Jibber Jabber - Q1 - 29

The biggest fish is always the one that got away. But even with fishing, there's always "I'll get him next time!" So when that big fish gets away and you know there can be no next time, well, that fish must loom large in your mind indeed.

Disappointed as I know you are, do keep in mind that there are those of us out here who admire your determination and your success and who can only aspire to do as well.

"BLACK SIX, This is BLACK ONE, SITREP follows. Prepare to copy, OVER..."

"BLACK ONE. BLACK SIX. SEND IT..."

"BLACK ONE PLATOON has TWO-NINE survivors. I SAY AGAIN, TWO-NINE survivors.."

"I COPY TWO-NINE survivors. How many combat veterans remain, OVER?"

"BLACK SIX. BLACK ONE. ONE-FIFE combat vets remain...List follows, OVER."

"SEND IT."

"BLACK SIX. BLACK ONE. Prepare to copy:

Tina (gower21)
Corbin (1xF, 2xSF, 7xHM)
Francis Bruno (1xSF)
Amanda McCarter (1xSF, 1xSHM, 5xHM)
Martin Shoemaker (1xF, 1xSF, 2xHM)
Izanobu (1xSF, 2xSHM, 6xHM)
Grayson (3xHM)
Marina (2xF, 2xHM)
Kary
Dustin (1xF, 2xHM)
Jennifer Hicks (1xSF, 1xSHM, 6xHM)
Justin Key (medicalauthor)
Alex Kane (3xHM)
anarresti
permanentnovice
joshpotter
hazlett
george.nik
The Happy Snappy Gator (1xSF, 2xHM)
bwthomson
greenroom (1xHM)
Isto
Preston (2xHM)
Patrick S. McGinnity
Serrain
MontyApollo (1xHM)
gwasch
Dame
AlistairKimble (1xF, 1xHM)"

"BLACK ONE. BLACK SIX. Duotrope scouts report 58 KIA out of ~100 friendlies in Alpha Company....BREAK....S2 projects 90 total KIA....BREAK...Battalion estimates 32 more KIA in the company...BREAK...Expect SEVEN-SIX percent KIA rate in what's left of your platoon...BREAK...Or TWO-TWO more casualties...BREAK...Recommend vets pair with newbies and watch their sixes. ACKNOWLEDGE, OVER..."

"BLACK SIX. BLACK ONE. ACKNOWLEDGED. OVER..."

"BLACK ONE. BLACK SIX. Charlie Mike. BLACK SIX OUT."

"Almighty, Almighty, this is PBR Street Gang, radio check over."

Sorry! Have been MIA for quite some time... But I still lurk every now and again.

I'm still in, haven't received a rejection/response yet. Submitted on the 17th of Nov. But I do have A LOT of Save the Date emails in my inbox. Pity I live in New Zealand - don't think I can make it!

Commiserations to all of those who have received rejections so far.

The sting of rejection will be a little easier if I can proudly be the last one to report it this quarter (it'd be a little like taking one for the team).

Another week passes. The survivors march on. They look at each other. Who will be the next casualty? Who will live another day? It's too late to turn back now. It's do or die.
March on!
Preston Dennett
(HM x 2)

Just to throw it out there, I'm still in, too. I lurk here, mostly. I'm a 2xHM, 1xSF.

I sent mine in on the 30th electronically, though, so like a lot of you, I don't feel like I have much info to give me much to go on. But I'm excited to have survived with those who've survived, and I commiserate with those with Rs. I will not let you know how many I've accumulated of straight up Rs, because, quite frankly, I struggle with that kind of higher level math.

Today begins another week of waiting...so far I'm still in.

Hi all,

I don't want my first post to the board to be contrary, but I saw this post the other day about the upcoming workshop week on the WofF blog (http://writersofthefuture.com/writingcontestnews/2012/04/01/welcome-to-the-workshop-week-editorial/) which seems to go against the prevailing wisdom on the board that the grand winner in a year is selected before the anthology goes to the printer.

