Contest Entry Discussion

[Dan Hocker]

I’ve got lots of experience reading slush for Dark Recesses and I’ve developed little tolerance for obvious grammar and spelling errors. I did read every single of the stories posted here though and took each into consideration. What I looked for first was “story”. If it was too clichéd—forget about it. (Serial killers, vampires, werewolves—yech!) These stories are very short so it needed to hook me right away. (I still kept going but that only proved that most never got any better. At DR I’d just send it back with a form rejection if I wasn’t caught up in the first couple of paragraphs.) Watch out for your twist endings. Twists can be a pitfall, but nice if you can pull it off. When doing twists you need to be careful not to telegraph the ending. If I can tell how it’s going to end right away, I may want to skip it. It’s an art getting endings right, but a good ending can make a story sing.

MLD

So true about the "Twists", after I guessed the ending of "The Village" in the first 5 min, I couldn't finish watching the movie. I also guessed the ending of "9 Pounds" (I think that's the title) in the first 15 min.

[Eldritch]

my first question for the more serious writers amongst us: Is it ok that I HATE writing? lol. I usually try to take the zen approach of "Its the journey that matters, not the destination" but in writing, I DESPISE the journey! I love my stories when I finish them, but I'm getting ulcers trying to get them right...does it ever get easier to drag your butt to the keyboard when you just don't feel like it?

Hi there spernst,
I'm wondering if maybe you're setting your self-expectations too high, that you're expecting yourself to produce a polished piece on the first attempt. If that's the case, here's my advice:
1. Lock your internal editor away.
2. Accept that what you're about to write is a first draft, and that it will without a doubt be crap.
3. Then, start downloading all the wonderful, wild, creative words and images from your brain to the screen (or paper).
4. When you're done, begin the process of cleaning, editing, rewriting, rewriting, rewriting and then rewriting the piece some more.

[Draven Ames]

So true about the "Twists", after I guessed the ending of "The Village" in the first 5 min, I couldn't finish watching the movie. I also guessed the ending of "9 Pounds" (I think that's the title) in the first 15 min.

Very good point. I thought that Shutter Island was telegraphed, too.

[mlouisdixon]

When I guessed the ending of "The Illusionist" it pissed me off. The give away was so obvious. I felt like someone just told me the end and spoiled it for me. I was watching it on DVD with my family and nobody else got it. I had to keep my mouth shut so they wouldn't have it spoiled for them as well.

MLD

[Draven Ames]

When I guessed the ending of "The Illusionist" it pissed me off. The give away was so obvious. I felt like someone just told me the end and spoiled it for me. I was watching it on DVD with my family and nobody else got it. I had to keep my mouth shut so they wouldn't have it spoiled for them as well.

MLD

I love when I think I know the ending, write it down, and I am wrong. Stories can be born that way.

[spernst]

off topic-how many posts until we all cease to be "junior" members of the forum?

[TerryE]

In response to the voting criteria, I'm definitely taking both into account. And in most of these tales, the better stories do have the better English skills. I think I have an editor's eye, even as a reader, because the mistakes, even little ones, leap out and smack me in the forehead. Like most of you, I haven't stopped a story because of poor grammar, but I haven't enjoyed them. But I think the critiques will help those writers the most, and hope no one takes it personally when they read our forthcoming reviews. I'm still among the rank amatuers, mostly because I don't make the time to write on a regular basis. But I attended a workshop several years ago and it was the best experience I've had with writing. The feedback was invaluable.

[mlouisdixon]

This can also go the extreme opposite direction: when an end is so far out of left field that it undermines everything. It's almost like the writer, or director, wants to give you a nice kick in the face before leaving you. One film that comes to mind is High Tension.

MLD

[the_last_gunslinger]

I doubt there are too many on here who don't have atleast one person who came just to vote for them-

I haven't campaigned at all, and maybe that's to my detriment. But I'm a firm believer that if my story isn't good enough to be published, then I don't want it out there.

Plus, it's hard to get the word out when you have made a firm commitment to completely abstain from any and all forms of social networking sites.

[C.W. LaSart]

Plus, it's hard to get the word out when you have made a firm commitment to completely abstain from any and all forms of social networking sites.

I sincerely hope you are talking in regards to this contest only. Social networking is ESSENTIAL for writers in this day and age, as publishers no longer do much marketing at all. Some agents won't even look at writers without a social platform.

[Draven Ames]

I sincerely hope you are talking in regards to this contest only. Social networking is ESSENTIAL for writers in this day and age, as publishers no longer do much marketing at all. Some agents won't even look at writers without a social platform.

Many won't. Too true.

[the_last_gunslinger]

I sincerely hope you are talking in regards to this contest only. Social networking is ESSENTIAL for writers in this day and age, as publishers no longer do much marketing at all. Some agents won't even look at writers without a social platform.

Well, that's too bad, because there is no way I'm getting involved with it. And I really don't believe it's that important, depending on what your goals are as a writer. As someone that is primarily concerned with writing short stories, I don't think I would be precluded from being accepted because I don't social network.

[C.W. LaSart]

Well, that's too bad, because there is no way I'm getting involved with it. And I really don't believe it's that important, depending on what your goals are as a writer. As someone that is primarily concerned with writing short stories, I don't think I would be precluded from being accepted because I don't social network.

I have obviously offended you which wasn't my aim. If you are only looking to publish short stories in various markets, then I agree that social networking is not as important. If we were talking novels and such, then it would be more beneficial to you. Good luck!

[Draven Ames]

Agreed on both counts. But in the end, a good story will get you further than anything else.

[Dan Hocker]

Agreed on both counts. But in the end, a good story will get you further than anything else.

Especially if you can get it in front of the right person to read it.