Weekly Wattpad Contests

Contest #45 Results

I have a confession to make.

I have promised myself, long ago, that I would never watch a single episode of Game of Thrones.

It's one I've upheld fairly well. I'm not somebody who generally breaks promises to myself. In fact, I can confidently say that I haven't used Facebook once this year, as per my new year's resolution.

But, sacrifices must be made.

I like my friends, I really do, and I would give anything in the world to spend more time with them. One such sacrifice is that I was to watch the airing of the first episode of Season 8 of Game of Thrones with Manuela.

And, boy, have I fallen down the rabbit hole.

I'm obsessed. I'm so utterly obsessed with Game of thrones now that I'm quoting it left and right and up and down and in and out and diagonally.

My point here is that Game of Thrones has a particularly poignant summation of Contest 45:

"The night is dark and full of terrors."

I've said this before and I'll say this to my dying breath: media becomes effective when you can correlate it's motivations to real world struggle. Have you read the articles on how Lord of the Rings (another confession, I've never watched or read it) was partially super effective because it existed in context of the wounds of World War 2? Have you ever considered that YA novels like The Hunger Games or the Divergent series are so popular because they reflect an economically and class-divided struggle that Young Adults can identify in their living world? How about the height of escapism productions – music, literature, film – in the face of cultural oppression from the seventies to the nineties?

All speculation on my part – I do not have the time or motivation to actually do research right now.

My point is – the world sucks, yo, and that's an unfortunate truth. At least we're lucky in the fact that we are effectors of change. We are individuals who can mount movements to move mountains.

All peoples who produce – authors, songwriters, artists, actors, producers, directors, speakers, journalists, etc – are creating works in the context of their experiences, their societies and their philosophies.

We address this little point in Contest 47, but, here, with Contest 45, we've already taken a look at that challenge of real life and world problems.

And I'm very proud of all of you.

Someday, you'll change the world, darling.

We had roughly a million entries to this contest, and all those struggles are valid. This has been so tough on me, but I've judged this contest on specifically the quality of the language and the ability to be poignant and effective about it. I do regret putting myself into this particular position. All the work entered into this contest has been substantial and painful and I am on the verge of refusing to judge it, but here I am, hoisted by my own petard.

I can't very well @ everybody who has entered. Everybody deserves some recognition, so if you're particularly keen to give it to them, go back to Contest 45 and scroll through the comments, read the stories.

Here are the ones I've painstakingly selected based on my own bias and the use of language and writing style.

First place: Hannah_Ikuzuki (in the book Contest Works)

It's very concise. Short sentences. Powerful statements. Painful concepts. Poignant summation.

"Death should not be the effect of anyone's opinion."

It's a very rapid journey through the forays of humanity's worst, and I think it's very well written.

Second Place: AliviaRogers5 (In Wattpad Weekly Contest 45)

It makes statements, it poses questions. It's tumultuous and confusing and straightforward and clear. I'd usually advocate for paragraphing, but I think that the kind of run-off feel of it makes the point that much more effective. Thinking is a confusing process, and that mess of it makes this, in my opinion, a very well constructed piece.

Third Place: tkd_princess1 (Divided in Writing Entries)

The concept of division is the motivation for this piece, and it does very well to reflect on all of that. It goes into great depth with big questions and simple answers, all while maintaining division as a fault.

I particularly like how it feels like it's a monologue the villain in a film would make to justify his actions.

HM's:

EA_INAMA with Free of Disorder in Human Essay – I love the imagery and the thematic 'disorder' prevalent through it.

OnlyKnownAsCOfficial with Screen Addiction – There is a peculiar sense of disconnect in the narration while simultaneously being critical about modern technology. I like it particularly.

PinkAuthor5 with A few Words in Contest Entries – It feels like spoken word to me, and it's a bunch of statement/questions that keep on punching.

That's it, I'm done.

Please, never, ever, let me do this again.

I can't stand the fact that there have been so many beautiful entries. I can't stand the fact that I had to let go of ImaginaryStalker and 'Postcards of Your Child's Time', or and 'Because of Ezra', or...

You see where I'm going with this.

I haven't commented or voted, I apologise, but to everybody, whether your name is on here or not, I loved it.

It's very difficult for me to admit this particular mistake, but this contest was a very bad idea from my perspective. It's cliché to say, but it's absolutely true: You should all be winners. You've written such powerful pieces and I've read every one of them. I've gone over and over and over them and I've driven myself to madness.

So, with that, whenever I even attempt to do this again, I implore you stop me. Knock me unconscious, highjack the Weekly Wattpad Contests and start a new world order.

I can't deal with feels, yo.

With much regret

TimberWoolf