With only a few more days before the deadline for the New Year's Resolution story contest, I want to give a huge shout out and THANK YOU to our beloved organizers: Jill, Emma, and Joanne. You all are amazing and really have outdone yourselves with this effort, huzzah! And additional thanks to all those helped fund it!
The response to this contest has been superbly stupendous, easily outpacing all other contests / calls for stories that I've witnessed on this site both as a long-time lurker and then as a wondrously encouraged submitter of feverish imaginations. To all those who have bravely submitted entries, thank you as well! We've certainly given the judges quite a conundrum in trying to pick winners!!
And to our new writers and readers - welcome to this fabulous little corner of the internet! May you put your feet up, sip a beverage of choice, and indulge in the wide-variety smorgasbord of offerings we have on tap!
I would be remiss if I didn't also put in a plug for Erin, Piper, Rasufelle, and all those who have kept this place up and running all these years. The heart and soul of this gathered destination has been a tremendous gift to all us visitors. If you can spare a few shekels to help keep it running, please don't hesitate - as every dollar counts.
Now let's sit back, pop some corn, and await the Big Closet Top Shelf Awards to come! Unless, of course, the muses strike in time to beat the chimes at midnight with that one last inspired entry! :)
See you at the ceremonies!!
- Erisian <3
Comments
Applause Appreciated
Thankyou, Erisian, for being an avid supporter of our contest, and a supporter of BC and the team who labour to give it to us.
Thanks, too, to everyone who has written a story for our enjoyment and to all those who have commented.
This is indeed a wonderful community.
Yes! Thanks!
As a newcomer who's been busier than I expected when I started, I echo your sentiments, Erisian.
Everybody's been quite welcoming, supportive and encouraging. Not that I expected any different, but until one puts something out there, one never knows.
I've enjoyed a lot of the entries, the way I've seen people put their personal stamp on things -- the heart, the humor, the creativity. And seeing it from writers whose work I'm familiar with as a lurker and from those whose work I need to know more.
I'm glad for those who put it all together and keep it going -- the site and the contest.
Thanks to Dorothy for encouraging me to come out of the shadows and do this!
And yes, I have one more story left in progress before the contest ends. From there, I have a file with bits of dialogue, story ideas and the like. These re things that either wouldn't fit the contest or put up a brick wall to the muse for now. So I will still be here.
Thanks again, one and all, for showing how being a welcome wagon is done.
I may have offered encouragement
but you've done the heavy lifting, producing several wonderful stories already in your short time as a writer here
Your Welcone
The other night I watched the Lionel Ritchie documentary of what it took to record We Are The World. It was amazing to watch all of those massive egos work together to create a cultural masterpiece.
The egos on BC aren't massive, but we have our own issues. We're a community of wounded doves. Things can easily go wrong.
However:
Erin has established a community through considerable effort, that at its core, nurtures the participants. During the over twenty years I've been involved she has consistently demanded that we respect one another.
The talent pool here is deep and responsive. More than a fourth of the stories entered in this contest have been commercial grade. None of the stories were poor quality.
When I first suggested to Emma that we sponsor a contest,she jumped at the idea and quickly brought Joanne to the party. One other person, who wished to be anonymous, contributed to the prize pool. Melanie and Erin have been supportive.
We have put in long hours but it has been easy, because there just hasn't been any amount of nonsense to deal with. Everyone has been positive. There haven't been any flames to extinguish.
We have one more hurdle to leap over -- the awards. A lot of very worthy stories will not receive an award. The other day Emma and I exchanged our interim lists of top twelve stories.in alphabetical order. We did so to help each other make sure we had not overlooked a wonderful story. Our lists matched in in eight out of the twelve.
Then we exchanged a list of our top ten scores, not identified to stories. We just wanted to show each other how tightly the contenders were bunched.
Although, with 107 stories in, it's clear the top three will be amazing stories, it's also clear that many, many "Top Shelf" stories will not receive awards.
I once reacted poorly to the results of a contest on BC. I intimately know the sting of having your artistic efforts left out of the winners' circle. With over a dozen of the best authors who have ever posted on BC entered there's bound to be some bruised egos.
All I can say is, Emma and I care a great deal. Jo is trying her best to keep us on the same page, despite her recent injury.
This is a serious contest but is meant to be fun.
In a few days, you will be given a chance to pick your top three. Please take this opportunity to recognize outstanding stories.
Jill
Angela Rasch (Jill M I)
Thanks, Erisian!
Thanks for the shout out, Erisian!
Emma