Did anyone spot me?

[jadesfire]

The results of Last Fic Writer Standing Round 2 have just come out and...



I came second! I'm so over the moon I can't begin to tell you! As soon as I read the first-placed story, I knew it was going to win, and when I read the others, I was pretty sure I was going out this round, because competition was fierce. To come second - without any negative votes at all - feels like a huge achievement and is the shot in the arm/vote of confidence/encouragement I needed today. The comments are lovely and the two bits of crit are totally fair (I adore crit that's constructive and shows that the person really *read* the story - they also pulled out the stuff I was a bit unsure of, and it's nice to have confirmation of my instincts!)

Of course, staying in means I have to write another story, but we've got a couple of days to breathe before the new challenge goes up. There are still around 25 participants in (at this rate, we're still going to be going at Easter - not a complaint, just an observation!) and I'm intrigued to know how close to the end people are going to be allowed to skip. I'm saving my skips and would quite like to see out the contest (as far as I can) without using them. Not because I think it's cheating to skip a round, just because I like to pile on the pressure. It helps me think and concentrate. It's...a thing.


Anyway, now that all is revealed, I can cross post it here :)

Title:In Plain Sight
Words: 500 exactly
Rating/Spoilers: G/none
Notes: The challenge was to write a team H/C fic from an OC's point of view. Word limit was 300-500 words. Trust me, folks, this was hard.
Huge, huge thanks to unfeathered and rustydog for swift beta-services.

Summary: Malir wasn't easily impressed.

---

Out of interest, did anyone know it was me? Apart from Rusty, I mean ;)

Comments

[with-apostrophe.livejournal.com]

Yay! Well done you!

[jadesfire2808.livejournal.com]

*beams* Thank you!

[donutsweeper.livejournal.com]

HURRAY!!! Congrats!!

Actually I guessed that one was you- the names of the OCs seemed like the style you create yours as, if that makes sense.

ZOMG 500 words was hard!!! SO HARD

[jadesfire2808.livejournal.com]

Thank you!

Hee. Since I tend to just pick random syllables, I'm intrigued that you could tell. It does make sense to me, though - I try to always come up with names that are actually pronouncable ;)

It was just... GAH! I was chuffed to pieces to make the word count exactly, but so much got ditched :S

[donutsweeper.livejournal.com]

*nods* Your OCs always have what I think of as lyrical names.

Mine wound up posted with 499, but after I put it in my lj someone noticed I missed a word so it's the exact 500 limit. And yes, tons wound up on the cutting room floor of mine.

Getting no votes is weird though, I mean I'm thrilled I wasn't voted out, but no one had opinions on it or something which is a bit disconcerting.

[jadesfire2808.livejournal.com]

*winces* Yeah, I saw that, but wasn't sure what to say... but they left comments on the story itself, at least. That's something.

I think until we get down to fewer people, there are always going to be some stories that don't get comments. It's rough, but the way of things, I guess. At least we both lived to see the next round!

[donutsweeper.livejournal.com]

Yes- going to the next round is GOOD. And it's down to 26 writers because 4 went out this round.

[jadesfire2808.livejournal.com]

*snort* Only 26? Assuming we lose 2 every fortnight (which seems to be about right), that's 4 a month, which takes us to...er...

*counts on fingers*

Literally to Easter. And that assumes we stay with losing 2 people per round. Which we might not.

*whistles* This is definitely the long haul ;)

[donutsweeper.livejournal.com]

oh God, I didn't realize HOW long this was going for!! I think it might go a bit quicker than that with people using up their skips but still not entering something in a round. Although, I assume when we get down to the final 10 or something we;ll only be voting off one a round (that was the original plan until they realized how many people signed up)

[jadesfire2808.livejournal.com]

*nods* Maybe it'll be the final 10, one off a week, no skips. That instinctively feels fair to me, for no particular reason... Because even if people skip, they're still technically *in* the competition, until they get voted out. So I think we still have to count them, if that makes sense.

I don't think any of us quite cottoned to how long-term this was. Which is fine, as long as the challenge stories remain short, which they should. We did lose 2 this week who'd run out of skips and didn't enter. Maybe if that happens more - or if people get put off by the time-scale - we'll get there sooner.

[donutsweeper.livejournal.com]

I like that idea- the last X # of rounds you can't skip.

7 people didn't enter stories this time around (2 of them are now out of the competition as a result) and it just seems like cheating if you could coast to the end without entering. I think more people will wind up being dropped out as opposed to voted out, either between giving up or losing track and not entering, etc.

[mad-jaks.livejournal.com]

We missed a word?!?!

[donutsweeper.livejournal.com]

Yep. Well, sort of "Tom was old hand at this" works, but they pointed out "Tom was an old hand at this" flowed better.

[mad-jaks.livejournal.com]

bad us *G*

[donutsweeper.livejournal.com]

20 lashes with a stale donut for me. Oh well. Can't find everything, right?

[mad-jaks.livejournal.com]

I hadn't got as far as that one yet! *goes to read*

Oh and that reminds me, I owe you a comment...

[jadesfire2808.livejournal.com]

*grin* There were lots this time round! And still so many people.

This is going to take a while...

[unfeathered]

Yay! Congratulations!

[jadesfire2808.livejournal.com]

*VBG* Thanks!

[kristen999.livejournal.com]

Congrats..it was one of my favs! And I had no idea it was you.

[jadesfire2808.livejournal.com]

*bounces* Thank you! I just about found time to read but (shamefully) didn't manage to comment. But I loved the idea of yours, and thought the OC came over really well - will you ever build him into a full story, do you think?

