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Personally, I think it would be a travesty if Genevieves story didnt get some kind of placing. Still hoping for a Semi-finalist. I said it during the crit period. I thought it was the best written WOTF story I had critted and thought for sure it was a finalist. Very disheartening if no placement.
Rooting for Jennifer too, but not sure which story was hers that quarter. Of course, I am still waiting to hear too but I have already moved on.
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Unfortunately, from what I've seen on this board and the WotF board, I think there are more people still waiting for a response than there are semi-finalist slots. A few of us are going to be disappointed.
If I hurry to finish my Q1 entry, though, I could have three stories out to WotF at the same time. I've never managed that before.
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Yes, that's me. Was a surprise to have my HM turned into a Silver HM. That's also my first HM or above for the contest (four previous rejections.) The story was not one that you all saw, but the Q4 story is the one I brought to this group.
Grats Crystal and Dan.
Good luck to everyone for Q4!
[This message has been edited by thomaskcarpenter (edited December 02, 2010).]
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When I got home tonight, there was an envelope from WotF. It was pretty thin so I figured it was the form rejection. However, there were two pieces of paper; the front page of my story, and a crit from KDW. Looks like I got semi-finalist. Woohoo!
Thank you everyone who read and critiqued for me. I enjoy this group every quarter. You're all awesome. I really apprecaite you help with this story.
Oh, the reason it didn't get finalist is not something I think I would change about the story because I did it very intentionally. So it breaks the 'rules' a little bit. But I think it is what the story I wanted to tell needed, so I'm okay with that.
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Way to go Genevive! I know it was your advice on my latest story that's the reason for me totally rewriting it. Best move I ever made. It reads so much better now, even though I'm back to a rough draft again. I think it was Nick who told me (maybe not in these words) that I can take your crits to the bank . Hoping to see you make finalist the next time... or better .
Man oh man, Tom; sound like you were more than overdue for that silver HM. Good work, and here's to better stories and higher placings for you too .
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Well, I have given up on the waiting and e-mailed Joni to query about the status of my story. That's mostly to make sure it didn't vanish into KDW's couch cushions or something. Response is pending.
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Thanks everyone, but I just got the e-mail from Joni: "Your story did not win in the 3rd quarter of the contest." Guess that means straight rejection. What I don't understand is why they took so damn long to tell me.
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Rejections don't bother me. That's because I expect to get them. So when I don't get rejected, it's a nice surprise. My Q3 story was as good or better than my four HMs, so I was expecting another HM. The first round of HMs and rejections passed and I heard nothing. It happened again with the second round, and I found myself hoping (despite my better judgment) that maybe I had finally broken out of the HMs and into something better. The semi-finalist critiques went out in the mail, and my hopes hit fevered pitch. Then: a single-sentence form rejection. I went from feeling like I had a shot to feeling like I was a loose end to be tied up before moving onto the next quarter. An afterthought. That is a fast, hard, painful fall, let me tell you. Here's hoping that I and my bruised ego fare better in Q4.
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Don't let the rejection get you down Jennifer. I've read your stuff. You're a good writer. There's a million reasons why it may not have gotten an HM that have nothing to do with the quality of your work.
Take a deep breath and get back to writing your next awesome story.
quote: My Q3 story was as good or better than my four HMs, so I was expecting another HM. The first round of HMs and rejections passed and I heard nothing. It happened again with the second round, and I found myself hoping (despite my better judgment) that maybe I had finally broken out of the HMs and into something better. The semi-finalist critiques went out in the mail, and my hopes hit fevered pitch. Then: a single-sentence form rejection. I went from feeling like I had a shot to feeling like I was a loose end to be tied up before moving onto the next quarter. An afterthought. That is a fast, hard, painful fall, let me tell you. Here's hoping that I and my bruised ego fare better in Q4.
I've said this before but I can relate. The same thing has happened to me.
And many times I think I've sent in a story with my best writing to date. For every so often I think my writing has improved when I have incorporated into my writing new techniques I have learned, or have tried to, added to that is some of my stories lately have been critiqued on another site. So when I don't receive a rejection by the time the HMs start being announced I start expecting to see my name listed.
I add though that as usual there and elsewhere I find no evidence that my writing has actually improved.
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Thank you for the encouragement. In the light of day, I'm telling myself that one judge's opinion is not the last word on the worth of a story. Just because KDW didn't like it does not mean it's not going to sell. I'm going to finish my Q1 entry and get that submitted, then do some revising on the Q3 story and send it back out elsewhere.
[This message has been edited by JenniferHicks (edited December 04, 2010).]
