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(@martin-l-shoemaker)
Posts: 2135
Platinum Plus Moderator
 

I realize I have been remiss in assisting with this thread's unnatural inflation.

So to appease the thread gods, I would like to offer this link to a link to an analysis of Tina's gold-winning story (which was submitted during, and discussed in) this quarter thread's original run, as it were.

&c.

http://forum.writersofthefuture.com/viewtopic.php?f=16&p=53564#p53564

Trust Stewart to be so meta as to use this thread to link to another thread... wotf013

(Nice review, by the way.)

http://nineandsixtyways.com/
Tools, Not Rules.
Martin L. Shoemaker
3rd Place Q1 V31
"Today I Am Paul", WSFA Small Press Award 2015, Nebula nomination 2015
Today I Am Carey from Baen
The Last Dance (#1 science fiction eBook on Amazon, October 2019) and The Last Campaign from 47North

 
Posted : May 13, 2013 2:12 pm
(@gower21)
Posts: 757
Gold Member
Topic starter
 

hehe.

Appropriate use of thread reanimation.

Tina
http://www.smashedpicketfences.com

 
Posted : May 13, 2013 2:28 pm
(@s_c_baker)
Posts: 979
Gold Star Member
 

I realize I have been remiss in assisting with this thread's unnatural inflation.

So to appease the thread gods, I would like to offer this link to a link to an analysis of Tina's gold-winning story (which was submitted during, and discussed in) this quarter thread's original run, as it were.

&c.

http://forum.writersofthefuture.com/viewtopic.php?f=16&p=53564#p53564

Trust Stewart to be so meta as to use this thread to link to another thread... wotf013

(Nice review, by the way.)

meta-meta! wotf015

Stewart C Baker - 1st place, Q2 V32
My contest history: Semi-finalist, R, HM, R, R, HM, HM, R, R, R, R, HM, R, R, R, R, Winner
My published fiction, poetry, &c.

 
Posted : May 14, 2013 3:49 am
(@mjames)
Posts: 2
New Member
 

Greetings all!

I am going to randomly interject here and say that I'm looking for writers who'd like to participate in a Blog Hop called The Next Big Thing. I've been wrangled into it because of a story I wrote that's soon coming out in an anthology (Winter Well by Crossed Genres)... but this is open to any writers, of any genre, as long as you have a blog which people can hop onto. Basically, it's a series of questions about your writing which you answer, then pass the Blog Hop onto (at least) 2 more writers the next week. Not that these are hard-and-fast rules, but I wanted to share the opportunity if anyone's interested! Private Message me for more info!

Oh, and here's my blog if you want to be assured that I'm a real live human being: http://marissajames.blogspot.com/

Thanks!
Marissa James

 
Posted : May 14, 2013 10:27 am
LDWriter2
(@ldwriter2)
Posts: 1292
Gold Star Member
 

Not sure what quarter her story was in so I decided to just use this one.

So that's what Tina looks like

Wins and gets her own WotF Newsletter too.

And an interview on Fox?!?!

Working on turning Lead into Gold.
Four HMs From WotF
The latest was Q1'12
HM-quarter 4 Volume 32
One HM for another contest
published in Strange New Worlds Ten.
Another HM http://onthepremises.com/minis/mini_18.html

 
Posted : May 25, 2013 9:13 am
(@martin-l-shoemaker)
Posts: 2135
Platinum Plus Moderator
 

This was indeed the correct quarter for her story.

http://nineandsixtyways.com/
Tools, Not Rules.
Martin L. Shoemaker
3rd Place Q1 V31
"Today I Am Paul", WSFA Small Press Award 2015, Nebula nomination 2015
Today I Am Carey from Baen
The Last Dance (#1 science fiction eBook on Amazon, October 2019) and The Last Campaign from 47North

 
Posted : May 25, 2013 9:50 am
(@martin-l-shoemaker)
Posts: 2135
Platinum Plus Moderator
 

I see that Brad has endangered this thread! We must ensure its survival!

http://nineandsixtyways.com/
Tools, Not Rules.
Martin L. Shoemaker
3rd Place Q1 V31
"Today I Am Paul", WSFA Small Press Award 2015, Nebula nomination 2015
Today I Am Carey from Baen
The Last Dance (#1 science fiction eBook on Amazon, October 2019) and The Last Campaign from 47North

 
Posted : June 3, 2013 11:36 am
(@strycher)
Posts: 667
Silver Star Member
 

I see that Brad has endangered this thread! We must ensure its survival!

