The Annual Halloween Contest Is Coming!

[Rumple Foreskin]

I'm not quite sure what you mean but if that's a slam it's uncalled for...I can only take the story out of the contest...

Cookie,

You should know Gauche never slams-at least not subtly.

Rumple Foreskin

 

[cookiejar]

Cookie,

You should know Gauche never slams-at least not subtly.

Rumple Foreskin

Thank you guys...you are right....he may be too literate for me...kinda naive sometimes.

 

[cookiejar]

Gauche...I apologize...I guess I was afraid people thought I was trying to put one over. Hell I feel dumb...

 

[gauchecritic]

Thank you guys...you are right....he may be too literate for me...kinda naive sometimes.

Not literate in the least Cookie luv. It was referenceing the conspiracy theory with the courtroom scene and the MacGruder film in JFK.

I just thought that the link linked to my hard drive instead of the site.

for Cookie.

Gauche

 

[cookiejar]

Not literate in the least Cookie luv. It was referenceing the conspiracy theory with the courtroom scene and the MacGruder film in JFK.

I just thought that the link linked to my hard drive instead of the site.

for Cookie.

Gauche

...Ty Gauche

 

[gauchecritic]

Echo echo echo echo.

 

[Scheherazade]

interesting phenomenon-votes decreasing...

This does not make sense to me.... only two days ago I had 23 votes... 4.38 average... and now tonight, I have 21 votes.... how can I have DECREASING votes? That makes no sense. This has happened before to me... on my poetry. I do not understand how the number of votes could just suddenly be less, instead of more... Any thoughts? This happen to anyone else before? *sighs*... kinda discourages a princess... *even though my English prof says my writing is incredible*.... anyway, just wondered.

 

[raphy]

I think that's due to Laurel pruning duplicate votes.

 

[Scheherazade]

Thanks - guess I should have read the Board first.

I think that's due to Laurel pruning duplicate votes.

Thank you... I read the Board after I posted my concerns. I just never knew Laurel did that - thought that would manipulate the averages, and in at least my case, two less votes makes me farther behind on getting the required minimum votes. Anyway, my own personal life has been a vast array of traumatic events for the past 7 weeks - including the deaths of 3 family members, 1 family friend, and a student... *sighs*... and with work and college, I am a bit over-sensitive. In any case, I always appreciate the honor of the views, and still hope that my writing effects a bit more than "the imagination"... Have a good rest-of-week, everyone!

 

[raphy]

Sounds like a tough time

Well-wishing words are fairly meaningless - But I hope things get better for ya.

 

[Colleen Thomas]

Best wishes. Little more can be said except I will keep you in my nightly prayers and hope that things get better for you.

Oh, and I will go and read your story and vote so you get at least one of those you lost back.


-Colly

 

[Guest]

Scheherazade, I will read and vote too. I wish you well and some peace. I'm glad you spoke up, even strangers can care.

best to you and your family,

Perdita

 

[Guest]

Just wanted to send you my thoughts too, Scheherazade, take good care of yourself.

Lou

Off to read your story...

 

[pplwatching]

I'm so conflicted

I've read a couple of stories in the contest that are very good ... but in which I think that the link to Halloween is weak.

Should I rate them based on quality or dilute the rating based upon the weak link? I just rated one using the latter approach, and then I felt guilty because it was a very good story -- and maybe it's not my "job" to decide if the Halloween bit is strong enough. I wish I could take the rating back.

 

[Alex De Kok]

Re: I'm so conflicted

I've read a couple of stories in the contest that are very good ... but in which I think that the link to Halloween is weak.

Should I rate them based on quality or dilute the rating based upon the weak link? I just rated one using the latter approach, and then I felt guilty because it was a very good story -- and maybe it's not my "job" to decide if the Halloween bit is strong enough. I wish I could take the rating back.

I think your reaction is valid. It is after all a Hallowe'en contest and if you, the reader, find the link lacking then fair enough.

Alex

 

[gauchecritic]

Perfectly valid response PPL. from Laurel's original post:

-- Story must have a Halloween theme. Please don't just submit a normal story and simply dress the participants in costume or throw in a black cat. That would not be in the spirit of the contest, and readers & voters would probably punish you for your trickiness.
Good luck, and have fun! [/B]

Fortunately not everyone follows this ruling as my effort is rather tenuous to say the least.

