Results - Week 37

[clauderainsrm.livejournal.com]

I've already mentioned this to the person going - but from here on out, if you WANT me to tell you "which one was you". I will. I can do it in public or private. Honestly, we will probably have more of a discussion if it's in private. I know you people well enough to know that I'm probably going to get follow-up questions. ;) But that's up to you.
Just let me know.

(Clarification: I will tell you which of the "10 anonymous comments" that I left earlier in the week was about you - when you are eliminated.)

***

Since one of the results is obvious, I'm going to go to the second one first.

Because immunities came into play, which makes things "interesting". You know, as in "May you live in Interesting Times" kind of "interesting".

First we had the Quick Fire - where the Judges gave immunity to lrig_rorrim. Which is probably why her vote count was low in the first place, because a lot of people knew that.

Because of the votes, she would have been eliminated - but thanks to immunity, she was not.

This week we also had the Jury vote giving someone immunity. Most weeks it's close, and I tell you "It was really close and a tough decision". Some people roll their eyes and think "That's just Gary making it dramatic". But it's true. When I say "it was close", I mean "damn, that was close!!"

This wasn't close. It was a bit of a blow-out actually.

The Jury gave immunity to hosticle_fifer!

Congratulations.

Which, he was the next one on the chopping block. So he is safe.

The next fewest votes - that's a tie. Which means that in Week 38, the Redemption Tribe is coming back into service. Mark your calendars: crisp_sobriety vs kickthehobbit in a head to head showdown!

***

Now for the bad part - the actually saying goodbye to someone.

Granted, I've known him long enough that I could make a joke about enjoying kicking him out and finally having the satisfaction this season.

Part of me would mean it. :)

But in truth, it's good that Sean is the only one leaving this week, because he's one of a kind and deserves the spotlight.

Does he drive me absolutely crazy with his last minute posting? Hell yes!

Are his entries always worth the wait? Hell yes.

talonkarrde88 is everything you think he is, positive *and* negative - with more layers tucked inside of that.

He's also a good friend to have and one hell of a writer, who had *better* be using his new free time to actually *do more with his writing*. Unless he wants to be kicked like a hippie.

To tell the truth, it kind of sucks to be saying goodbye to him and I know a lot of other people feel the same. (edit to add: It is part of the game though, and it sucks to lose *anyone*... before anyone says "Who would Gary want to eliminate???" :p )

Comments

[talon.livejournal.com]

I've loved, I've laughed and cried.
I've had my fill; my share of losing.
And now, as tears subside,
I find it all so amusing.

-

It's been a lovely trip, ladies and gentlemen. If you don't mind, I have a few words before I depart into the night.

We've been doing this for a long time, you know? By my count, just one month short of a year. Reflect on that for a moment — the vast majority of us have been writing for almost a full year. Add it up, and assuming an average of a thousand words a week (which some of us exceed every week), we've all written more than 40,000 words (some much more!) over this past year, because of Idol. That's an incredible accomplishment in its own right, one that should be recognized.

I'm not sad that this is the end of the line for me. I've seen the writing on the wall, and in fact want to thank the jury for graciously saving me when I was slated to fall — it means a lot to me that my peers think highly enough of me to grant me immunity. But as Gary oft mentions, at the end of the day, there can be only one. And truth be told, I never expected or even hoped that it'd be me. I simply hoped that I'd write something worth reading every week, and that sometimes it would make you laugh and sometimes it would make you cry.

I think the Idol is a game that has two parts - one part is writing, and one part is engagement (the social aspect, if you will). And I suspect that most of you have probably picked up that I don't play the social part of this game much. I don't comment except when I really have something to say, and I don't write in the GR much if at all. I've never made a post asking for votes, and never posted in any social network about Idol. But it's not because I think that the social game isn't a legitimate part of Idol, or look down on those that do the above; it's simply because I joined Idol to read good writing and create good writing, and at the end of the day, I want my writing be judged on its own merits, not on the merits of whether I left a positive comment or how close I am with the voter. Though now that it's over, there are some comments I've been sitting on for a thread that I've been absent from :)

Anyway, in a lot of ways, I've only been playing half the game, and it's only right that those who go on are those who play the entire game — those who are more invested, who help create the community, who bring others in to read everyone's entries and perhaps join in a future round... and who indeed, do not submit things late, week after week :)

I want to say one more thing: I've heard some grumbling about unfairness from a few friends of mine, and I want to gently remind them that I believe that everyone deserves to be here. Idol wouldn't be as interesting or as unique if it were all non-fiction slice-of-life memoir type writers, or all sci-fi writers, or all rom-com screenplays (pity we don't see more of those). Everyone in the top ten has a unique voice, a distinct style, and it's that uniqueness that keeps Idol alive, interesting, and a pleasure to read week after week. I think the best writers aren't content to sit in an echo chamber of their favorite works or favorite genres, but consistently work to broaden their horizons - and there are lessons that each person in the competition can teach to the rest, whether it's in plot, pacing, humor, grammar, relatability, or another aspect of the art.

