Jibber Jabber - Q1 - Volume 35

[Henckel]

My silver honorable had a bit of a literary bent to it - though in hindsight, I probably put too much focus on the language (at the expense of plot in particular).

Would you consider it acceptable to retain a heavy literary or lyrical bend at the cost of readability if it didn't compromise the plot?

[preston]

Second place!
I still can't believe it. Got the call today at work. I screamed and cried. Joni is the sweetest person ever.
I'm ridiculously excited. This was the 47th time I've submitted. I began submitting back in 1986-1992, then again in 2009-2018. It's been a very long journey.
Here's my contest trajectory: R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R H R R R H R R H R H H H R R H H R H R R R H H R R R H R R R R F/winner!

Never give up!

[KD Julicher]

Preston! I am SO THRILLED FOR YOU!!!!!

That's so, so amazing. Hoping I get to meet you this April! Wow. That is an AMAZING story.

[Sataris]

My silver honorable had a bit of a literary bent to it - though in hindsight, I probably put too much focus on the language (at the expense of plot in particular).

Would you consider it acceptable to retain a heavy literary or lyrical bend at the cost of readability if it didn't compromise the plot?

Others may correct me on this, but for the contest i'd personally think you'd be taking a pretty sizable risk by sacrificing readability - though lyrical stories are a beautiful thing when done right. Chime by Franny Billingsley springs to mind.

That aside, CONGRATULATIONS PRESTON! So very, very deserved.

[Henckel]

wotf059
Second place!
I still can't believe it. Got the call today at work. I screamed and cried. Joni is the sweetest person ever.
I'm ridiculously excited. This was the 47th time I've submitted. I began submitting back in 1986-1992, then again in 2009-2018. It's been a very long journey.

Congrats Preston. Sounds like a well earned win. I look forward to reading your story :)

[Henckel]

Others may correct me on this, but for the contest i'd personally think you'd be taking a pretty sizable risk by sacrificing readability - though lyrical stories are a beautiful thing when done right. Chime by Franny Billingsley springs to mind.

Thanks for the advice. I thought that was the case, but wanted to test my assumptions.

..and thus begins my re-write....

[juliecfrost]

Congrats, Preston! I'm so happy for you. Never give up. Never surrender.

[disgruntledpeony]

Congratulations, Preston! It's been a long journey, and I'm glad you made it!

[RSchibler]

Congratulations! That’s super!

[amoskalik]

Congrats Preston. I love it when a long timer wins!

[Dustin Adams]

You've read every story ever printed.
Soon, you shall read your own.

[Galen]

You rock Preston!! What a significant achievement!

I hope that feeling of excitement lasts a very long time.

Congratulations!

[morganb]

wotf059
Second place!
I still can't believe it. Got the call today at work. I screamed and cried. Joni is the sweetest person ever.
I'm ridiculously excited. This was the 47th time I've submitted. I began submitting back in 1986-1992, then again in 2009-2018. It's been a very long journey.
Here's my contest trajectory: R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R H R R R H R R H R H H H R R H H R H R R R H H R R R H R R R R F/winner!

Never give up!

Preston -- that is the greatest example of tenacity that I have ever seen! Way to hang in there!


~Morgan

[amoskalik]

RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRHRRRHRRHRHHHRRHHRHRRRHHRRRHRRRRF/winner!

I imagine this is the sound you made after your phone call with Joni.

[Chris533]

wotf059
Second place!
I still can't believe it.

WOW! That was exciting. I started looking at this thread a little before your post about getting bumped up to finalist, and was really hoping you'd get picked, and then suddenly there you were!

You did it!!!!

And then, your personal story about working at this for so long. What a great inspiration!! What a great story you'll always have to tell. And Congrats!! You REALLY earned this!

Have a great year, and great time at the workshop, and probably a great career!!

[Dustin Adams]

RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRHRRRHRRHRHHHRRHHRHRRRHHRRRHRRRRF/winner!

I imagine this is the sound you made after your phone call with Joni.

[preston]

Wow, you guys! Thanks so much for the congrats. I could never have done it without all of you. I learned more here on this forum and got more encouragement than anywhere else. This forum rocks, and you guys are all great. I just saw the blog they put up, and there I am!
It's a good day, a very good day.

