Escape Artists

The Arcade => Flash Contest III => Completed Contests => Flash Contest III - Pseudopod => Topic started by: Bdoomed on March 04, 2013, 01:12:25 AM

Title: It has begun
Post by: Bdoomed on March 04, 2013, 01:12:25 AM
The end of times is upon us The contest has begun!  I thought I would take some time to highlight a few things, separately from the rules thread and the questions thread.  Consider this an FAQ or something like that.

If you cannot see the stories, you probably haven't posted anything yet.  Make a post, introduce yourselves (http://forum.escapeartists.net/index.php?topic=76.0), or just comment on a story.  Once you have made at least one post on the forums, you will be able to see the story threads!


This contest has 153 entries!  That means 13 groups of 11 stories, and 1 group of 10 stories (all randomized, of course, except for making sure that an author does not compete against her/himself until the final round if the stories are that good).


I will release a new group every other day starting on Sunday, March 3rd, hopefully at or around 12am EST.  Voting for a story group will take place over the course of a full week to give everyone enough time to read through the stories!  With 14 groups, that means that all stories should be posted by March 28th.



If you are an author and believe there to be an error in the posting of your story, please either PM me here or email me at bdoomed@gmail.com.  I will see email faster, as it goes to my phone.  I will judge author pleas on a case by case basis :).  Upon editing of a story thread, I will make a post detailing the reason for the edit.  (ex. Edited for missing italics)

After all voting is done, author bylines will be released for each story, unless the author messages me with explicit instructions not to do so.  Last year, I removed a story thread upon request from the author for publication reasons.  Note that stories on this forum are not considered published, as they are hidden from the general public.



Creating multiple accounts to vote for a story will get you banned from the forums and your story kicked from the contest. If you are sharing a computer, living space, or router with someone else who will be voting or creating an account, make sure to message me. Failure to do so may result in various adverse effects such as account deletion and/or banning.

As always, constructive discussion is encouraged about all stories posted in this contest. The key word here is constructive. Normal forum rules remain in place. Be civil and respectful. That's our one rule (http://forum.escapeartists.net/index.php?topic=3289.0). Rude and unconstructive negativity will be deleted or edited, and the offending poster will be warned. This goes for authors as well. You are free to comment on any story, including your own, but keep it civil and respectful. I reserve the right to kick any author and their stories out of the contest should there be ample reason.

And remember, at all times, adhere to our one rule (http://forum.escapeartists.net/index.php?topic=3289.0)
Title: Re: It has begun
Post by: kibitzer on March 04, 2013, 01:56:58 AM
(http://www.nassaulibrary.org/centreblog/kosh.jpg)
Title: Re: It has begun
Post by: Ettan on March 04, 2013, 02:57:14 AM
Any info on how many people entered 2 stories and how many entered one? Just curious.
Title: Re: It has begun
Post by: Thunderscreech on March 04, 2013, 03:24:13 AM
(http://www.nassaulibrary.org/centreblog/kosh.jpg)
The avalanche of stories has already begun, it is too late for the pebbles to write.
Title: Re: It has begun
Post by: Bdoomed on March 04, 2013, 03:57:06 AM
Any info on how many people entered 2 stories and how many entered one? Just curious.
Nah, I don't have that number.  It was quite a few though. 
Title: Re: It has begun
Post by: JCHemphill on March 04, 2013, 02:26:56 PM
I see that we can't make multiple accounts to vote with. Does that imply that it is okay--as an entrant--to vote once, under our regular account. I would avoid voting in the rounds my stories were included in, but I'd like to vote for the other rounds.
Title: Re: It has begun
Post by: Scattercat on March 04, 2013, 03:07:15 PM
You're allowed to vote for your own stories, yes.  Whether you do or not depends on your own feelings on the matter.  It's certainly not unreasonable; Barack Obama and Mitt Romney both got to vote in the presidential election, for instance, and I'm fairly sure we can guess who each of them voted for.
Title: Re: It has begun
Post by: Bdoomed on March 04, 2013, 06:20:12 PM
You can vote on whatever you want to vote for!  Just don't vote with multiple accounts, and don't go tell all of your friends to register and only vote on your story! :P
Title: Re: It has begun
Post by: jormangundr on March 04, 2013, 07:50:45 PM
So just make a post and we should start seeing the stories?
Title: Re: It has begun
Post by: Bdoomed on March 04, 2013, 10:15:29 PM
NO!  ... Okay yes.
Title: Re: It has begun
Post by: matthewrweaver on March 05, 2013, 04:56:04 AM
Hooray! First post!
Title: Re: It has begun
Post by: Bdoomed on March 05, 2013, 05:10:07 AM
Group two has been released upon the unsuspecting public.  Those poor souls.
Title: Re: It has begun
Post by: deboree on March 05, 2013, 06:55:38 AM
Hello all. First time writer inner, long time listener. Heck that's a lot of flash. I'm looking forward to seeing what you guy have come up with.

