Oh, are we getting on for that time of the year we love to hate again? Okay, first thoughts.
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.
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timeasmymeasure
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