Round 2 Finalists Neurotica Thread

[William Haskins]

mis·un·der·stand·ing n.


A failure to understand or interpret correctly.
A disagreement or quarrel.
misunderstanding

n 1: putting the wrong interpretation on; "his misinterpretation of the question caused his error"; "there was no mistaking her meaning" 2: an understanding of something that is not correct; "he wasn't going to admit his mistake"; "make no mistake about his intentions"; "there must be some misunderstanding--I don't have a sister"

[William Haskins]

yeah... i'm the only neurotic finalist.

fine.

[trumancoyote]

Yeah, that's about it, crazy. You're crazy.

But then, I'm pretty lost as to how far to take this idear. Like, how far would be stretchin' it too far, y'know?

[William Haskins]

i think we both know the answer to that. all the way. till it snaps.

[trumancoyote]

Will it grow back if I snap it?

[jdkiggins]

William,

Even your kind and considerate post with the definition to misunderstanding is not helping me think of what to write. :(
I had one paragraph; it's in the garbage with about 20 sheets of worthless scribbles.
Now, if the theme was emotional disorder, I'd have a book written by now. :roll:
Joanne

[Rhush]

I get ya, Joanne! What's funny about that, is my story so far could pretty much be catagorized as the lead charater having an emotional disorder, or her mom having the misunderstanding. Depending on how you look at it. Weird.

[William Haskins]

perhaps someone should seize upon the plot of a writer who misunderstands the theme of misunderstanding in an online writing contest, then writes a story that is intended to be about misunderstanding, but is misunderstood by the readers, who vote for said writer's competitors, before ultimately realizing they read the entry clouded by misunderstanding, and then they try to change their votes through a misunderstanding of the rules, end up allegedly threatening the mods, get arrested and then claim it was just a big misunderstanding.

[Birol]

My head hurts....

[brokenfingers]

So basically you're saying that you concede because you're worried you might get arrested.

Am I right in my assumption?

[William Haskins]

i think you're misunderstanding.

besides, i never surrender. i'm stubborn to the point of psychosis.

[brokenfingers]

besides, i never surrender. i'm stubborn to the point of psychosis.

Ahhhhhh..... A true writer indeed.....

[jdkiggins]

Oh William, I don't understand. Or is it that I misunderstand? :Shrug:

[jdkiggins]

From about 8:30 this evening until 15 minutes ago, I worked on my Idol piece. I'm finished. It's tucked away under the same magazine I'd hid last week's entry. I won't look at it again for a few days, then I'll edit.

WOO HOO. :snoopy: I'm on to something new to write. :partyguy:

[sgtsdaughter]

perhaps someone should seize upon the plot of a writer who misunderstands the theme of misunderstanding in an online writing contest, then writes a story that is intended to be about misunderstanding, but is misunderstood by the readers, who vote for said writer's competitors, before ultimately realizing they read the entry clouded by misunderstanding, and then they try to change their votes through a misunderstanding of the rules, end up allegedly threatening the mods, get arrested and then claim it was just a big misunderstanding.

that needs beer to go with it.

[brokenfingers]

Wait a minute. So you're saying that they need to put beer into their stories or you won't vote for them????

[sgtsdaughter]

that too. but beer and reading, writing, and deeply searching the meaning of misunderstanding the theories of misunderstanding. beer will help.

but, seriously without or without the beer the finalist need to get me some good reads. i'm bored and my lecture isn't writing itself--i.e. help me procrastinate.

[firehorse]

Two friends have now suggested I write something completely irrelevant and end my piece with "I misinterpreted the assignment." I may not make it to the final three, but I'm not leaving that easily ;)

Is anyone else having trouble distinguishing between deceit and misinterpretation? Maybe it's just the situation I've chosen, but it seems like most misinterpretations involve deceit on one part, if not both.

And William, for some reason I didn't see this thread until today. I am absolutely neurotic (but gee, you never would've guessed that, would you? :roll: )

skc

[rhymegirl]

I think a misunderstanding is just that. The person did not understand something right. It doesn't necessarily have to do with deceit.

