Announcements

[Balmafula]

I just realized I never actually announced the official ending date of week 1. I'm so sorry! The last day will be the 8th of July. Voting will take place for the following 3 days.

[Balmafula]

I ALSO forgot to mention what time zone, so it will be midnight PT.

[TNT]

PST? That isn't your timezone, is it? Gwuuurrrl, do you ever sleep? ;)

Contestants, the rest of my reviews will likely be very short, since there were so many posted today. Fair warning, the same will likely happen in later weeks, so if you want longer reviews, post earlier in the week. If you don't like my reviews, then disregard this message. ;P

[Balmafula]

I really don't ever sleep XD

All the posts are up so let the voting commence! Send me a PM with the character you'd like to see voted off and, if possible, your reasoning for doing so. The voting period will end on the 11th.

[TNT]

Ooh! Ooh! What about secondary votes, like best overall, funniest, etc.?

[Balmafula]

I'm just trying to think of any we could do this early in the game... I'd take suggestions.

[Nyika]

BEST CAT.

[Risk]

Please don't have serious secondary voting like that. It just makes everyone feel bad. "Best Death Scene", "Best Writer", those things. It divides us.

If you must have them, be silly with it. "Dumbest NPC Name", "Craziest Metaphor (That Doesn't Need Explanation)", things like that. Awards that no one can feel disgruntled for not winning- or worse, disgruntled for winning. I'd rather not get an award at all than get some award for "Worst Use of Oil in a Simile".  :-\

[Vanessa]

Well, I dunno. I think we could do it without getting serious rifts- we're all here to improve, right? And awards make it fun. Personally, I wouldn't mind at all not winning any- it's seeing who do which is fun. Plus, it was mentioned at the start of the Contest.

[TNT]

Aww, but I suggested them in the first place for the opposite reason, Risk! Since only one person can win, the rest have technically lost. But there's always people who say stuff like, "Man, so-and-so may not have survived, but they sure wrote awesome such-and-such." I thought it'd just be a fun way to give a little extra recognition to your various strengths as writers, outside of the standard top prize. Not trying to single anyone out or make them feel bad at all. You're all good to have made it this far, so why not celebrate that? ^^


If we decide against it, I'll probably do my own at the end anyway. Possibly each week, too.

[Risk]

Sorry... I guess I can see how it would be a neat thing to do. I've just been in, and seen others in, too many situations where we get saddled with what amounts to a "Participant" ribbon, or being awarded for something we're actually very ashamed about. It is like going to a birthday party and being given a balloon commemorating the time you tripped and spilled punch on your cake.

So long as the categories are things someone would be proud to win, and not just a chance to embarrass anyone, I won't mind.

[Aleisou]

Hm. The main thing I was looking forwards to about this contest was being able to vote on the secondary awards, because they're personal and fun, and actually about praising people for doing things well rather than just voting people off for doing badly. It would be nice to actually see people who didn't win the entire thing get some recognition for once. Even if their character died, at least they could still say that everyone thought they wrote incredible action sequences, or witty dialogue, or whatever the categories may be. It would be quite unsporting to begrudge other contestants that. You are meant to be working together, after all.

And Risk, I really hope you don't get any more grief about the 'oiled pebbles' line. The general gist I got was that everyone was either just a bit startled by it, or found it pretty funny. I know I did.

I think you have a point that people could get left out though, which would be sad. How about instead of generic awards like 'Most Improved,' the judges decide on a really personal award for each character to be given at the end or when they die? Or I don't know. An obituary or something would be cool! :)

EDIT: Sorry, I didn't see that you'd replied. I see what you mean about the awards potentially being embarrassing, but that would be pretty easy to stop if everyone agreed to be nice about it.

[Nyika]

Here lies Nyika, dead and toast,
Haunted by her pretend ghosts.

[Nyika]

Underneath this soiled ground,
Risk was not the best of clowns.

[Nyika]

Goragula was a bitter toad,
Frozen 'pon yon snow-fell road.