The Official Authors' Hangout 2023 Valentine's Day Contest Support thread

[KeithD]

My story is DONE!! Final edit will be tonight, then I submit.

Question though..well, clarification: I know that the stories for the special contests cannot be Chapters. (Ie: they must be stand alone stories) But, can the story be connected to another story? The story I've written revolves around the same two main characters that the story I am planning to submit for the winter holiday contest will be. The two stories are separate, stand alone stories. But it is the same couple, with one story even referencing the events of the other briefly. My plan is to build an entire shared universe of stories around the couple/family/friends with stand alone stories. But I want to be sure that that is going to be OK.

Yes, fine, as long as each contains enough explanation to stand alone. I once entered four stories to a Lit. contest that played on each other. But each of them could be read separately as a complete story.

 

[GrantBricksly]

Yes, fine, as long as each contains enough explanation to stand alone. I once entered four stories to a Lit. contest that played on each other. But each of them could be read separately as a complete story.

Excellent. I was pretty sure, but was not 100%. Thank you.

 

[Voboy]

My story is DONE!! Final edit will be tonight, then I submit.

Question though..well, clarification: I know that the stories for the special contests cannot be Chapters. (Ie: they must be stand alone stories) But, can the story be connected to another story? The story I've written revolves around the same two main characters that the story I am planning to submit for the winter holiday contest will be. The two stories are separate, stand alone stories. But it is the same couple, with one story even referencing the events of the other briefly. My plan is to build an entire shared universe of stories around the couple/family/friends with stand alone stories. But I want to be sure that that is going to be OK.

All my stories are like this, to one degree or another, but you REALLY need to be sure it's a self-contained story. Meaning, it's fine (and fun) to include easter eggs for your more devoted readers, but when you check the story you should try to read it as though you're a person who has NEVER encountered any of your previous work.

It'll be fine.

 

[KeithD]

but when you check the story you should try to read it as though you're a person who has NEVER encountered any of your previous work.

Um, no. I think you can include more connections to other works than that.

For instance, I've just written an entry for the 750-word contest that contains two book titles that are actually for books I've written myself. I have no doubts that will be fine within the contest parameters.

 

[Voboy]

Um, no. I think you can include more connections to other works than that.

For instance, I've just written an entry for the 750-word contest that contains two book titles that are actually for books I've written myself. I have no doubts that will be fine within the contest parameters.

No doubt. It's still good practice, in keeping with the spirit of the contests, to ensure there are no loose ends for a naive reader. And I did say it was fine to include connections to your other works, I think...

The 750 worders are not a contest. Different expectations.

 

[KeithD]

No doubt. It's still good practice, in keeping with the spirit of the contests, to ensure there are no loose ends for a naive reader. And I did say it was fine to include connections to your other works, I think...

The 750 worders are not a contest. Different expectations.

Well, no on expectations (and also to writing techniques). There are very few expectations, really, and no policing, really, for the themed contests. There isn't even the wordage requirement of the 750-word stories.

I think it's simply false demand on keeping contest-story contest as stringently divorced from the rest of one's work as you specified. The story is still in the author's portfolio. There is nothing in the contest expectations that precludes clever easter egging to the author's broader portfolio if they can do so and still have a complete, standalone story. It should be a plus achievement in a contest story, representing the author's skill, not a taboo.

 

[GrantBricksly]

All my stories are like this, to one degree or another, but you REALLY need to be sure it's a self-contained story. Meaning, it's fine (and fun) to include easter eggs for your more devoted readers, but when you check the story you should try to read it as though you're a person who has NEVER encountered any of your previous work.

It'll be fine.

Yea, I think I'll be fine. For the most part, the only real connection is the characters. The Winter Story (to be submitted in November) will make mention of the events of the Valentines Story. But it literally just mentions them in passing, as if it is just recalling a memory. The Valentines Story could not exist, and everything in the Winter story still makes sense.

 

[Voboy]

Yea, I think I'll be fine. For the most part, the only real connection is the characters. The Winter Story (to be submitted in November) will make mention of the events of the Valentines Story. But it literally just mentions them in passing, as if it is just recalling a memory. The Valentines Story could not exist, and everything in the Winter story still makes sense.

Sounds perfect.

 

[Duleigh]

My story is DONE!! Final edit will be tonight, then I submit.

