ADMIN: Looking for input
Feb. 1st, 2007 01:18 pm![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
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tolkien_slashy_swapsHello, authors, readers, and betas! Though the 2006 Slashy Santa exchange is barely behind us, it's already time to think ahead to the next exchange. As we did last year with the Mistletoe in May swap, we are again planning a mid-season exchange for 2007. It may occur in May, June, or July, but as the lifecycle of an exchange is around four months, it's not too early to start planning.
Most of you are probably aware of the challenges that occurred during the Slashy Santa exchange, as well as the Mistletoe in May swap. The Slashy Santa team took every measure possible to ensure that this didn't happen - we asked participants to confirm their signups, confirm the receipt of their assignments, and sent three separate reminders, yet at the end, there were still a considerable number of dropouts and MIAs. To clarify, this has nothing to do with the people who asked for extensions - those people remained in communication with us and ultimately delivered the finished product. Our concerns are with the people we simply never heard from again, after they received the assignment.
As one person so aptly stated, sending multiple reminders isn't the solution, because the problem isn't about forgetting. The issue is responsibility and accountability, namely the lack of, that sadly, some people have, as proven by the mad scramble we faced during both the MiM and 2006 SS.
Clearly, something has to change.
We're actively soliciting your input. You, the swap participants, fiction readers, lurkers, betas, and fellow swap owners, have the dedication and creativity we need to help us come up with a solution.
What we will do now is communicate some of the suggestions and comments we've received and open the forum to discussion. In a couple weeks, once we've had the opportunity to hash over all the options, we'd like to put the future of the swap up to vote. We'll open up a poll and let the participants help us decide how to proceed.
Everything at this point is open for discussion - nothing has been decided except that the Slashy Santa exchanges WILL continue!
The suggestions are, in no particular order, and with no bias:
Fiction assignments:
- Keep things the way they are (admins match request to recipient)
- 'draw straws' - throw all the requests in a virtual hat, assign a number to each participant, and let each author pick in order, 1 through xx. Negotiations could be allowed - if you pick something you don't like, you can swap with someone who has a higher number, e.g. someone who has NOT drawn their assignment yet. (There is a name for a secret santa exchange similar to this, something like White Elephant or Progressive, but exactly how it works escapes me.)
- Same idea as drawing straws, but authors are free to negotiate among themselves if they wish to change assignments.
- Solicit fiction requests and the admins post them anonymously at a predetermined date and time. Then, "if you want them, come and claim them." *grin* First come, first served to grab what you want to write.
- Randomly assign a number, 1-x, to each author and send each in turn two or three requests that the admins have determined would fit their requirements.
Participation:
- Contact a reserve group of writers whose sole purpose is to come up with emergency stories, in exchange offering an incentive such as an LJ gift certificate or artwork.
- Make the swap "by invitation only". Inviting only 'proven' participants and active members of the fandom will hopefully eliminate the no-shows.
- For new participants, institute a 'trial swap' in which the unknown participant must successfully fulfill a drabble exchange before being allowed to sign up for a full-length story exchange.
- Open registration, but require new participants (someone unknown to the admins) to be 'sponsored' or vouched for by a known affiliate of the exchange (a mod/admin, current participant, or active fandom member). Point of clarification - "new participant" in this case means someone whose name is completely unknown to anyone affiliated with the exchange, not someone who reads and participates in a group or LJ as a reader/commenter, but has never actually participated in a swap before. Sorry for the confusion.
- Publish a chart of authors on the forum rather than keeping the participants secret, on the theory that people will be less likely to non-perform if everyone is aware of who the players are. Post progress reports as assignments are received, and mark those requests still outstanding.
- Post a "Wall of Shame" of past participants who did not turn in a story.
- Set milestones by which time a rough plot/theme must be submitted, and then thirty days (or another interval) before the deadline, a progress report received, or the story is reassigned to a standby group
Forum:
- Continue to use the Slashy Santa website http://www.geocities.com/slashysanta/
- Move to LiveJournal
- Create a Yahoo! Group for Slashy Santa. Participants will be required to join the group in order to play.
