I’m sure you had good intentions. Maybe you read two or three of the entries at the beginning of the contest. Or perhaps you came in at the end, but didn’t quite make it back to the earlier entries. And you really did mean to get around to it. But what if you haven’t read all of the Mormon Lit Blitz entries yet but you do want to vote in it? (which you really should).
I have the solution:
First: open up your email program, create a new message, type VOTE in the subject line, and then the numbers 1-5 (each on its own line).
Second: click on this link. If you have a lot of browser tabs open, you might want to close them or open a new browser window.
Third: Scroll down and right click on each of the Mormon Lit Blitz entries, which are linked to from the post I linked to in the second step. You should now have 13 open tabs. Click on each one and read as far as your interest is captured — or just skim. If you like what you read, go on to the next tab. If you don’t like it or have “meh” feelings, close the tab. That entry is now out of contention. Do this with each open tab. Try to get down to at least six or seven in your first read through. If in the end you don’t have it down to five, click on the tabs, re-skim, read deeper if you want to. If you are having a hard time making a decision, take a deep breath or two and just go with your gut.
Fourth: Now that you have your final five, click through them real quick and think about which ones you responded to the most strongly. If your browser allows you to do this (and most should) begin re-arranging the five tabs with the piece you like most to the left and the one you like least to the right. Keep re-arranging until the order feels right. The moment you feel like it feels right STOP and go immediately to the next step. If you don’t, there’s a danger you’ll second-guess yourself and then the process will drag out. Don’t let that happen.
Fifth: Type the name or title in your email in the order in which your tabs are arranged (left to right slots into 1 through 5). Copy and paste this email address into the “To:” field: mormonlitblitz@gmail.com . Hit send. And you’re done.
The whole process should only take 20 minutes. Maybe 30. And quite likely less, depending on how ruthless you are and how fast you can read. So do it. The deadline is next week, but you’ll have more time this weekend — so go for it. You’ll be doing a good thing AND avoiding nagging feelings of guilt. And thank you for supporting the Mormon Lit Blitz.
A Motley Vision 
Do it!
Do it right!
Do it right now!
The open all tabs and close them one by one gives it an intense, almost reality TV approach. I like it.
I feel like we should interview each piece after it gets eliminated. Maybe some stories would say, “I’m not for everyone. I can accept that.” But it’d be nice if we could get a few to lash out a bit, like: “She only likes that other piece because it’s funny! Did you notice that…funny, funny, close tab, funny. Don’t people have souls anymore?”
And maybe we could get moments of genuine vulnerability from some pieces: “I’d love to be first, but I want to earn it. I’m afraid my tab’s only still open because my writer is her friend…”
Hmmm…still needs a little something, though. Could we make it a musical?
“When you close my tab, do I still exist?
Don’t close my tab, please resist?
I’m just a finalist who wants a chance
To make my writer do a happy dance
A Kindle, oh, a Kindle. Can I help my author win a Kiiiiindlle!?
I know I’m good, but am I the best?
Am I worth a Kindle or just one of the rest?
Whatever happens–I know I’m blessed.
Because the Mormon Lit Blitz is the best
etc. etc.
Oh, I really like the idea of having them all open and Red-Xing them one by one until you get to the final 5. Wish I had done that…. 😉
Um, Wm… Sorry to say it, but perhaps you shouldn’t be writing any Broadway musicals anytime soon. 🙂 I did have a wonderful visual, though, of all those little entries dancing around in leaping, show-tunesy choreography. I like it.
Big. Dreams. Crushed.