It’s a bit overwhelming, especially since I didn’t expect the results to be public for a few days yet. I’ve mostly been away from posting on Hatrack since my daughter was born, but I still lurk.
Hatrack has been an integral part of my continuing writing education and I’m sure it will continue to play a part as I continue to learn. I’ve managed to get my foot in the door with the 2nd place, but I still have a lot to learn to go any further. I’m sure Hatrack will help me along in that process and there have been so many Hatrackers who’ve taught me so much. There are two people from Hatrack I’d like to thank in particular. Firstly I’d like to thank Jennifer Campbell Hicks for being my primary critique partner on my winning story, a sounding board for ideas and one of my best friends.
Secondly, I’d like to thank Brad Torgersen for his advice and support, especially after I was a non-winning finalist for Q4 2010 and was wondering whether I was destined to fall just short at every venue I submitted to. I wouldn’t have kept at it without Brad and Jennifer's moral support. Regards, Nick
You deserve the win, and all the credit is yours. It's one of the most imaginative and well-written stories I've read in years of critiquing WotF entries.
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Awesome. It must be something in the water. (What water you ask? Hatrack is a river isn't it?)
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Nick, no need to thank me -- it was *YOU* who got up off the mat and went for another go. *YOU* who did the work, and turned in an excellent story. All I did was try to let you know that you're not alone, I'd been through the crushing experience of not winning, and that, "this too shall pass...." Glad -- so very, very glad! -- to see you come around and nail the win this time. How sweet it is, eh?
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Congratulations, Nick. I'm not around here as much anymore either - too busy with work, and, unfortunately, not writing very often (at least not fiction). I hope this leads to big things for you.
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Brad, once again, thanks. Words are not enough for what you and Jennifer have done for me over the past year.
Skadder, Codex seems a bit scary to me. I’ve just sent off an application to join…
Posulliv, I’m very, very glad that volume 27 wasn’t published before I submitted my story. If I’d read Maddy Dune… before I’d submitted, I probably would have given up for despair of ever being able to write a story like that. Brilliant.
Philocinemas, I miss reading your work. Get back to it.
Crystal, as per my email, thanks so much for the critique.
Everyone else, thanks for your congratulations, it’s very humbling.
Not going to raise a big stink but does William Ledbetter really meet the non-professional criterea set for this contest? The guy has been writing for years and has a very impressive resume in sales, not to mention he also edits one of the biggest contests every year, the Jim Baen Memorial Writing Contest.
True, WotF is an anonymous contest, so he did win it fair and square, but I've known of a couple of writers who felt they weren't eligible selling a lot less than he has.
Snapper, a lot of people rule themselves out of WOTF when they're actually eligible. I think that WOTF counts professional sales as SFWA-eligible sales and *one* of those is very, very hard to achieve. Even an impressive sale like Abyss and Apex or ASIM wouldn't count. The other thing is that it's the fourth publication that counts (i.e. when it is put up on the website or printed, not when the sale is made). Given the lag between sales and publication, someone could have an impressive list of credentials and still be eligible.
I just had a quick look at William's website and while he has an impressive list of publications from very credible venues, I don't think that many of them are actually SFWA qualified.
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I gotcha, Nick. It looks as if he's under the standards set. Nevertheless, seeing Mr Ledbetter's name is like attending your sons high school football game and seeing the opposing team with a player a foot taller and having a 100 pounds on everyone else.
quote:... is like attending your sons high school football game and seeing the opposing team with a player a foot taller and having a 100 pounds on everyone else.
Playing with the big boys is how you get better. Every now and then you get a bloody nose though.