- Participants self-load their fiction to the LiveJournal or Yahoo! group on the release day. It's then up to the recipients to claim their own stories.
- Participants send their work to the admins, who will upload to the LiveJournal or Yahoo! group on the release day.
- Fiction is submitted to and posted by moderator on website/LJ/Yahoo! Group, and authors' identities are revealed a week later.
Content:
- Keep the story length (1,200 word minimum) and restrictions the same (no change)
- Add a genre (Real Person Slash, Mary Sue, songfic, drabbles, etc.). (Note: Het will NOT will be considered, as the charming Ms. Zhie already runs an affiliate het swap, and there's no sense in being redundant)
- Add a fandom (Wraeththu? Queer as Folk? any others?)
- Eliminate a fandom (There is a good possibility that Anita Blake will be dropped from future swaps due to lack of interest, but if you feel strongly otherwise, please make your feelings known)
- Refine signup form to separate "what I will/will not read" from the "what I will/will not write"
- Ask requester to specify XXX (three or four) words the fic needs to be based around, or a scenario, or a theme
Please feel free to comment on anything and everything. Like an idea? Hate one? Think we're on to something, but have a different slant? TELL US! Let's brainstorm and secure the future of Slashy Santa, and ensure that everyone has fun, with a minimum of stress. Any and all suggestions will be considered. The only stupid ideas are the ones that remain unspoken. The idea you think will *never* work might just spur a new idea from someone else, and will be the perfect solution.
Thank you in advance!
EDIT: As suggestions are made in the threads, I'll add them to this main post so I don't forget any. I'd like to keep all the possibilities in once place to later simplify the polling process. Any points added after the original post will be marked in bold blue text and should not be construed as being any more or less likely for consideration than the others. I just think the blue is pretty. *grin*
Fim~
Most of you are probably aware of the challenges that occurred during the Slashy Santa exchange, as well as the Mistletoe in May swap. The Slashy Santa team took every measure possible to ensure that this didn't happen - we asked participants to confirm their signups, confirm the receipt of their assignments, and sent three separate reminders, yet at the end, there were still a considerable number of dropouts and MIAs. To clarify, this has nothing to do with the people who asked for extensions - those people remained in communication with us and ultimately delivered the finished product. Our concerns are with the people we simply never heard from again, after they received the assignment.
As one person so aptly stated, sending multiple reminders isn't the solution, because the problem isn't about forgetting. The issue is responsibility and accountability, namely the lack of, that sadly, some people have, as proven by the mad scramble we faced during both the MiM and 2006 SS.
Clearly, something has to change.
We're actively soliciting your input. You, the swap participants, fiction readers, lurkers, betas, and fellow swap owners, have the dedication and creativity we need to help us come up with a solution.
What we will do now is communicate some of the suggestions and comments we've received and open the forum to discussion. In a couple weeks, once we've had the opportunity to hash over all the options, we'd like to put the future of the swap up to vote. We'll open up a poll and let the participants help us decide how to proceed.
Everything at this point is open for discussion - nothing has been decided except that the Slashy Santa exchanges WILL continue!
The suggestions are, in no particular order, and with no bias:
Fiction assignments:
- Keep things the way they are (admins match request to recipient)
- 'draw straws' - throw all the requests in a virtual hat, assign a number to each participant, and let each author pick in order, 1 through xx. Negotiations could be allowed - if you pick something you don't like, you can swap with someone who has a higher number, e.g. someone who has NOT drawn their assignment yet. (There is a name for a secret santa exchange similar to this, something like White Elephant or Progressive, but exactly how it works escapes me.)
- Same idea as drawing straws, but authors are free to negotiate among themselves if they wish to change assignments.