[William Haskins]

i don't understand.

[firehorse]

Which part?

---
Never mind. It was my own lack of clarity in my story that had me questioning the line between the two.

Carry on. :)

[jdkiggins]

Is anyone else having trouble distinguishing between deceit and misinterpretation?
skc

Nope.
I agree with Kate. A misundertanding is just that.

Deceit is when a person misleads another or is fraudulent about something. To me deceit is comparable to a lie.

Misunderstaning/deceit--like comparing apples and oranges as far as I'm concerned.

[BlueTexas]

I understood the part about the beer. And the part about Firehorse not copping out. Beyond that...I need a beer.

[sgtsdaughter]

cheers blue. now where's will when we need him?

Oh, Will. Oh, Will.

Did you guys kill him off before the deadline this week?

[BlueTexas]

Not yet. Saving that for vote counting neurotica again!

[BlakeOvard]

Just so you all know, I get nine, count 'em N I N E, votes this week. Right, Jenna!? You people should be trying to woo me. Beer is a good thing, as has been previously suggested. I'm pretty sure that I do get 9 votes this week... At least I think I get 9 votes this week... maybe. I might just get that one little silly vote of mine, and all this 9 vote stuff was a misunderstanding...

[jdkiggins]

Yep, you totally misunderstood. You get 10 votes. Or was it 11?
Well, I'm sure of one thing; there seems to be enough booze around here that I'm sure someone will share it with you. :)

If you're interested in sweets and coffee, I'll get my coffee pot started now and the chocolate cake will be finished in about 20 minutes.

[BlakeOvard]

Yep, you totally misunderstood. You get 10 votes. Or was it 11?
Well, I'm sure of one thing; there seems to be enough booze around here that I'm sure someone will share it with you. :)

If you're interested in sweets and coffee, I'll get my coffee pot started now and the chocolate cake will be finished in about 20 minutes.

Mmmmmmmm chocolate cake and coffee. I'll be there in 20 mins! :D

[Birol]

Yeah, but Blake, if you use all your votes this week, you won't have any left for the rest of the competition.

[jdkiggins]

:ROFL:

[reph]

Deceit. The perpetrator deceives, and the mark misunderstands. So: misunderstanding.

[BlakeOvard]

Yeah, but Blake, if you use all your votes this week, you won't have any left for the rest of the competition.

Oh.




Join the BlakeOvard BONKED me! club.

[jdkiggins]

Hmm. I must not be too confused after all.
Glad you figured it out Blake. :)

[firehorse]

I know Haskins and Zach have 36 hours left, but when does voting begin and end?

[rhymegirl]

Sarah, I checked a post of Jenna's for Week 1 to see what we did the first time. She posted it at 12:50 AM telling people they could go ahead and vote. I think that was a Sunday night, early Monday morning? So then people had basically three days to vote because I think they had to vote by Wednesday night at 10. If she does it the same way this time people will start voting tomorrow and have to be done by Sunday night? That's my guess anyways.

[rhymegirl]

Oh and they only have 11 hours left. The deadline is tonight.

[firehorse]

(Sarah, to self): Brain... Brain? Please come back...

[reph]

Not only the finalists are unsure. When does the window for voting begin and end?

[William Haskins]

so, when's the deadline?

[Birol]

Oh and they only have 11 hours left. The deadline is tonight.

Oh, shoot, the deadline's tonight? *sigh* More reading I'm behind on....

[jdkiggins]

(Sarah, to self): Brain... Brain? Please come back...

Oh Sarah, sorry. It must be the one that I found on my kitchen table. I knew it wasn't mine; it was, well...let's say still in tact. You can have it back now, but I appreciate looking at it for a bit. :roll:

[firehorse]

I appreciate looking at it for a bit. :roll:If you can figure it out, please let me know! ;)

[jdkiggins]

Sorry, you're on your own there. I have a hard enough time figuring out my own brain. :) Which is exactly why I gave it back. Too much to relearn; done that too many times already.

