Pencils down, class! It’s time to share.

Below is the list of fourteen entries submitted for our pleasure. Read them carefully. If you wrote, you know how much work went into it. If you didn’t, hopefully you can still appreciate the efforts of your fellow members. Writers like comments, so please take a moment to write something about your impressions of each story. We’re adults here, so whitewash comments full of false praise won’t do anyone any good. That being said, these stories are our babies, so treat them with respect.

Since there are fourteen stories to enjoy and compare, we won’t start voting until February 14, 2016. You will vote for two stories -- first and second choice. Voting will be via Private Conversation with CAW SOP. The voting period will end at 11:59 pm US Eastern Standard Time on Saturday, February 20, 2016.

Remember, this whole thing is to be anonymous. The idea is to vote for the story, not the writer. If you want to try to guess the members responsible for this body of work, go ahead, but I’m pretty sure you’ll fail. In fact, I’m one hundred percent certain no one will get every writer name correct.

Anyway, go read something!

*****

CAW #26 – Casablanca – They Almost Had It All

CAW #26 – The Cat and The Canary

CAW #26 – Cherry Falls

CAW #26 – Christmas Gift

CAW #26 – Dante’s Inferno

CAW #26 – How Green Was My Valley

CAW #26 – Jake and Neytiri or, Mating for Life Among the Na'vi

CAW #26 – Of Half Breed Prey

CAW #26 – Opening Night

CAW #26 – Opulent Blue

CAW #26 – Report: PW-3

CAW #26 – The Sexual Hunger Games

CAW #26 – There Can Only Be One

CAW #26 – You Can Never Go Home

 

Thank you for your hard work, @CAW SOP and @wantsomefun . Now the exciting part begins - I get to read all of the stories created by some really fabulous people.

 

FINALLY!



I'm glad that's done!

If an entrant has a question or problem about their post, contact me now. Address your communication to both wantsomefun and CAW SOP so I'll be sure to see it quickly.

Since we've lost the ability to contact a moderator to edit posts, the threads must stand as they are. However, if I made a mistake in posting, I'll do what I can to have it fixed.

Any writer who wants to comment on their own work or to answer comments from others should post a response to me through the above two accounts. CAW SOP will post your comment for you to retain anonymity.



I appreciate everyone's support. We have a mix of veteran and rookie competitors this time. I confess to not having read any entries yet, but the movie choices sound interesting.

 

Just as I was patting myself on the back, I got a PM.

I forgot an entry. Please add the following story to your reading list:

CAW #26 -- Like Father Like Son

PLEASE NOTE: This entry was not included in the reading list because of MY error. It was NOT a late entry. Please give this tale the same consideration you give all the others. My sincerest apologies to the writer.



This means we have a total of 15 entries, which is even better!

 

One down - a whole lot more reading to do.

 

Now that we've got what we wanted, let's dig in.

 

I'm going to copy and paste something that I wrote in my first review, yet as I look at other stories realize I should have posted here. In any case, take it or leave it for what it's worth.


That said, please take the following for how it is intended. That being, to give you some insight on why some readers of works like this might have trouble reading it and then unjustly view it in a negative light. Having been illiterate till my early 30's, I still have a terrible time reading anything (most likely due to being primarily self educated).

To that end, how the beginning section is laid out (I suppose the best way I can explain it is "like a script") wherein individual actions and speaking/phrases are on separate lines makes it difficult for "me" to connect one line to the next. So, I then find it difficult to envision the scene in its entirety.

In contrast, once they returned to her bungalow and then on where they made love, where actions were grouped into paragraphs, it then helps me to envision those "chunks of action or dialog" giving me a clear picture of what is going on in that it is all grouped together. Don't get me wrong, it takes many of those paragraphs to make up a single scene, yet it puts all aspects of that milestone action or conversation all together so it's easier for me to form that image which sets up for the next.

Finally, I realize the format you used is very common. So I am not saying how you laid it out was wrong.

All I'm saying is that someone with my limited skills, who reads the same way I do, may very well have trouble reading a format like that and then become frustrated.....In contrast though I suspect the way that works for me may very well give others trouble.

Hush....an alias

 

Six stories read. I have a three way tie for my favorite.

I'm starting with the shortest first, so I'll slow down now. There's four novellas with with 15k+ words to finish up with.

 

There's some good stuff here!

 

Just dropping by to say I'm gonna take a break from reading... there are some issues with PC, either hdd or ram, so while I fix it... bummer.

 

Settling down to read. I've skimmed most of the entries. Pretty impressive collection of stories and some film choices I didn't expect.

 

Late as usual. I'll start reading my favourite writers tonight, as I'm sure most of you aren't slackers like me and actually wrote a great piece to entertain with.

 

Ah, but you won't know who your favorite writers are this time until you read everything, since CAW SOP posted the stories. Some veterans didn't enter, but some new CAW writers did. I wouldn't be surprised to see some semi-newbies do quite well in the voting -- being people's favorites, at least this time around. Remember, it's about what someone wrote for CAW #26.

*****

On a very serious note: I can't tell you people how pleased I am by the turn-out and support. If you ever hosted one of these things, you might remember the time when you were waiting for stories and wondering if anyone would respond to your challenge. I was there not long ago.

So, thank you. I'm personally thrilled, but you did this for yourselves and for all of us.

 

I always seem to start reading from the top of the list, so I think I'll be brave and dive to the bottom and work my way up. Lots to read, I see!

 

You know, I'm a little surprised no one chose a Monty Python movie.

Something made me want to watch this sketch today. Can't imagine what it was.

 

As some of you may have seen, I'm posting answers to comments from writers through the CAW SOP account.

If you wrote an entry and want to respond to a post, write to me with the name of the story and the comment you want to make. I'll post them when I see them.

Which won't be for another six or eight hours. G'night all.

 

Thank you, ILMJ!

 

Let's start the reading
I wish to read all in few days.

 

Bump...