Survivor FAQ: Surviving the Confusion

[Lauren Hynde]

Do you have a question that you need answered regarding how the contest works? Just ask it here, or look through the list of frequently asked questions already answered in this thread:



General

• I'm new here, and my question is: where do I post my stories?
  
  
• Is the 2011 winner eligible to compete again this year?
  
  
• What happens in case of a tie?
  
  
• Can submissions that are posted under different usernames be used for Survivor in the same ScoreCard? What about collaborations?

Stories and Poems

• Are the stories and poems that I submitted this year before I joined the Survivor Contest eligible for points?
  
  
• But I didn't write SURVIVOR CONTEST in the notes field when I submitted them. Is that OK?
  
  
• My story won an award at Literotica. Does that mean it is ineligible for Survivor?
  
  
• And where can I find more about the Special Contests?
  
  
• I don't own a microphone. Can I ask a friend to record my audio submissions for me?
  
  
• I own a microphone, but I do not understand how to record and submit a Text with Audio story.
  
  
• What about illustrated stories and poems? Can I use a friend's artwork or photographs, or royalty-free/public domain images?
  
  
• I noticed the ScoreCard template doesn't include a non-English category. Why is that?
  
  
• What is a templated story?
  
  
• I am planning on writing at least one sequel to a story I have already written. What's the deal with multi-chaptered stories?
  
  
• The category description of Reviews and Essays states "Your take on art, films & all things sexual", but I noticed that some of the submissions aren't about sex. Do they need to have a sexual theme?

Immunities

• How do I request an immunity number?
  
  
• What do I do if I win an immunity? When do I have to use it?
  
  
• Do immunities count toward my category bonuses?

Scoring

• How do I get a ScoreCard so that I can track my submissions?
  
  
• I can't find my ScoreCard. What happened to it?
  
  
• Can you explain, very slowly, how am I supposed to fill my ScoreCard?
  
  
• Will I be notified of the points I earn?
  
  
• I don't understand this cap level thing. Can you explain it?
  
  
• If there is a 5-point bonus for having submissions in ten categories and a 10-point bonus for having submissions in twenty, does that mean that by the time I fill those twenty categories, I will have received a total of 15 (5+10) bonus points?
  
  
• Can I include in my ScoreCard stories and poems that are still pending approval at Literotica?

 

[Lauren Hynde]

I'm new here, and my question is: where do I post my stories?

Go to the Story Index page, and click the Login link at the top. Once inside your Literotica Control Panel, click the Submit Work link and follow the easy instruction to submit a Story or a Poem to the site.

Don't forget to read the Submission Guidelines beforehand to make sure your story or poem adheres to Literotica's rules.

 

[Lauren Hynde]

Is the 2011 winner eligible to compete again this year?

Yes. It has been debated in preparation for this and previous years' editions of Survivor that a rule preventing the winners from participating again for a year or more could be implemented, but since it is impossible to verify the true identity of Literotica authors and time has shown that winners usually choose not to participate the following year, there was no real reason to introduce the rule at this point.

 

[Lauren Hynde]

What happens in case of a tie?

Should there be a tie for points at the end of the year, the moderators' final standings recommendation to the owners will break ties in favour of:

1. the author with more categories with at least one submission or immunity;
2. the author with more submissions entered in the contest.

Keep in mind that this will simply be our recommendation. On previous occasions when ties occurred on other contests at Literotica.com, Laurel and Manu have generally decided to award the highest prize to all participants involved in the tie. There is no guarantee that will happen, though.

 

[Lauren Hynde]

Can submissions that are posted under different usernames be used for Survivor in the same ScoreCard? What about collaborations?

No. All the stories in your ScoreCard must be found posted under the same username that entered the Contest. If we were to allow multiple IDs, there would be nothing stopping two or three differently registered authors doing a coalition at the end of the year to split the prize money, and that would be contrary to the spirit of Survivor.

Works written in collaboration are not allowed either.

 

[Lauren Hynde]

Are the stories and poems that I submitted this year before I joined the Survivor Contest eligible for points?

Yes. All stories and poems with posting dates on or between January 2nd, 2012 and January 1st, 2013 are eligible for the contest, as long as they respect the other rules.

 

[Lauren Hynde]

But I didn't write SURVIVOR CONTEST in the notes field when I submitted them. Is that OK?

Yes. You're never required to do it, but you should be aware that if you don't write SURVIVOR CONTEST in the notes field when you submit stories or poems after December 20th, 2012, they may or may not be posted in time to be eligible for the Contest.

 

[Lauren Hynde]

My story won an award at Literotica. Does that mean it is ineligible for Survivor?

No. All stories and poems with posting dates on or between January 2nd, 2011 and January 1st, 2012 are eligible for the Contest, regardless of their ratings, participation, or results in Literotica.com monthly contests.

