Thanks, @einstein36.
Yeah, it takes a lot of hard work. What do they say? “Genius is 1% inspiration, 99% perspiration.”
There is always another quarter to shoot for.
V42: WIP, ___, ___, ___
V41: HM, Finalist, HM, SHM
V40: HM, HM, RWC, HM
V39: R, R, R, HM
V38: R,
The story I wrote for this quarter was terrible, so I instead lightly edited (but materially improved!) a previous SHM and resubmitted. That garnered a RWC. I confess to being a little startled by that outcome.
Got a Silver and just signed up to say it! This was my first entry and I'm sure I'll be back.
Could some kind person link me to a page that explains the different possible results (HM, SHM, etc)? I'm sure I read something about them when I entered, but that was awhile ago and I can't find it again now. Silver Honorable Mention sounds nice enough that I'm satisfied with it, anyway
SHM is great. Next up is semi finalist, then finalist, then the top three.
Well done.
R:6 RWC:1 HM:9 SHM:3
My Blog
Small Gods and Little Demons - Parsec Issue #10
An rwc.
Congrats to everyone that placed.
Today's science fiction is tomorrow's reality-D.R.Sweeney
HM x5
Published Poetry
2012 Stars in Our Hearts
Silver Ships
@michelle-d
Exactly....but as I like to do, 1% inspiration, 110% perspiration...LOL.....
Congratulations to everyone who entered! I see a lot of people whose hard work is paying off.
V42: WIP, ___, ___, ___
V41: HM, Finalist, HM, SHM
V40: HM, HM, RWC, HM
V39: R, R, R, HM
V38: R,
Yay hooray! After a bunch of HMs, this is a big jump! I am pumped, and ready to do more. Strange thing was ... I wasn't really very confident about this story. But there you go.
Write so long as words keep flowing...
http://www.DocHonourBooks.com
FWA RPLA: 2021:Fx2; 2022:1st place Gold, 2023: 1st place Gold novel
V38 HMx2; V39 HMx2, RWC, DQ (oops)
V40 SF(!), HM; RWCx2; V41 HM, RWCx2, DQ (what, again!)
V42 Q1:Sub
@michelle-d
Exactly....but as I like to do, 1% inspiration, 110% perspiration...LOL.....
Too true.
V42: WIP, ___, ___, ___
V41: HM, Finalist, HM, SHM
V40: HM, HM, RWC, HM
V39: R, R, R, HM
V38: R,
Yay hooray! After a bunch of HMs, this is a big jump! I am pumped, and ready to do more. Strange thing was ... I wasn't really very confident about this story. But there you go.
Great job! That is an amazing achievement.
V42: WIP, ___, ___, ___
V41: HM, Finalist, HM, SHM
V40: HM, HM, RWC, HM
V39: R, R, R, HM
V38: R,
My impression is that they're getting a lot of pro-level entries in this contest, things that are worthy of being published in the right market. The problem right now, even for professionals (my sister is a professional fiction writer) is that the market overall is terrible. Trad publishing is all but dead except for celebrities and big names. Amazon is a mess. Lots of really good, frustrated writers out there these days. Hang in there, there will be a sea change at some point.
Looking at the screen writers' conflicts, it appears the sea change in the next five years may well be low-end stories hacked out by AI. Don't know how beginning writers will get a chance to become famous if the bottom end is filled with robots. (Maybe the next "well-known author" will be ChatGPT?)
Write so long as words keep flowing...
http://www.DocHonourBooks.com
FWA RPLA: 2021:Fx2; 2022:1st place Gold, 2023: 1st place Gold novel
V38 HMx2; V39 HMx2, RWC, DQ (oops)
V40 SF(!), HM; RWCx2; V41 HM, RWCx2, DQ (what, again!)
V42 Q1:Sub
No sign for RWC, but
Congrats to all who entered and to all who placed HM and higher.
WOTF results:
Vol 41: Q1 HM, Q2 HM, Q4 HM
running totals to date:
WOTF: 6 Rs, 3 RWCs. 8 HMs
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
Flat out R on this one. I guess it's time to send out to another market.
Congratulations to all those who placed.
Small steps add up to miles.
5 R, 4 RWC, 6 HM, 1 SHM
"Amore For Life" in After the Gold Rush Third Flatiron Anthology
"Freedom’s Song” in Troubadour and Space Princesses LTUE Anthology
"Experimenting with the Dance of Death" in Love is Complicated LUW Romance Anthology.
I'm pleasantly surprised on this one! I really thought I'd get an HM or RWC on this one since I'm aware of it's flaws. Editing it should be simple, now.
