Discussing the Writing Challenges -- November and December 2010

[Teresa Edgerton]

Re: Discussing the Writing Challenges -- September and October

Are you injured?

Have you thought about a speech recognition software?

Yes, I fractured my right forearm near the wrist a week ago. First they said it would only take about 4 weeks to heal and everything would be fine, but there has been slippage in fracture since then. Surgery tomorrow and I don't know what this means in terms of recovery or long term. May have to look into software ... or continue to learn to type with left hand. (I'm getting better at that, but it's still very tiring.)

 

[HareBrain]

Re: Discussing the Writing Challenges -- September and October

Surgery tomorrow and I don't know what this means in terms of recovery or long term.

Sorry to hear that Teresa. I'm not an expert, but I imagine they'll pin it with a small screw, in which case I can't see there would be any negative effect on recovery.

 

[Karn Maeshalanadae]

Re: Discussing the Writing Challenges -- September and October

Surgery for broken bones can be serious, TE. I'm sure it wouldn't take you nearly as long as me to recover from, but it would be quite a harrowing experience. But I'm hoping everything works out right.

 

[HareBrain]

Re: Discussing the Writing Challenges -- September and October

Surgery for broken bones can be serious, TE. I'm sure it wouldn't take you nearly as long as me to recover from, but it would be quite a harrowing experience.

Before Teresa starts having nightmares, remember this is a fracture they originally estimated would take four weeks to heal, i.e. about as minor as a fracture gets. At least that's my assumption based on the info so far.

 

[Teresa Edgerton]

Re: Discussing the Writing Challenges -- September and October

The doctor this morning said they are putting in a plate.

 

[chrispenycate]

Re: Discussing the Writing Challenges -- September and October

The doctor this morning said they are putting in a plate.

Which is not much fun (well, none of this is) but, if the secretary (oh, dear, the word 'secretary' is no longer politically correct, is it? Administrative assistant, then) here in the studio is anything to go by, will reduce 'out of action' time considerably. She broke a bone in her foot, and was walking on it within a couple of weeks, the plate taking most of the strain.

Of course, having to go back a year later to have the thing taken out is a bit of a drag, and no surgery is pleasant.

I sincerely hope that the plate accelerates your progress towards functionality, and ultimate total cure.

 

[StormFeather]

Re: Discussing the Writing Challenges -- September and October

PC - please accept my condolences on your loss. Your story moved me, and it is, as others have said, a beautiful tribute.

TE - sorry to hear that you've had an accident, and I hope the surgery goes well tomorrow.

As to the tie-breaker poll - I stayed with my original choice, and voted for Harebrain. Sorry Parson

 

[Parson]

Re: Discussing the Writing Challenges -- September and October

Yes, I fractured my right forearm near the wrist a week ago. First they said it would only take about 4 weeks to heal and everything would be fine, but there has been slippage in fracture since then. Surgery tomorrow and I don't know what this means in terms of recovery or long term. May have to look into software ... or continue to learn to type with left hand. (I'm getting better at that, but it's still very tiring.)

I'm sorry to hear this. I don't know that anyone can guess how long it will take because these things vary so widely as to beggar comparison.

I had a go at speech recognition soft ware a few years back, and it was not hard to get to work fairly competently. The problem for me (it might not be the same for you) was that I am not much of a proof reader and the errors (about one every 100 words or so) were essentially invisible unless you spent the time to actually read what you wrote word by word. As you are a professional writer I would guess you do that much better than I.

(I will probably have to give it another go, I have worsening carpal Tunnel
Syndrome, and will likely have to have an operation in the next year or so.

 

[Parson]

Re: Discussing the Writing Challenges -- September and October

I thought it was only fitting that I be the first to congratulate HareBrain. Well done, and there was nothing remotely close about the tie breaker vote. You nearly trebled your regular vote tally and I got a mere 3 more votes. It is clear whose story was best. Well done!

I will never forget what I felt like when I looked at the original poll that first day and --- I was in the Lead?! --- My heart skipped a beat. I wouldn't have thought that I could be so caught up in this contest. But I was. I checked on the progress so often that I knew as I was being stupid, but couldn't help myself. Still when there are many people without any votes, and many months I get none, to get 8 was a wonderful thing. So Harebrain, what's the next topic?

 

[Culhwch]

Re: Discussing the Writing Challenges -- September and October

Indeed, congrats to HareBrain on the victory. I believe you know what to do, sir...

 

[Karn Maeshalanadae]

Re: Discussing the Writing Challenges -- September and October

The doctor this morning said they are putting in a plate.

