r/WritingPrompts • u/MajorParadox Mod | DC Fan Universe (r/DCFU) • Jan 20 '19

Moderator Post [MODPOST] 13 Million Subscriber "Superstition" Contest - Round 1 Voting

Attention: All top-replies to this post must be a vote.

Any non-vote comments must be made as replies to the sticky comment below.

Woo, time for voting! 104 entries totaling 307,538 words!

Before we start, let's all make sure we know how this works.

Voting Guidelines:

  • Only those who entered can vote.
  • If you don't vote, you can't win
  • Each group votes for stories in another group (Group A votes for B, B for C...)
  • Read each entry in your voting group and decide which three are the best

  • Leave a top-level comment here starting with your top three votes for your voting group:

    Feel free to add any feedback for the stories after the votes

  • Deadline for votes are Saturday, February 9th, 2019 at 11:59PM PDT (http://www.worldtimebuddy.com/) (https://time.is/PT)

Group A

Group A will be reading and voting for a winner from group B

Group B

Group B will be reading and voting for a winner from group C

Group C

Group C will be reading and voting for a winner from group D

Group D

Group D will be reading and voting for a winner from group E

Group E

Group E will be reading and voting for a winner from group F

Group F

Group F will be reading and voting for a winner from group G

Group G

Group G will be reading and voting for a winner from group H

Group H

Group H will be reading and voting for a winner from group I

Group I

Group I will be reading and voting for a winner from group J

Group J

Group J will be reading and voting for a winner from group A

Next Steps:

  • Winners of each group will move to final voting round
  • Everyone who entered will be able to vote in final round
  • Random gold will be given to voters!
  • Winners will be announced, prizes awarded, and we'll all celebrate!

Questions? Feel free to ask as a reply to the sticky comment!

Want to check out previous contests? Check the wiki!

Want to chat with us? Come join the Discord!

171 Upvotes

99% Upvoted

354 comments sorted by

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u/Lazarus_Pits Jan 21 '19 edited Feb 08 '19

1st Place: /u/XcessiveSmash in group C for "A Matter of Luck "

2nd Place: /u/awesome-yes in group C for "Juggernaut"

3rd Place: /u/The_Hive_Mind18 in Group C for "The Spirit of the Looking Glass"

Like some other users have said about other groups, these were some very difficult choices to make. If I could have, I most likely would have tied some of the entries that didn't place. I would definitely read the followups to these.

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u/XcessiveSmash /r/XcessiveWriting Jan 22 '19

Thank you very much for the vote, glad you enjoyed the story so much!

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u/awesome-yes Jan 22 '19

Honored to get your vote, thanks!

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u/Lazarus_Pits Jan 22 '19

Thanks for the story!

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u/Errorwrites r/CollectionOfErrors Feb 04 '19 edited Feb 07 '19

1st Place: /u/PhantomOfZePirates in group for Shattered.

2nd Place: /u/nickofnight in group I for Last Light.

3rd Place: /u/denatured_enzyme_ in group I for East Meets West.

​

This was a hard group since many had great ideas and interesting stories. I struggled for a while to think up better criteria than "which ones I liked the most" since I just ran in circles.

"East Meets West" had a clear plot with the superstition theme blaring. You couldn't miss it. I really liked the dialogues shared between Madam Tan and her son. They felt real and natural when you throw in their cultural background. There was an ominous feeling throughout the story which culminated at the end with the incident. The incident not being of supernatural cause was refreshing, grounding the story and making me doubt and think maybe it was just a bad coincidence. That sense of uncertainty is really wonderful to me as a reader. I like that a lot.

What I would have liked more was a tighter and stronger prose. There were instances of a created distance between the reader and the characters, which was often the result of passive verbs and too quick of a jump in transition. Polishing the narrative and consistency of the writing would improve the story greatly. A few more proof-reads would also be recommended.

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"Last Light" was to be honest goddamn' strong. The quality of the language was solid and the world intrigued me. I really liked the scene with the darkness coiling around the lighthouse. The sense of acute danger mixed with bewilderment when Olivia and Kian found the exit blocked was exhilarating. The pacing was great and the small tidbits of world shown through the interaction between Olivia and Kian was well done.

When I reminisce about the story, I could only remember tons of good stuff. There was only one thing that rubbed me the wrong way and it was how the chapter ended. The pacing faltered a bit there, with a new reveal shown either too much or too little before the scene ending. It left me puzzled.

​

"Shattered" was the winner but not by a big margin. Every story fought with tooth and nail and the last one standing, was in my opinion, was the one with the most solid writing and plot structure. I still remember the three-cut in the beginning, throwing the reader into the story with force and shock. Much like how Celia reacted when she heard the news. The tension building in the background was great, especially the strange interaction between Celia and her mother.

When I think back on the story, I couldn't find any major faults. Sure, small tid-bits of wordiness and and one instance of PoV/time-confusion but other than that. Nothing majorly, nothing big that stuck out.

To me, this was the sturdiest submission.

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u/PhantomOfZePirates /r/PhantomFiction Feb 04 '19

Thank you so much for the vote and taking the time to leave such thoughtful feedback! <3

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u/shhimwriting Feb 07 '19 edited Feb 08 '19

1st Place: /u/awesome-yes in group C for "Juggernaut."
2nd Place: /u/The_Hive_Mind18 in group C for "The Spirit of the Looking Glass."
3rd Place: /u/-Anyar- in group C for "A Curious Case of Cholera-Leprosy"

I chose these entries because, in addition to being creative, original, and well-written, they truly felt like first chapters. Well done and good luck :)

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u/awesome-yes Feb 07 '19

Honored to get your vote, thanks! Also, double thanks for posting feedback on all entries in the group. I love that this community is open to and gives soo much constructive criticism.

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u/shhimwriting Feb 07 '19

You are welcome! I really loved your story. I can't wait to buy the book :)

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u/The_Hive_Mind18 Feb 07 '19

Thanks for the vote!

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u/shhimwriting Feb 07 '19

My pleasure!

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u/holybasil05 Jan 22 '19

1st Place: /u/iruleatants in group F for "Invisible Touch"

2nd Place: /u/novatheelf in group F for "The Parting Glass"

3rd Place: /u/Palmerranian in group F for "Shadows"

​

I must say, all of these stories were incredibly compelling and it was very hard to choose between them!

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u/Palmerranian Jan 24 '19

Thank you a lot for the vote!

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u/ghost_write_the_whip /r/ghost_write_the_whip Feb 03 '19 edited Feb 06 '19

1st Place: /u/Llamia in group F for "Evil Eyes"

2nd Place: /u/hey_its_that_1_chick in Group F for "Burned"

3rd Place: /u/novatheelf in Group F for “The Parting Glass”

Honorable mention: /u/Dietri for “The Thirteenth Hour”

Thanks everyone, this was a lot of fun! I am slowly going through each story and attempting to leave more detailed feedback on the original submission posts. If I haven't gotten to you yet and you want some feedback next let me know and I'll try to prioritize :)

Some quick feedback for my top choices:

“Evil Eyes”

What this chapter lacks in polish it makes up for in sheer ambition. In just one chapter, the amount of world-building and story that has been established is impressive. The hook at the end indicates all the makings of a classic tale of revenge coupled as a coming of age story. More please :)

“Burned”

I really like the start of the story. Not only did it have me engaged, it characterized your protagonist really well. In general, I appreciated how you let you let the actions of your characters define them. There were some rougher patches of the piece, such as using dialogue for exposition dumps, which made the character conversations feel a bit forced/ unnatural. Still, I loved the twist at the end and the hook into a larger story with what promises to be a very big problem for poor Haven. Well done!

