So, why did the winners win?

[RichardThomas]

i voted for the stories that immersed me the most, took me away, and didn't lose me with weak writing - there was enough polished material here that i could have picked 2-3 stories out of each group and felt comfortable doing that - the ones that lost me were cliched at times, weak openings, poor formatting, and a story that didn't really go anywhere, and didn't have a powerful ending

[Nik Houser]

i voted for the stories that immersed me the most, took me away, and didn't lose me with weak writing - there was enough polished material here that i could have picked 2-3 stories out of each group and felt comfortable doing that - the ones that lost me were cliched at times, weak openings, poor formatting, and a story that didn't really go anywhere, and didn't have a powerful ending

Ditto.

[Nik Houser]

Thank you, all. Especially Terry and Craig; I gained a lot from your posts. You both can tell that I am that much of a newbie, eh? Perhaps my problem is that I am a greedy capatilist and feel that if i am going to write for me, which I do, I might as well see if there is a market for it.

There's nothing wrong with searching for a market for your work. With VERY few exceptions, writers want people to read their work. Even most of the ones who claim they don't care.

[Nik Houser]

Write what you write, then BUILD a market for it through social networking

Definitely in that order. You can tell when a writer is just writing for their audience, rather than uncorking some rad thing inside them that they just have to get out on paper. The former feels flat and forced. The latter can be magic. I say "CAN" because being excited about writing something doesn't mean it's good. I have to remind myself of this all the time. Just as many people fall into the trap of losing themselves in the subjective "Oh man, my writing is SOOOOO good" as the folks whose writing is flat because they're trying too hard to sound a certain way. In fact, a lot of beginners do BOTH. Which is why it was really cool to see some first time writers in this contest fall into neither trap, while some bestselling authors fall prey to those things on a regular basis. In my opinion, at least.

[mercuryval]

That's for sharing all these thoughts. A lot to think about regarding what makes a story "good" versus "marketable." It's such a subjective profession!

[C.W. LaSart]

That's for sharing all these thoughts. A lot to think about regarding what makes a story "good" versus "marketable." It's such a subjective profession!

Very subjective. 5 different people will enjoy 5 different things. Otherwise we wouldn't have 2 camps on the Twilight thing. Some people will scream all day that it's shit and shouldn't be read, while others adore the books. I try not to be a snob about reading but so many are. Just because I don't enjoy something doesn't make it shit. There are also those 'elitists' who think that if anything gets a mainstream following, it can't be worth anything. Write what you write, there will always be someone out there that loves it and someone that hates it.

[mercuryval]

Very subjective. 5 different people will enjoy 5 different things. Otherwise we wouldn't have 2 camps on the Twilight thing.

Yes, definitely. I teach high school, and my students LOVE Twilight, so I read the first book to see what they were talking about. While it wasn't the greatest book I ever read, I do give the author credit for making a marketable book for the young adult market--it spread like wildfire through my high school. Even some of the guys were reading it! I agree--write what you want and what makes you happy. If you're passionate about what you write, it will come through in your work.

[ozmosis7]

My wife read the first book and enjoyed it, so I asked her what all the hype was. She laid out some basic plot lines, etc for me--and mind you this is before the movie came out. I remember laughing at a lot of it, telling her how silly some of what she was saying sounded. She stuck to her guns. When the movie came out, she saw where I was coming from I think. Its not that its horrible, i actually find it mildly entertaining. Its just that it doesn't seem believable at all, where as something like Salem's Lot does ring true. I guess its all about how far you are able to suspend your belief. FYI, my wife refuses to watch the other movies, or read the other books since.

[RJHubbard53]

A story about vampires avoiding sunlight b/c it would make them too beautiful and sparkly is like story about zombies aimlessly seeking the flesh of avocados and turnips.

[C.W. LaSart]

Gentlemen-it's YOUNG ADULT-they have much different requirements than we do

[ozmosis7]

Gentlemen-it's YOUNG ADULT-they have much different requirements than we do

OMG! Somewhere I went and got...OLD! LOL

[TerryE]

OMG! Somewhere I went and got...OLD! LOL

We knew that when you said you loved your David Gilmour DVD.

[C.W. LaSart]

It happens to us all

[Randy D. Rubin]

I don't know about ya'll but I refuse to get old! My warranty is LIFETIME, by gum. Now if'n ya'll will excuse me my teeth glue stopped workin'--where's my glasses and that con founded walkin contraption of mine, by sasparellie!

[PaulB]

It happens to us all

Yes but it's just a state of mind!