- Solicit fiction requests and the admins post them anonymously at a predetermined date and time. Then, "if you want them, come and claim them." *grin* First come, first served to grab what you want to write.
- Randomly assign a number, 1-x, to each author and send each in turn two or three requests that the admins have determined would fit their requirements.
Participation:
- Contact a reserve group of writers whose sole purpose is to come up with emergency stories, in exchange offering an incentive such as an LJ gift certificate or artwork.
- Make the swap "by invitation only". Inviting only 'proven' participants and active members of the fandom will hopefully eliminate the no-shows.
- For new participants, institute a 'trial swap' in which the unknown participant must successfully fulfill a drabble exchange before being allowed to sign up for a full-length story exchange.
- Open registration, but require new participants (someone unknown to the admins) to be 'sponsored' or vouched for by a known affiliate of the exchange (a mod/admin, current participant, or active fandom member). Point of clarification - "new participant" in this case means someone whose name is completely unknown to anyone affiliated with the exchange, not someone who reads and participates in a group or LJ as a reader/commenter, but has never actually participated in a swap before. Sorry for the confusion.
- Publish a chart of authors on the forum rather than keeping the participants secret, on the theory that people will be less likely to non-perform if everyone is aware of who the players are. Post progress reports as assignments are received, and mark those requests still outstanding.
- Post a "Wall of Shame" of past participants who did not turn in a story.
- Set milestones by which time a rough plot/theme must be submitted, and then thirty days (or another interval) before the deadline, a progress report received, or the story is reassigned to a standby group
Forum:
- Continue to use the Slashy Santa website http://www.geocities.com/slashysanta/
- Move to LiveJournal
- Create a Yahoo! Group for Slashy Santa. Participants will be required to join the group in order to play.
- Participants self-load their fiction to the LiveJournal or Yahoo! group on the release day. It's then up to the recipients to claim their own stories.
- Participants send their work to the admins, who will upload to the LiveJournal or Yahoo! group on the release day.
- Fiction is submitted to and posted by moderator on website/LJ/Yahoo! Group, and authors' identities are revealed a week later.
Content:
- Keep the story length (1,200 word minimum) and restrictions the same (no change)
- Add a genre (Real Person Slash, Mary Sue, songfic, drabbles, etc.). (Note: Het will NOT will be considered, as the charming Ms. Zhie already runs an affiliate het swap, and there's no sense in being redundant)
- Add a fandom (Wraeththu? Queer as Folk? any others?)
- Eliminate a fandom (There is a good possibility that Anita Blake will be dropped from future swaps due to lack of interest, but if you feel strongly otherwise, please make your feelings known)
- Refine signup form to separate "what I will/will not read" from the "what I will/will not write"
- Ask requester to specify XXX (three or four) words the fic needs to be based around, or a scenario, or a theme
Please feel free to comment on anything and everything. Like an idea? Hate one? Think we're on to something, but have a different slant? TELL US! Let's brainstorm and secure the future of Slashy Santa, and ensure that everyone has fun, with a minimum of stress. Any and all suggestions will be considered. The only stupid ideas are the ones that remain unspoken. The idea you think will *never* work might just spur a new idea from someone else, and will be the perfect solution.
Thank you in advance!
EDIT: As suggestions are made in the threads, I'll add them to this main post so I don't forget any. I'd like to keep all the possibilities in once place to later simplify the polling process. Any points added after the original post will be marked in bold blue text and should not be construed as being any more or less likely for consideration than the others. I just think the blue is pretty. *grin*
Fim~
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no subject
Date: 2007-02-01 07:06 pm (UTC)Assignments: keep it the way it is now. Admin assign. Drawing straws will only complicate things further.
Participation: The 2006 Swap was my first time ever to post anything on the net and I enjoyed it very much. If you had asked for a sponsor, I would have had a big problem. I think that something like a trail might be a good way to find out if someone will indeed post, but indeed ask for a drabble only, more might be to much for starting writers.
