2007 Short Story Competition Final

[Virgil]

To me the only criteria is which story do I like best. That would include craft.

[Scheherazade]

I am not sure it is possible to prescribe a perfect method to pick the winner. We all know when we read something we like so just follow that feeling!

To me the only criteria is which story do I like best. That would include craft.

I think that is a great criteria!

[AuntShecky]

Okay. I read them all for a second time. And I am trying my darnedest to be earnest and judicious.

{edit}

I hasten to add that all five writers do indeed exhibit a flair for fiction writing and perhaps they will develop it by fine-tuning their skills.

Good luck to all of you.

[Logos]

yay! great to see so many votes so far! the October elimination round had about 30 votes, I hope this, the year's finale, gets at least that many or more! A great big thank you to all who have taken the time to read and vote so far

[hedbanger]

Oh boy oh boy oh boy oh boy oh boy!

[Scheherazade]

Please don't forget to read the stories and vote (if you haven't already done so) during the holidays!

Last 10 days!

[Shurtugal]

how does this work? how can you enter?

[Nightshade]

The rules for the competion are here

[Scheherazade]

Going once...

[Virgil]

Oh dear. I have to read them still. I will, I promise.

[eyemaker]

...whew!!! awesome!!!....GreAt joB!!!

[Virgil]

Ah, hell. I missed the vote. I thought we had until today. But my one vote would not have changed the outcome. Congrats to all you for great stories. I was about to vote for "A Chance Meeting" if it means anything to anyone.

[DickZ]

I don't have enough posts to qualify for voting, but if I did, I would have voted for The Whole World is Closed!

And I found AuntShecky's criteria to be great - I have been applying similar rules on my own for a while now, without even knowing that experts had beaten me to it. I doubt that having these thumbrules qualifies me as an expert, though, so I'll just keep reading the great stuff that comes out here.

One of the reasons I'm 'voting' here when I don't even have the right to vote, is so that when the next competition rolls around, I will have the right by then.

[kiz_paws]

What are the criteria by which we are asked to judge these stories? Would it be appropriate to apply the same standards applied to the stories written by professional writers? I have read articles in which legitimate editors have said what they look for in a short story submission
and here are some of the things they have said:
--they want to be "grabbed" in the first paragraph or two.
--they immediately stop reading when they come to a blatant grammatical or spelling error or a cliché.
--Of course, they would want something "original" -- a new idea or if a well-established theme, say a "slice of life,"
formed in a totally new way.
-- There should be a sense of "urgency" about the story turning it into an instant "legend" ( the origin of the word
meaning "things that must be read.")

I think these criteria are a bit too stringent for the stories on the LNF, but they are lurking in the back of my mind as I begin to read each entry. I will approach all of them with an open mind, and then make the difficult decision
as to which one is the best of the lot.

I think that your input with this post will benefit me and others in the unending quest for creating something 'good'. Thank you for taking the time to give us this information.

[Virgil]

So who's stories were which? I'm curious.