The Official (Mostly) Literotica April Fool's Day Contest Support Thread!!!

[JuanSeiszFitzHall]

I saw that contest stories began being posted on March 2, but as of today, the Val's Day contest was still linked on the Categories page. In the belief that any form of visibility is helpful to the authors, one of you might want to clear your throat to the site folks, to get the April Fool's contest link to supplant the one for Val's Day. I won't have a story in this contest, so this notice is only support for the community. You're welcome.

 

[KeithD]

I agree that the submissions process here is understaffed and that that is fully on the Web site.

The number of unofficial contests and exercises have burgeoned within the last two years, so that's a new phenomenon. The only answer to that, barring the adding of submissions staff, would be the limiting of how many submissions of any kind an author could make in a set time period. I could see where it would have to come to that.

The Web site could also restrict the number of nonofficial writing exercises more. It would be sad to be restricting submissions rather than augmenting submissions staffing, though.

I think it also would help if they just gave up on the annual "best of" exercise and maybe even the monthly superlatives. They haven't kept up with them for years and the annual contest is barely noticed or subscribed and pretty much of a small clique farce.

But then, these are just "could do" suggestions. I don't expect to have any real input into what they do.

 

[Duleigh]

The Web site could also restrict the number of nonofficial writing exercises more. It would be sad to be restricting submissions rather than augmenting submissions staffing, though.

I think it also would help if they just gave up on the annual "best of" exercise and maybe even the monthly superlatives. They haven't kept up with them for years and the annual contest is barely noticed or subscribed and pretty much of a small clique farce.

But then, these are just "could do" suggestions. I don't expect to have any real input into what they do.

We as writers can come up with our own ideas for nonofficial writing exercises, that's how the 750 Word project came about, it was an idea by jezzaz. I suggested at the beginning of the 750 that I planned to move out of my box by writing in all three perspectives, which I did and submitted three stories each one in a different perspective - first person, second person, and third person perspectives. I had never done second person before, it felt strange and that may be why the voting is so low.

We can do anything we want, the hard part is getting the word out and getting people to give it a try.

 

[KeithD]

We as writers can come up with our own ideas for nonofficial writing exercises, that's how the 750 Word project came about, it was an idea by jezzaz. I suggested at the beginning of the 750 that I planned to move out of my box by writing in all three perspectives, which I did and submitted three stories each one in a different perspective - first person, second person, and third person perspectives. I had never done second person before, it felt strange and that may be why the voting is so low.

We can do anything we want, the hard part is getting the word out and getting people to give it a try.

The issue was the effort these exercises require from the site submissions process.

 

[YDB95]

Just submitted mine, after nearly giving up several times. I did give the last few contests a pass; glad to be back in the game!!

 

[Duleigh]

The issue was the effort these exercises require from the site submissions process.

I was thinking that we avoid that, rather than Notes to Admin, we develop a specific tag to attach to all entries and all Laurel has to do is advertise that tag.

 

[Duleigh]

TODAY IS DAY OF SUBMISSIONS
THERE ARE 16 ENTRIES ON THE APRIL FOOLS DAY PAGE
@YDB95 and I both have a story sitting in pending, are there any others?
I had a feeling that this would be a lightly populated contest, it follows right on the heels of several other events so I'm happy to see the entries that we have. Are there any potential writers that need an assist? if so, please sing out here.​

 

[Voboy]

I was thinking that we avoid that, rather than Notes to Admin, we develop a specific tag to attach to all entries and all Laurel has to do is advertise that tag.

I don't know if it's the sort that takes the time; I think that any month where Laurel gets 150 or so more stories than expected is just that many more runs of whatever bot she uses to check the stories. And if those are prioritized, that's 150 more "real" or "normal" stories that get pushed to the back of the pile for disgruntled writers to start threads about.

Not sure what effect any of that actually has, but it stands to reason that the 750-worders will lead to a "clog effect" in the submissions process. There were a lot of them this year, perhaps too many. I'm less likely to participate next year, I think.

