Green Room - Week 31 - Day 1

[clauderainsrm.livejournal.com]

What a night!

I revealed the Gatekeepers: http://therealljidol.livejournal.com/814499.html
Then announced who they had eliminated: http://therealljidol.livejournal.com/814597.html and they officially became the first members of THE JURY who will be deciding who gets immunity each week.
Week 31 got started with a new Topic: http://therealljidol.livejournal.com/814969.html
and a Work Room: http://therealljidol.livejournal.com/815283.html

Then this morning I posted the Home Game/Killing Floor: http://therealljidol.livejournal.com/815412.html

For those paying attention, yes - that means out of the 24 remaining contestants, there is a chance for TWO of them to have immunity each week! If you don't think that could come into play at some point, you're crazy! (Looks around at the remaining contestants... I think that's already been established though)

***
I've been answering a few emails about the t-shirts with people asking "can I do such and such?" So I've made some variations available based on that. Apparently changing the color of text and bolding thinks costs a little more, but I put it at the same under $2 profit margin for each thing. If you have any other suggestions of what you would like to see - let me know!

So there is the original run: http://teespring.com/LJIdol that is 2 shirts away from being a reality and the second run: http://teespring.com/LJIDOL3 has just come online.

They make great holiday presents! It doesn't matter what holiday you celebrate!! Well, OK, I'm not sure if they do or not. But maybe they do!!

There are definitely some great gift ideas in our Gift Shop: http://astore.amazon.com/li0cd-20 or you can just click through there on your way to Amazon!

***

So - how are you feeling this morning?

Comments

[dmousey.livejournal.com]

You mean besides being disappointed and talking to myself about said disappointment? (And telling myself to get over it)- fine.

Gary... would someone from your esteemed colleagues be willing to run a workshop or class for indigent creative types like me who lack in education and funds? Just a class or three, or whatever.

Or if not being able to do that, can someone recommend something online (and preferably free).

[xo-kizzy-xo.livejournal.com]

I just saw your post over in the Work Room.

What's going on?

:concerned kizzylook:

[clauderainsrm.livejournal.com]

One of the things I think you need to ask yourself is "Why am I writing?"

Part of it should probably be "for my own enjoyment!" If that is your intention, then simply sitting down and writing is the goal!

If you want to "hone your craft" for the purposes of publication or just for the sake of "I want to get better", there are definitely people here and elsewhere who can work on that with you.

That's kind of the point of the Work Room and the Killing Floor - writers helping each other/giving advice.

Which ultimately is what those Gatekeeper comments were about. They weren't saying "So and so did this", it was general "here is some advice. These were things we noticed". It was stuff that anyone can use, and writers of every level need to be reminded of from time to time.

You made it into the Top 35 in your very first try! That's a lot to be proud about!

[anyonesghost.livejournal.com]

Everyone above me has covered most of the things I usually would, so let me ask a more general question -- when you're reading any given Idol entry, how many times do you read it? Do you study the language, plot or poetry construction, flow, story techniques, voice, perspective, spacing? Do you ever look at certain writers and think, "They do This Certain Thing I Like, I should practice That"?

It'll vary from writer to writer (since we all think and learn a little differently) (if we didn't, we'd all be the same writer!). I personally find enough new things just reading everyone's entries (since I read them 3-10 times, depending upon size), and I just keep an eye out (after the first time) for "things they do that I don't," then mull that over. Is there a reason I don't do those things? Would they fit into the sorts of things I write? Can I use these as an excuse to try something new?

Not sure if this is helpful or not ... but speaking as someone mostly self-taught, it might be something to keep in your back pocket as you're exploring all those other online resources. (Your mileage may vary, though.)

[kathrynrose.livejournal.com]

I'm going to repeat things that have been said, because I want to say them and they're worth repeating.

Be proud of yourself.

You went back to a thing you love after setting it aside for years, plus you were brave enough to do it in front of a bunch of people you don't know and you did really well. A lot of people didn't make it to week 30, and there's only one person who won't eventually be eliminated.

(Also, it's totally ok to feel mopey when you're eliminated - everyone does whether they say so or not, and whether they self-eliminate or not, so don't feel like that's a wrong thing either.)

One of the things you have consistently done better than anyone else in this competition is ask for feedback. Every single week, as far as I can tell, you've asked for concrit. And you take it with an open mind - which isn't a given for everyone in the everywhere.

If you haven't read On Writing by Stephen King, I recommend it. One of the things he says is if you want to be a better writer, you have to read. I blew that off for a while, but he was right about that. Read as much as you can, and read a variety of things.