[Rhush]

So what are missing from the entries? 3?

[jdkiggins]

No. Three was a judge. :ROFL:

We're missing William and truman.

[BlueTexas]

Are we going to have to start killing each other off again before they post??

[William Haskins]

aw... i miss you guys, too.

[jdkiggins]

Oh William, do I have to beg you again?

[BlueTexas]

It sounds like Firehorse is, but is anyone else writing outside their norm for the contest? I've always wanted to write fiction, but never thought I could come up with anything interesting enough, so this has been a great experience for me--jumping away from non-fic.

[rhymegirl]

Well, to answer that, Kira, my norm is greeting cards so I'm definitely writing outside my norm.

[jdkiggins]

Firehorse and Blue,
I wish I could say I'm writing "outside" my norm, but I can't. It's not because I write only essays or nonfiction, my first entry was an excerpt from my fiction WIP. I write a bit of everything: horror, thriller, mystery, romance, contemporary fiction, interviews, how-to's, and other nonfiction articles. I guess I don't have a norm. :Shrug:

[trumancoyote]

Whew! Fy-nuh-lee.

Sorry for being dead on the board of late, guys -- been busy.

As for writing what we're used to, I'm not much accustomed to writing about misunderstandings, so this prompt was sure as Hell out of my norm :) Heheheh.

Good luck everyone!

[BlueTexas]

It's kind of cool that the challenges are really challenging us as writers...aside from trying to write well.

[DJP]

Yeah, I've discovered that I really like writing for an adult audience. Normally I write for little kids.

[trumancoyote]

Yeah, this way, we can write about dirty things! :'O!

[Melina]

Having read all your entries, I'd never believe any of you were writing outside your norm. Awesome work, you guys! Really, the pieces are all so deftly crafted--you should all be really proud of yourselves.

Melina

[pepperlandgirl]

Speaking of Neurotica, I dreamt last night that I lost this round and I woke up, kind of brokenhearted.

Of course, judging from the "Justify your vote thread" I might be able to start a business as a seer....

[DJP]

Don't worry, Pepper, the jusitfy your vote thread isn't building any confidence for me just yet!

[William Haskins]

djp and pepper,

let's just make a mad dash for em. they can only kill one of us.

[BlakeOvard]

djp and pepper,

let's just make a mad dash for em. they can only kill one of us.

Well, like the Texas Ranger said when faced with a riot crowd that was about to storm the jail. "Nope, I can't kill all of you. I've got two six shooters which means I've got 12 bullets. I can only kill the first 12. Who wants to be first?" :guns:

[firehorse]

Of course, judging from the "Justify your vote thread" I might be able to start a business as a seer....I don't think that thread bears any real relation to how things will turn out. You both had strong entries (we all did, I think), and I can't tell who might go out in this round. The positive feedback boosted my self-esteem, but I could be out as easily as anyone else. All the posts are from forum regulars, which may not be the way the general vote goes. It seems like everyone posted their top three, but they can only vote for one, so... I just keep hearing that opening song from A Chorus Line, "I Hope I Get It." I do hope more people voted this time.

Darla and Pepper, I know how you feel, because that's how I felt last week: "Wait - what about me?" It did a number on my already-fragile self-esteem. And even though I felt honoured (relieved is more like it) by the boosts I got this week, I'm still disappointed in myself for not making Jenna's top three.

I still think the "Justify Your Vote" thread and indeed any mention of votes should wait till after the polls are closed - not only might it sway other voters, but it makes us all freaked out... except Haskins who, I think, never freaks out ;).

Anyway, :Hug2:

[brinkett]

I still think the "Justify Your Vote" thread and indeed any mention of votes should wait till after the polls are closed - not only might it sway other voters, but it makes us all freaked out... except Haskins who, I think, never freaks out ;).

I agree that people shouldn't say who they voted for until after the voting closes. That's why I only made general remarks and didn't comment on any specific piece (or say who I voted for). I think it's naive to think that people won't be swayed. For example, if someone has limited time, they might only read those pieces that are mentioned a lot, and skip the rest. It's too late for this contest, but if there's ever a contest again, I think revealing votes and the discussion of specific pieces should remain off limits until AFTER the voting deadline.

