2013 Kurofai Olympics: Sign-up post!

[reikah]

It's here, it's here, it's finally here: sign up now for the Spring 2013 Kurofai Future vs Fantasy Olympics!

Some of you may be experienced, battle-scarred veterans of our previous Olympics, the 2012 Canon vs AU Olympics and the 2011 Fluff vs Angst Olympics. Some of you may be new to Olympics in general. Both of you are welcome, but for those of you who are new, or who want a refresher on how the Olympics fanfiction contest works, I have included a guide under the cut!



Can we have a round of applause & appreciation for Bottan/Konnichipuu, who kindly donated her time and talent to draw us our amazing mascots for this year's Olympics!

What is the Olympics challenge?

An Olympics challenge involves two teams of writers, writing different genres of fiction (in this case one team will be Team Fantasy/Feudal/Magic and the other team will be Team Future/Science Fiction/Technology). To keep the playing field level, the teams will be asked to write fanfiction following themes supplied by the challenge moderator (me!). The themes will be equal in size, and there will be enough themes provided that each member will be able to select a different theme. After you've picked your theme, you and your opponent on the other team with the same theme will be given a scheduled posting day.

Example:

Let's say Sarah, Siobhan and Sam sign-up for Team Future, and Frances, Fred and the rather unfortunately named Frogmella sign up for Team Fantasy. Once the sign-ups are over and the Teams have been finalised, I proceed to post the following theme list for them:

Bucket

Shadows

Umbrella

Sarah & Frances both claim Bucket, Fred & Siobhan claim Shadows, and Frogmella and Sam pick Umbrella. Now I hand out scheduled posting days; Bucket is scheduled first for March 6th, Umbrella second for March 7th, Shadows for March 8th. March 6th rolls around and Sarah and Frances both post their contrasting fics, one futuristic and one fantasy, based off the theme Bucket. A day later, the Shadows people post their fics, and so on.

What we need for a successful Olympics

This is fairly simple. We need writers, yes, to fill out two teams. We have no maximum limit on team size, but the teams must contain an equal number of people, so if we end up with 6 people on one team and 7 on the other, we will ask someone on the larger team to either bow out or become a pinch-hitter.

A pinch-hitter, aka standby or back-up writer, is another necessity. The pinch-hitter's job is essentially to leap into action and fill in a story gap caused by another writer dropping out. If someone does need back out of the contest, their prompt day will be shunted to the end of the posting schedule to give the understudy the maximum possible time to write. The understudy only will be granted +24 hours for their fic; their opponent, who would have originally been scheduled to post earlier, will not be exempt. It is important to contact me ASAP if you think you may have to bow out. This is because if you do not post at all, and I don't receive any information from you telling me what's going on, I will penalise your team, and you may cause your team to lose the contest.

Wait, penalities?

Yes. The Olympics is a team-driven event, but it's also a contest. You're competing against the other team to win the popular vote, as decided by readers, and as such, it's very important that you post a completed fic on schedule. If your fic is not completed, it will receive a -2 penalty from its total votes. If it would naturally have received a 9, it would be downgraded to a 7. If a fic is not posted on its scheduled day, I will halve its score (the exception to this rule is, obviously, the pinch-hitter's fic). If a fic is not posted at all, and you do not contact me to arrange a pinch-hitter, I will subtract -10 from your team, thus costing your team the contest. This can affect your team's average, so it's very important to have your fic finished and ready to post on your scheduled day!

I'm not a writer. Can I still participate?

Yes! Participating writers are not allowed to cast actual votes for any other fic in the Olympics, so we're dependent on you, as a non-affliated, independent reader to read each fic and vote for it. You will be asked to vote for any given fic across three categories, which will be given to you at the end of the fic. Sample categories have included:

1. How well-written was this fic?
2. How in-character were the cast?
3. How much did you enjoy this fic

You will grade the fics on a 1-10 scale, where 1 is the lowest and 10 is the highest. Your votes will then be tallied to work out an average for the fic, which will then be tallied together with other fics written by the author's team-mates to work out the average score of each team. This can be seen in action here, in the last Olympics.

You may notice Zelinxia's name is on both team's rosters: this is because Xia was a miracle-worker and pinch-hit for us on like 0 notice last year. They're living proof of how vital pinch-hitters are.

What time zone will the contest operate in with regard to schedules and deadlines?

Pacific Standard Time (PST). This is -8 GMT, -19 Australian EST, meaning that if you live in Sydney, your deadline will actually be 7pm the following day.

Can I co-write my entry?

No. You have to write your own fic, based off whichever theme you choose.

Is there a minimum or maximum length for entries?

