Announcing our Wherefore Art Thou story competition

Quote by LinaDS2025

Hello, @Jen. Today is the deadline for the entry submission, right? Do we follow the UK time?

Yes

Ok, fellow Lushites, there are eight days left until the big announcement and, as we all know, after that, competition stories get shelved somewhere between the unknown and the long forgotten. So it's time to get reading, liking and commenting. As a suggestion, I'm making new contestants and stories with low numbers of comments a priority to offer a bit of encouragement. Good luck to all.

My story will soon sink without a trace to the bottom where it belongs. Once upon a time I wrote slightly erotic stories but that talent has deserted me and I’m seriously tthinking of giving up and sticking to poetry which nobody reads anyway.

Quote by Piquet

Ok, fellow Lushites, there are eight days left until the big announcement and, as we all know, after that, competition stories get shelved somewhere between the unknown and the long forgotten. So it's time to get reading, liking and commenting. As a suggestion, I'm making new contestants and stories with low numbers of comments a priority to offer a bit of encouragement. Good luck to all.

I'm in the process of reading, liking, and commenting the comp stories. There are some really unique takes on this theme. I love your thoughts on being encouraging. I do try to get to all of them. 😎

Quote by Piquet

Ok, fellow Lushites, there are eight days left until the big announcement and, as we all know, after that, competition stories get shelved somewhere between the unknown and the long forgotten. So it's time to get reading, liking and commenting. As a suggestion, I'm making new contestants and stories with low numbers of comments a priority to offer a bit of encouragement. Good luck to all.

Quote by techgoddess

I'm in the process of reading, liking, and commenting the comp stories. There are some really unique takes on this theme. I love your thoughts on being encouraging. I do try to get to all of them. 😎

I count 70 competition stories, though I read 72 on my list, so a couple must have dropped out. 🙄 Like Piquet and Techgoddess, I enjoy reading, liking and leaving a comment on all the competition entries. I have just finished doing that, and I have to agree with Kat. There are some wonderful, unique stories. Though it seems that no one went for what nearly was my first choice theme, topiary. There weren't enough words to do it justice, so "The Wilmington Village Topiary Contest" will have to remain on my to-write list. 😳

I wish the judges good luck, and I can already see the results date being pushed back a little. There are a lot of excellent stories to get through. 😎

David, there is the funniest razor commercial with 3 women, naked from waist down, standing in front of topiaries that were positioned in front of their mounds. They are each trimming their “topiary”. 🤣🤣🤣

Quote by KimmiBeGood

David, there is the funniest razor commercial with 3 women, naked from waist down, standing in front of topiaries that were positioned in front of their mounds. They are each trimming their “topiary”. 🤣🤣🤣

I have not seen the commercial, Kimmi. Maybe it's not on this side of the Atlantic, but my idea was very much along those lines – the young village casanova/rascal practising his trimming on the three judges' wives, each wife blushing as his 3 competition pieces are unveiled! 😳🤣😈

Quote by wxt55uk

I count 70 competition stories, though I read 72 on my list, so a couple must have dropped out. 🙄 Like Piquet and Techgoddess, I enjoy reading, liking and leaving a comment on all the competition entries. I have just finished doing that, and I have to agree with Kat. There are some wonderful, unique stories. Though it seems that no one went for what nearly was my first choice theme, topiary. There weren't enough words to do it justice, so "The Wilmington Village Topiary Contest" will have to remain on my to-write list. 😳

I wish the judges good luck, and I can already see the results date being pushed back a little. There are a lot of excellent stories to get through. 😎

I hope people enjoy my contribution.

https://www.lushstories.com/stories/swingers/quadtrimony

Well, although I submitted on time, I somehow did not hit the Enter Competition toggle. 🙄 C'est la vie. Anyway, I figured I would add my artsy tale here, where it may get a little more appreciation than from the general reader. Really enjoying the entries I have read so far!
https://www.lushstories.com/stories/lesbian/handblown

So today should be the "Big Day" but there's often delays. The suspense is building, though, I imagine. Who is waiting and watching for the results post?

Quote by Seeker4

So today should be the "Big Day" but there's often delays. The suspense is building, though, I imagine. Who is waiting and watching for the results post?

I've always believed that going on the journey is more important than arriving at the destination... or crossing the finish line first... maybe that's why I never won the school marathon...

Quote by Seeker4

So today should be the "Big Day" but there's often delays. The suspense is building, though, I imagine. Who is waiting and watching for the results post?

