Survivor Contest

[BOSTONFICTIONWRITER]

I'm embarrassed to write that I participated in the Survivor Contest. It ruined my writing. Yet, even though I submitted stories, many of which were chapter stories, at least I can relish in the fact that, at the time, all of my stories were the best that I could have written. I never just dumped the minimum 750 word stories on the board.

In that light, have you read some of the entries by some of this year's Survivor's contestants? There stories are terrible. The players only write them to score a point and to fill a category. Surely, they aren't writing for the reader for you or for me. None of them are quality stories.

Either we eliminate the Survivor Contest, truly it brings down the whole site or we adopt a 1,500 word minimum. It is more difficult writing a shitty 1,500 word story than it is writing a shitty 750 word story.

Anyway, I just wanted to give my opinion on the whole mess that is the Survivor Contest for 2010.

I feel bad for those who don't participate in the contest because you are the ones who have to wade through a few thousand shitty stories for find an erotic piece of literature, while watching your own masterpieces being flushed off the board by someone who wrote an 750 word story in 15 minutes. It doesn't seem fair does it?

 

[al_Ussa]

You know... its rather hard to make blanket statements like that. I participated in survivor last year and am in it again this year. And to be honest I never submitted a work that I didn't feel was complete... or at least as complete as it could have been at the time. Admittedly looking back on some of my submissions last year I'm NOT entirely satisfied with them. On the other hand there are a couple that I am really happy with.

Thus far I have only submitted a single story for survivor this year (Aswang in the Erotic Horror category) though I am working on a couple others. If you read through - even though it IS rather short - its obviously not something that was just "thrown together" in a couple hours.

Not every story needs to be a monumental multi-part epic. Some stories can be told in only a couple thousand words or less. They are just seeds... germs of ideas. Things that don't necessarily need any elaboration. ESPECIALLY on the internet where people might not be inclined to sit at the screen long enough to read a longer work.

Admittedly I haven't seen much for survivor 2010 posted yet. In fact just glancing at some people's scorecards I don't see all that much filled out.

 

[BOSTONFICTIONWRITER]

You know... its rather hard to make blanket statements like that. I participated in survivor last year and am in it again this year. And to be honest I never submitted a work that I didn't feel was complete... or at least as complete as it could have been at the time. Admittedly looking back on some of my submissions last year I'm NOT entirely satisfied with them. On the other hand there are a couple that I am really happy with.

Thus far I have only submitted a single story for survivor this year (Aswang in the Erotic Horror category) though I am working on a couple others. If you read through - even though it IS rather short - its obviously not something that was just "thrown together" in a couple hours.

Not every story needs to be a monumental multi-part epic. Some stories can be told in only a couple thousand words or less. They are just seeds... germs of ideas. Things that don't necessarily need any elaboration. ESPECIALLY on the internet where people might not be inclined to sit at the screen long enough to read a longer work.

Admittedly I haven't seen much for survivor 2010 posted yet. In fact just glancing at some people's scorecards I don't see all that much filled out.

Ah, then you haven't seen the recent stories from the top three winners in last year's contest, a few of their prolific stories appeared on today's page. Do me a favor and read a sampling of their work and then you can make more of an informed assessment of the shit that they post.

There's a big difference when writing and posting a story and posting something for Survivor that conforms to the bare minimum word count and call that a story also.

I haven't read any of your stories, but I have read the three who are submitting volumes of shit on the board already. Something needs to be done.

 

[al_Ussa]

Let me read those and get back to you with my thoughts then.

 

[wife2hotblk]

I cringe when I re-read some of my stuff. Nonetheless, as I have espoused in an essay, that contest is a wonderful way to teach new writers discipline to write daily...if possible. I continue to improve and receive comments from many people touched by my stories.

Of course, I hope that with this amount of practice I will improve enough to be published and not still be hanging around the contest after how many years?

 

[BOSTONFICTIONWRITER]

I cringe when I re-read some of my stuff. Nonetheless, as I have espoused in an essay, that contest is a wonderful way to teach new writers discipline to write daily...if possible. I continue to improve and receive comments from many people touched by my stories.

Of course, I hope that with this amount of practice I will improve enough to be published and not still be hanging around the contest after how many years?

Ah, if you as the writer cringes by reading your own stories, imagine the reaction of the rest of us.

Yes, I agree with you that the Survivor Contest is a good way to write every day. Only, if I may give you a bit of advice, just because you wrote your little story today, doesn't mean you should post it today. Perhaps, you'd serve yourself and all of us, if you revisited your story tomorrow, in a week or even a month to rewrite it and rework it. I guarantee you that you will more quickly teach yourself who to write a better story.

 

[YoursSINSerely]

Freddie, do you think the Survivor Contest should also take into account the amount of views, or the vote counted, or the score of those votes? Do you think the total word count of a story should also play into some kind of calculation? Can you come up with some kind of equation that would be fair and just for all the contestants? How do you think this can all be measured out besides the 3 points for the first story submitted and 1 point for the next? Are you suggesting there should be a moderator who reads every entry and applies a letter grade, as a school teacher would grade a student's paper? How would you fix it and make it better, hun?

