Anyone Wanna FAWC?

[slyc_willie]

I've had this notion rattling around in my head for a while, and I've PM'ed Laurel about the feasibility of the idea. We'll see what she has to say about it.

FAWC stands for Friendly Anonymous Writing Challenge. I know; catchy, ain't it? The basic idea is that all participants would write a story along a similar theme, be it outdoor sex, time travel, meeting an old friend, whatever. We would agree on a deadline for submissions, say, June 1st. The stories would all be submitted at the same time, and the winner judged by highest overall score after a period of, say, two weeks. The winner gets copious amounts of dancing bananas for their effort.

Here's the kicker: ALL stories would be sent to, and submitted by, a single user account (tentatively called FAWCker), and all would be posted in the same category (such as Chain Stories or N&N). The beginning of each story would have a disclaimer explaining the nature of the challenge. The true author's name will not be revealed in the submissions, but announced here. This way, everyone stays anonymous.

Maybe after it's all done, the individual authors could re-post the stories under their own names to the appropriate category.

I've asked Laurel if there is a way all the stories could be posted by the same user account to Chain Stories, or if it would be more feasible to post them as individual chapters to N&N, with a disclaimer that each chapter is a stand-alone story along a similar theme. The reason that all stories be submitted to the same category would be to make it as fair as possible.

This would just be a friendly competition, nothing more. There should be no tipping off fans or followers; what would be the fun in that? Besides, there are no real prizes, so why bother cheating?

Is there any interest in this? Anybody wanna FAWC?

[jomar]

Might be fun. I know the AH anonymous challenges were fun. Those were ranked by the authors involved. As for FAWK, I'd probably want a word limit, though a deadline certainly affects that for most of us.

[NaokoSmith]

I will do my best to join in if you set it up. Sounds hilarious!

[sr71plt]

I'd probably join in. Whoever accepts the entries could just set up an account that's only used for that.

[slyc_willie]

Originally Posted by jomar

Might be fun. I know the AH anonymous challenges were fun. Those were ranked by the authors involved. As for FAWK, I'd probably want a word limit, though a deadline certainly affects that for most of us.

I was thinking a word limit as well. Maybe 5,000?

Originally Posted by NaokoSmith

I will do my best to join in if you set it up. Sounds hilarious!

Excellent.

Originally Posted by sr71plt

I'd probably join in. Whoever accepts the entries could just set up an account that's only used for that.

Pretty much what I was thinking. I think we should give it a few days to see who else wants to join, then select from volunteers who wants the job.

[lovecraft68]

I'd be game sadly I doubt all cheating could be eliminated. A lot of people ghost these threads and no matter what id you want to use it will be easily noticeable if 10 stories by the same person shows up.]

You would also have to try to make sure there is a fair shake on the sites part. They cant have three stories get the early am start and four get released at noon those hours make a big difference.

In general I like the idea and if you can get it going I'll enter, but wow, can I see the potential for a lot of sour grapes.

What would be fun though is if someone did want to try to cheat can they identify the author they don't like by the style? And would we be able to guess each other?

I am going to suggest that we go with a "fun" category. perhaps group where its usually just a good old fashioned smut fest.

I would advise against categories many would "squick" at like incest/non-con etc...

[lovecraft68]

Originally Posted by slyc_willie

I was thinking a word limit as well. Maybe 5,000?



Excellent.



Pretty much what I was thinking. I think we should give it a few days to see who else wants to join, then select from volunteers who wants the job.

Personally I'm against word count. This would be an interesting way to see if there is any credence to anything over three pages is too long or some people skip one page stories because they think they're strokers.

[slyc_willie]

Originally Posted by lovecraft68

I'd be game sadly I doubt all cheating could be eliminated. A lot of people ghost these threads and no matter what id you want to use it will be easily noticeable if 10 stories by the same person shows up.]

You would also have to try to make sure there is a fair shake on the sites part. They cant have three stories get the early am start and four get released at noon those hours make a big difference.

