Writing Challenge Discussion -- January 2011

[Culhwch]

If anyone notices themselves or anyone else missing from the the poll, please give me a shout. For some reason there always seems to be one or two who drop off before the poll is opened. This time I was determined to make no mistakes so I counted and recounted and recounted again, and I'm sure I had everyone, and then my final count after posting the link came up two short - two I distinctly remember adding. Once the votes start coming in it all seems to be fine, but before that I'm not sure what happens...

 

[Teresa Edgerton]

I've counted the stories on the poll, and it comes out to 57* every way I count it. Which is the number of stories, so unless you put somebody in twice, no one was left out.

What I don't understand is how you order the stories in the poll. They are never in the order I remember them being posted, or alphabetical order, or ... well, anything that makes sense to me. Not that it matters, but I am curious.


*57! How amazing is that?

 

[chrispenycate]

And a comfortable new record. Spreadsheet nearly two thirds filled in; I should be voting later today (it's half one in the morning here, and I don't trust my judgement.)

They are never in the order I remember them being posted, or alphabetical order,

Order they were posted in, except Hilarious and Junsui got left out and tacked on the end. But it's a darn sight more logical than the "Who posted" list the site puts up, which, apart from multiple posts, shows no logic whatsoever.

 

[Culhwch]

Yeah, HJ and Junsui dissappeared this time around, so they got tacked on to the end. I definitely know I put HJ in because I distinctly remember typing his name, and besides which the count I did after saving at that point matched the number of entrants. Only this morning did they vanish...

Otherwise it's in order of posting. Though there is a checkbox in the settings which is to randomise answer order, and which I leave checked as it never seems to do anything one way or another - although maybe it is possible that it randomises for some people, and not for others, and that would explain why your poll appears to be random. Might have something to do with the browser or OS or some other arcane technological reason.

 

[mosaix]

Some great entries this month (again).

My shortlist:

Dictionary Fail.com - Dozmonic
What Goes Around Comes Around - Perpetual Man
REGI-CIDE - Teresa Edgerton
Assassin - mirinda
no/it/u/loveR - J-WO


Now for some serious thought and a good deal of re-reading.

 

[TheEndIsNigh]

OK I voted.

In the end the list came down to seven.

Paranoid held on to the end even though there were some excellent contenders later on.

The list was

PM: - I love predictive text - you got the vote.
GreenKidx: Still love that snake.
Alchemist: It needed more than the seventy five words. It could even be the makings of a full book.
Hoopy: a great apocalypse tale.
Ventamist: Maybe should have been in the sacrifice challenge.
J-Wo: Caught the true nature of man. Dictators - can't live with them - can't live without them.
Culhwch: Nice twist.

 

[Culhwch]

Thanks for the mention, TEIN!

I usually post late, vote late. I did the first part admirably this month, I thought, but I'm going to buck the trend on the latter...

My Atomic Tales, Untitled: A lovely, poignant little short. And muskets and swords always make for a winner...
No One, ...is Revolution: I don't normally go for the verse entries, but this one I liked.
Talysia, Reprise: Beautifully crafted, loved the thematic note, and steam-power and sorcerers also always make for a winner...
digs, Back Country: Just feels so quintessentially Australian. Lovely, poetic, full of sadness and hope in equal measure.
Teresa, REGI-CIDE: Your stories are always a treat. This one is no different.

When all is said and done I tend to vote for the story that I most wish I had written. Ironically (or maybe not) it's usually a story I'd never have been able to write in a million years. This month that story is digs' Back Country. An outstanding story that I read a couple of times over immediately, just because I love how it works.

 

[Perpetual Man]

Wow, a record number of entries, even more to decide from everyone. Not got as much time as last month, everything suddenly getting far too busy for it's own good, so no comment on every story.

To start though, my all encompassing list includes everybody, I don't think there was one entry I didn't like.

Would it be possible to increase our number of votes to 57?

 

[Ursa major]

* Imagines that PM will get a variety of responses to that request. *

 

[Boneman]

Wow, a record number of entries, even more to decide from everyone. Not got as much time as last month, everything suddenly getting far too busy for it's own good, so no comment on every story.