I like your circular posting there.

"The Filigreed Cage" || "Bitter Remedy" || "Heartless" || "The Newsboy's Last Stand" || "Planar Ghosts"

 
Posted : June 3, 2013 12:08 pm
(@e-caimansands)
Posts: 872
Gold Member
 

*Gator donates a fish*

Whoa! wotf015 That was unexpected. And this was the thread where we were stuck in the wretched hold pile for ages and ages and ages until we were rejected. I think Gator must have forgotten that if she's decided to feed it some of her fish. Shhhh, don't remind her, whatever you do!

Huh? What was that?

Oops. wotf005

SF x 1 (Extreeemely happy snappy gator)
HM x 9 (Happy snappy gator)
"Europa Spring" - buy from Amazon
The Happy Snappy Gator Bog! Er, Blog...

 
Posted : June 3, 2013 12:25 pm
(@gower21)
Posts: 757
Gold Member
Topic starter
 

phew!! Close one, Martin, glad you saved the Q1-29 thread!!

Not sure what quarter her story was in so I decided to just use this one.

So that's what Tina looks like

Wins and gets her own WotF Newsletter too.

And an interview on Fox?!?!

Yes, That is me. I think. What picture are you referring, too? Is it the TV interview? It was me, or the girl I pay to pretend to be me, since I'm soooo busy now. Also my avatar to the side of my posts is also me. You can see a bigger version of it on my blog (link in my sig) on the about page.

Tina
http://www.smashedpicketfences.com

 
Posted : June 3, 2013 1:26 pm
 Isto
(@isto)
Posts: 265
Silver Member
 

I see that Brad has endangered this thread! We must ensure its survival!

WHHAAAAA? So how often do we need to post to ensure the thread continues? I'll set my calendar watch.
I'm shocked they don't have an archive directory. What if some of you become like wildly famous and Hollywood
wants to "go back to the beginning" to show the rise of stars? It would be like destroying the first draft of
of Seven Pillars of Wisdom (oh, that's right, it was destroyed). Ok. So it is up to us to make sure your words live forever or at least until we can publish the book: The Longest Forum Thread Ever That We Don't Want To See Destroyed Because We've Invested So Many Hours Of Hand-wringing, Commiserating, Marshmallow Shooting and Gator Porn Watching Instead Of Writing, Writing, Writing. It is also the longest book title for the longest thread.
Are we drafting volunteers? ... wotf009

- Isto
R-R-Semi

 
Posted : June 6, 2013 3:42 pm
Kary English
(@karyenglish)
Posts: 688
Gold Star Member Moderator
 

*bustles in with a broom in one hand and a can of Pledge in the other*

*tucks the skeletons back into the closet*

*sweeps a few dust bunnies back under the couch*

*pins an Oxford comma to the Lost and Found board*

*straightens a few doilies*

*polishes all and sundry*

There. That ought to hold for bit.

WOTF: 1 HM, 1 Semi, 2 Finalists, 1 Winner
Q2,V31 - Winner Winner Chicken Dinner!
Hugo and Astounding finalist, made the preliminary Stoker ballot (juried)
Published by Galaxy's Edge, DSF, StarShipSofa and TorNightfire

 
Posted : July 11, 2013 3:10 pm
 Isto
(@isto)
Posts: 265
Silver Member
 

*bustles in with a broom in one hand and a can of Pledge in the other*

*tucks the skeletons back into the closet*

*sweeps a few dust bunnies back under the couch*

*pins an Oxford comma to the Lost and Found board*

*straightens a few doilies*

*polishes all and sundry*

There. That ought to hold for bit.

* blasts a hole in the stack of mid-term exams surrounding me*
* blinks at the sudden light *
* blushes at my own inattentiveness *
* blows a kiss with ink-stained fingers*
" Bless you!!"
wotf002 Maybe, could you do my house, too?

- Isto
R-R-Semi

 
Posted : July 12, 2013 1:36 am
(@s_c_baker)
Posts: 979
Gold Star Member
 

*waves errant commas into Kary's hair while she isn't looking*

Ha, I, er!

Stewart C Baker - 1st place, Q2 V32
My contest history: Semi-finalist, R, HM, R, R, HM, HM, R, R, R, R, HM, R, R, R, R, Winner
My published fiction, poetry, &c.