Treat your own reading and writing adventures like a class. When you read something, write down what you did and didn't like about it - just in a list, and then when you write, hold that list up against what you've written.

I learned SO MUCH in Season 8 and the Exhibits. But it all began with reading the Season 8 entries, and noticing the feedback that whipchick left on the entries. I think she made it her mission to comment on every entry written that season, and her comments included specific things that worked or could work better. I found that I agreed with her a lot, and then I found that I was learning from reading her comments. So, one thing you could do is go back through the topic posts from season 8 and look for those comments. Also, on her own LJ she has a tag for "write better" and she made some posts a while back while she was putting together some basic writing info.

So, read and give feedback and pay attention to the feedback other people give and see if you agree with it.

Find someone whose opinions you generally trust and ask them for feedback. Buddy with someone and commit to writing X hours or X words a day or week and swap off and give honest specific feedback.

Find something you wrote several weeks or months ago and haven't looked at in a while and read it fresh. Make note of what you'd change. The excellent first draft is a myth. Ok, maybe it's a rarity, but it's not as common as most writers wish it would be.

Read your work out loud. Listen for repeated words. We all have our favorite word ticks.

Besides having a writing buddy, the best thing I've done for my writing in the past couple of years was a little exercise I did just for curiosity. There was a flash fiction contest that had a 250 word limit, and (as you can tell by this comment) 250 words is like nothing, or so I thought. I wondered whether I could even tell a story with a plot (characters, plot and resolution) in 250 words, so I went back through my own previous Idol entries, and chopped the living shit out of them (in a separate document) to see what I'd have to eliminate to tell the story in 250 words or less (I'm pretty sure I tagged these on my LJ, or some of them).

One of the first things I noticed was that I was cutting the same words and the same kinds of phrases over and over again - because they were filling space but meant nothing. (Incidentally, one of my favorite words I go back and look for is "that." ::points to previous sentence::

Nobody except my patient LJ friends ever saw the 250 word experiments I did, but they made me a cleaner writer and a better editor.

You don't really need an online class. Don't spend money on Writer's Digest, whatever you do.

Keep writing. Be nice to yourself.

I guess I'm feeling better today

[lrig-rorrim.livejournal.com]

I'm feeling kind of anxious about the deadline on Monday. I've got Plans for Shenanigans and Hijinks this weekend (at least I didn't get taken out by the birthday curse!) and um, yeah. There's going to be a lot of sneaking over to a corner to frantically write. Once I figure out what the hell I want to write, frantically or otherwise. Luckily I've got most of the day to myself to figure that out.

Also, feeling both enormously relieved and sad about the results. That loooooong wait for the results last night took a toll, Gary, I swear.

[clauderainsrm.livejournal.com]

I had to write four posts! :)

(The Gatekeeper, Results, Topic and Work Room)

Oh, and finalize the results!!

(My time beforehand was cut because I was summoned to "attend school" as soon as I got home. Apparently now I have middle school homework. :D)

[anyonesghost.livejournal.com]

^^^ This, mostly. I mean, I have a Boondoggle instead of Shenanigans and/or Hijinks, but there will be Stuff. And because I'm pretty sure I've used up the last of my serial-story luck in surviving the poll last night, I need to think of something Properly New instead of Mostly Standalone.

I'd actually braced myself for seeing my name on the List last night, honestly ... so if anything, I'm figuratively dizzy and confused. (And doing the sad / survivor-guilt thing, to boot.)

As soon as my fingers thaw out, though, it's back to work.

[reckless-blues.livejournal.com]

I'm in a good mood! I posted some selfies to my Tumblr before going to bed, and whenever I do that it's pandemonium so I go to bed all happy. (Though it feels odd taking compliments for my looks - it's not like I did anything. I don't even work out.)

I got a new video game a while ago that I'm waiting until after finals to play, and apparently at some point at least one of the main guys gets tied up with barbed wire? My friend is spamming me fanart of this over Skype. Unf. (Also I think the game is from Japan which means the two male leads are beautiful and spend half the game clinging to each other. Awesome.)

Cheered me up pretty good, but unfortunately I'm now too distracted to study for my finals.

[theun4givables.livejournal.com]

I appreciated the selfies. :) Muchly so. And even sent you a thing!

(And I hear you on the "feels odd taking compliments" thing -- I feel the same way, but I'm not traditionally attractive for my presented gender, so.)

