Winter Holiday 2024 Contest Support and Seasonal Story Discussion Thread

[WriterPerson314159]

WP, add a link to your stories in your signature. It makes it easier for people to read them.

Thanks! I’ve added one now.

 

[Morevinila]

I've sent my story since Friday and it's still "pending" - don't know if it's because it week-end time - anyway I'm hoping it will be up by tomorrow and I'll post the link then. I'm hoping you writers will have a look and comment - I'm still fledging my wings as a writer so your comments are always helpful.

 

[TheLobster]

I've sent my story since Friday and it's still "pending" - don't know if it's because it week-end time - anyway I'm hoping it will be up by tomorrow and I'll post the link then. I'm hoping you writers will have a look and comment - I'm still fledging my wings as a writer so your comments are always helpful.

In my experience, stories submitted on Friday or even Thursday are almost certain to be published the next Monday at the earliest.

 

[AlexFourways]

I've been keeping some numbers out of interest too... I'm interested in the way that views and votes change with the number of stories. More on that later perhaps, but I think that with some curve fitting you could probably make a rough prediction on what the number of stories will be by end of the contest.

I'll leave that cat of nine tails to Acting up to swing on his own back!
UPDATE
My story count of published stories - 11th 14, 12th 26, 13th 31, 14th 36, 15th 43, 16th 47, 17th 48.
So 14 + 12 + 5 + 5 + 7 + 4 + 1
OK, this is probably the weekend lull that I have noticed before, so expect a bumper Monday 18th. Actingup's graph will have a slump / bump but I am sure he can predict over it!

I have made a (small) rod for my own back (with extra flail) and would stop the flagilation but have been told NOT TO!

 

[Actingup]

I'll leave that cat of nine tails to Acting up to swing on his own back!
UPDATE
My story count of published stories - 11th 14, 12th 26, 13th 31, 14th 36, 15th 43, 16th 47, 17th 48.
So 14 + 12 + 5 + 5 + 7 + 4 + 1
OK, this is probably the weekend lull that I have noticed before, so expect a bumper Monday 18th. Actingup's graph will have a slump / bump but I am sure he can predict over it!

I have made a (small) rod for my own back (with extra flail) and would stop the flagilation but have been told NOT TO!

I made it 48 on the 16th, but that's neither here nor there
If we did just a simple linear trend, we would get this (European date system):


Note there will be some variation in dates due to time differences, but the last entry is on the 6th, so probably all entries published by the 9th. Last year there were 156 stories, so a similar result isn't out of the question, but it's too early to tell without seeing if there's a post-weekend bump in publishing.

 

[AlexFourways]

I made it 48 on the 16th, but that's neither here nor there

As just count the lines on screen (usually just the blue ones and double + any spare white one) I reserve the right to be wrong and it is quite likely there was 0 growth over night. (such things are only updated daily).

If we did just a simple linear trend, we would get this (European date system):

From my research there are three date systems commonly used (as in by the common people) when using the Gregorian Calendar.
MM/DD/YY United States of America.
YYYY/MM/DD Canada
DD/MM/YY Those places not mentioned above!

I'll keep up my series - you can do the crystal ball work!

 

[ChasBozwell30]

I've a general contest question. Is it frowned upon at all to continue a winning entry? I know the entries are meant to be self contained, but after the contest is over is it okay to continue them?

I've got plenty of ideas for continuing my last story (which came third in the last contest), I just wondered if that might be against the spirit of the competition in some way? (I assume not, but I thought I would ask!)

 

[NotWise]

I've a general contest question. Is it frowned upon at all to continue a winning entry? I know the entries are meant to be self contained, but after the contest is over is it okay to continue them?

I've got plenty of ideas for continuing my last story (which came third in the last contest), I just wondered if that might be against the spirit of the competition in some way? (I assume not, but I thought I would ask!)

There's nothing at all to keep you from continuing a contest entry. Personally, I think you should wait until after the contest is over before you continue the series, but I don't think there's a rule to that effect.