In general I like the idea and if you can get it going I'll enter, but wow, can I see the potential for a lot of sour grapes.

What would be fun though is if someone did want to try to cheat can they identify the author they don't like by the style? And would we be able to guess each other?

I am going to suggest that we go with a "fun" category. perhaps group where its usually just a good old fashioned smut fest.

I would advise against categories many would "squick" at like incest/non-con etc...

The categories wouldn't mater if all the stories went to Chain Stories or N&N. I think it would encourage the participants more if there was no limitation on category.

Certainly, writers could be identified by their writing style. There's no getting around that. But I think you're getting a little cynical about the whole process. This is just a friendly competition, nothing more.

ETA: Signing off for dinner. Be back in a few hours.

[lovecraft68]

Originally Posted by slyc_willie

The categories wouldn't mater if all the stories went to Chain Stories or N&N. I think it would encourage the participants more if there was no limitation on category.

Certainly, writers could be identified by their writing style. There's no getting around that. But I think you're getting a little cynical about the whole process. This is just a friendly competition, nothing more.

And I think the authors could keep it friendly, and I (like many in this forum) have found reason to be cynical where votes are concerned.

But this is as foolproof as any idea could be.

And I misunderstood the post. I didn't catch the chain part, my bad.

[D_Lynn]

Sounds fun, Slyc.
I'll participate if I can.

[damppanties]

Tentatively in. I need to write something... I've had the writing bug for a while now and will finally have the time, starting tomorrow.

[JackLuis]

I'm in I have just the bunny for this.

[NaokoSmith]

Originally Posted by damppanties

Tentatively in. I need to write something... I've had the writing bug for a while now and will finally have the time, starting tomorrow.

Make it NonHuman! Then Dampy and I can finally do our were-octupus story. Look, here I am making a start on it.

[MistressLynn]

I'm a maybe. My PC has a trojan virus so I'm limited right now to what I can do (I'm at a friend's house using their laptop tonight). But I'll try to check in and see what's going on.

[jomar]

Originally Posted by lovecraft68

Personally I'm against word count. This would be an interesting way to see if there is any credence to anything over three pages is too long or some people skip one page stories because they think they're strokers.

Not necessarily, might just be the story.

And I misunderstood the post. I didn't catch the chain part, my bad.

I think slyc's idea was for stories on a common theme, not a chain story, that's just a category suggestion.

[slyc_willie]

Originally Posted by D_Lynn

Sounds fun, Slyc.
I'll participate if I can.

Cool. The more, the merrier.

Originally Posted by damppanties

Tentatively in. I need to write something... I've had the writing bug for a while now and will finally have the time, starting tomorrow.

Then this came at just the right time. The more, the merrier.

Originally Posted by JackLuis

I'm in I have just the bunny for this.

Can't wait to see it.

Originally Posted by NaokoSmith

Make it NonHuman! Then Dampy and I can finally do our were-octupus story. Look, here I am making a start on it.

As long as it sticks to the as yet undecided theme, you can do whatever you want.

Originally Posted by MistressLynn

I'm a maybe. My PC has a trojan virus so I'm limited right now to what I can do (I'm at a friend's house using their laptop tonight). But I'll try to check in and see what's going on.

You can always jump in at the last minute if you have something finished.

Originally Posted by jomar

I think slyc's idea was for stories on a common theme, not a chain story, that's just a category suggestion.

Yeah, the theme hasn't been decided yet. The only reason I was thinking of putting these in chain stories is because the readership for all the stories would be the same. Otherwise, those stories in, say, Incest/Taboo would have an advantage because of the higher readership there.

By posting all the stories either at the same time or within a short time frame to a category like Chain Stories, everyone would be swimming in the same pool, so to speak.

It looks like we have a lot of interest. Anyone care to throw out ideas for a theme?

[JackLuis]

Originally Posted by slyc_willie

Cool.

