This is the thread to post your guesses for the Can You Guess the Writer? Contest. To refresh your memory, here is the list of submitted stories:

Between a Rock and a Hard Place by...
Clark's Pet Peeve by...
A Day at the Metroplis Pet Store by...
Lois and That Cat by...
Lois and the Cat by...
The Pet Bet by...
That's All it Takes by...
Waiting for Superman by...
Still Life with Python by...

Dance with a Stranger (Nfic) by...

Just copy and paste this list, add your guesses of who wrote what, and post your answers in this thread.

May the best guesser win <g>.

Lynn

Well, this is hard!! I kept thinking that I recognised an author, and then something about the writing, or the language, or the story content made me change my mind. So, although I'm going to make a few guesses, I am not at all confident about these!

First, what a great selection of very different stories on the same theme!


Wendy

Okay, let's see...

Between a Rock and a Hard Place by... hmmmm... S4, so that rules out several authors. Kryptonite and Clark suffering, which could make me think of Yvonne , but that just doesn't seem to be her style. For some reason, I'm somewhat tempted to say LauraU, but I'm really, really not sure.

Clark's Pet Peeve by... by someone evil enough to throw havoc into Lois and Clark's relationship. Did I mention I'm really bad at guessing games? Cos I am. And so Clark's Pet Peeve is by... by a certain author, whose name shall remain a secret for various reasons. Right. That sounds good. Okay, if I *really* have to guess I would say CC Aiken. Or maybe Lynn herself... hmmm... which one of those two evil twins is it? Well, there's a smoochie, so it could be Lynn. But then the smoochie is not written in full detail, and Lynn writes fully detailed smoochies. So maybe CC. Can I say LyCC? No? All right then, I'll go for CC.
Edit: not CC, as I'm guessing her for a later one. So I'll go for Lynn after all.

A Day at the Metroplis Pet Store by... I'm thinking Julie Stars. Or maybe MDL. Ack! Do I get half a point if it's one of the two? If I ask sweetly? Darn. Okay, okay, then I'll throw a coin and say... MDL.

Lois and That Cat by... I'll use the other side of that coin and say Julie Stars. Since I'm really not sure, do I still get half a point if I'm wrong?

Lois and the Cat by... Well, that one made me laugh out loud. It was hilarious, and I could picture the whole scene! Poor Lois! I'm really, really tempted to say Yvonne, because the dialogue has that wit that she does so well. What sort of holds me back is that there's no double spacing after full stops, but maybe that's just to fool the ennemy. <g> On the other hand... hang on, this is S1. Yvonne is not keen on S1. Wait, wait, wait, this is not my final answer! Okay, let's think. Actually, this could be CC. Yes, that sounds very much like CC's style. Okay, I'll go for CC. But that means I have to go back and change one of my previous answers... brb.

The Pet Bet by... CC? You're gonna think I'm obsessed with CC. <g> Okay, okay, not CC then. Let's think. Let's think harder. Well, well, well... Okay, maybe Kathy Brown. I don't know why, but suddenly I thought why not? I mean, there are the sweet attentions, and since Kathy has a young daughter, she might be familiar with those e-pets. Mind you, Lynn has kids, too. But I already chose Lynn for something else. Okay, so Kathy.

That's All it Takes by... Okay, that's one where I'm almost sure, although the clues could all be a huge set-up by someone evil enough to let a poor BR make a fool of herself, but... I mean, this is TOGOM, and there's a cat comforting Lois, and it's angsty at first, then turns waffy, and... all right, I'll take the plunge and say Wendy Richards.
Edit: okay, not Wendy. I just re-read it and there are just some things that don't look Wendy-like in there, and what just struck me is that the scene breaks are not Wendy's usual either. I'm guessing that someone tried to set a trap with TOGOM and the cat, and who fell right into it? Yep. : So as a result, not a clue who wrote that one, besides a "maybe not Wendy, but maybe Wendy, but maybe not".

Waiting for Superman by... by... Right, I'm at a point where I've made enough of a fool of myself to keep it up, so I'll pick a random name and say... Yvonne, just because of Lois's wary attitude towards the cat.

Still Life with Python by... ARGHHHHH! Waaah. I don't know. Snif. Okay, okay, I'll take a guess. I mean, there are two cameos in there. LabRat and Pelican. Now, does that help me name the author? Course not. All right, I give up.

Dance with a Stranger (Nfic) by... you know, I'm not just bad at recognising PG fanfic, I'm also bad at recognising nfic. The writing flows very smoothly, and... and that's all I can tell you. I'd be tempted to say LabRat, but if it is, then I'll have to lynch her for spending time on something other than SOMH. Rat wouldn't take that risk. Right?

