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The results are in - congratulations to the 25 Round One Winners!
The 25 semifinalists below were selected from an extremely talented pool of entrants. We'd like to thank everyone who had the courage to share the first chapter of their crime novel in the CourtTV Search for the Next Great Crime Writer Contest. We’d also like to thank everyone who read, voted and commented in Round One – now it’s time for you to come back for Round Two. Your votes are crucial in helping to select the next crime writer!
From now through January 2, 2008, you may read and vote for as many of the entries below as you like. The three chapters with the most “10” votes will proceed to Round 3, along with two chapters selected by the Gather Editorial Team.
Questions on how to vote? Check out our Voting Guidelines. And don't forget - each and every time you vote you'll be entered into a sweepstakes to win Borders Gift Cards!
Court TV Search for the Next Great Crime Writer Semifinalists:
Ptfiske – Ch. 1 | ptbertram – Ch. 1 |
schliess – Ch. 1 | mykonos – Ch. 1 |
dalecoz – Ch. 1 | dawndmc – Ch. 1 |
Coyotes Remember: Part One of the Jessie MacDougal – Jake Johnston Serial - Ch. 2 pdme – Ch. 1 | tmccauley – Ch. 1 |
falling – Ch. 1 | bluesharp – Ch. 1 |
rledinger – Ch. 1 | Jrblack – Ch. 1 |
Friend Behind the Mask, The – Ch. 2 oulisa – Ch. 1 | djledford – Ch. 1 |
Tomfilmz – Ch. 1 | jimha48 – Ch. 1 |
bigdaddythug – Ch. 1 | There Is No God in Coronado – Ch. 2 jimmytheworm – Ch. 1 |
skishell – Ch. 1 | annwb – Ch. 1 |
thom2007 – Ch. 1 | Nilesnan – Ch. 1 |
geniewrites – Ch. 1 | Well Trained Moose, The – Ch. 2 rlap – Ch. 1 |
willhodam – Ch. 1 |
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Comments: 74
What a tough job the judges must have had to pick a winner from such a group of talent. I didnt read a bad entry.
congrats all!!!
FCC Scores - Round 2
It includes links to all the first and second chapters and gets updated every night with my best guess of how everyone's doing.
Good luck moving forward.
Good Luck!
Everyone vote for Mark (bluesharp)!
Oh, and did I mention I would be RELAXING! :)
Seeds of Adversity
To all those who worked so hard but didn't place, a hearty praise to you for sticking your necks out and letting strangers read your work. May you be published many times over.
Bravo!
Congratulations to all the semi finalists!
How sad your life must be.
(1) yeah, you're a sore sport, but you're not alone since someone has made it their life mission to sabotage the top twenty-five with DB 1's---like it matters much.
(2) There is no place for fairness in this sort of contest if the manuscripts are being chosen by readers who happen to be family and friends of the contestants.
However, not all that move on to the next round or even the finals can be called untalented and it's wrong for you to say so. As a writer you (should) know how difficult it is to pen a novel and moreso how hard it is to get honest, construtive feedback. Do you think it's fair for agents or editors to send you a form rejection off your one page query letter without even reading the book? Or perhaps have their assistant reject you? This is a tough business and to survive you need to develop a tough hide and better sportsmanship.
I think this contest is a good test for a writer to see if their story will have an audience when the time comes. Whether you win or not shouldn't be the issue, it should be, what did you learn?
I have to say (and, though this sounds offensive, it isn't meant to be) I've read a few of the editor picks and am shocked that they were even considered. Did Gather or CTV draw names from a hat or something? Did they even bother to read the entries they chose?? I mean...there were some really good entries that didn't make it that deserved to. I don't know...maybe it's me....but the writing on some of these finalists read like very very rough first drafts and it's a trial to get through them. I think I'm about ready to concede defeat. :-/
Thanks for your comments. I learned nothing from this contest, only how to cheat and maybe get myself into the winners circle next time. I wouldn't ever down rate another article. I plan to vote this time around and if a writer deserves a ten, he will get one from me. I'm just saying if Gather really wanted to be fair they would: (1) make it a rule that only writers with articles posted can comment and vote for others writhers (2) break down the group into sub-groups of maybe thirty articles, and pin point writers to each group, (can't be in the group with your article, and can't let people know what group you are in. (3) Make it a requirment that every author must vote for the best article of his or her group. If things are done this way, you will have shot at fairness. Now you have what you have, need I say more. I will read all articles, but from the looks of it a few of these stories, is a prayer away from just plain bad. People thank God for friends. I'm totally unafried to say what I feel is true. After you have read all the aritcle, see if you don't agree with me. Lets demand a change for next year.
If the writers of these questionable chapters put as much energy into drafting and editing their work as they do in thier so-called Network (anyone remember, "I've had enough and I don't give a damn??), they might produce something worthwhile. But they don't - they read what passes for crime literature in America today, slap out a few drafts and then wait to be appointed the "Next" whoever. And scream like the hogs they are when someone calls them on their fabrication.
