LJ Idol Presents:

 The best thing about 2024 has been Idol, and even that had its own failures. 

What hasn't disappointed though is actual writing that has happened  -  make sure to check out the finalists and vote.  https://therealljidol.dreamwidth.org/1181037.html

I really can't wait for this year to be over. But I don't have a lot of faith in 2025 to do anything for my mental health.  :) 

Hopefully I am wrong.  Yeah I know, dark post.  :) It's OK though, Just wanted to check in and say hello. 

And of course to thank all of you for being that bright spot on a horrible year. 

I hope you are doing something fun tonight. 

A few words from clauderainsrm:

Here we are, at the Finale. When we started this at the end of June I just needed to do *something* to get me out of the funk. In a lot of ways, that was a success, it was a success. Of course, starting the mini season meant that I would be getting a new job and starting just as we were getting our legs under us here! :) Because there is nothing that attracts big life changes more than already having taken on a new time commitment! I should have started Idol months before, then I could have had a new job sooner too!

It’s been 6 months, which honestly, yeah for Idol that’s still a mini season! Those of you who came in more recent years never had to survive ones that lasted over a year!

Anyway, we’ve been doing this for 6 months and we have our final three, making their cases for why they should win, and doing the same for their opponents. It’s the Idol standard, supporting each other to the very last vote!

It’s now out of their hands, and in YOURS. The voters are going to decide who gets to wear the metaphorical crown. 3 remarkable writers are asking for your support! So read, comment and vote for your favorites!

The poll closes in the new year - Wednesday Jan 1st at 8pm ET.

Good luck to everyone!

This week didn't go how I expected, in any way. (either at work or here at Idol)

There are two people leaving us, but 3 strikes being given out due to a tie.

The first person leaving is a sacrifice that throws how I thought this was going to play out to the wind. 6 is leaving us. (the rest of you know her as ofearthandstars.

Which leaves only 1 spot left. But as I said, there was a 3-way tie for that. It came within a single vote of being a 7-way tie if that tells you how close voting was. (Except for one person, who is the ONLY person in the "very safe" category.)

The writers receiving a strike are
furzicle
roina_arwen and
stellinasusan

This is, unfortunately, Ro's third and final strike. So we are also losing her. Which again, is definitely impacting another theory on how this could play out. (I have theories inside of theories. :D)

Thank you so much to both of you for coming out for this experiment/mini season! I know it wasn't everything I was hoping it would be, but I really hope that you ended up having fun anyway!

(as usual, if you want to know how you did - I can give you generic answers "very safe"/safe/in danger if you email me at [email protected])

 Sometimes I will move prompts around.  Sometimes I will use suggestions from contestants. 
This time is both of those things. This was suggested earlier this mini season by emo_snal, so it was never going to be used until next time - and I moved the originally scheduled prompt from this spot. 

This week's prompt is 

Mamihlapinatapai

The deadline to link your entry back to this thread is Sunday October 2nd at 7pm ET. Thursday October 6th at 7pm ET.

(giving you longer than normal because (1) my birthday and (2) the hurricane barreling down on me)

Have fun!!

A few words from Gary:

I’m not sure if you could get two writers who were more different if you set out to do it on purpose. But both made it to the Top 6 - and fate landed them in a tie.

One will come out the other side and be a part of the Top 5. The other will have their torch snuffed. I can’t even say they will be a part of the Jury, since that is over.

The poll will close Saturday April 13th at 9pm EDT.

Good luck to both of you!

I'm on the edge of my seat! There's a shoot-out in the poll https://therealljidol.dreamwidth.org/1058515.html and another happening in the Immunity vote from the Jury!

A couple votes could throw this thing wide open! So make sure to get yours in as soon as you can. The poll closes tonight at 9pm EDT.

***

I mentioned going to the Pen Show this weekend, but there are a couple cool stories from it. We got there in time to see the live recording of the Pen Addict Podcast. (my wife's favorite podcast) As in we got to the hotel, checked in, put out stuff in our room, came back down and were about the halfway point for the line waiting to get in! Then they let their Kickstarter supporters in first - so we were in the last group to get seats! :o

One of the hosts is a huge fan of the band Neutral Milk Hotel, and so is Cynthia, so she wore one of their shirts. After the show, she was wanting to leave so we could eat. But I kept saying "Let's just hang out here for a minute", and then went back into the room and was standing in the back for a couple minutes as the hosts broke down everything and were talking to their old friends.

After those couple of minutes, Cynthia decided that we should leave, so I walked out of the room - and I noticed that Brad (the host who likes NMH) was saying his goodbyes. SO I said "Just one more minute"... and he came out as we were standing there. We got to talk - and Cynthia pointed out the shirt and told him about how we'd just barely got there on time, and what a big fan she was. Brad started tearing up when he saw the shirt. They took a picture and after that it was just a cool story for us. Apparently it wasn't just a good moment for us - on the new podcast, he mentions that meeting, and how the whole con, and the live recording, was just a really emotional thing for him - and then said that it was meeting us after that show that tipped him over into actually crying tears of joy. He then went on to talk about "this is why we do it" (the podcast).

