Discussion: Q1 Volume 40

Posted by: @jeschleicher

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The phone rings. No Caller Id
"Is this Joni?"
"It is."
"Okay." I exhale. "I'm on the edge of my seat."
"& you're about to fall off it. Congratulations! You're 3rd place!"
She was right. I fell to my knees. That's a real reaction, I now know, not just written in stories for dramatic effect.

And now I get to use my most coveted emoji, coveted no more.

 

Keep dreaming. Keep writing. Keep entering. You'll get that call.

WOOHOO!! That's fantastic! My man from Montana, I'm so excited for you! Well done.

Posted by: @galen

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Congratulations MountainSpud!

That is fantastic news. Your reaction to the call from Joni is just awesome!  

It just occurred to me that you are not the first potato-related user name on the forum to be a contest winner. I am sure it is coincidental but if anyone new to the forum is superstitious… you just might be inclined to consider a starchy tuber-related username.

In any event, better still, for me at least, is that I believe I will get to look forward to extending my congratulations to you in person next April.

I was working outdoors at the time the Joni call came in and my family had to hunt me down and find me. After learning of a second place finish, I assured them the hunt was worth it.

I just wanted to say that it was on this forum that I met the people who taught me the basic building blocks of a story and showed me the many--many--things that I did not even know I didn’t know. (And they’re still teaching me.) I wouldn’t be looking forward to the workshop if it wasn’t for them.

Also, following the success stories of past winners who had gutted it out and entered for many years was also incredibly valuable for motivation. So at the risk of being a big ball of cheese, thank you to all of you here again. This forum and its community rocks.

 

P.S. @Anna X – No worries, I never noticed! All good.

Congratulations! You dove right in, soaked up all the knowledge you could find and applied it. Well done!

@doctorjest Twenty-five years of submitting to the Contest. Never let a year go by without one entry. In my Eugene Wordos Workshop days, ten years of submitting about every quarter. And later, four years straight in submitting every quarter until my winner, missing only one because of hospital trips with my wife. Received certificates every time in that period up to my win. Finally recognized I had to write a SHORT STORY, not my novel ideas squeezed into 15 to 17K words. As to how many times? If I don't have the record, I'm mighty close.

Posted by: @jeschleicher

↑

The phone rings. No Caller Id
"Is this Joni?"
"It is."
"Okay." I exhale. "I'm on the edge of my seat."
"& you're about to fall off it. Congratulations! You're 3rd place!"
She was right. I fell to my knees. That's a real reaction, I now know, not just written in stories for dramatic effect.

And now I get to use my most coveted emoji, coveted no more.

 

Keep dreaming. Keep writing. Keep entering. You'll get that call.

Wonderful news! I'm happy you got the good call! What a relief!

I hope to see you next year in Hollywood!

All the beast!

Wulf Moon

@galen Fantastic news, Galen! CONGRATULATIONS. I know you've been at this a long time. How do you spell relief? WINNING Writers of the Future! You're going to feel really weird for awhile at the end of every Contest quarter. You won't have to worry about an entry.

I hope to meet you in Hollywood next year! WELL DONE!

Wulf Moon

@jeschleicher and @galen HUGE congrats on winning!!!! What an amazing milestone to achieve!!!! Can't wait to read your stories in the anthology!

Posted by: @galen

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Congratulations MountainSpud!

That is fantastic news. Your reaction to the call from Joni is just awesome!  

It just occurred to me that you are not the first potato-related user name on the forum to be a contest winner. I am sure it is coincidental but if anyone new to the forum is superstitious… you just might be inclined to consider a starchy tuber-related username.

In any event, better still, for me at least, is that I believe I will get to look forward to extending my congratulations to you in person next April.

I was working outdoors at the time the Joni call came in and my family had to hunt me down and find me. After learning of a second place finish, I assured them the hunt was worth it.

I just wanted to say that it was on this forum that I met the people who taught me the basic building blocks of a story and showed me the many--many--things that I did not even know I didn’t know. (And they’re still teaching me.) I wouldn’t be looking forward to the workshop if it wasn’t for them.