STOP BEING DISTRACTED AND STUDY. STUDY FOR FINALS. *baps you*

[n3m3sis43.livejournal.com]

I need to own this game. Like, immediately.

[xo-kizzy-xo.livejournal.com]

Is it weird that my wrist feels much better today? Hand Doc said that I'd be cursing him for the next day or two. My poor joints must suck up cortisone like somebody stranded on the Sahara, I guess?

I still can't pick up anything heavier than a full coffee cup, though. I know, I know, give it time.

[theun4givables.livejournal.com]

Look, if there is ever a Season 10, and I decide to compete in it, AND I make it to Week 30, AND I get voted out that week again, I'm gonna think it's cursed. ;)

Especially if we're dropping from whatever to the Top 25. Then it's especially cursed. Because I have missed the Top 25 by a hair both full season I've competed. AND I've gotten eliminated in Week 30 in both.

Kicking myself for not playing a little more strategically last week; I think I could have squeaked by if I had posted an old post in the Topic Thread instead, because I have several that really knock it out of the park that I considered doing just that with. But. Well.

Such is life.

[alycewilson.livejournal.com]

I'm kicking myself, too, because if I'd suspected the sort of audience I was really writing for, I would have gone with a different idea. The problem was, that one would have taken more research -- something based on the civil rights protests that took place in the 1960s and 1980s at Penn State, which was mentioned to me by someone who was there recently. I just didn't have a lot of time to do research this week, so I went for the easy option of writing something that relied only on my own opinions. And you can see how well that worked out!

I was certain you'd made it into the Top 25 before (at least, in my mind you had). I'm all sorts of angry at myself today -- not the Gatekeepers, because I knew this week wasn't my best. But maybe you can tell yourself what I'm trying to tell myself. It's time to win at life.

It's time to put my energy into finishing that work for hire I've been sitting on so that I can justify finishing the two books (one poetry and one about parenting) that I had intended to finish this year.

Doesn't mean I'm not going to drop into the Green Room and visit the Home Game/Killing Floor topics, but I'm going to try to use my time more effectively from now on.

[clauderainsrm.livejournal.com]

With all of these links to other sites - I certainly hope people are going to those places and telling them to come to Idol! ;)

[lrig-rorrim.livejournal.com]

Heh. For what it's worth, though I've been praising Critters all over the place, I'm not actually signed up with them. I have friends who are, but I looked at the stuff on my own plate, thought about adding more by signing up and just noped right out of that.

[lrig-rorrim.livejournal.com]

So how's the Jury thing going to work, Gary? I've never done this bit before. Instructions please. :)

[clauderainsrm.livejournal.com]

As people are eliminated from Week 30 to Week TBA, they become members of the Jury.

They read the entries and send me a couple selections (I will let them know the number) of who they want to receive immunity for that week.

No one can have immunity more than once.

[clauderainsrm.livejournal.com]

What has Gary been up to over the last 24 hours?

SERIAL.

Still only on episode 5.

[kathrynrose.livejournal.com]

Allison keeps telling me to listen to that.

Good, huh?

[adoptedwriter.livejournal.com]

Buy my book! Buy my book! Buy my book! ( dances and hops around).
Yay for easy work days and early release!
AW

[watching-ships.livejournal.com]

Question about the KF -- since it's now tied in with the Home Game, is someone who's still in the competition welcome to post an entry there?

[clauderainsrm.livejournal.com]

Absolutely they are!

[fourzoas.livejournal.com]

So sorry that I missed all of last night's excellent discussion. It was all I could do to get clauderainsrm my votes on time yesterday, so I'm writing my gatekeeperly comments here.

First, thanks, Gary, for inviting me to participate in this way. I had a blast reading the entries; gave me a great break from the never-ending stream of student essays that are de rigeur for this time of year.

I, too, was surprised at the high volume of fiction in the completion (and the SHOCKING lack of poetry...but perhaps not so surprised by that). it's not that I am against it--those who've read me know that I write it too--but I was, rather, surprised and a bit disappointed at the fiction that wasn't quite "there." The entries that were most successful had a sense of completeness--a beginning, middle, end--and a level of control of story that stripped away the flab and left me with the sinew and the meat. Must be time for lunch...

The things that kept me from voting for an entry (I voted for, I believe, 17 in the end) were a variety of missteps: too much thinness in a narrative or entry; too much unknown in a story that seemed to be drawing on other entries; too much that's too personal to the author, not in the sense of the personal narrative, but in the sense of attachment to a particular set of characters or a world that doesn't seem to really exist for the amusement of anyone other than him/herself.

