(no subject)

[aidenfire]

Good evening, flist! How are you all doing this evening? Or, morning, rather. Err. Anyway. As you are all lovely and intelligent, I have a question for you. Is there some kind of writing group out there that involves setting goals for a certain word count each week? Perhaps something like NaNoWhateverTheHellTheOtherLettersAre, except, with a setup closer to that of fanaticize? IE, you're on "teams" and each team is responsible for creating a certain amount of product each week, so if one member is slacking or having writer's block or whatever, the others have to do more? If there is not a community like that...am I totally off my rocker, or is that a decent idea? Would anyone be interested in joining if I were to set it up? Just as importantly, would anyone be interested in giving me a hand setting it up? What kind of word count quota should there be? Am I missing some huge reason why this wouldn't work? Anything you feel like commenting on?

Thanks guys, you all rock muchly. *kisses*

Comments

[happiestwhen.livejournal.com]

Would this be open to hp fanfiction? original fiction? (any fiction?)

What sort of thing do you have in mind? I'd be interested. I think. It would certainly help keep me motivated to write stuff. :D

[aidenfire]

I was thinking anything at all--fanfic, original stuff, essays (not required ones, though), meta, whatever.

And yes--I like writing, but I don't have any motivation at all, hence the idea for the community. I don't think that this would be very difficult (to mod, I mean), once I got it started (and it's not like I don't spend hours on the computer every day anyone...)

[happiestwhen.livejournal.com]

Hmm... I like the idea. If you can get some more people interested, I'd definitely join. :D

[aidenfire]

Great! I hope it will work out! I'm actually starting to get a bit excited...I hope I'm not jumping the gun.

[aidenfire]

writemore

*g*

[rsnurkle.livejournal.com]

Whooooooooooa. Sounds cool. I imagine you know enough to people to set up multiple teams - and that's the only reason I can see now that might make this not work. I think the word count would kind of depend on the overall average writing amount (a better term is escaping me) that all the participants have. I.e., if we were all kindergartners, the concept of 14,000 words for 3-person teams in week would be pushing it, and 2,000 words for a 6-person team of English Ph.Ds in a month would be sad (unless the words all had to rhyme, or reveal the Ultimate Question of the Universe - see how funky you could make it?). This would be definitely motivating, if not completely awesome.
Possible rough points-
1) Initial decision-making (how many words, how many people?): Easily resolvable now, and also easily fixable later.
2) Team/scores monitoring: Fixable by judicious use of the honor system, and self-reliance on the teams for turning in scores on time - and if this involves the use of a community journal then people could simply post scores and not worry about have to involve you (who for now, are instated as our hypothetical Goddess Moderator o' New Community Concept). The concept of peer pressure can easily be used to good-naturedly shame any team not making their quotas, trolling/flaming people can be easily kicked by someone suitably unsympathetic, until they come crawling back on their hands and knees.

So, my questions are now:
3) Do you feel it necessary to show the work made (like, including a link to it with the hypothetical "score post")?
And, 4) Where do I sign up?

Goodness, I'm long-winded in the early hours.

[aidenfire]

Thank you for all your thoughts! I love long-winded-ness! *g*

Re: word count. I was thinking about this as I lay in bed last night, and I thought maybe each person could set their own goals, and then people with similar goals could be on teams together. Because, everyone has different amounts of time, dedication, plot bunnies, etc. Maybe a team of 2000 words/person/week, a team of 2-5000 words/person/week, a team of 5-10 000, and so on, depending on how many people sign up and how much they want to write. And also, that way if one person on a team is unable to meet their weekly quota, it would be more fair to their team mates to ask them to carry the slack. For example, say someone was 300 words short of their goal. No big deal for someone who produces 5000 words a day, but it might be huge for the first person and it'd be too easy for the second.

How many people. I was thinking maybe 4 people per team, and then we'd need at least two teams, and three would be better. So, at least 8 or so people, which shouldn't be too hard once I start pimping this.

Team scores. The community that was part of my inspiration for this, fanaticize had one person from each team designated as a record keeper. They'd, at the end of the week, post how many words each person produced and if they altogether met their team quota. I was thinking using a points system: 1 point for each individual member who met their goal, 5 points for the team meeting their goal, 1 point for each member who exceeded their quota (without covering someone else's ass--if someone asked them to write an extra 1000 words, and they're 1000 words over their goal, that doesn't count. However, if no one asked them and they're over, that counts, or if someone asked them to do 1000 words and they're 1500 words over, that counts), and 3 points for the team exceeding their goal overall. Then, maybe a 5 point bonus to the team who had the most over. But, hmm. We'd have to figure out a way to make it fair for the 10,000/person team to fairly compete with the 2000/person team. Maybe, make it percentage. So, for example, each word the 2000 team would be equal 5 words from the 10,000 team. Err, is that too complicated?

3) I don't think it's necessary to show the work, but maybe, recommended? A Feel-free-to-link thing? I don't want to limit people, and some people don't like showing their work until it's totally, completely polished and betaed three times and absolutely perfect, or it might be really personal, or a surprise for someone or whatever.

4) :)!! I snagged the name writemore, and that's where I'm going to hold it. Do you want me to make you a mod? I don't think there'd be much work involved, really, except maybe tabulating each week and setting it up.

[rsnurkle.livejournal.com]

Ooooooh, a mod? I've never been one of those. Sure!

