Powers & Irish Times Short Story Comp

Whelpling

I guess I'm in the minority with really liking Brendan's story and seeing it as fitting in very well with the theme then!

I see it as a metaphorical warning. The woman smothers/kills her cats, whom she obviously loves very much (as is evident in the narrative) in order to celebrate and prolong her love for them. The desire to remember the good things that were in the past has caused her to overlook celebration of what is in the present (the kittens and the memories yet to be made with them - the very memories that make the stuffed adult cats bring her comfort and happiness). Hence, it is a story about remembering to celebrate what really matters, rather than focusing on memories that cannot be relived and attempting to skip over 'what really matters' in order to obtain the memory.

I liked it!

Madammoiselle

I never thought of it that way. Very clever piece indeed!

MOONlit

I have just randomly started to read some of the stories on the lists now, and there are some really lovely ones that I missed first time around like - the balloonist by Martin Cronin, really like one by Eileen O Neill about a relationship and also Fionnoula(?) Kenny has one about lough derg which I like. Im sure there are loads and loads more... Its interesting I think. The standard is pretty damn high really at second glance I think. Must be very tough on the judges actually!

jac31890

I actually liked the story about the hermit crab, in the first list? By Jillian, I think? But I havent gotten around to reading any of the other lists yet. I kind of automatically hate any of them that mention Powers. I dont know about requirements, but it just always seems so forced to me? Maybe it wasnt, and truly suits the stories in other ones, but it just feels so false.

jac31890

Also, what pages are the cat and wool stories? Everyone seems to enjoy them!

Madammoiselle

No update today anyway, how disappointing!

c68zapdsm5i1ru

The 'longlist continues' line is still there. If they're announcing the winner on Saturday I would have thought they'd have provided any further updates by now and be concentrating on the short list this week.

Madammoiselle

Yup, me too. Really thought an update was on the cards today. We will just have to wait - again- until tomorrow! Hopefully tomorrow anyway!

LegacyUser

heebeejeebees wrote: »

Plus - as there was no duplication of names between no 17 and nos 1-16, then it doesn't make sense that 17 was the shortlist because that would mean they had chosen the shortlist (and were just holding it back for some reason) before they had even posted longlist no 1.

Hi my story didn't include the words Powers Whiskey and I got on the long list.

kilternan

Just realised that I mention Bushmills in my short story - Powers won't like that

DermoLogical

kilternan wrote: »

Just realised that I mention Bushmills in my short story - Powers won't like that

Doh! :-)

I randomly left out two words, but maybe it was so garbled anyway that nobody noticed.

Dullard

kilternan wrote: »

Just realised that I mention Bushmills in my short story - Powers won't like that

But I do - the Bushmills, I mean. At least when you erred, you erred on the right side. I shall drink to your endeavour with a Bushmills 21, right now. Slainte

MOONlit

kilternan wrote: »

Just realised that I mention Bushmills in my short story - Powers won't like that

I am beginning now to wonder whether those stories which have mentioned powers whiskey are in fact at a disadvantage and will be passed over for any serious rating,irrespective of merit. It would be unfair for sure, as it was the sponsors lack of clarifying a foggy issue which dumped a lot of writers into that situation. I guess those journalists in the IT will judge on merit irrespective but there does seem to be a sort of mockery heaped on the stories that mention powers whiskey. Therfore I wouldnt feel to bad about mentioning bushmills - coolerr in the long run than mentioning powers perhaps.

heebeejeebees

MOONlit wrote: »

I am beginning now to wonder whether those stories which have mentioned powers whiskey are in fact at a disadvantage and will be passed over for any serious rating,irrespective of merit. It would be unfair for sure, as it was the sponsors lack of clarifying a foggy issue which dumped a lot of writers into that situation. I guess those journalists in the IT will judge on merit irrespective but there does seem to be a sort of mockery heaped on the stories that mention powers whiskey. Therfore I wouldnt feel to bad about mentioning bushmills - coolerr in the long run than mentioning powers perhaps.

I'm sure it will make no difference either way.

c68zapdsm5i1ru

MOONlit wrote: »

I am beginning now to wonder whether those stories which have mentioned powers whiskey are in fact at a disadvantage and will be passed over for any serious rating,irrespective of merit. It would be unfair for sure, as it was the sponsors lack of clarifying a foggy issue which dumped a lot of writers into that situation. I guess those journalists in the IT will judge on merit irrespective but there does seem to be a sort of mockery heaped on the stories that mention powers whiskey. Therfore I wouldnt feel to bad about mentioning bushmills - coolerr in the long run than mentioning powers perhaps.

