IWT 9 - Results

[Usoki]

Well, the results are in. We've definitely got fewer votes than last year... but then again, there were also fewer stories. Last year, about half of the votes came in early. This year, none of them did. Even before the site started having issues, I didn't receive any votes in advance. Anyway, there are enough to call a clear winner, so I'm just going to go ahead and call it. The winner is... me. Yeah, I know. So here are all of the numbers.

Because of Threadkiller, I had to run three different sets of numbers. I was waiting for the day someone would try and use their vote to sabotage the contest. So, both of his votes have been removed from the first set of numbers. Yes, both.

Here's the first set of numbers- which I am calling the official set of numbers.
Usoki- 39.8
BatCountry- 36.0
Threadkiller- 22.3

BatC and I's scores have been adjusted to exclude TK's vote. I've opted to post it here, so you can all see why I opted to exclude it.

USOKI______

okay first off your writting was good, spelling & etc. a little too god actually
it like there was nothing to break it up, i got bored so fast

like why bother if ur going to be so anal about it? 3 at best

PLOT
well it sux. sry to say it but it does. the whole thing takes place in an offivce. it is so dull. NOTHING HAPPENS. U get a sempathy point for the demons. 1

ENJOYMENT i did not enjoy it at all 0

THEME
i guess u had all characters. but does it matter? maybe I get you on a technclity. fuck it. its like your characters just ran around anaaly fisting themselves for no reason. you get a 5 for coloring in the lines

STYLE 3
PLOT 1
ENJOYMENT* 0
THEME 5

BATCOUNTRY__________

okay well it was better than usucky, at least it has action. hey thanx for your comment on TRASH DAY! you get a 4

PLOT
i dunno, it was a little like LOST. so I think u ripped something off ther. bunch of ppl, running aroiund in the jungle. so like 1

ENJOYMENT
it sucked bro. but at least i could read it unlike usucky's POS. you get a 2

THEME: weak shit here. you tried and that is worth 3/ no more

WRITTING 4
PLOT 1
ENJOYMENTT* 2
THEME 3

THREADKILLER_____

My story is awesome, nuff said.

WRITING 9 and 1/2 cause phone messes w/ spelling
PLOT 10
ENJOYMENT* 10
THEME 10


so add that shit up lol

8======> 0-:}

(i own ur soul)

Nice of him to vote on his own story, huh? So, then, here are the second set of numbers. I've factored in TK's vote on BatC and I's stories, but I've still left out the part where he voted for himself. Because that is clearly against the rules.

Usoki- 32.1
BatCountry- 30.0
ThreadKiller- 22.3

And then there's the last vote. "Pauline" submitted a vote immediately after TK submitted his. Their bias and command of the English language are the exact same. And Pauline's account was created on the same day that the ballot was sent. Gosh, I wonder if that account was faked?

Hello! I have just read your contest stories
here is my vote. I will * Plot.

USOKI

I am sorry but I didnot like this. It was far too dull. I had to be stoned off my ass to read it. And it still was not worth doing.

writing stly: 3
Plot: 2
Enjoyment: 1
Theme: 3

BATCOUNTRY

it was just okay. Not bad for a 1st try. but not good. Try harder next time

Writing Style: 3
Plot: 4
Enjoyment: 3
Theme: 2

THREADKILLER

This story was so refreshing. Just as I was about to give up. The action was awesome, it was also funny

Writing style: 9
Plot: 10
Enjoyment: 10
Theme: 8

I've still excluded TK's self vote, but just for the sake of argument that Pauline is real... here are the numbers:
Usoki- 27.9
BatCountry- 27.2
ThreadKiller- 27.2

So. There we are. Story comments to go to your inboxes momentarily. And on a closing note:

my stry is going to shit on ur parents & rape your dog.

& if you lose you have to tape a shoe to your head & hop around in a circle on one foot while gargling ur own semen, mastrubating to Mozart, and tryign to order a pizza.

Try to get that on video if you can, ThreadKiller.

[Usoki]

Per normal procedure... you are encouraged to create your own separate thread to post the critiques, and comment upon them.

The next contest is going to be decided by me, but I will probably bounce out a few ideas to see what is likely to have the most interest. Next week-ish, probably.

[End Master]

I would've voted for Threadkiller to win, but I was too busy putting a saddle on his mom and riding her like Sarah Jessica Parker's equine face. LOLOLOLOLOLOL!

Get horse raped. /thread

Oh and congrats Usoki.