 
Posted : July 15, 2013 3:27 pm
(@imagination-vortex)
Posts: 97
Bronze Member
 

I think Kary's cleaning blew around the dust particles in my brain, and activated my memories of this quarter that I had long since forgotten. I had a dream that I bought a copy of Volume 29, and I was reading the openings of the stories to see how they impressed David Farland. I remember reading them and thinking "wow, there is no way I'd ever be able to write like this." Not only was the language and grammar way beyond my capabilities, but I felt like I was reading someones scientific master thesis, that's how advanced the science fiction was! And I could see how David would think they were unique - one story was about a girl who had an invisible friend that she could communicate with through objects - they would morph into visions that would tell a story. And another one was about an exploding sand castle fortress - you can't get anymore unique then that! And I remember reading Tina's story and thinking it was so well written it was almost as if I had become the character, and I was living his life. Of course when I woke up I could not take any of the advice on writing, because I could not remember the sentences I read at all (probably because it was so advanced my brain couldn't make sense of it in real life). But wow what a crazy dream for someone who has not even read the volume yet!

~You Are Now Entering Stephanie's Vortex~
WOTF: 1x Silver, 4x HM, 13x R
IOTF: 1x Semi, 2x R, 4x Into the Vortex

 
Posted : July 16, 2013 4:29 pm
(@bobsandiego)
Posts: 394
Silver Member
 

I can't read in a dream. When I try what I see is a row of random letters and then I realize I am in a dream and that wakes me up.
I have two types of dreams. One where its My POV and those are just like real life (Save the reading bit) with 3D full senses and very realistic. (In senses not in content.)
the second it like a movie, I am not in the dream but watching it like a camera. Sometimes complete with actors and edits.

Literary saboteur
Blog: http://www.robertmitchellevans.com/
HM X 5
SF X 3
F X 1
Current Rejection Streak: 0

 
Posted : July 17, 2013 12:24 pm
(@austindm)
Posts: 358
Silver Member
 

I don't dream that often (not that I can remember at least), but when I do, I have much the same experience as Bob is describing. Though lately it's been more of the former. Hmm, maybe that explains why I've been writing in first person so much...

 
Posted : July 17, 2013 2:20 pm
(@gower21)
Posts: 757
Gold Member
Topic starter
 

I've always thought and dreamt in pictures. One time in an early psych class we learned that some people can think in words/language. What?? It blew my mind--who does this? Show yourselves!

Also this thread now reminds me of a library with built-in maple bookshelves for walls that extend to a two foot ceiling. On floor are huge interlacing tracks for ladders. Rows and rows of books, so many rows you can't see the wall at the other end. There is one tiny old woman sitting at an elevated desk, hidden in the maze of shelves. She moves the ladders, restocks books, slowly polishes the maple. Every once in a while, a young unsuspecting soul comes in from the storm, pats themselves down and runs among the rows in a flurry to find something special.

Or you're name is Kary and you hang a comma somewhere for everyone to scavenger hunt for later. Or your Stewart and you place a semicolon in someone braid when they turn around after asking where to find "the book that will help in my essay on Hemingway."

Tina
http://www.smashedpicketfences.com

 
Posted : July 17, 2013 3:47 pm
(@ishmael)
Posts: 793
Gold Member
 

I've always thought and dreamt in pictures. One time in an early psych class we learned that some people can think in words/language. What?? It blew my mind--who does this? Show yourselves!

Well, I think I remember Wittgenstein saying that our imagination is limited by the words capable of expressing our thoughts, don't I? Or something of the kind. It shows you how long it is since I taught. Anyway you can probably put down Wittgenstein for one candidate. Then you can put down maybe the majority of the human race for some more candidates.

It really depends what you mean by 'thinking'. In principle I believe we are supposed to have three levels of thought depending upon the part of the brain from which it originates, starting with the barely more than instinctive 'lizard' brain core, working out through the problem solving mammalian middle layer and slowest of all the outer human-specific brain that does all the really intellectual stuff. (I am telling all this to a psych graduate!???)

So, fast thought is probably mostly illustrative and slow thought mainly verbal and subconscious thought is neither, but let's not get into that. The reason we all get into so much hassle is our habit of acting as soon as the lizard bit of our brain decides what to do and not taking time for the more civilised bit to get round to a decision. Thus 'Act in haste, repent at leisure.'

