SG-1 Friendship ficathon, poll #2

[fignewton]

So, the results of the first tentative poll are mostly positive:

SG-1 Friendship Ficathon?

The next step is to determine what kind of ficathon we're going to do, and when we're going to have it.

What kind we're going to do:

We have two choices: a traditional assignment of prompts, and an open pool of prompts.

If we go with the traditional mode, then each person participating in the ficathon would submit three different prompts. Prompts should name two characters and a quote, an episode, a bit of dialogue, or the like. These prompts must use different characters - you can't, for example, ask for Jack and Daniel three times! :) You may use one character twice among your three prompts - for instance, you can ask for Janet and Sam dealing with Cassie, or Janet and Hammond and "they also serve who stand and wait," but you would not be able to put Janet in your third prompt. You may also, if you wish, offer one prompt of three or more characters for multi-friendship (such as Jack, Teal'c, and Daniel watching jello-wrestling in Ascension). Timeframes may be included in your prompt (early Season One, pre-series, post-series, classic SG-1 only, S9-10 only - whatever). You may also include up to three things you specifically do not want in your fic: no NID, no Tok'ra, no excessive violence, etc.

If we go with an open pool of prompts, there will be a one-week period in which anyone, whether or not they plan to sign up for the ficathon, can submit screened prompts. As with the traditional mode, prompts should name two (or more) characters and a quote, an episode, a bit of dialogue, or the like. There would be no limitations in terms of using the same character in multiple prompts or submitting serveral multi-friendship prompts, although I do hope we would end up with a nice mixture of both. When the submission period has ended, a new post would go up with all the available prompts. Prompts would be claimed on a first-come, first-served basis.

There are advantages and disadvantages to both methods. The first assures that participants will get one story written specifically to their tastes, including what they'd rather not see in their requested prompt. The second offers many more choices for inspiration and makes it easier to take the plunge into participating; it also allows last-minute contributions from people who hadn't planned to take part in the ficathon, but find themselves suddenly inspired by a particular prompt a week or so before the stories are due. However, there's no guarantee that your own prompt will be taken or that the story written with your prompt won't include elements that you dislike.

With that in mind, the first question on the poll below is to determine which kind of ficathon we want: traditional assignment of prompts, or an open pool of prompts.

I should add that no matter which kind of ficathon we ultimately have, all assigned or claimed prompts must be written and posted to the ficathon community before any of them can go public. I've taken place in three ficathons so far, and two out of three had that rule - and, despite the inevitable delay in unscreening, I'd say that it's definitely worth it.

When we're going to do it:

This is pretty self-explanatory, I think. If we go with the traditional mode, we'll have a week sign-up period, a week for assignments to be handed out, and seven weeks to write before stories are due. If we go with the pool of prompts mode, we'll have a week submission period, a week in which prompts can be claimed, and seven weeks to write before stories are due. (If anyone thinks more time needs to be allocated for any of these time periods, please leave a comment below.) I've offered a spread of dates in the poll, and it offers ticky boxes so you can choose whatever works for you. Hopefully, we can find a time that is, at the very least, doable for most.


[Poll #1134155]
As aurora_novarum points out, I sadly neglected to offer the option of "either one" for the first question. So if you have no specific ficathon-type preference, please leave a comment.

I've created the sg1friendathon community, and you're more than welcome to join there if you'd like! :) And if anyone with talent in banners or icons would like to suggest anything for the comm, I'd be delighted. And please, spread the word to your own flists - we want as much SG-1 friendship love as we can get!

Comments

[aurora-novarum.livejournal.com]

What if you're up for either? LOL *is difficult*

[sg-fignewton.livejournal.com]

You're suggesting I should have made the first question ticky boxes, too? Ah, well, too late now. :)

[aurora-novarum.livejournal.com]

I would've gone for a choice of "either one" below.

If Ticky boxes, you'd have to include something like "Bra'tac rocks!" :-)

[sg-fignewton.livejournal.com]

Yes, that would have worked. You can't change polls, though, so I'll just ETA that if you're fine with both types, you should comment and say so.

If Ticky boxes, you'd have to include something like "Bra'tac rocks!" :-)

Yes, there is that. :)

[kalquessa.livejournal.com]

I'm okay with either format, but I'm slightly more intrigued by the pool idea, so that's what I voted for. As long as we aren't locked in to one prompt (a thought which terrifies me) I'm good.

And I realized that May wasn't going to be as insane as I thought! Yay!

[sg-fignewton.livejournal.com]

Wheeeee for ficathons and non-insane Mays! :)

No, locking into one prompt definitely wouldn't be good. But the sg_ep_ficathon offered three different prompts per person, and that really worked out beautifully. So I think it has promise for this, too!

And yeah, the pool idea is intriguing, isn't it? I do wonder, though, if knowing that someone is counting on you would help people finish on time. I mean, look at apocalypsekree - people are still finishing those!

[kalquessa.livejournal.com]

Yeah, the pool system fic-a-thons do seem to run on and on, don't they. Knowing you'll be disappointing someone if you don't make the deadline does tend to out the fear of God in people. *grin*

[sg-fignewton.livejournal.com]

I'm hoping that stipulating that everyone has to have their stories posted before we can go live will prevent that. We'll see how it goes. :)

[uniquinum.livejournal.com]

I'm in.

I would prefer to do it the traditional way, but I'm pretty easy.

Also if you need help organising everything let me know, i'd be more than happy to lend a hand.

[sg-fignewton.livejournal.com]

Ooh, excellent! And thank you for your offer. I'll get in touch with you sometime tomorrow via the addy on your profile.

[uniquinum.livejournal.com]

No probs.

[rhianona]

here via abyssinia4077. While i prefer the traditional, the pool is also good. I like late may/early june for a due date, since law school eats up a lot of time, but am flexible. It sounds like a lot of fun!

[sg-fignewton.livejournal.com]

Excellent! I think it's going to be a lot of fun, too. :)

[pepper-field.livejournal.com]

Belatedly replying to this! I wasn't looking at it, because I was - for some reason - thinking it would be soon. And I can't, at the moment. But April-June may well be do-able.

And I'm not really bothered as to what type. :)

[sg-fignewton.livejournal.com]

Hee hee! Oh that icon! :)

The poll's current numbers strongly suggest we'll be going with April-May for writing, with the stories due on June 1st. I'm really pleased to see this is actually happening!

[pepper-field.livejournal.com]

It's pretty much been useful for every ficathon for which I've signed up.

I do enjoy them, I hasten to add. But sometimes I enjoy them most when they're done. *g*

[sg-fignewton.livejournal.com]

Yeah, yeah, says the woman who has her 200 fic already written. ;p

But I do agree that ficathons are so much more fun from the other side, so to speak. :)

[suzannemarie.livejournal.com]

I checked "traditional," but I'm good with either. Or possibly bad with either. I've never ventured into ficathon territory before.

[sg-fignewton.livejournal.com]

I did my first ficathon last year and wrote my first ever SG-1 fic that way. It's scarily, delightfully addictive, I tell you!

You're always welcome to ask questions as we go along. I'm sure it'll work out just fine. :)

[chocolate-kree.livejournal.com]

I picked the pool entry, though I'd go with either I think. I've never really written anything for a certain audience though before, so that's a little intimidating to try and meet someone's wants.

And later date would be better for me as well.

[sg-fignewton.livejournal.com]

Anyone who participates in a traditional ficathon understands, and even expects, that different authors can take the same prompts and come up with entirely different scenarios. As long as the general concept is there, most people are pretty happy. :)

OTOH, the open pool prompt seems to be running pretty popular right now, so we'll have to see what happens!