I suppose it's possible that he's writing about future work, with stories arriving at some unspecified time yet to come; but it suuuuuure reads to me like he has "contest finals to judge" now.

Of course, it's also possible that he's discussing the Grand Prize selection process; but given that the gala is 17 days away, I kinda think that has to be decided already, since the volume should be at the printers well before this.

So I think the most likely interpretation is that Dr. Pournelle currently has "contest finals" in hand for some contest that is wrapping up judging right around, oh, the end of this quarter. I can't imagine what contest that might be...

From the blog post:

"I have no idea who’ll win. Every year one or two winners will try and guess who’ll take home the big prize based on the arrangement of the stories in the book or any number of other factors (one theory was that the Gold Award winner’s story is always one of the first ones in the book, but that prediction that went out the window last year when Gold Award winner RPL Johnson’s piece didn’t appear until the mid-to-end part of the anthology). For the past couple of years, I know that winners have contacted each other pre-awards and exchanged stories, but they haven’t been able to guess either. Sometimes Contest judges actually go out of their way to fool winners, like Jerry Pournelle did to Gold Award winner Steven Kotowych in 2008, a story he related in his workshop blog which you can read here."

So it sounds like being the grand winner might not affect the toc arrangement before it goes to the printer. But it just as easily could. In any case, it's another morsel to consider, along with all the other real and subjective rejectomancy variables...

Hi Bluestocking, welcome!

Thanks for finding that support paragraph. Some of us had already come to the conclusion that the gold winners weren't decided pre-printing (as the winners all get to see the book before the gala, and the gold awards definitely aren't listed within), but it's good to find more info that backs up the hypothesis.

So I have this eerie feeling tomorrow is going to be a messy one for some of us, and I just wanted to say it has been a pleasure serving with you all. Just think, the waiting is about to start all over again (okay, I know we get a couple of months to focus on other things before it really gets heated again, but still...).

So I have this eerie feeling tomorrow is going to be a messy one for some of us, and I just wanted to say it has been a pleasure serving with you all. Just think, the waiting is about to start all over again (okay, I know we get a couple of months to focus on other things before it really gets heated again, but still...).

Hear, hear! Or... "We, who are about to die, salute you!"

Hear, hear! Or... "We, who are about to die, salute you!"

Pfah. It's just another day, just another quarter, just another story. (I'm really trying to build up my calluses both for rejection and for waiting. Anticipation takes time away from WRITE! WRITE! WRITE! etc.)

If I'm not mistaken, the workshop week for v28 begins Monday. I think it's unlikely we'll see any results this week or next.

The awards show is at the END of the workshop?
All week long nervous public speakers have to worry about their speech?

I'll do my best to watch as much of the award show as I can, but likely I'll have to wait till WotF posts it online. Being an early to bed type, and on the east coast, I might make it through the dances.

D

They've got to be done reading stories. We've started a new quarter. Now it's only a matter of time. Get ready for the flood.

The speech is my biggest fear as I have that verbal brain-fart thing George W Bush had--words around switching when talk groups in front of. Hope I don't look more stupider than normal.

The awards show is at the END of the workshop?
All week long nervous public speakers have to worry about their speech?

I'll do my best to watch as much of the award show as I can, but likely I'll have to wait till WotF posts it online. Being an early to bed type, and on the east coast, I might make it through the dances.

D

I'm told they do a fair job of coaching the winners on their speeches. Presentation skills are part of marketing, after all.

The worst part might just be that one lucky writer will get to deliver two speeches (or perhaps the same one twice). If you wrote two of them, but got them mixed up and gave the gold award acceptance first, that would be embarrassing, though somewhat less so if you did in fact go on to win the big one.

They've got to be done reading stories. We've started a new quarter. Now it's only a matter of time. Get ready for the flood.

*rolls up the cuffs on her pants and grabs the nearest tree*

We have *gorgeous* weather today, and I'm feeling like a walk on the beach.

