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>>AndrewRogue
You forgot to include "Stay up so late writing that you fail all your classes and get kicked out of school and spend the rest of your life living under a bridge in Cleveland"
You forgot to include "Stay up so late writing that you fail all your classes and get kicked out of school and spend the rest of your life living under a bridge in Cleveland"
BWHAHAHAHA! Submitted! Submitted at the last minute with no time for any proof reading or polishing, but submitted none the less!
I was rather upset that I was going to miss two Write Offs in a row, but the story idea I initially began working on just wouldn't come together and kind of sucked. But then this idea came to me as I was driving, and I managed to hammer it out just in time!
It's not super or anything. And as I said, I hammered it out. So it's rather rough. But hey, at least I finished it! :)
I was rather upset that I was going to miss two Write Offs in a row, but the story idea I initially began working on just wouldn't come together and kind of sucked. But then this idea came to me as I was driving, and I managed to hammer it out just in time!
It's not super or anything. And as I said, I hammered it out. So it's rather rough. But hey, at least I finished it! :)
I'm not going to get this edited in time. Can I submit the first draft then add the second when it's done?
Had great idea Friday morning. Had nothing written by Saturday night. Managed to push through the despair and cobble together something I'm reasonably happy with. Woot!
>>TheCyanRecluse
"Last minute"? You've got nearly an hour left for revisions!
>>The Power Wolf
Your official entry is whatever's in the site as of the deadline (the clock ticks to zero on the fic submission page).
I'd get your first draft in ASAP, do what editing you can while keeping an eye on that clock, and then click on the "Edit" button at the bottom of the submissions page and copy/paste your revisions into the already-submitted story right before you hit zero. (That's my plan.) That way, in case of an internet hiccup or something, you've at least got something in, and you can update it as you go.
>>TheCyanRecluse
"Last minute"? You've got nearly an hour left for revisions!
>>The Power Wolf
Your official entry is whatever's in the site as of the deadline (the clock ticks to zero on the fic submission page).
I'd get your first draft in ASAP, do what editing you can while keeping an eye on that clock, and then click on the "Edit" button at the bottom of the submissions page and copy/paste your revisions into the already-submitted story right before you hit zero. (That's my plan.) That way, in case of an internet hiccup or something, you've at least got something in, and you can update it as you go.
Whew! I submitted a thing but it's not quite the story I wanted in the end. I had to throw away a lot of interesting stuff I had planned, change courses about three or four times, and haphazardly tape them all together with... tape. All just so I could finish something before the deadline. I don't know how good it is, but I'm just glad to have finished something. If all else fails, I could probably continue working on it some other time and make it closer to what I had originally planned.
I told myself I'd get a good nights sleep, and worry about all this in the morning. But screw that noise. This is the first thing I've really done that wasn't part of a group tribute fic to a man who loves Disney princess way too much.
I couldn't sleep right now if I took half a bottle of pills.
I couldn't sleep right now if I took half a bottle of pills.
Impossibly, I am in. Off I go to work, leaving my little effort in your care. Until!
>>horizon
I submitted it, but I think the Timer ran out just as my Internet cut out! Did you get it?
I submitted it, but I think the Timer ran out just as my Internet cut out! Did you get it?
>>The Power Wolf
Go to the submission page! if it worked, you should see the title of your fic at the bottom of the page!
Go to the submission page! if it worked, you should see the title of your fic at the bottom of the page!
GOD DAMN GOEOGOEWOAFSOROAWFSFOTWOE
I THOUGHT THE DEADLINE WAS AN HOUR LATER
I LEGIT STAYED UP ALL NIGHT AND PLANNED MY WRITING AROUND THIS IMAGINARY DEADLINE
AFRTEGRAGTWEWEWERWWVWQFWEFTSGTTE
i still submitted tho
I THOUGHT THE DEADLINE WAS AN HOUR LATER
I LEGIT STAYED UP ALL NIGHT AND PLANNED MY WRITING AROUND THIS IMAGINARY DEADLINE
AFRTEGRAGTWEWEWERWWVWQFWEFTSGTTE
i still submitted tho
>>The Power Wolf
What Dubs said. Also, you've got a brief grace period after the timer hits zero, so if the submission page isn't locked yet and you don't see it you can still sneak it in GO GO GO
What Dubs said. Also, you've got a brief grace period after the timer hits zero, so if the submission page isn't locked yet and you don't see it you can still sneak it in GO GO GO
>>Dubs_Rewatcher
I blame the world's ridiculous need to occasionally murder our lord and master Daylight Savings Time
(praise)
I blame the world's ridiculous need to occasionally murder our lord and master Daylight Savings Time
(praise)
>>The Power Wolf
The voting section is your slate. See Gallery for all the fics.
Your slate will open up for more entries if you vote on all the ones you've been assigned.
Also: you don't get to vote on your own fic.
The voting section is your slate. See Gallery for all the fics.
Your slate will open up for more entries if you vote on all the ones you've been assigned.
Also: you don't get to vote on your own fic.
Anyway, now that we're rolling with thirty-five entries (!) spanning 133,000 words, and a huge number of fresh faces in the comment thread:
(ahem)
Welcome to the preliminaries, fellow authors!
(A quick guide for Writeoff newbies)
The hardest part is behind us -- the writing! Now it's time to pit the stories against each other and figure out which ones end the round with shiny metallic pixels. Along the way, we're going to engage in one of the Writeoffs' oldest and most beloved traditions: The constructive criticism that turns this into something more than just a competition!
(Also, we're going to create art based on the stories. That's an experimental thing this round. Just know that there's an "Art" contest too, which just started its submission period, and the prompt for the art is the contents of one or more stories you read this round. Ask one of our regulars, or speak up here, if you're interested but confused.)
The most important things to know for the next week or so:
1) Do some reading and ranking!
Up on the "Voting" tab at the top of the page, you'll see a "slate" of stories from your fellow authors, and a list where you can drag them into order. This is what determines competition rankings! (Anyone can vote, author or not. The site's set up so that you won't ever vote on your own story.)
Voting is totally subjective and up to you. We can't stop you from voting based on arbitrary factors like the number of E's in a story, if you want. However, community standards are that you rank stories based on which ones you think are best (whatever that means to you), and that you make a good-faith effort to treat them fairly despite factors like genre, form/style, and characters used. If you feel like you can't treat a story even slightly objectively ("OMGWTFBBQ THORAX AND EMBER SHIPPING?!?! BOTTOM SLATE 4EVAR ARGHABALHARGABARGLE"), you can click on "Abstain" to remove it from your voting pool.
When your slate is empty, you can keep clicking on the empty area to be given new stories to rank! Don't feel obligated to "only" read what you're assigned.
There's no penalty for not voting, unless you count "you don't get to have a say in who wins". But, c'mon, we're a community here — let's work together and make this thing awesome!
2) Don't break anonymity!
This is crucial. The competition is based purely on the quality of the submitted stories, NOT the name/reputation of the author. That means if you prematurely reveal which one you wrote, the entry has to be disqualified.
When you put your name in the "Author" box, the site registered it and then locked the information away. All the stories in the gallery are shown without author information -- for now. Once judging is complete for a story (at the end of prelims for stories which don't make finals, and at the end of finals for everybody), the Gallery page will show author names next to their stories. Don't claim your story until the Gallery page identifies you!
People are gonna start leaving reviews on your story (see below). You'll be tempted to respond to the commentary immediately, especially if readers seem to be misinterpreting things. Don't.
This is really, really hard.
It sucks like anything. It's going to hurt. I'm sorry.
But please resist the temptation. It can be eye-opening to see the ways in which people misinterpret what you write when the context of the vivid images inside your brain are stripped away. If you let it, that waiting and self-reflection process can make you a better writer. (Also, one nice silver lining: When the first reviewer misinterprets your story, and someone comes along later and says "Uh, actually, I think this is what the author meant," that silent little "HA HA, IT DID COME ACROSS, SUCK IT!" is super satisfying.)
It can help to sit down, immediately type up a comment correcting the reviewer, and then don't post it. Copy and paste that comment somewhere and save it for a week. At the end of your anonymity period, take a look again. If that week has given you a little perspective and you've figured out how to edit the story to resolve the misunderstanding, let it go. If the misinterpretation is still sticking in your craw, post your reply then. (Most reviewers will be happy to engage if there's a conversation that needs to continue past then.)
