  Contests & Activities
This week: Edited by: THANKFUL SONALI Library Class!  
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The Letter from the Editor is divided into two parts.
In Part #1, I give some general, personal viewpoints and opinions about contests and activities.
In Part #2, I focus on two activities that I really enjoyed participating in, and try to analyse what each did right.
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PART #1: A few personal viewpoints and opinions
Here, I'm going to outline some aspects that have attracted me, personally, to various contests and activities around the site. Some of these aspects have been talked about often but need to be mentioned again in a list like this one (to make the list as complete as possible), others (hopefully) might be eye-openers! 
A Completely Unusual Activity
Well, if you have a totally original idea for a contest or activity, try it out! The novelty will bring in participants!
A Usual Activity
I've found that 'usual' activities become 'usual' because they're well loved and helpful.
Some of the most successful activities site-wide revolve around reviewing. People like to review, they like to receive reviews ... the best encouragement writers can get is to receive a constructive review of their work. So, to offer incentives for reviewing is almost a sure bet where a contest or activity is concerned.
Similarly, people enjoy writing stories and poems ... contests like "The Writer's Cramp" have seen some fantastic participation and some outstanding writing encouraging these popular forms.
An Unusual Look at a Usual Activity
This is something I really love, and I'm going to talk more about in in Part #2 of this Newsletter!
Prompts
Personally, I enjoy writing for prompts! But my best friend says, "Huh? Don't you have to write what you feel inside, something you think you just have to write? How can you write based on what someone else thinks?" Whether you give a prompt or not is your choice. From what I've seen on Writing Dot Com, both 'prompted' and 'non-prompted' contests have huge participation!
Prompts could be in the form of genres (example - 'write a story in the sports genre'), or topics (for example - 'write a poem about summer') or a word or phrase, like those given by SHERRI GIBSON  in "COLORING THE WORLD CONTEST TEMP. CLOSED " - "A Mother's Love"; "Shadows of Darkness" and many more.
Prompts could be as detailed or as general as you like -- the various daily prompts in "The Writer's Cramp" give a wide variety of specific and detailed prompts, or one-line prompts. Here are a few examples:-
1. Write a COMEDY STORY or POEM about waking up in the middle of a very strange (but hilarious) dream. Tell us what the dream was about, and how it impacted you when you woke up. True stories or fiction are both welcome -- whatever you choose, just make it funny!
2. Today, May 12, is "International Nurses Day." Write a story or poem about a nurse.
3. Today I'd like you to write about a little boy or girl who wants to dress up as a cowboy or cowgirl... thought it was going to be simple, huh? NO WAY! He or she must deal with the following problems:
His parents won't let him have a gun
He doesn't have a hat
He doesn't have anything to use for a pretend horse, so no broomsticks, branches, mops, hobbyhorses, etc.
He doesn't have any boots
Tell a story of how this little boy or girl overcomes the four obstacles listed above and successfully dresses as a cowboy or cowgirl.
Please note that these are past prompts used as examples and not currently valid.
Choices
When I visit a contest or activity forum, I like to have choices -- am I allowed to write either flash fiction or poetry, depending on my response to the prompt? Am I allowed to submit as a book-entry, an item or a direct forum post, depending on the space in my port?
Multiple Entries
Sometimes, a contest allows only one entry per participant. There are times when I've wanted to tackle a prompt in two ways, and had to pick one. I wonder if those hosts would consider allowing a second entry, maybe the first entry free, and the second with a small entry fee ... ?
Entry Fee
Talking of entry fees, you need to think hard about them. Everyone, including me, loves to enter contests which don't charge Gift Points for entering. However, you might need to charge to fund prizes, pay judges or ensure that entrants are serious about what they're submitting. Charges vary, and should be proportionate to your prizes. When in doubt, I'd suggest a lower charge compared to a higher one, to attract more contestants.
Attractive / Innovative Prizes
Let your prizes be attractive. Some contests offer a lot of prizes, which draw contestants. Personally, when I enter those, I always like to have a 'Gift Point equivalent' alternative, should I win something. I like contest victories to help pay for my upgrade, so that I can keep those items in my port!
However, you don't necessarily need to spend Gift Points, you could offer reviews, signatures and other site-related things that you're good at creating and others might appreciate.
Clearly spelt out rules and deadlines
Your rules should be brief but complete, and clear. Deadlines should be given, preferably according to the WDC clock, which everyone has access to.
Should you require the entries in bitem format, please explain what that is and/or link "The illustrated guide to linking" or "Invalid Item" or any other similar guide. It greatly helps newbies who want to enter and don't know how to give bitem links.
