So who got into the Young Writers Showcase? (2 Viewers)

[Shadowdude]

I didn't.

Well, though I had some hopes - I realised they were dashed when I realised my work had three blank pages and I didn't think some stingy money making people (we'll call them "publishers") wouldn't want to waste paper for 'literary effect'.

So where I failed, did anyone succeed?

And Arc, if you got in... that would be bordering farcical. If it isn't already. =P



Anyway to the YWS, if I can put my cynical cap on... In my view, the majority of the Young Writers Showcase stuff I've read has that post-modernist, nihilistic view of everything with very big words that describe the depressing tone of life and how useless it all is. You all know the tone, here's something I dished up now - akin to the tone I'm speaking of:

The autumn sun shone through the wispy blue sky - interrupted somewhat by the cirrus clouds that, like cotton, floated in suspension through the air - arousing wonder and merriment in those who dared to look, and ponder for a moment how exactly they formed.

A light breeze blew past - spurning the leaves that had found their way to the cold, concrete path, up higher and higher into the sky - but not so, for they would just clear the height of the flowers which grew in gardens about.

Leaves bustled to and fro, and danced to the tuneful song of the air - but no one could hear such a thing. Added to the symphony of the scene was the sound of the harsh F-sharp of a car horn - that irritated the ears of all the people in the surrounding area - and even the leaves and trees seemed to inch away from the unwelcome inclusion to their song. But that was deemed normal. But that was deemed acceptable.

Oh, how ignorant those people were! If they would cease to speak, even if only for a second, they would have heard and delighted in the wonderful music of nature - of such splendour and grandeur - that it would pierce the darkness of their hearts and perhaps cause them to fall to their knees and cry out against this 'modern' life, bereft of the beauty of nature.

Seriously. I had to go back to the 2007 showcase (I believe) to find something that sparked my imagination and forced me to say, "Hey, this is quite good" - and that was, for those of you who have access to the books, is the one with the maths and diagrams embellished throughout - much like the Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time (of which was a key inspiration for his/her story).

Tone was always talked about by my English teacher - and the tone of those stories usually makes me want to throw up instead of gasp and awe due to a story's awesomeness.

/rant

I'm just happy my school library stocked that book and I had not bought it myself like I was planning. Oh, that would've been a waste of money!

 

[Aquawhite]

That is exactly the kind of stuff that sells books and gets into the YWS. Just a note, anything that is post-modern, nihilistic and uses extremely arbitrarily long words will get marked well in the HSC - especially when it is an analytic piece that can also incorporate creative features within the medium.

 

[Deer]

How do you find out?
I wouldn't have got in anyway, too much swearing in mine XD

Congrats to anyone who is nominated.

 

[kiniki]

lol shut the fuck up shadowdude, you're just bitter that you can't fucking write (oh and get into the showcase)

 

[Shadowdude]

Those markers must be very depressed then. I pity them.

Though that does go in tune of what one of my teachers used to say: "HSC markers have no sense of humour. For all purposes, when you're doing the HSC - pretend that the markers were late to get to the marking centre, their car broke down, their partner and kids left them, their parents died, they ran over their dog to get here, they got pulled over by the cops, they got screamed at by their boss at the school at which they work and they had a horrible rabble of junior secondary students to deal with. They are not happy people!"

---

EDIT:

@ Deer: I believe they got email. Who knows. And yeah, I almost forgot due to my rant - congratulations in getting in for any of those who did so!

@ kiniki: Hmm? What? I'm sorry, I was just looking at my shiny Band E4 for English Extension 2.

 

[kiniki]

there is a huge difference between getting an e4 and being qualified to make a judgement on what gets into showcase..

(ps 46/50 is really not that shiny imho)

and for the record, i haven't received any letter about showcase. i just think, what you just said, has made you look like a bitter fuckwit

 

[saba_saba]

I just got it in the mail today! (Btw, the letter is dated 15th Dec, but I only just received it...) Am very excited. I seriously cannot believe all of this stuff is happening for EE2. Most of my suite was home-made (lots of Google, and post-its from my teacher saying "get rid of this comma!" or "what does this even MEAN?" etc.) so I can't believe my pride&joy is making its way out into the world like this! [/weird comment]

But you know, Showcase isn't be all and end all, Shadowdude. There are other ways to get your stuff out there and published. Try Voiceworks, a literary magazine run by express media (expressmedia.org.au), and also other literary magazines that might be looking for some short stories/poetry etc.

And not all of the stuff published or nomm'ed for Showcase is cynical and postmodern. I wrote an extremely sappy poem as part of my suite - a love poem, eeeeeeeeeep. Also one about a tree that longs to express itself by being turned into a piano... XD So yeah, not all cynical. (Although there was also one about a mother who dreams of aborting her unborn child... hmmm...)