Finally, if you're reviewing (see below) — and we hope you do! — be aware that reviews can impact anonymity too. The best way to provide reviews is to go through the stories on your slate and/or ballot, but you will never be asked to rank your own writing — so if you write a review for every story but one, it's obvious which one you wrote. In the event you get prolific with your reviews, sneak a fake one in for your own story somewhere along the way so that you have 100% coverage.
3) Contribute to review culture!
We're here to compete, yes, but large numbers of us are also here to learn what people think of our writing and sharpen our skills.
A lot of Writeoff participants sacrifice a hell of a lot of time to leave critique on everything they read. This has never been mandatory. It has always been encouraged, because if nobody did it then nobody would get feedback.
If you're here to get better, then writing reviews helps you in two ways. First, it encourages other authors to do the same for you. Second, the process of analyzing a story and thinking about what did and didn't work for you refines your own writing. The ability to identify writing flaws in other people's stories works for your own stuff, too! Even simply saying "Gee, I prefer such-and-such story elements over other-such elements" forces you to make explicit in your mind the things that you enjoy about stories, and might open your eyes to types of writing you might not have considered for yourself.
Reviewing is intimidating! Leaving useful feedback is a skill just like writing fiction, and it's a skill we don't often get to practice. I'll try to outline some basics:
+ The most valuable thing you can offer is your honest reaction.
Our humble host >>RogerDodger calls this "wise reading", lifted from some text on critiquing; I wish I could dredge up a good link for that, but it's a tough phrase to google. :P
Suggesting fixes — "John McSpace should carry a ray-gun, not a chroma-lance" — is a very natural pattern to fall into with critique. (You'll see me do it a lot, too! It's an easy one to backslide on.) But it's the second step of a two-step process. The first step is realizing that something bothered you about the story, and explicitly pointing out what you have a problem with. ("John McSpace's introduction broke me out of the story because his technology seems anachronistic.") "Wise reading" is simply about pointing out what worked for you and what didn't. This might seem incredibly basic. It's also rare and valuable because everyone skips over it and goes straight to the second step.
Why does that help, if you want to make suggestions to improve a story? Because your goals for the story might not be the same as the author's. Flagging what made you as a reader stumble is an opportunity for the author to compare goals ("well, this is a crossover Spacedude fanfic, and chroma-lances are canon, so if you're bothered by the anachronism you're not in my target market"). Also, it may point them toward a way to fix your actual problem without throwing off their rhythm ("Hey, if Spacechick asks John why he's carrying a chroma-lance, it'll let me explain away the anachronism without changing his equipment!").
So, to sum up: Don't feel like you've got to point out ways to improve the story you're critiquing! That's a good way to flex your own creative muscles, sure, but simply flagging things that work or don't work for you is by itself a super valuable act, and don't undervalue it.
+ Be honest but positive.
There is a person on the other side of the screen. Even if true, "This story sucked" is going to hurt feelings. "This story did not work for me" might still hurt feelings, but it's also how you feel, which is necessary to communicate — and it's worded in a way that doesn't force all the blame onto the author. (Let's be humble. It might work for other readers!)
In other words: Every story here will have flaws, and we need to be able to talk about them in order to make them better. But remember that a thing you see as a flaw might just be a thing you disliked, and not every reader is going to be you! A critique is a conversation between you and the author; try to phrase your feedback in a way that makes that clear ("the sad part didn't make me cry"), instead of making incorrect blanket faux-objective statements ("the sad part was done wrong").
Also:
Even if a story needs a whole lot of editing, try to find at least one positive thing to say. (I've been doing this for years, and it's a VERY rare story that I can't legitimately praise at least ONE element relative to the rest of the writing.) Acknowledging the good along with the bad is a signal to the author that you're trying to give the story a more fair-minded view rather than just piling on — and it gives them something to feel good about if you have a lot of critique.
+ Add detail where you comfortably can, but don't worry if you can't.
To go back to John McSpace above: It's great if you can dig down into the writing enough to identify that it was his lack of ray-gun that threw his introduction off (for you), but sometimes you're just going to end a scene with a vague sense of dissatisfaction. That's still better than nothing! You saying "John's introduction didn't come off right but I'm not quite sure what bugged me" might be what spurs another reader to say "The ray-gun's anachronistic", and their own dissatisfaction might not crystallize until they read your thoughts.
That said, reviewing can be a giant time sink. Don't force yourself to write more about a story than you immediately have to say. (That's a recipe for burnout.) And if prior reviewers have made points you agree with, a simple "agree/disagree with X on point(s) Y" can be more than enough. (I guarantee as an author that even that is valuable! There's a BIG difference between "a flaw every reviewer complains about", "a flaw which half of the reviewers hate and half acknowledge but aren't bothered by", and "a choice which some readers label a flaw and some defend").
+ READ reviews with a grain of salt.
What I said above about comparing goals? Internalize that. Make it your mantra. Wrap yourself in it. Your story is going to have a lot of arrows fired at it over the next week; and "their goal for the story might not be my goal" is gonna be your armor.
I've received a lot of excellent feedback on Writeoff stories which I have thanked the reviewer for and then promptly ignored, because it was fantastic advice for a different story than the one I was writing. I have given advice (probably far too much of it!) that's on the other side of that divide. EVERY SUGGESTION YOU READ HERE WILL ONLY IMPROVE YOUR STORY IF IT ALIGNS WITH WHAT YOU'RE TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH WITH THE STORY.
(And sometimes you'll read a suggestion and realize that you like what they're pointing at better than what you originally wanted to do. That's fine too! Just keep in mind that's your decision to make.)
And finally,
+ Thank you for participating!
You've done a good thing in getting a story assembled. You've done a hard good thing in whacking it together within 72 hours! That, in itself, has value, and please don't let any criticism detract from that.
Writeoff stories, by their nature, are first drafts. Some of us write better first drafts than others — but that doesn't invalidate the less polished ones. Every story has the capability to shine after editing; some of them are just closer to their final form than others. (This is why, when my HORSE assessment system ranks stories into "tiers" based on my overall appreciation of them, even the lowest tier is named "Keep Developing" — because further development will improve it if you put in the effort.)
You've done good.
It may not feel like it as the critiques mount (though, hopefully, if we keep these rules in mind we can collectively reduce the sting), but no critique can take away from you: You have written a thing, under difficult circumstances, and thrown it out to the public despite insufficient time to sync it with the shining vision in your head. Every factor is working against you here. Don't take disappointment personally, and treasure every compliment because you motherf*king earned it.
Thank you all! Looking forward to my reading. We're all in this together!
(ahem)
Welcome to the preliminaries, fellow authors!
(A quick guide for Writeoff newbies)
The hardest part is behind us -- the writing! Now it's time to pit the stories against each other and figure out which ones end the round with shiny metallic pixels. Along the way, we're going to engage in one of the Writeoffs' oldest and most beloved traditions: The constructive criticism that turns this into something more than just a competition!
(Also, we're going to create art based on the stories. That's an experimental thing this round. Just know that there's an "Art" contest too, which just started its submission period, and the prompt for the art is the contents of one or more stories you read this round. Ask one of our regulars, or speak up here, if you're interested but confused.)
The most important things to know for the next week or so:
1) Do some reading and ranking!
Up on the "Voting" tab at the top of the page, you'll see a "slate" of stories from your fellow authors, and a list where you can drag them into order. This is what determines competition rankings! (Anyone can vote, author or not. The site's set up so that you won't ever vote on your own story.)
Voting is totally subjective and up to you. We can't stop you from voting based on arbitrary factors like the number of E's in a story, if you want. However, community standards are that you rank stories based on which ones you think are best (whatever that means to you), and that you make a good-faith effort to treat them fairly despite factors like genre, form/style, and characters used. If you feel like you can't treat a story even slightly objectively ("OMGWTFBBQ THORAX AND EMBER SHIPPING?!?! BOTTOM SLATE 4EVAR ARGHABALHARGABARGLE"), you can click on "Abstain" to remove it from your voting pool.
When your slate is empty, you can keep clicking on the empty area to be given new stories to rank! Don't feel obligated to "only" read what you're assigned.
There's no penalty for not voting, unless you count "you don't get to have a say in who wins". But, c'mon, we're a community here — let's work together and make this thing awesome!
2) Don't break anonymity!
