The Official Authors' Hangout April Fool's 2021 Contest Support Thread

[NotWise]

There are now three stories in the contest named "April's Fool."

 

[KeithD]

Laurel’s been out with a feather duster...

I've had stories swept overnight--but, strangely, not my contest entries.

 

[NotWise]

I've had stories swept overnight--but, strangely, not my contest entries.

Laurel just announced the February 2021 contest winners. The recent sweep was probably for that.

 

[SouthernCrossfire]

I'm about half way through with what I hoped would be my entry (a la The Sting, but tricking two former lovers to give it one more try). Unfortunately, elements of the sting aren't all that inspiring (or convincing) in this case, so another story that's been in the works for a while took over my writing time. The good news is that one is finally complete and will be published this weekend. Now, I'm going to try to refocus on the first one to see if it can be salvaged and completed by the entry deadline.

 

[RejectReality]

Well. who says you have to even be on theme? remember when someone entered a Halloween contest with an X-mas story that even had Santa in the title and Laurel let it through and it seemed to do fine, I don't recall one comment saying "Um...this isn't Halloween

That's part of the people tossing up any story to take advantage of extra contest attention.

But as far as you're not liking to stay in themes, if that's you, that's you and I don't see why anyone should care, except the perpetually argumentative.

I'm not even that much of a stickler when I read contest stories. I give a lot more leeway to others than I give to myself. A Christmas Story for Halloween, though? That's a no-vote, for certain. If something is far enough off theme to bother me, that's the response. I limit myself to 5 or nothing in contests, knowing there's going to be plenty of other people dropping bombs.

 

[Omenainen]

My story’s connection to April Fool’s day is quite slight. I thought about it, but then my Valentine’s story was almost as much off, albeit maybe with more style, so eventually I just went “oh why the fuck not” and published it.

One of my goals is not to become my own worst enemy by setting myself more requirements than is necessary. I’ve got this perfectionistic streak that’d have me polishing stories endlessly if I didn’t work against it. So, for better or worse, there it is. So far it’s my all time most viewed one, but that’s category related I suppose, it’s my first group sex story. For all those views they don’t seem to like it all that much.

Anyway, it’s nice to participate. I’ve enjoyed most competitions so far. Halloween was the most boring, because there were so many entries from the start and my story sank like a stone immediately, so it wasn’t as interesting to follow.

 

[Kumquatqueen]

I wasn't going to enter, but I was scribbling a wee story and then realised it's got a subterfuge in it so I could enter and pick up some extra viewers.

Would anyone care to skim-read a 9000-word Anal story for me, to check that my American man isn't saying or thinking any phrases that only Brits use? I'll have to post it in about 24 hours so not much time.

 

[KeithD]

Laurel just announced the February 2021 contest winners. The recent sweep was probably for that.

Interesting, but the most drastic sweep was on a March noncontest story.

 

[NotWise]

Interesting, but the most drastic sweep was on a March noncontest story.

I've had votes removed from several stories in the last few days. None of those stories were published in February, and none of them are April Fools stories. The sweeps--if they work--work in mysterious ways.

 

[RejectReality]

Damn, no such luck so far. I was hoping a sweep might have removed the 1-bomb that was the first vote on my latest. LOL

 

[Trionyx]

Exactly what are the sweeps and what is swept?

 

[RejectReality]

Exactly what are the sweeps and what is swept?

Sweeps remove votes considered to be illegitimate. The only explicitly stated reason is multiple votes from the same IP/ID. The criteria are otherwise secret, because why would you put in a security system, and then post the schematic on the lawn

They happen all the time, but are especially noticeable when sweeps for a contest ( themed, monthly, or annual ) are happening.

 

[Kumquatqueen]

Well, I've chucked a story in, seeing as I'm ineligible to win anything in any case, and look forward to the comments telling me I can't write Americans and karnt rite enyway.

It's a bit of an experiment in 3rd person, with a Brit and an American both using their own language for speech and thoughts.

It's mainly to see if I can get more views and voters and followers - except for one contest entry, none of my stories have ever gained the 50 votes needed for any monthly contest consideration - three contest entries and two others now have over 50 votes but have needed up to 2 years to get there!

I'm not going to try to understand sweeps - my Valentine story went from 4.92 (3rd place) to 4.4 overnight, so glad the bombing happened after the deadline, but it still hasn't got above 4.6 again. Who knows how much is trolls, randomness, or the types of readers for contests being different from other readers? I'd guess contest entries are a bit more literary than the rest of the category which may be more short stroke pieces.

 

[KeithD]

It's a bit of an experiment in 3rd person, with a Brit and an American both using their own language for speech and thoughts.

Not their own spellings too, I hope. People don't think or speak in alternate spellings.

 

[Kumquatqueen]

Not their own spellings too, I hope. People don't think or speak in alternate spellings.

Let's rephrase that - each of the two characters uses their own version of English, so the story is in a mixture of British and American English. It seemed the least grating solution.

