The Official Author's Hangout 2014 Halloween Contest Support Thread

[sr71plt]

Yeah, it is fucked the fuck up. I just clicked on the link from the Halloween Contest page and it goes to a story page with no author or text.

Have any of y'all read "Soul Service, Inc." yet? It's really great.

I think it's been fixed now. Laurel suggests that if anyone encounters that with another story to PM her. "Soul Service" does have a couple of very favorable comments on it.

 

[AMoveableBeast]

I love Halloween. I love horror. But, God, after I finish this story I am going to need the hottest, longest shower in the history of man. It's like I just threw-up in my soul.

 

[lovecraft68]

I love Halloween. I love horror. But, God, after I finish this story I am going to need the hottest, longest shower in the history of man. It's like I just threw-up in my soul.

I had that feeling after I wrote the "Dark Days" chapters of SWB all about the despair of addiction and a rape scene(and not one for the "oh, that's hot" crowd, but a real one)

Of course I just had to throw up period because I sold my soul back in my teens.

 

[patientlee]

I had that feeling after I wrote the "Dark Days" chapters of SWB all about the despair of addiction and a rape scene(and not one for the "oh, that's hot" crowd, but a real one)

Of course I just had to throw up period because I sold my soul back in my teens.

What were souls going for back then?

 

[lovecraft68]

What were souls going for back then?

It varied. Mine went to a thirty five year old goth woman(back before goth was really a thing) in exchange for me getting to be her sub and teaching me how to dom others. She also imparted some pretty impressive occult knowledge as well.

It was a more than fair exchange.

 

[patientlee]

It varied. Mine went to a thirty five year old goth woman(back before goth was really a thing) in exchange for me getting to be her sub and teaching me how to dom others. She also imparted some pretty impressive occult knowledge as well.

It was a more than fair exchange.

I think I'll hang on to mine. See what it's worth in a few years. You know, inflation and all.

 

[stlgoddessfreya]

I think I'll hang on to mine. See what it's worth in a few years. You know, inflation and all.

pl, I can offer competitive rates and no closing costs!

 

[patientlee]

pl, I can offer competitive rates and no closing costs!

But only if I call in the next ten minutes, right?

 

[stlgoddessfreya]

But only if I call in the next ten minutes, right?

You wound me! What about Folkvangr Soul Holdings strikes you as being a rinky-dink, mass soul clearinghouse? I assure you, my practice is boutique, and my pre- and post-divestmeant counselling excellent. If you want to go with the big guys, Jehovah's house has many rooms (full of accounts receivable), but that guy has some really specific body modification requirements.

You'll be back.

 

[Bramblethorn]

You wound me! What about Folkvangr Soul Holdings strikes you as being a rinky-dink, mass soul clearinghouse? I assure you, my practice is boutique, and my pre- and post-divestmeant counselling excellent. If you want to go with the big guys, Jehovah's house has many rooms (full of accounts receivable), but that guy has some really specific body modification requirements.

You'll be back.

Do you still have that "free pair of nail clippers" deal going?

 

[JKendallDane]

pl...I thought you sold your soul to that naked guy in the creek from this summer???

 

[patientlee]

pl...I thought you sold your soul to that naked guy in the creek from this summer???

Did I say sold my soul? I meant to say I called the cops.

 

[patientlee]

You wound me! What about Folkvangr Soul Holdings strikes you as being a rinky-dink, mass soul clearinghouse? I assure you, my practice is boutique, and my pre- and post-divestmeant counselling excellent. If you want to go with the big guys, Jehovah's house has many rooms (full of accounts receivable), but that guy has some really specific body modification requirements.

You'll be back.

I gotta talk it over with my husband. You never know when I might need it my soul.

An interesting factoid: When I was in CCD when I was young, I believed that the soul was like an actual organ of the body. I thought it was like a cinnamon roll with wings.

I'm pretty sure that isn't the reason I'm an atheist, but you never know.

 

[stlgoddessfreya]

Do you still have that "free pair of nail clippers" deal going?

Yes, but the only sizes we have left are Giant and Extra-Giant.

 

[stlgoddessfreya]

I gotta talk it over with my husband. You never know when I might need it my soul.

An interesting factoid: When I was in CCD when I was young, I believed that the soul was like an actual organ of the body. I thought it was like a cinnamon roll with wings.

I'm pretty sure that isn't the reason I'm an atheist, but you never know.

No, souls are totally like that, you were right. It's why my house always smells like cinnamon and vanilla and is buffetted by the flapping of tiny wings.

 

[geronimo_appleby]

pending.

non-erotic.

we'll see.