[kristen999.livejournal.com]

I've thought about..I had already cut 200 words out on the get-go so I really felt in tune with him. Maybe I'll flesh him out with a longer exploration after some of the otehr bunnies are done :D

[friendshipper.livejournal.com]

Yours was my favorite of them all. :D I had no guess whose story it was, but it was a fantastic, tight little gem of short-form storytelling.

(I've been sucking at commenting on these, though -- reading and voting seems to be the most I can do in the challenge period, and I didn't even get around to voting on the dialogue-only ones!)

[jadesfire2808.livejournal.com]

Thank you! I had great help from my betas, but I also have a full backstory for Malir, which I think helped :) Short, structured formats tend to suit my writing, and I'm chuffed to pieces that it worked so well :D

(Me too! I just about managed to vote both times, but it just takes so much time! Especially when all the stories are so good :))

[with-apostrophe.livejournal.com]

Yay! Well done you!

[jadesfire2808.livejournal.com]

*beams* Thank you!

[donutsweeper.livejournal.com]

HURRAY!!! Congrats!!

Actually I guessed that one was you- the names of the OCs seemed like the style you create yours as, if that makes sense.

ZOMG 500 words was hard!!! SO HARD

[jadesfire2808.livejournal.com]

Thank you!

Hee. Since I tend to just pick random syllables, I'm intrigued that you could tell. It does make sense to me, though - I try to always come up with names that are actually pronouncable ;)

It was just... GAH! I was chuffed to pieces to make the word count exactly, but so much got ditched :S

[donutsweeper.livejournal.com]

*nods* Your OCs always have what I think of as lyrical names.

Mine wound up posted with 499, but after I put it in my lj someone noticed I missed a word so it's the exact 500 limit. And yes, tons wound up on the cutting room floor of mine.

Getting no votes is weird though, I mean I'm thrilled I wasn't voted out, but no one had opinions on it or something which is a bit disconcerting.

[jadesfire2808.livejournal.com]

*winces* Yeah, I saw that, but wasn't sure what to say... but they left comments on the story itself, at least. That's something.

I think until we get down to fewer people, there are always going to be some stories that don't get comments. It's rough, but the way of things, I guess. At least we both lived to see the next round!

[donutsweeper.livejournal.com]

Yes- going to the next round is GOOD. And it's down to 26 writers because 4 went out this round.

[jadesfire2808.livejournal.com]

*snort* Only 26? Assuming we lose 2 every fortnight (which seems to be about right), that's 4 a month, which takes us to...er...

*counts on fingers*

Literally to Easter. And that assumes we stay with losing 2 people per round. Which we might not.

*whistles* This is definitely the long haul ;)

[donutsweeper.livejournal.com]

oh God, I didn't realize HOW long this was going for!! I think it might go a bit quicker than that with people using up their skips but still not entering something in a round. Although, I assume when we get down to the final 10 or something we;ll only be voting off one a round (that was the original plan until they realized how many people signed up)

[jadesfire2808.livejournal.com]

*nods* Maybe it'll be the final 10, one off a week, no skips. That instinctively feels fair to me, for no particular reason... Because even if people skip, they're still technically *in* the competition, until they get voted out. So I think we still have to count them, if that makes sense.

I don't think any of us quite cottoned to how long-term this was. Which is fine, as long as the challenge stories remain short, which they should. We did lose 2 this week who'd run out of skips and didn't enter. Maybe if that happens more - or if people get put off by the time-scale - we'll get there sooner.

[donutsweeper.livejournal.com]

I like that idea- the last X # of rounds you can't skip.

7 people didn't enter stories this time around (2 of them are now out of the competition as a result) and it just seems like cheating if you could coast to the end without entering. I think more people will wind up being dropped out as opposed to voted out, either between giving up or losing track and not entering, etc.

[mad-jaks.livejournal.com]

We missed a word?!?!

[donutsweeper.livejournal.com]

Yep. Well, sort of "Tom was old hand at this" works, but they pointed out "Tom was an old hand at this" flowed better.

[mad-jaks.livejournal.com]

bad us *G*

[donutsweeper.livejournal.com]

20 lashes with a stale donut for me. Oh well. Can't find everything, right?

[mad-jaks.livejournal.com]

I hadn't got as far as that one yet! *goes to read*

Oh and that reminds me, I owe you a comment...

[jadesfire2808.livejournal.com]

*grin* There were lots this time round! And still so many people.

This is going to take a while...

[unfeathered]

Yay! Congratulations!

[jadesfire2808.livejournal.com]

*VBG* Thanks!

[kristen999.livejournal.com]

Congrats..it was one of my favs! And I had no idea it was you.

[jadesfire2808.livejournal.com]

*bounces* Thank you! I just about found time to read but (shamefully) didn't manage to comment. But I loved the idea of yours, and thought the OC came over really well - will you ever build him into a full story, do you think?

[kristen999.livejournal.com]

I've thought about..I had already cut 200 words out on the get-go so I really felt in tune with him. Maybe I'll flesh him out with a longer exploration after some of the otehr bunnies are done :D

[friendshipper.livejournal.com]

Yours was my favorite of them all. :D I had no guess whose story it was, but it was a fantastic, tight little gem of short-form storytelling.

(I've been sucking at commenting on these, though -- reading and voting seems to be the most I can do in the challenge period, and I didn't even get around to voting on the dialogue-only ones!)

[jadesfire2808.livejournal.com]

Thank you! I had great help from my betas, but I also have a full backstory for Malir, which I think helped :) Short, structured formats tend to suit my writing, and I'm chuffed to pieces that it worked so well :D

(Me too! I just about managed to vote both times, but it just takes so much time! Especially when all the stories are so good :))