[preston]

Many of the winners have come from this forum, so I fully expect to see some of you at the workshop! I sure hope so!

[preston]

I'm in! Hoping to break my long rejection streak with this one. Maybe I'll get to add another HM to my little collection. And maybe, just maybe...well, we'll see.
Good luck, everyone. Don't wait too long! The system always gets a bit wonky on the last day.

Re-posting this to let you all know...you just never know. It could happen when you least expect it. Bam!

[YM Pang]

Congratulations, Preston! What an incredible journey it's been for you. This is only the start, of course. Keep writing, keep submitting!

My silver honorable had a bit of a literary bent to it - though in hindsight, I probably put too much focus on the language (at the expense of plot in particular).

Would you consider it acceptable to retain a heavy literary or lyrical bend at the cost of readability if it didn't compromise the plot?

"The Long Dizzy Down" in Volume 33 was written in a... very distinct style. Now, I'll admit, while I liked the characters and the worldbuilding, the unusual voice/style lessened the readability enough to affect the emotional impact (for me personally).

But: It's in the anthology. So Dave loved it. And the panel of judges loved it. So costing readability can still work if you have the right story that connects with that specific set of readers. So I'd say go for it. Submit what you think is the best version of the story, not what you think the editor thinks is the best version of the story (except for small/obvious things like length, profanity levels, ect.).

[Dustin Adams]

Link:

https://www.writersofthefuture.com/writ ... 8-winners/

[KristyEmber]

Yayyyyyyy Preston! Super congrats!

[Chris533]

Link:

https://www.writersofthefuture.com/writ ... 8-winners/

Thanks, that saved me some work! (I can never find those lists easily for some reason)

[Chris533]

So I'd say go for it. Submit what you think is the best version of the story, not what you think the editor thinks is the best version of the story (except for small/obvious things like length, profanity levels, ect.).

I was really not sure about my Q1 submission - I knew it was really a different kind of story - but I thought it worth a gamble - who knows - it might win and everyone would be talking about how such an unusual story won!!

BUT - then it got a reject.

Back to the drawing board!

[vjalrik]

Congrats Preston!

RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRHRRRHRRHRHHHRRHHRHRRRHHRRRHRRRRF/winner!

I imagine this is the sound you made after your phone call with Joni.

Nice.

[Sataris]

welp, took some time to let everything sink in, buuut


first place!

looks like you and I will be getting better acquainted, Preston! Congrats again!

in related news, when Joni called I gave maybe the weirdest response ever? it went something like this:

oh god thank you so much this is amazing (girlfriend screaming in background) we really needed some good news we've spent the last 2 weeks being stalked by a bear

long, strange-but-true story.

[KD Julicher]

welp, took some time to let everything sink in, buuut


first place!

looks like you and I will be getting better acquainted, Preston! Congrats again!

in related news, when Joni called I gave maybe the weirdest response ever? it went something like this:

oh god thank you so much this is amazing (girlfriend screaming in background) we really needed some good news we've spent the last 2 weeks being stalked by a bear

long, strange-but-true story.

Wow that's better than the winner who answered the phone with his Arnold Schwarzenegger impression.

Congratulations!

And I'm wanting to hear this story, I have a thing about bears...

[preston]

welp, took some time to let everything sink in, buuut


first place!

looks like you and I will be getting better acquainted, Preston! Congrats again!

in related news, when Joni called I gave maybe the weirdest response ever? it went something like this:

oh god thank you so much this is amazing (girlfriend screaming in background) we really needed some good news we've spent the last 2 weeks being stalked by a bear

long, strange-but-true story.

Fantastic! First place, wow! Congrats! I look forward to meeting you at the workshop.

[Chris533]

welp, took some time to let everything sink in, buuut


first place!

we've spent the last 2 weeks being stalked by a bear

long, strange-but-true story.

Awesome!! Congratulations. And enjoy yourself - but you will have to tell the bear story sometime -

[DylCary]

Congrats Sataris and Preston! That's awesome!!!