Well, that was fun. My score is going to be horribly bad, but that was fun.

Kaethel

Well, I started reading hours ago, but kept getting distracted. IRC, other web pages, real life, etc. I've been reading on and off all day. Just finished everything, though, so I'm finally ready to post my guesses. I've been writing them in a file as I read, and they've kind of evolved as I went.

As you'll see, some had me more confused than others, but I wouldn't be surprised if I was wrong on every single one.

This is definitely hard. I look forward to seeing the right answers.

Of course, it's also been fun reading the current guesses. I've been checking them in another window as I read.

I hope more people will guess. Reading guesses is definitely part of the fun.

So, anyway, here are my guesses:

Between a Rock and a Hard Place by... Hmmm... Shadow?

Clark's Pet Peeve by... This looks like it could be the work of Roger (R-El).

A Day at the Metroplis Pet Store by... Okay, anyone not familiar with Iocane Powder or the rule that comes close second to "Never get involved in a land war in Asia," bear with me now...

My first reaction was "ha! This has 'Experienced Archive GE' written all over it!" Given the <ahem> gravidy of the situation, my gut immediately (though somewhat tentatively) thought of Laurie. My head told my gut that Laurie is quite insistent that she doesn't write stories. My gut then said Gerry, but my head told it that Gerry wouldn't do such a thing. My gut then remembered Meredith, but my head remembered a recent conversation and ruled her out. My head then thought of Yvonne, but changed its mind upon remembering that Yvonne isn't a GE (she isn't, right?). My head thought of Wendy, at which point my gut stepped in and said, "What are you, an idiot?" My head then started reviewing names of experienced GEs and coming up with names like Kathy Brown and Wendy. At this point, my gut threw up its figurative hands and tried to walk away. Then my gut realized that I was in the middle of dinner and decided to stay. Ultimately, despite everything my head told it, my gut insisted on sticking with Gerry. My head, spinning from the rushing of other names, has decided to give up and let my gut do the talking on this one.

... Then, hours later, my head decided to look things over one last time. It was sure that it wouldn't be Gerry, but, thinking about Gerry, Beta Readers, and Princess Bride, the initials MLT popped in. Then my head recalled that ML doesn't come to the boards. At this point, it realized that it was 6:30 in the morning, and started to get hazy. That brought up another name, which was again put aside.

My gut wanted to try insisting again, but it was full and sleepy and didn't end up having much to say.

So, finally, my head shook itself, sighed, and decided to just take the plunge and say Yvonne. It's still not sure why it made that decision, exactly, but at this point, it doesn't seem to mind.

In a few days, it hopes to find out who is right and who is dead. Hopefully not me, and very hopefully not some innocent caught in all the crossfire.

Lois and That Cat by... I'm not sure, but the closest thing I have to a hunch says Meredith.

Lois and the Cat by... This one's pretty funny, and it makes me wish that I hadn't somehow inadvertantly skipped ahead between breaks. Now I'm thinking this does look CC-ish. Alright. I'm going to go with Wendy, after all. I'll vote CC here.

The Pet Bet by... CC (at least, that was my thought before the line "Lois, you have a couple of buttons on your blouse that are undone." Hmm. Would she be that obvious? Or, wait. Maybe that's what she *wants* me to think... Oh, I don't know, but I'll stick with my guess.) ... And since I just decided to vote CC up there, I guess I'll have to change this one. I'll go with Wendy again and say Lynn.

That's All it Takes by... This one has me confused. I think I'll go with AnnaBtG, and end up being completely off-base. Oh well.

Waiting for Superman by... Okay, this is really weird. The style is very familiar. The flow, the sentence structure, some of the phrases... All pointing me in one direction. A direction I'm pretty sure is wrong, for various reasons. The UK spelling could be a decoy, like those dropped periods. 2 people have already guessed Yvonne, but she did mention a devious plan. Could a guessing conspiracy be part of that? I don't know... Well, whatever the case, this is one really good story. I'll have to remember to give better FDK when it's time. Hmm Kurt Busiek doesn't write L&C fic, so that's another one I can rule out. Uhm... Maybe this is CC's "decoy" fic? Or mabe it's Yvonne, after all, taking a break from finding new and horrible ways to torture Clark... Centered around a black and white cat makes me think of Wendy, but despite the quality, this doesn't seem like her style to me, for some reason. The 1st person perspective isn't like her, but it's unusual in general. Hmm, Lynn has mentioned she's a fan of 1st person. Maybe this is Lynn's decoy fic. Yeah, I'll go with that. As good a guess as any, right?

