APSE results

[Wonderlic]

Agreed.

Last year our APSE region attempted a contest. We all cut out and pasted our stories, which is time consuming to say the least, and found out months after the fact that they didn't receive enough entries to judge.

Of course, the creation of the contest itself wasn't announced very well and papers only had about two weeks to get their stuff in, so it was pretty much doomed from the start.

As far as this goes, three Web entries is downright pitiful.

 

[SF_Express]

Agreed.

Last year our APSE region attempted a contest. We all cut out and pasted our stories, which is time consuming to say the least, and found out months after the fact that they didn't receive enough entries to judge.

Of course, the creation of the contest itself wasn't announced very well and papers only had about two weeks to get their stuff in, so it was pretty much doomed from the start.

As far as this goes, three Web entries is downright pitiful.

Yeah. I'm going to give them the benefit of the doubt. It's all very new, and the fact there even was a contest was just dropped into the contest newsletter, which I happened to read. That's how I found out. It's a thankless job for those people, so we'll just chalk this up to a misfired start.

They're talking about putting web in the 250,000-plus writing division next year. That's probably fair.

 

[doggieseatdoggies]

Why are five columns required in a contest as opposed to one gamer? Could a person write one heck of a column that is as worthy of a reward as a gamer?

Because in gamer, feature, etc., etc., you're honoring a single piece of work. In column writing, you're trying to award a body of a writer's work. Most contests I've ever entered are the same way.

It used to be just three columns. Now they increased it to five.

Only APSE has that rule among our contests.

And that doesn't make sense at all. One column on one thought-provoking issue is less a "body of work" that a gamer? Christamundo.

 

[SF_Express]

Why are five columns required in a contest as opposed to one gamer? Could a person write one heck of a column that is as worthy of a reward as a gamer?

Because in gamer, feature, etc., etc., you're honoring a single piece of work. In column writing, you're trying to award a body of a writer's work. Most contests I've ever entered are the same way.

It used to be just three columns. Now they increased it to five.

Only APSE has that rule among our contests.

And that doesn't make sense at all. One column on one thought-provoking issue is less a "body of work" that a gamer? Christamundo.

Actually, I see the difference. Columnist is more about the writer than a single piece of work. The others are really more about the one piece of work.

Here's why, to me, it matters. I won APSE in 1977; it was one column then, and to be crass about it, a cross-country runner died in a car crash, I fell into the story at a meet where they wore his initials on their uniforms, and I wrote a pretty good column with a great headline (headlines were allowed then, too).

Well, I won. But was I the best columnist in the whole country in my circulation category that year? I supposed it's possible, but probably not.

I think the difference makes sense, but many might not agree.

 

[WaylonJennings]

Why are five columns required in a contest as opposed to one gamer? Could a person write one heck of a column that is as worthy of a reward as a gamer?

Because in gamer, feature, etc., etc., you're honoring a single piece of work. In column writing, you're trying to award a body of a writer's work. Most contests I've ever entered are the same way.

It used to be just three columns. Now they increased it to five.

Only APSE has that rule among our contests.

And that doesn't make sense at all. One column on one thought-provoking issue is less a "body of work" that a gamer? Christamundo.

Actually, I see the difference. Columnist is more about the writer than a single piece of work. The others are really more about the one piece of work.

Here's why, to me, it matters. I won APSE in 1977; it was one column then, and to be crass about it, a cross-country runner died in a car crash, I fell into the story at a meet where they wore his initials on their uniforms, and I wrote a pretty good column with a great headline (headlines were allowed then, too).

Well, I won. But was I the best columnist in the whole country in my circulation category that year? I supposed it's possible, but probably not.

I think the difference makes sense, but many might not agree.

To play devil's advocate (because I obviously agree with the way it's set up), same thing can happen in features. I won second place in feature once, and I know it was as much about the topic as the presentation, and I kind of fell into it (although I like to think it took at least some courage and an eye for a good story to pull it off).

 

[Mike Graff]

I think Dan Wiederer in Fayetteville placed three times in 40-100. I always remember that name because he wrote a really good column on the APSE a few years ago about keeping the faith, appreciating the job you have now, etc., etc. It was the kind of thing that now would be greeted with a chorus of "pish offs," but at the time it struck a really good chord, unlike the Lynn Hoppes piece earlier this year. It was really well done.

Gotta jump in and say congrats to Wiederer. Not that I know any people on the list, but I find it hard to believe many winners are more deserving than Dan. Guy leaves it all on the floor, night in and night out. Absolutely loved working with him.

Big, big year for him ... and then he's getting married.

 

[Point of Order]

I think Brent Schrotenboer (San Diego) won three times. That's not easy in the big category.

That guy's good. I've never met him but have followed his work. Interestingly, he came to San Diego from the Mobile Press-Register, which did pretty well in its own right. The MPR had five award winners and honorable mention for best section. Impressive work by Randy Kennedy and his staff at the Register.

 

[ned racine]

glad to see a Detroit columnist over 5 feet actually win an APSE award,,way to go Mike....but how in the name did the Detroit News win best section in their circulation...The Freep aint much better but the NEWS blows.....and will their be a new category next year for papers that only offer home delivery 3 days or less

 

[Angola!]

big congrats to mitch worthington. randy quisenberry misses you, i'm sure. congrats also to shotty and barsuk.

 

[old_tony]

No winners in Milwaukee?

Honorable mention in section;
Tom Haudricourt (baseball guy) and Gary D'Amato (golf guy) in game story. Gary also won last year.

 

[Drip]

No winners in Milwaukee?

Honorable mention in section;
Tom Haudricourt (baseball guy) and Gary D'Amato (golf guy) in game story. Gary also won last year.

Didn't see the names. Haudricourt one of the all-time good guys in this business works his ass off.

 

[Fran Curci]

Not that I see conspiracy theories everywhere, but: Judges do judge papers in their own circulation category. No doubt about it. You could simply look at the judging roster that was posted to confirm that.