Thank you for the time and care you gave to this venture. As competitors, we might have thought this was tough. But you administrators and sponsors had to deal with the details and all of us as well. Thanks for what you did and for this opportunity.
Thank you, Gather, for giving us this opportunity. As others here have said, I "met" some really great people thanks to this contest. Good luck to all the entrants. And for those of us who'll be refreshing the page madly tomorrow...here's hoping the announcement is made early in the day! ;)
Tom, that's a wonderful idea! With few exceptions, the comments on the chapters were accurate and helpful. In fact, they were more detailed and constructive than the feedback I've read on Internet writing workshops that charge hundreds of dollars (for a ten-week course). Competition can bring out the worst in some people, but in the type of group you describe, there would be no motive for destructive behavior.
There are various focused groups at Gather to utilze for an 'online writer's workshop'.....providing objective forums for the writers & readers of these groups.
We've set up the following Gather groups to re-post your FirstChapters too after the final 20 are announced (and other works in process, etc). There are many other 'categories'/genres, and other folks are taking the initiative to set up focused groups.....as well as the Gather folks, I suspect.
If you'd like to join like-minded folks, and help build healthy writing communities; I suggest getting involved. This 'space' that's been put together through the hard work of some visionary folks, is an opportunity that we shouldn't bypass. It's whatever we make it to be......it can 'evolve' :-)
Below are a couple which I've helped launch. In total, we have about 200 members already, but there is still is room at the table :-) These are groups we feel comfortable moderating....having a strong interest and knowledge in the subject matter. BTW, there are poetry groups, and other writing groups all over Gather. If there isn't a group to cover your specific 'area'/field of interest (i.e. Historical Lit, Biographies, Chick Lit, first person narrative, Gothic novels, etc ) take the initative to set one up yourself.
Thank you Gather for the opportunity to publish, and for many useful comments. I would like to invite everyone interested in theology and cognition to join the group "You are on my mind" (see below). Cooperation with other groups is very welcome. Good luck everyone! Alona http://youareonmymind.gather.com group description Explore romance, theology, cognitive science! Biblical stories about consciousness and love. Studies of the mind – a challenge to the existence of God? Outcome: a collection of essays, short stories, book extracts, for publication. Group Tags: group, fiction, discussion, thriller, love, mind, cognitive, drama, publish, spirituality, science, project, join, god, theology
I suppose the contest has been a great learning experience for writers, readers as well as the administrators. I would be curiously watching to see how an anonymous voting mechanism on internet, though riddled with a plethora of human failings, can pick up really talented and meritorious winners out of a huge pool of submissions.
Thanks, Gather and the administrator for the opportunity and also for the obvious mountain of work involved.
Personally, I would settle for a system whereby all entries were judged strictly by pros, doing away with the voting mechanism by amateurs (for the most part) altogether.
Thank you, Gather, for the enormous amount of time and energy it must have taken to get so many submissions "on the air," and for the dignity you've shown under some daunting and unexpected circumstances. Despite all the gliches, it was a great opportunity to share our works of fiction.
I can't believe the day is finally on the horizon. I think I will head into the woods for the season. I love competitions, I just cannot bear the results.
I think everybody has completed a full-length fiction should feel proud for the accomplishment itself. Many people wanted to write a book but never did. It takes perseverance, discipline, and creativity to complete a book.
My votes go to Some Lovely Parting Gifts, Beauty and the Best, Outlaw Children, and Dear Your Honor. Also I'd like to mention the book The Fifth Covenant and my own, Parallel Opposites. There were maybe ten that would qualify for an editor's pick.
Hope you all had some fun in this cut-throat contest. So cut back on the nail biting, smoking cigarettes and drinking too much coffee, it's almost over. :o)
I don't know, this is kind of like waiting for Santa Claus when you're young. The conumdrum of either: try to stay up all night and wait, or go to be early and sleep if you can, so the results will be there in the morning. Hmm, what to do? What to do?
Whatever, this has been a most interesting experience. In most writing contests, you don't get to be a participant in the judging. I think the readership here is probably to some degree, a microcosm of the general reading public. Since this contest was for "commercial fiction" it makes some sense to me to have Jane and John Doe have some input as to the finalists. Even though most Janes and Johns Doe don't have a clue as to story structure and the craft of writing in general.
Thanks. Not sure what to do with myself without all those chapters to choose from, so looking forward to reading again in round 2. Thanks to the first chapters team for their continuing efforts. And Tom, hope to see you at the roundtable.
