A call for assistance
Those of you who've been following the competition over at therealljidol know that I'm still alive...barely. I don't have the vote totals in front of me, but according to spydielives 's stats, I was in the bottom 15 overall vote-getters through week 7, and this past week didn't do much to help.
Now, I understand that a big part of the game (at least in the early stages) is having a sizable friends list to draw from for votes. I thank those of you reading this that are taking the time to vote. However, I'm not here to discuss the meta-game of the popularity contest, but rather the whole reason I joined up: Improving my writing.
I entered this game with the intention of putting my writing out there, in view of talented writers, and getting constructive feedback on how to improve. I figured if I could get that, the competition aspect would take care of itself. Through eight weeks, however, it seems as though the people who like my work, really like it...there just aren't many of them. And there's been almost no criticism. I'm not sure this is a good thing.
So, here's what I'm going to do. At the bottom of this post is a link to all nine entries I've written so far. This is a call to all of the talented writers out there (both inside and outside the game): Get out your virtual red pens and go to town. Hack away mercilessly. What can I do to improve my writing? Is the issue my choice of topics? My style? My use of language? Or something else entirely?
Given the current voting trends, something has to change to keep me in the game. What is it? Don't hold back, folks; if there's something I need to correct, tell me.
Thanks in advance for all your assistance. I would request that comments on individual entries go to those entries, while overall notes about my writing and the competition go here.
Mike
Introduction: " Unapologetic"
Week 1 (Saying Goodbye): " Final Bow"
Week 2 (I Don't Care About Apathy...): " Show Me What You've Learned..."
Week 3 (A Moment of Bliss): " Solution"
Week 4 (Mistaken Identity): " You Are You"
Week 5 (Open Topic): " Behind the Veil"
Week 6 (Ghosts): BYE
Week 7 (Hope): " Oxymoron"
Week 8 (Ranting): " Let's Get Ready to Crumble!"
Week 9 (Unprepared): " Scared Scriptless"