I know because my muses sure took a long holiday after the exchange ;)
Keeping writers as extras sounds like a good idea, but it would be less fun, especially for them.
Forum: Don't change the site. Creating a Yahoo group sounds like a good idea though.
Content: I would not add a genre or fandom, because it will only be harder to pair the participants if you do.
no subject
Date: 2007-02-02 10:22 pm (UTC)The drabble challenge was a concern of mine, too. It takes four months, give or take, to put a swap together. Adding a drabble "test" would only add to the interval.
As I mentioned, these are only suggestions. We'll evaluate the pros and cons, and then make our decision.
Thank you again for your insight!
no subject
Date: 2007-02-01 07:06 pm (UTC)I'm not sure though, if any changes might eliminate the problems.
Now to the points of discussion:
Fiction assignments:
Things as they are are probably working quite well.
Another suggestion could be publishing the requests and let the participants 'claim' them - first to come, first to get it (and you would probably have some emergency writer in the following ones at the same time in case the original one drops), then sign it as 'claimed'. If there is a request not being claimed after a certain period, maybe the requester can modify it a bit. It is a bit more writer friendly, though the chances are that there might be requests not being claimed which is not a good solution as I admit. Don't know if this would be going to be too much work, but I would be willing to help.
Participation:
Maybe it would be good to have a group of emergency writers or maybe you could post such an emergency open to all writers, if there had been no response from the original writer after a certain amount of time/messages.
As for the restrictions for new writers, I'm not very fond of them, considering that I was a new participant last time as well, and I doubt I would have taken up the challenge, if I had to write more stuff just to be allowed in - the bigger the hurdle the less participants, I would guess, and I'm not sure if that's what you want.
If someone would be vouching for a newbie, it would put that person in a bad position, if the new writer vouched for wouldn't respond, so I don't like that idea either, sorry. Don't know if participating rules will solve the problems of missing stories.
Just to be curious - how many of the missed outs were new writers? All?
Forum:
I would say go with what is most comfortable for you. I liked it that it was posted both at the website and LJ. LJ is for other LJ'ers more attractive to comment on, I guess, but there are several writers who don't have an LJ and might feel a little bit put out if it would move to there - don't know.
I think that the self-loading on LJ was working for most part - if a story wasn't there you could always go to the website. Don't know if it is too much work for you to have both, but as I said, I'm willing to help.
Content:
Would like to have some polls here - about length, restrictions, genre and fandom adding or eliminating - I guess there are various opinions about it.
Don't know what length would be good, but I think it should be a range for the minimum as I don't think 50 words more or less make it better on such a minimum as 1200 words, but maybe I'm wrong here.
I find the idea of adding fandom very attractive ( though I only write LotR so far) because that would ensure the future of the challenge I think - it is more flexible then.
Okay, that's it for now. Hope it makes sense.
*hugs*
no subject
Date: 2007-02-01 07:46 pm (UTC)Fic assignments - I would prefer either that admins match request and writer, OR that requests are posted anonymously, and writers pick the one they wish to write (with a Yahoo database this can be instant. Not sure about other forums). I wouldn't want the 'draw straws' alternative where a writer might get an assignment they'd hate.
Participation - I'm not sure how to combat the 'no shows'. I think a few writers prepared to fill in the gaps would be great - and I'd be prepared to be one, though the result might not be a perfect match. I took part in a swap on another site last year, and never did get my exchange story.
Forum - no preferences.
Content - I only read/write in LOTR, so have no comment on other fandoms being added/dropped. Drabbles could be fun though.
Overall, I think the system is pretty good already, but I'm not sure how to deal with those writers who promise faithfully to deliver, but don't - apart from banning them from future participation.
