Posted by: @krqueen_writes

↑

Posted by: @bohannwyatt

↑

Well this competition is definitely rigged because somehow I didn't even place. 

So if a story has all of the elements of a great story and is well written and structured but only has one single flaw and that being a slower opening that means it doesn't even place? (character arch's, relatable characters, unique and interesting premise, a strong overall core theme, themes all tie together nicely, you stick the landing, the characters aren't one dimensional, there is a struggle/problem to overcome.)

I've read a handful of the stories that did place in other years and believe me they are so bad I'm amazed anyone is willing to publish them at all. They either make so little sense that it's embarrassing or they have maybe one or two elements of a mildly "okay" story but nothing more. 

If you are actually a real serious writer, do not enter this contest, it is not worth a lick of your time. 

 

Chris, I was disappointed to receive an RWC too and had a higher view of my story than was likely deserved. As an enthusiast of classics (Shakespeare, Bronte, Tolstoy, Austen, etc.) I know that for me it's maddening and painful to know the intricacies I'm trying to weave into a story and wonder if they were even noticed. (Then again, a writer has to earn the right to have that stuff noticed; we have to prove that our work is good enough to merit that kind of close analysis.) 

World-class writers come out of this contest, and world-class writers manage it, so it's a massive stretch to say the contest is broken because your first attempt was shot down. During law school, I occasionally had peers who believed the professors had given them bad grades because the professors (who happened to be a bunch of summa cum laude graduates out of Harvard, Yale, Georgetown, etc.) simply didn't understand their brilliance. Those peers' confidence was always inversely proportional to how much they actually understood about the subject. The less they knew, the more they thought they knew, and the more shocked they were when their lack of knowledge resulted in poor grades.

If you read prior WotF contest wins and find it mysterious how they won, it's far more likely that you don't understand the stories than that this well-respected contest is broken. 

I hope you're able to stomach the rejection eventually and come back ready for the next round. The writing life is fraught with rejection for all but the lucky few, so if you want to keep writing, you'll probably want to get used to this feeling for a while. Breakthroughs don't come easily. Hang in there! 

 

Just remember that WOTF is a market as much as it is a contest. I was [and get] bummed about getting RWCs, but I see that I'm in good company [even a finalist in a different quarter is not safe from receiving an RWC in another quarter]. Perhaps an RWC is a great fit for a different market. It certainly doesn't mean one is unskilled at writing and crafting a short story. For me, I suspect I'm still learning how to craft a publishable short story. I have managed to achieve a rank of HM multiple times, but higher ranks and being picked up by a pro-market have so far eluded me. I love that this contest is free, has four quarters each year, and comes with a way to mark progress to compete in this market. I feel that my Q2 story was markedly better than prior stories, but it didn't rise above HM. I still have a lot to learn and that is what fuels me. That and the fact that I have to write stories.

Posted by: @henckel

↑

Congratulations everyone

A special thanks to Ryland and Brittany who peer reviewed my story. 

Posted by: @ease

↑

Posted by: @tj_knight

↑

Send me your 450s. Inbox is perma-open for them...

From one of last year's winners, this is incredibly generous! Take him up on this offer if you really care about advancing in this contest.

I'm not at Dustin's level, but I am confident I know how to not get an R, and how to up an HM to an SHM, so my inbox is also open for 450s. Pro Bono, no reciprocation expected (though I find I learn just as much critiquing as receiving critiques, so I advise giving them*, too, if you have the time).

*I didn't want this to turn into an essay, but critiquing Dustin's winning piece gave me the key to level up from HM to SHM, and I believe I even helped him (improve it, not win: he had already submitted it) infinitesimally.

 

Don't think we're all fooled by the "P" in your signature for Q2, Ease! LOL

Suuuuuure it's still pending... <wink wink>

Posted by: @clfors

↑

Sorry for the accidentally suspicious silence. No phone call this time. I was recovering from assisting the birth of twelve puppies over a 13 hour birth while fireworks went off.

A huge congratulations to all the honorable mentions, silvers, and semi-finalists. Looks like a lot of awards in the forums this time! For the RWCs and Rs I know that stings but just entering is an accomplishment and the awards could be just a quarter away.

I got an honorable mention for my story and a semi-finalist for my art.

 

Still a ways off from my double win   I’m excited for Q3 results in a couple months.

Posted by: @morgan-broadhead

↑

 

Don't think we're all fooled by the "P" in your signature for Q2, Ease! LOL

Suuuuuure it's still pending... <wink wink>

 

In Q4 I was like, "I'm awaiting my final result."
Which was true. Ish. ? 

5. PG-13 also means no children’s books. Fables and fairy tales and funny animal stories can work if they have more depth, more complexity than a simple kids’ tale.

