Discussion: Q3 Volume 38

As far as Q3 goes, I'm expecting to do well. Not because my story is brilliant (although hopefully it is!), but because I'm aiming to win. I'm trying to remember who said that (possibly Brittany Rainsdon?) in their advice: don't write to submit to the contest. Write to win. I like the mindset of making the story the very best it can be, down to details, motivations, prose and anything else that gives it an edge. When it gets submitted, I believe it's good enough to win.

Of course, I've had multiple rejections in the contest, so there's room for improvement. Good news is, there are so many benefits to submitting fresh stories to WotF that even if we don't get the ignition keys to the starship yet, we're clocking up solid time in the simulators. On the day we get that commander's hat, we'll be more than ready to fly.

@axeminister 

I bought 'On Stranger Tides' by Tim Powers not long ago. Nearly finished- great read!

I counted all my volumes and v12 is the only one I don't have. Anyone know where to start searching?

I love how we've now basically started a fetch quest to pass the time while we lie in uncertain wait for the results.

So the email address I used to submit Q3 and Q4 has an issue, and is no longer receiving incoming messages. I’ve already emailed Joni from an alternate email informing her of the error, and to let her know that I need to have my submission response/results sent to the alternate. Do I need to do anything else?

@scott_m_sands 

Yea I checked volumes 25, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, and 34 and didn't find it there though doubt it was in 35 (I have that on another device so couldn't check it yesterday). I just don't know how else I could have read it if it's not in a volume I own... 

Could this be a collective dream we all had? Or I'm really bad at checking

@scribblesatdusk 

Dunno, but if it is a collective dream, it's clearly a memorable story. I give it to the end of this quarter. If nobody has found this mysterious 'fish creature' story by then, I'm going to write it and enter it as my Q2.   

Posted by: @storysinger

I counted all my volumes and v12 is the only one I don't have. Anyone know where to start searching?

It's available on Amazon. Took some searching, but it's there.

L. Ron Hubbard Presents Writers of the Future, Vol. 12: Hubbard, L. Ron, Silverberg, Robert, Budrys, Algis, Wolverton, Dave: 9781573180276: Amazon.com: Books

https://www.amazon.com/Hubbard-Presents-Writers-Future-Vol/dp/1573180270

Posted by: @axeminister

Ya, I totally read that one as well. First one who finds it wins?

AHHHHH!! I found the "fish" story!!

I remembered the author was female, so I went through EVERY volume, ya'll (okay, okay, just the first 29), and flipped through to every story with a female sounding name. Oof. It took at least a solid hour to find. Holy moly, that's exciting! 

Soooo ... did I win a prize, Dustin? Lol, lol.

And should I leave everyone in suspense? Or share the story deets? ??

~A.

P.S. It's NOT in Vol 29 ??

Thanks for posting that Preston. I've ordered v12 from thriftbooks.com. When I get it here in my office my collection will be complete.

V6 is missing the cover so I'll have to replace it.

Posted by: @aliciacay

Posted by: @axeminister

Ya, I totally read that one as well. First one who finds it wins?

AHHHHH!! I found the "fish" story!!

I remembered the author was female, so I went through EVERY volume, ya'll (okay, okay, just the first 29), and flipped through to every story with a female sounding name. Oof. It took at least a solid hour to find. Holy moly, that's exciting! 

Soooo ... did I win a prize, Dustin? Lol, lol.

And should I leave everyone in suspense? Or share the story deets? ??

~A.

P.S. It's NOT in Vol 29 ??

Don't post it yet!!  Can I pm you what I thought it was, or at least was closest to it in my memory? In the end, I didn't think it was the one because I remembered things being different but I might be getting things all mixed up with The Word for Everything

Posted by: @scribblesatdusk

Don't post it yet!!  Can I pm you what I thought it was, or at least was closest to it in my memory? In the end, I didn't think it was the one because I remembered things being different but I might be getting things all mixed up with The Word for Everything

Yes, of course PM me! LOL

It's definitely in a much older volume than Dibble's story. It's not in any of the 30's volumes.   

~A.

You know, this might be a fun enough forum game. Describe a WotF story you enjoyed, and the others have to track it down. Probably best placed in the Kitchen Sink section.

@aliciacay 

Figured it wouldn't be in the 30's. I'd probably know which one pretty quick if so. Budry's seemed to do more non-human protags than Dave, and KD did more deep space stories. My finalist with her was a deep space story. This is just from the hip tho, I don't have a database to look up. Scott Parkin has a memory like a steel trap. He would probably know this for sure.

