Writing Contest Final Round!

[C.W. LaSart]

Congratulations to Lious and Caren, you both did excellent jobs. Your stories were both top notch.

Thank you Draven, it is bittersweet for me, I would have loved to share it with you. You are an excellent writer and very driven with your career-I know you will be going places my friend. I second MLD's sentiment that I will probably never do this sort of contest again because it tore me up and took up way too much of my time with the OCD! You rock Draven

[Draven Ames]

Congratulations to Lious and Caren, you both did excellent jobs. Your stories were top notch.

All the runners up had excellent stories as well. Let us know as they get accepted elsewhere. Great to meet so many wonderful writers.

[RichardThomas]

just sorry we didn't get more votes

congratulations to the winners, this should be an exciting chapbook - i hope that all of the other stories that made the finals are being sent out, and that other competitors from the original 110 are also working on them or shopping them as well - honored to be a part of this competition, and all i want now is to see these stories land over in the Acceptance thread with some fabulous magazine, journal or website

great job everyone and best of luck

[fmancino]

Congratulations to Nikita, C.W. LaSart, and mlouisdixon!
Great job and good luck if you pursue a writing career

[lilbirdy]

Congratulations to all three of you for a well-deserved victory!!!!

[peteOcha]

Congratulations to the winners! Fantastic job!

I hate to admit it, but i didn't vote this round. I waited till the last day, and I thought the poll closing time was the US time, so that I would have plenty of time to read two more stories when I got home... Turns out the poll time reflected my European time. Sorry. But i'm glad my vote was not one that would affect anything, the winner would just have one more vote than now.

Once again, congrats to everyone who took part in this contest, and to the finalists for going through a stressful ordeal!!

[KT Wagner]

Congratulations to the winners, and everyone else for a great effort.

KT

[njhorror]

Congratulations Folks!

Can't wait to see the finished product.

[mlouisdixon]

OMFG, it's finally over! I will never again, ever, enter into any contest where you can track the progress. I was glued to those damn poles.
Thank you to those who voted for my story. I am thrilled that you liked it.
Congratulations to C.W. and Nikita. Your stories are excellent and well deserving of their place in this chapbook.

I also want to say that the greatest thing about this whole contest was finding a new home on the Internet where I can hang out with other people just as demented as myself. A kind of place where I can slip out of my meat socks and just be myself. (Love me some Meat Socks)

I want to thank Dan for being a great host and Cemetery Dance for letting us congregate.

I also am happy to have gotten the opportunity to read some excellent short stories.

Now, go on, go write down some nightmares.

MLD

[portrait in flesh]

Wonderful job, everyone.

Now, time to break out the cake:

[RJHubbard53]

congrats to all of you !

- RJ

[JJ Holden]

Hey, very well done everyone and congratulations!

[C.W. LaSart]

Yes! Breathe, Caren, breathe! I'm sure you don't want to get mouth to mouth from anyone is this motley crew.

Congratulations to you, and Nikita, and M. Louis. You all did a great job. Can't wait to see the chapbook in print.

Haha! Good point Terry, but I am actually feeling pretty close to this motley crew right now and I hope to continue a friendship with as many of you as will have me

[C.W. LaSart]

Yes, I feel very proud Steven. Very proud.

For the Winners: So happy for CW, MLD and Nikita. Well done guys. It was a hell of a ride. I know that's the standard response, but really, I was proud to be standing beside you guys. To those who voted (all of 5 of you) - I am collapsed with gratitude. To know you thought the story was good and enjoyed it made this process more bearable.

To the Runners Up: today, my phone could have rang with news that my daughter had been injured, or that my wife was in a car accident, or that my parents had taken ill, or worse. Today, a mirage of awful and life altering moments could have happened. But they didn't. My family are well and happy. All that happened was I lost out to some great writers. That's not a big deal. that's an honour. I'm not trying to play down the opportunity of being in CD, which is beyond my comprehension at this stage, more that this was one small wound that will heal very quickly. To you all, you were worthy competitors. You are great/amazing writers. And the most wonderful part of it all is, other than the great stories, is that it brought together people who didn't know each other. The support has been humbling, more so by those competing against each other for the top three positions.

It's been a privilege. 13 will live again, somewhere. And I'm sure it will only be a matter of time before all the other stories find homes worthy of their brilliance.

And this is why, though it may be cliche, I say that the British are classy. It's because you are-what a wonderful sentiment. You made me cry, Sir. I feel my life is enriched by knowing you and all of the other wonderful contestants that I now consider friends! Cheers to my new friends, and congratulations to you all for daring to put yourselves out there in front of the world for judgement. There are no losers in this contest!

[TerryE]

Thank you very much-can I breathe now?

Yes! Breathe, Caren, breathe! I'm sure you don't want to get mouth to mouth from anyone is this motley crew.

Congratulations to you, and Nikita, and M. Louis. You all did a great job. Can't wait to see the chapbook in print.