posted
Planning on putting the list of subgroups up the beginning of next week, in anticipation of our first critique date of July 14th. With 16 people signed up for the quarter, subgroups should be on the order of 5-6 people. Hope everyone's stories are getting into shape. But if not, just keep working. We'll still be here when it's done.
Posts: 599 | Registered: Sep 2007
| IP: Logged |
posted
I should be ready tomorrow if someone wants to swap early. I'm doing a read through of my latest revision now. It's a bit rough, but I want to see if the premise and POV switching works. Posts: 35 | Registered: May 2011
| IP: Logged |
posted
Yes, Dr. Bob, you are correct. And if it hadn't been for the fact that I twisted BOTH ankles on the way to school this morning, near simultaneously, under some seriously impossible conditions (which were, apparently, not so impossible...) I would have remembered that I needed to take care of this. Thanks for the poke.
Going with 4 groups of 4 for now, and hoping that everything works out. Have at it, people. Oh, and if anyone needs to update the group list (additions/dropouts), please do so. I'll try to keep things current with this list as we go.
Group1: Writer Dan Meredith francisbruno wirelesslibrarian
On the top of each post is a date and three icons. The first one leads to the information page. The email address is one piece of information available, if the person had put in their info here. If they haven't, then ask them here to email you. At a last resort, if two people of reticent at putting their email address up there, you can have one place it up in the thread here and then edit it out again, when the person has it.
Speaking of some people being late last time and possibly one or two for this exchange I realized last night That I never finished revising my story. Oops. Since I have crit to do tonight--tomorrow at the latest-- on a difficult story and I want to finish the revision of chapter one of a novel finished by Friday so I can send it to two readers, I may not be sending out my story 'till Saturday.
Got a lot of writing work to do this week but not much actual writing.
Second thing is you can also get the e-mail address by clicking on the middle icon-- the one that looks like a letter. A page comes up with just the address. Click on the address. When I do that a separate E-mail program opens-- it came with the computer. But it doesn't send attachments very well so I usually ignore it and copy the address to my yahoo-att E-mail .
[This message has been edited by LDWriter2 (edited July 12, 2011).]
posted
My story is going to be delayed a bit... I threw in the towel on my other story, the one that I thought would be too long, and decided it just was NOT working. Another story idea came to me and so I am going to try to crank it out this week. SO I am available to do critiques now, but for those in my group, don't expect my story until next week at the earliest.
Melanie
PS--Ouch, Dan, I hope your ankles feel better!!
[This message has been edited by mrmeadors (edited July 13, 2011).]
posted
As of Noon, my time, I had received two stories. I will send out mine tomorrow, probably in the evening hours. I need to run a spell check and double check for certain words. That could take an hour or three.
Make that one story... another story wasn't for this group.
[This message has been edited by LDWriter2 (edited July 16, 2011).]
posted
Hi guys, I'm in a locale with limited internet capability for the weekend, so it will be either Sunday or Monday until I can get anything out or back.
Posts: 459 | Registered: Mar 2010
| IP: Logged |
posted
If it will help WD, I can send you a copy of the Xray of my ankle with more screws in it that a bad framing job.
Posts: 459 | Registered: Mar 2010
| IP: Logged |
posted
I was reading the mail from some of the other groups and the last page on the 2nd quarter group has a pretty good list of what they are looking for in the contest. Everyone might want to look at it just to make sure their story is in the sweet spot of what they are looking for.
Posts: 459 | Registered: Mar 2010
| IP: Logged |
posted
Hmm, still waiting for two stories. I've had one crit back and sent one crit out. Still, we're not near any deadline yet. MBW
Posts: 216 | Registered: May 2011
| IP: Logged |
posted
Well Group 4 has exchanged all stories. I have sent back all three crits and received one back. Looks like we are the one group on track.
Posts: 459 | Registered: Mar 2010
| IP: Logged |
posted
I received one or is it two rejections? Rats, now I'm not sure have to double check.
But I sent out one tonight and will send a second tomorrow. Thursday at the latest.
Looks like we have a wide assortment for the contest this time around. Knowing the other writers here with such so many different stories something should win and a something else get in the finals, and semi.
posted
Hi, Group 3. Just checking in. Still awaiting your stories. Brendan, thank you for your crit. Looking forward to the others. I happen to be on my annual 2-week vacation. Good time to do critiques and for reviewing those on my own tale. [Hint.]
posted
Three stories received and three story-crits returned to Group1.
Now I just have to get my story written. lol. Actually, I got the first scene done tonight. A lot changed about my story last week, and I think the changes made were for the better. I still need to do better about getting these things out closer to deadline though.
Hope everything is going well with the groups for the first round. A lot of the conversation here seems to point in that direction. Thanks, everyone, for participating. Makes things so much easier and so much fun when we get a good, big group.
posted
Got to get busy on mine even though today I came up with an idea for Q5 ( yeah I know Q1)
I wanted to do a SF this time but my idea wasn't quite SF. Do they like streampunk? I had an idea that might be something different for the stuff I usually see in streampunk.
