Jibber Jabber - Q1 - 29

Oh, darn it - I'll be asleep on the other side of the world, dreaming of my toast, melted s'more's, Marmite and Vegemite ...

Congratulations everyone . Sorry and commiserations to the rest of us...

David (who really doesn't believe this post is required until next week)

I'm becoming dead inside. I'm a WOTF results zombie. I eat brains. The brains of the past rejected. Beware. The only cure is results. It can come in an email, it can come in a blog. Heck, I'll take them by boat or take them by goat. Say, I'll take them anywhere.

Results are so good, so good you see. They are good for my sanity.

In the words of Pink Floyd... I've become... comfortably numb.

Some trouble looms at work next week when first the boss decides to fire half the staff and then those people get mad and decide to murder everybody.

I can only imagine what it would look like to have my yoga/Pilates/dance coworkers go nuts!

Break Dance Fight!

Side Bar:

Is it Thursday? ::checks the date:: Holy Crap! WHAT HAPPENED TO WEDNESDAY?!?

It's too early to be alive right now. Good luck you guys! I really hope (for Tina's sanity) that the results come out today. Though . . . There is one more Thursday this month, so who knows?

Another press release at PRWeb...

Drip... Drip... Drip...

Another press release at PRWeb...

Drip... Drip... Drip...

Would have been more impressed if they predicted a record setting quarter waiting.

Writing Prompt: what's the most excuciatingly painful wait your character has ever faced? Use your feelings of doubt, skepticism, enthusiam, hope, to tie into your character's experience.

This way, you can continue to torture yourselves whiile doing something super productive that takes advantage of this experience.

Writing Prompt: what's the most excuciatingly painful wait your character has ever faced? Use your feelings of doubt, skepticism, enthusiam, hope, to tie into your character's experience.

I think waiting is a particularly difficult sort of stress to convey in writing. If you make it monotonous, the reader will either stop reading or skip ahead. If you describe the inner turmoil, your character might begin to sound like a drama queen. (Evil Martin is laughing uncontrollably in the back of my head.)

I think one effective way to convey waiting is to fill the time with other stuff, other action that moves the story forward, or WOULD move the story forward if only that missing piece fell into place. Then between those scenes, you drop in small scenes of the interminable wait.

So fill the waiting time with other stuff. That's good advice for storytelling. ("And for this thread!" Evil Martin added.)

Another press release at PRWeb...

Drip... Drip... Drip...

Would have been more impressed if they predicted a record setting quarter waiting.

I can make a very confident but unfortunate prediction: since that press release is dated today, and since it's not smart PR to have one press release step on another, we will see no announcements today. Sorry. You can all go play in the sunshine now.

And less confident, but still confident: since tomorrow marks the start of a long holiday weekend (here in the US) and no one will be paying attention, it won't be smart PR to issue a press release tomorrow either. Memorial Day is Monday. I can't imagine seeing results until Tuesday.

Dang! I was hoping to have news before I went off to ISDC this weekend!

I can make a very confident but unfortunate prediction: since that press release is dated today, and since it's not smart PR to have one press release step on another, we will see no announcements today. Sorry. You can all go play in the sunshine now.

And less confident, but still confident: since tomorrow marks the start of a long holiday weekend (here in the US) and no one will be paying attention, it won't be smart PR to issue a press release tomorrow either. Memorial Day is Monday. I can't imagine seeing results until Tuesday.

Dang! I was hoping to have news before I went off to ISDC this weekend!

The press release and contacting the winners/ Semi-finalists/ SHM's are two different things. The press release won't be issued until the SHM's/ SF's/ Finalists have been notified and the 1-3rd places determined. So it's entirely possible that people have been notified already or that they will be notified today. With that I better shut up as _I_ was told...

The press release won't be issued until the SHM's/ SF's/ Finalists have been notified and the 1-3rd places determined.

Actually, there's usually (Ha! I said "usually" when discussing the contest! HAHAHAHAHA!) a press release announcing the Finalists and then a later press release announcing the winners. I was hoping that we would see the first one before ISDC.

Actually, there's usually (Ha! I said "usually" when discussing the contest! HAHAHAHAHA!) a press release announcing the Finalists and then a later press release announcing the winners. I was hoping that we would see the first one before ISDC.

I stand corrected. However, us winners would need to be notified before the press release, I would think.
-Evil Frank

In the WOTF game of Finalist Mofia we all start to guess who's been contacted. Francis is acting awfully suspicious.

Writing Prompt: what's the most excuciatingly painful wait your character has ever faced? Use your feelings of doubt, skepticism, enthusiam, hope, to tie into your character's experience.

This way, you can continue to torture yourselves whiile doing something super productive that takes advantage of this experience.