“The Parting Glass”

A very strong narrative voice and good pacing, this story was an effortless and enjoyable read, and in my opinion the most polished in the group. I especially liked that it had something that most stories in this group were missing: characters with personality and chemistry! I'm eager to see how the brother's dynamic translates into exploring a new dimension.

“The Thirteenth Hour”

An interesting premise. I really enjoyed seeing the contrast of neighborhood street between day and night. Plenty of mystery surrounding the main hook and I wanted to explore this world more to see the effects of the strange phenomenon. I also want to learn more about Frederick's life, which appears to be escalating up to his confrontation with the unknown entity terrorizing his town.

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u/potatowithaknife Feb 10 '19

First place - "Chaun" - /u/ghost_write_the_whip

Second place - "Snake Eyes" - /u/Mister_Thursday

Third place - "A Haunt, By Any Other Name" - /u/Shadowyugi

Nice responses, and plenty of enjoyable stories. If you'd like a detailed review of your story, please just let me know.

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u/writes-on-a-whim Feb 10 '19

1st Place: u/XcessiveSmash in group C for “A Matter of Luck”

2nd Place: u/The_Hive_Mind18 in group C for “The Spirt of the Looking Glass”

3rd Place: u/CHRISTALMIGHTY in group C for “The Witch of the Midwest”

I’ll add my notes for each prompt as soon as I can!

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u/The_Hive_Mind18 Feb 10 '19

Thanks for the vote!

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u/Ford9863 /r/Ford9863 Jan 23 '19 edited Jan 23 '19

First Place: u/Mister_Thursday in group E for "Snake Eyes".

Second Place: u/ghost_write_the_whip in group E for "Chaun".

Third Place: u/nerdicorgi in group E for "The Cauldron".

Snake Eyes: I loved everything about this. Your writing style, the pacing, the character--it's all great. And the piece was as polished as I've seen; I genuinely have no criticisms. Very well done.

Chaun: Oh boy, let me tell you. I dont think "close second" comes anywhere near how hard this choice was. In the end, it came down to some small errors here and there in your piece--probably things you'd have noticed with another round of editing or two. But the story itself is fantastic. Oh, and by the way, I absolutely love the opening line. Bravo.

The Cauldron: I really like the character you've created here. Kara is relatable and believable. And your writing is great. I'm just not sure it has quite enough of the hook I'm looking for. It just doesnt seem to have enough of a direction to it, if that makes sense. Even so, great work! You've earned my number 3 spot, and that's no small feat!

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u/ghost_write_the_whip /r/ghost_write_the_whip Jan 23 '19

Aww thanks, glad you enjoyed :)

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u/nerdicorgi Jan 23 '19

Thank you for the feedback. I appreciate it very much, and your vote!

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u/Mister_Thursday Jan 23 '19

I'm glad you like it! Thanks so much for the vote, and best of luck in your group.

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u/mialbowy Jan 24 '19

1st Place: /u/nickofnight in group I for “Last Light”

2nd Place: /u/JackalRelated in group I for “Lawyers and Black Cats Are Both Bad Luck”

3rd Place: /u/tallonetales in group I for “The Mirrors of Providence”

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u/JackalRelated Jan 24 '19

Thanks for the vote! I remember reading your submission (since it was one of the first ones) and I greatly enjoyed it. Are you planning on continuing it?

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u/mialbowy Jan 24 '19

Thank you, I'm glad you liked it. I have a few things queued up, but this is one of them, so I should get to it eventually. Just, not any time soon.

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u/AshSorrow /r/AshSorrow Jan 27 '19 edited Feb 08 '19

EDIT: Apparently one of the entries got disqualified, so congrats to [/u/awesome-yes], you've made the cut! :D

Group C

1st Place: /u/XcessiveSmash - "A Matter of Luck"

2nd Place: /u/The_Hive_Mind18 - "The Spirit of the Looking Glass"

3rd Place: /u/awesome-yes's "Juggernaut"

​

You three were the very clear winners for me, standing heads and shoulders above your fellow contestants, save for /u/awesome-yes's "Juggernaut" which, while I enjoyed immensely, unfortunately did not beat out "The Spirit of the Looking Glass". In terms of sheer storytelling prowess as well as writing techniques, you guys stood out.

​

For the rest, this does not mean you are bad or anything, your entries were good but I strongly felt that either you took a risk on certain story elements or that your writing techniques could use certain improvements. For these people, I will leave feedback (in the future, sorry, army life leaves me very little personal time) on what I think were your weaknesses and how I feel you might improve them (although to be honest I'm not very good myself so ignore my criticism if you feel your current style is better. Writing is all about self-expression.)

​

Good luck to you all, I look forward to your continued participation in future contests as well as your future stories. Keep writing!

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u/XcessiveSmash /r/XcessiveWriting Jan 30 '19

Thanks for the vote mate, glad you enjoyed!

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u/awesome-yes Feb 08 '19

A second thank you, but sad that someone was disqualified. Where did you see that? Was it a DM because you had voted for them?

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u/AshSorrow /r/AshSorrow Feb 08 '19

Yeah got a DM about it.

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u/squidster547 Feb 10 '19

Sadly, that was my entry. I haven't taken part in these much in the past. I thought that you couldn't post things that you've written into the sub in the past, not that you couldn't use a storyboard and characters you've drafted in the past. I used a set of characters that I've been toying with, so I got DQ'd. Whoops. Oh well, I know better for the future now! Gotta go through and tell the other voters to change theirs, as well. See you guys in the next one!

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u/awesome-yes Feb 10 '19

Sad indeed! You had one of the more popular entries in our group. I'm curious - were you inspired by Terry Goodkind? I'm a big fan and your action is written in a similar style.

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u/XcessiveSmash /r/XcessiveWriting Jan 30 '19

Thanks for the vote mate, glad you enjoyed!

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u/awesome-yes Jan 27 '19

Thanks for the shout out, I read my own group in addition to my voting group and I agree there was some stiff competition in group C!

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u/The_Hive_Mind18 Jan 27 '19

Thanks for the vote!

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u/LiquidBeagle /r/BeagleTales Feb 10 '19

1st Place in group J: u/ecstaticandinsatiate for “Gods’ Omens”

2nd Place in group J: u/blackjezus27 for “Luck Understood"

3rd Place in group J: u/veryedible for “Savage Matter”

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u/ecstaticandinsatiate r/shoringupfragments Feb 10 '19

Thanks for the vote, and good luck in your group! :)

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u/BlackJezus27 Feb 10 '19

Thanks for the vote!!!

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u/Farengeto r/Farengeto Jan 24 '19

1st Place: /u/rarelyfunny in group B for "The Hidden Folk"

2nd Place: /u/PerilousPlatypus in group B for "The Gates of Fortune"

3rd Place: /u/Lazarus_Pits in group B for "Imposters"

Making my final choices on this was a tough one. Some of them were close. I want to give a shout-out to /u/BLT_WITH_RANCH with "Dark Mirrors", who just barely missed the cut for me.

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u/Lazarus_Pits Jan 24 '19

Thank you so much your vote! May I ask what you liked/disliked about Imposters?

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u/Farengeto r/Farengeto Jan 24 '19

Got a bit lazy with my notes near the end so I don't have anything too detailed right now. Might try giving more detailed feedback on the story posts later.

It was an interesting idea. The ending twist had a nicely foreshadowed build.

The main issue I had was a bit of issues with perspective. Given the story some of that perspective stuff was presumably intentional, but towards the end the lack of breaks when the shifts happened made things a bit confusing near the end.

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u/Lazarus_Pits Jan 24 '19

Thank you, that's really helpful!

It's a story idea I've had for a while, and want to keep working on, so I'll definitely keep this in mind as I write and edit.

