Justify Your VOTE.

[JennaGlatzer]

My vote went to firehorse this week. I ain't justifyin' anything.

I'd love to see the last couple of paragraphs reworked just a bit, and I suspect this could be published in a number of magazines or newspapers. The part about the doc pulling you out of the marathon needs to be punched up so it doesn't feel anticlimactic. I think it needs a little more immediacy to keep us in the moment-- maybe direct dialogue? Other than that, superb.

[JennaGlatzer]

Wait, to be more specific, it's either Shape or Self that has a back-page essay department that I think this would work well for. Check the word count requirements-- usually mags want 800-1000 words for essays like this.

[mdmkay]

OK so I'm a woman......I was the most impressed by DJP and Blue Texas this week.

I know that Zach was really fighting against some time restraints but had the word count not disqualified him, I really think that not having the time to polish his piece would.

As for Haskins, I sometimes wonder if I have a tendency to hold him to higher standard just because he is such a great writer. I'm trying to think back and figure out if he has ever posted anything as far as stories or poetry that I didn't like. If I am holding him to higher standard that isn't fair but then again he should take it as a compliment since winning and becoming the idol finalist isn't going to ink him a multi-figured book contract which if he hasn't already done is definetly in his future. I guess I'll have to be more careful about that in the future.

[mommie4a]

Wait, to be more specific, it's either Shape or Self that has a back-page essay department that I think this would work well for. Check the word count requirements-- usually mags want 800-1000 words for essays like this.

Body and Soul used to have one on the back page too. Not sure if it still does.

[MadScientistMatt]

I voted for Firehorse's entry this week too. It just seemed so real and believable, and there was something about it with the heroine accomplishing something very difficult even though she had not lived up to her ultimate goal that just rang true for me.

[William Haskins]

As for Haskins, I sometimes wonder if I have a tendency to hold him to higher standard just because he is such a great writer. I'm trying to think back and figure out if he has ever posted anything as far as stories or poetry that I didn't like. If I am holding him to higher standard that isn't fair but then again he should take it as a compliment since winning and becoming the idol finalist isn't going to ink him a multi-figured book contract which if he hasn't already done is definetly in his future. that's it. i give up.

[Sarita]

that's it. i give up.

Don't even try it, Zach.

I voted for Haskins... do I have to justify it? I think not.

[ChunkyC]

that's it. i give up.
The only problem with excellence is that people start expecting it of you, which is why I never let my boss know what I'm truly capable of. http://www.absolutewrite.com/forums/images/smilies/tongue.gif

This week was the toughest for me by far. Every entry deserved three snaps: FAB-U-LOUS! But I had to give the nod to William.

[firehorse]

My vote went to firehorse this week. I ain't justifyin' anything.

I'd love to see the last couple of paragraphs reworked just a bit, and I suspect this could be published in a number of magazines or newspapers. The part about the doc pulling you out of the marathon needs to be punched up so it doesn't feel anticlimactic. I think it needs a little more immediacy to keep us in the moment-- maybe direct dialogue? Other than that, superb.Thanks, Jenna (and Matt). I agree about dialogue; I raced through that section.

Wait, to be more specific, it's either Shape or Self that has a back-page essay department that I think this would work well for. Check the word count requirements-- usually mags want 800-1000 words for essays like this.I'll check the guidelines. Shape's back page (this month) looks closer to 600 words. I'm not sure I could cut the essay that far down without mangling it, but these are two markets I'd love to crack, and I'm flattered you think it's worth tightening and submitting.

KTC mentioned The Globe and Mail, a national Canadian paper. I'll probably try there first, in the hopes it will raise more awareness and money for the PWA Coalition. If I were truly virtuous, I'd donate whatever I earned to the organization, but my landlord has dibs on my meager income at the moment ;).

Haskins - I think we all hold you to a higher standard, but you consistently meet or exceed it. As Mdmkay said, you're not in this to get work (unless you want to write for the CDC's monthly Morbidity and Mortality Report), yet you've shown up week after week and turned out stunning work - while still posting almost daily in the Poetry forum. I'd say you're pretty much incapable of writing bad material, unless you do it deliberately. Your talent boggles my mind.

[maestrowork]

I voted for Joanne. I loved her sentiments and the authencity. Very heartfelt, and I could relate to that immensely. Sure, I had to overlook some technical niggles (put Simon-Ray, the cynic, to rest this week). With a theme of "hope," I went for simplicity. So few words, yet so much said.

Firehorse's entry came close second.

[mdmkay]

that's it. i give up.

I'm sooooooooo sorry William and I did promise not to do it again. Its not my fault that your darn talented is it???? I even sent you a PM apologizing and besides you know damn good and well you got enough votes without mine to stay at the top anyway...smarty pants........so quit making me feel guilty any more than I already do.

I swear Haskins you get torqued at the weirdest things.....I'm not counting this thread cause you had reason........but I swear almost everytime someone feeds you a compliment you post like they slapped your favorite pet..........Deny it....I dare you

[William Haskins]

aw, i'm not torqued.

but, yeah, i can't deny it. i'm uncomfortable with praise. i mean, i definitely appreciate the wonderful comments i get on my work, and i think it's a testament to what a supportive community we have here.

i also appreciate the criticism i get, and that, too, is a testament to the honesty and valuable feedback you can get here.

but i know what my weaknesses and limitations are, and they leap off the page and spit in my face.

kay, you have nothing to be sorry about. i'm glad you voted the way you did, because it was an emotional response—and that, to me, is the true litmus test of a story's impact.

anything else is just window dressing and parlor tricks. technique alone is not enough.

so, anyway, those are my thoughts on this issue.

[maestrowork]

Haskins, you're a wise man.




(A writer cannot grow by praises alone. If praises are like sunshine, criticism is like stinky fertilizer... I love how we support and admire and love our contestants, but honestly, I think we have too much sunshine and not enough fertilizer... )

[BlueTexas]

Haskins, you're a wise man.




(A writer cannot grow by praises alone. If praises are like sunshine, criticism is like stinky fertilizer... I love how we support and admire and love our contestants, but honestly, I think we have too much sunshine and not enough fertilizer... )

Okay then, Simon-Ray--show us some fertilizer :) We can't grow if we can't see our faults. I'm up for some constructive critisism...we all did put ourselves out there, didn't we?

I'm going to speak for the contestants here (you can yell at me later!) and say that win or lose, we're all hoping to come out of this better writers, and critisism is a part of that.

I'd love to see our entries picked apart...maybe not everyone wants to be picked apart in public, but the way I see it, if we are brave enough to be counted, we should be ready for the other side too. Some of the most valuable comments I've gotten in PM's through this thing have been people telling me why they *didn't* vote for me.

We can't grow in a vacuum.

[mdmkay]

Haskins you sh$t.........you really had me going there I really thought I had upset you.

Speaking of sh$t....I have some wise words for you.........When the grass starts looking greener on the other side of the fence just remember how much sh$t had to go in it to get it that way.

That and........Why use a sword when just a word can cut them to the soul..(Yeh, I changed the quote but I made it up so i can change it).

[brinkett]

I'm not Simon-Ray, but rather Zack-brinkett (only Canucks will get this). I'll throw some fertilizer around, though not the heavy-duty stuff:

BlueTexas: You're stuck in a ghost story rut. I believe at least three of your stories have involved some aspect of the other side. Time for something fresh.

Haskins: Seen the storyline a million times. Your story didn't offer a fresh take. Trying too hard.

jdkiggins: A few technical niggles.

firehorse: Fell apart at the end - lacked feeling of hope. I PM'ed you about this so you know the drill.

DJP: I don't know why, or perhaps I do, but it didn't leave me feeling hopeful (props to you for having the guts to write it and give it to him, though)

(Since Zach was disqualified, I'll pass on his story)

[rhymegirl]

I'm not Simon-Ray, but rather Zack-brinkett (only Canucks will get this). I'll throw some fertilizer around, though not the heavy-duty stuff:

BlueTexas: You're stuck in a ghost story rut. I believe at least three of your stories have involved some aspect of the other side. Time for something fresh.

Haskins: Seen the storyline a million times. Your story didn't offer a fresh take. Trying too hard.

jdkiggins: A few technical niggles.

firehorse: Fell apart at the end - lacked feeling of hope. I PM'ed you about this so you know the drill.

DJP: I don't know why, or perhaps I do, but it didn't leave me feeling hopeful (props to you for having the guts to write it and give it to him, though.

Well, since all of your comments were negative, who did you vote for? I guess you must have overlooked something in order to choose.

[William Haskins]

Haskins: Seen the storyline a million times.

name em...

just kidding.

name 1% of them. that'd be 10,000.

chopchop.

[brinkett]

Well, since all of your comments were negative, who did you vote for? I guess you must have overlooked something in order to choose.
I'm playing Zack-brinkett, remember. And I never name who I voted for publicly.

[Unique]

..."and there is no new thing under the sun. Is there anything whereof it may be said, See, this is new? It hath been already of old time, which was before us..."

Just like the daily news, change the names and the dates - you don't even have to read the story. It's the same ol' song & dance. What changes is the telling thereof...
My 2.5 cents worth. All the contestants are good storytellers. Period. I've read enough to know good from bad from adequate from mediocre....
Keep up the good work all....onward and upward.
And no, I won't say who & why...I believe in the secret ballot.

[firehorse]

I'm playing Zack-brinkett, remember.To let non-Canucks in on the joke, Zach is the Simon of Canadian Idol. He wasn't supposed to be, though. Jake was supposed to be the nasty one.

[William Haskins]

i assume he's given to hyperbole?

[brinkett]

To let non-Canucks in on the joke, Zach is the Simon of Canadian Idol. He wasn't supposed to be, though. Jake was supposed to be the nasty one.
Jake was supposed to be the nasty one? That's hilarious.

All Idol judges are prone to hyperbole...

[firehorse]

i assume he's given to hyperbole?Umm... dunno. Never watch. I just know he's the nasty one; Sass Jordan's the Paula Abdul; Flex Farley (what a name) is the token urban guy, and Jake... everyone was supposed to hate Jake.

[William Haskins]

i think my inside jokes have become so inside that they've actually collapsed in on themselves like a dead star turning into a black hole.

surely no light can escape this.

