Discussion -- 300 Word Challenge #2

[TheEndIsNigh]

Re: Discussion 300 Word Challenge #2

...

I understand that some may not want that for fear the discussions may influence later votes, but I don't think that is a problem. The reality is that people already have their favorites, and that likely won't change in any negative way. If anything, discussions will bring a lot of subtlety out, and perhaps make voting even more of a challenge. In a good way, of course.

I think this is why the idea of a critique prior to the voting is discouraged - if not banned.

The idea is that entrants should write an original piece which stands on it's own merit. If others have had some input, then this condition fails. Remember the prize is front of web page publication. Would you want to get there on your own merit or after others had helped with input to the final draft.

After the voting, I believe if you wish some feedback as to why people didn't like or vote for your entry, then you are free to put it up for critique.

Fear not. The regular critiquers are well aware of the challenge and its limitations. Most of us enter with our own pathetic attempts.

 

[Moonbat]

Re: Discussion 300 Word Challenge #2

Ha Ha,
Just read Parson's entry, it was similar to an idea I had, but chose not to go with and he handled it much better than I, with a significant twist at the end. Another very good entry.
The entries seem to be becoming more diverse as the month goes on.

 

[Parson]

Re: Discussion 300 Word Challenge #2

Thanks Moonbat! But I suspect yours would have been better if you had actually wrote it.

 

[Devil's Advocate]

Re: Discussion 300 Word Challenge #2

Well, I've finally submitted it. I've been going back and forth on the story for days, changing this and editing that. I'm still not sure if this was the best I could have done, but I wanted to hand it in so people have at least a few days to let the story burrow its way inside their skull, perhaps finagling a vote from some poor unsuspecting reader...

Also, I stole the title blatantly from The Wheel of Time. I don't normally take existing titles for my own, but it just seemed to fit too well.

Please don't sue me, Robert Jordan's Estate!

 

[Allanon]

Re: Discussion 300 Word Challenge #2

Well, mine's in. It's not very good and am really not happy with it but I struggled this month due to personal circumstances and that is the best I could come up with. I didn't even get one into the 75 word challenge. Sorry to anyone who reads it, it isn't anywhere near the standard of story that should be in here.

 

[Perpetual Man]

Re: Discussion 300 Word Challenge #2

I don't think you need to apologise for anything Allanon, it's quite a touching story, that has a strong emotional centre and is well presented and very readable. It's a different take on the picture and one that I found enjoyable to say the least.

 

[Devil's Advocate]

Re: Discussion 300 Word Challenge #2

I agree. It's a solid entry.

A lot of good entries in this challenge. It's going to make the final votes tough, but so far A Memory of Light is leading the way for me. Just splendid.

I particularly love the way the author tied in his 300 word Writing Challenge (WC - er, that sounds bad) to his 75 word WC (still not sounding good). Did, um, you guys catch that? Quite clever, really.

Kudos to whoever that was...

 

[Hex]

Re: Discussion 300 Word Challenge #2

ewwww, digs!

(but I loved it)

 

[The Spurring Platty]

Re: Discussion 300 Word Challenge #2

I particularly love the way the author tied in his 300 word Writing Challenge (WC - er, that sounds bad) to his 75 word WC (still not sounding good). Did, um, you guys catch that? Quite clever, really.

Kudos to whoever that was...

I don't think they will appreciate you drawing attention to that.

Buried somewhere in a thread is a discussion about how that is not allowed, since it could influence voting on the 75-worder. There was a ruling and everything. Since it's not really clear in the actual rules, whoever wrote that might be safe...

...whoever that was.

 

[Devil's Advocate]

Re: Discussion 300 Word Challenge #2

Really? I had no idea. I wasn't in the first 300 word challenge, so I guess I must have missed that.

Hmmm... Well, in any case the voting ends tomorrow and I don't have any votes, so no harm done, I guess.

(I mean, er... Whoever it was...)

 

[Teresa Edgerton]

Re: Discussion 300 Word Challenge #2

"Buried" somewhere in this thread, six or seven posts before this one

I particularly love the way the author tied in his 300 word Writing Challenge (WC - er, that sounds bad) to his 75 word WC (still not sounding good). Did, um, you guys catch that? Quite clever, really.

It seems to me that it ought to be pretty obvious that expanding on the 75 word story in the 300 word Challenge the same month and then calling attention to it goes against the spirit of condensing a story down to 75 words. Since it is not obvious, it will have to be written into the rules ... not that everyone reads the rules.
.
.
.

 

[The Spurring Platty]

Re: Discussion 300 Word Challenge #2

Teresa,
By 'buried', I was referring to the original discussion and ruling. I am guessing it took place back when the 300 word challenge first appeared months ago. It's a discussion I missed at the time, don't know where I would go to find it, and had no idea about until it was mentioned in this month's 75 word discussion (about 12-14 pages in).

I still consider myself fairly new to the forum, but have participated in the challenges for a few months now. It's an obvious rule if you think about it, but I can imagine if it didn't really occur to me it may not occur to someone else, or even a newer member. So I don't understand the reluctance to add it to the rules, especially if it's something you would disqualify a person's story over.