 

[lovecraft68]

TODAY IS DAY OF SUBMISSIONS
THERE ARE 16 ENTRIES ON THE APRIL FOOLS DAY PAGE
@YDB95 and I both have a story sitting in pending, are there any others?
I had a feeling that this would be a lightly populated contest, it follows right on the heels of several other events so I'm happy to see the entries that we have. Are there any potential writers that need an assist? if so, please sing out here.​

Its by far the lightest populated, and as I've said before its telling of the lack of effort a lot of writers seem to want to make. "Its hot Its cold" minimal effort is in vogue here.

But before April Fools and the onslaught of author sponsored contests, Earth Day was always the lowest participation, so maybe its just the time of year for some reason.

 

[KeithD]

I was thinking that we avoid that, rather than Notes to Admin, we develop a specific tag to attach to all entries and all Laurel has to do is advertise that tag.

There are extra housekeeping chores for Laurel to have to do for any exercise like this one. There are extra hoops to jump through. A few mistakes, as were reported here (including my April Fools entry not having been identified as such), were made as the 750-word exercise was wrapping up and the April Fools contest was revving up. Voting is being done on the annual "best of" exercise too and the monthly superlatives are late again. It all becomes a burden on top of the daily submission process. There's evidence she's not able to keep on top of it. Reminders have had to be sent on posting the announcement of the last several contests and they've had to be sent on getting the various listings of contests posted, e.g., the contest box on the categories page today is still the Valentines Day contest, not the current one. It's pretty obvious that the load has been made too heavy.

 

[NotWise]

Reminders have had to be sent on posting the announcement of the last several contests and they've had to be sent on getting the various listings of contests posted, e.g., the contest box on the categories page today is still the Valentines Day contest, not the current one.

I believe that's intentional. Laurel lists the contest on the old front page as soon as it opens, but she keeps the previous contest up on the Categories page for a month or so after the contest closes. She's been doing that for a while now. It maximizes exposure for everyone.

 

[Voboy]

Its by far the lightest populated, and as I've said before its telling of the lack of effort a lot of writers seem to want to make. "Its hot Its cold" minimal effort is in vogue here.

But before April Fools and the onslaught of author sponsored contests, Earth Day was always the lowest participation, so maybe its just the time of year for some reason.

Uh huh.

Or? This is the fourth in a string of rapid-fire contests since Halloween, and people are just tired of writing?

There are many, many reasons why people might or might not enter contests. No need to default to the least complimentary reason, though you never lose an opportunity to do so. Even in what's ostensibly a "support thread."

 

[lovecraft68]

Uh huh.

Or? This is the fourth in a string of rapid-fire contests since Halloween, and people are just tired of writing?

There are many, many reasons why people might or might not enter contests. No need to default to the least complimentary reason, though you never lose an opportunity to do so. Even in what's ostensibly a "support thread."

There are people who have posted they don't understand the contest or that its too hard, so I'm not making things up.
Writers should always strive to push themselves, because when we don't we cease to improve. I tell myself this often when I get an idea and my first thought is sounds good, but not sure I can pull it off. We can always pull it off, just a matter of what it takes.

Also, my idea of support is the old school 'get off your lazy ass and do it' I leave the coddling to others.

To your valid point about the other contests, first I'll go back to when I mentioned before this Earth Day always lagged as well, and that was before all the extras we have now so...could be a weird time of year for whatever reason.

But the other thing to consider with the mention of author challenges is something I posted before, that there are so many of them, and seeing people post they can't enter this or that lit contest because they're working on an author challenge story, makes me wonder if its not time to look at are the theme contests the site runs even worth it anymore?

Consider the number of authors on this site and that a popular contest may get 110 entries or so. That's a pretty small number. Now take any of those contests and remove AH member stories from them and see what's left, an even sadder number and some AH'ers post multiple entries.

Up to the site to decide of course, but makes me wonder if its worth bothering.

 

[NotWise]

There are people who have posted they don't understand the contest or that its too hard, so I'm not making things up.

My story last year was my first April Fools story, and April Fools was the last contest I entered in the annual cycle. I found it hard to come up with good ideas.

Others might see it differently, but I don't think the readers much like being fooled. When I did finally write a story for April Fools Day, it wasn't an April Fools joke. It was a story about an April Fools joke that the male protagonist recalled over coffee, and I foreshadowed the end so much that someone even commented they could see it coming. That was good, because I wanted the ending to satisfy readers, not fool them.

