Wing McCallister
(?)Community Member
- Posted: Sat, 02 Dec 2006 22:41:35 +0000
The Anything Goes Writing Contest & League
GGW XI Champion - VoC!
GGW XI Champion - VoC!
Welcome! Don't be intimidated! It's huge for a reason! Join the fun. I know this looks like a lot to read, but it's not too bad. We don't eat new people, honest! We're always looking for new people to become a part of our growing community. We've been in hangout mode for a long time, but with the state of the world as it is, the contest is back.
IMPORTANT NOTE: I'm going to ask that entrants who edit their pieces please re-post or re-PM their edited entries. If you don't re-post, I will not have the piece. See Rule 11.
Current Contest
I ran contests for 3665 days. The AGWC halted competitions in 2016, but with the world in the COVID crisis, the gates are reopened!
Currently, no active contest is in progress. If the title changes from Hangout Mode, you know the time has come.
Currently, no active contest is in progress. If the title changes from Hangout Mode, you know the time has come.
Need to Know
All contest critiques are presented in an audio recording. The MP3 file can be found at the contest webpage: http://agwc.cfxt.com
C1: Quarantine Rumble entries due by the end of April 2020!
0. Follow the ToS.
1. Refer to the top of the page or the poll for deadline information.
2. Please submit your piece through a PM or post it in the contest thread. I highly encourage thread posting! Note that this means actually posting the entry. I do NOT accept links as submissions.
3. The content of the piece is up to the author. It is called 'Anything Goes' for a reason. (prose, poetry, length, style, subject, etc).
4. One piece is allowed per round.
5. Authors are responsible for telling me anything special about the piece.
6. Be entertaining!
7. Do not complain! It is a free contest people! See end of post.
8. The same piece may never be reused in the AGWC. Likewise, I cannot accept pieces into the contest which I have edited / reviewed for you.
9. A plagiarism checker will be used on all entries. That means do not test my contest! I will report you!
10. Please submit things in normal sized font. I'm tired of receiving entries in size 7.
11. Entries are collected as they are posted. If you post a piece that is an edit, it will not be the one collected. Please make sure to post or PM a piece that clearly states it as being the final submission.
12. Prize Clause: Prizes for general contests will largely be decided on the fly given that I have been off Gaia for so long (e.g. what is this platinum currency?). Throwdown challenges between two individuals may have bets placed between the combatants as a prize pool. Note that these funds come from the individuals involved and not the contest itself. However, in the event that I find someone did not make good on a wager, that person will find themselves in the Hall of Fail.
Rules and Regulations
C1: Quarantine Rumble entries due by the end of April 2020!
0. Follow the ToS.
1. Refer to the top of the page or the poll for deadline information.
2. Please submit your piece through a PM or post it in the contest thread. I highly encourage thread posting! Note that this means actually posting the entry. I do NOT accept links as submissions.
3. The content of the piece is up to the author. It is called 'Anything Goes' for a reason. (prose, poetry, length, style, subject, etc).
4. One piece is allowed per round.
5. Authors are responsible for telling me anything special about the piece.
6. Be entertaining!
7. Do not complain! It is a free contest people! See end of post.
8. The same piece may never be reused in the AGWC. Likewise, I cannot accept pieces into the contest which I have edited / reviewed for you.
9. A plagiarism checker will be used on all entries. That means do not test my contest! I will report you!
10. Please submit things in normal sized font. I'm tired of receiving entries in size 7.
11. Entries are collected as they are posted. If you post a piece that is an edit, it will not be the one collected. Please make sure to post or PM a piece that clearly states it as being the final submission.
12. Prize Clause: Prizes for general contests will largely be decided on the fly given that I have been off Gaia for so long (e.g. what is this platinum currency?). Throwdown challenges between two individuals may have bets placed between the combatants as a prize pool. Note that these funds come from the individuals involved and not the contest itself. However, in the event that I find someone did not make good on a wager, that person will find themselves in the Hall of Fail.
Judging Criteria
Creativity/Originality: 0 to 5 points
Grammar/Style: 0 to 5 points
Entertainment Value: 0 to 5 points
Welcome
Welcome to the largest and longest continuously running writing contest in Gaia history. If you're here, then you're probably wondering what's the deal with this huge thread. Everything you need to know should be spelled out in the sections of this post. Please read it throughly and enjoy your stay at the AGWC.
There is no entry fee, and newbies are always welcome!
I understand that individuals that see this massive thread may become intimidated. Join anyway!
A little AGWC history...
The AGWC was founded in December 2006 as the CFXT.com Showcase Contest to serve as a place for writers to get their works out into the world. I thought it would be interesting to give authors the opportunity to have their pieces showcased on my website: www.cfxt.com. These pieces are proudly housed in 'The Start Archive' section of the agwc webpage @ http://agwc.cfxt.com. After GGW I, it was clear that the anything goes rule was not going to go away anytime soon. At that point, the contest was renamed to the AGWC.
To this day, any piece that receives a favorable review has the opportunity to join the site archive. Essentially, this is how it works. If your piece receives a good review, it is up to you to approach me about it being stored in the archives. I do not just grab pieces and post them up. Once you talk to me, I will give you some time to make any edits you wish and then I will store the work on my server. You are responsible for maintaining/establishing any sort of copyright or creative commons agreements. CFXT.com is solely owned by me and is not commercially backed or funded by any source other than me.
