Well, meforyou, as one of the privileged few who have read your work and seen what you are capable of, I can honestly say I can't wait to see what you come up with and how you handle a short story. It's gonna be a new experience, but then again... They don't call it a challenge for nothing!

 

You flatter me, sweet pea.

I have to admit that I've wanted to do a short story for a long time, so now's my chance to see if I can do it. There can be none of my usual endless waffle, and there will be none of the sick humour in this. The word "challenge" has suddenly taken on an whole new meaning. Gulp. :rose:

 

"The word "challenge" has suddenly taken on an whole new meaning."



:excited: From Dictionary.com: *not_secure_link*dictionary.reference.com/browse/challenge?s=t

chal·lenge [chal-inj] noun, verb, chal·lenged, chal·leng·ing, adjective

noun

1. a call or summons to engage in any contest, as of skill, strength, etc.

2. something that by its nature or character serves as a call to battle, contest, special effort, etc.: Space exploration offers a challenge to humankind.

3. a call to fight, as a battle, a duel, etc.

4. a demand to explain, justify, etc.: a challenge to the treasurer to itemize expenditures.

5. difficulty in a job or undertaking that is stimulating to one engaged in it.

6. Military . the demand of a sentry for identification or a countersign.

7. Law. a formal objection to the qualifications of a particular juror, to his or her serving, or to the legality of an entire jury. Compare peremptory challenge.

8. the assertion that a vote is invalid or that a voter is not legally qualified.

9. Biology . the process of inducing or assessing physiological or immunological activity by exposing an organism to a specific substance.

10. Hunting. the crying of a hound on finding a scent.​

If I wanted to, I could confuse myself thoroughly.

 

WSF - I think you and Pixy have not fully realized the ingeniousness of the challenge you presented us this CAW. Or if you have, you hide it very well.

The challenge focuses in three broad ways for an author to deal with:

Change as the major action in the story.
Seasons as the major action in the story.

Or one in which Change and the Seasons jointly mingle one with the other.

In concept consider the riddle of the sphinx that roughly describes a person in the stages of infancy - adulthood - senior years of life.

Three seasons depicted, and an author could draw upon one or all three to center their story through for a community as its members go through life over a course of years or decades.

Or for that matter focus on transition from one stage to the next; which can cover change and season at the same time.

Within each stage change could be covered with the season defined in the context of one starting a career (the infant stage) or from the middle (mature state) or end (retirement)

Someone of enough ability and skill and ambition may even do both.

That is the genius you and Pixy have shown in this challenge.

My hat is off to the both of you.

Also - before anyone thinks I am using the 'Riddle of the Sphinx' for a story nope, although I would not be shocked if someone had a story sometime with a character of that name.

 

So how's everyone doing?

In the past messages along the lines of 'how are the rest of you getting on?' or "finished mine' were a common sight but with anonymity ruling can that be done now?

If we know that DC or Horse or EJLS are in then it's not too hard to pick their style ( oh, go on, get it over with- blush. You too Emmerson) and that must undermine the anonymity rule.

In which case it might pay if the thread remains dedicated to the sacred cause of the cup cake- a noble one indeed.

 

As for me, I'm afraid I'm still trying to wrap myself around this one.

 

Then surely it is for the rest of us to up our style so we don't get left behind. This has been the reality of literature throughout the whole of history and is the reason why it has been able to advance.

By the way, I have decided to ignore your advice and am resurrecting the story I suggested. Voting will decide which of us is correct in our judgement. No matter what, it is turning out to be a good story.

 

Well, I'm pleased to say that I'm making what I consider to be good progress, and the tricky part that eluded me for a while, has now come to me. Whether anyone else will like it is open to question, though.

 

This is fun. My story developed in a little over a minute, and the plot was laid out in my mind about five minutes later.

 

That is how most of my stories evolve. Minor details are worked out later but the main story comes immediately. It's almost frightening when looking at a clump of trees can give an idea for a story but, in my case, it gave rise to a full sci-fi novel.

 

Looks like for once I'm ahead of the game, my rough story is finished...just waiting to make contact (dramatic space music moment:excited with my proof reader and editor.

No details I know, not repeating my earlier mistake.