[firehorse]

It's too late for this contest, but if there's ever a contest again, I think revealing votes and the discussion of specific pieces should remain off limits until AFTER the voting deadline.Well, eight people will still have five rounds to go (to the final three). It's not too late to try and stem the tide in the next few weeks.

[JennaGlatzer]

I think it's naive to think that people won't be swayed.

Well, I'll tell you this much: If the first week's "Justify Your Vote" thread is an indication, no one was swayed.

The person who got the most votes in the first week was barely mentioned by anyone on the thread, and two people who were mentioned pretty frequently were in the bottom half.

I'm not cutting off voter commentary. I like to keep you folks neurotic. ;)

Okay, honestly? Consider it a skin-thickening exercise. I've often said that my success as a writer is due to two things: persistence and skin of steel. I'm a sensitive person in about every area of my life *except* my writing talent.

With voters, just like with editors, there are a million reasons why someone will have a personal preference to a particular piece or writing style; just because yours wasn't chosen doesn't mean the person thinks you're a bad writer or a bad person.

And to put it another way: in the first round, you ALL GOT VOTES, meaning that for every one of you, some strangers thought your work was the very best. I'm eager to see what the actual breakdown will look like this week, but my guess is that it'll be an even closer race.

People really do have minds of their own, which is why you don't see every person posting the same choices in that thread. They're writers, and if they care enough to vote, they care enough to read the entries and judge for themselves. Trust in that.

[BlueTexas]

With voters, just like with editors, there are a million reasons why someone will have a personal preference to a particular piece or writing style; just because yours wasn't chosen doesn't mean the person thinks you're a bad writer or a bad person.

And to put it another way: in the first round, you ALL GOT VOTES, meaning that for every one of you, some strangers thought your work was the very best. I'm eager to see what the actual breakdown will look like this week, but my guess is that it'll be an even closer race.

People really do have minds of their own, which is why you don't see every person posting the same choices in that thread. They're writers, and if they care enough to vote, they care enough to read the entries and judge for themselves. Trust in that.

I think it's pretty awesome that we all got votes in the first round, especially when only about 100 people voted. Somebody really liked our work, twice! How cool is that!

I think the different reasons people voted for particular entries is fascinating, and I'm learning a lot about what people are looking for in stories in general. Free useful feedback. Again, how cool is that!

[BlueTexas]

I still think the "Justify Your Vote" thread and indeed any mention of votes should wait till after the polls are closed - not only might it sway other voters, but it makes us all freaked out... except Haskins who, I think, never freaks out ;).

Anyway, :Hug2:

Trust in your work, Firehorse, and forget the rest. It's good--remember, you beat out 297 other people, plus one last week. There's the proof in the pudding.

Not to mention the fact that you've been mentioned 9 times in this thread, more than any other finalist.

[brinkett]

The person who got the most votes in the first week was barely mentioned by anyone on the thread, and two people who were mentioned pretty frequently were in the bottom half.

Could we have an American Idol dynamic going on here, in that people assume those mentioned a lot are "safe" and so throw votes to those who aren't???

(I'm not really being serious--just being an annoying pain in the you know what. :cool: )

But yeah, you're all finalists for a reason. Somebody "has to go home" every week, but don't let that discourage you. You're all winners.

Okay, I'll stop channeling Paula now...

[firehorse]

Consider it a skin-thickening exercise. I've often said that my success as a writer is due to two things: persistence and skin of steel. :roll: (at myself, not at you) I just posted on another thread that one of my biggest weaknesses is my thin skin. This contest has already pushed me to write in new styles; it makes perfect sense to try and learn how to not take every last thing personally. (Narcissistic? Anxious? Who, me?)

People really do have minds of their own, which is why you don't see every person posting the same choices in that thread. They're writers, and if they care enough to vote, they care enough to read the entries and judge for themselves. Trust in that.Another of my weaknesses: not trusting the reader.

