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Discussion: Q3 Volume 38

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David Hankins
(@lost_bard)
Posts: 445
Gold Star Member
 

@babooher, I hear you. I had a story where I thought, "This is it!" while unconsciously worrying about some inconsistencies. A beta reader found those right away and said, "I like this but . . ." and I just had to walk away because I didn't know the solution. Fortunately, I walked into this Forum and began discovering how to fix that and other issues. I found that reading through Wulf's Super Secrets again with my story in mind gave me clarity on what right looks like. 

Good luck and write on!

Death and the Taxman, my WotF V39 winning story is now a novel available for pre-order! (Click Here >). The Taxman is Coming on Tax Day (Apr 15th) 2024!

Subscribe to The Lost Bard's Letter at www.davidhankins.com and receive an exclusive story!

New Releases:
"Milo Piper's Breakout Single that Ended the Rat War" in LTUE's Troubadours and Space Princesses anthology.
"Felix and the Flamingo" in Escape Pod.
"The Ghosts of Hart's Gambit" in Renaissance Press's There's No Place anthology.
"The Devil's Foot Locker" in Amazing Stories

 
Posted : May 27, 2021 7:24 am
babooher
(@babooher)
Posts: 217
Silver Member
 
Posted by: @lost_bard

A beta reader found those right away and said, "I like this but . . ."

This is pretty much what my group said, and that made the decision to make the needed changes difficult. I guess it's a kind of darling to kill. The changes that are needed to fix the story will require some serious alterations, and I'm scared of losing what the readers liked in order to get to a satisfying ending. But the story currently does not work no matter how good some parts are. I've been letting it rest so that the love I have for the story can cool and allow for a more objective view. I'll make my first cut tomorrow.

I've been looking at the super secrets and I'm partaking in Wulf Moon's upcoming class. I have the time to fix this story if I have the stamina, but the final version will be drastically different than the first draft.

2012 Q4: R
2016 Q3: SHM
2019 Q2: HM, Q3: HM
2020 Q2: HM, Q4: SHM
2021 Q1: HM, Q2: SF, Q3: SHM, Q4: SHM
2022 Q1: SHM, Q2 RWC, Q4 RWC
2023 Q1: RWC Q2: SHM Q3:Nope Q4: WIP

 
Posted : May 27, 2021 10:09 am
(@wulfmoon)
Posts: 3143
Platinum Plus Moderator
 
Posted by: @lost_bard

Working on a major revision on one of my primary characters after a critique correctly pointed that I failed at one of Wulf’s secrets: I didn’t fulfill the promise. She came in like thunder, then kind of fizzled throughout as another character took the lead at the grand finale. I can see how to fix it, it’ll just take time. 

And this is why Wulf harps so hard on getting critiques. Without that critical outside eye, I would have submitted the story with a fatal flaw. 

Okay, back to writing!

And getting pro eyes on it will yield the best results. If you can’t find that, or hire that, create a small circle or even a writing partner that is studying the craft like hell. You will grow together, and create your own pro eyes in time.😊

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!

 
Posted : May 27, 2021 10:14 am
babooher
(@babooher)
Posts: 217
Silver Member
 
Posted by: @wulfmoon

even a writing partner that is studying the craft like hell

I had a chance to take a class with John Brown (a WOTF alum). One of the things he wanted us to do was partner with someone else taking the class. It was really useful, and now I make it a habit to try to attend any class or conference with a writing wingman. Having a shared experience can be so helpful in developing good critiques, too. Being able to discuss the info with a fellow student is so useful too.

2012 Q4: R
2016 Q3: SHM
2019 Q2: HM, Q3: HM
2020 Q2: HM, Q4: SHM
2021 Q1: HM, Q2: SF, Q3: SHM, Q4: SHM
2022 Q1: SHM, Q2 RWC, Q4 RWC
2023 Q1: RWC Q2: SHM Q3:Nope Q4: WIP

 
Posted : May 27, 2021 10:33 am
(@wulfmoon)
Posts: 3143
Platinum Plus Moderator
 
Posted by: @babooher
Posted by: @wulfmoon

even a writing partner that is studying the craft like hell

I had a chance to take a class with John Brown (a WOTF alum). One of the things he wanted us to do was partner with someone else taking the class. It was really useful, and now I make it a habit to try to attend any class or conference with a writing wingman. Having a shared experience can be so helpful in developing good critiques, too. Being able to discuss the info with a fellow student is so useful too.