 

[Nellymcboatface]

I've had votes removed from several stories in the last few days. None of those stories were published in February, and none of them are April Fools stories. The sweeps--if they work--work in mysterious ways.

My stories have lost votes & scores out of nowhere...
Various threads on this elsewhere, and IT say they are on it...

Unfortunately, my April Fools has dropped from 66 votes to 49...
I wasn't expecting it to win, but to pass the 50 vote entry would have been nice..

 

[oggbashan]

My stories have lost votes & scores out of nowhere...
Various threads on this elsewhere, and IT say they are on it...

Unfortunately, my April Fools has dropped from 66 votes to 49...
I wasn't expecting it to win, but to pass the 50 vote entry would have been nice..

25 votes are the bar for the themed contests so you are still in...

 

[Rustyoznail]

25 votes are the bar for the themed contests so you are still in...

I’ve only got 23 votes, but the score is bouncing around from 4.6 to 4.8 with no change in votes.

Weird...

I just hope a few more people read and vote for my story.

 

[Omenainen]

My vote count went from 101 to 91 yesterday, but the rate is still something like 4.35 like it was yesterday (I follow my scores on the 20th so I have them written down). So, I don’t know what’s being swept, but it doesn’t seem to help me any.

Anyway, getting closer to the last posting day I think I’ll get the list of entries to myself after all have been posted this time. Sort of honing my process on how to follow competitions as I go. I know I don’t have accurate data on rates, but I still like to know how I did compared to all the entries.

 

[Payne_Hall]

My vote count went from 101 to 91 yesterday, but the rate is still something like 4.35 like it was yesterday (I follow my scores on the 20th so I have them written down). So, I don’t know what’s being swept, but it doesn’t seem to help me any.

Anyway, getting closer to the last posting day I think I’ll get the list of entries to myself after all have been posted this time. Sort of honing my process on how to follow competitions as I go. I know I don’t have accurate data on rates, but I still like to know how I did compared to all the entries.

I admire the fact that people follow these stats and know where they stand. I know it will sound weird, but (even though I know my writing style is too long winded and out there to do overly well in a contest or anything like that) I’ve been too scared to look. These contests always seemed so cool, but it’s nerve wracking!

 

[Omenainen]

I admire the fact that people follow these stats and know where they stand. I know it will sound weird, but (even though I know my writing style is too long winded and out there to do overly well in a contest or anything like that) I’ve been too scared to look. These contests always seemed so cool, but it’s nerve wracking!

Well, I’ve participated in a few now and what I’ve learned is that scores don’t mean anything until the final sweeps are done. I had one where my story was well voted early on, so I was interested and followed closely, and all that effort was in vein when scores went up and down and all over the place. So, now my method is loosely such that I get the list of entries at some point, I make an excel sheet of them, including title, author, category, maybe word count - in the last one I read entries starting with the shortest. Then, at some point when I think sweeps have been completed, I gather what I can see of the scores, just to see in which percentile I end up in. I know I can’t see others actual scores so the data isn’t accurate, but it is what it is. Then I always think I’ll read the winners but I rarely do

All in all it’s meant to keep me entertained and engaged. I’m not going to win, I’m not even native English speaker and my angle of approach is not the same as most readers. What I find comforting is that the competition is often really tough. For example the one in which I did well, the top 11 entries had three authors with two stories each, authors who are apparently well known and loved, with gazillions of followers and apparently skills to write one well loved story after another. So, if their stories wouldn’t have won, it would’ve been their other stories, and still not mine kinda helps to know where I stand.

 

[Kumquatqueen]

I've never posted in a popular category before - my Valentine story was in BDSM and despite posting almost immediately, it only had 39 votes at the end of the contest.

Lexx suggested if I want viewers and can't stomach I/T, try Anal. 37 votes in under 6 hours.

Not a great score, but then I did the story in under 6 hours too, and it shows.

 

[KeithD]

I've never posted in a popular category before - my Valentine story was in BDSM and despite posting almost immediately, it only had 39 votes at the end of the contest.

It's typical for the GM category not to have more than 39 votes at the end of a contest, I think (at least for my stories). 39 votes will win a contest, though.

 

[Payne_Hall]

All in all it’s meant to keep me entertained and engaged.

It’s definitely been a lot of fun, too! I just don’t look at the stats . I’m kind of with you on the different approach, though, and I can see where knowing where you stand would help, when I think about it logically. But then I’ll go to look and just end up not being able to again lol

 

[SouthernCrossfire]

Now, I'm going to try to refocus on the [April Fool's story] to see if it can be salvaged and completed by the entry deadline.

After posting my new story on Saturday and seeing its relative lack of results (due in part to the view counter glitch), I was pretty disappointed and didn't make much progress on my April Fool's story. The falling vote counts and slight drop in scores on other stories didn't help, either. Therefore, I switched to my Geek Pride story and am finally getting close on it. It should be finished early for that challenge, but I'm not interested in posting another story at the moment to see it disappear among the glitchwork. That gives me another 12 months to dwell on the AF story for 2022.