Well, I missed the June deadline, but that's okay, Now I've got time to write something that may actually be good and at least rate a merit award. I've just got one question on this bardic thing right now, though. (others will follow)

Why are most of the bardic entries so short? I've noticed that most of them only take a couple minutes to read through. That's understood with regard to poetry, but I don't write poetry, and my prose tends to be somewhat long. I don't think when I actually sit down and write something I ramble, but I do tend to include details and description enough to make things somewhat lengthly.

So are most of the entries short because most of the bardic contestents just prefer to write shorter stories, or does shorter stuff actually fare better in the judging?

You missed the dealine? I just submitted mine.

Strike that. I missed the dealine by a a matter of hours it seems. This sucks.

Because I only just started participating.

I think it's just because short entries are more accessible. Longer ones, fewer people will read, and those who do will tend to gloss over more.

My previous one wasn't intended to be accessible (or even to win! -- submitting it for the bardic was a secondary purpose entirely) so I didn't mind that it was too long, too. The one I submitted for June isn't as long, and is intended to be accessible, but it's still well longer than most.

I think you might still be in with a chance.

I'm going to state the obvious here: maybe the judges just liked the short ones - not because they're short, but because they're better, in their opinions.