Proposing a New Theme Contest

[electric1]

But I think people will participate more in a spring than an Earth Day and thats the sites goal is to get as many writers on board as possible which for us brings more readers to our work.

2 questions about this:

1. Can you please explain how having more competitors in a contest brings more readers? It seems to me having more competitors sharing the spotlight means less reader-attention for any one of the contestants and no more attention for the field as a whole.

Furthermore, as a reader, I have never once gone out of my way to see the Summer Loving entries because that category is so broad it barely seems a contest at all. On the other hand, I like to see how writers are meeting the challenge of making Earth Day sexy. I can't claim to speak for all readers, but I'm willing to bet I'm not the only reader whose curiosity is provoked by writers trying to meet such an interesting challenge.

2. On what do you base your claim that the site's goal is to maximize the number of contest entrants? I had thought the point of a contest was to spotlight a few outstanding people who can rise to a great challenge.

 

[TxRad]

2 questions about this:

1. Can you please explain how having more competitors in a contest brings more readers? It seems to me having more competitors sharing the spotlight means less reader-attention for any one of the contestants and no more attention for the field as a whole.

Furthermore, as a reader, I have never once gone out of my way to see the Summer Loving entries because that category is so broad it barely seems a contest at all. On the other hand, I like to see how writers are meeting the challenge of making Earth Day sexy. I can't claim to speak for all readers, but I'm willing to bet I'm not the only reader whose curiosity is provoked by writers trying to meet such an interesting challenge.

2. On what do you base your claim that the site's goal is to maximize the number of contest entrants? I had thought the point of a contest was to spotlight a few outstanding people who can rise to a great challenge.

There you go clouding the issue with facts and logic.

 

[electric1]

No one is removing *your* challenge in asking for expansion as we all assume Earth Day will stay as part of the Spring Theme. They seem to be, to the contrary, asking for more challenges.

No. More challenges does not mean "Write about whatever you please." That's no challenge at all. More challenges would be something like this. "Write a story that deals with Earth Day AND April Fool's Day AND May Day." Now *that* is a contest I'd love to see!

 

[DeeZire]

A rotating contest theme, as SR71 suggested: Horses or Hearses. (Writer chooses one, unless the writer wants to go for extra credit by incorporating both.)

I know most readers just come here for stroke stories. The question is, should the contest themes be for the readers or the writers? It takes some ingenuity to combine horses with hearses. How much ingenuity does it take to get two people to fuck in a grassy field? Granted, it also takes ingenuity to make those two people fucking in a grassy field interesting and compelling, but probably half of the last batch of contest stories I read were just the same old shit. Not that my opinion matters. I only come here in spurts (pun intended) but I think for the sake of the writers, we should have more challenging contest themes. If nothing else, it should help to expand a writer's skill set. Isn't that part of why we write? To get out of our comfort zones and learn something new?

 

[TxRad]

A rotating contest theme, as SR71 suggested: Horses or Hearses. (Writer chooses one, unless the writer wants to go for extra credit by incorporating both.)

I know most readers just come here for stroke stories. The question is, should the contest themes be for the readers or the writers? It takes some ingenuity to combine horses with hearses. How much ingenuity does it take to get two people to fuck in a grassy field? Granted, it also takes ingenuity to make those two people fucking in a grassy field interesting and compelling, but probably half of the last batch of contest stories I read were just the same old shit. Not that my opinion matters. I only come here in spurts (pun intended) but I think for the sake of the writers, we should have more challenging contest themes. If nothing else, it should help to expand a writer's skill set. Isn't that part of why we write? To get out of our comfort zones and learn something new?

And the guys in the band play because they want to play better and learn new songs. Right! They're there for the panties and hotel keys the women throw.

 

[lovecraft68]

No scouries, you did not get rid of the "How To" Contest. The contest was used to build up the number of stories in the category. By the way, you might learn a lot about a lot of things if you read through the stories there. There is a lot of great information on a lot of subjects, including many "How to's" on writing, characterization, and plot.

Yes, you bitched and moaned about the Earth day contest most of the year and for years since. You just can't figure out how to weave an incest story into Earth Day can you? The only contest theme you really want is an incest one. It doesn't matter, you couldn't win it if you were the only one entered. Laurel would kick it back to you like she does most of your stories including your last one. You know, the one you won your own contest with without it being actually posted on the site.

