B2MeM 2013 Is Coming!

[dawn_felagund]

Yes, that time of year is almost here again: time for our annual Back to Middle-earth Month event! Once again, the Silmarillion Writers' Guild, Many Paths to Tread, and Arda Inspired will be teaming up to bring the Tolkien fandom a month of fun, creativity, and community.

We are currently in the planning phases for this year's challenge, and we need help and feedback from our community to help us decide the challenge we want to run this year. If you have an idea for an event, please do share it in a comment here! (If you want to see what kinds of events we've run in the past, we have links to them all on the SWG site here: http://www.silmarillionwritersguild.org/specialprojects.php.)

Even if you don't have a specific idea for an event, if there's a past event that you loved (or a past event that you'd rather not see something similar to this year), please comment and let us know.

We have only one requirement for B2MeM events: They should be open to the entire Tolkien fan-writing and -art communities. Ideally, this should also allow people to participate whether they have one or thirty-one days free to work on challenges.

We look forward to hearing everyone's ideas and getting this year's event ready to roll!

Comments

[huinare.livejournal.com]

So when I saw the title of this post on my f-list, I muttered, "Oh ****!"
In a good, but slightly terrified, way, of course.

I've only been around long enough to participate in last year's. I gathered that BINGO was meant to be a low-key thing that ballooned astonishingly when everybody was so eager to make/claim cards. While I loved all the opportunities to write, read, and natter, the scope of it was rather overwhelming. I'd be in favor of something that doesn't offer quite so many temping options! =D

[silver-trails.livejournal.com]

I have participated in two B2ME month events, and though I loved the last one, it was like a mad race for me. I know we could claim the slots and say we would write, but I simply could not claim one and not start writing.

[dawn_felagund]

Yes, you're right that BINGO was actually designed to be low-key. *facepalm* Did I ever misread that one or what?! :D

This year, we are looking for something less labor-intensive for the non-fun reason that our mods have less availability than they did last year during March. So we'd probably give preference, this year, to something that can be largely done ahead of time and posted during March, minus the fleet of volunteers. ;)

[dawn_felagund]

Yep, we always tell people they don't have to write every day, but I know that's easier said than done! :D We're definitely aiming for something more low-key this year for the simple reason that we mod-types have less availability than we did last year. Something that can be mostly completed ahead of time and then posted during March would be perfect from the behind-the-scenes perspective. :)

[silver-trails.livejournal.com]

Oh yes! I'd love something like that. Sorry I don't have an idea to offer. (smile)

Sometimes less is more

[heartofoshun.livejournal.com]

Stop the madness!! I know that some people really, really love a crazy race to produce the maximum number of entries. I do not think an item a day should be a goal at all. Just smack me down! I realize this is probably a minority/heretical position. But, you asked!

I really found it hard to sort through it all as a consumer and, therefore, did not find/enjoy the quality pieces that were lost among a mountain of new entries every day.

As a producer, it exhausted me and brought me very little satisfaction. I think I wrote something like two ficlets out of the whole mess that I am happy to have done.

I had fun doing a bunch of photomanips and pasting quotations on them. But that did not exactly encourage me to try to produce something meaningful and thoughtful which added depth to my volume of work in the fandom.

Can't we do something simple that results in one or two quality pieces from each of the participants?

Obviously, there are some distinquished drabblers who would like to do more throughout the month. But, honestly, creating a fine drabble is an art form (not just the ability to count to 100) and not every writer ought to be churning them out in volume, one or more per day, simply to satisfy 31 prompts.

[dawn_felagund]

No worries! :) We mod-types are kicking around some ideas, but we always appreciate input from the community too.

[shadowbrides.livejournal.com]

What about Aliana's Bechdel fic challenge? I thought it was a great idea. Perhaps we could do something in that direction for B2MEM as well.

[dawn_felagund]

Can't we do something simple that results in one or two quality pieces from each of the participants?

That is always an option, actually. I wrote one story for B2MeM last year that used something like eight prompts. Some of that was because I didn't have time because I was stamping an insane amount of cards. :) But, at the same time, I definitely prefer to create a single short story to five drabbles. I was and still am proud of the single story I created.