The first line/paragraph either invited or pulled me in or it put up a barrier. I had to work through quite a few barriers, but I often found myself willing to go along. The middle was often where I got lost and started wondering "how much longer is this going to go on?" I felt best when I wasn't ever asking that question--those were immediate yes votes. There was a healthy list of "maybe" votes, entries that I read and found complete but were lacking in a way that made me less connected.

In the end, my decisions were based in a combination of personal taste and the sense of craft. I voted for some fiction that might not have been my taste but where the level of craft exceeded that barrier. I didn't vote for entries that might have personally appealed (because of topic or approach) but where craft was not strong enough to make me feel the writing should advance.

I hope that's helpful to someone and not hurtful to anyone. I don't know that I'll have time to give specific concrit or feedback to anyone, but feel free to hit me up for it and I'll try to do what I can. You are all wonderful--keep writing!

[watching-ships.livejournal.com]

Thanks for your time and effort! If you have any time to spare, I would love to know any thoughts you had on my entry.

[pixiebelle.livejournal.com]

Since being a Gatekeeper made me realize just how much I missed this place, I figured I'd try to pop in more now and then.

And I had a fun idea... I've heard of AMAs (Ask Me Anything posts) and thought, what if we did something like that here? It doesn't have to be just Gatekeepers answering questions, anyone who's willing to play along can do so.

But hey, if you have any questions for me, as a Gatekeeper, I'll answer it. Of course, I can't tell you whether I voted for you or not, but I'm happy to give some direct feedback on your entries or talk more about my voting criteria if you like. Also happy to answer questions about my time in Idol, what I've been up to since leaving Idol and starting on a professional writing career, things pertaining to running a small publishing company, you name it.

(Who knows, maybe this has been done here already... and maybe it'll be a complete failure, but it sounded like fun, so why not?)

[clauderainsrm.livejournal.com]

I've done a few AMAs this season. BUT it might be nice to have another if folks who are interested.

Probably at the start of a new post rather than an end though, so it doesn't get lost in the shuffle.

[penpusher.livejournal.com]

I feel seriously vindicated that "The Affair" is a "Critical Hit" as it pulled the most Golden Globes nominations of any new show in 2014, including Best Drama and Best Actress in a Drama (Ruth Wilson) and Best Actor in a Drama (Dominic West). Don't be surprised if the series wins them all.

It doesn't help me any, as far as Idol is concerned, but at least I was right about that!

SUBMISSION OP - Historical Mystery

[whipchick.livejournal.com]

I'm pretty sure halfshellvenus has something that fits this, and maybe others do, too?


Subject: Final Reminder: Call for Submissions - Historical Mystery Anthology

Call for Submissions for an anthology of historical crime and mystery fiction



Darkhouse Books seeks stories for an anthology of historical crime and mystery fiction. For the purpose of this anthology we are defining historical fiction as, those works set more than a few decades prior to the present and written by someone without direct experience in the setting and events of the story. But should a truly superb story happen to stray from the above strictures and cross our threshold, we would happily consider it.



The submission period is now open and will remain open through 11:59pm (PST), December 31st, 2014.



We are seeking stories in the 2500 to 7500 word range, though if it’s knockout material, we’ll consider any length.



The anthology will contain between twelve and twenty stories, depending on the overall length. Authors will share equally fifty percent of royalties received.



We accept MS Word .doc and .docx files. Submissions must be in standard manuscript format. Links to formatting guides are available here.



Previously published work will be considered, provided the author has the power to grant us the right to publish in ebook, audio, and print versions, and that it has not been available elsewhere more recently than January 1st, 2014.



Submissions may be sent to submissionsATdarkhousebooksDOTcom

submissions@darkhousebooks.com.

Please leave “Submission-“ in the subject line and add the name of your story.


http://www.darkhousebooks.com

Re: SUBMISSION OP - Historical Mystery

[halfshellvenus.livejournal.com]

It's so nice of you to put these links out-- you're so much more tuned in that the rest of us.

I don't think I actually DO have anything in these genres. My one historical fiction piece was that cracktastic Genghis Khan diary sequence, which certainly involved crimes against humanity but not in the mystery sense. :)

Must expand my genres, clearly!

[crisp-sobriety.livejournal.com]

I want to answer the critiques I got on the Killing Floor (because they were good and helpful), as well as the comments on my entry, but I can't seem to bring myself to do...much of anything, really.

*laaaaaze*