Recovery: Challenge Results

The results of the current story challenge are here. We're displaying them all, so it's quite a large page. The stories are different and the styles are different. This page lets the authors see and understand how their story affected a readership where another author's story might not have. So this is a positive feedback they are all getting

Best of all, it acts as an encouragement to write more.

Individual story ratings

This is what we have always done. It lets the author see how well they met the brief, according to their readership. There can be very little vanity here! The answers are here, warts 'n all!

For your convenience the stories are linked from the head of each results poll

Full entrants

The full entrants were all submitted before the closing date of the challenge

Making Love

Making Love
You may tick as many statements as you wish. Stories my also be discussed in detail on the Literary Merit forum [37 votes total]

I will seek this author's work out (28)  75%
It grabbed my attention early on (31)  83%
I had to know what happened (31)  83%
I identified with at least one of the cast (7)  18%
Gritty - it had an edge to it (25)  67%
Realistic - it could have happened that way (29)  78%
I found it hard to follow (0)  0%
Good characterisation (24)  64%
I feel better for having read it (20)  54%
It was romantic (26)  70%
It was erotic (6)  16%
Too much explicit sex (0)  0%
It had the right amount of sex, if there was any (23)  62%
Not enough explicit sex (0)  0%
I have read and enjoyed other work by this author (7)  18%
It was sufficiently dark, but the recovery was missing something (3)  8%
It was not sufficiently dark, but the recovery was great (0)  0%
It was both sufficiently dark and had a great recovery (28)  75%

The Lottery of Ears and Necks

The Lottery of Ears and Necks
You may tick as many statements as you wish. Stories my also be discussed in detail on the Literary Merit forum [33 votes total]

I will seek this author's work out (25)  75%
It grabbed my attention early on (26)  78%
I had to know what happened (27)  81%
I identified with at least one of the cast (15)  45%
Gritty - it had an edge to it (15)  45%
Realistic - it could have happened that way (29)  87%
I found it hard to follow (1)  3%
Good characterisation (29)  87%
I feel better for having read it (19)  57%
It was romantic (27)  81%
It was erotic (5)  15%
Too much explicit sex (0)  0%
It had the right amount of sex, if there was any (18)  54%
Not enough explicit sex (0)  0%
I have read and enjoyed other work by this author (21)  63%
It was sufficiently dark, but the recovery was missing something (3)  9%
It was not sufficiently dark, but the recovery was great (4)  12%
It was both sufficiently dark and had a great recovery (23)  69%

Ships Sink

Ships Sink
You may tick as many statements as you wish. Stories my also be discussed in detail on the Literary Merit forum [33 votes total]

I will seek this author's work out (25)  75%
It grabbed my attention early on (29)  87%
I had to know what happened (29)  87%
I identified with at least one of the cast (7)  21%
Gritty - it had an edge to it (22)  66%
Realistic - it could have happened that way (29)  87%
I found it hard to follow (0)  0%
Good characterisation (27)  81%
I feel better for having read it (12)  36%
It was romantic (15)  45%
It was erotic (7)  21%
Too much explicit sex (0)  0%
It had the right amount of sex, if there was any (23)  69%
Not enough explicit sex (0)  0%
I have read and enjoyed other work by this author (20)  60%
It was sufficiently dark, but the recovery was missing something (1)  3%
It was not sufficiently dark, but the recovery was great (2)  6%
It was both sufficiently dark and had a great recovery (27)  81%

Crossing Jordan

Crossing Jordan
You may tick as many statements as you wish. Stories my also be discussed in detail on the Literary Merit forum [39 votes total]

I will seek this author's work out (22)  56%
It grabbed my attention early on (35)  89%
I had to know what happened (31)  79%
I identified with at least one of the cast (16)  41%
Gritty - it had an edge to it (20)  51%
Realistic - it could have happened that way (26)  66%
I found it hard to follow (2)  5%
Good characterisation (32)  82%
I feel better for having read it (19)  48%
It was romantic (27)  69%
It was erotic (1)  2%
Too much explicit sex (0)  0%
It had the right amount of sex, if there was any (20)  51%
Not enough explicit sex (0)  0%
I have read and enjoyed other work by this author (12)  30%
It was sufficiently dark, but the recovery was missing something (3)  7%
It was not sufficiently dark, but the recovery was great (2)  5%
It was both sufficiently dark and had a great recovery (30)  76%

Round Here

Round Here
You may tick as many statements as you wish. Stories my also be discussed in detail on the Literary Merit forum [33 votes total]

I will seek this author's work out (19)  57%
It grabbed my attention early on (30)  90%
I had to know what happened (27)  81%
I identified with at least one of the cast (13)  39%
Gritty - it had an edge to it (19)  57%
Realistic - it could have happened that way (28)  84%
I found it hard to follow (0)  0%
Good characterisation (24)  72%
I feel better for having read it (14)  42%
It was romantic (11)  33%
It was erotic (1)  3%
Too much explicit sex (0)  0%
It had the right amount of sex, if there was any (15)  45%
Not enough explicit sex (0)  0%
I have read and enjoyed other work by this author (3)  9%
It was sufficiently dark, but the recovery was missing something (4)  12%
It was not sufficiently dark, but the recovery was great (1)  3%
It was both sufficiently dark and had a great recovery (25)  75%