From what I can see, the judges have nothing whatsoever to do with Powers and are successful journalists in their own right. I'm not sure if that was the case last year, as Powers definitely seemed to have a lot of control over the competition and possibly over who won. Hopefully, this year they will just be sponsoring the prize and the story will be chosen on merit alone and whether or not Powers was mentioned won't come into it.

If the winner and the names of the other 49 successful entrants are going to be published in the IT magazine on Saturday, I presume they would need to be submitted to the publishers by Thursday at latest. I doubt very much that long listing could still be going on. I wouldn't be surprised if the winner has already been contacted in order to arrange a photograph.

Madammoiselle

I think you're right. The winner has surely been contacted by now. I can't wait to read the winning story.
Hopefully the Irish Times will update the blog today & finally we can all chill out about the whole thing.

Chocolate Chip

It's not over yet!

Madammoiselle

Still no update as to what is going on.

tis a fine line

It's driving me mad waiting :mad:

But i know i'll be sad when it's all over

:pac:

Something tells me we won't know 'till the 26th...

Madammoiselle

Ah don't say that, I dont think I could handle another week of the unknown.

guy83

tis a fine line wrote: »

Something tells me we won't know 'till the 26th...

Agree.
Considering the fuss made over the longlist, I can't see them just throwing out the shortlist and announcing a winner between now and Saturday.
Also the logistics of getting judges to read the shortlisted entries and agree a winner may be proving too taxing.

I'm thinking shortlist in this Saturday's magazine (maybe pre-released online on the Friday), then the winner published on the 26th. So they'd be contacting the winner some time next week.
Good Luck.

kieslowski

I was longlisted. I also had a great chance of deftly introducing Powers into the story but just couldn't do it! I just felt like a kiss-me-ar*e....

The information vacuum is a bit frustrating. Would be great to be shortlisted but the odds look daunting!

Whelpling

Congrats to everyone who got longlisted!

My fingers are crossed for you all for the shortlist - and of course for the win!

Madammoiselle

So is it only those who were long listed that will be short listed??

MOONlit

Madammoiselle wrote: »

So is it only those who were long listed that will be short listed??

I think we are all clueless about whats happening. The only word from the 'horses mouth' in this, is the last activity on the blog - which states, that there will be more additions to long list.
Id say take it one 'activity' at a time. Who knows anything else? God Luck.

LegacyUser

I didn't mention Power's whiskey in my story last year and it didn't get into the book.This year I mentioned Power's to give me more of a chance, and I'm still not on any of the shortlist's. Some of the stories I've read are well written, witty and thoughtful. Other's are awful. It's a bit insulting to read so many stories containing bad grammar and punctuation, clichès and boring plots that have still gotten through. Hopefully the winner's story will be deserving of the €10,000 prize, like last years winner.

LegacyUser

alfa beta wrote: »

I read last years winner...

I think it might have been liver failure that did for the oul fella!

Good one!

EileenG

Madammoiselle wrote: »

So is it only those who were long listed that will be short listed??

Traditionally, that's how it works. What's the point of a longlist if you are not going to use it to compile the short list?

No-one could wade through 4200 entries. Each judge will pick out the ones they think have some sort of a chance, and then they will pick the best ones from that list.

Madammoiselle

EileenG wrote: »

Madammoiselle wrote: »

So is it only those who were long listed that will be short listed??

Traditionally, that's how it works. What's the point of a longlist if you are not going to use it to compile the short list?

No-one could wade through 4200 entries. Each judge will pick out the ones they think have some sort of a chance, and then they will pick the best ones from that list.

Thanks for that Eileen. It was my first time entering anything like this so I'm completely clueless!

Chocolate Chip

So there is still a tiny hope if you are not on the long list? YAY!

Some of the entries are brilliant! I haven't read half of them yet, but my favourite so far is the one called the Rescue, I laughed out loud at it and that's some achievement for 450 words. I love the funny ones.

I read the one about the cats too and even if it's a good story, it's nothing to do with the theme no matter what way you spin it. Maybe we should all start writing now for next years competition!