I uh... haven't even read all the entries yet. For shame, Aria.
I promise, I'm trying, guys. I'll see if I can't get a few reviews up today, in any case.
I promise, I'm trying, guys. I'll see if I can't get a few reviews up today, in any case.
RomanAria 𝕋𝕙𝕖 𝕊𝕟𝕦𝕘𝕘𝕝𝕖 𝕊𝕚𝕟𝕘𝕦𝕝𝕒𝕣𝕚𝕥𝕪
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3 mos ago
darkwolf687
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3 mos ago
@vote Dramatic Reveal. I just love it xD
darkwolf687
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3 mos ago
@mdk Thank you for your kind words.
The Brigade are not a canon faction; They're a hanger on from roleplay lore and Andrei was based off their leader. I just failed to flesh them out in the course of the story. I didn't touch any canon characters and such because I simply don't think I could do Valves work justice; Part of the reason I elected to make Barney's only interaction with the Sectoral entirely off screen.
The Brigade are not a canon faction; They're a hanger on from roleplay lore and Andrei was based off their leader. I just failed to flesh them out in the course of the story. I didn't touch any canon characters and such because I simply don't think I could do Valves work justice; Part of the reason I elected to make Barney's only interaction with the Sectoral entirely off screen.
Terminal Rancorous Narrative Proxy
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26 days ago
Voting closes in a few hours. Make sure to get your vote in if you haven't gotten around to it yet.
Holmishire Ghost with no home.
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2 mos ago
Welcome back to yet another round of Holmishire's critiques! Enter at your own risk.
Note that the letter grades are just my personal feelings toward the entry, and not necessarily an accurate gauge of quality. They are also unrelated to the criticism given in the hiders—even if I've written a massive critique breaking down problems in your piece, that does not automatically mean it was a bad entry. It just meant that I needed more words to properly address those issues. I'm trying to help writers improve, not bash them. Believe me, I have written some massively error-laden short stories.
That being said, feel free to question me on anything I say.
>C
>B
>B
>C+
>B+
>B-
>B
>B-
>B+
>B+
My @vote goes to the fifth entry, the Mirror Boy, for its lie both contained depth and was pivotal to the essence of the entry.
Note that the letter grades are just my personal feelings toward the entry, and not necessarily an accurate gauge of quality. They are also unrelated to the criticism given in the hiders—even if I've written a massive critique breaking down problems in your piece, that does not automatically mean it was a bad entry. It just meant that I needed more words to properly address those issues. I'm trying to help writers improve, not bash them. Believe me, I have written some massively error-laden short stories.
That being said, feel free to question me on anything I say.
>C
A nice and short entry, with an appreciable poetic air to it. I particularly liked the last two verses of the third stanza, with their strong rhythm and rhyming of the ay.
The story told is well-focused, and through the emotional contemplations and deliberations of the unnamed protagonist, the internal conflict is also made relatable. However, none of the characters themselves are particularly relatable, or really even identifiable. No names or descriptions are given, and many one-off mentions are made—the sister, the mother, the father, the co-worker—that add little more to the story than confusion. Is he the co-worker, the would-be lover, or the father? And who's father are we even talking about? In fact, the character that is best described appears to be the director of all people, because we at least know she always got excited about these sort [sic] of things. Most of these characters don't need to be expanded on, but both the protagonist and his would-be lover do to make the story effective. As it is, readers are detached from the emotional impact of the story because there isn't a firm individual to whom our sympathy can be applied.
That being said, there were hints at personality here and there—notably, when the would-be lover volunteers to apply make-up on the protagonist. And yet, seeing as even the narrator is confused as to his motivations for the act, this isn't a lot to go off. Most of the details of their relationship are left unresolved.
On a more technical note, it is time to address the peculiar formatting of this entry. The inclusion of indented paragraphs is evocative of poetry—as if paragraphs are verses and the six larger groupings are stanzas. For the most part, this is used effectively to separate two stylistic approaches to the narration: on one hand, the representation of current events; and on the other, the musings of the protagonist. That being said, there are two large errors that detract from this.
First, there is a lack of consistency. Up until the fourth stanza, the indented paragraphs always refer to the would-be lover as you, whereas the main bodies refer to him as he. This maintains a reasonable distinction between the two narrative voices—the direct and indirect approaches to the conflict, current setting versus memories and thought. Abolishing this half-way through further confuses the reader, leading one to wonder why it was implemented in the first place. In addition, the second half starts to switch the second-person referral between the would-be lover and the protagonist's mother, making it even harder to keep track of who is who in this name-free entry.
Second, the distinction between the two narrative styles itself is rather arbitrary. Useful, yes—it allows the reader to distinguish between reality and mind. However, both narrators are first-person, and both the same guy! Because the two styles are similar on a surface level, it takes longer for the reader to grasp the distinction and thus to make sense of the entry.
The experimental technique used is a good idea, but in practice could be refined to be made more accessible to the reader.
Though sparse, there was some nice religious imagery. Had it been used more frequently, perhaps with some additional symbolism from the Christmas play, it could have become a powerful theme.