The one thing I have quickly discovered is that WotF seems to have a rather narrow definition of what is acceptable/proper/good writing. Even the reason my story didn't make finalist was a technical writing 'rule'. Most pros say those rules should be taken with a grain of salt. I actually don't agree with much of the critique I received, but KDW became just one more voice in the sea of critiques I've gotten on this story, not the final word.
So yes, you can have a great story that just doesn't suit WotF tastes and that doesn't mean it's any less great.
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It is interesting that you say that they are nitpicky about the rules of writing gene. i have been reading the xxv volume of WotF and there are 2 stories so far that break rules.
the first one doesn't bring in the fantasy till at least half way though the story. unless you count a char in the story saying something evil comes this way. but thats in tons of stuff that isnt in any way shape or form sf or fantasy. and i thought i read that if you dont have the sf or fantasy coming out in the first page or two they dont even bother reading the rest.
the other story i liked alot till the very end. that whole thing of dont trick the reader, yea he broke that one. all i could think to myself after reading it was 'yea i saw six sense too and it sucked just as much the first time.' the bad part is i really liked the story up until that part.
i dont know maybe that year was just rough on good submissions or something.
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@Genevive: So I'm curious which writing rule she quoted at you in your critique. I have to admit that I was curious when you first mentioned it, but I recently started reading the new anthology (WotF 26) and have found nothing but confusion, and crappy endings or no endings, and rehashed ideas all over the place, and have suddenly found a greater interest in knowing what kind of rule could keep out a story like yours but allow these others in at the same time.
Never before has reading one of the WotF anthologies made me want to quit submitting to the contest more (even though I haven't finished reading this one yet). It's depressing. Of course, I expected to be let down by what I found (after having read 18 through 25 already and deciding that I liked only very little of what I found) but I didn't think it was going to be this abysmally bad.
Seriously. Great story. Why did it only get third place, I wonder? More confusion from my direction about this fact. Great ending too. There's a bundle of maid-and-butlerish dialogue in it and a surprising amount of on-stage sexual content, but everything actually makes sense! What a concept! I really liked this one.
Hope I can find another one that's good before I hit the end. Halfway done now, and at that rate...
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Thanks, Dan. Glad you enjoyed it. As to why it got third place, that's a matter of judge taste. K.D. liked it quite a bit, but there are times when K.D. will love a piece and send it up as a Finalist, and the four judges for that quarter will yawn and send it back down unselected. So the best I can say is that you just keep hitting the Contest until you win. If you're getting routine HM, you're close. If you get a Finalist Semi-Finalist, but no win, you're very close. Multi-semis or Finalists, you're going to win eventually.
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FYI, the fine-hair-splitting that goes up at the judging stage all comes down to taste. And the truth is, what fits for the judges will not fit for all readers. So I think it's fair to say that reading the anthologies to find a road map to winning is a superb idea, but only pay attention to the stories you like.
I'll repeat again. Read the anthologies. Cover to cover. But when it comes time to really look hard at a particular story or stories, don't look at the ones you hated or didn't care for. Pick the stories -- even if there's only one or two per book -- that you really enjoyed or which seemed good to you, and work from there.
Using a story you hated or did not care for as a guide or roadmap is a bad idea.
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WD I posted an excerpt from my critique on the Q03 topic in Open Discussions.
Essentially though, what she said kept it from being a finalist is that my main characters were not the decision-makers that could drive the plot.
For my intent for the story, it worked fine - but obviously a little less so for her taste.
It is nice to know why it missed though.
Brad, good suggestions. I think I started out reading the 'less impressive' anthology and yes, I did wonder how a few of those stories ended up winning. I think I shall get another one.
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@Brad: Absolutely. That's essentially what I've been doing and getting consistent HMs for each quarter that I submit. It's tough sometimes though to read the anthologies and wonder if I'm a total loon because of how little I find that I like or sometimes that even seems to "fit the mold" of what the Writers of the Future judges want to see. I have been reading all the anthologies cover to cover (well, since volume 18 that is) and agree about not using a story I didn't like as a roadmap to try and win the contest. Write the stuff you like, I say, and if it's good, someone will eventually pick it up.
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quote: That's essentially what I've been doing and getting consistent HMs for each quarter that I submit. It's tough sometimes though to read the anthologies and wonder if I'm a total loon because of how little I find that I like or sometimes that even seems to "fit the mold" of what the Writers of the Future judges want to see.
I get that when I read magazines but usually not when I read anthologies. Usually though, because of the writing, I can see why a tale was included in a magazine even though I didn't like the story..
But speaking of the WotF Antho has anyone here ever bought the set they offer every time a antho is published? It's usually a copy of the anthology and a book or two on writing. I have thought about it but never get to it, since you have to order the set through their web site.
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. Hoping to see you make finalist the next time... or better 