debs
Title: Re: It has begun
Post by: Umbrageofsnow on March 05, 2013, 07:24:29 AM
Group two has been released upon the unsuspecting public.  Those poor souls.
And now I've posted on every thread in the group.  Even poorer souls.
Title: Re: It has begun
Post by: canajunsam on March 05, 2013, 10:46:27 AM
Now that I've read some of the other stories, I'm not ashamed to admit that I'm REALLY intimidated by the talent here....
Title: Re: It has begun
Post by: Devoted135 on March 05, 2013, 04:28:52 PM
Yay! Time to start being thoroughly creeped out in 500-word chunks. :o
Title: Re: It has begun
Post by: Ivy Wood on March 05, 2013, 08:19:00 PM
I hope that everyone who entered votes in every group, at least. I hope some writers don't say "Eh, my story's not in this one, so I'll skip it." There's such a good turnout.
Title: Re: It has begun
Post by: Kezotron on March 05, 2013, 10:44:55 PM
This Flash contest was great inspiration.   Made me get out the old typewriter and brush up .   Problem is the old machine doesn't have E-mail.
Title: Re: It has begun
Post by: kibitzer on March 06, 2013, 01:15:38 AM
Hello all. First time writer inner, long time listener. Heck that's a lot of flash. I'm looking forward to seeing what you guy have come up with.

debs

Excellent, excellent, welcome fresh meat honoured newcomer! We hope you stay around to enjoy our cooking pot friendly company!
Title: Re: It has begun
Post by: Blaznak on March 06, 2013, 04:19:01 AM
Having read all the entries so far, along with commentary thereafter, I am amazed at how strong the imagination and writing is, overall. Cool fun!
Title: Re: It has begun
Post by: Bdoomed on March 06, 2013, 09:00:35 AM
Sorry guys, Group 3 got away from me.  I think someone sabotaged the cage.  Damn kids, they don't know what they let loose.
Title: Re: It has begun
Post by: MCWagner on March 06, 2013, 12:58:24 PM
Whoa... are you going to be releasing a group a day now?
Title: Re: It has begun
Post by: Bdoomed on March 06, 2013, 04:32:07 PM
No, like I said, it ran away from me.  I tried to keep it hidden from the world but it seemed to have a mind of its own!
Title: Re: It has begun
Post by: kris27w on March 06, 2013, 08:20:40 PM
Sounds like fun.
Title: Re: It has begun
Post by: MCWagner on March 06, 2013, 09:09:37 PM
Will group four be posted in two days, or three?  (On the 8th or the 9th?)  I only ask because I'm going to be travelling soon and don't want to come to the next group late.
Title: Re: It has begun
Post by: Bdoomed on March 06, 2013, 09:12:49 PM
9th, normal day (at 12am).  Like I said, this one just escaped early.  I hope no one was seriously injured.
Title: Re: It has begun
Post by: MCWagner on March 06, 2013, 09:16:53 PM
(I thought the "escaped" comment was just color text.  Sorry for the confusion on my part.  No problems, just clarification.)
Title: Re: It has begun
Post by: Scorpio2005 on March 07, 2013, 03:05:45 AM
Hi all, I am new here and thrilled to be a part of the competition. May the most ghoulish win!
Title: Re: It has begun
Post by: Bdoomed on March 07, 2013, 08:13:21 PM
Every time someone quotes a story in a thread, it says quote by me, and there's always a second when I wonder where/when I said such a thing.  It's weird.
Title: Re: It has begun
Post by: Thunderscreech on March 07, 2013, 11:13:12 PM
Every time someone quotes a story in a thread, it says quote by me, and there's always a second when I wonder where/when I said such a thing.  It's weird.