To this day, any piece that receives a favorable review has the opportunity to join the site archive. Essentially, this is how it works. If your piece receives a good review, it is up to you to approach me about it being stored in the archives. I do not just grab pieces and post them up. Once you talk to me, I will give you some time to make any edits you wish and then I will store the work on my server. You are responsible for maintaining/establishing any sort of copyright or creative commons agreements. CFXT.com is solely owned by me and is not commercially backed or funded by any source other than me.
Additional Bits
Hall of Fame, Perfection and Champions
These lists of inductees can be found at http://agwc.cfxt.com
AGWC Throw Down Record Book
Are you tired of taking s**t from someone in the AGWC? Well, now you can do something about it. Challenge the sucker to an AGWC Throw Down! Once setup, I'll pick a special topic and the two of you can duke it out on the anything goes literary stage to determine who gets the bragging rights.
Records:
zero the last decepticon vs. calviness: double veto.
Luis vs. His Name Is No More: W - Luis.
Joachim vs. Solar: W(by PKO) - Solar
Records:
zero the last decepticon vs. calviness: double veto.
Luis vs. His Name Is No More: W - Luis.
Joachim vs. Solar: W(by PKO) - Solar
Hall of Epic Fail
Kjenk - For plagiarism!
Aliz Arcaisle - For plagiarism!
His Name Is No More - For taking it like a man.
Aliz Arcaisle - For plagiarism!
His Name Is No More - For taking it like a man.
Receiving Feedback in the Words of TLM
THE FEEDBACK MODEL
Receiving Feedback
Step One
Listen to the feedback. Don't interrupt and don't try to explain when the other person is speaking. Actively listen.
Step Two
Respond to the feedback. Again, do not try to explain yourself or give excuses. THIS IS A KEY STEP, and probably the hardest to accomplish. I'm the biggest excuse-giver there is, but I've come to realize that 99% of the time, it's really not necessary. Honest. It just makes me come off as unappreciative, not listening, or defensive.
To fully receive the feedback, you need to acknowledge that the feedback was heard. There are 3 different ways to appropriately receive feedback:
If you understand where the feedback is coming from, and that it is growth oriented, say "Thank you."
If you need more clarification on the feedback, ask for it. (And in this contest, it would be appropriate to PM Wing. This is up to him, but as a contest host, I'd probably appreciate it if clarification questions were PMed as opposed to posted, and if the concern applies to multiple people, then I might ask the contest applicant if I may post the question and answer in the thread. This is for privacy reasons, and also so that it doesn't come off as complaining or undermining the host in the public forum).
If you feel as though you cannot handle the amount of feedback you are receiving, say "I'm full" or "I have had enough feedback for the day." Basically let them know that even if well-intentioned, you would not be able to use the feedback constructively at this time. ***This step should be super simple, being on the internet at all. You don't need to physically face Wing. If you're frustrated, you can simply turn off the internet. You can pause the recording and return to it when you're in better space. Easy peasy, right? ***
Step Three
The third step is to assess and create goals based on feedback given. This may be done on your own or with the person giving feedback. It is up to you (the person receiving feedback) to utilize it or not. Remember, the goal of giving feedback is solution focused and growth oriented. This is also the goal of -receiving- feedback.
Many of us enter Wing's competition not just to try and win, but to improve our writing skills. We know he's a good judge, and we know he'll do what he can to improve our writing. We all enter this competition knowing we will receive both positive and negative feedback. So why complain, when we ask for it? We're masochists in a sense, all of us, because we want to be told what's wrong. The positive of that is that we want to know precisely so that we can change, adapt, and improve.
Receiving Feedback
Step One
Listen to the feedback. Don't interrupt and don't try to explain when the other person is speaking. Actively listen.
Step Two
Respond to the feedback. Again, do not try to explain yourself or give excuses. THIS IS A KEY STEP, and probably the hardest to accomplish. I'm the biggest excuse-giver there is, but I've come to realize that 99% of the time, it's really not necessary. Honest. It just makes me come off as unappreciative, not listening, or defensive.
To fully receive the feedback, you need to acknowledge that the feedback was heard. There are 3 different ways to appropriately receive feedback:
If you understand where the feedback is coming from, and that it is growth oriented, say "Thank you."
If you need more clarification on the feedback, ask for it. (And in this contest, it would be appropriate to PM Wing. This is up to him, but as a contest host, I'd probably appreciate it if clarification questions were PMed as opposed to posted, and if the concern applies to multiple people, then I might ask the contest applicant if I may post the question and answer in the thread. This is for privacy reasons, and also so that it doesn't come off as complaining or undermining the host in the public forum).
If you feel as though you cannot handle the amount of feedback you are receiving, say "I'm full" or "I have had enough feedback for the day." Basically let them know that even if well-intentioned, you would not be able to use the feedback constructively at this time. ***This step should be super simple, being on the internet at all. You don't need to physically face Wing. If you're frustrated, you can simply turn off the internet. You can pause the recording and return to it when you're in better space. Easy peasy, right? ***
Step Three
The third step is to assess and create goals based on feedback given. This may be done on your own or with the person giving feedback. It is up to you (the person receiving feedback) to utilize it or not. Remember, the goal of giving feedback is solution focused and growth oriented. This is also the goal of -receiving- feedback.
Many of us enter Wing's competition not just to try and win, but to improve our writing skills. We know he's a good judge, and we know he'll do what he can to improve our writing. We all enter this competition knowing we will receive both positive and negative feedback. So why complain, when we ask for it? We're masochists in a sense, all of us, because we want to be told what's wrong. The positive of that is that we want to know precisely so that we can change, adapt, and improve.