Question though..well, clarification: I know that the stories for the special contests cannot be Chapters. (Ie: they must be stand alone stories) But, can the story be connected to another story? The story I've written revolves around the same two main characters that the story I am planning to submit for the winter holiday contest will be. The two stories are separate, stand alone stories. But it is the same couple, with one story even referencing the events of the other briefly. My plan is to build an entire shared universe of stories around the couple/family/friends with stand alone stories. But I want to be sure that that is going to be OK.

I have the same thing going, I have a 'universe' filled with characters I love. In fact, the We're a Wonderful Wife universe started with an individual story that I wrote 2 years ago for the Winter Holiday contest and finally posted it 2 months ago. I loved the story and characters so much I couldn't let go. I started writing a back story that is now up to Chapter 13 and will end at Chapter 14. I used six of the characters for my VD story and explored a facet in their relationship that I kind of hinted at in the main story, but it has nothing to do with the story itself, the facet is only addressed in the VD story and is resolved there in the story.

I made sure that my VD story did nothing to advance the main story overall, that Valentine's Dance was a stand-alone side story with enough exposition to bring the casual reader up to speed and with a link to the main story just in case they want to read more about these characters.

 

[GrantBricksly]

Alright! I've officially submitted my story! (And, came up with a new story that I am going to write, that is ALSO going to tie into this.

 

[JuanSeiszFitzHall]

I've done the first serious readthrough of my story, and I've decided that, yes, I will be willing to submit it, once some further work is done. To follow on the recent topic, my story will revisit characters in my last Val's Day contest story, and while there will be limited references to the 2022 story, the 2023 is definitely a standalone.

I might submit it over the weekend.

 

[oggbashan]

My first and probably only submission has been entered. I don't expect it to do well - it's too short with NO sex.

 

[BobbyBrandt]

My first and probably only submission has been entered. I don't expect it to do well - it's too short with NO sex.

Good luck

 

[KeithD]

And we're off. The first entries are starting to post.

 

[Duleigh]

We're live! And my "friends" were waiting for me. At least they got it out of their system, the working girls usually collect a fee for that.

 

[TxRad]

D, they are greedy and are waiting for everyone.

 

[Lifestyle66]

It's out there now for public consumption! And I'm sure my usual dedicated haters in LW were anxiously waiting to pounce just after it posted to 1-bomb it.

"The Real Gift: Her Fantasy" is now at 2.76 with 65 ratings! At this point, it's doing better in LW than my last story. That one started the morning coffee with 2.26 and about 35 raters.

 

[oggbashan]

It's out there now for public consumption! And I'm sure my usual dedicated haters in LW were anxiously waiting to pounce just after it posted to 1-bomb it.

Mine is out there too. I am watching it drop from 4.24 to 4.08 amd now 3.93.

The one-bombers are out in force...

 

[GrantBricksly]

Mine is live as well! Only 5 votes so far, but a 4.0 rating...so I'll take that for a start

Anniversary Gift

 

[oggbashan]

54 votes, two favourites but still 3.83.

 

[Lifestyle66]

Mine is out there too. I am watching it drop from 4.24 to 4.08 amd now 3.93.

The one-bombers are out in force...

The 1-bombers were too busy with mine first. Give them time.

But mine is now at 2.98 with 100 ratings ... in LOVING WIVES ... and it's about happy swingers!!! That has to be a record of some kind.

 

[GrantBricksly]

54 votes, two favourites but still 3.83.

Hey, you've got more votes than me, so at least they are reading it!

I've still only got 5 votes. But I do have 8 Favorites so far..

 

[Lifestyle66]

Mine is live as well! Only 5 votes so far, but a 4.0 rating...so I'll take that for a start

Anniversary Gift

I just opened yours. At 60K words, that's not a quick read. It will take a while for people to read through 16 LitE pages.

Heck, even if I copy & paste those into my text-to-speech converter, it will take me about 20 minutes to create an audio file of probably 8 or 9 hours to listen to it being read to me. So, I might get around to rating yours by Monday or Tuesday.

 

[oggbashan]

54 votes, two favourites but still 3.83.

Now 60 votes, sstill two favourites and 3.87. Going up!

 

[GrantBricksly]

I just opened yours. At 60K words, that's not a quick read. It will take a while for people to read through 16 LitE pages.

Heck, even if I copy & past those into my text-to-speech converter, it will take me about 20 minutes to create an audio file of probably 8 or 9 hours to listen to it being read to me. So, I might get around to rating yours by Monday or Tuesday.

well.....shit....thats because thats the WRONG STORY!! I just opened it myself......thats my winter story...not supposed to be submitted yet. I'm still editing that...Shit shit shit...KI need to get that off of there, and put the real story in there....