Writing Challenge Comments, Questions, Answers

How many votes should each voter be allowed in the Writing Challenge?

  • One

    Votes: 20 57.1%

  • Two

    Votes: 15 42.9%
  • Total voters
    35
  • Poll closed .
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If they tie again, we could split up the prize: one receives our Dignified Congratulations and/or Groveling Admiration, and the other gets to choose next month's theme ...

No, the fact is, both stories are winners, regardless of the outcome of the tie-breaker, and the congratulating and groveling should already begin!
 
Culhwch said:
I can't remove votes, but I guess Mouse, if she hasn't done so already, can lodge a vote for herself to even things up, if she so wishes.
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I've been avoiding that thread cos I can't stand the suspense! :D But I'll go do that now. ;)

Edit: wow, it's close!!
 
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Culhwch said:
I ended up voting for chopper's story, which grabbed me from the first day, but I thought I'd mention the two that challenged it were two of the most recent efforts - yours, HJ, and chel's. Both very deserving of a vote, and I think if I'd read either one first and lived with it as long as chopper's, I may very well have voted differently...
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Teresa Edgerton said:
Hilarious Joke's story literally lost my vote on a coin toss.
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Thanks, that's nice of both of you to mention!
 
Thanks Cul! I don't know how I could have missed that post of yours - not like I haven't franticly updated and refreshed and such.

For the May challenge I will probably post sooner (seeing as I'm already a member of the Chrons which i wasn't at the start of April), depending of course on the topic our admired winner(s) pick.
 
Thursday morning (actually Wednesday evening for those in my time zone), we should have a new writing Challenge!

I hope Boneman and Mouse already have a good idea of what they will pick -- individually, or in concert if necessary -- for the new theme. I'm sure they both have, or will have, brilliant ideas, and I, for one, am eager to find out what they are.

(In fact, since the contest is supposed to begin no later than the 6th, if either one of you has reason to think you might not be available on that day, please email your theme to Culhwch and/or me, so that we can start the thread on time if you can't.)
 
Thanks for doing that, Teresa - I meant to be here, but got swamped at work. I figured on you being around to post up the new challenge in any case, and you didn't let me down. Although I'm dissappointed to realise that I could have gotten a jumpstart on everyone this month, and didn't even give it a thought!

And congrats to Boneman. He won my vote in the run-off poll, and the story was a deserved winner. Onto this month's challenge! (And, hopefully, at least one vote!)
 
hmmm, here's a thought - and sorry to double-post 'n' that -

- how do numbers and units of measurement count as words? if, for example, i wrote 8.2 would that be one word or three? 300000 kps - 2 words or 6?

these things matter... :D
 
So is this the thread for questions on all writing challenges or have we started another one just for May.

I know it's implied in the thread title above but then again this thread has had many names and it's best to be sure.

By the way Boneman - congrats
 
Yes, this is the thread for questions on any and all writing challenges (at least until I change the name again). The thread for praising our favorite stories carries through into May, as well.

Chopper, to answer you question, in my humble opinion anything that legitimately fits in between two spaces (and only two spaces) is a word.
 
In my previous story (for April) I used pretend computer code with two words joined together as in OrbitAcheived and IntelligentLife

I counted these as one word and (by my count) had exactly 75 words, no one brought me up on this so i'm assuming it was ok, unless no-one actually read my story and so wouldn't have noticed the word count.

Out of interest do the mods perform word counts on each story to ensure that we have kept to the limit?
 
I do word counts on some of the stories -- call it a random sampling. I actually trust everyone to follow the rules, but sometimes I am amazed at the way people get so much story into so few words, so I check to see that there wasn't a mistake in the word count. I haven't found a story that was too long yet.
 
Okay, mine is in. I know that prose is preferred, but it says that poetry is acceptable, and I... couldn't help it. It wasn't intentional. It just... happened. :eek::rolleyes:
 
Why would anyone want to cheat? Particularly on something that's so easy to check.

If the prize were a publishing contract, or even a signed copy of one of Theresa's books, I could picture acrimonious comments like "It's is a contraction of 'it is', and 'can't' of 'can not' so you've used two words too many." But here we're competing against ourselves as much as each other, so it'd be cheating at solitaire; only a politician could enjoy it.

Finding creative ways round limitations, that's like making the final rhyme in a limerick really strained; a cause for admiration, not admonishment.
 
Writing my story this morning, I was wishing I could use two or three more words. I never thought about trying to sneak them in, though... But it is as Chris says - all about finding creative ways around limitations. And in the end, having to go back and pluck words out actually prompted and inspired me to change things for, I think, the better.

I'm enjoying this exercise a lot, and not finding it nearly so hard as I would have imagined.
 
I've been working on one for two days, and I can't get it the way I want it to be. And I've been thinking the idea might make a very good short story. So I might not use it.

Meanwhile, I've started another one. I like it, too, so may go with that one.

The problem is, if you post it too soon, you may later think of a better way that you could have written it. (I did that last time.) If you wait too long, someone might post a story that is much too similar to yours and you won't be able to use it.

I suppose if that happens I will have to write a third story.
 
Did you notice how the voting went last time Some very promising late entries overlooked, probably because people (and I know I'm guilty) had been mulling over possibilities for days, and perhaps didn't give the newcomers quite the attention they deserved. It pays to get in fast.

And I now have three prepared, just in case anyone should choose the right theme… (actually, training exercises.)

I could take two words out of this last one, without crying about it; I know because I put them in when I'd finished and done a word count.

I still maintain it's impossible for me. So's the voting.
 
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