Discussing the Writing Challenges -- November and December 2010

[HareBrain]

re: Discussing the Writing Challenges -- September and October

Tough one this month, especially with a crop of good entries late on. I was tempted to vote for DFM's "Sloth", but the smidgen of work-ethic my parents managed to instil in me forbids it. I also liked Mouse's, and Williamlk's (with the latter seeming to glory in gluttony rather than treat it as a sin), and J-Wo's, and several others.

The Judge's was probably the cleverest entry I've yet seen in this contest, but in the end Teresa's had the strongest "oooh" factor, whatever that is.

 

[Boneman]

re: Discussing the Writing Challenges -- September and October

Love you!

I have to get my wine homework done over the next day or so, and am therefore saving the proper read through and shortlisting as a treat for afterwards. The calibre of the stories/poems this month, as ever, is going to make it incredibly hard to make a decision.

I do my wine homework every evening...hic! And I'm learning something, but can't remember what it is the next day...

Voting just gets harder and harder and harder. It must be approaching that time that we seriously consider a vote for 1st, 2nd and 3rd, or give us more than one - please? I haven't mentioned this for ages...

 

[Ursa major]

re: Discussing the Writing Challenges -- September and October

Having to vote for more than just the first candidate (and in a particular order) would make the emergency bubble sort method far more difficult to use.

But there is nothing to stop anyone saying, in this thread, what their 2nd and 3rd place stories would be. (I know this is a revolutionary idea, but it just might work....)

 

[Boneman]

re: Discussing the Writing Challenges -- September and October

Okay, I'll start: 2nd for me was Deathfrommassive and 3rd was Moonbat!

 

[crystal haven]

re: Discussing the Writing Challenges -- September and October

I'm still reading and trying to decide. So busy as well at the moment with decorating.

But it is so difficult to choose when the entries are so good.

 

[nixie]

re: Discussing the Writing Challenges -- September and October

I've finally narrowed it down to Mosaix, Chris, Boneman, Teresa, Mag the Mighty,HJ, Hoops and Cul. Difficult but in the end I went for Boneman.

 

[Boneman]

re: Discussing the Writing Challenges -- September and October

Many thanks Nix, you've brightened up a gloomy 'edit-bits-I've-already-rewritten-ten-times-day! To stand out in that company is great!!

 

[Deathfrommassive]

re: Discussing the Writing Challenges -- September and October

. I was tempted to vote for DFM's "Sloth", but the smidgen of work-ethic my parents managed to instil in me forbids it.

I will call that a victory consedering the theme

My final vote went to paranoid marvin - Just Desserts. I really like the play on words in the title. I stuck with me all month long.

 

[TheEndIsNigh]

re: Discussing the Writing Challenges -- September and October

Well as I might have implied, Boneman was the winning for me until that 'Pasta with attitude' turned up.

After that it would have been down to getting the dice out and letting fate decide. There were some cracking entries this month. I only got to my short list by being really brutal.

 

[Culhwch]

re: Discussing the Writing Challenges -- September and October

Many thanks for all the mentions! And for the lone person who voted for me as well, whoever you were. I was only one vote of the pace there for awhile, but I've fallen back now. I think my race is over. Oh well. It's fantastic just to get off the starting line for a change!

I'm yet to do a re-read. There have been a couple that caught my eye, but I haven't given them all enough attention yet to name names....

 

[The Procrastinator]

re: Discussing the Writing Challenges -- September and October

My short list (not very short ackchewly)

Dusty: Sweets to the Sweet
digs: An Excerpt of a very Long Title
Deathfrommassive: Sloth (irresistable)
HareBrain: Magister
TEIN: The Lesson
Sephiroth: Omnia Vanitas
J-Wo: Eighth
Williamlk: I Still want to Eat that Lasagne
Mouse: For Your Sins
Hoopy: End
ventanamist: Sermon

I could vote for any of the above, and there were many other very fine stories - in fact I think its been the hardest decision yet, this month. However there can be only one - to which I must say, when it comes down to it, Sodom! So TEIN gets my vote this month!

 

[Teresa Edgerton]

re: Discussing the Writing Challenges -- September and October

My decision this month was harder. Usually, after I make my initial short list, it comes down to two or three stories fairly easily. Well, one other month it was four.

This month was quite different. All the stories on my short list made a strong impression.

But by a stringent application of the genre rule, and by asking myself if there was a storytelling element (no matter how small) rather than ... a meditation on the subject or a description, I cut down my short list quite a bit. I won't say which ones went that way, because that would be critiquing, and to a certain extent both of these criteria are subjective. Some of these were entries I liked quite a bit, too, but there had to be a way of cutting down the list. (Chris's idea of a spreadsheet began to look a lot better. Not that I could make a spreadsheet or am even sure what that is. But still.)

That brought my final list down to a manageable four again.

 

[Culhwch]

re: Discussing the Writing Challenges -- September and October

I'm fairly certain mine ticked both of those boxes, unfortunately, and I'm certainly not going to argue the point. It seemed like a month that saw a lot more stories deviate from the theme. Not that I'm making excuses, mind. I have to admit that it wasn't until after I posted that I reflected on how poorly mine did in that regard, so glad was I to just have a story to post...

 

[Teresa Edgerton]

re: Discussing the Writing Challenges -- September and October

Mind you, even when pretending to be objective that way, it was basically a matter of interpretation.

But when tough decisions have to be made, then ... well, tough decisions have to be made! (Now if we had about ten votes each, it would be sooo much easier.)

 

[Culhwch]

re: Discussing the Writing Challenges -- September and October

Don't get me wrong, I wasn't critiquing your methods, just copping to my own story's failings! (I know we're not allowed to critique other's stories, but are we allowed to critique our own? I know Karn has been consistently doing so since the beginning, so I assume it's fine...). In fact, your method of choosing who to vote for is very similar to mine. I wouldn't have voted for me this month.

And ten votes? Ten? Well, at least then I'd have a one-in-five shot of getting votes, I guess!

 

[Precise Calibre]

re: Discussing the Writing Challenges -- September and October

I think it's set up in a manner in which you're allowed to critique your own work (or, dare I say, slander?) so long as you realize that a slap will be forthcoming...

 

[Teresa Edgerton]

re: Discussing the Writing Challenges -- September and October

Karn's not allowed to do that anymore, or it's the rack and the boiling oil for him.

You, Cul, get this one free, but you better watch yourself in future!

 

[J Riff]

re: Discussing the Writing Challenges -- September and October

6 people with two votes, one with three..and eleven singles. A-mazing.

 

[mosaix]

re: Discussing the Writing Challenges -- September and October

Okay, with some more judicious filtering, along the lines of show-don't-tell, my vote goes to Vertigo - all seven sins and not one of them mentioned by name.

And whoever voted for me - many thanks.

 

[Teresa Edgerton]

re: Discussing the Writing Challenges -- September and October

I don't know what happened to the last four days ... I can't believe it's the 27th already ... but we only have about a day and a half left to vote.