I'll be available Saturday night via #mentors or PM for anyone who wants a pre-deadline critique.

(gets out the *big* box of Crayolas and the sharpener)

Can’t believe it’s pony time again.
Time to write another game loser :p :p

Pones ftw

I’ve been making noise about returning for the last six months. Can I finally accomplish more than making noise? Stay tuned!

IT'S GO TIME, BRUDDAS!

Right. Haven't done this before, but there's a first time for everything! Let's give it a shot.

>>Meridian_Prime
I hope you have a good time!

Got some fun prompts this time. I’m looking forward to digging in.

>>Meridian_Prime
Eyy, welcome aboard! Any other new folks out there this time? We won’t bite, I promise...

(Posh, don’t bite the new people, y’all been told)

>>CoffeeMinion
The struggle continues…

My sleep schedule plus my work schedule leaves a very messy few hours scattered here and there but we'll see.

What just happened, why is it hours later, and what is this in my editor window? Is this a first draft?

*reads*

The flaws… the flaws…

Oh cripes I thought the upper word limit was 900

*deep sigh*

Why did I have to get inspired in a mini round? I did that last time!

Alas:

I've been getting nothing from this prompt all day, and with the time change robbing some of us US people of an hour tonight, I'm pretty sure I'm out this round. See folks next time!

Mike

“Oh deary me,” said PoohLight Striker. “I've submitted a story.”

Well, work happened. Know what didn't happen? Pony writing. I'm off Monday, but I'm afraid that doesn't count for anything.

I actually managed to get something done early this time, rather than struggle at midnight to write something coherent.

I've submitted. In order to give you'all the best possible critique—uninfluenced by other's opinions, reflecting only what this one reader understood reading your words—I once again pledge not to read anyone else's critiques until after the end of the voting period. I challenge you'all to do the same.

>>scifipony
I decided to do something similar, but I don't extend it until the end of the voting period; I only read the other comments after I've personally voted.

>>Light_Striker
Fair enough. I don't trust myself not to be so impressed by other's reviews not to be tempted to revise even at the last minute. My mileage does vary.

Well, I'm spending the weekend helping my parents sort out their taxes, and I don't know if I'll be able to do any reviewing next week -- but I managed to sneak a fic in.

Words and vodka mix well, but maybe a little too much.

Regardless, another round of each!

I have a nice fic, but I can't write word one of it because I am yet too tightly gripped by the throes of depression. Best of luck to the rest of you!

>>Baal Bunny
I couldn’t get anything out of the prompt either, I’m afraid. D:

I have failed the test. I will diminish, and go into the West, and remain CoffeeMinion.

Feedback preamble: 14 entries, including “Retirees” which I will be abstaining on due to the strange choice to include unreleased-season spoilers… what's going on there? I guess there's maybe been pre-season official material I haven't seen? Added later: Miller Minus (thanks!) has told me that it's only based on the trailer. I'm still not planning to include it in the feedback set, but I might come back to read it later. :-)

Complete slate, so I'll be attempting to comment on all of them minus “Retirees”, including mine. Slate numbers will be from a “virtual slate” that's similarly inclusive, in order to avoid revealing authorship; my actual votes will be approximately the virtual slate minus my entry.

Also, I'll be writing most of my feedback before looking at anyone else's, though I'm not using that as a hard rule.

So, this Writeoff was particularly hard to judge. I always feel a little guilty with these things, because there are a lot of great stories here that deserve recognition, and yet have to be bumped down to a seemingly poor rating because that other one was slightly better. As much as I love these things, I hate that downside. Maybe this weekend when I start my "reading vacation" I'll go through these one-at-a-time and give my thoughts on each, but I just didn't have the time this week.

What's curious to me is that my two favorites by a large margin were Apple Horse's stories. Didn't see that coming.

I have the whole library read and ranked -- I'll try to lightning-review the ones I haven't critiqued already, but I'm running on fumes tonight after a pretty sleepless week.

If I don't read yours, or my comments aren't extensive, I beg your pardon.

Congratulations to the winners, and thanks to everyone who gave me interesting feedback! Story retrospective and feedback retrospective are hopefully incoming once I feel up to writing them.

I was considering doing pic this round too, but I didn't wind up having time. I've voted on the pics and am planning on giving pic feedback, even though I don't think I'm much of a visual art critic, because I think the pics often don't get as much attention as they should.

Next time, folks. Got my calendar marked and everything.

NEXT TIME. :rainbowdetermined2: