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Competition Entries should be primarily SOLO efforts
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Raised on Blackroot
Quote by Burquette
I do love this site for trying to be so fair, but in my mind, the contests already are.
This sort of rule shoots you in the foot. You can't enforce it. And what's the point if you can't enforce it? It's just one more thing for professional victims to call "no-fair" on.
Besides, an editor can't shine a turd into a diamond, no matter how they polish. Get a professional editor, for all I care.
That's kind of the thing here. It's a good faith rule. It's not sports cheating where you can test for PEDs. You can't test for PEE (performance enhancing editors). Especially if it's just say, an offsite friend/SO, etc. So, the writers who do show good faith are subject to those who don't. Which renders the entire premise for the rule kind of... empty?
Like I said. If you've having someone craft your entire story, all one need do is look at past entries or recent stories. Vast changes in style show up. They do. Every writer has a style you can pick out from a crowd imo.
And I mean....You CAN supply someone a story idea too, but the writer still has to be able to use that story idea for something that's original.
I like having people look over my competition entries. I rarely if ever get an edit from those eyes. Usually I'm just asking an honest opinion if it's worth posting. Or if a title works. Or if a certain scene works as is. Usually they're Y/N answers and I'll go back and tinker.
-
Anyway. It's not like I'll stop entering. I'm usually too busy to think up story ideas and competition prompts serve as a drug to spark the imagination.
Just think the rule is kinda meaningless. The argument of good editor/bad editor is kind of moot when you have good writers/bad writers.
Her Royal Spriteness
lol - i'm going to share this, cause i hope people will see the humorous side of it and not take it wrong - despite my hopefully somewhat rational responses to these kind of threads, what goes down in print is a far cry from what comes out of my mouth at times, for example.
fuck them, fuck them all, ungrateful little bitches, they don't like the way the comps are run, fuck them all, no more comps. i'll show them, show them all, make them sorry they ever pissed me off. do they not know who i am? i am SPRITE! queen of the universe! i'll delete every fucking comp story here, ban all winners, find out where they live and burn their homes to the ground and piss on the ashes! I WILL ERASE THEM FROM THE EARTH! THEY WILL RUE THIS DAY!!!! *thunder clap*
that said, we really do want to make these accessible to EVERYone, no matter what their 'talent level'. we want it to be a fun thing, and yes, we do take all the comments into consideration and yes, i do bug Nicky about reading the feed back (when she hasn't blocked me, something that happens on a regular basis). so basically, we'll see. normally, i am not involved in comp stuff - i don't judge, don't come up with themes, any of it, and yes, i will be upfront, i have had people point out typos for me in the past and it's been helpful. never had a full on editor, but then, i don't normally for any of my stories. still, a second pair of eyes has benefited me from time to time.
hope this helps with some of the comments?
fuck them, fuck them all, ungrateful little bitches, they don't like the way the comps are run, fuck them all, no more comps. i'll show them, show them all, make them sorry they ever pissed me off. do they not know who i am? i am SPRITE! queen of the universe! i'll delete every fucking comp story here, ban all winners, find out where they live and burn their homes to the ground and piss on the ashes! I WILL ERASE THEM FROM THE EARTH! THEY WILL RUE THIS DAY!!!! *thunder clap*
that said, we really do want to make these accessible to EVERYone, no matter what their 'talent level'. we want it to be a fun thing, and yes, we do take all the comments into consideration and yes, i do bug Nicky about reading the feed back (when she hasn't blocked me, something that happens on a regular basis). so basically, we'll see. normally, i am not involved in comp stuff - i don't judge, don't come up with themes, any of it, and yes, i will be upfront, i have had people point out typos for me in the past and it's been helpful. never had a full on editor, but then, i don't normally for any of my stories. still, a second pair of eyes has benefited me from time to time.
hope this helps with some of the comments?
You can’t truly call yourself peaceful unless you are capable of violence. If you’re not capable of violence, you’re not peaceful. You’re harmless.
Her Royal Spriteness
Quote by MsTrib\
Felt like it was, but maybe I'm just a bit tetchy today. Apologies if I'm misguided
my whole weeks been like that. only one day is pretty damn reasonable if you ask me.
You can’t truly call yourself peaceful unless you are capable of violence. If you’re not capable of violence, you’re not peaceful. You’re harmless.
Her Royal Spriteness
Quote by MadMartigan
That's kind of the thing here. It's a good faith rule. It's not sports cheating where you can test for PEDs. You can't test for PEE (performance enhancing editors). Especially if it's just say, an offsite friend/SO, etc. So, the writers who do show good faith are subject to those who don't. Which renders the entire premise for the rule kind of... empty?
Like I said. If you've having someone craft your entire story, all one need do is look at past entries or recent stories. Vast changes in style show up. They do. Every writer has a style you can pick out from a crowd imo.
And I mean....You CAN supply someone a story idea too, but the writer still has to be able to use that story idea for something that's original.
I like having people look over my competition entries. I rarely if ever get an edit from those eyes. Usually I'm just asking an honest opinion if it's worth posting. Or if a title works. Or if a certain scene works as is. Usually they're Y/N answers and I'll go back and tinker.
-
Anyway. It's not like I'll stop entering. I'm usually too busy to think up story ideas and competition prompts serve as a drug to spark the imagination.
Just think the rule is kinda meaningless. The argument of good editor/bad editor is kind of moot when you have good writers/bad writers.
actually, if you could pee in your usb port for me and then hit send, i'd be eternally grateful.
You can’t truly call yourself peaceful unless you are capable of violence. If you’re not capable of violence, you’re not peaceful. You’re harmless.
Raised on Blackroot
Quote by sprite
i have had people point out typos for me in the past and it's been helpful. never had a full on editor, but then, i don't normally for any of my stories.
Raises hand.
And now that you mention. My Grammar Douche Fingers have been inching for a long time to fix some of the typos of your older stories that are my favorites. For a pittance of course.
Quote by sprite
actually, if you could pee in your usb port for me and then hit send, i'd be eternally grateful.
I'm not sure if you're making sexual advances or not.
I'm super uncomfortable right now.
Bug
Quote by MsTrib
Felt like it was, but maybe I'm just a bit tetchy today. Apologies if I'm misguided
Me too, actually with the tetchy thing. I think BC was talking about the thread in general. I say that because I like her and don't think she'd pick on you. ;)
Bug
Quote by MadMartigan
I'm not sure if you're making sexual advances or not.
I'm super uncomfortable right now.
Feel special. She's never asked ME to do that.
Her Royal Spriteness
Quote by Burquette
Feel special. She's never asked ME to do that.
...yet
You can’t truly call yourself peaceful unless you are capable of violence. If you’re not capable of violence, you’re not peaceful. You’re harmless.
Gravelly-Voiced Fucker
I only entered one comp (I'm too slow a writer to enter comps, I'd never be done by deadline), but I had THREE people help me on it, because I needed to cut a thousand words. Do I have to give back the award now?
I understand the reason for the rule, but since it's pretty unpoliceable, it is more of a good faith thing, like Martigan said. I think using a second set of eyes to look for typos and grammar is reasonable, and shouldn't be a disqualifier.
I understand the reason for the rule, but since it's pretty unpoliceable, it is more of a good faith thing, like Martigan said. I think using a second set of eyes to look for typos and grammar is reasonable, and shouldn't be a disqualifier.
The Linebacker
I'm going to make an attempt at a comp story, though at this late date I may not make it, especially with my excruciating proofing process. That I guarantee you, is harder than 90% of yours.
Rules are rules. It is what it is.
But if you all think no second proofer for you is difficult, imagine being very dyslexic. If I only depend upon myself, I'll have to do several read-throughs, including reading the entire story backward. That's just something I have to do.
Anyone who is dyslexic knows there is a misfire between what your eyes see as you type or what you read on a written page. While I 100% know the difference between your and you're - are or or, etc., I often don't actually see that difference. Proofing backward is the best way I catch things but it also takes a lot of extra time and effort.
