Bringing Back Iron Pen

Trick · Feb 25, 2016

Steerpike said: ↑

Another option, to take some load off of judges, is that everyone who enters the challenge has to read and comment on the other entries, then vote via PM. That's the way I ran them on another site and it worked well.
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Does that mean the votes determine the winner absolutely or does the judge(s) still have final say? I'd hate to run into a popular/electoral vote conflict situation...

Steerpike · Feb 25, 2016

Trick said: ↑

Does that mean the votes determine the winner absolutely or does the judge(s) still have final say? I'd hate to run into a popular/electoral vote conflict situation...
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We just used the vote. Everyone submitted their choices for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place. Some forums also do it with a mechanism that makes the story posting anonymous.

Trick · Feb 25, 2016

Steerpike said: ↑

We just used the vote. Everyone submitted their choices for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place. Some forums also do it with a mechanism that makes the story posting anonymous.
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I like the idea but I think one thing that is missing is the judge feedback. To me, that is the most valuable part of the challenge. It's one thing to post in showcase and get some help. That's great but it doesn't have the same affect as the contest. First, we are made to write something sometimes outside our comfort zone, which is good. We are competing, making us do our very best. And then, our worst flaws stand out best and can be more easily spotted by the judge(s) and we get feedback that is very worthwhile.

Perhaps a combo of the two would work. There could be a popular winner and a judge winner. If one person gets both, they could get a special title or something.

Name possibilites:

The Write Race (with medals awarded for 1st, 2nd & 3rd)

Scribal Chief

Double Scribble (everyone competing could submit two 500-1000w stories into the same contest)

Mighty Writer

Quite Write (I'm a nerd)

Inkmancer

Steerpike · Feb 25, 2016

Trick,

As I mentioned, this format requires everyone to critique and comment. So instead of comments from one judge you get them from many.

Devor · Feb 25, 2016

Trick said: ↑

I like the idea but I think one thing that is missing is the judge feedback. To me, that is the most valuable part of the challenge. It's one thing to post in showcase and get some help. That's great but it doesn't have the same affect as the contest. First, we are made to write something sometimes outside our comfort zone, which is good. We are competing, making us do our very best. And then, our worst flaws stand out best and can be more easily spotted by the judge(s) and we get feedback that is very worthwhile.
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Yeah, I agree with this. I think switching to a vote might be something that works, if we have to, but I think it's ultimately a weaker challenge to drop having judges. The feedback, the rubric, it's all a pretty big part of the experience. I also don't think there would be enough people voting on each challenge to really gain any of the benefits of having a vote. In my experience, if there's only a small number of people voting, it can actually feel less fair.

ThinkerX · Feb 25, 2016

ThinkerX,
Even if we do something like rotating hosts for each submission period, would you be willing and available to run the contest overall & take the host role for any periods where a guest host is unavailable?
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I'm not exactly a globe trotting traveler (one short trip to the states last year), but summer is on the busier side for me and I have writing projects lined up for the NaNo months. For the NaNo months (April, June, November) I was either going to put the project on hold or try to find another host. Rest of the time I should be available.

- Pick the theme for a future challenge

- Have their card hosted in a winners thread

- Put their avatar in a cool frame to show off their victory

I think we could do all three. The winner could pitch in the details for a future prompt. We could start a winners-story thread (because some people just want to see and read the winners). And a custom winners' avatar frame wouldn't be too hard to come up with. If we can't get a resident artist to volunteer, we could commission one for maybe about $30.
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Could work. Have to give that some thought.

Another option, to take some load off of judges, is that everyone who enters the challenge has to read and comment on the other entries, then vote via PM. That's the way I ran them on another site and it worked well.
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We did something like this with one of Phil the Drill's challenges - or rather I thought the whole PM thing rather limited, so I did a critique of the other contestants stories, and everybody else followed suite. I'd make it a regular thread - possibly part of the judge thread, with non-contestant judges as well. This way, all of the aspiring authors get to know what others think of their tales.

Name possibilites:

The Write Race (with medals awarded for 1st, 2nd & 3rd)

Scribal Chief

Double Scribble (everyone competing could submit two 500-1000w stories into the same contest)

Mighty Writer

Quite Write (I'm a nerd)

Inkmancer
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'Inkmancer' has possibilities. Kind of ties in my mind with 'Top Scribe.'

Caged Maiden · Feb 26, 2016

I just want to say I LOVE the idea of having a special avatar border/ graphics for the winners. It'd be like a Nano halo! I mean...I wore mine with pride when I donated. I might have to change my signature to say: Will write for avatar halo...

Trick · Feb 26, 2016

Trick said: ↑

Name possibilites:

The Write Race (with medals awarded for 1st, 2nd & 3rd)
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I'm really glad that I mentioned the medals because I was making a play on "The Rat Race" without realizing that it sounded like 'the right race'.... of course, there is no such thing. For as many puns as the word 'race' has given us, maybe it's time for a contest of speed to be called something else... hehe

Penpilot · Feb 26, 2016

Some names for the challenge that came to mind.

The Cutting Quill.

Alphabet Cook Off.

Master Scribe.

Mythic Story Cook

The Summoning of Somewhat Unconventional Scriveners

Devor · Feb 26, 2016

The Internet's Next Top Scribe

Cutthroat Quills

Thinker's Scribal Games

Myth Impossible

ThinkerX's Big Scribble

The Great Scribal Race

Wonder of Words Challenge

Writtoff! with ThinkerX

I'm . . . . reading names off the Food Network. Still! Good names. Good names.

Steerpike · Feb 26, 2016

Top Scribes
Mythic Scribbles
You Wish You Were This Good

etc.

Ireth · Feb 26, 2016

Devor said: ↑

The Internet's Next Top Scribe

Cutthroat Quills

Thinker's Scribal Games

Myth Impossible

ThinkerX's Big Scribble

The Great Scribal Race

Wonder of Words Challenge

Writtoff! with ThinkerX

I'm . . . . reading names off the Food Network. Still! Good names. Good names.
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Don't forget Scribbled!

Chopped. Love that show.

ThinkerX · Feb 26, 2016

'Chopped' was Ankari's original title for 'Iron Pen.'

T.Allen.Smith · Feb 26, 2016

Someone before said, "Inkmancer".

I like that as a starting point. It fits well with the genre and is "writerly" at the same time.

Devor · Feb 27, 2016

T.Allen.Smith said: ↑

Someone before said, "Inkmancer".

I like that as a starting point. It fits well with the genre and is "writerly" at the same time.
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I don't know if any of these are any good, but here's a few with Inkmancer as a base:

The Inkmancer Challenge

Rise of the Inkmancer

The Inkmancer Writeoff

The Inkmancer Summoning

Culling of the Inkmancers

Spells of the Inkmancer

ThinkerX · Feb 27, 2016

Have to keep it short and snappy.

I almost went with 'Inkmancer.' I still might. After all, 'Iron Pen' was originally 'Chopped.'

Important thing is to get people writing.

T.Allen.Smith · Feb 27, 2016

ThinkerX said: ↑

Important thing is to get people writing.
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Agreed. /10char

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