To start though, my all encompassing list includes everybody, I don't think there was one entry I didn't like.

Would it be possible to increase our number of votes to 57?

I second that!!

 

[Boneman]

I knew the revolution of more votes wouldn't last.....

More entries than ever, more heartache in choosing one of them to be the winner...

I chose a shortlist, it had 22 entries on it. Got down to a short-short list of:
Dozmonic
Digs
Ventanamist
The Judge
Mosaix
Stormfeather
Cul

In the end it was Digs' entry that got my vote, and in particular, this line, which stayed with me for ages after I read it:

We collect absences: of water, crops, of Natalie now she's gone.

Including Natalie in there was so unexpected and so perfect, that I still shake my head in admiration each time I read it.

 

[Moonbat]

I have a medium list (it's too long to be a short list) of the following

Most Non-triumphant by design – Slow-eye
Reprise – Talysia
End of the Revolution – Glitch
What goes around comes around – Perpetual Man
Back country – Digs
Noitu/Over – alchemist
Stop its K-T Time – Hoopyfrood
He who lolls last lolls best – Chel
As you walk past the back corner of an arms fair – OneBigPotato
The fruits of fascism – J Riff
The end justifies the means – TEIN
The one that got away – Hilarious Joke
Chaos Theory – Ursa Major
A new start – SleepyDormouse
Assassin – Mirinda
A different axis – StormFeather
Until Death do us part – AphroditeMSC


That's 17/57! that's hmmm, carry the three, just over 28% of the entries!

Shorter list to follow.

Oh, and thanks for the vote, whoever you are.

 

[Talysia]

Thanks for the mentions, Cul and Moonbat!

I found picking a winner a lot harder this month. There really were so many great entries, it was difficult to get my shortlist down to 10, including:

sloweye - Most non-triumphant by design
No-one - ...is Revolution
Perpetual Man - What Goes Around Comes Around
HoopyFrood - Stop! It's K-T Time
onebigpotato - As you walk past the back corner at an Arms Fair
Chrispenycate - Till a lot, guru raconteur
Junsui0110 - The Angels' Fall
Ursa Major - Chaos Theory
fitzchivalry - Food Chain
StormFeather - A Different Axis

Getting my top three was even harder, but eventually I managed it:

fitzchivalry - Food Chain
Perpetual Man - What Goes Around Comes Around
StormFeather - A Different Axis

It really is difficult for me to choose between those three, but Perpetual Man's story just shades it - I loved the use of clockwork.

Well done everyone!

 

[nixie]

Some brilliant entries this month as usual but in the end I went for Stormfeather

 

[sloweye]

I decided to place my mark beside Perpetual Man in the end.

And Two mentions, chuffed with that, cheers

 

[Brev]

The vote, my first, goes to alchemist ... with 75 words you wrote a whole novel, possibly a trilogy ...

 

[Chel]

Thanks for the mentions, Sloweye and Moonbat!

My short list consists of

GreenKidx - The First Wife
Digs - Back Country
TE - Regi-cide
J Riff - The fruits of fascism
Chrispenycate - Till a lot, guru raconteur
Mirinda - Assassin
StormFeather - A Different Axis
Culhwch - Object Lessons


I'll decide who to vote for tomorrow.

 

[Perpetual Man]

Sigh, I knew it was going to be really hard this month. I've put together my first list, and have it down to 35...

A quick thanks to Slow and Talysia for the votes after a very busy day they put a smile on my face! (and whoever gave me the third as well - sorry if I missed it in the threads)

 

[alchemist]

My shortlist comprises Sloweye, Dozmonic, Perpetual man, HoopyFrood, Teresa Edgerton, TheDustyZebra, Chel, JRiff, TEiN, SPendleton, StormFeather, Dubrech, Culhwch.

And the vote goes to....

Perpetual Man.

Thanks for the mention, TEiN, and the vote, Brev. I'll get working on the next series now.

 

[chrispenycate]

See? You all mock my spreadsheet, but as long as I can keep consistent I'm preparing my vote throughout the month; come the Culhwch and I've only got one or two to mark.

I suppose I could go back and assemble a short list, but it's all prepared.