quote:I totally had to laugh when I read that post. I just got the verification email from Joni that my entry for Q02 had been received. At least they got it though.
Im not worried because I realize how busy Joni is, but I have yet to receive my confirmation. I wonder which will come first confirmation or rejection
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Got my notification today. If you havent gotten it check your inbox or spam. Joni said see sent the last ones out today. She also mentioned that this was the biggest quarter ever.
Posts: 710 | Registered: Oct 2009
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Nope. Perhaps it got lost in the mail, I sent it two weeks before the deadline. I notice my link to their forum is broken, so no way to look up more info there either... le sigh.
Posts: 921 | Registered: Nov 2008
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One way to prevent 'lost in the mail' is to send it Priority Mail with delivery confirmation. It doesn't require a signature and you can track the progress of your shipment online. I send all of my hard copy manuscripts this way. I don't know how it would work for overseas, but US Postal handles this fine.
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After sending off an email to Joni on the 9th, I've just received confirmation today that my entry was indeed received. I'm waiting for it to sink in.
Posts: 921 | Registered: Nov 2008
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Just looked up the "Delivery Confirmation" option for USPS: costs seventy cents. In my mind, completely worth it based on the reduced amount of antacid I'll be taking when worrying about whether or not my stuff gets to where I've sent it. Good suggestion, Genevive.
Posts: 599 | Registered: Sep 2007
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July 1 update from KDW on her blog: "I sent back some more stories yesterday. Umpty million left to read."
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Has anyone gotten a rejection yet? I have gotten neither a rejection nor an HM. It's giving me ulcers.
Posts: 32 | Registered: Jan 2010
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Nothing for me yet. Course, I sent mine in really late. The names I noticed from the group this time around were Sheena and Jennifer Hicks (though I don't know if she was in the group that quarter or not. I can't seem to find a story from her in my files, though she's been with us in the past).
We probably have a while to wait this quarter. LOADS of stories, and most of those from the group are going to be held onto until the bitter end anyhow. Well, those that don't make it into the final pile. Luck everyone.
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I really should, but life has gotten a bit complicated at the moment (i.e. soon to be unemployed, soon to be a dad, soon to be moving back into my parents place and/or homeless). I've had some difficulty concentrating on writing or even wanting to write. Too much on my plate right now. Once things work themselves out (one way or another), then I'll get productive again (hopefully).
Posts: 32 | Registered: Jan 2010
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Egad. Life just gets complicated sometimes, I guess. Best of luck to you, man. The group'll still be here when you get back into things.
Posts: 599 | Registered: Sep 2007
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recovering cynic- I'm kind of in a similar situation. My part time job is at a place that is closing, so everyone loses their part time job. My husband's job- the one that feeds us and all that- is laying off 15% of the work force next week and I am 3rd trimester of my second baby. My husband's work has projected 1000 new jobs 4 states away in 2 months, so we might be moving and if he loses job, we'll probably move too. Writing has been really difficult and I am falling behind my goals.
Posts: 232 | Registered: Apr 2010
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Er... guess I was wrong. Kathy Wentworth was talking like the results would have been posted days ago. Wonder what the hold up is . . .
Posts: 32 | Registered: Jan 2010
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I got my rejection by mail today. I live in LA so I'm about as close as you can get to where they're mailed from.
I wouldn't usually grouse at a rejection, but the story I sent in deserved better. I'm really hoping to prove that by getting it into a pro publication.
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Sorry Genevive. That really does suck. I thought your story was one of the better stories we submitted. Also, your story seemed to fit well with past winners I had read. It makes me wonder what they looking for, really.
If they rejected yours, they're going to hate mine. It fit into their usual fair about as well as a square block into round hole.
Also, I don't remember, but what was your Q03 story about?
Edit: The one with the Aliens, right? I emailed you on it, talking about it having a soft climax. Did you modify it at all before sending it in finally? Or was your second draft pretty much your final draft?
[This message has been edited by recovering_cynic (edited August 05, 2010).]
Yes axe, it is the one that got me into Boot Camp.
The one for this quarter was the post-apocalyptic with the voices of the dead that were driving everyone crazy. It had the Chinese Buddhists in the desert and the group at the end that were trying to clear the planet of the voices.
The alien one is in for Q03. I think that one may be more up their alley. It's higher concept and from what I've read, concept seems to be more important than character. The one that got rejected this quarter was very much a character piece.
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Trina, you know you are an awesome writer, and I bet boot camp just made you even better. I think it was just a huge quarter, and maybe when KDW got to your story she had just finished a series of post-apocalyptic stories or something. Or maybe she just needed to eat something. I thought your story was great.
My HM was strictly a character piece, so I don't think that was the reason. My story wasn't better than any of yours (obviously) but I think the reason it stuck out was because of the different format. I think the difference kind of shocks you into paying attention.
Good luck everyone. I'm still waiting to see if snapper wins the thing. ~Sheena
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Sheena, you are right. Your piece was all about character and it was great. I think you deserved better than HM.
