Results - Week 17

[clauderainsrm]

The longest week in the history of Idol has come to an end.

I've taken the results of all five polls, and averaged them out.

For those who like trivia, the person with the fewest votes averaged 6.8 votes fewer than the person with the most votes overall.

All 5 people leaving were in the bottom 5 of at least two polls. Which, is to be expected. I don't say that as anything other than to say "it can happen to ANYONE on ANY GIVEN WEEK". Because there were only *3* contestants who were NOT in the bottom 5 of at least one of these polls.

I think that says a lot about how divided this was, and how taking an average of not 1, but 5 polls, on different topics and using different methods, did a decent job of evening out the field.

Another sign of how close these results were was the vote from the Jury for Immunity. 8 individuals received multiple votes. It came down to a single vote in deciding who it would be awarded to - the final vote I received.

The Jury awarded immunity to bleodswean . Congratulations on officially making it to the Top 8!

Unfortunately, there are 5 contestants who will not be joining you there.

Leaving us this week - and moving over to become a part of the Jury who will help shape what remains of this mini season are some absolutely incredible writers.

People who I would have loved to see continue, and I hope we continue to see Home Game.

I'd say they were going out "before their time", but at this point, there can only be one winner. Everyone but one person is going to go out before they "should".

Goodbye to

babydramatic_1950 
d0gs 
flipflop_diva 
yachiru 
zedmanauk 


That's a painful list to write. The Walking Dead episode for tonight is going to feature a scene much like this one, an emotional gut punch.

Thank you so much to all of you for coming out for this mini season, and adding so much with every entry. I hope you got as much out of it as others did (myself included) from reading your work!

Comments

[sonreir]

Oh, wow. That's a Hell of a list to be losing. All of these Idolers were people whose work I loved and voted for. I'm sorry to see all of them go.

[itsjust_c]

Blimey! That's honestly not the result I was expecting!

I have really enjoyed reading the entries of everyone on this list and have admired each of your writing styles. You are all really great writers and I'm sorry to see you leave.

[bleodswean]

I humbly and gratefully thank the Jury. *kisses*

I'm sad to see this list. FANTASTIC writers. Just FANTASTIC.

It's been a brutal Week 17.

[dmousey]

What!?! I'm so sorry to see these writers go. I loved reading works from each and everyone of you. You've taught me a lot, and I appreciate each of you. 💜💕🐭😊✌💙

[furzicle.livejournal.com]

After all the weeks we've been cranking out heartfelt entries and after the crush of being creative FIVE times in the last session, I salute each of you for your dedication and perseverance. Congratulations on a job very well done.

[hwango]

Wow, I too am surprised by some of the names there. The drama and upheavals are real.

[flipflop_diva]

Awww. Well, I had a feeling this was coming. It's pretty much the same place I was eliminated last season, too.

But I had a lot of fun, and I can't wait to see how this plays out!

(And to everyone, I just want to apologize for my lack of commenting this season. I still haven't quite gotten the hang of finding time between work and the baby, but I have read everything, and I'm very sorry I haven't told you all how amazing you are!)

[megatronix]

Group hug!! Elimination day is always the roughest. I'm excited to see where things go from here! Congrats, bleodswean! :)

[bsgsix]

That is unexpected, as Idol always is. Wow.

I'm sorry to see writers go, and hope for the best for everyone.

[d0gs.livejournal.com]

This has been a really great experience for me. It's the first time I've entered and not ended up bye-ing out due to time and I am so happy to have gotten this far. To be honest, while being disappointed is obvious, I really don't feel like I've "lost" so to speak. This has also been really helpful to me with time management, which is something I did need help with, especially as I'm plotting a book.
I've loved being part of this and will definitely be back if/when there is another season. I'll also of course be around to do jury duty.
Thanks, Gary! 💖

[halfshellvenus]

It was great to have you hang in here so long, and to read so many stories from you! I'm so glad yo came out for this mini-season. :D

[d0gs.livejournal.com]

thank you so much! 💖 i absolutely loved every minute of this experience writing alongside you and the other amazing writers here each week. i will definitely be back again!