The good thing about this contest is that the contest page will be up until the Nude Day Contest opens in, what? Late June? Almost four months. It's the only contest where views from the contest page aren't cut off when the page is unlinked.

 

[KeithD]

I think April Fools (and Earth Day before that) and Nude Day are just the most limiting of the contests in fresh-approach opportunities. Valentines Day would be if folks haven't just extended it to Romance. Aussies naturally find the summer contest has limits for them as well, I think.

 

[Voboy]

Writers should always strive to push themselves, because when we don't we cease to improve. I tell myself this often when I get an idea and my first thought is sounds good, but not sure I can pull it off. We can always pull it off, just a matter of what it takes.

I've done four April Fools stories, including two this year. Three of them have underperformed, which tells me it's not a strength of mine. Have I tried to "challenge myself" and "improve?" I'd say I have, just by dint of entering. Several times.

But I don't enjoy them very much. And clearly they're not as good as my other stories. So it's a valid question to ask what I'm getting out of "challenging myself," and it's just as fair to ask myself whether I should bother.

Brad Marchand would be "challenging himself" if he played goalie for a game or two, but the question is whether that would be a good use of his obvious skillset. If I've found a groove, and trying to plow this new one is consistently unrewarding, why condemn me for choosing not to continue to plow? And, to what end? I'm not being rewarded for continuing to stab away at April Fools stories, is my point.

My fourth April Fools story? I've never posted. I already know it's not good enough.

 

[KeithD]

There's no "should" in what every writer should do--certainly not because of what anyone else is telling them they should or must do--and certainly not at Literotica.

 

[lovecraft68]

I've done four April Fools stories, including two this year. Three of them have underperformed, which tells me it's not a strength of mine. Have I tried to "challenge myself" and "improve?" I'd say I have, just by dint of entering. Several times.

But I don't enjoy them very much. And clearly they're not as good as my other stories. So it's a valid question to ask what I'm getting out of "challenging myself," and it's just as fair to ask myself whether I should bother.

Brad Marchand would be "challenging himself" if he played goalie for a game or two, but the question is whether that would be a good use of his obvious skillset. If I've found a groove, and trying to plow this new one is consistently unrewarding, why condemn me for choosing not to continue to plow? And, to what end? I'm not being rewarded for continuing to stab away at April Fools stories, is my point.

My fourth April Fools story? I've never posted. I already know it's not good enough.

Marchaud, the little ball of hate. Are you from Boston, or just like the Bruins?

I see what you're saying, but underperforming by lit standards doesn't mean it was a wasted effort. As long as I've been here I still get it wrong in the sense of this will hit, this will miss, then be off in both directions.

But you have entered so I'm not really talking to you, because you've given it a few tries and that's what counts; you took the challenge.

For whatever reason I find this contest more fun than others because its another way to set up unrealistic taboo encounters, by mixing in a prank or in this instance chance.

Now on the flip side although I entered past contests V-day is not my thing. Not sure why, but I've shied away from it after giving it a few tries. But its one of the more highly entered events.

 

[lovecraft68]

Ahh. now I feel like its officially a contest

Anonymous11 minutes ago
12 pages of crap, who has time to so much shit on paper...get a life

 

[Duleigh]

My fourth April Fools story? I've never posted. I already know it's not good enough.

You only get one vote, there's plenty of readers with a different opinion than you, they may surprise you. True, they often surprise me in a negative direction, miracles do happen

Ahh. now I feel like its officially a contest

Anonymous11 minutes ago
12 pages of crap, who has time to so much shit on paper...get a life

A living example of why I have always wanted to be able to block Anonymous posts
Why?
Because you can't ban anonymous for being a like you can here in the forum

 

[Voboy]

Marchaud, the little ball of hate. Are you from Boston, or just like the Bruins?

He's tremendously skilled... but he's not a goalie. That was the only thing he was meant to illustrate.

I see what you're saying, but underperforming by lit standards doesn't mean it was a wasted effort. As long as I've been here I still get it wrong in the sense of this will hit, this will miss, then be off in both directions.

I define my own wasted efforts in my own writing, and they're reflected in my file of unfinished or not-good-enough stories. I never said I felt these stories were a wasted effort: those are your words. I'm proud of these stories, or else I would not have posted them. I said they'd underperformed compared to my other stories, meaning there's something in this theme I am consistently not grasping.

