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-   -   Worst fic contest. (https://www.pokecommunity.com/showthread.php?t=160995)

Blue Screen of Death November 23rd, 2008 2:33 PM

Worst fic contest.
 
I'm looking for the worst fic ever (or at least the worst that is nominated). Yeah, you read that right. Don't see many people looking for those, now do ya? Anyways, onto rules n' stuff.

1: Since this is in the pokemon fanfic area, please only use pokemon fics.

2: No spammin'. Simple as that.

3: Ask the author first.

4: OBEY!

Entry form: Use this for your entry.

Title of fic: Put title here.
Link to fic: Put link to fic here. Or attach it to your post.
I'll put a poll in when the nominees have been selected. Also, I'll accept one more judge for the fics, just let me know if you are willing to judge them.
Judges: Hippy!, An-chan, -

An-chan November 23rd, 2008 2:42 PM

Do they have to be your own? I mean, I probably wouldn't win this thing with a fic of my own, because a lot of people have started writing when they were still young and noobs and all. I started a couple of months ago, so I already had over ten years of experience behind my text. Then again, I could write a bad fic on purpose and thus cheat.

But it would be far too mean to offer other people's fics, because that's just plain mean and evil and practically the fanfiction world equivalent of microwaving fuzzy bunnies. Seriously.

On another note: I can be a judge if you want me in!

Blue Screen of Death November 23rd, 2008 2:46 PM

Well, I forgot about that. *Edits*. There, fixed. As the author first people! Even if you did write it! I don't care if write a bad fic, only you will know. Everyone else will think you wrote it not knowing it was bad.
Also added a judges list.
An-chan is on that list.
Not much else.
YAY!

For below (instead of making a new post.)
Mira, grammar is somewhat important, but I'm looking more at plot. And if you want to put your fic in, please use the form.

Mira November 23rd, 2008 2:50 PM

could I be a judge as well? I'm relatively good at finding grammatical errors if that is a part of this contest as well. You can put mine in if you want (I don't think it's very good, I just wrote it today XD).

Edit: Okay. I'm not really sure if mine has a bad plot so much as a... norm-esque one
(poor fuzzy bunnies...)

JX Valentine November 23rd, 2008 4:24 PM

I don't think I'm quite comfortable with this kind of contest unless proof is provided that the author was asked. For example, I could very well simply nominate someone from the front page of the forum and say that I obtained permission via PM or e-mail, and there'd be no way to tell that I did.

Likewise, if you're going to have judges, you'll want to come up with a more detailed set of guidelines of what (in terms of plot) make a fic bad and include it somewhere on this thread. I know for a fact, for example, that I thought some stories downright sucked when An-chan thought they were perfectly cool, so if I got in on this (and I haven't quite decided yet), you might have some problems in terms of judges' opinions.

On top of that, I'm not entirely clear on how this is going to work. What kind of judging system are we using? How frequently are you going to have a contest like this? Are we restricted to a specific time period (i.e., is this a Worst Fanfiction of the Year contest)?

I just think you're rushing to get judges and nominations a bit quickly. You'll want to develop the contest first and then ask for help.

Blue Screen of Death November 23rd, 2008 4:43 PM

Yeah, this was poorly planned. I tend to rush things a lot. I'll remake this thread once I have actually planned it. Wow, this thread didn't even last one day...

Post Office Buddy November 23rd, 2008 6:10 PM

I'm not so sure a "worst fiction" contest would be all that good of an idea. Think about it, you're asking us to request permission from other writers to nominate their fictions as being the worst on the forum. That would most likely devastate the writer and cause them to turn away from writing for the rest of their lives. Nobody likes being called a bad writer.

I think something constructive that could work would be a "Most Improved Fiction" award or something of the like. That doesn't carry harsh connotations and would make the writer feel better about themselves should they be nominated. Unlike the "worst fiction" award, it would make them feel like they accomplished something and would encourage them to continue writing.

JX Valentine November 23rd, 2008 6:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Post Office Buddy (Post 4143596)
I'm not so sure a "worst fiction" contest would be all that good of an idea. Think about it, you're asking us to request permission from other writers to nominate their fictions as being the worst on the forum. That would most likely devastate the writer and cause them to turn away from writing for the rest of their lives. Nobody likes being called a bad writer.

Except for the people who replied to the MST thread.