More Thoughts on Scoring/Word Count:
I like the thought of putting people with similiar word goals together, on teams. I also like the idea of awarding points for both individual performance and team performance. Basic 1/individual, and 5/team, for meeting goals. I got a little confused on your whole parenthetical quota exceeding explanation... :( and I have kind of an idea, but I think it's just as confusing. So here's my proposal (based upon yours).

1) 1 point is awarded for each member who makes their weekly goal.
2) 5 points are awarded if all members make their goal.
3) 3 points are awarded instead if the team members altogether meet the team word count (but not all members made their goal, ie someone picked up the slack).
4) Points for exceeding Goals do not count words that are picking up slack*.
5) 1 Point per 100% awarded for each member who exceeds their goal by 100%**.
6) 2 Points per 100% awarded if the team exceeds its goal by 100%**.

*With reporting scores, individuals who did not meet their goals should indicate who helped them out, and by how many words so its clear what words were "picking up slack."
** For instance, if I double my goal, I get 2pts, instead of just 1, and if I triple it, 3pts. Similarly for teams, doubling goal gets 2 extra points, tripling 4, etc.

Notes on this- I think you'd be able to tally points without directly comparing the groups (1 word = 5 words for a diff. team) - one of the reasons I'm talking about 100% of the goals. That would also make sure people picked their goals properly (at least on not too much) and if they still messed up, then they get to do the personal growth required to write that much. :P :) Anyways, it kind of all depends on how much you pressure and/or incentive you want to put where, and how many total points you think people should be able to get. Additionally, teams that constantly exceed their goal could be forced to up the word count :).

[aidenfire]

Your idea sounds good. Except, the only way you could get bonus points is if you write twice as much as your goal was, and I don't know how much that is going to happen. Ooooh! Idea! What if, if you wrote 150%, you got 1.5 points, if you wrote 110%, you get 1.1 points, etc?

I also like the constantly exceed=up their word count. Maybe if twice in a row by 150%, you need to up it?

[aidenfire]

Comm started, and I see you've friended. Any suggestions? How's it look? And, again, would you like to be a mod? I can probably handle it by myself but you're welcome to help if you'd like.

[rsnurkle.livejournal.com]

Whoa, creepy, you must have been looking as I was typing up my long suggestion. :D

[aidenfire]

And, you're now a mod! Yey!

[rsnurkle.livejournal.com]

OMGimamodfortehfirsttimeevar!!!
*happy dance* tyrannnytyrannytyranneeeeeeee- wait, what I am saying. Nothing!!! j/k. realllly. =P =D Thank you!

[silentauror.livejournal.com]

Interesting thought. :) I would very likely friend the comm but not join, just because I tend to have more words in my head than time to type them out as it is, at the moment! And also, with going out of town in less than 48 hours and all (until August 10th), I wouldn't be much help in terms of set-up. I'd love to discuss and whatnot, though.

When it comes to verbal incontinence, I quite possibly win. I'm trying to curb it, actually! :) You know those little ficlets I post on my journal sometimes? Generally about 1,400 words or so? Forty-five minutes is average, plus editing time. *sigh* Too many bunnies. Too little time!

PS: Do you like my new icon? I thought of you. :)

[aidenfire]

Right-o. I knew you were going out of town, so I wanted to make sure to get your preliminary ideas before you left.

Geez! I don't have the...motivation? drive? attention span? to spend that much time writing. I wish I did, honestly--hence the idea for the comm.

And, the obsession icon? Yes, much love! Heeeee. *g*

[silentauror.livejournal.com]

Whenever people talk about having writers' block, or their muses having wandered off without them, I sort of shake my head & wonder if there isn't a way to siphon off some of mine onto them. I constantly feel this drive to expell words, as though there's just a dam-burst of them waiting to come out. I don't always know what form they'll want to take, but the pressure is there. All internally imposed, I assure you! I have no conscious "need" to write lots of stuff to be impressive or satisfy myself or whatever. It's just there, regardless. Nice in a way, I guess, but honestly - I meant it when I said that I don't have enough time to write out what's all in there at any given moment! I'm currently working on two short stories and a novel besides A & S - one short story is being written already; the other is still taking active shape in my head. Either way. :) I guess I do a lot of it in my head, then. Yeah. Totally rambling here. :D Sorry!

[aidenfire]

Huh. That's really different from me. Once I open up Word, as long as I have a germ of an idea I can usually make something out of it. My trouble is getting started, and just DOING it. Actually, that's a problem I have with a lot of things--once I get started, if I can stick to it, I don't have any problem doing it. For example, I was working on a piece of music I'm meant to memorize this afternoon. I ought to have had it at least mostly memorized yesterday, but I just hadn't sat down and done it. Once I did, I got a good half of it done in about 40 min. It's not that I CAN'T do, well, a lot of things, it's that I don't, or that I have a short attention span and almost no will power.

[silentauror.livejournal.com]

I'm definitely the same, especially when it comes to memorizing music!! I used to have memory slips all the time. I was actually astounded at how few there were in my recital! (Just one, in the last piece.)

I wish I had the urge to put as much work into singing as I seem to have naturally-occurring on the writing front.

I have no will power, either. :D

[grapeofdeath.livejournal.com]

Sorry for the long wait...: http://www.livejournal.com/users/grapeofdeath/8569.html