[brinkett]

Flex Farley (what a name)

Actually, it's Farley Flex (what a name).

everyone was supposed to hate Jake.
Jake always looks terrified when the camera is on him...

[jdkiggins]

I voted for Joanne. I loved her sentiments and the authencity. Very heartfelt, and I could relate to that immensely. Sure, I had to overlook some technical niggles (put Simon-Ray, the cynic, to rest this week). With a theme of "hope," I went for simplicity. So few words, yet so much said.

Firehorse's entry came close second.

Thanks Simon-Ray! I appreciate it. Now I have to read my entry again and figure out what niggles need fixed. LOL

Okay then, Simon-Ray--show us some fertilizer :) We can't grow if we can't see our faults. I'm up for some constructive critisism...we all did put ourselves out there, didn't we?

I'm going to speak for the contestants here (you can yell at me later!) and say that win or lose, we're all hoping to come out of this better writers, and critisism is a part of that.

I'd love to see our entries picked apart...maybe not everyone wants to be picked apart in public, but the way I see it, if we are brave enough to be counted, we should be ready for the other side too. Some of the most valuable comments I've gotten in PM's through this thing have been people telling me why they *didn't* vote for me.

We can't grow in a vacuum.

I agree with Kira. I wouldn't mind having feedback on all my prior entries. It's the technical niggles that kill me evey time. Sometimes my "dead zone" takes over and tries to fry the remaining working parts. LOL

Whether on the board in public or by PM, it doesn't matter to me. I'm still trying to cram rules in my head since my stroke, and I find once someone mentions something, it sticks. For instance, I couldn't remember the rule of when and when not to capitalize Mom and Dad. Jenna's post about this after Week 2 stuck, I think. :)

[Sarita]

i think my inside jokes have become so inside that they've actually collapsed in on themselves like a dead star turning into a black hole. surely no light can escape this.

Nah, I got it and I'm a ray of sunshine, remember?

[William Haskins]

yes you are.

[jdkiggins]

William is a ray of hope and Sara you are a ray of sunshine.

[William Haskins]

i'm a ray of death.

a death-ray, if you will.

[brinkett]

Nah, I got it
Me too. Should have written "All Idol judges are prone to hyperbole... including Zack-brinkett" to make that clear.

(I'd post as Sass-brinkett/Paula-brinkett, but I think a lot of people are already filling that role... we need a few more Zacks and Simons to liven things up around here...)

[firehorse]

Jake always looks terrified when the camera is on him...Amazing what happens to big talkers once the red light goes on :).

(I should say that he's always been nice to me - I used to live with his then-girlfriend - but his reputation is quite different.)

[William Haskins]

so how many do you think will vote by the time the polls close tonight?

i think it was around 120 or so the past couple of weeks (roughly 5% of registered members).

[BlueTexas]

I just hope the results are posted quickly. It's getting down to the wire this time.

[Sarita]

I've been trying to coerce a few friends into voting. My friend Luke (francisluke) had no clue about Idol. I'm still wondering if there's a way to heighten awareness.

[William Haskins]

I'm still wondering if there's a way to heighten awareness.


no.

[rhymegirl]

I've been trying to coerce a few friends into voting. My friend Luke (francisluke) had no clue about Idol. I'm still wondering if there's a way to heighten awareness.

William should write something in every thread.

[firehorse]

Maybe the finalists should divvy up the members list and send PMs. Hmm... like in our copious spare time ;)

I wish there could be one AW mailing that wasn't a newsletter, didn't have ads and just was an unabashed promo for the contest. I'd imagine it costs for each mailing, though. (And Jenna has even less spare time than we do.)

[DJP]

Originally Posted by BlueTexas
Okay then, Simon-Ray--show us some fertilizer :) We can't grow if we can't see our faults. I'm up for some constructive critisism...we all did put ourselves out there, didn't we?

I'm going to speak for the contestants here (you can yell at me later!) and say that win or lose, we're all hoping to come out of this better writers, and critisism is a part of that.

I'd love to see our entries picked apart...maybe not everyone wants to be picked apart in public, but the way I see it, if we are brave enough to be counted, we should be ready for the other side too. Some of the most valuable comments I've gotten in PM's through this thing have been people telling me why they *didn't* vote for me.

We can't grow in a vacuum.


I agree too. I'm here to learn and grow as much as I can. Bring on the crits, no holds barred, we can take it!

[Unique]

Consider this -- if the same 100 +/- people have determined the outcome thus far - would it really be 'fair', 'wise', 'logical', 'a good idea' - you know what I'm trying to say - having new people possibly changing the direction of the outcome? Someone voting on a whim could change the course of events in a negative way if they didn't seriously consider the criteria in Jenna's prompts. The regular voters are in this for the long haul, too. I think most are really giving serious thought to their voting.

[brinkett]

Maybe the finalists should divvy up the members list and send PMs. Hmm... like in our copious spare time ;)

I wish there could be one AW mailing that wasn't a newsletter, didn't have ads and just was an unabashed promo for the contest. I'd imagine it costs for each mailing, though. (And Jenna has even less spare time than we do.)
Both of those methods (PMing and an Idol mailing) could be seen as spam and have the opposite of the desired effect.

I don't understand why voter turnout is so low, but perhaps if there's another Idol, there could be:

(a) an incentive offered for voting - I don't know what - perhaps a weekly draw for a token something that costs peanuts. The danger I see with this one is people voting without having read the entries...

(b) a panel of judges that comments on the entries each week in order to generate interest in reading the entries (people will have to read the entries if they want to follow the argume...er...banter between the judges each week). I watch Idol for the performances and the judges. I like to hear the contestants sing, and then I like to see them lifted up and ripped apart. I also love it when the judges argue with each other, even though much of it is probably staged. It's part of the appeal. Imagine Idol without the judges--just watching the contestants sing each week--it wouldn't be as much fun. As it is now, I feel that the entries are somewhat posted in a vacuum.

<Zack-brinkett>
Yes, there's this thread, but most people are too nice to say anything negative and the contestants continuously kiss each other's backsides. You need a barf bag to read the posts in here, sometimes. That's not interesting, folks. Where's the conflict, the tears, the pain? It gets boring when it never rains, unless someone left your cake outside, in which case rain would definitely be a bad thing.
</Zack-brinkett>

That would be my 0.02 about how to improve things if Jenna decides to do it again.

Other ideas?

[mommie4a]

I started to write a detailed post but I felt terrible about critiquing these pieces, all of which have their own merits. I voted for JDkiggins this week. Two of the others weren't in it for me, and the remaining two were toss a coin tight with Joanne's entry.

I wish we could stop the contest here, the voting's getting so difficult from a personal perspective.

[firehorse]

Both of those methods (PMing and an Idol mailing) could be seen as spam and have the opposite of the desired effect.If people have signed up for the AW mailing list, it's a legitimate AW topic.

I don't understand why voter turnout is so low, but perhaps if there's another Idol, there could be...

(b) a panel of judges that comments on the entries each week in order to generate interest in reading the entries (people will have to read the entries if they want to follow the argume...er...banter between the judges each week). I watch Idol for the performances and the judges. I like to hear the contestants sing, and then I like to see them lifted up and ripped apart. I also love it when the judges argue with each other, even though much of it is probably staged. It's part of the appeal. Imagine Idol without the judges--just watching the contestants sing each week--it wouldn't be as much fun. As it is now, I feel that the entries are somewhat posted in a vacuum.That's a fantastic idea - and a great image of just watching the singers. I still don't get why the voter turnout has lower numbers than the audition.

That would be my 0.02 about how to improve things if Jenna decides to do it again. Ah, but due to the exchange rate, our two cents is only worth 1.69 cents <sigh>. Still, I appreciate your suggestions with the full exchange-rate value ;)

[maestrowork]

Okay then, Simon-Ray--I'd love to see our entries picked apart...maybe not everyone wants to be picked apart in public...We can't grow in a vacuum.

Simon-Ray won't crit in public, because he doesn't think that's what the voting public wants here, and he respects that. However, if anyone wants to hear what Simon-Ray has to say about their entries, they know where to find him. If not, that's okay, too.

[VOTE_BOT]

.

[KTC]

Hmmm. I just read 3 pages on this thread and I wanted to make a few comments but I'm sure some of the past bits will have been forgotten by now. And I'm too lazy right now to use quotes...so nobody will know what I am talking about!

1. Give up and pay the price, Haskins. We will find you!
2. I think Jake was giving the burn better on Tuesday than Zach was. I think he is more ruthless because it's a surprise when he says something caustic. Zach seems to be trying to hard to be nasty. I don't always buy his comments...it's like they told him to be nasty. Jake is my favourite judge.
3. Fire...good luck with the Globe.
4. Maybe Jenna can send an email to all members suggesting that they visit the boards to vote on the idol. I know how some feel about spam, etc...but I'm sure that a small, succinct message...one or two sentences...wouldn't be too offensive. Just ask them to come and add a link to the IDOL forum.
5. There was more...but I forget what it was!

[maestrowork]

Thanks Simon-Ray! I appreciate it. Now I have to read my entry again and figure out what niggles need fixed. LOL


If you want, I will PM you.

[brokenfingers]

I agree that having a panel of judges discussing the entries would be fun. But I think it should be a panel of qualified judges - along the lines of an Uncle Jim type and maybe an agent or editor also. That would be valuable and valid input - for everyone, not just contestants. And entertaining.

Plus other members would be allowed to participate, but to help shield the writers from the harsh winds of the crit storm zone - they'd be only allowed to comment on the judges decisions and comments.

I'm not comfortable with the idea of just anyone throwing out their own comments on why a story was good or it wasn't. I know the contestants want to hear it, but there is such a thing as bad criticism, ignorant criticism, spiteful criticism etc.

I think we all remember zig (was that his name?) Who knows what qualifications an anonymous member has when they say - your story sucked, the characters were trite and predictable, the plot was boring, and the dialogue was hackneyed.

Bad comments sting, I don't care who you are. Critiquing a story requires a certain level of maturity from both parties and some crits are just way off the mark because everybody's so different and style is so subjective.