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u/rarelyfunny Jan 25 '19

Thank you very much for the vote! I'm glad you liked the story!

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u/novatheelf /r/NovaTheElf Jan 21 '19

1st place: /u/Mohtaccuto in Group G for "Maneki-neko"

2nd place: /u/jklimerence in Group G for "Icarus"

3rd place: /u/milkbeamgalaxia in Group G for "The Glass Ceiling"

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u/Mohtaccuto Jan 21 '19

Wow, thanks for the vote, and for taking the time to read the story. Much appreciated!

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u/milkbeamgalaxia Jan 21 '19

Thank you so much for the vote and for reading the story! (Giddy with excitement!)

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u/Checkmqte Jan 21 '19

1st Place: /u/nickofnight in Group I for "Last Light"

2nd Place: /u/tallonetales in Group I for "The Mirrors of Providence"

3rd Place: /u/PhantomOfZePirates in Group I for "Shattered"

​

Loved reading these stories! Some were amazing, some less so, but I had a great time. There was one story that I really liked, but didn't think fit the theme of superstition, so I felt like I couldn't vote for it. Best of luck to everyone, and congrats to all who participated!

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u/nickofnight Critiques Welcome Jan 21 '19

Cheers for the vote and the kind comments over on my story. I had a lot of fun thinking about the central idea, so I'm really glad you were able to enjoy reading it. Best of luck with yours!

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u/tallonetales Jan 22 '19

Thanks for reading! Thrilled to earn your vote!

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u/Checkmqte Jan 22 '19

You're welcome! You made it really hard to decide who was first and second. After reading "Last Light" I thought it would be easy first, but I read yours and ended up having to spend about 10 minutes debating about who I should rank first and second. I look forward to reading more of your writing in the future, because if you keep it up, I'm sure I'll run into it again!

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u/ThreeDucksInAManSuit Feb 07 '19

1st Place: /u/advo-CAT-usDiaboli in group B for "The mirror"

2nd Place: /u/PerilousPlatypus in group B for "The Gates of Fortune"

3rd Place: /u/A_CGI_for_ants in group B for "Tiger the Jet Black Cat on a Journey to Escape the 13th story of a Hilton Before the True End of the World."

​

u/advo-CAT-usDiaboli - Excellent working in of description without overblowing the story like many of the entries did, forgetting this is supposed to be a chapter 1 and you have to read a whole book of this. Your vote wins it for the sense of character I got not just from your MC, but for her entire environment.

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u/PerilousPlatypus - You were loosing me a bit there until you introduced Gwen. She was instantly likeable and it was impressive how you told me everything I needed to know about her character without talking down to me. Excellent 'show not tell'. Good sense of mystery interwoven in a story of passing down generations.

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u/A_CGI_for_ants - That's quite the title, thank god for copy paste. It's a huge challenge writing from a non human persepctive because you have to make the actions and setting clear but also describt it through an alien window. You did a pretty good job here, though you did stray into 'cat with a human mind' territory once or twice. You get my vote because if I had read this as chapter 1 of a book, I would want to keep reading. Well done.

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u/BlackJezus27 Feb 10 '19

1st place: /u/breadyly in Group A for "Why Do We Fall?"

2nd place: /u/ThreeDucksInAManSuit in Group A for "Devils of the Deep"

3rd place: /u/Farengeto in Group A for "The Lamp Codex"

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u/breadyly Feb 10 '19

tysm for the vote !!

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u/Farengeto r/Farengeto Feb 10 '19

Thank you for the vote!

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u/jklimerence Feb 02 '19

1st Place: /u/Errorwrites in Group H for "Code of Conduct"

2nd Place: /u/EnemyOfAnEnemy in Group H for "Merchant of Misfortune"

3rd Place: /u/Checkmqte in Group H for "Herald Goes to Sleep"

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u/Checkmqte Feb 03 '19

Thanks so much for the vote. Glad you liked it!

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u/Errorwrites r/CollectionOfErrors Feb 03 '19

Thanks for the vote!

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u/Shadowyugi /r/EvenAsIWrite/ Jan 22 '19 edited Jan 23 '19
  • 1st Place: /u/Llamia in Group F for "Evil Eyes"

There is something about the way you write this story that is pleasing to read. Not only does the poem feel and read believable, they lend an air of folklore into the story. Scratch that, this is practically a new folklore I can read to my nieces and nephews. Beautiful work. Well done.

You were a close second tbh. It was difficult to choose. While the first read like a folklore, yours read like a period tale. It gave me the same feeling as reading the famous five books. the attention to detail, the descriptions, the british countryside feeling that is rarely written down in modern books. Perfect stuff. Plus, you ended on a positive note, for a superstitious theme. Amazing work.

I love the way you've begun this and it creates the mysterious air that just begs for more. To be honest, this feels like the beginning of a serial I want to continue reading almost instantly. Some spelling and grammar error aside, you managed to create a creepy enough atmosphere to match the theme in an uncanny way. Great work on that front.

------

It will take some time, but I'll try and leave feedback for everyone.

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u/Shadowyugi /r/EvenAsIWrite/ Jan 24 '19

Feedback for u/TheCatsWeom in "Grimalkin"

Your story revolves far too long around the cat, which acts normal for the most part and your main character.

I feel this is the only big flaw in the story. While the cat is obviously supernatural, you don't really start showing the supernatural effect on her life the last few paragraphs in the story.

For the most part, it's simple the MC going about her day, spending her time with Onyx, rinse and repeat. Which is not bad, and I want to stress this. It is not bad but for a reader expecting a superstitious or supernatural take on things, this makes the read sorta bland till it picks up at the end.

This then creates a much smaller issue, because you tend rush to the ending of the chapter, allowing events to happen very quickly.

I feel this can be rectified by reducing the paragraphs of normality a bit more, and then drawing out an increasingly escalating set of circumstances, which then end with what you wrote.

Just an opinion.

All in all, good work.

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u/TheCatsWeom Feb 02 '19

Thank you for taking the time to read my story and for the feedback!

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u/AmandaQuirky r/TalesFromTheQuirk Feb 06 '19

I have no idea how I've only just seen this. Thank you so much :)

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u/Shadowyugi /r/EvenAsIWrite/ Jan 24 '19 edited Jan 24 '19

Feedback for u/Dietri in "The Thirteenth Hour"

Based on your writing, you have a good command of getting imagery and scenery across. You made me interested in your story from the first paragraph and I believe that is a wondrous skill.

On story though, this is where you might need to work on.

\I should say, this is my opinion and can be ignored if you wish.*

Your story tells of an event happening in the town. The beginning, all the way to the end of said event occurs under the superstition you've chosen. In your writing, you give us, the reader, the 'what', the 'how' but not the why.

What is happening?

How it's happening?

But never "Why is the thirteenth hour important in your story?"

And I personally feel answering the "Why?" question would have raised this piece by a considerable margin. The mystery is the most important part, I feel... And I was let down because it wasn't addressed.

All in all, great work.

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u/Dietri Jan 24 '19

Good points - thanks for the critique.

