beeker121

Done. What about your bye week? I'd hate if you didn't make it through a round when you haven't used it. Have you given it much thought?

I have thought about it. We're down to 100 folks in the game now and the bye expires at 75. I hadn't wanted to use it before Thanksgiving unless I got totally stuck on a topic. I'll be out of town next week so depending on the timing requirements I might need to take it then.

I've been solidly in the middle of my current tribe by vote counts for the last few weeks, so with that in mind it seemed like I would be okay to keep moving through (knocks on wood). The next time they rearrange the tribes I'll have to look more closely at who is around me.

Part of me really wants to make it to the top 75 without using the bye, and there are still about 40 left out there so I know I'm not the only one trying for that.

In any case thanks for the vote, and this was probably more than you wanted to know about my bye thought process.

I think your current tribe has mostly used their byes, haven't they?

I'm finding that I'm not enjoying these entries as much as I did last weeks. Were there any that you really liked? (I've voted in tribes 1 and 2 but not 3 and 4 yet.. don't worry I won't forget to vote for you before the deadline).

A little over half of my current tribe has used their byes. (According to someone who has been keeping really accurate spreadsheets there are still 12 byes left in my tribe of 27).

I tend to read entries in the order they post in the original topic thread instead of in poll order so I don't know who you've gotten to already. But a few that stick out in my mind are by: roina-arwen, bodlon, and kathrynrose.

I think in general these responses are more wide-ranging and I find myself either really liking or disliking them. Last week the lows were a lot lower.

Thanks for the vote; I am also excited that you're reading everyone.

Maybe I'm just finding it harder to relate. Lot and lots of enteries on death and child birth, or just general life unpreparedness. I'm finding that I don't respond well to meta-entries or if the author writes sad/ vaugue entries week after week.

I like that you've had funny, contemplative and happy stories... that they aren't all the same.

Yeah, some topics bring out the death and parenthood stories a lot more. I try to read each entry on it's own merits, but I know there are some authors who always right such dark pieces that I end up reading new things with trepidation.

Thanks - I've been a little worried at my funnier stories, sometimes it seems like angst gets more votes. But I don't want to write the same thing every week.

Oh and another recommendation as I've done some more reading - I really liked darkprism's entry.

I did like that entry. I also really like alexprp in your tribe. Maybe I should try your method and read the entries as they are posted.

I know the ansty ones in the last tribe didn't get my vote, not because they might not be good, but by that time, I just didn't want to hear it.

I'm also impressed with some of the fiction writers.

I agree alexpgp has some great stories. Most people who've talked about how they read do what you're doing, and read them by tribes once the poll opens. I suppose either way works. I just want to be certain I don't miss any.

That's part of the reason I tend not to read too many in one sitting. I go for groups of 25 entries, and then I need to walk away for a while and do something else. It's good you weren't reading everything the week the topic was "saying goodbye". There was some beautiful stuff but oh the angst.

Do you write your entry before you start reading? I could see if you haven't started to write that you could read something and then find you have a story in a related vein... like a conversation.

Typically I try to write on Tuesday night before I read anything else, so I can be sure I'm not being influenced by other entries.

But some weeks when I'm having trouble thinking of something I browse other people's to help get ideas. I've also done a quick skim to make sure the idea I have hasn't already been used by too many people. (This week I had also written something about my grandmother passing, but after realizing that several people were using that general idea I used my other idea.)

I can understand your reasoning and based upon the vote totals, I'm less concerned than I was at the beginning. I'm just wanting to see you make it as far as possible.

Aw, thank you. After being certain I was going out in the very first week, every time I make it through another poll I do a little happy dance. My first goal was to make it to 100 which has happened, now I have to figure out what's next.

I think you can make it to 75 at least.