Nope! Write as much or as little as you like. Do remember, however, that shorter fics are likely to score lower votes due to your readers having less information to go on. You should aim for a balance; a fic that is sufficiently long enough to engage readers, while not being overly ambitious and ending up not able to finish the story in question (thus incurring yourself a penalty). Most posters usually end up between 5,000-14,000 words. With the exception of some idiots who type like the wind

When will you post the themes?/What's the schedule for this Olympics?

Sign-ups will remain open until February 13th, at which point I will engage in some team-shuffling to balance the numbers. On February 14th - that's Valentine's Day - I will post this Olympics' themes, and you will be able to choose them. Hopefully both teams will have their themes picked out and organised by February 17th, when writing will begin! Fics will be scheduled to begin posting on March 10th, and the posting period will be followed by a week to allow for readers to vote on all entries.

I have a further question.

Post it in the comments section and I will reply to you ASAP!

My name's Frogmella and you're mean.

I'm so, so, so sorry. :x

Hopefully, with those questions out of the way, you're sufficiently prepared to sign up to write for the Future vs Fantasy Olympics!

Please indicate in your sign-up comment whether you're signing up for Team Future, Team Fantasy, Both/Either, or as the all-important pinch-hitter.

Team Future (6)

reikah
eijentu
little_echo
caffeine_buzz
mindlessadri
atomherrerin

Team Fantasy (7)

mikkeneko
zelinxia
shachaai
perfectworry
down
farenmaddox
tsubasafan

Either/Undecided (5)

uakari
cloverfield
rinoa11
misskirichan (prefer Future)
sotongsotong

Potential pinch-hitters (2)

animangod (prefer Fantasy)
jezzra (prefer Fantasy)

Sign-ups are still open until the 13th, Wednesday evening! :D

Comments

[reikah]

HI I'M SIGNING MYSELF UP FOR TEAM FUTURE GO ME

[mikkeneko]

lol ur thread haz no comments

[mikkeneko]

TEAM FANTASY HERE orrr i could be a pinch hitter either way idk

[reikah]

I PINCHED UR MOM LAST NIGHT

SHE SAID 'STOP THAT' AND CALLED THE POLICE.

>:|

[eijentu]

i am psure you meant

Bucket Bingo
Shadows
Umbrella

just sayin :d

I AM SIGNING UP FOR TEAM FUTURE! and squee i don't have to work out my posting time! ty, bb! :3

[reikah]

/HIGH-FIVING MY SISTER IN SCIFI

[uakari]

FUCK IT ALL I AM SIGNING UP.

I'll go wherever there is room! I have no preference this round!

[reikah]

I JUST GAVE A LITTLE SQUEAK OF GOOEY JOY

[zelinxia]

Signing up for Team Magic.

AWWW YISS 8)

[reikah]

KUROGANE'S GLEEFUL EXPRESSION IS 110% APPROPRIATE

[little_echo]

Ahaha, BUCKETS, how dirty.
What?
Don't tell me I'm the only one who's read homestuck.

Also, Team Future for me, wohoo!

@bottan: *A* flawless artwork, as usual. Why are you so amazing? Why?

[reikah]

BOTTAN'S AWESOMENESS IS FREQUENTLY THE DISCUSSION TOPIC AMONGST MANY LEADING ACADEMICS. SO FAR THE BEST THEY'VE BEEN ABLE TO COME UP WITH TO EXPLAIN IT IS "BECAUSE OF REASONS."

ALSO WHAT'S UP MY FELLOW TEAM FUTURE PERSON, ARE YOU PREPARED?!

[animangod]

Going for Team Fantasy...And I'd work as a pinch hitter too for both.

[reikah]

HOORAH, WELCOME ON BOARD! AND THANK YOU FOR BEING WILLING TO PINCH HIT! :D

[shadow_of_egypt.livejournal.com]

Hey, hey - am I allowed back in the fold?

Team Magic.

[uakari]

OMG MISTRESSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!

I HAVE MISSED YOU SO!

/cradles lovingly to bosom

[perfectworry]

Sign me up for Team Fantasy!

Frances, Fred and the rather unfortunately named Frogmella sign up for Team Fantasy.
See, my name (Frances) is right in there already!

[zelinxia]

Yay, team mates! :D

[zelinxia]

As the pinch-hitter, aka understudy twice last year, I just want to say whoever becomes that...good luck. :P :*

[down]

I - really shouldn't be signing up but WHAT IS SENSE THIS IS CLAMP *ahem*

TEAM ABUSE-MY-HISTORY-DEGREE-BY-ADDING-MAGIC FANTASY PLS

Unless they are uneven in which case I can switch! ~swings both ways~ *cough* Or if very uneven pick me first to drop out, I am serious about the not really meant to sign up thing. XD

[mikkeneko]

Yaaaay glad to have you! Abuse-my-background-in-historians unite!