It is never required to complete the full month's worth of prompts. Some people choose to do so but, what often gets lost is that the vast majority do not! :) A good many don't write for more than one or two prompts. So it is really your choice, when we run daily prompts (and I don't know if we will again this year or not, but it's admittedly been something we've done more often than not in the past), if you want to tackle a prompt a day or pick the ones that speak most to you and focus on them. There are also never deadlines for "handing in" a finished piece, although last year we did have claim deadlines for stamps, mostly to save the sanity of the volunteers who were stamping.

One thing I can promise: There will never be a minimum requirement for participation. It will never be "try to do all 31 prompts or don't even bother!" People will be welcome to write one thing or 31 things; it's up to them to decide which.

[dawn_felagund]

I'm not familiar with it. Do you have a link or could you point me in the right direction? :)

[ladyelleth.livejournal.com]

If I say "Bingo", I strongly suspect half the mod team and community will start screaming, the other half will feed me to Sauron's werewolves... and not even Finrod made it out alive of a situation like that. So, even if it's tempting because last year was one of the most fun B2MeM projects (it comes as a tie with the RP) for me, I'll not ask for another round of Bingo. Helping with the cards alone was fairly time-consuming, I can't even pretend to imagine what the organizational effort must have been like behind the scenes. Another good reason not to ask.

How about a multi-directional round-robin thing? It could branch anywhere, and ideally there would be space for all and any replies which then in turn could spawn their own. The downside being that it'd probably require a lot of reading to stay up-to-date with story events especially later during the month, and that it might be fairly easy to lose track.

Origins? Since the Hobbit just happened (and that's the earliest published Middle-earth book), how about a low-key set of prompts based on that? That could take any number of shapes, from in-universe things like the Awakening of the Elves or the creation of the Dwarves or the coming of Men, to meta ideas like revisiting (possibly rewriting) an author's earliest Tolkien fic, or something of the sort.

Just brainstorming, though - I'm curious to see other suggestions! :)

[dawn_felagund]

I would still like to run Bingo again, not as part of B2MeM but as a just because, but with some caveats with respect to cards claims so that it doesn't take the people-power to run again. And I actually have an idea for something similar to the RP (that will probably also not be a B2MeM project but a regular SWG thing) that I only have to get to a point in my life where I have the time to run it, and I will propose it to my comods. So that's encouraging, I hope! :) I liked both of those challenges too.

Thank you for the ideas! :D I figure the mod-types will figure out what's feasible to run (everything you suggested fits that bill, at least at a glance) and will probably put up for the community to choose from.

[heartofoshun.livejournal.com]

There are definitely people who want to produce a prompt a day if you give them a prompt a day. I have grown to dread B2MeM rather than look forward to it. All it takes is ten people trying to produce a prompt a day--even if they fail--to make it dizzying and no fun for me.

I guess I am a minority of one. But I am voting anyway, and I vote for backing away from daily prompts.

I do not remember what your story was last year. I am sure I read it, I am sure it was awesome, and I always love and look forward to your stories, but it did not have the effect it should have had.

I have this moralistic thing, that if I am a member of a community which I care about, I want to participate fully and be productive in that context. If the bar is raised to high then I feel less than a full participant and, you know, kind of a slacker.

[heartofoshun.livejournal.com]

to meta ideas like revisiting (possibly rewriting) an author's earliest Tolkien fic, or something of the sort

That made me laugh! I think I am too vain! Maybe not, mine is pretty funny (unfinished Legomance anyone?).

[dawn_felagund]

I guess I'm confused about what your complaint is. Some people like writing a prompt a day, if offered it? It's not a requirement, but some people look forward to doing that, which somehow ruins B2MeM for those who prefer to write only one or two pieces? What am I missing, because this makes no sense to me? I don't get how deciding, "I'm going to pick three prompts that I like and work on short stories for those" makes it "dizzying and no fun" if others choose otherwise.

