Author Topic: Questions, Comments, Concerns? (Read 75101 times)

will write for beer · **Reply #150 on:** March 06, 2013, 05:35:47 AM

As someone who just started writing horror on October (two stories published, one rejected and two entries here), i love the opportunity for feedback a contest like this gives us n00bs. Even though I'm sure my stories will eventually get eviscerated, it's gotta help my process in the end. Truth be told, I love reading the comment streams for most entries almost as much as i do reading the actual story itself. (In some cases, even more so.) No matter how my tales do, in the longrun I will be a better writer for havin gone through the process. And for that, I thank you.

chumpweasel · **Reply #151 on:** March 06, 2013, 07:53:19 AM

Good luck, everyone!

clawdia44 · **Reply #152 on:** March 07, 2013, 03:56:33 AM

This is so awesome! Can't wait to see the rest of the stories!

DoWhileNot · **Reply #153 on:** March 07, 2013, 04:02:28 PM

An interesting comment I heard poet Stephen Dunn make while talking about words being his tools of creation - he said that simplicity is an achievement that he strives for that only comes after hard work.

I thought it was pretty deep.

Umbrageofsnow · **Reply #154 on:** March 12, 2013, 11:30:51 PM

Umm, Should the presumably partial Semifinal Group 1 be visible already? I think another one might have escaped the veil of secrecy.

eytanz · **Reply #155 on:** March 12, 2013, 11:35:02 PM

Quote from: Umbrageofsnow on March 12, 2013, 11:30:51 PM

Umm, Should the presumably partial Semifinal Group 1 be visible already? I think another one might have escaped the veil of secrecy.

Bdoomed is following the protocol from Flash Contest II, where the seminfinals were set up and stories moved into them as their groups closed. If he had hidden the semifinal group, that would have meant a rather unnatural pause in the discussion on the stories that made it there.

Bdoomed · **Reply #156 on:** March 13, 2013, 03:23:06 AM

^ This.

Bdoomed · **Reply #157 on:** March 13, 2013, 12:32:31 PM

In case anyone is wondering, Semifinal groupings are as follows:

- Groups 1 and 14 will be in Semifinal group 1
- Groups 2 and 13 will be in Semifinal group 2
- Groups 3 and 12 will be in Semifinal group 3
- Groups 4 and 11 will be in Semifinal group 4
- Groups 5 and 10 will be in Semifinal group 5
- Groups 6 and 9 will be in Semifinal group 6
- Groups 7 and 8 will be in Semifinal group 7

This is to ensure that no author competes against him/herself before the final round.

So yes, there will be 7 Semifinal groups with only three stories each in them before group 8 finishes voting.

Sgarre1 · **Reply #158 on:** March 13, 2013, 10:15:11 PM

Quote

poet Stephen Dunn

My mentor/former teacher! A great guy!

Dr_Know453 · **Reply #159 on:** March 14, 2013, 08:11:11 AM

Been listening to Pseudopod for a few years now and promised myself I'd actually get round to writing something for the Flash contest - finally got up the nerve to send something in this year.

I just want to thank other members for their constructive comments and (fully justified) criticisms, I will definitely take them on board for future attempts; can't see myself getting beyond the first round given the awesomeness of some of the other entries, but will be back for Contest IV!

Mmmichael · **Reply #160 on:** March 15, 2013, 06:36:04 PM

test post

nebuler · **Reply #161 on:** March 16, 2013, 06:33:48 PM

This should be an exciting way to spend the afternoon

Harley Warren · **Reply #162 on:** March 18, 2013, 01:04:15 AM

Quote from: Bdoomed on March 13, 2013, 12:32:31 PM

In case anyone is wondering, Semifinal groupings are as follows:

- Groups 1 and 14 will be in Semifinal group 1
- Groups 2 and 13 will be in Semifinal group 2
- Groups 3 and 12 will be in Semifinal group 3
- Groups 4 and 11 will be in Semifinal group 4
- Groups 5 and 10 will be in Semifinal group 5
- Groups 6 and 9 will be in Semifinal group 6
- Groups 7 and 8 will be in Semifinal group 7

This is to ensure that no author competes against him/herself before the final round.