This is crucial. The competition is based purely on the quality of the submitted stories, NOT the name/reputation of the author. That means if you prematurely reveal which one you wrote, the entry has to be disqualified.
When you put your name in the "Author" box, the site registered it and then locked the information away. All the stories in the gallery are shown without author information -- for now. Once judging is complete for a story (at the end of prelims for stories which don't make finals, and at the end of finals for everybody), the Gallery page will show author names next to their stories. Don't claim your story until the Gallery page identifies you!
People are gonna start leaving reviews on your story (see below). You'll be tempted to respond to the commentary immediately, especially if readers seem to be misinterpreting things. Don't.
This is really, really hard.
It sucks like anything. It's going to hurt. I'm sorry.
But please resist the temptation. It can be eye-opening to see the ways in which people misinterpret what you write when the context of the vivid images inside your brain are stripped away. If you let it, that waiting and self-reflection process can make you a better writer. (Also, one nice silver lining: When the first reviewer misinterprets your story, and someone comes along later and says "Uh, actually, I think this is what the author meant," that silent little "HA HA, IT DID COME ACROSS, SUCK IT!" is super satisfying.)
It can help to sit down, immediately type up a comment correcting the reviewer, and then don't post it. Copy and paste that comment somewhere and save it for a week. At the end of your anonymity period, take a look again. If that week has given you a little perspective and you've figured out how to edit the story to resolve the misunderstanding, let it go. If the misinterpretation is still sticking in your craw, post your reply then. (Most reviewers will be happy to engage if there's a conversation that needs to continue past then.)
Finally, if you're reviewing (see below) — and we hope you do! — be aware that reviews can impact anonymity too. The best way to provide reviews is to go through the stories on your slate and/or ballot, but you will never be asked to rank your own writing — so if you write a review for every story but one, it's obvious which one you wrote. In the event you get prolific with your reviews, sneak a fake one in for your own story somewhere along the way so that you have 100% coverage.
3) Contribute to review culture!
We're here to compete, yes, but large numbers of us are also here to learn what people think of our writing and sharpen our skills.
A lot of Writeoff participants sacrifice a hell of a lot of time to leave critique on everything they read. This has never been mandatory. It has always been encouraged, because if nobody did it then nobody would get feedback.
If you're here to get better, then writing reviews helps you in two ways. First, it encourages other authors to do the same for you. Second, the process of analyzing a story and thinking about what did and didn't work for you refines your own writing. The ability to identify writing flaws in other people's stories works for your own stuff, too! Even simply saying "Gee, I prefer such-and-such story elements over other-such elements" forces you to make explicit in your mind the things that you enjoy about stories, and might open your eyes to types of writing you might not have considered for yourself.
Reviewing is intimidating! Leaving useful feedback is a skill just like writing fiction, and it's a skill we don't often get to practice. I'll try to outline some basics:
+ The most valuable thing you can offer is your honest reaction.
Our humble host >>RogerDodger calls this "wise reading", lifted from some text on critiquing; I wish I could dredge up a good link for that, but it's a tough phrase to google. :P
Suggesting fixes — "John McSpace should carry a ray-gun, not a chroma-lance" — is a very natural pattern to fall into with critique. (You'll see me do it a lot, too! It's an easy one to backslide on.) But it's the second step of a two-step process. The first step is realizing that something bothered you about the story, and explicitly pointing out what you have a problem with. ("John McSpace's introduction broke me out of the story because his technology seems anachronistic.") "Wise reading" is simply about pointing out what worked for you and what didn't. This might seem incredibly basic. It's also rare and valuable because everyone skips over it and goes straight to the second step.
Why does that help, if you want to make suggestions to improve a story? Because your goals for the story might not be the same as the author's. Flagging what made you as a reader stumble is an opportunity for the author to compare goals ("well, this is a crossover Spacedude fanfic, and chroma-lances are canon, so if you're bothered by the anachronism you're not in my target market"). Also, it may point them toward a way to fix your actual problem without throwing off their rhythm ("Hey, if Spacechick asks John why he's carrying a chroma-lance, it'll let me explain away the anachronism without changing his equipment!").
So, to sum up: Don't feel like you've got to point out ways to improve the story you're critiquing! That's a good way to flex your own creative muscles, sure, but simply flagging things that work or don't work for you is by itself a super valuable act, and don't undervalue it.
+ Be honest but positive.
There is a person on the other side of the screen. Even if true, "This story sucked" is going to hurt feelings. "This story did not work for me" might still hurt feelings, but it's also how you feel, which is necessary to communicate — and it's worded in a way that doesn't force all the blame onto the author. (Let's be humble. It might work for other readers!)
In other words: Every story here will have flaws, and we need to be able to talk about them in order to make them better. But remember that a thing you see as a flaw might just be a thing you disliked, and not every reader is going to be you! A critique is a conversation between you and the author; try to phrase your feedback in a way that makes that clear ("the sad part didn't make me cry"), instead of making incorrect blanket faux-objective statements ("the sad part was done wrong").
Also:
Even if a story needs a whole lot of editing, try to find at least one positive thing to say. (I've been doing this for years, and it's a VERY rare story that I can't legitimately praise at least ONE element relative to the rest of the writing.) Acknowledging the good along with the bad is a signal to the author that you're trying to give the story a more fair-minded view rather than just piling on — and it gives them something to feel good about if you have a lot of critique.
+ Add detail where you comfortably can, but don't worry if you can't.
To go back to John McSpace above: It's great if you can dig down into the writing enough to identify that it was his lack of ray-gun that threw his introduction off (for you), but sometimes you're just going to end a scene with a vague sense of dissatisfaction. That's still better than nothing! You saying "John's introduction didn't come off right but I'm not quite sure what bugged me" might be what spurs another reader to say "The ray-gun's anachronistic", and their own dissatisfaction might not crystallize until they read your thoughts.
That said, reviewing can be a giant time sink. Don't force yourself to write more about a story than you immediately have to say. (That's a recipe for burnout.) And if prior reviewers have made points you agree with, a simple "agree/disagree with X on point(s) Y" can be more than enough. (I guarantee as an author that even that is valuable! There's a BIG difference between "a flaw every reviewer complains about", "a flaw which half of the reviewers hate and half acknowledge but aren't bothered by", and "a choice which some readers label a flaw and some defend").
+ READ reviews with a grain of salt.
What I said above about comparing goals? Internalize that. Make it your mantra. Wrap yourself in it. Your story is going to have a lot of arrows fired at it over the next week; and "their goal for the story might not be my goal" is gonna be your armor.
I've received a lot of excellent feedback on Writeoff stories which I have thanked the reviewer for and then promptly ignored, because it was fantastic advice for a different story than the one I was writing. I have given advice (probably far too much of it!) that's on the other side of that divide. EVERY SUGGESTION YOU READ HERE WILL ONLY IMPROVE YOUR STORY IF IT ALIGNS WITH WHAT YOU'RE TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH WITH THE STORY.
(And sometimes you'll read a suggestion and realize that you like what they're pointing at better than what you originally wanted to do. That's fine too! Just keep in mind that's your decision to make.)
And finally,
+ Thank you for participating!
You've done a good thing in getting a story assembled. You've done a hard good thing in whacking it together within 72 hours! That, in itself, has value, and please don't let any criticism detract from that.
Writeoff stories, by their nature, are first drafts. Some of us write better first drafts than others — but that doesn't invalidate the less polished ones. Every story has the capability to shine after editing; some of them are just closer to their final form than others. (This is why, when my HORSE assessment system ranks stories into "tiers" based on my overall appreciation of them, even the lowest tier is named "Keep Developing" — because further development will improve it if you put in the effort.)
You've done good.
It may not feel like it as the critiques mount (though, hopefully, if we keep these rules in mind we can collectively reduce the sting), but no critique can take away from you: You have written a thing, under difficult circumstances, and thrown it out to the public despite insufficient time to sync it with the shining vision in your head. Every factor is working against you here. Don't take disappointment personally, and treasure every compliment because you motherf*king earned it.
Thank you all! Looking forward to my reading. We're all in this together!
To the new participants:
Welcome! It's nice to see you coming to develop and show off your writing skills. First off, one thing I'd like to add to horizon's commentary above (>>horizon). Yes, don't strain yourself to put more into commenting on others' stories than you're comfortable with, but if you do decide to go into some detail, horizon mentioned thinking about not just that something in a story bothered you, but trying to track down exactly why it bothered you. What I want to expand on with that is that the process of doing so will really help you in your own writing.