I can do an adequate job of proofing someone else's text. I have my tricks to beat dyslexia but it takes me more time and effort than most of you. But once I've written or typed it and read my own work, that is much more difficult for me to see what I've done wrong.
I actually heavily proof my Forum posts before clicking post. And even then I often see mistakes when I later look at an older post.
Thank God for Grammarly.
Just do your best.
If this competition was a sprint or a bicycle race? I might kick everyone's ass on here. But despite having a disadvantage I have grown to love writing and it is well worth the effort.
Rules are rules. It is what it is.
But if you all think no second proofer for you is difficult, imagine being very dyslexic. If I only depend upon myself, I'll have to do several read-throughs, including reading the entire story backward. That's just something I have to do.
Anyone who is dyslexic knows there is a misfire between what your eyes see as you type or what you read on a written page. While I 100% know the difference between your and you're - are or or, etc., I often don't actually see that difference. Proofing backward is the best way I catch things but it also takes a lot of extra time and effort.
I can do an adequate job of proofing someone else's text. I have my tricks to beat dyslexia but it takes me more time and effort than most of you. But once I've written or typed it and read my own work, that is much more difficult for me to see what I've done wrong.
I actually heavily proof my Forum posts before clicking post. And even then I often see mistakes when I later look at an older post.
Thank God for Grammarly.
Just do your best.
If this competition was a sprint or a bicycle race? I might kick everyone's ass on here. But despite having a disadvantage I have grown to love writing and it is well worth the effort.
Coco Pop
Quote by Burquette
Me too, actually with the tetchy thing. I think BC was talking about the thread in general. I say that because I like her and don't think she'd pick on you. ;)
this is correct. i was talking about the thread, not you MsTrib. i like you!
Forum Player
Well this is a fun thread! 
R_R
R_R
Internet Philosopher
I understand the need for this, but as. Dyslexic, I feel, well, there are some things my eyes just don't see. That is a medical fact. It's rather embarrassing to miss obvious and glaring typos, but I do.
I'm not gonna make a big deal about this, but I hope the judges pay more attention to the artistic value of an entry rather than the technical aspects. In the past, technical accuracy was very important to these things and I would hate to see this relegated to those with English majors.
I would also have thought the goal was to get the very best story possible entered.
Okay. That's my soap box. I'm done now.
I'm not gonna make a big deal about this, but I hope the judges pay more attention to the artistic value of an entry rather than the technical aspects. In the past, technical accuracy was very important to these things and I would hate to see this relegated to those with English majors.
I would also have thought the goal was to get the very best story possible entered.
Okay. That's my soap box. I'm done now.
The Wild Girl anthology need not be read in any order but does take place in the following timeframe
Wild at Heart- 1968. The story of Dani’s Great Aunt Evie.
https://www.lushstories.com/stories/first-time/wild-at-heart
Wild Oats. Part 1&2. -2021. Dani is 16 and sets her sights on her stepfather.
https://www.lushstories.com/stories/taboo/wild-oats-part-1
https://www.lushstories.com/stories/taboo/wild-oats-part-2
Wild Child. 2025. Dani is now 20 years old.
Still! Nobody dares address the issue I've raised due to use of one simple word you all loathe but fear it's label so much. Discrimination! Say what you see? All I see are people putting self interest first. The sad part about discrimination is it always tries to exclude the perceived weakest. Just as this ruling does. People excluded from a competition they couldn't win anyway. Let's them know their membership fee is not as valuable as their friends. Xxpeace and loveXx
Gentleman Stranger
I probably started a lot of this by comparing anything outside the rule to cheating on a test. A poor choice of words, obviously, as this is intended to be a fun competition (not a test) and in no way does anything you do reflect on anyone the way cheating might, as in getting flunked or kicked out of school... if that sentence even makes sense.
All anyone can do is the best they can do, and for me, because I'm compulsive (aka: anal) about any story I put up, and because I'm a horribly slow and inaccurate typist, that means going through each one several times. Fortunately, I type so slowly that my first review is as I'm doing the first draft, when I'm constantly correcting. Then I do it again, editing and changing some parts as I proof. Then again, and again.
