I've been holding back some of my criticism over the course of this contest in order to avoid hurting feelings. I don't want to single out any one author or story for certain broad types of nitpicks. However, now that there are 20 groups posted, I feel it might be safe to point out some of the trends that have begun to take their toll on my patience as a humble reader. Here is my short list of The Crimes Against Literature:
1) The Shaggy Dog/Pun-chline stories: I love a good joke as much as the next reader (probably more than I should -- see subject line), but some of these jokey entries have really crossed the line into "just wasting everyone's time". This has been addressed politely in several threads, but I have begun to wonder (especially in later groups that should have known better), "If you're going to tell a joke, why tell a bad one badly?"
2) Is it Absurdist, Art, or is it just Crap? A small number of stories have struck me as purposely bad, as if the author was fishing for abuse, or mocking the authors who took their offerings more seriously. Reading the first couple of "absurdist" tales made me cringe, but other posters' comments seemed to find value in them. "Maybe they chose that 'badly written' style for some artistic reason," I told myself. "Like 'distressing the wallpaper'in a new house."
Some of the comparisons to Douglas Adams in the comments helped me appreciate them a bit more than on my first pass. After a while though, the lack of grammar, the sloppy spelling and puncuation, and the complete disregard of all form or plot seemed to be intended to invite negative comments. A couple of them reminded me more of Norm MacDonald than of Adams.
However, I have refrained from flaming these authors, primarily because I don't want to offend someone who might be young (my 10-year-old considered submitting) or have some kind of disadvantage (English as second- or third-language, some kind of learning disability, or who knows what). So, if you submitted a story intended to offend my sensibilities, and to make me grouse about "modern art", then let this paragraph be your congratulations!
3) Second Person. POV is a tool. ONE tool, among many. Someone brave tried it once (several someones in the first few rounds, actually), and someone else commented on how challenging it is - which I took as a polite way of saying "You screwed up your POV". Unfortunately, it is too late to point out that saying it is challenging does NOT mean that you are being challenged to put every third story for the rest of the contest IN the Second Person! Unless, of course, you have actually mastered the technique. I was torn on whether I should mention this at all, because it seemed like so many people tried it... but DAMN, why
did so many people try it?
That said, the vast majority of these stories have been enjoyable, and even the worst of the "bad" stories were so short that they haven't cost too much of my life.
(They were all better than Battlefield Earth, if that makes anyone feel better.)
And to give some perspective: I don't hold myself to be any kind of oracle of wisdom; these were just my own reactions. I hold no degrees or credentials, and don't presume to understand where you were coming from. Sometimes, it's just nice to vent.
Anyone care to add or subtract from the list?