Gauche

 

[gauchecritic]

I'm beginning to get worried now. I entered my second story for the contest and it hasn't been posted yet. 5.00pm Britland time.
I realise it's v.late for the contest and I'm not particularly concerned about that.

What I am worried about is that, in the next few hours, I'm going to be asking The Question, modified by contest constraints. Gulp.

Gauche

 

[raphy]

Re: Re: The Annual Halloween Contest Is Coming!

Perfectly valid response PPL. from Laurel's original post:



Fortunately not everyone follows this ruling as my effort is rather tenuous to say the least.

Gauche

Hell, mine's horrendously tenuous, but then it wasn't supposed to be in the contest, haha

*grins*

 

[Guest]

I merely vote per my ordinarily exacting standards of good writing. I figured if it was allowed entry into the contest it fits.

Gauche,
I don't think Maths scouts this thread. You are safe to ask TQ here, or you can choose to venture out into a new thread as newbies do (t'would be fun for all as it would soon become a silly thread which we all need; well I do!)

Purr (finally made 25 and a perfect 4.0, Hooray!)

 

[Svenskaflicka]

*sigh*

At the last minute, I've decided not to enter the Halloween contest this year. I've had way too much going on in RL to devote the time necessary for writing a masterpiece, so I might as well forget rushing the story and just complete it next week instead, and comfort myself with the thought that I usuall y never win these things anyway.

 

[Colleen Thomas]

Re: I'm so conflicted

I've read a couple of stories in the contest that are very good ... but in which I think that the link to Halloween is weak.

Should I rate them based on quality or dilute the rating based upon the weak link? I just rated one using the latter approach, and then I felt guilty because it was a very good story -- and maybe it's not my "job" to decide if the Halloween bit is strong enough. I wish I could take the rating back.

Vote on stories based on your own feelings. Laurel warned us (the writers) at the begining of this thread to do more than throw in a black cat and if we did something like that we might suffer from the readers.

That said keep in mind Halloween is more than just a comercial holiday with pumpkins, costumes and candy. It's an important religious holiday for several religions, including some pagan religions. It has ties with the day of the dead from a lot of south American cultures and as such it is a multi faceted holiday. If someone really goes after thepagan/wiccan theme, it's still halloween even if witch hazel never makes an appearance.

-Colly

 

[Rumple Foreskin]

I'm beginning to get worried now. I entered my second story for the contest and it hasn't been posted yet. 5.00pm Britland time.
I realise it's v.late for the contest and I'm not particularly concerned about that.

What I am worried about is that, in the next few hours, I'm going to be asking The Question, modified by contest constraints. Gulp.

Gauche

Gauche,

I agree with Perdita. MG doesn't seem to be trolling (get it?) these Halloween waters so you may be safe. My theory is she's tied up with the baseball championship, the World Series. Not that her beloved Giants are playing, but the team that beat her beloved Giants is and are currently trailing the NY Yankees (the Manchecter United of baseball) 2-1 in the best of seven game series.

By the way, if you did ask the question, my answer would be, PDQ.

Rumple

 

[bitslinger]

How to grease the skids?

This is more of a general question, but having submitted a Halloween story on Monday that hasn't made it yet ...

The contest page says that it can take up to 72 hours for a submission to appear. Is there any particular format that makes things go faster or is this just a general result of the volume of stories submitted to Literotica in general?

In my case I submitted a .txt file that I had edited in 'vi' (yes, I'm a unix geek). It had line breaks on each line, and two line breaks denotes a paragraph. The post is still pending, and I saw that it looked terrible in the preview window.

I went back and put the file into word and removed all of the line breaks. I copy-pasted the results into the update-submission page and saved it. The preview looks good now.

Does this help whomever takes care of submissions or is it all autmated anyway?

Impatiently yours

 

[gauchecritic]

Bugger

Now I really have to ask Themodified Question.

Still not approved 1.00pm 23rd. BUT. I did submit it before the deadline. Will it still count?

Fairy Story has finally got the required number of votes and is doomed to mediocrity. Good luck to everyone else with the bottom placings. Oh yes and good luck to everyone in the running for the 'other' prizes.

Gauche

 

[Colleen Thomas]

from the looks of things gauchie you may still be in the running for some of the other prizes. Baring last minute heroics (or anti-heroics?) on someones part it seems rumple is positioning himself to doom us all to mediocrity.

-Colly