For comp entries (I've only ever done two) the word limits invariably require several additional edits because I'm pathologically incapable of writing short enough stories. Those chops and cuts may be the toughest of all. It takes a lot of time, and the end product, while perhaps largely technically correct, still needs to compete on the basis of creativity, story-telling ability, eroticism, character development, scene-setting, and a host of other things; punctuation, spelling, etc. are way down the list, I'm sure.
If the errors in a comp entry are egregious enough to be distracting, the story would be returned with a couple of notes on the type of thing to look for. (Not a detailed list of every mistake, however!) If it goes up with a few minor mistakes it's probably not going to be enough to matter in the long run. I've read quite a few, and all have been very good - and, as I said, I'm way more anal about errors than most; they just haven't been significant in anything I've read.
The thing is, I know there are far better writers than me here at Lush, writers that can grab you with the first line and not let go until the last word. Never has a typo or missing punctuation put me off of one of their stories; neither has the knowledge of their clearly superior writing skill and ability kept me from giving it a try, because it's fun and I enjoy writing.
I guess I look at it this way: I just hit 50 stories posted here. I have no idea how many comments I have, but I'm blessed (and extremely grateful) to have a group of very kind readers who read a lot of what I publish and leave me many wonderful comments. I'm going to guess that I have over 1,500 comments, maybe even 2,000, total. And guess what? NOT ONCE has anyone ever said, "Wow, incredible paragraph structure!", or "You really conjugated the shit out of the verbs in this one, Storm!", or even, "I was disappointed that 5 of your 174 commas were misplaced, but at least all of your quotation marks were correct."
(And no, please don't start leaving those comments... )
It just doesn't matter that much. If that's all you're worried about your editor or proofreader doing for you, you're probably over-thinking it. The creativity and story-telling? Those should be yours. As for the nuts and bolts, just take your time, be careful, and do the best you can. We are all just amateurs, after all.
All anyone can do is the best they can do, and for me, because I'm compulsive (aka: anal) about any story I put up, and because I'm a horribly slow and inaccurate typist, that means going through each one several times. Fortunately, I type so slowly that my first review is as I'm doing the first draft, when I'm constantly correcting. Then I do it again, editing and changing some parts as I proof. Then again, and again.
For comp entries (I've only ever done two) the word limits invariably require several additional edits because I'm pathologically incapable of writing short enough stories. Those chops and cuts may be the toughest of all. It takes a lot of time, and the end product, while perhaps largely technically correct, still needs to compete on the basis of creativity, story-telling ability, eroticism, character development, scene-setting, and a host of other things; punctuation, spelling, etc. are way down the list, I'm sure.
If the errors in a comp entry are egregious enough to be distracting, the story would be returned with a couple of notes on the type of thing to look for. (Not a detailed list of every mistake, however!) If it goes up with a few minor mistakes it's probably not going to be enough to matter in the long run. I've read quite a few, and all have been very good - and, as I said, I'm way more anal about errors than most; they just haven't been significant in anything I've read.
The thing is, I know there are far better writers than me here at Lush, writers that can grab you with the first line and not let go until the last word. Never has a typo or missing punctuation put me off of one of their stories; neither has the knowledge of their clearly superior writing skill and ability kept me from giving it a try, because it's fun and I enjoy writing.
I guess I look at it this way: I just hit 50 stories posted here. I have no idea how many comments I have, but I'm blessed (and extremely grateful) to have a group of very kind readers who read a lot of what I publish and leave me many wonderful comments. I'm going to guess that I have over 1,500 comments, maybe even 2,000, total. And guess what? NOT ONCE has anyone ever said, "Wow, incredible paragraph structure!", or "You really conjugated the shit out of the verbs in this one, Storm!", or even, "I was disappointed that 5 of your 174 commas were misplaced, but at least all of your quotation marks were correct."
(And no, please don't start leaving those comments...
)It just doesn't matter that much. If that's all you're worried about your editor or proofreader doing for you, you're probably over-thinking it. The creativity and story-telling? Those should be yours. As for the nuts and bolts, just take your time, be careful, and do the best you can. We are all just amateurs, after all.