Does anyone know if we're allowed to post our first chapter as an article for the second round? Mine was buried under thirty pages of wanna be harry potter and star trek re-writes. Does anyone know what happened to the zertlbrack from vurtlburg? Did they ever defeat the saslbrags from farslab that they've been battling for fifty aspleens?
LOL! The contest was a great idea. Hopefully, next year you will work out the bugs in it:-) I do not think the cut- throat will stop, but the ground rules need to be different. Thanks! It motivated me to finish my novel. Something I have always wanted to do. Good luck to the final 20.
A.T. Cross, The rules state that we cannot post / nor use the novel, unless you do not make it in the next round. Otherwise, you need to wait until you are eliminated from one of the rounds.
I only got about 21 votes, but I received more positive comments than negative. A writer whose work I really liked gave me high praise and another writer who's a published author gave me props. If I don't make it to round 2, I won't forget their comments as I go about trying to publish my novel the traditional way.
Yes, I would do this all over again. It has been worth it.
This was good for all unpublished writers. It is probably the first time many have been read outside of their circle of friends and critique groups. Agents rarely see beyond the cover letter. I have seen some really good writing/stories here that may never make it past the agent's gatekeeper. This contest could be an eye-opener for the publishing world. Heck, Gather could probably open a new business publishing the top 99 losers. Hmm... Now there's a thought.
Thanks to Gather, Simon & Schuster for the opportunity and to Ian M. for publicly endorsing Beauty and The Best. Your comments on the story have been so validating, then to see you backing it here...wow. Even if it doesn't final, I feel like it won.
Yeah, this was a great experience, if for no other reason then I meet a lot of people and got some great insights into how my book will be recieved from the general public.
I'd like to say better luck next year to all of us, but hopefully some of us won't be qualified next year, as we'll already be published!!
I had a great time in this contest and would do it again in a heartbeat. My submission didn't get many votes, but the honest feedback from others helped a great deal and was worth a lot all on its own.
Now we can all wait till 12:01 EST, which is 9:01 my time, which is 5 hours and fifty five minutes from now--but who's counting. It's been fun--good luck to us all
This was such a wonderful experience and opportunity! The comments and reviews were a great source of help and just being able to see other stories and connecting with other writers was fabulous! I know that I will look to Gather for other great events like this one. I thought it was funny to see how the spirit of competition brought out the best and worst in all of us. Crazy ride, but memorable! Thanks again to Gather and Borders and Simon and Schuster for this great time. Good luck to us all!
I've enjoyed being a reader for this competition, though not a contestant (maybe next time). I have entered a similar competition, though (Project Green Light), so I can certainly sympathize with the anxiety you're feeling right now. I've been impressed with many of the entries. I see a lot of potential among the competitors. I'm sure I'll be seeing many of your names on bookstore shelves in the future. You're all winners as far as I'm concerned, though I do have a few favorites I'll be rooting for to make Round 2 (Judi, for one). For those who don't advance, remember, you've got plenty of company. Don't get discouraged. This has been a good opportunity for all of you to get some feedback--at least some of it thoughtful and well-informed. I'm sure you've learned and benefitted from the experience. Write on!
Even though I ended in the 5.5 range I had gotten great feedback on my ability as a storyteller. The comments helped me to see where I needed to improve and for every writer hear, that was gold!
Looking forward to reading the top twenty entries, even though I'm almost positive that I will not be one of them. But I'm only 21, I still have plenty of time. Good luck to every author here!
I wouldn't be surprised to see more than one book from the top twenty pickedup, if not by S&S then by other publishers or at least by some literary agents.
I mean think about it, the crowd here and the Gather Admin folks have read through the slush pile of 2500 or so manuscripts. I'd bet that out of the twenty from round two, more than the grand prize winner is offered a contract of some sort.
I have a story to tell about how writers need each other. Ten years ago, I went to a two week writing workshop in Italy. I liked one woman's work alot and she liked mine. She lives in California and I'm in New York. I went to her wedding and all I remember is her saying "God, I wish we could talk!" We haven't seen each other since. A couple of phone calls, catch-up emails every year. Three years ago, her book of short stories came out from Random House--including the story she'd workshopped in Italy. I leafed through the title list and saw it. Confession: My own writing life felt miserable and I couldn't get myself to read her book. I wrote her with vague praise. The critics raved. Her name is Elizabeth McKenzie and the book Stop That Girl, is good good good. I know, because this winter I managed to read it. So...I am slowly getting out of my misery and post my chapter on gather. Mostly negative response but a few people, including Tom above, liked it. That encouraged me. I wrote Lisa and confessed all and she said she understood. Then she recommended me to her agent, who took me on...with a long critique I have to get started on responding to. I'm happy but seriously, I am not kidding, I am happier for Lisa. Her new book, MacGregor Tells the World, is coming out in a month and it too is REALLY good. I can see why she likes my work, reading hers. We have sensibility in common. So, here is the point: Out of all of us, possibly a few will succeed and if those few are good people they will help others. Meanwhile, many of us will be miserable about our writing, at least for spells. Envious, too. But the main thing---and I truly mean this--is the conversation writers have with each other through their work is in a different time zone and is more important than "success." Good luck all.
