NYC Midnight : Creative Writing & Screenwriting Homepage
Forum Home Forum Home > GENERAL DISCUSSION > Creative Writing Corner
  New Posts New Posts RSS Feed - Monday Morning Quarterback: Regrets Edition
  FAQ FAQ  Forum Search   Events   Register Register  Login Login

Monday Morning Quarterback: Regrets Edition

 Post Reply Post Reply Page  <1234 9>
Author
Message
GGreen View Drop Down
NYC Midnight Regular
NYC Midnight Regular
Avatar

Joined: 16 Jul 2018
Location: Cotswolds, UK
Status: Offline
Points: 376
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote GGreen Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 12 Nov 2018 at 2:45pm
I rejigged my opening paragraph's phrasing in a final edit. 
My opening line just seems so clunky now.
Other than that, for me it's mainly a sense that the sentences have no air in them, they're too tight.
But, having said all that, I do believe I did my best and I am proud of it. I wanted to write something that felt like ''me"  after feeling alienated from my round 2 story, and I did that, despite prompts that did not resonate at first.
It's so hard to work so intensively and then not keep going over it after the deadline. That's why the feedback in the forum is hands-down the best aspect of this competition. It's a form of closure!
Back to Top
hanalyst View Drop Down
NYC Midnight Regular
NYC Midnight Regular
Avatar

Joined: 22 Jul 2016
Location: CA
Status: Offline
Points: 475
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote hanalyst Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 12 Nov 2018 at 2:55pm
Originally posted by jdadams1 jdadams1 wrote:

I had historical fiction. I suck at history. 

I tried to vet as many references as I could and research correct terminology. But I realized this morning that a key term I use wasn’t in public lexicon until 7 years after my story is set. 

I straight-up just Googled "famous orphans" because I didn't know what else to do. And I'm still paranoid someone else had the same idea.

I'm cheating actual world events by a year in one section so hopefully they don't cross-reference? Meh.
Back to Top
rossinny View Drop Down
NYC Midnight Black Belt
NYC Midnight Black Belt
Avatar

Joined: 30 Apr 2017
Location: London
Status: Offline
Points: 1972
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote rossinny Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 12 Nov 2018 at 2:58pm
It’s been a day of regrets for me - I didn’t do the prompts or myself justice and, frustratingly, I’ve submitted my weakest entry by far at the semi final stage. I got sci fi and made the classic error of going too big with it. In the end I ran out of time to pull it all together and submitted something half baked at best.

I know, I know - it probably is a bit better than I’m thinking right now and I just need to give it a bit of space. But is it top three? Abso-frikkin-lutely not. Ouch
R2 Rhyming Story The Dying of the Light(Sci-Fi)
Back to Top
Lookit There View Drop Down
NYC Midnight Black Belt
NYC Midnight Black Belt
Avatar

Joined: 20 Feb 2014
Location: Portland, OR
Status: Offline
Points: 3920
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Lookit There Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 12 Nov 2018 at 3:30pm
Usually my FFC writing weekends are fraught with angst and self-doubt. Had almost none of it this time. Had my idea early, wrote first draft in record time (and without my usual 400-600 over limit word count), and submitted with hours to burn. It all seemed to go so well for a change.

So, of course, all my doubts have sneaked up on me today instead. "Wait - that was too easy, it must really be bad!"
Same ol' angst, just 48 hours behind schedule!


Edited by Lookit There - 12 Nov 2018 at 3:31pm
Back to Top
Lord Xoon View Drop Down
NYC Midnight Addict
NYC Midnight Addict
Avatar

Joined: 15 Jul 2017
Status: Offline
Points: 1215
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Lord Xoon Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 12 Nov 2018 at 3:35pm
I very nearly sent in a "contraband" font as it was my default for some reason. But crisis averted.
Back to Top
chrissie0707 View Drop Down
NYC Midnight Black Belt
NYC Midnight Black Belt
Avatar

Joined: 07 Feb 2018
Location: Indianapolis
Status: Offline
Points: 4005
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote chrissie0707 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 12 Nov 2018 at 3:39pm
I spent hours editing down the last twenty words, adding and cutting and putting back and cutting again, but I felt good about what I submitted. Then today, I started thinking about another sentence I should have added to the end, or whether I REALLY needed this one word here or there, and remembering the two typos that were in my previous round's story. But overall, still pretty satisfied with what I submitted.
Back to Top
Guests View Drop Down
Guest
Guest
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (4) Thanks(4)   Quote Guests Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 12 Nov 2018 at 3:40pm
My regret? I listed everyone in my current group and researched their points from the last two-story round. Yeah, I have a little list here of everyone's numbers, and it's taunting me. 

"Ha! Ha! Ha! Two people got back-to-back fifteens! One person got 14 + 13! Ha! Ha! Ha! 15 + 11! 14 + 10! Ha! Ha! Ha!" 

And I'm all like, "Shut the freak up, you horrible sheet of scratch paper. They assigned me comedy this round, and I'm a natural comedian." 

And the paper's like, "You only wish you were a comedian." 

