Quote:
Originally Posted by The Batlord
I actually don't like the idea of making it a contest. Writing can be fun, but putting it out there for the world to see can be nerve-racking. Making it anonymous might take a bit of the edge off, but some people might be sensitive to losing a writing competition, and any blows to the ego can be discouraging for them.
I'm fine with the idea of it being anonymous, but I'm really not sure I'm on board with making it a competition. Of course, anything I've written will probably be pretty obviously mine, so anonymity won't do much to hide my identity.
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It's kind of a double edged sword. On the one hand, making it a competition can cause some people to take it a bit too seriously (and maybe mentally punish themselves for losing). On the other, the knowledge that their work will be scrutinized can inspire writers to make the extra effort to really bring out the best in their work.
I have another idea for how to go about this, though. I could post a theme/genre, and interested authors would then write a story with it in mind. Then the entries are all posted, with the names of the authors either displayed or kept anonymous, at the discretion of each author. There wouldn't be any voting on which is the "best", and the stories would be submitted and displayed purely for the fun of it. That way, instead of it being a contest, it ends up just being a place where writers can have a bit of fun and get some practice in.
But, even though nobody votes on the stories, there could still be voting involved in the process. Before the event begins, people could all make suggestions as to what the next theme should be. After that, everyone votes for the suggestion that they like the most, and it becomes the next theme.