But back to this quarter looks like I may not be doing much fresh writing this week either since I have some restructuring to do... that might be too strong a word but some things need to be deleted and redone a bit. In this case I can do all that without changing the story. A bit shorter probably wouldn't hurt either.
posted
I'm actually working on a steampunk story this quarter. But....it's not going well. I have so much junk going on right now, it's really hard for me to focus on my story. It's just a bad quarter, I guess. I'm thinking of kind of giving it a break and pretending I'm just a little ahead for next quarter. But i will gladly critique any stories that come my way!
posted
Hmm, Today I was just thinking of doing a light hearted story based on my dragon Nebula opening I did for the dragon contest a while back instead of the steampunk .
But I'm not sure if I can get it further than 5,000 words and that could very well be a stretch. I have the opening, obviously, and the basic for an ending but not too sure about the middle.
Of course, interesting enough, the same thing applies to the steampunk story.
You know a story about flowing water and punks may not be bad either.
posted
Axeminster--go right ahead and take my spot; I'm in group 2. I think that the pressure of having so much to do right now is giving me writer's block, so I just need to let this go for the moment. Next quarter! I actually feel better about things already.
Okay, Axeminister is taking Melanie's place, and I've already received his piece. So, I've just sent my piece out to him.
Well, Melanie, I still owe you a crit in exchange for the thoughtful and helpful pointers you gave me. Perhaps this is better, giving yourself enough time to avoid rushing out a piece. If you do finish it, I'll go over it for you.
Let's see if we can get some winners in our group!
REMINDER: make sure your fantastic or spec element shows up strong and early in your story! The Contest specifically looks for this. Magic or science/tech that's too subtle or too contemporary might make the difference between an HM, and a rejection, or between a Semi and an HM, or a Finalist vs. a Semi.
REMINDER REMINDER: Best homework in the world, for you as entrants, is to read recent copies of the anthology. Every copy contains at least 12 good examples of what it takes to win. Not every story will suit your tastes. Ignore placement -- who won what. Pay attention to the stories you *DO* like, and let them rumble around in your unconscious when you write your entries. Try to figure out what made a certain winning story work for you, and apply that to your next work.
Best of luck, everybody! Q2 winners have been announced! If you haven't gotten anything in for Q4, now is the ideal time to get cranking. Deadline is September 30, 2011.
[This message has been edited by Brad R Torgersen (edited July 29, 2011).]
[This message has been edited by Brad R Torgersen (edited July 29, 2011).]
posted
Well, I'm not sure about the word, "pimp," but you are welcome to remind people here about the WotF forum.
Posts: 8826 | Registered: A Long Time Ago!
| IP: Logged |
posted
Intruder! Get 'em! The infidel must perish!
I second Brad's reminder. Lots of good discussion going on over there about the contest, writing and the business of writing. All important topics for the upwardly mobile.
Plus, there's a cartoon with volcanoes and we sacrificed Kenny to it. How awesome is that? ;p
Wish I could get sign on the WotF boards. Even though I'm probably spending too much time here and that would be one more place to spend time.
I tried to sign up over a year ago. But even though they said I should get a conformation e-mail I never did. Sent a note and they sent the right E-mail but the site wouldn't take my password and/or screen name. Tried to reregister but it said I was I was in the system. Sent an E-mail, one tech person said they couldn't find me in the system. Tried registering two other screen names and passwords with same result. Months later they changed their forum, I think to another company, but same results. I have the same trouble with the forum over at Jim Butcher's web site, which looks like the same type as WotF's. I'm have been on many web sites' forums but this one certain type of forum doesn't like my computer.
posted
I had difficulty signing up for the WotF forum about a year ago, too. It just wouldn't take. I didn't try again until yesterday, when I had no problems.
Posts: 968 | Registered: Sep 2008
| IP: Logged |
posted
A year ago, the forums were pretty much unmoderated. Then Brad, former winner and now benevolent overlord, took over and sorted out the sign up issues. I'd give it another try and sign up. You're really missing a lot by not reading the forums on a regular basis.
posted
Sorry Dr Bob, still only about 2/3rds the way through, and struggling to finish this one. I could send you a different one, if you wanted?
Posts: 789 | Registered: Aug 2007
| IP: Logged |
posted
There are several questions that cycle through. I got asked about Lord of the Rings vs. Ringworld characters. Others have gotten writer vs. artist, or match the book to the writer. It's a way to weed out the spambots.
Posts: 968 | Registered: Sep 2008
| IP: Logged |
posted
Signing up for the forum has been a pain in the past because they had to turn OFF the user validation due to too many spambots hammering the site. Well, I downloaded a new screening plugin that makes every new user answer some (fairly simple) questions, selected at random. Your average science fiction and fantasy fan ought to be able to go it. Sometimes, perhaps, with a little Google help. But an average spambot (so far) has been unable to penetrate. So, I think the difficulties are behind us.
I also wiped out ALL user accounts with zero posts, so if you once signed up and had issues or never were confirmed when Peter was still running the forum -- or, as Tom notes, during the interim between Peter and me -- do please give it another go.
Anyone still having issues is, of course, advised to contact me directly. So I can see what's happening.
posted
I got matching authors to the WOTF volume they appeared in, which required that I go look it up. So yours was easier, Jennifer.
Posts: 459 | Registered: Mar 2010
| IP: Logged |