For this round of feedback, I chose to use a “teacher” strategy called “2 Stars and a Wish” — that’s two things well done and one suggestion or question or critique. I’ll admit, I did have to work a little hard to find two stars on some than others. As I read, and tracked my…
To read all of the entries for round three, please click HERE. I’ve learned something about how I judge – my first impressions and first loves are not always the ones that I choose as my topic picks. Here’s why: what strikes my fancy upfront doesn’t always pass the muster when I apply my criteria…
Read the submissions HERE. See the voting results HERE. (I find it interesting that NONE of the pieces that placed in the top 3 for the public vote were in my top 9. And the winner of the jury vote was my #9. “Viva Voce” was my 3rd choice, and it came in as a…
The first round of Smut Marathon has been played and juried, and the results have been announced! What a fantastic start! I love finding out the results…seeing if I know any of the writers I’ve so carefully voted for. This round, I only recognized to of the names on my jury list. Below are the…
Regular Features I am updating my regular features. Many of these things I already do to some extent now, but I’m trying to simplify and figure out the best way to cover the most ground as possible without over-extending myself. I can’t manage to write every day, and sometimes other topics come up and trump…
If you don’t know about the Smut Marathon, please click HERE to head to the website and learn more. It’s a yearly writing competition. Last year, I was a contestant (made it through round 7) and this year I am a jury member (which I am thoroughly enjoying). I’m always intrigued to see the final…
To read the Round 6 stories, visit this LINK. To read the Round 6 voting results, visit this LINK. The Initial Read-through: Every round, I seem to follow a different strategy for selecting my top 10. This round, I had a bit of a tough time even finding a top 5 that I REALLY liked.…
This was a tough round for me to judge. The topic (EAVESDROPPING) lent itself to the reality that occurred, many cliche stories that didn’t even stick with me through the first reading. My first reading was just that…a reading. I didn’t even write anything down. I just read them and let the stories wash over…