Still Life with Python by... Hmm. Now I'm confused. I think I can rule out Wendy's choices. This doesn't seem like Mary's work, and it started out with classic Monty Python, not Marx Brothers. Of course, I'd never ever guess myself. So, what other options are there? I'm wondering if I was wrong on the first one, and if this is Shadow. Or maybe Jen sent in two? Then again, who would know about Marvel Boy? Tank knows obscure comics trivia, but this isn't his style. Of course, the name could be a coincidence. Besides, I have a feeling this one's written by an IRC regular. If only I was on IRC more often these days. The two story titles in the text were both AnnaB's, but that could have just been her cameo (along with FOLCs, Julie Stars, Pelican, Labrat, and possibly Kitty). Again, I could be wrong about my earlier guess of Anna. Or my guess of Roger, for that matter. I'm missing something (or someone) obvious. I know I am. Dern. Oh, heck. I give up. I'll say Karen and get it over with.

I don't read Nfic, so that's it.

How badly did I do?

I hope I provided entertainment, at least, and that I didn't inadvertantly hurt anyone.

In any case, I want to thank Lynn for setting this up and putting all the work into it! It's been really fun.

Looking forward to seeing what happens from here,

Paul

Tricia

Ooh, I'm looking forward to playing when I get home, but for now, I just have to say this - what's with all the cat stories??? How come no-one gave Lois a dog or Clark a goldfish? Are we a cat-obsessed fandom, or what?

Yvonne

Yikes, this is even harder than Kerth quizzes! Lots of fun, though, and the diversity of the stories is very impressive.

On with the guessing, then.

Between a Rock and a Hard Place by...
Short, fun, definitely American. Uh... I have to guess an actual name, don't I? Pam?

Clark's Pet Peeve by...
Short and waffy shading to evil. No real idea, but just to be different I'm going to say Sara (farneygal).

A Day at the Metroplis Pet Store by...
Whooo... I have to agree with Paul here, this looks like a disguise. No obvious British or American spelling; Clark's wearing a jumper at one point, not a sweater, but that could be a red herring. However, based on the Blackadder reference, I'm going to plump for the noble EIC herself: LabRat.

Lois and That Cat by...
Gee, somebody's not too fond of cats - LOL! I'm going to guess Mary (Queen of the Capes)

Lois and the Cat by...
At first I was just stunned at how good this was, and quite incapable of guessing who wrote it; but then when Lois was under the bed, something about her thoughts leapt out and said CC! So, assuming it wasn't a secret coded message telling me to go and re-read Carbon Copy, I'm guessing CC Aiken.

The Pet Bet by...
Aww... depressed Lois, and a great Clark/Jimmy combination. And waffs. And cooking (or an attempt thereat). And a best friend who recently got married... I'm tempted to say Annie M., but as far as I know she's still busy elsewhere, so I'll say Lynn.

That's All it Takes by...
TOGOM and a beautiful cat. Obviously written by Wendy... not. Based on the WAFFs and the word "this" (hey, CC's allowed to do it with semicolons!) I'm going to guess Kaethel.

Waiting for Superman by...
Another lovely story! Definitely British this time, and Wendy's done first person before, so that's who I'm guessing.

Still Life with Python by...
Monty Python, references to Anna's fish fics and Paul's More Than One Way, a ficus and a couple of FoLC cameos - who could ask for more? I'd say LabRat if it weren't for the cameo, with the dire warning about what'll happen if she doesn't start writing again soon... so I'll say Paul himself.
Coming back later... thinking about this in the early hours of the morning (hey, it beats counting sheep) I convinced myself that it's actually Roger.


Dance with a Stranger (Nfic) by...
I've no idea what to say here, but everyone else says LabRat, so I'm going to say... Wendy?

Ok, I'm sure I've scored very badly, but what the hey. Thanks, Lynn!

Mere

This was a lot harder than I had counted for! It took hours to read all the fun stories and even more time to think of my answers (and discuss some of it on IRC). I've finally made some last decisions and will just see how it goes. No doubt I'm horribly wrong most of the time.

Between a Rock and a Hard Place It's S4 or later, so my first guess was LauraU. But then I started to think some more of it and I really wasn't so sure. I'm saying Anna Botsakou.

Clark's Pet Peeve This had a great twist. At first I thought it might be Lana or Linda in Clark's place, but hadn't thought of Cat. Nice! So for a writer... *ponders* I really don't have a clue here. Lucky guess, maybe Yvonne?

A Day at the Metroplis Pet Store For some reason, this seemed a little easier and the name that popped up right away was MDL (Erica) and I still think so now.

Lois and That Cat ARGH! A TBC! Whoever you are, post more soon! Now, at first I thought this was Wendy, but then later on I was sure there was another story by Wendy, so I changed my guess here. Many people crossed my mind, including Kaethel, Meredith, LabRat, Lynn and CC. And the same people crossed my mind for the next so in the end I just randomly picked names on very good luck. I go with Kaethel.