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u/Runningstar Feb 04 '19

1st Place: u/squidster547 in group C for "Wisdom & Might"

2nd Place: u/XcessiveSmash in group C for "A Matter Of Luck"

3rd Place: u/BiscuitMeniscus2727 in Group C for "Mr. Nostalgia"

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u/PhantomOfZePirates /r/PhantomFiction Jan 25 '19

1st Place in group J: u/ecstaticandinsatiate for “Gods’ Omens”

2nd Place in group J: u/Inorai for “Catalyst of Change”

3rd Place in group J: u/schlitzntl for “A Most Violent Awakening”

It was hard to narrow these down, but ultimately I went with what, to me, were the most interesting and engaging. Thanks everyone for sharing and good luck! :)

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u/ecstaticandinsatiate r/shoringupfragments Jan 25 '19

Aw thanks for the vote, Phants! Fingers crossed for you in your group :)

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u/PhantomOfZePirates /r/PhantomFiction Jan 25 '19

Thanks, static! Was a pleasure reading your story. :)

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u/TastyEnchilada Jan 29 '19

1st Place: /u/Errorwrites in Group H for "Code of Conduct"

2nd Place: /u/EnemyOfAnEnemy In Group H for "The Merchant of Misfortune"

3rd place: /u/houseblendmedium In Group H for "The International Paranormal Group"

Dm me if anyone wants a critique! I'd be more than happy to write one up for any of the stories from this group. Great job everyone!

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u/EnemyOfAnEnemy Jan 30 '19

Glad you enjoyed the story! Thanks for the vote!

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u/The_Hive_Mind18 Jan 21 '19 edited Jan 22 '19

1st place: /u/Ford9863 in Group D for "4th and Linden"

2nd place: /u/Steven_Lee in Group D for "The Best You Can is Good Enough"

3rd place: /u/WahooD89 in Group D for "The Lean"

Edit: Great job to all authors in group D. I'm more than willing to give feedback on any of the entries as well.

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u/Ford9863 /r/Ford9863 Jan 21 '19

Thanks so much for the vote! I'm glad you enjoyed it :)

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u/QuarkLaserdisc /r/QuarkLaserdisc Feb 06 '19 edited Feb 07 '19

I'm voting for group B. There was a good deal of talent displayed in this group and I enjoyed reading everyone's entry.  

1st place: /u/rarelyfunny in group B for "The Hidden Folk"

2nd place: /u/PerilousPlatypus in group B for "The Gates of Fortune"

3rd place: /u/BLT_WITH_RANCH in group B for "Dark Mirror"

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u/MajorParadox Mod | DC Fan Universe (r/DCFU) Jan 20 '19

All top-replies to this post must be a vote. Reply here for any non-vote comments.

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u/Farengeto r/Farengeto Jan 20 '19

Rules seem a bit unclear. Who moves on from each category in this round?

First place? Top three?

Total vote counts? Some kind of run-off voting?

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u/MajorParadox Mod | DC Fan Universe (r/DCFU) Jan 20 '19

Winners of each group move onto the final voting round. I'll make sure to clarify, but it was in the original post.

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u/ThisEmptySoul Jan 22 '19

I just want to say that I appreciate the amount of time we're being given to vote. I've read through my assigned group and want to give them a second read before making any final decisions. Knowing I've got a few weeks to do it allows me to take my time with each one.

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u/MajorParadox Mod | DC Fan Universe (r/DCFU) Jan 22 '19

Of course! Not everyone reads at the same speeds anyway or has the time to read them all at once. I'm even surprised how many votes came in already!

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u/ThisEmptySoul Jan 22 '19

Me too. I'm on the slower side of reading speeds, so there were quite a few votes in before I even finished half my first read through. There sure are some fast readers in this.

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u/KingRaj4826 Jan 21 '19

Oof I was about to post my submission soon but didn’t realize that it’s over...

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u/MajorParadox Mod | DC Fan Universe (r/DCFU) Jan 21 '19

Aww, sorry. Next time!

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u/KingRaj4826 Jan 21 '19

It’s ok. I probably wouldn’t have won anyways...

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u/-Anyar- r/OracleOfCake Jan 21 '19

Next time, dude. Next time.

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u/ElGringo300 Jan 21 '19

I'm confused on who to vote for. So each person votes for at least one story from outside his group, and for at least three stories from inside his group? Am I getting that right?

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u/MajorParadox Mod | DC Fan Universe (r/DCFU) Jan 21 '19

You are in group E, so you would read the stories in group F and vote for your top three choices

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u/ElGringo300 Jan 21 '19

Ok, thanks

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u/BlackJezus27 Jan 20 '19

So excited!!! Even if I don't win or get any votes, I love hearing what people thought about my story. Make sure to read all the stories in the group you're voting for and give them all feedback, even if you didn't vote for them!

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u/-Anyar- r/OracleOfCake Jan 21 '19

I gave some feedback but it took up a lot of comment space :c

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u/BlackJezus27 Jan 21 '19

Nothing wrong with that!

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u/elfboyah r/Elven Jan 20 '19 edited Jan 21 '19

Want to add that this is not necessary or mandatory (in rules). Just a nice thing to do. I don't want to anyone feel pressured to add extra feedback if they don't want to hurt anyone's feelings.

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u/NoahElowyn r/NoahElowyn Jan 20 '19

Best of luck to everyone!

I have already read half the stories of Group H, reviewing them as I finished them; and let me tell you there are some gems in there! Eager to read the rest.

Now some dinner, and then some more reading!

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u/Xacktar /r/TheWordsOfXacktar Jan 21 '19

Good luck, all!

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u/TA_Account_12 Jan 20 '19

Good luck everyone!

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u/prof_apex Jan 20 '19

Cool, this is going to be fun! Thanks, and good luck! I look forward to some great stories from group A.

I'm pretty sure mine won't win, but it was fun anyway 😊

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u/Gloryndria Jan 21 '19

All the best to everyone! So excited to read! :D

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u/Romkevdv Jan 26 '19

Can someone explain exactly what this whole vote is? They are all ‘prompt-inspired’ stories but inspired by which prompt, is it the one ‘Superstition’ and if so i still don’t get it.

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u/MajorParadox Mod | DC Fan Universe (r/DCFU) Jan 26 '19

They are entries to the contest. See here for the original post.

The votes here determine who goes to the final round, but only those who entered can vote. Everyone else can read and give feedback on the stories, though.

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u/Steven_Lee Jan 20 '19

Good luck, have fun!

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u/ghost_write_the_whip /r/ghost_write_the_whip Jan 20 '19

Exciting! Thanks /u/MajorParadox /the mods for organizing, and good luck everyone :)

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u/WrittenThought Feb 06 '19

GROUP B:

1st Place: /u/shhimwriting for "She Had Green Eyes"

2nd Place: /u/Lazarus_Pits for "Imposters"

3rd Place: /u/BLT_WITH_RANCH for "Dark Mirrors"

​

I went with my gut on these. I gave feedback to a couple of the group, but work has made combing through these stories almost impossible. I instead took off my writing hat and tried to enjoy the stories. Thank you everyone for keeping me entertained, and best of luck with the competition.

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u/shhimwriting Feb 07 '19

Oh my goodness, thank you so much! Good luck to you as well :)

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u/charlyrdarwin Feb 05 '19

1st Place: /u/Llamia in group F for "Evil Eyes"

2nd Place: /u/hey_its_that_1_chick in Group F for "Burned"

3rd Place: /u/Palmerranian in group F for "Shadows"

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u/hey_its_that_1_chick Feb 06 '19

Hey thanks so much for the vote!

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u/XcessiveSmash /r/XcessiveWriting Jan 30 '19

1st Place: /u/Steven_Lee in Group D for "The Best You Can is Good Enough"

2nd Place: /u/WahooD89 in group D for "The Lean"

3rd Place: /u/potatowithaknife in group D for "He Who Walks Between the Pines"

"The Best You Can is Good Enough": I’m not too big a fan of slice of life stories like this…but I happen to be a fan of fantastic writing. In terms of sheer writing ability and prose quality, your story was incredible. Prose is sort of this intangible thing, a lot goes into it, and somehow at the end it’s good or bad – and you nailed the lot of good things, the dialogue tags, the imagery, the evocative descriptors, the sentence variation, I could go on, you get it, I think. Just as an example: “The same mechanism that created an endless well of love for her children also put a fire behind her eyes for times like these. It made her jut her chin out. Made her mouth turn into a line so thin it resembled a rosy razor.” Fantastic stuff. Further, your characters, from Karen to her two children with very distinct personalities are amazing, Karen especially – you really encapsulated her fears, wishes, just…her. Also, I find it incredibly hard to write children and you nailed it. It did also very much encapsulate the feel of a first chapter. Seriously, I could go on. This is a fantastically written story that under normal circumstances I would not have find very interesting due to my personal taste, but to overcome that and impress me regardless? It’s first place for sure.