#storycontestmodproblems

:D
Title: Re: It has begun
Post by: Umbrageofsnow on March 08, 2013, 05:21:06 AM
Here's something I'm noticing about a lot of these stories:  In the Escape Pod contest, one could complain that many stories had a style like Asimov, a great writer whose style often left something to be desired, although he made it work for him with great ideas and a certain snappiness and wit which don't always translate to imitation well.  But poorly imitated Asimovian-blandness fades into the background without adding much.  In the Pseudopod contest, it seems that everyone wants to be Lovecraft or maybe Clive Barker in the gorey cases, both good with overblown description, which again does not often translate well when imitated by us lesser beings.

I'm not saying there are no good stories, there definitely are, but I find it interesting that there is so much stylistic similarity in each genre and that the failure points of so many stories I didn't like seemed to be the same thing.  For Escape Pod it was no style, for Pseudopod it is overwritten, adjectivey style.  I wonder if the Podcastle contest will be filled with unneeded songs and poetic descriptions of food?  (Is it weird that I kind of hope so?)
Title: Re: It has begun
Post by: SBC-B on March 08, 2013, 08:35:18 AM
Aww, I didn't see BDoomed's post about the next group arriving on the 9th.
I've been stalking the forum all night, refreshing the page, wondering if I'm being punished for something...
Title: Re: It has begun
Post by: DoWhileNot on March 08, 2013, 12:19:07 PM
I'm not saying there are no good stories, there definitely are, but I find it interesting that there is so much stylistic similarity in each genre and that the failure points of so many stories I didn't like seemed to be the same thing.  For Escape Pod it was no style, for Pseudopod it is overwritten, adjectivey style.  I wonder if the Podcastle contest will be filled with unneeded songs and poetic descriptions of food?  (Is it weird that I kind of hope so?)

I think this hits it right on the head of what I don't like about some parts of horror.  I could handle reading the Asimovian blandness in escape pod, but I find myself getting almost angry at the overwritten purpleish language in some of these.  Truthfully, I haven't read past the first paragraph on a couple of them because they were so annoying.

And then I ask myself... are my stories just as bad?  What if I didn't see my own overblown use of adjectives?  And I've got this great story I'm working on for Podcastle... that has a song about food in it... Aaaaaah!  I'm a failure!
Title: Re: It has begun
Post by: benjaminjb on March 08, 2013, 03:05:53 PM
For Escape Pod it was no style, for Pseudopod it is overwritten, adjectivey style.  I wonder if the Podcastle contest will be filled with unneeded songs and poetic descriptions of food?  (Is it weird that I kind of hope so?)
Note to self: For next EA flash contest, imitate Tolkien and GRR Martin when writing sf, Asimov when writing horror, and Lovecraft when writing fantasy.
Title: Re: It has begun
Post by: MCWagner on March 08, 2013, 03:43:43 PM
For Escape Pod it was no style, for Pseudopod it is overwritten, adjectivey style.  I wonder if the Podcastle contest will be filled with unneeded songs and poetic descriptions of food?  (Is it weird that I kind of hope so?)
Note to self: For next EA flash contest, imitate Tolkien and GRR Martin when writing sf, Asimov when writing horror, and Lovecraft when writing fantasy.
... doesn't work.  Lovecraft actually wrote a good bit of fantasy.
Title: Re: It has begun
Post by: benjaminjb on March 08, 2013, 04:28:44 PM
For Escape Pod it was no style, for Pseudopod it is overwritten, adjectivey style.  I wonder if the Podcastle contest will be filled with unneeded songs and poetic descriptions of food?  (Is it weird that I kind of hope so?)
Note to self: For next EA flash contest, imitate Tolkien and GRR Martin when writing sf, Asimov when writing horror, and Lovecraft when writing fantasy.
... doesn't work.  Lovecraft actually wrote a good bit of fantasy.
Yeah--but his fantasy style includes a lot more Dunsanian language than his horror style. I should've specified "Lovecraft-the-horror writer when writing fantasy." Or, heck, I want a little more humor in some of these flashes, so maybe "Lovecraft-the-letter-writer when writing fantasy." Funny how we pigeonhole Lovecraft as all "squamous" and "unnameable" when he's got those other facets.
Title: Re: It has begun
Post by: MCWagner on March 08, 2013, 04:32:38 PM
Funny how we pigeonhole Lovecraft as all "squamous" and "unnameable" when he's got those other facets.
I love the fact that what he always really wanted to do was be a poet, and his poetry is probably the thing for which he is least remembered.
Title: Re: It has begun
Post by: Jec on March 08, 2013, 05:37:08 PM
Hello, hello.  :D
Title: Re: It has begun
Post by: DoWhileNot on March 08, 2013, 06:42:03 PM
I love the fact that what he always really wanted to do was be a poet, and his poetry is probably the thing for which he is least remembered.