There are so many benefits to having a solid writing partner. Ideally, they would be ahead of you on their career path, but that's tough to find. So you find someone with similar goals and dedication that gets you and your writing. And you both work to refine your craft and grow in knowledge, feeding off one another's energy like a binary star. Great idea to attend workshops and cons together. It feeds the power to both of you, accelerating your mutual momentum.

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!

 
Posted : May 27, 2021 2:23 pm
Corbin.Maxwell
(@corbin-maxwell)
Posts: 269
Silver Member
 

Would any of you three who liked my post be willing to read it? I know you're advanced in the contest. Or may have actually won i can't keep track anymore. Most of my old friends from here are gone.  I  hardly ever ask for a critique  of a full entry, but I figured what the hell, let's see what happens. It's 14k words. 

 

Thank you,

 

I ain't cut out to be no Jesse James.

 
Posted : May 28, 2021 12:58 pm
babooher
(@babooher)
Posts: 217
Silver Member
 

@corbin-maxwell I'd be willing to read and crit.

2012 Q4: R
2016 Q3: SHM
2019 Q2: HM, Q3: HM
2020 Q2: HM, Q4: SHM
2021 Q1: HM, Q2: SF, Q3: SHM, Q4: SHM
2022 Q1: SHM, Q2 RWC, Q4 RWC
2023 Q1: RWC Q2: SHM Q3:Nope Q4: WIP

 
Posted : May 29, 2021 10:14 am
DoctorJest
(@doctorjest)
Posts: 835
Platinum Member
 

So my Q3 entry will be facing its second out-loud reading tonight, complete with the revisions I made after the first. I'm really delighted with this story, genuinely proud of how I managed to get it to come together in the end. No matter how well it performs in the contest, I know it's a really good story, and I accomplished everything I set out to with it. I'm also optimistic that I'm now close to reaching the end of my revisions.

I also finished my out-loud read of my intended lighter-tone Q4, complete with only the most minor revisions--and, because I can be an impatient ass at times, I've immediately sent it out to market to see if it can find a non-WotF home instead of holding it as an entry. I'll now see what becomes of it. If it doesn't land anywhere else, I'll be strongly considering it for my Q4 entry though, as some of the tonal decisions I made were very much with the contest in mind.

DQ:0 / R:0 / RWC:0 / HM:15 / SHM:7 / SF:1 / F:1
Published prior WotF entries: PodCastle, HFQ, Abyss & Apex

 
Posted : May 30, 2021 4:41 pm
Scott_M_Sands
(@scott_m_sands)
Posts: 452
Gold Member
 

@doctorjest

My thoughts on your final question - I've found that I am regularly drawn to write fantasy. I do read a lot of both epic fantasy and sci-fi. I've also challenged myself to branch out a bit and have a go at some fantastic thrillers and crime stories, but have not submitted these to the contest.

While I think good writing is good writing, I assume there are editors/publishers/agents/etc who read the anthologies and have specific markets in mind. I'm going to try to send in WotF entries that are in my preferred writing genre.

I love the question. 

"If writing is easy, you're doing it wrong." -Bryan Hutchinson
V36-37: R x6
V38: R, HM, R, HM
V39: HM, HM, HM, HM
V40: HM

 
Posted : May 30, 2021 5:36 pm
DoctorJest reacted
Corbin.Maxwell
(@corbin-maxwell)
Posts: 269
Silver Member
 

I just emailed my Q-3 over to F&SF, even though Babooher feels that it's not well written. There's a new editor over there, so I guess I'll see what tier-level rejection slip she awards me. winking  

 

Then on to the contest after that. 