So that's why I feel if the judges are acknowledged professionals in the field of writing: Published Author, Agent, Editor etc then it would lessen the sting of bad crits and not drain a contestants creativity and desire to compete and perform.

Just some thoughts from out of the ether...

[brinkett]

If people have signed up for the AW mailing list, it's a legitimate AW topic.

Depends. If they signed up for a newsletter, they might not want extra mailings. I can't remember what I signed up for, frankly, and probably wouldn't care, but some people might.


Ah, but due to the exchange rate, our two cents is only worth 1.69 cents <sigh>. Still, I appreciate your suggestions with the full exchange-rate value ;)
I appreciate you appreciating it. But firehorse, let's get serious here for a moment. If you were a true Canuck, you'd watch Canadian Idol. How can you resist? It only just started this week - you must watch it at least once next week and PM me with your impressions. I dare ya.


Simon-Ray won't crit in public, because he doesn't think that's what the voting public wants here, and he respects that.

Oh puh-leeze. Simon-Ray and respectful shouldn't compute. Face it, Maestro, you're just too darn nice to have that "Simon-" prefix. ;)

[William Haskins]

sometimes you can find out things you didn't know that are helpful. like that you wrote a story that has been done, literally, a million times.

knowing that can spare you the embarrassment of writing something derivative that you were totally ignorant of having been done at least 1,666 times a year since the invention of printing.

[DJP]

I agree that having a panel of judges discussing the entries would be fun. But I think it should be a panel of qualified judges - along the lines of an Uncle Jim type and maybe an agent or editor also. That would be valuable and valid input - for everyone, not just contestants. And entertaining.




Great idea, I would love that kind of imput.

[jdkiggins]

I voted for JDkiggins this week. Two of the others weren't in it for me, and the remaining two were toss a coin tight with Joanne's entry.


Thank you, Jill. I appreciate your vote.

If you want, I will PM you.
I'd love that. Thanks.

[brinkett]

I agree that having a panel of judges discussing the entries would be fun. But I think it should be a panel of qualified judges - along the lines of an Uncle Jim type and maybe an agent or editor also. That would be valuable and valid input - for everyone, not just contestants. And entertaining.

That's a great idea, and would offer yet another incentive for people to visit the Idol forum. However, I do think one or two plain old readers would be useful. Editors/Agents/Writers tend to read stories differently than plain old readers do. I think all perspectives would be helpful to the contestants.


I'm not comfortable with the idea of just anyone throwing out their own comments on why a story was good or it wasn't. I know the contestants want to hear it, but there is such a thing as bad criticism, ignorant criticism, spiteful criticism etc.

True, but at the same time, we do have threads like this, and writers have to learn to handle criticism. I agree that ignorant and spiteful criticism should be barred. What constitutes bad criticism is usually in the eye of the beholder, though. Much of the criticism in this thread has been playful criticism in the spirit of Idol. I haven't seen a serious crit done yet. That could be another useful thing. One story could be chosen each week and given an in depth critique by one of those qualified people you're talking about--AFTER voting is closed. Perhaps the story of the person who was voted out.

[maestrowork]

I second a panel of qualified judges. That'll make this contest even more entertaining, and educational.


(Simon-Ray is a published author... so pick him! Pick him!)

[mommie4a]

Thank you, Jill. I appreciate your vote.

I can't speak for anyone but myself, but I believe that the finalists should feel confident that most voters give each entry very, very serious review.

[firehorse]

I second a panel of qualified judges. That'll make this contest even more entertaining, and educational.I suggest that the winner of this Idol become a judge in the next one (if that person is interested).

[Sarita]

I know I do, Jill. I generally print them out, make notes, read them a million times each, er not really, William....

[Rose]

One story could be chosen each week and given an in depth critique by one of those qualified people you're talking about--AFTER voting is closed. Perhaps the story of the person who was voted out.
I don't usually chime into this forum (I just don't like saying who I voted for BEFORE voting closes, and then afterwards everyone has moved on). However, I must say that Brinkett's idea to critique the voted-out story is brilliant. I second it!

[mommie4a]

I know I do, Jill. I generally print them out, make notes,

Same here. Unless I fall asleep first. Then, whichever one is on top of the pile next to my bed is the winner.

[brokenfingers]

I fax the entries to my 1-900 psychic advisor and she then tells me who to vote for.

[KTC]

Maestro, I too like the idea of a panel of qualified judges...it wouldn't only help those with entries, but certainly we, the fellow voters, could benefit from the critiques as well...and Firehorse, that's a great idea>the winner be on judge panel next round. If there is another round?

[jdkiggins]

I welcome complete brutal crits of my past week's entries by anyone who wants to take the time.

I do agree that entries shouldn't be critiqued until after the vote is final though.

Anyone want to start a crit thread of the past four week contestant entries?

I'm confident that the voters read all the entries and base their deciding vote on complete reviews of each entry.

[Unique]

That might be why there are only ~100 voters. The others like to *write*, but they don't like to *read*. Maybe. That would help winnow the wheat from the chaff in the world of writing, eh?

[firehorse]

Same here. Unless I fall asleep first. Then, whichever one is on top of the pile next to my bed is the winner.So the one that puts you to sleep is the winner? :roll:

[jdkiggins]

Oh great, I needed that. Thanks for pointing that out, Sarah. :ROFL:

[rich]

Hardly, Unique...or should I say 'hardly unique.' One could say that some or most aren't interested because the judging might be tainted by inbreeding. In another thread here a member talked about a writing contest in a writing club situation. Since it turned out that different writing clubs rated different writing clubs there was a bit more objectivity.

Happens that I did vote this time around. I could've voted from the first round, but I don't like too much community spirit, it's distracting.

[ChunkyC]

I like the idea of qualified judges commenting on the weekly performances. We'll have to toss that idea around some more before the next time.

[William Haskins]

just so everyone doesn't think i'm an assh0le. (fat chance of that, yah?)

my sarcastic remarks about brinkett's comment (that she's seen that storyline a million times) are really just in good fun.

i had no delusions when i wrote it that i was blazing new trails with a dystopic tale about oppression and the arts.

certainly huxley, bradbury, orwell and atwood (among many others) have masterfully illuminated the post-modern fear of the faceless tyrant and the death of the individual, and i've always been attracted to that motif.

i believe (or at least hope) that it was more homage than derivation.

the basis for that choice for this particular entry is that it's highly relevant at this moment in history (at least to me).

as for the "trying too hard" comment. yeah, that one stung a little bit. but i won't get into that, except to say that when the theme is emotion-based (like "hope"), it's a delicate balancing act between ineffective and overwrought.

maybe i miscalculated. maybe not.

selah.

[mommie4a]

So the one that puts you to sleep is the winner? :roll:

You know - it's worked well so far - look at the quality of who's left, right? Some tough choices. I think my subconscious functions better without me being lucid.

[jdkiggins]

Hardly, Unique...or should I say 'hardly unique.' One could say that some or most aren't interested because the judging might be tainted by inbreeding.

There's one for the Oh Wow thread. Inbreeding!

I'm the only person in my family who owns a computer. No relatives on this board, inbred or otherwise. :ROFL:

[rhymegirl]

I think we all remember zig (was that his name?)

No, it was vig.

[rhymegirl]

One could say that some or most aren't interested because the judging might be tainted by inbreeding.


WHAT THE HELL DOES THIS MEAN?

[mommie4a]

No, it was vig.

It's okay, Broken - I've been forwarding therapy bills to him for weeks now.

[brinkett]

my sarcastic remarks about brinkett's comment (that she's seen that storyline a million times) are really just in good fun.

as for the "trying too hard" comment. yeah, that one stung a little bit. but i won't get into that, except to say that when the theme is emotion-based (like "hope"), it's a delicate balancing act between ineffective and overwrought.

The theme was tough this week. I know I'm in the minority here, but with one or two exceptions, I found this week's batch of entries weaker than last week's, and I think it was because of the theme (good one, Jenna!). Last week's batch has been the high point for me so far. So I had high expectations for this week.

[William Haskins]

apologies on the gender reassignment. i'll go back and edit my other post.

[rhymegirl]

I'm confident that the voters read all the entries and base their deciding vote on complete reviews of each entry.

Thanks for saying that. That's what I do.

[Lenora Rose]

The whole reason I haven't voted every week is that I haven't read all the entries every week - even sometimes on weeks where I gave myself a head start and read a few before everyone had posted. Life insanely busy and all. I won't vote if I think I'm missing something.

[ChunkyC]

I always read each entry in one go, pick a shortlist, and then go back and re-read the shortlist before making my choice. This week I had to re-read four of the six, and two of those for a third time before finally deciding.

[KTC]

No, it was vig.

Yeah...it was Vig. I remember because he said that my entry was, in his opinion, the very best entry. (Remember the thread where you critique the entry of the person above you?) He said it was a shoe-in to win and that I should be a finalist.

I was new to the boards and did not know what kind of poster he was. I'm sure now that he was pulling my leg. But at the time it gave me hope!

Oh well!

[rhymegirl]

I always read each entry in one go, pick a shortlist, and then go back and re-read the shortlist before making my choice. This week I had to re-read four of the six, and two of those for a third time before finally deciding.

Are you Vote_Bot?????

[BlueTexas]

I suggest that the winner of this Idol become a judge in the next one (if that person is interested).

Grand idea, Firehorse. You know, we ought to start a "suggestions for the next Idol contest" thread. I'm sure we've all got some.

[LieselGarmach]

This week I finally got to do what I have wanted to do each week - print the stories minus the names and titles, mix them up, put them away for a while and then read them.

I recognized the authors by style, though, which defeated the purpose of trying to do it without the names.

If I'm in a huge time crunch, I know which contestant I'll vote for without reading the stories, and that's doing every participant a huge disservice. Thankfully I've been able to read each entry every week, even if I've lost sleep.

My suggestion for the next idol competition would be to have all of the entries PM'd to a designated person who will then post all of them in a thread with only numbers to identify the author. That eliminates the 'popularity contest' aspect (though I truly believe that most people don't vote that way) of it, and takes care of the problem of it being too personal because all of the contestants are active participants around the forum.