Just like Sousa always wanted to write walzes, but is only remembered for Monty Python.
Title: Re: It has begun
Post by: canajunsam on March 09, 2013, 03:12:14 AM
um....have any of the other stories been posted yet?  Um...cause I'm only seeing the first three groups...
Title: Re: It has begun
Post by: Cutter McKay on March 09, 2013, 03:31:14 AM
um....have any of the other stories been posted yet?  Um...cause I'm only seeing the first three groups...

From what I understand, there was a premature something or other that got Group 3 released early. So Group 4 is scheduled to drop first thing in the AM, right on time. Patience is a virgin,  ;)
Title: Re: It has begun
Post by: JohnCombo on March 09, 2013, 05:08:22 AM
ARG! 12:08AM and no Group 4!

9th, normal day (at 12am).  Like I said, this one just escaped early.  I hope no one was seriously injured.

Why you say post at 12am then no post at 12am.
Title: Re: It has begun
Post by: Bdoomed on March 09, 2013, 05:19:30 AM
:D Had a busy day today, kinda only just got home.  They should be up soon-ish!
Title: Re: It has begun
Post by: JohnCombo on March 09, 2013, 05:21:02 AM
:D Had a busy day today, kinda only just got home.  They should be up soon-ish!

Haha Awesome. I can't wait.  ;D
Title: Re: It has begun
Post by: Bdoomed on March 09, 2013, 05:57:55 AM
RUN! Group 4 is terrorizing Tokyo!  グループ四!にげろ!
Title: Re: It has begun
Post by: Bdoomed on March 11, 2013, 06:20:36 AM
Group 5 exists, and it is angry.

Also, quick note.  It has been decided to reveal author names on the story threads after voting conclusion.  As I am about to go to bed, this will happen tomorrow at some point for group 1 and group 2! (Or, I guess it's today already)

Which reminds me, get your votes in for group 2!  It closes on the 13th!
Title: Re: It has begun
Post by: SBC-B on March 11, 2013, 08:55:43 AM
Thanks for all your hard work, Bdoomed
Title: Re: It has begun
Post by: Bdoomed on March 11, 2013, 08:16:33 PM
:) thank you!
Title: Re: It has begun
Post by: Bdoomed on March 13, 2013, 03:40:36 AM
Say hi to Group 6, but be nice, she's shy.

As always, if you are an author of one of the stories and notice a formatting error or minor typo, don't hesitate to contact me!
Title: Re: It has begun
Post by: kelleynotlp on March 13, 2013, 06:58:38 PM
Ooooh I'm looking forward to this, fo sho.
Title: Re: It has begun
Post by: Bdoomed on March 17, 2013, 05:28:09 AM
Grab your torches and pitchforks, Group 8 is terrorizing the hillside!
Title: Re: It has begun
Post by: John_W on March 19, 2013, 01:15:35 AM
You've been doing a great job with this. Thank you - off to read more entries now!
Title: Re: It has begun
Post by: Bdoomed on March 22, 2013, 04:28:27 PM
Group 7 has a third place tiebreaker poll!  Go vote for your favorite of the two!
Title: Re: It has begun
Post by: Bdoomed on March 23, 2013, 04:07:30 AM
Group 11 just kicked me in the groin and ran away.  It hurts.
Title: Re: It has begun
Post by: Bdoomed on March 24, 2013, 07:02:52 PM
I've moved Group 8's stories into the Semifinal Dungeon, where I will be moving other stories as well.  This dungeon will be the waiting pool for all of the semifinal stories to chill out and share war tales with each other until they are plucked and thrown into battle.  Think Gladiator at the first battle, where that kid is pissing himself in terror.
Title: Re: It has begun
Post by: Bdoomed on March 25, 2013, 03:08:01 PM
Group 12 is on the loose!
Title: Re: It has begun
Post by: Bdoomed on March 29, 2013, 07:03:08 AM
Group 14 is out, but it's afraid of fire, so keep a lighter on hand or something.