They've got to be done reading stories. We've started a new quarter. Now it's only a matter of time. Get ready for the flood.

*rolls up the cuffs on her pants and grabs the nearest tree*

We have *gorgeous* weather today, and I'm feeling like a walk on the beach.

Sorry Kary, I neglected to read the quote about the flood, and before I could stop myself I was imagining you rolling up your pant legs, grabbing a big-ass tree and tearing it out of the ground, hefting it, roots and all, on your shoulder, and taking a walk on the beach. It was most impressive.

They've got to be done reading stories. We've started a new quarter. Now it's only a matter of time. Get ready for the flood.

*rolls up the cuffs on her pants and grabs the nearest tree*

We have *gorgeous* weather today, and I'm feeling like a walk on the beach.

Sorry Kary, I neglected to read the quote about the flood, and before I could stop myself I was imagining you rolling up your pant legs, grabbing a big-ass tree and tearing it out of the ground, hefting it, roots and all, on your shoulder, and taking a walk on the beach. It was most impressive.

LOL!

They've got to be done reading stories. We've started a new quarter. Now it's only a matter of time. Get ready for the flood.

*rolls up the cuffs on her pants and grabs the nearest tree*

We have *gorgeous* weather today, and I'm feeling like a walk on the beach.

Sorry Kary, I neglected to read the quote about the flood, and before I could stop myself I was imagining you rolling up your pant legs, grabbing a big-ass tree and tearing it out of the ground, hefting it, roots and all, on your shoulder, and taking a walk on the beach. It was most impressive.

Hmm my thoughts were more colourful considering "pants" has a different meaning over here in Britain. (What on earth is that woman doing with that tree?? )

*straps on war helmet*

Wednesday is here

We're expecting a cease-fire due to the annual workshop and gala, but our adversary is crafty and unpredictable. There could be a devastating sneak attack. I recommend we take the appropriate measures and carry our brownies & tequila (or rootbeer floats for the alcohol-averse) on our persons at all times.

*straps brownies across her chest bandolier-style*

We're expecting a cease-fire due to the annual workshop and gala, but our adversary is crafty and unpredictable. There could be a devastating sneak attack. I recommend we take the appropriate measures and carry our brownies & tequila (or rootbeer floats for the alcohol-averse) on our persons at all times.

*straps brownies across her chest bandolier-style*

I recommend Cosmic Brownies, as these are SF-community folk.

We're expecting a cease-fire due to the annual workshop and gala, but our adversary is crafty and unpredictable. There could be a devastating sneak attack. I recommend we take the appropriate measures and carry our brownies & tequila (or rootbeer floats for the alcohol-averse) on our persons at all times.

*straps brownies across her chest bandolier-style*

I recommend Cosmic Brownies, as these are SF-community folk.

Mine are +3 Brownies of Consolation, but folks are free to, erm, adapt the recipe to suit their individual needs.

I've got a co-worker's Diabetic Coma cake ready to go....

Wednesday... a.k.a. Just Another Day...

I'm told they do a fair job of coaching the winners on their speeches. Presentation skills are part of marketing, after all.

Actually, the "How to market yourself" workshop is after the awards show, if i recall rightly. They do take us in and have us walk to the podium and speak into the microphone, but the most advice I heard them tell anyone was "Speak up, look up at the audience (the lights pretty much blind you so don't worry about the audience staring at you), set your award here on the podium before you speak and remember to take it with you ..."

I'd suggest anyone use NOTES you can glance down to but then LOOK UP from: the danger with a fully written-out speech is you might get trapped into staring down and READING it verbatim, and then you never do look up.

And I'm probably as non-public-speaker as they come, and I'll suggest that it's really not that scary. Get the first few words out and then you just flow. Have fun with it, you're amongst cool and non-judgemental fellow-writers and artists.

I hope to someday take all your advice into consideration, Soulmirror.