Discussion Q4 Volume 38

@morgan-broadhead 
Thanks, Morgan.
Yup. I got a confirmation number. I should be good. 

I have two versions of Word. A very old one, and the current. I draft in the old one bc it's on my laptop in my room. Before I sub, I look it over in the new word which catches more grammar mistakes, and also changes to smart quotes. But if/when I go back and forth, things get messy.

Do a find: replace and type " and " for each.

Posted by: @joel-c-scoberg

@aliciacay You are too kind  

It was very much improved after your proof read! If you had a shot every time you suggested adding or removing a comma from my story, I think I'd have had to call you an ambulance  

You're so welcome. Also, please don't shoot the proofreader!  

This does lead to an interesting quandary, however, because I'm a 9-1-1 dispatcher (by night). So, does that mean I'd have to, uhhh, call myself my own ambulance?

(I jest, I jest)

~A. ♥

Okay, after some serious blood, sweat and--yes--a few tears, I'm officially in for Q4.

Good luck to us all!

You still have a day and a half, all it took for me to write my winner. Get those stories polished up and in. Last call! You can’t win if you aren’t in!

All the beast!

Wulf Moon

Forum Moderator 

"A day and a half," Wulf? Shoot, that's plenty of time. Maybe I should have waited until tomorrow instead of sending it in today?

Interesting genesis to this story. It started at Other Worlds Writers Workshop as part of their July "short story in a week." Given five random words, the challenge is to turn in a story using those words for critique NLT a week later. In the first version of this story, I got cute and put all five words in the first sentence. Didn't stay that way, though, because that sentence was a bit awkward and forced.

Keep writing, everyone. There's a lot more out there than WotF.

@ehonour No such luck for me finishing in a day and a half. I have to start early each quarter.

@craydimensional Well, I’m sure I’ve been at the writing just a wee bit longer than you, Cray. It gets easier the more you write!?

That's It! I'm in for Q4 V38.
And now the wait begins.

Good Luck compatriots!

Posted by: @jeschleicher

@jvashley Looks like you're right on schedule. With a novel to boot, that ain't too shabby! Happy revising with the short! And go get em' on them novel submissions!  

Thank you, @jeschleicher! I just hit submit on Q4. Now, I have to start hitting send on some queries.

Good Luck on your entry!!! 

Welp. I'm in.  

Posted by: @aliciacay

Welp. I'm in.  

WooHoo!!! Congrats! 

Posted by: @aliciacay

Soooo Creepy 

I'm in with fifteen hours to spare. Best of fortune to all forumites entered.  

Last day! Submit em, forumites! 

I’m want to see a finalist emoji or three!  

Friendly reminder...the deadline is 11:59 pm PACIFIC. That last part is important for all of us Eastern folk. Last time I frantically submitted before realizing I had 3 more hours. Such a newb mistake.

@babooher If you want to be really pedantic about it the entry page claims it's 11:59 Pacific Standard Time.  If anyone's in the mood to gamble on them honoring that, you get an extra hour.

Submitted! Maybe someday I'll push the button with days to spare rather than hours. Nah. Who am I kidding?

Good luck to all, especially those who entered all four quarters this year! Chocolate-hazelnut brownies for everyone.

It wasn't the story I wanted to submit this quarter, but I'm in for Q4.

(and don't worry, the one I wanted will get its turn in a quarter or two.)

Ok, I'm in! Wrote something new per Wulf Moon's suggestion. A standalone flash fiction this time instead of something pertaining to my novel. It's cute and short but I have to wonder if this is a violation of Heinlein's rules for me (i.e. 1. Write, 2. Finish what you write). But I plan to keep working on the novel anyhow, I just need to digest how to fix the middle some more.

I'm in with two hours to spare! For me, that's like... Hold on. *does some math* That's a 300% improvement from my previous best!  

Best of luck to everyone who has submitted! And to anyone who hasn't--you've still got two hours! I've found that getting something, anything submitted in the really rushed quarters has helped me to keep momentum to submit with something more prepared for the next quarter. Plus, you never know when you'll be surprised by the result! I can't wait to hear how everyone does!

...

Uh-oh. I might be joining y'all in twitching for the results from this one. I'm just so curious to find out how this story did!   

I'm in with 47 minutes to spare.  That hadn't been my intention, but the real world interfered in the latter half of September.   Still, I hit every quarter this year, so I'm happy.  Best of luck to everyone.  I hope to read about a bunch of finalists and semi-finalists here soon.

Made it with a whopping 24 minutes to go. This was a really rough quarter but being able to hit that submit button must be what people who do triathlons feel like.

@scribblesatdusk 

Woohoo! I’m glad you got it in!

Welcome to the twitching party. I’ve got cocoa, and I think someone mentioned a pillow fort. 

Congratulations to everyone! Whether you wrote and submitted, wrote a story, wrote a few words, or just thought about writing, writing is an act of courage. Submitting even more so! May your twitching be easy!

Congratulations and best of luck to everyone who entered. Time and circumstance have forced me into a few last-minute entries, so I feel for (and envy) those of you who got in under the wire.

I've always felt more alive when I'm up against the deadline, writing like mad to tweak that last sentence. Overall, the contest has rewarded those late nights with a high percentage of recognition. So, I hope that those of you who were up against the wall are rewarded for your efforts, too.

Now, go out and recharge the creative batteries. Play. Smell the sweet sunshine. Teach the cat a new trick.

Have fun.

Kent

Posted by: @rschibler

Congratulations to everyone! Whether you wrote and submitted, wrote a story, wrote a few words, or just thought about writing, writing is an act of courage. Submitting even more so! May your twitching be easy!

I've found that the only thing that helps keep my mind off waiting for the results — and alleviates the twitching — is to bury myself in writing the next story.

I hope someone here is now ineligible for V39. Best wishes