Great contest! Loved having my stuff out there where anyone could see it. Lots of very good entries from many contestants. I was a bit disappointed to find it was more of a popularity contest, who has the most family, friends and acquaintances that will show up and vote, but at least a guarter of the next level will be those that the publishers decide have what the public wants these days. The no comment 1'ers should feel so low that they wouldn't ever be able to look at themselves in the mirror again, forget the heat of competition. That is when you should show your BEST, not worst. Of course, if they had ideals and conscious enough to be affected by their behavior, they wouldn't have done it to begin with. Still, them aside, can't wait for the next one!
This was a great experience despite some rough spots. I'm so glad I discovered Gather. I loved reading the chapters and missed them so much when they were taken offline. It was great meeting new people and keeping in contact with a few of them. I agree; it will be a shocker if Beauty and the Best isn't one of the 20 chosen. Tom, I'm very excited about the Writer's Roundtable. 'Can't wait for the results; it will be so cool to read those chapters.
Thank you gather for this amazing opportunity. You inspired me. I received wonderful comments and some that were hard to hear, but I have already started the next editing phase and it feels different. I have the distance that I wanted. Everyone who commented put me in this place.
Out of this contest was born a community of people and I have missed that. I have needed that. It's funny how things happen. You think you want one thing and then you get another. I know I won't win, but I already have achieved more than I thought possible.
All you amazing people, God bless. I am excited to know you and work with you. Congrats to the finalists. I hope you soar!
Tom, what a wonderful gift. I will be checking in.
I forgot to mention before a request of Gather. Some of us didn't make the connection that once our chapters went offline, so too would the comments we received. Is there any chance of the individual authors retreiving those comments? I printed out most of them, but in the final few days I barely looked at the comments because I was trying to spend all my free time reading other peoples' chapters before time ran out.
Thanks Paul, and Ian once more. I'm printing out these comments to keep on hand for every time I get a rejection. ;) It was incredibly nice of you to go that extra step and back my story publicly in this forum. Again, my thanks! -Judi
Thanks to Tom Gerace, Simon & Schuster and both their teams for conceiving of and putting on this intense, successful contest! I am sure it was quite an undertaking. Thanks to every reader who took time out of their day to instruct and encourage a writer!
I also appreciated the thoughtful comments I received for my First Chapter. I'm looking forward (as are we all) to the first round winners being posted so I can read, rate and comment upon each of them. And as soon as I know for certain that I'm NOT advancing to the next round (dagger through heart), I'll be figuring out what changes - based upon comments - I'll be making to my manuscript.
Good luck to everyone who advances. And to those of us whose manuscripts quickly became buried somewhere on page something-teen, and who scratched our heads in wonderment when folks bemoaned the fact that they "only" received 30 or 40 or fill-in-the-blank comments/votes, or who didn't come with a ready-made marketing strategy, congratulations for having finished a novel and good luck to you, as well! Never, never, never, never, never give up!
To those who took the time, and made the effort to (I'll NEVER know how) find and comment on my little orphan (Still Life in Motion), offering real constructive criticism, along with words of praise, from the bottom of my heart, I thank you: J A., Timothy G., Karen G., Rita R., Donna S., Mark S., Christina K., Gina R., patrick m., l g., Marianne R., Tony P., Eben H., Calvin B., and Dick N. (Yes, I printed my comments. :) )
To all who don't advance, remember to keep it in perspective. 20 people out of 2500 plus entries is LESS THAN ONE PERCENT. Take the good comments and the bad, weigh them carefully, and move forward doing your very best. It took me years to figure out how to FINISH a novel, and anyone who figured it out faster and better than I did obviously has a lot more ability! LOL
Best wishes everyone, and thank you, Gather, Borders, and Simon & Schuster for allowing me a forum which made the "next step" in my life a little less intimidating and incredibly accessible.