[cloverfield]

I am in and I am easy- bend me whichever way you like!

[cloverfield]

Also, I have a question about timelines:

So if the posting time is, say, the 10th, my posting time will be 4pm on the 11th? (I'm three hours behind Sydney). Right?

And does it matter if we post a bit early due to work etc, as I don't think I'll be able to post on time as I'm away from my home lappy for a good 12 hours everyday, and my employer's internet policies aren't very specific on whether or not posting gay fanfiction is allowed on company computers.

[farenmaddox]

I AM SO FUCKING IN

TEAM MAGIC BABY

[cloverfield]

♥

[rinoa11]

HELLO AGAIN GUESS WHO'S BACK! I JOIN ANY TEAM THAT NEEDS ME!

[reikah]

IS THE ANSWER 'SHADY'S BACK?'

OR AM I SHOWING MY AGE

WELCOME TO THE CAPSLOCK FEST

[caffeine_buzz]

I'm in! I'll take Team Future (since the thing I wrote for last Olympics was fantasy-ish, so I need a change :P ). I await my rocket pack and laser gun.

[little_echo]

YOU ARE THAT WONDERFUL PERSON WITH THAT ANGSTY DEMON-POSSESION HARLEFIC.
\o/

YOUR TEAM CHOICE IS MAKING ME INCREDIBLY HAPPY, YOU HAVE NO IDEA!

[tsubasafan]

Team Magic! So excited!!

[zelinxia]

[misskirichan]

Hello, new to the Olympics this year!

I am officially in, and don't have a preference for which team I'm on, so feel free to put me wherever.

Though if I had to choose, I'd say Team Future.

[farenmaddox]

*SCREAMS OF JOY*

OMG YES YES WELCOME, I DON'T EVEN CARE IF WE'RE ON OPPOSITE TEAMS AND I HAVE TO CRUSH YOU, I DON'T CAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRREEEEE, this is fantastic, welcome~!

[sotongsotong]

This greenhorn is jumping into the fray as well, whack me into any team, I'm fine with it! :D


And this page's banner <3 <3 <3

[reikah]

GLAD TO HAVE YOU! :DDD

[mindlessadri]

Team future please. :3 is there still room?

[reikah]

YOU BET THERE IS

/BROFISTS IN TEAM FUTURE SOLIDARITY

[konungarike]

So... many... participants...

SO MUCH TO READ

[shadow_of_egypt.livejournal.com]

Maybe if we make large pleading eyes at the Kyra she'd extend the reading deadlines. So there's less 'omg, how shall I read it all?' and more 'eeeee, tonnes of fic!'

Also, hey. ♥

[jezzra]

*crawls out from under a rock and peeks about* Um. I suppose, if'n there's a slot available on the fantasy side, perhaps I should dust off my quill and...rejoin the ranks of fanfic writers. If not, well, I can maybe possibly be an understudy. >.> Or an official voter.

<.< I've missed you people.

[reikah]

HI JEZZ WELCOME BACK! :D

WE ARE GLAD TO HAVE YOU!

[atomherrerin]

um..hello...i'm new here. *is super shy oro* i've been a kurofai shipper and writer for a few years but this is the first time i've found a group of kurofai fans...i didn't even know there were this many.

anyway, so this is my first time in a writing competition...um...i'm a physics student so if it would be ok, can i be on the future team?

[reikah]

Hi! Yay, you may absolutely be on Team Future! You're our second Real Scientist as far as i know so that raises our team credibility by like 8,000%, hooray! VICTORY WILL BE OURS

[bottan]

OKAY, I'M DONE WITH WATCHING, SIGN ME UP FOR TEAM FUTURE! o/

[little_echo]

/SQUEEEEEEEE

WELCOME TO THE TEAM WONDERUL PERSON WHO INTRODUCED ME TO THE BEST LITERATURE GENRE OF ALL TIMES!

Team Future just became twice as awesome. \o/

[yoshikochan]

Mmmm... I'm terrible, waiting till the last minute. *lacks confidence* I thought about it more, and I think I'd be fine with future or fantasy. I wouldn't mind being a pinch-hitter, especially since there's already so many writers ^^; ~ though I'm concerned about the last day being a Sunday (meaning a 24 hour extension would fall on a Monday / workday). Maa... I guess I won't know unless I try! =*.*=

[reikah]

HIP HIP HOORAH!