Scarlet Seductress
Quote by MsTrib
Still! Nobody dares address the issue I've raised due to use of one simple word you all loathe but fear it's label so much. Discrimination! Say what you see? All I see are people putting self interest first. The sad part about discrimination is it always tries to exclude the perceived weakest. Just as this ruling does. People excluded from a competition they couldn't win anyway. Let's them know their membership fee is not as valuable as their friends. Xxpeace and loveXx
I'll address it, or at least try to.
"Isn't it more important that a competition story is judged on content rather than schoolwork."
I suspect many different aspects of a story are taken into account when judging. From the plot line and characters, to technical aspects such as sentence structure, grammar, and punctuation. You could hardly exclude any one of them. It is a story writing competition after all.
"Isn't it discrimination to exclude some due to lack of education, in most instances not their fault."
It would be if people were being excluded. The story competitions are open to everyone except for competition judges. No one is being excluded.
The intent I am sure is to make the competitions as fair as possible, and the only way to do that is to insist that everyone submit their own work. Put it this way, if the decision on the top spot came down to two stories and the eventual winner claimed the accolade purely on the spit-and-polish of their piece, it would be a shame to later learn that they had sent it to two or three people all of whom had assisted as part of a collaborative effort.
There is no way to police any of this, nor gauge the amount of help anyone has had on a story, from a quick glance for typos to an editorial re-work. It is a faith-based request for fair sportsmanship. In the case of people with dyslexia or other reading/writing difficulties, that would need to be addressed by Nicola. Perhaps having a second pair of eyes to check for glaring errors would be okay in consideration for competitive fairness. That is not for me to comment on though.
Matriarch
My original post, was a bit of a kneejerk reaction to the issue which has arisen.
I'm still giving this some thought, but looking at the feedback, we may need to relax these rules somewhat. I take the opinions of our regulars very seriously, and am open-minded and flexible in my approach to how the site is run. It's a community, not a dictatorship (!).
The whole point of mentioning it, is that some people are getting a lot of editorial assistance. And making it obviously known. So much so, that the stories are essentially, partly co-written.
Is that fair to a newcomer to the site, who doesn't have any support network, and is flying totally solo?
We want stories to be primarily, the efforts of individuals.
I don't personally see much harm in asking someone to proofread a story, or them pointing out the grammatical errors. Particularly if you're dyslexic, or weak technically. None of us are perfect, and another set of eyes often helps.
It's the heavy editing and co-writing which has become an issue.
So, would we all be happier, if the rules were altered, so that proofing and light editing are ok, but anything more involved, shouldn't be allowed?
At the end of the day, it's an honour system, and totally unpoliceable. The message we're trying to get across, is that we want submissions, to be as close to your own work, as possible.
Feedback welcome.
I'm still giving this some thought, but looking at the feedback, we may need to relax these rules somewhat. I take the opinions of our regulars very seriously, and am open-minded and flexible in my approach to how the site is run. It's a community, not a dictatorship (!).
The whole point of mentioning it, is that some people are getting a lot of editorial assistance. And making it obviously known. So much so, that the stories are essentially, partly co-written.
Is that fair to a newcomer to the site, who doesn't have any support network, and is flying totally solo?
We want stories to be primarily, the efforts of individuals.
I don't personally see much harm in asking someone to proofread a story, or them pointing out the grammatical errors. Particularly if you're dyslexic, or weak technically. None of us are perfect, and another set of eyes often helps.
It's the heavy editing and co-writing which has become an issue.
So, would we all be happier, if the rules were altered, so that proofing and light editing are ok, but anything more involved, shouldn't be allowed?
At the end of the day, it's an honour system, and totally unpoliceable. The message we're trying to get across, is that we want submissions, to be as close to your own work, as possible.
Feedback welcome.
Coco Pop
Quote by nicola
My original post, was a bit of a kneejerk reaction to the issue which has arisen.
I'm still giving this some thought, but looking at the feedback, we may need to relax these rules somewhat. I take the opinions of our regulars very seriously, and am open-minded and flexible in my approach to how the site is run. It's a community, not a dictatorship (!).
