Based on my Super Secret challenge beasts list, I can see two likely finalists hiding in here. Hoping for good things!
All the beast,
~Moon~
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Based on my Super Secret challenge beasts list, I can see two likely finalists hiding in here. Hoping for good things!
All the beast,
~Moon~
I concur, and I'm pleased.
Career:
1x Win
2x NW-F
2x S-F
9x S-HM
11x HM
7x R
How is it no one is coming forward with WIN status? All I hear is crickets . . . and the occasional expression of methane.
3 HMs
6 SHMs
Umpteen Rs
Still hoping and working toward better -
One of these days, Alice . . . POW! We're going to the moon!
How is it no one is coming forward with WIN status? All I hear is crickets . . . and the occasional expression of methane.
Judging can take awhile, and they probably asked finalists to keep mum until they knew who the winners were.
If you are in difficulties with a book, try the element of surprise: attack it at an hour when it isn't expecting it. ~ H.G. Wells
If a person offend you, and you are in doubt as to whether it was intentional or not, do not resort to extreme measures; simply watch your chance and hit him with a brick. ~ Mark Twain
R, SF, SHM, SHM, SHM, F, R, HM, SHM, R, HM, R, F, SHM, SHM, SHM, SF, SHM, 1st Place (Q2 V38)
Ticknor Tales
Twitter
4th and Starlight: e-book | paperback
How is it no one is coming forward with WIN status? All I hear is crickets . . . and the occasional expression of methane.
That's how you know who the finalists are. Results are in for all but a few. And those few have gag orders on them. It's pretty easy to pick out when they go all silent.
Best of success to our finalists! Here's to hoping you get the win and all the goodness that comes with it!
All the beast!
~Moon~
Click here to JOIN THE WULF PACK!
"Super-Duper Moongirl and the Amazing Moon Dawdler" won Best SFF Story of 2019! Read it in Writers of the Future, Vol. 35. Order HERE!
Need writing help? My award-winning SUPER SECRETS articles are FREE in DreamForge.
IT’S HERE! Many have been begged me to publish the Super Secrets of Writing. How to Write a Howling Good Story is now a #1 BESTSELLING BOOK! Get yours at your favorite retailer HERE!
Hello everyone.
I've already posted over in the "I'm new here" thread, but wanted to pop in on this thread as well. After submitting 3 times previously, my submission for 1st Quarter 2019 received a Silver HM. So while I am absolutely thrilled, I am reading this indicates I was close to making semi-finals and with some additional scrubbing might be able to resubmit this story and take it further. I've already confirmed by reading your posts on this thread, and by going back and reading some posts from Joni, that we are encouraged to resubmit. Has anyone done this? Is there any negative impact to doing so I should be on the lookout for?
Also, I see folks swap stories here to give each other feedback. Is there a specific thread / area for that?
And can I just say, it's really REALLY good to be here. 😀
--Tracy
Tracy
V36 - SHM, SEMI-FINALIST!!!, HM, SHM
V37 - Q1:SHM --COVID INTERRUPTUS--
V40 - Q3: SHM
Hello everyone.
I've already posted over in the "I'm new here" thread, but wanted to pop in on this thread as well. After submitting 3 times previously, my submission for 1st Quarter 2019 received a Silver HM. So while I am absolutely thrilled, I am reading this indicates I was close to making semi-finals and with some additional scrubbing might be able to resubmit this story and take it further. I've already confirmed by reading your posts on this thread, and by going back and reading some posts from Joni, that we are encouraged to resubmit. Has anyone done this? Is there any negative impact to doing so I should be on the lookout for?
Also, I see folks swap stories here to give each other feedback. Is there a specific thread / area for that?
And can I just say, it's really REALLY good to be here. 😀
--Tracy
Hello Writergirl,
Glad you made it here! Congrats on your silver HM. The contest coordinating judge, David Farland, sets aside about 30 stories that he views as the cream of the crop. He then has to get that pile down to eight finalists to send off to Joni, where she selects four other judges to choose the winning three stories out of those eight. He describes the decisions process as very tough, as there is often nothing wrong with a story, but for the quarter he may have a better space opera piece, or he's already bought too much SF and needs some fantasy, or the stories he has already selected might be heavy on male protagonists, and he needs some female ones to balance it out. Truth is, when you are in that top 30, you wrote a professional story, and there may be nothing wrong with the story--Dave just couldn't use it for the anthology as it stands for the current contest year. He is, after all, an editor, assembling an anthology for sale.