The story told is well-focused, and through the emotional contemplations and deliberations of the unnamed protagonist, the internal conflict is also made relatable. However, none of the characters themselves are particularly relatable, or really even identifiable. No names or descriptions are given, and many one-off mentions are made—the sister, the mother, the father, the co-worker—that add little more to the story than confusion. Is he the co-worker, the would-be lover, or the father? And who's father are we even talking about? In fact, the character that is best described appears to be the director of all people, because we at least know she always got excited about these sort [sic] of things. Most of these characters don't need to be expanded on, but both the protagonist and his would-be lover do to make the story effective. As it is, readers are detached from the emotional impact of the story because there isn't a firm individual to whom our sympathy can be applied.
That being said, there were hints at personality here and there—notably, when the would-be lover volunteers to apply make-up on the protagonist. And yet, seeing as even the narrator is confused as to his motivations for the act, this isn't a lot to go off. Most of the details of their relationship are left unresolved.
On a more technical note, it is time to address the peculiar formatting of this entry. The inclusion of indented paragraphs is evocative of poetry—as if paragraphs are verses and the six larger groupings are stanzas. For the most part, this is used effectively to separate two stylistic approaches to the narration: on one hand, the representation of current events; and on the other, the musings of the protagonist. That being said, there are two large errors that detract from this.
First, there is a lack of consistency. Up until the fourth stanza, the indented paragraphs always refer to the would-be lover as you, whereas the main bodies refer to him as he. This maintains a reasonable distinction between the two narrative voices—the direct and indirect approaches to the conflict, current setting versus memories and thought. Abolishing this half-way through further confuses the reader, leading one to wonder why it was implemented in the first place. In addition, the second half starts to switch the second-person referral between the would-be lover and the protagonist's mother, making it even harder to keep track of who is who in this name-free entry.
Second, the distinction between the two narrative styles itself is rather arbitrary. Useful, yes—it allows the reader to distinguish between reality and mind. However, both narrators are first-person, and both the same guy! Because the two styles are similar on a surface level, it takes longer for the reader to grasp the distinction and thus to make sense of the entry.
The experimental technique used is a good idea, but in practice could be refined to be made more accessible to the reader.
Though sparse, there was some nice religious imagery. Had it been used more frequently, perhaps with some additional symbolism from the Christmas play, it could have become a powerful theme.
>B
A highly concentrated and potent entry, with powerful description, metaphor, and—through a combination of the two—imagery. This is, of course, a shock piece, utilizing one of the social injustices of our time to manipulate us into a heightened sympathetic state. It does this quite effectively.
In particular, the increasingly noticeable hints at her thinness carefully portioned amidst all the abundant servings of fat are truly the forté of this piece.
Though there is little time given to the story, both characters receive just enough to become personable and relatable. The switch in character perspective between the woman and the man was also handled smoothly and naturally, through the temporary distractions caused by the dialogue.
Ultimately, other than inconsequential nitpickings, the only thing that truly holds this entry at bay is its lack of breadth. It makes for a great introduction, setting the stage for well-developed characters and plot, but does not advance far enough to really prove itself. There isn't really any resolution of the plot. Now, this isn't bad—it is very high quality and very effective. Great work.
In particular, the increasingly noticeable hints at her thinness carefully portioned amidst all the abundant servings of fat are truly the forté of this piece.
Though there is little time given to the story, both characters receive just enough to become personable and relatable. The switch in character perspective between the woman and the man was also handled smoothly and naturally, through the temporary distractions caused by the dialogue.
Ultimately, other than inconsequential nitpickings, the only thing that truly holds this entry at bay is its lack of breadth. It makes for a great introduction, setting the stage for well-developed characters and plot, but does not advance far enough to really prove itself. There isn't really any resolution of the plot. Now, this isn't bad—it is very high quality and very effective. Great work.
>B
For the most part, a very well-written entry with an interesting protagonist, a well-plotted mystery, and one hell-of-a tone. The tone is really strong, perhaps even the driving force behind the piece, and it works well.
That said, there are some stylistic aspects of the entry that detracted from my ability to enjoy it fully—though they might be matters of preference. For one, there was a lot of targeted vernacular—(I say as I use the word vernacular)—that while fitting both to the setting and the tone of the piece, tended to be distracting when used in high concentrations. It was most significant in the second paragraph of the third section, where by the end of it, it seemed as if the character was just showing off how much "in the know" they were, which to be honest, was probably the case. Now, that's fine and all, but when other common words are treated extra special in the same context, like the Bug, it gets a bit misleading. Of course I could tell what it was, but being mundane and capitalized, I assumed it was an important piece of information to hold onto for later in the story—which does not seem to be the case.
Again related to the tone, the protagonist seemed to be completely uninterested in the case. He was actively trying to uncover the clues, but due to the style of the narration, everything read rather lazily. This is created largely through the use of two basic sentence types. First, person did action, or sometimes person did action and action. Second, lots of descriptive lists, cycling through items in a similar structure. This is good for creating a slow, dirty tone, which fits well with the perpetually drunk protagonist. On the other hand, it also lags out the reader a bit, which makes it harder for them to become invested in events—particular dangerous ones, which instead of flowing quickly and stimulatingly, run down chunkily.
