Discussion: Q3 Volume 38

You know what. I think I need it to be Friday too.

Anyone up for watching ground hogs day?

@craydimensional 

I still remembering where he steals the groundhog. Pretty sure he drives it over a cliff?

Now that's a meme!

@scott_m_sands lol. I understand the frustration

@babooher I can so relate to this.... I hope you are feeling better enough to enough your Saturday. Hang in there!!! Your mo-jo will come back.  

@physa I'm attending Fyrecon and strengthening my resolve through artistic fellowship. No matter what, I write on.

As for Thursday, I keep thinking of John and Hank Green. John Green usually starts his videos with "Good morning, Hank, it's Tuesday," and I believe Hank Green normally ends his with "See you next Tuesday." I'm beginning to wonder if once you make a big enough sale, do you go to a different day?

It's still Thursday, but I'm off to Fyrecon.

Ah, each day, as the hours stretch on into the darkness, I start to think 'Well, that's probably it', and I sit and wait for the email...

Then it doesn't arrive, and I start each day again fresh with new, glorious hope.

Thursday, anyone? 

P.S. -- I believe I have watched Groundhog Day a Groundhog Day number of times.

Posted by: @axeminister

Now that's a meme!

If only there were a third contest, Memesters of the Future.

From what Kary English said at Fyrecon last night (awesome, inspiring panel discussion b.t.w. I appreciate all the winners who attended), Thursday might be different for each of us. Due to a technical issue, they got to email folks manually. She said within the week. Hang tight, y'all!

@jeschleicher 

And did she announce one of the winners? That would mean the winners and finalists are already chosen, the rest of us are just waiting to see how we placed. I could be mistaken...

@scott_m_sands yes one winner was announced.Last night was awesome. Loved hearing from past winners and judges. Kary English had some great tips for getting past scrum pile check.

Not sure what to think or feel about that to be honest, knowing that the winners have already been announced, just sat here waiting to see what flavour of rejection I'll be getting. It's stopped the twitching at any rate.

Posted by: @craydimensional

@scott_m_sands yes one winner was announced.Last night was awesome. Loved hearing from past winners and judges. Kary English had some great tips for getting past scrum pile check.

Anything you can share from your notes?

Posted by: @pdblake

Not sure what to think or feel about that to be honest, knowing that the winners have already been announced, just sat here waiting to see what flavour of rejection I'll be getting. It's stopped the twitching at any rate.

Agreed. Finalists must have been called some time ago. So that's that for Q3...
Like you said, can stop twitching now and just wait for the e-mail.

@axeminister Ill try posting tonight.

@axeminister The only fact I know for sure is there was one call to a winner (didnt say finalist) on Friday. 

My twitching is not over, my goal was to make it past R email this quarter. But at least I can stop answering robo calls again.

Posted by: @axeminister

Posted by: @craydimensional

@scott_m_sands yes one winner was announced.Last night was awesome. Loved hearing from past winners and judges. Kary English had some great tips for getting past scrum pile check.

Anything you can share from your notes?

 

A lot of it was the stuff that we (those active in the forum) are already talking about and doing. Format correctly, have a 3 act structure, make your protagonist do the hard work and make the tough choices, keep it PG13 (no tentacle sex in a taxi ?, watch the F bombs), etc.

The part I found most interesting was the math behind finalist, SF, and Silver HM. Bottom line, Kary said that the silver HMs are pro quality, but there just happened to be one or two that were chosen because they were better, or because they fit what Dave needs to fill out the anthology. Q4 is the hardest because if he already has enough stories in your sub-genre, he will give you a SHM even if it’s a better story. That way you can resubmit and that silver may do wonderfully in Q1 of the following year. 

@axeminister, Kary emphasized to nail your beginnings and endings since she reads the first four/five pages and the last two before sending the ones that pass to Dave. Also, keeping it clean helps (i.e. no graphic sex and minimize cursing--side note there was a hilarious conversation about tentacles in a taxi).

Check your grammar and spelling, make sure to reread for errors (yelp vs whelp). She also said that the third and fourth quarters are a little more challenging to win because they are looking at the first and second quarter winners and trying to round out next year's anthology. She said that if you get a SHM then your story was likely in contention to go to finalist but that another similar story may have already made it in the earlier quarters and encouraged resubmitting those stories. 

That is all I can think of right now. It was a fun panel and really insightful.

Posted by: @craydimensional

@axeminister The only fact I know for sure is there was one call to a winner (didnt say finalist) on Friday. 

My twitching is not over, my goal was to make it past R email this quarter. But at least I can stop answering robo calls again.

Well I hope you make your goal!

It would be nice if we had an official word on whether all winners have been contacted. There is a limited time market I would very much like to submit this story to if it isn't a winner and I only have until the 31st to do so. If it isn't in the winner running I can send it out before I get the response to tell me how it placed (glorified or non-glorified rejection).

Posted by: @jeschleicher

From what Kary English said at Fyrecon last night (awesome, inspiring panel discussion b.t.w. I appreciate all the winners who attended), Thursday might be different for each of us. Due to a technical issue, they got to email folks manually. She said within the week. Hang tight, y'all!

Sorry, Forumites. I knew, but was instructed not to say. I did my best to get updates to ease the twitching pain. And yes, a winner was announced last night, only because they were there and Joni wished to honor the writer. You are usually under a gag order until Joni says it’s okay to make public. Those were special circumstances, and a kindness to this winner. I know they were relieved she did it, it’s very hard keeping news like that in. Cheers!

So here are my notes. It was livestreamed to facebook

• Genre cue in first 2 pages
• No alien sex in taxi, no taxi driver cursing, no political figures for current worlds or sounds like
• Proper formatting (no green font on black page)
• First 2 pages must hint of problem, lay out setting, introduce character, must contain genre cue
• Make sure works contain hooks through out to bridge one section to next
• In addition to nailing the opening you must nail ending to get HM
• If you got SHM or higher then you were in running for finalist and you story is pro. So seek out markets for it.
• Semi finalist can not be resubmitted and will get R if you do so
• Submit toward beginning of deadline to avoid computer glitches on last day. Also qualification into contest are based on where you are when you submitted. So if you submit on first day, but pro out in another market in middle  you still qualify.
• WotF encourages mentorship and paying it forward. If you win you are part of family, even if you pro out the still want to include you in. Need to watch Brittney and Wulf podcast
• Don't give up
• Results are usually in between 1month and 6 months after contest ends. I think goal was two months past start next quarter. Don't let result time deter your writing progress.
• Encourage to write fresh stories each quarter to build up the number of stories you have.
• Keep reading stories from Wotf when they come out they give clues as to what judges are looking for.
• And Brittney is now a judge. Congrats
• Previously published means it can not be accessible without user id and password.

Most of this I knew from previous forum post but repetition helps my remember.

Hope this helps.

I'm looking for the results of Q3 2021. Does anyone have any info

@wulfmoon I feel bad for Joni she has a big task ahead of her.

Posted by: @craydimensional

And Brittney is now a judge.

Wait. What?

That's AMAZING!!!!!

Posted by: @henckel

Posted by: @craydimensional

And Brittney is now a judge.

Wait. What?

 

That's AMAZING!!!!!

It’s not our Brittany. It’s an illustrator judge ?

@rschibler

...Humm. I still think it should be our Brittany ? 

@henckel 

Yeah, Brittany (B) Jackson. I've listened to her in some of the podcasts. She's great. Even though she works/speaks mostly to the illustrators, I still got a lot out of it.

You got me hook, line, and sinker. I thought our Brittany was da new judge.