story challenge

That simply isn't the case. If you exclude the initial challenge with only 32 entries, there have been an average of 57.6 entries per challenge. This challenge there are 57. The high of 66 was way back on Challenge #3, which was immediately followed by the lowest-since-the-first of 40 entries on Challenge #4. If you remember, these two challenges (3 & 4) were running at overlapping times, which may have produced that lower number on #4. Otherwise the numbers have been remarkably consistent - 60, 60, 56 and 57 for the most recent four challenges. Challenge #2 had 50 entries, only slightly below the recent numbers.


Nor necessary.

I prefer fewer "winners." It's easy for me to imagine that my entry was right up there at the top when only six are shown. If there were ten or twelve, for example, it'd be painfully obvious that this isn't the case.

I'd say don't extend the voting period. Activity dropped to near zero during the last week of voting when that happened the last time.

Always make a provisional vote based on first impression when you read. You can always go back later and change it. Your first impression is usually accurate.

Top six or top ten? Tough call. It's a double edged sword. More names get recognition but more are disappointed. What if it was top 20 or top half? How would you feel if you didn't even make that? On balance I think top six is ok.

We could make it top fifty and make a few people really feel bad.

Come on, people - the challenge is meant to be FUN. Don't worry about "winners."


I agree. That's exactly right. If you're indisposed for even half the voting period, you still only have to read four stories a day. Heck, some people read that many in a minute (until Februs' software locks them out, that is).

Actually what is more important to me is how the story is received and I know this through comments. A story won't win, place or show or RU unless it gets a large number of hits (readers who vote), but even with fewer hits appreciative commentary tells me people liked it. Several stories of mine that did not win anything are in the top 300 (comments). So I know that among this smaller set of voters these stories probably were ranked pretty high and that's good enough for me.

I'm so glad there are people here with nice warped senses of humo(u)r.

(Side question, prompted by Katie B's latest: why is there a trans-Atlantic difference between humor/humour, color/colour, but it's glamour in both variants?)

Never let it be said that Rick Marlowe would shy away from a digression!

To answer the question - I guess the difference is because the Brits don't know how to spell, and think that just because there is a 'u' in glamour thnk there should be one in those other words.

As a foreigner I hate to teach people their own language, but you have got this seriously/seriosly mixed up:

"Humourous" in British English corresponds to "boring" in American English, while "humorous" in AE corresponds to "vulgar" in BE. "Glamourous" happens to mean the same in both languages.

That's what I thought first. But there are again so many good stories in this challenge, that it's no sacrifice at all to read them. Bravo!

Except, of course, those seven that get excluded from the Top Fifty, to the utter humiliation of their authors.

Some authors need this to feel happy.