I certainly wouldn't oppose doing something other than a daily prompt, since we've had that format for a few years now and we've always tried, in the past, to mix it up a bit. We've received a couple of ideas that could break out of that format.

it did not have the effect it should have had.

Because it was written during B2MeM, which means it sucked more than what I usually write? Or because it was presented during B2MeM, which made it lost in the shuffle? Again, just confused ...

If B2MeM is truly dizzying and no fun for you, maybe it's time for a year off? I'm really not trying to be a jerk, but this is supposed to be fun, and the vitriol in your two comments and flat-out acknowledgement that you didn't enjoy last year's event at all really make me wonder why you participated.

[moetushie]

revisiting (possibly rewriting) an author's earliest Tolkien fic

I like this idea, and the whole theme of beginnings.

[dawn_felagund]

Okay, I replied before the edit:

I have this moralistic thing, that if I am a member of a community which I care about, I want to participate fully and be productive in that context. If the bar is raised to high then I feel less than a full participant and, you know, kind of a slacker.

I can understand social influence and all that. But we really do emphasize over and over again that different forms of participation (such as working on longer pieces versus a drabble-a-day--as I said, not my favorite format either) are equally welcome.

[dawn_felagund]

Thanks for commenting on this! :) It'll definitely be an idea we discuss and, if it seems feasible (and I don't see why it wouldn't be) put forth to the community as a possible challenge.

[aearwen2.livejournal.com]

I participated in the B2MEM when you did the passport thing - and loved it. I looked at the Bingo thing last year, couldn't wrap my mind around it, and didn't even attempt it. So for my money, something similar to the passport again would be an event I'd participate in. It's so straight-forward: each day a prompt, collect the badges.

Just my 2¢'s worth...

[dawn_felagund]

Thanks, Aearwen, for the feedback! Whatever we do this year will likely be much, much simpler than last year (which, believe it or not, was actually meant to be simple but attracted many more participants and a lot more enthusiasm than past years) for the simple reason that we mod-types don't have the availability we did last year.

[ladyelleth.livejournal.com]

Heh. I'll raise you a horridly sappy Éowyn/Elladan fic that I wrote because of my rampant Faramir dislike back then! XD

[heartofoshun.livejournal.com]

You asked. I answered honestly. Obviously, you will do what you are able and what you think the most people want to do.

I always feel guilty that I never do well and every year have tried to do better, to fully participate. So far it hasn't worked for me no matter how hard I have tried. Almost everyone else works full time also, so one would think I could participate at the highest level, given how important the community is to me and the fact that I have more time to spend on it than most.

Or because it was presented during B2MeM, which made it lost in the shuffle? Again, just confused ...

Lost in the shuffle (I am sure I would have read it). I keep meaning to go back and look at the fics I skimmed, or was just to brain dead to absorb even if I tried to read carefully.

[dawn_felagund]

Wow! Okay, I would actually like to read that! :D

My first fanwork was that Feanorian play I posted years ago on LJ, which I dread to reread much less ever do anything to again! :D

[dreamflower]

I know we've discussed it in PM, but I'll put my scavenger hunt idea up here for discussion.

Prior to B2Mem, we set up a list of quotes from Tolkien, probably divided into categories (The easiest might be Silm, TH, LotR, and Misc.) This master list is posted ONCE. At the beginning.

Participants look over the list and then seek out the quotation and write a fic or create art or meta or some other sort of fanwork around it. I also suggest that another response would be to find someone elses' work that fit the quotation, and post a review of it. This would allow people who don't write much to also participate.

We could set a goal number. (My original thought was 31, but since many people don't want to do something every day, we could cut that in half to, say, 15.) Anyone who reaches the goal "wins". We could also have awards for those who did the most overall or something like that...

The only maintenance of the scavenger hunt once posted would be a reminder post with a link to the master post, and a post where people could post links to their work.

And aside from making the list, which could be easily done by setting up a shared doc on Google and letting the volunteers add to it until it's full, the only other prep work would probably be banners and promotion.

[heartofoshun.livejournal.com]

I love it! Those stories sound like a match made in heaven!