There are excellent chapters here but they are sullied by these fraud artists and their aunts and ex-whatevers and postmen and firemen and bakers and candle stick makers, and customers they recruit in their businesses for a quick '10'. Really.
Makes no difference - these guys and gals can con their way onto the list but they will fool no one finally. If it starts as crap, it stays crap.
Do not give up.
There are two articles. If you can't see them, go to your Gather home page and turn your guarded viewing off. These are flagged as mature. Stop by and see how petty some people can be when they have no life.
Gatherers Against Chapter Whores: A Manifesto
Chapter Whores Annoy Non-News Non-Correspondent
Helen
Also, let's be totally fair, here, kids, and admit that writing and reading are VERY subjective. I was in round 1, didn't make it to round 2, but I think my story is pretty good. I got some great feedback to make it even better. You have to believe in your own work before you're going to get anyone else to believe in it.
Congrats, again, and good luck to the round 2 contestents. You have a touch row to hoe, because I know I'm getting burned out, and I'm sure I'm not alone.
To those of you who, like me, didn't make it to round 2 - don't take it personally. Conests like this, by their nature are incredibly subjective! Let it go and move on. You'll be further ahead!
Kenna
Hi Jeff (somewhere warm i think)
What is sad is that Dale has made himself into a master of manipulation of the Gather system, i.e. Mr. Nice Writer Guy with his peanut gallery pushing him on. I think it was informative that when he replied to me, he pointed out that after writing for 12 years, he sort of felt free to do whatever was necessary to 'win'. Win what? At its most stripped down, this Contest From Hell in the end seems to be a kind of weird Reality Show. "What are you prepared to do to win, Johnny and Jean? Will you gargle vomit? Lick a cow's butt? How far will you humiliate yourself in public?" Strange days indeed.
Oddly, the commentators I like the least are people like Terry M., who somehow insists, no - demands, that she has insights to share that have to be taken seriously because - she says so. End of discussion. "The three first books are not ready to be published" or words to that effect. Wow, Terry, did you figure that out yourself or did one of your editing buddies from the Ethernet let it slip?. She does not understand that you finally cannot go from the outside when you judge a novel. You have to swim into it, taste it, let your skin soak it in. Copy or proofing editors do the polishing when the writer cannot write anymore, when he or she has been to the well too many times. Writing magazine articles may sharpen your pen but the discipline of the novel is a harder, much harder mistress. She should stop commenting and do it.
Art is not democratic, and designing a contest where 'folks' share their ideas and creativity is emailed left, right and center is a peculiarly American idea - it does not lead to more art - just popularity contests which twist values and people.
What is really interesting is that the organizers of this contest never deign to reply to the many valid points raised thus far. Will they ever? I doubt it? They watch the white writer rats working their way through the maze to the golden Border ring...."Ah my precious, precious one. Ahhhhh yes...yes...!!!"
HNW, take care Gary
How's this for a plot for the next competition:
An experienced nonfiction writer produces a novel and enters it in a contest, with the winning entry to be published. He has one big concern: an acquaintance, someone he knows to be a terrific writer, also is planning to enter. He's convinced that the other writer's entry is a likely winner, so he decides to prevent his rival from entering the contest. He has the rival kidnapped and held incommunicado, locked in a room with no paper, writing implements, electricity, etc., until the contest deadline passes. The first round of the contest is held. He reads some of the entries and is certain his is the best. His scores are excellent, giving him more encouragement. At the close of the round, he's a strong second. Out of curiosity, he reads the leading entry and finds, to his horror, that it's his rival's book, submitted under a pseudonym. There, that's enough for two chapters. But perhaps it turns out that his rival is not human, and the budding novelist managed to bud before he was snatched.
Okay...
"Gary, why you feel the need to trash me so often is beyond me. You don't know me or anything about me yet somehow you feel threatened."
You're wrong - I didn't do it often enough even though I knew you were a know-nothing pretending to know something. I could smell it through the ethernet. Threatened? By what - one of your fearsome grammar and punctuation reviews?
"Are you upset because I didn't deem your chapter worthy of a read? Actually, it was you I didn't deem worthy of my time. (and consider this post a momentary jump from sanity...I'd have sent it directly to you, but you feel the need to openly post all your email exchanges with the site.....like people actually care.)"
Ah Terri, you breaka my heart...you no reada my chapter? Whatsa matter? Too many bigga words?
Most of my exchanges with the worthwhile writers in this thing were private, including a bunch with Dale the Current Vote Getting Stud. He didn't whine; he used his brain, something I recommend you look into. Dale and I both learned something.
"If you'd even paid the slightest bit of attention (which, at your age I'm sure gets more and more difficult) you'd catch onto the fact that any chapters I commented on have been my opinion and the author has been free to take it or leave it."
Gee Terri, isn't that ageism or something? Look - this is how it works - opinion should have some sort of value - substance for example. At its simplest, I disliked the tone and thinness of many of your comments - pretentious is the word that springs to mind but that's just my opinion.
