Escape Pod flash contest - official discussion thread

[eytanz]

As this is my first flash contest, I am wondering whether comments already posted on the stories will be carried over to subsequent rounds.  The rules imply that new fora will be created each round, so that previous comments will not be immediately visible.  I can see pros and cons to first round comments being conforaneous with the later rounds, just wanted to make sure I understand the rules correctly. 

Previously, the whole thread was moved with a locked placeholder in prior rounds pointing to the redirected thread.

I plan to follow this model in this contest as well.

[Unblinking]

As this is my first flash contest, I am wondering whether comments already posted on the stories will be carried over to subsequent rounds.  The rules imply that new fora will be created each round, so that previous comments will not be immediately visible.  I can see pros and cons to first round comments being conforaneous with the later rounds, just wanted to make sure I understand the rules correctly. 

Previously, the whole thread was moved with a locked placeholder in prior rounds pointing to the redirected thread.

I plan to follow this model in this contest as well.

makes sense.  LAst time the next rounds were populated right away, but that was because they were just percolated up in pyramidal fashion.  I like the "random allocation without self-competition" used here better, and with the scheme, one has to wait to make the groups until all stories have been decided.

[julius blaze]

I know people are probably burned out, but the amount of feedback in the last crops of stories pales in comparison to the first groups.  We should all make an effort to comment about the stories constructively even if they get posted in the later groups, so that all the authors get some ideas of how their stories come across.

[Umbrageofsnow]

I know people are probably burned out, but the amount of feedback in the last crops of stories pales in comparison to the first groups.  We should all make an effort to comment about the stories constructively even if they get posted in the later groups, so that all the authors get some ideas of how their stories come across.

Hear, Hear!

I know I have some comments left to make, but I think I should point out that the lowest number of comments in Group #1 was 22, with one thread going up to 43. In Group # 10 there a story with just 2 comments, and three stories with just 3. Half the group may not clear 5 comments at this rate!

Group # 9 still has a 3, a 4 and only one story has cleared the 10 mark.

I'll be commenting on group 9 today or tonight, along with the rest of group 10.  Let's all make a push to help people out!

It seems like the people who were in the first 5 rounds or so won the commenting lottery, and the last 5 rounds got shafted.

[Unblinking]

I noticed that as I read the later groups, it took significantly more effort for me to think of something helpful.  I'm not sure if that was due to flash fatigue or real-life fatigue with life getting busy or what.  I did comment on every story but my own (that have been voted off already by now), but in the later groups my comments were shorter.

I've now read all the stories, and voted for all the preliminary groups before their deadlines.  Now the rest of it will be easier, since I'm caught up on reading and there's just voting left!

[Bill]

I started my own Google + circle of the authors after the reveal. Turns out they also share a lot of good stuff.

[DoWhileNot]

I noticed that as I read the later groups, it took significantly more effort for me to think of something helpful.  I'm not sure if that was due to flash fatigue or real-life fatigue with life getting busy or what.  I did comment on every story but my own (that have been voted off already by now), but in the later groups my comments were shorter.

I'm noticing the same thing with myself.  I think part of it is that stories with flaws tended to have similar flaws.  As a reviewer I found myself repeating the same things over and over.  It would be fun to take all of the critiques that have shown up here for stories and sort of boil them down to something like a primer of what to watch out for in a flash story.

[Max e^{i pi}]

Gah!
I find myself checking the polls a thousand times a day! VOTE FOR MY STORY PEOPLE!
Or don't, because then it will be over for me and I can relax.
Either way. 

[Unblinking]

Gah!
I find myself checking the polls a thousand times a day! VOTE FOR MY STORY PEOPLE!
Or don't, because then it will be over for me and I can relax.
Either way. 

The secret to relaxing in the contest is to have both of your stories appear in the first half of the initial round, and get voted off immediately.  It also helps if they are clear losers from the first day.  Ah, what a great strategy I have. 

[Father Beast]

Gah!
I find myself checking the polls a thousand times a day! VOTE FOR MY STORY PEOPLE!
Or don't, because then it will be over for me and I can relax.
Either way. 