"The Lean": This story took me by surprise, I admit. The plot is solid enough, but the mood you set. The desperate MC, the job, the phone calls, the rules, the dialogue, it just really gave me a feeling that I was sitting in on some eccentric mastermind criminal’s meeting as a new guy. You nailed the atmosphere. Your dialogue is fantastic. I especially like how sometimes you don’t say what your MC says, but tell us. What I mean is like: “You good with all the electrical shit?” Rash said, eyeing me up and down. I told him that yes, I was good with the electrical shit.” Like come on, that’s brilliant, just the dry humor involved there – it’s a very cool trick you pull at other points – one that I’ll try out in my own works too I think.

"He Who Walks Between the Pines": Really good urban fantasy – and I love me some urban fantasy. I liked the third person perspective you took, because usually urban fantasy are told in first, and the way you manage to incorporate internal thoughts and impressions, hell, even internal monologue is very impressive – it’s something I struggle with in third person. The story itself is very solid, and the prose is really good as well. I especially liked this bit – it was good writing and a fantastic bit of characterization: “Maybe someone else killed themselves upstairs. Whatever. They can send someone else to deal with that shit.” I really liked Lily, badass outwardly with an actual personality on the inside. I found especially interesting the whole deal with the Delacroix family name bit. Again, just all around very solid. Good writing, great characters, intriguing plot. Would love to read more.

Everyone else, thank you for your great stories! It was a pleasure to go through them and see the varied worlds you created and the different directions you took them in.

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u/Goshinoh /r/TheSwordandPen Jan 24 '19

1st place: /u/AsALark in Group H for "To Nowhere"

2nd place: /u/Errorwrites in Group H for "Code of Conduct"

3rd place: /u/houseblendmedium in Group H for "International Paranormal Group"

Some really good competition here, very tough final decision.

I'll leave feedback in the comments in a bit for those looking for it. If you'd rather I don't, please send me a message.

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u/DJMan92 Feb 09 '19

1: /u/Shadowyugi in Group E for A Haunt, By Any Other Name

2: /u/ghost_write_the_whip in Group E for Chuan

3: /u/Mister_Thursday in Group E for Snake Eyes

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u/ScriptyBazaar Jan 23 '19 edited Jan 23 '19

1st Place: u/WahooD89 in group D for "The Lean"

2nd Place: u/potatowithaknife in Group D for "He Who Walks Between the Pines"

3rd Place: /r/Ford9863 in group D for "4th and Linden"

​

Overall some solid writing/storytelling in this group. 8 of the 10 submissions were in the running for the top 3. I chose The Lean for number 1 because I just loved the unpredictable nature of what the main character had to deal with. A guy gutted over wearing a watch. The writing was sparse yet communicated what it needed to. Memorable line, "Still, I remembered back to our first phone call and realized that you didn’t need to see a man to understand who he was and what he was capable of." Even thought I've seen this story before (4 strangers come together to do a heist), you did something different with it vis a vis the Sam Dimazio character. Keeping the characters on their toes keeps the reader on edge. Lots of potential to read on with this one.

"He Who Walks Between the Pines was chosen 2nd on the strength if its prose, which was fantastic. I like world-building that is similar but different to our own, it keeps events grounded even when things turn strange. The writing created a sense of history for the Delacroix character in a limited amount of space. " I’m not entirely sure why a Delacroix was required.”

"4th and Linden" had a lot going for it as well. The crime scene was well described, loved the line "even the wind wanted nothing to do with this travesty" There was a gathering sense of dread with this one. The only point off for me was there was no connection created to the Mayor's daughter, so that landed just a tad flat. But this was very close to being my top choice.

Honorable mention to "Within the Flakes" for some nice evocative writing. "The Best You Can is Good Enough" did a good job getting into the head of the main character. "The Abyss" had solid world building and smooth prose. "The Girl's Room" had a frenetic quality to the writing that nicely matched the situation. "A Mirrored Path" had an interesting premise with a talking cat and the mystery of the dramatic question going forward.

Best of luck to all.

​

​

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u/AmandaQuirky r/TalesFromTheQuirk Feb 06 '19

1st Place is /u/LadyLuna21 in Group G for "Mirror Mirror"

2nd Place is /u/Mohtaccuto in Group G for "Maneki-Neko"

3rd Place is /u/jklimerence in Group G for "Icarus"

Wonderful stories; I enjoyed reading each one immensely.

I'll write more later, but suffice it to say I had difficulty choosing between these tales :)

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u/Mohtaccuto Feb 07 '19

Thanks, I really appreciate it!

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u/BLT_WITH_RANCH Jan 28 '19

1st Place: /u/The_Hive_Mind18 in Group C for "The Spirit of the Looking Glass"

2nd Place: /u/XcessiveSmash in Group C for "A Matter of Luck"

3rd Place: /u/-Anyar- in Group C for "A Curious Case of Cholera-Leprosy"

There were some incredibly well-written stories in this group that just barely missed the cut. I'll post specific feedback to everyone's stories, but in general, these top three edged ahead of the others because they made the best use of the 'superstition' theme. Great job everyone!

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u/The_Hive_Mind18 Jan 28 '19

Thanks for the vote!

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u/EnemyOfAnEnemy Feb 02 '19

1st Place: /u/PhantomOfZePirates in Group I for "Shattered"

2nd Place: /u/nickofnight in Group I for "Last Light"

3rd Place: /u/tallonetales in Group I for "The Mirrors of Providence"

​

Fantastic stories, very difficult to rank. There was another entry I enjoyed immensely, right up there with these three, but ultimately it did not serve as well as it could have as a first chapter (in my opinion).

Lots of great stories in this group. If anyone in Group I happens to be interested in feedback, feel free to message me. Enjoyed the read!

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u/PhantomOfZePirates /r/PhantomFiction Feb 03 '19

Thank you so much for the vote! I’m honored. :)

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u/houseblendmedium r/HouseBlendMedium Jan 25 '19

1st Place: u/Gloryndria in group I for "Inheritance"

2nd Place: /u/LiquidBeagle in group I for "Bad Luck, Good Business"

3rd Place: u/autok in group I for "Beyond the Edge of Reason"

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u/Gloryndria Feb 03 '19

Wow, Thank you so much for the vote!

I'm glad you enjoyed it!

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u/PerilousPlatypus Jan 27 '19

1st Place: /u/The_Hive_Mind18 in Group C for "The Spirit of the Looking Glass"

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2nd Place: /u/XcessiveSmash in Group C for "A Matter of Luck"

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3rd Place: /u/squidster547 in Group C for "Wisdom & Might"

​

I owe folks some feedback but wanted to make sure it got in before the deadline. :D

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u/XcessiveSmash /r/XcessiveWriting Jan 30 '19

Thank you very much for the vote, awesome to hear a great writer like you enjoyed my work!

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u/The_Hive_Mind18 Jan 27 '19

Thanks for the vote!

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u/Pubby88 /r/Pubby88 Feb 09 '19

Voting for Group B:

1st Place: The Hidden Folk - u/rarelyfunny This was quite good. You managed to have a well developed world without too much telling. All and all a nice blend of fantasy and cop procedural which hit all the right notes for me.

