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DLP March Writing Contest

Discussion in 'Announcements' started by Xiph0, Mar 2, 2011.

  1. Xiph0

    Xiph0 Yoda Admin

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    Topic will be Alternates.

    Stories that are set in alternate universes, including dimension travel, alternate parentage and crossovers.

    Submission forum, as last time, will open later this month. Final scores for Feb. will be up as soon as we have a good number of scores from the judges.
     
  2. Xiph0

    Xiph0 Yoda Admin

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    Also: I'm only going to remind people once, your ability to adhere to the category matters a great deal. Several people wrote fantastic fics for February that had nothing to do with Dark Arts at all, and received severely lower scores than their fics objectively earned for it. This is a two-part contest - one, your writing, and two, your ability to stay on fucking topic.
     
  3. Xiph0

    Xiph0 Yoda Admin

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    Also #2: You are not allowed to Subscribe to your story thread. This would email you private judge's comments and subvert the impartiality of the scores. Fics will be disqualified and authors temp-banned if this is done. Your account may do it automatically, check your User CP after you post the thread. If the thread isn't listed under "New Subscribed Threads" you're safe.

    Cheers.
     
  4. Grinning Lizard

    Grinning Lizard Supreme Mugwump

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    Was it not said somewhere in the announcements about the comps that WIP's could be posted? In the 'as much as you can get done in time' vein?
     
  5. Iztiak

    Iztiak Prisoner DLP Supporter

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    So long as your story already fits in the same category, I'd imagine. Or it'd get lower scores.
     
  6. Xiph0

    Xiph0 Yoda Admin

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    WiP's can be posted, yep. But it still has to be on-theme.
     
  7. Zerg_Lurker

    Zerg_Lurker Headmaster DLP Supporter

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    Is it possible to put up an official set of rules and regs?
    I've gone through the original thread and the Feb announcement and while I see a lot of good discussion on how the contest should work, I didn't find many definite rules; e.g. word max/min, use of betas, posting in other places before the contest is over, etc.

    Also, I haven't been able to find the Jan showcase thread for further reference.

    The reason I'm asking is that not only do I want to give this month's contest a shot, I also wish to participate in Nuhuh's 500 for 500, possibly with the same story. Or should I save myself the trouble and just write two different things?
     
  8. T3t

    T3t Purple Beast of DLP ~ Prestige ~ DLP Supporter

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    I have the same question about the 500 for 500. I'm writing it anyways, and if I had to choose I'd probably do 500 instead of the contest, but if it's possible to do both with the same story I'd prefer that.
     
  9. silverlasso

    silverlasso Minister of Magic DLP Supporter

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    The big issue is probably ensuring that no one knows who the judges are, and I don't see how 500 for 500 can affect that. However, I'm sure people will comment on the snippets as they are written, and that could influence judges' opinions (assuming some/all are part of the 500 for 500 group). Also, depending on how much of a beta group it turns into, it could be unfair in some ways to authors not part of it.
     
  10. Portus

    Portus Heir

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    The problem isn't only knowing the judges' identities, but keeping the identity of the authors anonymous as well. One of the earliest concerns was making sure strident fanboyism for the relative "big names" didn't negatively affect the scoring of submissions by equally relative "unknowns."
     
  11. T3t

    T3t Purple Beast of DLP ~ Prestige ~ DLP Supporter

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    I suppose it would be better to either separate authors completely, or to not allow judges into the group and vice-versa.
     
  12. Grinning Lizard

    Grinning Lizard Supreme Mugwump

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    Anonymity of everyone is important in the comps. As is impartiality. Any sort of segregation won't work because the judges and submitters change every month.

    I would personally recommend you do what I'm planning to do; use your head. Don't post comp fics in 500for500, or go ahead, but write a warning in the title, put it in spoiler tags, or w/e. Honestly though, it will be very tempting for people to read comp fics if they're involved in the same competition, whether judging or submitting, which defeats the point.

    Seriously - I'd just avoid posting them in there. Maybe avoid mentioning that it's a competition fic and just act like it's any other WiP. Or write it in there and don't submit it in the comp. Or trust everyone to be honest... I had mine BETA'd, staying just about wthin the rules (or rather, within the spirit of the competition) and I BETA'd for another entry, objectively. Had I been judging, I'd have passed it over. /shrugs

    As I said, I'd personally avoid it entirely, but... don't start imposing rules on a social group that's just formed to fit your own work. Doesn't, and shouldn't, work like that. Refrain.

    This isn't happening - it's 'unimplementable'. Judges can see the username of authors.
     
  13. silverlasso

    silverlasso Minister of Magic DLP Supporter

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    Exactly; that's why I didn't mention that as a problem. It's a factor that can't be changed and should be ignored for the purposes of this discussion.
     
  14. Portus

    Portus Heir

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    I wasn't aware of that tidbit, so thanks. I /do/ vaguely recall the discussion of author anonymity being difficult, though I assumed the problem had been solved.

    In short, my bad.
     
  15. Anarchy

    Anarchy Half-Blood Prince DLP Supporter

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    I don't see it written here, but I assume we can only submit one story?

    I'm only asking because I have two possible stories to submit. I doubt either would win, as I am a perpetually 'average' story writer. It's either going to be 'Harry Dresden and the Philosopher's stone' or 'Harry Potter; The Masquerade', but I'm not sure which to finish/polish.
     
  16. Xiph0

    Xiph0 Yoda Admin

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    Not at all, submit as many as you'd like. Stories are judged independent of one another.
     
  17. Carmine

    Carmine Unspeakable

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    Just out of interest, what date do you expect submission to be available? I'm rather new to DLP, but I'm planning to participate :)
     
  18. Xiph0

    Xiph0 Yoda Admin

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    Submissions are already available here. Just post your fic in a new thread.
     
  19. Voice of the Nephilim

    Voice of the Nephilim Death Eater DLP Supporter

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    My story is done, but it says I don't have the authorization to post it. I assume this stems from last month's nonsense. Would someone care to unlock it?
     
  20. Xiph0

    Xiph0 Yoda Admin

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    Strange. I'll look into it.
     
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