2007 News & Views: Discussion and Announcements for the Survivorphile

[DarkBee]

I'll be happy if I manage to write one more story. Time, motivation and plot all lacking right now!

Same here too, especially the motivation. I had times where I wrote several stories each week, but since the last few months... Just 2 or 3 stories.

 

[fieryjen]

Same here too, especially the motivation. I had times where I wrote several stories each week, but since the last few months... Just 2 or 3 stories.

Can I join the club? I'm so utterly stuck it's not even funny.

 

[Boxlicker101]

Yes, thank you ladies for your nice responses. Of course I keep track of my own score but there's no sense of only tracking your own score when there are more than 100 others.

I guess, I have to roll up my sleeves, open up an Excel spreadsheet page, and play accountant to see what the up-to-date scores are. Maybe, I'll just wait until January when they post the winners.

Thanks,

Happy Halloween to everyone out there. I hope whoever is entered in the Halloween contest wins. Hey, there could be a massive tie for first place, you never know. Stranger things have happened, such as this score card.

Okay, I gotta go. Here she comes.

"Bye!"

Oh, come now. It's not that much of a hassle. For one thing, your score is half again as much as the second place contestant. Assuming nobody is sandbagging, you are pretty much a cinch to win.

For another thing, it's easy enough to check on somebody's score. Just click on their name on the scorecard and you will get their up to date score. There are only about seven or eight persons with scores above 100, including you and me, and anybody else is too far back to catch up.

Personally, I consider sandbagging to be legal but unethical, and I would never do it. I update scores as soon as the story or poem is posted. A few minutes ago, I posted the latest one-point poem. That's me, though, and somebody else might wait until December and suddenly post 700 points worth. A person who intended to do that wouldn't have their scores up to date anyhow, and having an up to date scorecard wouldn't mean anything.

What I'm saying is, the scorecard being up to date doesn't mean anything. You can quickly check on the other contenders, as long as their scorecards are up to date. If somebody is sandbagging, it wouldn't mean much if Lauren's scorecard is up to date because they could enter everything just before the deadline.

 

[Guest]

...........

 

[Lauren Hynde]

And, of course, I'll update the scoreboard when I have the free time to do it - which hasn't happened in the last couple of weeks. C'est la vie.

 

[RedHairedandFriendly]

*slips in and quietly waits for the 2008 discussion thread to pop up*

 

[Lauren Hynde]

Yep, it's almost that time again.

 

[RedHairedandFriendly]

Yep, it's almost that time again.

*tries to contain excitement*

 

[Boxlicker101]

I think it is worth mentioning now, that anybody submitting new stories or poems should include in the Notes section that it is an entry in The Survivor Contest. Otherwise, there might be a delay in posting it, and it might not get counted.

 

[Lauren Hynde]

Excellent reminder, Boxlicker!

 

[BOSTONFICTIONWRITER]

Be forewarned...I win. You lose.

My congratulations to MungoPark III for posting 168, 750 word stories on the board since November 15th, some of which are copied and pasted from the poetry books that he references. He is the real survivor in every essence of this competition, I think, kind of, not really, not at all. Who cares?

Wait, what did he survive? I don't get it. I thought writing all year long, submitting my stories as I wrote them, and updating my score card as they posted, that I survived something and I did. I wrote nearly 200 stories and had I not pulled 32 of them to publish them, maybe, I would have finished higher. Who knows? I have no way of knowing until after January 5th. I wonder who will win? I don't have a clue.

Since, I am an accountant, had I chosen to break up every 3,000 and 4,000 word story that I submitted, I would have had, probably, 1,200 points instead of my measley 400 points. Only, now that I know how to play this game, fool me once...

Should I participate in this contest again, much what SexxyVixen said so long ago back in January (where is SexxyVixen), I will never submit another story that is more than 750, so long as I can help it. Now, isn't that stupid keeping my stories to 750 words just for this contest? So be it.

Hmm...my suggestion is to change the name of the contest from Survivor to The Seven Hundred And Fifty Word competition. Oh, I know, let's call this competition, The Big Fool's Surprise! Yep, that's me. I'm the big fool. Surprise!

I wrote a story back in July about the Survivor Contest, aptly named, The Survivor Contest should anyone be interested enough in reading it. Oh, and please make sure you vote for the story because the bashers really hated that story and gave me a score of 2.15, my lowest score for any of my stories (lol).

