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Coolio. Wanted to give one of these a try. Let's see how it goes. Need some inspiration, after all.
>>Gander
Welcome!
I’m glad to see new people take a..... gander at the contest.
I’m so sorry that’ll be the last joke I promise
Welcome!
I’m glad to see new people take a..... gander at the contest.
>>Miller Minus
Can I please stop writing fiction now
I have to grade exams :raritydespair:
I'm currently writing something for the R-Rated competition and I didn't even want to enter that anymore but I can't stop my hooftappity halp
Can I please stop writing fiction now
I have to grade exams :raritydespair:
I'm currently writing something for the R-Rated competition and I didn't even want to enter that anymore but I can't stop my hooftappity halp
Why is one of the prompts Ot-ober? I assume the Ot’s intentional, given the hyphen. Am I missing something obvious/am I just dense?
Apologies if we’re not supposed to discuss the prompts yet or whatnot.
Apologies if we’re not supposed to discuss the prompts yet or whatnot.
>>Gander
Oh lord, it's a silly in-joke.
About four or five years ago, during prompt submissions I was trying to submit "It's a Magical World." As fate would have it, my right hand was misaligned one set of keys to the right, and what I typed instead was O + t + Enter, immediately submiting the prompt, "Ot".
At the time, I didn't know you could edit prompt submissions, so when everyone started asking about it, I just fessed up. Since then, it's become a dumb meme that pops up in the prompt submissions (and in a few cursed fic entries) every now and then.
Please don't run, I swear we're all mostly sane.
Oh lord, it's a silly in-joke.
About four or five years ago, during prompt submissions I was trying to submit "It's a Magical World." As fate would have it, my right hand was misaligned one set of keys to the right, and what I typed instead was O + t + Enter, immediately submiting the prompt, "Ot".
At the time, I didn't know you could edit prompt submissions, so when everyone started asking about it, I just fessed up. Since then, it's become a dumb meme that pops up in the prompt submissions (and in a few cursed fic entries) every now and then.
Please don't run, I swear we're all mostly sane.
>>Bachiavellian
Wild. Four/five years as well? That's impressive, both for the lifespan of the joke and the fact that y'all are still around. Any other long-running trends I ot to be aware of?
Wild. Four/five years as well? That's impressive, both for the lifespan of the joke and the fact that y'all are still around. Any other long-running trends I ot to be aware of?
>>Trick_Question
Look upon my young naivete and laugh:
https://www.fimfiction.net/group/200535/the-writeoff-association/thread/203327/#comment/4662277
And, I could have sworn you and I have talked about me being the cause of Ot. If not, then allow me to formally apologize--I know that you're sick to death of it. :P
Look upon my young naivete and laugh:
https://www.fimfiction.net/group/200535/the-writeoff-association/thread/203327/#comment/4662277
And, I could have sworn you and I have talked about me being the cause of Ot. If not, then allow me to formally apologize--I know that you're sick to death of it. :P
>>Gander
There's actually been a lot of user turnover since then. Out of the 50 or so authors who participated in the round when Ot was born, I see maybe five-ish of them still participating regularly. But everyone passes knowledge of this god-forsaken meme to the next generation before they go, it seems.
First of all, I fucking see what you did there. >:(
But really, I guess the only other thing to note is that every now and then we get a little dramatic about an entry or two. Personally, I try to stay outta drama these days, but if you ever see it go down (or, god forbid, it happens to one of your entries) just know that the folks here never mean to disparage the author, even though we might have strong opinions about the story.
I'll let other folks chime in if I'm forgetting any other bits of tribal knowledge that could be relevant.
Let us know if you've got any other questions! I'd be happy to help if I can!
the fact that y'all are still around.
There's actually been a lot of user turnover since then. Out of the 50 or so authors who participated in the round when Ot was born, I see maybe five-ish of them still participating regularly. But everyone passes knowledge of this god-forsaken meme to the next generation before they go, it seems.
Any other long-running trends I ot to be aware of?
First of all, I fucking see what you did there. >:(
But really, I guess the only other thing to note is that every now and then we get a little dramatic about an entry or two. Personally, I try to stay outta drama these days, but if you ever see it go down (or, god forbid, it happens to one of your entries) just know that the folks here never mean to disparage the author, even though we might have strong opinions about the story.
I'll let other folks chime in if I'm forgetting any other bits of tribal knowledge that could be relevant.
Let us know if you've got any other questions! I'd be happy to help if I can!
>>Bachiavellian
Let us know if you've got any other questions! I'd be happy to help if I can!Wonderful! Thanks a million.
But really, I guess the only other thing to note is that every now and then we get a little dramatic about an entry or two.Out of curiosity, what does this mean, exactly? Like, arguments over quality? Debates over content?
>>Gander
Bit of both, really. It's happened before when an entry tries to tackle a contriversial topic, or when folks disagree about certain interpretations/reviews. The fact that the author needs to maintain anonymity and can't directly explain things until after the results come out is sometimes a contributing factor.
