WIWAW event: worth repeating?

[StillStunned]

Last year's What I Wrote And Why challenge was great fun, and I think a great success. But I'm wondering whether it's worth repeating this year. I think many of us said a lot of what we wanted to say, and might come up empty if asked to do it again.

Thoughts?

 

[lovecraft68]

My comment is a general one, not just at the event in question.

There are far too many of these challenges, and a big part of that is because nothing can be a stand alone anymore. Now its "Challenge X part 4:" because they've all become annual. Your idea of swapping Pandemonium for Dark Fairy Tales is the right approach.

The 750 word challenge is the worst, there are complaints about waiting times and now the site is about to be flooded with dozens of tiny stories that for the most part readers have no responded well to.

I had an idea for one I kicked tires on but taking a look at the schedule and more people coming up with these, I won't bother.

This is just an opinion, but for me, and I think I speak for others, I have a hard enough time writing my own ideas on my schedule, and the actual site promoted challenges are dwindling because of these.

As always, there is no middle ground and an idea of an author's challenge has turned into endless ones because everyone needs their own.

I think something like WIWAW could just be an ongoing type of essay people could add to whenever they want.

 

[StillStunned]

My comment is a general one, not just at the event in question.

I largely agree, and that's in fact the biggest reason for this thread.

That said, I'd appreciate it if everyone would take your comment as noted, so we can avoid becoming sidetracked by a discussion of the rights and wrongs of author challenges.

So, another WIWAW event: yay or nay?

 

[SimonDoom]

My attitude, generally, is "write and let write," so if people are interested, go ahead, but speaking personally I agree with LC and have a hard enough time keeping up with the existing challenges and contests. I seldom participate and can't keep up with the contributions, either. It seems like the Site's capacity to stay on top of its publication schedule is being taxed more than ever. That said, this particular challenge concept is an interesting and worthwhile one and some authors obviously have enjoyed contributing to it. I also find it interesting to learn more about other authors' thought processes when they write.

 

[TheLobster]

I think Reviews & Essays has had enough attention to last it for a while. But if you want to shine a spotlight on another dead category, maybe it’s time for, say, Letters and Transcripts?

 

[Jackie.Hikaru]

I agree with LC and Simon. As much as I love reading the WIWAWs, I do think there are too many author challenges and contests atm …that said, I do think they’re great and appreciate the authors that take the time to write them.

*so respectfully a nay for me

 

[SimonDoom]

I might suggest this: Instead of having an event, keep a thread going and encourage authors on their own time to post a WIWAW essay to the Reviews and Essays category and link to it in the thread, inviting further dialogue and conversation about the WIWAW. I looked it up and there have only been 15 stories posted in reviews and essays in the last three months, so it's not as though we're inundated with them. It looks like authors are doing this anyway. It might work well for this type of posting.

 

[alohadave]

The response to my two entries was not worth the effort. I wouldn't do it again, and I've debated deleting the two I did.

 

[AG31]

I went to look at what I had written and found that I hadn't participated at all. Strange, since it's just my kind of thing, but I think it was because I really didn't understand how a challenge worked. Still don't. But if you have another one this year, I'll certainly figure out how to join in.

 

[MelissaBaby]

My comment is a general one, not just at the event in question.

There are far too many of these challenges, and a big part of that is because nothing can be a stand alone anymore. Now its "Challenge X part 4:" because they've all become annual. Your idea of swapping Pandemonium for Dark Fairy Tales is the right approach.

The 750 word challenge is the worst, there are complaints about waiting times and now the site is about to be flooded with dozens of tiny stories that for the most part readers have no responded well to.

I had an idea for one I kicked tires on but taking a look at the schedule and more people coming up with these, I won't bother.

This is just an opinion, but for me, and I think I speak for others, I have a hard enough time writing my own ideas on my schedule, and the actual site promoted challenges are dwindling because of these.

As always, there is no middle ground and an idea of an author's challenge has turned into endless ones because everyone needs their own.

I think something like WIWAW could just be an ongoing type of essay people could add to whenever they want.

Ditto.

 

[StillStunned]

I went to look at what I had written and found that I hadn't participated at all. Strange, since it's just my kind of thing, but I think it was because I really didn't understand how a challenge worked. Still don't. But if you have another one this year, I'll certainly figure out how to join in.

It's very simple: submit your story as you normally would, but in the "Notes to the Admin" field you add the description from the challenge rules (i.e. "WIWAW 2025"). Adding that same description as a tag is also useful, but not a strict requirement.

 

[NoTalentHack]

My comment is a general one, not just at the event in question.

