 Contests & Activities: September 04, 2024 Issue [#12718] |
This week: Death Wish Edited by: GeminiGem🐾  
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Hello there! I am GeminiGem🐾 , one of the regular editors of the Contests & Activities. Let's talk about putting together a WdC will in case of your untimely demise...or timely demise, as the case may be. |
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Death Wish
***Trigger warning This newsletter mentions death. Repeatedly. I mean, it's even in the title, so that might have been the first clue. I am offering instructional advice on how to preserve your WdC account after you die. Since it is me writing this newsletter, there will be a bit of lighthearted humor to make the subject a bit more palatable, but I mean no disrespect by it.
PART I: I'M A GONNER. NOW WHAT?
So, mortal human, have you thought about what you would like to happen to your portfolio and the various contests and activities you have in there when you go into the Great Beyond?
The first thing you could do is...nothing. Since I am an expert at this, I totally get it if this is the option that makes the most sense to you (at least at this time). Give me a minute, though. I might be able to convince you to try something a bit more proactive.
If you do nothing, what happens is--you guessed it--nothing. If you have a paid account, it will eventually get busted down to a free account once the paid account runs out. That means that a lot of what you have in the account will become unavailable to anyone, even if they have your password.
You okay with that? Are you sure?
If you think that sounds like a lousy idea, then let's talk about what you can do to keep your WdC legacy going.
First, you may want to instruct a trusted friend or family member to contact The StoryMaster via email to let him know that you have passed. Don't leave this to your trusted ally's memory! Write a letter that details the steps they need to take to notify SM to preserve your account and be memorialized as a White Case. Make sure to provide them with the proper email address in this letter. Anyone can email SM at storymaster@writing.com, even from "outside" email addresses.
This letter should include what pertinent information needs to be in the email to the SM. It must include your real name and your WdC user name. You may consider writing out exactly what you what you want your trusted ally to write in the email for their copy and paste pleasure. It never hurts to make things easier on our loved ones as they take care of our affairs.
They will need to send proof. Ew, no, we don't want open-casket pictures. A death certificate will do nicely. To be even more clear, StoryMaster states, "Death certificates are preferred, but in cases where there is little doubt as to the authenticity of the request, an obituary from a reputable source does suffice." So in other words, they should send your death certificate as an attachment to the email.
You will want to make sure that the person you choose is willing to do this important task for you and will have access to a copy of your death certificate. I recommend you give the person a copy of the letter and have another copy with your will and other estate information. It should indicate who will be taking care of this task in the letter.
If your death certificate is not in English, don't worry, it can still be used. The accompanying email will need to in English and include with the request your real name and your WdC user name.
Here's why you want to have that death certificate submitted. First, it will qualify you to be memorialized as a "White Case". See "Writing.Com's White Cases" . Next, your port will stay as it is without being busted down to a free account.
I would like to take a moment to talk about White Cases. Like all the other case colors (gray, black, yellow, blue, purple, and red), having a white case will alert other members of your membership status. Are there ports within WdC of people who are deceased but are not White Cases? Yep, sure are. If you don't know that person, you would never know they were deceased. That could be a bit awkward if you review something in this person's port and suggest some changes they could make...
Part II: BUT WAIT, THERE'S MORE
Since you took the effort to write a letter to a trusted friend or family member to have them contact SM, you might as well take the time to put together a WdC will or succession plan. This will help SM to know what you would like done with any contests, activities, or any other item in your port. If you don't do this, they will not be available to other members once you become a white case, even if they have access now.
Here's how to do it. Open a new STATIC ITEM that will remain in your port. You can name it WdC Will or WdC Succession Plan, whatever makes it obvious to SM that these are the instructions you wish him to follow to distribute any items in your port and who should get them. You can set the static item on private so the general population does not have access to it, but StoryMaster will still be able to see it when the time comes.
Here is a Writing.Com 101 article you may find useful "Transfer a Group To Another Member" .
What items should you include in the succession plan? Any item you think other members would like to continue to have access to. Any contest or activity that someone else could continue to run after you are gone would be a good idea. Don't forget your gp's. If you have banks that are for a particular contest/activity, include that as well. I am sure the new contest owner would appreciate not having to fundraise from scratch. You can also indicate who will get any gp's that are under your account in general (i.e. not stashed away in a group or bank). Remember, you can donate any gp's to an individual member or group.
Here's another point I recommend you check with the people you wish to give your contests and activities to. You will want to make sure they wish to receive them. I also recommend that you permit these people to "rehome" the contest or activity to another suitable member if they feel it would be a good fit. Remember, you won't be around to worry about it, but you could always threaten to haunt them if they don't choose wisely. 
To summarize, here are the basic steps I just described in detail above:
1. Choose a trusted friend/family member. Write a letter asking them to contact SM once you have passed and provide him with a copy of your death certificate.
2. Put together a static item that will remain in your port entitled "WdC Will" or "WdC Succession Plan". List links to all the items you want transferred and who should receive them. Also, donate your gp's to individual(s) or group(s).
3. DON'T FORGET TO UPDATE THE INFORMATION IN YOUR WDC WILL AS YOU OPEN NEW CONTESTS/ACTIVITIES OR DELETE EXISTING ONES.
We will miss you when you are gone, but your Wdc port can continue to be there to comfort us. Your contests and activities can continue to be enjoyed for years to come. I am working on following my own advice and preserving my WdC legacy. How about you?
I would like to thank the following WdC members for helping me with the information in this newsletter:
The StoryMaster 
Max Griffin 🏳️🌈 
Carol St.Ann 
Leger~ 
Schnujo's Doing NaNoWriMo? 
Dawn Embers 
Elle - on hiatus 
THANKFUL SONALI Library Class! 
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Find these and many more writing contests, activities, and challenges here:
| | Contest Clues (E)
List of WdC Writing Contests, Challenges, Activities. Clues To What's Open, What's Closed!
#2221492 by GeminiGem🐾 |
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Feedback from my last Contest & Activities Newsletter "Get The Word Out"
from Dawn Embers
This is a good topic and something I'm not very good at as a contest manager. I have posted in the newsfeed and mentioned contests in scroll on occasion, along with the Contests In & Out but it still is a struggle to get entries. In particular for the Weekly contest. I also really appreciate those that help in the newsletters and fundraisers that have shown support for my longer What If contest. I hadn't thought of doing the link in signature but I just deleted my previous one so maybe I'll consider that next.
It isn't easy to get entrants to contests. The key (from what I can tell) is offering attractive prizes, coming up with interesting prompts but also having more open prompts, and lots of reminders that your contest is there. Even with all that it doesn't always work, LOL Good luck with your contest!
from BlitzieBubbly 
You said I shouldn't be shy.
I am your typical next-door girl.
I currently write for my Gratitude Journal and use Writing.com for that purpose.
And since I mentioned gratitude, let me thank you folks for putting up such helpful cyberspace as this, which workers like me can benefit from.
By the way, I am also not a native American (although I love watching USA Women's Volleyball and I get fixated on these icons sometimes, or so I think)--so, I wish you would take my advice with a grain of salt:
About your email icon for "Delete", I'm not sure it does work.
That would be all for now.
Thank you for listening.
I am glad that Writing.Com is a good place for you to do your writing.
If you are deleting emails, make sure that you select which email(s) you want to delete first. There is an option to SELECT ALL at the top, or you can check mark individual emails by clicking on the little box to the right of any email you wish to select. Then you can hit the delete icon and it will delete whichever emails you have selected. |
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