I did it with my 'Pixie' series. I wrote 'Pixie by the Pool' as a way to break writer's block. It worked so well that I postponed publishing that story and instead wrote 'Pixie by the Fireside' as a holiday contest entry. I posted the holiday story first, then the original and later stories after the contest closed.

 

[ChasBozwell30]

There's nothing at all to keep you from continuing a contest entry. Personally, I think you should wait until after the contest is over before you continue the series, but I don't think there's a rule to that effect.

I did it with my 'Pixie' series. I wrote 'Pixie by the Pool' as a way to break writer's block. It worked so well that I postponed publishing that story and instead wrote 'Pixie by the Fireside' as a holiday contest entry. I posted the holiday story first, then the original and later stories after the contest closed.

Thanks, that's what I thought, I'm sure a lot of stories start off as one off entries, and then take a life of their own...

 

[AlexFourways]

Thanks, that's what I thought, I'm sure a lot of stories start off as one off entries, and then take a life of their own...

I'm sure that I have seen series (or at least a second part - for closue) that started as a competition entry and I don't think that Laurel would or could, ask for a prize back if you did a second part, or more. I have written a lot of Stand Alone stories but so far only one has 'escaped' to become four parts The Quiet Man and The Beast Series. That is despite having a 'for closure' in attempt to stop demands for a part 2*, but it also has an unless, in case the characters change my mind.
*so many cases where there is a request for part 2, it would be more of the same, ie repeats of the same sex scenes, unless it all goes wrong. In my case, the daughter of the older woman tries to steal her younger lover, he resists, but fate clears the way. It's a BDSM tale.

 

[WriterPerson314159]

I've a general contest question. Is it frowned upon at all to continue a winning entry? I know the entries are meant to be self contained, but after the contest is over is it okay to continue them?

I've got plenty of ideas for continuing my last story (which came third in the last contest), I just wondered if that might be against the spirit of the competition in some way? (I assume not, but I thought I would ask!)

The way I look at it, stories can restart if there’s a reason. Star Wars was a self-contained story, but that didn’t mean that Empire Strikes Back couldn’t exist. I think (and I’m not a longtime veteran here) the idea is that readers must be able to read your contest entry by itself, without any other previous or subsequent stories, and enjoy it as a complete work. If the characters continue to live later, then they do.

 

[MyBareTorso]

I just wrote a new story.

Love.

One word. It's flash fiction. My new favorite genre!

My exhibitionist male MC is constantly displaying himself...does that count as flash fiction too?

 

[Rustyoznail]

Ok, I'm pulling the pin on this year's entry. It's not coming together like I want, so I think I'll let it sit until next year.

I've had a couple of stories like that, and they've turned out better after letting them brew for a while.

 

[Rustyoznail]

My exhibitionist male MC is constantly displaying himself...does that count as flash fiction too?

I'm now thinking of a story set in a disreputable Mexican restaurant, and the after effect of chilli con carne.

It'll be flush fiction...

 

[ElectricBlue]

I've a general contest question. Is it frowned upon at all to continue a winning entry? I know the entries are meant to be self contained, but after the contest is over is it okay to continue them?

Once the contest is over, you can do what you like with a story.

 

[AlexFourways]

Ok, I'm pulling the pin on this year's entry. It's not coming together like I want, so I think I'll let it sit until next year.

I've had a couple of stories like that, and they've turned out better after letting them brew for a while.

Out of interest, have you listened to it with a screen reader? (StillStunned approved technique) Apart from hearing it to get things like though and thought sorted, I find that hearing it gives me ideas that I had not had when struggling with it. I suspect that leaving a story to mature - I've had that as well - has a similar effect, but it's your memory doing the reading. As ever YMMV.

 

[Rustyoznail]

Out of interest, have you listened to it with a screen reader? (StillStunned approved technique) Apart from hearing it to get things like though and thought sorted, I find that hearing it gives me ideas that I had not had when struggling with it. I suspect that leaving a story to mature - I've had that as well - has a similar effect, but it's your memory doing the reading. As ever YMMV.

As an editing technique, not before. Worth a try but I'm off on holidays at end of the week, so time is very short.

