Discussion: Q4 Volume 40

I am entered. Happy to have finished well before deadline.

Have fun.

I think I finally have a story for Q4 that I think could be competitive. It involves several setting ideas that have been floating in my head and characters that I already have a good grasp on. Plus, I have a great idea for conflicts and making things worse. So I'll be down to the wire!

If there's anyone in my boat I'd be happy to do a last-minute swap for comments on September 29.

IF I miss the Q4 boat, this story will most likely be my Q1. And I have a backup for Q4 in case [which will probably be an RWC or HM???]. 

@physa I’d be happy to give it a read!

@physa I'm definitely in your boat. Whether I finish or not by then, I do have a backup so I'll be happy to swap then.

Thanks @sconn and @writhmic, :). I will keep your kind offers in mind and am happy to reciprocate. Fingers crossed my story germ comes together in time [and yours, too].

Posted by: @pegeen

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I'm in a predicament too. The story I'm writing is magical realism. When I google magical realism, half the entries say it is fantasy and half say it is not.  There are visions and fantastical elements but it's not clear these are independent of the main character's imagination. Does WotF consider magical realism to be fantasy? Thanks.

Is it obvious in the first couple of pages? Would the story have to change if you removed it? If the answers are yes and yes, you should be fine.

I wasn't sure I'd finish my big edit by the end of the month, but I wrapped it up today. That gives me a week to polish and submit! 

Submitted. Spent a good week going over it, and now that it's in at least I can stop closing-and-reopening the doc every five minutes. Fingers crossed!

@writhmic and @physa

I have a similar issue on a new story that I'm not sure on the ending.  Backup is to re-submit a previous HM that I've edited.  

Sometimes life screams louder than the other voices in my head and I can't focus.

Good idea for a story about voices in my head, but it reminds me of the movie Being John Malkovich.

I'm in. Good luck to everyone!  

Second submission is in. Feels like it's been forever. I had a story ready for Q3 that I held off on submitting because F&SF had been holding it for several weeks, only for them to give me a stock denial after all that time not three days after Q3 window closed. So, now I've waited three extra months to twitch. Oh well, we're back in it now! Seems like it would be especially awesome to be a winner in V40, 40 being such a nice round number and all. Fingers crossed, and good luck everyone! 

I wrote two stories for this quarter, then I waffled and waffled 'til my waffler was sore.

Now I've submitted, so I'll waffle no more. 😊

Good luck everyone! Get those entries in!

I'll be entering my manuscript any day now!

Is it considered professional to write "The End" at the end?

Posted by: @natdok

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I'll be entering my manuscript any day now!

Is it considered professional to write "The End" at the end?

There is some variation on this, I find. The current Shunn standard formatting guides ( https://www.shunn.net/format/story/) don't include any markers for the end, but you will also sometimes see a centered --END-- or <<<>>> at the very end of a manuscript. I think those may be hold-overs from print manuscript days.

I think if you include `The End` without qualifiers, though (not centered, marked out, etc.), it'd be implied that it's actually part of the story text as intended.

@doctorjest the Shunn guidelines do mention this.

"Finally, though you don’t need to make any explicit indication that your story is over, some writers choose to center the word 'END' after the last line of text. This can prevent ambiguity when your closing words fall near the bottom of the page."

<Walks in the tent of last minute scramble tent>

<places a plate of scones on the table next to the coffee and tea dispensers in front of a sign the reads >

<you can do this>

Posted by: @undreamedages

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@doctorjest the Shunn guidelines do mention this.

"Finally, though you don’t need to make any explicit indication that your story is over, some writers choose to center the word 'END' after the last line of text. This can prevent ambiguity when your closing words fall near the bottom of the page."

Aha! That may be where I picked that up from--it's been years since I last actually read through the guidelines, I created templates from them and haven't gone back from there.

And I'm in for Q4, which makes it the first time I have submitted to all four quarters of a volume.

Four for forty!
That's how to level up.  

I am still editing and I have this one paragraph that I just haven't been able to get right. Two days is plenty of time right? 

I'm in for Q4 with an edited version of a previous HM.  Crossing my fingers.

My third submission is in, sent electronically with help from Justin Toth (many thanks, Justin). My previous two were sent as hard copy, as I tend to lean toward "old school" methods. Let the twitching begin.

One day left. Dropping off some coffee and munchkins for those still writing.

Looks like I'm back to submitting on the last day, but I'm in for Q4!

A reminder that the WizeHive submission system will send you an auto email once your story is submitted.

If you don't get the email confirmation please make sure to verify you have clicked the final "Submit" button after you have uploaded your story.

I will be around tonight for tech support if needed. You can email me (jason@authorservicesinc.com) or DM me.

Good luck to everyone!!! 

@craydimensional 

What a great gift! Munchkins have helped me onto the successful deadline path a dozen times. Though I did miss an entry when I let the Lullaby Leaguers stay too late.

[sips coffee and grabs a scone]

[darts away to give my Q4 story a final read]

[looks at my watch]

I'm in with hours to spare. With all this time on my hands what do I do now? Write on!  

Submitted! Talk about leaving things until the last minute... FINALLY figured out what was bugging me about the story. At least I got it fixed. Okay, now how long until results???

I'm in at last! And at the last minute. Actually, there's still another six hours. If you're working, keep going. You got this.

Good luck everyone.