AW WESTERN CONTEST - Discussion Thread

Status
Not open for further replies.

HarryHoskins

Straw-fed
Kind Benefactor
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Apr 5, 2011
Messages
6,239
Reaction score
592
Location
On the nickel
So, we finally made it to March 1st! Entries have been received and will soon be available to view in WESTERN CONTEST ENTRY THREAD -- please do not post in this thread and make sure you read the OP. :)

This thread is for the discussion of the contest and also serves as a reminder of the rules regarding voting. I have posted an abridged version of the rules (specific to voting) below. Please read it before casting your votes.

The contests full rules can be found HERE.

  • Entires will be posted exactly as entered – except that they will all be posted in the same font.
  • All AW members in good standing who have a join date on or prior to January 15, 2012 are allowed to vote.
  • Entrants are not permitted to vote for their own entry.
Entrants must vote to be eligible to win.

I strongly discourage block voting or using secondary accounts to skew the vote. Please do not do this.

How to Vote

Once the entries are posted, give them all a good read and then send me your vote via the sites private message function – one vote (consisting of your top three entries) is allowed per AW member in accordance with the voting rules.

Using the board's private message function, send me your votes by March 15th, 2012 at 11:59 PM E.S.T (know your time zones).

The subject line of the PM should be: VOTE: THE WESTERN CONTEST.

In the body of the message, you vote will include your top three stories in order of preference from first to third. List both the entry number and the title. For example:

9. The Unfortunate Fate of J.R Hartley
2. Gunfight at the Pink Coconut
5. The Night Bernard Hamster's Electronic Chaps Did Him a Fatal Mischief

First-place votes score three points; second-place score two points; third-place score one point.

At the end of the voting period, I will tally the votes, post complete results with vote totals for every entry, and announce the winner and the two runners-up.

Any questions?

If you have any further questions (or -- as is likely -- see any glaring errors in this post) please ask/notify me either by PM, or here in this thread.

I'd like to add a reminder that all entries will be anonymous, so please do not identify yourself or anyone else as author of a piece (or declare which stories you are voting for) until the winners have been announced.

Thank you all again for taking part, I hope you'll have as much fun choosing your top three as you did writing your piece. :)

I'd also like to take the time to remind entrants and passers by that the March western prompt is Mystery Western in preperation for entering the Hillerman Contest. I thouroughly encourage you to give it a go. Full details can be found here. If you had fun writing this one, why not keep going!

So, with that all said. On with the discussion!
 
Last edited:

ladyleeona

fluently sarcastic grandma offender
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Jun 3, 2010
Messages
932
Reaction score
138
Location
wherever the Jose is.
All I've done today is read the entries (hurrah up, Harry, post faster! :)).

If you need any confirmation that AW is full of fantastic writers, I suggest you go and start reading--all the stories are wonderful.

Picking a favorite is going to be so hard.
 

HarryHoskins

Straw-fed
Kind Benefactor
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Apr 5, 2011
Messages
6,239
Reaction score
592
Location
On the nickel
All I've done today is read the entries (hurrah up, Harry, post faster! :)).

I'm giving me all I've got, Captain! :)

If you need any confirmation that AW is full of fantastic writers, I suggest you go and start reading--all the stories are wonderful.

Picking a favorite is going to be so hard.

Agreed on all counts. :)
 

orion_mk3

Ne Cede Malis
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Jan 22, 2008
Messages
1,458
Reaction score
82
Location
Mississippi
40,000 words of Western goodness ripe for the reading! It'll be a tough cattle drive at times but I'm looking forward to it.
 