 

[DeathAndTaxes]

I think it's been fixed now. Laurel suggests that if anyone encounters that with another story to PM her. "Soul Service" does have a couple of very favorable comments on it.

I've so far read most of the entries (not all yet, most), and that was one of the top ones I've enjoyed so far. It appealed to my dorky sense of humor.

One bonus side effect of being involved in the contest is I'm reading outside my normal genre haunts and trying out some new things. It's a nice change of pace. Especially when you hang steadily around a couple of categories and a lot of the stories start to get real predictable. Adding some new favorite authors to my list!

 

[LaRascasse]

Recommendations anybody? I will vote and comment.

 

[LaRascasse]

Recommendations anybody? I will vote and comment.

I have taken the initiative to read a few contest entries on my own (based on authors I recognized) and I'm not disappointed so far.

Recommend your (or someone else's) wares to me.

 

[lovecraft68]

Finished mine last night.

Stands now at 81k

But looking back I know of two scenes that can be eliminated (for this version I'll keep them and add a little more if I decide to publish a version of it at some point) to bring it down a few k.

So after work I'll start the process of editing until my eyes bleed.

 

[xelliebabex]

Edited: Ignore me, problem fixed... )

 

[BuckyDuckman]

I swear, sometimes I think my Muse watched too much "Punk'd!"

After nearly 10K words over a week of writing, I realized, "You know, to tell this story correctly, it needs about another 30K words." WTF?!

So, I'm back to reworking it and trying to keep it under 20K.

 

[stlgoddessfreya]

I have taken the initiative to read a few contest entries on my own (based on authors I recognized) and I'm not disappointed so far.

Recommend your (or someone else's) wares to me.

LaRascasse, I always appreciate your comments. Thanks! My goal was to read at least half of the stories in the original submission this weekend and to try to read 3-4 stories a day moving forward to keep up with people posting later. So far, I've read 28 out of what is, this morning, 52, so I'm on target. I haven't commented on all of the one's I've read but I will - it can be tricky if I'm reading on my phone. Some of the best ones I've read are:

A Witch's Night Out
Soul Service, Inc.
Dracula's Daughter
For Past Transgressions
What Kevin Did Last Summer
Intruders

MSTarot's three shorts are like Halloween candy. The good kind, not the crap peanutbutter taffy in the black and orange wax paper wrappers. Half the views on "The Hangin' Tree" are probably me, because I keep going back to it like a kid home alone, trying to spook herself in the mirror.

 

[LaRascasse]

LaRascasse, I always appreciate your comments. Thanks! My goal was to read at least half of the stories in the original submission this weekend and to try to read 3-4 stories a day moving forward to keep up with people posting later. So far, I've read 28 out of what is, this morning, 52, so I'm on target. I haven't commented on all of the one's I've read but I will - it can be tricky if I'm reading on my phone. Some of the best ones I've read are:

There's no way I could read the whole lot. I strictly stick to authors I have faith in and recommendations.

A Witch's Night Out
Soul Service, Inc.
Dracula's Daughter
For Past Transgressions
What Kevin Did Last Summer
Intruders

If none of these is intolerably long, I can wing all 6 by tomorrow.

MSTarot's three shorts are like Halloween candy. The good kind, not the crap peanutbutter taffy in the black and orange wax paper wrappers. Half the views on "The Hangin' Tree" are probably me, because I keep going back to it like a kid home alone, trying to spook herself in the mirror.

Ah yes, I too have a soft spot for MST. I was saving up his entries for later. All bookmarked on my tablet.

A story which I would like to recommend to y'all is The Fall Of Rowland Graves by DeathAndTaxes. It's a tie-in to her earlier novel and has that deliciously macabre feel we look for in a Halloween tale. Read and you will not be disappointed.

Another story I have high hopes is by Rozalin_0123. I'm not sure what she'll title it when she submits it. Having had the good fortune of editing this story, I'd call it a must-read, despite it's slightly intimidating length (not even close to yours LC, don't worry )

 

[patientlee]

Intruders is less than a page.

There's no way I could read the whole lot. I strictly stick to authors I have faith in and recommendations.



If none of these is intolerably long, I can wing all 6 by tomorrow.



Ah yes, I too have a soft spot for MST. I was saving up his entries for later. All bookmarked on my tablet.

A story which I would like to recommend to y'all is The Fall Of Rowland Graves by DeathAndTaxes. It's a tie-in to her earlier novel and has that deliciously macabre feel we look for in a Halloween tale. Read and you will not be disappointed.

Another story I have high hopes is by Rozalin_0123. I'm not sure what she'll title it when she submits it. Having had the good fortune of editing this story, I'd call it a must-read, despite it's slightly intimidating length (not even close to yours LC, don't worry )