The Official Authors' Hangout Halloween 2023 Contest Support Thread

[SouthernCrossfire]

Just submitted mine after a lot of writing and major rewrites over the weekend. It ended up being a lot longer than anticipated (7 Lit pages). Now I'll try to start reading some stories.

 

[EmilyMiller]

Just submitted mine after a lot of writing and major rewrites over the weekend. It ended up being a lot longer than anticipated (7 Lit pages). Now I'll try to start reading some stories.

Thanks for your lovely comment on my second submission .

I never thought I’d have any chance, but it was fun to have two stories vying for position for a bit .

Em

 

[Rustyoznail]

At my writing speed, it's a bit late for this year but I have a lesbian encounter with a ghost idea.

Two friends explore an old settlement district that was abandoned due to poor soul and drought encounter the ghost of a woman who died alone. It's based on a true story from the 1930's.

I'll probably use two of my existing characters.

Edit: poor soil, not poor soul. Although I feel sorry for the poor souls that tried to make a living on that land. For a US reference, think "The Grapes of Wrath".

 

[Bazzle]

Mine has people worried. Or so I assume. I mean, why else would anyone give it less than a 5? It's got to be tactical voting, right?

For the record, I'm on 4.36 from 22 votes, with a little over 2000 views since it went live 19 hours ago.

Be grateful that you are only 3 votes from being entered in the competition...

 

[lovecraft68]

I hadn’t looked, because I expect to not win, but I just checked Our Wild Hunt’s stats. 12K views, 409 votes, 4.76 rating. Not bad, but not going to shake the pillars of heaven, either.

… Damn, I should do a Big Trouble in Little China story.

I love that Carpenter cast Vic Wong, not only in this, but in Prince of Darkness, great character actor.

 

[Unsung Muse]

"Gone To Seed"
is up

 

[Bazzle]

I hadn’t looked, because I expect to not win, but I just checked Our Wild Hunt’s stats. 12K views, 409 votes, 4.76 rating. Not bad, but not going to shake the pillars of heaven, either.

… Damn, I should do a Big Trouble in Little China story.

Those with the follower base and are really good authors are super lucky!

 

[StillStunned]

"Gone To Seed"
is up

A powerful read!

 

[Bazzle]

A powerful read!

Very, moody and meaningful.

 

[SouthernCrossfire]

Laurel made a yeoman's (yeowoman's?) effort getting through mine after I submitted it last night. Titled "Pumpkin Spice," it's on the schedule for tomorrow in Romance. Thanks, Laurel!

 

[Unsung Muse]

Very, moody and meaningful.

you totally hit the nail on the head RE my over thesaurus-izing
and i'm paying for it, for sure


the trolls have been quite unkind

 

[Bazzle]

you totally hit the nail on the head RE my over thesaurus-izing
and i'm paying for it, for sure


the trolls have been quite unkind

I love reading Victorian travel guides. They use amazing flowery language. It portrays amazing atmosphere. Yours has something of it!

 

[MillieDynamite]

11, 8.2k, 4.25 with 60 votes on my Halloween trans story, Just a Friendly Trick & Treat. Not only will I not win, place, or show, I won't get a red H. At least I still have my health.

 

[MillieDynamite]

@Bazzle, Bram Stoker wrote travel guides for some publications. He described the countries in great detail and quite accurately. Especially surprising considering he never left the United Kingdom.

 

[BelleCanzuto]

Christ fuckin' almighty. At this rate not only is there no way I'm going to win (didn't expect to), but I probably won't even get enough votes to count.

OK. It's partially because this whole year has been shit. Partially (right now) because my 12 hour day at work sucked. And partially because I worked on this Halloween story longer than any other, and I thought it was well done. But the response, or lack of response, is bothering me way more than any other story I've put out.

*sigh*

It's OK. I'm just whining (whinging). Y'all are welcome to ignore this post as just venting.

I do really appreciate the couple of nice comments and feedback I've gotten.

 

[Rustyoznail]

Low scores and votes seems to be a general thing with this comp. I can't complain with views/votes, but mine did go in I/T. Its score has been stubbornly glued to 4.46 for over a week, so you can take some comfort in yours being higher.

 

[BelleCanzuto]

Low scores and votes seems to be a general thing with this comp. I can't complain with views/votes, but mine did go in I/T. Its score has been stubbornly glued to 4.46 for over a week, so you can take some comfort in yours being higher.

You're a good man, Russ

 

[JuanSeiszFitzHall]

Christ fuckin' almighty. At this rate not only is there no way I'm going to win (didn't expect to), but I probably won't even get enough votes to count.

OK. It's partially because this whole year has been shit. Partially (right now) because my 12 hour day at work sucked. And partially because I worked on this Halloween story longer than any other, and I thought it was well done. But the response, or lack of response, is bothering me way more than any other story I've put out.

*sigh*

It's OK. I'm just whining (whinging). Y'all are welcome to ignore this post as just venting.

I do really appreciate the couple of nice comments and feedback I've gotten.

From what I saw earlier today (Oct. 17), there are 140 stories in the contest. That seems, to me, to be way huge. I expect this has the effect of spreading the available reading time over much more verbiage than usual. This doesn't mean there should be a limit on the number of stories, just a lowering of expectations on each one getting the same number of readers it might have had in an earlier contest.

 

[Rustyoznail]

You're a good man, Russ

Thank you. I try.

 

[Bazzle]

@Bazzle, Bram Stoker wrote travel guides for some publications. He described the countries in great detail and quite accurately. Especially surprising considering he never left the United Kingdom.

Stoker was only following in the footsteps of Shakespeare

The Halloween theme will always bring out the "faux gothic" writing style. It sets the mood and mystery.

 

[SouthernCrossfire]

Pumpkin Spice has been published.

 

[Bazzle]

Interesting my reading numbers are still steadily climbing but the votes has stopped. I'm guessing I've gone too long on this one!

 

[Nellymcboatface]

Well, I've pushed the button to upload my entry...
Never mind I started writing it over 5 months ago, I still only just made it to the wire...
It's been tweaked, shortened, lengthened and shortened again.
As usual, I could do with more time, although I'd still probably be `just-in-time'...

Certainly, the five or six entries I've read so far, have been great and now I can settle down to read more.

Good Luck to everyone.

 

[SimonDoom]

Praise the Lord, I finally submitted this story. It's been at least four years in the making. It's been nearly done for over two years, and I just couldn't quite get it past the finish line, but I finally did. I think it's my first contest submission in a couple of years. Much thanks to the wonderful TarnishedPenny for her insightful comments and criticisms in her beta reading. She convinced me to kill some darlings.

The title: Darkling Tower. Category: Erotic Horror.

 

[BelleCanzuto]

Praise the Lord, I finally submitted this story. It's been at least four years in the making. It's been nearly done for over two years, and I just couldn't quite get it past the finish line, but I finally did. I think it's my first contest submission in a couple of years. Much thanks to the wonderful TarnishedPenny for her insightful comments and criticisms in her beta reading. She convinced me to kill some darlings.

The title: Darkling Tower. Category: Erotic Horror.

Congrats, Simon. I can definitely relate to the sense of relief in finally submitting something you've worked on that long.