Ari Meermans

MacAllister's Official Minion & Greeter
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Jan 24, 2011
Messages
12,854
Reaction score
3,054
Location
Not where you last saw me.
yessiree bob. It IS "gonna be tuff". I expected amazing entries. No surprises there. Just wow, folks!
 

orion_mk3

Ne Cede Malis
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Jan 22, 2008
Messages
1,458
Reaction score
82
Location
Mississippi
One request: I am going to type up some comments in a Word file and post them here. Could you do a list of all the entries in order so I can copypasta it in?
 

orion_mk3

Ne Cede Malis
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Jan 22, 2008
Messages
1,458
Reaction score
82
Location
Mississippi
Never mind, I just did it myself:

01. Mexican Monte
02. Deliverance
03. The First Roundup
04. Saloon Girls
05. Dealing From the Bottom
06. Outside
07. Conserving Order
08. Awaiting Your Reply, I Remain Your Servant, Josiah Cranston
09. Mary-Lou's Prospects
10. Fools Get What’s Coming
11. Self Defense
12. Death on the Range
13. New Ideas in the Old West
14. The Roiling Sands
15. My Ride to Fort Churchill
16. Under Burning Rain
17. So What
18. Paradise Wells
19. A Trip Out West
20. Ain't Enough
21. Ten Seconds
22. Incident at the Bar H
23. Look Back, Bold Pioneer
24. Lame Horses
25. Gambler and Gravedigger
26. Gravedigger Jones
27. The Riders
28. To Kill a Rattlesnake
29. The Winter Spring
30. Home Bound
31. The Love and Death of Alice Waddell
32. Sacred Rock
33. All the General's Horses
34. Tooth and Claw
35. The Outlaw
36. Dead Don't Lie
37. Six Bullets
38. Hesperides
39. Hunger Ain't No Game
40. We Are Equal
 

HarryHoskins

Straw-fed
Kind Benefactor
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Apr 5, 2011
Messages
6,239
Reaction score
592
Location
On the nickel
One request: I am going to type up some comments in a Word file and post them here. Could you do a list of all the entries in order so I can copypasta it in?

Excellent engagement in the contest, Orion. :)

Please make sure you don't post any comments that identify particular stories until the voting period is over. The idea is to discuss without influencing the vote or identifying particular stories or authors until the votings done. After the voting close date you are encouraged to post what you thought about particular pieces. But please wait until then.

The entries are up and in order in Western SYW (password vista) right now so feel free to use that for your word file. If you want a list of who wrote what, that'll be posted when the votes are in, counted and the results posted. This, providing all goes well, should be either on or shortly after 16th of March.

Hope that helps, and good show. :)
 

WordCount

You don't have coffee? Go away.
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Dec 28, 2011
Messages
707
Reaction score
52
Location
Charlottesville, VA
I just read the first five stories, and, wow! My story is going to blown to China. If my story even gets one vote I'll be happy. These stories are incredible for AW contest standards.

Seriously, guys, publication is for you.
 

Ari Meermans

MacAllister's Official Minion & Greeter
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Jan 24, 2011
Messages
12,854
Reaction score
3,054
Location
Not where you last saw me.
I just read the first five stories, and, wow! My story is going to blown to China. If my story even gets one vote I'll be happy. These stories are incredible for AW contest standards.

Seriously, guys, publication is for you.

True for me. Don't know what made me think--

Anyway, taking a break from my first read of entries one through twenty. Twenty more to go for the first pass.

I'm honored to be here among you guys. I hope I'll learn something from ya.
 

ladyleeona

fluently sarcastic grandma offender
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Jun 3, 2010
Messages
932
Reaction score
138
Location
wherever the Jose is.
True for me. Don't know what made me think--

Anyway, taking a break from my first read of entries one through twenty. Twenty more to go for the first pass.

I'm honored to be here among you guys. I hope I'll learn something from ya.

Don't feel that way. Or if you do, know you aren't alone. I'm right there with you (pardna').
 

archerjoe

Super Member
Registered
Joined
Feb 21, 2009
Messages
3,268
Reaction score
369
Location
Fargo
Just finished and I have to agree, it will be tough to whittle it down to three votes. I've been trying to imagine who wrote what.
 

KatieJ

I think I'm back....
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Nov 28, 2011
Messages
547
Reaction score
75
Location
Bay of Fundy, Downeast Maine
I have to second, or third, or, heck - just add my 2 cents, these entries are great. It's going to be very hard to pick three.
 