 

[nutcracker]

omg congrats saba! =DD
you must tell us the name of your piece so we can read it when it comes out!

 

[Shadowdude]

Hey congratulations saba! Sorry I kinda lost out on the congratulations due to the late time and the tendency to have Freudian slips...

And don't worry about the 'pride and joy' comment. When my EX2 class were all huddled up posting the stickers and stuff for sending it in - there were many more comments like that!


And it's okay about the showcase. I suppose I'm just abit... annoyed and disgruntled that most of the stuff in it doesn't interest me and that the title to me is a bit misleading. But that's opinion. I will admit I skimmed through works that appeared to be nihilistic and depressing. And yeah, I made a note to look at some other places to publish my work as part of the 'research' component of the course. Still, who knows. My English teacher was very adamant I should continue writing - so maybe I might do that as well...

Still saba, I'm partly in the same boat as you. The story I wrote wasn't in my 'usual' genre either. It was pretty much romantic fiction - and I figure, hey if we're good at it - why not keep going? So you keep writing those love poems and those trees who want to aspire to be more than their nature will allow! =P

Oh yes, and then profit! $$$

 

[saba_saba]

Thank youuuu nutcracker! ^__^ It's called "Esse est non percipi" and it's in the MW showcase thread here on bos. But it's only been nominated... we don't hear about final selections until "later in 2011", according to the letter. Anyways, so excited! XDD

edit: Thanks Shadowdude! And a lot of showcase stuff is really experimental, like, playing with the boundaries of language/medium etc., so it's not exactly rainy Sunday afternoon reading (for me, at least =P). But a lot of the stuff is just, phwoahhhr. But do keep writing! (not that I'm qualified to tell you that, but I know that even if I hadn't gotten a letter today I would still be writing because, well, because I like writing. =] )

 

[Deer]

Wow, congratulations Saba!

Ah I wish I could have been a part of that "EX2 IS MY BABY!" feeling, but to be honest, it felt to me like a shameful fungal growth that had been allowed to fester and grow for too long! Probably due to the fact that I had to rewrite it so many times and by the end it had evolved into something that I couldn't really connect with because it was so damn political, and I'd prefer more... emotional/universal relevance type things...

OH WELL IT GOT 48 I DON'T CARE. XD
(49 externally~damnit school mark, hah)

I do wish I had a better extension 2 experience though. :/ Oh well. HSC is not the most ideal context for pouring yourself into such a creative endeavour. It wasn't for me, anyway.

 

[Shadowdude]

I'll still keep writing, saba! Don't you worry. Us EX2 students kinda have a knack for writing anyway - and nothing will stop our injection of literature into the world! Except a well placed bullet, or something...


But yeah, I'm working on something now - because I'm mostly bored. It's about a guy who has to figure out what picture to hang on his wall divisions at work. Yay me for mundane plots! =D

 

[Arcorn]

Lol, I didn't get in Shadow, and I honestly hated my finished product. I liked the epilogue and the police report but I didn't catch the emotion I would have liked with my story, the mark I got was what I deserved. Mind you, the whole experience really ruined writing for me and I hated writing a reflection statement for my own work.

Congrats Saba, hopefully you do actually get in that way we can look out for your work.

 

[Eddy Q]

I'll still keep writing, saba! Don't you worry. Us EX2 students kinda have a knack for writing anyway - and nothing will stop our injection of literature into the world! Except a well placed bullet, or something...


But yeah, I'm working on something now - because I'm mostly bored. It's about a guy who has to figure out what picture to hang on his wall divisions at work. Yay me for mundane plots! =D

That sounds like a story with potential. Good luck!

 

[Shadowdude]

Thanks Eddy!

I'll probably post it on Facebook Notes or something...

 

[Eddy Q]

Thanks Eddy!

I'll probably post it on Facebook Notes or something...

Honestly, I could actually imagine the story turned into a very refined and original film.

 

[nutcracker]

i got. shortlisted.
wow. this is probably one of the most amazing things that has ever happened to me.
i mean, even if i don't get in.. it means.. that someone thinks my work is good enough to be published o_o!
oh, just wow.

 

[Shadowdude]

Hey great work nutcracker,

That'll surely bust the myth that all James Ruse students are maths nerds who don't take English at all!

 

[Shadowdude]

Hey great work nutcracker,

That'll surely bust the myth that all James Ruse students are maths nerds who don't take English at all!

 

[Absolutezero]

Hey great work nutcracker,

That'll surely bust the myth that all James Ruse students are maths nerds who don't take English at all!

Fairly certain they topped both this year...