Discussion Q2 Volume 39

Holy smokes - congrats @brandoncase1235 on getting finalist, and an extra cheer for @lost_bard's win! Super happy for you.

I'm really proud of this whole community for continuing to write and submit - the world is a brighter place for it. Let's keep telling our stories!

Posted by: @cube

Well, yet another rejection, number 5 in a row.

Giving up on this contest, as my stuff clearly isn't suitable for this market. Still I think there's nothing wrong with it, and it's better than 90% of published sci-fi on any medium and I'm not willing to change any of it, so bye.

 

Don’t give up. If you believe that about your work, you’ll find there are people who will believe you too. 

I had a really good friend that read my vampire books and she called my main character “psychotic” and said that my main character doesn’t deserve to be a main character. Well, I disagreed. My main character goes through some of the most horrible crap that would make most people shudder in their corners, but guess what? She doesn’t let all that bad stuff change her. She learns from her mistakes and she grows. And yeah, she’s got some PTSD, but that doesn’t make her a bad person or someone not worthy of being a main character. That makes her human, like everyone else who has gone through what life throws at them and has survived. My point is that my friend actually stopped being my friend because she didn’t like my book and the way I portrayed someone not always happy farting rainbows and butterflies as the main character. That’s okay. Other people liked my book. Some even loved it.

So for every rejection you get, someone else will think it’s amazing. 😊

Don't give up. If that’s what you love to do, please keep doing it. Your story has a place in the world.

I’ll also be willing to help read, critique, whatever you need to help you keep going. Stories, I believe, are that important. 

My first SILVER HM! YAY!

Been waiting to use this sign...

Congratulations to all who placed - to the winner, the finalists, semi-finalists, SHMs and to the HMs!

I haven’t been in the forums too often and am so happy to see such a supportive community! This was the first time I entered the contest, though I’ve wanted to enter for years. Each time I told myself I’m not ready. This time I decided to give it a go and I’m heartened by my placement.

I’m a semi-finalist. Can’t stop smiling.  

@ceciblack Awesome work!

@lusine INCREDIBLE! Congratulations--so glad you finally entered. Are you also in for Q3?

Posted by: @lusine

Congratulations to all who placed - to the winner, the finalists, semi-finalists, SHMs and to the HMs!

I haven’t been in the forums too often and am so happy to see such a supportive community! This was the first time I entered the contest, though I’ve wanted to enter for years. Each time I told myself I’m not ready. This time I decided to give it a go and I’m heartened by my placement.

I’m a semi-finalist. Can’t stop smiling.  

Congratulations! That’s awesome! 

@lusine  - Congrats on the SF, Loretta. That is such great news. Now go celebrate by writing a WINNER for the next quarter!!!
We're watching you.

Anyone else get results for Q2 last night? I feel pretty good about an HM for my first time entering. 👍

And the hits keep coming. This forum rocks. A winner, finalist, semi-finalist, SHM's, and a fair share of HM's.  

@lost_bard That is fantastic! Congrats!!!!!!

@amstard Congrats on your SHM! May your upward trend take you to the gala!!!  

@brandoncase1235, a big congratulations to you!  

Posted by: @axeminister

SHM for me making a full two years' worth.

That consistency of excellence is impressive. Well done!!!!

Posted by: @lost_bard

I am pleased to announce that I am no longer eligible to submit to Writers of the Future.

3rd Place, Volume 39, 2nd Quarter

Awesome, and massive congratulations for this! Now I get to read your story next year! I suppose it'd be a little too much to hope for strong, cakey grip in this entry, but I'm really looking forward to seeing what turns of phrase you did use...

@lizbusby Congrats on the HM.  This contest, and the forum, have been such a boost for my writing. Keep active and write, write, write.  

Well, ladies and gentlemen, today was the day.

I saw everyone talking about receiving emails, so I decided to check mine, and there it was: an email from Joni! With the hesitation (or lack thereof) of a small child on Christmas morning, I opened it, hiding the body of the message with my hand so I wouldn't spoil the ending as I read. And then, just one paragraph down, I saw it...

Well, RWC wasn't exactly what I was hoping for, but there it is. Not only was this my first time submitting to this contest, it was also the first time I'd ever written a short story, so I'm sure I have a lot to learn. I'm very proud of myself and my story, even though it didn't quite make the cut of Honorable Mentions, and I'm definitely going to work on it and submit it again.

I was feeling pretty down after reading the email, but then I remembered what I'd read in David Farland's introduction to volume 37 (the second WotF book I'd read and the one that got me interested in writing something for the contest): "So, this year, I searched for stories that offered a pleasing array of emotions. Sure, some are darker than others, but there is a light sparkling at the core of each of them..."