"The fact that you think Copy or proofing editors do the polishing when the writer cannot write anymore, when he or she has been to the well too many times. just goes to show you don't know squat.'
Ah Terri, in spite of your vast experience as a multi-best selling author of books about knowing squat, various editors do take over at this point - see the Hemingway Papers. Talk to John Le Carre. And my brain is clipping along just fine - 50 pages into a new Allard book and outlining another novel. Just finished the dialogue-editing of a feature film for Lionsgate - do I qualify to join your little club of politically correct literary nursemaids yet? One can only hope.
"Then again, you're self published...right? I'd give you names of editors or even agents who will verify you're mis-informed....but then I wouldn't want them to know I've associated with someone like you."
If you're going to paint someone with the tarbrush of "self-publishing", at least do your damn research - that's where you get the facts straight, Terri. You know - check sources, stuff like that. Now my little mouse, let's see what you don't know. The Angels is sold to 5 foreign or offshore markets including Asiana as of this morning. I sat with the major Canadian publisher (M&S) and their sometime US partner for a day and half, and walked. They are greedy and incompetent in a marketplace that they do not understand. The deal that I and (I think) several other writers signed when we were recruited by Booksurge is nothing you will ever know the details of (sorry, I promised). Interesting how little you know isn't it? BS is owned by Amazon, and they know something about marketing books. So they got the English language rights for Canada, US and the UK. Foreign language markets were negotiated by my lawyer, not an agent. Advances were reasonable, marketing guarantees were much more substantial. Most agents are useless and expensive at that.
The so-called publisher of my first book will be back in court next week defending their total non-payment of royalties on sales of 3200 books. Can you do the arithmetic, sweetheart? That was self-publishing but eventually, I will make more off that miserable edition than the advance Borders is dangling in this thing.
"Perhaps all the energy you spend degrading your "peers" should be spent writing a salable book...one you don't have to waste your own money publishing."
Again - wrong and wrong. I don't normally degrade my peers (who says they are my peers by the way?). In your case I might make an exception. I criticize the work. Fudging and lying and dancing around the truth and encouraging bad practice serves who and what?
You think I'm an old bastard? Wait until you summon up the guts to put your work out for evaluation. All the screaming and bitching and moaning in the universe will not change what the big boys and girls of the literary biz and press have to say.
So where is it, Terri? Come on - we're waiting.
"My apologies to Jason and anyone else who had to read this or any of the other posts Mr. M put up....normally I'd ignore such nonsense...but just couldn't today."
What - a bad PMS day? Or are you just hoping to get a gig with Gather as The Handmaiden to the Untalented? Until then, you take it on yourself to apologize for me and what i wrote. Wow - I had you pegged right the first time - you're a literary groupie.
If you want to play with the Big Kids, grow up. HNY - you'll need it.
I think I have some Zinfandel left. I'd better have another glass.
That was so way far over the top that it's in orbit somewhere.
I try to stay out of flame wars and keep my critiques confined to the work.
This is just another example of how the internet encourages people to say things to each other online that I doubt very much they would say to each other in person. Part of it is that it's easy for things to be misconstrued online when you are lacking emotional cues. And part of it is the anonymity that frees people up to let whatever they want to say fly.
Me, I figure everything I say on line has the potential to come back and bite me some day.
Ms. T wrote me a cheap snarky letter which i did not quote in whole. I probably should have. You might be surprised what nasty piece of goods she can be, but only in private. I am the same in private or public. Ask Dale or Jeff or Thomas or Michael or Anne. T.M. only wants to lecture - never be lectured to. Can you spell m-a-n-i-p-u-l-a-t-i-i-o-n? Terri with an 'i' may not be the Queen of M but she is certainly one of the Princesses. One of the Holders of Arcane Knowledge that can only be shared with the worthy - her friends which is another way of saying people who agree with her. If I read someone's work and see intelligence, style and soul at work - I react to them. All I get from T.M. is that she likes to hang around talent.
Finally, I don't use the internet to hide behind. Anyone wants a piece of what I think - go to it - gary.mckeehan@gmail.com. Normally, I would give you my home address in America and China, but on the advice of my lawyer, I have to regretfully decline. I have already had one threat from some biker idiot to take my novel (which is among other things a pointed attack on the ethos of the Hells Angels) and place it where I would not be able to read it. After several years of threats, legal and otherwise, by the Angels and their lawyers, the Pacific coast of China with my family seems a safe and restful bet. I'll be able to see the Angels coming from a distance as I lecture and teach students who really value learning - that is the secret weapon of China - they respect knowledge. Oh, to be far away from the yuppie scum who are gradually destroying the popular culture of America, something I used to value. This whole 'contest' is a simple symptom of the disease that may lay waste to it for good. The triumph of Actuality Television and Gather.com - the channel and the website where you can do anything but tell the truth about what you have read - what a concept for creating art. I hope for the best but fear the worst. Take care. Gary.
The Globe---What's New?