As long as it sticks to the as yet undecided theme, you can do whatever you want.

Yeah, the theme hasn't been decided yet. The only reason I was thinking of putting these in chain stories is because the readership for all the stories would be the same. Otherwise, those stories in, say, Incest/Taboo would have an advantage because of the higher readership there.

By posting all the stories either at the same time or within a short time frame to a category like Chain Stories, everyone would be swimming in the same pool, so to speak.

It looks like we have a lot of interest. Anyone care to throw out ideas for a theme?

Group Sex, Erotic Couplings, cluster fucking?

Fits my bunny.

[JackLuis]

So it's going to be like an Anthology?

Or are we going to share characters?

That would be difficult, I think an anthology in Chain Stories or N&N.

[slyc_willie]

Originally Posted by JackLuis

So it's going to be like an Anthology?

Or are we going to share characters?

That would be difficult, I think an anthology in Chain Stories or N&N.

Nope. Stand-alone, independent stories.

And by theme, I meant along the lines of Lit's special contest themes, not category. So, as Lit has Winter Holidays and Earth Day themes, what would ours be? First love? Outdoor sex? Gaming convention?

Let's brainstorm.

[JackLuis]

Originally Posted by slyc_willie

Nope. Stand-alone, independent stories.

And by theme, I meant along the lines of Lit's special contest themes, not category. So, as Lit has Winter Holidays and Earth Day themes, what would ours be? First love? Outdoor sex? Gaming convention?

Let's brainstorm.

A Day in the Life?
The bunny I have in mind is about a party.

But my bunny hutch runnith over.

[D_Lynn]

Originally Posted by slyc_willie

Nope. Stand-alone, independent stories.

And by theme, I meant along the lines of Lit's special contest themes, not category. So, as Lit has Winter Holidays and Earth Day themes, what would ours be? First love? Outdoor sex? Gaming convention?

Let's brainstorm.

How about a theme centered around firsts? Could be first kiss, first sex, first love, first anal...

Or the same thing around secrets - secret love, secret rendezvous, secret fetish.

On the other hand, the common theme could be around a setting - small town, airport, barn.

Just throwing out shit off the top of my head.

[jomar]

First zombie apocalypse springs to mind since I'm reading a Walking Dead novel (yeah, the juggernaut has a couple of actual novels out).

[sr71plt]

A strawman:

Everything based on a "Saw you on the Lexington Avenue subway at 3:15 Tuesday afternoon. I'm the one who dropped my book. Minty's café at 5:00 p.m. Friday, May 24th?" personals ad in a local newspaper.

Everything goes to the Novels and Novellas category with the understanding that it isn't really that, but that's the only neutral category. (So we don't have to bother Laurel on setting anything special up--beyond being asked not to recategorize contest entries.)

Slyc opens a "blindcontest" account (assuming that's not taken--something similar if it is to help folks in the category understand what's happening), provides an e-mail address in PM exchanges where everything is Word attached sent, keeps the only records of who sent what, and submits entries in the "blindcontest" account name--on the day after the contest submissions ends (25 May? Later?).

Three weeks after the end of the contest, Slyc provides statistics from the account author's page.

[sr71plt]

Originally Posted by jomar

First zombie apocalypse springs to mind since I'm reading a Walking Dead novel (yeah, the juggernaut has a couple of actual novels out).

I don't think something like that's neutral enough to permit everyone to exercise their specialty.

[JackLuis]

How about the theme of Spring Party?
I realize that this fits into my bunny, but it will allow a lot of variation

from a Alabama barn dance where they play spin the bimbo

to the New York cocktail party for the author who just released her best seller to

A Malibu pool party

a Sandals resort party where the women pull room keys out of the punch bowl and go to the room to find the man who also pulled up a random key?

This will give everyone an even break and allow for a wide range of stories with lots of flexibility?

They could meet at the party, or give a party or get thrown out of the party?