Ceramic DM Winter 07 (Final Judgment Posted)

[maxfieldjadenfox]

Spoiler:

Spoiler

Gulla, thanks for the critique. I definitely saw problems with the story and would have done some major changing if A.) I had had more time (which is always a CDM whine) and B.) If I hadn't been knocked flat by a virus... (Aris, is it possible I caught it from you over the internet? )
That being said, I think Carpedave's story for this round was pretty un beatable, so even if I had whipped mine into better shape, I think it would have been for naught.

 

[Berandor]

400 posts, and still round 1. Wow.

 

[Aris Dragonborn]

And I'll echo what Piratecat and yangnome said. Well done, Aris, for posting what you had so far. Can you tell us (me) what you were planning to do with the pictures?

Sorry it's taken me so long to reply.

The story was going to center around the leprechaun, and the three wishes he grants to the main character. I was going to have some sort of moral in the story, along the lines of "Be careful of what you wish for...". The picture of the two people holding up knives were going to kill someone for the main character, which was a twist on one of his wishes. I had not, unfortunately, come up with anything for the other two pictures when I came down with this virus.

That's about it.

 

[yangnome]

OK, I'm back from swimming with seals and dolphins. Here's the plan for the next round:

I can't pair people up yet, because we still have to decide who the favored loser is. This time instead of pairing by availability, I'm going to do it the old fashioned way and make the pairings first (randomly assigned except for the round with the top story vs. top loser) and then let you guys tell me when you'll both be available.

My target date to have matchups paired is Wednesday. I'll be able to start the next rounds as soon as the contestants can agree on a time window for pictures.

 

[Gulla]

400 posts, and still round 1. Wow.

Seems that both the participants and the spectators are talkative this time around. And what's up with the new avatar?

Håkon

 

[carpedavid]

So, that was 14 stories commented on. That is a new personal best. I hope I kan keep it up through the whole competition.

Thanks for the comments Gulla! I'll echo Piratecat and say that it's great that you're commenting on every story. I know that, as a writer, it's always immensely satisfying to get constructive feedback - good or bad.

 

[Rodrigo Istalindir]

Thanks, Gulla. I missed your commentary first time around -- must have been the 4am post-time

[sblock]
I think you see a lot of 'hard boiled' stories (although I think mine only dips a toe in those waters) because it's an easy genre to work with. It gives the story a lot of flavor and setting for free. It also sets up a strong protagonist that I think is often necessary in Ceramic DM in order to provide the pacing and action to satisfy the pictures. And, too, I think some of us just like the genre.

Charlie helped Gretchen not because he loved her (though he did), but because he wanted her to love him again. He came to realize that you can't control or understand what other people feel; the best you can hope for is to understand and control what you feel. Yeah, that probably bites off a lot of stuff to chew in a Ceramic DM shortstory.

[/sblock]

 

[Berandor]

Seems that both the participants and the spectators are talkative this time around. And what's up with the new avatar?

Håkon

There's this thread about avatars here that made me consider changing mine. So I'll probably use a new avatar for each round I advance, and when I lose, I'll keep the current one.

Or perhaps I shouldn't reward the losing picture and switch to the next avatar in line? Hmm... choices.

Of course, thanks from me as well. If the contestants are anything like myself, we all crave feedback. You're doing a good job of keeping us going, then.

Edit: These are other possible avatars, Gulla. Which would you prefer?

 

[Rodrigo Istalindir]

And what's up with the new avatar?

The combination of Ceramic DM and that writing seminar he's in has him channeling his inner angsty German. It's just a phase -- it'll pass.

 

[Berandor]

The combination of Ceramic DM and that writing seminar he's in has him channeling his inner angsty German. It's just a phase -- it'll pass.

Damn. that's true, of course.

The seminar was truly awful. The poet/teacher didn't even attend the final session, and so we sat around talking freely about the stories. A greater heap of pretension has rarely been encountered. In the end, we were all good friends, and all our stories were valuable and wonderful in their own ways (even those written by legasthenic analphabets without sense for structure, tension, or characterization), and I longed to hear some good judgement, Ceramic DM style (or even, Nemmerle forbid, Iron DM). All the while snow was falling outside, but when I finally left, it had already thawed away. So I'm really somewhat egocentrically adrift right now, going through a slew of new faces to present the world.

The worst thing right now is, I don't want to take on any of the other contestants – they're all so good.

It'll make me feel bad when I oust them.

Here's my inner angsty German: