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

[GrantBricksly]

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....

Ok everyone...quick....what is the best way to do this...delete the story and then submit the real one? or just submit an "Edit"?

 

[Lifestyle66]

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....

Good. That saves me 8-9 hours of listening. LOL. (at least for now.)

 

[GrantBricksly]

Good. That saves me 8-9 hours of listening. LOL. (at least for now.)

Yea, for now I will be waiting until November to actually submit that story for real. Though I guess this is a fun little dry run.

Given the fact that it has NOTHING to do with Valentines day, and the description makes no sense for the story...and it has a note on the top for my editor....I'd say I guess I should be thrilled with the votes/favorites I've gotten. Cause I shouldn't be getting anything..lol

I've submitted the correct story now, and requested that this one be removed...hopefully it gets removed before doing too much damage to the real story. (Im sure there are those out there that will tried to read it, and stopped, or just chose not too. And now when the real one hits, they might ignore it not knowing it's different....)

 

[GrantBricksly]

Yea, for now I will be waiting until November to actually submit that story for real. Though I guess this is a fun little dry run.

Given the fact that it has NOTHING to do with Valentines day, and the description makes no sense for the story...and it has a note on the top for my editor....I'd say I guess I should be thrilled with the votes/favorites I've gotten. Cause I shouldn't be getting anything..lol

I've submitted the correct story now, and requested that this one be removed...hopefully it gets removed before doing too much damage to the real story. (Im sure there are those out there that will tried to read it, and stopped, or just chose not too. And now when the real one hits, they might ignore it not knowing it's different....)

Ok, all is good now!

I can't believe they did it this quickly, but the correct story has been swapped in.

Good. That saves me 8-9 hours of listening. LOL. (at least for now.)

It's only 20k words for this one

I don't know who to thank for that, Laurel, or someone like that. But Thank you so much! I can't believe you guys got that fixed so quickly!

 

[Demiurging]

Finally got to finish editing, put it aside back when and all of the sudden it's three days 'till, you guys know how that is. Hopefully publishes soon.

 

[JuanSeiszFitzHall]

Although the notice to submit was later than usual, the contest is already linked on the Categories page. My guess is that anything that can get reader attention is worthwhile.

My edit today might be the last one necessary. I still hope to submit the story before the weekend is over.

 

[GrantBricksly]

I'm trying to work my way through reading the other submissions. I've managed to get 2 done. (though it means I've also written NOTHING today.....)

Pus side, I'm up to 27 votes, and up to a 4.44 so I'm steadily climbing

 

[JuanSeiszFitzHall]

I've submitted mine. This is an opportunity to see if there is indeed quick turnaround for contest entries. All of my other contest stories were submitted a week or so before the contest debut, so there was plenty of time for the necessary scrutiny.

 

[KeithD]

I've submitted mine. This is an opportunity to see if there is indeed quick turnaround for contest entries. All of my other contest stories were submitted a week or so before the contest debut, so there was plenty of time for the necessary scrutiny.

In recent contests, the next posting of stories after the first day postings has been three days later--that's in contrast to years of posting always being done within twenty-four hours. Also, I haven't experienced any posted on a Sunday in the last year. If you submitted today, yours might not get posted until Monday.

 

[BobbyBrandt]

I have spent the morning reading everything posted so far in the contest (except for the GM. Sorry.) I will endeavor to keep up with new entries as they post. Good luck everyone.

 

[Voboy]

I have spent the morning reading everything posted so far in the contest (except for the GM. Sorry.) I will endeavor to keep up with new entries as they post. Good luck everyone.

I caught your comment! Thank you!

I'm happy that I'm getting more comments than normal, and that many are from other writers. That's always gratifying for me, so shoutout to @djrip @dmallord & @elizaloo as well.

It's a bit of an unusual story. I wasn't sure it would get any traction, but the themes seem to be meaningful.

 

[BobbyBrandt]

I caught your comment! Thank you!

I'm happy that I'm getting more comments than normal, and that many are from other writers. That's always gratifying for me, so shoutout to @djrip @dmallord & @elizaloo as well.

It's a bit of an unusual story. I wasn't sure it would get any traction, but the themes seem to be meaningful.

I figured that I couldn't expect my fellow writers to comment on my stories if I didn't do the same for them.

I liked your story and it will motivate me to read more of your work once the contest is over and I can dedicate some time to them. I think that one of the hopeful positives that could come from these contests would be introducing readers to writers that they may not have encountered before, as was the case with me and your story.

 

[JuanSeiszFitzHall]

In recent contests, the next posting of stories after the first day postings has been three days later--that's in contrast to years of posting always being done within twenty-four hours. Also, I haven't experienced any posted on a Sunday in the last year. If you submitted today, yours might not get posted until Monday.

As it happens, my home screen shows that my story will be posted on Sunday. That amounts to a day-and-a-half turnaround.

 

[KeithD]

I have spent the morning reading everything posted so far in the contest (except for the GM. Sorry.) I will endeavor to keep up with new entries as they post. Good luck everyone.

