The "Editor-In-Chief" Writer's Challenge: Vote! (May 2013)

[Lester Curtis]

Wow. Look at that, Mark, you woke up a member who hasn't posted in over three years!

[Megawatts]

I'll have something in. This one sounds very challenging.

[Lester Curtis]

Welcome to the board, Marla! The inmates run the asylum here pretty much, but that's normal for a bunch of writers (especially in these genres).

Feel free to post some of your artwork. Some of the rest of us dabble in other media.

[Lester Curtis]

Mercy sakes alive - we've got ourselves a convoy!

And I'm curious as to what made that happen. Almost all the entrants have been dormant for a few years. Curious!

[Lester Curtis]

I think curiosity does far less damage to cats than it does to humans.

I just have to wonder what it is about this contest that's pulling so many sleepers out of their beds, as it were.

[Lester Curtis]

Yeah, but having me for an Editor-in-Chief might end in something like a torch-and-pitchfork parade.

[Lipinski]

Lester: I read your, "torch-and-pitchfork parade;" thought of a picture of you locked in a burning windmill surrounded by computers and printers, which then led to a picture of Frankenstein, which then led to a large publishing house hunting you down for creating a monster...and the whole time I was laughing like a two-year old getting to play in the ball room at McDonald's.

Thanks for the laugh, and I agree with Mark, you should submit as I do so love a torch-and-pitchfork parade.

[Lester Curtis]

Lester: I read your, "torch-and-pitchfork parade;" thought of a picture of you locked in a burning windmill surrounded by computers and printers, which then led to a picture of Frankenstein, which then led to a large publishing house hunting you down for creating a monster...and the whole time I was laughing like a two-year old getting to play in the ball room at McDonald's.

Thanks for the laugh, and I agree with Mark, you should submit as I do so love a torch-and-pitchfork parade.

And then you wrote a poem in my honor . . . I'm so . . . honored.

Sorry, but:

1) I wasn't inspired by the topic -- and that's nobody's fault but my own;

2) just today I finally got inspired to write more than a few words on my novel, and I've been waiting for, like, TWO MONTHS for this to happen. Gotta run with it.

Later!

[Lester Curtis]

The only thing tomorrow ever asks for - are more tomorrows.

Hm. I'm not sure just what that means, but -- I like it.

[Lester Curtis]

Wow! I finally figured out what's making this contest so popular, and now I wonder how I missed it!
EVERYONE'S HOPING FOR THIRD PLACE!

Prizes
There will be first, second and third place prizes awarded at the end of the contest.

1st place - An audio story produced of the winning entry.
2nd place - $25.00 check will be mailed to the winner.
3rd place - A delicious baked pastry will be sent to the door of the 3rd place finisher, prepared by the beautiful and equally talented Valerie Edgemon and - she is gooood!

[Lester Curtis]

Yeah . . . Guideline #1 stops me from writing one for this. I am NOT the alpha-dog -- hell, I'm closer to being the omega-dog. If I got a job reading the slush-pile for a publishing company, I'd likely stay there for life. REAL low ambition.

[Lipinski]

Read all eight and found the imagination stimulating. Each story is unique (as are the authors writing them).
I must confess that the word, 'pixie', sets into motion a small world within my small brain...and needless to say: exciting.
Thanks Mark, for providing an outlet for those who pursue the pixie, the centaur, the giant, the stars. All the stimulation makes me
hungry.

[Lester Curtis]

Rats and phooey . . . I read all of these the other night, and skimmed them all just now, and I can't make up my mind just yet.

It's a great crop of stories in the way it showcases the writers' imaginations, though -- I was surprised at the directions this challenge got taken in. I would never have thought of most of this stuff.

Owl be bock.

[Lester Curtis]

I liked this one a lot. My first reaction when reaching the end of the story was, "That poor guy is NOT gonna get his work done on time."

I like how the EIC stuck with his policy. Other comments have focused on how tough he is, but the story makes it clear that he HAS to be, or he'll never get anything done.

A very easy read; excellent dialog, settings, characterization and plot.

One possible minor plot hole: since Alger knows about Greek choruses, why isn't he more familiar with current genre styles and market trends? Clever and successful authors are supposed to know their markets, after all.

[Lester Curtis]

This one lost some points with me for stiff language -- use contractions; everybody else does.
I liked the plot very much -- but when Sonny put his idea forth through Cryton, I was afraid Cryton was going to claim credit for it -- happy ending, though; it was nice to see the under-dog get the (beginnings of) a new career, and get the girl.

[Lester Curtis]

I liked this one a lot. The plot was very good, and the characterization was delightful. That potion-peddling pixie was a hoot -- made me think of a clumsy puppy-dog, but with poorly-concealed ill intent.

I especially liked the idea of the help desk -- obviously a fascinating job, once you get past the more annoying aspects of it. That guy from "Edit the Stars" could use that kind of service.

Lots of fun.

[Lester Curtis]

I thought this was a Science Fiction ZINE. What did I miss?

Why, you've been missing all the lively commentary swirling around this competition! Haven't you -- ? I think it's great! Mark seems to have found a Magic Button somewhere -- don't know if it was the bribes or the extended manuscript length, but this is the liveliest I've seen this place since I joined it!

The reason I signed on here was that I perceived this as a place where writers could get feedback on their work, and it hasn't been so busy for a while in that regard. I say, let it roll!