I ain't cut out to be no Jesse James.

 
Posted : May 31, 2021 2:37 pm
DoctorJest
(@doctorjest)
Posts: 835
Platinum Member
 

I'm currently in a holding pattern. I think my Q3 is done, just pending a final read, but life has become completely hectic for the last couple of weeks--this is my last week in my current job so I'm having a ton of meetings and having to document all the things I do that nobody else knows well enough to follow through on without guidance, our kitty passed away, we're adopting a new one, the home we're living in is being sold and I'm trying to get it ready so our landlords (who we're good friends with) can show it without it looking like the catastrophe it has become, we're trying to find ourselves a new place which is likely to mean a move out of state, and through all of this, my wife's been injured and unable to help. These last two weeks or so have been the most unchained that I've ever lived through.

I've had bits of time, but zero energy left to do much of anything with it, nor much ability to focus on things other than the variety of things it feels I've still got left to do.

Fortunately, I'll catch a break after Friday--the home is going to be reviewed on Thursday, I'll have dumped most of our other stuff, my last day will have been Friday, and I get a week and a half before I start at my next job, so this coming weekend and next week will be the time when I'm looking to get my final read and any final edits done...fingers crossed!

DQ:0 / R:0 / RWC:0 / HM:15 / SHM:7 / SF:1 / F:1
Published prior WotF entries: PodCastle, HFQ, Abyss & Apex

 
Posted : June 8, 2021 11:30 am
N.V. Haskell reacted
Cray Dimensional
(@craydimensional)
Posts: 641
Gold Star Member
 

@doctorjest sounds like you have a busy schedule.

Small steps add up to miles.
V38: R, R, HM, HM
V39: RWC, HM, HM, SHM
V40 : HM, RWC, R, HM
V41 : RWC, WIP
"Amore For Life" in After the Gold Rush Third Flatiron Anthology
"Freedom’s Song” in Troubadour and Space Princesses LTUE Anthology

 
Posted : June 8, 2021 11:49 am
DoctorJest
(@doctorjest)
Posts: 835
Platinum Member
 
Posted by: @craydimensional

@doctorjest sounds like you have a busy schedule.

Honestly, I've never known a time like it before. I have a lot of things to do that I'm in control of, and then there are a lot of things happening over which I have little or no control at all, which are constantly peppering my schedule, and most of which I can neither defer nor reject. It's crazy. All I've managed to do in the last week or so is brainstorm ideas for when I do have some time.

DQ:0 / R:0 / RWC:0 / HM:15 / SHM:7 / SF:1 / F:1
Published prior WotF entries: PodCastle, HFQ, Abyss & Apex

 
Posted : June 8, 2021 12:04 pm
Corbin.Maxwell
(@corbin-maxwell)
Posts: 269
Silver Member
 

I received my first rejection slip from the new F&SF magazine editor, Sheree Renee Thomas. It's worded differently than Charlie's were. 

Hers says: Unfortunately, this story didn't work as well for me as i'd hoped. 

 

I have my own interpretation of that rejection verbiage, but if anyone would like to chime-in on it, all opinions are welcome. 

 

 

 

I ain't cut out to be no Jesse James.

 
Posted : June 8, 2021 6:13 pm
Yelena
(@scribblesatdusk)
Posts: 225
Silver Member
 

@corbin-maxwell

 

How were Charlie's worded?

V36:Q3 HM V37: Q3 R, Q4 SHM V38: R,HM, F, HM V39: HM, SHM, SHM, SHM V40: SF, RWC, ?

 
Posted : June 9, 2021 2:57 pm
N.V. Haskell
(@nvhaskell)
Posts: 93
Bronze Star Member
 

Just submitted for this quarter. I typically wait until the last week to make the commitment but, given recent positive feedback, I jumped in.  Plus I am already working on Q4's story given new insight through Dave's class. 

Now the waiting for Q2 results continues. 