V39: -- / SHM / SHM / RWC
V40: HM / SHM / SHM / SHM
V41: RWC / HM / SHM / WIP
A product of sweat and tears: www.starspunlit.org
Thank you to Wulf Moon and to the invaluable resources here at the Writers of the Future site to help inspiring writers like me to continue honing one's craft.
The story I wrote for this quarter was terrible, so I instead lightly edited (but materially improved!) a previous SHM and resubmitted. That garnered a RWC. I confess to being a little startled by that outcome.
I was a bit confused on getting a story rejected this time, since my test readers felt it was a top 5 story of mine.
It wasn't really a WotF content, but then again my SF was a military story and that didn't seem like WotF either.
Flat out R on this one. I guess it's time to send out to another market.
Congratulations to all those who placed.
Same here.
Well, I'll try sending it out to other markets and see.
Signed sad and disappointed
"Whether you think you can, or you think you can't--you're right."~ Henry Ford
2025 V42: Final Draft Review
2024 V41: RWC (Resubmitted "HM"), HM, RWC, Finalist (RWC Resubmit)
2023 V40: HM, HM, R, HM
2022 V39: SHM, HM, Semi-finalist, HM (HM Resubmit)
2021 V38: ---HM (R Resubmit)
2020 V37: -R--
Yay hooray! After a bunch of HMs, this is a big jump! I am pumped, and ready to do more. Strange thing was ... I wasn't really very confident about this story. But there you go.
Congrats. That is a big deal.
"Whether you think you can, or you think you can't--you're right."~ Henry Ford
2025 V42: Final Draft Review
2024 V41: RWC (Resubmitted "HM"), HM, RWC, Finalist (RWC Resubmit)
2023 V40: HM, HM, R, HM
2022 V39: SHM, HM, Semi-finalist, HM (HM Resubmit)
2021 V38: ---HM (R Resubmit)
2020 V37: -R--
First time submitting to WOTF, and I'm honestly kind of shocked. Such a motivating contest, though, and I'm really looking forwards to participating more.
Q3V40:SF Q4:HM
Q1V41:HM Q2:HM Q3:SF Q4: RWC
congratulations to all who entered! exciting to see a few SFs in the forum. #goals
"Celebrate rejections, because rejections make you a working writer..." -Mur Lafferty
V38: SHM, R
V39: SHM, RWC, HM, HM
V40: —, HM, SHM
@selsozhu That is incredible! Way to go!
V39: - - - HM
V40: SHM, HM, SHM, HM
V41: HM, SHM, SHM, F
V42: WIP
Stories published in Triangulation, Neo-opsis Science Fiction Magazine, Flash Fiction Magazine, and others.
https://kzrichards.com
I instead lightly edited (but materially improved!) a previous SHM and resubmitted. That garnered a RWC. I confess to being a little startled by that outcome.
@bzelger been there, got the t-shirt. I still think my R is better than my SHM
I couldn't finish my intended Q3 so amended a previous HM. Completely different ending, completely the same result
I think the story is better, but I'm guessing either it is not better or it is just not better enough to place higher. I must really finish my Q4 as time is ticking
Congratulations to all who placed, and to all who entered. Now it's time to see who the winners are and hoping for another strong showing from forumites.
3rd Place Q3 Vol 41
Submission record: R x 2 / HM x 7 / SHM x 2 / W x 1
Stories published in Daily Science Fiction, Every Day Fiction, 365tomorrows, and Gwyllion Magazine.
@selsozhu Congrats, good job.
"Whether you think you can, or you think you can't--you're right."~ Henry Ford
2025 V42: Final Draft Review
2024 V41: RWC (Resubmitted "HM"), HM, RWC, Finalist (RWC Resubmit)
2023 V40: HM, HM, R, HM
2022 V39: SHM, HM, Semi-finalist, HM (HM Resubmit)
2021 V38: ---HM (R Resubmit)
2020 V37: -R--
Looking forward to scrolling through everyone's results today!
"You can either sit here and write, or you can sit here and do nothing. But you can’t sit here and do anything else."
— Neil Gaiman, Masterclass
Drop me a line at https://morganbroadhead.com
SFx1
HMx5
R/RWCx5
SHM for an edited previous entry.
A relief after my first R in a while (for a previous HM) but kind of disappointing, because I submitted too early and came up with a way better idea for part of the story before the deadline date.
Good work for entering everyone, whatever the outcome!