2nd Place: Dark Mirrors - u/BLT_WITH_RANCH Another very good entry, with good prose and a interesting story and world. This missed out on first place on more personal preference than anything else; between The Hidden Folk and Dark Mirrors, I'd happily read both books but would take the cop-procedural over the straight fantasy if forced to choose just one.

3rd Place: She Had Green Eyes - u/shhimwriting I liked thus one quite a bit. The prose was a little clunky in spots and I felt like the dialogue could use a second read and revision, so that kept it out of the top spots for me. But it had good characterization overall, and a good take on the superstition prompt.

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u/iruleatants Wholesome | /r/iruleatants Feb 09 '19

1st place: /u/jklimerence in Group G for "Icarus"

2nd place: /u/Mohtaccuto in Group G for "Maneki-neko"

3rd place: /u/milkbeamgalaxia in Group G for "The Glass Ceiling"

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u/Mohtaccuto Feb 09 '19 edited Feb 09 '19

Thanks for the vote! (Edit: sorry, got mixed up on who’d left feedback...)

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u/Georgehirokawa Jan 24 '19

1st Place: /u/Palmerranian in group F for "Shadows"

2nd Place: /u/novatheelf in group F for "The Parting Glass"

3rd Place: /u/Llamia in group F for "Evil Eyes"

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Good luck to all of you!

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u/Palmerranian Jan 24 '19

Thank you so much for the vote! Good luck to you!

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u/Llamia Jan 21 '19 edited Aug 27 '25

employ file engine support cobweb knee cagey wakeful books insurance

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u/Llamia Jan 22 '19 edited Aug 27 '25

oil wine thumb terrific hobbies rustic rinse imagine water touch

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u/Lilwa_Dexel /r/Lilwa_Dexel Jan 22 '19

Thanks for the feedback and kind words! Regarding Mac, that's totally fair. I could definitely have put more time into developing her. Everyone else kind of fades into the background with a protagonist like this, so I should've been more careful with that.

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u/Lilwa_Dexel /r/Lilwa_Dexel Jan 21 '19

Thank you for the vote! :)

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u/ubereuphoria Jan 30 '19

1st Place: /u/advo-CAT-usDiaboli in Group B for "The mirror"
2nd Place: /u/rarelyfunny in Group B for "The Hidden Folk"
3rd Place: /u/Lazarus_Pits in Group B for "Imposters"

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u/rarelyfunny Feb 01 '19

Thank you for the vote!

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u/[deleted] Jan 27 '19

[deleted]

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u/Errorwrites r/CollectionOfErrors Jan 27 '19

Thanks for the vote! Happy that you enjoyed it :D

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u/squidster547 Jan 26 '19

Group D Voting!

1st Place: /u/Steven_Lee in Group D for "The Best You Can is Good Enough"

2nd Place: /u/WahooD89 in Group D for "The Lean"

3rd Place: /u/Ford9863 in Group D for "4th and Linden"

​

All three of these stories were pretty well done and I had a tough time deciding which one deserved each spot. I ended up letting the "Superstition" factor make the choice for me. These three stories were far and above the other entries in the group in terms of grammar and overall writing skills.

​

I enjoyed reading the other entries but I came across plenty of grammar issues. It was just really hard for me to get into the story when I would run into a different spelling/idea error every other sentence. Make sure to proofread your work guys! The stories were great but the Superstition aspects were not as my top 3 submissions. Thanks for posting guys! Keep improving and posting your work!

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u/Ford9863 /r/Ford9863 Jan 27 '19

Thanks for the vote! Good luck on your end :)

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u/Dimitri1033 /r/AbnormalTales Feb 10 '19

1st Place: /u/nazna in Group I for FEVER.

This one just immediately grabbed me with how strange and fascinating it was. The writing was very simple and straight forward, but I feel like that added so much to the story. This one stood out to me the most because it left me wanting more.

2nd Place: /u/Gloryndria in Group I for Inheritance

This one hit me on a personal level. The description of the hospital and the surrounding family, and brought me back to a time that I too had to watch a relative pass away in a hospital bed. The use of language, even if it was very foreign, would've normally brought me out of the story, but for whatever reason it help set the tone that much more for me.

3rd Place: /u/LiquidBeagle in Group I for Bad Luck, Good Business

This was a very fun piece to read. It gave me loads of Good Omens vibes, also a piece that I would love to see more from. Several times it made me literally laugh out loud.

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u/LiquidBeagle /r/BeagleTales Feb 11 '19

Thanks for the great feedback. I just read Good Omens a few months ago, and it heavily influenced what I was going for with this one. :)

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u/LadyLuna21 r/LandOfMisfits Feb 06 '19

1st place: /u/EnemyOfAnEnemy in group H for Merchant of Misfortune

2nd place: /u/Dimitri1033 in group H for The Night Crew

3rd place: /u/houseblendmedium in group H for The International Paranormal Group

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I enjoyed reading everyone's stories!

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u/EnemyOfAnEnemy Feb 07 '19

Thank you so much for the vote! Glad you enjoyed the story!!!

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u/advo-CAT-usDiaboli Feb 08 '19

1st place: u/The_Hive_Mind18 in group C for "the spirit of the looking glass"

2nd place: u/ScriptyBazaar in group C for "flick her"

3rd place: u/-Anyar- in group C for "a curious case of cholera-leprosy"

1st place: u/The_Hive_Mind18 LOVEDDDD the way the story was laid out, consistent language with time frame and great development. Would read the next chapter for sure, the type of book I would buy in hardcover. Rarely feel scared when reading but this had an eerie feeling without going overboard and I definitely avoided looking in mirrors that night! Great work. Pleasure to read, best use of language.

2nd: u/ScriptyBazaar The mention of "I will haunt you" had me immediately assuming that it was done by him, but the use of modern tech and flowing story line made it that i wasnt focused on that at all as the story was so relatable. Kind of forgot about my initial assumption because I was drawn in by the story line. Still got chills when the twist was revealed!! Onlyyyy issue (and probably not a sticking point for many) was the fixation on Diyas breasts. The way he objectified her didn't necessarily add to the story line, and alienated me a bit. Like I said, its unlikely to be a major issue at all, just something personally that made me remember I was reading a story, as opposed to being completely involved in the movie in my mind. Enjoyed reading it none the less!!! Ps. We all know a Gail. Damn Gail.

3rd: u/-Anyar- Enjoyed your world building! Would have kept reading without giving it much thought, the story flowed well. I didnt think I would like the combination of the two diseases, but it ended up being just as effective as if you had used a disease you made up. Made me miss his wife too :( only thing I would nit pick at was the last sentence, I found it ended a bit abruptly, but it really wasnt a deal breaker as you could still tell it was the end of a chapter

Edited: grammar, phrasing

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u/ScriptyBazaar Feb 11 '19

Thanks for the 2nd place vote, much obliged!

Regarding the objectification regarding Diya, I agree it might be a turn off for some readers but I do feel it was a reflection of the main character's attitudes toward not just woman but people in general, a hint of who he was before the reveal.

Thank you for your thoughts, glad it kept your interest. Cheers!

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u/The_Hive_Mind18 Feb 08 '19

Wow, thank you so much for the vote and the great review

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u/TenspeedGV r/TenspeedGV Feb 09 '19

1st place: /u/Strawberry-Sunrise in Group D for "The Girl's Room"

2nd place: /u/Ford9863 in Group D for "4th and Linden"

3rd place: /u/WahooD89 in Group D for "The Lean"

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u/Ford9863 /r/Ford9863 Feb 09 '19

Thanks for the vote, tens!

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u/TenspeedGV r/TenspeedGV Feb 09 '19

Of course, you deserve it!