I think Martin's rule #5 is the reason I got RWC.

HM for me. Hoped it might place better, but will keep plugging away.

A new guy here.   I got an HM on my first submission (Q1) but just got my RWC for Q2.  Soooo disappointed but finding and reading everyone's comments here made it much easier to digest.  Congrats to all!

RWC for a reworked HM stings a bit, but it unexpectedly made me want to write a new story. I'm so darn happy to see the excitement and the wonderful results! For fellow RWCers, don't fret. This is an opportunity to improve! Remember that! Hoping to see some winners in this thread, my fingers are crossed for you! 

Posted by: @adrian

↑

HM for me. Hoped it might place better, but will keep plugging away.

Same with me; HM.

I really thought this story would have placed better. HM is still good, but from reader comments I was pumped up on this one.

Better start focusing on next quarter.  

Posted by: @writersaraho

↑

RWC for a reworked HM stings a bit, but it unexpectedly made me want to write a new story. 

The longer I study this contest, the more I'm convinced that new stories is the way to go. Sure, many people have won with reworked stories, but until you're ready to win I believe you can learn so much more from writing new stories, and surely progress/self-improvement is just as important as the results? 

Hope your muse fills your fingers for this new story! 

Posted by: @storysinger

↑

5. PG-13 also means no children’s books. Fables and fairy tales and funny animal stories can work if they have more depth, more complexity than a simple kids’ tale.

I think Martin's rule #5 is the reason I got RWC.

It definitely can be. I've read great fairy tales that work well as what they are, but not as adultish stories.

Posted by: @ease

↑

Posted by: @writersaraho

↑

RWC for a reworked HM stings a bit, but it unexpectedly made me want to write a new story. 

The longer I study this contest, the more I'm convinced that new stories is the way to go. Sure, many people have won with reworked stories, but until you're ready to win I believe you can learn so much more from writing new stories, and surely progress/self-improvement is just as important as the results? 

Hope your muse fills your fingers for this new story! 

 

Ultimately a personal call. I made Finalist on my first attempt in part because Dean Wesley Smith convinced me to try Heinlein's Rules. They have served me well ever since. So I would never resubmit. But others have won with resubmission.

Posted by: @bethpowers

↑

HM for me on a reworked SHM, which is a disappointing direction to go...

But don't worry, I like this story too much not to have other plans for it  

That happened to me last year. I thought I made the story better, and I might have, but WotF didn't think so.  Send the story out to another market.

Posted by: @jkepko

↑

A new guy here.   I got an HM on my first submission (Q1) but just got my RWC for Q2.  Soooo disappointed but finding and reading everyone's comments here made it much easier to digest.  Congrats to all!

Hang in there. RWC is unique to WotF and they should give you a general reason why so you can update if you want to turn it in again.

Or, write something new and move on.

Either way, congrats on the HM and keep on writing.

Posted by: @time

↑

Congrats to everyone who won an award at any level, and even for completing a story and entering.

I used to regularly get HMs and SHMs, I've slipped to 2 RWC's in a row. I didn't envisage going backwards. Maybe it's time to take up the guitar.

Been there, done that. That string of rejections in 2018-2019 really messed with my head. So, I stopped submitting for a while, but I couldn't stop writing. And looking back, I see that my stories continue to improve, even though they're still not at pro publishing level yet. 

Posted by: @martin-l-shoemaker

↑

Posted by: @ease

↑

Posted by: @writersaraho

↑

RWC for a reworked HM stings a bit, but it unexpectedly made me want to write a new story. 

The longer I study this contest, the more I'm convinced that new stories is the way to go. Sure, many people have won with reworked stories, but until you're ready to win I believe you can learn so much more from writing new stories, and surely progress/self-improvement is just as important as the results? 

Hope your muse fills your fingers for this new story! 

 

Ultimately a personal call. I made Finalist on my first attempt in part because Dean Wesley Smith convinced me to try Heinlein's Rules. They have served me well ever since. So I would never resubmit. But others have won with resubmission.

 

Personally, I go for a mix of new and revised stories. I have learned that my process involves a LOT of revision. It's only in the 3rd draft that I usually figure out what I was trying to say in the first place. So, if I believe in a story, and feel I can fix it, I will always leave that door open. 

However, sometimes it's easier to level up by writing something fresh. Then you're not holding on to something that you don't realize is holding you back. 

Posted by: @reigheena

↑

However, sometimes it's easier to level up by writing something fresh. Then you're not holding on to something that you don't realize is holding you back. 

