oggbashan
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The Official Author's Hangout 2014 Earth Day Contest Support Thread
- Thread starter PennLady
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RejectReality
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Based on the brief description, I'd be inclined to say "no" according to my personal yardstick. However...
The theme isn't really enforced with regards to entering, so it will make it into the contest. Few readers pay much attention to theme, so it doesn't really matter there.
There is the chance that in the lower-readership Sci-Fi&Fantasy/NonHuman categories that even a couple of people who are theme sticklers could seriously affect your score, though.
If there's more to it than that summary, such as the two characters being drawn together because it's Earth Day, that can make all the difference in the world in how those sticklers might view the connection to theme.
sr71plt
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Apparently that's for the author to say. I haven't seen that any stories were rejected from a contest on the basis of theme--or, for that matter, that theme was mentioned much in the commenting on stories.
LadyVer
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Thanks for the laugh.
Reminds me of a few stories I've refused to edit. If a writer can't take the time to clean up their story to make it easier for an editor to read, why should I waste the little free time I have trying to dicipher the story?LOL No, I was thinking in midtown Manhattan mall. heh No. It would be in a forest which is where the two would be in their most natural setting. I mean, this IS supposed to be an erotic earth day story, no? or do I have it all wrong...
Hell, I know I'm not going to win, I just want to submit a story so that at least some people don't laugh at it's premise.
I'm not trying to trawl for ideas which is why I wasn't being more forthcoming with the concept.
...and please don't put forth any "well maybe if it was..." because that would negate my using it in the contest. Rules are it's supposed to be original which means, to me, not based on another's ideas. This is why I haven't read any of the earthday stories to get "ideas" on what it CAN be.
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MSTarot
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Thanks for the laugh.
Well, for some it's not always a question of time. Ability, or lack there of, plays as big a role in that as anything.
Story-telling-wise, I'm more than willing to match story for story with most of the writers I've read. (there are a few that just blow me slap out the water, but I'm a work in progress writer)
My issue is when it comes to grammar. Well, that and a rather dreadful southern public education.
I've had comments on the same story telling me it's unreadable. Then the next comment is "The story best I have ever read"
It's not always just about time. Some people are good at one part and suck at another.
patientlee
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MSTarot
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And that's why we're a match made made in heaven.
Given what we write maybe just a bit south of heaven. More purgatory-ish maybe.
Spiders
underground candy stealing monsters
Snakes
Guy that has sex with a fire
lovecraft68
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I've been told I can tell a decent story and that dialogue is my strong suit.
But as a technical writer? I still pretty much flat out suck.
I'm starting to not worry about it though, obviously I've got the creative ability, but not the mechanical. I can find people to help with mechanics, but you can't find anyone that can teach you how to tell a story.
But as a technical writer? I still pretty much flat out suck.
I'm starting to not worry about it though, obviously I've got the creative ability, but not the mechanical. I can find people to help with mechanics, but you can't find anyone that can teach you how to tell a story.
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patientlee
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Yes. Your dialogue is second to none.
I think that some people can help you learn how to tell a better story though. Of course, that requires you to check your ego and listen what others tell you, but you've done that.
It's a whole lot easier to teach grammar.
patientlee
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Given what we write maybe just a bit south of heaven. More purgatory-ish maybe.
Spiders
underground candy stealing monsters
Snakes
Guy that has sex with a fire
My snakes were perfectly nice. Much nicer than candy stealing monsters. Or guys that have sex with fire.
And my butterflies are lovely.
(You have a point with the spider though.)
lovecraft68
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Guy that has sex with a fire
They have cruex for that.
TxRad
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MSTarot
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First time I have ever seen that word. Cruex. Sounds like an X-man villain.
The guy in question performs oral sex on a kerosene fire. I don't think they make an ointment for that.
jonthechaosman
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Mine will be posted in sci-fi. Hope it doesn't limit the audience too much. But then again, my writing does that all on it's own.
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lovecraft68
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I have a female character that can control fire, but she's a dud just uses it to burn and torture rapists. She also has a girlfriend who is a former CTU agent turned gun for hire. They're a fun couple.
Could never turn them lose on lit though too many men get hurt and well....the penis is sacred here.
patientlee
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More like Tough Actin Tinactin.
patientlee
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Isn't it everywhere?
I wish the ones you can buy on Amazon came with the same rights and privileges.
lovecraft68
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My sister made a classic remark when she said the best thing about a dildo is that its a big dick not attached to a bigger dick and the dildo never fails to satisfy.
She also added that the dildo is about as good at conversation and foreplay as most men.
Not sure how her husband feels about all that.
RejectReality
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Mine will be posted in sci-fi. Hope it doesn't limit the audience too much. But then again, my writing does that all on it's own.
If the comments in the sig are any indication, you may be used to LW numbers. If that's the case, you certainly need to be ready for significantly fewer votes and views.
LW is probably the 2nd most read category. If not, it's certainly in the top 5. Sci-Fi&Fantasy doesn't have nearly that large of an audience.
LadyVer
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If I can read the story, whether the writer is new or more experienced, and it's in my category preferences, I'll edit it. However, if the first word in all sentences aren't capped, the I pronoun is not capped throughout the document, and I can't figure out what the story is about, I tell the writer I can't edit it the way it is and what they need to do to make it editor-ready.
Every story has mechanical issues, regardless of the writer's experience, but if I can't read the story because there are too many mechanical issues, I tell the writer what they need to do to make it editor-ready for me. Most of the time, they'll make the changes, and I'll edit it. Sometimes, the writer doesn't want to do any more work and takes it personally, which is just as well that I don't edit for them.
I've got a Mother/Son story for Sunday. I've got 3 stories total. My stories lately are longer than usual. One is 4 pages, the other is 3, the other is two pages.
It doesn't seem like there will be many contest entries since the Official page only has 64 views.
What kinds of stories are you all submitting?
It doesn't seem like there will be many contest entries since the Official page only has 64 views.
What kinds of stories are you all submitting?
Swilly
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Dialogue is my favorite part to write. It's much easier to bring in humor, and you don't really need to worry so much about grammar and sentence structure. Real life dialogue frequently doesn't follow grammatically correct sentences. As long as a reader can understand it, it's all good.
PennLady
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I used to help a friend of mine while she was in grad school and wrote papers, and she's dyslexic. She did the best she could, but they still needed a lot of work. So "editor-ready" can mean different things for different people.
jonthechaosman
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I am hoping that being in the contest will help. This was actually a fun story for me to write. Which, for me, is really the point.
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