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Message: <blockquote data-quote="BSF" data-source="post: 1662364" data-attributes="member: 13098">Eeralai and I were discussing this the other evening.  She contends that Ceramic DM might be getting to the point of being intimidating for newcomers to try to jump in.  As a counter argument, I think we have several newcomers in the first round.  I may be wrong, and please correct me if I am, but Carpedavid, Fieari, Graywolf-ELM, RPGgirl, Yangnome, Noskov, and Rodrigo Istalindir are all new contestants.  That is almost half the folks.  Overall, we do have some great stories coming up earlier in the competition.  Macbeth and Berandor are 2nd round stories that could easily have been final round stories.  Carpedavid and Piratecat were first round.  It does seem like we have good stuff coming out and the judges are having an incerasingly difficult time passing a judgement on the stories.  Certainly, I do not envy their position one whit.  With better stories, perhaps it is harder to decide which story should go on to the next round.  While I very much appreciate their feedback, because it helps me be a better writer, I do wonder if it helps create a little bit more of an intimdation factor for those folks who might want to try next time around, and feel they are not good enough.  It is a hard job to judge, and it is all volunteer work.  So, I don't want to criticize the judges.  Especially since the last two contests have started at 16 contestants with 4 rounds instead of 8 contestants with 3 rounds.  Between improving stories, and a larger, longer contest, perhaps we are also fostering a judging environment where it is less fun for the judges?  It might be a question worth asking, because this contest should be about good stories told around wacky pictures.  But, it should also be about everyone having fun whether writing, reading or judging.</blockquote>

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