‘Writing is like giving yourself homework, really hard homework, everyday for the rest of your life. You want glamour? Throw glitter at the computer screen.' - Ketrina Monroe
'The War Within' Deep Magic Volume 73 https://deepmagic.co
'Spirit Talk' in The Last Line Issue 7 Winter
'The Mystical Farrago' Writers of the Future, Volume 38
'The Dying Book' Misfits of Magic Anthology
'Whatever Lola Wants' Murderbirds Anthology
'Inspirational Theurgist' Of Wizards and Wolves Anthology for the David Farland memorial fund
'Beneath the Glass Dark' From the Depths Anthology
'A Life of Color' Metaphorosis magazine 8/1/2023
'A Murmuring Darkness' Strange Horizons 9/18/2023
'Out There With Them' Robotic Ambitions-Apex publishing (upcoming)
'A Widow's Word' Murderbugs Anthology (upcoming)
V37- R, HM, SHM, HM
V38- HM, SHM, Winner (3rd place)

 
Posted : June 9, 2021 4:18 pm
DoctorJest
(@doctorjest)
Posts: 835
Platinum Member
 
Posted by: @corbin-maxwell

I received my first rejection slip from the new F&SF magazine editor, Sheree Renee Thomas. It's worded differently than Charlie's were. 

Hers says: Unfortunately, this story didn't work as well for me as i'd hoped. 

 

I have my own interpretation of that rejection verbiage, but if anyone would like to chime-in on it, all opinions are welcome. 

My first rejection slip from her was also worded in this way: "Unfortunately, I'm going to pass on this story, as it didn't work as well for me as I had hoped." It then had a number of suggestions as to how to improve it, which I broadly agreed with, and used in a subsequent edit sweep.

DQ:0 / R:0 / RWC:0 / HM:15 / SHM:7 / SF:1 / F:1
Published prior WotF entries: PodCastle, HFQ, Abyss & Apex

 
Posted : June 9, 2021 6:16 pm
(@ccrawford)
Posts: 263
Silver Member
 

I'm in for Q3! I usually wait until the final days to submit, to give myself as much time as possible for story improvement, but I'm about to be tied up for the next two weeks helping run a summer camp full-time and I did NOT want to forget to submit!  I just finished final edits after another round of feedback from my crit group and response to the story was really positive, so here's hoping this one will finally get me past an SHM.  I'm feeling somewhat confident in the story at the moment, but give me a few weeks and I'll be questioning both the story and my own existence, as usual. 🤣 

v35: Q4 - HM
V36: R, R, R, R
V37: SHM, HM, HM, SHM
V38: SHM, HM, HM, HM
V39: HM, R, SHM, HM
Indie author of The Lex Chronicles (Legends of Arameth), and the in-progress Leyward Stones series--including my serial, Macchiatos, Faerie Princes, and Other Things That Happen at Midnight, currently available on Kindle Vella.
Website: http://ccrawfordwriting.com. I also have a newsletter and a blog!
Short story "Our Kind" published in DreamForge Anvil, Issue #5, and also "One Shot at Aeden" published in DreamForge Anvil, Issue #7!

 
Posted : June 12, 2021 1:43 pm
AliciaCay, N.V. Haskell, DoctorJest and 1 people reacted
Corbin.Maxwell
(@corbin-maxwell)
Posts: 269
Silver Member
 

@doctorjest

 

That's awesome to get one like that! Good job.

I ain't cut out to be no Jesse James.

 
Posted : June 12, 2021 4:36 pm
Corbin.Maxwell
(@corbin-maxwell)
Posts: 269
Silver Member
 

@scribblesatdusk

 

I'd have to look for my rejection slips from him to tell you that.

I ain't cut out to be no Jesse James.

 
Posted : June 12, 2021 4:39 pm
DoctorJest
(@doctorjest)
Posts: 835
Platinum Member
 
Posted by: @corbin-maxwell

@scribblesatdusk

 

I'd have to look for my rejection slips from him to tell you that.

I pulled a few of mine from my database--the personal rejections I got from Charlie were generally along the lines of "I liked element X of this story, but element Y didn't quite work for me, so I'm going to pass." There are a couple that didn't exactly fit that pattern, but most did. 

