BotCon Writers Competition

[Verno]

I've posted this topic on a few overseas boards, but thought I'd get some local thoughts as well.

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I was having a quick look around the BotCon website and ran into the information about the contests being held this year, which are:

• 3-D Custom Figure
• Diorama (multiple figures)
• 2-D Art Computer Generated
• 2-D Art Hand Drawn Color
• 2-D Art Hand Drawn Black/White
• TF Fan Film Extravaganza

Now, that is wonderful news for all the artists and kitbasher out there, but what about the writers?!

I can understand the logistics of running a FanFiction competition because every man and his dog would be submitting their story and the judges would end up with hundreds to go through, and that's just not feasible.

So what they should do is this:

Begin the competition on the many forums around the world. Have each forum decide a winner, and therefore, a representative of that board in the competition. Then, come BotCon, the judges need only read through the 10-20 stories and decide a winner.

I'd love to hear peoples thoughts about making this happen in time for BotCon 2013!

[GoktimusPrime]

The main problem I can see with this idea is that it would exclude fanfic writers who aren't active members of a forum. Perhaps you could run this idea through with the folks at Lexicon, which is a significant online community for Transformers fan fics for 16 years running. They also review each other's fics - so that way you'd be getting the opinions of people who care really passionately about TF fan fics, and thus would probably be more "qualified" to judge them as opposed to other TF fans who aren't as savvy about fan fics.

[Verno]

They wouldn't be excluded at all. I'm sure they'd hear tell of it and quickly join one, or all, of the boards to get their work into the competition.

[GoktimusPrime]

Questions that I think should be addressed in the competition rules and conditions:

* Language: English only?
* Profanity: not allowed?
* Graphic/explicit content: not allowed? (cos there's a lot of "norti" fanfics out there (including slash)). How much descriptive violence/gore should there be?
* Correct spelling, punctuation and grammar --> people have access to automatic spell and grammar checks on their computer word processors like MS Word. Theirs no excus for people 2 be submiting works pepperd wit incorect speling punctaution anymoer u noe wot i meen?

[Verno]

All those question basically answer themselves.

English only.
Profanity is not allowed.
Graphic/explicit Content is not allowed.
Correct use of the English language is expected.

Basically, the same standards you would have of an issue of a Transformers comic you could pick up from a shop or an episode you could see on TV. Death and destruction is still rife in those mediums without the use of swearing or gratuitous violence.

[Hursticon]

I think this would be a great idea dude , I agree with you though that it would probably be a bit of a logistical nightmare - I think the stipulations you've mentioned sound pretty fair but I fear that judging could be very... questionable depending on the judges' own preferences.

I personally have a number of issues when it comes to the grading of art (In it's many forms) as there are just too many variables and unless very strict and clear guidelines are set - Judging can be highly questionable at times.

[Verno]

A few guys on US boards had the same thoughts regarding the problems associated with such a competition, and basically ruled BotCon out as a possible organiser of such a contest.

However, they were far more optimistic in regards to the OTCC running such competition. So I've emailed them with the idea too.

[Hursticon]

However, they were far more optimistic in regards to the OTCC running such competition. So I've emailed them with the idea too.

You're asking FunPub?, to consider organising this?...
To be honest, that's probably a better place/forum to hold this sort of a competition compared to Botcon - I'll be curious to see what they reply to you with dude, best of luck.

[Verno]

You're asking FunPub?, to consider organising this?...
To be honest, that's probably a better place/forum to hold this sort of a competition compared to Botcon - I'll be curious to see what they reply to you with dude, best of luck.

As long as I don't give them my credit card details, I should be ok, right?

I doubt I'll hear back from them, but I'll be persistent.

[GoktimusPrime]

As long as I don't give them my credit card details, I should be ok, right?