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Competition Story Winners

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marna69
Active Ink Slinger
Are you a judge, winner, author or reader of the competition stories???

I'm trying to figure out how the top three "On The Road" stories won the Feb/Mar 2017 writing competition. The stories certainly seemed deserving, but how were those picked.
Aside from the basics, such as grammar, spelling, story, characters, etc., interested in viewpoints on...

(a) What characteristics are present in winning stories, compared to the rest?

(b) What styles of writing are favored, and what are disliked? For example, would James Joyce, Ernest Hemingway, or William Faulkner be more likely to win, assuming they dabbled in erotica. I'm assuming Hemingway's more plebian approach would be favored or the complicated sentences of Faulkner, or the dense literary allusions of Joyce, but perhaps I'm wrong.

(c) Assuming all other things are equal, to what degree does the writer's previous contributions here on Lush influence judging? Does a lot of work here help? Do high reader scores help? Do previous competitions entries help? Do previous competition victories help (or hurt) ?

(d) Aside from the obvious, what other factors help make a winner?

(e) Finally, has competition victory helped you promote yourself as an author, and if so, how did you use it?

Inquiring minds want to know!
Guest
Lurker
I think there's a rubric somewhere.
Jen
Charming as fuck
Quote by oceanrunner
I think there's a rubric somewhere.


*Falls about laughing*
sprite
Her Royal Spriteness
Quote by oceanrunner
I think there's a rubric somewhere.


You can’t truly call yourself peaceful unless you are capable of violence. If you’re not capable of violence, you’re not peaceful. You’re harmless.
Burquette
Bug
Quote by oceanrunner
I think there's a rubric somewhere.


Liz
Scarlet Seductress
Quote by marna69
Are you a judge, winner, author or reader of the competition stories???

I'm trying to figure out how the top three "On The Road" stories won the Feb/Mar 2017 writing competition. The stories certainly seemed deserving, but how were those picked.
Aside from the basics, such as grammar, spelling, story, characters, etc., interested in viewpoints on...

(a) What characteristics are present in winning stories, compared to the rest?

(b) What styles of writing are favored, and what are disliked? For example, would James Joyce, Ernest Hemingway, or William Faulkner be more likely to win, assuming they dabbled in erotica. I'm assuming Hemingway's more plebian approach would be favored or the complicated sentences of Faulkner, or the dense literary allusions of Joyce, but perhaps I'm wrong.

(c) Assuming all other things are equal, to what degree does the writer's previous contributions here on Lush influence judging? Does a lot of work here help? Do high reader scores help? Do previous competitions entries help? Do previous competition victories help (or hurt) ?

(d) Aside from the obvious, what other factors help make a winner?

(e) Finally, has competition victory helped you promote yourself as an author, and if so, how did you use it?

Inquiring minds want to know!


I'll try to answer your questions as best I can.

A - Judges look for a whole range of things in stories such as plot originality, character development, realistic dialogue, sentence structure, grammar, punctuation, whether or not it is sexy as fuck, etc. Basically, everything that makes a good erotic story.

B - Stylistic preferences are down purely to the individual judges. Each will have their own, I'm sure.

C - Absolutely none. Entries are judged on their own merits. Jen's link above contains a post from the site owner which explains the technical points of the selection process in detail.

D - None.

E - I can only speak for myself but I've never used a competition win or placement for promotional purposes. You might garner a few new 'followers' on the back of a competition entry however. This is more likely to be due to the fact that some people reading your entry will not have read your work before though. Competitions are a good way to discover new authors.

smile
Guest
Lurker
Quote by marna69
Are you a judge, winner, author or reader of the competition stories???

I'm trying to figure out how the top three "On The Road" stories won the Feb/Mar 2017 writing competition. The stories certainly seemed deserving, but how were those picked.
Aside from the basics, such as grammar, spelling, story, characters, etc., interested in viewpoints on...

(a) What characteristics are present in winning stories, compared to the rest?

(b) What styles of writing are favored, and what are disliked? For example, would James Joyce, Ernest Hemingway, or William Faulkner be more likely to win, assuming they dabbled in erotica. I'm assuming Hemingway's more plebian approach would be favored or the complicated sentences of Faulkner, or the dense literary allusions of Joyce, but perhaps I'm wrong.

(c) Assuming all other things are equal, to what degree does the writer's previous contributions here on Lush influence judging? Does a lot of work here help? Do high reader scores help? Do previous competitions entries help? Do previous competition victories help (or hurt) ?

(d) Aside from the obvious, what other factors help make a winner?