You have all your fake threads about fake contests, fake awards, and fake lists, so go blow your own horn in one of those. No one here is interested in what you ranted about but did nothing about.

A rotating contest theme, as SR71 suggested: Horses or Hearses. (Writer chooses one, unless the writer wants to go for extra credit by incorporating both.)

I know most readers just come here for stroke stories. The question is, should the contest themes be for the readers or the writers? It takes some ingenuity to combine horses with hearses. How much ingenuity does it take to get two people to fuck in a grassy field? Granted, it also takes ingenuity to make those two people fucking in a grassy field interesting and compelling, but probably half of the last batch of contest stories I read were just the same old shit. Not that my opinion matters. I only come here in spurts (pun intended) but I think for the sake of the writers, we should have more challenging contest themes. If nothing else, it should help to expand a writer's skill set. Isn't that part of why we write? To get out of our comfort zones and learn something new?

Bottom line is the readers would rather just read about the fucking in the grass. The writer is the only one who cares how they got there and why they're fucking.

There are exceptions of course, there are readers who enjoy some substance with their stroke, but the majority of them are reading with one hand and all those pesky details ruin the rhythm of their stroking.

I think its a waste of time to speak about who's challenging who and who can or can't write what.

Write whatever the hell you want and see who reads it and let everyone else do the same.

ETA this is the first time I've ever seen this, I somehow quote within a quote.

 

[DeeZire]

And the guys in the band play because they want to play better and learn new songs. Right! They're there for the panties and hotel keys the women throw.

Actually, you get to a point, as a musician or songwriter, where the craft becomes more compelling than the panties. 30 years ago, when I was really into the panties, I got a 4-track recorder and a drum machine. Suddenly, my priority was to go home and work on music, not go to some broad's house and come home in the morning smelling like stale perfume.

On my comment above "learn something new", I'm working on a series now (or was - the compulsion is rapidly waning) that took a turn into fashion model land. Not being familiar with "America's Top Model" I had to do research, and I actually learned some interesting stuff about that scene. (Being a fan of skinny women, the research was quite enjoyable. You'd be amazed at what they let slip through the YouTube censors if it's got "Fashion" in the title.) Granted, they tell us "write what you know", but these days, Google can make you appear to be knowledgable about just about anything in minutes. If I was writing about horses, I'd have to learn about horses. If I was writing about hearses, I'd have to watch a few episodes of Six Feet Under. If I wanted to write about screwing my imaginary sister on a camping trip, I wouldn't need to do any research. I've gone camping almost every year since I was a kid, so the knowledge is already there. I want my writing to expand my horizons. LIkewise with what I read.

Being human, we're naturally lazy. "Write what you want" is the ultimate goal, but "write what you never thought you could write" might turn out to be more rewarding, for both the author and the reader. IMO

 

[Lilhi]

As a reader only, I'd rather read about a spring theme then just Earth Day.

 

[3113]

Call it "Inspiration" then....

No. More challenges does not mean "Write about whatever you please." That's no challenge at all. More challenges would be something like this. "Write a story that deals with Earth Day AND April Fool's Day AND May Day." Now *that* is a contest I'd love to see!

Okay. Granted--but what we're talking about is NOT challenges. We're talking about inspiration which is far more important to a writer. You can say to me, "I challenge you to write about slugs," and that might indeed be a challenge to me. But if it offers no inspiration, why should I bother?

I'd rather write about what I find both inspirational and challenging.

If Earth Day hasn't gotten many takers, then it fails as inspiration, and inspiration is what we should be offering writers. So, let's offer them options to inspire.

This is not, after all, some kind of television contest where each theme has to be more "challenging" than the last to winnow down thirty writers to the one who is so masterful he/she can write about anything, even slugs. Theme contests aim to set writers on fire, and if Earth Day isn't doing that, if it's nothing but the same old challenge year after year, then there's no reason to keep exactly as is.

 

[lovecraft68]

No. More challenges does not mean "Write about whatever you please." That's no challenge at all. More challenges would be something like this. "Write a story that deals with Earth Day AND April Fool's Day AND May Day." Now *that* is a contest I'd love to see!

