Yet Another Minor Success
Wednesday, 5 July 2006 13:43![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
dr_phil_physicsGot an e-mail on Monday from the Writers of the Future (WOTF) contest. Usually I hear something before the closing date for the next quarter, but I sent the June deadline story in on June 26th, rather than waiting until the last moment (!!), because I was in the middle of end of the semestery things and didn't want to fail to get it ready to go.
Anyway, "Hail to the Victors" scored a Semi-Finalist "win". That means no prize or publication, but I will get a critique by the head judge, so that's something. In my scoring system, this counts as a "win". Actually, this is my second Semi-Finalist, so that's good. In fact, my last twelve WOTF entries have included 1 Finalist, 2 Semi-Finalists and 8 Quarter-Finalists, plus 1 plain old Rejection. So there are multiple circles of Hell between losing (Rejection) and winning.
If you submit to the WOTF contest -- do NOT get discouraged. They get a lot of entries and the odds are against you. The thing is you need to (a) write another story every 90 days and (b) should you get a Quarter/Semi/Full Finalist, be sure to add that to your cover letter -- after all, lots of people submit to WOTF and making any of the finalist rounds means your story didn't suck. Of course if you win... why then riches and fame are yours forever. (smirk)
Another Century Mark of Progress!
I guess it's a milestone of sorts for me -- my 100th Result out of 106 submissions to anywhere. In my scoring regime, I am 27-67-6. That's 27 wins of any sort, including 2 publications, 2 prize winners (1 not published), 4 laudable/honorable mention stories waiting to be published, and a variety of encouraging letters, and non-loser status things like all those Finalist/Semi-Finalists/Quarter-Finalists from WOTF. Oh, and getting into the 2004 Clarion workshop. (grin) Then there's 67 Rejections, without nice encouraging letters. And 6 No-Calls due to cancellations, going-out-of-business and entries lost by the Los Angeles U.S. Post Office so they never got considered. Every so often something "new" comes up and I find there yet another way to "not win". (double-edged-grin)
Later,
Dr. Phil
Anyway, "Hail to the Victors" scored a Semi-Finalist "win". That means no prize or publication, but I will get a critique by the head judge, so that's something. In my scoring system, this counts as a "win". Actually, this is my second Semi-Finalist, so that's good. In fact, my last twelve WOTF entries have included 1 Finalist, 2 Semi-Finalists and 8 Quarter-Finalists, plus 1 plain old Rejection. So there are multiple circles of Hell between losing (Rejection) and winning.
If you submit to the WOTF contest -- do NOT get discouraged. They get a lot of entries and the odds are against you. The thing is you need to (a) write another story every 90 days and (b) should you get a Quarter/Semi/Full Finalist, be sure to add that to your cover letter -- after all, lots of people submit to WOTF and making any of the finalist rounds means your story didn't suck. Of course if you win... why then riches and fame are yours forever. (smirk)
Another Century Mark of Progress!
I guess it's a milestone of sorts for me -- my 100th Result out of 106 submissions to anywhere. In my scoring regime, I am 27-67-6. That's 27 wins of any sort, including 2 publications, 2 prize winners (1 not published), 4 laudable/honorable mention stories waiting to be published, and a variety of encouraging letters, and non-loser status things like all those Finalist/Semi-Finalists/Quarter-Finalists from WOTF. Oh, and getting into the 2004 Clarion workshop. (grin) Then there's 67 Rejections, without nice encouraging letters. And 6 No-Calls due to cancellations, going-out-of-business and entries lost by the Los Angeles U.S. Post Office so they never got considered. Every so often something "new" comes up and I find there yet another way to "not win". (double-edged-grin)
Later,
Dr. Phil
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Date: Wednesday, 5 July 2006 20:32 (UTC)(Any ETA for the fame and fortune? *grin*)
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Date: Thursday, 6 July 2006 06:11 (UTC)Bradbury said first write a million words. I have a Great Science Fiction Romantic Epic which is unfinished (and lord knows it is unedited) at 1.5 million words alone, so I'm in good shape in the practice department.
No novel submissions yet to anywhere. We're working towards that goal.
So "fame and fortune"? Well, secretly the 2004 Clarion class IS planning on World Domination Through Science Fiction and Fantasy...
Dr. Phil
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Date: Thursday, 6 July 2006 06:17 (UTC)Dr. Phil
ps- now is that Semi-Victor or Semi-Victim? (grin)
no subject
Date: Thursday, 6 July 2006 13:22 (UTC)no subject
Date: Thursday, 6 July 2006 20:51 (UTC)My 2004 Clarion class already has a WOTF Grand Prize Winner -- John Schoffstall
Dreaming onward...
Dr. Phil