So the rest of the "almost" pile gets split into those Dave thinks would benefit from a little constructive criticism--the semifinalists--and the others get silvers. A semifinalist disqualifies the story from resubmission because of the critique. So Dave is banking on helping a writer to see what they need to work on for their future stories, and also to fix the rejected story so a writer may submit it elsewhere with success. He does note at times his belief it will sell elsewhere with his suggested changes.
That leaves the silver HMs. They obviously were good, and quite close to winning. Could a change and resubmit make all the difference? Perhaps. Some have worked a single story up from rejection, to HM, to silver, to semifinalist, to finalist and the win. It has happened, and if you really feel you know what the fatal flaw was in your story (and you are likely not qualified to know that, because you already thought it was good enough to send in the first time), it's possible a change and resubmit might improve its odds. It's also possible you could ruin a perfectly good story. Worse, you might labor and labor over it for years, and wind up with nothing new in your inventory, and one story to your name. Tough to build a writing career off that, as you lose your skill to create new, fresh stories.
What's the takeaway? It's your call. If it were me, I'd shelve the story for a bit, just to give Dave some time to forget about it so it will reappear fresh with the revisions. And I'd only turn to it in a bad quarter where life got in the way of writing a fresh story. Fresh stories are where you grow. They are where you employ the things you are learning, they are where you excercise your writing muscles to become better. And I've said plenty about that in my SUPER SECRETS topic, so I'll spare everyone here. : )
All the beast!
Wulf Moon
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"Super-Duper Moongirl and the Amazing Moon Dawdler" won Best SFF Story of 2019! Read it in Writers of the Future, Vol. 35. Order HERE!
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If it were me, I'd shelve the story for a bit, just to give Dave some time to forget about it so it will reappear fresh with the revisions. And I'd only turn to it in a bad quarter where life got in the way of writing a fresh story. Fresh stories are where you grow.
This is about what I'd recommend on the subject. However, if the story made SHM, it might sell somewhere else as is. (Might. I've known people who sold stories that got Rs and HMs before. I, personally, haven't been able to sell my Finalist. In the end, it all depends on the first readers and the editors beyond them.)
If you are in difficulties with a book, try the element of surprise: attack it at an hour when it isn't expecting it. ~ H.G. Wells
If a person offend you, and you are in doubt as to whether it was intentional or not, do not resort to extreme measures; simply watch your chance and hit him with a brick. ~ Mark Twain
R, SF, SHM, SHM, SHM, F, R, HM, SHM, R, HM, R, F, SHM, SHM, SHM, SF, SHM, 1st Place (Q2 V38)
Ticknor Tales
Twitter
4th and Starlight: e-book | paperback
If it were me, I'd shelve the story for a bit, just to give Dave some time to forget about it so it will reappear fresh with the revisions. And I'd only turn to it in a bad quarter where life got in the way of writing a fresh story. Fresh stories are where you grow.
This is about what I'd recommend on the subject. However, if the story made SHM, it might sell somewhere else as is. (Might. I've known people who sold stories that got Rs and HMs before. I, personally, haven't been able to sell my Finalist. In the end, it all depends on the first readers and the editors beyond them.)
Totally agree. I'm usually just speaking in reference to the contest. Everyone should be sending the stories they write to other pro markets. It's a mistake to only send them to this market alone. We are trying to become pro writers, not pro Woofiers. Because once you win a Woofie, then what? If you've been sending your stories out to other markets, you'll know what to do.
I wrote a story called "Beast of the Month" that earned an HM from every coordinating judge of this contest. I didn't rewrite it, I did send it elsewhere, but each time a new judge appeared, I figured fair game. I didn't sell it to WotF, but I did eventually sell it to Third Flatiron Publishing. And lots of good things spun off of that sale, including the start of a narration and podcasting career, and a Best Of anthology.
Keep sending your stories out to other pro markets. When you run out of those, there are pro-paying markets to explore. Same money. Less readers. But nice publishing credits that still get recognition on cover letters.
All the beast!
Click here to JOIN THE WULF PACK!
"Super-Duper Moongirl and the Amazing Moon Dawdler" won Best SFF Story of 2019! Read it in Writers of the Future, Vol. 35. Order HERE!
Need writing help? My award-winning SUPER SECRETS articles are FREE in DreamForge.
