See the latest announcement at the top of each sub-forum.



The changeover to xenForo is now scheduled for September 8th, two days after the voting period ends. It won't affect this CAW.

 

I have finished commenting on the entries.

Up front: I made a mistake with the 'stars' ratings I had given several of the stories, not figuring how badly people would be pissed-off (and rightfully so) at me for it.
It was lame-brained, utterly-stupid, and ill-thought-out.
So as of now I will not comment any more on the entries until the voting phase comes along.

My apologies to those I have wronged.

 

you are not the first to use a rating system on the competition stories - AZ uses the tissue rating system.
IMO, putting a rating on a story says how YOU feel the story did but in no way is a push for anybody else to AGREE with you and it can actually be a starting point for conversation about the merits of the story.

 

Hey, don't let one person's opinion of your commenting affect how you comment. The fact is, you do comment, and most people who complain make one complaint (or ten) and then they disappear for a month or more. Fuck that.

I'm not sure I would use the "stars" that the site uses, but, saying you award four of five stars or whatever...nothing wrong with that. It's like grading a paper: A, B, C, D, F. It's your opinion and you are entitled too it. I wish more people would make comments like you. I plan on commenting on all of the stories a) so I can vote, and b) because the authors deserve feedback.

 

Horse and Darthel: thank you.

I will comment if I see reason to do so.
Otherwise I will wait until the voting phase for final commentary.

 

This is the first time I have been around for a C.A.W. Normally, If I like a story, I will comment on it. If I don't like one, I just remain quiet.
Since it is required to comment on all stories, I have to figure out a nice way of saying, "I hated it!". Hope people don't think I'm an asshole.:roll:

 

If you dislike a story then simply state why you did not like it and how, in your opinion, it could have been made better.
If there were specific issues with either grammar, punctuation, or spelling then try to clearly identify what and why they were issues.

 

It can be very difficult to give a negative opinion, because one does not wish to be unpleasant to the author. However, I have found that constructive criticism has been very helpful to me as a writer - I don't do false modesty, I know that my stories are quite good, but I am honest enough with myself to realise that they could be much better. Unless people point out to me what they like and (even more importantly) what they don't like, I have no idea which parts of my writing 'work' and which don't.

Even if you just say (for instance) "I didn't like that bit about the dwarf riding a Great dane, bowling and swigging boxed wine" then I know that bowling dwarves isn't a good subject for future stories. Please be as honest as you dare, UncleB (a belated welcome to XNXX, by the way!).

 

OK... Now I'm exited!!! Is there a story with a wine swigging, great dane ridding, bowling dwarf? I have been waiting for that story my whole life.
Thanks for the input. ( and the laugh Jayney ) I guess I don't feel qualified to judge the technical issues, and feel my opinions, are just that. ( And we all know what they say about opinions.) I'm typically, a nice person, and just don't want to offend anyone without reason.

 

If there is not write it.

As to offending people, just make sure to stay within site rules (such as the few there are) and be honest with the writers. Speaking as one, among the best ways for a new author to learn where there craft is good, and where it needs work, is by a CAW. Give you insight and opinions.

Look at how lunatic some of mine are (stories and otherwise, after all I write about cat-girls and dragons), so how crazy could yours be?

 

There WAS going to be an entry about that, but I got frustrated writing it.

 

How did you get my good side?

 

There seems to be some troll out there using the "star rating system" to vote down all the CAW stories. For those interested in defeating such puerile behavior, simply go to each story, now, or, when you read them, and vote for five stars. With enough votes, that will nullify the troll's effort. May seem insignificant, but, some authors do look at those stars and it's not a nice thing that the troll is doing.

 

As Clarise says, this is why we can't have nice things.

 

Uncle slate them if you want to slate them, even if it is because you have been lied to and there is no underage kid posing as a dwarf while rogering a great Dane and swigging from a box of wine in the bowling alley in the story. You can't be worse off than me when it comes to technical issues. After reading the comments on one of the stories I went back and read the tale again and was still confused about complaints on the spelling, tenses and the rest?

 

Just wanted to say I got a kick out of your comment on the "Kobe" entry - It has given me an idea for a short story with a cat-girl of mine.
The line is perfect, though I am not sure if I will have the cat-girl kill the guy making the statement for idiocy or accept it as a compliment.

 

Now that you have pipped my interest I will have to go and read your stories and see how they compare to C J Cherryh as they seem to be in the same genreish. I normally don't read the stories other than the CAW which I enjoy the social interaction of. I look forward to reading your short tail.

 

Just so you know, the three main cat-girl stories I have written are those of "Cat-girl Charity" and "To dream of dragons III: Saga of Snow-cat" (which is a twisted tale in its own right). The current ongoing saga is 'Chronicles of Elsa." I hope you enjoy.

 

Done reading and short list formed with a couple of stories sitting on the back burner of my mind so that I can continue to muddle over why they did not go directly either way.

 

I want to ask a question that I have had from past CAW's:
How far should entries be allowed to descend on the first page before someone bounces them back to the top, so the CAW stories can be kept together, or should we even do so?

The reason I asked in this CAW is both due to the sheer number of entries (18 total) and that three had descended past the half-way mark.