And I'm all like, "Well, you only wish you were eight-and-a-half by eleven, you post-it." 

That shut him up. Confused
< x="0" y="0" width="99999" height="99999" id="hc_extension_off">< x="0" y="0" width="99999" height="99999" id="hc_extension_highcontrast">< x="0" y="0" width="99999" height="99999" id="hc_extension_highcontrast_back">< x="0" y="0" width="99999" height="99999" id="hc_extension_grayscale">< x="0" y="0" width="99999" height="99999" id="hc_extension_grayscale_back">< x="0" y="0" width="99999" height="99999" id="hc_extension_invert">< x="0" y="0" width="99999" height="99999" id="hc_extension_invert_back">< x="0" y="0" width="99999" height="99999" id="hc_extension_invert_grayscale">< x="0" y="0" width="99999" height="99999" id="hc_extension_yellow_on_black">< x="0" y="0" width="99999" height="99999" id="hc_extension_yellow_on_black_back">
Back to Top
Lord Xoon View Drop Down
NYC Midnight Addict
NYC Midnight Addict
Avatar

Joined: 15 Jul 2017
Status: Offline
Points: 1215
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (1) Thanks(1)   Quote Lord Xoon Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 12 Nov 2018 at 3:41pm
Originally posted by Nic6879 Nic6879 wrote:

I'll start:
 
I just now realized that I submitted my whole story in 11 pt font, instead of 12 pt. Proper formatting counts for 15% of the final points. Fif-freaking-teen!!
 
...
 
I just want to crawl into a hole for a month now...

And I have no basis to say this other than simple gut feel, but I doubt it will cost you that much, if at all. Maybe a point or two. It's not like you'll lose the entire 15% for one point size.
Back to Top
Nic6879 View Drop Down
NYC Midnight Regular
NYC Midnight Regular


Joined: 28 Jan 2018
Status: Offline
Points: 319
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Nic6879 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 12 Nov 2018 at 3:52pm
Originally posted by Lord Xoon Lord Xoon wrote:

And I have no basis to say this other than simple gut feel, but I doubt it will cost you that much, if at all. Maybe a point or two. It's not like you'll lose the entire 15% for one point size.
 
Really? OMG I hope you are right!! I mean, that would make sense to me too, but I just don't know  how much of sticklers they are (something like this has never happened to me, though I've had a couple of good results, as in moving on in my group, when I've had a couple of typos...) - but it's the not-knowing that eats at me. Plus it's such stiff competition now when only 3 writers move on that it feels like losing any percentage for something dumb like this would pretty much ensure not moving forward.
 
That being said, thanks for letting me know!! That does make me feel a little better, and I'll try to remind myself of this now, and try to move on from driving myself crazy over it.
FFC20 Ch2 Gr22: Reluctant Rescue
FFC20 Ch1 Gr22: Ophomora
Back to Top
Nic6879 View Drop Down
NYC Midnight Regular
NYC Midnight Regular


Joined: 28 Jan 2018
Status: Offline
Points: 319
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (1) Thanks(1)   Quote Nic6879 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 12 Nov 2018 at 3:55pm
Originally posted by Zelda Zelda wrote:

My regret? I listed everyone in my current group and researched their points from the last two-story round. Yeah, I have a little list here of everyone's numbers, and it's taunting me. 

"Ha! Ha! Ha! Two people got back-to-back fifteens! One person got 14 + 13! Ha! Ha! Ha! 15 + 11! 14 + 10! Ha! Ha! Ha!" 

< x="0" y="0" width="99999" height="99999" id="hc_extension_off">< x="0" y="0" width="99999" height="99999" id="hc_extension_highcontrast">< x="0" y="0" width="99999" height="99999" id="hc_extension_highcontrast_back">< x="0" y="0" width="99999" height="99999" id="hc_extension_grayscale">< x="0" y="0" width="99999" height="99999" id="hc_extension_grayscale_back">< x="0" y="0" width="99999" height="99999" id="hc_extension_invert">< x="0" y="0" width="99999" height="99999" id="hc_extension_invert_back">< x="0" y="0" width="99999" height="99999" id="hc_extension_invert_grayscale">< x="0" y="0" width="99999" height="99999" id="hc_extension_yellow_on_black">< x="0" y="0" width="99999" height="99999" id="hc_extension_yellow_on_black_back">
 
Oh. my. goodness. I thought of doing that briefly and then I firmly told myself off because I would pretty much convince myself pre-emptively that there's no way I could ever compete with that, and end up making it a self-fulfilling prophesy Stern Smile 
 
(and yes my points for round 1 look good on paper too but that doesn't mean i'm not convinced that that, too, was all a total fluke and there's no way I'll ever live up to it anyway. Oh the joys of writers' brains... Confused)
FFC20 Ch2 Gr22: Reluctant Rescue
FFC20 Ch1 Gr22: Ophomora
Back to Top
 Post Reply Post Reply Page  <1234 9>

Forum Jump Forum Permissions View Drop Down

Forum Software by Web Wiz Forums® version 12.05
Copyright ©2001-2022 Web Wiz Ltd.

This page was generated in 0.145 seconds.