And yes, you win a prize.

But it'll have to wait until I win this thing...

...

...

Someday.

Posted by: @sinsyne

You know, this might be a fun enough forum game. Describe a WotF story you enjoyed, and the others have to track it down. Probably best placed in the Kitchen Sink section.

I mean ... ngl ... that sounds awesome!

I'll head over to kitchen sink and start a thread up over there asking about a different story. I'm going to keep it the 30's volumes, only because I know those are the ones everyone mostly has.

A little treasure hunt, ya'll! ♥

~A.

Posted by: @axeminister

@aliciacay 

Figured it wouldn't be in the 30's. I'd probably know which one pretty quick if so. Budry's seemed to do more non-human protags than Dave, and KD did more deep space stories. My finalist with her was a deep space story. This is just from the hip tho, I don't have a database to look up. Scott Parkin has a memory like a steel trap. He would probably know this for sure.

And yes, you win a prize.

But it'll have to wait until I win this thing...

 

...

...

 

Someday.

someday soon!  

I *can* say that AJ was the editor of this volume with the "fish" story. And ... it's in one of the 20's volumes.

The protag is human, and the author is female, but that's all the hints I'm gonna give (for now) ... LOL

~A.

P.S. You and I are now TOC buddies, Dustin! eep! yay! ♥

Posted by: @rnichols

So the email address I used to submit Q3 and Q4 has an issue, and is no longer receiving incoming messages. I’ve already emailed Joni from an alternate email informing her of the error, and to let her know that I need to have my submission response/results sent to the alternate. Do I need to do anything else?

Hopefully Joni responds back to your alternate email address letting you know she got your message. She's usually very good about getting back to people. This should be all you need to do. Might also consider sending your alt email to Jason Toth, just in case.

Posted by: @rnichols

So the email address I used to submit Q3 and Q4 has an issue, and is no longer receiving incoming messages. I’ve already emailed Joni from an alternate email informing her of the error, and to let her know that I need to have my submission response/results sent to the alternate. Do I need to do anything else?

Joni coordinates all of this. You’ve notified her, so you’re good. When you see results come in and if you don’t hear anything *after a couple of weeks*, then email her. Semifinalists are normally notified last. So are paper subs.

@sinsyne 
Agreed, Sinsyne - sounds fun.
Might be an issue for me, though. I don't have many before vol 25.  🙁

@aliciacay 

I'll check it out for sure. And thanks for keeping it to the 30's for now.  Let's hunt some orc!!

Just downloaded v37 from Amazon. I am looking forward to reading it tonight.

Posted by: @wulfmoon

Semifinalists are normally notified last.

I had no idea results came staggered. I guess I've always been in the FIRST round of rejections!  

I got a call from Hollywood yesterday...Hollywood, Florida. That spam call got my heart racing.  

@angelslayah Recently, they haven't been too staggered. I got my Semi-Finalist on the same day as most everyone got their placements.

Yeah recently all results have come on the same day. But what has been in the past is no promise! lol

It's definitely changed a lot over time. When I first entered, there was a sweeping period of people receiving rejections early, with stories cleared into a kind of second round of consideration, then broken down into R, HM, etc., with all receiving that second round result pretty much at the same time, and SF coming a little later. I do like the camaraderie that comes with the results all rolling out close together, though, so while I don't know if it simplifies anything on their end--feels like it could, if anything, make things more complicated really--it's a lot more enjoyable to have it go down this way as a writer.

This is only going to be my third story up for consideration, so I'm not as familiar with the way the results are sent out. But at this point, the wait is driving me batty. I've got my fingers crossed and trying to put it on the back burner while I work on my Q1 story.

@earthkeeper78 You and me both. I'm not sure it's twitching time yet thought. I think Dave just started his review last week. He needs at least 2 weeks.

@craydimensional 

I can definitely understand that. It's a lot of writing to read through. I'm about 1000 words into my Q1 right now, and looking to try infusing a little humor into the story. Well, as much humor as you can put into a story with a haunted building...

I check my emails, five times a day

Never before have I been this way

I sent in a story, what do they think

In my pillow fort I have a hot cocoa drink

Waiting for results, how did I place

Every unknown call, makes my heart race

One from LA, makes my heart hammer

Then I find it's Lower Alabammer

I got the, waiting on the results blues

No news is definitely no news

Waiting and wondering, searching for clues

I got the, waiting on the results blues