Then I think it would have been respectful if you hadn't put a comment on a GM story. What you put in the sr71plt story (which is doing very well, incidentally) left open the possibility that you'd read the story and found it not to your liking. It would have been respectful just not to post anything and leave it to readers who do read GM. I believe "Blitzed" is a very complex story that's readable with/without the GM element, and its in the vein of GM stories that have won this contest before--without the need for "I don't read that stuff" comments put on them.

You are a competing author in this contest. I'm not going to go to your story and post a "I don't read this stuff" comment.

 

[KeithD]

As it happens, my home screen shows that my story will be posted on Sunday. That amounts to a day-and-a-half turnaround.

Glad to hear that contest stories will be posted on Sunday.

 

[GrantBricksly]

I have spent the morning reading everything posted so far in the contest (except for the GM. Sorry.) I will endeavor to keep up with new entries as they post. Good luck everyone.

I got your comment, and very much appreciated it. I've been slow trying to read other stories..but I am trying to do the same, and comment when I can.

 

[BobbyBrandt]

Then I think it would have been respectful if you hadn't put a comment on a GM story. What you put in the sr71plt story (which is doing very well, incidentally) left open the possibility that you'd read the story and found it not to your liking. It would have been respectful just not to post anything and leave it to readers who do read GM. I believe "Blitzed" is a very complex story that's readable with/without the GM element, and its in the vein of GM stories that have won this contest before--without the need for "I don't read that stuff" comments put on them.

You are a competing author in this contest. I'm not going to go to your story and post a "I don't read this stuff" comment.

Fair enough. Too bad writers don't have the option to delete comments left on their stories, isn't it?

 

[KeithD]

Fair enough. Too bad writers don't have the option to delete comments left on their stories, isn't it?

Did you read into the story or did you put the comment without reading into it? You've left the impression that your judgment might have been based on reading into it and finding it "I don't read that stuff" distasteful. If the comment is based on not having read it, it shouldn't be there at all. You shouldn't be commenting on a story you haven't read. If so, I can delete it. (You may or may not know that sr71plt is an account of mine. I don't keep that a secret).

 

[BobbyBrandt]

Did you read into the story or did you put the comment without reading into it? You've left the impression that your judgment might have been based on reading into it and finding it "I don't read that stuff" distasteful. If the comment is based on not having read it, it shouldn't be there at all. If so, I can delete it. (You may or may not know that sr71plt is an account of mine. I don't keep that a secret).

I did not read them. Without judging, just as with BDSM, Lesbian, and a few other categories, the subject content holds not interest for me and I believe my comment reflects that stance without disparaging the story itself.

If you believe differently, feel free to do what you think is appropriate, and once again, good luck.

 

[KeithD]

Did you read into the story or did you put the comment without reading into it? You've left the impression that your judgment might have been based on reading into it and finding it "I don't read that stuff" distasteful. If the comment is based on not having read it, it shouldn't be there at all. You shouldn't be commenting on a story you haven't read. If so, I can delete it. (You may or may not know that sr71plt is an account of mine. I don't keep that a secret).

And now I see you've left the same comment on my "Interrupted Escape."

And again, I don't think it proper at all, no matter how well meaning, for a competing author in a contest to leave negate comment on another author's entry. Since you didn't read the stories and therefore can't really make a judgment on them as contest entries, I'm deleting both comments.

 

[TarnishedPenny]

Submitted. Now the fun begins.

 

[KeithD]

I haven't seen the comments, but wouldn't you keep them and add a link to these posts, so other readers can see the background of the comments and the attitude of the maker?

It's done. It was meant as innocent and generally supportive, I'm sure. But it was negative comment based on genre rather than the story itself that a reader wouldn't find on many of the other stories in the contest. The comments are gone. I strive to write stories for these contests that hold up as stories with/without the sexual genre. "Blitzed" was rated 4.94 before the comment appeared. It remains to be seen if the negative edge put to it has had any affect before the comment got deleted. I'm sure the story won't remain that high to the end of the contest (but who knows; similar entries have twice before in the Valentine's Day contest). "Interrupted Escape" was at 4.79 before the comment appeared.

I live mainly in the mainstream writing world anyway and enter many contests there. In the mainstream you won't find authors competing in the contest given the opportunity even to buck each other up or tear each other down during the contest. This isn't really objective competition in writing skills. The most you're getting in a Lit. contest is greater access to readers--which is fine.

 

[NoTalentHack]

I've just submitted mine. It's my usual cheerful fare; I'm sure it will score well with both the LW crowd and the general readers!

 

[JuanSeiszFitzHall]

I'm surprised to see that, ten days in, the contest has only 34 entries. That seems pretty low, although I don't have data for comparison (and I'm too lazy to find any). It's also odd that there haven't been any posts in this thread in the previous eight days. Maybe for the same reason? Are there simply not many stories being written for the contest?

 

[KeithD]

I'm surprised to see that, ten days in, the contest has only 34 entries. That seems pretty low, although I don't have data for comparison (and I'm too lazy to find any). It's also odd that there haven't been any posts in this thread in the previous eight days. Maybe for the same reason? Are there simply not many stories being written for the contest?

Yes, I was surprised to see so few on the list when I checked yesterday. I've submitted two more entries today.