Maybe run something in April this year, and then try to have Iron DM in October? I suspect that October would work better than November and December as the Halloween season is less hectic and more creatively conducive than the Thanksgiving-Christmas-New Year season. That would mean recruitment at the end of March and the end of September.With these long-form competitions, it might be better to aim to run them a little earlier than Summer. Mid- to late-spring seems better to me, as it is half a year between the usual IRON DM tourney times.
That's why its a first draft. Feedback is dearly welcomed.There is exactly zero chance of me keeping such punishing schedule - 9 times in the month for me would be possible only if I took a month long vacation - and even then it would be hard to keep
For me it comes down to availability of writing time. There are certain times of the week I have time to write, and others I do not. This is why I prefer a weekly schedule. 6-7 rounds means around a month and a half, which isn't terrible.That's why its a first draft. Feedback is dearly welcomed.
What would you think a more practical schedule, especially if we were to try and keep it contained within 1 month? Would every 5 days (6-7 rounds) be more doable? Or even every 4 days? 72 hours to write 500 words does not seem that grueling of a schedule from my perspective, but then I do a lot of writing, so others may have different standards.
6 rounds with 4 days each (3 to write and 1 to judge) and then a 7th round with 6 days (5 to write), would be about a month. My experience is that the longer things like this go on, the more likely to run out of steam by the end, which is why I think trying to keep it within a month would be better than going longer.For me it comes down to availability of writing time. There are certain times of the week I have time to write, and others I do not. This is why I prefer a weekly schedule. 6-7 rounds means around a month and a half, which isn't terrible.
I would also say that, as a judge, I would definitely chafe at such a regimented scoring system. The 20/10 breakdown at the end in particular could lead to ties that a more granular scoring system would be far more likely to avoid. That said, I understand the simplicity makes the scoring task a little easier on the judges. The 5-4-3-2-1 scoring in the earlier rounds I could get behind.
I'll think up a list of categories I think would be most appropriate