B2MeM 2014 (Yes, Really!)

[dawn_felagund]

Yes, my comods and I have really started talking about 2014's Back to Middle-earth Month. However, there is a good reason behind this! (Normally, the mods start discussion in December, with the members being brought on board by January or February.) There are two important things that we wanted to bring up to B2MeM participants for feedback.

First is the event for 2014. We have done daily-prompt challenges for the past three B2MeMs. These are always popular and are pretty easy to do (so long as BINGO cards aren't involved ... ;), but when we started running B2MeM, it was not necessarily a daily-prompt challenge, and while daily prompts are usually well-liked, we have also had requests to try a different format. So we wanted to propose an idea and see how the community felt about it.

Instead of a daily prompt, we have considered putting together a compilation this year. Those of you who have been SWG members for a few years know that we have done compilations there in the past. (Akallabêth in August is probably the best example of this.) The idea is that participants claim a prompt or prompts well before the event itself. Each participant then sets out to create a story, poem, or artwork based on that prompt, only instead of trying to get something created quickly to be ready for the next day's prompt, the participant has time to make the piece the best it can be. During the month of the event, one or a few of these pieces are "released" each day. By the end of the month, there is a compilation of stories, poetry, and art based around a theme.

Our idea is to put together such a compilation for this year's B2MeM, based around a theme that encompasses the diversity that our community has to offer, i.e., whether you write First Age or Fourth, Hobbits or Noldor, there will be a place for you. The pieces will be revealed over the course of March. At the end of the month, we would also like to offer an e-book or print-on-demand book of the compilation (for writers and artists who want to be included--this would NOT be mandatory). Ideally, there would be the opportunity for writers and artists to pair up to do illustrated stories, and we would offer beta assistance and other for authors who want it.

So what say you all? Are we willing to give the daily prompt a break for this year? Does a compilation seem like something we'd like to try for this year's B2MeM? Please remember that this community exists to promote a fandom holiday that will help bring the various corners of the Tolkien fandom together, so we need to know if our participants think an idea will work for them or not. In short: please be honest in your feedback! :)

The second point concerns moderators. B2MeM started as an alliance of Tolkien fandom groups that wanted to offer a month-long "holiday" in which Tolkien-based transformative works are celebrated. As a result of this basic structure, it was always assumed that the mods of the groups that participated would be the mods of B2MeM. In actuality, this doesn't work that well. For one, group mods already have significant responsibilities in running their groups. In many cases, they cannot also run B2MeM. Secondly, this keeps those who have ideas about B2MeM, time to volunteer, and who would make excellent moderators from actually serving as moderators.

As a result, we will be opening up moderation of B2MeM to more than just the mods of the groups that sponsor it. Moderators help plan out B2MeM events and get them ready for March. They help run things behind the scenes before and during the event. They help to answer questions from participants and cheer participants on. We tend to work closely together on planning and then divide up responsibilities for actually running the event, based on the talents and interests of each mod.

Please comment here, message me, or email me at DawnFelagund@gmail.com if you'd like to be a mod for this year's B2MeM. You should expect to be available beginning in December through early April. (Obviously, everyone needs time off, and we cover for each other when needed, but this is our "busy season," so to speak.) I will make sure to begin including anyone who is interested in moderator correspondence going forward.

Comments

[rhapsody11.livejournal.com]

I am a bit curious now... we will have a list of prompts that you can choose from, you still have to come up with something within a timed scheduled... there is still that thrill of meeting that deadline.

Only the huge difference this time will be that on daily basis, people will look forward to the fandom's contributions of that day. Your piece gets the chance to stand out and shine (very different in my experience than fandom exchanges where your story will be listed amongst many others revealed on one day only and it is very likely that only the person who will receive it will read it), the chances are very high that your piece will be read, and even after March has passed since it might end up in a compilation!

The only caveat I can think off is that once it is revealed, we (those who will do the page coding) won't go back and alter typo's. It is the same energy, only different.

Maybe you didn't consider that everyone who wants to play still can go to the community and share their progress made, ask for help or get encouragement. It is not that you write for one person and you can't talk about it (I have read Dawn's text above a few times over and I don't see words like keeping it secret there).

It is entirely up to the individual, also on how much time you want to spent on it! Want to crash out that ficlet: go ahead! If you want to write a longer story... that's fine as well! You, the participant, gets to decide how much energy/time you want to invest in it.

