Monthly Short Story Competition

[mosaix]

OK here's my contribution.

1) Great idea

2) Quarterly

3) Not themed - too limiting

4) There should be a word-count limit.

5) I'm not sure what Brian's objections are. Surely someone just starts a thread on a given date, people who want to contribute post their stories, at the end of the period everyone votes. I don't think there's any extra work for you here Brian, we could even use the existing Workshop forum.

 

[genisis2]

OK here's my contribution.

1) Great idea

2) Quarterly

3) Not themed - too limiting

4) There should be a word-count limit.

5) I'm not sure what Brian's objections are. Surely someone just starts a thread on a given date, people who want to contribute post their stories, at the end of the period everyone votes. I don't think there's any extra work for you here Brian, we could even use the existing Workshop forum.

very good idea.How about 5000 words or under?

 

[Paige Turner]

I am curiously drawn to this concept. I even have an idea for a story. It's about a lovely but naive woman who aspires to write, so she enters her stories in an online forum competition. Soon it becomes apparent that a mysterious eyeless foreigner wins every competition, and she realizes that he has to be eliminated if she is ever to have any success.

Then, the next contest's chosen theme is unveiled: "Grisly Supernatural Murder."

And a plan begins to take shape…

 

[Rosemary]

I agree with the word count and limited to once a quarter. This worked very well on another Forum I was in.

I might confer with another of our members here and see if he agrees with a suggestion I have asked him about!

 

[Culhwch]

For a start, five thousand is a little too long. No one is going to read eighteen five thousand word stories and vote on them. Actually, I'm not even sure you can post five thousand words in one post. I would say fifteen hundred, tops.

Secondly. Quarterly is a good idea. Or even every four months - tri-yearly? Thirdly doesn't sound right.

Thirdly. I think it wise to heed Brian and give this some time. I think the only way it will run smoothly is if we have a dedicated group of judges committed to reading all the stories and giving unbiased reviews. Otherwise it may (and probably most likely will) degenerate into chaos, with members voting without reading all the stories.

Perhaps as a compromise and a trial of sorts, we could start something on a smaller scale in the Workshop in the next month or so...

 

[Brian G Turner]

Ok, let me just underline that we're *not* running short story competitions on chronicles in the near future - but as before, it's in my plan to introduce something in the long term where we can do it really well.

 

[genisis2]

FROM I BRIAN :Ok, let me just underline that we're *not* running short story competitions on chronicles in the near future - but as before, it's in my plan to introduce something in the long term where we can do it really well.

Brian could we keep this thread going, Just to toss ideas around? It may help out when you decide to do something like this. Even though my idea and yours may not jive.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

I just want to answer some of these.

For a start, five thousand is a little too long. No one is going to read eighteen five thousand word stories and vote on them. Actually, I'm not even sure you can post five thousand words in one post. I would say fifteen hundred, tops.

I didnt say 5000 words per post, I said under 5000 to give some writers an option to do a longer story. The point is moot. Im throwing a number out there and seeing what others think. 2000, 3000, 1500, whatever, sorry I wasnt more specific. I wanted to consider the rules for later. I want to know if as a group this could work? Are the members of chronicles interested in a short story contest?Is it workable?

Secondly. Quarterly is a good idea. Or even every four months - tri-yearly? Thirdly doesn't sound right.

Give me a break. Its a short story contest, not a novel. I find there are times when some sort of urgency is required or people may procrastinate. this is a challenge. A fun challenge. Im not asking to kick out the next great story. I'm saying put together the best story you can within the given period and we as a group vote, and the winner gets braggin right for that month or quarter. Once again the rules on submission is moot. let us concentrate on my original question. Do people here want to try a short story contest.Rules can come later. Should have done a poll.

Thirdly. I think it wise to heed Brian and give this some time. I think the only way it will run smoothly is if we have a dedicated group of judges committed to reading all the stories and giving unbiased reviews. Otherwise it may (and probably most likely will) degenerate into chaos, with members voting without reading all the stories.

Yes I agree, after all it is Brian's site, I would not want to presume/assume anything without his ok nor cause any problems for Brian, and of course he has the last word on this. Hmmm a dedicated group of judges. It never occured to me that people here would a/ vote for the sake of voting and not read the stories or possibly B/ cheat for a buddy, the assumption being that is what you meant by an unbiased review. This may happen but posting with other people here on this site I find it highly unlikely and a little bit offensive but you may have a point. I have faith in the people here, I believe them to be honest and will be responsible with their voting. But you have been here longer than me and have more historical insight and interaction with others on this matter. In this case I would defer to you on this matter.

Perhaps as a compromise and a trial of sorts, we could start something on a smaller scale in the Workshop in the next month or so...

brilliant!!!!!!! Let us not forget, this was supposed to be for fun. Its not rocket science. Please if this goes through, let everyone have a vote in an alloted time. dedicated judges will kill this. Why read someones short story so that another has the final say.