[brinkett]

My suggestion for the next idol competition would be to have all of the entries PM'd to a designated person who will then post all of them in a thread with only numbers to identify the author. That eliminates the 'popularity contest' aspect (though I truly believe that most people don't vote that way) of it, and takes care of the problem of it being too personal because all of the contestants are active participants around the forum.
It might also eliminate the "should I vote for the best piece this week or the person who writes the best overall" question. However, this might only work for the first two or three weeks. Once we become familiar with each author's style and voice, we'll recognize who's written what, even if they're posted anonymously. I still think PMing the weekly entries to a designated person is a good idea, though. Then all the entries can be posted at the same time.

[maestrowork]

I am not sure... I mean, this is the IDOL contest. While I personally don't vote for a particular person even if he/she enters a phone book listing, I think it's okay if people vote for someone because they are fans. We are, after all, voting for an "idol." It's no secret that every finalist is a good -- great even -- writer. So I am not sure if the "anonymous" thing is necessary.

[Cassie88]

Oh, God, I wouldn't want all the pieces posted at the same time. Time wise..I don't think it'll work. I read the pieces as they are posted, so I'm not trying to cram them all in at the end.
The numbering of the pieces, however, is an interesting idea.

[brinkett]

I'd hope that people are voting for the best piece each week. From what people post, I think they are. It would be unfortunate for a "fan" to vote for someone without reading any of the entries, for example. I can see Liesel's point - this isn't like Idol on TV because the contestants and voters are part of the same community. I don't think posting the entries anonymously will work, though. As Jenna said a couple of weeks back, the voice of each contestant becomes familiar enough that we'd know who wrote each entry anyway.

Cassie - I read the pieces as they're posted, too, so I see your point!

[firehorse]

I am not sure... I mean, this is the IDOL contest. While I personally don't vote for a particular person even if he/she enters a phone book listing, I think it's okay if people vote for someone because they are fans. We are, after all, voting for an "idol." The problem is that some people have more of a following prior to the contest than others, which gives them an advantage. It would be like putting Avril Lavigne and Sum41 on American Idol against unknowns. Personally, I think that's why Pepperlandgirl was voted out so early; she wasn't 'known' around the Cooler.

OTOH, by the time we get to this stage, voters know our voices, our strengths and our weaknesses... and they probably have favourites. I think that's okay, too. Though I appreciate all the people who have said they voted for a different person each week, based solely on the entries.

[rhymegirl]

I don't think it's a popularity contest at all. I may be "friends" with some of the contestants, but when I vote that goes out the window. I read the stories, judge the stories. It doesn't matter to me whether the names are on there or not. But of course we have come to know and recognize each writer's style, I think, so we'd probably know who wrote them even if the entries were just numbered.

One week I wanted to vote for someone because I like this person as a friend, but just couldn't. It's all about the writing.

[mkcbunny]

I second rhymegirl's comments above. I read them all and vote for the one that I think is the best. Favorites and friendships do not alter that vote. I do try to read them as they are posted, just to avoid cramming at the end.

[SRHowen]

Hmm, well, I am not really friends with any of the writers in the contest. I don't send e-mails to or get e-mails from them. I've gotten a few PM's from some of them and PM'd back, but not like a friendship, so that doesn't change how I vote--

If a person votes for the best writer overall, I don't see anything wrong with that--isn't that the point? To find the best writer overall in the contest?

In fact the only writers on AW that I am friends with are members of my Writer's Group. And by that I mean people that I interact with outside of AW--send B-day cards to by e-mail or snail mail, talk to on the phone and so on.

[brinkett]

apologies on the gender reassignment
Don't sweat it. The person most shocked was my doctor.


If a person votes for the best writer overall, I don't see anything wrong with that--isn't that the point? To find the best writer overall in the contest?

Because I know the contestants work hard every week to do their best, I feel I owe it to them to vote based only on each week's pieces, and not on past efforts. I've been tempted to vote for a favorite even though I think they missed the theme or didn't do as well as they could, but so far I've managed to resist.

[ChunkyC]

Are you Vote_Bot?????
Nope! Though I posted my suspicions in the thread VB started. http://www.absolutewrite.com/forums/images/smilies/wink.gif

[rhymegirl]

Yes, I see, you think Ryan Seacrest is Vote_Bot. Hmm...

[mommie4a]

I don't think it's a popularity contest at all. I may be "friends" with some of the contestants, but when I vote that goes out the window. I read the stories, judge the stories. It doesn't matter to me whether the names are on there or not. But of course we have come to know and recognize each writer's style, I think, so we'd probably know who wrote them even if the entries were just numbered.

One week I wanted to vote for someone because I like this person as a friend, but just couldn't. It's all about the writing.

Could've posted this myself. Thanks for doing it, Kate.

[MacAllister]

Kate--ditto what Jill said, for me. :)

[maestrowork]

Same here, as you could tell from my previous posts on how I vote...

At the same time, I was saying "I don't have a problem with people voting for their favorite writer." I am not saying that's the way to vote, just that I understand why people do that, in an "Idol" contest (as opposed to a "writing contest").

[DJP]

It's getting harder to vote every week! This time I voted for the one that made me laugh the most. I PM'd that person.

[brokenfingers]

My paypal account decides my vote. ;)

Humor is so relative anyway, but money talks.

[ChunkyC]

I too put the funny quotient at the top of my criteria for this week. My pick was also the one I thought had the best overall writing. Yet, as in recent weeks, it was so flippin' close!

I kept looking for a Swifty or something to make the decision easier, but noooooo, you all had to go and write brilliantly.

http://www.absolutewrite.com/forums/images/smilies/emoteThumbs.gif

[Birol]

I may end up regretting this, but I will justify my vote this week.

William Haskins: Stylistically and storywise, I felt you had the best entry of the bunch this week. The concept was original, the characters well-developed, and you progressed smoothly from point-to-point. Though there were moments when I smiled at the play between the two characters and I enjoyed their interplay and the POV character's thoughts about his friend, the comedy element seemed to be lacking.

BlueTexas: I enjoyed your story this week as well. Your storytelling abilities have improved greatly over the course of this contest. I've enjoyed watching you grow. This week's entry was entertaining and engaging. I liked watching Ellen play havoc with the minister and interact with the little girl. Though she was having fun with them after her death, given the fact that the eulogy was completely wrong, in some ways she received her comeuppance, too. As with William's piece, although I found humor at certain places, the comedy was lacking.

Firehorse: Your writing was strong this week. In my mind the structure and development your entry was second only to William's, but the story you chose to tell felt done before and was a bit too predictable, thus it did not fully engage me. The ending was a bit too dark for comedy and it did not feel like you had your tongue far enough in your cheek. A must, in my worldview, for something to be truly funny and comedic and not merely humorous.

DJP: Structurally, your entry could have used some polishing. The rhythm stumbled in a couple of places, but even so, I was carried along by the form and style of the piece. I was pleased to see a different writing form entered and applaud you for the courage in doing so. Of the four entries this week, yours was the only one that made me laugh. I felt it went beyond simple humor and into the comedic. You had your tongue firmly in your cheek and I could feel the author having fun writing this entry.


As you may have guessed by this point, I see a difference between comedy and humor. Though the two are related and do overlap, something can be humorous without being comedic and comedic without being humorous. This week's challenge was not just humor, but comedy.


I voted for DJP.

[William Haskins]

I may end up regretting this, but I will justify my vote this week.

you have nothing to regret. this approach of providing feedback is extraordinarily useful, and adds as much value to the contest as the entries themselves - in my opinion.

thanks for sharing your thoughts.

-william

[BlueTexas]

Birol, I'm with William. The part I most enjoy is hearing the feedback. I think I've said it a million times, but we can't grow in a vacuum, and I appreciate all the comments.

Thanks for having the guts to tell us.

[William Haskins]

Birol, I'm with William.

this is true, by the way. she keeps pilfering my office supplies.

[Birol]

:ROFL: Kira, I could use some medium-sized binder clips.

[William Haskins]

she's using those to pinch my butt.

[BlueTexas]

I keep the butt-pinching supply separate from the good ones...but shh, he doesn't know where that cabinet is. Where shall I send them?

[gabbleandhiss]

My vote went to DJP.

My favorites in order:

1. DJP -- You wrote the funniest story. It wasn't necessarily the best written piece, but your enthusiasm trumped all.

2. firehorse -- Of all the writers on this board, you're probably my favorite. Above all, you're consistant. Interesting piece with a creative twist. Ultimately, it wasn't quite as funny as DJP's writing.

3. William Haskins -- Didn't smirk once. But you're third simply because of Poe.

4. BlueTexas -- Again, I didn't smirk once. Not a bad piece, but there were a couple of things that bugged me. In the first half of the story, I thought you tried to force a laugh with each reference to shoes. And the following quote was a statement of the obvious.

folding metal chairs squeezed in close under the canopy in an attempt to avoid the rain

That being said, congrats to each of the contestants for making it this far.

[William Haskins]

3. William Haskins -- Didn't smirk once.

i should've included a photo of me typing it in my boxers with a severe sunburn. now that's comedy.

sorry about the smirk thing, but i'm glad poe redeemed me enough for third place finish... that bluetexas always thinks she so hot.

-william

[BlueTexas]

i should've included a photo of me typing it in my boxers with a severe sunburn. now that's comedy.

sorry about the smirk thing, but i'm glad poe redeemed me enough for third place finish... that bluetexas always thinks she so hot.

-william

Heh. At least I have control over my binder clips...

[Mags]

You guys all kicked butt this week. Fantastic job. It was a really hard decision.

[MadScientistMatt]

When the title of this one was announced, I suspected Willaim Haskins would be the one to watch. His stories often have the sort of darkness that would be appropriate, and it seems there is something about his sense of humor that I really enjoy. The topic was quite original, too, playing off an unusual news story I've seen before but in a creative way. Humor is a subjective thing, and in this case Haskins' seems to be the sort of humor I enjoyed the most.

The trouble with comedy is that the nature of humor. What one person finds funny may not make others laugh. So it's hard for me to offer suggestions about how the other stories may be improved.

[rhymegirl]

The trouble with comedy is the nature of humor. What one person finds funny may not make others laugh. So it's hard for me to offer suggestions about how the other stories may be improved.