 

[BOSTONFICTIONWRITER]

I think the writers who are in the contest should take more pride in what they write before submitting it. There are some writers in the contest who refused to write sub par stories, then there are the others who just throw random words and sentences together, without a plot, character development, even character discription, and no imagery whatsoever, and have the nerve to call it a story.

Then, these same writers take offense when they are called to task by writers who not only wouldn't dream of participating in any of the contests here because they are such a sham but also by writers who give more importance to their ability to write a story that readers will enjoy.

Seriously, no reader will go back to read very many of the submissions that the Survivor Contest has encouraged in last year's contest.

Yeah, perhaps instead of a Survivor's Contest, we should have a contest where the body of a writer's work is explored, analyzed, and examined by taking all of his or her scores and all of her his or hers views and put them together to get a performace percentage of some kind based on a formula,. Doing it that way will make it more difficult for people to cheat and will remove the friends voting for friends piece of it.

The way it is now just isn't working. The contest is a joke. I'm just glad I'm not participating and haven't participated in the contest since 2008. Even my friends, Positivethinker, Carbuffstuff, and WmForrester refused to be part of the Survivor Contest this year. And, I might add, all 3 of those writers submitted stories that were of a better quality and length than 3 of the winning Survivor Contest writers stories combined.

 

[sr71plt]

Well, now, BFW, this is where you start just adding (more) to the joke. You've already admitted to being PositiveThinker. (Do you ever go back and read your old posts with any sort of concern for continuity? )

 

[al_Ussa]

Sounds like you might be taking things a wee bit too personally.

 

[BOSTONFICTIONWRITER]

Well, now, BFW, this is where you start just adding (more) to the joke. You've already admitted to being PositiveThinker. (Do you ever go back and read your old posts with any sort of concern for continuity? )

Ace, your mother never told you not to believe everything you read?

I'm surprised by your naivette.

 

[BOSTONFICTIONWRITER]

Sounds like you might be taking things a wee bit too personally.

Personally? Nah. I really don't care one way or the other who wins the Survivor Contest. Yet, just for chuckles, read some of the stories that aren't Survivor Contest stories and then compare those to some of the recent Survivor shit stories that have hit the board. It's an eye opener and even you may be a little surprised.

Listen, writing shit stories just to fill a category and score a point doesn't do it for me. There has to be a better way than the way the contest is run now is all I'm saying.

It really does suck.

And I won't even mention anything about the Nazi moderators. Nope I refuse to say anything bad about the Gestapo. Not me. Oh, no. My lips are sealed. I like lesbians, kind of, not really, well, not at all.

It's fat people I don't like. There, I feel better getting that off my chest.

 

[sr71plt]

Ace, your mother never told you not to believe everything you read?

I'm surprised by your naivette.

Why, yes she did. Which is sort of the vein in which I'm taking your posting of threads today.

 

[BOSTONFICTIONWRITER]

Why, yes she did. Which is sort of the vein in which I'm taking your posting of threads today.

What part of Bostonfictionwriter don't you understand?

I'm from Boston and I write fiction.

Suffice to say that everything I write is, yeah, you guessed it...fiction.

Besides, you're arguing with a cyber personality. You look as ridiculous as your job credits and credentials.

It's all make believe, isn't it Mr. Spy, Pilot, Model, Actor, Writer (lol), isn't it?

 

[sr71plt]

What part of Bostonfictionwriter don't you understand?

I'm from Boston and I write fiction.

Suffice to say that everything I write is, yeah, you guessed it...fiction.

Besides, you're arguing with a cyber personality. You look as ridiculous as your job credits and credentials.

It's all make believe, isn't it Mr. Spy, Pilot, Model, Actor, Writer (lol), isn't it?

Your part is, obviously.

 

[BOSTONFICTIONWRITER]

Your part is, obviously.

I'm deeply offended.

Why don't you have me on ignore like everyone else around here?

You threatened to do that many times and it was something that I so looked forward to not seeing your name on my thread (lol).

It's so much better when I can write whatever I want whenever I want without anyone challenging what I write.

I imagine a thousand years from now aliens finding this one Bostonfictionwriter thread and wondering who I was and where was Boston.

Wow.

 

[sr71plt]

I'm deeply offended.

Why don't you have me on ignore like everyone else around here?

You threatened to do that many times and it was something that I so looked forward to not seeing your name on my thread (lol).

It's so much better when I can write whatever I want whenever I want without anyone challenging what I write.

I imagine a thousand years from now aliens finding this one Bostonfictionwriter thread and wondering who I was and where was Boston.

Wow.

I've never threatened to put you (or anyone else, for that matter) on ignore, Freddie. I've frequently posted what a lame and empty "who cares?" threat that is.

Happy to have offended you.

 

[Bobby_3111]

Personally? Nah. I really don't care one way or the other who wins the Survivor Contest. Yet, just for chuckles, read some of the stories that aren't Survivor Contest stories and then compare those to some of the recent Survivor shit stories that have hit the board. It's an eye opener and even you may be a little surprised.

Listen, writing shit stories just to fill a category and score a point doesn't do it for me. There has to be a better way than the way the contest is run now is all I'm saying.

