Critics' Choice Round 3: - The results

[TheEarl]

And the results are in. After lots of voting and lots of bloody hard work by yours truly, the Critic’s Choice results are:

My Twin Loves – Christo
8 10

Rapunzel Act 1 - Tatewaki
7.9 4

Frieda the Cat - MathGirl
7.5 7

The whole wide world – Nitelite
7.4 5

Among the stacks - Deliciously Naughty
6.4

Seducing Dawn - The Earl
6.3

Seducing Severus, Chapter 3 - Just-Legal
6.0 1

Mary, Chapter 2 - Just John 1
5.9 3

Across the Street - Gauche critic
5.5

Best Lil' Whorehouse in MiddleEarth – Svenskaflicka
5.2 1


The first number is the average score. The second number is the total of the votes in the top 3 voting system (Basically the higher the number, the more people thought you were in the top three for them personally). PMs are being sent to all those nominated with the comments that were sent in about the stories and more info on the voting. Congrats Christo for walking off with both awards. As Laurel has yet to answer about the Blue C, I don’t think he’ll win anything, but a heartfelt round of applause.

And now onto your next host: Chicklet, who has gained the honour (ie. she didn’t move fast enough when I asked who’d be next) of chairing the next competition. Bloody good luck to you. Now I’m just going to go and rest my brain in ice, I think the sheer boredom of statistics has melted it.

The Earl

PS. Hurrah, look. A post that's longer than my signature!

 

[Svenskaflicka]

I for one suggest a better voting system. I can't make heads nor tails of this one. Has 1 person voted for my story? How come I got 5.2 then?

Can't we just do like in the Eurovision Song Contest, and rank the stories by giving 1 point to the "worst" and 10 points to the "best"?

I think it would be easier to understand.

 

[MathGirl]

Kudeaux

Congratulations, Christo. Well done.

Earl-
Good job of keeping an unruly mob of judges and contestants in line. I'll bet you never want to do that again.
MG

 

[deliciously_naughty]

Thanks for the hard work Earl! And welcome to the retired moderators resort...I've got a margarita and masseuse waiting for you (you pick the order)

 

[TheEarl]

SF: The second number indicates the votes you got for top three positions. 1 point means that one person thought your story was third best.

DN: I'll have the masseuse, then a margarita, then another masseuse please.

All future complaints and suggestions to be addressed to Chicklet. It'll all her fault now .

The Earl

 

[Just_John1]

Good Job Earl

and congrats to you Christo...

Earl... Might I suggest that you go straight to shots of bourbon? or perhaps scotch would be more appropriate for you... Don't waste time with the mixers... and be careful with those massage people... could be a story lurking

JJ1

 

[christo]

I'd like to thank everyone who took the time to read my story, and I'm glad folks seemed to enjoy it. What do I win? Cash? I hope it's cash. No, just not just the respect of my peers again! I owe thirty large to Jimmy the Weasel! He's gonna take my THUMBS!

 

[MathGirl]

Advice

I owe thirty large to Jimmy the Weasel! He's gonna take my THUMBS!

Maybe you could get a foot pedal to operate the space bar.

Helpfully, MG

 

[gauchecritic]

You're just a bunch of short sighted b*&@?*%s

 

[Svenskaflicka]

Re: You're just a bunch of short sighted b*&@?*%s

Low score, Gauche?

 

[gauchecritic]

But seriously

I know it will make the contest so much harder to judge (and I'll never be a judge not even for money ) but being as how it's a Critic's Choice could the next round include at least one line of criticism in with the voting. Maybe have the scoring posted and single line critique with it.

OK I'll say it, my story was as good, if not better, than all the stories entered, literary wise I can point to several points of authorship not included by other writers, techniques not employed and characters less real.

It's like I'm being penalised for writing stroke.

I just feel that for a critical contest it was more of a personal sex preference competition.

Sorry but I can't be any more

gauche

 

[MathGirl]

Re: But seriously

I just feel that for a critical contest it was more of a personal sex preference competition.

Dear Gauchie,

I agree with much of what you wrote. Not the above, though. My little story wasn't sexual at all.

Most of the stories, yours included, was better written than mine. The judging wasn't a "sexual preference" thing, though.
MG

 

[gauchecritic]

Diane,

I wasn't trying to impugne anybody's ability (or as the popular term has it 'literary worth') and I know that you always 'do yourself down' (for no apparent reason that I can find in your stories), I was just trying to say that the judging wasn't quite as objective as the competition title would suggest.

Sometimes no sex is better than a disliked fetish!