Very true. Humor is subjective. That's why some TV comedies are hits, while others are not. That's why some greeting card companies think an idea is funny while others do not. And just to stay on topic, I thought only 2 of the 4 stories were funny and I PMed or repped those writers to tell them so. The other two were well-written and interesting, but I didn't find them funny.

[maestrowork]

There is a difference between "humor" and "comedy," though. Jenna asked for "comedy."

But you're right, some things that make me LOL probably won't make you even smile, or vice versa. That's why this is a very tough assignment: comedy is hard. Jenna knew what she was doing!

[VOTE_BOT]

There is a difference between "humor" and "comedy," though. Jenna asked for "comedy."

Give that man a cookie. Preferably one with M&Ms.

Pop culture tends to confuse the two, but in the strictest dramatic sense, comedy is not explicitly designed for guffaws, though it's a great fringe benefit when done right.

Carry on. Riveting discussion.

Wanna see something really funny? (http://www.gpwu.ac.jp/~kitano/papers/comic.pdf)

[rhymegirl]

Some people's real lives are comedies.

[firehorse]

"Comedy" is a genre that includes stand-up, sketch comedy, sitcoms, monologues, Edward Gorey and a host of other styles. I consider humour an element of comedy; I don't think they're different things.

I found this a tough assignment - and I've actually made money writing comedy. I can't imagine how difficult it would be if I'd never attempted it. As the old saying goes, "dying is easy; comedy is hard."

As everyone's pointed out, though, perceptions of comedy differ based on culture, life experience, age/generation, interest in wordplay, and yes, gender, among other elements. SNL is supposed to be comedy, but most of the time, I find it dull and stupid (not that dull and stupid can't be funny, too :D, when done well). Two and a Half Men is the top-rated sitcom, and I can't bear to watch it. I thought Fight Club was a hilarious satire, but I know a lot of people who think it was a violent drama. (BTW, if you get a chance, read the book - it's written brilliantly.)

My biggest downfalls in writing comedy are: 1) trying to be funny (the kiss of death) and 2) being clever, which is cheap, easy and therefore not particularly valuable. I tried to edit these out, but I see some element still remain in my entry.

I wrote what made me laugh, and I'm hoping some others will find it funny, too. I have an extremely morbid sense of humour that doesn't sit well with many people.

Something I think is essential for comedy of any style is a story - unless you're telling one-liners, but even those have stories. I think all the entries had strong structure (as well we should, after nine weeks!).

(I haven't voted yet.)

[BlueTexas]

"
I wrote what made me laugh, and I'm hoping some others will find it funny, too. I have an extremely morbid sense of humour that doesn't sit well with many people.

(I haven't voted yet.)

Don't sweat it Sarah; morbid is good imo.

I knew I wasn't funny going in :)

[stranger]

First, since the genre was comedy, I decided before looking at the entries to vote for the one I found the funniest. But I'm afraid I didn't find any of them funny. I don't want to be too critical, written comedy is so hard, but none of them made me laugh. So to decide my vote I went back to the story essentials. These are my thoughts.

DJP: Great concept for the story, but it went a bit too wierd for me.

William Haskins: You got my vote the last two times, but this time the characters (and through them the story) were not realistic enough. Maybe this doesn't make sense given that it's supposed to be a comedy but conjoined with not finding them funny...

Firehorse: It was an interesting concept but I felt it didn't really go anywhere once the setting was established. I did like the ending, though.

BlueTexas: Ellen's character and the setting were really well developed and I found myself wanting to know what happened and caring what happened. However I didn't like the ending. The story was about Ellen's conflicit with her family but the ending was about Ellen and the priest (who I didn't care about.)

I voted for BlueTexas.

I thought it was harsh of Jenna to give comedy as a genre. The four contestants are here on the merits of their storytelling and writing abilities, but now have to be judged on their ability to write comedy.

Best of luck to all.

[William Haskins]

another great analysis.

thanks much, stranger, for taking the time to share your thoughts.

-william

[Cassie88]

This was the first week I had a problem deciding who to vote for... I finally went with Firehorse's entry as it was the only one that made me laugh here and there. I have a warped sense of humor and Sarah's "fuuuuuuuuuuuck" lines worked for me.

I think Duncan's JFF piece was wonderul. He made some bold choices that I found extremely funny!

Having said this, I remain totally in awe of all the contestants and their ability to put out such quality work, week after week. It boggles the mind.

Cheers to you all!

Cassie

[Sarita]

This is the first week that I can honestly say I'm having a really hard time voting! No, I haven't done it yet... still thinking, gosh! But here's what I'm thinking about if you're wondering:

Darla-I thought this was really cute and gave me a chuckle. I especially liked the lines between the mud ball fight. This line in particular drove the humor home for me: Sweating and dirty, swearing and hot, they battled for one future grave. Because when you think about it, huh. They're fighting over a grave, how bizarre! The only thing that I'm hung up on is the fact that, unless you know the mentioned names/references, this wouldn't seem that funny. I know, I know, it's a technicality.

Sarah-Great writing, like usual. But, Matt's character really got to me, all those "Dudes..." I think I would have liked this better if the principal antagonist was George, or for a bit more dry comedy your father. I really liked stick girl and the fact that you were reading Hemmingway at aged 10. (I thought I was the only one :)) I could hear her voice (the helium sounding voice) very clearly in my head, and it was funny. “Sure they are. Didn’t you ever see the movie Dick and Jane Drop Acid and Die?”

Kira- Very well done. Made me want more story. I started to wonder who Ellen was and what she'd done to deserve a eulogy like this. Why were her shoes wet? You gave me a few chuckles during the preacher seeing her bit. She reached up to run a finger through his wispy hair. “If I’m not up there, I think you have a problem. You’d better start calling me Ellen.” hehe, it was the finger in the hair that killed me.

William-So, how is it that you get inside the readers head? Line: “I’m Bronco.” Me thinking: "Wonder why they call him Bronco." Line: “I just had bronchitis a lot when I was a kid,” he said, melting into the seat. Not only do you satisfy the readers question, you make known the kids feelings whilst doing it. I found myself laughing most of the way through your piece. Some things that totally cracked me up: Just a year before, he had stolen the controversial art piece American Beauty, a jar of piss with a bikini-clad Barbie doll floating in it. But his getaway was sloppy and, during the twists and turns of the chase, the jar rolled off the seat onto the floorboard and shattered. AND “He looks just like Don Knotts,” Bronco observed from the back seat.

So, yeah. I'm still up in the air. But thanks so much for entertaining me for another week. You guys are amazing. I learn so much every week by reading what you've done here. Thanks. :) (ignore that haskins...)

~Sara

[Cassie88]

I like to apologize for using the term "here and there" in my previous post. I just reread it and I didn't mean it like it sounds. I meant that none of the pieces got me laughing right away and so I felt no laughing momentum. Please forgive my choice of words; they were careless.

Cassie

[William Haskins]

the damage is done, cassie.

[SRHowen]

I have no idea who to vote for--

One I did not get as humor Kira--I didn't see the humor in the preacher getting the name wrong at all. Maybe just personal--ugh, at my great grandmother's funeral the preacher that did it, hired by my greatuncle since the regular guy was not able to do it kept saying it was so sad such a young woman had died (she was 106 for pete's sake) and he kept calling her Louise and her name was Lois.

It seemed more strange and erie that he kept using the wrong name and here is the dead woman's ghost trying to get the man's attention and the attention of her family.

A tragic comedy perhaps.

Darla--I did laugh at your story, and for AW it is great, but I am sorry to say that outside AW it would not be as funny, right now if that matters I don't know since this is AW idol.

Sarah--the idea is a bit overdone, character's seek to get back at author. At first I didn't get the dad in the story--sigh. But I liked it.

William--good story. A bit different. A few good onelines and you do manage to almost be there reading the readers thoughts---

ON to read them all again

[reph]

Sarah's "fuuuuuuuuuuuck" lines worked for me.
Was that deliberate? I thought she was just trying to outwit the profanity filter.

[SRHowen]

Ok, I voted, but this time I am not saying who--it came down to picking apart the sotries--were they "funny?" Humor or comedy? Absurd? Ironic?

And it came down to mechanics as well this time--honestly, none of them were of the roll you on the floor kinda funny. And I don't know if that was the intention of writing a comedy.

Sigh, it was not easy this time.

[Cassie88]

the damage is done, cassie.

This might be my favorite line of yours so far! Although that "kicking the rented mule" line is a close second.

[William Haskins]

damn. i should have put it in my story.

[Cassie88]

You had your chance. You blew it.

[maestrowork]

Isn't it funny that a lot of us (including me) can deliver a funny one-liner once in a while, but when it comes to comedies, we are stuck? I tried to write a sitcom (pilot) once and didn't realize how hard it was. It really is hard to write something of quality that makes people laugh, and sustain that laughter for, what, 10, 20, 30 minutes... I had a good idea for JFF but I ended up not writing it because, darnit, comedy is hard.

So I applaud the contestants for doing this. Again, Jenna had a tough assignment, and you guys met the challenge gracefully, even though you might or might not have succeeded.

[William Haskins]

mom! i found my epitaph!

[firehorse]

Was that deliberate? I thought she was just trying to outwit the profanity filter.Yep, that's pretty much how I yell - the more pain I'm in or the more frustrated I am, the more extended the "u" sound ;). There were a few places I used the good old asterisk to maneuver around the censorship... thingy.

"Thingy". Me. Writer. Words. Good. Not. :roll:

[firehorse]

Sarah-Great writing, like usual. But, Matt's character really got to me, all those "Dudes..." I think I would have liked this better if the principal antagonist was George, or for a bit more dry comedy your father. I really liked stick girl and the fact that you were reading Hemmingway at aged 10. (I thought I was the only one :)) I could hear her voice (the helium sounding voice) very clearly in my head, and it was funny. “Sure they are. Didn’t you ever see the movie Dick and Jane Drop Acid and Die?”Good points, Sara (as have been the other comments in this thread). The "dude" trap is too easy to fall into.

So glad someone else read Hemingway as a kid! I seriously think it affected my development (though apparently not my verbosity).