[Lester Curtis]

Great farce! The way Bill was adding to his list, it couldn't have been long before he just threw it away and grabbed the nearest phone book instead. And, although some died alphabetically, they didn't go out in a generally orderly way.

Karma was waiting for him though:

Then Simon spoke up, "Now I know why those wheels were locked."

It's because they were waiting for Bill.

Someone remarked on the unlikelihood of Bill's being ejected out the window. Depending on whether we class this story as SF or fantasy, I have two possible explanations: 1) Localized gravitational anomaly, or 2) the chair threw up.

Great fun.

[Lester Curtis]

This story was, to me, more melancholic than anything else. The main character seems to not care so much about the job, and wants his old life back -- presumably minus his ex-wife. He even carries as much of it as he can along with him: the straight razor and the old-style aftershave. In his own opinion, he arrived at the promotion prematurely, and isn't confident of his own abilities.

I give it six months to a year before he kicks Milla and the job out of his life and buys a one-way ticket back to Earth.

[Lester Curtis]

I had a hard time comprehending this one on first read. First of all, there are two major players named 'John' -- very bad for reader comprehension -- and second, there seemed to be an excess of complexity and intrigue with all the family members and the various plotting and gossip.

Then John-the-family-member gets taken out of the running -- details not provided -- and John-the-top-performing-outsider gets shunted onto a different path, with the help of a walk-on character. Unrelated events, but they leave the slot open for the narrator to take the job. And, he gets the hottie, too.

I couldn't help noticing, though, that this story does not fall into any of the three genres of fiction that this 'zine is about. I went back and looked at the rules, and genre isn't specified. Mark's oversight, and I think he should correct it in future contests.

[Lester Curtis]

This was pretty nice in some ways, what with the narrator finding a candidate to eventually replace him. And, it plays nicely on the Something Greater Than Ourselves theme.

There was a slight misstep on the author's part, changing the point-of-view between the first and second paragraphs.

The part I had a larger problem with, though, is how the narrator dealt with the bullying incident. Stepping in (or should we say, finger-wiggling his way in) to deal some kind of unnamed retribution on the bullies is not necessarily doing his protege any favors -- and it won't teach the bullies anything either. What he should be doing instead is to teach the young padawan how to deal with such assaults on his own. Maybe the next time Charles encounters the bullies, he could do some of his own finger-wiggling and cause them to spontaneously give each other huge wedgies or big, sloppy tongue-kisses or something. Humor can be the best answer to violence, and helps keep the power-wielder from losing his perspective and letting his abilities go to his head.

[Lester Curtis]

I very much liked the idea of the outdoor sports they came up with to cure their cabin fever. Excellent detail, too. I got a little bogged down during the long description of the competition, though -- at least the early part of it. Also, there wasn't much dialog, and I found it rather stiff due to lack of contractions.

[Lester Curtis]

And, my vote is on its way.

[Lipinski]

This contest was an interesting exercise in rising to a challenge presented regarding a topic most people would find boring: Writing about becoming Editor-in-Chief. I was amazed at the stories presented and fully enjoyed each and every one.

I study the human psyche with a addictive compulsion as I find the species truly interesting. Everyday I learn more which then takes me down the tangents presented with growing anticipation, and trepidation. It was interesting to see the critiques citing both praise and even the feeling by one person who felt this contest was not in the realm of this web-zine. This too, was very instructive for my studies.

I have learned at a very early age that those who criticize and find fault in others writing, art, job, religion, sex, looks, ethnicity, race, education, IQ, and the endless plethora of human identity and actions, are actually very insecure. Aside from the influence of mental or physical illness, every great author, artist, politician...(see above) will judge and appraise works from those of 'less' skill than theirs with either constructive critiques or finds the beauty in the work (usually the latter).

Aphelion has been a great study for me, but my studies are now moving on to another realm. My time here is almost over and I have already submitted my last poem to Aphelion. The time here has bore much intellectual fruit, but if I stay longer, it will start to ferment and rot. It has been most enjoyable to see Mark grow in his writing as well as others, and I hope they continue to follow that carrot on the stick.

Some advice for those who strive to be called writers (or even human), follow your heart, your style, your life. When others critique your work by saying they don't understand, or you did not use proper grammar, or whatever pokes a hole in your skin...let that slide off of you like water of a duck. Live life to the fullest, enjoy your friends, try and understand your enemies, and smile.


Thanks again for providing the contest Mark.

Now, I have one more poem to post and then it is off on another adventure.

Robin

[Lester Curtis]

Dave, congratulations on your win, and thanks for a terrific story. I look forward to seeing more of your work.

Thanks also to everyone who submitted stories; this has been great, and I'm just wondering what Mark has in mind for the next one. Who knows, I may even get inspired, and 2000 words is a nice length.

A message to those Old Guard Aphelionites who sat aside and refused to even acknowledge what was happening here: you disappoint me. For years, we've all put up with Mark's rants about lack of participation and activity. He finally quit kvetching and DID the thing, and now a bunch of the regulars suddenly go silent. Quit doing yourselves a disservice; at the very least, you should all offer him kudos for breathing some new life into the 'zine. He hasn't taken anything away from us; he's added some.

Oh, and Dave -- I deleted the extraneous double post; sure you won't miss it.

[Megawatts]

Congradulations Dave, good job. I always liked your stories. The first back on '04.