Small steps add up to miles.
5 R, 5 RWC, 8 HM, 1 SHM
"Amore For Life" in After the Gold Rush Third Flatiron Anthology
"Freedom’s Song” in Troubadour and Space Princesses LTUE Anthology
For this volume's submissions, I've been experimenting with revisions, and this is the second story to receive the same results as the first time I submitted it, so at least I'm consistent, I guess
I'm happy. This was a rewrite of a rejection. I listened to Wulf extol the virtues of KYD and cut a subplot near the end that amused me greatly but didn't advance the story. Best of luck to all who haven't heard, especially those under a gag order.
V38: HM, R, R, HM
V39: RWC, HM, RWC, HM
V40: RWC, HM, SHM, R
V41: R, RWC, R, R
V42: RWC, RWC, RWC, P
It’s nice to see so many honorable mentions in the forums! I know we hope to win but it is good to see so many of our stories getting read and acknowledged. Write on!
It's my very first! And on a story my little writing group called my best yet, so I'm thrilled!
But now the question: do I revise this one and resubmit, or do I keep writing new ones? Advice welcome!
Jason P. Crawford Author of Urban Fantasy and Sci-Fi (for now!) Finalist for 2024 Baen Fantasy Adventure Award 3rd Place Winner for 2025 Jim Baen Memorial Short Story Award
It's my very first! And on a story my little writing group called my best yet, so I'm thrilled!
But now the question: do I revise this one and resubmit, or do I keep writing new ones? Advice welcome!
This is really personal preference. Some years, I enter mostly or entirely new stories, other times I've entered a mix. To date, my revised stories have always placed exactly where they did the first time, so it's hard for me to judge! But people have had luck with both approaches.
My general preference is to submit new, if I have something, and to revise and resubmit a SHM or HM only if I have a clear, good idea about how I would make some specific improvement to it that I think is going to be enough to level the story up in some significant way.
(Or, also, if I just don't have anything--because if my stories have crashed and burned, I'd rather be in on a resub of a lightly edited and revised story than not entered at all! But in those cases, I'm still marginally more fond of fleshing out former flash fiction than fiddling with a former fictional foray.)
Congratulations to all of you guys, and anyone who gets some nice results back. Now that we're getting the results, I'll let the cat out of the bag. My story was written in the fashion of a folk tale with heavy influences from The One Thousand and One Arabian Nights. The narrative is also old in style with more "telling" elements rather than using sensory description. I thought it was pretty unique in that it allowed me to fit a lot of content, but it's far from "modern" for how stories are told today. Guess that's a good reason for a rejection. :p
But now the question: do I revise this one and resubmit, or do I keep writing new ones? Advice welcome!
I did minor revision with an HM and got a SHM back a while ago. It's worth a shot, but don't get trapped in revision hell because that will prevent you from writing new words.
I tried resubmitting an earlier SHM after some reworking to see if I could get it over that hump, but it stayed pat and pulled another Silver for me. I'm just grateful it didn't backslide
"Trust is like a shop. Difficult to build, but surprisingly easy to ruin. But when it is strong and true, there are few things in this world that make you feel stronger."
HM - V37/Q4, V38/Q4, V39/Q1
SHM - V38/Q3
A HM for me. A little down about this one - was really hoping for progress. I thought this story might have got higher. I'd love to know the difference (for my personal stories) that would have made them reach higher results. Wouldn't we all. Ha, ha. That's how it goes.
A hearty congrats to all who submitted, and all who placed!
"If writing is easy, you're doing it wrong." -Bryan Hutchinson V36-37: R x6 V38: R, HM, R, HM V39: HM, HM, HM, HM V40: HM, HM, SHM, HM V41: RWC, P
<Reads Kary's post that finalist calls are going out>
<Writes a funny little post about burning marshmallows while twitching>
<Giggles to self>
<At the EXACT moment of hitting 'add reply,' phone rings>
<Hollywood, CA>
<OMG-OMG-OMG>
...
<Twitches through ten days of enforced silence>
<Phone rings>
<Hollywood, CA>
<OMG-OMG-OMG>
...
I am pleased to announce that I am no longer eligible to submit to Writers of the Future.
3rd Place, Volume 39, 2nd Quarter
Death and the Taxman, my WotF V39 winning story is now a novel! (Click Here >). Death and the Dragon launches on Kickstarter August 27th. (Click Here >)
Subscribe to The Lost Bard's Letter atwww.davidhankins.com and receive an exclusive novelette!
Giving up on this contest, as my stuff clearly isn't suitable for this market. Still I think there's nothing wrong with it, and it's better than 90% of published sci-fi on any medium and I'm not willing to change any of it, so bye.
, my first one for WOTF!!! Thanks so much for those of you who helped sharpen my story.
Congrats to the RWCs (I know, I know, but it's not nothing), other HMs, SHMs, SFs, Fs, and super congrats to David Hankins @lost_bard for winning third place!!!
My IOTF entry did not place...
WOTF results:
Vol 42: Q1 SHM, Q2 SHM, Q3 RWC, Q4 P
running totals to date:
WOTF: 6 Rs, 4 RWCs, 8 HMs, 2 SHMs
IOTF: 4 Rs, 3 HMs
Check out my new website: https://www.amyrwethingtonwriterofspeculativeworlds.com/
According to Winston Churchill, "success is going from failure to failure with enthusiasm"
Somehow I lost my Guthington profile, but it's me. Amy Wethington = Guthington = Physa
Thanks so much for those of you who helped sharpen my story. 