Finally, and this criticism holding more ground due to being less influenced by stylistic choices, the climax fell a little flat. By the time the reader makes it to the scene of the old man bleeding out, they've likely already solved a good number of plot points in their head—hints were interspersed throughout the entry. Having the girl almost casually explain every detail to the protagonist, and by extension, the reader, is not particularly engaging. Had the conversation been more emotional, with some back-and-forth, shouting, whatever, it could have been very compelling. But with plain old exposition-dropping, it just doesn't seal the deal.
That said, the true ending was still good. He was a useless drunk in the beginning and a useless drunk in the end—his character development being that he was able to accept this, accept that there are no second chances for people like him.
That said, there are some stylistic aspects of the entry that detracted from my ability to enjoy it fully—though they might be matters of preference. For one, there was a lot of targeted vernacular—(I say as I use the word vernacular)—that while fitting both to the setting and the tone of the piece, tended to be distracting when used in high concentrations. It was most significant in the second paragraph of the third section, where by the end of it, it seemed as if the character was just showing off how much "in the know" they were, which to be honest, was probably the case. Now, that's fine and all, but when other common words are treated extra special in the same context, like the Bug, it gets a bit misleading. Of course I could tell what it was, but being mundane and capitalized, I assumed it was an important piece of information to hold onto for later in the story—which does not seem to be the case.
Again related to the tone, the protagonist seemed to be completely uninterested in the case. He was actively trying to uncover the clues, but due to the style of the narration, everything read rather lazily. This is created largely through the use of two basic sentence types. First, person did action, or sometimes person did action and action. Second, lots of descriptive lists, cycling through items in a similar structure. This is good for creating a slow, dirty tone, which fits well with the perpetually drunk protagonist. On the other hand, it also lags out the reader a bit, which makes it harder for them to become invested in events—particular dangerous ones, which instead of flowing quickly and stimulatingly, run down chunkily.
Finally, and this criticism holding more ground due to being less influenced by stylistic choices, the climax fell a little flat. By the time the reader makes it to the scene of the old man bleeding out, they've likely already solved a good number of plot points in their head—hints were interspersed throughout the entry. Having the girl almost casually explain every detail to the protagonist, and by extension, the reader, is not particularly engaging. Had the conversation been more emotional, with some back-and-forth, shouting, whatever, it could have been very compelling. But with plain old exposition-dropping, it just doesn't seal the deal.
That said, the true ending was still good. He was a useless drunk in the beginning and a useless drunk in the end—his character development being that he was able to accept this, accept that there are no second chances for people like him.
>C+
In terms of the written text itself, there aren't any particular faults, nor any particular wonders. This entry, however, suffers largely from structural problems.
The most evident of this is the section breaks. Having lots of section breaks is not necessarily bad, but the way they are used here is just needlessly breaking up the text. Just looking at the first break, the narration end with That is one day, during school. Following it a section about what happened at that moment at school, and notably still in the past tense. The setting was clearly and smoothly introduced at the end of the previous section, and the break only acts as a destructive force, killing flow. In fact, if the first three breaks were cut out, nothing would be lost and much would be gained in the flow that is already built into the text!
Next, the plot itself is rather jarring. Almost no time was given between when the reader was made aware of a potential mystery and that mystery's resolution. The boy is asked if he wishes to know the details of Riley's death, and only a few paragraphs later—with no foreshadowing or anything—it turns out the parents are assassins, full stop, entry ends. That sort of cliffhanger ending can be quite effective, but the reader needs to be lead to believe in the opposite of the reality. Little was given to the reader to believe, so the assassin explanation is less a shock than a random twist. Something similar happens as he is about to board the bus—the readers were lead to believe some undetermined twist was going to be produced with Riley. Finding out the parents were the twist is too unexpected.
Finally, it would have been nice to get more personalization out of the characters. Riley's dialogue was uneventful, and other than that, she was only introduced in a tell-not-show manner.
The most evident of this is the section breaks. Having lots of section breaks is not necessarily bad, but the way they are used here is just needlessly breaking up the text. Just looking at the first break, the narration end with That is one day, during school. Following it a section about what happened at that moment at school, and notably still in the past tense. The setting was clearly and smoothly introduced at the end of the previous section, and the break only acts as a destructive force, killing flow. In fact, if the first three breaks were cut out, nothing would be lost and much would be gained in the flow that is already built into the text!
Next, the plot itself is rather jarring. Almost no time was given between when the reader was made aware of a potential mystery and that mystery's resolution. The boy is asked if he wishes to know the details of Riley's death, and only a few paragraphs later—with no foreshadowing or anything—it turns out the parents are assassins, full stop, entry ends. That sort of cliffhanger ending can be quite effective, but the reader needs to be lead to believe in the opposite of the reality. Little was given to the reader to believe, so the assassin explanation is less a shock than a random twist. Something similar happens as he is about to board the bus—the readers were lead to believe some undetermined twist was going to be produced with Riley. Finding out the parents were the twist is too unexpected.
Finally, it would have been nice to get more personalization out of the characters. Riley's dialogue was uneventful, and other than that, she was only introduced in a tell-not-show manner.
>B+
Short and sweet, which makes it a little difficult to say much about.