Here endeth the lesson.

*Removes gown and mortar board, puts on false beard, hat and mackintosh and heads for the hills*

1 x SF, 2 x SHM, 11 x HM, WotF batting average .583
Blog The View From Sliabh Mannan.

 
Posted : July 17, 2013 9:41 pm
(@bobsandiego)
Posts: 394
Silver Member
 

*Removes gown and mortar board, puts on false beard, hat and mackintosh and heads for the hills*

You forgot your Wellingtons.

Literary saboteur
Blog: http://www.robertmitchellevans.com/
HM X 5
SF X 3
F X 1
Current Rejection Streak: 0

 
Posted : July 18, 2013 3:10 am
(@austindm)
Posts: 358
Silver Member
 

I use words when I talk to the voices in my head. Does that count?

 
Posted : July 18, 2013 5:35 am
(@s_c_baker)
Posts: 979
Gold Star Member
 

I think in words sometimes. Other times, images overlain with words. (At least, that's the best way I can explain it.)

Mostly I try to just not think.

Stewart C Baker - 1st place, Q2 V32
My contest history: Semi-finalist, R, HM, R, R, HM, HM, R, R, R, R, HM, R, R, R, R, Winner
My published fiction, poetry, &c.

 
Posted : July 18, 2013 5:45 am
 MJNL
(@mjnl)
Posts: 505
Silver Star Member
 

My husband and I often have fascinating conversations about the way our brains work differently. Once we were discussing this very thing, and he said that the more simplistic the thought (like, I need to go to the store and buy x,y, and z) the more apt he is to think in words, whereas the more complex the thought (like trying to design a new power electronics component) the more apt he is to think in pictures. I am exactly the opposite--I envision simple thoughts in pictures, and more complex thoughts in words. Guess which of us is the engineer and which of us is the writer? wotf011

He also really weirded me out when he said he has no physical reaction to thinking about foods or smells--I was so surprised. If I think about the taste of something sour (like a lemon), my tongue and mouth subtly react, as though that taste is really present. His don't.

Brain structure and chemistry are amazing.

~Marina

WotF Winner Q1 2012 (Vol. 29)

WotF Finalist Q2 2010 (Vol. 27)
WotF Finalist Q4 2011 (Vol. 28)
http://lostetter.wordpress.com/
http://twitter.com/#!/MarinaLostetter

 
Posted : July 18, 2013 7:09 am
(@rebecca-birch)
Posts: 625
Silver Star Member
 

Is it weird that I honestly have no idea if I think in words or pictures? I just, kinda, think?

Now dreaming--that's pictures all the way. First person, third person, any combination whatever. I even had a dream when I was small that had a fade to black and big white block letters that said, "THE END." It also involved Crater Lake (with a giant tree that fell on it and was going to break it), The A-Team, Batman and Robin, and Lucy & Ethel. I think I was Ethel. I was almost, maybe, seven. That was one weeeeeeird dream.

Rebecca Birch
Finalist - 2, SF - 1, SHM - 1, HM - 18, R - 6
Words of Birch
Short Story Collection--Life Out of Harmony and Other Tales of Wonder

 
Posted : July 18, 2013 7:19 am
(@gower21)
Posts: 757
Gold Member
Topic starter
 

I think about ten years ago (when I started seriously working on my writing to make sense and communicate better), I got to a point where I actually starting thinking with some words--which I'd never done before. I find it interesting that it took learning how words work and fit together the proper way to finally get some language sneaking into my brain.

And Rebecca, I totally have dreams in all povs too (first, third--past/memory or present as it's happening). So weird. I dream about other people, people I don't know, animals. I've had dreams that are movies and plays, too where people stand up and leave at the end.

Tina
http://www.smashedpicketfences.com

 
Posted : July 18, 2013 8:24 am
Kary English
(@karyenglish)
Posts: 688
Gold Star Member Moderator
 

Aw, man! Someone read my latest ms. and said there were a few nits. Now my scalp itches.

*scratches*

Nope, wait - just a stray comma. 😉

I mostly dream in pictures. I have, however, dreamt in foreign languages, in chatroom scroll and in Word pages with the cursor moving and words appearing. I also dreamt in perspective once, which is pretty much impossible to explain unless you've spent a heckuva lot of time doing perspective drawings and/or maybe CAD.