IT’S HERE! Many have been begged me to publish the Super Secrets of Writing. How to Write a Howling Good Story is now a #1 BESTSELLING BOOK! Get yours at your favorite retailer HERE!
I sold my one SHM from this contest to InterGalactic Medicine Show - after an R&R request. The editor there, like Dave, felt the story needed just a little something. Both of them were right, and the resulting story came out great.
The only story I have resubmitted to this contest was an outright R that I firmly believed was a mistake. It became my Q1 entry and, uh, I don't have the final results on it yet...
WOTF: HM x 16, SHMx2, SF x 1, F V31 Q3, V32 Q2, V32 Q4, V34 Q3, V36 Q1
Baen Fantasy Award Winner 2014
V32 Published Finalist
3rd place V37 Q1!
The only story I have resubmitted to this contest was an outright R that I firmly believed was a mistake. It became my Q1 entry and, uh, I don't have the final results on it yet...
Exciting! Crossing my fingers for you!
Considering the numbers of stories they receive, I guess it happens for a couple to slip through the cracks.
I sold my one SHM from this contest to InterGalactic Medicine Show - after an R&R request. The editor there, like Dave, felt the story needed just a little something. Both of them were right, and the resulting story came out great.
The only story I have resubmitted to this contest was an outright R that I firmly believed was a mistake. It became my Q1 entry and, uh, I don't have the final results on it yet...
I've been hoping for good things for you and another in here.
Best of success! You've worked hard for it!
Click here to JOIN THE WULF PACK!
"Super-Duper Moongirl and the Amazing Moon Dawdler" won Best SFF Story of 2019! Read it in Writers of the Future, Vol. 35. Order HERE!
Need writing help? My award-winning SUPER SECRETS articles are FREE in DreamForge.
IT’S HERE! Many have been begged me to publish the Super Secrets of Writing. How to Write a Howling Good Story is now a #1 BESTSELLING BOOK! Get yours at your favorite retailer HERE!
Hello Writergirl,
Glad you made it here! Congrats on your silver HM.
Thanks Wulf! I feel a bit like I'm talking to a legend.
Truth is, when you are in that top 30, you wrote a professional story, and there may be nothing wrong with the story--Dave just couldn't use it for the anthology as it stands for the current contest year. He is, after all, an editor, assembling an anthology for sale.
Makes sense, and it's so encouraging to know the silver HM means one was right in the mix.
...it's possible a change and resubmit might improve its odds. It's also possible you could ruin a perfectly good story. Worse, you might labor and labor over it for years, and wind up with nothing new in your inventory, and one story to your name. Tough to build a writing career off that, as you lose your skill to create new, fresh stories.
Thank you so much for your words of wisdom. Trust me when I say I spend much more time writing fresh material than I do editing. That's probably my Achilles heel. LOL I'm giving the story one additional thorough edit because I did spot some things I'd missed, and also have learned a bit more in the months since I submitted it. But I definitely won't spend a long time laboring over it. In fact, I've already submitted a new story for 2nd Quarter. So no worries there. 😉
If it were me, I'd shelve the story for a bit, just to give Dave some time to forget about it so it will reappear fresh with the revisions.
Great idea, and duly noted! Thank you again for this info and for sharing your experience.
--Tracy
Tracy
V36 - SHM, SEMI-FINALIST!!!, HM, SHM
V37 - Q1:SHM --COVID INTERRUPTUS--
V40 - Q3: SHM
I sold my one SHM from this contest to InterGalactic Medicine Show - after an R&R request. The editor there, like Dave, felt the story needed just a little something. Both of them were right, and the resulting story came out great.
The only story I have resubmitted to this contest was an outright R that I firmly believed was a mistake. It became my Q1 entry and, uh, I don't have the final results on it yet...
That's so exciting!!! Since you haven't heard, I won't say (ahem) Congratulations. Not until you find out. Just sayin. 😉
--Tracy
Tracy
V36 - SHM, SEMI-FINALIST!!!, HM, SHM
V37 - Q1:SHM --COVID INTERRUPTUS--
V40 - Q3: SHM
My first submission was for this contest. I was happy to get an honorable mention. I have a different story in for Q3 and am editing this one for Q4 (had some good feedback from other sources and I know it can be a saleable piece once I work through these changes - even if it doesn't make it big in this contest).