Jay
no subject
Date: 2007-02-01 09:04 pm (UTC)Assignments
I like having a request assigned to me as opposed to picking one for myself - it seems to work better that way as it's actually a challenge that requires thinking and planning, and contributes to the quality of the fic. It is complicated for you, I know, but overall I think it is the better way to organise things, when compared to a publicly random method, or asking authors to select from requests. It also doesn't rely on authors all being online at the same/similar time, and so someone who only has weekly access or something won't hold up the queue or be stuck with a request they can't write.
Participation
I suspect that adding barriers to registration may discourage new participants, and might get you a reputation as 'elitist'.
What might work is having a group of proven authors on standby, and if someone defaults and doesn't request an extension, requests get automatically passed on to someone in that group, rather than chasing the author for a progress report. It would mean having a diverse group of authors, so that all the requests could be covered - not everyone is willing to try out a new character on short notice.
Forum
A Yahoo!Group would need to be active all year round and/or monitored in case of spam - I've been noticing that after a couple of months of inactivity in ones I am/was a part of, the spambots seem to appear. I like the idea of having it all on the site, but again, it's a lot of work for you.
Another thing I thought of is that LJ and it's comment system generally makes it easier for a reader to leave a comment/feedback, and means that author's email addresses don't have to be posted with the fic, as they can track the entry or visit regularly to read their feedback.
Content
Story length and restrictions are fine the way they are, I think, but requests could be done in a different format - perhaps separating the "what i will/will not read" from the "what i will/will not write" to make the differences clearer for the person who is assigned that request, or asking the requester to specify three words the fic needs to be based around, or a scenario, or a theme.
I don't think adding RPS will help much - there are many many RPS exchanges around, both general and pairing-specific, and because RPS seems to attract more people the exchange may well end up too large to handle. Perhaps adding art as a possibility might work, although there would possibly be an imbalance of people asking for/requesting art.
no subject
Date: 2007-02-01 09:46 pm (UTC)I still think that the matches might be better. So how about sending the requests (anonymously) to each writer and they have to pick two or three, so that it isn't dependend to be online? There still might be some requests which don't get a claim, but then it seems that those are difficult for everyone to write, no matter whether being assigned to or not.
It's not that I'm uncomfortable with the system as it is, but I think it might improve the stories if you think to have just some ideas for specific requests.
no subject
Date: 2007-02-01 10:40 pm (UTC)Assignments:
Draw straws --- everyone has pairings, ratings, situations they won't write, and negotiating to find a better 'fit' would be time consuming and a total pain... I think the drop out rate might actually increase. I probably wouldn't participate.
Posting requests and letting people claim the one that appeals - the 'popular' ones will go in a day, Saruman/Grima will sit forever. Plus writer A will give request details to her friend writer B so she gets to write it, which removes the whole point from things. And you KNOW that would happen.
Current method, whereby you match writer and recipient, get whimpered at and harassed? Hey, it challenges the writer - as opposed to picking what looks like the easy option - and it still works the best.
Participation.
Ban anyone who has failed to complete a previous assignment. Publish the names all over livejournal of anyone who defaults on future swaps.
Participation by invitation feels elitist and precious and isn't going to bring in new writers. I'd be in favour of new writers being sponsored but of course that's easy for me to say - I've done several of these.
It's easier to drop out of something when hardly anyone knows you were involved in the first place. How about a chart with the names of all participants? No reason we shouldn't be named, is there? As assignments come in they could be marked off on the chart and then five days before the deadline you could put some kind of nasty, blinking red light next to the names of those who were still outstanding but hadn't yet asked for an extension. Or something along those lines.
Forum:
I actually love the excitement of checking the website to see if the stories have been loaded yet, and going down the list and seeing who wrote what for who. If it becomes a self load affair it won't be the same at all - plus there will always be a few people who just don't bother - or 'forget' - to post their work. However I did most of my Slashy Santa reading on livejournal, both for the convenience and because there were stories I wanted to comment on without necessarily emailing the author. I hate Yahoo and the feeling is mutual, though I'm probably in a minority.