 

[Teresa Edgerton]

Re: Discussion 300 Word Challenge #2

It's not reluctance to add it to the rules; it's that we haven't found the time to do it. Moderators have a lot of work to do around the site that the rest of the membership doesn't see. We also like to have time to enjoy the site ourselves. And then there is the small matter of having lives away from the Chrons ... I regret that we aren't performing to your satisfaction.

May I point out that we haven't disqualified anything over this. When it's written into the thread that explains the rules, we will if it happens again.

 

[The Spurring Platty]

Re: Discussion 300 Word Challenge #2

It's not reluctance to add it to the rules; it's that we haven't found the time to do it. Moderators have a lot of work to do around the site that the rest of the membership doesn't see. We also like to have time to enjoy the site ourselves. And then there is the small matter of having lives away from the Chrons ... I regret that we aren't performing to your satisfaction.

May I point out that we haven't disqualified anything over this. When it's written into the thread that explains the rules, we will if it happens again.

I don't think I've expressed anything about my opinion of the performance of the moderators. I actually think the moderators do a wonderful job.
If I have offended you, that was not my intent.
I'll be sure to keep my opinions to myself in the future.

 

[Devil's Advocate]

Re: Discussion 300 Word Challenge #2

Well, I apologize if it seemed like I was doing it for any extra credit. It was supposed to be a joke, much like how I was joking when I praised the 'unknown' author of the story. Clearly, the joke fell flat, and for more reasons than I had anticipated. Also, my 300-word entry doesn't actually expand on the 75-worder, though it is connected.

In any case, if the mods feel that "it goes against the spirit" of the competition, then by all means take it down. Nonetheless, I want to repeat for the record: this was not an attempt to steal any votes. I remember even when we started the 75-word challenge last year, I made a similar joke, about how so-and-so story (written by me, obviously) was brilliant and it was going to get my vote. I was kidding then, as I was kidding here. (And I did not, as it happens, vote for myself.)

I wrote the related 300-word story because the two challenges coincidentally seemed to have a similar theme, and I was not aware of the not-quite-a-rule rule. I thought it would be kind of cool to relate them. And I mentioned my 'clever-ness' here for the sole purpose of amusing myself. Nothing more. Although, in retrospect, the thought that I had apparently stumbled on an idea no one else had should have clued me into the fact that something didn't add up...

As much as I enjoy partaking in the Challenges, and as flattered as I would be to garner any votes, it is, at the end of the day, all in fun. Ultimately, the Challenge isn't really serious enough for me (or anyone, really) to bother with under-handed tactics to get votes. People are free to not vote for my stories if they want (an option they sadly utilise to the maximum).

I'll be sure to keep my opinions to myself in the future.

Don't. This is a forum. Everyone's opinions are valid, moderator or not.

 

[Teresa Edgerton]

Re: Discussion 300 Word Challenge #2

I don't think I've expressed anything about my opinion of the performance of the moderators.

It wasn't your opinion that I took exception to, it was characterizing the fact that we hadn't done something as yet as an explicable reluctance.

 

[Gary Compton]

Re: Discussion 300 Word Challenge #2

Joking apart. I run a little forum for a charity www.blythallweatherlifeboat.com and today I have at least 30 idiots register and post spam on threads.

It has took me at least 3 hours to clean it up so i cant imagine how it is here.

The Mods are doing a very good job of keeping people like me in line.

And on the 75 and 300 worder. It's a bit of fun, not to be taken too seriously IMO. There is alot more to life; like cheese, chocolate cookies and peanut butter for example.

 

[Teresa Edgerton]

Re: Discussion 300 Word Challenge #2

I agree that it's supposed to be fun and not taken too seriously. In fact, I keep saying that to people who think their stories are somehow inferior. We are challenging ourselves, and if we meet the challenge we are winners.

But like any other game it has rules. Even moderators have been disqualified because they didn't follow the rules, so we are trying very hard to be as fair as possible to everyone in how we apply those rules.

But Gary, keeping people in line is the smallest part of what we do right now. As you suspect, it's the spammers. Since the beginning of the year, there has been a deluge. We have ways of heading them off before they post, but that takes time, too.

 

[Devil's Advocate]

Re: Discussion 300 Word Challenge #2

And on the 75 and 300 worder. It's a bit of fun, not to be taken too seriously IMO. There is alot more to life; like cheese, chocolate cookies and peanut butter for example.

I disagree.

I think peanut butter is overrated.

 

[Gary Compton]

Re: Discussion 300 Word Challenge #2

I agree that it's supposed to be fun and not taken too seriously. In fact, I keep saying that to people who think their stories are somehow inferior. We are challenging ourselves, and if we meet the challenge we are winners.

But like any other game it has rules. Even moderators have been disqualified because they didn't follow the rules, so we are trying very hard to be as fair as possible to everyone in how we apply those rules.

But Gary, keeping people in line is the smallest part of what we do right now. As you suspect, it's the spammers. Since the beginning of the year, there has been a deluge. We have ways of heading them off before they post, but that takes time, too.

Yes I sympathize. I've set our forum up today, so I approve all new members and all posts. It's a nightmare

Good luck.