Also, following the success stories of past winners who had gutted it out and entered for many years was also incredibly valuable for motivation. So at the risk of being a big ball of cheese, thank you to all of you here again. This forum and its community rocks.

 

P.S. @Anna X – No worries, I never noticed! All good.

Wow, two forum winners in the same quarter. Amazing, news. HUGE congratulations to @galen and @jeschleicher

Also, if this is not motivation for us all to review previous stories and try and to elevate them before a quarter deadline, rather than not submit at all, I don't know what is:

at

Posted by: @jeschleicher

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Doubt it's frowned upon. My winner was a minorly tweaked SHM. I only entered it because come the deadline, my planned entry was being held for consideration by another market. & surprise, I got the call from Joni.

Two winners in one quarter is awesome. Congratulations Galen and MountainSpud.

Congratulations, @galen and @jeschleicher! It's awesome to see you guys make it to the peak. Now you get to spend the next year looking forward to the workshop and gala!

Indeed! You have to wait over a year. 😆 

Congratulations @galen and @jeschleicher!  Phenomenal achievement and congrats to all the others who received HMs, SHMs, SF or Finalists.

Posted by: @lost_bard

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Posted by: @jeschleicher

↑

The phone rings. No Caller Id
"Is this Joni?"
"It is."
"Okay." I exhale. "I'm on the edge of my seat."
"& you're about to fall off it. Congratulations! You're 3rd place!"
She was right. I fell to my knees. That's a real reaction, I now know, not just written in stories for dramatic effect.

And now I get to use my most coveted emoji, coveted no more.

 

Keep dreaming. Keep writing. Keep entering. You'll get that call.

WOOHOO!! That's fantastic! My man from Montana, I'm so excited for you! Well done.

 

Might be something in the water I can't wait to cheer you on in mere days! 

Posted by: @wulfmoon

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Wonderful news! I'm happy you got the good call!

Thank you, Wulf! I know I speak for many forumites by sending much gratitude your way! You're a mentor from afar, integral to my success.

Your encouragement, tips, and inspiration were an elevator in the growth of my craft. I was part of the cohort that joined one of the first Wulf Pack forum workshops, maybe the first (I can't remember), but I needed to bow out during the pandemic to care for my homebound young kiddo. While I didn't have the time for the continued workshop discussion and assignments, I met your prescribed goals of writing two fresh stories each quarter, sending one of them Krakens to WotF, the other to a respectable market. And I often drink my morning joe from a Wulf Pack mug, which you recently mailed to me by promotional chance as part of a newsletter giveaway. Yep! It survived the trip, serves its purpose quite nice. I can't wait to read How to Write a Howling Good Story, so I can cement many of your craft lessons.

Your continued success is most deserved, for besides your clear talent, you personify the pay-it-forward ethos. I certainly hope to give thanks in person during next year's gala. If you can't make it, our paths will certainly cross.

Thank you, my friend, our pack leader.
-John Eric

Posted by: @jeschleicher

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Posted by: @wulfmoon

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Wonderful news! I'm happy you got the good call!

Thank you, Wulf! I know I speak for many forumites by sending much gratitude your way! You're a mentor from afar, integral to my success.

Your encouragement, tips, and inspiration were an elevator in the growth of my craft. I was part of the cohort that joined one of the first Wulf Pack forum workshops, maybe the first (I can't remember), but I needed to bow out during the pandemic to care for my homebound young kiddo. While I didn't have the time for the continued workshop discussion and assignments, I met your prescribed goals of writing two fresh stories each quarter, sending one of them Krakens to WotF, the other to a respectable market. And I often drink my morning joe from a Wulf Pack mug, which you recently mailed to me by promotional chance as part of a newsletter giveaway. Yep! It survived the trip, serves its purpose quite nice. I can't wait to read How to Write a Howling Good Story, so I can cement many of your craft lessons.

Your continued success is most deserved, for besides your clear talent, you personify the pay-it-forward ethos. I certainly hope to give thanks in person during next year's gala. If you can't make it, our paths will certainly cross.