I was just blowing steam, because as we both know "It's all bollox"

To paraphrase 'The Artist'

Maybe I'm just like my Father: too cold, maybe I'm just like my mother:too bold, maybe I'm just too

Gauche

 

[MathGirl]

Judging objectively

I was just trying to say that the judging wasn't quite as objective as the competition title would suggest.
Gauche

Dear Gauchie,
Judging this stuff is totally subjective. You can judge games objectively. You just keep score, and the best score wins. You obviously can't do that with great literature like ours. It's like judging Mozart vs Picasso.
MG

"Writing about music is like dancing about architecture."

 

[MathGirl]

.

oops

 

[Guest]

rubrics anyone?

At the risk of sticking my head in and having it lopped off, I would say that the issue is more one of 'choice'.

I have disagreed with other authors here in the hangout as to the 'value' of different stories.... whether in construction or depth... but when it comes down to it, it is about preference.

If it was more about merit, then a structured rubric would help. 0-2 pts per five categories: plot, character, craft (grammar, sentence structure, pacing), erotic?, and overall. Just as an off the top of my head list. This would bring in all elements of every story. Each judge would apply the same rubric to each story and then total up scores.

This would eliminate the huge variance in how judges interpret 1-10.

As you all know, though, I am rather Pollyanna and a little slow (as MG keeps reminding me).

Congratulations to all authors who participated. Your cahones are bigger than mine, for sure.

b

 

[MathGirl]

Re: rubrics anyone?

As you all know, though, I am rather Pollyanna and a little slow (as MG keeps reminding me).
Congratulations to all authors who participated. Your cahones are bigger than mine, for sure.
b

You' about as slow as an F-16, Bridget, but you play dumb soooooo well.

Ummm... I don't know how to break this to you, dear, but you never had any cojones. Even if you had, you would have lost them last month. Remember?

Helpful as always,
MG

 

[gauchecritic]

(in a Homer simpson voice)

Mmmmm. Rubrics. (gargle)

gauche

 

[Svenskaflicka]

Re: rubrics anyone?

If it was more about merit, then a structured rubric would help. 0-2 pts per five categories: plot, character, craft (grammar, sentence structure, pacing), erotic?, and overall. Just as an off the top of my head list. This would bring in all elements of every story. Each judge would apply the same rubric to each story and then total up scores.

As a Non-American, writing in a second language, with Non-American grammar, I always have a handicap...

 

[TheEarl]

There was one person who voted on a very strict scale (Sorry, I don't remember who. It all just blurred together) with votes for different bits: one vote for the grammar, on e for the hotness, etc. and then made an average. Lots of decimal points. Evil person.

The Earl

 

[MathGirl]

Doomed, I tell you, DOOMED!

There was one person who voted on a very strict scale (Sorry, I don't remember who. It all just blurred together) with votes for different bits: one vote for the grammar, on e for the hotness, etc. and then made an average. Lots of decimal points. Evil person.

The Earl

That's obviously an attempt to bring objectivity to something that is purely subjective. A noble attempt, lots of effort, but probably doomed to failure.
MG

 

[Chicklet]

Re: But seriously

I know it will make the contest so much harder to judge (and I'll never be a judge not even for money ) but being as how it's a Critic's Choice could the next round include at least one line of criticism in with the voting. Maybe have the scoring posted and single line critique with it.

i've got plans along those lines - next round should be more "fair" - I'm going to cut the voting into three categories so that even if someone doesn't "like" the story it could still get a high score.

Check the discussion thread i'm about to post.

Chicklet

 

[Svenskaflicka]

There was one person who voted on a very strict scale (Sorry, I don't remember who. It all just blurred together) with votes for different bits: one vote for the grammar, on e for the hotness, etc. and then made an average. Lots of decimal points. Evil person.

The Earl

That explains why I got 5,2.

 

[Chicklet]

There was one person who voted on a very strict scale (Sorry, I don't remember who. It all just blurred together) with votes for different bits: one vote for the grammar, on e for the hotness, etc. and then made an average. Lots of decimal points. Evil person.

The Earl

lmao while i don't remember doing this i was thinking of incorporating something into the next round along those lines. no decimal points, though.

Chicklet

 

[NorthwestRain]

Hi everyone, I think the results were an accurate representation of the stories and the competition was very close.
Congratulations again to you Christo and Tatewaki, and everyone else who had the guts to enter. Nice one.
I really enjoyed being a judge although it sucks up huge amounts of time, which leads me to the Earl, who spent the most time with this. Many thanks mate.

By the way, anyone who would like my thoughts on your stories, and I warn you first, some thoughts may not be taken lightly, please PM me and I'll be happy to divulge.