I don't think I will be advancing, either. And I didn't get a chance to print my comments. But I am sort of happy that at the time I posted, people hadn't yet organizedd the thronges of drive-by 1s.
For those who do make it to the next round, I hope the critiques are fair, helpful and honest. I hope the ratings match the critiques and the drive-bys stop. I hope everyone uses the posted Gather guidelines for evaluating the chapters- (a) it is publisher ready in terms of spelling, grammar and punctuation, (b) that it pulls the reader into the story, (c) that it moves the story forward.
It is Tuesday. What time will they be announced and will there be a direct link or must we all wander aimlessly around this increadably poorly navigatable site and hope we stumble upon it?
It's 10 am EDT. Anyone know where to look for the results. I'm guessing they're not out yet but if they are, please post a link here. I know there are several of us looking around for it. thanks
I don't know when they'll post the results, but I'm pretty sure it will be the first thing you see when you click on the First Chapters icon, just as we all found this article. The suspense is killing me. I hope they don't wait too much longer.
I am as anxious as everyone else. Although I am not too optimistic about making it, I'm glad I tried and it is always a wonderful experience. I am new to this site, but is has proven to be a wonderful source for us aspiring writers. Good luck to all! and congratulations to those who make it! =)
I think the powers that be are just messing with us. The suspense is killing me and I dont even have an entry. I can imagine what you guys are going through.
That would be nice, but unlikely. Their site might not be able to take the bombardment the site would take at that specific time. Then again, all we're all doing now is sitting here clicking "refresh" anyway right? :-)
The site was so unstable it crashed three browsers trying to connect. I had mail but it wasn't from them, even though it took a half an hour to open the box. It's almost noon in Boston so you would think they could have it figured out by now.
Yeah, I can't hardly take much more. I mean, I'm on pins an needles at the thought of finally finding out who the ringer is, but out of the twenty it will be perfectly clear who will be named "Winner" I tell ya I'm so excited that I'm beside myself. Ok I gotta stop commenting now so I can click the refresh button again.
Do you think with so many submissions that they might still be arguing over the 5 that they have to agree on. It's kind of like a jury that needs to agree on the same 5 entries to go onto the next round along with the 15 that had the top ratings.
I'm sure that Gather was overwhelmed with the number of submissions. I mean, think about it, they were worried that they wouldn't get 200 and they got 10 times that amount. So as anxious as we all are, we have to be a little understanding. I'm sure they're more stressed out then we are. (Is that possible?) Can you imagine the magnitude, of not only going through all 2500 submissions but then running them through their "fraud filters" (whatever those are.) I'm sure it's a daunting task. I wouldn't expect anything until late this afternoon. I don't think they gave themselves enough time between the end of voting and today to get it all done.
Like the rest of you, I'm sitting here hitting the refresh button every 10 minutes or less.
The cynic in me says that the time between now and when they announce the results will be the time when gather.com has the most eyeballs to sell to advertisers that they'll have in a long time. Of course I've been sitting on this site as much as humanly possible since 5:30 this morning, so the cynic bit doesn't seem to be influencing my behavior.
Well, Well! It's almost over. I took some serious rounds from drive by shooters, but that was the nature of the beasts. Anyway, an enjoyable contest throughout. For all of you dreading your High School reunion. Check out my book (self published) on AMAZON.COM. It's entitled: A DEADLY CLASS REUNION. Thank you for the contest, Gather.
My heart is pounding! I really can't wait to see the results! Win or lose this was definitely a unique experience. I didn't think there would be so many die hard people out there all anxiously trying to win this contest. I'm happy for all of the positive feedback I got from my chapter, and this was the first time I had ever taken a risk to put myself out there, so overall, I would have to say that I am more pleased than anything. I just hope whoever was responsible for the "drive-bys" all throughout round one will cease during round two. Let's give these excellent authors the chance to get the constructive and helpful feedback they deserve, rather than just shooting them down everytime they climb in the ranks! Good luck to everyone!
Dale I've been here on and off since 7:30 Iowa time I am on pins and needles and I dont even have an entry. The gather folks sure know what they are doing.
Anyone happen to notice the tag on the left hand side of this screen that says "round one winners"???? I clicked on it and it brought me to a new group. That's probably where the new winners will be posted. I read in the FAQs that only the winners will be contacted for each round - they will NOT be contacting people who did not advance to the next round.
I have this bad feeling that they are not going to announce winners today......:-( How much would that suck!? Let's hope they are close though. Everyone is starting to freak out!
