rboy27

Though it's been said here before, thank you judges for your input (especially considering the large number of entries this time), and congrats to all the winners!

As for responses to my story, I half-expected the reviews I received. When I wrote the first draft, it was around 2,500 words, so you can imagine the heavy editing I had to do. I wanted to say so much more, but that damn 500 word limit can really mess things up sometimes.

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"What you don't understand, you can make mean anything." - Diary by Chuck Palahniuk

Short Stories:
Sign
Boss Hog
Citrus Kills
Preparatory Humbuggery

Spread Awareness: Healed

Cornish Maid

Thanks for all the hard work behind the scenes peeps. Well done to everyone.

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Proof read carefully to see if you any words out. unknown.

Wombat Boi

Thanks to the judges (there WERE a lot of entries, wow).

I appreciate the feedback and understand what the issue was with my entry (I had a feeling it was too vague for the prompt but I wanted badly not to use humans as my subject so it would stand out. Humans were so easy to use because their understanding of death is so definite but animals have a more natural/accepting view of death. Sick kittens are abandoned by their parents when they're born, even sick older animals usually crawl off under a house or something to die, etc. Their knowing wouldn't be a knowing as a human would understand (unless they're anthropomorphic or something) but more of an acceptance.)

I obviously didn't pull it off well enough though. Oh well. Haha.

The only thing I was offended by was the note that I may have written it for a prompt other than this one and pasted it in here. That was kind of uncalled for.

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Chris Miller

I apologize Wombat. Thank you for explaining too. Shows you what a crapshoot competitions can be. Just because I didn't get it, doesn't make your story bad. It makes my judging weak. And I see it now that you've explained. There's nothing wrong with drawing on previous work for contests either. I did that once here, lifted an excerpt right out of my novel. (Got spanked for it too though.) But pros develop "craft libraries" I understand. Again, sorry to have missed your meaning, and sorry to have upset you with my inaccurate remark.

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the fairwriting blogs

Barcelona Review story: http://www.barcelonareview.com/64/e_cm.html

Wombat Boi

I'm not angry about it, and I can understand why you would think that, but I just found the comment inappropriate. I just feel as though judging should be a judging on the quality of what's written without any additional remarks that aren't totally relevant on what is being judged. In my opinion, I feel as though the comment was equatable to someone judging a story in which the writer of the story inserted something about a movie they liked into it, and the judge going, "And, by the way, that movie sucks." Even if it didn't have an impact on the actual score it's just not appropriate when you're in that position.

But it didn't break my heart or anything so don't worry about it. =P. Next time I'll have to keep my mind on the prompt and force myself not to have to be so weird and picky about things all the time, haha.

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Shawn

I'm proud to have probably scored the lowest on any one of these things! Writer's block is a terrible, terrible thing.

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The most frightening part of leaving a parent's home, to me, is not knowing where one's own home is.

eggo

Hey Guys,

Just scrolled down the page and noticed that the scores were posted. I have read some of the entries and was really blown away by the high quality of
them.

I think I ended up four or fifth and the ones that whooped me, whooped me good.

Great writing guys.

I think I scored about the lowest in the world in reading comprehension. I tedn to read more into things than is actually there.

When I read this, I decided to put away all thoughts of death. If there is something that you can't control and can do nothing to affect it, why dwell on it.

So I set aside the whole idea of incorporating the inevitable into my story and concentrated on the fact that there was no regrets. Obviously he will never find his son in time and left him this note before he died.

The cause of his death? Why Silver's prompt of course.

Thank you judges for you keen insights and the unpaid, stinking hard work of reading 35 times 500 words or

17500 words

and offering intelligent, constructive crit on each piece.


I would suggest, since the LM is growing large, to limit the word count for the next. Some of the 100 word limit ones were very good.

Just a thought,

Thanks again Pete

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Evelyn

My hat is off to the judges: what a lot of hard work! Thank each of you very much :)


I hope it isn't considered inappropriate to respond to your comments:
Doh!
Hindsight is 20/20.
(Epitheus must have been my muse...).

First off, if she was going to have to fly (and fly in the post 9/11 US, which poses special problems for the transport of weapons), she should have just used a garrote: quick and easy when used with the element of surprise, and easily assembled from quite carry-on-able guitar strings and jump rope handles.
(But she'd want a knife for back-up, so Hawke'd still get to have her giggle :)

But my real goof was just not getting the way the whole Story Contest Theme/Prompt thingo works (this is the first one I've entered): you don't fit the story into the constraints of the prompt, you fit the prompt into the workings of the story.
(Doesn't the word "duh" mean anything to me at all???!!!)


I think I may rework this into a longer story. If she drives rather than flies, that makes it much easier to transport firearms over state lines - so she can have Chris's sawed-off 12 gauge :).
(And of course she'll also have her knife, and the garrote :).

A freshly diagnosed but fast-spreading & terminal cancer would give her a couple of weeks of viable strength and activity, but also a strong assurance that, by the time the murder squad figured things out, there wouldn't be all the much of her left to arrest.
(Sadly, that does blow the title, which was one of the best parts of this story...)


- Evelyn, who learns something new everyday :)


PS. Hawke, I believe that the "Sharp Steel Thingies 'R' Us" store in my local mall is indeed called the "House of Cutlery." :)

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"Writing is easy. All you do is stare at a blank sheet of paper until the drops of blood form on your forehead."


The Longest Night

Chris Miller

Didn't actaully miss your entry Shawn. Just didn't think you were serious, thought it was more of a comment. Also I try to avoid spending more time/words commenting on a piece than the author spent writing it.

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the fairwriting blogs

Barcelona Review story: http://www.barcelonareview.com/64/e_cm.html

Chris Miller

I always try to look behind and beneath surface of a story. Muse on how and where it originated. Sometimes I get carried away and forget how sensitve we writers are. But again I apologize. You can have my "position" for the next one. I think that would be a suitable punishment.

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the fairwriting blogs

Barcelona Review story: http://www.barcelonareview.com/64/e_cm.html

Amber Leaf

cheers for taking the time to read and critisize judges. you had a lot or work on your hands there.

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'Jonny's laying in his sperm coffin and the angel looks down at him and says:
"Oh, pretty boy, can't you show me nothing but surrender?' - Patti Smith

Anarchy for me - Anything for whatever anyone else wishes.

Acid culture, techno culture, underground culture, rebel culture!

Itsaboysname

I second the motion.

Thanks to all judges, sweet prompt, and excellent entries by all.

I love LMs.

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I wish I were witty...

Wombat Boi

Your job is not one I particularly want. Thanks though. Haha.

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