I like the idea of a clean slate, I realise that this isn't the most convenient thing for authors already knee-deep in stories but it helps prevent people voting for:
1- Promising stories that can go downhill
2-Dead fics.

Or you could have a DLP Awards and have a sub-category for DA fics written specifically for the contest that are actually completed. Maybe a word cap or a word minimum and a completion requirement.

 

Good ideas, but we could also have a minimum word count for submission. Something like 8,000-10,000 words. Or maybe something more aspiring like 20,000? Enough to get the plot going and get people's apetite's wet.

Maybe a sub-forum could be created in the WBA section specifically for this? That way you have to be a member of DLP to have access, and those writing the stories could help each other with feedback?

I think it's a great idea because it is challenging to write a Dark Arts story and this would be a good way for people to meet a challenge and try and persevere.

 

I think it's wise to make this contest separate from the DLP Awards since the objective is different. The DLP Awards were a recognition of existing stories and not useful for attracting new stories. This contest would be geared toward generating new stories in a corner of the fandom where we should shine.

I'd propose 2 months to write, 1k+ words, complete stories encouraged but not required, all entered in a WBA sub forum thread which would contain only the story (no comments) until after the voting is done. Heck, if we only wanted the top three overall stories, no coding would be needed: voters could just use story star ratings to rank them. (Running a contest doesn't get much easier than that...)

 

Was thinking. If the point of this challenge here was to get the stories in the Dark Arts part of the library, then why not give critique to those submitting the stories? Would help add a level of polish I think.

 

There could be a new section of the WBA section, specifically made for contest submissions.

 

Sure. But given the amount of time involved it would allow the writer to retool his story to fit what he thinks DLP wants, especially considering the way discussions on fics are held here.

It would also be unfair, some writers would get more feedback than others, some would get nothing useful at all (like Joe, and some could say even Santi), while others could take ideas and suggestions from reviewers and write a story different from what they planned.

Better to let everyone lift their own weight.

 

If authors want critique for a story they submitted for the contest then it would have to be after the awards have been given and only by a handpicked group of people or only by the other authors who submitted.

That way every time it is run (if it is a two month time limit I say it could a seasonal thing eg the Summer contest of 2011, the Autumn contest of 2012) the stories get better and more numerous (grammar check plox?).

I think having the contests on a seasonal time frame (the stories won't be winter or Christmas themed or anything, I'd rather put a fire out with my face than see that happen) would be really good for the whole reward part because you can sort of amass all these trophies on your sig or something.

 

Another option to fill out genres with low traffic and giving users a more accurate account of a story's genre is using the often forgotten Tag system. Instead (or in addition) of placing stories in sub-forums, you tag your story as both Time Travel and Dark. The Tag system is used enough, in my opinion - it could be much more useful than it is now.

I think you're missing the point of the contest. It's not to see who's got a bigger e-peen or even who's the better writer. As I see it, the goal is to churn out good, quality stories in a genre DLP is known for.

If that's the goal, I see no reason to not give constructive criticism to authors who've managed to complete their story before the time limit or don't have a decent beta. Also, if you think that Joe and Santi wouldn't care for further criticism, than you're probably wrong. Also, if you think some constructive criticism would make an average author better than Joe's or Santi's, you're deluded.

 

I don't have a very strong feeling on this, but let me explain my reasoning: the provision is to improve fairness of the competition, noting that authors will be more inclined to participate if they feel a contest is fair. Waiting to enter comments would avoid obvious sandbagging/pumping of stories and let them be rated without bandwagoning. In competitions like this in which I've participated, whenever reader comments have been permitted prior to judging, it tends to skew the outcomes.

Blind judging, where readers don't know the identify of the author before voting, would be another way to accomplish the same thing. It'd require more work on the part of whoever is running the contest, however.

I see contests like this one as a way to generate a bunch of really good first drafts of stories. Then, we as a community can work with the authors to help polish them further, ultimately bringing the best up to Library quality if they aren't there already. And I'd expect that the likes of Joe, The Santi, Amerision, Inverarity, Taure, Silens Cursor, etc. would welcome criticism of what worked, what didn't, etc., even if delayed by a week or two while scores are tallied.

 

On a completely different point, I think a part of the issue is that there's a lot of stuff in General that should have been recommended for a different section. 4 out of the first 6 fics in General are AUs and should really have been recommended for The Alternates by whoever posted them. Others could have been classed as Independent or Dark without too much trouble.

