Bonus Prize - BLOWOUT Challenge

[Deb Porter]

It's time to announce this week's winner of our randomly selected bonus prize for the BLOWOUT Challenge. Our winner is.................

PHEE PARADISE

Phee will receive a ratings feedback report on her entry in the Blowout Challenge sometime in the week or so after the winners for that topic are announced (provided she is willing to receive that report).

Congratulations Phee!

For more information about the Ratings Feedback Reports and the weekly bonus prize, please read this thread:

viewtopic.php?t=32188

Love, Deb

[pheeweed]

Thank you. I'm blessed.

[oursilverstrands]

Congratulations Phee!

Hope you plan to hint, so we can read it. Would love to know what the ratings feedback
says, if you care to "blowout" a few points.

Lillian
Fortunate 500

http://www.oursilverstrands.com

Seniors in Bloom

[FirstLove]

Congrats, Phee!

I'm going to pop over and read your entry for Blowout...

Enjoy your helpful feedback report from Deb Porter!!!

Love,
Debbie

[pheeweed]

Deb, thank you so much for the feedback report. It was so much more than I expected it to be.

Lillian asked if I would share some of it, so here's a synopsis (of a synopsis?).

Deb summarized the judges comments on each judging point. Although it wasn't long, it was detailed and pointed. She gave me the rating on each point and said how the judges thought it could be better. This is what I expected.

What I didn't expect was the detailed recommendations she included. She named the characters in my story and said what their weaknesses and strengths were. She suggested changes to the dialogue and even the personalities of the characters. She not only told me what was weak about the opening, but suggested ways to improve it. She also discussed the theme of the story. She showed how it was a clear theme, but not a very good message. She pointed out specific areas where I "told" instead of "showed."

And the best part was that she did it all professionally AND gently. After reading it, I felt encouraged, not discouraged, even though I knew when I submitted the entry that it wasn't very good.

The only negative in all this comes from my abilities as a self-editor. I'm not sure I'll be able to apply this critique to my other stories. I'll really need to study it to do that.

So thanks again, Deb. I plan to use the ratings feedback service for a story that I think is good, to see what it is that my writing is missing. And I encourage anyone who's reading this to use the service. Don't wait until you win it as a prize. This is an outstanding way to get a big boost in your writing.

P.S. Deb, if this is useful as an endorsement, please use it. If not, let me know and I'll send you one.

[Deb Porter]

Phee, you're a sweetheart. Thank you.

I must admit, that was a pretty heavy report, and you are exactly the sort of person who will benefit most from that information. Your attitude is fantastic.

The reports have evolved quite a lot, which is why they now do cost a little more. Being me, I just found I couldn't leave people up in the air wondering exactly what was wrong with their entries, even after seeing how the judges rated each category. The general ratings feedback only went so far. It didn't get specific, and I found it impossible to just leave it at that. As a result, I've been adding more and more feedback, which makes these reports quite thorough.

So although the price has gone up a bit, and possibly will still need to increase in the future because of the time involved in preparing them, the reports are now very thorough (to say the least). They stop just short of editing the article.

Love, Deb

[Colswann1]

I had a slight panick when I saw someone had been picked in advance for Blowout - I have just submitted and thought I must have entered the wrong topic until I checked. What would have happened if Phee had not entered Blowout could she take the bonus prize forward to another week. Or, do persons picked who do not enter simply lose it.

LATER NOTE
Sorry Deb getting my OUTs mixed up - please forgive me for wasting your time.