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I feel like a story should be complete before it's submitted to the challenge

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I feel like as long as the story is at least 2/3 done it is fine to submit

6 (100%)

Total Members Voted: 6

[mare]

Now that this summer's reading challenge is winding down, I thought I'd start this thread as a place where you can post suggestions or comments on how things have gone this year and past years. I am also doing this so I remember the new rules I will be implementing based on the last few years of doing this and seeing some of the things I've seen so far.

Some new rules starting in 2015:

~ You can only submit a collaboration if all writers are participating in the challenge.  The story can be submitted by both people and it can be read by two different people but I think it's fair. Otherwise, it can be an awkward situation for the person reading it. And you never know if the other person who wrote it would want it to be read for a challenge.

~ When you volunteer to participate in the challenge, before I allow you to submit stories you need to meet the following guidelines:
-Under your username where it says reviews, you must have at least 200 there, unless you are a newer member (less than two years) then I will allow 100.
- I will check to see if you respond to the reviews that you receive, if you don't then this challenge is not for you.

~Before I allow a story, I will actually click on the first chapter and if it's laced with a ton of grammatical errors, I will not allow it as part of the challenge unless it's fixed.

The one thing I am trying to get rid of, is the element of feeling like something is homework or just not reciprocal. When a story is full of errors it becomes more of a chore for the person reading it and could be pretty awkward if that person isn't accustomed to giving concrit. In turn, no one gets anything out of the challenge. Same on the opposite end, if you happen to have someone reading your story who doesn't give concrit and isn't the best at reviewing or responding, it becomes very one sided.

I would prefer only a handful of people who take this seriously than a ton of people who don't.

So, there ya go, any other thoughts and suggestions would be great! Even if you aren't participating this year but have in the past and plan on it in the future, I'd love to hear from you!

[Carter]

I bette get busy at editing and grammar lol. I know i have such a hard time with it.

But all the rules for next year seem fair if i feel i cannot improve i will read instead. I enjoyed the challenge very much this yesr and it was my first year as well.

[mare]

Aww, well you can ask people for help (including me) I'd always be glad to help anyone as long as I have the time and I see people are willing to try. Sometimes all we need is an extra pair of eyes on something.

[Carter]

I have been doing a lot of research and taking quizzes and stuff online to improve. This challenge has really helped me and opened my eyes about writing how i used too. I loved it.

[Rose]

I think it's fair. It's really frustrating and a little like depressing to have someone reading your story for this challenge and just stop before they even finish. Cause then you're like okay, what happened? And while yes you might know better your first thought is still if it was the story itself LOL.

And I do feel a firm grasp of at least grammatical skills should be necessary. I mean yes I want to give concrit but if I was put in that situation it'd almost feel like rewriting it for them and that would be pure homework LOL.

As for collaborations, I don't know. I mean in my case Julie knew I was submitting Undead and was totally cool with it. If I wasn't responding to reviews for both hers and my chapters, she would've responded to the ones for chapters she wrote.

[FrickingKaos]

I think this was already a rule but people should leave feedback that is more than "I love it"  or  "great job"   

I know some people might be shy but I think part of the challenge is leaving feedback just as much as it is to read something you normal wouldn't, at least for me it is anyway.

[RokofAges75]

I agree!

I think all of the suggested rules make a lot of sense.

[mare]

I think this was already a rule but people should leave feedback that is more than "I love it"  or  "great job"   

I know some people might be shy but I think part of the challenge is leaving feedback just as much as it is to read something you normal wouldn't, at least for me it is anyway.

Yup, that was one of the rules & always has been. No one gets anything out of the one or two word reviews. Outside of this challenge it's fine & a sign of saying "hello, I'm here & reading!" But for the actual challenge there should be more going on besides that. One chapter okay but not more. It once again comes down to the reciprocal experience which is the most important part of this thing since most of us do this to use as a motivator to write.

[FrickingKaos]

I hope I dont come off as jerkish but I agree with Mare.  Reviews like that are nice  but I enjoy feedback where the reason gives a little detail rather than good job or I didnt like it. I am nosey and want to know why I did a good job or even a bad job too lol if that makes any sense.

[mare]

I hope I dont come off as jerkish but I agree with Mare.  Reviews like that are nice  but I enjoy feedback where the reason gives a little detail rather than good job or I didnt like it. I am nosey and want to know why I did a good job or even a bad job too lol if that makes any sense.

I'm always tempted to ask "what did you love about it?" Or "what was so great?"

I do that to my students all the time when they tell me they like a song. "What is it about the song you like?"

They hate when I do that. I never accept the "I don't know...I just do" answer lol

[mare]

I ask them can I say that if I ever fail you? "I don't know..I just did!"

[Rose]

What I like about this is even if you're not getting concrit I love the comments on little things throughout the story. Sometimes if it's been awhile it's easy to forget just what the heck you wrote in there LOL. That's happened to me with both WOOMD and RMTW in this challenge, but in a good way.

"good job" or "I like this" just feels lazy. Not to sound like an asshole lol. I love all reviews in a normal circumstances. But in  challenge there should be more. I want to see thoughts as people are reading it.

[mare]

It does come off as lazy.

I feel the same way. I love reading random comments & then having to go back & read the referenced chapter. It's another reason why I like to submit at least one really old story per challenge. It's also nice to see how much you've grown.

[julilly]

As for collaborations, I don't know. I mean in my case Julie knew I was submitting Undead and was totally cool with it. If I wasn't responding to reviews for both hers and my chapters, she would've responded to the ones for chapters she wrote.

Therein lies the problem. If the coauthor is not participating in the challenge but still accepting and responding to feedback...the person doing the challenge gets the work while the coauthor gets the glory. If they aren't participating, why should they be rewarded by having a person required to read and give quality feedback on their writing? Then, the person tasked with responding to that feedback is now off the hook for half the story.

[FrickingKaos]

rose pretty much hit the nail on the head with that comment. That is what I meant. The one to three word sentances that make me wonder what it was about the chapter, or what the heck the person was talking about. I dont mind going back to read but if I am doing that for every chapter, it kinda isnt fair in a way to me as a writer.