It had been my understanding that General was basically meant to be "if it fits nowhere else" category. But it's now where the majority of fics are going.

 

I'd think people would be less inclined to give serious reviews after the contest. Also, the authors might be less inclined to re-write the story according to the criticism.

If you want the stories to be anonymous at first you can simply send the first draft to an admin who will post all stories, or create a user for that purpose. While there will probably still be bias, it will encourage writing stories fast, as to give reviewers a longer time to look at the story, as well as upping the stories quality. I think both those factors are worth a little bit of bias, as the main purpose of such a contest should be, in my opinion, about the stories - not who wins at the end.

 

I'm with Pers on a blind contest, thiough that maybe too much trouble, but it would eliminate reader bias when it comes to authors. If I recall the last awards ended up being a popularity contest, and I'd rather like the stories judged on content and not who wrote them.

 

The Challenge/Contest idea is pretty good. Easy as pie to set up, too. As long as it is regular and well known (as in, a large part of the community get involved) it'll do well.

Excuse quoting from a previous page, but this is very true and very well put. I'd like to see a revival of the fandom to some extent as much as any, and DLP shouldn't be annoyed at the lack (or quality) of external fics cropping up, but should be getting itself more involved in the writing of them.

Two things which sprung to mind which are already in existence - first is the Thank God Your Here thread. Short, simple challenges. People getting more involved in that is an interesting short term answer and fuels creativity - I did one after I joined to kill writer's block and it came out alright-enough for me to post it on ff.net, which in turn helped my other stories get viewed. Some fun stuff came out of the challenge responses on there - not just comedic ones - and it generates interest and helps people get the flow going. The other is the Plot Bunny Thread, which people dip in and out of... there's literally hundreds of dusty plot bunnies in there, some of which are extremely fucking good, and overall encouragement to get DLPers to pick up on a couple of their own or others' ideas would allow for a gradual influx of fresh fic.

More collaborations would be good too, seeing as there's less chance of a collab getting abandoned, but obviously that can't be engineered.

 

I agree with Perspicacity; I would be extremely interested in participating in a competition where I was judged against some of the most popular authors in the fandom without losing just because someone liked one of the author's previous stories. Few of us can write something of epic length like Wastelands, and yet given 20,000 words, who knows what can happen.

Leaving the stories posted without a name to put them to would put an interesting twist on it, and I think we can all agree that we'd value the comments and ratings much more that way.

Anyway, if something like this takes place (and I assume it will based on how many good authors are interested thus far), I would enjoy submitting something for the contest.

 

What is the definition of Dark? I'm of the mind to say that most of DLP has out-grown that genre, given that I'd describe a Dark Fic as Harry going sociopathic and/or murderous. Most of the time that's in culmination with Voldemort and he's the dark heir, or something like that.

From what I've seen in the last few years, DLP generally reads an anti-hero story. Harry's a sarcastic asshole, yes, but he also can't watch someone die in cold blood who doesn't deserve it (though his definition of deserving death may be slightly skewed). We want him powerful and ready to kill any mother fucker who gets in his way, be it politically or magically, but he's not going to start calling Hermione a Mudblood or raping people for sport.

That's the kind of shit I thought we'd long since grown out of. It's kind of the reason we became Project DLP, rather than Dark Lord Potter. Dark is a very specific term in HP fanfiction, which I wouldn't say includes a Harry from the Denarian Trilogy or Renegade Cause.

 

Should we PM an admin or something- although I can't imagine they don't know- because this DLP DA-write-off is the much need kick in the backside I need and I don't want it to fall off.

 

Agreed with Scrib - gotta get this shit up and running before fervor dies down - it is a fantastic idea, I'd definitely submit something.

 

@Snarf. Dark does not necassarily meam batshit evil. It could mean someone with questionable morals. Maybe a bit ambitious or selfish. In the end it would depend on the author.

 

Also, meh, don't there should be a topical limitation - let people write what they want.

 

I think with a topic, or genre in this case, it will be better focus for the writers. Also, as Xipho said, it was once the bread and butter of DLP, so kind of like a throwback to those days, though I wasn't present at the time. It'd also be a challenge to write one well. Without it, then all you're asking for is a general call-to-arms for the writers of DLP, whcih I think would kill the momentum.

I'd also suggest against multiple genres because then it would water-down each topic, since there probably won't be enough writers for each one. Just keep it Dark Arts. If people need inspiration, read a few of the fics in the Library to see not all Dark Arts stories are about seeing Ginny tortured.