Then if they don't hit on success here they will go out to other markets.
v36 Q1, Q3 - HM; Q4 - R
v37 Q1 - R; Q2 - SHM; Q4 - HM
v38 Q1 - HM; Q2 - SHM; Q3 - HM; Q4 - HM
v39 Q1 - SHM; Q3 - HM; Q4 -RWC
v40 Q1, Q2 - HM; Q3 - Pending
It became my Q1 entry and, uh, I don't have the final results on it yet...
Good Grief, Charlie Brown!
You must be a nervous wreck right now. I would be. Sooooo exciting! You GO, KD!
3 HMs
6 SHMs
Umpteen Rs
Still hoping and working toward better -
One of these days, Alice . . . POW! We're going to the moon!
I sold my one SHM from this contest to InterGalactic Medicine Show - after an R&R request. The editor there, like Dave, felt the story needed just a little something. Both of them were right, and the resulting story came out great.
The only story I have resubmitted to this contest was an outright R that I firmly believed was a mistake. It became my Q1 entry and, uh, I don't have the final results on it yet...
Fifth time's a charm?
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
Click here to JOIN THE WULF PACK!
"Super-Duper Moongirl and the Amazing Moon Dawdler" won Best SFF Story of 2019! Read it in Writers of the Future, Vol. 35. Order HERE!
Need writing help? My award-winning SUPER SECRETS articles are FREE in DreamForge.
IT’S HERE! Many have been begged me to publish the Super Secrets of Writing. How to Write a Howling Good Story is now a #1 BESTSELLING BOOK! Get yours at your favorite retailer HERE!
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
Oh-kay.
Also, John Goodwin, president of Author Services, just posted today if you send him proof you ordered this Kindle special, he'll send you a WotF story illustration button of your choice! These collector buttons are really cool, and fun for con bling. The 99 cent deal has already been running a couple days, so if you're on the fence, jump quick. I'm surprised it's still up.
Cheers! Here is John's post:
"Writers of the Future 35 Kindle is only $0.99 on Amazon!! That's not all. Provide proof of purchase and I will send you a button of any one of the pieces of art in the book. They are almost 2" diameter and look like this. Send to @JohnGoodwinASI
Click here to JOIN THE WULF PACK!
"Super-Duper Moongirl and the Amazing Moon Dawdler" won Best SFF Story of 2019! Read it in Writers of the Future, Vol. 35. Order HERE!
Need writing help? My award-winning SUPER SECRETS articles are FREE in DreamForge.
IT’S HERE! Many have been begged me to publish the Super Secrets of Writing. How to Write a Howling Good Story is now a #1 BESTSELLING BOOK! Get yours at your favorite retailer HERE!
Thanks for the tip. $0.99 is great. Purchased.
I'm used to receiving my result and moving on.
This time I want to see another forum user amongst the winners. The wait seems forever to me, those waiting must have no fingernails left!
?
I'm used to receiving my result and moving on.
This time I want to see another forum user amongst the winners. The wait seems forever to me, those waiting must have no fingernails left!
I'm hanging around for my forumites, too!
If we're twitching for them this much, I imagine they might have chewed past their nails and are well on their way to the first knuckle by now.
~ J V Ashley
Um so I'm a little late to the party, but...
I literally just found out when Joni sent me my critique? XD For whatever reason, it would seem I didn't get my initial notification email. Hmm... Just had surgery and am a little out of it so maybe I missed it, but either way, I'm totally shocked! Honestly, I wasn't expecting much because this story was a revised HM. Clearly, I managed to pull some Jedi mind rejectomancy with Dave when I tackled my most recent revisions... I'll take it!
I also wanted to comment on people thinking their stories may have been too dark? Because I suspected the same of this SF story (and like half the stories I submit, haha). It had a lot of fight scenes and gore and because you don't see too much of that in WoTF stories, I wondered if that was a straight no. But Dave didn't really seem to have a problem with it? He thought that maybe there was a bit too much fighting overall, but not that the gore itself was the problem. Though it had a hopeful ending. And the only story I recall reading in the anthology with a significant amount of fight scenes/gore (Volume 32's 'Cry Havoc') also had a hopeful ending. So I guess that's something to consider if your stuff tends to err on the erm... edgier.
But, in any case, congrats to everyone!!! Seems like there were a lot of Rs, but according to Dave, "this was the largest quarter of the contest ever, and as a result the competition was very fierce," so yeah. The way I see it, it's a good impetus for us all to really reach into the depths of our souls and just write that much rawer! (Is that even a word?) Just gotta keep on keeping! (And um, I'm starting to think the pain meds are talking so I'm gonna stop now but yeah. Keep on keeping and stuff.)