All two of the characters feel distinct and interesting, with Tina having her spunky dialogue and the mirror boy acting through his stylistically effective motions. Things like not going into detail on what exactly his teasing really consisted of really amplified the immaterial bond aspect between the two of them—there didn't need to be anything more tangible than an impression from the boy, and it was done very well.
The narration appears to be third-person limited, focusing on the girl, though it might just be omniscient. If the former, the way is gently nudges both in direction of Tina knowing and not knowing about the effect of the black tape adds a layer of depth to her lie, pushing it through to the reader implicitly by way of narration.
I really don't know what criticism I can give—the story seems to benefit from lacking in any real conclusion, and embraces its brevity with wit and style.
All two of the characters feel distinct and interesting, with Tina having her spunky dialogue and the mirror boy acting through his stylistically effective motions. Things like not going into detail on what exactly his teasing really consisted of really amplified the immaterial bond aspect between the two of them—there didn't need to be anything more tangible than an impression from the boy, and it was done very well.
The narration appears to be third-person limited, focusing on the girl, though it might just be omniscient. If the former, the way is gently nudges both in direction of Tina knowing and not knowing about the effect of the black tape adds a layer of depth to her lie, pushing it through to the reader implicitly by way of narration.
I really don't know what criticism I can give—the story seems to benefit from lacking in any real conclusion, and embraces its brevity with wit and style.
>B-
A little nitpick right from the get-go that threw me off. The first sentence is in present tense, yet all of the exposition and action that come afterwards is in the past. Insignificant, I know.
The first three paragraphs of exposition are bulky and something of a chore to push through. The information contained therein is necessary, but presenting it in one big dump is not the most exciting way to go about it. It makes it evident that this short story isn't really designed to be a short story, but instead a conclusion to a much larger story. There are ways of hinting at a greater plot past or future without making the short story itself any less powerful on its own. This would be a great part, but it shouldn't have to be.
That said, the bulk of the entry itself was good, with an interesting if at times somewhat underdeveloped cast.
The final twist, however, was disappointing for a few reasons. First, we weren't given much of a chance to connect with Embervi, so his betrayal didn't really hit any emotional chords. It was said that he was Artion's best friend, but it wasn't really shown—again, due to this being only part of the story. Second, Jiorn felt like a total loose end, with almost no development, his morality confusingly thrown about, and his twist being untwisted for no apparent reason in quick succession. Even Tytanios's apparent emotional turbulence upon sending away his lieutenant is brushed off as nothing—so what was the bitterness included for? And third, it was revealed through a casual conversation between two characters whose relationship with each other is hardly touched upon. Hardly dramatic. The twist itself was okay, but the presentation was lacking.
The first three paragraphs of exposition are bulky and something of a chore to push through. The information contained therein is necessary, but presenting it in one big dump is not the most exciting way to go about it. It makes it evident that this short story isn't really designed to be a short story, but instead a conclusion to a much larger story. There are ways of hinting at a greater plot past or future without making the short story itself any less powerful on its own. This would be a great part, but it shouldn't have to be.
That said, the bulk of the entry itself was good, with an interesting if at times somewhat underdeveloped cast.
The final twist, however, was disappointing for a few reasons. First, we weren't given much of a chance to connect with Embervi, so his betrayal didn't really hit any emotional chords. It was said that he was Artion's best friend, but it wasn't really shown—again, due to this being only part of the story. Second, Jiorn felt like a total loose end, with almost no development, his morality confusingly thrown about, and his twist being untwisted for no apparent reason in quick succession. Even Tytanios's apparent emotional turbulence upon sending away his lieutenant is brushed off as nothing—so what was the bitterness included for? And third, it was revealed through a casual conversation between two characters whose relationship with each other is hardly touched upon. Hardly dramatic. The twist itself was okay, but the presentation was lacking.
>B
An enjoyable entry, with good description and atmospheric adherence. The setting is interesting and the characters intriguing, and there is little I can give in criticism.
What it lacks is a meaningful plot, and meaningful characters. The readers are given next to no knowledge of the necromancer's origins or motivations, nor are any of the other characters given any significant spotlight. The shallow insights that are given are indeed intriguing enough by their own right, but without substance, this entry is little more than a well-written scene.
What it lacks is a meaningful plot, and meaningful characters. The readers are given next to no knowledge of the necromancer's origins or motivations, nor are any of the other characters given any significant spotlight. The shallow insights that are given are indeed intriguing enough by their own right, but without substance, this entry is little more than a well-written scene.
>B-
Well, I do like a consistent structure. It's a good poem, and it does appear to bear an easy to interpret meaning, which is good for amateurs like me. However, there doesn't seem to be a lot of depth to the entry, either in meaning or in poetic form.
So I guess my main criticism is a lack of ambition. It's simple, and fine, but nothing particularly stunning.
So I guess my main criticism is a lack of ambition. It's simple, and fine, but nothing particularly stunning.
>B+
Again, consistent structure; love it! Hints of poetic tools here and there, like repetition of sound in trying, tempting, taunting and in trial, triumph were not missed, and helped the poem flow beyond rhymes and rhythm.
My personal interpretation of this game of lies is that life itself is the lie—because death comes for all, and renders all that came before it meaningless.
