Secret Author Stories Contest 2024 Talking Topic

[Cane23]

If I may give one suggestion for the future contests. Instead of one vote per story, we might rate them with stars or numbers (1 to 5; or 1 to number of stories participate). On that way, most of the stories would be rated unlike now when we have some amazing stories without votes! 

[Cane23]

29 minutes ago, Cane23 said:

If I may give one suggestion for the future contests. Instead of one vote per story, we might rate them with stars or numbers (1 to 5; or 1 to number of stories participate). On that way, most of the stories would be rated unlike now when we have some amazing stories without votes! 

As in Eurosong Contest! Are we a GAY author site or what... 

[Gary L]

3 hours ago, Cane23 said:

If I may give one suggestion for the future contests. Instead of one vote per story, we might rate them with stars or numbers (1 to 5; or 1 to number of stories participate). On that way, most of the stories would be rated unlike now when we have some amazing stories without votes! 

Thought of this in car this am and there @Cane23 has it better expressed than my vague ideas,

yes, it is sad that some stories have no points but once we have the authors then we can congratulate them individually.  I, for example,  ever read the fantasy/sci fi genre but here I was “forced” to read more widely, and it was good. 👍 

[Cane23]

Just now, Gary L said:

Thought of this in car this am and there @Cane23 has it better expressed than my vague ideas,

yes, it is sad that some stories have no points but once we have the authors then we can congratulate them individually.  I, for example,  ever read the fantasy/sci fi genre but here I was “forced” to read more widely, and it was good. 👍 

Exactly! Thank you, Gary!

* Honestly, I expected somebody to respond on my Eurosong comment - 'We are not that gay'! 

[Mikiesboy]

7 hours ago, Cane23 said:

If I may give one suggestion for the future contests. Instead of one vote per story, we might rate them with stars or numbers (1 to 5; or 1 to number of stories participate). On that way, most of the stories would be rated unlike now when we have some amazing stories without votes! 

 

4 hours ago, Gary L said:

Thought of this in car this am and there @Cane23 has it better expressed than my vague ideas,

yes, it is sad that some stories have no points but once we have the authors then we can congratulate them individually.  I, for example,  ever read the fantasy/sci fi genre but here I was “forced” to read more widely, and it was good. 👍 

I think the point is to choose a winner or the most popular story. As is often the case, getting readers to vote is hard. People read the stories but don't participate in the voting. 

You can review the stories after the reveal and/or comment if you haven't already done so.  I don't review them until then, only because I want to know who I'm talking to but to each their own. 

[damejintymcginty]

4 hours ago, Gary L said:

Thought of this in car this am and there @Cane23 has it better expressed than my vague ideas,

yes, it is sad that some stories have no points but once we have the authors then we can congratulate them individually.  I, for example,  ever read the fantasy/sci fi genre but here I was “forced” to read more widely, and it was good. 👍 

We can just call the ones with no votes the 'United Kingdom' / Royaume-Uni ! 

[kbois]

11 minutes ago, Mikiesboy said:

 

I think the point is to choose a winner or the most popular story. As is often the case, getting readers to vote is hard. People read the stories but don't participate in the voting. 

You can review the stories after the reveal and/or comment if you haven't already done so.  I don't review them until then, only because I want to know who I'm talking to but to each their own. 

It's a shame that more readers don't vote.  For the amount of members, there are only 25 votes total right now.  It would be nice if more participated in the voting process.  Hopefully, there will be a last minute rush. (Then maybe mine might get one vote)

[Mikiesboy]

7 minutes ago, kbois said:

ere are only 25 votes total

Same as the number of people following this thread... odd that. lol

i'm gonna go and have breakfast and work on ch 21 ...

[Thirdly]

18 minutes ago, kbois said:

It's a shame that more readers don't vote.  For the amount of members, there are only 25 votes total right now.  It would be nice if more participated in the voting process.  Hopefully, there will be a last minute rush. (Then maybe mine might get one vote)

Pssh I voted for one of the outliers because I enjoyed reading it the most. Ppl in the thread all had different reasons "oh, best written" "no, best theme match" and here I was "whoever wrote this thinks like me" so I am going to hunt a good few people down after we're done.

[Ieshwar]

So, I'm fashionably late as usual. I voted for a story which truly touched me and made me smile: Nox or Not? SA gave us some great stories but Nox or Not? has its own magic - and I'm not talking about the adorable allusion to the Harry Potter world. It's the cats, the characters, the writing and so much more. It's the hope infused in the author's voice. 

I wanted to do more than just vote for it so here I am with a public shout-out. To the secret author who wrote Nox or Not?, thank you for sharing this gem. 

There are some other great stories there which deserve their flowers but I have only one vote. I agree that if we had a point system (like a top five), that would have been great. 

[Thirdly]

23 minutes ago, Ieshwar said:

So, I'm fashionably late as usual.

Yeah, you scared me with your guesses. The stories you pinned me with were really close to my writing style. It's what I thought everyone was going to pin me with if they didn't outright guess correctly. 

