These Contests Are Rigged!
An Earth Shaking Essay35 total reviews
Comment from CR Delport
Hey, Mikey, you like to kick the hornets' nest every now and again :) Unfortunately my time is very limited at the moment so I don't have time to enter contests and vote whenever I get a chance to read the entries.
your lame little haiku entry will be thrashed and laughed it. -- laughed at.
Have a great day.
Christelle.
  |
Hey, Mikey, you like to kick the hornets' nest every now and again :) Unfortunately my time is very limited at the moment so I don't have time to enter contests and vote whenever I get a chance to read the entries.
your lame little haiku entry will be thrashed and laughed it. -- laughed at.
Have a great day.
Christelle.
Comment Written 03-Feb-2015
Comment from Jay Squires
Okay, Mikey, I counted the syllables. 773. I think you're okay for this contest.
You know, you might have latched onto something, Mikey. Learning a form by doing is certainly a way to improve one's writing.
I think I might just jump aboard. Thanks for writing this. It's less of a ramble than you think--more of a romp.
|
Okay, Mikey, I counted the syllables. 773. I think you're okay for this contest.
You know, you might have latched onto something, Mikey. Learning a form by doing is certainly a way to improve one's writing.
I think I might just jump aboard. Thanks for writing this. It's less of a ramble than you think--more of a romp.
Comment Written 02-Feb-2015
Comment from JJ Rowe
I'm reading at work and you just made me laugh out loud! You are too funny! Keep going Mikey! Wait, did I get a shout out in the last paragraph? I will pretend so ha.
I go in the booths, read every one and vote for the one I really like, and I always seem to pick the person in last place!! Do I have bad taste? Nope, that person just didn't have as many friends :)
I'm going to write a letter to Tom and say he is discriminating against us Last Place folks. There should be an emoji 'pat on the back' given. That's all I need! Not going to stop me though, I'm just doing it to break out of my shell.
Sincerely,
JJ Newbie
|
I'm reading at work and you just made me laugh out loud! You are too funny! Keep going Mikey! Wait, did I get a shout out in the last paragraph? I will pretend so ha.
I go in the booths, read every one and vote for the one I really like, and I always seem to pick the person in last place!! Do I have bad taste? Nope, that person just didn't have as many friends :)
I'm going to write a letter to Tom and say he is discriminating against us Last Place folks. There should be an emoji 'pat on the back' given. That's all I need! Not going to stop me though, I'm just doing it to break out of my shell.
Sincerely,
JJ Newbie
Comment Written 02-Feb-2015
Comment from lancellot
Yes, but even this ramble has been written and said many times before, Mikey. Personally, I don't enter as many contest as I used to, but I do agree, voters are the same here as they are in the real world. So, I have absolutely no expectations of them. If you enter, enter for the fun of it.
|
Yes, but even this ramble has been written and said many times before, Mikey. Personally, I don't enter as many contest as I used to, but I do agree, voters are the same here as they are in the real world. So, I have absolutely no expectations of them. If you enter, enter for the fun of it.
Comment Written 02-Feb-2015
Comment from Jumbo J
Hi Mike,
once stung by the prompt King and Queens, one gets a little intimidated, especially when you're berated for your interpretations of the style or form... yeah, you do learn a heap... mostly, why did I spend hard earned reviewing fake dollars to enter?
Me thinks that prompt and anonymous contests should have no visuals, no trade mark signature moves or words... you know anonymous.
I do agree the more you write and get put straight, the better your work grows.
There are so many topics all weaved together in this write that could keep this dialog going for an indefinite time frame... so don't get me going on reviewers who are only after the easy buck with a generic review!
Very entertaining write Mike.
(will be thrashed and laughed in -(at)...)
With our thoughts we create,
a maze of illusion,
James.
|
Hi Mike,
once stung by the prompt King and Queens, one gets a little intimidated, especially when you're berated for your interpretations of the style or form... yeah, you do learn a heap... mostly, why did I spend hard earned reviewing fake dollars to enter?
Me thinks that prompt and anonymous contests should have no visuals, no trade mark signature moves or words... you know anonymous.
I do agree the more you write and get put straight, the better your work grows.
There are so many topics all weaved together in this write that could keep this dialog going for an indefinite time frame... so don't get me going on reviewers who are only after the easy buck with a generic review!
Very entertaining write Mike.
(will be thrashed and laughed in -(at)...)
With our thoughts we create,
a maze of illusion,
James.
