The Third Annual Writer's Game: Roots

Ex Nihilo Nihil Fit | Byes and Voting

The entries this task were some of the best I've had the pleasure to read and score (albeit privately). Saying that, deciding the byes was therefore incredibly difficult, and it will hurt me to know that two of you will be leaving before the finals. But before we get to the byes, first the notes...

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D4 Female - Jacqueline "Jackie" Ecclestone

This is also an entry which somehow managed to fit perfectly in time with the music. So I'm just going to cry silently in a corner about the perfection and move on to the actual entry. This was a wonderful entry. The beginning paragraph was gorgeous, especially the melted gold crown. Saying that, though, the beginning seemed to employ a lot of words that were superfluous (and saying that, avifuana is actually spelled avifauna). There were a few spelling or grammar mistakes, but otherwise was technically flawless. However, what detracted from an otherwise gorgeous entry was your reliance on the song title. I found a lot of the entry was forced with similes or metaphors regarding wind, which wasn't the intention of the task and detracted from an otherwise emotional and well-formed entry. Also, I don't think gravity forced branches back into place, but that's just a comment from someone who's very nitpicky and didn't affect the overall entry.

D5 Male - Leo Tolstoy

I'm actually so emotional because as I was reading your entry it fit so perfectly into the music that I finished reading just as the music stopped and that is just so perfect. You managed to weave in breaks and faults in his mind and logic that coincided with the rise and fall of the music, which is commendable even if that wasn't your intention. Saying that, I also love how Leo is subtly growing to become unhinged, but the entry seemed a bit disjointed in that a few phrases were a bit wonky to read. However, I love what you did with this entry in terms of the plot idea. This entry was fantastic at his character development too and just !!

D7 Female - Aspen Summers

I'm still disappointed that I haven't heard any mention of her parents. At this point in semis, where she's being very contemplative and the entire entry is focused around past memories, I would've liked to see why her parents aren't in the picture, why they weren't the ones to give her the message from last task, etc. Also, I felt the entry didn't flow with the music, it seemed disjointed at times and I feel you still need to improve on the whole 'more isn't always better', because at times I felt this entry dragged. I also wasn't a huge fan of the whole 'talking to no one' because it took up around half the entry and just seemed to be used for dramatic effect, which in turn made it seem like you were trying to find an easy way out by telling us all this information, rather than showing us. Showing us the effects of his death would have drawn the entry together, and it also would have shortened up your entry so that it was concise. I've just realised I've barely said anything positive about this entry, but honestly, it's wonderful and the description and technical issues are basically flawless, so I don't have much to say otherwise.

D8 Male - Roscoe Wayland

A short entry, the shortest of all semifinalists, paired with the second longest song was a bit disappointing, but it's the quality that counts, not the quantity. Also, this was super sad and just I'm so conflicted because this is genuinely wonderful and you did everything in the task within 950 words which seems impossible. Technically flawless except one tiny part where you said 'parents' instead of parent (and had you said parent I would've been a mess because no). But a stunning entry nonetheless.

D9 Male- Follin Ryme

This was 4100 words of pure heartache. The song I allocated to each of you was deliberate, but to your character even more so. I only found Aurora while looking for songs, but it's one of the most beautiful pieces I've ever heard, and the backstory of it (look it up if you want) is literally devastating. Therefore, I was expecting a lot from this entry. Not only the longest piece of music, but also the most haunting and melancholic, reading the entry to the music made everything seem that much more powerful. Saying that, though, I felt like the very brief interludes of his thoughts took away from the entry's feeling. I loved the hallucination bit, as it played with the mystical quality of the song very well. I literally just can't.

D11 Male - Jeffrey R. Beers

Ouch, my heart. There were a few spelling errors, as I tell most people, but we'll move on. This was a wonderfully written backstory, though I felt some of it was inconsistent to other entries, but it didn't detract too much from this one. Also, I loved the little nod to the artist by having that as his father's name. However, I felt this entry didn't fit very well with the song. The song is very much introspective and clashing, while the entry was more of a flashback that would have done well with another song that fit more with the turmoil that you showed.

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Each and every one of you deserves to make it through, and having to choose two people to go through automatically literally kills me and is why this wasn't up before. I want to apologize to everyone who didn't get a bye because I was literally arguing with myself for an hour about this. After much trial over deliberating about byes, I have decided to award the two byes to District Nine's Follin Ryme and District Four's Jacqueline Ecclestone.

THAT MEANS

District Five, Leo Tolstoy,

District Seven, Aspen Summers,

District Eight, Roscoe Wayland,

and District Eleven, Jeffrey R. Beers

are up for votes.

VOTE FOR THE TWO YOU WANT TO SEE ELIMINATED. VOTING WILL ONLY BE THROUGH PM. Along with your votes, you must provide an explanation for each tribute as to why you voted for them to be eliminated, and why you chose to save the other two. Answers such as "I thought they had a good entry" will not suffice, a more thorough explanation will be required.

And with all sincerity, I hope the odds are ever in your favour.

VOTING ENDS SUNDAY 10PM EST [Note the time, I will be away most of the day tomorrow].