Hello
@Zunori. Welcome to the Guild.
In case you were not already aware, the writing contests subforum functions (both in the technical and colloquial sense) differently from most of the other subforums in the guild. In most of the other subforums, each individual thread operates on a nominal play-by-post system, and possesses multiple independent tabs for each thread dedicated to specific purposes (In-Character, Out-Of-Character, and Character-Information. Though there is no rule saying they need to be used specifically for those purposes). Here in the writing contest subforum, individual threads do not have their own tabs - each thread is dedicated to a single column of conversation. For obvious reasons, this makes separation of IC content and contest chatter difficult, which is why most Contest Threads either utilize a Private Submission system (for more reasons than just this one, pointedly), or else redundant threads.
In terms of use, the idea behind the writing contest subforum is to present community tasks or challenges oriented towards competitive (sometimes) writing and artistry. A poster can present an idea or announcement for a specific contest, and other posters can then join that contest. Most submissions for forum contests are submitted to the thread OP (or sometimes a special dummy account) for review and analysis, and so most work is not seen until a contest's submission deadline has been reached.
These are not etched-in-stone rules. Contests utilizing alternate formats are expected to be seen if people want to try and experiment (which the Contest Moderators tacitly encourage as an extension of their endorsement for additional forum contests). That said, here are a few reasons why your post in particular is not well-suited to the writing contests subforum:
-There is no forward address, description of a premise, or outline of contest parameters. Some people are probably going to have trouble determining exactly what it is you want. There is no clear point of entry for outsiders within the original post, so people will not know what an appropriate response to your original message might constitute.
-As an extension of the first point, your original message lacks impetus for participation. Some people do not know why they should participate. Is there some kind of prize at stake? Perhaps just the satisfaction of winning? Is the idea just an exercise in perpetual one-upsmanship, without end and fated only to eternally bloat like a malignant tumor with progressively lengthier and more elaborate posts, each attempting to outdo its predecessor? There is no way to tell.
-The first message is arranged in a manner that suggests that it is a play-by-post, free-admission, laissez-faire, contextually-open, open-response roleplay. If that were the case, it would not belong in the writing contest subforum, but in one of the specific play-by-post writing subforums instead (if that's what you were aiming for, we can move this thread for you). If you want to try and establish something
like that in the context of the writing contests subforum, you might still want to look at the above points and take a few steps in advance to announce and explain your exact intent.
If you have any questions, or specific ideas for writing contests in the future, you are welcome and advised to contact both
@Terminal and
@mdk in order to discuss logistics and brainstorming.
KactusPunch,
Crown Sage,
MarshalSolgriev,
SkyeOfStars,
princess,
flat lovenote,
Zeroth