[donteatpoop]

Congrats, Usucky!

[Usoki]

Christ on a cracker, why is it March already? Augh!

Okay, so. I'm leaning heavily toward the first prompt, but I'm going to throw both of them out there for the hell of it.

1) The Mary Sue- Your protagonist is vastly overpowered compared to everyone and everything else around them. Maybe it's a magical item they own. Maybe it's a talent or skill only they possess. Or maybe they're just simply gods roaming the mortal plane. Whatever the reason, no other character in the story is anywhere near as powerful. They can still have close calls, for narrative purposes. And it's a CYOA, so your Mary Sue can still be defeated for dead end purposes. But it needs to be clear that the character is a Mary Sue. The challenge comes in balancing the character with the reader's desire to read and not get sick of it. EndMaster's Necromancer would be a very challenging competitor, except for the part where it's over 5 years old.

2) The Infinite Story- Yes, I'm bringing this one up again. The idea is that the story can be about whatever you want, as long as there are no loose ends or dead ends. Every choice in the story must loop back somewhere else. It's generally met with apathy, but perhaps you find it better than the alternative?

It's going to be one or the other.

[End Master]

I dunno, doesn't the fact that the character can be defeated or killed in some way go against the very idea of a Mary Sue?

Never really saw the necromancer as a Mary Sue, he's basically a villain protagonist with several negative traits and can get killed all the time. Generally I always saw a Mary Sue type character as completely infallible which would typically be impossible to write in a CYOA at least from the reader's perspective since they have the chance to lose or die.

I guess definitions vary on the matter though.

[Usoki]

... I always saw a Mary Sue type character as completely infallible which would typically be impossible to write in a CYOA at least from the reader's perspective since they have the chance to lose or die...

Okay, yes, I am taking the definition with a grain of salt, and not taking it quite so literally. I can change it from "The Mary Sue" to "The Overpowered" if need be, but the idea is the same. And, honestly, that's why I'm citing Necromancer as an example. It probably needs clarifying. The character can lose or die in the dead-end branches. The character can experience hardship on the 'winning' branch. But at the same, it should be evident that the protagonist is much more powerful than anyone else.

[dreamshell]

I actually like the idea of the Infinite Story more. It has intriguing possibilities... though reading others' entries might get tiresome. <_<

Plus, there's no ambiguity of definitions there, it's very clear-cut. So there's my vote. To the lesser of two evils!

[BatCountry]

I'm going to throw my vote toward the first choice, the Mary-Sue. Just seems like it would be more interesting and not as tiresome as an actual infinite story. I guess what bothers me the most about the infinite story idea is that there are no restrictions as to content or characters.

In a contest such as this I prefer for there to be some sort of stipulation within the plot, such as an over powered protagonist. I just think it makes things more interesting to see how people's stories vary due to said stipulation. That's why I've enjoyed the last two contests. The Sci-Fi contest had you choose from a list 3 tropes and the Character contest had you choose 3 characters. In this contest I would also like to see a list in that regard. Maybe it's a really small list, but I find it fun to choose things that kind of force you to write a certain way. Could be I'm the only one who enjoys that.

Also the problem I have with a TRUE infinite story is that I like to kill the main character. I NEED to kill the main character sometimes. It's just fun to write horrifying endings and make the reader feel like crap.

I will most likely participate if infinite story is chosen, but I definitley prefer the Mary-Sue idea. My only request is that maybe you add a small list that we can choose from, of things we can implement into our story. Only because I'm a needy bastard and like that sort of stuff.

[Usoki]

I swear I have not forgotten about this. I just... haven't had a great past few months. Plus life and laziness. Ugh.

After much thought, and consideration from imput this year and last year, I have decided to go with the Mary Sue theme. I'll probably change the phrasing to 'overpowered' when I write up the full contest rules, but that's the one we're going with. The infinite idea did not go over well last year, when more people weighed their thoughts. Plus it does limit entrants by definition of being infinite- there couldn't be any loose ends. I'd really like this to be an 'easy to do' contest, especially having just finished up with a character grab bag with all sorts of rules. So, since there is no mass objection to the first idea, I'm going to set the infinite idea aside.

Writeup to come soon-ish. I'm on pain killers and antibiotics. Cut me some slack, dammit.

[MadBaggins]

I'm on pain killers and antibiotics

send your leftover meds to my pobox pls.

have some beef w/ your election results & i will get into that later

but both of your ideas are shit. they say u cant polish a turd lol

try again & this time don't embarrass yourself