quitewriteed.bsky.social

I'm officially halfway through Team Ed. 2 Y, 2 Faves and 21 M+. At this rate we'll have a full SL&LL without any need for Team Amanda 🙃 I'm really impressed at the standard this round. A lot of strong writers here, which is going to make it all the more difficult to stand out at the pointy end...

Sometimes I'm convinced I can pick the author of a story from the style (I'm almost always wrong 😭). It will be interesting to see if I was correct about this M+ story as belonging to a former Daredevil. 🤐 NQWP471857

Batch two receives a further Y and Favourite from me. NQWP312051 is a story that plays with time and perspective in a way I haven't seen before, while NQWP376584 is a more direct piece, infused with vibes and subtext. Loving Team Ed so far. On to batch 3!

I'm looking forward to the stats on which writing rules people have chosen to break. There are definite themes emerging. Though stories like NQWP308254 will make the calculation difficult (You didn't have to break EVERY rule!) 😆

Batch 2, and my second outright Y is a story that did lean into the Halloween theme. This can be a risky approach, because it means you are competing with similar stories, but execution is everything. NQWP282984

First batch of Team Ed read - quite strong, with one Y and a few M+s. Even for stories that didn't make the cut on first reading, there were almost always noteworthy elements - titles, lines, Kicker responses.

First batch, first outright YES. Well done to NQWP227258 for a beutifully composed piece.

Allegory can be hard to pull off in flash, but this one surprised me... At least enough to warrant consideration for the longlist. NQWP149866

Kicking off October round judging with a Team Amanda entry whose title I absolutely could not ignore (You know who you are and what you did 👀) NQWP696075

I'm so excited to be bringing the ANTIPROMPT back for an encore as this round's Kicker. Team Ed for the win! #NotQuiteWritePrize

That takes me to the end of the Team Yang stories. Huge thanks to all who submitted for my team! There were some v strong contenders for longlist... and higher. 👀 Final count: One Favourite, 4 Yeses and 17 Maybe Pluses. Can't wait to dive in and see what Team Yin brought to the table!

My first Favourite (NQWP#4889), followed immediately by my fourth Yes (NQWP#5017). Both feature some wonderful lines, with the first having a particularly memorable take on the kicker.

Two significant Yeses in a row: NQWP#4943 for receiving an outright Y and an outright N from two different judges (quite rare). NQWP#4979 for evoking a particularly memorable 'Dishonourable Mention' of rounds past 👀 (this one was unanimous).

It seems that many of you have interpreted Yang energy to mean 'weird and disturbing af'... and I am here for it! Case in point: NQWP#4812, which leaves me at a loss for words.

NQWP#5032 is an evocative story dripping with Yang energy, and my first 'Yes' for the longlist.

To the author of NQWP#5009: What the actual F? (But in a good way).

NQWP#4735 with a genuinely disturbing twist, and my first Maybe +

Let the tweets begin! (Better late than never). First cab off the rank is clearly from around here, with some tantalising local references 👀 NQWP#4839

Some Ed & Amanda fan fic has snuck its way into my team's stories. Will it earn a Dishonourable Mention (or more)? NQWP#902145

I'm approaching the halfway mark of reading my team's stories. As always, I'm amazed by the diversity of responses to the prompts. There are a ton of strong contenders for the longlist, but alas, no stand-out 'Favourites' as yet, so I have high hopes for the second half!

Seems several of you are hoping to stand out with some VERY provocative titles this round (NQWP#442435 & #530080, I'm looking at you) 👀

Let's dance! Join me in the Boogie Wonderland. And don't forget to check out the Not Quite Write Community for some dance moves to get you started!

You can't tear me away from the FLESH Fiction editing desk at the moment. These stories are so HOT. 🥵 At this rate, we are on track to drop TWO category episodes next week. 🫦

Well done to this story with a single-word title. You are my first Favourite. #NQWP268074

First story read, and it's an easy Yes for the Longlist. Great title, excellent use of the prompts, especially the Kicker. I'm hoping this is a taste of things to come. #NQWP107612

I'm so excited! A massive welcome to anyone who joins my team (A.K.A. the best team). Can't wait to read your stories!

My final #NotQuiteWritePrize stats for this round of judging: Favourite: 2 Yes: 6 Maybe+: 25 Maybe: 72 Maybe-: 43 No/DQ: 24 Now, we are getting to the pointy end of the stick! Time to pick the longlist!

#NotQuiteWritePrize Story #693719 is Favourite number 2. This one is all about voice and prose, filled with wonderfully original and evocative turns of phrase.

#NotQuiteWritePrize Congratulations, lucky (and very talented) author of #571677! You are my very first outright favourite this round. Masterful use of close third and single effect, well done.

#NotQuiteWritePrize story #560484 with a VERY attention-grabbing title. Will the story deliver?

Speaking of sexy things... To the author of story #523186, I sincerely apologise for reading a COMPLETELY INAPPROPRIATE meaning into the title of your story! It was, in fact, deeply heartfelt and emotional (and I need to get my mind out of the gutter).

Entry 762677- A very uncomfortable response to the burning prompt. It's a yes from me! #NotQuiteWritePrize

It might be a sampling issue, but I feel that there is a definite uptick this round of characters named Ed and Amanda. While it does grab my attention, it also puts me slightly on edge. I think I still have PTSD after the infamous Johnson & Johnson incident! #NotQuiteWritePrize

One batch down: three maybe pluses and no yeses at this stage, but one very suspicious entry that's giving ChatGPT. I'm looking at you, Entry 973499 👀 #NotQuiteWritePrize

Entry 3144 - Only three stories in and already found a creative interpretation of 'passive voice' that never even occurred to me! @NotQuiteWritePrize

It's finally time for me to blow the dust off my social media accounts and join @AKScotland in the vague tweeting fun! Can't wait to get stuck into the judging.

We need 5 more attendees to make this viable, so please jump on board. If you can't make it, please consider sharing the original post with anyone who's interested in dipping a toe into the world/cult of flash fiction!

Let the games begin! #notquitewriteprize #longlist

I seem to be handing out a lot of "Maybe pluses" this round, which speaks to the overall high quality. But that means it's going to be a real battle for the longlist. 2 favourites so far! #notquitewriteprize

After a week of sporadic reading, I am finally able to devote an entire day to judging your #notquitewriteprize entries. One batch in and I'm already seeing some very creative takes on the anti-prompt. This was really a tough one!

My final stats at the end of the first round of judging: Favourite: 4 Yes: 13 Maybe+: 46 With the remaining being maybe or lower. Let the games begin! #NotQuiteWritePrize

Just read favourite #2. And I know for a fact that @akscotland.bsky.social rated this one a maybe. Looking forward to 'agreeing' on the long/shortlist this week 🥊🥊🥊 #NotQuiteWritePrize

I just read my first 'favourite' 👀 #NotQuiteWritePrize

Results after the first 3 batches (including one small batch): Yes 2 Maybe+ 12 Maybe 20 Maybe- 9 No 2 So far there are a lot of stories on the cusp of the long list, but only a few elevating above the pack! #NotQuiteWritePrize

The batch that began with dismemberment... ends with diarrhoea! 😂 #NotQuiteWritePrize

I've finally escaped my tech support cave and started judging your stories! I'm only in the first batch and already characters are threatening dismemberment of private parts. A taste of things to come? #NotQuiteWritePrize