And while you're voting, head on over to the About Pseudopod board for the Best of Pseudopod 2012 (http://forum.escapeartists.net/index.php?topic=7024) final round poll!  Six stories have made it to the final round, and we need your votes to find out which stories were enjoyed the most from last year!
Title: Re: It has begun
Post by: Scorpio2005 on April 11, 2013, 05:13:35 PM
When/where does semifinal voting begin?!

Title: Re: It has begun
Post by: Fenrix on April 11, 2013, 09:11:36 PM

When/where does semifinal voting begin?!


Buried in other thread:


Well group 14 has to end first, which is on the 11th.  I'm thinking I'll work on all of the semifinal groupings over the weekend and post them all at once either Sunday or Monday.

Title: Re: It has begun
Post by: Bdoomed on April 16, 2013, 06:55:34 AM
Alrighty!  All semifinal polls are posted and open for voting for 10 days!  If it seems everyone has voted before then, I'll end them early.  Just want to be sure that everyone can do any catching up, refreshing memories, etc.

The criteria for forming the groups was A. No author has two stories in the same group and B. No semifinal group houses two stories from the same initial group, these are all new matchups! 
Title: Re: It has begun
Post by: ZombieInkpot on April 16, 2013, 07:59:57 AM
Yay! It's very exciting.
Title: Re: It has begun
Post by: DoWhileNot on April 16, 2013, 11:01:29 AM
I wish there were 'I Voted' stickers.
Title: Re: It has begun
Post by: Thulsa Morgue on April 16, 2013, 04:12:20 PM
It's been a few weeks and I was afraid I wouldn't remember the stories enough to vote on them without revisiting them all.  It turns out, some of them really stuck in my brainmatter and I suddenly realized, those are the ones that might be most worthy of my votes.  Good turnout of good stories!
Title: Re: It has begun
Post by: Bdoomed on April 21, 2013, 04:55:02 PM
5 days left for semifinal voting!  Get your votes in! :)
Title: Re: It has begun
Post by: Bdoomed on April 25, 2013, 04:02:54 PM
Last day to ring in the votes for the semifinal round!
Title: Re: It has begun
Post by: Bdoomed on April 29, 2013, 03:37:39 PM
The Final Round Poll is up!

You know, I let people change their votes in the other polls, because I like to change my mind a lot, especially after discussion.  I might have just missed a theme or was too hasty on my first impressions of a story, so I like being able to change my vote.  I didn't think that such a feature would be used to change votes to vote for a winning story.  That seems pretty pointless to me...

Shrug.  The final round has no such allowance.  Minds should be made up by this point.  Choose your votes carefully.  :)
Title: Re: It has begun
Post by: SBC-B on April 29, 2013, 10:31:46 PM
I may love these contests too much.
I already have my entries ready for PodCastle's contest
Title: Re: It has begun
Post by: ZombieInkpot on April 29, 2013, 10:32:50 PM
I'm looking forward to the podcastle contest too.  ;D
Title: Re: It has begun
Post by: Bdoomed on April 30, 2013, 12:55:09 AM
I need to write my Podcastle entry.  I have a story in mind, but it has yet to find paper/keyboard
Title: Re: It has begun
Post by: Devoted135 on April 30, 2013, 01:10:30 AM
Do we have educated guesses about what the word limit will be?
Title: Re: It has begun
Post by: MCWagner on April 30, 2013, 01:23:34 AM
Do we have educated guesses about what the word limit will be?
'Cause God knows I'll need the extra time to cut mine down...
Title: Re: It has begun
Post by: Cutter McKay on April 30, 2013, 01:30:49 AM
Do we have educated guesses about what the word limit will be?

I was actually going to start a petition to set the word count for the podcastle contest back up to 750. I get that setting it at 500 makes it easier for everyone to read that many stories, but how many stories in this contest have comment after comment about how they suffered from the lower word count? I, for one, vote for a limit of 750 like Escapepod's. (This opinion has absolutely nothing to do with the fact that I already have two stories written for the Podcastle contest that currently weigh in at 750  :P)
Title: Re: It has begun
Post by: DoWhileNot on April 30, 2013, 02:31:39 AM
Yeah, I'm voting for 750 as well... although, imagine an epic fantasy 750 word short story.
I see your 750 and raise it to 1000.
Title: Re: It has begun
Post by: Bdoomed on April 30, 2013, 03:26:10 AM
Tis up to the editors, I didn't choose the wordcount :P