Whether that is the case or not, a touching poem that is sound both in form and content.
My personal interpretation of this game of lies is that life itself is the lie—because death comes for all, and renders all that came before it meaningless.
Whether that is the case or not, a touching poem that is sound both in form and content.
>B+
This entry was of course very long, and the way it was written made it drag on quite slowly. After the first section, it took a very long time to build up, but it was certainly worth it! The political intrigue was well-formed the whole way through, and though it took a while, most of the pivotal characters became well-developed and relatable by the end.
The ending, however, felt lacklustre. A betrayal of that sort is not uncalled for, but some foreshadowing or subtle hints at such motivations earlier in the story would have given it far more impact in my opinion. This is a case of a betrayal that came out of nowhere in the entry, despite being sensible in the context of the story.
I admit, there were times that I found myself bored to death reading this entry—but on the one hand, I was very tired, and on the other, I feel like despite that it managed to build a compelling story when the reader gets a chance to step back. Slow build-up, but amazing product.
The ending, however, felt lacklustre. A betrayal of that sort is not uncalled for, but some foreshadowing or subtle hints at such motivations earlier in the story would have given it far more impact in my opinion. This is a case of a betrayal that came out of nowhere in the entry, despite being sensible in the context of the story.
I admit, there were times that I found myself bored to death reading this entry—but on the one hand, I was very tired, and on the other, I feel like despite that it managed to build a compelling story when the reader gets a chance to step back. Slow build-up, but amazing product.
My @vote goes to the fifth entry, the Mirror Boy, for its lie both contained depth and was pivotal to the essence of the entry.
Winner: 'The Mirror Boy' by @Alice!
Everybody loved it, and for good reason. @Alice also takes home the bonus category, 'All's Well, Ends Well.'
Runner-Up: 'Dramatic Reveal' by @PlatinumSkink!
A fantastic lie in a richly creative world. @PlatinumSkink also carries away the bonus category, 'When Life Gives You Onions'
Bonus Category Awards
We were slightly sidetracked with other circumstances during the normal judging period. This tentative list includes a winner for each category -- there's a tiny chance that we may elect later to add additional winners, pending further conversation, but these prizes are well-deserved and also totally safe. Congratulations to the following:
Illuminati Confirmed -- 'Unforseen Consequence' by @darkwolf687. A rich and complex conspiracy, full of betrayal.
When Life Gives You Onions -- 'Dramatic Reveal' by @PlatinumSkink. This story was lies upon lies upon deeper lies, truly nailing this contest's theme.
Insidious Whispers -- 'Crude City' by @Byrd Man. Not only was this twisted mystery truly dark, its secrets remained buried even after discovery. Profoundly well written.
All's Well, Ends Well -- 'Mirror Boy' by @Alice. An absolute gem of a piece, whose bittersweet conclusion left us wishing we could believe that it did, in fact, end well.
Last but not least!
In the first contest, we started a shaky tradition of recognizing outstanding contest efforts with the hopefully-coveted RPGC TOAST. Only @Kakashi Hatake has earned that honor, for recording his own lyrics in our musical-themed contest. Today I'd like to recognize another, very different, yet wholly significant contribution. We'd like to thank @Impaqt for their -- ironically -- impactful teamwork in helping us protect the integrity of these contests. @Impaqt helped us right a mistake we made months ago, and sparked big changes to how we'll handle plagiarism in the future. Honesty and diligence can be thankless tasks, but not today. We'd like to award the second-ever RPGC TOAST to @Impaqt, on behalf of everyone who participates, and on some level, on behalf of writers everywhere. And also on behalf of @Ghost Crowley.
Congratulations to all our winners, thanks to all our reviewers, hats off to all our participants -- and finally, for your next contest, head on over to your regularly-scheduled Fourth Labor courtesy of @Terminal (already in progress)
darkwolf687
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3 mos ago
RomanAria 𝕋𝕙𝕖 𝕊𝕟𝕦𝕘𝕘𝕝𝕖 𝕊𝕚𝕟𝕘𝕦𝕝𝕒𝕣𝕚𝕥𝕪
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Seen
3 mos ago
Congrats to @Alice and @PlatinumSkink and @darkwolf687 and @Byrd Man and huge, huge shout out to @Impaqt. THANK YOU SO MUCH IMPAQT, WE LOVE YOU.
I suppose, now that results have been posted. I really ought to reveal.
I wrote "Reality Checkmate."
I uh, don't exactly *know* what the lie was. It was called, "Oh, yeah, the entries are due today! You have 20 minutes before bedtime! GO GET THEM!" so... this happened. Anyway, going back through it, I got a better idea of what convoluted, overly-subtle lies I told. SO thus, if you wanted to know...
One: The lie that the narrator's, uh, "love interest" told. Writing fiction. The idea in my head was that he/she wound up becoming so deluded, so involved in his/her own fictional, literary world, that he/she went and offed his/herself. I know I should have expressed this better in the text, but I just want to provide more information here.
Two/Three: The lies that the narrator her/himself told. One of which is fairly obvious, lying to her/his friend, pretending to care when she/he was dead inside. But the other.... Well... The end of the poem, "But now it is my time to go // The end of my lie is finally here // And now, at last, I have no fear." Somewhat implying that she/he is going to die, yes? Wellll... the narrator didn't. Let's leave it at that for a moment.