It's a lot easier to see problems in someone else's story. In your own, you know what you meant to say, you know all the elements of your universe that didn't explicitly make it into the story, you know your characters. It's harder to realize that you didn't communicate something, because you already know what was supposed to be communicated. So when you actually think about how that communication broke down in another's story, it's a more effective way of seeing how someone else perceives your story. Even if it's only pondering this stuff in your head instead of typing it out to the author, your writing will improve because of it.
Also read the reviews that others are leaving on the stories you didn't write (preferably after you've read the stories and (arguably) after you've registered your vote) to see what kinds of things they're looking for. You'll always learn something, even if you completely disagree with their critique.
Now, my main point. I used to do this thing where I offered reviewing help to the new participant who finishes the highest, as a little incentive to put in a good effort. The problem is that while the previous recipients were happy for the opportunity, not one ever actually took me up on it. One transferred it to a friend, and that didn't end well. The rest never sent me anything. So with the number of new people in this round, and with my reviewing queue pretty empty at the moment, I'm game to offer it again, but I have to ask: would any of you use it?
Welcome! It's nice to see you coming to develop and show off your writing skills. First off, one thing I'd like to add to horizon's commentary above (>>horizon). Yes, don't strain yourself to put more into commenting on others' stories than you're comfortable with, but if you do decide to go into some detail, horizon mentioned thinking about not just that something in a story bothered you, but trying to track down exactly why it bothered you. What I want to expand on with that is that the process of doing so will really help you in your own writing.
It's a lot easier to see problems in someone else's story. In your own, you know what you meant to say, you know all the elements of your universe that didn't explicitly make it into the story, you know your characters. It's harder to realize that you didn't communicate something, because you already know what was supposed to be communicated. So when you actually think about how that communication broke down in another's story, it's a more effective way of seeing how someone else perceives your story. Even if it's only pondering this stuff in your head instead of typing it out to the author, your writing will improve because of it.
Also read the reviews that others are leaving on the stories you didn't write (preferably after you've read the stories and (arguably) after you've registered your vote) to see what kinds of things they're looking for. You'll always learn something, even if you completely disagree with their critique.
Now, my main point. I used to do this thing where I offered reviewing help to the new participant who finishes the highest, as a little incentive to put in a good effort. The problem is that while the previous recipients were happy for the opportunity, not one ever actually took me up on it. One transferred it to a friend, and that didn't end well. The rest never sent me anything. So with the number of new people in this round, and with my reviewing queue pretty empty at the moment, I'm game to offer it again, but I have to ask: would any of you use it?
>>Pascoite
I would, I really think I would. I would at least seriously try because that’s an awesome gift
I would, I really think I would. I would at least seriously try because that’s an awesome gift
>>Kitcat36
You're not one of the first-time participants, though. :(
Oh, does Roger no longer have a "best new entrant" badge? That makes it tougher to figure out. In that case, I could pick someone who maybe had participated before but not more than a couple times. But then Aragon wins, and while I'd be perfectly happy to pre-read for him, it's not exactly going to be an incentive for him. Eh, I'll still leave open the possibility that I'll pick someone relatively inexperienced, but I'd like to hear back from some of the first-timers and see if they'd even care.
You're not one of the first-time participants, though. :(
Oh, does Roger no longer have a "best new entrant" badge? That makes it tougher to figure out. In that case, I could pick someone who maybe had participated before but not more than a couple times. But then Aragon wins, and while I'd be perfectly happy to pre-read for him, it's not exactly going to be an incentive for him. Eh, I'll still leave open the possibility that I'll pick someone relatively inexperienced, but I'd like to hear back from some of the first-timers and see if they'd even care.
>>Pascoite
Thanks! Whoops, that was a ridiculous mistake...
>>Pascoite
Well, I guess you're right--I'm not a first time participant. I participated twice before over the past few years in FIM minific contests, and never felt good enough about the results to publish anything on fimfiction. I feel like a rank newbie, though, even if I know my way around the website a little. Is it normal to both desperately want reviews and to be absolutely terrified of getting them?
Thanks! Whoops, that was a ridiculous mistake...
>>Pascoite
Well, I guess you're right--I'm not a first time participant. I participated twice before over the past few years in FIM minific contests, and never felt good enough about the results to publish anything on fimfiction. I feel like a rank newbie, though, even if I know my way around the website a little. Is it normal to both desperately want reviews and to be absolutely terrified of getting them?
>>Kitcat36
I easily resolved this cognative dissonance when I realized that I actually only desperately want good reviews. : P
[Is it normal to both desperately want reviews and to be absolutely terrified of getting them?
I easily resolved this cognative dissonance when I realized that I actually only desperately want good reviews. : P
>>Bachiavellian
Heh. Point taken. But I want honest reviews, not fake good ones, and then the panic comes back again...
Heh. Point taken. But I want honest reviews, not fake good ones, and then the panic comes back again...
>>Kitcat36
Honest reviews can still be good ones! Give yourself some credit.
And even if you totally bomb it (trust me, I know the feeling), there'll usually still be a couple of kind souls who really, really like your story anyway.
Anyway, I do remember vaguely nice but fake-ish reviews being an issue some rounds back. I wonder if we've gotten better at giving feedback...
Honest reviews can still be good ones! Give yourself some credit.
And even if you totally bomb it (trust me, I know the feeling), there'll usually still be a couple of kind souls who really, really like your story anyway.
Anyway, I do remember vaguely nice but fake-ish reviews being an issue some rounds back. I wonder if we've gotten better at giving feedback...
There was never a man like the >>horizon,
Like the one they call, Not-a-changeling
So yeah newbies, you have your complete guide here, thanks to our man. The last thing to add is that there is usually (usally? really? usually like once per month?) a podcast where a bunch of pretentious smartasses talk about some of the entries. How are these stories selected? Well, it's up to you to decide.
And since, against all odds, I've failed to submit anything this round, I can announce that a podcast will air this Saturday, the 9th, at 10 pm GMT +0 (warning, be sure to check your timezone. Also, time is relative so don't be surprised if the schedule changes). Too bad Quill and Hat, you're now forced to do it.
Oh, and before I forget, you can vote for the stories that will be discussed right here.
That will be all. See you in the comments.
Like the one they call, Not-a-changeling
So yeah newbies, you have your complete guide here, thanks to our man. The last thing to add is that there is usually (usally? really? usually like once per month?) a podcast where a bunch of pretentious smartasses talk about some of the entries. How are these stories selected? Well, it's up to you to decide.
And since, against all odds, I've failed to submit anything this round, I can announce that a podcast will air this Saturday, the 9th, at 10 pm GMT +0 (warning, be sure to check your timezone. Also, time is relative so don't be surprised if the schedule changes). Too bad Quill and Hat, you're now forced to do it.
Oh, and before I forget, you can vote for the stories that will be discussed right here.
That will be all. See you in the comments.
>>ToXikyogHurt >>Lamplighter >>Miller Minus >>writeratnight >>dragon discord >>The Power Wolf >>2Merr >>Cyrano >>Cold in Gardez
Hey, just a heads-up to all of the people speaking up here whose names I don't immediately recognize from past rounds: I posted a big comment last night to help newbies get a little better oriented. Unfortunately I was a little too sleepy to think of tagging you then, like I should have :(
Give it a read if you're still confused about how this Writeoff thing works, and let me know if you've got questions!
** See here: >>horizon **
Hey, just a heads-up to all of the people speaking up here whose names I don't immediately recognize from past rounds: I posted a big comment last night to help newbies get a little better oriented. Unfortunately I was a little too sleepy to think of tagging you then, like I should have :(
Give it a read if you're still confused about how this Writeoff thing works, and let me know if you've got questions!
** See here: >>horizon **
>>horizon
Perhaps Roger could put an "introduction to the Writeoff guide" as a permanent part of the website.
Perhaps Roger could put an "introduction to the Writeoff guide" as a permanent part of the website.
>>horizon
Ah, there may have been an hour left in the contest! But alas, I had to depart to this place called "work." It is a terrible land of misery and suffering. It's sole redeeming quality is that it provides me the bits needed for viewing ponies on the interwebs. And a few other amenities such as food, water, and housing. ;>
Ah, there may have been an hour left in the contest! But alas, I had to depart to this place called "work." It is a terrible land of misery and suffering. It's sole redeeming quality is that it provides me the bits needed for viewing ponies on the interwebs. And a few other amenities such as food, water, and housing. ;>
Oh my gosh, I can't look at my story without wanting to hide it. ...there isn't a way to take it down, just in case, is there?