So yes, there will be 7 Semifinal groups with only three stories each in them before group 8 finishes voting.

I was wondering about this. Thank you.

thepencankill · **Reply #163 on:** March 18, 2013, 01:32:05 AM

How many stories advance from each semifinal group?

Bdoomed · **Reply #164 on:** March 19, 2013, 04:37:47 AM

Quote from: Bdoomed on March 13, 2013, 12:32:31 PM

In case anyone is wondering, Semifinal groupings are as follows:

- Groups 1 and 14 will be in Semifinal group 1
- Groups 2 and 13 will be in Semifinal group 2
- Groups 3 and 12 will be in Semifinal group 3
- Groups 4 and 11 will be in Semifinal group 4
- Groups 5 and 10 will be in Semifinal group 5
- Groups 6 and 9 will be in Semifinal group 6
- Groups 7 and 8 will be in Semifinal group 7

This is to ensure that no author competes against him/herself before the final round.

So yes, there will be 7 Semifinal groups with only three stories each in them before group 8 finishes voting.

Totally goofed! That is NOT how the semifinal groups will be set up! (and I'll be fixing it all soon)

Semifinal 1 is still groups 1 and 14, but Semifinal 2 is groups 2 and 3, then 4 and 5, then 6 and 7, then 8 and 9, then 10 and 11, then 12 and 13.

Sorry! Really doesn't effect anything on your end, just mine!

Bdoomed · **Reply #165 on:** March 19, 2013, 05:27:01 AM

Alrighty, semifinal groups have been fixed. Voting on the semifinal groups will start once all story groups have finished, and once every semifinal group is filled. There will be, like the first round groups, three votes per person, but only the top two stories from each semifinal group will advance. That will make the final round a round of 14 stories, three votes per person, and of course the top three will win!

Semifinal voting will be all groups at once, 10 day voting period. That should give everyone time to remember any stories they might have forgotten, reread a few, and then vote.

Exciting, no?

MCWagner · **Reply #166 on:** March 19, 2013, 12:44:52 PM

Last time around (Escape Pod contest), I voiced a concern with this particular schema, and I'd just like to voice it again.

The objective of the contest is to select the three best stories from the entries. By allowing only two from each group move on to the next level, there exists the possiblity that the "true" third-place winner will be left behind if it happens to end up in the same group as the eventual first and second place winner. This becomes increasingly likely as the winners compact into fewer and fewer groups. I don't have a particular story or group in mind, but I do think this should be considered.

Not trying to lead a revolution, just pointing out a logical inconsistency.

Bdoomed · **Reply #167 on:** March 19, 2013, 02:51:56 PM

That seems logical, but if we are talking about the best two from each group, chances are that they are better stories than third place stories from each group. Losing a 'true third place' can happen in the first rounds too. If, in the randomization of story groups, a great contender lanes in a very strong group, it could have lost in the first round. Put that same story in a weaker group and it could have made it to the finals, depending on its other competition. There's no way around it, really.

I believe though that the top two stories from each semifinal round would garner more votes than any third place story, but I can't really back that up. If you all are okay with a 21 story final round, I am not against considering advancing the top three stories.

Fenrix · **Reply #168 on:** March 19, 2013, 04:53:03 PM

Quote from: Bdoomed on March 19, 2013, 02:51:56 PM

That seems logical, but if we are talking about the best two from each group, chances are that they are better stories than third place stories from each group. Losing a 'true third place' can happen in the first rounds too. If, in the randomization of story groups, a great contender lanes in a very strong group, it could have lost in the first round. Put that same story in a weaker group and it could have made it to the finals, depending on its other competition. There's no way around it, really.

I believe though that the top two stories from each semifinal round would garner more votes than any third place story, but I can't really back that up. If you all are okay with a 21 story final round, I am not against considering advancing the top three stories.

I think a 21-story group would be painful. That's the sort of thing to break into two smaller groups and parse down to six or eight in the final. Which adds another layer of mess. It's fish or cut bait time, not time to discuss lures and lakes. It's challenging to set this sort of thing up in advance, as we never know how many stories we're going to receive until they're all in.