Re: plays - yes! I remember dreaming that my dream was a play once, and in the middle of the play, a little me walked on in regular street clothes and said, "I smell smoke." The me-figure wandered around the stage a little bit, looking around as if she didn't quite know where she was, and she kept repeating the "I smell smoke" line.

About then the fire alarms in our building went off. A house a few doors down was on fire and there was a strong smell of smoke in the bedroom.

I thought it was a pretty amusing way for my subconscious to handle things.

WOTF: 1 HM, 1 Semi, 2 Finalists, 1 Winner
Q2,V31 - Winner Winner Chicken Dinner!
Hugo and Astounding finalist, made the preliminary Stoker ballot (juried)
Published by Galaxy's Edge, DSF, StarShipSofa and TorNightfire

 
Posted : July 18, 2013 9:12 am
(@bobsandiego)
Posts: 394
Silver Member
 

I once dreamt that I was exploring ruins and a big cat, like a jaguar, leapt onto me and started tearing into my chest. I awoke to find my newest kitten kneading her claws into my chest.
Strangest dream - perhaps the roast chicken trying to kill the newly-weds

Literary saboteur
Blog: http://www.robertmitchellevans.com/
HM X 5
SF X 3
F X 1
Current Rejection Streak: 0

 
Posted : July 18, 2013 11:07 am
 Isto
(@isto)
Posts: 265
Silver Member
 

I thought at first some of you were kidding. I'm probably not understanding... when you think, you don't think in language? I mean, I can call up images, if needed, but...... No, I must be misunderstanding. When I dream, I dream with all six senses and those being very strong. I've had my most delicious meals when asleep. Somewhere
I heard that men dream in black and white, while women dream in color. I can't imagine that either.

- Isto
R-R-Semi

 
Posted : July 18, 2013 1:48 pm
(@sarahes)
Posts: 8
Active Member
 

I feel like I've been jumping into the threads at the most random times. wotf008

I don't often encounter smells or tastes in my dreams, or register them as strongly when I read either. Unless it's something really strong or foul like garbage or salt or something like a gritty silt texture grinding between the teeth (which isn't really a "taste"). I've had friends tell me they've had dreams about eating a ridiculously good piece of chocolate and things like that. I just don't really have dreams about eating or tasting that much (in fact, my favorite dreams are where I don't need to eat or sleep or worry about sustaining myself at all--I just turn into something that can fly and go on an adventure). I have constant outdoor allergies, and on good days when I don't have to blow my nose as much it's kind of weird because I can smell everything--normal subtle things like the grass that's been mowed or the fabric on my backpack--and I love when I can smell just normal things I didn't realize I was missing for a while.

It's funny, because when I try to write smells and tastes into my stories I find that I tend to make my characters unusually keen at recognizing certain smells or tastes in some way that the normal population maybe isn't (probably because my own sense of smell is kind of muted and it forces me to include smells and tastes from the setting that I otherwise wouldn't consider. Or maybe it's just wishful thinking.... What super power does my psyche secretly desire? An amazing sense of smell! And this whole time I thought what I really wanted was the ability to fly... wotf001 ). Then I spend a lot of time wondering if the smells and tastes I describe seem vivid and believable enough for people with a less-hindered sense of smell than me.

Speaking of dreams, my flying dreams are interesting because I usually morph into something that can fly (yeah, like an Animorph...my flying dreams really took off, pun intended, when I was a preteen reading those books), but my fear of heights really seems to come out in these dreams too because there's always some limit--usually the middle height of the surrounding buildings or the building I'm in in my dream--that I can fly up to, and any higher than that feels kind of freaky and off-limits like it's "too high," or I'll get sucked up into the sky or something. Not as cool as smelling smoke or having a dream about a lion ripping through your chest and having it correspond to something real, though (aren't cats just the best?). wotf011

Sarah Seeley

Q2 Vol.30: HM!
Q3 Vol.30: Submitted

Writing Blog: http://www.slithersofthought.blogspot.com

 
Posted : July 18, 2013 9:16 pm
(@sarahes)
Posts: 8
Active Member
 

That ended up being a much longer post than I thought it was going to be. wotf008

Sarah Seeley

Q2 Vol.30: HM!
Q3 Vol.30: Submitted

Writing Blog: http://www.slithersofthought.blogspot.com

 
Posted : July 18, 2013 9:17 pm
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