Jibber Jabber - Q4 - Volume 34

[Smithr73]

Nope. You can check https://thegrinder.diabolicalplots.com/ and search the writers of the future market. It will light up like a Christmas Tree when a wave goes out. (Excuse the cliche)


Also people here will mention if they've gotten responses.

[disgruntledpeony]

I always appreciated getting details from others who have heard from Dave in person at different events, so it is in that spirit that I share this gleaned tidbit with you lovely forum folks.

I hope this isn't giving too much away, but I don't think it is... Today in class Dave mentioned he's got this quarter down to 21 entries, and how he enjoys it when he gets the pile down to around that amount because he said he can really read, focus on, and select which 8 he wants to choose to go on as Finalists.

The time is almost upon us!

But no one has gotten ant rejections yet?

There's a good chance we will see those on Thursday.

[Ishmael]

There's a good chance we will see those on Thursday.

And here was I, just sleeping about the forum as I do, minding my own business, when DP says this! On Bonfire Night for goodness' sake!

[vsutherland01]

Somehow knowing he has his list down to 21 is more terrifying than just waiting for the email haha.

There is no way mine is in that stack. I can't picture it. I wonder how many in that pile are from the forums though.

Thanks for the update, it's nice that Dave shares news at conferences.

[RSchibler]

Somehow knowing he has his list down to 21 is more terrifying than just waiting for the email haha.

There is no way mine is in that stack. I can't picture it. I wonder how many in that pile are from the forums though.

Thanks for the update, it's nice that Dave shares news at conferences.

I'm in exactly the same position! It's much worse knowing there's already been decisions made, but still not knowing what they are. Also, I'm certain this story is an R, but NNINN, eh? I'm hunkered down as well, best of luck to everyone this week!

[AliciaCay]

Somehow knowing he has his list down to 21 is more terrifying than just waiting for the email haha.

There is no way mine is in that stack. I can't picture it. I wonder how many in that pile are from the forums though.

Thanks for the update, it's nice that Dave shares news at conferences.

I'm in exactly the same position! It's much worse knowing there's already been decisions made, but still not knowing what they are. Also, I'm certain this story is an R, but NNINN, eh? I'm hunkered down as well, best of luck to everyone this week!

Ahh! I'm sorry guys! Didn't mean to cause any extra stress!

[RSchibler]

No I also simultaneously really appreciate knowing. So thank you!!!

[amoskalik]

Eek. All of our stories are like Schrodinger's cat, simultaneously rejected and in that sainted pile at the same time. Until Thursday when the box is opened and we find... another dead cat (the expected value in this experiment).

[vsutherland01]

Haha it is a fun stress. No worries. Thanks for sharing it. I was going to pull up an old story for Q1 but last night I got a new story Idea that I am excited about. "New story" makes me care less and less about Q4.

[pcmccollum]

Being a newb to this contest, I have a question: Do most folks typically submit a story for the next quarter before learning the results of the current judging round? I have some more in the pipeline but wasn't sure if I should wait until I receive a "thumbs down."

[jficke13]

Being a newb to this contest, I have a question: Do most folks typically submit a story for the next quarter before learning the results of the current judging round? I have some more in the pipeline but wasn't sure if I should wait until I receive a "thumbs down."

Some people have for sure. A recent winner had to "withdraw" a piece because she submitted before learning that she had won. I think many (most?) tend not to submit before hearing the prior quarter's results simply because they're still working on/tweaking/obsessing over a piece until the deadline is a little closer. I... uh... know this from experience, haha.

[KD Julicher]

Being a newb to this contest, I have a question: Do most folks typically submit a story for the next quarter before learning the results of the current judging round? I have some more in the pipeline but wasn't sure if I should wait until I receive a "thumbs down."

Definitely go ahead and submit now! Often we don't get the results for a quarter until after the next quarter is closed - this is almost always true for the 1st quarter in a year and sometimes the second quarter as well. If you win, Joni will just remove your new entry for you.

[pcmccollum]

Definitely go ahead and submit now! Often we don't get the results for a quarter until after the next quarter is closed - this is almost always true for the 1st quarter in a year and sometimes the second quarter as well. If you win, Joni will just remove your new entry for you.

Some people have for sure. A recent winner had to "withdraw" a piece because she submitted before learning that she had won. I think many (most?) tend not to submit before hearing the prior quarter's results simply because they're still working on/tweaking/obsessing over a piece until the deadline is a little closer. I... uh... know this from experience, haha.

Thank you both for the informative replies! That I should have such luck as needing to withdraw an entry ... ... but figured I'd ask anyway.

[morganb]

Some people have for sure. A recent winner had to "withdraw" a piece because she submitted before learning that she had won. I think many (most?) tend not to submit before hearing the prior quarter's results simply because they're still working on/tweaking/obsessing over a piece until the deadline is a little closer. I... uh... know this from experience, haha.

Ha ha. For real. I tend to run my stories all the way up until the deadline, not because I'm lazy or procrastinating or anything, but just because I need that much time to make sure it's the best it can be before I hit the Submit button and it disappears into the void. Once it's gone, I know I can't get it back.

But I never wait for results before starting my next story. I'm always thinking about story ideas, and often my next idea comes while I'm working on my current story. My MO = finish current draft, throw it in a drawer for a couple of weeks, work on drafting the new story, pull the old story out and finish it up, then go back to drafting the new story, put it in a drawer, ad infinitum...Oh yeah, and submit the thing when it's as good as it's getting.


~Morgan

[reigheena]

It's Thursday!

Straight rejection. No surprise. I'm going to go send it to DSF.

[disgruntledpeony]

Well, balls. It is Thursday. I got an R.

Oh well! That means I get to send it elsewhere. I know this one was good. It might just have been the wrong kind of story for WotF.

[LDWriter2]

Well, another total lost


He didn't like that new opening either.

[thegirlintheglasses]

Honorable mention. Yay!

[Rebecca Birch]

[Wulf Moon]

HM. Boo-hoo! I mean, yay!

Best to those waiting!

Another year for me.

[RSchibler]

HUGE Congrats to the Honorable Mentions and above.

Commiserations to my fellow R’s.

[pcmccollum]

Woohoo! First ever submission and I got an HM! Can't wait to try for next quarter. Best of luck to everyone else.

-Phillip

[WaywardSaint]

After four Rs and an HM, with a weird experimental piece for which I was expecting a hard R.

One of my weaknesses as a writer is that I have no sense at all of which of my stuff appeals to professionals.

Ah, well. A pleasant surprise. Congratulations to the HMs and above, and commiserations to the Rs; no doubt I'll be rejoining you shortly.

[stevorso]

HM on my second submission (first was R). It was a flash fiction with <750 so I'm a bit surprised I got it!

[preston]

R...sigh

[michaeljwyantjr]

Well... I’ll break the silence. Honorable Mention for Q4 here...
EDIT: Whoops. My notifications didn’t kick in and I thought I was posting first.

[Thomas Woodward]

R. This was one story that went from R (Q2) to HM (Q3) back to R (Q4). I'm curious if anyone else has run into this issue? Congrats to all who placed and commiserations to my fellow R's.

[LDWriter2]

So they are sending other responses besides just Rs,


So congrats to the HMs and SHMs there seems to be a fair amount of them so far which is as it should be here now for some to get further.

[AndrewDWallin]

R for me.

Oh well. Time to make some NaNo progress.

Congrats and good luck to those still in the race, and also good luck for our next entries for the rest of us. :)

[Jeremyteg]

Commiserations to the Rs, commisa-grats to the HMs and SHMs, and good luck to those still waiting!