>>Kitcat36
Relax. Nobody's going to hurt you. If you really want out, you can ask Roger to remove your story, but what's the harm? There aren't that many people here. It's not like putting it up on FiMFic for thousands to see. Just a few dozen here, and they're all looking to help you out.
Relax. Nobody's going to hurt you. If you really want out, you can ask Roger to remove your story, but what's the harm? There aren't that many people here. It's not like putting it up on FiMFic for thousands to see. Just a few dozen here, and they're all looking to help you out.
Weird question for the art round. Is graphic design/photomanipulation allowed?
For example, if someone submitted something like this:
https://img00.deviantart.net/ce2a/i/2013/037/4/3/discord_in_the_metro__pirl__by_colorfulbrony-d5tqc1b.jpg
And the caption included a link back to the main resources used like this:
Would that be acceptable? Or is the focus more on painting/sketching and stuff?
For example, if someone submitted something like this:
https://img00.deviantart.net/ce2a/i/2013/037/4/3/discord_in_the_metro__pirl__by_colorfulbrony-d5tqc1b.jpg
And the caption included a link back to the main resources used like this:
Src: https://c-h-loboguerrero-c.deviantart.com/art/discord-vector-278942900
Would that be acceptable? Or is the focus more on painting/sketching and stuff?
>>Chinchillax
Look through some previous rounds. I think there's some stuff like that in there.
Look through some previous rounds. I think there's some stuff like that in there.
>>Pascoite
I suppose this piece answers my question and gives an "A-Okay" to graphic design/photomanipulation.
Good to know!
I suppose this piece answers my question and gives an "A-Okay" to graphic design/photomanipulation.
Good to know!
>>Chinchillax
Yes, graphic manipulation is fine, but you should take care with your sources. I knew that Michelangelo was unlikely to complain about misappropriation when I made that. If you’re making use of non-PD art, that’s a touchy subject, even if you credit the artist. I suggest that if you have any doubts, run what you intend to do past Roger in email or PM.
Yes, graphic manipulation is fine, but you should take care with your sources. I knew that Michelangelo was unlikely to complain about misappropriation when I made that. If you’re making use of non-PD art, that’s a touchy subject, even if you credit the artist. I suggest that if you have any doubts, run what you intend to do past Roger in email or PM.
>>Pascoite
-gulps-
I, I guess I can try to leave it up. Good to know there is a way out if I really lose it though. Panic attacks aren't fun >_<
-gulps-
I, I guess I can try to leave it up. Good to know there is a way out if I really lose it though. Panic attacks aren't fun >_<
>>Kitcat36
Panic attacks definitely aren't fun. Take care of your mental health and do what you need to do for yourself.
That said, please do consider leaving your story up, even if you think it's bad and/or it scores poorly. Thank you for putting it out there. You can learn a lot from examining your work, even the old and/or "bad" stuff, and others can learn from you as well. As >>Pascoite said, nobody out here is judging you as a person for your writing, or judging your writing harshly. We like writing, we like your writing and we want to help you. Relax, enjoy, come back and keep at it. I'll look forward to seeing you in the Original rounds too!
Sincerely,
A fellow panic attack sufferer and perceived "harsh critic"
Panic attacks definitely aren't fun. Take care of your mental health and do what you need to do for yourself.
That said, please do consider leaving your story up, even if you think it's bad and/or it scores poorly. Thank you for putting it out there. You can learn a lot from examining your work, even the old and/or "bad" stuff, and others can learn from you as well. As >>Pascoite said, nobody out here is judging you as a person for your writing, or judging your writing harshly. We like writing, we like your writing and we want to help you. Relax, enjoy, come back and keep at it. I'll look forward to seeing you in the Original rounds too!
Sincerely,
A fellow panic attack sufferer and perceived "harsh critic"
>>Kitcat36
That's something I experience every round.
You have to wait for the end of the prelims, or the end of the round if your story makes it to final.
Then, in the FIC SUBMISSION page, you can tick both square off, and that will do the trick.
I do that for all my stories. I delete them when the round is over.
<3
That's something I experience every round.
You have to wait for the end of the prelims, or the end of the round if your story makes it to final.
Then, in the FIC SUBMISSION page, you can tick both square off, and that will do the trick.
I do that for all my stories. I delete them when the round is over.
<3
>>Monokeras
>>Kitcat36
Monokeras is correct, but perhaps not right.
You can delete your stories if you need to, but nopony here is judging you, despite the critique (which is only intended to help). Nopony will even remember your story by the time the next competition rolls around unless it's awesomazing, as Dash might say. (I remember many of Mono's stories because I liked them a lot, like Seesaw.)
We've all written bad things before, so you have nothing to be ashamed about. It's part of the process of getting better. I minored in visual arts when I got my first degree. One of my favorite quotes is from an art teacher who taught me the only way to get better is to be 'comfortably uncomfortable'. You have to feel discomfort to improve. If you're not agonizing a tiny bit, you aren't growing. This is true for all of the arts: writing, painting, even creative rollerskating—which I'm rather good at, but you have to take risks or you don't grow so I've injured myself many times.
You need to injure yourself with writing, too, but not so badly you can't go on. Aim for comfortably uncomfortable, and know we love you and want you to succeed.
>>Kitcat36
Monokeras is correct, but perhaps not right.
You can delete your stories if you need to, but nopony here is judging you, despite the critique (which is only intended to help). Nopony will even remember your story by the time the next competition rolls around unless it's awesomazing, as Dash might say. (I remember many of Mono's stories because I liked them a lot, like Seesaw.)
We've all written bad things before, so you have nothing to be ashamed about. It's part of the process of getting better. I minored in visual arts when I got my first degree. One of my favorite quotes is from an art teacher who taught me the only way to get better is to be 'comfortably uncomfortable'. You have to feel discomfort to improve. If you're not agonizing a tiny bit, you aren't growing. This is true for all of the arts: writing, painting, even creative rollerskating—which I'm rather good at, but you have to take risks or you don't grow so I've injured myself many times.
You need to injure yourself with writing, too, but not so badly you can't go on. Aim for comfortably uncomfortable, and know we love you and want you to succeed.
>>Ranmilia
-hugs-
Thanks. I really appreciate the support. It's helping to see such kind and positive messages.
>>Monokeras
The heads up is much, much appreciated. It's kind of a relief knowing it's an option, even if I do leave it up.
>>Trick_Question
Thank you, Trick Question. The support from you is very much appreciated. I'm...a little bit scared of you, I think, so it means a whole lot. Don't ask me to explain why, though, because I'm not sure I can.
Thank you to all of you for caring so much. I can't tell you how touched I am. I'll leave the story up. Hopefully I WILL improve as a writer after this. Thank you.
-hugs-
Thanks. I really appreciate the support. It's helping to see such kind and positive messages.
>>Monokeras
The heads up is much, much appreciated. It's kind of a relief knowing it's an option, even if I do leave it up.
>>Trick_Question
Thank you, Trick Question. The support from you is very much appreciated. I'm...a little bit scared of you, I think, so it means a whole lot. Don't ask me to explain why, though, because I'm not sure I can.
Thank you to all of you for caring so much. I can't tell you how touched I am. I'll leave the story up. Hopefully I WILL improve as a writer after this. Thank you.
>>Trick_Question
Quoted for truth.
One of my favorite quotes is from an art teacher who taught me the only way to get better is to be 'comfortably uncomfortable'. You have to feel discomfort to improve. If you're not agonizing a tiny bit, you aren't growing. This is true for all of the arts: writing, painting, even creative rollerskating—which I'm rather good at, but you have to take risks or you don't grow so I've injured myself many times.
You need to injure yourself with writing, too, but not so badly you can't go on. Aim for comfortably uncomfortable, and know we love you and want you to succeed.
Quoted for truth.
>>Kitcat36
If it's the fact I have D-cup breasts and fully functional male genitalia, that's totally understandable. :trollestia:
I'm...a little bit scared of you, I think, so it means a whole lot. Don't ask me to explain why, though, because I'm not sure I can.