Lois and the Cat See above. First guess was for Kaethel. Last guess goes to CC. For some reason, it just seems more logical this way.

The Pet Bet Great story, has to be someone with kids. And it's not just Lois's fault, I've let my e-pet die several times a week too before I lost interest. Luckily, we had things that you can re-start. <g> Anyway, I’m going with Lynn here.

That's All it Takes TOGoM. Wendy. Maybe a trick, but I'm willing to fall for it.

Waiting for Superman The whole first person thing might be a clue. But I don't know anyone who actually writes a lot of first person. Some do on occasion. *grabs the magic hat and pulls a name out of it* My answer is Paul. Don't ask me why.

Still Life with Python Ooookay. Not a single clue, really. Marvelboy is from the comics, so maybe Tank, but the rest isn't really his style. I have this feeling I once read a fic where there were a parrot, a girl named Sheila and Marvelboy. No idea who wrote that. Then there were the cameos. And then there are the dying parrots. So it's either Tank or LabRat, although I know this must be horribly wrong. Just to have an answer, I'm going with LabRat.

Dance with a Stranger Oh, cute! Pretty much out of ideas, so I'm just saying ML Thompson.

Thanks for all the great stories, I enjoyed them all. And thank you, Lynn, for setting this up. It was a lot of fun and I'm sure once the answers are revealed I'm going to be embarrassed about these answers. <g>

Saskia

Stories read. Time to post!

So, let’s see:

Between a Rock and a Hard Place by... Jen (Shadow). The story idea reminds me of her.

Clark's Pet Peeve by... The pet joke (ROTFLOL, btw) could be Mary (Queen of the Capes) but the rest doesn’t look that Mary-like. Jen again (assuming the first one is indeed Jen)? Erica (Mad Dog Lane)?
All right, I say Erica.

A Day at the Metropolis Pet Store by... Okay, whoever wrote this made it darn sure it would be impossible to guess! I don’t have a clue!!
But, as it’s all about points, it’d be a good idea to make a guess... I’m between Mary and Pam, but I think I’ll go for Mary after all.

Lois and That Cat by... hmm... CC Aiken? Or LabRat? I’d go for LabRat, but I don’t think she’d leave a story incomplete, since she already has some WIPs... Could it be Mary? Then, so far there are three stories that remind me of Mary, and just imagine that I’ve read everything she’s written. ARGH! I’m a horrible ‘guesser’.
Okay, I've already given a story to Mary, so I now say LabRat. Period.

Lois and the Cat by... CC Aiken? Dunno, it just kinda reminds me of "Lois Unbuttoned".

The Pet Bet by... Lynn? Yeah, I think it’s Lynn. This bet plus Lois’s behaviour smells of “Starwood In Aspen”.

That's All it Takes by... Well, there are too many Wendy elements in there, as Kae already pointed out, but Wendy wouldn’t try something that obvious, right? So I guess I’ll go with... hmm... I’d say Kae, but she wouldn’t post such a guess post if it was really her... Yvonne? I’ve heard she doesn’t write TOGOM re-writes, but she’d said something about using subterfuge... All right, I say Yvonne.

Waiting for Superman by... Wendy? My gut feeling says it’s her, so I think I’ll just follow it.

Still Life with Python by... Hey, I got cameos in there!
Okay, Anna, stop partying and focus. A FoLC cameoed you, don’t let them down!
Wanda Detroit? Mary? One of these two, I think. Let’s go for Wanda. No, Mary. Maybe they co-wrote it?
Well, I can’t choose between either of them, so I’ll go for someone else... Paul.


It’s been fun reading all the responses and trying to come up with my own. I hope I didn’t offend anyone in the process. /me hides behind the ficus, just in case.

See ya,
AnnaBtG.

P.S.: I have a feeling that my score will be a big, fat zero.

P.P.S.: Once the writers are revealed, I’ll have to write a lot of fdk posts! All the stories were a-w-e-s-o-m-e!

Okay, this is hard, but I'm trying not to cheat by reading other people's guesses and copying... <g>. My problem is that I don't read lots, so I have a limited selection of author styles to choose from.

Between a Rock and a Hard Place by...
Well, this isn't by a Brit, that much I can discern - unless it was Labrat, who is very good at US syntax. Okay, wild guess - Laura.