PP - Why should it matter if we know ahead of time such and such person is entering the CAW such as Ejls, Wee Hector, or you for that matter? Each of us have our own distinctive writing styles.

Even with the limited entries from the last CAW, I only knew for sure about one due to a PM.

Personally my question I need to find and answer to is this: since I am an entrant in the CAW, and plan to read all the published stories for it, do I avoid commenting on any story or comment on all of them in a way that no one will know (as if that really will be a problem with my style of insanity) or be tipped off that 'this is my story.'

I will read all the stories and vote for the one/more (depending on how the voting phase rules allow) stories I deem the best.

I prefer to comment on all stories that are not my entry; so how should I handle the matter in this case?

 

Welcome to the dilemma of all CAW entrants face with each CAW we enter.

Ultimately with my stories I would love getting more feedback on what people liked, did not like, etc with my entries. It helps me to see what is being done right, needs to be done better and where the major gaps still exist that I cannot see (such as with the grammatical structuring and such; even the tensing is still a problem)

I have learned much about improving my works from so many of you who enter the CAWs, and I still see how far (my opinion) I have to go before I have a chance of claiming a CAW winner (my luck there will be fifty others as well so I would have a "I won Caw # 1/51st)

I'm glad to have someone proofing my work for this CAW and hope that after the first round of review I will have made less than 10000 major foul ups.

 

You're just jealous of the overachievers. Who knows? If someone rants on and on about their progress, does that mean they're even writing at all?

Maybe I'm not as good at judging styles as I thought. I was completely confused about the identities of a good number of contributors in the last one. Quality writing is obvious, but attributing it to one person or another is difficult for me.

Solidly behind this idea.

 

Oh brother, Cupcakes, our legends of the CAW have now introduced cupcakes - I hope no one lets Richard Simmons out of the closet...

 

Glad to hear that we have one confirmed entrant. I know the problem of commenting and voting. During the last CAW I couldn't make up my mind and therefore didn't vote in the end. In the end we all have our own style of writing and is it really worth trying to change it to try to gain a couple of votes? It would be so easy for someone who was desperate to win CAW to get their friends or socks to vote for them but it will always remain a hollow victory. There will always be the knowledge that others believe the victory to have been bought. Quality comes through in the end or should do.

 

In the matter of changing ones writing style to garner votes in and of themselves; personally I don't think it to be worth the effort.

Now if the writer wants to challenge himself/herself to see if they can develop a new (for them) writing style for growth and experience then I see no problem with it.

This is one reason I wrote the Rose-Hued Window (Poe Style) and the Sharks of Steel and Winter War - they were new ground for me to explore and learn from (something Ejls rightfully suggested at one time I needed to do - hats off to her; and to Darthel for pointing out that the end of Winter War was more than needed to close it out)

All three stories have been new ventures for me, as is the current thread of To Dream of Dragons; but I feel, in my opinion, that the Winter War: legend of the Snow Fox, was the most important learning curve to date.

I do not know if 'Alternative History' stories can be considered as a different writing style, but it was a challenge to write in and of itself.

In the end, I guess ultimately the desires and expectations and dreams of the author are what matter the most.

 

On the matter of Quality - I have to agree completely, personally right now with this CAW, I'm shooting to craft a story good enough that the voters will decide for it that I may place higher than the 5th place victory that is the best of my CAW finishes to date.

Mind you, I would love to win a CAW at some point, if it happens fine. But the writing and wracking of ones brain to generate a new story unlike all others is a true challenge.

I hope you enter Wee Hector, you come up with some wonderful stories.

 

CAW Hosts - question...

If the voters determine in the end a tie for first place between a single-writer entry and a team entry in which the single-writer is a member of the team entry, would the single writer then be allowed to claim 2/3rds of the cupcakes they win?:excited:

 

I personally enter the CAWs to stimulate my mind. I don't really care about winning, though in CAW 15 I would have liked the team to win. I believe that one has to write for oneself and not just to garner votes as has happened in the past. I have been told by another forum member that my subject, which I suggested for CAW 15, will put voters off. I don't care, as all that interest me are the comments on the thread and the possibility that one day I may be elected to the list of recommended writers.

 

Wee Hector, I have recommended you on that thread.