If it's the fact I have D-cup breasts and fully functional male genitalia, that's totally understandable. :trollestia:
>>Trick_Question
Trick is right of course. Don’t delete your stories! Remember no one can pen down a perfect piece in so little time. There will ample time for improvement afterwards.
Enjoy! ❤️
Trick is right of course. Don’t delete your stories! Remember no one can pen down a perfect piece in so little time. There will ample time for improvement afterwards.
Enjoy! ❤️
>>Trick_Question
I'm...not sure I knew that before now, but that only adds to what I think is the actual problem, which is that I can't anticipate you, ever. And you go dark places sometimes, or suggestive places, very quickly. That's just you, I suppose. If I get to actually know you I'm sure I'll be a little more at ease.
I'm...not sure I knew that before now, but that only adds to what I think is the actual problem, which is that I can't anticipate you, ever. And you go dark places sometimes, or suggestive places, very quickly. That's just you, I suppose. If I get to actually know you I'm sure I'll be a little more at ease.
>>horizon
Thanks, I did read that guidance. It seemed like good advice and I tried to take it to heart when writing my reviews, hopefully they're all somewhat-helpful to people. I haven't spoilered anything, let me know if I should.
My assigned stories are all done now, but once the contest is over I'll be happy to read and make similar comments on the other stories posted – just ask.
I also have a whole lot of recommended line-edits written down: misspellings, incorrect tense use, awkward phrasing, grammar problems, etc. Anyone who wants those is also welcome to them, or just a straight-up editing/proofing pass (on gdocs). Again, after the contest, and by request.
Thanks, I did read that guidance. It seemed like good advice and I tried to take it to heart when writing my reviews, hopefully they're all somewhat-helpful to people. I haven't spoilered anything, let me know if I should.
My assigned stories are all done now, but once the contest is over I'll be happy to read and make similar comments on the other stories posted – just ask.
I also have a whole lot of recommended line-edits written down: misspellings, incorrect tense use, awkward phrasing, grammar problems, etc. Anyone who wants those is also welcome to them, or just a straight-up editing/proofing pass (on gdocs). Again, after the contest, and by request.
>>ToXikyogHurt
You can:
Read, rank, and comment on more stories than just the seven on your initial ballot, you know, by clicking the little "Add another" phrase under your ranking grid. You can do the whole three dozen of 'em if you wanna!
Mike
You can:
Read, rank, and comment on more stories than just the seven on your initial ballot, you know, by clicking the little "Add another" phrase under your ranking grid. You can do the whole three dozen of 'em if you wanna!
Mike
>>Baal Bunny
I've done nine. There is a second round of voting, yes? I'll do a few more then. It takes me quite some time to read, review and comment. I have other things that need doing this week. I'm behind my schedule already.
I got fairly lucky too, I think, in that I didn't have to read anything that I outright hated. If I had, I would not have been kind; I'd like to give people some way to avoid my public savaging of their work. Now that they can see what it would entail. I can't imagine it's entirely pleasant. Even the 'nice' review I left – I suspect that one is creepy. If it doesn't seem so, then I haven't properly conveyed my desire to have that author's babies.
Plus, if I reviewied many more than half, I'd feel obliged to fake my own review – because on average it would have showed up. I'm not sure I could seem convincingly objective enough. I can't win, but there's no need to DQ myself by leaving a review that's just the word "trash" five-hundred times. I'm already hiding from the comments on mine entirely until I work up the nerve to read them. Sometime in January, probably. Yay for anxiety :/
I've done nine. There is a second round of voting, yes? I'll do a few more then. It takes me quite some time to read, review and comment. I have other things that need doing this week. I'm behind my schedule already.
I got fairly lucky too, I think, in that I didn't have to read anything that I outright hated. If I had, I would not have been kind; I'd like to give people some way to avoid my public savaging of their work. Now that they can see what it would entail. I can't imagine it's entirely pleasant. Even the 'nice' review I left – I suspect that one is creepy. If it doesn't seem so, then I haven't properly conveyed my desire to have that author's babies.
Plus, if I reviewied many more than half, I'd feel obliged to fake my own review – because on average it would have showed up. I'm not sure I could seem convincingly objective enough. I can't win, but there's no need to DQ myself by leaving a review that's just the word "trash" five-hundred times. I'm already hiding from the comments on mine entirely until I work up the nerve to read them. Sometime in January, probably. Yay for anxiety :/
>>Zaid Val'Roa
I think I have one more slate story to go, then it's time to start bringing up the average. :rainbowdetermined:
I think I have one more slate story to go, then it's time to start bringing up the average. :rainbowdetermined:
>>Monokeras
>>Posh
>>Kitcat36
>>2Merr
>>MLPmatthewl419
>>Bachiavellian
>>007Ben
>>CoffeeMinion
>>MrExtra
>>DuskPhoenix
>>AndrewRogue
>>kits
>>Lamplighter
>>Trick_Question
>>Mystic_Mind89
>>GroaningGreyAgony
>>Rao
>>The Power Wolf
>>Baal Bunny
>>georg
>>Whitbane
>>horizon
>>TrumpetofDoom
>>TitaniumDragon
>>discord
>>Winston
>>moonwhisper
>>Icenrose
>>Miller Minus
>>ToXikyogHurt
>>dragon discord
>>PaulAsaran
>>writeratnight
>>Dubs_Rewatcher
>>Cold in Gardez
>>Pascoite
>>TheCyanRecluse
>>regidar
>>zaponator
OKAY, I think I got everyone (plz >>RogerDodger, make an @everyone available, pwetty pwease)
As you may not know, there is a podcast airing on the discord server (link a the top of this page) this Saturday, but thanks toQuill Scratch someone, the schedule has changed. We will start at 9 pm GMT. There are still room if you want to become a member of the podcasters club.
What are we gonna do during this podcast you say? Well, we will obviously talk about this round and some of the entries (we can't really talk about all of them).
And you know what's great? It's up to YOU to decide which stories you want to see (or hear) discussed. How? With the magic of Internet, you click on that beautiful link right here.
In the meantime, keep reviewing.
>>Posh
>>Kitcat36
>>2Merr
>>MLPmatthewl419
>>Bachiavellian
>>007Ben
>>CoffeeMinion
>>MrExtra
>>DuskPhoenix
>>AndrewRogue
>>kits
>>Lamplighter
>>Trick_Question
>>Mystic_Mind89
>>GroaningGreyAgony
>>Rao
>>The Power Wolf
>>Baal Bunny
>>georg
>>Whitbane
>>horizon
>>TrumpetofDoom
>>TitaniumDragon
>>discord
>>Winston
>>moonwhisper
>>Icenrose
>>Miller Minus
>>ToXikyogHurt
>>dragon discord
>>PaulAsaran
>>writeratnight
>>Dubs_Rewatcher
>>Cold in Gardez
>>Pascoite
>>TheCyanRecluse
>>regidar
>>zaponator
OKAY, I think I got everyone (plz >>RogerDodger, make an @everyone available, pwetty pwease)
As you may not know, there is a podcast airing on the discord server (link a the top of this page) this Saturday, but thanks to
What are we gonna do during this podcast you say? Well, we will obviously talk about this round and some of the entries (we can't really talk about all of them).
And you know what's great? It's up to YOU to decide which stories you want to see (or hear) discussed. How? With the magic of Internet, you click on that beautiful link right here.
In the meantime, keep reviewing.
>>Fenton
I'm actually kinda/sorta tempted to join ya'll. But I talk funny and have hardly had the chance to read stories yet. :P
I'll definitely be listening in, though.
I'm actually kinda/sorta tempted to join ya'll. But I talk funny and have hardly had the chance to read stories yet. :P
I'll definitely be listening in, though.
>>Fenton
If there's still space, I'd be happy to join the Radio WriteOff crew this time around.
If there's still space, I'd be happy to join the Radio WriteOff crew this time around.
Question!!
For the drawing part, does the drawing have to do with the prompt or one of the stories that have been made?
For the drawing part, does the drawing have to do with the prompt or one of the stories that have been made?
>>dragon discord
They must be related to one of the stories. This is the opposite of previous rounds where stories would be based off drawings.
They must be related to one of the stories. This is the opposite of previous rounds where stories would be based off drawings.
As long as I'm bored, there are two things I'd like to add to the ongoing discussion of reviews.