Wow, I knew I was learning a lot from this contest, but I think I'm learning even more than I realized. Thanks, Jenna :)!

[Rhush]

Not that it matters... but is there any way that we could post who got the most votes at the end of each round? We obviously learn who gets the least, it might be kind of interesting to find out what entry earns the most. Find out what kind of work was the most popular that round. Plus, I know I can't be the only one that's curious!

[BlueTexas]

Not that it matters... but is there any way that we could post who got the most votes at the end of each round? We obviously learn who gets the least, it might be kind of interesting to find out what entry earns the most. Find out what kind of work was the most popular that round. Plus, I know I can't be the only one that's curious!

I'm curious, too, but I'm not sure how I would feel if I knew I was almost booted out. It might spur me on, then again, it might put me into a funk. I'm dying to know, once the whole thing is over.

Plus, if people like the person who got the least, might they not get some 'popularity' votes rather than votes on merit? Perhaps I'm over-analyzing.

In any case, I hope the results get posted quickly!

[jdkiggins]

:TheWave:

There wasn't any hand holding smilies.

Forty-eight minutes and counting.

Good luck everyone!

:Hug2:

[maestrowork]

I think disclosing ranking or actual vote counts would be a bad idea. That's what I think.

[jdkiggins]

I don't really care one way or another if the vote tally is shown. When the competition is over, I wouldn't mind for others to tell me what they did or didn't like about my entries. Any critiquing and commenting on my work from another view is helpful. There is always room for improvement.

[Rhush]

Yeah...I didn't so much mean a tally of every one's votes. I meant more of a "this person came in at the top of the votes" and kinda leave us middle plp to just know we were somewhere in between.

[Rhush]

Oh, and way to go on the team spirit Jdkiggins!

[BlueTexas]

I wonder if more than 101 people voted this time? I sure hope so. It helps everyone's odds.

[jdkiggins]

Anyone want a cup of coffee? I need some tonight to stay awake.

[BlueTexas]

mmmm...coffee.

You know how you can feel when someone is starting at the back of your head? I wonder how Melina feels tonight...

[jdkiggins]

LOL, Melina "the sainted vote counter" is not showing as being online.

[Rhush]

Wow. Doesn't it just feel like this round is taking forever? It probably isn't taking any longer than the 1st one, but boy oh boy.... maybe it's just because the board has been so dead. I don't know why I'm so anxious anyway. If I move on I'll just be freaking out tom. over the new theme!

[BlueTexas]

Well said, Rhush. I will be too.

[pepperlandgirl]

I feel like it's taking forever as well. *bites fingernails*

[jdkiggins]

What fingernails? Who's nervous?

This could cause a person to start smoking again!

[Rhush]

We need an interactive time passer since we're all hanging out during this agonizing episode of missing time.

[jdkiggins]

Go pass time by telling William to knock it off! LOL

[Rhush]

Yeah I saw that...and refused to be fooled again. It worked last time though. About five times!

[sgtsdaughter]

JD and Rhush,

I did that one for ya! :poke:

[jdkiggins]

Thanks sgt. I told him he won and he can go to bed now. :)

[pepperlandgirl]

What fingernails? Who's nervous?

This could cause a person to start smoking again!


Mmmmmmsmokingmmmm

It's a good thing I don't have any cigarettes on my person.

[Rhush]

So you're the one poking me in the head, huh? Oh goodness. That's not you.... :Jaw:

[Rhush]

wow you plp get a lot written while I'm sorting through the smileys.

[sgtsdaughter]

Thanks sgt. I told him he won and he can go to bed now. :)

Yes, but you know--the devil never sleeps. Will and Opti will forever haunt this board.

Hey, for those three revotes--stay away from your nails today. And honestly, all the entries were great. You should have no regrets.

[jdkiggins]

Now you want to talk neurotica.
I keep getting these PM's and e-mails with subject lines that say SUDDEN DEATH and DEATH MATCH. That's pretty scary with all this death around me. :)