The whole point of mentioning it, is that some people are getting a lot of editorial assistance. And making it obviously known. So much so, that the stories are essentially, partly co-written.
Is that fair to a newcomer to the site, who doesn't have any support network, and is flying totally solo?
We want stories to be primarily, the efforts of individuals.
I don't personally see much harm in asking someone to proofread a story, or them pointing out the grammatical errors. Particularly if you're dyslexic, or weak technically. None of us are perfect, and another set of eyes often helps.
It's the heavy editing and co-writing which has become an issue.
So, would we all be happier, if the rules were altered, so that proofing and light editing are ok, but anything more involved, shouldn't be allowed?
At the end of the day, it's an honour system, and totally unpoliceable. The message we're trying to get across, is that we want submissions, to be as close to your own work, as possible.
Feedback welcome.
nicola, you're kinder than you need to be but this makes sense. proofreading/small mistake fixing seems acceptable. while people may say stopping heavy editing is unenforceable, so is getting a third party to totally write your entry. we have to have an element of trust and believe people will adhere to the rules.
Dreamer
Quote by nicola
My original post, was a bit of a kneejerk reaction to the issue which has arisen.
I'm still giving this some thought, but looking at the feedback, we may need to relax these rules somewhat. I take the opinions of our regulars very seriously, and am open-minded and flexible in my approach to how the site is run. It's a community, not a dictatorship (!).
The whole point of mentioning it, is that some people are getting a lot of editorial assistance. And making it obviously known. So much so, that the stories are essentially, partly co-written.
Is that fair to a newcomer to the site, who doesn't have any support network, and is flying totally solo?
We want stories to be primarily, the efforts of individuals.
I don't personally see much harm in asking someone to proofread a story, or them pointing out the grammatical errors. Particularly if you're dyslexic, or weak technically. None of us are perfect, and another set of eyes often helps.
It's the heavy editing and co-writing which has become an issue.
So, would we all be happier, if the rules were altered, so that proofing and light editing are ok, but anything more involved, shouldn't be allowed?
At the end of the day, it's an honour system, and totally unpoliceable. The message we're trying to get across, is that we want submissions, to be as close to your own work, as possible.
Feedback welcome.
Many years ago when I was a very young army officer I was given some valuable advice. That was never to give an order that you knew would or could not be obeyed. It is almost impossible to know if the story has or has not been edited.
I agree that we want original work and the story has to be the authors the rub is how can we know that to be the case. My opinion would be to relax the rule.
Check out my Fifty-Three Recommended Reads, Three Series Awards, One Editor's Pick, Eleven Famous Stories, and Eleven Competition Top Ten finals. Go to https://www.lushstories.com/profiles/view/ChrisM/stories
Enjoy
Short Arse Brit
Quote by nicola
My original post, was a bit of a kneejerk reaction to the issue which has arisen.
I'm still giving this some thought, but looking at the feedback, we may need to relax these rules somewhat. I take the opinions of our regulars very seriously, and am open-minded and flexible in my approach to how the site is run. It's a community, not a dictatorship (!).
The whole point of mentioning it, is that some people are getting a lot of editorial assistance. And making it obviously known. So much so, that the stories are essentially, partly co-written.
Is that fair to a newcomer to the site, who doesn't have any support network, and is flying totally solo?
We want stories to be primarily, the efforts of individuals.
I don't personally see much harm in asking someone to proofread a story, or them pointing out the grammatical errors. Particularly if you're dyslexic, or weak technically. None of us are perfect, and another set of eyes often helps.
It's the heavy editing and co-writing which has become an issue.
So, would we all be happier, if the rules were altered, so that proofing and light editing are ok, but anything more involved, shouldn't be allowed?
At the end of the day, it's an honour system, and totally unpoliceable. The message we're trying to get across, is that we want submissions, to be as close to your own work, as possible.
Feedback welcome.
Thank you.
I think this is more than fair and all that should be needed, especially for a comp entry.
Keeping fingers crossed this is what you decide.