 

[AlexFourways]

UPDATE
My story count of published stories - 11th 14, 12th 26, 13th 31, 14th 36, 15th 43, 16th 47, 17th 48, 18th 48.
So 14 + 12 + 5 + 5 + 7 + 4 + 1 + 0 (but might update later in the day and if I notice I'll update!)
OK, this is probably the weekend lull that I have noticed before, so expect a bumper Monday 18 Tuesday 19th.
Actingup's graph will have a slump / bump but I am sure he can predict over it!

I have made a (small) rod for my own back (with extra flail) and would stop the flagilation but have been told NOT TO!

 

[Candy_Kane54]

I should be submitting my story this coming weekend.

 

[NotWise]

Good Luck @Candy_Kane54.

Mine has been up for long enough now that it isn't getting many votes from the new list or the I/T hub. They should be mostly coming from the contest page. If so, then the contest page alone produced more than 1000 views in the last day.

 

[REucalyptus]

Hi! I submitted my first-ever piece of erotic fiction to the winter holiday contest last night! (It's called "The Killing.") Eek!

Before my spouse and I got married, I warned them that I would never write them corny love poems--I can't write poetry and I can't really do sentimental. Then last year, I thought it would be fun to reimagine one of our early dates but with a more explosive ending. I wrote something out by hand and gave it to my spouse for Christmas.

I never expected it to go beyond that, but then I stumbled upon the papers and this contest, and my spouse and I thought it could be fun to type it up and see what others thought.

Anyway, while I like the piece, I can't quite believe that I actually wrote something like it or that I sent it out into the world. I'm not sure what to expect, if anything, but I think it'll be fun if others read it.

-R

 

[FreyaGersemi]

Hi! I submitted my first-ever piece of erotic fiction to the winter holiday contest last night! (It's called "The Killing.") Eek!

Congratulations!!!! I started here about a year ago and it's been a lot of fun!!!!

 

[Jorunn]

Hi! I submitted my first-ever piece of erotic fiction to the winter holiday contest last night! (It's called "The Killing.") Eek!

Before my spouse and I got married, I warned them that I would never write them corny love poems--I can't write poetry and I can't really do sentimental. Then last year, I thought it would be fun to reimagine one of our early dates but with a more explosive ending. I wrote something out by hand and gave it to my spouse for Christmas.

I never expected it to go beyond that, but then I stumbled upon the papers and this contest, and my spouse and I thought it could be fun to type it up and see what others thought.

Anyway, while I like the piece, I can't quite believe that I actually wrote something like it or that I sent it out into the world. I'm not sure what to expect, if anything, but I think it'll be fun if others read it.

-R

Poetry is a great way to convey a deeply emotional message in few words. I use it frequently within my stories, including the one I submitted today. You can either write your own, or find one by a famous poet that fits in well with your story.

 

[REucalyptus]

Poetry is a great way to convey a deeply emotional message in few words. I use it frequently within my stories, including the one I submitted today. You can either write your own, or find one by a famous poet that fits in well with your story.

Oh, for sure. I didn't mean to diss poetry. I like poetry. In fact, I sometimes edit poetry for my job.

I just meant that I'm not much of a romantic and that I can't consciously use the form of poetry to express love (or lust) without it feeling--to me--somehow fake or artificial or overly sentimental. If I try to write something like that, I get the *ick* voice in my head.

Sooooooooo I guess my point in mentioning that was that it was interesting that I wound up writing anything for my spouse at all and kinda funny that it wound up being an attempt at something erotic.

 

[AlexFourways]

UPDATE-Updated
My story count of published stories - 11th 14, 12th 26, 13th 31, 14th 36, 15th 43, 16th 48, 17th 48, 18th 49.
So 14 + 12 + 5 + 5 + 7 + 5 + 0 + 1 (but might update later in the day and if I notice I'll update!)
OK, this is probably the weekend lull that I have noticed before, so expect a bumper Monday 18 Tuesday 19th.
Actingup's graph will have a slump / bump but I am sure he can predict over it!

I have made a (small) rod for my own back (with extra flail) and would stop the flagilation but have been told NOT TO!