First, there's an old practice that seems to have died off around here. Say everyone gets a ballot of 8 stories. If I review 8 stories, it's clear I didn't write any of those. As horizon noted, if you're going to review them all, then you need to sneak in a fake review of your own entry so people can't figure out which one was yours. But most people only read/review what's on their initial slate. So what people used to do was to do one extra story that you pick in truly random fashion, including the possibility that it's your own story. So if my ballot had 8, I'd post 9 reviews. This way, nobody can eliminate me as the author of any of those 9. What may mitigate this is that I'm pretty sure ballots are formed by word count now and not number of stories. It always tried to give balanced word count anyway, i.e., if you got the longest story, you'd get some of the shortest ones, too, so all ballots were about the same total words. But it might be the case now that ballots give different people a different number of stories to control word count that way, and I know at least at one point that as the voting deadline approached, it'd start shortening unsubmitted ballots anyway. So if you can't be assured all voters have 8 stories, then people could be doing an extra one anyway, and nobody would know, short of the reviewer explicitly saying so, I suppose. Furthermore, if you're going to request added stories on your ballot, either don't post the reviews in batches, or else add another random one for each batch, which will continue this effect. Anyway, this is a pretty good idea just to give that last little degree of anonymity. If you're not going to review them all, consider adding a random one, which could end up being your own, to the pool you do review.
And the second one... is gone now. My short-term memory sucks.
First, there's an old practice that seems to have died off around here. Say everyone gets a ballot of 8 stories. If I review 8 stories, it's clear I didn't write any of those. As horizon noted, if you're going to review them all, then you need to sneak in a fake review of your own entry so people can't figure out which one was yours. But most people only read/review what's on their initial slate. So what people used to do was to do one extra story that you pick in truly random fashion, including the possibility that it's your own story. So if my ballot had 8, I'd post 9 reviews. This way, nobody can eliminate me as the author of any of those 9. What may mitigate this is that I'm pretty sure ballots are formed by word count now and not number of stories. It always tried to give balanced word count anyway, i.e., if you got the longest story, you'd get some of the shortest ones, too, so all ballots were about the same total words. But it might be the case now that ballots give different people a different number of stories to control word count that way, and I know at least at one point that as the voting deadline approached, it'd start shortening unsubmitted ballots anyway. So if you can't be assured all voters have 8 stories, then people could be doing an extra one anyway, and nobody would know, short of the reviewer explicitly saying so, I suppose. Furthermore, if you're going to request added stories on your ballot, either don't post the reviews in batches, or else add another random one for each batch, which will continue this effect. Anyway, this is a pretty good idea just to give that last little degree of anonymity. If you're not going to review them all, consider adding a random one, which could end up being your own, to the pool you do review.
And the second one... is gone now. My short-term memory sucks.
>>Pascoite
What I try to do is hit up Random.org and roll a D(story count minus stories I've reviewed thus far) until I get a 1. Then I self-review.
(Also if you're truly bored then holy crap do I have reams of Dark Rarity story stuff if you want it...)
What I try to do is hit up Random.org and roll a D(story count minus stories I've reviewed thus far) until I get a 1. Then I self-review.
(Also if you're truly bored then holy crap do I have reams of Dark Rarity story stuff if you want it...)
>>Bachiavellian
Keep your microphone close, as we usually cool off after the podcast in the voice chat where everyone can talk. That could be a good training exercise.
>>Monokeras
Because wether you like it or not, you're here with us, and this fact means that you can't get off the ride.
\m/ ALL ABOOOAAAAAAARD! HAHAHAHAHAHAAAaa! \m/
Keep your microphone close, as we usually cool off after the podcast in the voice chat where everyone can talk. That could be a good training exercise.
>>Monokeras
Because wether you like it or not, you're here with us, and this fact means that you can't get off the ride.
\m/ ALL ABOOOAAAAAAARD! HAHAHAHAHAHAAAaa! \m/
>>CoffeeMinion
I do something similar. I just roll dn a single time and whatever the number is, that's the point where I do my self-review. If I roll 1, I do my self-review first. If I roll n, I do it last. If I don't do enough reviews, I don't get to it. Simple.
I do something similar. I just roll dn a single time and whatever the number is, that's the point where I do my self-review. If I roll 1, I do my self-review first. If I roll n, I do it last. If I don't do enough reviews, I don't get to it. Simple.
!!HEY GUYS!!
Didja know we're close to having at least 4 reviews on every story? Well, we are! A round of applause for us for helping maintain dat culture of good feedback.
If everyone would be so kind as to hit up the gallery and have a look, you'll see a couple stories that could use some love. Sadly I've already reviewed our one story still languishing with 2 reviews, so I'm deffo gonna need some backup there.
Didja know we're close to having at least 4 reviews on every story? Well, we are! A round of applause for us for helping maintain dat culture of good feedback.
If everyone would be so kind as to hit up the gallery and have a look, you'll see a couple stories that could use some love. Sadly I've already reviewed our one story still languishing with 2 reviews, so I'm deffo gonna need some backup there.
And with that, they're three. At least three reviews for each entry.
Not bad at all.
I look forward to see the art entries tomorrow.
Not bad at all.
I look forward to see the art entries tomorrow.
Well, I am extremely sad. I'm gonna miss the art deadline. I'll post the art on my fimfic page in, like, a day or two when it's complete.
I'm disappointed I didn't have time to work on the art during the work week. I'm certain I'd have won. :ajunsure:
Somepony misspelled cragadile in their story, but I forget which one it was and I don't think I mentioned it in the review.
Also I forget which story I just read, but:
FTFY
Luckily the stallion in question -an authorthe author's self-insert she had befriended during a book convention- had been a gentlecolt about the whole thing.
FTFY
<twin_peaks>Mashup is happening again...</twin_peaks>
No Spring Monster: On the cusp of retirement, Rainbow Dash finally talks Applejack into wearing a redacted and engaging in some even more redacted. Meanwhile, Big Mac seeks radical psychiatric intervention to help him remember that he's married to Sugar Belle, not Fluttershy. :trollestia:
Shoot For Yesterday's Diamonds: Newly minted Alicorn Princess Rosehip struggles to bring peace to the land as Luna freaks out about losing her powers and Rarity & Diamond Tiara fight to the death over a piece of fashion-forward retro jewelry.
The Melatonin Uprising: In a world... where sexy dream meds are held only by an evil smoky unicorn guy... one mare... and her six transgendered warrior friends... will fight... for their right... to believe in themselves?
The Second Bar: Sunset Shimmer can't decide if she'd rather go to the upscale artsy-music place upstairs, or to the EDM wubfest downstairs. So she embarks on a vision quest to an alternate universe instead!
No Spring Monster: On the cusp of retirement, Rainbow Dash finally talks Applejack into wearing a redacted and engaging in some even more redacted. Meanwhile, Big Mac seeks radical psychiatric intervention to help him remember that he's married to Sugar Belle, not Fluttershy. :trollestia:
Shoot For Yesterday's Diamonds: Newly minted Alicorn Princess Rosehip struggles to bring peace to the land as Luna freaks out about losing her powers and Rarity & Diamond Tiara fight to the death over a piece of fashion-forward retro jewelry.
The Melatonin Uprising: In a world... where sexy dream meds are held only by an evil smoky unicorn guy... one mare... and her six transgendered warrior friends... will fight... for their right... to believe in themselves?
The Second Bar: Sunset Shimmer can't decide if she'd rather go to the upscale artsy-music place upstairs, or to the EDM wubfest downstairs. So she embarks on a vision quest to an alternate universe instead!
>>CoffeeMinion
Oh, right. Mashups were a thing. I'll give 'em a go.
Santa, Deliver Me a Dinosaur
To get with the times, Santa Hooves uses Equestria's postal service to deliver gifts.Things go awry when the mailmare has to figure how to charge for the extra weight of a dinosaur.
Another Pony's Wake-up Call
A changeling starves when the girlfriend of the person it impersonates breaks up with her.
Twilight Sparkle vs. The Heat Death of Familiarity
Twilight channels the energy of the dying universe to run her Season 1 VR simulator.
The Calm Before The Crystal Uprising Falls Down
A group of rebel soldiers have a deep introspective monologue about the nature of dictatorships before they're violently impaled by spears.
Paint the End of all Things Black
In order to drive up sales, Uncle Wing marks down the price of his items for Friends-Day Sale. Shenanigans ensue as nobody cares about the meaning of the objects they buy.
Oh, right. Mashups were a thing. I'll give 'em a go.