Dick and Jane Drop Acid and Die *is* for rent at Kim's Video (I think it's a one-off, either performance art or an animated short). I never watched it, but the title always cracked me up.

[brokenfingers]

I thought they all were great.

Sarah/Firehorse: Your choice of Poe and the annual ceremony was pretty funny. The characters were funny too. All in all, they seemed like typical Texans to me (just kidding!!)

Haskins/VoteBot's Pimp: Your poem would've been much better if you'd included me in it. Don't get me wrong, it was funny - but, c'mon: broken? fingers? The humorous possibilities are astronomical!!

Kira (love that name by the way)/ Blue Texas: I found your characters very funny and personally have never seen that type of story done before - so I thought it was great. I especially loved the line: Fuuuuuuuuuck! Don't know why but that word just resonates with me.

DJP/DJP: The priest calling the protagonist a wrong name and the whole bit was funny to me. And the family - Holy cow!!

Way to go contestants. Expect my indepth review in this weeks Variety.

P.S. Price changes this week, people! Also running a special on the "Knock 'em out of the Water" package.

[mdmkay]

hmmmmmmmm brokenfingers.........don't want to burst your bubble but it was Haskens who wrote the Poe story. I'm not going to say who I voted for this time but I will say that I felt one story really did stand out above the rest this week and for me it really wasn't a hard choice.

[dragonjax]

I enjoyed all the entries, but I voted for Sarah. Maybe it was the fuuuuuuuuck, my ribs! but there were numerous times when I laughed out loud. And when the narrator Sarah tells her dead father that she was trying to be funny when she killed him off, I nearly spluttered coffee all over my keyboard.

Terrific work, everyone! You're all very, very talented. And again, I truly enjoyed every entry.

[dragonjax]

(Oh, and I read Hemmingway when I was ten. English class, sixth grade.)

[rhymegirl]

Only some of you don't know how to spell Hemingway. :)

[BlueTexas]

I thought they all were great.

Sarah/Firehorse: Your choice of Poe and the annual ceremony was pretty funny. The characters were funny too. All in all, they seemed like typical Texans to me (just kidding!!)

Haskins/VoteBot's Pimp: Your poem would've been much better if you'd included me in it. Don't get me wrong, it was funny - but, c'mon: broken? fingers? The humorous possibilities are astronomical!!

Kira (love that name by the way)/ Blue Texas: I found your characters very funny and personally have never seen that type of story done before - so I thought it was great. I especially loved the line: Fuuuuuuuuuck! Don't know why but that word just resonates with me.

DJP/DJP: The priest calling the protagonist a wrong name and the whole bit was funny to me. And the family - Holy cow!!

Way to go contestants. Expect my indepth review in this weeks Variety.

P.S. Price changes this week, people! Also running a special on the "Knock 'em out of the Water" package.

LOL, You've got us all backwards...might this be your own attempt at humor?

[VOTE_BOT]

And Haskins is not my pimp. From what I can tell, he doesn't even dress fancy.

[Sarita]

Yeah, so voting closes tonight... Has everyone voted?

[rhymegirl]

YES!

[mkcbunny]

LOL, You've got us all backwards...might this be your own attempt at humor?
I wondered if this was meant to be funny and I was just too dense to know for certain. Other options are (a) a real mixup or (b) PWI.

And, yes, I voted! Good luck to all four contestants this week. It's getting harder each round to watch someone go.

[William Haskins]

Haskins/VoteBot's Pimp: Your poem would've been much better if you'd included me in it. Don't get me wrong, it was funny - but, c'mon: broken? fingers? The humorous possibilities are astronomical!!

i promise, had i chosen to write a poem that lampooned AW drama, i would have included you. but, alas, your beef is with DJP.

[awatkins]

YES!

Tsk, tsk. You're not using your indoor voice. :roll:

[dragonjax]

Only some of you don't know how to spell Hemingway. :)
Who, me?

Hey, can I help it if Pappa spelled his name wrong?

:ROFL:

[rhymegirl]

Tsk, tsk. You're not using your indoor voice. :roll:

Anne, this is my indoor voice.

[awatkins]

Ahhh. Much better. :ROFL:

[William Haskins]

please stop yelling before i have to go find my happy place.

[rhymegirl]

Sorry, William.

How about some smilies?

:) :) :) :) :)

[Ddama]

This is the first time I have ever felt the urge to justify my vote, only because I am voting for no one. This week's contest was very difficult: the boundaries of comedy are nebulous and the setting seemed to confuse the finalists.

The dead. Dying. Ghosts. Graves. Poe. There was a tremendous lack of imagination this week.

You want cemetery humor? Try events not normally associated with the setting, like... sex, formal dinner parties, or swing dancing... events that may not be funny themselves, but certainly have the capacity to generate humor when they take place in a graveyard. They generate story (why are they taking place there?) and they create the kind of juxtapositions that are the basic material for comedy. Rather than treating the setting as a springboard, the contestants this week -- all of them -- treated it as a constraint, to the detriment of their work.

That said, I'm open to being swayed over the next few hours if someone can convince me otherwise.

[William Haskins]

That said, I'm open to being swayed over the next few hours if someone can convince me otherwise.

i certainly won't try. but since we (by the nature of the contest) open ourselves to criticism, i hope you won't mind being repaid in the same coin.

your reluctance to vote, and the reasons you state, point to the blind spot of many critics, namely: the "how-i-would-have-done-it" syndrome.

now, this is fine (and should probably be expected when the judges are other writers), but it does indicate a certain unwillingness to back away from your own potential cleverness and simply weigh the merits of each piece (such that they even exist in your mind) against the other three.

thus, voting is a comparative process amongst the entries, not as judged against the ether of what could have been.

that said, it seems you have a workable rationale for withholding your vote, and i'm fine with that.

-william

[mommie4a]

David - I think you make some excellent points, including a couple that hadn't occurred to me before. However, since I believe everyone should vote (in anything) even if they don't like their choices, but because they consider themselves to be part of a community, I can't help but want to persuade you to find one entry for which you can vote - if you do in fact feel a part of this community (and, given your wonderful JFF entries, done every week I think, I would guess that you do feel some connection to this community).

I would urge you to vote for someone (really, some entry) because:

1. They didn't pick the theme although you make a good point about how they approached it being of their own volition.

2. Voting for an entry in a contest like this demonstrates your support of the contest in general. The fact that the entrants' approach disappoints you shouldn't negate the validity of the contest or the efforts they made to meet their obligation to being finalists.

3. It's a bad precedent to set - what would happen to any system if people stopped voting because they don't like any of the choices? Now, maybe that's actually an attractive alternative to some, with the idea being that you'd force more worthy entries. But...is that really fair in this contest to the finalists who remain after all these weeks?

4. Voting is the right thing to do, IMHO.

I'll try to think of other more persuasive reasons. But I'm kind of a pushover - I want to support the entrants and I don't think not voting does anyone good - them or me.

Humbly - Jill

[William Haskins]

i have urged people repeatedly to vote their hearts. if his heart says none is worthy, then he is certainly not doing himself a service by voting, and in my opinion, he is not doing the community a disservice by not voting.

follow your heart, david.

[rhymegirl]

That said, I'm open to being swayed over the next few hours if someone can convince me otherwise.

I'm not sure I agree with what you said in your post. I guess the way I interpreted the writing challenge was that the story/poem/piece had to do two things: be funny and take place in a cemetery. That's just my take on what was required.

[Cassie88]

David, I agree with Will. You should follow your heart, but there is another way you could vote and remain true to your feelings. Why not vote for the writer you would most like to see still standing after the votes have been tallied this week. Just a suggestion.
Cassie

[William Haskins]

fight the power, david!

when you vote against your better inclinations, you only invite more crap.

boycott!

[Ddama]

re: william's last remark

Just for the record, as my first comment here was rather brutal, I have enjoyed the contest thoroughly to date. I have great respect for all of the finalists and part of my dillema stems from the fact that they did not live up to my high expectations this week.

I would not characterize any of the material here as "crap." My belief that the contestants could have produced better work is grounded in their excellent track records.

[William Haskins]

it was just a joke, i assure you. no offense intended.

[Ddama]

it was just a joke, i assure you. no offense intended.

Then you should have put a smil--

Oh.
Nevermind.

[poetinahat]

Wow!

Would that everyone put this much time and thought into every chance he or she has to cast a vote! Here in Australia, voting is compulsory. I'm still undecided (!) about whether that's a good thing, but I'm leaning toward 'yes'.

I do try to be analytical in my selection process, but it's extremely hard not to end up just spending a lot of time justifying my first impression (who says first impressions are wrong anyway?). That's how I chose my Vespa and my guitar - consciously or not!

I'd be interested to see how results came out if we all had to choose:
- top three entries (up until the last couple of rounds)
- which entry should definitely drop

Then again, that's probably just the mathematician/programmer in me, looking for another procrastination project!

Great discussion, all. Thanks!

P.S. Would be happy to justify my vote, as long as I can keep it to myself. I still like the secret ballot.

[brokenfingers]

Ok, I just voted. I’ve gotta say it was tough though.

Firehorse’s poem was pretty good, but then again Haskins’ story about the funeral with the priest etc had me chuckling also. And DJP’s story naturally appealed to me since it involved Poe and I thought it was pretty funny, but then again I really liked Blue Texas’ cemetary romp with her characters – I thought they were all funny and enjoyable - and of course I liked the salty dialogue.


Well, it was a tough decision. But in the end, I figured:

A contract’s a contract - so I had to go with Haskins story about the funeral and the priest.


I had a very humorous and true story involving a cemetary that I briefly considered putting into the Just for Fun thread but in the end I thought it was just a bit too risquee – especially since it was non-fiction.

But I can offer this little bit of advice my friends:

If you’re ever in a car parked on a hill facing a cemetary, engaged in heated…..er, debate with someone – do not, under any circumstances, accidently kick the parking brake off.

While the resulting hijinks can be very humorous and make for a truly memorable event – it can also be very costly and publicly embarrassing…

[SRHowen]

How is everyone getting the stories mixed up?

Well, not everyone, but some---hope you voted for the right person!

Shawn

[rhymegirl]

Um, he's just joking, Shawn. That's Broken's sense of humor.