I have advised people to have the copyrights to their books and I hope they were listening. I found this in the rules of the contest. By submitting a manuscript, entrants acknowledge that they understand and agree that the Designated Entities' use of material containing features and elements similar to or identical with those contained in their Submission do not entitle entrant to any compensation. By entering, entrant waives any right of action against the Designated Entities or their successors and assigns in connection with the Designated Entities' use of the Material (or any part thereof) whether or not the Material contains features or elements similar or identical to those contained in entrant's Submission.
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Comments: 263
Its been hairy, but thanks for doing this 'contest'. I'm sure it will all work out, regardless what happens.
If nothing else, we've all made lots of new friends/peers/folks to commiserate with:-)
Good luck to all the entrants.
And for those of us who'll be refreshing the page madly tomorrow...here's hoping the announcement is made early in the day! ;)
There are various focused groups at Gather to utilze for an 'online writer's workshop'.....providing objective forums for the writers & readers of these groups.
We've set up the following Gather groups to re-post your FirstChapters too after the final 20 are announced (and other works in process, etc). There are many other 'categories'/genres, and other folks are taking the initiative to set up focused groups.....as well as the Gather folks, I suspect.
If you'd like to join like-minded folks, and help build healthy writing communities; I suggest getting involved. This 'space' that's been put together through the hard work of some visionary folks, is an opportunity that we shouldn't bypass. It's whatever we make it to be......it can 'evolve' :-)
Below are a couple which I've helped launch. In total, we have about 200 members already, but there is still is room at the table :-) These are groups we feel comfortable moderating....having a strong interest and knowledge in the subject matter. BTW, there are poetry groups, and other writing groups all over Gather. If there isn't a group to cover your specific 'area'/field of interest (i.e. Historical Lit, Biographies, Chick Lit, first person narrative, Gothic novels, etc ) take the initative to set one up yourself.
The Fantasy Writers Guild on Gather
The Science Fiction Writers Collective on Gather
The Over the Rainbow LGBT Literature Writers and Readers Group on Gather
The Manly Chick Lit Writers group on Gather. Writings to help modern Metro-sexual Males understand The Fairer Sex
Good luck everyone! Alona
http://youareonmymind.gather.com
group description
Explore romance, theology, cognitive science! Biblical stories about consciousness and love. Studies of the mind – a challenge to the existence of God?
Outcome: a collection of essays, short stories, book extracts, for publication.
Group Tags: group, fiction, discussion, thriller, love, mind, cognitive, drama, publish, spirituality, science, project, join, god, theology
Personally, I would settle for a system whereby all entries were judged strictly by pros, doing away with the voting mechanism by amateurs (for the most part) altogether.
Anyway, it's a great idea and it's been cool.
Bill Annett
Is it Tuesday yet???
:-)
Thanks to Gather for introducing me to many very cool people!
http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.jsp?articleId=281474976948389
Whatever, this has been a most interesting experience. In most writing contests, you don't get to be a participant in the judging. I think the readership here is probably to some degree, a microcosm of the general reading public. Since this contest was for "commercial fiction" it makes some sense to me to have Jane and John Doe have some input as to the finalists. Even though most Janes and Johns Doe don't have a clue as to story structure and the craft of writing in general.
Good luck to all.
I gotta know.
The rules state that we cannot post / nor use the novel, unless you do not make it in the next round. Otherwise, you need to wait until you are eliminated from one of the rounds.
I only got about 21 votes, but I received more positive comments than negative. A writer whose work I really liked gave me high praise and another writer who's a published author gave me props. If I don't make it to round 2, I won't forget their comments as I go about trying to publish my novel the traditional way.
Yes, I would do this all over again. It has been worth it.
Many thanks.
I should have my independent film completed by the end of the month. Watch for it on an Indi-Channel> The Parchene Conspiracy (SciFi)
Jesse
Thank you.
-Judi
I'd like to say better luck next year to all of us, but hopefully some of us won't be qualified next year, as we'll already be published!!
Good luck to all my fellow competitors!
It's been fun--good luck to us all
Thanks again to Gather and Borders and Simon and Schuster for this great time.
Good luck to us all!
Did they ever defeat the saslbrags from farslab that they've been battling for fifty aspleens?
It's SIXTY aspleens! Jeez.
Even though I ended in the 5.5 range I had gotten great feedback on my ability as a storyteller. The comments helped me to see where I needed to improve and for every writer hear, that was gold!
Looking forward to reading the top twenty entries, even though I'm almost positive that I will not be one of them. But I'm only 21, I still have plenty of time. Good luck to every author here!