Killing Me Slowly

Killing Me Slowly
You may tick as many statements as you wish. Stories my also be discussed in detail on the Literary Merit forum [31 votes total]

I will seek this author's work out (11)  35%
It grabbed my attention early on (17)  54%
I had to know what happened (18)  58%
I identified with at least one of the cast (2)  6%
Gritty - it had an edge to it (20)  64%
Realistic - it could have happened that way (17)  54%
I found it hard to follow (7)  22%
Good characterisation (7)  22%
I feel better for having read it (0)  0%
It was romantic (0)  0%
It was erotic (3)  9%
Too much explicit sex (0)  0%
It had the right amount of sex, if there was any (12)  38%
Not enough explicit sex (2)  6%
I have read and enjoyed other work by this author (8)  25%
It was sufficiently dark, but the recovery was missing something (21)  67%
It was not sufficiently dark, but the recovery was great (1)  3%
It was both sufficiently dark and had a great recovery (4)  12%

The Best Christmas

The Best Christmas
You may tick as many statements as you wish. Stories my also be discussed in detail on the Literary Merit forum [19 votes total]

I will seek this author's work out (9)  47%
It grabbed my attention early on (16)  84%
I had to know what happened (15)  78%
I identified with at least one of the cast (5)  26%
Gritty - it had an edge to it (8)  42%
Realistic - it could have happened that way (11)  57%
I found it hard to follow (0)  0%
Good characterisation (17)  89%
I feel better for having read it (9)  47%
It was romantic (16)  84%
It was erotic (10)  52%
Too much explicit sex (1)  5%
It had the right amount of sex, if there was any (15)  78%
Not enough explicit sex (0)  0%
I have read and enjoyed other work by this author (9)  47%
It was sufficiently dark, but the recovery was missing something (1)  5%
It was not sufficiently dark, but the recovery was great (1)  5%
It was both sufficiently dark and had a great recovery (13)  68%

The Steven Roberts Stories - It Takes a Village

The Steven Roberts Stories - It Takes a Village
You may tick as many statements as you wish. Stories my also be discussed in detail on the Literary Merit forum [50 votes total]

I will seek this author's work out (35)  70%
It grabbed my attention early on (42)  84%
I had to know what happened (44)  88%
I identified with at least one of the cast (9)  18%
Gritty - it had an edge to it (26)  52%
Realistic - it could have happened that way (41)  82%
I found it hard to follow (0)  0%
Good characterisation (42)  84%
I feel better for having read it (31)  62%
It was romantic (19)  38%
It was erotic (3)  6%
Too much explicit sex (0)  0%
It had the right amount of sex, if there was any (28)  56%
Not enough explicit sex (3)  6%
I have read and enjoyed other work by this author (30)  60%
It was sufficiently dark, but the recovery was missing something (2)  4%
It was not sufficiently dark, but the recovery was great (2)  4%
It was both sufficiently dark and had a great recovery (35)  70%

The Messenger of All Things

The Messenger of All Things
You may tick as many statements as you wish. Stories my also be discussed in detail on the Literary Merit forum [44 votes total]

I will seek this author's work out (32)  72%
It grabbed my attention early on (35)  79%
I had to know what happened (37)  84%
I identified with at least one of the cast (12)  27%
Gritty - it had an edge to it (31)  70%
Realistic - it could have happened that way (28)  63%
I found it hard to follow (2)  4%
Good characterisation (34)  77%
I feel better for having read it (27)  61%
It was romantic (31)  70%
It was erotic (14)  31%
Too much explicit sex (0)  0%
It had the right amount of sex, if there was any (29)  65%
Not enough explicit sex (1)  2%
I have read and enjoyed other work by this author (7)  15%
It was sufficiently dark, but the recovery was missing something (2)  4%
It was not sufficiently dark, but the recovery was great (1)  2%
It was both sufficiently dark and had a great recovery (37)  84%

A Storm Named Zach

A Storm Named Zach
You may tick as many statements as you wish. Stories my also be discussed in detail on the Literary Merit forum [54 votes total]

I will seek this author's work out (37)  68%
It grabbed my attention early on (43)  79%
I had to know what happened (45)  83%
I identified with at least one of the cast (8)  14%
Gritty - it had an edge to it (23)  42%
Realistic - it could have happened that way (32)  59%
I found it hard to follow (0)  0%
Good characterisation (38)  70%
I feel better for having read it (13)  24%
It was romantic (9)  16%
It was erotic (2)  3%
Too much explicit sex (0)  0%
It had the right amount of sex, if there was any (18)  33%
Not enough explicit sex (2)  3%
I have read and enjoyed other work by this author (13)  24%
It was sufficiently dark, but the recovery was missing something (20)  37%
It was not sufficiently dark, but the recovery was great (3)  5%
It was both sufficiently dark and had a great recovery (5)  9%

Overall rating

Recovery
Click each tale which made you think, or made you pause, or created a picture of someone's desolation in your head [17 votes total]

The Lottery of Ears and Necks (4)  23%
Making Love (6)  35%
Ships Sink (7)  41%
Crossing Jordan (6)  35%
Round Here (3)  17%
The Best Christmas (4)  23%
Killing Me Slowly (2)  11%
The Steven Roberts Stories - It Takes a Village (7)  41%
The Messenger of All Things (6)  35%
A Storm Named Zach (11)  64%

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