Content:
Adding a genre would be interesting (oh no, not songfic..... ) It would depend on the interest level - not sure I'd be signing up for a drabble. I think it would be better to keep it FPS - RPS has its own challenges and swaps. Other fandoms are a possibility but there are venues for multi-fandom swaps and if one or more of the larger ones were involved it would change the atmosphere totally - this needs to remain a primarily LotR swap. Maybe one or two small fandoms? Good Omens is fun.
And I agree with koulagirl666 - what I'll write and what I'll read are not the same. It'd be great if the application could reflect that.
~Kei
If I may....
Date: 2007-02-01 11:57 pm (UTC)Maybe after assignments are handed out and accepted, there should be a certain time frame (3 weeks?), by which a rough plot idea/ outline bunny has to be submitted (of course, they don't have to STICK with said plot, or keep to it exactly, but there should be some evidence that some thought has been done). If they have not been able to do so, offer some kind of counseling/ brainstorming session (maybe have a separate bunch, like the betas, who are available for brainstorming. This will also limit the possibility of participants accidentally brainstorming with the fic's recipient).
After that, maybe there could be further evidence required that the fic is being worked on. I don't necessarily want to say "you have to reach a certain word limit by THIS date," but it WOULD cut back on the number of last minute drop outs.
People failing to reach said benchmarks so many times without negotiations, should probably then have their stories reassigned to that lovely group of standby writers you mentioned earlier.
Maybe some people will complain at how the swap "isn't as fun," and I agree that the idea of the swap is to have fun, but at some point, having fun has to give way to taking responsibility for the commitment taken on.
Just an idea,
~~Nui
no subject
Date: 2007-02-02 01:36 am (UTC)Assignments: I really like the way things are done now.
Participation: I think a reserve group of authors to write any missing stories is a great idea.
To address missing authors: I think that a date should be set (ie. a month before fics are due) and all participants must respond to an email or their assignments will be automatically reassigned to a reserve author. That way no one will be without their requested fic come posting day. The only problem with that is the "missing" author would still be getting their request written, but I don't see a way around that.
Forum: I love the site as is and I enjoyed LJ this year. It made commenting easier. I read the stories that were posted on LJ and am still reading the ones at the site that were never posted to LJ.
Content: I have no problem with adding other fandoms. I myself love Wraeththu but it would only be fun if there were alot of participation.
I think the story length requirements are good as they are now.
I appreciate you taking the time to ask for ideas.
*hugs*
Tena
no subject
Date: 2007-02-02 02:48 am (UTC)Participation: Just because someone can write a drabble, doesn't mean they can write a story. (Or maybe they can write a story, but not a drabble or get 'test' anxiety). I think having some trusted backup authors in a pool is good. Move the final confirmation date up a week or so...if you don't have a story or a story start by say, 2 weeks before the deadline, start lining up a back up. (The authors could just send in a title page and a paragraph or two to show they've started?)
To those that wimp out. PUBLIC HUMILIATION. Seriously. Don't keep their names secret. Put them on a public blacklist. (Only for the ones who disappear or lead you on til the last day, then duck out--unless they have a really really good reason, which would be at the admins' discretion.)
The yahoo list is ...okay, but I like the website and LJ better. Maybe the admins could save themselves some hassle if they did the website, then posted for each author in the LJ. (Like...Fim posts my story with the Title, author and recipient in the subject line, then instead of the story, just a link to the story on the website.) That way, people without LJs get posted in one spot, and if others are like me, I like to read on LJ better than other places. Plus, tag or use memories and you have a back up of the website.
Content: 1200 words seems common, maybe switch the fandoms from year to year? (Keep lotr as the constant, then try qaf or another in may and something else in dec?)
no subject
Date: 2007-02-02 02:54 am (UTC)I think having several emergency writers is a great idea...I myself have done this at least once and really don't mind it at all.