Santa, Deliver Me a Dinosaur
To get with the times, Santa Hooves uses Equestria's postal service to deliver gifts.Things go awry when the mailmare has to figure how to charge for the extra weight of a dinosaur.
Another Pony's Wake-up Call
A changeling starves when the girlfriend of the person it impersonates breaks up with her.
Twilight Sparkle vs. The Heat Death of Familiarity
Twilight channels the energy of the dying universe to run her Season 1 VR simulator.
The Calm Before The Crystal Uprising Falls Down
A group of rebel soldiers have a deep introspective monologue about the nature of dictatorships before they're violently impaled by spears.
Paint the End of all Things Black
In order to drive up sales, Uncle Wing marks down the price of his items for Friends-Day Sale. Shenanigans ensue as nobody cares about the meaning of the objects they buy.
Well, that's every entry. Like a bawwwwss.
I have too much crap to do now. Must go work. Good luck to all, which is a ridiculous wish since the scoring is relative so forget I said that.
I am tired.
I have too much crap to do now. Must go work. Good luck to all, which is a ridiculous wish since the scoring is relative so forget I said that.
I am tired.
Just a few hours before the Pre-lims end, and every story has at least five reviews. Congratulations to everyone, and I wish you the best.
Post by
dragon discord
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>>Trick_Question
I should qualify this grandiose statement with, "I didn't see the art this round before I posted this".
What I meant is that my planned composition was (is) amazing. Baal, if you plan to publish Monsters, I could do some art for you (or at least hand the design off to an artist who can do it more quickly—I art well, but I art very slowly).
I should qualify this grandiose statement with, "I didn't see the art this round before I posted this".
What I meant is that my planned composition was (is) amazing. Baal, if you plan to publish Monsters, I could do some art for you (or at least hand the design off to an artist who can do it more quickly—I art well, but I art very slowly).
Yay, it's finals and I've still got something in contention! A piece of art ;.;
Anyway, this is your regular reminder that there's also a Writeoff FIMFiction group, and I've just created the story folder for the round. IF AND ONLY IF you're not in finals -- meaning, your name is now displayed by your piece on the Gallery page -- then feel free to edit your story based on reader feedback and post it to FIMFiction! (Otherwise, wait until the round ends so you don't disqualify yourself.) When you do, you can add it to the Writeoff folder and everyone will get a notification to go appreciate the new version there!
In order to add your story to the Writeoff folder, you need to be a "Contributor" to the group. This is just due to spam problems in the past. Everyone who has ever submitted a story on writeoff.me qualifies as a "Contributor" -- PM me on FIMFiction or tag my comment on this thread if you've joined the FIMFic group but can't add stories to it!
Also, if you got knocked out in prelims (as I did) this is a great time to respond to all the feedback you've been accumulating. It's traditional (but not necessary) to write a little "retrospective" outlining your original goals for the piece and clearing up any misunderstandings and thanking readers for their critique. Meanwhile, do some reading on your brand-new finals slate and help us decide our winners!
Anyway, this is your regular reminder that there's also a Writeoff FIMFiction group, and I've just created the story folder for the round. IF AND ONLY IF you're not in finals -- meaning, your name is now displayed by your piece on the Gallery page -- then feel free to edit your story based on reader feedback and post it to FIMFiction! (Otherwise, wait until the round ends so you don't disqualify yourself.) When you do, you can add it to the Writeoff folder and everyone will get a notification to go appreciate the new version there!
In order to add your story to the Writeoff folder, you need to be a "Contributor" to the group. This is just due to spam problems in the past. Everyone who has ever submitted a story on writeoff.me qualifies as a "Contributor" -- PM me on FIMFiction or tag my comment on this thread if you've joined the FIMFic group but can't add stories to it!
Also, if you got knocked out in prelims (as I did) this is a great time to respond to all the feedback you've been accumulating. It's traditional (but not necessary) to write a little "retrospective" outlining your original goals for the piece and clearing up any misunderstandings and thanking readers for their critique. Meanwhile, do some reading on your brand-new finals slate and help us decide our winners!
Congratulations to all the finalists! And much appreciation for everyone providing so much thoughtful feedback on all these stories.
I read my slate and a few more, but fell behind on commenting. Though I'd have liked to offer critique before any author names were revealed, I hope it's okay to continue responding post-prelims to some of the stories that didn't make finals. /n00b
I read my slate and a few more, but fell behind on commenting. Though I'd have liked to offer critique before any author names were revealed, I hope it's okay to continue responding post-prelims to some of the stories that didn't make finals. /n00b
>>WillowWren
I'd love to get anymore feedback on my story, learning is the reason we're here right?
I'd love to get anymore feedback on my story, learning is the reason we're here right?
Gonna try and catch up on the finalists before the end of the round. Wish I had until the weekend to do it, but one makes do...
>>Pascoite
I disagree with Pascoite's implication here that those who enjoy erotica (even specifically this sort) are incapable of appreciating something on a delicate subject that isn't erotica. I think you'd receive a very positive reception from "that segment". I've never seen anypony pilloried for not writing erotica, and almost nopony reads for one reason only.
>>Cassius
Even if you're lucky enough to be attracted to adults as well as children, the psychological pressure knowing that many people would kill you if they knew you were attracted to kids can still be a source of constant trauma. As I mentioned before, there are many reasons why it doesn't voluntarily show up in the clinic with anywhere near the frequency it must occur in gen-pop.
If you post this to FiMFic, two big segments of your audience are going to be folks who condemn you for writing it, no matter how good it is, and folks who, like both your characters, would love to see this scenario play out to the fullest.
I disagree with Pascoite's implication here that those who enjoy erotica (even specifically this sort) are incapable of appreciating something on a delicate subject that isn't erotica. I think you'd receive a very positive reception from "that segment". I've never seen anypony pilloried for not writing erotica, and almost nopony reads for one reason only.
>>Cassius
I want you to imagine for a second how shitty your life would be if you could never have sex with someone you were attracted unless you were willing to do something amazingly evil in order to get it.
Even if you're lucky enough to be attracted to adults as well as children, the psychological pressure knowing that many people would kill you if they knew you were attracted to kids can still be a source of constant trauma. As I mentioned before, there are many reasons why it doesn't voluntarily show up in the clinic with anywhere near the frequency it must occur in gen-pop.
>>Posh
I tried to push hard and review as many as I could during prelims. I am now amused to note the correlation between being on my prelim slate and being knocked out before finals. :trollestia:
I tried to push hard and review as many as I could during prelims. I am now amused to note the correlation between being on my prelim slate and being knocked out before finals. :trollestia:
>>WillowWren
More feedback is ALWAYS welcome, so yes, please do go for it! (Though I don't think there's anything about my story that hasn't been covered so far).
More feedback is ALWAYS welcome, so yes, please do go for it! (Though I don't think there's anything about my story that hasn't been covered so far).
>>Trick_Question
That's... taking a rather large leap from what I actually said.
Pascoite's implication here that those who enjoy erotica (even specifically this sort) are incapable of appreciating something on a delicate subject that isn't erotica
That's... taking a rather large leap from what I actually said.
>>Pascoite
You said the segment of people who would like to see the characters have sex will condemn you for writing it (without sex).
You said the segment of people who would like to see the characters have sex will condemn you for writing it (without sex).
>>Trick_Question
No I didn't. I said people who find the subject matter reprehensible would condemn it, and people who wanted to see it end that way wouldn't be happy that it didn't.
No I didn't. I said people who find the subject matter reprehensible would condemn it, and people who wanted to see it end that way wouldn't be happy that it didn't.
Post by
Trick_Question
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>>Pascoite
I misread part of the condemn thing as going with the second group.
But my overall rebuttal is the same. You said the 'segment' of Fimfiction who wanted to see the story end in Dashaloo sex would not be happy. I'm saying that isn't true: that 'segment' includes many people who are fully capable of appreciating other kinds of stories than pure clop, and despite wanting to see the story end with sex, many of them would in fact fully appreciate the story as written and support Baal's work.
I misread part of the condemn thing as going with the second group.
But my overall rebuttal is the same. You said the 'segment' of Fimfiction who wanted to see the story end in Dashaloo sex would not be happy. I'm saying that isn't true: that 'segment' includes many people who are fully capable of appreciating other kinds of stories than pure clop, and despite wanting to see the story end with sex, many of them would in fact fully appreciate the story as written and support Baal's work.