Clark's Pet Peeve by...
"as perfect as it could be for a guy who moonlights in tights" - this phrasing is familiar. Just wish I could remember who uses it! Another non-Brit, because of the spelling. Channel 4? Doesn't sound like a US channel name, but is this a ploy to make us think this is a Brit? (Channel 4 being a real TV channel over here). LOL! Nice misdirection and humour. Worthy of CC, but the style isn't hers. I'm going for Tank, on the basis that he's also got a mischievous sense of humour. Doesn't feel like the right guess, but it's the best I can do.

A Day at the Metroplis Pet Store by...
Not sure... Kitty?

Lois and That Cat by...
Something says Anna to me here...

Lois and the Cat by...
Ooh, a semicolon! Does that rule out Lynn and CC? <g> Okay, this is spooky - bits of this one sound like me. Bits sound like CC - same snappy, funny sentences. Hmmm. Yeah, as I read further, it's sounding more and more like our Pumpkin. Oh, LOL! Love it. I'm plumping for CC. The semi-colon thing is just a pathetic attempt at misdirection. Darn, just found 'alright', and earlier 'dap' for 'dab'. Would CC make those mistakes? Not sure. Okay, sorry, CC, I'm still going for you because it's just so darned good, funny, and has your hallmark use of language. I think.

The Pet Bet by...
Another non-Brit. Not that that narrows the field much. Now, who in the fandom actually knows that Dry Chem, whatever that is, lives inside the domestic fire extinguishers? Never heard of it myself. Hmm. And who would write so many paragraphs about cooking? I'm guessing probably not a man, but that might be a terrible piece of stereotyping on my part. The sideways take on the pet story theme - Lois with an e-pet - suggests someone who looks past the obvious to something more inventive...Lynn's good at that, but so are a lot of our writers. And because this writer obviously has some familiarity with e-pets, does this mean he or she must be a parent? Argh! This is hard. The story is so long it feels like a Labrat-epic but it doesn't have Rat's descriptive style. Long could also indicate Wendy, but the language isn't hers. Kaethel's another long-story merchant, but somehow I'd expect a slightly more poetic style from K than this. Okay, another wild, wild guess. Lynn. On the basis that the e-pet is excellent way to illustrate Lois's insecurities and it's got good humour. Still don't feel like the style is quite hers, but I can't think of anyone else.

That's All it Takes by...
TOGOM, but this isn't Wendy. I'm going to dwell on this one a bit longer and come back. [edit] - okay, I came back, but I've still got no idea, so I give in.

Waiting for Superman by...
Hmmm. Well, who'd write in the present tense? Anyone, really, although names that spring to mind (because they've done it before) are Wendy and Shayne. Shayne's not around any more, so is this Wendy?


Still Life with Python by...
Oh, gosh, if only I could remember who's a Python fan! We were talking about this on IRC only the other day - argh! Pam? Paul? Wild stab in the dark - Roger, because he mentioned Python last night on IRC.

Dance with a Stranger (Nfic) by...
I'm abstaining on this one, and you can infer from that whatever you like.

Yvonne

I really have no idea. Except I think #1 is possibly by someone not from the US and the same for #3 and for this one, I'd go with someone ESL. The rest, I have no idea!

I am curious . . . why do people think I wrote #1?

- Laura

Okay...uh...just to let y'all know, I was absent from folcdom for a little bit. Well, it was more like a few years. So, I'm *really* behind on fanfic, especially those from newer authors. And, unfotunately for me, I'm afraid those are the majority of authors who've submitted...I assume. In other words, I'm just doing this to see how badly I can embarass myelf. Well...that and a few certain ladies whom I won't mention (Kae and Sas ) strong-armed me into doing it. At 3am this morning, no less! Now I've been at school all day (with a few breaks in between classes...only one more to go ) on only 2 hours sleep! I'm a little delirious...and apparantly prone to going off on tangents. Sorry.

So here we go, solely for the purpose of entertainment and not to win...otherwise I would have snuck a peek at everyone else's answers ...

Between a Rock and a Hard Place by...Mary QoTC. Wait...I'm changing my guess to AnnaBTG cause I guessed Mary further down. (But if Mary is right, then...pretend I didn't change it!)
Clark's Pet Peeve by...uh...I know there's a writer out there that likes Cat...who the heck was it? Okay, pulling a name out of a hat here...Qex
A Day at the Metroplis Pet Store by...MDL
Lois and That Cat by...really no clue here...Nan?
Lois and the Cat by...ooh!!! /me raises her hand. I know this one...I hope. It's gotta be Paul...nobody has ever made me laugh that hard!
The Pet Bet by...Labrat...It *is* rather lengthy.
That's All it Takes by...hmmm TOGOM makes me think Wendy or Tank...but for some reason I don't that's right...CC?
Waiting for Superman by...um...stuck on this one too...but something is telling me Wendy...so I'll go with that.
Still Life with Python by...hee hee...CC...no...Mary, yeah, I'll go with Mary QoTC (but if CC *did* write it...I still want a point... Hey! It may be the only one I get. )


Okay, I'm off to read everyone else's guesses now...you know...to keep myself awake (*ahem* Kae, Sas) until my next class, which btw is Journalism 101. /me snickers

Sara (who is *extremely* glad that she read Lois and the Cat at home and *not* at the computer lab )

Thanks, Sara. <G>

As I said on irc last night - I'm working on the current theory that these are all round robins. It's a grand conspiracy to throw us off the scent. Therefore, if I claim that all the stories were written by every possible author available...well, that means I should be right no matter what.