If fact, there is a Special Contests Bonus in place this year, which awards 5 points to each entry in a Special Contest, limited to one per contest, and a 30-point bonus for those who enter all 6 Special Contests. Please note, however, that any stories counted for this Special Contests Bonus cannot be simultaneously counted for Survivor under their regular categories.

 

[Lauren Hynde]

And where can I find more about the Special Contests?

You can find more about Literotica's Special Contests here.

Keep an eye out for the threads posted at the Authors' Hangout before each Special Contest, such as:
- Pucker Up! It's the Literotica Annual Valentine's Day Story Contest!!

 

[Lauren Hynde]

I don't own a microphone. Can I ask a friend to record my audio submissions for me?

Yes. As long as you're the author of the story, that situation is allowed by Literotica.com's submission guidelines and by Survivor's rules. The specific rule reads:

All audio stories must be 750 words or more to be eligible for the contest. There is no minimum length for poetry submissions. The accompanying text must be an accurate transcript of the submitted audio, and must be posted in the Text With Audio or Poetry With Audio categories as applicable. See Audio Story FAQ for information on submitting work.​

There is also always the possibility of using immunities you may come to win in the weekly drawings.

 

[Lauren Hynde]

What about illustrated stories and poems? Can I use a friend's artwork or photographs, or royalty-free/public domain images?

No. According to Literotica.com's submission guidelines, all art within the story, like the story itself, must be your original work. The editors of Literotica.com are sometimes lenient with public domain images, or in cases where the legitimate copyright owners express their permission, but the specific Survivor rule for illustrated images is:

All illustrated stories must be 750 words or more to be eligible for the contest. There is no minimum length for poetry submissions. All submissions, including the illustrations, must be original work of the entrant, i.e. photographs taken, or drawings or paintings created by the entrant. The use of royalty-free and/or public domain images will make a submission ineligible for points. The use of the same illustration in more than one submission will render all said submissions after the first ineligible for points. The use of images in the production of which the contestant was not directly involved, either by creating or by being portrayed in them, will make submissions in the "Illustrated" and "Illustrated Poetry" categories ineligible for points in Survivor. That means that you can use photographs that you yourself took or that were taken of you, or paintings or drawings that you yourself created. It also means that you cannot use royalty-free or public domain images, or images pulled from somewhere off the web. See Illustrated Story FAQ for information on submitting work.​

For those of you who do not own a digital camera or a scanner, and for those who think they don't have artistic talent, there are plenty of alternatives before trying to cheat or giving up on the category altogether:

• Use an immunity. There are 52 weekly immunity drawings, each of them with seven numbers. That means that statistically, chances are you're going to win more than seven immunities during the year, and there are only two illustrated categories!
  
  
• Have the photos taken on your conventional camera burnt to a CD, when you develop them. Almost any photo lab will do that, nowadays.
  
  
• Snail-mail your photos or drawings to a friend you trust and have him or her scan them! There is always someone willing to help.
  
  
• Create your own artwork in your computer. There are plenty of image programs, either bundled with your OS or available for free download off the web. With a little bit of practice, anyone can create amazing drawings even with the simplest of tools. Look, for example, at "Eating the Full Moon", illustrated using MS Paint.
  
  
• Use an online art creation applet. One of my personal favourite sites is Mr. Picassohead. Another great site is TYPEDRAWING.
  
  
• Not so much for the Illustrated stories category, but great for Illustrated Poetry: write your poem already incorporating graphic concepts, and make the way you present your words be, in itself, an illustration. Look, for example, at "hear my name..."

 

[Lauren Hynde]

I noticed the ScoreCard template doesn't include a non-English category. Why is that?

The specific Survivor rule concerning non-English submissions reads:

Submissions in all languages are eligible for the contest and must be posted in the corresponding categories as applicable. There will not be a specific non-English category in the scoreboards. All submissions must be original work of the entrant, and subsequent translations in any language are not eligible for points.​

The Non-English category that can still be seen in the Story Index page is only a remain of Literotica's former index structure. Non-English languages have their own Story Index versions, featuring all the same categories as the English main site:

Spanish | German | French | Dutch | Italian | Romanian | Portuguese | Other Languages

 

[Lauren Hynde]

What is a templated story?

A template is a significant pre-determined structure from which words or small blocks of text can be changed in order to produce new stories that are only superficially different from each other.

The objective of the contest is to write as many new and original stories in as many different categories listed on the main story index in the course of the year as possible, and stories produced making use of templates can hardly be considered to be new and original, so they will not be eligible for points in Survivor.

 

[Lauren Hynde]

I am planning on writing at least one sequel to a story I have already written. What's the deal with multi-chaptered stories?

