Paula’s Comments (group member since Oct 28, 2015)

Paula’s comments from the Science Fiction Microstory Contest group.

Interesting idea, Richard!

And a 5th, J.J., them as can read.
I can't imagine anyone thinking you'd "trying to muck about with votes," btw.
Anyhow, thanks.

The intros too have an edit button here, then? Cool.

Richard is correct. It is particularly pointless to give preference to some over other authors work here when there are, as I think most of us recognize, a minimum of two partially conflicting aesthetics among our group/members. Generally, with literary contests leading to anthologies, people select which to enter based on their view of the judges' aesthetics and/or qualifications; here, we are a bunch of people who happen to write science fiction; our tastes are quite various. And yes, Richard is correct, the whole concept behind the second volume was distracting to readers and unfair among the authors. It also did little for morale, and morale here is needed.
Gotta run now, but good people are bringing up, airing, questions NOW re how the anthology should be, if any--rather than last-minute as happened with volume 2.
Andy, makes sense, especially since your "another book" looks to be terrific.

Good idea, Jeremy. Hopefully, this time we'll go back to the 2 (or 3?) stories per person model we used for the first anthology; making a number dependent on contest "wins" when there is usually only about a 1-vote difference between win and non-win in each contest makes no sense--and also tends toward de-motivating the bulk of participants from serious dedication to sales/p.r./marketing of the book. We also should ask Jot or Carol (or me or Carrol Fix, who together did the first volume) whether one of these wants to edit this volume, or whether someone else should step up to do the work. It's a big job for a couple of people.

Good you're back, Thaddeus!

Sounds very interesting, Jot. So you are thinking to run a general microstories contest/site/forum, too? That would be interesting--nice.

Heather, generally people in this group are pretty courteous to one another. I do think what you're saying re websites is most interesting, but some may wonder why it would be framed in terms of interpreting "what Jot said" to myself or any others here; and certainly calling another's commentary "panic" is unlikely to build group morale.

Yes, Sharon, as I said, I well understand Jot has huge work with this.
And Jot, yes, if people don't resend a vote when asked/offered, that sort of settles the issue, agreed.
---Meanwhile, what website? It thought we'd moved this to Goodreads so as to have a literature-related, professionally oriented, publicly recognized venue for the competition rather than someone's personal website that will never get people popping in by accident and discovering/joining in the contests. Also, each time one changes Web address, one loses people--an axiom of Netting, I've read. Otoh, you're running the contests, so whatever. Good job--very good job--on the switchover to Goodreads, in any case. Seems just the right place for us. Was this your idea, Jot, or whose? Congrats on it, anyhow.

Sounds good. In one sense.
Nice choice of theme, Dean.

Thanks, Heather. Be interesting to see how many here either just keep their heads down, or mistakenly disregard this as "another voting discussion."

Kalifer wrote: "Sharon, Your critique was very useful to me. I was warned by my writers group to leave off the last couple of sentences but I ignored them at my own expense. It just muddled a perfectly good story."

Yes, Kalifer, it would've done better to leave off those couple of sentences. You're such a fine writer, though, anyhow!

Congratulations, Dean.

Congratulations, Dean.
And with no issue whatsoever over Dean's win here, I nevertheless am puzzled--is J.J.'s vote NOT being counted, after she made clear she HAD timely sent in her vote??? If this was a person unknown to us and who perhaps might be someways irresponsible or something, it might make sense to dismiss her statement that she'd voted, but J.J. has been in this group since nearly the beginning and we have absolutely no reason to doubt her word. If for some reason, her vote did not arrive, though timely sent, then somewhere in the software promulgation it must have got et, and yes obviously needs to be counted. No hanging chads are at issue here, only consistency of respect among ourselves. The only issue, of course, is that this may in fact make too much work for Jot. Perhaps we need to have a method in place for each person who votes to receive word that his/her vote has been received, in time to vote again before the deadline, if necessary?

Thank you, JJ---both for the vote and, more important, for clarifying the need for recounting when the need comes up. ---And thank you, Jot, for not only the usual gigantic amount of work entailed in handling the vote countS every month, but also for the extra enormous work of handling the additional vote count and organizational work that such a smooth transition as we've had to the Goodreads site has required!

Hoping your son in law is doing better, Sharon.
I guess nearly all the votes must be in by now, Jot? So I'm going to list some comments on SOME (not all) of the stories. If anyone hasn't voted, don't read these--beware, possible spoilers. I've commented on stories that either got my vote or on which I may have something useful to say.
To preface, there were no "failed stories" this month, though two otherwise fine ones had either many grammar and spelling errors, or else a tacked-on irrelevant end-piece; all the others flowed smoothly and well. Further, there were NO stories that were confusing or difficult to follow. Often, there are one or two, but not this time. --In this regard, Sharon is right (and thanks, Sharon) that my own story can be confusing in the beginning; I should have added, and will be adding, a sentence early on clarifying there's a brain/mind transfer involved, yes.
So for comments on specific stories:
--"To Arrive Where We Started"--emotionally strong with an elegant sense of a primary story echoing a larger story *and* world, the main tale echoing the narrator's tale--a sort of layering resembling that in Collins's first Hunger Games book.
--"The Hundredth"--beautifully constructed, genuinely moving, elegantly simple and effective.
--"The Games Masters Play"--a nightmare, despair-making, powerful, traditionally beautifully scary sf.
--"Legacy"--simple, very well written, elegant, with a show-stopper ending.
--"Sweet Memory"--another deceptively simple, moving, beautiful story.
--"The Watchtower"--like Poe's tales, this story pulls off the veils between self and world and lets human guilts and fears take over--powerful.
--"A Scarlet Blossom, Disremembered"--extremely moving and well written.
--"Bingo"--what a story!--really well done.
--"The Place Where Hope Goes"--a terrific, emotional story that (in my opinion, only) went on a bit long.
--"Even Artificial Things"--tough and darkly beautiful, a very strong story.
--"In Memory yet Forgotten," "Dark Side of the Earth," "The Fearful Symettry that Dared," "Rude Awakening, "Forget Me Not," "Regeneration," "Mindwipe," "Lego man," "Last lady in waiting"--every one of these stories had some facet--characters or feeling or ambience--that has pulled me into its universe.
Really a terrific group of stories this month; all are winners, in a real sense.

Wishing everyone and your families good health and, whether you celebrate Thanksgiving or not, a good long weekend.

Yeh, a little too chilling, Kalifer! Haven't seen the R Scott version, though.
Jot, I emailed you my vote last night--presume you've got it.

As of this morning (PST 4a.m.) a hotel in Mali was attacked by terrorists of some sort and 170 hostages taken. A dozen are released, three killed, rest presumably still inside. Ten men attacked the hotel. It is a luxury hotel popular with diplomats and such.
Meanwhile, all sorts of people are using all this to try to bar refugees, even though most the attackers in France grew up in Europe. ---I don't mean to doubt that people's fear is real, although we certainly know well the political footballing done with this.--

Yes to Heather's point here.
Solidarite avec le peuple de Paris.