(e) Finally, has competition victory helped you promote yourself as an author, and if so, how did you use it?

Inquiring minds want to know!


First off, I think it's important to be careful with the timing of such questions, especially w a comp that you entered. It's very hard for anyone to ask these questions (except for maybe the winner) without it seeming like some kind of sour grapes, even if that's not at all what was intended, especially a day or so after results are announced.

That said, I'll add my two cents, which in some cases overlaps a lot w what Liz just said.

a) If you read a range of winners and runners-up, you'll see that they're basically all damned good, but very different. There are "literary" stories, and plain-spoken raunchy ones, and everything in between. I've come to think that a submission that is a full "story," that is, something with a plot that goes beyond mere set-up for a sex scene, has a better shot than a pure sex scene. But there have been exceptions to that too.

b) The results, especially over time, seem to bear out that no one style is favored overall.

c) I have every confidence that the judges do as much as possible to be completely impartial in a system where entries can't be anonymous (without radically overhauling the system, that is). The fact that relative newcomers have come in and done well right off the bat in competitions bears this out.

d) What she said.

e) By the time I won a competition, I think my name was as "out there" as it was going to get on lush. I'm sure winning brought a few new readers to my winning entry, but as far as votes and comments on that story went, the vast majority came before the competition results were announced. (I found it quite hard to write my first story after the competition win, fwiw. I had this egotistical idea that now people had a higher level of expectation for my work. After a while it occurred to me that next to no one would be thinking that way, except for me, and I was able to write stuff that excited me without worrying about what others thought of it, too much.)
Buz
The Linebacker
As far as promoting a story that won or placed in a competition.

I always promote my most recent story posted as a Forum banner for my posts. I haven't posted a story since two competitions ago when I placed second in a competition. So since I always make a graphic for that, I added the 2nd place and EP ribbon duplicate to that story's graphic. That is the first time I had done that. (A picture with titties might work the best of anything.)

I don't know that it has had any real influence on getting extra views.

I am way overdue getting a new story posted.
sprite
Her Royal Spriteness
To answer B) as Liz said, it depends on the judges. some might prefer more traditionally scripted stories while others might enjoy stories that are wildly outside the box. there have been times when i've read the comps and fallen in love with a story that i know won't do well because it's pretty out there - that's my tastes speaking. that said, quality is recognized - if there's a gay story, for instance, and a judge isn't into gay stories, but it's above and beyond the rest in quality, they are impartial enough to rank it up at the top of the list.

hope that helps add some insight?

You can’t truly call yourself peaceful unless you are capable of violence. If you’re not capable of violence, you’re not peaceful. You’re harmless.
Burquette
Bug
Quote by marna69
Are you a judge, winner, author or reader of the competition stories???

I'm trying to figure out how the top three "On The Road" stories won the Feb/Mar 2017 writing competition. The stories certainly seemed deserving, but how were those picked.
Aside from the basics, such as grammar, spelling, story, characters, etc., interested in viewpoints on...

(a) What characteristics are present in winning stories, compared to the rest?

(b) What styles of writing are favored, and what are disliked? For example, would James Joyce, Ernest Hemingway, or William Faulkner be more likely to win, assuming they dabbled in erotica. I'm assuming Hemingway's more plebian approach would be favored or the complicated sentences of Faulkner, or the dense literary allusions of Joyce, but perhaps I'm wrong.

(c) Assuming all other things are equal, to what degree does the writer's previous contributions here on Lush influence judging? Does a lot of work here help? Do high reader scores help? Do previous competitions entries help? Do previous competition victories help (or hurt) ?

(d) Aside from the obvious, what other factors help make a winner?

(e) Finally, has competition victory helped you promote yourself as an author, and if so, how did you use it?

Inquiring minds want to know!


(a) Writing is such a subjective thing. I'm a writer, reader, and winner. I like to try to guess the top three and I usually get two out of the three correct. I'm looking for a style that's easy to read, a plot that draws me to the end, and characters that I enjoy reading about, whether they're good or bad. And creativity.

(b) I like something that is conversational, personally. But I'm sure everyone has their preferences.

(c) I assume none. I have no reason to think otherwise.

(d) Look at the winners. Weren't they just engaging stories with fabulous naughty bits? That's what you need.

(e)
WannabeWordsmith
Writius Eroticus
As one of the top three in the On the Road competition, I'd love to say I'm well placed to answer this, but I'm not. However...

Quote by marna69
What characteristics are present in winning stories, compared to the rest?