There is nothing stopping you from writing and posting multi-chaptered stories, but they will not be eligible for points for Survivor. Each submission needs to be completely original and completely independent. Stories can feature recurring characters and they can contain references to each other, but they must be entirely, unequivocally, standalone.

The only exceptions to this rule are for submissions in the following categories:

• Chain Stories. By definition, these are multi-chaptered stories. Each author will only be entitled to one chapter eligible for Survivor per chain per year.
  
  
• Novels and Novellas. Submissions to this category can be standalone stories of 7500 words or more; or chapters of a larger work, as long as each chapter has 7500 words or more.

 

[Lauren Hynde]

The category description of Reviews and Essays states "Your take on art, films & all things sexual", but I noticed that some of the submissions aren't about sex. Do they need to have a sexual theme?

No, they don't. It encompasses reviews of films, books, art, sex-toys, shows, essays on whatever aspect of life you want, etc. Some time ago, even one of Literotica's Special Contests called for entries that had to be Reviews & Essays submissions about Free Speech.

 

[Lauren Hynde]

How do I request an immunity number?

Just look for this month's immunity thread and post a request for it. The number you choose will, by default, be added to the roll-over list and remain registered for you indefinitely or until you choose a different one. You may change your number at any time simply by posting a request for it.

 

[Lauren Hynde]

What do I do if I win an immunity? When do I have to use it?

If you've won an immunity, the first thing to do is make a post in the official immunity thread corresponding to that month (and only that thread), announcing the category and cap level you will use it for. This is the only way you will earn the immunity.

Do not edit the post after 7:30 PM GMT of the following Wednesday. If you do it, your immunity will be invalidated. This post is the only way we have to verify the immunity and the category you chose.

 

[Lauren Hynde]

Do immunities count toward my category bonuses?

Yes. If you use an immunity for any one category, for example, you will only need to have submissions in 9 other categories to receive the 5 bonus points for filling 10 categories.

 

[Lauren Hynde]

How do I get a ScoreCard so that I can track my submissions?

After you post on the Rules and Registration thread giving notice of your intention to participate, a moderators will create a new ScoreCard thread in your name. You will be notified via PM when this thread is created. It is essential that you have Private Messaging enabled in order to register for Survivor and get your ScoreCard.

To track your scores, you will need to reply to that thread, copy the content of the ScoreCard template and paste it in that reply. That way, you will only need to edit that one post of yours to add the pertinent data each time you have submissions accepted at Literotica.com.

 

[Lauren Hynde]

I can't find my ScoreCard. What happened to it?

No ScoreCards will be removed for any reason. So, if you already posted on the Rules and Registration thread giving notice of your intention to participate, and if you already received the notification that your ScoreCard thread was created, chances are it simply slipped to the next page of the forum.

As an easy alternative, the ScoreBoard thread also links automatically to every contestant's ScoreCard.

If you are still having trouble locating your ScoreCard, please PM one of the moderators.

 

[Lauren Hynde]

Can you explain, very slowly, how am I supposed to fill my ScoreCard?

The first thing you need to do is to find your ScoreCard thread. If you already posted on the Rules and Registration thread giving notice of your intention to participate, and if you already received the notification that your ScoreCard thread was created, look for it among the list of Survivor threads, here.

Once you locate and enter your ScoreCard thread, look for and hit the "Post Reply" button.

Open the ScoreCard template in a different window. Select and copy the entire content of the post.

Return to your ScoreCard thread, where the reply window is still waiting for you. Paste the text you copied from the template into the text box of your reply. Hit the "Post Reply" button.

You should by now have, in your ScoreCard thread, a perfect copy of the ScoreCard template. This will be your ScoreCard.

Whenever you have a new story, article, or poem accepted and posted at Literotica.com that is eligible for points in Survivor, or when you win a weekly immunity, you should return to your ScoreCard and hit the "Edit" button to add that data to the card.

Let's say you have 3 stories posted in the Anal Category and 1 in BDSM. You need to edit your ScoreCard to introduce these changes:

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Anal: 5 points
--------------------------------------------------
3pt - "Title of Your Anal Story #1"
1pt - "Title of Your Anal Story #2"
1pt - "Title of Your Anal Story #3"
-------(cap level 1)-------
1pt -
1pt -
-------(cap level 2)-------
1pt -
-------(cap level 3)-------


BDSM: 3 points
--------------------------------------------------
3pt - "Title of Your BDSM Story #1"
1pt -
1pt -
-------(cap level 1)-------
1pt -
1pt -
-------(cap level 2)-------
1pt -
-------(cap level 3)-------

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
​

You need to include the titles of your submissions for them to count for points. Remember, as well, to add up the points each submission earns you. In this case, 5 points for Anal, and 3 for BDSM.