And speaking of the competition, it's time to return to it, I think, and weary you no more with this monologue. Thank you, readers, for your time and the comments that you left and I hope you enjoyed each piece; thank you, writers, for creating incredible pieces, week after week and I hope the weeks ahead only bring the best out of you; and thank you, Gary, for this labor of love, and I hope every day is better than the last.

Good night, and good luck.

[kickthehobbit.livejournal.com]

Somehow I knew you'd quote Murrow at the end of this...

♥

You already know what I think about all of this. I'm not going to waste your time on things that I've already said privately.

I will, however, take the liberty of repeating one thing:

Keep writing.

I want to see your name in print someday, perhaps more than I want to see mine. Don't quit now. Take time off, and then write something great.

Remember, you owe me a story. ;)

[fodschwazzle.livejournal.com]

You earned your place in this top ten, if anything for making amazing pictures out of your words. This is a writer that can consistently deliver greatness. I want to see something bigger from you. Although your writing often straddles a genre line, the meanings within each piece that you write transcend such parameters. Few words are wasted, and the readers often finish each piece in their dreams.

[talon.livejournal.com]

This — especially the last line — made my heart sing. A million thank yous.

[hosticle-fifer.livejournal.com]

You've written some things that made me think and some things that made me feel, and through it all it was stuff that I've enjoyed. We're cutting down to the bone at this point, and I'm sorry the competition won't have you from here!

[jexia]

Thank you for everything you've written. I haven't always agreed with you, but you've always made me think.

I echo the others that have said "Please keep writing."

[crisp-sobriety.livejournal.com]

I'm so incredibly sad to see you go!

Like everyone else says: keep writing! You're really, really good at it.

[eternal-ot.livejournal.com]

It was always a great pleasure reading you...and I always took something out of whatever I read..lovely, soul enriching stories would be an apt description..:) Keep doing the good work and hope to see you in print someday soon. All the best. *Hats Off* & *cheers* for a wonderful inning.

[mstrobel.livejournal.com]

Dammit you were meant to win.

[talon.livejournal.com]

<3 I don't believe anyone's meant to :)

[clauderainsrm.livejournal.com]

I am meant to win. ;)

[clauderainsrm.livejournal.com]

I am meant to win. ;)

[kickthehobbit.livejournal.com]

...here we go again...

It always seems to be with a writer (or writers) whose work I like and respect quite a bit, too. Well, crisp_sobriety, welcome to Tribe Redemption. We have cookies cupcakes.

Regarding this week's elimination...

It's never been a secret that talonkarrde88 is a good friend of mine. He's actually the one that convinced me to play Idol again in the first place, after I went, "no, I'm going to have summer interns and my life is going to be Hell and I don't want to do it." He was the "little bird" I posted about when I threw in my lot with everyone else and signed up to play, and while I may say that it was a group effort, the truth is, if he hadn't prodded me to do it, I wouldn't be here.

Sean has edited more of my pieces than I can count, has gently encouraged me (or sometimes gone, "no, seriously, scrap it, it sucks" :) ) every step of the way, and has generally been the best that you can ask for in a friend, especially one that you're competing with, head-to-head, in Idol (as we have been the last few weeks).

I'm sad to see him go. We're at the point where I'm sad to anyone go, but I'm especially sad to see Sean go. I've enjoyed reading what he's come up with, week after week, and I was sort of hoping, even watching the poll this afternoon, that there would be some kind of minor miracle and he'd be left standing in the top 8 with me. Instead, immunity comes into play and we keep hosticle_fifer, who wrote a great piece last week and fully deserves it, and I have to watch one of my favorite people get phased out. Lame.

talonkarrde88, keep writing. And don't worry—I won't hold you to that bet now. ;)

[hosticle-fifer.livejournal.com]

I have a line of tabs open with funny images I was going to post. Giving me immunity after all that work is downright disrespectful, dammit. And I thought I was gonna escape before Gary made me do the final topic of that batch of six that's been hanging around...!