Liz pretty much nailed it. The whole package. A well-conceived plot and character development seem to factor highly, especially where a story uses the characters and situations to drive the sex rather than a story where the setup is just the sex. I feel I'm gradually improving at plot, but if you want character development, don't read my stuff (nobody learns much!), go read puddleduck, or browncoffee, or RavenStar, or Jen, or Milik_the_Red, or Verbal, or Burquette, or, ... well pretty much anyone else in the top 10 of the competitions.

Quote by marna69
What styles of writing are favored, and what are disliked?


There isn't a template. I know some people dislike the way I write. Some people are okay with it. Some prefer quirky stories (hi, sprite!) while others prefer densely layered pieces. Preferences vary wildly. That's why there are many judges from across the spectrum of authors here to make things fair and provide balance. I've scratched my head at some of the top three, as I'm sure some will do if they read mine, because it's not to everyone's tastes.

Quote by marna69
to what degree does the writer's previous contributions here on Lush influence judging? Does a lot of work here help? Do high reader scores help?


None. I get pretty much consistently the same number of votes and comments each time I write something (probably because I write the same shit over and over, haha). I don't promote my work via spam, ever. I have one thread in the self-promotion topic. I don't work that hard here compared to some, but I do try and read as many stories as I can in the spare time I do have, and dedicate effort to helping others as best I can. My first few competition entries didn't even factor. Then I scraped the top ten, then crept higher, mid-table, bounced around a bit like Tottenham Hotspur. This time I hit the top three. Next time I'll probably be mid-table again with the same amount of effort and similar scores. Ergo, previous entries, amount of work and votes don't matter. It's all on the content of the piece itself.

Quote by marna69
what other factors help make a winner?


Read, read read, then try, try, try.

Quote by marna69
has competition victory helped you promote yourself as an author?


Nope. I'm not going to change my ways. Well, okay, I'm posting in this topic area for the first time, but I won't cram my stories down people's throats. If someone stumbles across my work and likes it, or it's recommended by word of mouth, brilliant. I'm grateful for every reader, even those who have the guts to say why they don't particularly care for something I write, as long as it's constructive. I'll still continue to read and comment on as many other stories as my limited time allows, because I like the way this site is run, its focus on quality, and I like the diversity of styles represented. There are some authors here that rival professionally-published works, and I'm proud to be part of it all. For me, the competitions are a bit of fun on the side and a way to find new authors and styles of writing that I wouldn't normally try.

Please browse my digital bookshelf. In this collection, you can find 112 full stories, 10 micro-stories, and 2 poems with the following features:


* 29 Editor's Picks, 74 Recommended Reads.
* 15 competition podium places, 10 other times in the top ten.
* 21 collaborations.
* A whole heap of often filthy, tense, hot sex.
ChuckEPoo
Chuckanator
Quote by oceanrunner
I think there's a rubric somewhere.

I had to look that up.... funny. Word for the day. If I could win then anyone could win.

What is a Rubric?
Heidi Andrade

Rubrics have become popular with teachers as a means of communicating expectations for an assignment, providing focused feedback on works in progress, and grading final products. Although educators tend to define the word “rubric” in slightly different ways, Heidi Andrade’s commonly accepted definition is a document that articulates the expectations for an assignment by listing the criteria, or what counts, and describing levels of quality from excellent to poor.

Rubrics are often used to grade student work but they can serve another, more important, role as well: Rubrics can teach as well as evaluate. When used as part of a formative, student-centered approach to assessment, rubrics have the potential to help students develop understanding and skill, as well as make dependable judgments about the quality of their own work. Students should be able to use rubrics in many of the same ways that teachers use them—to clarify the standards for a quality performance, and to guide ongoing feedback about progress toward those standards.
Stormdog
Gentleman Stranger
Quote by ChuckEPoo

I had to look that up.... funny. Word for the day. If I could win then anyone could win.


Yeah, I didn't know that word either until that whole Rubric's Cube fad hit. I don't understand how it relates to writing, however...


Quote by oceanrunner
I think there's a rubric somewhere.
Dirty_D
Head Nurse
Quote by sprite
To answer B) as Liz said, it depends on the judges. some might prefer more traditionally scripted stories while others might enjoy stories that are wildly outside the box. there have been times when i've read the comps and fallen in love with a story that i know won't do well because it's pretty out there - that's my tastes speaking. that said, quality is recognized - if there's a gay story, for instance, and a judge isn't into gay stories, but it's above and beyond the rest in quality, they are impartial enough to rank it up at the top of the list.

hope that helps add some insight?