It was then that I realized something: just because my story was rejected doesn't mean it was bad. Sometimes it's just not what the judges were looking for in that particular quarter. Like Farland said, in volume 37, he was looking for stories that carried a plethora of more hopeful emotions. I'm not trying to say that my story was perfect and the judges just didn't want it; after all, I received a Rejected-With-Comments. I suppose my point is just that rejection doesn't mean incompetence, or total failure. So I'm going to keep writing and submitting, and maybe one day I'll win. And for all my fellow RWCs out there, if you're willing to take advice from someone who didn't do any better or worse than you: I hope you do the same. If every story is a coin toss, the only way you can get the results you want is to keep on flipping.

Congratulations to the HMs, SHMs, Finalists, and Winners. You deserve it. Now it's time to start writing again!

@lambenttyto @ben-t-j-martin (And to anyone else who submitted and didn't receive an HM or better)

Getting rejected isn't fun, but don't let it get you down. Don't let it stop you from writing.

You created something and put it to paper (or electronic paper); good first step.

You submitted it to a renowned international contest that received thousands of entries (If past contest volumes are 4K+, then who knows how many this time); good second step.

Now for the harder third step after receiving a rejection; write, write, write. Push throw that barrier that may seem insurmountable right now and trust that it isn’t. You can do this! The more you write and practice the suggestions from this forum the better your stories will be. This contest and the people active in the forum have been instrumental in helping me develop my writing skills.

I want to hear the furious clicking of keys as you write your next tale.

Posted by: @sandy

I just found my email. It had gone to the SPAM folder.  

I am so happy with this result. It's been a bad few weeks on a personal level and this perked me up in so many ways. My thanks to the judges and the contest coordinators. 

Big congratulations to the winners! You worked hard for it.  

 

Now to decide what to do with the story. Try to figure out if it could be better or send it out to another market as is?  

@sandy Excellent result! Congrats! I hope the good news keeps coming your way and that whatever made your past weeks difficult becomes lighter if not vanish completely. 

Posted by: @doctorjest

Posted by: @lost_bard

I am pleased to announce that I am no longer eligible to submit to Writers of the Future.

3rd Place, Volume 39, 2nd Quarter

Awesome, and massive congratulations for this! Now I get to read your story next year! I suppose it'd be a little too much to hope for strong, cakey grip in this entry, but I'm really looking forward to seeing what turns of phrase you did use...

Thanks! No cakey grip in this one, but I know you'll enjoy it. So excited to see this story get published!

Posted by: @ceciblack

My first SILVER HM! YAY!

Been waiting to use this sign...

@ceciblack Woot! Woot!   Woot! Woot! 

Posted by: @lusine

Congratulations to all who placed - to the winner, the finalists, semi-finalists, SHMs and to the HMs!

I haven’t been in the forums too often and am so happy to see such a supportive community! This was the first time I entered the contest, though I’ve wanted to enter for years. Each time I told myself I’m not ready. This time I decided to give it a go and I’m heartened by my placement.

I’m a semi-finalist. Can’t stop smiling.  

Wow! Semi-finalist on your first go-around! You most certainly are ready! Congrats!

@toddjones, thank you. I was definitely down at first, but since I've started sending my novel out to agents and publishers, I figure it's probably a good thing to get my first rejection out of the way on a much less important story.

I'm definitely going start utilizing the tools this contest offers. It seems like they're really invested in helping people develop their skills. 

@lost_bard I can't wait to read your story! 

@amstard you have all my congratulations love!!! 

We have a pretty stellar writing group with 3 honorable mentions this quarter and your silver! 

Interestingly, the same story w/o any revisions earned an SHM from Dave. I was curious to see what Jody thought of it since it was on the darker end of what WotF publishes. Now I know.

Congrats to all who submitted, all who placed, & all who won (pumping my first at you, @lost_bard)! This community is awesome. So is this contest! Now let's go write those next winning stories! 

Posted by: @lost_bard

<Reads Kary's post that finalist calls are going out>

<Writes a funny little post about burning marshmallows while twitching>

<Giggles to self>

<At the EXACT moment of hitting 'add reply,' phone rings>

<Hollywood, CA>

<OMG-OMG-OMG>

...

<Twitches through ten days of enforced silence>

<Phone rings>

<Hollywood, CA>

<OMG-OMG-OMG>

...

I am pleased to announce that I am no longer eligible to submit to Writers of the Future.

3rd Place, Volume 39, 2nd Quarter

Wow, HUGE congratulations, David. So very happy for you. You're in for a wonderful ride! Looking forward to reading your award-winning story. 

And congratulations to everyone else who placed and entered. This forum is the place to be if you want to do well in this contest. Keep writing, don't give up!

@lusine Congrats 

@jeschleicher how did you learn who judged your story?