Writing Challenge Comments, Questions, Answers

[Boneman]

I found it sooo hard - I just posted my thoughts on the other thread about it, and it's because the standard is so good. But I agree that 75 word stories are best - so easy to review them all.

[Teresa Edgerton]

Originally Posted by mygoditsraining

I like the one-vote system - you only have to click once, and that's it done and dusted.

Oh, voting is easy. Deciding which one to vote for is the hard part.

I actually tossed a coin ... and then I dithered some more, and finally told myself that if I didn't abide by the coin toss I would never reach a decision.

[mosaix]

Let's stick to the current format of 75 words. We've only tried it once and it seems to have been successful enough to try it in that format at least a few more times.

[Devil's Advocate]

I am so damn thick! Even though I had read the story before, it's only while going through all of them again just now that HareBrain's entry just clicked for me.

I kept thinking of Mars as in the planet. Doh! *smacks forehead*

I can be very slow, sometimes. (Just ask Cul about my arithmetic.)

[Ursa major]

Perhaps when it comes to (the names of) planets, it's your mind that's the wanderer.








(And it happens to all of us: even now, I "make puns" that only I don't see. Luckily, these days just about everyone thinks that they're deliberate.)

[Culhwch]

Incidentally, for those who wanted two votes, you can always exercise a second by visiting the Photo Challenge thread...

[Teresa Edgerton]

In a spirit of camaraderie between challenges, I have just done so.

I know nothing at all about photography -- except that I have never been able to do it -- so I voted for the most striking image.

[Culhwch]

I'd like to see our humble competition reach the heights of this fledgling one, and I thought a little promotion might help. Glad you stopped by and voted! (And it matters not all that you know nothing about photography. I know nothing about painting, but I can still see the beauty in the Creation of Adam by Michelangelo...)

[Devil's Advocate]

I would have voted, too, but the photos aren't showing up on my end, for some reason.

[Teresa Edgerton]

Originally Posted by Culhwch

I'd like to see our humble competition reach the heights of this fledgling one

Well, we're a books and writing forum, after all, so I think that explains the initial enthusiasm for this competition.

Perhaps those who are ahead in the voting now are beginning to think about next month's theme, should the choice be theirs. It would be nice if we could start a little earlier, so that everyone has plenty of time to write their stories ... on the other other hand, I'm sure it will take some time to think up a great theme.

[Parson]

I've voted already. I did find there was one that I liked beyond the others, so that part was not too hard for me. But I do have a question. Is it possible to put the link to the contest in its own closed thread. It would be nice to be able to keep up with the voting (and yes you can do that) without having to search it out from a bunch of other posts. Or is there some search parameter that I could use, but know nothing about.


(The post above is 90 words. How did I ever get a story in 75?!)

[Teresa Edgerton]

For those who don't want to search through this thread, Parson, the link is also very near the end of the thread with the stories themselves. Which I should close, before it gets any longer ...

[Culhwch]

After casually stating ties are few and far between in the photo challenge thread and therefore likely the same here, I check the leaderboard this morning and find a congested pack at the top...

I'd like to propose that in the case of a tie, both winners choose a theme, and then the competitors pick one or the other to respond to. But I think we should impose a deadline for the new theme to be submitted. We've had instances in the photo challenge where we've been hanging around for a number of days waiting for the new theme. And perhaps in the case of a tie the winners PM their themes to Teresa, so she can set up the thread, just so that we don't have a couple of threads, or the first theme in the first post and the second halfway down the first page...

Just my thoughts.

[Teresa Edgerton]

Yes, I was thinking the 6th of the month as the deadline for the theme. If the winner can't come up with something in that time, you and I put our heads together and figure one out between us.

I think it would ruin the momentum if the challenges were to begin too late.

But as for multiple themes ... I don't know. Particularly if we have three or more stories that tie. If there is a tie, I suggest a (very quick) run-off poll in the contest thread.



However, taking a quick look, I see that a lot of people who wrote stories have not voted yet. Also, we need to encourage people who did not participate to vote. It seems to me, the more people voting, the less chance of a tie.

[Devil's Advocate]

You're right. By my count, there are 43 stories, and only 28 recorded votes, so far.

That means at least 15 contributors have yet to vote. Possibly more, considering a couple of the votes might have come from the 'spectators'.

Come one, guys, the bell rings tomorrow. Vote! Vote! Vote!