Hannah Azok
HM x1
SF x1
"Believe in the me that believes in you!" -the immortal words of Kamina, Gurren Lagann
Wow! What a great surprise.
Well done. Great achievement as well.
?
Hello everyone.
I've already posted over in the "I'm new here" thread, but wanted to pop in on this thread as well. After submitting 3 times previously, my submission for 1st Quarter 2019 received a Silver HM. So while I am absolutely thrilled, I am reading this indicates I was close to making semi-finals and with some additional scrubbing might be able to resubmit this story and take it further. I've already confirmed by reading your posts on this thread, and by going back and reading some posts from Joni, that we are encouraged to resubmit. Has anyone done this? Is there any negative impact to doing so I should be on the lookout for?
Also, I see folks swap stories here to give each other feedback. Is there a specific thread / area for that?
And can I just say, it's really REALLY good to be here. 😀
--Tracy
Welcome, Tracy, and congrats on the SHM!!!
So from what I've seen, I think I'm in the minority that is all for resubmissions? I feel like if you have a concept that you're really invested in and you're willing to put it through the ringer, it could be worth it to resubmit - especially if it's this SHM. (Maybe it's just me, but I feel like DF is ASKING for a resubmission with SHM, since it's just below the rung where you can't anymore) I've heard of quite a few people revising the same story until it made Finalist/Top Three. And personally, the story I just got SF with was originally an HM. ...Though I've also had plenty of resubmissions that didn't amount to anything. And similarly, I've heard of people whose resubmissions placed LOWER than they originally had.
So really, it's a gamble, but a gamble I feel is worth taking as long as you don't become so obsessed with perfecting that one story that you don't submit anything new. (As such, I limit myself to two resubmissions max per year.) In any case, best of luck with your SHM!
Hannah Azok
HM x1
SF x1
"Believe in the me that believes in you!" -the immortal words of Kamina, Gurren Lagann
Wow! What a great surprise.
Well done. Great achievement as well.
Thanks!
Hannah Azok
HM x1
SF x1
"Believe in the me that believes in you!" -the immortal words of Kamina, Gurren Lagann
Congratulations!
Um so I'm a little late to the party, but...
I literally just found out when Joni sent me my critique? XD For whatever reason, it would seem I didn't get my initial notification email. Hmm... Just had surgery and am a little out of it so maybe I missed it, but either way, I'm totally shocked! Honestly, I wasn't expecting much because this story was a revised HM. Clearly, I managed to pull some Jedi mind rejectomancy with Dave when I tackled my most recent revisions... I'll take it!
I also wanted to comment on people thinking their stories may have been too dark? Because I suspected the same of this SF story (and like half the stories I submit, haha). It had a lot of fight scenes and gore and because you don't see too much of that in WoTF stories, I wondered if that was a straight no. But Dave didn't really seem to have a problem with it? He thought that maybe there was a bit too much fighting overall, but not that the gore itself was the problem. Though it had a hopeful ending. And the only story I recall reading in the anthology with a significant amount of fight scenes/gore (Volume 32's 'Cry Havoc') also had a hopeful ending. So I guess that's something to consider if your stuff tends to err on the erm... edgier.
But, in any case, congrats to everyone!!! Seems like there were a lot of Rs, but according to Dave, "this was the largest quarter of the contest ever, and as a result the competition was very fierce," so yeah. The way I see it, it's a good impetus for us all to really reach into the depths of our souls and just write that much rawer! (Is that even a word?) Just gotta keep on keeping! (And um, I'm starting to think the pain meds are talking so I'm gonna stop now but yeah. Keep on keeping and stuff.)
Huge congrats on the SF! It's a great validation of your work. And apparently for you, a nice surprise!
WOTF: HM x 16, SHMx2, SF x 1, F V31 Q3, V32 Q2, V32 Q4, V34 Q3, V36 Q1
Baen Fantasy Award Winner 2014
V32 Published Finalist
3rd place V37 Q1!
Congratulations hannahAZOK. You've proven that a rewrite can succeed in the contest.
Today's science fiction is tomorrow's reality-D.R.Sweeney
HM x5
Published Poetry
2012 Stars in Our Hearts
Silver Ships
Congrats! Wow.
Chuck Thompson
6 Rs, 5 HMs, 2 SHMs