BTW not attaching you culhwch, I hope I articulated this well enough that you were not offended in anyway.
Thankyou

 

[Brian G Turner]

Brian could we keep this thread going, Just to toss ideas around?It may help out when you decide to do something like this.

Certainly I appreciate the sentiments, but I think you'll find that when we do implement something, it'll probably be very different to some of the ideas thrashed out here, because we'd be able to do more.

My concern is that too much planning for something that isn't going to happen yet is simply going to lead to disappointment - the circumstances of its implementation will be very different then from now.

Seriously, there's a real minefield of problems I think are being underappreciated at present, which is all the more reason why if we did something, it would have to be thoroughly planned out and executed.

In that regard I'm tempted to close this thread so matters don't move on towards a head, but I'll trust the members to realise that it's better to be patient and have a really good competition implemented in future, than want to rush into something that really would cause a lot of problems in the community.

 

[genisis2]

understood

 

[Culhwch]

BTW not attaching you culhwch, I hope I articulated this well enough that you were not offended in anyway.
Thankyou

Attaching me to what? Seriously, thanks for clarifying that, genisis2, I was starting to get the feeling that had it been in person, I'd have been wiping errant drops of spittle off my face...

If you just wanted to gauge whether or not people were interested in a short story contest, did the fact that a dozen of us started kicking around proposed terms and conditions not tell you something? I think it's a yes, mate.

People seem to have read your original idea and taken it further - or to different levels - than you intended. I think that certainly the competition that Brian is proposing is more serious than what you had in mind. That's not to say it won't be fun, too, for those of us interested in taking part in it. But I understand that what you wanted was more lighthearted and spur-of-the-moment. It seems like something that could be done as a monthly challenge in the workshop, rather than run under the auspices of a short story competition.

Hmmm a dedicated group of judges. It never occured to me that people here would a/ vote for the sake of voting and not read the stories or possibly B/ cheat for a buddy, the assumption being that is what you meant by an unbiased review. This may happen but posting with other people here on this site I find it highly unlikely and a little bit offensive but you may have a point. I have faith in the people here, I believe them to be honest and will be responsible with their voting. But you have been here longer than me and have more historical insight and interaction with others on this matter. In this case I would defer to you on this matter.

I have faith in the majority of people here, too, genisis2, but I'm also a realist. People have lives outside this place, and don't have the time to read five, ten, fifteen five thousand word stories and vote on them. And if they do, it'll take the next month, or longer. Take a flick through the critique section and this will be demonstrated. Most have two or three responses, the longer ones (upwards of as little as one thousand words) often go unremarked upon. People might say they were keen to do it until it came to the crunch....

But obviously there is interest in this thing, one way or another. I doubt Brian would have any plans to shut this thread down (no guarantees, I don't speak with his authority or anything) so anyway, we can continue to debate....

EDIT: Beaten to the punch. Ignore the last paragraph. Indeed, ignore the whole thing....

 

[genisis2]

Attaching me to what? Seriously, thanks for clarifying that, genisis2, I was starting to get the feeling that had it been in person, I'd have been wiping errant drops of spittle off my face...

Low blow!
No sympathy for someone who was pounding a few back all night. And its my BDay. Like how I snuck that in?

Unfortunately, ones tone does not come across, the way it was intended. later.

 

[Themistocles]

I just wanted to add, that after reading through all of the comments posted here I can see that there are many who are interested in this competition, however, I think that Brian is right in wanting to give this time. There are many logistics involved in planning such a competition, and it would be sad if it were to fail because we jumped the gun.

Looking forward to this in the future.

 

[carrie221]

I would be interested in participating in the contest in the future. I think I would probably enter but even if I wouldn't I would still like to read other peoples responses.

 

[Alia]

Ohh... awesome idea! Count me in.

 

[Patrick Mahon]

I don't want to step on anyone's toes - I've just come across this thread, and can see it raised some controversy - but if the main sticking point for an actual short story competition was the need for organisation and rules, then might it be possible to go for a much less formal short-short story (flash fiction) kind of thing? i.e. by the deadline, people post their (say) 200 word story, and then we all read and discuss/vote/something else?

This may, however, be an entirely stupid idea. I have a track record with those. If so, feel free to ignore!

 

[Hawk]

I like the idea... And I'd be interested in knowing when or if this plan will take off. I, personally, would find a limit of 1500 words very restricting...! I'm an avid post-by-post RPG-er, and many of my single posts are around that length. So just think how long my stories are! (if you can't guess, I'll tell... usually around 35,000 words) Hehe. However, NO WAY am I expecting people to read SHORT stories that long! It would be crazy.

Anyway, I'm not sure what my point there was, so...

Yeah!