The results of the EVEN MORE TONTO SHORT STORIES competition have finally been announced.
I can honestly say that judging and reading the hundreds of entries was one of the hardest things that I’ve ever had to do. There were so many more stories that I could have and wanted to include. In the end it was very much about finding a shape for the collection and sticking to Stu’s (very) strict rules about how many stories I could include (apparently 76 was too many!).
I am very proud of the collection that we have created, but I also realise that my decisions will have (rightly) upset some very talented writers.
{ 13 comments… read them below or add one }
Don’t say ‘rightly’! Not even in brackets! You couldn’t pick everyone, so someone was going to be disappointed somewhere along the way. *shrug*
It’s going to be an excellent collection, and you should be proud of your part in putting it together.
I’m looking forward to reading it, for one
I agree with Beth.
Twitter: @RKCharronAll submitters should be glad you read their stories, and trust your judgement.
I know I would.
Thanks for sharing.
Have a wonderful weekend!
Love & Best Wishes,
RKCharron
xoxo
Caroline,
I’m honoured to be a part of this, alongside some very talented writers, and I thank you for giving me this ‘break,’ after many rejections. I appreciate how painstaking the job of judging must have been and I tip my hat to you.
All active writers learn how to deal with rejection (eventually) and, though it hurts for a while, the only solution is to ‘crack on’ and keep honing your skills by writing and to keep submitting.
Regards,
Col
Hi Col,
Thanks so much for the comment and welcome to my blog! I’m so glad that being part of this collection means something significant to you. That’s really cheered me up! I loved the judging, until I had to get from a 76 shortlist to 30… that was so difficult because the standard was really high.
The collection is really something and I’m thrilled that you’re honoured.
Take care and I look forward to seeing your name printed in the book!
Cx
Beth - thank you, but I still think people are right to feel upset. Wishes and hopes and that feeling of rejection… well, I know it all too well. I think that’s the problem with me being the judge, I understand too much from the writer’s viewpoint.
It is a fabulous collection and I really am proud - but I also feel sad reading blog posts and comments other people have put elsewhere. You know me, I worry about everything and possibly may have to accept that I’d be a rubbish Simon Cowell.
RKCharron - thank you! Have a wonderful weekend.
xxx
You would make a wonderful Simon Cowell. And you’ve made a lot of people happy today by winking, smiling and saying ‘love you’ to them. Hold on to that.
Twitter: @hmhuntI’ll admit, I’m one of the people to have posted a blog post and a Tweet about the results. (not in a I’m So Angry, Grrr way, more a Well Shut the Front Door, Gosh Diddily Darnit Philosophical way).
I submitted three stories to the contest so that’s rejection times three. While I’m not terribly happy about it, there are a few good things to come out of it, such as an excellent collection of stories.
Caroline, judging a competition of this magnitude is an inredible, huge achievement. I don’t know anyone that, on their own mind you, could read hundreds of stories and narrow that down to only thirty.
I wouldn’t wish that on my own worst enemy! How can you possibly judge a contest of that size and not ruffle a few feathers?
But don’t worry. We’re writers. We’ll sulk for a day, give in to temptation (I’m indulging in chocolate…still have to decide if I want a chocolate bar or chocolate ice cream), brush off the dust and move on to the next story.
It’s what we do. It’s what makes us writers.
Twitter: @jamiesonwolfIt’s always going to be a hard thing to judge because of the plethora of stories that came in… one of the rare occasions where there was no set brief! Don’t beat yourself up too much hun, even though not everyone will get published they have had their work read by an esteemed author who has given their time. (That’s you by the way). And if they’re in this for the long run they’ll know that this was an opportunity not a once in a lifetime blink-and-you’ll-miss-it situation.
But aside from that I’m thoroughly thrilled to be involved, this will be my first piece to be published (aside from online) so there’s a squeal that rises up in me when I can tell my family that ‘I’m all proper and writery’. It’s also one of my first lengthier shorts and wasn’t too sure if I could stretch the distance but hey presto, this has been a good learning curve. Did I mention I’m extremely happy?
Thank you Caroline,
Kx.
Twitter: @KatieMcCulloughHi Caroline (and all),
I saw your comments and just wanted to possibly cheer you up by telling you this is single handedly the best thing that has happened since I’ve started writing. And it couldn’t have come at a better time; a time when I’m trying to decide whether I am any good at all as a writer, whether I should diminish the importance and time of the all consuming ‘job’ to concentrate more on the one thing that just feels ‘right’ for me.
With this in mind I submitted my story to this competition; the first time I’ve had the confidence to do so, and it has given me the answer that gives me just enough self belief to take the leap. I can’t thank you enough for that.
Anyway, enough bleating from me. The one thing that did intrigue me…….last week on X Factor I noticed Sinitta was wearing some palm leaves as an ‘outfit’; I’m wondering if you donned the same for the judging?….
Thanks again and look forward to meeting you and all the other writers soon,
Twitter: @KellyRailtonKelly
You know how much I love reading short stories and I am looking forward to getting a copy of this collection. I’ve got my fingers crossed it will be out by the end of Nov so I can take it to hospital with me.
Twitter: @DJKirkbyHelen M Hunt - hopefully it’ll make Simon appreciate me that little bit more…
Jamieson Wolf - Honey, I’ve read your post and tweet, so I know how you feel about it all. Getting it down to that final 35 was truly difficult and the shortlist was hugely impressive. I don’t know if that just sounds patronising and I don’t mean it to, I’m simply expressing that there were a huge number of submitted stories that were good enough to be published.
Katie McCullough - the lack of brief delighted me and the range of stories is impressive. I feel very lucky to be involved in such an exciting project and to have my name linked to it all is very fabulous. The end collection is everything that I hoped I’d find. Yay!
Kelly Railton - Hi Kelly and thanks for your lovely comment! It seems that there is a real mix of established names and ‘first time being published’ people, which is very exciting! Your comment and story has really made me smile and reminded me why I wanted to be involved in this project - thank you! The Tonto collections have such a good reputation and I have high hopes for this one but, for the record, Stu was the one wearing Sinitta palm leaves - he has the figure for it
DJ Kirkby - thank you honey x
xxx
Thank you, Caroline, for picking my story! You are miles better than Simon Cowell.
Those pesky palm tree leaves…
Big congrats to all who entered - thanks for making it a good one.
x