Author Topic: Escape Pod flash contest - official discussion thread (Read 73014 times)

eytanz · **on:** July 18, 2012, 03:30:08 PM

This is the thread to post any general comments and queries about the contest, it's rules, or whatever. Please do not discuss individual entries here (once they become available), but anything else to do with the contest is fair game.

Unblinking · **Reply #1 on:** July 19, 2012, 01:33:24 PM

Yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaayyyy, very excited that this will be happening again.

I was also very pleased to see that the word count limit is 750 instead of 500. It's difficult to fit a story in 500, but 750 is much more feasible for me.

Bring it on!!

kibitzer · **Reply #2 on:** July 20, 2012, 03:11:36 AM

Err... is it permitted to ask about similar contests for PC and PP?

eytanz · **Reply #3 on:** July 20, 2012, 06:40:09 AM

Quote from: kibitzer on July 20, 2012, 03:11:36 AM

Err... is it permitted to ask about similar contests for PC and PP?

Well, we (the mods) have definitely discussed contests for all three podcasts. But as I said in the preamble to the contest, we felt that last time, with three back-to-back contests, a lot of people were definitely tiring out and voting and discussion were tapering off towards the end. Therefore, we will be spacing out contests more this time. The specific schedule isn't set in stone yet - it will depend on several factors, including when the mods are available, avoiding the holiday season, and seeing how long the EP contest lasts (which will depend on the number of submissions). So, there will almost certainly be contests for the other EA podcasts, but you'll have to wait for an official announcement.

kibitzer · **Reply #4 on:** July 22, 2012, 01:25:00 AM

Excellent, and you raise some good points there about contest fatigue. Thanks!

Unblinking · **Reply #5 on:** July 24, 2012, 04:01:37 PM

I'm sure that it's entirely too early for this to be important, but one suggestion that came rather late in the last round was the suggestion that the moderators should try to ensure that a single author's two stories should not be put together in the first round of voting--to cut down on self-competition.

I'm sure that kind of detail will depend on the level of participation, but I'm guessing there will be at least a similar number of participants for this one as last time, maybe more. Once this was suggested last team, it seemed like moderators could do it without much more effort than they were already putting in.

eytanz · **Reply #6 on:** July 24, 2012, 04:55:20 PM

I thought that it was already in place for the first round last time, but maybe I'm misremembering things.

The exact way the contest will be organised will depend a lot on the number of entries, and also on how many of them are double-entries, so I'm not going to say anything concrete on this for a while, but to the extent possible, avoiding self-competition is something I will strive for.

Unblinking · **Reply #7 on:** July 24, 2012, 06:05:43 PM

Quote from: eytanz on July 24, 2012, 04:55:20 PM

I thought that it was already in place for the first round last time, but maybe I'm misremembering things.

I think that was in place for the first round of the Escape Pod contest last time, but only because the suggestion had been brought up in either the Pseudopod or Podcastle contest that ran first.

Fenrix · **Reply #8 on:** July 25, 2012, 03:44:06 PM

Quote from: Unblinking on July 24, 2012, 06:05:43 PM

Quote from: eytanz on July 24, 2012, 04:55:20 PM
I thought that it was already in place for the first round last time, but maybe I'm misremembering things.

I think that was in place for the first round of the Escape Pod contest last time, but only because the suggestion had been brought up in either the Pseudopod or Podcastle contest that ran first.

I think it was also a method for splitting the stories in farther brackets so they didn't go head-to-head in round two if they both passed round one.

Gamercow · **Reply #9 on:** July 26, 2012, 05:35:55 PM

Looks like it is time for me to be the South Uzbekistani Olympic team. No talent, but tries hard, is happy just to be involved, and gives the ones with real talent an easy win.

Unblinking · **Reply #10 on:** July 26, 2012, 07:18:24 PM

Quote from: Gamercow on July 26, 2012, 05:35:55 PM

Looks like it is time for me to be the South Uzbekistani Olympic team. No talent, but tries hard, is happy just to be involved, and gives the ones with real talent an easy win.

You might be surprised. Crowd-voting may very well not pick the same kinds of stories you'd expect an editor to pick.

I'll be looking forward to the Podcastle contest. One of my writing milestones is to get published in all three EA casts, but I don't think I'll ever get past Ann Leckie. I did reasonably well in the last PC contest, though, so my only chance might be to try to write a crowd-voted story.

