Received my CS Open round 2 score this morning…
2009 October 6
Damn… disappointed.
Total Score–Calculated: [22+21+23+23] = 89
Structure Score: 22 Dialogue Score: 21 Style Score: 23 Originality Score: 23
Judge’s Comments: Great original set up and likable characters, but their reaction to Percy taking the scrunchie seems a tad extreme. It also feels a bit odd that taking a scrunchie would ensure that a player doesn’t play (we’d expect a locker room full of women to have more than one scrunchie!). Despite these issues, Percy’s mea culpa is good and the scene ultimately wins us over. Nice job.
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Hey, still good for 2nd round and not that much time to go over it. I'm sure the judges were a tad tougher this last round too! But hey, I think making the 2nd round with as many entries as they had was a big deal too. So pat yourself on the back!
What was max score on each part?
"Great original set up and likable characters" is not that bad judgment. "Great" does not seem to be used a log among pro readers.
Each section was out of 25 to make a possible total of 100.
I don't want to complain, I am just disappointed at what the reader had a problem with, which is what he/she seemed to base their feedback on: "..we'd expect a locker room full of women to have more than one scrunchie."
It was not about a player sitting out simply because she couldn't put her hair up.
Right. A lucky item can make a lot of people do a lot crazier things than sitting out a ballgame.
I'm curious, you said you knew others who had gotten their scores back for round two. How many of them were their?
I still haven't gotten mine back yet and am a little worried after reading horror stories from a forum about round one.
Thanks! And good luck!
Something obviously didn't ring true to the reader (that particular reader). Maybe that particular scene is not the problem, but a setup prior this? I don't know since I haven't read it.
I would say with that score you could get it sold.
Anonymous – Yes, I think most writers have gotten their scores back, but I do know of a couple also who still haven't. I'm guessing since there's no "top ten" list out, that they just haven't gotten through everyone's yet. Let me know when you get your score back! Best of luck!
Desiree – I totally agree with you. I've been rereading it and racking my brain on what I could have done to make the story ring true to anybody, and not just those who have had involvement in athletics. Thanks for your comment… and if you would like to read the 5 page scene, I have it here: http://kimnunley.blogspot.com/2009/10/my-cs-open-round-2-submission.html. I hope your short story project is going well!
Coolio, thanks! Ill let you know. Know what scores people are getting?
I haven't seen any score over 91, but of course I haven't talked to everybody
. That's from probably about 10 people who've I've been in contact with. Most that I've heard from have gotten 88/89.
A bottle of wine deep and half way through Death Proof I got my scores back last night. Thanks for the comments back! Much appreciated!
Sweet… hope you're happy with your score.
Since the CS Open started I've been reading tons of blogs just trying to figure out what the heck happened or is happening. I've bookmarked you and plan to come back often.
I got my scores back for Round Two: 23+23+23+24 = 93 and a review that ended with a nice "Good Luck".
Hey! Congrats on the awesome score!!! Seriously, that's the best I've seen.
Hope you're into the final round and best of luck.
Also, thanks for bookmarking the site
. I really appreciate you reading.
A data point for you: I got a 91 in the 2nd round, with almost no comments — "Good effort. Less is more when it comes to dialogue." (That was it.) My friends are telling me to keep my chin up. Wonder when we'll hear who's through to the next round?
It would also be interesting to see a distribution bar chart of the scores for both Round 1 and Round 2.
Kevin D.
Hi folks, just touching base with some of you writers also on "the list". Keeping fingers and various parts of anatomy crossed over here in Ireland too, finally lost the plot and googled "CS open semifinalists" and that's how I bumped into y'all doing just the same. Nice blog, will visit again, good luck all, Alan Lavender, Ireland (91)
Kevin – Yeah, the notes you received were pretty wack. I hope your 91 will get you into the final round. Looks like they'll make an announcement today or tommorrow…
Alan – thanks for checking out the blog and commenting. Hope to see you back. And good luck… hope your 91 will get you in the finals too!
Thanks, Kim. Best of luck to you as well, and with the pitch.
Semifinalist list is up! Unfortunately, none of us made it… :-/ But a good experience.
Yep none of us made it but considering the writing to a brief, the coverage, the knockout format and, hey, the networking that's sprung up afterwards… I'd say it was the most interesting contest I've done. I'm one beer into my evening already (the wonders of GMT) and I intend to hit the blogs. If anyone wants a cheap laugh on me, I'll upload my efforts to http://www.irelandphoto.com/downloads later on if I'm still awake. Let's keep in touch. You never know who you might call to get you out of a sticky situation on the lot.
And there's another thing. The cat messed up my bathroom just after I got my second round score: maybe tonight I'll get round to cleaning it up.
No not THAT kind of mess. What do you think I am?
Yep, it was still a good experience guys and we definitely need to keep up with each other!
Thanks, and I forgot to say good luck with the pitch! You're right about the harshest critic. I once did a videotaped job interview with my wife interviewing me. I didn't get the job but we have split our sides laughing at the interview tape for years since whenever we find it.