(And prior to that, back in the paper-submission days before Charlie's tenure, the best rejection I got was something like my assistant editor quite liked this story, but unfortunately it didn't work for me, so I'm going to pass.)

DQ:0 / R:0 / RWC:0 / HM:15 / SHM:7 / SF:1 / F:1
Published prior WotF entries: PodCastle, HFQ, Abyss & Apex

 
Posted : June 12, 2021 8:01 pm
DoctorJest
(@doctorjest)
Posts: 835
Platinum Member
 
Posted by: @ccrawford

I'm in for Q3! I usually wait until the final days to submit, to give myself as much time as possible for story improvement, but I'm about to be tied up for the next two weeks helping run a summer camp full-time and I did NOT want to forget to submit!  I just finished final edits after another round of feedback from my crit group and response to the story was really positive, so here's hoping this one will finally get me past an SHM.  I'm feeling somewhat confident in the story at the moment, but give me a few weeks and I'll be questioning both the story and my own existence, as usual. 🤣 

I'm going to have a very hectic spell around Q4, and am giving some thought to an early sub for that one. Right now, I'm taking advantage of the fact that I have some relative peace and quiet--albeit only relative--and lingering on my Q3 entry to give myself a little more time to try and pin it down and make sure it's in the best shape I can manage.

My Q2 was exactly like this, though, an entry that I pushed out because I knew (correctly) that my schedule was going to get hammered.

DQ:0 / R:0 / RWC:0 / HM:15 / SHM:7 / SF:1 / F:1
Published prior WotF entries: PodCastle, HFQ, Abyss & Apex

 
Posted : June 12, 2021 10:43 pm
CCrawford reacted
babooher
(@babooher)
Posts: 217
Silver Member
 

When revisions mean deleting 5k of an 8k story...sigh. And I had such high hopes for Q3

2012 Q4: R
2016 Q3: SHM
2019 Q2: HM, Q3: HM
2020 Q2: HM, Q4: SHM
2021 Q1: HM, Q2: SF, Q3: SHM, Q4: SHM
2022 Q1: SHM, Q2 RWC, Q4 RWC
2023 Q1: RWC Q2: SHM Q3:Nope Q4: WIP

 
Posted : June 13, 2021 2:28 pm
Cray Dimensional
(@craydimensional)
Posts: 641
Gold Star Member
 
  • @babooher Sounds like the first version of my Q3 entry. You can do it.

Small steps add up to miles.
V38: R, R, HM, HM
V39: RWC, HM, HM, SHM
V40 : HM, RWC, R, HM
V41 : RWC, WIP
"Amore For Life" in After the Gold Rush Third Flatiron Anthology
"Freedom’s Song” in Troubadour and Space Princesses LTUE Anthology

 
Posted : June 13, 2021 5:00 pm
babooher reacted
AliciaCay
(@aliciacay)
Posts: 145
Silver Member
 

@doctorjest

I've gotten 4 R's from Sheree so far. Either she has two different form letters, or she's reworked her wording as she gets grooved into her role as editor. Charlie had different levels of R's, but I don't know that she's like him in this regard.

From F&SF / Sheree...
One of them said: "Unfortunately, this story didn't work as well for me as I'd hoped, and I'm going to pass on it..."
And two of them said: "Unfortunately, this story didn't work well for me, and I'm going to pass on it for..."
And one was an R with a single line of personal info added: "While the [deleted] scene releasing the [deleted] was memorable, unfortunately, this story didn't work well for me..."
(I deleted those words bc that story is going to be revamped for a WotF entry, and I don't want it to be recognized.)

