Writing Challenge Statistics

Hi TJ. Yesterday's I opened on my iPhone without problem and I've just opened today's on the iPhone ok as well. Don't know what the iPhone uses to open doc files.

I think it's just my laptop and Open Office that gives problems. If I could find it I'd try my old XP laptop with Word.

Thanks for all your efforts TJ. :)
 
And the shock statistic: the Leading Lagomorph is leading no more – HareBrain has been dethroned as the One True Leader of the 75 Worder Challenges. (Though it would be more of a shock if he’d actually entered more than twice in the entire year...)

So, I’ve bundled the bunny out of the way, culling Culhwch while I was at it, to jump into the lead myself. (Well, someone had to do it.) Cul remains in second place, with 165 votes, and HareBrain has dropped to 3rd with 151 votes, but he’s got his in only 58 entries.

Curses! I was obviously too fixated on passing HB, I didn't even see you coming up in the rearview...

I suspect on a votes per entry basis, however, HB has everyone whipped!
 
With apologies for the delay (Easter intervened, and a couple of discrepancies showed up and it required a bit of searching to find the culprits) here are the stats for the 300 Worders.

As before, but likely for the last time as I’m running out of room, I’ve produced a combined table showing the year’s figures on the left, with each quarter and the year’s totals, and then the annual figures for all previous years leading up to the cumulative totals on the far right. Taking them in turn:


Year 6: 2016-17

Something of a disappointment overall – not only have we seen falls in every notable statistic from the 2015-6 figures, we’ve hit historical lows in some of them. As I’ve been reminded in the past, to a real statistician the figures are basically flat despite small rises and falls, so I’m hopeful it’s only one of those odd blips and we’ll revert to the higher part of the flattish line in 2017-8.

Anyway, the lowest-ever figures start with those taking part in the Challenges, as numbers fell from 71 to 61 entrants (the previous lowest was 63), and, perhaps inevitably, that brought a new low in the number of stories they produced, 140 entries down from 164 (the previous lowest was 146). Another low was the number of new entrants – 19 newcomers joined the Challenges over the year, down from the last three years’ 23. The best month for entries was April with 39 (2015-6 produced 45, the best ever 52) and the worst was October with a new low of 31, down from 35 last year (the previous lowest was 33).

Some 16 of us completed all 4 Challenges (down from 19), while 10 completed 3 Challenges (down from 13), 11 did 2, and some 24 members took part only once, though 7 of those were newbies in the January Challenge. Let's hope we can encourage some of those one-timers to return for the 2017-18 Challenges.

Voting was also somewhat disappointing. We gathered a total of only 450 votes, well down on the previous year’s 516, and again a new low (the previous low was our first year with 464). Those votes came from 152 voters, again the lowest ever – last year’s was 175 and the previous low was 158. We still managed to grab more voters than entrants, though, which is some good news!

As to those voters, over the year we had again had some 12 missing voters, when members entered but were unable to vote in a Challenge, the same as last year, but this time two members twice missed voting which is disappointing. The good news is we again had “extra” voters , ie members who voted without having entered that particular Challenge, which came in at 24 extra voters from 17 members, up from 23 from 21 members. Thanks to all who voted without taking part, with extra-special thanks to chrispenycate, Suzanne Jackson (crystal haven as was) and Droflet who each voted twice in Challenges in which they didn’t participate, and mega-extra-special thanks to DEO and nixie who voted in three such Challenges!

And the year belonged to Cory Swanson, who not only gained a wonderful 26 votes but came second in three consecutive quarters, which is a record! Moreover, he managed it in his first three outings in the 300s which is stupendous!

Victoria and I tied for second place with 24 votes, just ahead of Wruter on 22, who also made his debut this year! With the two newbies leaping into the top four, Juliana and Phyrebrat were pushed down into joint 5th place with 21 votes, then Dan Jones and Shyrka shared 7th place with 19 votes, just edging out mosaix who came in at 9th place with 18, and LittleStar came in 10th with 16 votes.

As I think I mentioned at the time, Juliana’s win in April with a magnificent 21 votes takes her into joint second place with Hex in the highest-vote league table. In addition, Phyrebrat’s 16 in January catapulted him into the table in joint 5th place with Teresa, just behind Jo on 18.


Years 2011-12 to 2016-17 inclusive

Looking at the six completed years of the 300 Worder we’ve had a wonderful 937 stories, from 213 entrants, receiving 2911 votes from 991 voters. We still have 4 of us having completed all 24 Challenges (mosaix, Perp, me and Ursa), with johnnyjet and Starbeast having completed 21, and Chris p, Jo and ratsy 20. But the number of entrants who have only taken part in one Challenge is now 97.