Maybe recruit some more helpers for yourself and whoever runs the swap too? I know it must be tons of work!
no subject
Date: 2007-02-02 02:55 am (UTC)~Kei.
no subject
Date: 2007-03-06 05:30 pm (UTC)but you, who will, of course, piss and moan about your assignment but ultimately turn in an incredibly beautiful finished product*grin*.no subject
Date: 2007-03-06 09:06 pm (UTC)Hi Fim!
Date: 2007-02-02 11:10 am (UTC)Fiction Assignments - Personally, I like the way it is now with the mods "assigning" a story, etc. You've all proven most trustworthy at matching author and & request and I don't really see a need to change that. Even though I like the idea of "claiming" a prompt (for the lack of a better word), I do think it presents a few probs as others have mentioned - i.e., "Who gets there first?" and the ability to "know" who wrote it, by the wording, - there's a chance that some may even serruptiously "arrange" to have someone they know claim their's. I think this part is good the way it is.
Participation - Ah - here is the "crux" of the problem, isn't it? I went back and looked at all the stories presented just this morning, just to see if this idea might work - and I think it could. All but 10 stories had a Beta.
And many of those 10 were known to us (you). Might I suggest that when "signing up", peeps are also asked for their Beta's name and email addy. That way, you might have another person you could contact for poking/prodding purposes. I don't think it's a bad idea to post a list of "participants" as they sign up. At least then, they would have public acknowledgement of their participation and others would see. And I don't disagree with those who noted "public" outing of those who didn't play fair & of course, banned from future participation. There is something to be said for public shame.
I do not agree with those who posited "benchmarks" - at least, I know, I'd probably resent it. But maybe for newbies. I dunno. I think I'd be upset by having to submit things like "make-work" outlines and such while I could be actually writing the darn thing.
(I'm afraid LJ will cut me off, so I'm going to close this post and continue on another one...)
Re: Hi Fim!
Date: 2007-02-02 05:40 pm (UTC)~Kei
Continued...
Date: 2007-02-02 11:32 am (UTC)BUT - I do know how intimidating LJ can be for those who do not know/use it regularly. Might I suggest that you keep the website, but use LJ for posting and then just put links to the (LJ posted) stories at the website. Perhaps that will even entice some who don't use LJ to see it and maybe begin playing here. Please. Not Yahoo, in any case.
Content - Not at all unhappy with the way things are. I probably wouldn't suggest "adding" a fandom, esp. since most already have their own challenges/secret santas, etc., though I do honestly think the idea that writing in a different fandom. here, amongst friends, might be fun. I have been kinda itching to write a B/J fic, but really, really, don't want to do it within the QAF fandom itself - not because they are not nice peeps, but I can barely "keep up" with LOTR much less add friends by the thousands in another fandom. Maybe a fun, random "add-on" though, for those who might be interested. I do love the QAF "challenges" and the way they are run around a "theme", but really, it's a different kettle of fish from a secret santa type of exchange. Am kindof intrigued by the idea, noted by someone here, of rotating different fandoms down the line as an add-on. I might even be enticed to write two! An LOTR and a QAF, for example.
I hope some of the suggestions, along with a lot of the others here can help to make things a little less difficult for you and your "elves." And again, I offer my services to help out in any way that I possibly can.
E
no subject
Date: 2007-02-02 09:14 pm (UTC)For those who let everyone down at the last minute or do not respond to repeated requests to get their work in: 1. Naming and shaming is a good idea, 2. ban them from future exchanges so they can't do it again. I realise that there will always be exceptions and so it is at the discretion of the poeple who are running the exchange.
Listing participants who accept requests and post submissions back in table form could work. It might act as a spur.
I agree with all of what keiliss has written but thought i would add a bit of my own. Thankyou for running the exchange - as a first time participant I enjoyed it and found it easy to do and my request was very well matched to what i could write. It must have been hard work for all of you though.
no subject
Date: 2007-02-04 03:44 am (UTC)The one thing I do have a big concern with is the addition of any big fandom. (like QAF - a small fandom like Anita Blake is fine) If you added something the size and expected participation that a QAF Secret Santa Swap would have, I believe it would might overwhelm the LOTR side of it, which is I believe the main point of this? The swap unites us and adding severely conflicting interests would be more dividing than helpful.