[halfshellvenus]

We had such a strong group of writers going into week 17-- and I was kind of thinking that there would be some mercy and only 3 people would be eliminated, given that two of the original 15 didn't make the deadline. :(

I really enjoyed getting to know babydramatic_1950 via Second Chance Idol-- you are such a talented non-fiction writer! I'm glad you shared your wonderful stories with us.

dogs brought a huge range of creativity, with non-fiction, faked-up Twitter feeds, and (my personal favorite) the creepy homicidal cheerleaders of Week 2. \o/ I enjoyed each and every one of your stories this season. :D

flipflop_diva shared terrific fiction and heartwrenching truth. I'm so glad your infertility struggle ended with such a blessing.

This season, more than any other, showed what zedmanauk is really capable of-- including surviving the pressure of 24-hour write-offs! There was so much tight, terrific satire, and there was the fabulously over-invested security specialist of this last 'week,' and there was an entire Twitterverse where people obsessed the quality of bedsheets. \o/

And yachiru... is probably the most creative writer I've encountered through Idol, and that's really saying something. You never know what she might write--and that includes the details as well as the genre and approach. A teenage corpse bride. Clams with souls and a possibly-human mother and daughter who grow neck pearls. A crabby mermaid who cows her human friend into dragging her everywhere in a bathtub. Jesus and Judas on a modern-day road trip. The girl who eats mice. These are just some of the unlocked ones from this season, or what I remember from past seasons, but damn. What talent!

I'm so glad all of you participated in this round of Idol. Please, never stop writing!

[clauderainsrm]

I considered it. But I had promised that we would lose 5. I'm sure folks would have been fine letting me off that promise. ;) But I'd been showing so much mercy earlier in the mini season that there really wasn't room for that right now.

If it's anything like these five polls, this Top 8 is going to highly competitive.

[halfshellvenus]

Yes-- the dread has already arrived!

Also, I'm poking d0gs since I misspelled her name up there and I can't fix it now.

[d0gs.livejournal.com]

Thank you so so much for your lovely words!
I'm sorry I'm so late replying to this. I've been sick for what feels like forever and sleeping as much as possible and somehow I missed this.

It just made my day to read though 💖. I came to this determined to not end up bye-ing out like last year when I joined had to bye out, got back in the second chance and had to bye again.
The fact that I got this far with all of you amazing writers this time just made me so happy, especially as some weeks with the subjects I chose I took risks(I know dark topics aren't for everyone!) And one of the nicest things anyone could ever say to me is that they saw creativity in what I wrote, so seriously thank you so much!

(my personal favorite) the creepy homicidal cheerleaders of Week 2. \o/ :D I am thrilled that this is your favourite for two reasons.
1- I ended up building (with some changes) an entire book plot around that story!
2- I was so worried it would be too creepy for people that I almost didn't post it but at the last minute decided to go with what I wanted to post and be true to myself. I'm so happy you enjoyed it so much! 💖

[halfshellvenus]

I'm so glad you found that comment after all. :)

Ooh, a book plot! I think those characters had the pizazz to make that work, and I loved the tone of the story.

I'm glad you went with your instincts and posted that story anyway. It was terrific and unexpected, and also clearly memorable. :)

[babydramatic_1950]

I just got home to see this. I am sorry not to make it but I sort of made my goal, which was to be in the top 10. There wasn't a top 10. I was in the top 13 but not the top 8. This has been a good discpline for me and I have some material I can use, perhaps in the memoir I am writing, or for something else. The silver lining is I can catch up with work that I have to do for money, plus all the music I have to learn for Good Friday. I am the alto soloist in selections from the Beethoven Missa Solemnis.

[clauderainsrm]

In the group of 5 leaving there were 2 ties. So the first group was tied for the 12/13th place. The second (that you were in, was tied for the 10/11th), so you can say you made 10th place. :)

[clauderainsrm]

Actually I was wrong, it would be 11-12th and 9/10th (with you in the second group). So you definitely made the Top 10.

[d0gs.livejournal.com]

Ooh this has me curious - is it okay to ask where I placed? Thank you!

[clauderainsrm]

You were in the other tie. So... *looks at scores* So either 11th or 12th place. Based on the individual scores I'd probably go with 11th.