I remember writing for Akallabêth in August where I simply chatted about my progress being made, but I decided to keep the basic plot line to myself and looked forward to the day my piece would be made public for everyone to see. If you don't think your piece is perfect, you can always decide not to have it included in the compilation for example. Yet you still can put it up at an archive, link to B2MEM 2014 and tinker to your hearts desire. Just think about it a bit more... please :)

[zdenka]

With all due respect, when the mods have specifically asked for honest feedback, I wish we wouldn't then have mods trying to talk people out of their opinions and saying "Just think about it a bit more... please :)" Your comment wasn't made to me, but I had some of the same reactions that tehta did, so your response gives me kind of a sinking feeling, because I'm not sure I can justify my emotional reactions logically if challenged to explain them. One thing would stress me out, another thing wouldn't, and maybe it's the opposite for someone else. And it's not likely to change because of someone explaining why my reactions are irrational. People react very differently to things, as we are seeing!

[dawn_felagund]

I know you're not replying to me, but I did want to say that those honest emotional reactions are really helpful when planning something like this. :) So please no bad feelings ... we don't have anything planned yet but have just talked about this possible idea and want to see if it would work. If it's decided it won't work, there is no harm in that--this is for the writers and artists of our community, and we want it to be something people will enjoy! :)

I very much appreciate yours (and Tehta's!) feedback since it brings up concerns that will have to be addressed, if we go with the idea, or could end up making the idea not viable as we thought. But in any case, I'd rather hear it now than a few months from now when we present the event for 2014 and see no interest in response.

[rhapsody11.livejournal.com]

With equal due respect, but the whole intent of my comment was to explain a misconception that Dawn's proposal would be a fic exchange. Instead I tried to explain what a compilation could be (with all the pro's and con's). Nothing more, nothing less. Then I fail to see what is wrong to politely ask with a Just think about it a bit more... please :) could be seen as talking somebody out of a gut instinct/reaction to a proposal made or label someone's thoughts as irrational as you describe above. After all with feedback can come a discussion and a free exchange of thoughts with the aim to come to a mutual understanding of what is needed or desired by fandom participants. After all as mods we merely facilitate and make things possible for a month of March to celebrate what Tolkien's Middle Earth has given us. For that we sometimes have to explain further, shed light on things that otherwise would be left unexplained. If you do not want us to do that, I will refrain from commenting.

[zdenka]

The issue was perhaps less one of content than of coming on too strong. But I think we are talking past each other, so maybe I should stop here.

I didn't ask you not to comment, nor would I expect you to humor such a strange request if I did.

[tehta.livejournal.com]

I guess my issue is less with having my work read at all, and more with
1. having my work read by people who might actually enjoy it
2. finding the time to write said work
Organized exchanges and challenges worry me in part because my writing is basically forced onto people, most of whom will not like it. (Tastes differ, etc.) Also, writing polished stories takes so much time! (I would not feel comfortable just crashing something out after claiming a prompt. And of course I would get help from my usual betas, etc, but posting to the community before the reveal would take away from said reveal, no? It's almost like we'd be writing not for one person, but for a community.)

In contrast, I found the daily prompts low-pressure and freeing, because I certainly can (if inspired, and not feeling too neurotic) compose a 500-1000 word ficlet in just one free evening, and because they were short, and not billed as The Real Fill For The Prompt, so I did not have to worry about imposing on people, or disappointing them. But perhaps I was misusing the prompts.

[dawn_felagund]

As long as you're writing Tolkien and have the prompt in your mind while writing it, then it is impossible to misuse a B2MeM prompt! :D

[heartofoshun.livejournal.com]

Sounds like you were using the prompts in a way that worked for you. I felt like there were a number of people racing to claim a prompt for every day and that was the point of daily prompts. No matter how hard I tried, I could never keep up with that pace. Wrote a lot of crap and still failed.

[tehta.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I could never manage that. I aimed for one a week. I read a lot, too -- I really loved how different different people's takes were.

[rhapsody11.livejournal.com]

No, you weren't misusing the prompts! Some years ago we did a stamping the ME post card event, if someone would for example finally finish a piece for that and would ask us for a stamp... we would still stamp it. Or create a card for someone who just discovered it and wants to play even years after. Almost everything is possible and you are utmost free to use the prompts in any way you like it.