Right?

What do you mean...no?

LabRat (changing my nick to Baldrick, he of the cunning plans... )

Here's your new avatar, Rat:




Wendy

Okay, let's give this a try.

Between a Rock and a Hard Place by Pam? Dunno, it sounds Pam-ish to me.

This has been really fun so far. Some great stories. Very interesting to see the guesses, too. Everyone seems to be guessing fairly wildly, for the most part, but that's cool. Interesting to see where my name comes up (and doesn't come up...).

So, first of all, thanks again to Lynn for thinking of this, putting it together, and making it happen!

Secondly, I want to see some more guesses! Don't be shy! Come on! I guessed. So did several others. It's fun, and it's part of the game. You can't just read and then not contribute. That's not how the boards work.

(Okay, fine, so I don't leave as much FDK as I should, but do as I say, not as I do. <grumble> Besides, I haven't been reading very much these days. Anyway, that's not the point. The point is I did read these and I posted my guesses. So there.)

So, come on! Even if you've only got a few guesses, even if they're wild stabs in the dark, just post! It'll be fun!*

Besides, I don't want to go down in embarassed flames by myself...

Paul

* For me, at least, and probably Lynn, the others reading your post... Do your part!

Yes, I'd second that, Paul. I'm sure we'd all like to see more non-writers, in particular, make guesses. People who aren't on the inside of this writing lark will likely have a different perspective to us crazy writers, you see. More sane, at any rate.

Yvonne

I totally and heartily agree with Paul!!

AnnaBtG.

Okay, let's give it a shot...

• Between a Rock and a Hard Place by... dunno.
• Clark's Pet Peeve by... dunno.
• A Day at the Metroplis Pet Store by... I'm thinking Yvonne. Don't ask me to rationalize. Please. Edit: actually, I'm going to say Wendy. Again, don't ask for an explanation.
• Lois and That Cat by... I was thinking Wanda.
  Quote

  I swear, those things were real, and they were spectacular!&#8221;
  Although the style points away from you, it might also be on purpose. <g>
• Lois and the Cat by... I'll join the crowd and agree on CC. Very funny!
• The Pet Bet by... Honestly don't know... Labby or Wendy?
• That's All it Takes by... No clue. Maybe Paul? No, I dunno. LauraU?
• Waiting for Superman by... Wendy. Kind of reminds me of your style. Or Yvonne. It's like you to have Clark torture himself over what happened.
• Still Life with Python by... Mary! Only a Monty Python fan could have written this! Although I felt kind of sorry for the parrots.

Oh, and Paul? Did I miss my own cameo?
Unless I'm the Canadian pig.

Julie <g>

<Checks Julie's avatar>
<Checks Julie's location>

That was my thought, yes.

I'll agree with the second part. Why didn't I know Mary was a Python fan? Hmm. Is it too late to change my guess? Yeah, probably. Oh well.

Anyway, kudos to you for biting the bullet and guessing, Julie.

Who's next? <g>

Paul

You know, this would be alot easier if, rather than a 'fill-in-the-blank', this were a matching test. You know, give us 10 stories and 10 authors, and have us match them up.

There are so many great authors out there, that trying to decide who wrote these 10 stories is next to impossible. But, I'll take a stab at it. Here goes...

Between a Rock and a Hard Place by... I'm going to say Paul. It is just the quirky sort of thing he might come up with, right down to the title.

Clark's Pet Peeve by... Wanda Detroit. I don't know why.

A Day at the Metroplis Pet Store by... Aaarg! This one is tough. (Very funny, btw, whoever did this! ) For some reason, I'm thinking maybe Lynn?

Lois and That Cat by... Ummm, no idea, whatsoever. Just because it has a nice little story going here, I'm going to take a stab in the dark and say Nan.

Lois and the Cat by... OK, everyone seems to agree this is CC, so I'll go along with that.

The Pet Bet by... Another wonderful story - the characterization is right on, and the whole idea of Lois killing her virtual pet, repeatedly, is . So, who wrote this? I'm going to go with Mary.