There are other release valves. If the "true third" loses in a prior round, we can make sure it gets in front of Shawn for consideration external to the competition. I don't expect that Shawn is following this contest at this stage, but at least two of the staff are. Although PseudoPod did not pick up any extra stories last contest, I know we have since purchased (at least) two that didn't win during the EscapePod contest-before-last that went through the normal submissions process. It's too early to say.

Thulsa Morgue · **Reply #169 on:** March 19, 2013, 05:08:43 PM

New to the submission game and with a hopeful dog in the fight, I just imagined that getting cut due to group-strength and random placement was a real possibility and if it happens, it happens. It'll be a bummer but hey, them's the breaks...

MCWagner · **Reply #170 on:** March 19, 2013, 05:18:01 PM

Quote from: Bdoomed on March 19, 2013, 02:51:56 PM

That seems logical, but if we are talking about the best two from each group, chances are that they are better stories than third place stories from each group. Losing a 'true third place' can happen in the first rounds too. If, in the randomization of story groups, a great contender lanes in a very strong group, it could have lost in the first round.

If we're talking about vote-splitting due to other strong contenders, then yes, I agree that is a possibility. It seems like a more outside chance, though. While the pooling of the top contenders from the initial round into the semifinal rounds makes elimination of a "true third" more possible. (Let's see... chance of first and second place being in one semifinal round: 1/7 * chance of third being there as well 1/7 = 1/49.) Pretty rare, realistically.

I wouldn't have a problem with a 21-entry round, since we've already read them all through once, but that's just me. I don't feel especially strongly on this point. If we're just trying to avoid a further additional round of voting, that's a concession to practicality with the number of participating stories and I totally understand. I just feel it's something to keep in mind during design.

Umbrageofsnow · **Reply #171 on:** March 19, 2013, 08:25:41 PM

I do like to read each story again for the semifinals, so fast or giant rounds are a pain for me. And yeah, the true third may be lost, but as was pointed out, vote-splitting will always be a problem for any group and there is no real fix for that. And honestly, not to belittle the voters as I've been in the majority for all but one round this contest, but honestly popular vote is not always going to select the 3 best stories by any measure. I doubt more than a very few voters end up with their top 3 stories all winning the contest, and whether they lose in the final or the semifinal isn't really important to that. The point is that good stories will have a significant chance of being passed over under any system.

Which is why stories are allowed to be revised and sent in. You better believe my story that already lost is going to find its way to the Pseudopod slush box (in somewhat revised and possibly longer form). Winning the contest is nice, but I guess I'm saying that not winning doesn't make you a loser, so embrace the chaos in the interest of expediency. I mean there is a reason Pseudopod normally runs as an oligarchy (dictatorship? thralls to a mad god? Evil League of Evil?). Democracy is just a fun change of pace.

Bdoomed · **Reply #172 on:** March 20, 2013, 12:23:43 AM

Does that make me the Pseudopod Gestapo? I don't know how I'd feel about that. And I totally do hope to see some stories make it to the pseudopod slush pile!

daneyuleb · **Reply #173 on:** March 20, 2013, 12:42:31 PM

My only slight disappointment is that evidently the same stories go up against the same stories they were pitted against last round, and for the most part, it's going to be a foregone conclusion that group X's #1 is still going to come out on top against group X's #3. (Granted, with the elimination of some competition that may not be the case every time, but I'm guessing almost each time it will be.) I'd sort of rather see all the 1-3 winners tossed in a blender at the end and have the semi rounds composed of random groups. More opportunities to compare/contrast, and it might give some chance to stories who happened to have drawn especially good competitors in their group (and even out things for those luckier ones that happened to have especially not-so-good one's in theirs). But I suppose then it would be pretty tough to keep those with 2 entries from competing with themselves so it might not be worth the potential logistical nightmare.

Bdoomed · **Reply #174 on:** March 20, 2013, 02:42:35 PM

Interesting...
Well... since voting won't happen until all stories have gone through the final round, I suppose it wouldn't be too much extra effort to jumble up all of the semifinal stories and make brand new random groups... that's really not a bad idea at all.

What do you all think?