Personally, I would have written my stories anyway, contest or no contest. Good, bad or indifferent, I live to write. My passion is writing and writing is a lifelong apprenticeship. Only, I was a bit naive to think that this was a fair contest. Before every takes a shot at me about the definition of fair, I agree with Direlilith's analogy about running a race and needing to know who is running the race with you. I know, I know, rules are rules and clearly stated in the rules are that contestants do not have to show their hand until the very end. I thought this was a story competition and not a poker game. Nonetheless, I had fun. Thank you for having a contest like this.

Only, I am just so happy that I don't have to wait until the Red Sox or the New England Patriots game is over before I find out the score and who one the game.

"What's the score?"

"Dunno. The game's not over, yet."

"Surprise! And you thought you won? Sucker!"

"Where'd you come from?"

"Oh, I signed up December 31st when I dumped my 300 stories on the board."

I said all along, I'd be lucky to finish in 5th place. I may be a fool, but I'm not stupid.

Now, with that said...if I am able to compete in 2008...I already have enough stories to win the competition. Last count, I have nearly 2,000 points (after breaking up my 4,000 word stories into 750 word chapters). Only, I think I'll wait to post them all December 15th, 2008.

Be forewarned...I win. You lose. You heard it here first.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays.

Freddie

 

[CrimsonMaiden]

Should I participate in this contest again, much what SexxyVixen said so long ago back in January (where is SexxyVixen), I will never submit another story that is more than 750, so long as I can help it. Now, isn't that stupid keeping my stories to 750 words just for this contest? So be it.
Freddie

I'm right here... just under my normal posting name. Now... I'm trying to figure out if you are saying that I said "if I participate" or that I wouldn't write anything over 750 words...

 

[BOSTONFICTIONWRITER]

"Nurse!"

Forgive me if I misquoted you, SexxyVixen, I mean, Crimson Maiden, I'm old (cough) feeble, and infirmed (cough, cough). Sometimes, the popsicle stick that I hold in my mouth while typing slips to one side of my mouth and the drool makes my fingers press the wrong keys in random order that some take as stupidity.

When I first signed up for the Survivor Contest back in March, I remember reading something you wrote that told people that it was too bad that you only were writing 750 stories from now on and to quit their bitching. I never knew what you meant by that remark until now and maybe not even now.

I guess what I read into what you wrote was you may have been leading the contest the previous year and someone stole it from you by dumping stories at the last possible instant.

Do you hear that? That rumbling sound? What is it? Oh, my God! Suddenly, the sky darkened. It's raining stories, thousands of stories.

"Incoming! Fore! Get down! Look out!"

I figured when the smoke clears, I'll be lucky to finish 16th place. This is a weird contest. Nonetheless, I had fun competing, kind of competing, taking a shot in the dark, and wondering with my eyes closed if I had a chance in Hell.

I apologize if I misquoted you or misread what your wrote. Who knows, maybe it wasn't even you who wrote it. It was so long ago. Where am I? I have to take my medication now.

"Nurse!"

 

[CrimsonMaiden]

Forgive me if I misquoted you, SexxyVixen, I mean, Crimson Maiden, I'm old (cough) feeble, and infirmed (cough, cough). Sometimes, the popsicle stick that I hold in my mouth while typing slips to one side of my mouth and the drool makes my fingers press the wrong keys in random order that some take as stupidity.

When I first signed up for the Survivor Contest back in March, I remember reading something you wrote that told people that it was too bad that you only were writing 750 stories from now on and to quit their bitching. I never knew what you meant by that remark until now and maybe not even now.

I guess what I read into what you wrote was you may have been leading the contest the previous year and someone stole it from you by dumping stories at the last possible instant.

Do you hear that? That rumbling sound? What is it? Oh, my God! Suddenly, the sky darkened. It's raining stories, thousands of stories.

"Incoming! Fore! Get down! Look out!"

I never said any such thing. My stories have always ranged anywhere from the minimum 750 to as many as 3,500 with the average probably being around 1,500 words (plus the 7,500 one I did for novellas). And as far as I can recall, no one has ever come in at the last moment and "stolen" anything from me. Whoever has passed me in any years in the contest has done so farily (with the exception of one a couple of years back but that's another story) by writing and updating throughout the year and not by jumping in at the last minute.

I just don't get all this griping about people coming in last minute. From my recollection... that has NEVER happened. Yes, we've had people come in during the summer and end up placing high, but I've never known anyone to come in during December and do that. It seems to me that you're worrying (and griping) about nothing.

