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Round 3 Thoughts

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MrLipto View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (3) Thanks(3)   Quote MrLipto Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Topic: Round 3 Thoughts
    Posted: 17 May 2018 at 2:23pm

So, I just finished reading them all. And here’s the thing: They’re all good.

I mean… right? They’re all so different, all such interesting approaches to the prompt…

Straight up realism, some fantasy, some sci-fi, some drama, horror, satire, romance, historical… We’re all over the place. Some focus on the actress, some put her on the sidelines. Some are about an act of altruism, other discuss altruism. I don’t feel like there’s one or even a few stand-out amaze-balls pieces of work.

Because they’re all good. Don’t you think?!

Yes, this is only a third of the stories being considered, though I have to think it’s a fairly representative bunch of stories.

So I’m thinking it’s all going to come down to a matter of taste, right? Just a matter of what jives with the judges’ preferences and what doesn’t.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (1) Thanks(1)   Quote sarahvdan Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 17 May 2018 at 3:52pm
I completely agree! I feel like there's no one at this point who's going to be marked down a great deal on typos etc, and no one who will have dropped major points on plotting. So it'll come down to the ideas and what the judges like. It's a nice feeling, for me anyway, that I'll be pleased for whoever wins because all the stories are deserving :-)
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (2) Thanks(2)   Quote td333777 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 17 May 2018 at 6:27pm
I agree--there's a refreshing amount of originality, I think, especially when you consider the prompts.  As soon as I saw them, I expected at least 20 of the 75 entries to be about an actress committing the ultimate example of altruism and dying (either figuratively or literally) for someone else.  That's what the prompts screamed at me anyway--and I always try NOT to listen to whatever the prompts whisper first--plus that's the type of ending that seems to do well in these contests, i.e. emotional tearjerker/dark. 

(Also, precisely zero disrespect intended for anyone who goes dark/melancholy, because I've done the EXACT same thing and profited from it.)

The judges in this contest in particular seem to value creativity over strict adherence to the prompts.  Two of my favorite stories in round two, Mickey T's "Creation" and "False Negative" by velocisarah are fabulous examples of wildly original plots that I never would have thought of by looking at the dry prompts...and they were rewarded for it.  No wonder then, that the forumites in round three all took big creative swings.  I'm thrilled to NOT see twenty (or ten, or even two) similar stories in this final round, which of course, means it's pretty damn hard to pick a stand-out.

Now we just let the chips fall where they may, and hope there's not two dozen masterpieces among the 50 stories we CAN'T read. ;)

Trey 
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (1) Thanks(1)   Quote td333777 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 17 May 2018 at 6:35pm
Also, remember that last year's champion, Sarah Martin, is out there lurking among the 50 unposted stories.  She's obviously quite talented and has no problem dealing with the 24-hour limit based on what she wrote last year.  She was in my heat in the first round, finished fourth, and then won her second round heat.  She'll be a serious contender, I'm sure.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (1) Thanks(1)   Quote velocisarah Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 17 May 2018 at 11:05pm
Originally posted by td333777 td333777 wrote:

The judges in this contest in particular seem to value creativity over strict adherence to the prompts.  Two of my favorite stories in round two, Mickey T's "Creation" and "False Negative" by velocisarah are fabulous examples of wildly original plots that I never would have thought of by looking at the dry prompts...and they were rewarded for it.  No wonder then, that the forumites in round three all took big creative swings.  I'm thrilled to NOT see twenty (or ten, or even two) similar stories in this final round, which of course, means it's pretty damn hard to pick a stand-out.

Now we just let the chips fall where they may, and hope there's not two dozen masterpieces among the 50 stories we CAN'T read. ;)

Trey 

Hey Trey - thanks for the kudos! I agree 100% about judges rewarding originality/out of the box thinking on the prompts.

So far I've been very impressed by my fellow round 3-ers, and I hope the forum stays active so we can all get/give as much feedback as possible, even with fewer eyes now that the competition is coming to a close. I have seen a big improvement in my writing (I'm more of a novel writer than short story writer) between rounds thanks to the feedback of judges and especially other participants.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (1) Thanks(1)   Quote Nikki Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 18 May 2018 at 12:27pm
I've only read a few of the R3 stories, planning to read the rest this weekend, but I have to agree with everything you've said. They're all great, with so many unique takes on the prompts. I would be happy to see any of these stories win and feel honoured just to have been in the third round with them.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (2) Thanks(2)   Quote Jhill Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 19 May 2018 at 7:28pm
As always, I hope to read all the stories. I hardly ever manage to do it, especially in the earlier rounds with so many posted. These final round stories are all so good! I'm about halfway through the list, and I'm amazed at the diversity in plot and genre. I love seeing so many different approaches to the same (bland) prompts. Thanks to all of you who posted your stories. I'm determined to read all of them, and maybe even get back into some of the Round 2 stories that I missed. Clap
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote JanetM Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 25 May 2018 at 9:15am
I'm only part way through but I agree: the stories are all great! 
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