, perchance, read Dave's newest newsletter and also felt that curious sickening that washed over me when I read about "Deadly Writing Sins"? Immediately, I squirmed. Did I confuse Dave? Bore him?

Telling myself to work on edits . . . yeah . . . stop checking email. . . .Eat more chocolate . . .

Has anyone, perchance, read Dave's newest newsletter

I read it. The long story must have been well written to keep his attention for ten pages. It's always good to read his lessons.

That’s what we call a “peep”. When he mentions the contest in his newsletter, results often follow fairly quickly. It’ll probably be this week.

Because I love providing links...

https://mystorydoctor.com/david-farland ... ting-sins/

Longtime board lurker here, feeling the stress this week and making an account. I don't have very high hopes for my first WotF entry, but even so, the butterflies are still there. David's latest tip scared me, but an earlier one had given me great hope, so now it's canceled out, I guess. I'm almost certain I will get an R. HM would be a wild longshot. I don't think my tastes in storytelling mesh with what is desired by the judges. I tend to love the kind of slow-boiling stories with a lot of background that most people find dull and I have a hard time getting involved with faster-paced stories.

Longtime board lurker here, feeling the stress this week and making an account. I don't have very high hopes for my first WotF entry, but even so, the butterflies are still there. David's latest tip scared me, but an earlier one had given me great hope, so now it's canceled out, I guess. I'm almost certain I will get an R. HM would be a wild longshot. I don't think my tastes in storytelling mesh with what is desired by the judges. I tend to love the kind of slow-boiling stories with a lot of background that most people find dull and I have a hard time getting involved with faster-paced stories.

I think "pace" is different to "compelling", though. My first silver HM was also the slowest-paced story I've submitted to WotF to date, but that slow pace was deliberate, as it was necessary to establish the correct tone--not every story works well at a breakneck speed, though some certainly do. All in all, I don't think pace alone would be the making or breaking of your entry, especially not if it fits the tale.

Has anyone, perchance, read Dave's newest newsletter and also felt that curious sickening that washed over me when I read about "Deadly Writing Sins"? Immediately, I squirmed. Did I confuse Dave? Bore him?

Yup, luckily my story isn't 80 pages long. So, I like to think (hope) my story was the one that woke him.
--AE

Has anyone, perchance, read Dave's newest newsletter and also felt that curious sickening that washed over me when I read about "Deadly Writing Sins"? Immediately, I squirmed. Did I confuse Dave? Bore him?

Yup, luckily my story isn't 80 pages long. So, I like to think (hope) my story was the one that woke him.
--AE

Mine isn't 80 pages, either, but then I realized he might have fudged on the length to throw the author off if they read his newsletter.

I think "pace" is different to "compelling", though. My first silver HM was also the slowest-paced story I've submitted to WotF to date, but that slow pace was deliberate, as it was necessary to establish the correct tone--not every story works well at a breakneck speed, though some certainly do. All in all, I don't think pace alone would be the making or breaking of your entry, especially not if it fits the tale.

That's a good point. However... To me, my submitted story is still very compelling even after a hundred or more readthroughs, but when I see tips like David's recent newsletter, I suddenly imagine him or the first readers nodding off at what I naively imagined to be vital characterization and fascinating foreshadowing, background, and color.

Yup, luckily my story isn't 80 pages long. So, I like to think (hope) my story was the one that woke him.

Mine isn't 80 pages, either, but then I realized he might have fudged on the length to throw the author off if they read his newsletter.

Yeah, most likely as to not peg anyone. However 80 page is around 16K so the story was probably a longer one. Since the story held him for ten pages, the writer is probably going to get a HM. Hopefully they read Dave's blog and key in on learning how to add hooks.

AE for short
Running count: R: 14 | HM: 18 | SHM: 6 | SF: 1 | F:0
40q3 -- Contemporary Fantasy -- SF
40q4 -- Contemporary Fantasy -- HM
41q1 -- Missed
41q2 -- Science Fiction Romance-- R
41q3 -- Fantasy Romance -- ?

 

Yeah, most likely as to not peg anyone.

Yes. He seems to be a very kind-hearted and thoughtful person, from the tone of his articles. I don't think he would give away info that would allow someone to definitely ID their story as a non-winner that way.

Has anyone, perchance, read Dave's newest newsletter

I read it. The long story must have been well written to keep his attention for ten pages. It's always good to read his lessons.

I've read Dave's article and now I'm confused. Ale is beer, right?

Longtime board lurker here, feeling the stress this week and making an account. I don't have very high hopes for my first WotF entry, but even so, the butterflies are still there. David's latest tip scared me, but an earlier one had given me great hope, so now it's canceled out, I guess. I'm almost certain I will get an R. HM would be a wild longshot. I don't think my tastes in storytelling mesh with what is desired by the judges. I tend to love the kind of slow-boiling stories with a lot of background that most people find dull and I have a hard time getting involved with faster-paced stories.

I think "pace" is different to "compelling", though. My first silver HM was also the slowest-paced story I've submitted to WotF to date, but that slow pace was deliberate, as it was necessary to establish the correct tone--not every story works well at a breakneck speed, though some certainly do. All in all, I don't think pace alone would be the making or breaking of your entry, especially not if it fits the tale.

One of the most oft repeated tips from Dave is that there has to be an early problem. Even if it's not the story's main problem, he has to know there's conflict or that the author understands the need for conflict. Without that you don't get the escalating tension, the broadening and deepening, the climax and denouement. It all starts with 1. A character, 2. in a setting, 3. with a problem.

I've read Dave's article and now I'm confused. Ale is beer, right?

Ale is a specific type of beer, brewed without hops. Best guess: ale is a more specific term, and using it interchangeably with beer makes the exact nature of the drink unclear. Dave is all about details and clarity.

I've read Dave's article and now I'm confused. Ale is beer, right?

Ale is a specific type of beer, brewed without hops. Best guess: ale is a more specific term, and using it interchangeably with beer makes the exact nature of the drink unclear. Dave is all about details and clarity.

Exactly this. He's also spoken before about using the right words for a genre. The example he gave was a character walking into a bar, plopping down, and ordering a beer. If a dwarf then suddenly walked in and everyone drew their swords, you might feel taken off guard. But if that character had instead walked into an inn, plopped down, and ordered ale from the barmaid, all of a sudden that dwarf and those swords don't feel so out of place.

Just whatever you do don't use ale and mead interchangeably. (Because mead comes from honey, if anyone is confused).

Totally agree about this. Most of Dave's suggested edits on my winning story have to do with specificity. He had me narrow down a season, then use that to put in details. And change the flora and fauna from defaults: "trees", "deer" to specifics: "birch", "red deer", etc. I'm trying to make a better habit of this in my other writing now.

Just whatever you do don't use ale and mead interchangeably. (Because mead comes from honey, if anyone is confused).

Totally agree about this. Most of Dave's suggested edits on my winning story have to do with specificity. He had me narrow down a season, then use that to put in details. And change the flora and fauna from defaults: "trees", "deer" to specifics: "birch", "red deer", etc. I'm trying to make a better habit of this in my other writing now.

Another interesting tidbit.

Just whatever you do don't use ale and mead interchangeably. (Because mead comes from honey, if anyone is confused).

I literally did that in my first paragraph.

Just whatever you do don't use ale and mead interchangeably. (Because mead comes from honey, if anyone is confused).

I literally did that in my first paragraph.

Oh crud, did I miss that when I critted you? Sorry about that.... the example came to mind because I had a bee-related incident in the novel I'm writing and was thinking about making magical mead.