alsih2o
First Post
My apologies, I forgot I had 2 to post, rather than 1. 
Alsih2o-
Thorod Ashstaff- Wow. Tell me, was the use of “Steal” over Steel” purposeful? I cannot tell if it was a typo or a brilliantly sly gesture towards the story. J
I like this. I like it despite the unfinished feel to it. I can really relate to the protagonist, the descriptions are strong and the story rings true.
Picture use is pretty good. The wet footprints stand out. The Shen, and the net hole are alright. The mushroom left me wanting but the naked polka rocked. Ending with a pic can be tough, but this oen matched the joyful tone with a joyful pic and it rocked.
Mythago- Wow. Beautiful stuff. I like the tone and feel of the place and the characters. The heroine is fully fleshed out and familiar, while still maintaining a few surprises.
The wet feet pic use really stands out. The net pic isn’t used wildly, but grabbed me by the throat with its strength.
Judgement: [sblock] This is the hardest decision so far this competition for me. Thorod really grabbed on to the fantasy aspect. I am not a big fan of fey…maybe because they rarely seem to be done that well. Mythago grabs me with a more realistic story, just edges of fantasy comparitavely.
I have to give my vote to Thorod, based soley on the pics being tied more strongly to the story.[/sblock]
Maldur-
Thorords tale of fairies and war, is great, the only thing that seems a bit out of place is the rather "short" trip to siberia, and the rather out of place eastern fairy.
Mythago, also has magic, and some thievery. Great magic, with a "pick pockety twist".
Judgement: [sblock]My vote goes to mythago, his pic use was more fluent into the story, the eastern fairy that thorod described was a bit out of place.[/sblock]
Piratecat-
Thorod’s opening is great. He quickly sets the stage, establishes that
something important is going on, and establishes some ground rules by
detailing the attendees. The strength of the story is maintained throughout
using a consistent and coherent style. This is a story of both action and
hope, and it’s interesting because a lot of the Ceramic DM stories involve
horror or cruelty; what we have here is a self-aware piece against
industrialization that doesn’t end up bogging down in rhetoric. By framing
it from the feys’ point of view, the unusual tactics used to combat
pollution and the destruction of nature end up feeling quite fresh.
Lobbyists going hiking, indeed.
Good photo use, as well.
Midnight Reel:
Apropos of nothing, I can’t read the phrase “rouged lips” without thinking
that someone misspelled “rogue.” EN World has corrupted me.
Mythago has a rare talent for making people and places come alive. It’s in
the detail, I think; the proper vernacular, the songs that are played, the
accents of the people speaking, the taste of food. This story is not her
strongest but it’s still darned good. Even better, it’s consistently strong
throughout. My biggest complaint is that the inclusion of the Chinese man
seemed slightly strained. Not badly, though, and not enough to taint an
otherwise good story.
Judgment:
[sblock]Let’s be straightforward here: I thought both of these stories were
excellent, Thorod’s for tone and subject and Mythago’s for imagery and
pathos. I’m tossed this around for days, and I think that Mythago’s entry
has a slight edge due to the difficulty of a period piece. Thus Mythago has
my judgment, but both competitors have my praise. Nice work.[/sblock]
Decision: [sblock] Looks like Mythago slides into the finals in a split decision, 2-1[/sblock]
Alsih2o-
Thorod Ashstaff- Wow. Tell me, was the use of “Steal” over Steel” purposeful? I cannot tell if it was a typo or a brilliantly sly gesture towards the story. J
I like this. I like it despite the unfinished feel to it. I can really relate to the protagonist, the descriptions are strong and the story rings true.
Picture use is pretty good. The wet footprints stand out. The Shen, and the net hole are alright. The mushroom left me wanting but the naked polka rocked. Ending with a pic can be tough, but this oen matched the joyful tone with a joyful pic and it rocked.
Mythago- Wow. Beautiful stuff. I like the tone and feel of the place and the characters. The heroine is fully fleshed out and familiar, while still maintaining a few surprises.
The wet feet pic use really stands out. The net pic isn’t used wildly, but grabbed me by the throat with its strength.
Judgement: [sblock] This is the hardest decision so far this competition for me. Thorod really grabbed on to the fantasy aspect. I am not a big fan of fey…maybe because they rarely seem to be done that well. Mythago grabs me with a more realistic story, just edges of fantasy comparitavely.
I have to give my vote to Thorod, based soley on the pics being tied more strongly to the story.[/sblock]
Maldur-
Thorords tale of fairies and war, is great, the only thing that seems a bit out of place is the rather "short" trip to siberia, and the rather out of place eastern fairy.
Mythago, also has magic, and some thievery. Great magic, with a "pick pockety twist".
Judgement: [sblock]My vote goes to mythago, his pic use was more fluent into the story, the eastern fairy that thorod described was a bit out of place.[/sblock]
Piratecat-
Thorod’s opening is great. He quickly sets the stage, establishes that
something important is going on, and establishes some ground rules by
detailing the attendees. The strength of the story is maintained throughout
using a consistent and coherent style. This is a story of both action and
hope, and it’s interesting because a lot of the Ceramic DM stories involve
horror or cruelty; what we have here is a self-aware piece against
industrialization that doesn’t end up bogging down in rhetoric. By framing
it from the feys’ point of view, the unusual tactics used to combat
pollution and the destruction of nature end up feeling quite fresh.
Lobbyists going hiking, indeed.
Good photo use, as well.
Midnight Reel:
Apropos of nothing, I can’t read the phrase “rouged lips” without thinking
that someone misspelled “rogue.” EN World has corrupted me.
Mythago has a rare talent for making people and places come alive. It’s in
the detail, I think; the proper vernacular, the songs that are played, the
accents of the people speaking, the taste of food. This story is not her
strongest but it’s still darned good. Even better, it’s consistently strong
throughout. My biggest complaint is that the inclusion of the Chinese man
seemed slightly strained. Not badly, though, and not enough to taint an
otherwise good story.
Judgment:
[sblock]Let’s be straightforward here: I thought both of these stories were
excellent, Thorod’s for tone and subject and Mythago’s for imagery and
pathos. I’m tossed this around for days, and I think that Mythago’s entry
has a slight edge due to the difficulty of a period piece. Thus Mythago has
my judgment, but both competitors have my praise. Nice work.[/sblock]
Decision: [sblock] Looks like Mythago slides into the finals in a split decision, 2-1[/sblock]