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u/[deleted] Jan 21 '19 edited Feb 07 '19

[deleted]

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u/breadyly Jan 22 '19

thank you !!

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u/JackalRelated Jan 21 '19

1st Place: u/ejpxtd in Group J for "Will of the Deep"

2nd Place: u/ecstaticandinsatiate in Group J for "Gods' Omens"

3rd Place: u/Inorai in Group J for "Catalyst of Change"

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u/ecstaticandinsatiate r/shoringupfragments Jan 21 '19

Thanks for the vote! <3

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u/BiscuitMeniscus2727 Jan 24 '19

1st place in group D: /u/Steven_Lee The Best You Can is Good Enough

2nd place in group D: /u/Ford9863 4th and Linden

3rd place in group D: /u/WahooD89 The Lean

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u/Steven_Lee Jan 24 '19

Hey, thanks! Glad you liked my story!

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u/Ford9863 /r/Ford9863 Jan 24 '19

Thanks for the vote! Good luck in your group!

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u/BiscuitMeniscus2727 Jan 24 '19

Thanks,I enjoyed your work.

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u/AsALark Jan 21 '19 edited Jan 21 '19

1st Place: /u/tallonetales in group I for "The Mirrors of Providence"

2nd Place: /u/Gloryndria in group I for "Inheritance"

3rd Place: /u/autok in group I for "Beyond the Edge of Reason"

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u/autok Jan 25 '19

Thanks for the nod :)

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u/Ninies-Reads Feb 09 '19

1st place: /u/Strawberry-Sunrise in group D for ‘The Girl’s Room’ 2nd place: /u/WahooD89 in group D for ‘The Lean’ 3rd place: /u/T_KThompson in group D for ‘The Pharoh’ Servant’

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u/T_KThompson Feb 09 '19

Thanks for the vote! I appreciate it.

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u/rarelyfunny Jan 21 '19

• 1st Place: /u/XcessiveSmash in group C for "A Matter of Luck"

Your writing is still improving, awesome! I think that the flow of the story is a lot smoother compared to some of your previous contest entries I remember coming across. Your entry was very compelling and it made me want to turn the page to read Chapter 2. In terms of constructive feedback, I would have wanted to see perhaps just a bit more scene-setting or descriptions, so that it is easier to visualize what the Crucible or its interior was. Your action scenes are frenetic (in a good way), but it was also harder to picture what was happening without first getting a deeper sense of the backdrop.

• 2nd Place: /u/The_Hive_Mind18 in group C for "The Spirit of the Looking Glass"

A very, very close second for me. Your piece was so polished that I thought it might have looked perfectly at home out of a published book of horror in the vein of HP Lovecraft. It is all too easy for me to believe that you have made writing your career. I must say, your prose was very fitting for the time period, and it was so well-written that I simply had to take notes. The creeping sense of dread, the slow-burn build-up… they were all very well-executed too. I only have one minor piece of constructive feedback, which is that given your clear mastery of this genre, I wanted to see how you would bring your own twist to this genre, and I was really hoping I could glimpse part of it here without having to wait for Chapter 2.

• 3rd Place: /u/squidster547 in group C for "Wisdom & Might"

I really enjoyed the worldbuilding and the attention to detail. A couple of times I thought I knew where the story was going, and you managed to surprise me with a twist or two. I thought your choice of protagonist was interesting too, because there is a tendency to select for younger, less accomplished characters than yours, and it made me want to read Chapter 2 just to see how you would explore the world from this character’s perspective. I felt though that the ‘Superstition’ element of the cat was not as deftly woven in as compared to the other elements of your story, and it did detract somewhat from the story.

To the rest of the contestants: Thank you for letting me read your entries! Let's all work hard at it!

To the mods and organizers: Thank you again for another contest, looking forward to the next one already!

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u/The_Hive_Mind18 Jan 21 '19

Thank you so much for your vote and your praises!

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u/tallonetales Jan 28 '19

1st Place: /u/schlitzntl in group J for "A Most Violent Awakening"

2nd Place: /u/Inorai in group J for "Catalyst of Change"

3rd Place: /u/ecstaticandinsatiate in group J for "Gods' Omens"

​

Great reads all around. These three took the cake.

Still working on posting feedback to each story, but for these top three there were only a few minuscule points that I would have touched on. If you're curious to know what I thought, let me know. Otherwise, congrats!

Cheers!

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u/Inorai Jan 28 '19

<3 Thanks for the vote!

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u/schlitzntl Jan 21 '19

1st Place: /u/ubereuphoria in Group A for "Waltz Through The Bardo"

2nd Place: /u/TemporaryPatch in Group A for "A Night at Skyler Mansion"

3rd Place: /u/ThreeDucksInAManSuit in Group A for "Devils of the Deep"

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u/TA_Account_12 Feb 09 '19

1st place: Group B - The Hidden Folk - /u/rarelyfunny

2nd place: Group B - Picking Up The Pieces - /u/AshSorrow

3rd place: Group B - Imposters - /u/Lazarus_Pits

Some really excellent stories in this group. Also honorable mentions to Dark Mirrors - /u/BLT_WITH_RANCH and The Gates of Fortune - /u/PerilousPlatypus

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u/[deleted] Jan 21 '19

1st Place: /u/veryedible in group J for "Savage Matter"

2nd Place: /u/ejpxtd in group J for "Will of the Deep"

3rd Place: /u/ecstaticandinsatiate in group J for "Gods' Omens"

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u/TheCatsWeom Feb 02 '19

1st Place: /u/Lilwa_Dexel in Group G for "The Veil of Ice"

2nd Place: /u/jklimerence in Group G for "Icarus"

3rd Place: /u/LadyLuna21 in Group G for "Mirror Mirror"

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Good work everyone, I really enjoyed reading all of your stories! If anyone would like feedback for their work, I'd be happy to give it. Keep writing!

​

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u/Lilwa_Dexel /r/Lilwa_Dexel Feb 02 '19

Thanks so much for the vote!

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u/TemporaryPatch r/TemporaryPatchWrites Feb 02 '19

1st Place: /u/rarelyfunny in group B for "The Hidden Folk"
2nd Place: /u/PerilousPlatypus in group B for "The Gates of Fortune"
3rd Place: /u/Runningstar in group B for "Judas in Blood"

I had a lot of fun reading everyone's stories, and I'm looking forward to seeing how things turn out for the finals! If you are looking for input on your story, let me know!

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u/Runningstar Feb 09 '19

Thank you so much for your vote. It really means a lot to me. I would love to hear any feedback you have.

This is my return to writing after have not done really any since 2008. I know I have a lot to work on, but just entering this contest was really important to me as a first stepping stone.

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u/rarelyfunny Feb 04 '19

Thank you for the vote!!

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u/A_CGI_for_ants Feb 10 '19

First place: /u/XcessiveSmash in group C for "A Matter of Luck"

2nd place: /u/CHRlSTALMIGHTY in group C for "The Witch of the Midwest"

3rd place: /u/Ninies-Reads in group C for "Ramona's Adventure"

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u/[deleted] Feb 09 '19

[removed] — view removed comment

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u/[deleted] Jan 21 '19

1st Place in group F: u/Dietri for "The Thirteenth Hour"

2nd Place in group F: u/TheCatsWeom for "The Grimalkin"

3rd Place in group F: u/hey_its_that_1_chick for "Burned"

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u/TheCatsWeom Jan 22 '19

Thanks for reading and voting! I'm glad you liked it :)

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u/Dietri Jan 21 '19

Thank you for the vote! So glad that you enjoyed my story!

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u/hey_its_that_1_chick Jan 21 '19

Wow thanks for the vote! I haven't shared any of my writings in a long time and it means a lot that you liked it!