But I suspect we all experience challenges and exchanges very differently. Some write purely for an audience, some for a friend or someone they know, some for a complete stranger in an exchange, then some for a small circle of readers and some entirely for themselves! I do get that. But the compiliation in its nature (the set up and exposure) is utterly different from a fix exchange and I tried to explain that. But there are some management aspects that mods need to take into account (Dawn also explained that) where we'd need to set deadlines in order to make it work and have things to reveal for a certain day. I simply don't know what we will end up doing for 2014, but I enjoyed taking part in compilation(s) in the past so I guess I got a tad carried away in my enthusiasm (my apologies if I did upset you with that). Then again I also understand the thrill and excitement of daily prompts, so see what bunny will bite you and write for your own pleasure. I have had oodles of fun (Bingo anyone?) with that in the past, although for 2014 it will be unrealistic for me personally due to RL.

But it would be great to reach a common ground amongst everyone. What it will be, I frankly have no idea.

[tehta.livejournal.com]

No worries -- of course I am not upset or offended!

It is true that we all see things differently. To me, the main feature of writing for a polished fic exchange/challenge is that it forces me to fit fifty-plus hours of writing time into my life, all before a set deadline. In that sense -- the most important sense, to me -- what you propose sounds EXACTLY like a fic exchange or challenge. It's just a very serious time and energy commitment, you know?

(The second feature is trying to please someone specific, but often a bit mysterious. And here the recipient is not a single person, but the fandom at large, which is... additionally worrying. While I am confident in my ability to write stories that will give a lot of pleasure to certain people in certain moods, I feel pretty out of step with what the fandom generally likes. So, I suspect that my fic would be a disappointment to most "recipients", which is not exactly motivating.)

This might be one thing to keep in mind: releasing fics one by one like that, with an official spotlight on each one in turn, and with the expectation that most readers will read and comment on the first day, will really highlight which fics (and authors, and sub-fandoms) are popular and successful, and which ones are not. (Not that competition is necessarily a bad thing, but it's definitely not something everyone enjoys in all situations.)

[rhapsody11.livejournal.com]

Yes.. but from the adminish perspective... we also have to work with deadlines: even daily prompts are scheduled, the order usually is well thought out so maybe it isn't that visible, we have to work with them in order to get things done. I remember B2MEM's were staying up late to await the new reveal of a prompt (in b2memsupport members were so bouncy saying: is it there yet???), so it can also work positively. But I do understand your viewpoint, but others work well with them. Finding a balance will be hard, but I am still hopeful!

So, I suspect that my fic would be a disappointment to most "recipients", which is not exactly motivating.)

Really? A well respected, one of the Library of Tirion authors at the SWG (a legend was my first thought when your name was prompted for the Library of Tirion back then) who was immediately named to be added? You are never a disappointment to many! I can imagine that after so many years you have to get used to the new names ect. But still.

(Not that competition is necessarily a bad thing, but it's definitely not something everyone enjoys in all situations.)

Yes, I know. Elleth also mentioned allowing stories that are written in advance can be remixed by those who write daily prompts. It can also happen with that that a much beloved author has her story remixed ten times over and a lesser known person is not. That can be very hurtful, unintentional perhaps, but still. Not everyone has an armadillo hide. Then again the positive vibe over the past years has surprised me in that regard, it was not like that 10 years ago where only stories written by people of one group were solely reviewed by members of that group. But I do think that your feedback here is something we should be aware about. Thanks!

A Legend!

[heartofoshun.livejournal.com]

I agree with Rhaps on this. It might be hard to hear, but it is true. I first began reading Silmarillion fanfiction because of you and Claudio, at the time great Silm writing--"like Tehta or Claudio"--was completely linked in my mind. I still get a shivery thrill when I see you have posted something new. You two were also my first exposure to Silmarillion slash. I was not drawn through any social or RPG type of interest, but purely literary and the idea that what fun it would be to read new stories based on Tolkien's work. The friendships and camaraderie of fandom came a couple years later for me.

[tehta.livejournal.com]

I certainly did not mean to disparage the amount of time the admins put in -- I know it is way more than I can even imagine, and you have to be making all sorts of tough RL decisions to manage it.

Anyway, I think that if you guys have something happening daily as well as the challenge, I would try to participate in that, a bit. (Aside from commenting, which I will definitely do.) And I *might* do the challenge, depending on how February looks from the perspective of January. (It might be a better choice for me than Slashy Valentine, anyway.)

As for my legend status: I feel like I got very lucky right when I joined the fandom, because both the slash pairing and the single character I chose to write about (Ecthelion/Glorfindel, Maedhros) were just about to become popular. So lots of people read those stories (which was awesome, of course.) But that brief burst of fame has emphatically NOT gone to my head.