So Cynthia got to hear that she was an embodiment of what makes their podcast worthwhile. :) I'm glad we waited.

***

Another story that was more of a "WTF" kind of funny. (it seems like I've told this story, but I can't find it. Maybe it was on FB or in an email. So apologies if you've heard this one before)

We were at a table looking at the merch, and talking to the woman who was watching it. (She told us that it wasn't her table, that she was keeping an eye on it for a friend).

After looking, and chatting, for a bit - Cynthia wanders off to the next table. I hang back to write down what she was interested in, so I can remember it for her birthday/Christmas list. (I keep a list year round to make it easier when it comes time to buy her stuff) Normally, I would just jot it down on my phone. This time though, I figured, I'm a pen show - I should use a pen! So I had a scrap sheet of paper in my pocket, and one of my own pens - so I took them out, wrote everything down and rejoined Cynthia.

A couple minutes pass and the woman from the table walks over with a panicked look at her face, asking if either of us had "accidentally" picked up one of the pens and put it in our pockets.

We said "No". Neither of us had actually picked up or handled anything on the table. She asked "Are you sure"... and then kept asking a few times every time we said that we were sure.

Apparently one of the pens had gone missing, and now she was frantic to find it.

And we had been the last people at the table... someone asks her to describe it. She does. It sounds like the pen I was using. So I check my pockets just to be sure that I don't have an extra pen... I don't. I let her know that I used my own pen while standing at the table, and take it out. She got an "OMG" look on her face "It looks JUST LIKE THAT!"

I have my own OMG moment, because what are the chances - and how can you even start to resolve this... (there are certainly ways, and we will get to one of them in a moment, but that was my thought at the time). All I could think of right then was "Oh great - I'm going to be accused of stealing my own pen and embarrass my wife by being kicked out of the pen show/cops called...."

Fortunately, one of the other vendors happened to be hanging out nearby and looked over at her table. He reached over to the spot where the pen was missing and said "Is this it?" It was sitting *where it was supposed to be*. She was shocked "Wha... really? Yeah, that's it!" and then everyone laughed at the mix-up.

Cynthia offered up, "Well, if nothing else, I doubt they have the same ink!" Which is true. I had a standard cartridge in mine and most people there would have something far nicer. The woman wrote with both of the pens, and her eyes got wide and then she laughed, "It's the same ink!"

(it later turns out that it wasn't, but it was *really* close.)

Fortunately, the tester from the table had been the personal pen of the table owner - and was far more scratched and battered than mine. Holding them side by side, it was easy to tell the difference. But had it not reappeared... I could have been the Pen Thief!

Which would have been an interesting way to quickly end the weekend!

A few words from Gary:

The topic was “Rancor” - and I’m going to admit it, I was shocked to not see a single entry about the creature that Luke fought at Jabba’s in Return of the Jedi!

Instead, we have 6 distinct voices, fighting for one of 5 spots in the next stage of the waning weeks of this competition.

There’s not much to say at this point, other than make sure to read, comment and vote for your favorites - and tell other people to do that as well. Because every week has been tight voting wise, and the coming weeks could very well be the same. It’s up to you to ensure the best finale - so make sure the writers you love will be a part of it!

We will be losing 1 contestant from this poll.

The poll closes Thursday, April 11th at 9pm EDT

Good luck to everyone!

We have reached our goal! Thank you to everyone who has donated for this mini season! It's definitely surpassed what I thought we were going to have for our Final Four!

(As long as nothing goes wrong with the Matching funds - and it shouldn't, since I recently verified) - that means if you make it to those last four spots, you are walking out of here with $125 each!

And one of you is walking out with the title of Winner, which is worth even more than that. Right??? I said, RIGHT??!!!

I've also been talking to a SECOND benefactor who wants to do something special for you guys as well. (NOT the finalists - this has a lot of potential, but I'm still working out the details)

***

The new topic is available at https://therealljidol.dreamwidth.org/1056795.html

So get to work and actually earn this money! :)

***

Anyone have any good weekend plans?

Week 18 is over, kind of - there was an elimination, but also a tie that threw us into a Write Off! https://therealljidol.dreamwidth.org/1056691.html

We also have a new topic: https://therealljidol.dreamwidth.org/1056795.html


***

I was just talking to a friend about this recently - that people don't tend to talk about when things are going well. They tend to talk about what is going wrong - and bring up people who are annoying them. Even if those people *aren't* annoying 99% of the time. That one time they are, it's when you want to rant about them.

Fortunately, when it comes to me, I'm annoying ALL the time! So that saves you from having to make things up! :)

But what's GOING RIGHT in your life right now - and who is helping to make it better?