There are far too many of these challenges, and a big part of that is because nothing can be a stand alone anymore. Now its "Challenge X part 4:" because they've all become annual. Your idea of swapping Pandemonium for Dark Fairy Tales is the right approach.

The 750 word challenge is the worst, there are complaints about waiting times and now the site is about to be flooded with dozens of tiny stories that for the most part readers have no responded well to.

I had an idea for one I kicked tires on but taking a look at the schedule and more people coming up with these, I won't bother.

This is just an opinion, but for me, and I think I speak for others, I have a hard enough time writing my own ideas on my schedule, and the actual site promoted challenges are dwindling because of these.

As always, there is no middle ground and an idea of an author's challenge has turned into endless ones because everyone needs their own.

I think something like WIWAW could just be an ongoing type of essay people could add to whenever they want.

I'd tend to agree with almost all of this, except maybe the 750 word one; that often leads to people writing their first stories, which I think is a net positive, plus it's broad enough that people usually aren't constrained except by word count. If it wasn't in February, when the Valentine's contest is also running, I think it would be a lot less of a hassle in terms of queue times.

I had a lot of fun in my first year hitting almost every single event, but it was exhausting. While I know that no one is required or even encouraged to try something that nutty, I think that maybe having fewer events/contests is ideal simply because that kind of FOMO can be very frustrating for those of a certain mindset.

WIWAW could easily be a cultural, constant thing instead of an event. More than that, I'd kind of like to see the list get trimmed down a bit in general; right now, there are 20(!) events + contests, and if last year's numbers are any kind of indication, the number of entries into the events are likely to be spread thin as a result. I'd much rather see a dozen challenges + contests spread out over the year that see heavy engagement and numerous people putting their own spin on a common theme.

 

[NaughteeDragon]

I think a WIWAW type event should be once every 2-3 years. Maybe find a slot where every year there is some kind of expositional challenge: WIWAW, a character study, something about research you did for a story, what I learned writing XYZ Story.
These are written more for other authors to enjoy and learn from, and I do enjoy reading them. LC is right though that they take away from other writing for a very limited audience.

 

[Omenainen]

It would be cool to have some kind of continuing thing, like an advertised story tag search so that somewhere on the site there’d be something like “What I Wrote and Why - see behind the scenes on your most beloved stories” and then link to the tag search for those stories. Then there wouldn’t need to be a submission window etc like for events. Some type of things would work better as such. But, waiting for the site to add functionality is futile, and I suppose there would be some kind of upkeep in that too - what if there’s some stories with the tag first and then nobody ever contributes, should this tag be in there or not and with what blurb, etc.

 

[MillieDynamite]

But this challenge is only in the forum, so not really a writing challenge. I assume we tell what you wrote (synopsis) and what you did so. It's an apologetic writing thread where we defend our work, right?

 

[alohadave]

But this challenge is only in the forum, so not really a writing challenge. I assume we tell what you wrote (synopsis) and what you did so. It's an apologetic writing thread where we defend our work, right?

This was a writing challenge last summer. It started in the forum, then Laurel thought it would be a good challenge.

 

[MillieDynamite]

Oh, too many for me to keep up with already.

 

[NaughteeDragon]

It would be cool to have some kind of continuing thing, like an advertised story tag search so that somewhere on the site there’d be something like “What I Wrote and Why - see behind the scenes on your most beloved stories” and then link to the tag search for those stories. Then there wouldn’t need to be a submission window etc like for events. Some type of things would work better as such. But, waiting for the site to add functionality is futile, and I suppose there would be some kind of upkeep in that too - what if there’s some stories with the tag first and then nobody ever contributes, should this tag be in there or not and with what blurb, etc.

What about posting it as a “last chapter” on a multi chapter fic. Think of it like a bloopers reel or commentary track.

 

[Voboy]

I did do a WIWAW, but I posted it as a thread here in the AH instead of publishing it. I felt it would be more useful to other writers than to the run-of-the-mill reader. I still think that.

I could not agree more with LC that there are just too many "events" and "challenges." It's your thing, OP, and it's considerably more worthwhile than a lot of other events... but still. It's "more." And more is not always better.

 

[mrs_mackenzie]

I'd struggle to put together another meaningful WIWAW, being completely honest. I'm not fussed about scores or feedback or whatever, but whilst the other challenges push me personally to come up with different kinds of stories and motivate me to keep writing, I really prefer reading WIWAW to writing them.

 

[StillStunned]

The people have spoken, I think - here and on Bluesky. I'll drop Laurel a line and ask her to scrap it from the list of this year's challenges.

But I agree that a "WIWAW encouragement" thread might be a good idea.