Oh no. You're getting a plate as well, TE? I'm sorry to hear that. Believe me, plates suck, bad. It'll be a year halfway into November for me and I still have to take pain meds at night just to sleep. I hope it won't be as bad for you, I honestly do. Just a fracture, but having any hardware within you, you will definitely notice temperature changes. Damn it, why does this have to happen?

 

[The Procrastinator]

Teresa that's no good about the breakage! I hope you heal up well - I've heard that plates are very conducive to the speed of healing (in general). My brother was involved in a serious car accident years ago and ended up with all manner of plates and pins up and down both his legs - while it wasn't a pleasant experience, nor was getting them removed later on, they still worked wonders with his injuries - he would possibly not be walking today were it not for the hardware. O'course the family now has two human barometers in it, but you get that. Speedy healing to you and good luck.

And congratulations to HareBrain - like others, your story grabbed me from the first and in the end nothing quite pipped it. Congratulations to Parson as well, what a thrill for you to do so well! Well deserved both of you.

 

[mosaix]

Well done HareBrain. A deserved wine.

 

[HareBrain]

A deserved wine.

Cheers, don't mind if I do, even if it is 7:30 in the morning ...

Thanks Parson and others. It was a bit of a strange voting pattern this month. I had Mosaix down as a clear winner at one point (my own second-choice), then it seemed Parson was a dead cert. And there were some very good stories that got no votes at all.

Congrats to Parson on being joint-winner, and also for being the first winner/finalist to be (as far as I know) strictly an "amateur" -- ie not someone spending large parts of their lives writing fiction intended for publication.

I have a couple of themes to choose from, and I'll do so later. I hope some of the regulars missing from October come back, and also that the Nanos will be able to take some time off from that.

And Teresa, hope the surgery goes well. Plates aren't too bad, really.

 

[StormFeather]

Huge congratulations HB!! Looking forward to seeing what this months theme is . . .

 

[Allanon]

Well done HB!!

aside from that dammit!! I knew i wasnt going to win but i thought i may have gotten One vote! That's it buying votes from now on!! lol!!

hahahahahaha!!

But seriously, HB your story was fab, i missed the voting this month as i was away but that is the story that was on top of my list this month.

 

[chrispenycate]

As long as it is only those who have invested in the competition who make the effort to vote, there will always be more entries that don't receive direct recognition than do, and when the front two runners garner a third of the total it is a given.

And, with the overall standard of the entries, this means a lot of deserving material will go by the board. But, in the meantime, it has been read, considered, pored over, probably agonised over, which is more attention than most short fiction gets.

For some reason, while some had difficulty finding ideas for this theme, I was overequipped. Two alternatives that I dumped.

If I'd known you were coming​

Across the country the little packets voyaged, a network of treats. In thousands of kitchens cookies were baked, bagged, waiting.

“This latest batch, three successive years and the male sperm count will be down by 70%, the females producing almost no viable ovaries.”

“We’re not hurting them, are we? These bold would have most unwanted babies, if…”

“A little trick.” as another bag was eagerly adopted “And enough left to bake for carol singers.”

Home from home​

“Where are we ? Won’t I need a glamour? ”

“Tonight you could walk on the surface without disguise, and not be noticed. But why one night, when you could have all the year?”

The space around us was strange, dotted with doors above, below, all sides.

“Humans made here. Internet, a kind of silicon dream.”

“Silicon ?”

“Like glass.”

I walked up and beat on one door of the many, labelled:

 

[HareBrain]

OK, the theme is up. Hope it sparks some ideas. I will definitely not be posting the first entry this time!

I've stuck with SFF for the genre, but I've recently realised that the theme-setters haven't been as free with the genre as we might have. I was under the impression that the genre specified was restricted to a choice of "Science fiction and fantasy", "science fiction", "fantasy", or (possibly, I wasn't too sure) "unrestricted".

Now I've been informed it can be anything.

I haven't changed it this month because I didn't want to change it to something like "detective" and have a load of people drop out because they didn't like it. After all, SFF is why we're on this site in the first place, so it's a safe bet for genre. But I thought it was worth bringing it up as a discussion point. I'm happy for the genre to be more varied in future. What about everyone else?

 

[Boneman]

Congratulations to Harebrain and Parson, the joint-winners, and HB for the tie-break win. Hmm... contact... where's that Jodie Foster film...?

 

[Ursa major]

Congratulations, HB!


I like the topic: interesting. We should get a wide variety of entries. (Then again, we usually do. )