I’m hanging onto first place on the leader board, but mosaix has edged into second place with 128 votes, just pipping Jo who has 127, though hers come from 20 Challenges to his 24. Victoria continues her incredible ascent up the table, and has vaulted into 4th place with 104 votes from her 17 Challenges, just ahead of Juliana who has 103 in only 14! Perp has also hit his century, and is on 101 votes in 6th place, and in 7th place is alchemist who didn’t take part in any 300s this year and remains on 92 votes. TDZ in 8th place has 86 votes, while Teresa remains in the top 10 with her 84 votes, though she’s not entered any 300s for two years now, and with 80 votes, Phyrebrat has jetéd into 10th place (which he doesn’t have to share with anyone for a change...). Then come four members who’ve not taken part in the 300s this year – Hex is 11th with 65, Cul 12th with 63, and remaining joint equal 13th are Boneman and Mouse with 56 votes apiece – and in 15th place is Ursa with 47 votes.

It occurs to me I ought to be pulling more facts out of the cumulative figures, so if anyone can think of other statistics/information which might be interesting, let me know!

Anyway, we got our 200th entrant this year as I’d hoped – Coast was the 200th – and we’re well on our way to 250! As ever, welcome and congrats to all newbies, and extra congrats to Cory who got 8 votes in his very first 300 Challenge, Stable who got 7 in his first, and DZara who got 4. Well done all!
 

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I need to buck my ideas up, either that or start writing less awful puns.

Edit: who am I kidding. Expect a groantastic 300 this month carefully crafted to annoy proper writers ;)

I managed a triple groaner in my first ever 300 entry. It'll be interesting to see how someone with a bit more experience manages it :)
 
Well Bashcobbler is there if you wish to avail yourself of one of my comedy attempts.

Didn't really notice who had written it tbh. Enjoyed the Discworldish dialogue and banter between the hero and the puddle of Arthurian legend.
 
Old-timers may recall that for the 75s I occasionally did a summing up of the leader board as we approached the year end, so as to give a bit of extra drama to the Challenges. I probably won't do that in coming months, but it did occur to me that as we're half-way through the Challenge year, I could give details of the leadership race for the year to date and a few other stats to whet your appetites.

First things first, we duly achieved our 500th entrant earlier in the year! The honour goes to Lumens who joined the 75s in May.

We've had 263 entries in the six months, which have accrued 351 votes -- more votes than entries as we had three votes apiece in June. (We had 135 votes that month, but only 47 voters, so if that had been a one-vote month we'd have 263 votes, ie exactly equal to the entries!) We've only attracted 13 newbies to the end of September, though, so let's see if we can persuade more members to join in the fun.

And jointly leading the boards at the half-way stage are Teresa and TheDustyZebra! They each have 20 votes but Teresa got hers in a mere 4 Challenges. I'm snapping ineffectually at their collective heels with 18, then ready and willing to trample me down we have in joint 4th place HazelRah and Joshua Jones with 17 votes -- and this is Joshua's first year with us, so extra congrats to him! -- and Hoopy just behind them in 6th place with 16. In joint 7th place are LittleStar and mosaix with 15 votes, Starbeast is 9th with 13, and Cul, Perp and Ursa take joint 10th place with 12 votes each.

Two feats for this half-year deserve especial attention -- Stuart Suffel got 7 votes and went into a tie-break in his very first Challenge, and Joshua got his stupendous 13 votes in July in only his 4th attempt at the 75s. Congrats to them both!

So with a whole six months of Challenges left, can Teresa and TDZ hang onto their lead? Will any of the other contenders o'erleap them or will someone as yet not gracing the board stun us all and become a contender for the title? Or will more newbies imitate Stuart and Joshua and push their way through sheer talent onto the board? For the answers to these and many more questions, stayed tuned to the 75s for the rest of the year!
 
Well, if it's any consolation for not appearing on the leader board, you are in the top half of the chart. So flex those writerly muscles and start climbing up the list!
 
Thank you for compiling all that information, @The Judge, and thank you for the accolades. It is a great honor to be named at all among the giants of this challenge, let alone being named so highly. More importantly, I believe I have improved as a writer, and I look forward to continuing to improve through the rest of the year.

And now, back to writing my 300 worder!
 
Criminey! I would not have expected to have been on the list at all, just not paying attention to what comes in.
 
In the challenges, I'm a "middle of the road" participant.

(Okay, I may be at the back of the pack, but I'm still in the middle of the road!) :D
 

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