Discussion: Q2, Volume 36

[TimE]

And now . . . on to the next quarter waiting period. Though, it is a long way off.

Q2 belongs to you and me, doesn't it Dragon? I think my Q2 must be original enough to get a little higher... It's a long wait.

[Dragonchef]

Q2 belongs to you and me, doesn't it Dragon? I think my Q2 must be original enough to get a little higher... It's a long wait.

Yes! Yes it does.



......Just practicing.

[TimE]

Steady on Dragon. Down boy. Down. ...bloody dragons. Tails that long should not be wagged!

[Dragonchef]

Tails that long should not be wagged!

What are you saying, TimE Keeper? I'm acting like a dragon in a china shop?

[TimE]

Could be worse, I suppose. With your breath - it could be a dragon in a fire-work factory

[Dragonchef]

Could be worse, I suppose. With your breath - it could be a dragon in a fire-work factory

Okay, now THAT I am definitely going to try.

[JVAshley]

With your breath - it could be a dragon in a fire-work factory

I'd like to see that!

[LDWriter2]

Good luck in your move, LDW2 (sounds like I'm addressing a droid)! Hope it goes well and nothing breaks in transit.
Congrats getting your Q2 in.
May the Force be ever in your favor . . . or something like that.

Thanks. My initials and that I am a writer too. Actually a private joke meaning I am the second best writer on the original forum I invented that name for. I wasn't, obviously but

[chuckt]

Looking at recent prior years, Q2 results have come out anytime late May to early July. Is there any info out there that might narrow that window?

[disgruntledpeony]

Looking at recent prior years, Q2 results have come out anytime late May to early July. Is there any info out there that might narrow that window?

It varies based on how busy the judges are. So... not really? Sorry.

[thewritescott]

I did it again.

I thought I submitted for Q1. But it was actually Q2. The way WOTF tracks time still confuses me.

Looking forward to the final Q1 results so I can begin to twitch properly.

[Obi-Wan Nobody]

I'm in for Q2 with my first WOTF submission. Sorry for announcing with delay, I'm in newbie mode.

[Beth Powers]

Looking at recent prior years, Q2 results have come out anytime late May to early July. Is there any info out there that might narrow that window?

I checked my numbers, and I've gotten results as early as May 19th (that was in 2008) and as late as Sept 13th (I'm a little suspicious of this one, but it was in the time of paper submissions (2010) and it was an HM, so that might be why it took so long). Throwing out these outliers, it looks like most of my responses have arrived between May 26th and July 25th, so your timeframe is probably a good guess! But as always, Thursdays are unpredictable!

[BrandieJ]

I submitted a story I really liked a few weeks ago, but after listening to some of the podcasts and interviews, I'm starting to think it might have been too dark. Guess I'll just wait and see...

[disgruntledpeony]

I submitted a story I really liked a few weeks ago, but after listening to some of the podcasts and interviews, I'm starting to think it might have been too dark. Guess I'll just wait and see...

I skirt the line of too dark with this contest a lot. My SF and F were both on the dark side, though. Dark isn't necessarily bad, so long as you keep the YA audience in mind.

[BrandieJ]

I submitted a story I really liked a few weeks ago, but after listening to some of the podcasts and interviews, I'm starting to think it might have been too dark. Guess I'll just wait and see...

I skirt the line of too dark with this contest a lot. My SF and F were both on the dark side, though. Dark isn't necessarily bad, so long as you keep the YA audience in mind.

Glad to know I'm not the only one! I'm really not sure if this one was too dark or not. I usually write YA, but this was a deviation. Should be able to keep that in mind for future pieces.

[Wulf Moon]

Spamming this because if you couldn't afford to get WotF Volume 35, today you can! Don't miss out! One of the best ways to win is to study what won! Cheers!

Special promo today! Writers of the Future Kindle version is only 99 cents on Amazon! Get it quick if you missed it!
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07MC62NNS

[OldDarth]

Interestingly enough just finished a tale in Vol 35 that is fairly dark - The Damned Voyage by John Haas.

[Wulf Moon]

Interestingly enough just finished a tale in Vol 35 that is fairly dark - The Damned Voyage by John Haas.

Dave has said two things he does not get enough of are horror and humor. So if you can write it well, and make it obvious that's what it is on the opening page, your odds get better of being sent on. Just remember, as has been pointed out, this book is sold to a YA market as well as adult. John Haas' story was extremely well written, and, while dark, did not have excessive splatter and gore.

[LittleRed]

Just chiming in to the "dark" discussion to say, while not a winner, my semi finalist for the first quarter of 2019 was/is folk horror. Lots of dark imagery. No real gore, except the final scene which has the threat of violence/gore and ends just before it starts. Could it have gone further without the ending? That's anybody's guess. I'm looking forward to the critique notes.