That's All it Takes by... OK, this is where we replay the scene from the Princess Bride. Wendy wouldn't write this, because it would be too obvious. But, Wendy might write this, knowing we would think she didn't, because it is too obvious. But, if she thought that we would suspect that she was devious enough to try to trick us... OK, OK, enough! I say... Wendy!

Waiting for Superman by... I'm saying this was not written by an American, only because of the use of the adjective "quite". I'd be more likely to say someone was "really safe" or "completely safe" or something along that line, rather than that they were "quite safe". I could be wrong about this, but at this point, I'm grabbing for any straw of a clue I can find! So, since that leaves about half of the authors left to choose from, I guess it doesn't help much, at that. Oh, well. I'd say Wendy, but since I picked her above, I'll go with Yvonne.

Still Life with Python by... OK, this seems like Mary. I know I picked her above, too, but I can't think of anyone else, so I'm picking Mary again here.

Dance with a Stranger by... Again, not a clue. I'm going to go with Meredith. (Don't ask me why, it's just a wild guess.)

So, for what it's worth, those are my guesses.

- Vicki

Hmm - this was tough but definitely enjoyable. Never one to back down from a challenge - I'm as willing as others to make a total and complete fool of myself!

Between a Rock and a Hard Place by...Jen (Shadow) maybe? - the Kryptonite at the end was absolutely hysterical and reminds me of other Jen stories
Clark's Pet Peeve by...I have no idea on this one - IreneD? weren't there other Cat stories by Irene in the past?
A Day at the Metroplis Pet Store by...pass on this - the style seems familiar but I can't place it :rolleyes:
Lois and That Cat by...Wendy? Nan? Labrat? the "to be continued" seems to imply each of these writers - hmm - final answer: Wendy
Lois and the Cat by...CC?
The Pet Bet by...I think this is KathyB.
That's All it Takes by...Kaethel?
Waiting for Superman by...Yvonne
Still Life with Python by...hysterical - my guess would have to be Paul.

Dance with a Stranger (Nfic) by...lynn


so that's it - I really enjoyed each of the stories - so thank you to all of the authors that participated! (notice that I did not thank only the authors that I mentioned above, as I'm sure that I've missed most!)

shells

Oh, goodness. I have absolutely no idea. It's hard to pick out authors when you're not good at styles. I've got only one guess... no, let's make it two.

The Pet Bet... by Wendy
Still Life with Python.. by Hatman

I'm most likely wrong, but the stories were great!

Given how there haven't been any new posts since August 29th, maybe it's time for the answers to be revealed?

AnnaBtG.

OK, Anna's right. It looks as if we've received pretty much all of the guesses we are going to get. And because I'm having unexpected company on Saturday night, I'm going to go ahead and post the answers and "winners" Friday night (Sept. 3) around 9-ish CST.

To all of the writers - please check your e-mail. I've asked you all to please let me know as soon as possible if you used a beta reader (and if so, who) so that we can give the beta credit if they intentionally "mis-guessed" on your story.

Stay tuned...this has been quite interesting and very fun!

Lynn

Ack!! Tonight??

Ok. Well, I better get to reading. Don't want to miss out on the fun. I'll be back.

CC (who never met a deadline she didn't push to the last possible minute)

edit: This is hard!! Still working.

more edit: This is why procrastinating is bad. If you guys have cleverly hidden clues throughout your fics, I haven't had time to look for them. Sigh. I feel this will reflect badly in my score. Let this be a lesson to you kids in school.

Sorry to be a bit tardy. Though I'm under the wire with a couple of hours to spare.

Between a Rock and a Hard Place by...not Paul, maybe Shadow (or Lynn)

Note: LynnM will be my automatic back-up guess for each piece, out of pure fear of missing hers.

I thought for sure I’d find Paul right away without even reading, just by title alone. And this one is clever enough to be his, but...eh...the punchline is twisted enough to be Jen. I’m voting for Shadow based on that as well as her avatar. And to sweeten the pot, I’m willing to wager my Superman stand up action figure, the one with the cool cape and bendy legs. (I stole it from my brother when he was ten, but it is still technically *mine*.)

Clark's Pet Peeve by...all my BR points right out the window if I’m wrong...Lynn.

This is really nice, nice writing. Beautiful, otherworldly almost, in the descriptive LynnM sort of way.

But then there’s this. And where there’s water there’s...Wendy?

Well, I love this. So nicely done, and very visual, great humor. After literally reading hundreds of pages of LynnM’s stuff, I would think I could pick her blindfolded!! Out on a limb...MacDad? Is this you?? I’m betting my Smallville trading cards, not the shiny 3-D Lex Luthor one that I keep under my pillow, but definitely the duplicate Lanas.

