LTROI writing competition from Quercus Books

[Jameron]

Thank you everybody.

Y'know, I feel like we all had a hand in this. If Nightrider hadn't started this thread I would never have known about the competition. He and others encouraged me to enter, when I didn't think I should. Add to that, the open discussions here where people don't try to prove you wrong, because interpretation is personal, and so is 'right' for the person seeing it. The atmosphere here is special, and supportive, I don't think I could have written that piece for an indifferent audience. Would I be going over the top, and getting all mushy, if I was to say that this forum feels like a second family? Maybe just a tad? But here, I feel safe. Safe to admit that a film or a book made me cry, or laugh, or annoyed. Thank you Wolfy for creating this special place.

/ramble

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[Jameron]

WOW! Great work Keith. Now keep on writing.

I have actually been writing bits and pieces to continue the story, it's very patchy at the moment, and very incomplete. I can't say that it is as intense as that one contained scene. I have to be in the right frame of mind to write though, and that doesn't happen very often, sadly.

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[a_contemplative_life]

Congratulations! The judges must have picked up on what made your short story great--how deeply you love and care about Eli and Oscar. Please do let us know about your prize!

Now, of course, I am very curious to know more about the stories that didn't make it, esp. those that were considered runner up's. I suppose we'll never hear about those, though...

[Swaefheard]

Congratulations!

Or 'Awesome' as Eli said.

[Jameron]

Congratulations! The judges must have picked up on what made your short story great--how deeply you love and care about Eli and Oscar. Please do let us know about your prize!

Now, of course, I am very curious to know more about the stories that didn't make it, esp. those that were considered runner up's. I suppose we'll never hear about those, though...

Thanks

This from the email they sent me...

• "We're hoping to post up some of the other great entries too in the coming weeks so you'll be able to read a fair few of them."

So here's hoping.

Although, I have looked but I can't find my entry posted on their site, it is a fairly unintuitive site though, at least to me. Nothing on their facebook either. *shrugs*

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[PeteMork]

Congratulations, Jameron! I, like you, didn't think you had a chance at winning, but not because it wasn't well written -- it clearly was. But because it was too well written. Unpleasant endings are unpopular these days, and I didn't really think the judges would have a deep enough understanding of the novel to accept one. Especially one as heart-rending as yours.

Again, congratulations.

[Hassildor]

Congratulations!

I just read your submission for the first time, and it was really quite excellent. I'm looking forward to reading more by you in the future.

[Jameron]

Congratulations, Jameron! I, like you, didn't think you had a chance at winning, but not because it wasn't well written -- it clearly was. But because it was too well written. Unpleasant endings are unpopular these days, and I didn't really think the judges would have a deep enough understanding of the novel to accept one. Especially one as heart-rending as yours.

Again, congratulations.

Thank you very much. I actually tidied up the ending, it was originally a little ambiguous. The intention was to leave the reader unsure as to whether Eli had turned Oskar, or not, and could be interpreted either way, although there was a definite bias in one direction. But that wouldn't do for an epilogue, so I had to pick one, and chose to end their relationship and have Oskar alone again simply because that seemed to be the worst outcome from Oskar's perspective, but the kindest one for Oskar from Eli's perspective. If you love someone, you put their needs above your own, and that's what Eli did.

Congratulations!

I just read your submission for the first time, and it was really quite excellent. I'm looking forward to reading more by you in the future.

Thank you

But I must warn you, I am not a prolific writer, so it might be some time, lol. However, I can really recommend A_Contemplative_Life's fiction, it is truly heartbreaking.

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[danielma]

Hi Jameron.

Again, for the record, I really liked what you wrote and am wishing you the best of luck in your chances of winning (because I think it is incredibly heart felt and well written)....and plus, I think it would be awesome if someone from this board won that competition .

OH MY GOD!

OH MY GOD!

They have just announced the winner of the competition ... I WON IT! ... I FRAKKING WON IT!



And now you all know my name, lol. So much for the anonymity of teh internetz, hehe.

*tries to breath normally*

*fails*

*passes out*

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I CALLED IT!!!!!

Seriously Congrats I had a feeling after reading it, if it didn't catch their attention then damn whoever did win must have wrote one hell of a story...but since it is indeed you then I can say CONGRATS SIR

As I mentioned before, Incredibly Heart Felt and Well Written and I stick by that opinion 100%...so I'm very happy they noticed that as well and awarded it accordingly...quite deserving of the prize and obviously they agreed...so congrats sir and well done...and I'm very glad that someone from this board won it

[danielma]

Well, first of all, thank you for liking my little story (John did all the hard work by giving us two wonderful characters to love)
I'm glad you thought it was heartfelt because ... well, because it was, I got quite upset while I was writing it.

Secondly, I'm not insulted that you thought of Owen and Abby, not at all. I don't hate Let Me In, in fact I've seen it a few times (even though that stupid cop keeps showing up, will he never learn? ). I had never considered Owen and Abby playing those parts in my story, (whenever I think of John's story I always visualise Oskar and Eli) but since you mention it, yes ... I can see that too. I think It might be because Tomas separated that side of Eli when he made his film. We missed out on the fun side of her nature ("What? No banaaaanas?") that we see glimpses of in Abby. We also see much more of book Eli's openness in Abby than in film Eli. Don't get me wrong, I wuv film Eli , but she wasn't the complete deal that we got in the novel. Maybe elements of that highlighted discussion drew from parts of Eli's character that weren't represented in Tomas' film, and that were part of Abby .


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I know, but you know I've been very vocal at times with my somewhat dislike of Let Me In over at IMDB (okay I don't hate LMI, but I do stand by my thought that it is the original film over-explained)...so I guess I didn't want you to think I was "being that guy" for the sake of it. You know the guy looking to stir crap or what not...but that's not important...I think you know it wasn't my intent.

I gathered you were drawing influences from the film as well. I've never shyed away from the open idea that it is indeed a possibility that Oskar might just be next in line, at least in the film version I think that's an open ended possibility. So reading your epilouge, it broke my heart in that sense and hence what caused me to get misty eyed about it in the first place. Which is why I gushed so heavily over it in the first place, the fact that I felt it was so heart felt that this one possible outcome could make me actually get a little misty eyed was just great. There was a passion in that piece of writing that actually felt genuine and real on your behalf and that's what got me so greatly with it.

And on the other note, it really is a scene that I can see easily played out in both universes. We know it's an open ended suggestion for Oskar that he may (or may not) become like Hakan (if that is indeed Hakan's backstory). In LMI, it's almost a certainty. So yeah I think you could easily put in the names Owen and Abby and it would work just as wonderfully...that's what I find really great about it It would still break my heart either way...

But anyways, yeah, I'm really happy you won this...couldn't happen to a more deserving fan...I loved your story and am very happy for you right now Well done.