Thank you, my friend, our pack leader.
-John Eric

TOTALLY STELLAR, JOHN ERIC! You were in Year Two of the SUPER SECRETS Workshop and Challenge I held here in the Forum in the SUPER SECRETS topic. I remember you! So sorry COVID did a number on you and your family, as it did to so many of us (lost my father to it), but you found a work-around and NEVER GAVE UP! Awesome work, Challenge Beastie!!!

I didn't connect that the first Wulf Pack mug that went out in the random drawing in my club letter went to you. It was FATE! You were destined to win this contest! And now everyone will want one of those mugs to increase their chances! It's a POWER TALISMAN. Hah! /p>

Really happy for you, John Eric. I'm happy for everyone that does the work and sticks it out through thick and thin. That's what I did. That's what you did. And you kept learning! Practice is great--it's a must in any field in moving from apprentice to master--but we also need to keep taking in accurate knowledge and applying that knowledge to our own work. That's how we grow. That's how our work will reach a professional level and start selling and winning major international contests like this one!

I hope to meet you at the WotF workshop and gala next year! Thank you so much for your kind words. The Super Secrets Workshop here was a labor of love--still is, it's just outside of here now. I remember the pain of entering the Contest time and time again, only to get *this* close and wonder what I was doing wrong. When I finally won, I decided to stay here and share what I knew to help all of you. And then the Writers of the Future Online Workshop came along, giving you even more help by some of the best names in the industry.

Congratulations on your wonderful win! SEE YOU IN HOLLYWOOD NEXT YEAR!!!

All the beast!

Wulf Moon

@jeschleicher Congratulations! This is so awesome. 🥰 #GoWulfPack

I am late announcing my accomplishments for Q1, but here they are:

I hope to beat this in Q2!

Check out the blog. Full list of winners is now up! Wow!

Posted by: @jeschleicher

↑

The phone rings. No Caller Id
"Is this Joni?"
"It is."
"Okay." I exhale. "I'm on the edge of my seat."
"& you're about to fall off it. Congratulations! You're 3rd place!"
She was right. I fell to my knees. That's a real reaction, I now know, not just written in stories for dramatic effect.

And now I get to use my most coveted emoji, coveted no more.

 

Keep dreaming. Keep writing. Keep entering. You'll get that call.

A big congratulations! Woo hoo! 😊😁🎊🎉

Posted by: @galen

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I was working outdoors at the time the Joni call came in and my family had to hunt me down and find me. After learning of a second place finish, I assured them the hunt was worth it. 

P.S. @Anna X – No worries, I never noticed! All good.

A big congratulations to you too! I’m really happy for you and I can’t wait to see the pictures of everyone next year at the event! Now, write a speech. 😆 Yay! 😊🎉🎊🥳

@jeschleicher 

Congratulations! It's great to see another Forum winner.

@galen Congratulations!

@cweaver Awesome! Well done!

I see the winner's email went out yesterday.  Congratulations to the winners, everyone who received a HM+, and to everyone who entered. 

Dreaming up a story, sitting down to write, and completing the tale is a wonderful and gratifying achievement. Not all stories earn a HM+ (I have a drawer/electronic folder full of rejections from multiple markets), but maybe you'll gleam a few hints in the forum that you can use to improve your tale and send it out to another market. Send, send, send. 

This forum, those I've met through it, and WotF contest have inspired me to continue to grow as a writer. I trust many of you have too.

Congrats to all who entered.

Keep on writing and have fun.

Posted by: @cweaver

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I am late announcing my accomplishments for Q1, but here they are:

 

I hope to beat this in Q2!

 

Way to go!!!

@cweaver Congratulations, Catherine! On both counts!

@cweaver whoop wood. Congratulations

Popping in to say congrats to everyone who entered!!!

And looking forward to meeting people in person next year. 😀

--Stephannie

Nicely done everyone! I'm sure next quarter will be filled with even more great news.

Posted by: @cweaver

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I am late announcing my accomplishments for Q1, but here they are:

 

I hope to beat this in Q2!