Discussion: Q4 Volume 37

Sometimes a hard deadline is hugely motivating! I’m always happy to take a look if you’d like.

Hi everyone. Just wondering if anyone had sent their story in by pdf form? I emailed Joni and asked her whether I should send it in by using word. or pdf. She responded by saying "either one actually." So has anyone used pdf form before?

At last I've finished my first draft for Q4. For some reason this has been my hardest story to write and I was continually battling with grammar and viewpoint problems throughout. I had a healthy dose of writer's block plus I was locked out of the forum, so I haven't been active of late.

Anyone up for first reading? I would, of course, be happy to critique anyone else's work as well, now that I'm done.

So far, my story needs a lot of help. I feel like nothing happens in it, and it's just some guy talking to himself the whole time, and, well, I don't know. Still my goal was to finish the first draft by the weekend, and I succeeded. (I actually made that commitment multiple times over the last few months; this time I said I would give a hundred bucks away if I failed:)

Ha, I'm practically a professional at writing stories like that. Willing to give it a read for you.

Great job Reuben! Always a great feeling to finish a first draft. I'd be happy to give it a read.

Thank you so much everyone! I've sent you Pm's.

I'm in for Q4. Now for the waiting...

I'm in for Q4. Now for the waiting...

Right there with you, Matt!

Hear ye’, hear ye’! The end is coming! The end is coming! The end of the Contest year is only two weeks away! Save yourselves! Two weeks is plenty of time to prepare for the end. Get those stories written and sent in! The end of Volume 37 is coming!

I managed to not screw up the calendar in my head this time. Thus, I have now submitted this quarter's entry.

Woohoo.

Good luck, all.

I am ready to put Super Secret #16 into action. I did not do so last quarter and missed POV errors and paragraphing errors. Here's to my invisible audience!

I also plan to print it out into book form to make sure it looks good. Super Secret #19

Thanks again Wulf Moon for helping us learn to be SUCCESSFUL writers! I just can't thank you enough, but I do try.

Sitting down on a cardboard packing box. Tightening up my skates. Skating hard. This is not the time to lose my skates.

I am ready to put Super Secret #16 into action. I did not do so last quarter and missed POV errors and paragraphing errors. Here's to my invisible audience!

I also plan to print it out into book form to make sure it looks good. Super Secret #19

Thanks again Wulf Moon for helping us learn to be SUCCESSFUL writers! I just can't thank you enough, but I do try.

Sitting down on a cardboard packing box. Tightening up my skates. Skating hard. This is not the time to lose my skates.

Success to you, Candice! You've done the work all year, and I've watched you make tremendous leaps and bounds in your writing. Hard work will yield results. For you, it already has! We just have to keep learning, and we have to stay the course.

Much success on your Q4! Thank you for supporting me just as I have hopefully supported you!

All the beast!

Wulf Moon

Entered!

Good luck everyone

I got to spend a large chunk of yesterday on my editing--a rare freedom for me of late, and one that I took full advantage of. I now have a finished draft that I would feel okay about submitting, if I ran out of time, and managed to knock the word-count down by about 1500 words, mostly by eliminating some really dull bridging scenes. It'd still be on the longer side for my pieces, but I think it holds together pretty well overall.

More editing today, to tighten the prose, sharpen the opening, and reinforce the thematic imagery. Once that's all done, it'll be time to give the whole thing a spoken read-through. But one way or another, I'm sure I'll be in for the quarter.

I got to spend a large chunk of yesterday on my editing--a rare freedom for me of late, and one that I took full advantage of. I now have a finished draft that I would feel okay about submitting, if I ran out of time, and managed to knock the word-count down by about 1500 words, mostly by eliminating some really dull bridging scenes. It'd still be on the longer side for my pieces, but I think it holds together pretty well overall.

More editing today, to tighten the prose, sharpen the opening, and reinforce the thematic imagery. Once that's all done, it'll be time to give the whole thing a spoken read-through. But one way or another, I'm sure I'll be in for the quarter.

Good for you!!!! I'm not quite there yet... also good on getting out those dull bridging scenes, I need to work on mine lol

It occurs to me that I don't remember seeing a comedy or absurdist story in the back copies of the Anthology that I've read. I checked them out from the library and don't currently have one to look at. I've written two comedies, one is a fantasy and the other is a space opera. My critique partners assure me that they're some of my strongest work. Anyone have opinions regarding whether comedies do well in the contest? Thanks.

It occurs to me that I don't remember seeing a comedy or absurdist story in the back copies of the Anthology that I've read. I checked them out from the library and don't currently have one to look at. I've written two comedies, one is a fantasy and the other is a space opera. My critique partners assure me that they're some of my strongest work. Anyone have opinions regarding whether comedies do well in the contest? Thanks.

Dave is always on the lookout for a good comedy because he doesn't get many of them.

It occurs to me that I don't remember seeing a comedy or absurdist story in the back copies of the Anthology that I've read. I checked them out from the library and don't currently have one to look at. I've written two comedies, one is a fantasy and the other is a space opera. My critique partners assure me that they're some of my strongest work. Anyone have opinions regarding whether comedies do well in the contest? Thanks.

I would consider The Howler on the Sales Floor by Jonathan Ficke in volume 34 to be a bit of a comedy (not sure exact genre). You might want to check it out.

It occurs to me that I don't remember seeing a comedy or absurdist story in the back copies of the Anthology that I've read. I checked them out from the library and don't currently have one to look at. I've written two comedies, one is a fantasy and the other is a space opera. My critique partners assure me that they're some of my strongest work. Anyone have opinions regarding whether comedies do well in the contest? Thanks.

It depends what you call comedy, whether it has a plot--good--or it's a "jape"--Dave has said Not Good, because the reader has invested in the story only to find no denouement. And then there are those in between.

Austin Habershaw's story in vol. 31, A Revolutionary's Guide to Practical Conjuration, has comedy in it, although I certainly wouldn't call it comedy. Don Baumgart's story in vol. 2 is a comedy. I didn't really get what was going on in that one, to be honest. But that's a long time ago, so...

It occurs to me that I don't remember seeing a comedy or absurdist story in the back copies of the Anthology that I've read. I checked them out from the library and don't currently have one to look at. I've written two comedies, one is a fantasy and the other is a space opera. My critique partners assure me that they're some of my strongest work. Anyone have opinions regarding whether comedies do well in the contest? Thanks.

Dave is always on the lookout for a good comedy because he doesn't get many of them.

My V36 Q3 sub was a comedy called "Magician's Midlife Crisis". It only earned an HM, but was published shortly after in Sci-fi Lampoon. ...I've read some published WOTF stories that have humorous elements, but I don't recall any straight-up comedies.

Thanks for the feedback, I really appreciate it. It sounds like a straight comedy is rare amongst the published works.

It depends what you call comedy, whether it has a plot--good--or it's a "jape"--Dave has said Not Good, because the reader has invested in the story only to find no denouement. And then there are those in between.

I'm not sure what a jape is in this context. I can tell you that both stories have "Hero's Journey" type structure. The hero has an epiphany. It's totally not what you would expect but internally consistent.

My beta reader said she laughed from beginning to end even though she's not familiar with the Fantasy Genre. I wrote it hoping the result would be as if Terry Pratchett was trapped inside my knowledge base.

Could it be that no one has taken a chance on submitting something absurd?

Thanks for the feedback, I really appreciate it. It sounds like a straight comedy is rare amongst the published works.

It depends what you call comedy, whether it has a plot--good--or it's a "jape"--Dave has said Not Good, because the reader has invested in the story only to find no denouement. And then there are those in between.

I'm not sure what a jape is in this context. I can tell you that both stories have "Hero's Journey" type structure. The hero has an epiphany. It's totally not what you would expect but internally consistent.

