Finish-a-thon 2012 Sign Ups!

[kerravonsen]

Announcing... finish-a-thon 2012! Yes, we're doing it again.

Remember all those poor, neglected plot bunnies that have been starving from lack of attention, because all those ficathons kept on having higher priority? The stories you wish you could finish, if only you could find the time? Well, fear not, the finish-a-thon is coming to the rescue!

The finish-a-thon is a ficathon, with all the ficathon-like things like deadlines and fellow volunteers to encourage you, but with this ficathon, you write your own ideas. But since part of the encouragement of a ficathon is writing things for other people, what we're going to do, is vote for which story ideas people should write.

I have set up a website to facilitate the ficathon, including a handy-dandy sign-up form which should make entering all the information easier.

PLEASE let me know if you have any problems.

• Rules and FAQ
• Sign-up form

Dates
Sign-ups end:
AEST: Saturday 31st March 2012, 8am
GMT : 30th March 2012, 10pm

Stories due:
AEST: 9th June 2012, 10am
GMT : 8th June 2012, midnight

(more detailed date information is in the Rules and FAQ page)

Note that you can edit your sign-up information as much as you want until the sign-up deadline, at which point editing will be disabled.

Comments

[linaewen]

I've signed up and saved my page twice, but it doesn't show up afterwards on the list of those who have signed up, so I can't access it again to edit the page.

[linaewen]

FYI, when I save my page, it seems to save but I don't advance to my author information page; it stays on the "creating Linaewen" page.

[linaewen]

Some additional info -- I started over in another browser and it recognized my OpenId from the previous sign in so I went straight to the sign up page, but the same thing happened; my page wasn't saved. I also don't get a preview of the page when I click on preview -- just the same "creating Linaewen" form.

[kerravonsen]

Alas I haven't figured out how to fix the error message stuff, so when it fails, it fails silently.
I've just had an idea, though, which I'll check this minute.

[kerravonsen]

Okay, I think I've tracked down the problem; I was tweaking some settings and didn't change everything I needed to change.
Try again now, it should work.

[linaewen]

I'm in! Thanks so much!

[killaurey]

I'm still deciding if I'm going to sign up (saw this ficathon advertised through the onedeadbunny post on LJ) but if people finish early are they allowed to post their stories on the 'nets prior to the deadlines or are people to wait for the date the stories are due? I checked the FAQ and didn't see this addressed (though I might have missed it, haha).

[kerravonsen]

I don't see why it should be a problem if you post early. It's not as if this is an anonymous exchange. The big problem is if one doesn't post on time! 8-)

[killaurey]

Okay, thanks! :)

[vilakins]

How does one set up an account to start with? What's with the whole provider thing? So I do need to use my ID rather than my name which doesn't have a provider. If so, where are DW or LJ?

[kerravonsen]

I don't understand the question. What provider thing?

You have a Dreamwidth account, and you have a Livejournal account. You can use either one to log in to my site.

1. Make sure that you are currently logged in to either Dreamwidth or Livejournal.
2. Go to the sign-up page on my site: http://www.katspace.org/fiction/ficathons/finish-a-thon/2012/sign_up/
3. In the "Author Name" form type in "Nicola Mody"
4. Click the "Edit" button next to that form, NOT the "edit" button which is elsewhere on the sign-up page.
5. You will be taken to the log-in form.
6. You have two options: you can log in using your LJ id, or you can use OpenId.

7. Doing option 1: click on the "pencil" icon.
7a. The form will change to say "Enter your Livejournal username:"
7b. Type in "vilakins".
7c. Click the "login" button.
7d. This will take you to LiveJournal, which says that katspace.org wants to validate your livejournal identity, and "Do you want to pass your identity to them?"
7e. Click on either "Yes, just this time" or "Yes, always".
7d. This should then take you back to katspace.org; you will be logged in, and you can now fill in the author-sign-up page.

8. Doing option 2: click on the "OpenId" button.
8a. The prompt should now be "Enter your OpenID:"
8b. Type in the URL of your Dreamwidth journal; in your case that would be "http://vilakins.dreamwidth.org"
8c. Click the "login" button.
8d. This will take you to Dreamwidth, which says that katspace.org wants to validate your dreamwidth identity, and "Do you want to pass your identity to them?"
8e. Click on either "Yes, just this time" or "Yes, always".
8d. This should then take you back to katspace.org; you will be logged in, and you can now fill in the author-sign-up page.

At which point in the above did you encounter problems?

[vilakins]

At 4/5. Unless the sign-in form consists of "Select your account provider" and some little logos (none of which are LJ or DW) and with AOL of all things checked.

[kerravonsen]

Yes, it does. That's the form where you either click the Livejournal "pencil" icon, or the "OpenId" icon. AOL isn't checked; the icon next to the AOL icon is the "Verisign" icon, which happens to be a check mark, of all things!

[kerravonsen]

I've now updated the FAQ. I hope the revised version makes things clearer.

[vilakins]

I probably didn't read down far enough in the FAQ anyway, but sorted. Pity my line breaks didn't work, but hey.

[worries about the loony plot tribble people are certain to vote for]

[kerravonsen]

worries about the loony plot tribble people are certain to vote for
(looks)
Yes they are, aren't they?

[vilakins]

And done. However how do I edit? If I put in my name, it creates a new blank page with "2" appended to my name.

[kerravonsen]

That's because you didn't read the FAQ, my dear.

What if I have a typo and want to edit my sign-up, or add another story idea before voting starts?

* Click on the "Edit" button on your author sign-up-info page.
* You may be prompted to log in if you haven't done so already. (see above)
* Then it will give you a form where you can update your sign-up information.
* Click on the "Save Page" button at the bottom to save your changes.