WordCount

You don't have coffee? Go away.
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Dec 28, 2011
Messages
707
Reaction score
52
Location
Charlottesville, VA
^Wow....We'll leave that at that.

But I do agree with you, despite the slightly nasty analogy. I find myself saying, "I'm going to get murdered...."
 

archerjoe

Super Member
Registered
Joined
Feb 21, 2009
Messages
3,268
Reaction score
369
Location
Fargo
Well, to get the train back on the tracks, I was amazed at the number of cross-genre entries. So many ideas I would never come up with in a million years.
 

TypoToffee

Super Member
Registered
Joined
Mar 2, 2011
Messages
588
Reaction score
71
Location
Maryland
So many ideas I would never come up with in a million years.


That's what I thought on my first skim through. My unnamed, unmentioned, unreferenced, heck did i even write it??? submission seems quite lame now.

So many good stories... for once.. I'm speechless!

I can certainly see now why we need a good coupla weeks to pick our favorites. They are all so good I might just have to draw from a hat. Anyone got a spare stetson?
 

WordCount

You don't have coffee? Go away.
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Dec 28, 2011
Messages
707
Reaction score
52
Location
Charlottesville, VA
*Wordcount stops his horse, gets off, and lends Toffee his fedora.

Will that do?
 

TypoToffee

Super Member
Registered
Joined
Mar 2, 2011
Messages
588
Reaction score
71
Location
Maryland
*Wordcount stops his horse, gets off, and lends Toffee his fedora.

Will that do?

Sounds like a plan!

Well WordCount, apart from voting there's no point sitting around this 'ere saloon drinking bad liquor and shooting at Harry.

I'm thinking of signing up for the Western prompt thingy. You game for it pard? Or are ya chicken?

Toffee takes two steps back, her hands itching over her blackberry, ready to shoot...

http://absolutewrite.com/forums/showthread.php?t=237777
 

archerjoe

Super Member
Registered
Joined
Feb 21, 2009
Messages
3,268
Reaction score
369
Location
Fargo
A tip of the hat to HarryHoskins for creating this contest. What a great idea!
 

WordCount

You don't have coffee? Go away.
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Dec 28, 2011
Messages
707
Reaction score
52
Location
Charlottesville, VA
Sounds like a plan!

Well WordCount, apart from voting there's no point sitting around this 'ere saloon drinking bad liquor and shooting at Harry.

I'm thinking of signing up for the Western prompt thingy. You game for it pard? Or are ya chicken?

Toffee takes two steps back, her hands itching over her blackberry, ready to shoot...

http://absolutewrite.com/forums/showthread.php?t=237777


Si, senor. I've decided to take part in that there competition as well. I'm thinkin' Space Western for this one. What about you?
 

TypoToffee

Super Member
Registered
Joined
Mar 2, 2011
Messages
588
Reaction score
71
Location
Maryland
Si, senor. I've decided to take part in that there competition as well. I'm thinkin' Space Western for this one. What about you?

Not exactly sure.
1. Never heard of Hillerbeans... gotta research.
2. Need to figure out where New Mexico is.
3. I'm sure there's a three... but it's been a long day
4. Is it the same as the weird western thingy?
 

Scribe4264

Sockpuppet
Banned
Richard Paolinelli Sock
Joined
Jan 22, 2011
Messages
186
Reaction score
9
When I finished my entry and sent it over I was thinking, top 3 easy.

Now that I've finished reading the other 39 entries I'm thinking: Please God, just don't let me finish dead last.

Nice job everyone. Going to be very tough cutting this down to a top 3.
 

brad_b

Knight Errant
Kind Benefactor
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Dec 18, 2008
Messages
11,059
Reaction score
5,028
Location
Somewhere in my mind... it echoes in here ...
Halfway through the stories and it's break time, I'm tired and hoping it rains tomorrow so I can finish these. The tales told in 1500 words, give or take, are pretty amazing. Such a wide range of imagination - it's impressive. Picking three favorites will be nigh near impossible and my notes and rankings bear that out. Well done to everyone. Good job, Harry, on bringing all this talent together.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.