Maybe we can figure out if she's got levels to her Rs by comparing, LOL, hence why I shared 😉

 

 

~A. ♥

V32: HM (Q4)
V33: HM, HM, SHM, HM
V34: R, R, HM, HM
V35: HM, HM, R, HM
V36: R, R, SHM, R
V37: SHM, FINALIST, HM, SHM
V38: SF, X, SHM, SHM
V39: SHM, tbd, tbd
https://aliciacay.com

 
Posted : June 13, 2021 10:45 pm
David Hankins
(@lost_bard)
Posts: 445
Gold Star Member
 
Posted by: @babooher

When revisions mean deleting 5k of an 8k story...sigh. And I had such high hopes for Q3

Some of my best papers in college were written the night before, edited the morning of (not that I ever appreciated the last minute panic at the time).

You can do it. You have an interesting premise and a fascinating world (that goes for everyone questioning their ideas at this point). Take it and run with it! 

Good luck and write on!

Death and the Taxman, my WotF V39 winning story is now a novel available for pre-order! (Click Here >). The Taxman is Coming on Tax Day (Apr 15th) 2024!

Subscribe to The Lost Bard's Letter at www.davidhankins.com and receive an exclusive story!

New Releases:
"Milo Piper's Breakout Single that Ended the Rat War" in LTUE's Troubadours and Space Princesses anthology.
"Felix and the Flamingo" in Escape Pod.
"The Ghosts of Hart's Gambit" in Renaissance Press's There's No Place anthology.
"The Devil's Foot Locker" in Amazing Stories

 
Posted : June 14, 2021 5:43 am
babooher reacted
DoctorJest
(@doctorjest)
Posts: 835
Platinum Member
 
Posted by: @aliciacay

@doctorjest

I've gotten 4 R's from Sheree so far. Either she has two different form letters, or she's reworked her wording as she gets grooved into her role as editor. Charlie had different levels of R's, but I don't know that she's like him in this regard.

From F&SF / Sheree...
One of them said: "Unfortunately, this story didn't work as well for me as I'd hoped, and I'm going to pass on it..."
And two of them said: "Unfortunately, this story didn't work well for me, and I'm going to pass on it for..."
And one was an R with a single line of personal info added: "While the [deleted] scene releasing the [deleted] was memorable, unfortunately, this story didn't work well for me..."
(I deleted those words bc that story is going to be revamped for a WotF entry, and I don't want it to be recognized.)

Maybe we can figure out if she's got levels to her Rs by comparing, LOL, hence why I shared 😉

~A. ♥

This fits for me too--I have two rejections, one clearly a form rejection, and one personalised. The form one exactly fits what you described the "two of them" above, so I think we at least have a sense of the basic "form" rejection pattern!

DQ:0 / R:0 / RWC:0 / HM:15 / SHM:7 / SF:1 / F:1
Published prior WotF entries: PodCastle, HFQ, Abyss & Apex

 
Posted : June 14, 2021 10:02 pm
AliciaCay reacted
Disgruntled Peony
(@disgruntledpeony)
Posts: 1283
Platinum Member
 
Posted by: @babooher

When revisions mean deleting 5k of an 8k story...sigh. And I had such high hopes for Q3

With my first finalist, I basically ended up doing a complete rewrite, because I changed every scene over the course of the quarter. If the revisions mean your original vision for the story comes out clearer after the cuts and changes, it's worth the effort. grinning  

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

 
Posted : June 15, 2021 5:04 am
Dustin Adams
(@tj_knight)
Posts: 1352
Platinum Plus Moderator
Topic starter
 

Today is the 16th.

Plus 14 days (two weeks)

write, Write, WRITE!

Career:

1x Win
2x NW-F
2x S-F
9x S-HM
11x HM
7x R

 
Posted : June 16, 2021 7:22 am
DoctorJest
(@doctorjest)
Posts: 835
Platinum Member
 

I still need to do my final out-loud reading, I've put it back to accommodate other unavoidable things for a spell, but I'm running out of space to make sure I get this done. I'll try to find a window to go through it tonight and give myself the remaining couple of weeks to make sure I deal with any of the feedback that I get.

DQ:0 / R:0 / RWC:0 / HM:15 / SHM:7 / SF:1 / F:1
Published prior WotF entries: PodCastle, HFQ, Abyss & Apex

 
Posted : June 16, 2021 5:31 pm
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