[brokenfingers]

hope you voted for the right person! Uh-oh......

[SRHowen]

OK---

In freak mode, only 7 days to the closing on our house and the realtor still has not done some stuff he was suposed to do--me and big cat my go to visit him--

[SRHowen]

Odd question--I wonder, did the challenge have to be a complete story? I wonder if not, if it would have been better to made it a scene rather than a complete story?

[maestrowork]

Brokenhumor needs to sharpen his skills -- his humor just went over the heads of many... ;)


Or I think it's his way of not letting us know whether he voted for Haskins or the Preacher piece (BlueTexas).

[poetinahat]

A contract’s a contract - so I had to go with Haskins story about the funeral and the priest.


So, now that we have the results, the big question for brokenfingers is, did your pick make it to the next round? :Shrug:

Maybe we should change your name from 'brokenfingers' to 'hangingchad'.

:idea:

[mdmkay]

I have to confess the in the other weeks that I've voted I actually had very little problem deciding on who was my favorite, second and so on down the line. This week it's IMPOSSIBLE for me to choose. I guess I'm going to have to take some time to think about it and add more perameters to how I will vote....who used the subject the best, any nitpicking thing I can think of I guess. I don't feel comfortable just not voting but I honestly really loved all three. DRAT

[mommie4a]

I'm with Kay. I'd say that choosing will bring me to tears because I'll have to not vote for the other two. But, since I'm taking my kid to overnight camp today, for the first time, I suspect my tearducts will be empty for a while.

[jdkiggins]

I had a favorite after my first read, then decided to read all three entries once more to justify my vote in my own mind and heart. Jenna knew exactly what she was doing in assigning the theme and main characters individually.

Firehorse—You’re a very talented writer and I’ve enjoyed your entries. This week’s entry was good, but compared to other’s you’ve written, I found myself looking for a bigger plot or grander scheme. It simply didn’t hold my attention.

DJP—Jenna’s assigning you an eight-year-old boy did nothing to slow you down. You had a great story. The ending wasn’t quite what I’d expected. It didn’t ring true to me. I thought with Danny just being released from juvi, then attempting to murder his father trying to use his little cousin as the scapegoat, there may have been police involved—along with Kevin’s mother having her say with him as they took him away.

William—I’m thrilled you chose to use your excellence in poetry with this week’s theme. Once again, you’ve touched my heart in more ways than you know. You captured a 90-year-old woman in a nursing home in ways most wouldn’t. I loved the entire poem, but these stanzas stood out so perfectly and the last three lines clinched the entire mood.

This pay-by-day prison,
This halfway house
Between existence and
The slow crush of time.

And as she listened,
Not listening at all,

Of her past, ensnaring
Memories, faded and
Curled at the corners
Like photographs lost:

Immutable pain of
Progeny lost to
The shadows of time and
The motion of life.

She raised a toast to
Two perfect strangers and
A roomful of ghosts.

As I stated in my PM to you, “This makes me more adamant about taking care of Mom.”

Thank you for sharing this. :) You’ll have to put up with this smilie, William. It came after many tears. Great job! I voted for you this week.

Good luck to all the finalists. You’ve proven you’re great writers by being finalists and by making the top three. Best of luck in this week's vote all your writing. :Clap:

[ChunkyC]

My gawd, you guys are good.

I picked a clear winner right away, but it was like choosing between three different vintages from a world class winery. You know which one you prefer, but all three are superb.

I'm not gonna reveal my vote this time. Let the suspense build right through to the final round.

Which is up next, holy frijoles.

[William Haskins]

the individual variations on the birthday theme make this a somewhat different week to judge. not so much apples-to-apples, so to speak.

interesting.

[mkcbunny]

DJP's approach was unexpected. It hadn't occurred to me that the main character didn't have to be the person having the birthday. I went back and re-read the assignment and realized that I'd just perceived it that way.

I voted for Haskins. Although I enjoyed reading the other two, I didn't have an emotional response to them as I did with the poem. It was so sad, I almost cried.

Good luck to all three contestants.

[SRHowen]

I voted---

One was easy to rule out, seemed flat to me. The other two were harder, one didn't suprise me, it was too predictable--I ended up voiting for William.

I don't write poetry, but love Williams. Make me feel and you have my vote every time.

[poetinahat]

the individual variations on the birthday theme make this a somewhat different week to judge. not so much apples-to-apples, so to speak.

interesting.

True -- for me, it's like choosing between Poe, Joyce, and Ring Lardner.

I need to walk away and consider; my preference might depend on time of day, and I want to apply a higher criterion.

Maybe it would help if the comp had a swimsuit competition as well.

[firehorse]

Maybe it would help if the comp had a swimsuit competition as well.Haskins would win, hands down.

[poetinahat]

...I didn't have an emotional response to them as I did with the poem. It was so sad, I almost cried.

Make me feel and you have my vote every time.

Making me feel is great - I'm a sentimentalist from waaay back. But I respond to other compulsions just as much: I like a story to make me:
- relate
- ponder
- puzzle
- have an epiphany
- see things in a different way

So, IMHO, there are more ways to win than making the reader laugh, cry, or cheer.

This week, I'm casting my vote for craft - the writerly aspect and the cleverness. That said, it doesn't narrow my choices a whole lot!

[mkcbunny]

Making me feel is great - I'm a sentimentalist from waaay back. But I respond to other compulsions just as much: I like a story to make me:
- relate
- ponder
- puzzle
- have an epiphany
- see things in a different way

So, IMHO, there are more ways to win than making the reader laugh, cry, or cheer.

I guess I wasn't clear. That's not the only reason I picked it. I wouldn't pick a story just on that account. In fact, if I feel like I am being manipulated, or that the emotion is cheap, that would count against a story for me. I just prefer not to explain my voting process in full detail, so I mentioned the thing that made the final decision for me.

[mommie4a]

Haskins would win, hands down.
Re: the swimsuit competition -

Especially if he wore one selected by Oprah.

[maestrowork]

Re: the swimsuit competition -

Especially if he wore one selected by Oprah.

Hope it doesn't biodegrade in vegetable oil...

[mommie4a]

Hope it doesn't biodegrade in vegetable oil...

Ray - are you suggesting that you'd give William an oil rubdown if he wears an Oprah-selected swimsuit?

[Duncan J Macdonald]

Ray - are you suggesting that you'd give William an oil rubdown if he wears an Oprah-selected swimsuit?AVI! AVI!

[SRHowen]

Making me feel is great - I'm a sentimentalist from waaay back. But I respond to other compulsions just as much: I like a story to make me:
- relate
- ponder
- puzzle
- have an epiphany
- see things in a different way

I put all those things in with the "make me feel."

[jdkiggins]

Maybe it would help if the comp had a swimsuit competition as well.

After this suggestion, I'm soooooo happy I'd been voted out, or this would have done me in. You people wouldn't want to see me clothed let alone in a swimsuit. :ROFL:

[William Haskins]

you people are silly.

[jdkiggins]

I resemble that remark. LOL

[maestrowork]

Ray - are you suggesting that you'd give William an oil rubdown if he wears an Oprah-selected swimsuit?

Whatever it takes for Will to win... he's my biatch.

;)

(this is not a public endorsement of any of the contestants. ray is simply weird today, and simon-ray is nowhere to be found)

[rhymegirl]

How about Vote Bot in a swimsuit? Do they make suits in his size?

[maestrowork]

How about Vote Bot in a swimsuit? Do they make suits in his size?

They make suits for chickens.

[mkcbunny]

They make suits for chickens.
Are you calling VOTE_BOT chicken?

[VOTE_BOT]

Behave yourself, children. Don't make me turn this messageboard around and take you all home.

More vote-justifying, less obsessing over VOTE_BOT's bulge.

[mommie4a]

Behave yourself, children. Don't make me turn this messageboard around and take you all home.

More vote-justifying, less obsessing over VOTE_BOT's bulge.

Depending on size and location, Vote Bot, that bulge just might be the key to more votes you know. Ambassadors need to be positive, not like John Bolton.

[mdmkay]

ARGHHHHHH thought about the entries all night long. So now it's time for one last read and a vote. I have a pretty good idea of who I'm going to vote for after nit-picking the entries to death. I just want to say they were all really terrific. One of the things I also used was how well the writer's did overall in keeping the up the quality of writing throughout the contest.

[three seven]

simon-ray is nowhere to be found:partyguy:

[rhymegirl]

I guess you don't like simon-ray.

[maestrowork]

I guess you don't like simon-ray.

simon-ray would be so glad. however, i have a feeling he's dead.

[VOTE_BOT]

have a feeling he's dead.

The boards seem to have caught a case of this.

[rhymegirl]

Okay, since VoteBot seems to be going through some kind of depression, I thought I'd make him happy by justifying my vote this week.

All three writers are very talented and I commend you for making it this far and for writing such good pieces.

DJP's story was interesting and held my interest throughout. I wanted to know how things would get resolved, what would happen. And she gave herself a bigger challenge by not making it the child's birthday party.

Firehorse is very good at writing dialogue. I liked the conversation between Miranda and Elliot and I thought it was very realistic. I think anyone who is turning 40 examines his life up to this point and wonders if he's made the right choices.

William wrote a very thought-provoking, realistic account of what it is to be an elderly woman who has nothing left but her memories which stayed with me after I read it, and will stay with me for a long time.

I voted for William because his poem had such a powerful effect on me.

[VOTE_BOT]

Not depressed, Hot Buns, just making an observation. Alas, it's summer and all, and people are out and about, but the whole forum seems to have slowed down lately.

Distressing for VOTE_BOT - who has only a couple of weeks left among such esteemed company.

But I thank you for getting the thread back on track.

Make sure you vote, everybody. If only 1 in 10 registered members do so, we can shatter the 300 vote barrier and usher in a new golden age of democracy and community fellowship.

[mdmkay]

Distressing for VOTE_BOT - who has only a couple of weeks left among such esteemed company

If you think for one second Vote Bot that we are going to let you outta here before we know your secret identity you have another think a commin. You've been stringing us along long enough that you OWE US....if you leave before telling us there will be bits of doctor denten clad butt kicked all over this forum....YOU GOT THAT

Now you can kick that baby around for awhile

[VOTE_BOT]

But it's no secret.