I mean think about it, the crowd here and the Gather Admin folks have read through the slush pile of 2500 or so manuscripts. I'd bet that out of the twenty from round two, more than the grand prize winner is offered a contract of some sort.
The critics raved. Her name is Elizabeth McKenzie and the book Stop That Girl, is good good good. I know, because this winter I managed to read it.
So...I am slowly getting out of my misery and post my chapter on gather. Mostly negative response but a few people, including Tom above, liked it. That encouraged me.
I wrote Lisa and confessed all and she said she understood. Then she recommended me to her agent, who took me on...with a long critique I have to get started on responding to. I'm happy but seriously, I am not kidding, I am happier for Lisa.
Her new book, MacGregor Tells the World, is coming out in a month and it too is REALLY good. I can see why she likes my work, reading hers. We have sensibility in common.
So, here is the point: Out of all of us, possibly a few will succeed and if those few are good people they will help others. Meanwhile, many of us will be miserable about our writing, at least for spells. Envious, too. But the main thing---and I truly mean this--is the conversation writers have with each other through their work is in a different time zone and is more important than "success." Good luck all.
Still, them aside, can't wait for the next one!
I agree; it will be a shocker if Beauty and the Best isn't one of the 20 chosen.
Tom, I'm very excited about the Writer's Roundtable. 'Can't wait for the results; it will be so cool to read those chapters.
Out of this contest was born a community of people and I have missed that. I have needed that. It's funny how things happen. You think you want one thing and then you get another. I know I won't win, but I already have achieved more than I thought possible.
All you amazing people, God bless. I am excited to know you and work with you. Congrats to the finalists. I hope you soar!
Tom, what a wonderful gift. I will be checking in.
Thanks to every reader who took time out of their day to instruct and encourage a writer!
Good luck to everyone who advances. And to those of us whose manuscripts quickly became buried somewhere on page something-teen, and who scratched our heads in wonderment when folks bemoaned the fact that they "only" received 30 or 40 or fill-in-the-blank comments/votes, or who didn't come with a ready-made marketing strategy, congratulations for having finished a novel and good luck to you, as well! Never, never, never, never, never give up!
To those who took the time, and made the effort to (I'll NEVER know how) find and comment on my little orphan (Still Life in Motion), offering real constructive criticism, along with words of praise, from the bottom of my heart, I thank you: J A., Timothy G., Karen G., Rita R., Donna S., Mark S., Christina K., Gina R., patrick m., l g., Marianne R., Tony P., Eben H., Calvin B., and Dick N. (Yes, I printed my comments. :) )
To Gather and S & S, thank you.
To the drive-byers: shame on you.
Cathy
Best wishes everyone, and thank you, Gather, Borders, and Simon & Schuster for allowing me a forum which made the "next step" in my life a little less intimidating and incredibly accessible.
Lisa B
For those who do make it to the next round, I hope the critiques are fair, helpful and honest. I hope the ratings match the critiques and the drive-bys stop. I hope everyone uses the posted Gather guidelines for evaluating the chapters- (a) it is publisher ready in terms of spelling, grammar and punctuation, (b) that it pulls the reader into the story, (c) that it moves the story forward.
I just hope everyone plays fair. Thanks.
thanks
The suspense is killing me. I hope they don't wait too much longer.
I am new to this site, but is has proven to be a wonderful source for us aspiring writers. Good luck to all! and congratulations to those who make it! =)
Has everyone checked their Email this morning?
:-)
Glad I'm not them!
Like the rest of you, I'm sitting here hitting the refresh button every 10 minutes or less.
Thank you all for your participation in the First Chapters Writing Competition!"
This bit of news is running at a 7.9 rating right now, no doubt the victim of some drive-by 1's.
Thank you for the contest, Gather.
Gather's new policy is to remove the article until an editor can review it. They now say:
"...will not be available publicly on Gather until Editorial review is complete"
(hover over the question mark box next to "Report this as potentially inappropriate" to see their policy in a tooltip)"
What would happen to all the commenters and people hitting F5?
LOL
By submitting a manuscript, entrants acknowledge that they understand and agree that the Designated Entities' use of material containing features and elements similar to or identical with those contained in their Submission do not entitle entrant to any compensation. By entering, entrant waives any right of action against the Designated Entities or their successors and assigns in connection with the Designated Entities' use of the Material (or any part thereof) whether or not the Material contains features or elements similar or identical to those contained in entrant's Submission.