The straps binding Isto to the cement wall bites into his forehead and throat. He can't speak; he can barely breathe. Though he's been there for days, his face is strangely serene as if in a trance. He focuses on one note to distract him from his misery. Ohmmmmmmmmmmmmm.

- Isto
R-R-Semi

 

I'm just trying to cast suspicious doubt. If I had been contacted, I'd probably be trying to backpedal from any previous statements... Whoops. Shutting up.

I think you need this, Isto:

Though like Martin, I'm feeling Comfortably Numb too. I've been waiting for so long it seems, the novelty of being in the "hold" pile is wearing off.

I think you need this, Isto:

Though like Martin, I'm feeling Comfortably Numb too. I've been waiting for so long it seems, the novelty of being in the "hold" pile is wearing off.

Perfect! By the way, was that 10pm UK time or CA time?

I have a new name for all of us who are still waiting.

I hereby dub us...

Schrodinger's Finalists!

I want it on a smiley sign*, and I want it now.

*and a t-shirt, and a bumper sticker and...

I think you need this, Isto:

Though like Martin, I'm feeling Comfortably Numb too. I've been waiting for so long it seems, the novelty of being in the "hold" pile is wearing off.

Perfect! By the way, was that 10pm UK time or CA time?

UK time. I believe we're seven hours ahead or something... I tend to think 4 PM is the earliest I'm ever likely to hear anything... Whether I'm right about that who knows.

It is, incidentally, 4:23 PM.

I got my email (for Q4) about 5pm Eastern US time, maybe 4pm. which would be near the 10pm UK.

You all write like time zones matter... Like CLOCKS even matter... Joni is the Mistress of Space and Time! She can bend time to her whims! You can never guess when she might call! You must be ready at ALL hours of the day or night! BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAA!!!

I have a new name for all of us who are still waiting.

I hereby dub us...

Schrodinger's Finalists!

I want it on a smiley sign*, and I want it now.

*and a t-shirt, and a bumper sticker and...

Sychronize watches... we're going in.

You all write like time zones matter... Like CLOCKS even matter... Joni is the Mistress of Space and Time! She can bend time to her whims! You can never guess when she might call! You must be ready at ALL hours of the day or night! BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAA!!!

DARN! How do we combat that????

You all write like time zones matter... Like CLOCKS even matter... Joni is the Mistress of Space and Time! She can bend time to her whims! You can never guess when she might call! You must be ready at ALL hours of the day or night! BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAA!!!

DARN! How do we combat that????

Caffeine. Lots and lots and lots of caffeine. As a guy I know once said, "Sleep is a caffeine substitute." (All credit to Alex Evans. I named a ship after him in "Scramble" because of this and other smart things he wrote.)

Joni called me with my news on Labor day 2011.
She called me with results on Columbus day 2011.

Memorial day is just around the corner...

D

Joni called me with my news on Labor day 2011.
She called me with results on Columbus day 2011.

Memorial day is just around the corner...

D

Someone mentioned that she also called on a convention weekend immediately after Thanksgiving. For Joni, Mistress of Space and Time, holidays are as likely as any other day!

Joni called me with my news on Labor day 2011.
She called me with results on Columbus day 2011.

Memorial day is just around the corner...

D

Someone mentioned that she also called on a convention weekend immediately after Thanksgiving. For Joni, Mistress of Space and Time, holidays are as likely as any other day!

She may just have so much on her plate that holidays are when she can find time to call.

Joni called me with my news on Labor day 2011.
She called me with results on Columbus day 2011.

Memorial day is just around the corner...

D

Someone mentioned that she also called on a convention weekend immediately after Thanksgiving. For Joni, Mistress of Space and Time, holidays are as likely as any other day!

Maybe more likely? She's sits with her feet up, sipping a mint julep or tequilla sunrise (what do they drink in CA?) while she dials numbers and gives out good news. Office is closed so no interruptions. News release is on her desk for the morning after when everyone returns to work eagerly seeking action and news. This could be the elusive pattern.... could it not?

This could be the elusive pattern.... could it not?

The only pattern is... there is no pattern.

(Sorry, gotta use that line when I get the chance.)

This could be the elusive pattern.... could it not?

Possibly. I know not all quarters line up their holidays as nicely as Q3 had, but given that one is coming up in a few days, and finalists haven't been notified, (although I'm not entirely convinced of this) that seems as likely a time as any for her to make the calls.

I fully expect to check the forum Tuesday morning and see a post saying someone knows someone who got their call.

Sigh.

And to add more personal speculation into the fray, which has no basis in fact beyond intuition, I believe the judges have the eight stories already, and are reading them.

The times between press releases will be short, as it was for the illustrators.

D

This could be the elusive pattern.... could it not?

The only pattern is... there is no pattern.

(Sorry, gotta use that line when I get the chance.)

Yeah, I lobbed that one over the plate for you.