Comment Written 02-Feb-2015
Comment from adewpearl
I'm laughing myself silly over becoming the scourge of haiku land LOL
I like your sarcastic tone and the concrete examples you provide
good commentary on what people vote for instead of the quality of the writing - I learned this early - I gave a 3 to a 5/7/5 poem that was not actually 5/7/5 - it also had spelling problems and heaven only knows what else - it was a mess, but it was about hummingbirds, and the reviewer who gave it a 6 cared only about that - hummingbirds floated her boat LOL
a fun essay, but I do have a legitimate beef about blind contests where only SOME of the entrants can't be identified due to things like physical presentation choices, not writing style choices - either make the contests NOT blind, as they all used to be back in the good old days, or if you have to make them blind, require everyone submit without illustration, without font choices, without background color choices, so everyone is judged just as blindly as everyone else. Frankly, I hate blind, so my choice is, go back to the days when no contests were blind and we could tell who every one was :-) Brooke
|
I'm laughing myself silly over becoming the scourge of haiku land LOL
I like your sarcastic tone and the concrete examples you provide
good commentary on what people vote for instead of the quality of the writing - I learned this early - I gave a 3 to a 5/7/5 poem that was not actually 5/7/5 - it also had spelling problems and heaven only knows what else - it was a mess, but it was about hummingbirds, and the reviewer who gave it a 6 cared only about that - hummingbirds floated her boat LOL
a fun essay, but I do have a legitimate beef about blind contests where only SOME of the entrants can't be identified due to things like physical presentation choices, not writing style choices - either make the contests NOT blind, as they all used to be back in the good old days, or if you have to make them blind, require everyone submit without illustration, without font choices, without background color choices, so everyone is judged just as blindly as everyone else. Frankly, I hate blind, so my choice is, go back to the days when no contests were blind and we could tell who every one was :-) Brooke
Comment Written 02-Feb-2015
Comment from gypsycaravan
Another great ramble and advice commentary on the responsibilities of contestants and reviewers. I wish you luck in affecting change, but doubt it will. I do hope it will interest more newbies to get their feet wet in contests and make the voters SHOW UP and vote intelligently. Feeling Fan Story deflated tonight much like the recent football debate. Thanks for posting and trying, mikey.
|
Another great ramble and advice commentary on the responsibilities of contestants and reviewers. I wish you luck in affecting change, but doubt it will. I do hope it will interest more newbies to get their feet wet in contests and make the voters SHOW UP and vote intelligently. Feeling Fan Story deflated tonight much like the recent football debate. Thanks for posting and trying, mikey.
Comment Written 02-Feb-2015
Comment from Sankey
Good one mate. Wish I had the time for contests but sadly I don't.
Wishing you well. Some good advice through here. By the way you did choose and chose a couple of times and go it wrong at least once ha.
|
Good one mate. Wish I had the time for contests but sadly I don't.
Wishing you well. Some good advice through here. By the way you did choose and chose a couple of times and go it wrong at least once ha.
Comment Written 02-Feb-2015
Comment from Zinnia48
Hi, Mikey--I actually was one of those people who took this seriously, although the wild colors and huge print should have tipped me off. I agreed with some of your points. Most people expect a 5, and become indignant if they get a 4, and many get high scores because of the content, not the writing. I have quit doing some reviews because of confrontations with writer's expectations. I have no feedback on contests as I currently don't attempt them (no time). I have always enjoyed your writing, especially your cheeky sense of humor. Thanks for the rant! Caroline
|
Hi, Mikey--I actually was one of those people who took this seriously, although the wild colors and huge print should have tipped me off. I agreed with some of your points. Most people expect a 5, and become indignant if they get a 4, and many get high scores because of the content, not the writing. I have quit doing some reviews because of confrontations with writer's expectations. I have no feedback on contests as I currently don't attempt them (no time). I have always enjoyed your writing, especially your cheeky sense of humor. Thanks for the rant! Caroline
Comment Written 02-Feb-2015
Comment from Tatarka2
I so heartily endorse everything you've said here. That said, I do try to follow the rules of the contests as best I can. I will send you some fake money (as a reviewer) if you will offer me some advice re: what I might be doing wrong, since I don't seem to be able to win or place in any of the contests I've entered, even though I tend to get pretty good reviews. Any advice you might be willing to offer would be most appreciated. Thanks so much!
|
I so heartily endorse everything you've said here. That said, I do try to follow the rules of the contests as best I can. I will send you some fake money (as a reviewer) if you will offer me some advice re: what I might be doing wrong, since I don't seem to be able to win or place in any of the contests I've entered, even though I tend to get pretty good reviews. Any advice you might be willing to offer would be most appreciated. Thanks so much!
Comment Written 02-Feb-2015