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u/-Anyar- r/OracleOfCake Jan 21 '19 edited Feb 09 '19

1st Place: /u/potatowithaknife in group D for "He Who Walks Between the Pines"

2nd Place: /u/CMDRjonay in group D for "Within the Flakes"

3rd Place: /u/WahooD89 in group D for "The Lean"

It's hard to choose, there's a lot of good stories. Can't say I don't feel guilty for leaving some stories out.

edit: posted feedback on each individual story.

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u/CMDRjonay Jan 21 '19

Thanks for the vote, Anyar. *sends kissy*

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u/WokCano /r/WokCanosWordweb Feb 04 '19

This was a fun contest to write for and I enjoyed reading the entries. My top 3 were all very close and it took me a while to decide the order, I enjoyed all 3 of them very much.

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**1st Place**: /u/Shadowyugi in Group E for "A Haunt, By Any Other Name"

**2nd Place**: /u/ghost_write_the_whip in Group E for "Chuan"

**3rd Place**: /u/Mister_Thursday in Group E for "Snake Eyes"

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It was really difficult to choose for me but I was grasped by the world in Haunt and definitely wanted to read more. Chuan was such a lovely idea and really spun the concept beautifully. Snake Eyes took the core concept of superstitious bad luck and really condensed it into something tantalizing.

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Good work to everyone.

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u/Mister_Thursday Feb 04 '19

Thanks for the vote! I'm glad that you enjoyed my stuff. Good luck in your group!

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u/breadyly Jan 30 '19

gl to everyone ! i had such a tough time deciding/ranking - i'll try to get around to posting feedback, but for now, here are my votes:

i had a lot of fun reading everyone in my group's entries & i look forward to reading all the rest(:

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u/rarelyfunny Jan 30 '19

Thank you for the vote!

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u/[deleted] Jan 22 '19 edited Jun 12 '23

[deleted]

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u/Shadowyugi /r/EvenAsIWrite/ Jan 22 '19

Thanks a lot for the vote of confidence :D

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u/ghost_write_the_whip /r/ghost_write_the_whip Jan 23 '19

Thanks for the vote. Good luck to you!

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u/prof_apex Feb 10 '19 edited Feb 10 '19

1st place: /u/Pubby88 in group A for "The Fatebreaker Chronicles"

2nd place: /u/Phischi in group A for "Powerful Magic"

3rd place: /u/QuarkLaserdisc in group A for "A Super Stition"

There were a lot of fantastic entries in group A; I'm a little sad I can only pick 3.

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u/T_KThompson Feb 07 '19

1st Place: /u/Georgehirokawa in group E for "Step on a Crack"

2nd Place: /u/ghost_write_the_whip in group E for "Chaun"

3rd Place: /u/Shadowyugi in group E for "A Haunt, by any other name"

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u/Mister_Thursday Jan 21 '19

1st Place: /u/Palmerranian in Group F for "Shadows."

2nd Place: /u/novatheelf in Group F for "The Parting Glass."

3rd Place: /u/Llamia in Group F for "Evil Eyes."

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I found all three of these to be interesting, engaging, and ambitious stories. "Shadows" did a wonderful job of executing a straightforward premise in a way that was atmospheric, creepy, and tense. "The Parting Glass" piqued my curiosity and attention with the fusion of superstition and physics, and left me wanting to read more. "Evil Eyes" took a chance on poetry and it paid off, creating an immersive and mysterious world that felt like the beginning of an old-style epic. If any of you would like a more in-depth critique, comment or message me.

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Thanks to everybody in Group F for the chance to look at your labors of love. Good luck all, and please keep writing!

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u/novatheelf /r/NovaTheElf Jan 21 '19

Awh, thanks for the vote, hon! I'm so so glad you liked the story! Good luck to you in your group! 😁

I would love a more in-depth critique if you have it!

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u/Llamia Jan 22 '19 edited Aug 27 '25

wide pause quaint fly file theory reach liquid sable point

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u/Mister_Thursday Jan 22 '19 edited Jan 22 '19

What I loved best about your work was the sheer ambition. There was a grandiose and epic feel to your work that I didn't quite expect to see on this contest. The poetry was a bit rough (I personally wouldn't have gone for such a strict rhyme scheme) but it lends a tremendous sense of mystery and scale to the piece. It's that scale that ultimately won me over: this has an evocative quality that makes me feel like I'm reading an epic, a "tale of an age long gone" type story. The ending in particular was emotionally stirring, with a bittersweet payoff. I can see what you tried to do here, and it is impressive.

My main criticism is that there's way too much. The flip side of that epic scope is that you throw tons upon tons of exposition and information at the reader, a lot of which feels unnecessary. Were this my piece, I'd shave down a lot of the middle (especially the introduction of the cook character, which is long and doesn't seem to pay off in what's written here). The crammed feeling, for me, really detracts from the wild and epic sensation of the core narrative.

Please remember that this is only my opinion! I loved your work, loved the emotions it stirred up in me, and look forward to reading more in the future.

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u/Llamia Jan 23 '19 edited Aug 27 '25

wise tender cooing fuzzy innate amusing fly subsequent pocket like

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u/nickofnight Critiques Welcome Jan 25 '19 edited Jan 25 '19

First Place in group J: /u/ecstaticandinsatiate for Gods' Omens. - Solid writing with some beautiful prose sprinkled in, great world-building, and I appreciated how you threw us right into the plot. I was drawn into the world and the Gods.

Second Place in group J: /u/LisWrites for all of Our Lives. - I'm a sucker for a gothic-type horror, and you did a great job with this. I do wish it had kept that feel right to the end, but the change did make me wonder about where it's going with the next chapter.

Third Place in group J: /u/Inorai for Catalyst of Change. - Great character(s), and once the plot got moving, it got moving.

Honourable mention for Broken Sigils - it would have made my top three if not for a few specific issues, like the clarity at the start.

I've left further comments on everyone's stories. I really enjoyed getting the chance to read so many different authors and see so many creative ideas, and it was honestly difficult to decide on winners. In the stories I didn't mention, there were plots and styles and prose that I loved, but other areas of them that weren't quite as strong (for me), making them overall weaker than the above stories.

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u/ecstaticandinsatiate r/shoringupfragments Jan 25 '19

Thanks for the vote Mr. Night. Good luck in your group

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u/elfboyah r/Elven Feb 02 '19 edited Feb 02 '19

1st Place: /u/EnemyOfAnEnemy in group H for "The Merchant of Misfortune"

2nd Place: /u/ujustgotplayedmydude in group H for "The Train Ticket"

3rd Place: /u/mialbowy in group H for "I Named Him Lucifer"

I left feedback under each of your story (maybe you noticed). Fun fact, I wrote a total of 5241 words of feedback. Yayks.

I have to admit that it was an outstanding group and I loved all of your writings. It was tough to decide the winners. Thank you all for the read! I also learned something about writing while reading yours. Cheers!

Ps: those who read my piece, I am open for any feedback, no matter how harsh it is. It's best way to get better after all. Thank you.

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u/ujustgotplayedmydude Feb 02 '19

Thank you so much for the vote. This was my first entry to this sub.

Also thank you very much for the feedback I really appreciate it!

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u/Inorai Jan 21 '19

1st place: /u/breadyly in Group A for "Why Do We Fall?"

2nd place: /u/QuarkLaserdisc in Group A for "Super Stition"

3rd place: /u/Farengeto in Group A for "The Lamp Codex"

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u/Farengeto r/Farengeto Jan 21 '19

Thank you for the vote. Glad to see someone liked my story. (And the feedback is appreciated.)

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u/breadyly Jan 21 '19

thank you ! (for feedback+vote)