The Duchess of Tart
Please check out my new story, co-written with the amazing Wilful.
https://www.lushstories.com/stories/straight-sex/long-time-coming.aspx
And my latest poem, The Temptation.
https://www.lushstories.com/stories/erotic-poems/the-temptation.aspx
Please check out my new story, co-written with the amazing Wilful.
https://www.lushstories.com/stories/straight-sex/long-time-coming.aspx
And my latest poem, The Temptation.
https://www.lushstories.com/stories/erotic-poems/the-temptation.aspx
Bug
Quote by nicola
My original post, was a bit of a kneejerk reaction to the issue which has arisen.
I'm still giving this some thought, but looking at the feedback, we may need to relax these rules somewhat. I take the opinions of our regulars very seriously, and am open-minded and flexible in my approach to how the site is run. It's a community, not a dictatorship (!).
The whole point of mentioning it, is that some people are getting a lot of editorial assistance. And making it obviously known. So much so, that the stories are essentially, partly co-written.
Is that fair to a newcomer to the site, who doesn't have any support network, and is flying totally solo?
We want stories to be primarily, the efforts of individuals.
I don't personally see much harm in asking someone to proofread a story, or them pointing out the grammatical errors. Particularly if you're dyslexic, or weak technically. None of us are perfect, and another set of eyes often helps.
It's the heavy editing and co-writing which has become an issue.
So, would we all be happier, if the rules were altered, so that proofing and light editing are ok, but anything more involved, shouldn't be allowed?
At the end of the day, it's an honour system, and totally unpoliceable. The message we're trying to get across, is that we want submissions, to be as close to your own work, as possible.
Feedback welcome.
I love this idea. It allows for stories that couldn't be verified in their current state to get fair advice from the mods. Hopefully having the work looked at by a friendly editor can make the Mods jobs easier.
I'll try to keep out an eye and be better about offering to edit for newer members. Because there's a point to be had about flying solo when everyone else has a trusted editor.
Editor at large
Quote by ChrisM
Many years ago when I was a very young army officer I was given some valuable advice. That was never to give an order that you knew would or could not be obeyed. It is almost impossible to know if the story has or has not been edited.
I agree that we want original work and the story has to be the authors the rub is how can we know that to be the case. My opinion would be to relax the rule.
I welcome that you are reconsidering, Nicola.
You now say: We want stories to be primarily, the efforts of individuals. So, no insistence on flying solo?
Also you ask: would we all be happier, if the rules were altered, so that proofing and light editing are ok, but anything more involved, shouldn't be allowed? At the end of the day, it's an honour system, and totally unpoliceable.
And that last sentence is the crux. ChrisM speaks absolute sense when he recalls the advice ‘never to give an order that you knew would or could not be obeyed.’
While the final ruling is yet to be made, I’ll now ask:
Why not make competitions truly open - including co-authors? Because two people collaborate, that doesn’t make it twice as good. I’m confident there would be individual stories of a higher standard than collaborations in any contest. Surely, the idea behind a Lush contest is for the best entry to win (in the judges opinion) - without concerns for how it was compiled. There would be no issue with an “honour system” if it was open. EVERYONE would know where they stood and they could decide whether to enter or not - as members do now.
Just asking the question.
Scarlet Seductress
Quote by JWren
Just asking the question.
How does your suggestion of allowing co-authored stories address Nicola's concerns regarding new members without many friends or a support network having a fair shot at competitions?
Quote by nicola
So, would we all be happier, if the rules were altered, so that proofing and light editing are ok, but anything more involved, shouldn't be allowed?
At the end of the day, it's an honour system, and totally unpoliceable. The message we're trying to get across, is that we want submissions, to be as close to your own work, as possible.
Feedback welcome.
Sounds good to me. That's about what I was thinking.
Active Ink Slinger
I haven't read all the responses which I probably should have. But, why can't you have a category in the competitions for co-authored stories along with solo stories?
Editor at large
Quote by Liz
How does your suggestion of allowing co-authored stories address Nicola's concerns regarding new members without many friends or a support network having a fair shot at competitions?
Surely, new members are of varying talents just as are existing members. Couldn't a new member win with their first entry?
There is no level playing field here. Abilities vary, and always will.