And next time you decide to attribute something said to me, I advise you to quote it... otherwise, keep your mouth shut in regards to something I "might" have said.

 

[BOSTONFICTIONWRITER]

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas, CrimsonMaiden.

May a camel never shit on your head. Trust me, it makes a horrible mess.

See, now, this is why I never write on the forum boards.

What happened, did your cat go missing?

"Meow!"

 

[BOSTONFICTIONWRITER]

I love you.

Hi CrimsonMaiden or SexxyVixen, whoever you are today. Here is what I referred to as copied from the sheet of SexxyVixen.

"I'm a Southern gal through and through as evidenced by the accent you will hear if you listen to my audio stories or poems.


To all my readers who check back often for my new submissions and for those who send feedback or make public comments, thank you. I may not respond to all feedback, or it may take some time (a month or longer is not uncommon), but I do appreciate each and every one I receive. You are what makes writing so worthwhile.


Most of my stories on Lit will be short (meaning between 750-1200 words) and purely smut. Please don't gripe at me for a story being "too short". You were warned. Occasionally, a longer work will rear its head and more attention will be paid to story than sex... Earth Bride, Breeder, and the Pack are three such stories going at the moment. Those three series will be finished sometime in the near future if all goes as planned."

Now, do you see the part where it reads, most of my stories on Lit will be short (meaning between 750-1200 words) ...I rest my case.

Bailiff, you make escort her to her cell.

I shall await your apology. No need. Just do me a favor and take a Vicatin, you are wayyyy too stressed out. Relax, good will to men (and even to women). It's Christmas, the birthday of little baby Jesus. Peace be with you. I love you.

"Let me tell you, this is the last time I post anything to the forum boards. These people are wound too tight."

"Why do you think that is, Freddie?"

"Over posting."

"Over posting? What do you mean?"

"Some of these people live on these pages and post tens of thousands of times. When they die (gulp) they will haunt this web site."

"Jesus, Mary, and Joseph. Let's get out of here while the gettin' is good."

Happy holiday.

 

[starrkers]

My congratulations to MungoPark III for posting 168, 750 word stories on the board since November 15th, some of which are copied and pasted from the poetry books that he references. He is the real survivor in every essence of this competition, I think, kind of, not really, not at all. Who cares?

Unless I missed it (which is entirely possible, I miss a lot of things - like the point), this MungoPark III hasn't even signed up for Survivor so, indeed, who cares?

 

[fieryjen]

My congratulations to MungoPark III for posting 168, 750 word stories on the board since November 15th, some of which are copied and pasted from the poetry books that he references. He is the real survivor in every essence of this competition, I think, kind of, not really, not at all. Who cares?

If you mean that he's been plagiarizing, report the stories.

 

[CrimsonMaiden]

Hi CrimsonMaiden or SexxyVixen, whoever you are today. Here is what I referred to as copied from the sheet of SexxyVixen.

"I'm a Southern gal through and through as evidenced by the accent you will hear if you listen to my audio stories or poems.


To all my readers who check back often for my new submissions and for those who send feedback or make public comments, thank you. I may not respond to all feedback, or it may take some time (a month or longer is not uncommon), but I do appreciate each and every one I receive. You are what makes writing so worthwhile.


Most of my stories on Lit will be short (meaning between 750-1200 words) and purely smut. Please don't gripe at me for a story being "too short". You were warned. Occasionally, a longer work will rear its head and more attention will be paid to story than sex... Earth Bride, Breeder, and the Pack are three such stories going at the moment. Those three series will be finished sometime in the near future if all goes as planned."

Now, do you see the part where it reads, most of my stories on Lit will be short (meaning between 750-1200 words) ...I rest my case.

Bailiff, you make escort her to her cell.

I shall await your apology. No need. Just do me a favor and take a Vicatin, you are wayyyy too stressed out. Relax, good will to men (and even to women). It's Christmas, the birthday of little baby Jesus. Peace be with you. I love you.

"Let me tell you, this is the last time I post anything to the forum boards. These people are wound too tight."

"Why do you think that is, Freddie?"

"Over posting."

"Over posting? What do you mean?"

"Some of these people live on these pages and post tens of thousands of times. When they die (gulp) they will haunt this web site."

"Jesus, Mary, and Joseph. Let's get out of here while the gettin' is good."

Happy holiday.

EDIT: On second thought... responding to you is just not worth the time and effort. I really don't care what you think.

 

[CrimsonMaiden]

Unless I missed it (which is entirely possible, I miss a lot of things - like the point), this MungoPark III hasn't even signed up for Survivor so, indeed, who cares?

There are still 3 days and some odd hours left to sign up. It does look like this person could possibly be preparing to do a late entry and take over one of the top places. There's been a lot of new stories posted (I counted 20 or more in the last 7 days)... and they are varied in category. Only time will tell if that's the intention.

 

[Lauren Hynde]

My congratulations to MungoPark III for posting 168, 750 word stories on the board since November 15th, some of which are copied and pasted from the poetry books that he references.

I would congratulate anyone able to produce such high-quality 750-word stories. They are much better and - obviously to anyone who reads them - took more work and talent than 90% of the crap posted daily by most. The articles on poetry are particularly good - well-written, well-researched, very useful. Making an accusation of plagiarism against them is not only petty, it's just plain stupid.

 

[CrimsonMaiden]

He's exaggerating anyway. The person in question has not submitted that many stories in that time frame, nor are all of them only 750 words. Methinks he's just a bit worried about losing his spot.

 

[BOSTONFICTIONWRITER]

Peace

Concerned about losing my spot? I could care less about losing "my spot". (Did I quote you correctly, this time?)

I never set out to enter a contest when I discovered this web site. I read stories here now and again over the years, but never thought about writing one. Then, a friend of mine, yes I do have a friend, suggested that I write for Literotica and I did.

It wasn't until March that I discovered the Survivor Contest and it wasn't until July that I realized that I may have a chance of placing in the contest. I never figured I get higher than fifth place, especially after I found out that contestants can sandbag their stories and not officially join until December 29th. Hell, they didn't even have to update their score cards until January 5th.

It's all about the writing for me and about the story. I'd still be writing stories on Literotica even if there were no contests. I am glad for the opportunity that Literotica gives someone like me to post my stories where not only will they receive feedback but also votes. Wow!

I've made lots of friends here. I receive dozens of e-mails daily (thank you Oprah, I'll write as soon as I can) from people who do not want it made public that they have written to me. Sorry, CrimsonMaiden for the last time, I will not meet you for a date.

If I win the Survivor Contest, that's great. I've never won anything in my life. My greatest lottery won was with the birth of my identical twin daughters. Everything else pales in comparison. Okay, the two World Series that the Red Sox won and the 3 Superbowls that the Patriots won and their soon-to-be 16-0 season is high on the list, too.

I wrote here hoping beyond hope to be published and I was with my E-Book, Never Too Old For Love So Young and my collection of short stories coming out next month. (Thank you Jesus!) I know I am not the best writer. My spelling sucks, thank God for spell check, and I am the world's worst editor. (It's difficult to write with a popcicle stick hanging from my mouth.) Yet, I love writing enough that I returned to school nights and went for 5 years through the summers while working and raising a family to earn my second bachelor's degree, this time in English, instead of in Accounting.

I graduated magna cum loudly, I mean laude. I only needed 5 writing courses to satisfy my bachelors degree in English from Northeastern University, I took 32 writing classes and all the writing workshops that had. I have a "very thick skin" when it comes to being critiqued. Bashers roll off my back. You don't know that hard times I've seen through, (boy, I could tell you stories that would bring tears to your eyes, but I'm a survivor) and like most artists and writers that is where my talent comes from...the pain and the suffering.

If I offended anyone, I apologize. I meant no harm to anyone. Most of the stuff I write is meant to be funny with tongue firmly placed in cheek.

I wish you all well and hope you have a wonderful New Year.

I'll leave you in peace never to darken your sacred forum pages again (until the next time that I appear).

Freddie, a.k.a. Bostonfictionwriter

Oh, and by the way, when I joined I didn't know what the Hell I was doing and did not realize that BOSTONFICTIONWRITER was in caps. If anyone knows how to change that to lower case, I'd appreciate the help.

 

[starrkers]

There are still 3 days and some odd hours left to sign up. It does look like this person could possibly be preparing to do a late entry and take over one of the top places. There's been a lot of new stories posted (I counted 20 or more in the last 7 days)... and they are varied in category. Only time will tell if that's the intention.

It would appear it was. He's in today.

 

[Boxlicker101]

He's exaggerating anyway. The person in question has not submitted that many stories in that time frame, nor are all of them only 750 words. Methinks he's just a bit worried about losing his spot.

Actually, he or she has submitted 220 stories this year. And, has now signed up for this year.