[rhymegirl]

But I thank you for getting the thread back on track.

You're welcome. Now where is everybody else?

[Sarita]

I voted for Vote Bot, simply because. I hate justifying my actions. ;)

[maestrowork]

But it's no secret.

Yup. I'm surprised people still refuse to acknowledge the obvious. Vote_Bot's identity has been revealed a LONG time ago, folks. ;)

[stranger]

First of all I think I'm beginning to become biased. As in, if entries are close I'll be biased towards my favourite writer based on their body of work. That's the nature of an idol contest, I guess.

DJP. Well the good thing about the story was the tension. I felt a knot in my stomach and I wanted to know what would happen. But. Too many times I found myself jarred by words/dialogue/character traits that sounded (to my ear) off-key.

Firehorse. I'd describe this story as a subtle exploration of growing old(er). The way in which this was developed was excellent. But. Very slow. No hook to keep me reading. And I found the dialogue at times flat: the characters were reading from the same page.

William Haskins. Don't know much about poetry but you painted a picture and told a story in few words. I hope I can look forward to a roomful of ghosts when I'm 90.

I voted for William.

[poetinahat]

Yup. I'm surprised people still refuse to acknowledge the obvious. Vote_Bot's identity has been revealed a LONG time ago, folks. ;)

Guess I missed the press conference... but I like unknown quantities!

[GailKavanagh]

I don't think I need to justify my vote at all. Every time Haskins writes he gets into your head and stays there.
Out, Damned Haskins!

[DJP]

Well Firehorse,

It's looking like it's going to be you or me taken out tonight. I wish you good luck, you are an awesome opponent. :Thumbs:

[firehorse]

Likewise, Darla. We done Canada proud ;)

[William Haskins]

Good luck, ladies. Enjoyed both your stories.

[Kim Gogo]

I enjoyed the 8 yr old's account b/c it seemed to me so unexpected. I didn't anticipate it could involve such action, so it kept me reading. However, there were words and phrases that I stumbled over and tended to eventually skip, to try to keep the flow.

I enjoyed the mid-life male story b/c he tended to say and feel ways that my husband and I have complained about in the last couple weeks. We still feel 21, but we aren't, no matter how hard we try. My problem with the story is that I'm one of 8 people in North American who hasn't seen Les Mis so, being unfamiliar with characters from the show, I tended to skip to keep the flow.

I enjoyed the rhythm of the 80 yr old's birthday. The phrases were so succinct in their ability to visualize a point, I was left breathless at times. The fact that this was a forced subject and it was so moving, I was left in awe. In fact, I should like to keep that on my hard drive, to remind me of the beauty, unpredictability, and frailty of life. I voted for William.

William, being a newbie, I don't know all that you have published, but I am very much interested in reading more and more of your work. I would daresay that your writing is fast-approaching becoming my favoured works to read. I admire and quite-honestly envy your talent.

kim

[DJP]

Likewise, Darla. We done Canada proud ;)


Thanks, and yes we did!

Good luck, ladies. Enjoyed both your stories.

Good luck to you too, though I don't think you need it this time. Your poem impresses me more every time I read it.

[William Haskins]

all of you guys are being way too kind.

[firehorse]

My problem with the story is that I'm one of 8 people in North American who hasn't seen Les MisI knew I should've used Mamma Mia! ;)
(Confession: the only time I've seen Les Mis was from backstage; I shadowed the stage manager. So I had to look up things like character names and ages - you're not alone, Kim!)

[bkrrh85]

Wow, I finished reading the entries (I was 15 minutes late--you think they'll count my vote?).

Three excellent entries in very different styles.

I LOVED Kevin and the way Danny drew him in. Kevin was so believable, the hero-worship, the naivety of his actions.

But then, Elliott and Miranda took the stage, and they were awesome, too. Loved the ending.

Just when I thought that one of those two must win, Mr. Haskins' poem was on my screen. I thought it bold to write a poem, and it worked out so well. That style worked so well with the subject.

By the time I finished all three, I liked them all for different reasons. So, who did I choose? You'll have to wait and see . . .

Ranneh

[bkrrh85]

[QUOTE=Kim Gogo] My problem with the story is that I'm one of 8 people in North American who hasn't seen Les Mis so, being unfamiliar with characters from the show, I tended to skip to keep the flow."

Hi, Kim

Meet one of the other eight North Americans who hasn't seen (or read) Les Mis . . . :Shrug:


Ranneh

[brokenfingers]

Hmmmm, I've never read nor seen Les Miserables either but I don't see how that was a problem. Any references were incidental and could've easily been from any made-up play.

I thought it was a great story and not knowing anything about Les Miserables didn't affect my enjoyment of it at all.

I found DJP's piece intriguing and enjoyed it also.

I haven't read Haskins' piece yet, but will before I vote tomorrow.

[rhymegirl]

I haven't read Haskins' piece yet, but will before I vote tomorrow.

Troublemaker.

[bkrrh85]

Hi, I think the voting ended tonight, 10:00 EST.

:Wha:

[maestrowork]

Broken, you have to work on your flying low techniques again. Apparently, your humor goes over people's heads once again...

;)

[mkcbunny]

Broken, you have to work on your flying low techniques again. Apparently, your humor goes over people's heads once again...

;)
Once you know what angle it's coming fromt, it's hilarious, though.

[Ddama]

Both so good. What to do?
On the other hand, William's brinksmanship might have gone a little bit too far... if we want to be anal, he did post a minute AFTER the deadline.

[William Haskins]

that's a dirty lie. it says 11pm on my computer, and my computer doesn't even like me.

[JennaGlatzer]

According to the post timestamp I'm reading, he was right on time. Considering how long we were down, though, I would have accepted a minute late. ;)

[mdmkay]

Got my vote in so now I'm off the hook. It really wasn't all that hard for me this week like it was the last couple of weeks. All the stories were really great but the one I voted for I liked the twist at the end and the fairy tale sequel so I was lucky and didn't like one best for one and the other one best from the other (wow, did that even make sense?)

[sharon]

I wasn't as lucky as mdmkay... I came up with a tie, preferring one contestant over the other in each category. I had to go back and reread each one, several times. It was difficult for me to reach a decision because they're both just so darn talented. I commend Jenna on creating such a fantastic contest; Melina and Votebot for their hard work counting all the votes; and especially all contestants for giving us such wonderful writing in such a minute space of time. Best of luck to both Firehorse and William! You ROCK!:Clap:

[jdkiggins]

VoteBot--get out there more and remind members to vote. This justify your vote thread is dead.

I read. I voted. :D

Good luck to Sara and William.

[poetinahat]

So is anybody justifying their vote?

Wow: a two-way vote where there are actually two *extremely* worthy competitors. What a novelty!

[JennaGlatzer]

Imagine if this happened during presidential elections?

"Hmm, I think they're both great. Now, which one do I think is greater?"

Nope. I can't imagine it either.

[Sarita]

You know, I was thinking about American Idol. When you look out into the crowd on the last night, there are so many signs of support and the fans can't shut themselves up about who they want to win! In Office Party, we talked for weeks about why we loved Bo or why Carrie was so amazing. Let's stir it up. We should start making signs! It made me think of Hermit, way back at the begining of this thread:

I Voted For: William Haskins.

My Reason Is:

He's got the best way to grab you in the subject of 'crossroads'. He never defines a he or her but lets our imagination do the work. Readers beware...this man is about to become mainstream and charge you big $$$ to read his works!
My point is this. I think we can show who we're supporting and voting for without being rude to the other contestant. Come on! I want to know who you're voting for and why!

Show your Idol some support!

[KTC]

I just know that I, for one, wanted to somehow rig it so I could vote twice. That's all I'm saying. This was a hard one!

[William Haskins]

this man is about to become mainstream and charge you big $$ to read his works!


update: i still haven't gone mainstream, but i am willing to charge you big $$ to read my works.

[maestrowork]

C'mon Will, join the force. Mainstream is fun and lots of $$$ to be had.. ;)

Ray, proud to be mainstream...

[William Haskins]

show me how, ray. i'm lost and confused.

[maestrowork]

Will, one word: universal.

[JennaGlatzer]

In Office Party, we talked for weeks about why we loved Bo or why Carrie was so amazing.I know what you mean. But I think the thing is, Bo and Carrie weren't here to read what we were writing. That rather changes the dynamic. ;)

[Sarita]

I know what you mean. But I think the thing is, Bo and Carrie weren't here to read what we were writing. That rather changes the dynamic. ;)Good point. :)

[William Haskins]

Bo can read?

[maestrowork]

Bo can read?

That's gonna cost you some points among the ladies, Haskins.

[William Haskins]

yeah, i'm my own worst enemy.

[dragonjax]

Holy crap, this was a tough one. Both William and Sarah really outdid themselves. I thoroughly enjoyed all four pieces. Sarah's fairy tale sequel cracked me up, and her second piece made me shiver. William's sequel was spot on in terms of voice as well as throwing a nasty twist in a way that was still true to the original character. His second piece was a well-spun ghost/personal reflection tale.

Ultimately, it was William's fairy tale rendition that won me over. Both Sarah's main characters and William's main characters come to an understanding about themselves that wasn't there before. Both stories were highly entertaining. But William's also nailed the voice of the original. This was what did it for me.

A truly tough decision. You both deserve major kudos.

[Demonica]

This last round you could see the contestants sweat. I voted for the writer whose struggles to find something vital in the exercise were in the end more interesting than the work of the writer who focused on craft and polish -- a reversal of how I would have ranked them when I first read the contest (the "graveyard" round). That said, I was pretty darn impressed with both.

When's the next contest?

[Sarita]

My vote was based on whose entries I enjoyed the most and I also noticed a huge amount of growth in the one piece that really stood out to me. That is what ultimately clinched it. I love when these guys show us more than we expect!

[reph]

A tough decision, and I haven't made it yet. I liked one person's fairy-tale sequel a little more than the other's, but I liked the other person's second piece a little more than the first person's. Maybe I'll vote for the writer of the piece I thought had the most merit of all four. Is that a rational way to choose?