Well and good. I'm sure I could nug away at it and become an April Fools Contest Winner! But do I want to put in the work to get there? No, I don't think I do. And others' opinion of that choice means nothing at all to me.

But you have entered so I'm not really talking to you, because you've given it a few tries and that's what counts; you took the challenge.

...okay. But you will be talking to me next year, when you again trot out this "YOU MUST ALWAYS CHALLENGE YOURSELF AND IMPROVE!" chestnut and I've chosen not to enter. I'm just not sure I see the point in you condemning ANYONE for the choices they make in their own writing. You clearly think you're helping others, but take this as constructive feedback: you're not.

Not everyone is here for the same reasons you are. Not everyone is interested in the same goals you are. It seems to me that hectoring them based on your own standards is... well, pointless.

You only get one vote, there's plenty of readers with a different opinion than you, they may surprise you.

Yes, but my vote is the first one. And the most important. If I can't meet my own standards, I don't post. That's my vote.

Sure, I could post it. Hell, maybe it would even win or something. But why would I take pride in the success of a story I don't even like?

These are obviously topics for another thread. I'm not unhappy I entered. I think it's likely one of my stories will wind up with a Red H, but the other one? Well, it's the second time out for my Kelly character, and she didn't do well last time, either. So although I enjoy writing her, I may just take the hint this time: maybe she's just too unlikeable to be enjoyable.

 

[lovecraft68]

He's tremendously skilled... but he's not a goalie. That was the only thing he was meant to illustrate.



I define my own wasted efforts in my own writing, and they're reflected in my file of unfinished or not-good-enough stories. I never said I felt these stories were a wasted effort: those are your words. I'm proud of these stories, or else I would not have posted them. I said they'd underperformed compared to my other stories, meaning there's something in this theme I am consistently not grasping.

Well and good. I'm sure I could nug away at it and become an April Fools Contest Winner! But do I want to put in the work to get there? No, I don't think I do. And others' opinion of that choice means nothing at all to me.



...okay. But you will be talking to me next year, when you again trot out this "YOU MUST ALWAYS CHALLENGE YOURSELF!" chestnut and I've chosen not to enter. I'm just not sure I see the point in you condemning ANYONE for the choices they make in their own writing. You clearly think you're helping others, but take this as constructive feedback: you're not.

Not everyone is here for the same reasons you are. Not everyone is interested in the same goals you are. It seems to me that hectoring them based on your own standards is... well, pointless.



Yes, but my vote is the first one. And the most important. If I can't meet my own standards, I don't post. That's my vote.

Sure, I could post it. Hell, maybe it would even win or something. But why would I take pride in the success of a story I don't even like?

These are obviously topics for another thread. I'm not unhappy I entered. I think it's likely one of my stories will wind up with a Red H, but the other one? Well, it's the second time out for my Kelly character, and she didn't do well last time, either. So although I enjoy writing her, I may just take the hint this time: maybe she's just too unlikeable to be enjoyable.

I think you need thicker skin or a safety pin, maybe both.

 

[Djmac1031]

But I don't enjoy them very much.

No offense, but if you're not enjoying writing the story, perhaps that's a sign.

It's why I don't enter EVERY contest.

If one intrigues me and I have an idea, great.

But If it's not my thing, I can't force myself to write it.

I think the contests can be a fun exercise, but I also think they should be seen as tools to inspire a writer naturally, not for us to try and FORCE a story just to get recognition.

 

[Voboy]

I think you need thicker skin or a safety pin, maybe both.

Says the man who, more consistently than anyone else on this board, CANNOT take anyone else's constructive feedback on any topic whatsoever.

You'll reply to this, too, because you insist on having the last word. Go for it!

 

[Voboy]

No offense, but if you're not enjoying writing the story, perhaps that's a sign.

It's why I don't enter EVERY contest.

If one intrigues me and I have an idea, great.

But If it's not my thing, I can't force myself to write it.

I think the contests can be a fun exercise, but I also think they should be seen as tools to inspire a writer naturally, not for us to try and FORCE a story just to get recognition.

No, I should have been clearer: I enjoyed writing them, but not necessarily by comparison with other kinds of stories.

I agree: it's a sign.