Regardless, I appreciate all of the good thoughts. I didn't mean to turn this into a 'poor me' thing. It was just a big disappointment on what was already a crappy day. You guys are great for offering so much support. Thanks.
Writers of the Future is (really) a science-fiction anthology. It's science-fiction stories and science-fiction ideas that make up a majority of the stories, despite the fact that horror and fantasy are sometimes accepted as well. I haven't read all of the anthologies by any means, but I have read 18-25 and that's the impression that I've gotten from doing so.
From what I've seen, stories that get rejected usually are poorly written, don't catch the reader's attention, don't have an obvious speculative element early on, and/or don't have a really cool idea associated with the story (science fiction = new/cool ideas). There are plenty of times that I've read stuff from the WotF anthologies that I thought had just about no "story" at all to them. But they did have cool ideas. This concept of "new ideas" seems to be the crux of the matter in my mind.
The story of mine that I liked the best, and thought had the best chance, got a flat reject from WotF as well. It's hard to say exactly what they're looking for in their accepted stories, but this is what I've noticed.
Take it as you will. And then go write some more. Cause we only get better with each new endeavor.
[This message has been edited by WriterDan (edited August 05, 2010).]
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Congrats Snapper, Owasm, Axeminister and any other Hatrackers on there. Love the silver Snapper Posts: 710 | Registered: Oct 2009
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Congrats to Snapper on the Silver HM and to all the others. Let's hope for a semi or a finalist for one of us.
Well. Back on track with the HM's.
I think a longer story that has a really complete story arc is what they like. My two rejections were shorter and a bit more like character studies. My three HM's were all longer and well developed with more characters and distinct plot lines. I hope that helps someone figure out what to write.
By the way there were exactly 30 HM's in the final group and I think someone counted the first two waves at 65. With the Silvers, that makes 98 HMs in two different flavors. Someone estimated 2,000 entries, so top 5% is pretty accurate. Snapper jumps into the silver stratosphere, in the near-heady group with close proximity to Finalists and Semi-Finalists.
[This message has been edited by Owasm (edited August 12, 2010).]
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So if you count the 15 that were on the Early Submissions Group and 5 that transferred to the Late Submission Group, that's 20.
We had six HM's. That's 30% of our group getting recognition. We even had a winner last year. I think that is a pretty good percentage since 5% of the submission population are recognized.
To me, it means that the WotF critique group does help and thanks to Writer Dan for keeping it going.
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Lol. Nice. Granted, I am a bit selfish in my motivations for keeping this group going... You guys'll do fine without me when I finally "graduate" from WotF, just like the then-current group will do fine as each of you do as well. Keep up the good work, everyone.
Posts: 599 | Registered: Sep 2007
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Yeah, I found out a little over three weeks ago when I got a call on my cell while stepping off a bus on the way to work. You couldn't wipe the smile off my face all day.
At the time, she said they'd post the last HM, semifinalist and finalist names within the week, and they'd expedite judging to have it done in three weeks because it was getting very busy in preparation of their big bash in September. Given that the actual final posts weren't made until now, I'd say that things are falling behind a little (I'd been wanting to chip in a few time these last weeks, but I couldn't really do that without revealing where I got the info from).
While I'd like to get my hopes up at this stage, I think it's worth staying pragmatic - I don't know what stories I'm up against and if three of them are (say) potential nebula award winners then I'm not bothered at all (one thing that really gets up my nose is an entitlement culture that crops up now and again - I didn't pay to enter the competition so I'm wary of ever thinking that I expect to win, if you follow me).
Still, I critiqued some great stories this time and it's been educational to go through the whole process. Highly recommended.
I noticed I never saw snapper & Axeminister's stories or your names in our group lists - did you guys get them critiqued elsewhere?
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Not at all surprised that BenM managed to surplant my good fortune. That guy always beats me. Just goes to show you they take talent into consideration.
The story I sent I don't believe I have ever shown to the hatrack WotF group. I put it up in the Baens slush where it was ripped to shreds. Dave Steffen and skadder both read it and neither of them liked it. I did post the opening 13, twice...
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Ben, I think I'm an honorary member of Q2. I didn't swap stories, which is a bummer because I didn't get to read yours, but I've kind of planted myself here ever since.
To answer your question, I did have a few friends look at the story and give feedback, but I wrote it a few years ago so I've had a ton of time to go over it on my own as well.
It was fun because I didn't know about WotF until, well, until I spotted this thread and I was like hey, I have a story that fits in just right there. So, I'm stoked to get an HM with something I wrote just for fun a while back.
quote: Writers of the Future Contest Rejection Reported (Fiction) Today, 19 August 2010, 12 hours ago | digest@zerospam.duotrope.com (Duotrope's Digest) 140-day rejection received for a work of fiction on August 18.
Writers of the Future Contest Acceptance Reported (Fiction) Tuesday, 17 August 2010, 10:54:31 PM | digest@zerospam.duotrope.com (Duotrope's Digest) 145-day acceptance received for a work of fiction on August 17. Congratulations!
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Luck everyone.