Four: As Holmishire guessed, "Life" is the second-most-important lie here. Life is, at least in the narrator's mind, a lie, because it is so terribly short in the grand scheme of things and there HAS to be some greater fate than just spending between 40 and 100 years on this planet and then decomposing and furthering the cycle of life.
Aaand... Five is going in a hider because I can't. Warning, emotional.
Anyway. Thank you so much for all the kind words, to all the people who reviewed my writing. It means so much to me to get encouragement, especially for difficult pieces like this one. <3 you all.
Also, I *am* still working on reviews. Tomorrow, guys. I promise cross my heart.
I suppose, now that results have been posted. I really ought to reveal.
I wrote "Reality Checkmate."
I uh, don't exactly *know* what the lie was. It was called, "Oh, yeah, the entries are due today! You have 20 minutes before bedtime! GO GET THEM!" so... this happened. Anyway, going back through it, I got a better idea of what convoluted, overly-subtle lies I told. SO thus, if you wanted to know...
One: The lie that the narrator's, uh, "love interest" told. Writing fiction. The idea in my head was that he/she wound up becoming so deluded, so involved in his/her own fictional, literary world, that he/she went and offed his/herself. I know I should have expressed this better in the text, but I just want to provide more information here.
Two/Three: The lies that the narrator her/himself told. One of which is fairly obvious, lying to her/his friend, pretending to care when she/he was dead inside. But the other.... Well... The end of the poem, "But now it is my time to go // The end of my lie is finally here // And now, at last, I have no fear." Somewhat implying that she/he is going to die, yes? Wellll... the narrator didn't. Let's leave it at that for a moment.
Four: As Holmishire guessed, "Life" is the second-most-important lie here. Life is, at least in the narrator's mind, a lie, because it is so terribly short in the grand scheme of things and there HAS to be some greater fate than just spending between 40 and 100 years on this planet and then decomposing and furthering the cycle of life.
Aaand... Five is going in a hider because I can't. Warning, emotional.
This whole reveal has been a lie, more or less. Because... The piece as I submitted it was a lie. I submitted it as a work of fiction, or not-actually-occurring events, but everything in it truly happened. "The end of my lie is finally here // And now, at last, I have no fear" Wasn't entirely implying the narrator's death/attempted death. It was implying myself a) coming to terms with what happened. and b) more concretely, indicating that the truth-told-as-a-lie actually was drawing to a close. So yes. The lie is that I am the narrator.
Anyway. Thank you so much for all the kind words, to all the people who reviewed my writing. It means so much to me to get encouragement, especially for difficult pieces like this one. <3 you all.
Also, I *am* still working on reviews. Tomorrow, guys. I promise cross my heart.
Psyga315 From Shadows
Member
Seen
2 yrs ago
I wrote A Little Black Lie. I based it somewhat off a scene in an anime where a minor character is killed, and the heroine asks where said minor is. Their killer simply states that they moved to Canada. A lie. Then I decided to go "YO DAWG" all over it.
Thank you SOOOO much everyone and congrats to everyone else!
I am so happy. I also have to apologize because I did not have Net and did not get to participate in the reading voting phase in this contest, but will be reading the other entries asap and commenting on them.
I am so happy. I also have to apologize because I did not have Net and did not get to participate in the reading voting phase in this contest, but will be reading the other entries asap and commenting on them.
Quick check to gauge one of our changes -- everyone noticed that we changed the voting this month, and told everyone to pick their favorite lie, as opposed to their favorite entry overall. How'd we feel about that?
Holmishire Ghost with no home.
Member
Seen
2 mos ago
Quick check to gauge one of our changes -- everyone noticed that we changed the voting this month, and told everyone to pick their favorite lie, as opposed to their favorite entry overall. How'd we feel about that?
I personally prefer voting for my favourite entry. Deciding what consisted of the best lie is difficult, and ultimately as subjective as it would be otherwise. In a sense, the main advantage of changing the voting system was not how it affected the voting, but rather how it affected the entries themselves, because they made a more significant effort to incorporate the theme.
So I'd be cool with doing something of the sort from time to time, but for the most part I'd say quality voting is the way to go.
1x Like
Terminal Rancorous Narrative Proxy
Member
Seen
26 days ago
Considering the number of people who did not vote for a particular story because of the lie therein, I feel the bequest was lost at heart. Ask again next time when more people actually pay heed.
PlatinumSkink
Member
Seen
7 days ago
Haha. Yes, lesse. I wrote Dramatic Reveal. Thanks those who read it and liked it.
It is based on the idea that "What if, in one of those arch-typical story-driven RPGs, when you get to that mid-game enemy that was initially presented as the grand villain but he dramatically reveals to have been good all along when he explains himself... What if he was lying?" The story was written in a single, hurried, day because I had been busy, but I was still pretty proud of it.
