Discussion: Q2 Volume 43

@gideonpsmith, @craydimensional, and @joel-c-scoberg thanks for the encouraging words about my RWC and my writing. It's nice to know there are super talented and successful writers who believe in me and are pulling for me. Much appreciated. 

Posted by: @craydimensional

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But also   and signed contract last night.

Congratulations! That's awesome  

Posted by: @adrian

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Pretty sure I’m allowed to mention this now (hopefully. I did ask on the call).   . I’m very excited, whatever the outcome. Congrats to all who placed!! And sympathies to those who didn’t get the results they hoped. I know that feeling too.  

Congratulations! Hope you win  

Posted by: @javajnkie

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Congrats to everyone! 

I was on an upward trajectory with my first three entries going from RWC, HM, then finalist. I took two steps back with a SHM, but there’s no sense of let-down because it honestly didn’t deserve anything more than that.

I love my q3 story though! It’ll probably be my last entry, so fingers crossed!🤞 

Crossenem! 

SHM is still no joke. Though I can understand the let down after top 8, it came close! 

Posted by: @javajnkie

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It’ll probably be my last entry,

Why is that?

Posted by: @javajnkie

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I was on an upward trajectory with my first three entries going from RWC, HM, then finalist. I took two steps back with a SHM, but there’s no sense of let-down because it honestly didn’t deserve anything more than that.

I love my q3 story though! It’ll probably be my last entry, so fingers crossed!🤞 

Congrats on your HM and finalist.

I wouldn't compare writing to steps forward or back. Story placement has so many factors each quarter (same in other markets); right content at the right time against the right competition. You could have a fantastic story about trolls, but if a market has already accepted several troll stories then they may pass. I've heard of HM stories selling to professional markets outside WotF. I've also found semi-finalist and finalist stories hard to place in other markets. 

When you buy a ticket to ride the writer rollercoaster, you get some highs and some lows. Keep on writing, submitting, and having fun. If you meant you are going to pro out, then congrats. If not, then keep writing and submitting.  

Congratulations to all those who entered, placed and made finalist! Wow! So for me, another HM (fourth in a row). So for next quarter I submitted something completely different, I'd even say experimental which will probably be thrown out the window but there's no sense doing the same thing....

Congrats to everyone. Must say, FOMO is real and reading these comments has made me insanely jealous as I did not submit last quarter. I am this quarter. 

Posted by: @babooher

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Congrats to everyone. Must say, FOMO is real and reading these comments has made me insanely jealous as I did not submit last quarter. I am this quarter. 

Great to read you are submitting again. It is a lot of work to think up, write, edit, and submit. Don't lose momentum.

I forgot to post--HM for me.

Posted by: @adrian

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Pretty sure I’m allowed to mention this now (hopefully. I did ask on the call).   . I’m very excited, whatever the outcome. Congrats to all who placed!! And sympathies to those who didn’t get the results they hoped. I know that feeling too.  

Another disappointing outcome. But as mentioned, was thrilled to be selected. Onward and upward!

@adrian 

Sorry to learn the bad news. That second phone call is a brute when it doesn't go your way. I've had three.

My remedy is tequila. And, this time of year, watching lightning bugs.

Best of luck in the future.

@adrian That is so hard. I'm sorry.

@Adrian I'm gutted for you. But, that's TWO finalists now, which is an incredible achievement. Third time will be the charm.

@adrian

What Kent said. That second one is almost harder than the first. Actually... It is. 

I'm sure you wrote something amazing tho, and now it's a pattern. I'm looking forward to the next quarter in which you get to use that finalist emoji again. 😌 

Posted by: @adrian

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Another disappointing outcome. But as mentioned, was thrilled to be selected. Onward and upward!

 

Sorry to hear it @adrian - brutal, and I know there's not much we can say to soften that. Next question is maybe, what other place might you send this finalist story to. You already know it's good. Finding it's actual home sounds like time well spent. Looking forward to reading it when it is in print

Thanks @kent. I much appreciate the wisdom from someone who's in the same boat. It's hard being that close and missing, but it's also nice to know I'm getting closer in my skills (hopefully). Although, honestly, looking at my stories between SHM and Finalist, it's not a huge gap, IMO, and I think judge's taste is good part of it. Which is both encouraging and frustrating. 🤣 

Thanks @annmarieinlr. Appreciate it! And @joel-c-scoberg and @tj_knight. Appreciate you both and love the optimism. 😀 Will try! 

Posted by: @gideonpsmith

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Next question is maybe, what other place might you send this finalist story to. You already know it's good. Finding it's actual home sounds like time well spent. Looking forward to reading it when it is in print

Thanks Gideon. Appreciate it! And yeah, one positive thing on this story (hopefully not jinxing it) is that it was a more marketable length than my first Finalist (closer to 5k words where the first was closer to 8k). More markets to submit to as a result. Fingers crossed!

Posted by: @adrian

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Although, honestly, looking at my stories between SHM and Finalist, it's not a huge gap, IMO, and I think judge's taste is good part of it. Which is both encouraging and frustrating. 🤣 

You're not wrong. Dave said as much, and Jody has as well - round-about. The thing is, there aren't only 8 finalists per quarter, there are definitely more. However, only 8 can be selected as finalists. i.e. there are SF/SHM finalists that, for whatever reason, be it taste or simply a bottleneck (two sci-fi stories on a spaceship - and I speak from experience on this one), get "bumped down". 

That's why we say over and over that silvers are close. Could literally have been in the top 20... 

Hi all, sorry for being late to the party, I got an HM on Q2! 😃 (I didn’t get the email as my server rejects them for some reason, so it had to be extracted and then things have been extremely busy the past week.)

Very happy about the HM, things were so busy around deadline time there, so to still have managed to produce that with the limited time feels great.

Big congratulations to those who placed and well done everyone who got something in! 🌟 We all know the dedication it takes. Looking forward to see what Q3 brings us! 😃

@adrian That's amazing that you made finalist AGAIN! Big congratulations. 🥳 Sorry to hear it didn't work out, but one of eight from a pool of thousands is still really quite something. Good luck in the coming quarters!

Posted by: @patricia-a

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@adrian That's amazing that you made finalist AGAIN! Big congratulations. 🥳

Thanks @Patricia-a!

I see the winners have been announced. https://writersofthefuture.com/writers-of-the-future-2nd-quarter-winners-announced-for-volume-43/

Congratulations everyone who entered, regardless of what tier you get, R, RWC, HM, SHM, SF, or Finalist. A special Cogratucondolances, Adrian. You'll get 'em next time. Just don't give up. The trick to winning this contest is not giving up. I learned this the hard way! Just finished Volume 42. So good. Another one of the best things you can do to level up is read the latest volumes. I would never have won this contest if not for this forum. Each year this forum almost always produces finalists and often winners, Keep up the good work. On to the next quarter! You will submit!

Posted by: @preston-e-dennett

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Congratulations everyone who entered, regardless of what tier you get, R, RWC, HM, SHM, SF, or Finalist. A special Cogratucondolances, Adrian. You'll get 'em next time. Just don't give up. The trick to winning this contest is not giving up. I learned this the hard way! 

Thanks Preston. Great inspirational words! One story after another and hope the occasional one clicks!  

Posted by: @adrian

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Another disappointing outcome. But as mentioned, was thrilled to be selected. Onward and upward!

Great outlook. Congrats on the Finalist, and fingers crossed for a win in the near future.