[vilakins]

I don't think I got as far as the sign-up page, and i did click on "edit". I'll try at work on Chrome.

[kerravonsen]

You should be editing THIS page: http://www.katspace.org/fiction/ficathons/finish-a-thon/2012/author/Nico_Mody/
NOT the sign-up page: http://www.katspace.org/fiction/ficathons/finish-a-thon/2012/sign_up/

[vilakins]

OK, when i click "edit" on that page, it takes me to the account provider one.

[kerravonsen]

That's okay; your login session probably expired. Just log in again.

[vilakins]

Sussed!

I think SAP must be addling me brain at work.

[kerravonsen]

SAP?

[vilakins]

German software package. :-P

[jedibuttercup]

So. *steeling self* Dumping all my epic WIPs on the plate this year...

... and I do mean all. :-)

[kerravonsen]

(grin)

[edellin]

So... I have three questions...

1) This may sound a bit stupid but what exactly is the difference between a link and a url... the http:// part?

2) Is it ok to just say for all the stories that I'll try to write a certain amount of words instead of finishing the story? Or must some of the stories' goal would be to finish them? Because I know myself and I probably won't manage to finish them but I can manage writing 7 000 words or so... and if I am lucky and one finishes in that "word space" then it's good... do I make sense? And also I say that about the words in the summary right?

3) I think I didn't see that in the FAQ... is it ok if the stories are plot bunnies for prompt challenges that DO NOT have dealines. I am taking part in the 500themes challenge and I kinda have a lot of ideas that match a theme each... so can they be used?

[kerravonsen]

This may sound a bit stupid but what exactly is the difference between a link and a url... the http:// part?

Can you give me some context to help me understand the question? Because both links and URLs do have the "http://" part. The words can have slightly different meanings depending on the context, but a lot of the time they're synonymous.

Is it ok to just say for all the stories that I'll try to write a certain amount of words instead of finishing the story?

Yep, some people do that. But if you do that, you need to pledge to write at least 7,000 words. Because we want this to be a ficathon where people get a lot done, y'know?

is it ok if the stories are plot bunnies for prompt challenges that DO NOT have dealines

Not really. Because this is the home for Lost Plot Bunnies that don't have ficathons of their own. Including ficathons that don't have deadlines. Though of course most ficathons do have deadlines. The bit about being able to finish stories that were for ficathons that had deadlines is because that story no longer has a ficathon, because one missed the deadline for that ficathon. And as the FAQ says, even that type, we're only allowing one of them. Earlier iterations of the finish-a-thon didn't allow any.

[edellin]

http://www.fanfiction.net/s/7210061/1/To_Write_Love_On_Her_Arms

Is this a url or a link?

Ok minimun 7 000 words! Got that.

I see... and how many no-deadline-prompt-inspired-stories are we allowed? At least more that one, please? Because as I said it is 500 stories that have to be written for that challenge inspiration thing and well... I kinda stick to every idea a prompt because otherwise I'll never write anything for that... I mean they are plot bunnies that need someone to help them be born... and no one is going to do that in the 500themes community... I mean no one has ever managed to complete it. ever... so... how many are we allowed?

[kerravonsen]

Is this a url or a link?

Both. Context, please?

how many are we allowed?

Well... I would say "none", except that you're saying that ALL of your bunnies are from that comm, yes or no?

[edellin]

It's for the pre existing chapters of one story. I don't know what else to say...

well... I haven't stick to 2 a prompt and I could just take one out as well so I'll have three but I have to say that since you allow for the missed deadline stories one entry, for the stories that just have prompt to inspire them and no deadline to help them be written you should at least allow one as well. I mean it's not a ficathon in teh traditional sense... it's just a prompt table.

[kerravonsen]

It's for the pre existing chapters of one story. I don't know what else to say...

Er, then you're making a problem where there isn't one? In that context, there's no difference, they're the same thing.

[edellin]

Ok then. Sorry about that. XD Thank you for your help.

[edellin]

I mean if by ourselves we were inspired by a quote we found on our own to write a story, would that mean it's not eligible for here? It is pretty much the same thing... just instead of quotes you have phrases or words to inspire you and no one to help you in ANY way with them... you sign up just to have the right to post at the community.

[kerravonsen]

Hmmmm. I'm torn between being strict and making an exception.

[edellin]

I have a proposition then, can I start writing the stories without the prompt, write what I have to write here and then add the prompt? Because the other community thing allows us to use old unfinished stories if they fit a prompt... so how abou that?

You are ok, and I am ok, huh?

[kerravonsen]

Ok.

[edellin]

Thank you so much! XD

[killaurey]

Potentially strange question, but I was looking at my list of stories and contemplating adding/switching things up and I just wanted to check:

You say no ficathons, but what about prompts? Not ones that are affliated with any comm or anything but, say, I did a post on my personal journal asking people to give me prompts/ideas so I can write things for them--am I allowed to use the stories/bunnies that spawned from those prompts in this?

[kerravonsen]

Sure, that's okay.

[killaurey]

Yay, thank you!

[ariestess]

Just finished doing my sign-up and realized I'd made an error in spelling my name for the page/title stuff.

Incorrect :: A. Magiouna Stormwriter
Correct :: A. Magiluna Stormwriter

Can this get fixed by chance? It's also listing my name incorrectly on the author page because of this, and I'm not sure I can fix it. If not, can it be deleted and I'll just do it again?

[kerravonsen]

Done! I have super-administrator powers, and I can do such things. (grin)

[ariestess]

Thank you! I hadn't checked my spelling before hitting "edit" the first time because I can normally spell my nom de plume without error after nearly 20 years of using it online, then felt like an idiot when I noticed it.