Now, let's say you also won a weekly immunity, and that you chose to use it for cap level 1 of the Celebrities category. You need to register that immunity, and include the date of the weekly draw in which you won it. Immunities are worth 0 points.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Celebrities: 0 points
--------------------------------------------------
Immunity: 02-13-13
-------(cap level 1)-------
1pt -
1pt -
-------(cap level 2)-------
1pt -
-------(cap level 3)-------

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
​

Add all the points from the categories. 5 from Anal, plus 3 from BDSM...

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Points Subtotal: 8

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
​

If you enter one of Literotica's Special Contests, you are entitled to a bonus. If you enter it in this bonus heading, though, do not enter it under its regular category. The story can't be counted both ways:

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Special Contests Bonuses: 5 points
5pt [Valentine's Day] - "Title of Your Valentine's Day Story"
5pt [Earth Day] -
5pt [National Nude Day] -
5pt [Summer Lovin'] -
5pt [Halloween] -
5pt [Winter Holidays] -
All-Contests Bonus (30): 0 pts

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
​

If you have submissions or immunities in 10 or more different categories, you have additional bonuses too:

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Additional Bonuses: 5 points
10 Categories (5): 5 pts
20 Categories (10): 0 pts
30 Categories (15): 0 pts
35 Categories (30): 0 pts

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
​

Finally, add the points from your "Points Subtotal" (8), your "Special Contests Bonuses" (5), and your "Additional Bonuses" (5):

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

TOTAL POINTS: 18

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
​

You will probably find that it's easier and more fun to keep your ScoreCard updated at all times. You're not required to keep it updated at all times, though, as long as you do update it by midnight EST on January 4th, 2013. Your ScoreCard is the basis of all Survivor scoring, and if a submission isn't registered in it, it won't be considered valid.

This is the basic detail of a scorecard. You can personalize it by printing in different colors or in bold or in adding comments, as long as all the information is included. This includes the score subtotals and the total score.

 

[Lauren Hynde]

Will I be notified of the points I earn?

No. It's your responsibility to accurately track story scores, immunities, and bonus points.

The points system works like this:

Stories and Poems, all categories except Novels and Novellas

• First submission posted in the first cap level of each category: 3 points
• Each subsequent submission posted in each category: 1 point

Novels and Novellas only

• First submission posted in the first cap level of this category: 6 points
• Each subsequent submission posted in this category: 2 points

Immunities

• Weekly immunity: 0 points

The available bonus points are:

• For having submissions or immunities in 10 categories: 5 points
• For having submissions or immunities in 20 categories: 10 points
• For having submissions or immunities in 30 categories: 15 points
• For having submissions or immunities in all categories: 30 points
  
  
• Special Contest bonuses:
  • For each entry on a Literotica Special Contest (limited to 1 entry per Special Contest): 5 points
  • For having entered all Literotica Special Contests: 30 points

 

[Lauren Hynde]

I don't understand this cap level thing. Can you explain it?

To put it in simple terms, the cap levels exist to make contestants write equally on every category, without favouring one over all the others.

At the beginning, there is a 3-submission cap for everyone. That means that only the first 3 stories you write in each category will count for points. You can write more, of course, but they will not be considered for Survivor. If you win an immunity, you can use it to fill that cap in a category of your choice, so you won't need to write any stories in that category.

If you reach a point where you have 3 submissions (or an immunity) on every one of the 35 categories, you will get access to cap level 2, which is of 5 submissions per category. Any stories you had written before that had been disregarded because of the 3-submission cap can now be counted for points, up to 5 per category (i.e. 2 more on top of the 3 that were already there). You can enter 2 submissions on top of any category where you had previously had an immunity for cap level 1, or you can use a cap level 2 immunity for any of the 35 categories, should you win any.

If you reach a point where you have 5 submissions (or immunities to the same effect) on every one of the 35 categories, you will get access to cap level 3, of 6 submissions per category. If you fill that cap level, you access cap level 4, of 7 submissions, then of 8 submissions, then 9, then 10, and so on.

 

[Lauren Hynde]

If there is a 5-point bonus for having submissions in ten categories and a 10-point bonus for having submissions in twenty, does that mean that by the time I fill those twenty categories, I will have received a total of 15 (5+10) bonus points?

Yes, those bonuses are cumulative. If you end up with submissions or immunities on all 35 categories, you will have by then received 5+10+15+30=60 bonus points.

 

[Lauren Hynde]

Can I include in my ScoreCard stories and poems that are still pending approval at Literotica?

No. You should wait until those submissions are approved before you include them on your ScoreCard, because:

• those submissions may not be approved;
• those submissions may be end up being approved on a category different than the one you chose when you submitted;
• until they're approved, there is no way for us to verify if they exist.