Forum Writer of 2012 Competition

[poohcarrot]

27 The Stories Fade

He kept watch across the sea to where the undying lands were placed in saga and song.
The heroes were long gone , barely a memory rekindled around the fire.
But the return of the greatest was foretold , from the west across the sea, when the time was right and need the greatest.

The watcher watched and waited.
The day had come.

Alas the Christian bell turned the ancient swans to no more than the one gods dying slaves .
And all that returned was an old man, body and soul quickly turned to dust and dreams lost eternally.Gæð a wyrd swa hio

 

[poohcarrot]

28 Unwritten

I sit down to write a story. I have my pen, my word counter and my pristine new page. Now all I need is an idea.

Once upon a ti- no too clichéd.

In a hole in the ground there– wait, that’s the Hobbit. Hmm.

The way I see it, we all get one miracle. Darn! John Green.

..

If we had but world enough and time, this coyness – and…. now poetry.

Well, maybe if I had a boat, and a girl, and maybe, maybe a pocket watch-

But then the phone rings, and I leave my story, unwritten.

 

[poohcarrot]

29 Eternity

I couldn’t feel anything. Someone held my hand as I breathed in deeply.

“I’ll be here, don’t worry. Everything is going to be alright.”

Hours later, and I’m sitting in the dark, waiting. There’s no pain, no light, no thoughts. Just those words over and over.
But she’s not here. I can’t feel her holding my hand. She lied to me.
And, finally, I hear screaming.

“We have to pull the plug, I’m so sorry, she isn’t going to wake up”

For a second, nay, a mili-second, she looks at me.

 

[Quatermass]

Me too (about the playing cards).

You're going to have job if you were thinking of doing a poll vote for this anyway - I think the format only allows you a max of 10 vote options - 20 max if it's different on this version of php board? (Tony/Jason - do you know how many poll options we get now?)

Mind you at the rate it's going you could hold heats in several threads

No, it's still only ten voting options, judging by the options I saw when I just tested the polling ability. :think:

And if Colin Smythe doesn't do it (I'm not convinced that he will), we may have to vote (without forum polls) anyway. I say, three votes per user, who can cast one vote for up to three stories. Oh, and if any voters have stories in the running, they can vote only once for one, and precisely one, of their stories, and must choose stories they didn't author for their other two votes. How's that sound?

 

[MongoGutman]

I say we make the voting system as complicated as possible with each voter getting many different graded votes, alternate choices, cross-referencing, sub-clauses to be taken into account, eliminations and endless rounds and try to make Pooh's head explode.

 

[poohcarrot]

30 The Puzzle

So I sat in my chair, the magazine stretched across my lap;
“Only ten minutes given this time”, I pondered, clasping my pen tightly.
Dispelling all other thoughts from my mind, I would concentrate on the task before me.
Until I emerged victorious!
Kicking off, I placed the first, with the second soon following, and then the third......Time flew by!
Utilizing only one to nine, I would finish with just seconds to spare.......and then;

Suddenly I saw my error!
Using one twice!
“C*ck!” I shouted.
Knowing I could never find the mistake in time, I screamed in rage;
“SODUKU SUCKS!”

 

[poohcarrot]

I say we make the voting system as complicated as possible with each voter getting many different graded votes, alternate choices, cross-referencing, sub-clauses to be taken into account, eliminations and endless rounds and try to make Pooh's head explode.

I agree! I'll plan accordingly.

 

[poohcarrot]

And if Colin Smythe doesn't do it (I'm not convinced that he will), we may have to vote (without forum polls) anyway. I say, three votes per user, who can cast one vote for up to three stories. Oh, and if any voters have stories in the running, they can vote only once for one, and precisely one, of their stories, and must choose stories they didn't author for their other two votes. How's that sound?

It sounds fine! But I'm not going to do it like that. :dance:
I've abandoned the Colin Smythe idea though.

 

[poohcarrot]

Here's the voting plan (number 1). :dance:

I'll give each story a number.

Vote for the five stories you like best.

You can vote for as many stories that you wrote as you like.

The top 8 stories with the most votes will qualify for the knockout round.

Any ties will be decided by a forum member (of high repute) of my choice.

In the knockout round, the stories will be seeded ie; the one with the most votes in the previous round will be seeded 1 etc.

Seed 1 v Seed 8
Seed 4 v Seed 5
Winners play each other in the semi-final

Seed 2 v Seed 7
Seed 3 v Seed 6
Winners play each other in the semi-final

 

[CrysaniaMajere]

What about if we take the "top 8 stories with the most votes" and start back with only those at 0 again, having maybe just 2 votes each so anyone can decide? If you decide to do A vs D maybe those two are the ones that would get first and second,instead they get both eliminated... just an idea, if anyone cares which comes second of course.

 

[pip]

Any ties will be decided by a forum member (of high repute) of my choice.

We'll have to get one of those first

 

[pip]

Here's the voting plan (number 1). :dance:

I'll give each story a number.

Vote for the five stories you like best.

You can vote for as many stories that you wrote as you like.

The top 8 stories with the most votes will qualify for the knockout round.

Any ties will be decided by a forum member (of high repute) of my choice.

In the knockout round, the stories will be seeded ie; the one with the most votes in the previous round will be seeded 1 etc.

Seed 1 v Seed 8
Seed 4 v Seed 5
Winners play each other in the semi-final

Seed 2 v Seed 7
Seed 3 v Seed 6
Winners play each other in the semi-final

By saying its voting plan number one does that mean we'll have alternates . are we going to have a vote to pick a voting system

 

[Quatermass]

Any ties will be decided by a forum member (of high repute) of my choice.

So, clearly not me, then.

 

[michelanCello]

There are so many good stories! This is going to be sooooo hard...sigh...

 

[pip]

There are so many good stories! This is going to be sooooo hard...sigh...

Did you enter MC , Its quite a good standard and very mixed.

 

[poohcarrot]

Pip, I'm thinking of including you in the "People who don't speak English as a first language category".

 

[poohcarrot]

By saying its voting plan number one does that mean we'll have alternates . are we going to have a vote to pick a voting system

It's #1 coz by Valentine's Day I'll probably have changed it a few times. :dance:

But we could vote on a voting system before Feb 14th. Should we have a Yes/No vote to decide whether to vote on a voting system or not? :doh:

 

[pip]

Pip, I'm thinking of including you in the "People who don't speak English as a first language category".

My first language is Gaelic English which is a higher form of the language where we say feck and jaysus a lot and laugh at men in drag and dodgy priests

 

[poohcarrot]

Voting system #2

See? I'm changing it already.

It's just not too complicated enough. :twisted:

System #2 is the same as #1, but for the 5 stories you choose, you must give 5 points for the best, 4 points for second best etc.
I'll try to keep a running total for each story as we go along and you can all shout at me if (not when) I make a mistake. :dance: :dance:

(and I'm thinking about giving each voter a joker too!)

 

[poohcarrot]

31 Shakespeare's Star Cross(word)ed Lovers

(Diamond, up to now): O (call sign), (call sign), (put clothes on)(golfer's shout) (paintings) (thought less three) (call sign)?
(4th letter near) thy (hat ref) and (trash) thy (in America). (rowing boat necessity) if (thought less three) (dying flower) (string twisted), (honey producer) (hit by goat) (change last sharp weapon) my (tennis score). And (small island) (yes shorter opposite) (honey producer) a (tealcup).

(call sign): (former ruler of Iran, tell a fib) (8th plus hearing organ) (Oliver's request), (rowing boat necessity) (former ruler of Iran, tell a fib) (no queens at London corner) (consumed no e) (endless Scottish flower)?