Dear ER, If your want to know what exquisite writing is all about, pay Jason a visit at his cyber-home..., L'VE from Desi, knottyaSsusual butt AP-lah!:)
Tuesday, August 03, 2010
Winners Announcement--"Uncovered"
Today, we have a first.
*Not only did Stephen and I agree on the winner before we compared notes (actually, that's not a first)...
*Not only did we have a very high correlation in all our rankings...
*Not only do we have a rare DOUBLE WINNER...
But, ladies and gentlemen, for the first time EVER in a Clarity of Night contest, the top three vote-earners in Readers' Choice voting matched the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winners!! Holy frijoles!!!
Of course, you'd like to know who I'm talking about, right? Details, details.
But first, let me tip my hat to all the skillful writers who made the Forties Club. Each and every one of these entries employed solid writing to bring the story idea to life.
(Drum roll please). Without further ado, I would like to recognize the following writers:
PLACEMENTS
1st Place--Vogt, Josh, The Care and Feeding of Angels (#9)
[Prize: $100 Amazon gift certificate; signed copy of THE TAVERNIER STONES]
2nd Place--Aerin Rose, Heirloom (#72)
[Prize: $50 Amazon gift certificate; signed copy of THE TAVERNIER STONES (moved from Readers' Choice, since Josh Vogt is already receiving this prize)]
3rd Place--Morgan, J. Elis, Synesthesia (#28)
[Prize: $35 Amazon gift certificate]
4th Place--Posol’stvo, Easy Chair (#29)
[Prize: $30 Amazon gift certificate]
5th Place--Eaton, Loren, Chthonic (#4)
[Prize: $20 Amazon gift certificate]
Honorable Mention--Precie, Child’s Play (#12)
Honorable Mention--Dudley, Peter, Smoldering (#17)
Honorable Mention--Smythe, Deborah, Broken Shores (#19)
Honorable Mention--Snowden, Shona, Value (#43)
Honorable Mention--Nagel, B., Fifths (#44)
Honorable Mention--Haws, Joni, Anniversary Dinner (#62)
Honorable Mention--Grace, February, Wish Trip (#63)
Honorable Mention--Tricia S., The Cold Hard Truth (#64)
Honorable Mention--Jones, Samuel I., Haina Baraka (#68)
Honorable Mention--Sharma, Mayur, The Amethyst (#70)
READERS' CHOICE AWARD
Readers' Choice--Vogt, Josh, The Care and Feeding of Angels (#9)
[Prize: $40 Amazon gift certificate]
Readers' Choice, Runner-up--Aerin Rose, Heirloom (#72)
Readers' Choice, 2nd Runner-up--Morgan, J. Elis, Synesthesia (#28)
NIGHT OWL AWARD
Y.L. Chong, "Seven Stones"--$15 Amazon Gift Certificate
*********
A tough, tough competition. The Honorable Mentions could be much bigger.
STATS
Just how successful was it? Your 161 entries have generated 74 Forties Club Finalist, 26,774 hits, and 8,796 unique visitors!
FORTIES CLUB
As we know by now, entries scoring at least 40 out of 45 in my scoring system are inducted into The Forties Club. This time, all of the posted entries were Forties Club members. In my judgment, these writers have done their job excellently. Their strong, skilled writing brought their stories to life.
KEEP THE COMMUNITY GOING
Don't let the community end here. I hope to see all of you back at The Clarity of Night and on your own blogs. Link to each other and give your insights and gifts freely. If you'd like, I will definitely trade links and visit you on your own blogs.
SO WHAT DID YOU THINK?
Lastly, please let me know what you think of this contest format. On the positive side, fewer posted entries (with more skilled storytelling) were easier for people read and keep up with. Also, getting posted is an extra goal for people to work toward. On the negative side, people who did not get posted generally disappeared, and their lack of involvement reduced the reach of the contest. Secondly, the ones not posted lost the opportunity to mix with more practiced writers and learn through interaction.
On the I-really-don't-know side, people who didn't make the Forties Club got some direct feedback. Some found it valuable, some probably found it frustrating, and a couple didn't take it well at all. Giving feedback to people I don't know is not something I would generally do. You really don't know if the person on the other end is unprepared for critiquing or is too wrapped in their ego. Yet, feedback is so rare in submissions. I'll do the work if it gives something back to the writing community. On the flip side, it certainly would be much less effort for me not to do personalized notes.
*********
Thanks again for a great contest experience and for all of the excellent writing. Give the winners a pat on the back for their outstanding work. The Clarity of Night will soon return to its normal content of poetry, fiction, and a few curiosities.
Feel free to contact me anytime. You will always find a welcoming place here.