A Day at the Metropolis Pet Store by...a diabolically, fiendishly clever mind. Possibly someone evil enough to take over the world. (Or Lynn)

Also, this is my personal favorite, is absolutely brilliant, and I cackled like a crazy woman all the way through it.

And this is probably my favorite sentence in the history of all fanfic. Ever.

Ok, so we’re looking for someone diabolically clever and fiendish, as well as evil enough for world domination. Yvonne would suit and suit nicely. But I’m going with Labrat here. It’s the quiet ones you have to watch out for. And this time I’ll wager..my Andy Warhol Superman print. It’s really nice, hanging in my bathroom.

Lois and That Cat by...Wanda Detroit! (Or Lynn)

And I’m even a tiny bit confident...sorta. It’s a tbc, so that rules out a few who have other WIPs. And it has her zest, some funny observation and snappy dialogue. So, feeling somewhat confident-ish, I’m willing to bet Fanfic Author Wendy Richard’s cat t-shirt, the one that says “Stressed Out.” I’m pretty sure she won’t mind.

Lois and the Cat by...Not me! (not Lynn)

I’ve noticed that a trend developed in the guessing on this one, and I’m here to tell you exactly why this couldn’t be me.

First, there are only a half dozen ellipses here and there, and I can’t write without using a thousand; I have to meet a quota or it doesn’t work. Secondly, there is introspection between every spoken line. It goes Talk Think Talk Think Talk Think. I go Talk Talk Talk Talk. See? And on that subject, there isn’t even any ‘real’ dialogue. One-sided conversations don’t count, so we just have that exchange at the end.

Therefore, proving this a case of Not-Meism, I’ll have to guess this is...Wendy. Though she is generally more clever with her titles. Maybe she was stressed out the day she wrote this?

And I am betting...well...I don’t feel like betting anything at this time, but you shouldn’t take that to mean anything in particular.

Oh, just this thought, you know when you have a soggy sweater on and you try to dry something on a hardwood floor with the sleeve of it? While the act, itself, might be called ‘dabbing,’ the sound it would make would be more like...dapping. Just thought I’d mention. Nothing too trivial for extra credit, alright?

Bonus points are awarded in this quiz, are they not? I didn’t see that mentioned in the rules, but I’m certain that’s an oversight.

The Pet Bet by...Me! (or Lynn)

And I’ll tell you how I know for certain:

Like Paul, I knew this was a dead give away. I own the fanfic copyright on all of Lois’s fasteners, be they zippers, snaps, velcro tabs, laces, what have you. Therefore, if this piece isn’t by me you’ll be hearing from my lawyers whoever you are....what’s that? Expired??!

Well, just in case this isn’t me, I’m going to go with a very firm guess. Better strong and wrong than weak but right...right? So...this is definitely Kaethel.

Or Meredith. Or Yvonne. Or even Wendy. And it almost certainly could be Lynn!

I’m betting the family picture taken in front of the Supes statue in the town square of Metropolis, Ill, all the little Aikens included, that somewhere in there I fingered the suspect.

That's All it Takes by...Anna B. (or Lynn)

Truly, I just do. Not. Know. So I’m only betting my green rock candy Kryptonite purchased at the Superman Museum. Well, not purchased, it was free on entry, but it’s still good.

Have I whined yet about how hard this is?? Thought I might mention here.

Waiting for Superman by...Wendy! (or Lynn) but really mostly Wendy.

Though, I have to say that’s an awful lot of dialogue for a Wendy piece. However, it makes such nice use of a cat, and since Wendy seems to have a fondness for them...ok, I’m committing. This is either Wendy (or Lynn) or someone else entirely. I’m willing to bet my hardbound copy of the Science of Superman. It’s out of print now, you know, so I had to special order it.

Still Life with Python by...Paul! I’m betting it all on Hatman, title maker extraordinare! (or Lynn, of course)

This does have a Maryish quality as well, so it gets a bit confusing. However the hour is growing late and I can’t be bothered with nuances at this point. I’m going with Paul. And to show how sincere I am, I’m betting my...Ultimate Guide to the Man of Steel. Good for killing time in the carpool line.

Dance with a Stranger (Nfic)by...Someone really, really good

I did get a definite Labrat feel right off, as others noted. It’s the Lex, you know. That is such a great, horrible, Masques-like Lex. He just walks off the screen. And furthermore, whoever you are, I’d love you to pick this up and continue it, ok...? Lynn? Mere? Yvonne? I’m going with Auntie Y here, btw. I just want to.

Done. And though I know I sucked and sucked badly, I hit reply happy in the knowledge that there is no way I missed Lynn. It’s a small consolation, but I’ll take what I can get.

CC