Theme Contest Stories

[Green_Gem]

I have a view about contest theme stories which probably won't go down well with some authors but I was wondering how others feel about it.

My feeling is that for contest themes, like Valentine's Day, Earth Day, Nude Day etc, stories that are entered should be complete stories incorporating the specific theme. In other words, stories submitted in parts or chapters or one or two parts/chapters of some longer story should not be eligible. I have no problem at all with a longer story being submitted that meets the theme criteria even if it is 12 pages long but it should be entered as a stand alone story. Is this something that any other authors have ever thought about or have a view on?

I realize of course this is all contemplation because the rules allow for stories to be submitted in any way but I just think that when you read one of the competing or winning stories it should wholly incorporate the specific theme and often parts of a story don't.

Ducking and waiting for the responses...

Green_Gem

 

[impressive]

Well, personally, I don't care if they're submitted -- but with all the reading involved with a contest, I skip over the multi-chapter submissions in order to give one read to each author.

 

[cloudy]

Well, personally, I don't care if they're submitted -- but with all the reading involved with a contest, I skip over the multi-chapter submissions in order to give one read to each author.

What Imp said.

 

[book_man_03]

Despite having won a prize for a 'Chapter 2' (although there were only two chapters and Chapter 1 was in the same contest), essentially I agree with Green Gem here. Merely bending a single chapter of a series to a contest theme seems to miss the point of the contest.

Art

 

[neonlyte]

Don't duck G_G, I'll stand next to you.

One, possibly two chapters could be construed as reasonable, providing they stick to the theme, and like Imp say's, I rarely read multiple entries, it is not fair to other entrants, in view of limited reading time.

I do become irritated when I read Chapter One of a competition entry and find the only reference to the competition theme indicates it will 'happen' in Chapter Eight, but I still score on merit, not on irritation. Perhaps I should take Laurels advice, she always attaches it as a note when announcing comps, and 'punish' authors who do not stick to the spirit of the competition.

I did enquire of someone why they posted so many multiple entries and was told - 'it's not against the rules', no, maybe not, but it is, in my view, against the spirit of comps and I will vote accordingly on the next occassion.

This post is made to ensure I win last place in the next competition.

 

[Lord DragonsWing]

I agree with you Green Gem. The contest should not include chapters, just a story that incorporates the theme. I never read the chapters in the contest. Sooooo, there is no need to duck.

 

[English Lady]

Green Gem...I agree too.

 

[Guest]

And me.

 

[oggbashan]

I have written two chapters for a contest. 'Danger. Naked Woman'

That was deliberate because it was a cliff-hanger detective story. Both parts were relevant to the theme and specific to that contest.

'Candice', one of my Valentine's Day entries, is part of a series about the same basic set of characters and the same location yet I think it stands alone. It is certainly long enough.

If I had titled 'Candice' as say chapter 08 of the series I don't think I would have entered it into the contest. The whole series will be as long as several NaNoWriMos and the planned completion will be between 500,000 and 750,000 words.

Every competition entry I have ever written was planned to be a self-sufficient entity even if I used characters that occur in other stories.

I don't think that stories or chapters twisted to meet the competition theme are likely to be highly rated so why be concerned that some entries are a diversion from a multiple chapter story? If that chapter stands alone and is a good entry - why not?

In Literotica the title 'chapter' is often used to show that the story is part of a linked series of individually complete short stories. They are not necessarily 'chapters' in the normal sense that you have to read each and every chapter in order.

Og

 

[neonlyte]

I have written two chapters for a contest. 'Danger. Naked Woman'

Yes, I remember and it was one of the few times when i read both because I was enjoying it so much.

I think the question is really being set at posting 4, 5, or 6 chapters in a single competition where - for example - the competition action doesn't happen until the final chapter, it pushes at the competition format in an uncomfortable (for me) way because the instinct is to read Cpt 1 and it actually has nothing to do with the cometition theme. There is a simple way to deal with it, give it a 1 and explain why in a PC -- but boy will the feathers fly

In fact, they are already flying, as the voting on my new story attests.

 

[steve w]

Just to add -

Those of you saying that they skip multi-chapter stories in competitions make GG's point for her. The only people who stay - and vote - for multiple chapter stories are those who truly love the whole thing, and so always give a 5. This might be construed as an unfair advantage in a competition setting, as it "self-selects" the voting audience.

The same is true more generally - look at the Top Lists under almost any heading, and you'll see "chapters/parts of" dominating the top of the lists. I'm not sure I'd call it an unfair advantage, but it certainly skews the voting lists. I would be in favour of only stand-alone stories being allowed in competitions, as this creates a fairly level playing field.