I can attest to this after getting 4th in the Supernatural competition (and the last one I entered actually) with a gay story. Most of my readers do not care for gay male and at the time there were NO RR's in the gay division, but it still did well , and is a story I am proud of.

If you want to improve your chances of winning work on your writing. Not just the erotic quota, but the more important part, the process of building a good complete story. Then really go to work on your editing skills.
SummerLeigh
Candyland Kitten
Quote by marna69
Are you a judge, winner, author or reader of the competition stories???

I'm trying to figure out how the top three "On The Road" stories won the Feb/Mar 2017 writing competition. The stories certainly seemed deserving, but how were those picked.
Aside from the basics, such as grammar, spelling, story, characters, etc., interested in viewpoints on...

(a) What characteristics are present in winning stories, compared to the rest?

(b) What styles of writing are favored, and what are disliked? For example, would James Joyce, Ernest Hemingway, or William Faulkner be more likely to win, assuming they dabbled in erotica. I'm assuming Hemingway's more plebian approach would be favored or the complicated sentences of Faulkner, or the dense literary allusions of Joyce, but perhaps I'm wrong.

(c) Assuming all other things are equal, to what degree does the writer's previous contributions here on Lush influence judging? Does a lot of work here help? Do high reader scores help? Do previous competitions entries help? Do previous competition victories help (or hurt) ?

(d) Aside from the obvious, what other factors help make a winner?

(e) Finally, has competition victory helped you promote yourself as an author, and if so, how did you use it?

Inquiring minds want to know!


I certainly am not the most proliferate writer here and am not even close to the most read. But, of the 3 comps I've entered, I've placed in one and squeaked in with a top 10 in another (the middle comp I screwed the 'hooch' lol...hehe don't want to get flagged for unacceptable content).

Anyways, what I find surprising is that the two stories that earned a place in the comps were both sci-fi pieces that were well outside of the usual Lush fare. So, I have to assume that giving the judges something fresh to entertain them has to count a fair bit. The only time I've ever written sci-fi pieces were actually for those two comps...so it's certainly not a skill that I've honed through the years.

And, I would hope that comp pieces that do well have a great flow, natural dialogue, an interesting plot, and are more than just one raunchy sex scene after another.

Whether it is a comp story or just a regular story you hope may earn an RR I think any special acknowledgment is an unexpected bonus. One of my stories, kept getting add after add to favorites yet it doesn't have that many views and no RR in sight. Trying to figure out the whys and hows some stories get more recognition than others would just make me crazy.

And other than this, I haven't really discussed the final standings and haven't used it to to advertise my writing. Perhaps some day...maybe. Or, maybe not.

Now, that's done...where is that dang rubric when I need it...
NymphWriter
Unicorn Wrangler
I've entered my fair share of comps here and some other sites. While I've yet to do better than the Top 10, I have more than once read a story and said to myself, "Well fuck! That just kicked my writing ass." and be correct. Two awesome examples is Chuck's winning The Miracle of Christmas and the ever talented avrgblkgrl's Want. Both of these are amazing examples of well written amazing pieces of erotic literature. I was in these comps and in both cases, the moment I read their stories I knew I had read the winners. I even told the respective authors and I was right.

The big key is just to never give up. Even just making the Top 10 is an honor and not something to discount. You won't always agree with the judges pick, but you should trust they had their reasons. I always do.
marna69
Active Ink Slinger
Thanks to everyone who provided a thoughtful reply. Almost all were very helpful.

I did find the link to nicola's post about the competition system (many thanks!). It was very enlightening. The panel of judges is somewhat different each time, which means that even if two competitions had the same theme, and the same entrants, you could easily have different winners. However, knowing that the judges are all people from this site, it's pretty obvious that a "common man" (or woman) prose style will be more successful than something that is full of convoluted sentences (Faulkner) or classical allusions (Joyce).

Dirty_D's comments about gay content is interesting. Compared to the women, gay men seem like a small group here, making it less likely to find a significant number among the judges. I think that probably gives a statistical edge to lesbian, bisexual or straight sexual scenes in stories.

I also agree with his comment about editing. My editing time on stories needs to be at least triple the writing time, or else the number of silly errors and flow issues is ridiculously large.

It has been my experience that people who write fiction need a fairly thick skin. Your work will never be universally loved, so you must be prepared for the reader who doesn't enjoy it. All the writers I know plow ahead, balancing their own opinions against the thoughts of others. So yes, of course I was disappointed when I didn't even place in the latest competition, despite trying my hardest. But I realized that part of my problem was ignorance of t he audience (i.e., the judges). Now I know better.

So, thanks, everyone!