Posted by jason evans
**********************************************
DESIDERATA:
And I'm taking the liberty to republish here/hear the Email exchange with Jason so that we have an inside look at behind-the-scenes sharing, now goin' public. not home. NYET!:)!:)
Hey Jason, thanks for the feedback:)
I ENJOY your CON contests, learn lots too, so no disappointment here...Keep up your gOod efforts, cheers, YL, Desi
--- On Thu, 7/29/10, Jason Evans
From: Jason Evans
Subject: Re: UNCOVERED C.O.N. writing ontest-- Seven Stones by YL Chong
To: "Chong YenLong"
Date: Thursday, July 29, 2010, 11:00 PM
Desiderata,
I'm very sorry, but your entry will not be a Forties Club Finalist. The main reason: You were close. I did like the story very much. Rather than anchor the beginning of the story in telling mode, I would have liked the story to begin with the scene of the main character seeing the girl. Then, the backstory could be woven in. The piece would have a much more immediacy that way. I would also trim some of the narrative touches where you speak to the reader, such as "if you must know," and "here I am holding." (You can visit here for more information on this and other writing topics: http://clarityofnight.blogspot.com/2010/07/contest-scoring-and-what-costs-you.html
--- On Wed, 7/28/10, Chong YenLong
From: Chong YenLong
Subject: UNCOVERED C.O.N. writing ontest-- Seven Stones by YL Chong
To: "jason evans"
Date: Wednesday, July 28, 2010, 5:18 PM
Seven Stones
By YL Chong
I last saw Precious two decades ago, selling clothes at a stall in Chinatown about 50 miles from where we both originated, a small village named Mambau.
We spent many happy hours at streams playing with and picking pebbles. These stones were the size of grapes. While other boys played Cowboys and Indians, I would play “seven stones” with Precious. She always won.
I had just visited KunMing, the famed City of Eternal Spring, after my artist' heart longing for recharging my subdued creative spirit.
The final evening, I was at a night market looking for souvenirs. I spied a little girl playing with stones. Yes, seven stones. With a boy about her age of seven maybe. I watched them play several rounds, and she always won. And she resembled Precious in appearance, even chorusing a Precious-resque line: "One day I would grow up so pretty I would become an actress. And many admirers will shower me with jade and other gemstones."
At the stall nearby I was persuaded by a middle-aged man to buy some sparkling stones. I selected fourteen, which is seven multiplied by two, if you must know.
The first mission now is to visit Mambau. Here I am holding the stones knocking at Precious' house. I hand to Precious' brother seven stones for his sister.
"Oh, you don't know? Precious married a businessman from Kunming years ago, but she passed away last summer. They have a daughter, who is a mirror-image of her mother."
(247words)
(I am also known as Desiderata, and run a blog at desiderata2000.blogspot.com)
8 comments:
Hey, I really really liked your entry to CoN.
Poignant n smooth :)
I liked your spirit,ya know...
CoN is a great place to connect with such wonderful writers.
Dear ET:
ER stands for EsteemedReaders here/hear,now I've ET for some1 Suave!Thanks for visiting and leaving a footprint.
Ah, we are the "few" CON-ning at Jason's abode from outside of US of A, yet we feel at ease and "belong".
I will chat wit' Thee more/aMore at thy abode soon, after my BF which I'm now leaving for:) YL, Desi
hi there,
i felt obliged to come and visit your place - especially after my name has been mentioned in one of your comments at jason's.
please, would you refresh my memory just exactly which previous con-contest you were referring to?
thanks.
i have read your entry here, the seven stones and i tend to agree with jason's judgement.
i found the story itself really touching, in a sweet, but not-overly-sugared way, you know, just fine; i found the characters real and the conflict just fine.
what i would have welcomed more in the entry were
- more showing instead of telling
- more description of the surroundings
- more memories, perhaps.
i hope you don't mind my words.
cheers,
i'm looking forward to hearing from you ;)
szf
Dear szf ok in full SzelsoFa since it has relevance in explanation in relation to our banter. Curious ER here/hear please visit szf's blog when I referred to the double apostrophe " above the o in her name...
I have just checked previousCON contests and the relevant is Restless Dawn andmy entry was #43, and Desi and szf had 3 exchanges:):):)X2.
So how time/dime flies, that was in 2007! Have you made your million$ yet? I am Hun(A)gry my lucky number 7 only apPEARED as consolation, so I can't sponSIR thy trip to Malaysia yet. Nyet:(
But I buy endless rounds of tehtarik should you get here,wit' or without Jason Evans' endorsement:)
We will meet again at Jason's CoN place, rite!:):):) YL, Desi
PS to szf, 2X:
I was so caught up on hisTORY, I forget the present -- thy feedback in addition to Jason's is most welcome, it's a gift indeed for fellow writers to lend time and energy to guide another's writing. The theme song FOR GOOD in a way is dedicated to fellow travellers like you, Jason and Erratic Thoughts who I hope to meet up wit' one blessed day, IN PERSON, 3rd Lucky Strike:):):)
i will check named entry at named CON-test.
no, my million is still deposited somewhere.... ;)
time does fly.
but when do flies time?
(uhm, sorry...)
what's a tehtarik?
do i have to google the word or do you want me to come back?
i suppose it must be some national beverage...*coughs*
as for the feedback: you're most welcome.
and are invited to have a look at my entry, i was night owl 140; i posted my entry at my blog.
come and have a look.
and perhaps a couple o'words.
bye,
Hey desi, true we are some handful few at CoN outside of US of A.
But this is great, meeting new people from places I have only heard off (*cough* and located on the side-table globe, aah nevermind).
'twas nice talking to you...
Will keep reading :)
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