[Ieshwar]

7 minutes ago, Thirdly said:

Yeah, you scared me with your guesses. The stories you pinned me with were really close to my writing style. It's what I thought everyone was going to pin me with if they didn't outright guess correctly. 

Now I'm intrigued. Does this mean CassieQ didn't write Yacht Club, you did?? I was so certain of this guess! 

[Thirdly]

17 minutes ago, Ieshwar said:

Now I'm intrigued. Does this mean CassieQ didn't write Yacht Club, you did?? I was so certain of this guess! 

Oh no no. I keep telling people I don't write THAT well. 🤣

Edit: I would pin @Jason Rimbaud to that one, but we still wont know for sure until later.

Edited August 13, 2024 by Thirdly

[BendtedWreath]

So, if anyone has still yet to guess, unless more subterfuge happened, @Thirdly did not write Yacht Club, Alltopia, Christmas in Glacier Bay, Nox or Not?, or Off the Rails. You're welcome.

[Thirdly]

1 minute ago, BentedWreath said:

So, if anyone has still yet to guess, unless more subterfuge happened, @Thirdly did not write Yacht Club, Alltopia, Christmas in Glacier Bay, Nox or Not?, or Off the Rails. You're welcome.

You're such an instigator, aren't you?

[BendtedWreath]

5 minutes ago, Thirdly said:

You're such an instigator, aren't you?

I'm just a bit too invested in this whole event. It's been crazy fun. I'll even volunteer to help @Cia keep track of guesses if any help is needed. 

[kbois]

1 hour ago, BentedWreath said:

I'm just a bit too invested in this whole event. It's been crazy fun. I'll even volunteer to help @Cia keep track of guesses if any help is needed. 

Why do I have the feeling you have multiple lists and spreadsheets cross-referencing authors/styles/ genres/ and who knows what else? 

[Jason Rimbaud]

1 hour ago, Thirdly said:

Oh no no. I keep telling people I don't write THAT well. 🤣

Edit: I would pin @Jason Rimbaud to that one, but we still wont know for sure until later.

Yeah @Ieshwar, @Mikiesboy already told everyone he voted for Yacht Club on my behalf. 

 

[BendtedWreath]

11 minutes ago, kbois said:

Why do I have the feeling you have multiple lists and spreadsheets cross-referencing authors/styles/ genres/ and who knows what else? 

If I had more time and was able to read more of all 13 authors' work?  Absolutely.

[Mancunian]

There are three things I know for certain;-

1. Quokka wrote Take Me To Your Leader. I haven't got a clue about the rest except for the one I wrote which is...  . Sorry I was gagged!

2. I won't win any prizes for guessing any of the authors.

3. I won't be a winning author. But I have enjoyed reading some great comments on the story I wrote and can't wait to be able to reply to them after the reveal.

Oh well, let's make it four.

4. I thoroughly enjoyed taking part in the SA anthology and reading some great stories.

Nobody has guessed what I wrote yet. 

Edited August 13, 2024 by Mancunian

[BendtedWreath]

While all 13 authors are unreliable sources, we are lead to believe that these stories are not @Mancunians:

Nox or Not?, Ceramic Dreams, Behind the Walls, Yacht Club, Sparkling Water, For Ever Young, Alltopia

You're welcome.

[kbois]

6 minutes ago, BentedWreath said:

While all 13 authors are unreliable sources, we are lead to believe that these stories are not @Mancunians:

Nox or Not?, Ceramic Dreams, Behind the Walls, Yacht Club, Sparkling Water, For Ever Young, Alltopia

You're welcome.

Yep.... spreadsheets. 

[Jason Rimbaud]

7 minutes ago, BentedWreath said:

While all 13 authors are unreliable sources, we are lead to believe that these stories are not @Mancunians:

Nox or Not?, Ceramic Dreams, Behind the Walls, Yacht Club, Sparkling Water, For Ever Young, Alltopia

You're welcome.

Okay mister spreadsheets (by the way in my real life I am the master of google sheets) I have not once said I didn't write a story. Matter of fact, with each new accusation, I've embraced the new story with vigor. So dont lump me in with unreliable sources. I haven't misled anyone, I'm as pure as snow

[Mancunian]

9 minutes ago, BentedWreath said:

While all 13 authors are unreliable sources, we are lead to believe that these stories are not @Mancunians:

Nox or Not?, Ceramic Dreams, Behind the Walls, Yacht Club, Sparkling Water, For Ever Young, Alltopia

You're welcome.

If we authors are unreliable sources of information are you sure about your conclusion? 

[Mancunian]

1 minute ago, Jason Rimbaud said:

Okay mister spreadsheets (by the way in my real life I am the master of google sheets) I have not once said I didn't write a story. Matter of fact, with each new accusation, I've embraced the new story with vigor. So dont lump me in with unreliable sources. I haven't misled anyone, I'm as pure as snow

And John Carpenter is my alter-ego.