The Official Authors' Hangout April Fool's 2018 Support Thread
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SolarRay
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I like to think that they'll dwell on your story for a bit, slowly being needled by the idea, until finally they have an unexpected catharsis that leads them to give cross-dressing a try when no one is looking. With one glance at their new self in the mirror, they'll realize what their true identity was all along, then return to leave you a long thank you comment under the guise of their new alter ego.
ChloeTzang
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Well I've made it to the grand total of 4000 views for this one over one week. Worst view count ever. I suspect my description line might have been a bit too unappealing.
SusanJillParker
I'm 100% woman
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Like me, we're more novelists than we are short story writers.
Perhaps, the next time you submit a novel length work, you should consider making chapters instead of posting the whole story.
Posting chapters will definitely give you more hits and exposure.
Then, for the contest write a 2 to 4 page story.
Good luck with your entry. I hope you win.
ChloeTzang
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Thank you and yes, a novella at least. As for winning, with 52 votes and 4K views I'd be stunned. Especially most of it is shooting up chupacabras and blowing heads off werewolves and interior decorating (those rugs....). Still, it was such fun to write.
NotWise
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I think the Summer Luvin' winner had something like 27 votes after sweeps. Low votes isn't a bad thing for winning, and views aren't counted. I think something like 52 votes may come close to maximizing the sweep effect. It's small enough to see big changes, but not so small that you're likely to end up under 25 votes.
YDB95
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That's the key to winning anyway in my experience. The stories I had the most fun with have almost always done the best in the contests - and usually I wasn't expecting them to, because it felt more like writing for myself than for anyone else. If it starts to feel like a slog and like you're only writing for the audience, I think it shows.
ChloeTzang
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Aaaaand .... introducing Chloe in "A Troll is Haunting Tex's"
Kethandra
Pan-curious, Puckish
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Looking good. Nice Combat Photography patch. They used to use 35mm cameras; apparently, they’ve switched to 9mm.
ChloeTzang
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Kethandra
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I see small signs of sweeping.(with under 60 votes, it’s pretty obvious. I’ve had contest entries in other categories that had 500 votes at this point, and that makes it harder to see the sweeps - like when the vote count stays the same but the score changes: did I get one new vote and have one swept, or were 15 swept and replaced by new ones?)
ChloeTzang
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Yep, I've had ONE vote swept. Wooo hoooooo.
SusanJillParker
I'm 100% woman
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Kethandra
Pan-curious, Puckish
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Bewildered
Okay, this is too weird.
My story went from 97 votes late last night (and most of those came in during the last two days) down to 22 votes now, with the score dropping from solid contender to also-ran, without enough votes to even be in the running.
Over 75% of the votes cast were illegit?!
I don’t have a particularly active or rabid fan base available to stuff the ballot box. I wonder if there was a glitch in the votes counted initially, then corrected this morning, since I cannot see anyway that 3+ out of 4 votes were actually cast for the story, but deemed sweep-worthy shortly after. Unless there’s a voting bot out there that just loves campy Robin and Batgirl sex.
Okay, this is too weird.
My story went from 97 votes late last night (and most of those came in during the last two days) down to 22 votes now, with the score dropping from solid contender to also-ran, without enough votes to even be in the running.
Over 75% of the votes cast were illegit?!
I don’t have a particularly active or rabid fan base available to stuff the ballot box. I wonder if there was a glitch in the votes counted initially, then corrected this morning, since I cannot see anyway that 3+ out of 4 votes were actually cast for the story, but deemed sweep-worthy shortly after. Unless there’s a voting bot out there that just loves campy Robin and Batgirl sex.
ChloeTzang
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My vote count has been up and down like a yo yo and my scores been jumping around as well. So has everybody else's scores. Totally not the usual finishing sweeps here.
Just lost a lot of votes and my score dropped so I figure that was those five stars from other entrants in the competition disappearing. Took me from up top to 4th as near as I can figure. But hey that's waaaaaay better than I anticipated.
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RejectReality
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Congrats to the winners 
First Place ($150 Cash Prize Winner):
Fools Buzz In by theravenfox
Second Place ($100 Cash Prize Winner):
The Wanton Flower by tomlitilia
Third Place ($75 Cash Prize Winner):
Angel, Devil, Phantom, Fool. by Alice_Rosaleen
Your best bet is to consider any flurry of 11th hour votes to be meaningless so far as your final score is concerned. Whether positive or negative, the bulk of those votes coming in on the last day or so are almost always going to be somebody doing something underhanded. It's been happening as long as I've been around.