Portrait in Flesh · **Reply #11 on:** July 31, 2012, 04:00:34 AM

Well, butter my toast and spread the jam thick...I've been absent from the boards for a while (personal bugbears have been playing around in my mental crawlspace) and I come back to find Flash Contest III is coming up.

My SF fu is weak. Hopefully this time I can do better better with my stories.

::rubs extremely grimy paws with glee::

Chuk · **Reply #12 on:** July 31, 2012, 10:18:45 PM

I am looking forward to seeing what shows up this time around.

kibitzer · **Reply #13 on:** August 01, 2012, 03:08:07 AM

Quote from: Portrait in Flesh on July 31, 2012, 04:00:34 AM

::rubs extremely grimy paws with glee::

Welcome back! And the best of luck to you.

Scott W Baker · **Reply #14 on:** August 01, 2012, 05:07:37 AM

Woop-woop! I missed out on this last time. I am in. Flash is my friend.

Portrait in Flesh · **Reply #15 on:** August 01, 2012, 04:30:08 PM

Quote from: kibitzer on August 01, 2012, 03:08:07 AM

Quote from: Portrait in Flesh on July 31, 2012, 04:00:34 AM
::rubs extremely grimy paws with glee::

Welcome back! And the best of luck to you.

It's been difficult reclaiming my keyboard from my cat, but thanks.

MCWagner · **Reply #16 on:** August 05, 2012, 09:40:58 PM

Point of clarification since I ALWAYS hit the wordlimit and have to trim...

Does the 750 words include the title or just the body text?

(Also wanted to check if I still have the account tag I got last time around...)

eytanz · **Reply #17 on:** August 05, 2012, 09:53:44 PM

The 750 words includes the title, but not the byline.

Max e^{i pi} · **Reply #18 on:** August 06, 2012, 12:28:36 PM

I'm very excited about this!
But just a quick question: what exactly goes in the byline?

eytanz · **Reply #19 on:** August 06, 2012, 01:26:02 PM

Quote from: Max e^{i pi} on August 06, 2012, 12:28:36 PM

I'm very excited about this!
But just a quick question: what exactly goes in the byline?

"By XXX"

Since the entries will be judged anonymously, they won't actually contain bylines until after they are no longer in contention (but it's no problem if people put them in their submission emails)

Max e^{i pi} · **Reply #20 on:** August 07, 2012, 06:27:20 AM

OK.
And just to clarify:
There will be an entity of human-like intelligence reading the submissions emails, right?
Because you made it sound like it's all a bunch of carefully written automated scripts. And even the most carefully written scripts have bugs in them.

eytanz · **Reply #21 on:** August 07, 2012, 08:06:46 AM

Quote from: Max e^{i pi} on August 07, 2012, 06:27:20 AM

OK.
And just to clarify:
There will be an entity of human-like intelligence reading the submissions emails, right?
Because you made it sound like it's all a bunch of carefully written automated scripts. And even the most carefully written scripts have bugs in them.

I'll be reading all the submission emails; the only script I'm using is a gmail filter that makes sure that emails with the correct subjectline will be placed in the right email folder as opposed to the spam folder or whatnot. I don't want to take responsiblity for entries being lost when the author didn't follow the submission guidelines, especially not towards the end of the submission period when, if previous contests are an indication, the majority of the submissions will come in in a relatively short timespan.

eytanz · **Reply #22 on:** August 07, 2012, 12:19:52 PM

I should point out that I respond to all entries to confirm that they've been received. I don't do it right away, but if 3-4 days pass since you made a submission and you haven't received an email confirming it arrived, you may want to query (here or via email) about it.

Unblinking · **Reply #23 on:** August 07, 2012, 01:40:35 PM

Quote from: eytanz on August 07, 2012, 12:19:52 PM

I should point out that I respond to all entries to confirm that they've been received. I don't do it right away, but if 3-4 days pass since you made a submission and you haven't received an email confirming it arrived, you may want to query (here or via email) about it.

Got my confirmation! I'm glad you do that. A confirmation of receipt goes a long way toward easing minds--you know the story has made it to its destination so it's just a matter of waiting at that point.

Anarquistador · **Reply #24 on:** August 09, 2012, 08:03:45 PM

I have a question:

The regulations forbid submitting works that have been published previously. What about an original re-working of a previously-published work? I have an old one-act play from another life that I'm considering re-working into a short story, and that was published somewhere already.