I forgot it was today. But I don’t envy the judges. So many fun, artistic stories.

Quote by Seeker4

So today should be the "Big Day" but there's often delays. The suspense is building, though, I imagine. Who is waiting and watching for the results post?

I Favorited almost a dozen stories from this comp, so yes I'm anxious to see how they align with the judging.

And also ... well, of course, to see if lightning strikes and my own entry lands in the Top Ten (or however many).

Quote by joe71

I Favorited almost a dozen stories from this comp, so yes I'm anxious to see how they align with the judging.

After reading, liking and commenting on all the comp stories, I also had 12 favourites, one of which was for sheer novelty, which always appeals to me. 😊 As my track record is not so good on this, I will be happy if I get 4 of the top 10 correct and one of the top 3. 😎😈

If you haven't checked out my story, I hope it makes your list... https://www.lushstories.com/stories/swingers/quadtrimony

It’d be fun to have a “readers choice” outside of the official results. No monetary prizes, just peer acknowledgement.

Perhaps we spin up a group and create some polls after the submission window closes. Top 3 stories. Best “concept”. Most outrageous. Hottest sex scene. Things like that. We could leave the poll(s) open for a week or so and announce the results a day or two after the judges announce the winners.

Or would that result in potential controversy if the results deviate from the official results.

NOTE: Happy to pull this post down if this is not appropriate.

Quote by wxt55uk

😊 As my track record is not so good on this, I will be happy if I get 4 of the top 10 correct and one of the top 3. 😎😈

My track record on picking the winners is certainly no better than yours. But that's part of the fun, because it prompts me to reread good stories that maybe didn't flick my switch the first time, for whatever reason.

Quote by paddlingincognito

It’d be fun to have a “readers choice” outside of the official results. No monetary prizes, just peer acknowledgement.

Perhaps we spin up a group and create some polls after the submission window closes. Top 3 stories. Best “concept”. Most outrageous. Hottest sex scene. Things like that. We could leave the poll(s) open for a week or so and announce the results a day or two after the judges announce the winners.

Or would that result in potential controversy if the results deviate from the official results.

NOTE: Happy to pull this post down if this is not appropriate.

Seems like a cool idea to me. I unfortunately don't necessarily get time to read all the entries in comps between work and life so would probably have to sit it out but for those who do make it through, could be an interesting exercise. Probably just need to be clear on its status as fun and unofficial.

I do not envy the competition judges. Having to read all the entries, and decide which story gets shortlisted and which places in the top 10. But I suppose they could just toss all the entries into a hat and pick that way

Judging is a lengthy/time-consuming process and the timescales depend on shortlister and judge availability, number/length of entries, and eligibility discussions that sometimes crop up.

Notwithstanding the odd AI entry that slips through and we catch during judging, we've also had people disqualified who have entered more than once under different accounts, or submitting previously published work, or part of a series, etc. All this extra administrative work has a knock-on effect on the announcement date.

Jen's hat, as beautifully rainbow-coloured as it is, cannot fit all the entries in, so we abandoned that route long ago.

Quote by WannabeWordsmith

Judging is a lengthy/time-consuming process and the timescales depend on shortlister and judge availability, number/length of entries, and eligibility discussions that sometimes crop up.

Notwithstanding the odd AI entry that slips through and we catch during judging, we've also had people disqualified who have entered more than once under different accounts, or submitting previously published work, or part of a series, etc. All this extra administrative work has a knock-on effect on the announcement date.

Jen's hat, as beautifully rainbow-coloured as it is, cannot fit all the entries in, so we abandoned that route long ago.

I think the vast majority 'get it', and, hard though it is to imagine, do understand that those sifting, shortlisting, judging, etc. have lives even beyond this parallel universe...no, really, they do! (I probably should have prefaced that bombshell with 'spoiler alert'...but I forgot.) 😊

Quote by joe71

My track record on picking the winners is certainly no better than yours. But that's part of the fun, because it prompts me to reread good stories that maybe didn't flick my switch the first time, for whatever reason.

I am slightly smirking this morning, Joe. Not only did I solve today's Wordle puzzle in 2 guesses, but I also selected 8 of the top 10 comp stories in my 12 guesses. That has never happened before and is unlikely to happen again, and I am now talking about the competition results, not the Wordle puzzle, as that's the 73rd time I solved it in 2 goes. 😳😎😈

I only got three of the ten, which is about my usual.

Congratulations to all the winners!