It really does suck.

And I won't even mention anything about the Nazi moderators. Nope I refuse to say anything bad about the Gestapo. Not me. Oh, no. My lips are sealed. I like lesbians, kind of, not really, well, not at all.

It's fat people I don't like. There, I feel better getting that off my chest.

If you dont care then why bring it up at all ? Doesnt make sense to me, making a post about something you dont care about.

 

[YoursSINSerely]

God, I love a good debate!

 

[BOSTONFICTIONWRITER]

If you dont care then why bring it up at all ? Doesnt make sense to me, making a post about something you dont care about.

Do I know you? How'd you get in here? Security!

Seriously, how many of these threads are about things that people really care about and what makes you think that I don't truly care about it.

I could be lying. I could be masking my true feelings.

Don't you feel foolish now?

To be honest, if I were you...I'd put me on ignore. I like making lists. I'm already on the "No Fly" list. Yep, I am.

I got it right here. See? Told ya. Impressed? I know I am.

So, what does 3111 mean? Is that what your mother weighed before she died?

I know that was funny. I have a million mother jokes.

 

[Bobby_3111]

Do I know you? How'd you get in here? Security!

Seriously, how many of these threads are about things that people really care about and what makes you think that I don't truly care about it.

I could be lying. I could be masking my true feelings.

Don't you feel foolish now?

To be honest, if I were you...I'd put me on ignore. I like making lists. I'm already on the "No Fly" list. Yep, I am.

I got it right here. See? Told ya. Impressed? I know I am.

So, what does 3111 mean? Is that what your mother weighed before she died?

I know that was funny. I have a million mother jokes.

Wow, i was just curious, you must enjoy being defensive.

 

[BOSTONFICTIONWRITER]

Wow, i was just curious, you must enjoy being defensive.

Sorry (sniff), I'm just sensitive.

It all started when a bully broke my pencil when I was just a kid and I had to write my stories in crayon. I still do.

 

[scouries]

QUOTE [size=+2]freddie [/size] I'm embarrassed to write that I participated in the Survivor Contest… In that light, have you read some of the entries by some of this year's Survivor's contestants? Their stories are terrible. The players only write them to score a point and to fill a category. Surely, they aren't writing for the reader for you or for me. None of them are quality stories.

Either we eliminate the Survivor Contest, truly it brings down the whole site or we adopt a 1,500 word minimum. It is more difficult writing a shitty 1,500 word story than it is writing a shitty 750 word story.

Anyway, I just wanted to give my opinion on the whole mess that is the Survivor Contest for 2010.

I feel bad for those who don't participate in the contest because you are the ones who have to wade through a few thousand shitty stories for find an erotic piece of literature, while watching your own masterpieces being flushed off the board by someone who wrote an 750 word story in 15 minutes. It doesn't seem fair does it?

I was tempted to enter this year’s SURVIVOR Contest. Not to win anything – I’ll never be prolific enough for that. The challenge for me was to try to write a story in every legitimate category (without using immunities) – a rare occurrence in previous contests.

In the end I decided not to participate. I think I might have entered if it weren’t for the Poetry, Illustrated, and Audio categories. These categories just inflict hundreds of SURVIVOR submissions on LITEROTICA readers, submissions that never would have been written (or should have been) had it not been for the contest.

I’d thought Poetry had been thrown out of the contest since there is a Poetry Survivor Contest but the 4 poetry categories still seem to be included. I wish they’d jettison them.

Re your suggestion that we change the word limit from 750 from 1500 words: I’ve never believed that the number of words is the important issue. However, I will concede that upping the limit will reduce the number of “submissions just for points” that invariably clog up the NEW STORY page.

In my opinion the biggest crime that the SURVIVOR contest inflicts upon us is the crap that is inflicted on us each December. I think the 2009 contest was the fourth year in a row in which one (or more) author “surprised” his opponents and unleashed a torrent of stories on the site over the last couple of weeks. Of course everyone remembers the infamous MUNGO but even this year’s winner used the MUNGO strategy to win.

I understand that it’s not against the rules to rush through 100 or so stories in the last days of the year like this year’s winner did. Nor does it mean that all the stories are bad (they may be excellent - perhaps he had been stockpiling them for months or years).

I hate it because it’s an insult to all our READERS.

And from the authors viewpoint it makes no sense. The author, who we assume has worked very hard to produce these stories, and who we further assume must want to have them read (why else write them – the prize money wouldn’t even pay a minimum wage?), publishes them in a way that ensures they’ll have the minimum readership. IDIOCY!

I’d like to see something done about this end of the year dumping!

james r scouries

 

[BOSTONFICTIONWRITER]

We can only hope.

I suspect, I'm afraid, that nothing will change. The contest will remain the same with the rules changed at the midnight hour to give preference to someone that they want to win in the contest.

Here we go again...and so it goes.

Maybe one day Literotica will have a fair contest and politicians will be honest and there will be a car worth the money and the Dolphins will win a Super Bowl (I just through that in for my newphew, little Scouries, sake).

Uncle Freddie

 

[sr71plt]

Ah, well, there are other story Web sites--and other contests.