randomness
A couple random things....
It is mentioned in the blurb, but not specifically in the rules section, or those that could use a second mention....
1. No editing a story once you post it - really keep this in mind, because judges can't tell why you were editing, it will automatically get you disqualified. Any later comments or whatever just add in later posts.
2. No pictures as pictures. The pictures should be part of the story, not as pictures within the story. Don't think this disqualifies you, but drops a lot of points in the ratings.
3. No plagiarism. This should be obvious, but I have seen it crop up occasionally, from a borrowed sentence to a general theme (like the multiple adaptations of Taming of the Shrew, for example).
Also...
I have seen (and used) one thread for the competition and comments and another thread to write my own reviews of stories (so as not to affect the judges). However, the judges have their own minds and this has seemed in the past to be unnecessary - one thread should be fine for entries, official posts, and spectator comments. Though competitors need to be very careful to watch for official postings (deadlines are generally determined by the timestamp of the 'GO' post). And be very careful if you are in a different timezone (I have been in various places in Europe for all of these!).
And as a note to spectators, and other competitors...
When I am writing, I Love feedback. Of course, the judges feedback counts for a lot in the competition, but it is also great to hear what the audience thinks about the writing. So, I have made a point of 'side' judging - commenting and suggesting who I would pick and why for every story. Please feel free to do so as well, it helps a lot when trying to improve writing skills.
Helle
A couple random things....
It is mentioned in the blurb, but not specifically in the rules section, or those that could use a second mention....
1. No editing a story once you post it - really keep this in mind, because judges can't tell why you were editing, it will automatically get you disqualified. Any later comments or whatever just add in later posts.
2. No pictures as pictures. The pictures should be part of the story, not as pictures within the story. Don't think this disqualifies you, but drops a lot of points in the ratings.
3. No plagiarism. This should be obvious, but I have seen it crop up occasionally, from a borrowed sentence to a general theme (like the multiple adaptations of Taming of the Shrew, for example).
Also...
I have seen (and used) one thread for the competition and comments and another thread to write my own reviews of stories (so as not to affect the judges). However, the judges have their own minds and this has seemed in the past to be unnecessary - one thread should be fine for entries, official posts, and spectator comments. Though competitors need to be very careful to watch for official postings (deadlines are generally determined by the timestamp of the 'GO' post). And be very careful if you are in a different timezone (I have been in various places in Europe for all of these!).
And as a note to spectators, and other competitors...
When I am writing, I Love feedback. Of course, the judges feedback counts for a lot in the competition, but it is also great to hear what the audience thinks about the writing. So, I have made a point of 'side' judging - commenting and suggesting who I would pick and why for every story. Please feel free to do so as well, it helps a lot when trying to improve writing skills.
Helle
and the others to take part.
