RFL

FanStory wrote to RFL: Truth? What is that? finished third in the contest "What is Truth"

FanStory wrote to RFL: Guess I Bit the Apple finished third in the contest "Birds and the Bees, Ladies only."

FanStory wrote to RFL: My Jessdog finished first in the contest "A Valentine For Animals"

RFL: Hello My Fan Story Friends,

I want to explain my absence these past weeks and let you know I am back on board with something I have never written before -- a play. I am going to post it tonight and hope to get your feedback so that I can make this play into a marketable product. Writing this play has been my fun reward at the end of the day for all the other projects I have been working on, which has taken my time away from you all. So, here is what I have been doing:
1. Completing an academic manuscript on a model I created for developing, implementing, evaluating and disseminating evidence-based initiatives to improve health care. Waiting on a publication decision.
2. Working on a consultation dig, which is taking more time than I originally envisioned it would. But the pay is good!
3. Taking a course in short story writing.
4. Writing a book proposal re: the model I mentioned above.

So you see, my friends, it is not shopping or long lunches that have kept me from you. I hope to hear from you soon.

Best,
RFL

FanStory wrote to RFL: The New Generation finished third in the contest "Family Free Style"

FanStory wrote to RFL: Bacon vs. Popper: 2018 finished first in the contest "Everyone's Wrong About Science"

FanStory wrote to RFL: Mel and Morpheus finished second in the contest "first date"

FanStory wrote to RFL: What does Blind Really Mean? finished third in the contest "Review: Contests and Competition "

FanStory wrote to RFL: FanStory Should Pay finished third in the contest "Review Reviewing"

RFL: Hello Friends,

I find this thought difficult to write so please bear with me. Usually, I get really excited when I win a contest. That is, when I think I have won it on merit. But when I come in at second or third place when there are only two or three entries, respectively, I feel uncomfortable to say the least.

Oh, I can sure use the membership dollars to promote other more worthy works, but I question the rationale for giving ribbons to all entries in a limited entry contest. Perhaps every contest should require at least five entries or not go forward and, of course, refund the other members' entry fees if the minimum number is not reached. Ah, is that the rub? The refund?

Guess I will have to add another recommendation to my piece on Review of Reviewers, although this is not so much about reviewers but about the policies on the site.

Thank you for hearing my concern.

FanStory wrote to RFL: The Bitch Fight finished third in the contest "Falsely accussed"

RFL: Tonight, I wish to highlight and applaud one of my FanStory friends who has gone out of her way to provide me with not only great insights about the politics of this site, but has also gone out of her way to edit a short story I wrote. Her thoughts and edits were beyond helpful, and I will incorporate all those edits and other comments into my story to make it better. What this author did was way above and beyond any recommendation I made in my recent "Review of Reviews". Yet, that piece that I wrote started the correspondence and eventual agreement to read each others work from a reviewer's eye.
So tonight I wish to not only say a public thank you to Phyllis Stewart, but acknowledge her mentoring of a "newbie" as G. has identified my status here.

RFL: The fact that I won the Someone Else contest means a great deal to me. Why? Because the CEC wrote to me that my initial entry was invalid because I wrote about waking up as a golden retriever, and I was clearly told that a dog is not "someone." I may disagree with that assessment, but okay, sometimes I try to obey the rules, and am grateful for the second try.

I also saw that the Butterfly entry was not in the final vote, but guess that was for the same reason. I did think that was a lovely piece.

I couldn't decide what to do, because I had other priorities on my plate for the day. Yet, I decided to write another story, totally different. All of a sudden this idea came to me "out of the blue" about the Beaver Coat.

I said to myself, "I have to do this now while the idea is still percolating in my brain." My husband was gracious enough as he always is to cook dinner while I write. And then he read it for me before I submitted it.

I guess I am trying to make a few points here. First, I am so energized by winning this contest and knowing that other writers thought this was a promising piece.

Second, I do appreciate that I was given a second chance to submit a story that was approved by the CEC.

Third, and maybe this is most important to anyone who wants to write: When you get the idea and the inclination, you need to sit down at your computer, or with pad and pencil (I am not judging) and let your creativity flow.

So that's my message for tonight. Thank you my FanStory friends.

FanStory wrote to RFL: The Beaver Jacket finished first in the contest "Someone Else"