Basically, a lot of the regulars here have gotten used to giving and receiving feedback to each other, and it can come across as blunt without meaning to. We've had discussions in the past about the kind of tone we want in our conversations and reviews, but everytime we get a bunch of newcomers (like we have been these past few events), it's worth bringing the topic up again.
Like, arguments over quality? Debates over content?
Bit of both, really. It's happened before when an entry tries to tackle a contriversial topic, or when folks disagree about certain interpretations/reviews. The fact that the author needs to maintain anonymity and can't directly explain things until after the results come out is sometimes a contributing factor.
Basically, a lot of the regulars here have gotten used to giving and receiving feedback to each other, and it can come across as blunt without meaning to. We've had discussions in the past about the kind of tone we want in our conversations and reviews, but everytime we get a bunch of newcomers (like we have been these past few events), it's worth bringing the topic up again.
>>Bachiavellian
Keep in mind my memory over the past few years has been really bad for medical reasons.
And there's nothing to apologize for. You're not the ones who drilled it into the ground.
Keep in mind my memory over the past few years has been really bad for medical reasons.
And there's nothing to apologize for. You're not the ones who drilled it into the ground.
I'm pretty sure:
I'll be too busy huddling in front of my TV and weeping about the final Pony episodes on Saturday to do any writing, but, well, one never knows, do one? :)
Mike
I'll be too busy huddling in front of my TV and weeping about the final Pony episodes on Saturday to do any writing, but, well, one never knows, do one? :)
Mike
>>Bachiavellian On the subject of reviews, how do folks here generally go about giving reviews for submissions here? I give feedback on writing pretty regularly, but that's more relegated to the folks I meet up with on-campus, in-person, which means I'm generally able to talk about intent and such, which gives it a more back-and-forth style.
>>Gander
Oh boy, this is a topic we actually discuss a lot, so I really can't speak for everyone.
You're right that the most prominent part of the reviewing process is definitely the fact that the author can't respond until after the event is over. For authors, a lot of us take it as a chance to be able to see how our readers react to our story on its own merits. For reviewers, then, in my opinion it's key for the feedback to be very honest about our reactions to the story. Of course, they should also be written in a polite and friendly way, but we had a bit of an issue a while back where some reviewers seemed to be afraid to be honest about how they felt about stories. The result was that some stories got speckled with mild/generic praise, but ended up doing poorly in the results.
So to try to put it into a nutshell, I'd say that it's very important to provide feedback consistent with your reading experience, but at the same time it should be delivered pleasantly. Keep in mind that the author might be pulling their hair out at the fact that they can't respond to you, after all.
Feel free to browse previous threads in the Archive if you want to see specific examples of feedback, but you're more or less free to come up with your own style. We're happy with however long or short you want to leave your thoughts as, and in the past some reviewers had their own reviewing formats with rating systems and scores, although that style sees a little less use nowadays.
I do want to say, thanks for asking! It's great to get people who are so interested in the reviewing aspect of these events!
Oh boy, this is a topic we actually discuss a lot, so I really can't speak for everyone.
You're right that the most prominent part of the reviewing process is definitely the fact that the author can't respond until after the event is over. For authors, a lot of us take it as a chance to be able to see how our readers react to our story on its own merits. For reviewers, then, in my opinion it's key for the feedback to be very honest about our reactions to the story. Of course, they should also be written in a polite and friendly way, but we had a bit of an issue a while back where some reviewers seemed to be afraid to be honest about how they felt about stories. The result was that some stories got speckled with mild/generic praise, but ended up doing poorly in the results.
So to try to put it into a nutshell, I'd say that it's very important to provide feedback consistent with your reading experience, but at the same time it should be delivered pleasantly. Keep in mind that the author might be pulling their hair out at the fact that they can't respond to you, after all.
Feel free to browse previous threads in the Archive if you want to see specific examples of feedback, but you're more or less free to come up with your own style. We're happy with however long or short you want to leave your thoughts as, and in the past some reviewers had their own reviewing formats with rating systems and scores, although that style sees a little less use nowadays.
I do want to say, thanks for asking! It's great to get people who are so interested in the reviewing aspect of these events!
>>Bachiavellian
For reviewers, then, in my opinion it's key for the feedback to be very honest about our reactions to the story. Of course, they should also be written in a polite and friendly way, but we had a bit of an issue a while back where some reviewers seemed to be afraid to be honest about how they felt about stories. The result was that some stories got speckled with mild/generic praise, but ended up doing poorly in the results.Coolio. Thanks for the info. So be honest, but do so in a polite way. Seems straightforward enough.
We're happy with however long or short you want to leave your thoughts as, and in the past some reviewers had their own reviewing formats with rating systems and scores, although that style sees a little less use nowadays.In that case, I'll probably just roll with generalized thoughts. Don't see much use for a rating system, and if it's not expected I think I can perform better without constraining myself with something like that.