Note - make your rules as simple or complex as required, but make sure you don't put in so much 'fine print' that entrants find it too cumbersome to read through. Or, vary the size or colour of the text - the main print in a larger size and the fine print in a smaller size. Some contest hosts give a quick summary of the main rules (Prompt, deadline, form, length) at the beginning or at the end of the list of rules, to make it easier on those who might be entering multiple times and might be familiar with all the other rules.
Eye catching Forum and Banner
Let the look of your forum match the contest or activity you're conducting - a 'comic' feel for a comedy contest, and so on.
I find that if I enjoy spending time in the forum, I'm more likely to enter the contest or participate in the activity!
Keep in touch with participants
If I've taken the time to create an item for a contest or activity, I appreciate the courtesy of a host who keeps in touch with me. I really appreciated it once when I didn't place in a contest, but the hosts emailed me anyway, stating that winners were announced and who they were.
It might help to tell participants that they'll receive regular emails from you, and create a 'group' so that you can keep in touch when you need to.
If you're running an on-going activity (daily, weekly, monthly ...) you might not want to send out mails -- in which case, post regularly on your forum. Stick to the dates and times you've said you'll put out new prompts or winners. A couple of times, the judges of contests I entered couldn't pick the winners on time for some reason. It helped that they posted on the forum, giving fresh dates by which winners would be posted.
Urge your participants to put your forum on their favourites!
Advertising
You can advertise in various forums and plug pages and in your signature or bio-block. In addition, I find that giving the item number of the contest in your handle helps -- it's visible wherever you go, and a 'search' for that item number brings up your contest or activity.
Newbies
It's great to have a special prize for newbie entries, and advertise on the Newbie forum.
Also remember -- like the word 'bitem' is new to newbies, so are a lot of other things. If you think newbies would need an explanation about something, please explain it!
Beneficiaries
If you're charging an entry fee (or even if you're not!) it's great to have some Gift Points put aside for groups on the site that help members with upgrades. This is likely to increase participation in your activity, too.
Suggestions
A couple of activities I've participated in have asked for suggestions -- for prompts, for improvement in the rules and the like. It felt good to contribute a little through my ideas, there!
An Unusual Look at a Usual Activity
Both these activities gave a fresh angle to something we're familiar with. This gives a springboard for creativity -- using the familiar to let the imagination take off. Reviewing we're familiar with. Our favourite characters we're familiar with. But reviewing as our favourite characters, in their voices? Our backpack we're familiar with. But making it sound attractive for a Senior Moderator to want to climb into ... ? Gets that creativity flowing!
In addition, here are some points about both which made them thoroughly enjoyable for me as a participant:-
Well thought out
In both, the hosts have thought through the activity, started it up well in advance, thus ensuring smooth running and a fun ride for participants. "Invalid Item" takes a lot of factors into account while judging, making the job of those who select winners very time-consuming -- but that's what makes a contestant participate again and again. Also, the host offers to create and host signatures for participants who ask well in advance!
"Invalid Item" meant that the Senior Mods had to sift through the 'backpacks' offered and choose the one they wanted to get into. They had to be constantly on the alert to see if anyone had guessed a backpack correctly -- again keeping them on their toes!
Visiting the forum often
Both "Invalid Item" and "Invalid Item" encouraged you to visit the forum often, to participate in challenges or find out how the activity was progressing. This kept interest at a very high level.
Incentives to bring in more participants
"Invalid Item" offered Gift Points to the first person who brought in three more participants. I know that had me thinking of anyone I knew site-wide who was returning to school!  Once or twice, I read on someone's handle that they were returning to school, and approached people I didn't know to sign up!
"Invalid Item" encouraged those who received reviews to post in the forum, thus making sure the recipients were in tune with the activity, and possibly would want to participate themselves. Also, other members of Writing Dot Com, besides the host, were allowed to announce their challenges and prizes within the activity, thus egging more people to participate in various ways.
FUN!
While the reviews had to be of a good standard to be considered winners by the judges, and the backpacks had to be well presented, both activities stressed having FUN! That's why it was so enjoyable to participate in both, I could just let my hair down!
That's it folks! (That's enough, I hear you say?! ?!) Hope you enjoyed this newsletter! Do write in with your feedback!
Thanks,
Sonali
PS:-
A quick note about genres. "Contest" and "Contest Entry" are two different genres.
Choose the first - "Contest" when you're creating a contest for other people to enter.
Choose the second - "Contest Entry" when it's your individual poem, story or other item for a contest. |
Have an opinion on what you've read here today? Then send the Editor feedback! Find an item that you think would be perfect for showcasing here? Submit it for consideration in the newsletter!
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This is my first Contests / Activities Newsletter, so I have no feedback to showcase.
Please let me know if this Newsletter helped you with conducting or participating in an activity or a contest!
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Contests & Activities: June 24, 2009 Issue [#3066]
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