The secret to relaxing in the contest is to have both of your stories appear in the first half of the initial round, and get voted off immediately.  It also helps if they are clear losers from the first day.  Ah, what a great strategy I have. 

Hmmnn.. That seemed to work for me as well. Well, I did have to wait for group nine for one of them, but it did get voted off immediately.

[Father Beast]

So, do you think there will be story discussion in the Final Round?

Or will most people figure they've already said everything about all of them and little actual discussion will occur?

...........................................

While we're on the subject, which place is the place to campaign for your favorites? is it in the poll thread? Or is it in the discussions threads of the stories themselves?

The way things seem to be going right now, people don't do any campaigning in the poll thread, and reserve the story threads for direct criticism or praise.

So there doesn't seem to be a place for story vs. story opposition and cross discussion.

[Thunderscreech]

So, do you think there will be story discussion in the Final Round?

Or will most people figure they've already said everything about all of them and little actual discussion will occur?

I have a story that may make it to the finals, and I encourage everyone to avoid wasting time rehashing outdated observations and focus on praising what I wrote.  Just tell me what a pretty, pretty pony I am.  That's all I ask.

So pretty.

[eytanz]

While we're on the subject, which place is the place to campaign for your favorites? is it in the poll thread? Or is it in the discussions threads of the stories themselves?

It's fine, as far as I am concerned, to make direct comparisons of stories in the poll thread, as long as you don't say which stories are currently leading or anything like that.

[Father Beast]

While we're on the subject, which place is the place to campaign for your favorites? is it in the poll thread? Or is it in the discussions threads of the stories themselves?

It's fine, as far as I am concerned, to make direct comparisons of stories in the poll thread, as long as you don't say which stories are currently leading or anything like that.

As it turns out, it seems there is no place to make the post that got edited out. The one where I was trying to decide which way to vote. 

[eytanz]

While we're on the subject, which place is the place to campaign for your favorites? is it in the poll thread? Or is it in the discussions threads of the stories themselves?

It's fine, as far as I am concerned, to make direct comparisons of stories in the poll thread, as long as you don't say which stories are currently leading or anything like that.

As it turns out, it seems there is no place to make the post that got edited out. The one where I was trying to decide which way to vote. 

If I remember correctly, the post I deleted was mostly a list of what stories you voted for. When I replied above, what I had in mind was a  discussion of the relative merits of the stories.

[Thunderscreech]

Any idea what the lead time is until we hear these on the podcast?  Last time it was a few months, if I recall correctly.

Can't wait!

[Unblinking]

Any idea what the lead time is until we hear these on the podcast?  Last time it was a few months, if I recall correctly.

Can't wait!

The last contest's final poll ended on September 8, 2010.  The "Flash Extravaganza" episode 302 (not be confused with the identically titled "Flash Extravaganza" episode 310) was published on July 21, 2011.

Not sure how typical that kind of lead time is.  I think with any of the casts it's typically something like 3-4 months because it does require several steps of story edits, finding a volunteer narrator and getting the recording, sound production, and so on.

[Thunderscreech]

Ah!  Good to know, thanks for the info!

[eytanz]

Just chiming in to say that I don't know any more than Unblinking has already reported. The stories are now in the hands of the editors, and they need to figure out both the logistics and how the stories will fit in to the overall schedule.

[Thunderscreech]

This episode has been published, #426. 

http://escapepod.org/2013/12/13/ep426-flash-fiction-special/

Posting note here for anyone who had this flagged and for whatever coldly logical eyes are dispassionately excavating the electronic ruins of our civilization in the distant future.

[Unblinking]

This episode has been published, #426. 

http://escapepod.org/2013/12/13/ep426-flash-fiction-special/

Posting note here for anyone who had this flagged and for whatever coldly logical eyes are dispassionately excavating the electronic ruins of our civilization in the distant future.

And good to know that the Escape Artists forum will still exist  to brighten the days of our future alien overlords.