Post Office Buddy November 23rd, 2008 7:51 PM

Quote:

Except for the people who replied to the MST thread.
Yeah, but the difference in that is that we're calling ourselves bad writers instead of someone else calling us one. With the MST thing, we're nominating ourselves and, yes, admitting that we're not great writers. The point I was trying to make is that people other than the author will be nominating fictions and might trigger any insecurity the author might feel about it, especially if they put an honest effort in. Believe me, there are a few fictions I would love to nominate for this, but I don't want to hurt their feelings by saying "hey, your fiction sucks, can I nominate it for the worst fic award?" Even if put in lighter terms, it still sounds the same and carrys negative connotations.

JX Valentine November 23rd, 2008 8:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Post Office Buddy (Post 4143782)
Yeah, but the difference in that is that we're calling ourselves bad writers instead of someone else calling us one. With the MST thing, we're nominating ourselves and, yes, admitting that we're not great writers. The point I was trying to make is that people other than the author will be nominating fictions and might trigger any insecurity the author might feel about it, especially if they put an honest effort in. Believe me, there are a few fictions I would love to nominate for this, but I don't want to hurt their feelings by saying "hey, your fiction sucks, can I nominate it for the worst fic award?" Even if put in lighter terms, it still sounds the same and carrys negative connotations.

Point, but remember, in this contest, you have the option -- which is significantly easier, really, considering the hassles in attempting to prove that you've obtained permission for use, let alone obtaining it in the first place -- to nominate your own work. It's not simply nominating other people (which I've assumed you thought it was, judging by your earlier post -- please state if I've misread). It can potentially be an amusing idea if it was restricted back to nominating oneself only, rather than to cover other works.

Likewise, if you're addressing only another author's older works, then it's not so bad. Everyone has crap in their archives. Dig back a couple of years, and you'd probably be able to unearth something they wouldn't mind getting nominated because it differs vastly from their current style. (Just ask me about my old FFNet stuff.)

Additionally, to tell you the truth, you don't necessarily have to be outright about it. The MST thread essentially blanket-asks the entire forum for bad fanfiction. You can ask your own friends if they have any bad fics they'd like to put into the contest, and really, it's not as insulting as you might think. If it was, then I've just blanket-insulted all of PC for asking for bad fanfiction to mock.

Point is, if you find a new fic that's crappy and ask the author to nominate it point-blank, yes, it's insulting. If you find a way to diplomatically ask an experienced author for examples, it's not so bad. (After all, I could have just as easily come up to you about your latest fic and asked to MST it, and you'd probably be insulted.) There's a right way and a wrong way to do it, and that doesn't mean this concept couldn't work. Not while the MST thread exists, at least. It just needs better organization.

And on that note, by this logic, would contests in general (even "best fanfiction contests") be bad ideas due to the potential of insult by omission? (As in, your fanfiction isn't nominated. Therefore, you're inadequate.)

Post Office Buddy November 23rd, 2008 8:22 PM

Ahh, didn't think about nominating ones own work. Actually, you kind of shot down my entire argument lol. I now have nothing else to really say. The only thing I really wish to say in my defense was that I was thinking people would more than likely bluntly ask authors for permission rather than approaching them in an indirect way. I suppose I didn't think of all of the possibilities.

I do kind of have to agree with you about contests in general being insulting. I'm not exactly sure why hordes of people don't get insulted when they're not nominated for that kind of recognition. Perhaps its more of a psychological thing with positive vs negative. I can't say for certain though, since I usually don't visit forums with those contests, and I only do when I update my own fiction. So if I'm wrong, then I will apologize in advance.

JX Valentine November 23rd, 2008 8:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Post Office Buddy (Post 4143832)
Ahh, didn't think about nominating ones own work. Actually, you kind of shot down my entire argument lol. I now have nothing else to really say. The only thing I really wish to say in my defense was that I was thinking people would more than likely bluntly ask authors for permission rather than approaching them in an indirect way.

I agree that's actually the most likely method people would take. It's just that I felt it was odd that there weren't any arguments against the other kinds of contests and methods of insulting fics. ._.

Quote:

Perhaps its more of a psychological thing with positive vs negative.
Most likely. The people who aren't nominated are so busy trying to get their fics nominated or worshipping those who win those awards that they probably don't really pay attention to the possibility that these contests are essentially saying certain fics are better than theirs can ever be. *shrug*

Astinus November 23rd, 2008 9:02 PM

Hippy requested to be closed. I mean the thread.

Quote:

And on that note, by this logic, would contests in general (even "best fanfiction contests") be bad ideas due to the potential of insult by omission? (As in, your fanfiction isn't nominated. Therefore, you're inadequate.)
Thank you. Like from the bottom of my heart.


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