UPDATE - aft critique. So not the darkness or the violence or the dark ending/death of my protagonist. Not the few sensual descriptions of his wife. Just one too-lengthy exposition of my cult's history did me in. "... though this was a small thing, in a contest this tight, it was just enough to bump you into semi-finalist place."

YIKES -- face/palm -- and very helpful as I"m honing a longer version to sub out in the big bad world. Not to mention a little lump of backstory in another story currently out in the world. Off to do some judicious trimming.

Onward and upward

[TimE]

Hey Dragon, I thought Q2 belonged to you and me. Don't tell anyone else, but I'm beginning to get worried. Not only are regular finalists still in the game, we have new SHM, SF and F people coming through and the volume of entries has risen. Eeek!
If you could find Kary and Dave's addresses, I could send them some Brit delicacies - haggis, tatws pum munud and Enville ale to wash them down. You're the chef, watcha reckon?

[TimE]

UPDATE - aft critique. So not the darkness or the violence or the dark ending/death of my protagonist. Not the few sensual descriptions of his wife. Just one too-lengthy exposition of my cult's history did me in. "... though this was a small thing, in a contest this tight, it was just enough to bump you into semi-finalist place."

That's interesting. Thanks for posting. That exposition's sometimes difficult to get around.

In a s/s, with a new concept, situation or whatever that needs some explaining - how do you get around that exposition? As you know Bob's don't work. (My first HM was a story I didn't think had a chance because of the exposition.)

[Dragonchef]

Hey Dragon, I thought Q2 belonged to you and me. Don't tell anyone else, but I'm beginning to get worried. Not only are regular finalists still in the game, we have new SHM, SF and F people coming through and the volume of entries has risen. Eeek!
If you could find Kary and Dave's addresses, I could send them some Brit delicacies - haggis, tatws pum munud and Enville ale to wash them down. You're the chef, watcha reckon?

TimE: I've been worried since I got some critiques back. Leaves me thinking I am not the writer I was hoping to be. But I will keep on typing with all the critiquer words of wisdom, and Wulf and Preston's sage advice. Maybe after 25 years of trudging my fingers through the lonely Valley of Topenga Canyon I might come back a winner. Up for a road trip?

"Tatws pum munud" - Are you Welsh? Had to look that one up. Sounds awesome, except that I am on a no-carb diet at the moment. But you weren't offering it to me. The judges? Perhaps they can be swayed by extravagant dinner fare (but maybe leave out the haggis and serve the stew with some bangers-just my humble opinion).

See you on the other side, my brother!

(I am wondering why there is no NAIL-BITING EMOJI )

[TimE]

English, but looking for meals that sounded more exotic than fish and chips.

I think this might be a long road trip you and I are on. To paraphrase: we're going to need a bigger car.

My expectations are too low to get into nail-biting.

[Dragonchef]

To paraphrase: we're going to need a bigger car.

Or a vehicle with really big tires and 4-wheel drive.

My expectations are too low to get into nail-biting.

Low expectations - Yeah, I'm with you. With each 'R' and each critique I feel my expectations knocked down a peg or three. But, that's a good thing. Humility is essential, I think, for us to work harder, study more, make all our mistakes work for us instead of against us. Then maybe the road trip won't be so long and we can lay out the linen spread and dine on "Tatws pum munud" and whatever else we can come up with.

[RSchibler]

Fight on! My first round through critters 2 years ago was brutal. So brutal I haven’t touched that story since. But I wrote the next one, and the one after that, and incorporated what I learned into each one. If we don’t know where we’re weak, we don’t know where to grow! Onwards!

[LittleRed]

That's interesting. Thanks for posting. That exposition's sometimes difficult to get around.

In a s/s, with a new concept, situation or whatever that needs some explaining - how do you get around that exposition? As you know Bob's don't work. (My first HM was a story I didn't think had a chance because of the exposition.)

I've toyed with many different ways to sneak in some backstory, this particular one was an excerpt - 4 paragraphs - from a fortean style magazine article my protag was reading. The crit said it was good, but too long. I've also used snatches of a radio show/interview, diary excerpts, and the transcript from found video --- with varying degrees of acceptance/success.

On this story I've trimmed the article excerpt to less than half its length - and we'll see what the big bad world has to say when I sub it.

[RSchibler]

Be careful of posting details about your stories - the contest is anonymous.

[disgruntledpeony]

Be careful of posting details about your stories - the contest is anonymous.

I think this is about her SF, which can't be resubmitted.

[LittleRed]

Thanks guys for the warning but disgruntledpeony is right --- this is my SF - so no resubbing for me.