So the story would have to span across 3 holidays and a months period of time (4/1-5/1) and incorporate aspects of all three.

Could it be done? Of course it can, but why? That's a lot of time and effort to spend on a free site story contest.

Again feel free to challenge yourself and do whatever you see fit. But I'm not going to give in to any "real writers would..." type of dare this isn;t high school.

 

[Boxlicker101]

Quote:
Originally Posted by electric1
No. More challenges does not mean "Write about whatever you please." That's no challenge at all. More challenges would be something like this. "Write a story that deals with Earth Day AND April Fool's Day AND May Day." Now *that* is a contest I'd love to see!

So the story would have to span across 3 holidays and a months period of time (4/1-5/1) and incorporate aspects of all three.

Could it be done? Of course it can, but why? That's a lot of time and effort to spend on a free site story contest.

Again feel free to challenge yourself and do whatever you see fit. But I'm not going to give in to any "real writers would..." type of dare this isn;t high school.

Why limit yourself to just those three occasions? You can add Good Friday, Easter and Saint Patrick's Day. Of course, there's no requirement to write about one-day occasions. Spring Break would be rich with possibilities, as would baseball spring training, March Madness and various proms and cotillions and aftermaths of graduation parties.

 

[PennLady]

I don't think a challenge is to necessarily write about a certain holiday -- although if you haven't before, it could be.

I tend to see a challenge as writing about a certain type of character or situation, or writing in a different style. Writing "King's Bay" was a challenge for me, b/c I'd never written a first-person story before.

I see a lot of possibilities with a Spring theme that aren't quite there with Earth Day -- themes about awakening, being reborn, things like that. Those could challenge a person.

 

[sr71plt]

II see a lot of possibilities with a Spring theme that aren't quite there with Earth Day -- themes about awakening, being reborn, things like that. Those could challenge a person.

Possibilities there, yes. But it seems a little monotomous to have three seasonal contests (spring, summer, winter holidays). I think they could be a little more inspiring and specific than that.

But, again, I'll be surprised if this isn't just another of many rounds of voting on what we like and nothing happening.

 

[damppanties]

But isn't what you're asking for equally odd? "Keep it Earth Day because that challenges me..." Baseball, proms, and April Fools might well challenge others as Earth Day never has. No one is removing *your* challenge in asking for expansion as we all assume Earth Day will stay as part of the Spring Theme. They seem to be, to the contrary, asking for more challenges.

No, I am not arguing for keeping Earth Day as it challenges me. What I am opposed to is stretching the category to include everything, which is what is being asked here. I am arguing for keeping a contest challenging enough and not something that anyone and everyone can enter by putting in anything from a budding flower to a college graduation.

I actually like the idea of moving the Springtime contest to a different one each year, i.e., one year Earth Day, another April Fool's Day and so on. That keeps it sufficiently narrow as well as gives people a chance to be inspired by different themes, to use 31113's word.

 

[lovecraft68]

No, I am not arguing for keeping Earth Day as it challenges me. What I am opposed to is stretching the category to include everything, which is what is being asked here. I am arguing for keeping a contest challenging enough and not something that anyone and everyone can enter by putting in anything from a budding flower to a college graduation.

I actually like the idea of moving the Springtime contest to a different one each year, i.e., one year Earth Day, another April Fool's Day and so on. That keeps it sufficiently narrow as well as gives people a chance to be inspired by different themes, to use 31113's word.

But whatever our opinions one way or another, fact remains Earth day has a lower turnout than the other contests. So after however many years they have done this why not try something different.

and even if the category is broad, you don;t have to be, you can still write whatever you would like to so who cares what other write?

Regardless this is most likely a mute point. In the past Laurel has been asked about a Bi-sexual category several times and there have been threads and poles for it, but nothing ever gets done.

The 2013 contest schedule is up and it has Earth day marked already, so if anything "spring" wouldn't happen until 2014 and I doubt it would be ever, so you have no real concerns.

 

[sr71plt]

This message is hidden because lovecraft68 is on your ignore list.

 

[theravenfox]

I think it's an awesome idea!