I am happy you liked it. I am amused that you saw the twist coming and enjoyed it regardless. As for your minor gripe, I do not regret it at all, real Embervi is such a casual dude that it felt totally fitting. XD
Yupp. This entry was written to look like the world of one of those JRPG worlds, so I am happy I got that down. For the part of you missing the magic, I did mention in the beginning that Embervi was wielding a magical staff, but I suppose I could have done some form of thing to introduce the existence of magic a little better. It was a fantasy world, after all. Haha. For the exposition... I did have a lot of information I wanted to get through. Three paragraphs felt enough for the start to get the reader into the story, then... oy, this is a story of exposition. I had a huge world to develop for a short story. I suppose I simply had too much information in this. I'll keep it in mind. As for the repetition... I was in a hurry, so I might have let a few of those through. Sorry about that. Haha. I'll keep it in mind for the future~ Thank you for reading~
I am very much happy that I managed to fool someone. I have one of every kind of the three most common reactions in three reviewers! I feel wonderful! Hahaha. Alright. Now to explain myself to Holmishire.
The first sentence should be present-tense. I mean, unless the story itself is destroyed, the story will still take place in that world. I can't say it "took" place in that world, since the story still exists. Of course, all the rest is what happened in that story, hence past tense. Did I get something incorrectly?
Everything in that world was designed for this short story. This entire story is about this meeting, the rest is just information I needed to make up for this story to make sense. There was no way I could have done it other than either informing the reader in the beginning or throwing all the information into their lines, somehow. Which I might have, but it felt wrong to send the reader directly into the encounter without an idea what was going on. Three paragraphs felt just enough. Two wouldn't have gotten enough info to the reader. Four would have become too much. Three felt like just enough.
Yeah, I didn't have too much room to develop them in the short time I had with them, haha. Thanks for saying they're interesting.
Embervi was never supposed to hit any emotional chords. The story was simply too short for that, so I settled on that the reader simply got to be aware of what was going on. Joirn I included because the trope of an enemy becoming an ally is common enough for me to include it, because it was interesting. Tytanios brief bitterness about it is because, well, he's human and therefore felt just a tinge of regret about sending a chap he slightly liked to his death, but nothing more to it. It just made sense from the character as I created him. And yes, the final conversation was made to be as anti-dramatic as possible. This was to represent how we no longer were on the field of telling a dramatic story, but simply the backstage where the two who prepared the epic reveal talk about what they just did as casually and naturally as possible. Yupp, that's about that. I do see what you're saying, but I never really went out with the intention of making it like you're describing that it could be. And I'm... kind of fine with that. I only had a day to write it when I finally decided to. Thanks for critiquing.
Now for something completely different.
I can't possibly know if you portrayed it well; this is the only portrayal I know! I just know I got a rather good image in my head, accurate or not! XD
In any case. I think you should feel a bit better. While yes, the lack of proof-reading was apparent, I still think you wrote a pretty nice story, all things considered. Should be at least a 7/10, even if it had a rather disappointing ending. I mean, it got sincerely exciting, with amusing comedy thrown in for good measure here and there, and some heartwarming and understandable situation and engaging individuals. Kind of. Yeah. Except the ending disappointed. Oh, well.
It is based on the idea that "What if, in one of those arch-typical story-driven RPGs, when you get to that mid-game enemy that was initially presented as the grand villain but he dramatically reveals to have been good all along when he explains himself... What if he was lying?" The story was written in a single, hurried, day because I had been busy, but I was still pretty proud of it.
Oh how an unimaginative title belies this work! Well written and in a world which felt rich, although I saw the twist coming I loved it all the same and while I will not spoil it for another who for whatever reason is skimming the reviews rather than reading (In which case, go read!), I will say that the delivery of it was good... One minor gripe though
"Yo."
This took me right out and made me laugh, but once I got over it, it didn't dull my desire to read the rest. Well done. 9/10
I am happy you liked it. I am amused that you saw the twist coming and enjoyed it regardless. As for your minor gripe, I do not regret it at all, real Embervi is such a casual dude that it felt totally fitting. XD
Jeez, you got me. Got me good. That might be the best lie so far….. I mean I’ll have to weigh it, but that was really well done.
THAT SAID! The story was great but the style wasn’t stellar – aspects were beyond great, I mean legitimately I thought I was reading a new Final Fantasy pitch for a while there. The world was great. The characters were (I think) exactly and concisely what you wanted them to be. My two gripes – and they’re sadly big – are Exposition and Repetition. Exposition makes sense – you had a whole lot of setup required by this particular lie, a certain amount was inevitable, and I wouldn’t begrudge a little bit of exposition to get to the point that much quicker. It was laced throughout the entire story though – we’d stop talking about the conversation for a minute to instead explain how all the party members came to join. And notably too – though this might’ve just been a brainfart by me – I had no idea magic was involved until you brought up the gods of magic. So like…. Given that lots of exposition was always going to be required, it seems like that should’ve been a bigger deal sooner. Repetition is a more obvious and thus simpler problem – things like “In its place, this took place” or saying ‘barrier’ four times in three sentences – easy to fix, just change up the language.
I’m being picky partly because it’s theoretically good for you in the long run, and partly because of how much I liked the story. You got my mind going a thousand miles an hour in one direction and then faked me out completely on the lie. Extremely impressed. Damn good job.