I would not join the yahoo group unless I absolutely had to in order to participate, either, but that falls to personal preference more than any real reason, I guess?
I would also agree with the votes for blacklisting and banning writers who have failed to turn in assignments without a good cause (up to the mods). Maybe should they desire to try again later a recommendation is required?
That being said, I love the swap as it is already (the way the requests are handled in particular, the word limit, etc) even though I spend 99.999999% of the time I have the assignment cursing it, LOL. I greatly appreciate the effort that you guys put into this to make it work.
Cheers,
Red
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Date: 2007-02-04 12:13 pm (UTC)Seriously, I do love the swap the vast majority of the time. It's a benefit to the fandom, in fiction, challenge, and cohesiveness. There's nothing like commisserating over writing a story for bringing a group of people together. ;)
Thanks for your input, Red. We'll be talking it over in the next couple weeks and then let you all know what we've decided. I hope you'll be participating in future exchanges!
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Date: 2007-02-04 06:54 am (UTC)Around about autumn sometime, there will be some sort of a pre-swap fic event. If someone has interest in the swap fic, they must partake in the pre-swap event (which will be a drabble/ficlet/if you really want to write something longer go ahead but the het swap thing is limited to 2-5 thousand words anyhow) and complete something for it.
Previous successful participants of the swap are allowed to join up again without going through the pre-swap event. People can do the pre-swap who have no intention of doing the real swap. However, the beta participants aren't held to that; they get to play whether they've done one before or not (so far, knock on wood, we've never had trouble with a beta not fulfilling their duties).
We're going to make it a much, much earlier deadline for stories to be submitted. Something like, December 1st. So that those who need to be reserve writers have time to do it, and so people aren't rushing to finish their fics while they're wrapping presents or baking that last batch of Christmas cookies or feeding reindeer or calling 911 because some fat guy in a red suit is stuck in the chimney or whatever it is people end up doing while rushing through their fics at the last minute.
So... question on the above... would regular writers still get to be in the reserve writers pool, or would they need to choose one or the other?
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Date: 2007-02-04 12:21 pm (UTC)Good question, Zhie. I suppose it would be up to the writer. Some folks write so quickly *koff*Zhie*koff* that it wouldn't be a trial for them to participate *and* be on stand-by. The signup questionnaire could be revised to indicate a choice, particpant, reserve, or both.
This past year we did move up submission deadline by a week or two. Remember, the 2006 swap was the first one *this* group owned it, and we didn't want to change a bunch of rules quite yet. And the MiM swap went together so quickly on the heels of the near-disastrous 2005 swap that we didn't have *time* to change anything.
Thanks for your input, Zhie. We'll be talking it over and putting some points out to vote in the next couple weeks.
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Date: 2007-02-05 08:18 am (UTC)How many no-shows do you have per swap? I think the best way to handle them would be to post a list of the writers, like so many have already suggested, and to update the list as stories come in. And ban anyone who failed to submit. I don't like the idea of having to show your progress for example a month before the deadline. I'd always fail. Nothing inspires like last minute panic! Perhaps a check email? If there's no answer, then you'd give the assignment to someone else. I might be available for a position as a back-up writer. Unless I decide to participate this time. I know I promised to never again do that, but who knows, right?
I wouldn't add a fandom, but then again I wouldn't write anything else than
ThranduilLotR.I like the website. I like LJ more, because of the ease of commenting. It seems that to some people writing email to thank for a story is too much. *grins*
The story length is good. Most posted stories are longer, but seeing a 3k word limit would be scary. Way too scary.
A name suggestion: Jingle Bells in June :D Or July.