This has always been my own personal philosophy too. If I build a house ("a story") and the thing falls over ("gets rejected"), it's usually because several things went wrong. I could spend forever putting on fresh coats of paint and adding new furniture and upgrading the windows and remodeling the kitchen and planting flowers outside in the garden. But the foundation was likely inherently unsound, and none of those things are gonna make the thing livable ("sellable"). I'd rather spend my time just building a brand new house from the ground up. But I also understand that some people love fixer-uppers and flipping houses, so to each his own!

I was busy working on a new project so didn't see results until now. I guess it's good writing distracted me from twitching. Also, I really need to rebuild my signature with all my ups and downs. I took it off when I realized I'd missed a few then never redid it.

Posted by: @martin-l-shoemaker

↑

Ultimately a personal call. I made Finalist on my first attempt in part because Dean Wesley Smith convinced me to try Heinlein's Rules. They have served me well ever since. So I would never resubmit. But others have won with resubmission.

I'm on the line where I prefer to submit new, but if I can't for some reason, then I will revise and resubmit instead. I've also done it once where I believed I hadn't given a story justice, and revisions ramped it up from HM to SF.

I've only once resubmitted a story with only minor revisions, which was more of an "out of time" thing than anything else (and I think it was also my first ever resub). Otherwise, all my resubmissions have something substantially different compared to their previous incarnation.

This year is a mix for me, because after March, I set most of my writing aside, for a time, to focus on other things that demand my time and energy. Resubmitting gives me a way to do just editing and revision (which I find close to meditative), and still at least be entered.

Congratulations to all who entered. Press on! Avidly look for ways to improve. May your ego always be less than your ability. By the way...what are the 450's I see mentioned?

@henckel WooHoo!!   

I still remember your SHM you let me read. You're an excellent writer! It's only a matter of time before you're in Hollywood with the rest. 

Posted by: @bohannwyatt

↑

If you are actually a real serious writer, do not enter this contest, it is not worth a lick of your time.

Feed ye not the trolls, for their breath is bad enough already.

@clfors  

That's Amazing!!! Congrats!

Posted by: @rileynielson

↑

First time submitting. What comes next?

Excellent first result! Now go write your next. ?

Posted by: @doctorjest

↑

I'm on the line where I prefer to submit new, but if I can't for some reason, then I will revise and resubmit instead.

Same

Posted by: @sean-quinn

↑

This was my first time entering, and I received an Honorable Mention, which I'm pleased about. (I'm not quite sure how to interpret an HM, but I'm taking it as "not bad, your writing is not as awful you fear in your darkest moments, keep trying!")

Well done! It means you write well, and they see much promise, but you lost them somewhere. It’s meant to encourage you to keep writing and to send in your next!

Posted by: @henckel

↑

Congratulations everyone

A special thanks to Ryland and Brittany who peer reviewed my story. 

Nice work, Christopher! You’re right next to the bullseye again! Keep it up! 

Here to give a salute to everyone that entered Q2, and kudos to those that placed. Stay the course. You don’t win the greatest talent search for speculative fiction writers in the world overnight. We all have to develop our skills somewhere before we can hit a professional level of writing. You might as well do it here. You have all the tools and support in WotF to make it happen.

Stay the course. There’s a good reward for your hard work!

Cheers!

Posted by: @morgan-broadhead

↑

This has always been my own personal philosophy too. If I build a house ("a story") and the thing falls over ("gets rejected"), it's usually because several things went wrong. I could spend forever putting on fresh coats of paint and adding new furniture and upgrading the windows and remodeling the kitchen and planting flowers outside in the garden. But the foundation was likely inherently unsound, and none of those things are gonna make the thing livable ("sellable"). I'd rather spend my time just building a brand new house from the ground up. But I also understand that some people love fixer-uppers and flipping houses, so to each his own!

Absolutely. If you want a story to move up a level (R > HM, HM > SF) you have to do more than put on a fresh coat of paint. Here's how my revision process went for my story. 

Attempt #1 - 500 words - R  

Of course this one got rejected because it was flash. So I submit it elsewhere. I get positive comments from editors, but they say that they feel that it would benefit from a longer length. So I decide to do that. 

Attempt #2 - 4,400 words - R

After I got this rejection, I looked at Kary's comments on the forum, and I realized what I had done. This story is a Little Mermaid retelling with a twist. But in this version, the twist doesn't come until half-way through. (In the flash fiction version, it was all about the twist, and the twist is what editors liked). So Kary probably read a page, thought it was a straight retelling, and rejected it. So, I decide to restructure the story to put the twist up front. 

Attempt #3 - 5,000 words - HM

Looks like the restructuring was a step in the right direction. But over the last 3 months, I've realized that the ending is not set up very well. So that is what I'm going to look at fixing next.