Just kidding, of course - I am truly gobsmacked. I hope, and will attempt to ensure, that whatever I can yank out of my head in the coming week(s) will be worth that vote.

[fodschwazzle.livejournal.com]

It was worth the vote. There were aspects of your piece that could be tighter (were all mystifying plot elements answerable given enough read-throughs?), but I honestly like what you did this week better than everything you've done before it (although it is a change of pace).

Doom may stalk you in the coming weeks, as it will someday stalk every man and woman, but I'm happy to see that you walked out of this one OK.

[hosticle-fifer.livejournal.com]

Well, I guess that means my "hope that I wasn't making the secret shenanigans too obvious during the leadup" was a rousing success! :P :D

Of course, ideally the hidden-in-plain-sight plot elements should become clear immediately upon the reveal or at most with a quick second skim, so that was a failing on my part. I'm glad it was well received despite!

[hosticle-fifer.livejournal.com]

(Oh, I don't know if you actually care this much, but yes - there were no extraneous details in that story. Mags passes herself cutting out lodestone with her visor tinted, then sideswipes herself coming out of the Materials Dropoff Bay. It isn't actually her mother she almost hits in the road, it's *her* - she looks like her mother when she was younger. Note that when she comes to, she's walking dazedly in the middle of the aisle, just like her "mother" was.

There is only one dorm, and she has never met other interns, because she's the only one. When she cuts through or otherwise harms the black rocks is when she skips time. The obvious increases in Lab 16's wealth (fancy shuttle, deep-space cargo transport) are because they are profiting from the infinite lodestone being generated by Mags' stable time loop.)

[fodschwazzle.livejournal.com]

I do care about this, and fully intend to reread with this info. I did get the vibe that she is the only one, missed the mother, missed the deep space cargo transport (but wanted to know so bad). I read it like a form of hell after death, where details loop and it is space so why not. Didn't realize they had made a perpetual motion machine out of a human. Wonderful.

[swirlsofblue.livejournal.com]

Oooh, I got all of this except for the mother bit and the wealth bit (but I only read it once). Love the wealth from stable timeloop lodestone idea. The looping was brilliantly done.

[crisp-sobriety.livejournal.com]

Honestly it's baffling to me that you were on the chopping block at all. Not just because *I* personally liked it a lot (which I did), but I also saw other people recommending it!

Really glad you're still in. :)

[hosticle-fifer.livejournal.com]

Aww, thanks. On both counts! :D

[jexia]

Am I the only one who is glad when there's a tie? Keeps people around longer.

if you WANT me to tell you "which one was you". I will.

I don't get what this means.

[hosticle-fifer.livejournal.com]

I assume he's talking about the ten pieces of advice he laid out, but didn't specify which was for which contestant. I could be wrong, but that's how I took it.

[jexia]

OHHH. *epiphany*

[roina-arwen.livejournal.com]

I'm pretty sure Gary was referring to this: http://therealljidol.livejournal.com/837598.html

[dmousey.livejournal.com]

::nods:: yep yep! And gives us more wonderful pieces to read!

[jexia]

Has anyone kept a list of entries organised by these topics? My possible champion would like to suss out previous entries on the theme so that he doesn't overlap, and I don't want to just give him all the polls to wade through.

clauderainsrm, have you?

[kickthehobbit.livejournal.com]

I haven't, but I know the weeks and I can link to mine:

Intersubjectivity (http://kickthehobbit.livejournal.com/688123.html), Week 20

Rapture of the Deep (http://kickthehobbit.livejournal.com/694864.html), Week 25

Captcha the Flag (http://kickthehobbit.livejournal.com/705851.html) and Shibusa (http://kickthehobbit.livejournal.com/706056.html), Week 32

Overwatch (http://kickthehobbit.livejournal.com/714543.html), Week 37

(leaving me, neatly, with bystander effect :) )

[dmousey.livejournal.com]

<---- can't imagine Jen as a bystander. :)

[kickthehobbit.livejournal.com]

One of my friends used to joke that I wouldn't be a bystander—I'd either be the one performing first aid or running away from the scene with a book of matches and a can of gasoline in hand...

I get very involved, what can I say? :P

(Arson's not my bag, though. :) )

[jexia]

Weeks is helpful! Cheers :)

[jexia]

Gary - what's the best way to handle a champion who doesn't have an LJ? Post it in mine? Get them to make one? Post it on FB?

[tinhuviel.livejournal.com]

Just to bring some levity to the drama, I read "kickthehobbit in a head" as "kickthehobbit in the head," and was both horrified and amused. Thank you.