Yupp. This entry was written to look like the world of one of those JRPG worlds, so I am happy I got that down. For the part of you missing the magic, I did mention in the beginning that Embervi was wielding a magical staff, but I suppose I could have done some form of thing to introduce the existence of magic a little better. It was a fantasy world, after all. Haha. For the exposition... I did have a lot of information I wanted to get through. Three paragraphs felt enough for the start to get the reader into the story, then... oy, this is a story of exposition. I had a huge world to develop for a short story. I suppose I simply had too much information in this. I'll keep it in mind. As for the repetition... I was in a hurry, so I might have let a few of those through. Sorry about that. Haha. I'll keep it in mind for the future~ Thank you for reading~
I am very much happy that I managed to fool someone. I have one of every kind of the three most common reactions in three reviewers! I feel wonderful! Hahaha. Alright. Now to explain myself to Holmishire.
>B-A little nitpick right from the get-go that threw me off. The first sentence is in present tense, yet all of the exposition and action that come afterwards is in the past. Insignificant, I know.
The first three paragraphs of exposition are bulky and something of a chore to push through. The information contained therein is necessary, but presenting it in one big dump is not the most exciting way to go about it. It makes it evident that this short story isn't really designed to be a short story, but instead a conclusion to a much larger story. There are ways of hinting at a greater plot past or future without making the short story itself any less powerful on its own. This would be a great part, but it shouldn't have to be.
That said, the bulk of the entry itself was good, with an interesting if at times somewhat underdeveloped cast.
The final twist, however, was disappointing for a few reasons. First, we weren't given much of a chance to connect with Embervi, so his betrayal didn't really hit any emotional chords. It was said that he was Artion's best friend, but it wasn't really shown—again, due to this being only part of the story. Second, Jiorn felt like a total loose end, with almost no development, his morality confusingly thrown about, and his twist being untwisted for no apparent reason in quick succession. Even Tytanios's apparent emotional turbulence upon sending away his lieutenant is brushed off as nothing—so what was the bitterness included for? And third, it was revealed through a casual conversation between two characters whose relationship with each other is hardly touched upon. Hardly dramatic. The twist itself was okay, but the presentation was lacking.
The first sentence should be present-tense. I mean, unless the story itself is destroyed, the story will still take place in that world. I can't say it "took" place in that world, since the story still exists. Of course, all the rest is what happened in that story, hence past tense. Did I get something incorrectly?
Everything in that world was designed for this short story. This entire story is about this meeting, the rest is just information I needed to make up for this story to make sense. There was no way I could have done it other than either informing the reader in the beginning or throwing all the information into their lines, somehow. Which I might have, but it felt wrong to send the reader directly into the encounter without an idea what was going on. Three paragraphs felt just enough. Two wouldn't have gotten enough info to the reader. Four would have become too much. Three felt like just enough.
Yeah, I didn't have too much room to develop them in the short time I had with them, haha. Thanks for saying they're interesting.
Embervi was never supposed to hit any emotional chords. The story was simply too short for that, so I settled on that the reader simply got to be aware of what was going on. Joirn I included because the trope of an enemy becoming an ally is common enough for me to include it, because it was interesting. Tytanios brief bitterness about it is because, well, he's human and therefore felt just a tinge of regret about sending a chap he slightly liked to his death, but nothing more to it. It just made sense from the character as I created him. And yes, the final conversation was made to be as anti-dramatic as possible. This was to represent how we no longer were on the field of telling a dramatic story, but simply the backstage where the two who prepared the epic reveal talk about what they just did as casually and naturally as possible. Yupp, that's about that. I do see what you're saying, but I never really went out with the intention of making it like you're describing that it could be. And I'm... kind of fine with that. I only had a day to write it when I finally decided to. Thanks for critiquing.
Now for something completely different.
<Snipped quote by PlatinumSkink>
/me hides somewhat in shame
I'll be entirely honest, mate; I didn't even proof read it. Additionally, after I got about half way through writing it, something happened in real life, so approximately the last 9000 words were half arsed. Thus, I cannot in good faith accept any praise for effort because the effort I put in was pitiful. I once spent nearly two full days with no work done on it at all before finally going "Oh yeah, I should probably write..." I entered this because a friend urged me to, I put in only a modicum of effort to write a piece up and have no intention of actually winning anything. I have never entered a contest here before and quite possibly never will again.
As for the ending, I am sorry it disappointed. In truth, I had nothing in the way of ideas for an ending, decided not to think anything ul and so just choose to simply play it straight. This is probably just another sign that I'm lazy haha.
It is the world of Half life and I am glad you think I portrayed it well; Though I am hesitant to pat myself on the back for it could easily have been so much better
I can't possibly know if you portrayed it well; this is the only portrayal I know! I just know I got a rather good image in my head, accurate or not! XD
In any case. I think you should feel a bit better. While yes, the lack of proof-reading was apparent, I still think you wrote a pretty nice story, all things considered. Should be at least a 7/10, even if it had a rather disappointing ending. I mean, it got sincerely exciting, with amusing comedy thrown in for good measure here and there, and some heartwarming and understandable situation and engaging individuals. Kind of. Yeah. Except the ending disappointed. Oh, well.
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