35: - R R R | 36: R HM R R | 37: HM HM HM SHM | 38: HM HM HM HM | 39: HM HM HM SHM | 40: HM R SHM SHM | 41: R HM SHM R
5 SHM / 13 HM / 9 R
OK. Done licking my wounds a HM, RWC, and the R after an SHM. I don't expect anything from QTR 4. It was not as good as QTR 3 which got an R. I'm going to do some reading to try to get back in line with what WotF wants for stories.
Meanwhile, I will start looking for finalist / winner announcements hoping to see people I know.
Small steps add up to miles.
5 R, 4 RWC, 6 HM, 1 SHM
"Amore For Life" in After the Gold Rush Third Flatiron Anthology
"Freedom’s Song” in Troubadour and Space Princesses LTUE Anthology
"Experimenting with the Dance of Death" in Love is Complicated LUW Romance Anthology.
Well.... As for my Q3 RWC it stings, but I'm not that surprised. I knew it wasn't as good as my Q2 story [which got an HM]. It's nice to get results this early as I have yet to send in a Q4 story. I have a great story in my mind, but not a lot of time to get it right. AND I have a backup story that needs a bit more tweaking and additional details to increase the verisimilitude. Anyway, I have 2 weeks to figure it out. I was all set to tweak my backup story, but given my Q3 result perhaps I should dig deep and do this other story instead.
I can't really speculate on what it takes to get past an HM other than to recognize that there is tough competition for those SHMs, SFs, Fs, and of course first, second, and third. I'm definitely a much better writer of short stories than I was two years ago. And I still find the challenge fun and engaging.
And I have no clue how A.I. tools are going to change the market. I'm old school and want to do all of it myself.
I'm also a lot more tough on myself and picky about my early drafts so with an increase in quality comes a decrease in quantity.
So very happy for the HMs.
Impressed with the SHMs.
Humbled by the SFs [and jealous of that feedback y'all get from Jody].
And am in anticipation to hear of the Fs and those who took first, second, and third! May your second call be the one that will change your life!
Keep writing everyone! And remember... it's just one of many markets for the stories you write.
WOTF results:
Vol 41: Q1 HM, Q2 HM, Q4 HM
running totals to date:
WOTF: 6 Rs, 3 RWCs. 8 HMs
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
I wrote this story in three days and submitted it without any feedback, since there wasn't any time. I plan on reading it to my critique group before I send it out again.
Congratulations to all who placed and commiseration for the R's. Got an R from another market just moments before the WotF email came through. It was a story that had passed the first reader and I had my fingers crossed. Dang.
Looking forward to seeing some finalists and winners in the forum over the coming days.
Write without fear.
Edit without mercy.
......................................................................................................................
V38 1Q NA 2Q SHM 3Q R 4Q HM
V39 1Q NA 2Q SHM 3Q HM 4Q RWC
V40 1Q SHM 2Q SHM 3Q SHM 4Q HM
V41 1Q TBD
I wrote this story in three days and submitted it without any feedback, since there wasn't any time.
Congrats.
I really need to kick my pantser style and learn to write faster. Writing isn't so bad, but the editing and re-editing time kills me.
"Whether you think you can, or you think you can't--you're right."~ Henry Ford
2025 V42: Final Draft Review
2024 V41: RWC (Resubmitted "HM"), HM, RWC, Finalist (RWC Resubmit)
2023 V40: HM, HM, R, HM
2022 V39: SHM, HM, Semi-finalist, HM (HM Resubmit)
2021 V38: ---HM (R Resubmit)
2020 V37: -R--
I wrote this story in three days and submitted it without any feedback, since there wasn't any time.
Congrats.
I really need to kick my pantser style and learn to write faster. Writing isn't so bad, but the editing and re-editing time kills me.
Dustin may have something to say about that, he's an editing behemoth, rode that revision style all the way to a win.
DQ:0 / R:0 / RWC:0 / HM:15 / SHM:7 / SF:1 / F:1
Published prior WotF entries: PodCastle, HFQ, Abyss & Apex
Submitted for Q1 V42 / Drafting Q2 V42
HM for me this time around!
Beth Powers
-----
Silver HM x 6
HM x 21
Entries x 68
-----
Collected Stories:
Sorcery & Widgets
Runes & Rivets
I wrote this story in three days and submitted it without any feedback, since there wasn't any time.
Congrats.
I really need to kick my pantser style and learn to write faster. Writing isn't so bad, but the editing and re-editing time kills me.
Dustin may have something to say about that, he's an editing behemoth, rode that revision style all the way to a win.
Yup. Every story I wrote and submitted without feedback was R-eturned.
Every story I rewrote a dozen times won. ?
Career: 1x Win -- 2x NW-F -- 2x S-F -- 9x S-HM -- 11x HM -- 7x R
Like me: facebook/AuthorTJKnight