Discussion Q2 Volume 39

<Phone rings and I hurl myself over the couch, dodge wife carrying dinner plates, and slide to home on my bed where my phone is charging>

(In my best announcer voice) “Hello, this is John.”

”Hi, your car insurance—“

Best of success to everyone this Thursday. May you get “The Call.”

@karyenglish I don’t know why this quarter feels more nerve-wracking but your updates have been really helpful so thank you! ?

Posted by: @karyenglish

At least one call has gone out. It's officially Thursday! Calls will go out today and tomorrow, so may the odds be ever in your favor!

Email results probably won't start today, but I'd expect them starting sometime tomorrow though Monday.

<Incoherent screams of anticipation and anxiety>

<A deep breath>

Thanks for the heads-up, Kary!

<Incoherent screams resume at twice their previous volume>

Honestly, I just look forward to not needing to pay attention to every weird spam call that comes into my phone again...at least for a little while!

Welcome to the twitchathon(@keltondavis. This happens four times a year.  Happy to meet you in the forum.

Make your way to the new member thread and introduce yourself to everyone.  

Posted by: @karyenglish

The people who get calls won't be allowed to say anything until their gag order is lifted, so back in my day we watched for people to suddenly go silent.

It's possible someone might decide to post on the forum after getting a call and talking to Joni. I'm sure it wouldn't be the first time. So keep an eye out for first time posters.

Posted by: @karyenglish

This was a hard quarter. Jody said that she could have picked twice as many finalists and still had impossible decisions to make. The top stories were just that good.

Hang in there, everyone!

[ ]

[tries to figure out who's being quiet]

[other than my phone]

[not even spam calls]

[wonders why there can't be more than 10 finalists]

[remembers that SHM entries are encouraged to re-enter, but SF and F entries can't be re-entered]

[nervously looks at each new email, heart in throat]

[hugs to everyone]

[now to look for something to eat or drink to calm my nerves]

[really hoping some of our fellow forumites are getting THE call]

Posted by: @physa

Posted by: @karyenglish

This was a hard quarter. Jody said that she could have picked twice as many finalists and still had impossible decisions to make. The top stories were just that good.

Hang in there, everyone!

[ ]

[tries to figure out who's being quiet]

[other than my phone]

[not even spam calls]

[wonders why there can't be more than 10 finalists]

[remembers that SHM entries are encouraged to re-enter, but SF and F entries can't be re-entered]

[nervously looks at each new email, heart in throat]

[hugs to everyone]

[now to look for something to eat or drink to calm my nerves]

[really hoping some of our fellow forumites are getting THE call]

I agree that it is nice to have SHM, since Finalists can't resubmit to contest. The SHM says to me 'you did a great job and I want to see this story fixed up and submitted again'.  

Does Joni usually start her conversations with "So, I hear you've had an accident that wasn't your fault"?

If so then I'd better shut up.

@pdblake is this just you trying to slyly admit you got a call? ?

Posted by: @jmabey

@pdblake is this just you trying to slyly admit you got a call? ?

No, I wouldn't dare.  

@pdblake The funny thing is I don’t know you well enough to know if you’re being serious or sarcastic ? 

Posted by: @toddjones

I agree that it is nice to have SHM, since Finalists can't resubmit to contest. The SHM says to me 'you did a great job and I want to see this story fixed up and submitted again'.  

Finalist stories can't be resubmitted, or people who have reached that stage?

Posted by: @lambenttyto

Posted by: @toddjones

I agree that it is nice to have SHM, since Finalists can't resubmit to contest. The SHM says to me 'you did a great job and I want to see this story fixed up and submitted again'.  

Finalist stories can't be resubmitted, or people who have reached that stage?

Stories that reach semi-finalist and finalist receive feedback from the judges, so those stories can't be modified and submitted again to the contest (unfair advantage, since you know exactly what the judges thought might be improved). But the writer can certainly keep submitting other stories to the contest until they win or pro-out!

@dommichaels Well, semifinalists get feedback. Finalist stories are just DQ'd, but presumably at that level they're well suited for other professional markets. (When I sell one of mine, I'll believe this!)

