InsaneJournal

Tweak says, "BLUE PILL"

Britin (_alicesprings) wrote in qaf_challenges,
@ 2009-11-03 11:01:00

Entry tags:

poll

TICKY TICKY!
Please take a moment to fill out this unscientific poll, which may have some bearing on the future of qaf_challenges. Or you know, not.

Poll #4543
Open to: All, results viewable to: All

Would you prefer to have all challenge entries posted in one place only?

View Answers

Yes - IJ
5 (13.5%)

Yes - LJ
3 (8.1%)

No, keep posting in both places
30 (81.1%)

Other - I will leave a comment
0 (0.0%)

Would you like to see more challenges incorporating graphics?

View Answers

Yes
10 (29.4%)

No, I just want fic
8 (23.5%)

Yes, and vids too
17 (50.0%)

Would you like a repeat of past themes?

View Answers

Yes
30 (90.9%)

No. I want new themes only
3 (9.1%)

Would you like to have a team challenge, with 2 or more participants tackling each theme?

View Answers

Yes
29 (87.9%)

No
4 (12.1%)

Do you leave comments on entries? Why?

View Answers

No, hardly ever
4 (11.4%)

Yes, on all of them
12 (34.3%)

Yes, just on the ones I like
20 (57.1%)

Would you like to post your own entries?

View Answers

No, I like the anonymity aspect
20 (69.0%)

Yes, I don't care about the anonymity aspect
6 (20.7%)

Other - I will comment
3 (10.3%)

There is usually about 4-5 weeks given to participants before entries are due.

View Answers

That is long enough
31 (100.0%)

That is too long. I want shorter deadlines
0 (0.0%)

Readers, would you prefer to keep the challenges anonymous?

View Answers

Yes
31 (93.9%)

No, that way I can just read fics from writers I know and ignore the others!
2 (6.1%)

Your fave challenge so far, and why?

View Answers

Dare Challenge
6 (16.7%)

Hurt/Comfort
15 (41.7%)

What If...
7 (19.4%)

Icon Challenge
4 (11.1%)

Icon Challenge With a Twist
6 (16.7%)

Justin Challenge
5 (13.9%)

Challenge in Two Parts
16 (44.4%)

Clusterfuck Challenge
13 (36.1%)

In Cars
5 (13.9%)

Small Things Made Large
12 (33.3%)

Christmas/New Year
7 (19.4%)

Second Chance Challenge
10 (27.8%)

Weather/Vacation
9 (25.0%)

(Read comments) - (Post a new comment)

flamencanyc
2009-11-03 02:22 am UTC (link)

A lot of these questions could have used an "I don't care either way" option.

Would you prefer to have all challenge entries posted in one place only?

I think these comms are one of the only things that keeps the LJ & IJ fandoms from being completely at odds with each other.

So whatever keeps them more united the better. I'm not sure if that's posting to both places, or posting to IJ only with pointers to IJ from LJ. But whichever you choose, I do think both places should at least have notices pointing to the fics, where ever they are posted.

Would you like to see more challenges incorporating graphics?

I don't really care, as I'm not really into the graphics, but if that's what inspires the writers the most, I say bring it on!

Would you like a repeat of past themes?

Sure, why not? But I don't care either way as long as people keep writing good fic. :)

Would you like to have a team challenge, with 2 or more participants tackling each theme?

Again, I don't care either way -- whatever inspires the writers.

Do you leave comments on entries? Why?

Yes, most of the time. On LJ & IJ anyway where it's easy. I admit I rarely do it on the archive sites or by emailing authors who post to websites.

I try to comment on all challenge fics I read, but I'll often not leave comments for non-challenge fics I don't like.

Would you like to post your own entries?

If I were an author, I'd want to do it myself, but as a reader, as long as they're posted correctly, with appropriate cuts etc. I don't care who does it.

There is usually about 4-5 weeks given to participants before entries are due.

Makes no nevermind to me how long is given. Whatever works for the authors and those running the challenges.

Readers, would you prefer to keep the challenges anonymous?

I don't care either way, whatever the authors want. But if they are anonymous, I'd like at least 2-3 weeks before the names are revealed so I have time to read them before the reveal. Otherwise the anonymous thing is more trouble than it's worth for me as a reader.

Your fave challenge so far, and why?

I've loved 'em all so far, though I haven't had a chance to get to any of the new ones from the recent challenge yet. Again, anything that inspires good writers to write good fic is great by me! And I think it's particularly fun when the challenges somehow inspire new ideas, new angles, things we haven't seen before, use of the whole gang in addition to B/J, etc. rather than more of the same.

Most importantly, many thanks to all the organizers of and participants in all these challenges for bringing us all so much great new fic!

(Reply to this) (Thread)

	flamencanyc 2009-11-03 02:25 am UTC (link)
	Oh, and I really have no interest in vids as responses to challenges -- there are so few out there that have ever really interested me, it's an effort wasted on me -- but if others do, by all means go for it! (Reply to this) (Parent)

_alicesprings
2009-11-03 03:29 am UTC (link)

A lot of these questions could have used an "I don't care either way" option.