Somewhat less true if you got in late/last minute, but even then, there's a week between the close of submissions and the final sweep. The contest effect isn't strong enough to account for a surge in voting a week out.
First Place ($150 Cash Prize Winner):
Fools Buzz In by theravenfox
Second Place ($100 Cash Prize Winner):
The Wanton Flower by tomlitilia
Third Place ($75 Cash Prize Winner):
Angel, Devil, Phantom, Fool. by Alice_Rosaleen
Your best bet is to consider any flurry of 11th hour votes to be meaningless so far as your final score is concerned. Whether positive or negative, the bulk of those votes coming in on the last day or so are almost always going to be somebody doing something underhanded. It's been happening as long as I've been around.
Somewhat less true if you got in late/last minute, but even then, there's a week between the close of submissions and the final sweep. The contest effect isn't strong enough to account for a surge in voting a week out.
Kethandra
Pan-curious, Puckish
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Congrats to all the winners!
Congrats to the winners
First Place ($150 Cash Prize Winner):
Fools Buzz In by theravenfox
Second Place ($100 Cash Prize Winner):
The Wanton Flower by tomlitilia
Third Place ($75 Cash Prize Winner):
Angel, Devil, Phantom, Fool. by Alice_Rosaleen
.
oggbashan
Dying Truth seeker
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Congratulations to the winners and all the participants. 
I was surprised that two of mine were rated so highly. One was meant to be a second troll magnet but ended with an H. The first troll magnet started in the 3.xx range and gradually climbed to low 4.xx.
English Lane was rated much higher than I expected.
The next contest? Geeks come first...
I was surprised that two of mine were rated so highly. One was meant to be a second troll magnet but ended with an H. The first troll magnet started in the 3.xx range and gradually climbed to low 4.xx.
English Lane was rated much higher than I expected.
The next contest? Geeks come first...
A hearty congratulations to theravenfox, tomlitilia, Alice_Rosaleen! And an equal hearty thank you to all participants who submitted a little foolish tale of some foolish tail!
Thanks for the note, Ogg!
(However, I would just point out [respectfully, of course], that really depends on the Geek in question.
)
*****
Again, a big congratulations to the big three April Fools!
--snip--
The next contest? Geeks come first...
Thanks for the note, Ogg!
(However, I would just point out [respectfully, of course], that really depends on the Geek in question.
)*****
Again, a big congratulations to the big three April Fools!
ChloeTzang
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Echoed. Congrats guys, that was fun and a fun finish.
And thx to everyone who agreed to appear in my story. You guys are the greatest!
And to Ogg for scoring way high. My story drew them away Ogg. And you did a great job with the Bren gun.... and PuckIt and his vampire hounds did good too....
Really enjoyed some of those other stories too. Let's do this again soon huh
Edit: And what's even funnier is my score has climbed after the competition. Rotflmao. Actually more like giggling but hey... I only lost 23 votes outa 52 so what can I say. I won't even mention what my score was after the one stars got removed but I'm smiling. I enjoyed this one!
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yukonnights
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Congrats to the winners
First Place ($150 Cash Prize Winner):
Fools Buzz In by theravenfox
Second Place ($100 Cash Prize Winner):
The Wanton Flower by tomlitilia
Third Place ($75 Cash Prize Winner):
Angel, Devil, Phantom, Fool. by Alice_Rosaleen
I add my kudos to the top three...and to the many other good stories I read during the contest! Now I'll have to read the winners
This one seemed so different than than the Valentine contest right from the start...at least it was for mine. Creeping up to just over 4.5 then bamb!...back down to the low 4's. In the end, a 4.75 is better than I had hoped for...I was expecting to have to hang my head in shame
I'm happy to see others also saw some nice recovery in the end!!! (we all say we don't care...but we do )I want to take this opportunity to thank StickyGirl for her help as "technical advisor and cheerleader" on this one. I consider myself pretty well informed in regard to the issues transgender people have to deal with, but I learned a lot in having her help on this one...she's also a good writer herself. We both went into this saying if it just touched one other person it would be worth the effort...I think we succeeded!
TarnishedPenny
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BZ to all.
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