I do want to say, thanks for asking! It's great to get people who are so interested in the reviewing aspect of these events!Giving feedback is probably one of my favorite parts of writing. I'm never gonna be the best at it, but I sure can aim to get there. The more I force myself to read other works and understand what worked about them, both on a technical level and on an emotional level for me, the more it helps me realize what I'm looking to do as an author. Not looking at other works would be criminal, in my opinion, and I feel like I owe it to give others what little insight I can offer, in the hopes that they can dredge something useful out of ramblings.
Okay, quick question. Do stories show up in the gallery after the deadline passes or as they're added? Cause if it's the latter, I was considering checking in later and trying to get some early reading done before tomorrow (when I have to go back into lab and slog my way through 10 GB of video). And while I haven't actually finished my piece yet, but I recognize I'd probably be that obnoxious fellow who posts self-congratulatory messages when they actually get their piece finished, and I think that's probably a bad call if stories are added to the gallery as they go, since that'd ID me pretty quickly, and I'd rather not, ya know, fail the anonymity test within 30 seconds.
>>Gander
They'll all show up in the Gallery at once, when the submission period ends.
And on that note, you'll be able to see and edit your submission(s) at the bottom of the Fic Submission page, if you need to make changes after you send it in. Of course, the ability to edit will end when the writing period ends.
Good luck!
EDIT: Also, basically everyone has probably written an "I'm in this one!" comment at some point. You'd be in good company. :P
They'll all show up in the Gallery at once, when the submission period ends.
And on that note, you'll be able to see and edit your submission(s) at the bottom of the Fic Submission page, if you need to make changes after you send it in. Of course, the ability to edit will end when the writing period ends.
Good luck!
EDIT: Also, basically everyone has probably written an "I'm in this one!" comment at some point. You'd be in good company. :P
>>Bachiavellian
They'll all show up in the Gallery at once, when the submission period ends.Alrighty. Unfortunate, but I'll squeeze in some time tomorrow afternoon to review or something after I've managed to take care of the videos, then.
I gotta know, are we allowed to write about events that took place in the series finale in this Writeoff? Or is there some kind of spoiler policy against that?
>>π
Well, it is the original fiction contest right now so I would say hard no lol.
In the pony round I think you are, but you are required to put a warning at the beginning.
Well, it is the original fiction contest right now so I would say hard no lol.
In the pony round I think you are, but you are required to put a warning at the beginning.
As fate would have it, I was able to hop onto this round with a partially finished piece I created on a whim awhile back. Hastily prepared since the hour grows late for submission, but I won't pass up an opportunity when there is one.
Besides, I like the new schedule now. I prefer always trying to think on feet than winding down only to get anxious over and over again because another competition coming up.
Besides, I like the new schedule now. I prefer always trying to think on feet than winding down only to get anxious over and over again because another competition coming up.
Okay, you clowns, let me hit you up with some fresh out the oven Mashups.
Atop the Godkiller at Midnight: Jesus goes to heavenly group therapy and confides to his good friend Barabbas about how he feels about the death of his father at the hands of a gaggle of drunkards. John 11:35 happens again, repeatedly.
Freezer Steps: A dude trapped in a walk-in freezer becomes the world's first Strix. Unpleasant things happen when his boss arrives to remove the cart parked in front of the door.
Creation, and Anything That Can Go Wrong: The primordial horror in the Depths is finally reawakened and visits its madness upon the waking world. Murphy and Paz take it in stride as another Saturday morning while they snuggle and make waffles.
The Toppling Torturer: Nobody knows what happened to the multi-billion dollar memory-reading interrogation device, until it's discovered that somebody is using it as a sex toy.
Atop the Godkiller at Midnight: Jesus goes to heavenly group therapy and confides to his good friend Barabbas about how he feels about the death of his father at the hands of a gaggle of drunkards. John 11:35 happens again, repeatedly.
Freezer Steps: A dude trapped in a walk-in freezer becomes the world's first Strix. Unpleasant things happen when his boss arrives to remove the cart parked in front of the door.
Creation, and Anything That Can Go Wrong: The primordial horror in the Depths is finally reawakened and visits its madness upon the waking world. Murphy and Paz take it in stride as another Saturday morning while they snuggle and make waffles.
The Toppling Torturer: Nobody knows what happened to the multi-billion dollar memory-reading interrogation device, until it's discovered that somebody is using it as a sex toy.
So I'm looking at the final results, and I noticed I've been given a trophy for "Writeoff Graduate". Does anybody here know what that means? Is it for a certain number of stories submitted or points earned?
>>libertydude
That award usually is reserved for "best new entrant" into a given contest.
But you've submitted several original minifics before, so... Beats the fuck outta me.
That award usually is reserved for "best new entrant" into a given contest.
But you've submitted several original minifics before, so... Beats the fuck outta me.