Posted by: @jmabey

@pdblake The funny thing is I don’t know you well enough to know if you’re being serious or sarcastic ? 

A lot of people who know me can't tell either. A lot of people hate it  

Seriously though, no call here. 

@pdblake ? I think you and I will get along just fine then.

We should have everyone in the forum type ‘No Call’ every hour. But you stop typing that when you get one. That way, we know without being told. ? (I know ?)

ClFors here marked safe from extreme elation or despair at 12:29 PM pacific time. No phone calls or emails.

Got an email from Joni and my heart lunged before I realized it's the monthly advice email. All silent here, excepting a brief shot of panic.

@jmabey hahaha! 

(And no, I did not get a call). Just crossing my fingers for feedback!

Posted by: @pdblake

Does Joni usually start her conversations with "So, I hear you've had an accident that wasn't your fault"?

If so then I'd better shut up.

She usually starts with, "Hi, this is Joni, from Writers of the Future." And then, "Are you sitting down?"

To answer a few other comments, Finalist stories are not allowed to be resubmitted because they've already been read and are deemed publishable by the very fact that they earned finalist. You get one shot on it with the judges if you're one of the eight. So if it doesn't win, them's the breaks. Send it on to other markets and write your next.

Semifinalists are the ones that get the critiques from the coordinating judge, which is Jody Nye. These are brief, but they offer the keen observance of a bestselling author. As such, as has been pointed out, you'd have an unfair advantage in the contest if you were allowed to submit it again--the head contest judge just told you what you need to do to help make it a finalist. I know the critique I received from David Farland, though brief, nailed what I needed to fix. I applied the counsel, and it sold to the very next market I sent it, Deep Magic. ("Weep No More for the Willow," Fall 2019, Issue 66.) I have often said these brief critiques are the greatest unsung benefit of this contest. How often do aspiring writers have access to NYT bestselling authors to read their stories and tell them what to work on?

If you receive a Silver HM, Dave often said some of these could be even stronger stories than the semifinalists. Why rank them lower, then? Because he knew if he made them semifinalists, they'd get his critique, which would disqualify them from being submitted again. He liked the story and wanted a shot at it again, hoping the writer would figure out how to fix the issue that held it back. It's possible Jody might feel the same way. So I recommend getting eyes on your Silvers from someone that has won the Contest, and ask them if they believe this might be one of those stories, and what they feel might have held it back. Doesn't mean they're right, but they've won the Contest, you haven't, so their opinion and suggestions are certainly worth considering. And no, please don't ask me, I'm swamped with prep for FanX.

Even getting an Honorable Mention is a great honor. The Contest is telling you this story showed promise; they're encouraging you to submit again.

I wish all of you the best of success with your stories, whether they place or not. Every quarter you submit to is a win. We become better writers with every story we write. 

Stay the course and godspeed to your future careers!

Wulf Moon

<checks email - empty>
<checks cell phone - quiet>
<renters pillow fort>

Nothing yet except on prankster messaging “Hi friend” from some span number.

I suppose Thursday has come and gone. I'll now ponder what flavor email I might receive. I'm looking forward to reading my story again. I never look at them once I send them out. I'll either think, 'this wasn't so bad', or 'gah, what was I thinking?' I hope someone here got an awesome phone call today. 

@sandy Don’t give up hope. Kary said calls would carry on through today. It’s only 3:30pm in California which is where Joni is, and I’m sure her day is busy with more than just phone calls. And she very possibly could wait till the evening when people are most likely to be home and not at work.
I doubt the phone calls are complete. Chin up and hang on. ? 

It’s been so quiet on here for hours. I guess you all won. CONGRATS! ? ?

Has anyone by chance received an email?

Posted by: @jmabey

It’s been so quiet on here for hours. I guess you all won. CONGRATS! ? ? 

I told you guys months ago I was going to wind this one! ? 

@jmabey Nothing here so far.

@jmabey All is quiet here. No emails, no phone calls.

Sadly, I haven't gone silent. Just hadn't checked in.

Best of luck to those who can't say anything - yet.

I await results via e-mail at this point.