Perhaps it would be easier if all multiple chapter stories were given a heading of their own, both for competitions and for general reading?

 

[oggbashan]

Just to add -

Those of you saying that they skip multi-chapter stories in competitions make GG's point for her. The only people who stay - and vote - for multiple chapter stories are those who truly love the whole thing, and so always give a 5. This might be construed as an unfair advantage in a competition setting, as it "self-selects" the voting audience.

The same is true more generally - look at the Top Lists under almost any heading, and you'll see "chapters/parts of" dominating the top of the lists. I'm not sure I'd call it an unfair advantage, but it certainly skews the voting lists. I would be in favour of only stand-alone stories being allowed in competitions, as this creates a fairly level playing field.

Perhaps it would be easier if all multiple chapter stories were given a heading of their own, both for competitions and for general reading?

Those who stay and vote for my multi-part stories have stamina but do not lose their critical faculties. Votes diminish as the chapters progress but are not necessarily 5s. I find that my first chapter is usually the highest rated.

I think that there is some confusion in the responses to this thread about what 'chapters' are on Literotica. I write chapters in the traditional sense of the word and try to make each one a significant part of the plot of the whole work.

Some 'chapters' that are highly rated are not chapters as a publisher would recognise them. They are sexual scenes that aim to titilliate in a very obvious way and have no plot or character development. They portray sex of the 'Wham! Bam! Thank you Ma'am' kind. The voting public likes and votes on them for their immediate impact.

There are other highly rated 'chapters' that are very different and are more literary. Good writing can be as highly rated as good sexual scenes.

What is 'good' writing? What is a 'good' sexual scene? Both require skills and neither should be classed as better than the other. They are different. The readers in Literotica make their own judgements and literary merit is a judgement like any other - a personal taste.

I know that I cannot write the 'good' sexual scenes that become highly rated whether as chapters, parts or complete stories. I can recognise that others can and do write very impressive work however it is packaged.

Academically correct writing does not necessarily equal good writing.

Descriptions of dramatic sexual encounters do not necessarily equal good writing but may be good storytelling.

Popularly rated stories (chapters, parts, whatever they are called) are usually good examples of erotica. However not everyone will agree with the popular vote. Why should they? We are all individuals with our own opinions.

Please can we be more generous about highly rated authors? I or you may not like what they write but many people do and we should recognise the talent that produced the rating.

Og

 

[Green_Gem]

Thanks to all for their responses.

Ogg, I have no problem with highly rated authors who write in Chapters at all and I do respect their talent as much as I respect highly rated authors who write and submit full stories. All I am saying is that in my view, a special contest theme should require a complete story to be submitted, which fully embraces the specific theme of the contest.

As Neon said, often what happens is that each chapter ( and by that I mean, each separately submitted part) will progress the story along to the conclusion (in some cases the story does not reach conclusion during the contest but is part of a bigger whole) which may or may not continue at some later date. I have absolutely no problem with a long story, comprising 8 or 9 or even more Lit pages because it's submitted as a complete story and as such is scored as a whole story PLUS it reflects completely the theme of the contest. As it is now, some parts/chapters of multichapter stories will perhaps have a high score and end up being a winner or placed, but when you actually read the chapter, it doesn't actually reflect the theme of the contest.

I'm sure that as you say, votes may dwindle towards later chapters, but it might mean that Chapter 4 which is progressing the story towards it's conclusion but which has no bearing on the overall theme, might be the highest scoring chapter simply because it has the raunchiest sex in it , or the greatest emotional pull ( or whatever) and that then makes it eligible to win. All I'm saying is that when I click into any of the winning stories for any of the themed contests, I want to read a complete story that has fully incorporated the specific theme as specified in the rules and I do think that's in the spirit of the special themed contests.

Green_Gem

 

[oggbashan]

How long is too long?

Candice was 4 Lit pages. Danger! Naked Woman Chapters 1 and 2 were 5 Lit pages. Both were contest entries.

I think that they were too long for contest entries. A shorter crisper story that is directly relevant to the theme is more likely to be higher scored.

However I enjoyed writing both and except for the contest requirements Candice might still be unfinished and Danger! Naked Woman would not have been written.

I'll continue to write, and to encourage others to write, for the Contests. I'm less worried about my actual rating than about the exposure my writing gets by being part of the contest. Contest entries do mean that much of your work gets attention. Unfortunately many people trying to read my stories run out of stamina.

Og