Wulf Moon wrote:Looks like the results are in for Q3, and our WotF Forum had an AWESOME showing! 
Let's not forget we have a FINALIST! TOP EIGHT! Well done, Kentagions! You did the work, you never gave up, you deserve the reward. May your next phone call be glorious and may we all be meeting in Hollywood for the workshop and gala next year! Best of success to YOU! Go, Minnesota!
Second, it is no small thing to earn semifinalist. This is TOP SIXTEEN out of thousands from around the world! That we have three from this forum is incredible--I'm willing to bet no other writers group online or off turns out so many WotF honors quarter after quarter. The best come here to help one another succeed, and it shows! Well done, Brittany, AjZach, and cduzett! You were a whisker away from being in, and that means you all wrote professional stories that had the potential to win. You also get an incredible gift, the unsung blessing of this contest: A critique from NYT bestselling author David Farland/Wolverton! It will help you improve this story; it can also pinpoint that one thing you need to work on next time to put you over the top. Congratulations again. Nicely done!
Third, we had a huge number of Silver Honorable mentions! TOP 50 or so out of thousands! When you hit that level, you are in striking distance. You were in Dave's final selection pile, stories he had to consider for the finalist selections, and you almost made it! In these upper levels, you are writing great stories with high professionalism. Feel proud of your accomplishment, and if you got that close once, you can do it again. The key is to keep writing, keep learning, keep submitting, and never ever quit! Well done to our amazing SILVER HMs!
Fourth, we had HMs like the sands of the sea! Dave gives those out to those that show promise! Your stories made it past first reader Kary, and she has a sharp eye, being a winner herself! And then Dave read them and gave you HM to tell you he sees your potential. The story you wrote impressed him. It's his way of saying do not quit! He has faith in you, so keep believing in yourself and WRITE YOUR NEXT STORY! As you will note, almost every winner began with HMs and worked their way up. Stay on the path, keep believing, and you too can do the same. Send those stories out to other markets. Dave said he saw promise in them and other editors will too! Well done!
Finally, to everyone that completed a story and sent it in, congratulations. It is no small thing to quit talking about writing a story, and to decide you're going to finish a story and actually do it! Few get that far. Fewer still send their stories out to markets like this one, the biggest and best for aspiring writers. It takes courage, it takes strength to recognize rejections are part of the process, and it takes fortitude to dust yourself off and get back in the ring. You are writers on the path, and this is a marathon, not a sprint, so keep on writing and never give up. You have all the support you need to succeed in this forum. Take full advantage of it.
I am proud to be a part of this wonderful contest. I am proud of all of you that keep striving for excellence in your work.
Keep up the great work! You will see the rewards in more ways than you can imagine!
All the beast!
Wulf Moon
Forum Moderator