I figured those who don't care very much wouldn't bother voting anyway. There's not much to be learned from someone ticking "I don't care".

I'm not sure if that's posting to both places, or posting to IJ only with pointers to IJ from LJ. But whichever you choose, I do think both places should at least have notices pointing to the fics, where ever they are posted.

There would be links to the fics posted at the other comm, just not the fics themselves, so as to save me time.

if they are anonymous, I'd like at least 2-3 weeks before the names are revealed so I have time to read them before the reveal.

I think readers would probably be all for that, but the authors not so much. I think we're all bursting to reveal ourselves and it's hard enough to wait five days. WRITERS! Who agrees/disagrees?

Thanks for your answers!

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

The Reveal

fansee
2009-11-03 03:56 am UTC (link)

As a writer, I have the hardest time not responding immediately to a great comment. Once I control myself, however, I'm willing to wait a bit, but NOT a couple of weeks! I could handle a week or ten days.

In my extensive experience, I find that most of the commenters respond within the first few days, except for

happier_bunny who turns up with wonderful comments as much as a month later. {{{{{

happier_bunny}}}}} Mostly, I think, the late readers got to the Cher-See LJ and read and comment there. FanSee

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

Re: The Reveal

flamencanyc
2009-11-03 04:34 am UTC (link)

I understand the urge to respond. But there's nothing wrong with responding immediately without posting immediately. Write it and save it. Post it later. That's what I do when I comment on fics I read offline, so the author still gets my honest, immediate reaction even if I don't get around to posting it until much later.

I often turn up with comments weeks, months, and even years later, and I've certainly seen others do the same. But I think that happens all the more with challenges where there are so many to read at once.

But whatever you all need to stay happy and keep writing...

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

Re: The Reveal

fansee
2009-11-03 04:56 am UTC (link)

I'm interested in your reaction, as a reader, to this scenario:

I write a fic. You comment eight days after I post, and your comment is the kind I fantacize about. You quote lines, your comments are insightful, your language is reverent. Three weeks later, comes The Reveal, and I finally get to fall on your bosom and thank you profusely. Syncophant that I am, I want my thank you to be properly grateful and (if possible) encourage you to read every word I ever wrote, including yesterday's grocery list. Do you find that the time lapse between your reading and my thank-you is going to weaken any connection that I might otherwise have cultivated? FanSee

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

Re: The Reveal

flamencanyc
2009-11-03 05:43 am UTC (link)

Absolutely not in the least.

I don't mind if I never get a thank you.

I am going to read more of what you write because I like your writing, not because you make nice to me in a reply to a comment on a fic.

In fact, I'd prefer writers spend their time writing more rather than bothering to reply to comments at all, unless of course the commenter has asked a question or started an active discussion that warrants a specific reply. I think it's a waste of time (not to mention bandwidth), that could be better spent writing, for you guys to have to go through dozens of comments saying thanks to everyone. I understand why people do it, but it's not necessary for me.

(Reply to this) (Parent)

	Re: The Reveal fun_demented 2009-11-03 05:31 pm UTC (link)
	No way. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	Re: The Reveal fansee 2009-11-03 05:53 pm UTC (link)
	Very reassuring, but I'm still not sure I want to wait a couple of weeks before the Reveal. As a writer, I'm pretty much into instant grat, but as a reader, I like having a chance to read with no preconceptions. A few more days would be helpful to me as a reader, but I usually don't need more than a week. FanSee (Reply to this) (Parent)

flamencanyc
2009-11-03 04:29 am UTC (link)

There's not much to be learned from someone ticking "I don't care".

I disagree. You learn how much a given question matters to your audience. I would react very differently to a poll result wherein 90% of respondents didn't mind either way than one where only 5% were happy with either result. In the former scenario, I'd be more inclined to just do what was convenient for me, whereas in the latter I'd be more inclined to go with the majority vote.

There would be links to the fics posted at the other comm, just not the fics themselves, so as to save me time.

Great. Then you should do that. As long as they're not locked and everyone's notified about them, I would hope no one would care too much about where they read them.

I think we're all bursting to reveal ourselves and it's hard enough to wait five days. WRITERS! Who agrees/disagrees?

I understand the urge to reveal in some, but if the whole reason many writers (especially newer ones) want to be anonymous to start with is to get unbiased feedback, you'd think they'd be willing to wait a bit so that they actually get said feedback before the reveal.

(Reply to this) (Parent)

fun_demented
2009-11-03 05:11 pm UTC (link)

As a reader, I like 5 days! I am bursting to find out! And 5 days is a short enough time that if a person doesn't think it's long enough to read them all while they're anonymous that person can wait it out til the reveal, without having to hold tight for too long? I think the people who are bursting with anticipation care the most about the length of time, so it makes sense to meet those needs rather than folks who are merely ideating a preference.

(Reply to this) (Parent)

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