My beta reader said she laughed from beginning to end even though she's not familiar with the Fantasy Genre. I wrote it hoping the result would be as if Terry Pratchett was trapped inside my knowledge base.

Could it be that no one has taken a chance on submitting something absurd?

It has all been done. Thousands of times in thirty-seven years. The trick is to do it professionally, and to tickle the funny bone of the Coordinating Judge. Unless you have an X-ray as to where the judge's funny bone is located, you write something to tickle the funny bone and hope it hits the right spot. Doesn't matter if someone else laughs their head off. It must make Dave chuckle, and it must also convince him it would make the majority of anthology readers chuckle.

No easy task. As is winning this Contest.

Success to your endeavor.

Wulf Moon

you write something to tickle the funny bone and hope it hits the right spot. Doesn't matter if someone else laughs their head off. It must make Dave chuckle, and it must also convince him it would make the majority of anthology readers chuckle.

Thank you, Wulf Moon!

An enlightening answer. I'll put your insights to good use.

you write something to tickle the funny bone and hope it hits the right spot. Doesn't matter if someone else laughs their head off. It must make Dave chuckle, and it must also convince him it would make the majority of anthology readers chuckle.

Thank you, Wulf Moon!

An enlightening answer. I'll put your insights to good use.

Most welcome.

I wrote a humorous epistolary story titled "Beast of the Month" over twenty years ago. Each time the contest got a new coordinating judge, I sent it in, all the way back to the first, Algis Budrys. Each of them gave it an honorable mention or above, but it didn't tickle them enough to win. I sent that story to every pro market that appeared over the years, and finally tickled an editor's funny bone enough that she bought it for her STRANGE BEASTIES anthology. It's going to be reprinted in another upcoming anthology as well. Just goes to show you, you have to find that one editor that likes a dish topped with jalapenos and sprinkles.

If you'd like to check out the story, you can have me read it to you by going to www.driftweave.com, click on podcasts, and look for "Beast of the Month." My first narration job! That's one take, no errors, no cuts!

Best of success with your humorous story!

I sent that story to every pro market that appeared over the years, and finally tickled an editor's funny bone enough that she bought it for her STRANGE BEASTIES anthology. It's going to be reprinted in another upcoming anthology as well. Just goes to show you, you have to find that one editor that likes a dish topped with jalapenos and sprinkles. !

Thanks for the heads up!

I'm old, I've heard this kind of advice before and it's always welcome.

A well-crafted piece of art that the creator put their guts into is worthy and should find a venue sooner or later.

An artist creates because it's inside of them and they have to let it out. I cracked ME up writing the stories in question, which was the point. Whether they ever sell or not won't change the fun I had with the creative process. But it's also useful to find out the editor's taste when possible.

I've enjoyed writing serious stories as well. And I have enough unpublished work to submit to WotF for a couple of years without writing another thing. Which story is my strongest? Guess I'll quit worrying and submit something, I think they're all pretty good.

I'm in for Q4! Relieved to have submitted, because although I was on track for my timeline, I just kept imagining I would lose track of the days and miss the deadline. Lol

I'm in for Q4! Yay!

^ Grats!!

I can probably crit 1-2 stories by Sunday the 27th.

Please PM me to confirm.

I have developed some restrictions of late and would prefer to explain up front.

I'm open for last minute critiques all the way up to the deadline, all. Just shoot me an email using the Contact option. No need to send a preliminary message - just send the story and tell me your username from the forum

At the very end of mine! Cannot. Contain. Excitement.

And fiiiiinally to the point of print-and-read-out-loud. I haven't done this for a while, and I'm cutting it a little tight, but I'm hoping this will let me see if the story has any fundamental problems that I can quickly fix, or if there are any easy rough edges that I can buff away. I'm sure there are at least a few, so fingers crossed this'll let me polish this into something I like...