FAQ

[clauderainsrm]

Some questions you might be asking alongside others that you didn’t know you wanted to know about.

What is LJ Idol? Why is it here at DW?
LJ Idol was founded in 2006 over at Livejournal and has been ongoing since that inception. With 10 seasons, 3 mini seasons and 2 “kids only” seasons for younger writers, the Idol experience isn’t one that fits neatly into a box. But that is why FAQs exist, so let’s try to do just that.

LJ Idol is an online writing competition mixed with a love of reality television. (Survivor, The Amazing Race, American Idol, Top Chef, etc… not the “Real Criminals of Los Angeles Caught on Tape” variety).

As for “why is it here at Dreamwidth”? If you are here reading this, I probably don’t need to tell you about the various “Livejournal exodus” movements. After being asked for years to do something in this DW space, I decided to host a pop-up mini-season. It’s a trial run. If it’s successful, who knows what the future might hold?

How does this work?

Every week there is a prompt, a deadline and voting. That’s the heart of it right there. You write. You read. You vote. (Sometimes there are twists to that, but that is the standard format)
Someone is eliminated. You move on to the next week until only 1 writer is left standing.

What are the rules?

Don’t be an asshat.
See above section about how this works.

There is an excellent guide to Idol that a contestant made a couple years ago. Rather than recreate the wheel, I’m going to link it here in the FAQs. Just change all the LJ references to DW as you read it. :)
https://therealljidol.livejournal.com/945497.html

Most of the coding seems to be the same here, since it’s all based in Open Coding. The biggest difference seems to be that DW doesn’t have the FB/Twitter access. Which might not be the worst thing.

Specific Mini Season Information:


The Mini Season is “LJ Idol Presents: Literary Prize Fight” (Idol or just LPF are probably going to be what you will see it referred to during the course of the season)
LSF has a few special twists not featured in other mini seasons:
The Community Chest
Prize Fights: The Prize Fight is an optional “extra round” of writing between up to 4 contestants.
Someone issues a challenge “I challenge writer X and writer Y”.
Writers X and Y have to accept the challenge
If they do not, then there is no Prize Fight for that week. If one accepts and the other does not, then it is only between the willing parties.
Anyone interested in the outcome (other contestants, readers, random passersby) can donate to the Prize Fight fund (“the purse”). This is a separate fund that is ONLY for an individual Fight.
Whoever has the most votes in the Prize Fight poll when it closes wins 100% of the “purse”.


Depending on how many people sign up, my goal for the duration of this mini season is about 6 months. The schedule, as usual, will lighten around US Thanksgiving and Christmas.


If you have any specific questions not addressed here, leave them in the comments and I will do my best to make up an answer. :)

Comments

[fausts_dream]

Never bet against a Sicilian with death on the line. Probably not a good idea to go against me with beer money on the line, either.

#JusSayin

[kathrynrose]

I'd really love to read this, but the font is microscopic. I have old eyes and older glasses. Please help.

[clauderainsrm]

That's part of what I'm trying to figure out/get help with. Hopefully we can get things the way they should be soon.

[hafnia]

Oh hey, I found it.

Hi Gary!

All of this sounds kind of...weird, but intriguing? Now it's just a matter of figuring out if I have the time...helps that I'm not writing a thesis, anymore!

I know that talonkarrde is talking about playing (ACTUALLY playing, this time around) — if he does, I might have to sign up for the sheer purpose of challenging him. :P

[clauderainsrm]

Hopefully you both do!

The "Prize Fight" challenge is pretty "weird". But hopefully more intriguing. It's something that I think will either be incredibly popular or no one will end up using it. The idea of people challenging each other though has a lot of potential for fun!

[moretta]

Woo! When's the start date?

[clauderainsrm]

I'm aiming for the end of the month/first week of October. (After my birthday on the 28th). I'm hoping we can get more people in by then. So *please* spread the word!

[moretta]

Almost twins! I'm the 29th. Looking forward to it! :D

Excuse me...

[murielle]

Butting in...

So if the first prompt goes out at the end of September, that means the first deadline would be about a week later. I ask because I am lazy and would rather not lug my laptop to the Feast this year. Hint, hint...or you could just reassure me a little. :-)

Re: Excuse me...

[clauderainsrm]

Those numbers check out.

I don't know what the Hippie Event you are going to is, other than it is obviously a Hippie Event full of smelly hippies.

Re: Excuse me...

[murielle]

Thank you!

Spent the evening hanging out, eating pizza, drinking homemade sherry and listening to John Fogerty. Hippies! On your lawn! :-D

[murielle]

So by way of spreading the word about Idol I copied and pasted the sign-up post. I should have asked permission, but I didn't. So now I'm asking for forgiveness...you know, if I did a baaaaad thing. (Seriously though, sorry.)

I pasted/posted to my LJ blog and made it public.

Toodles!

P.S. We need a green room for chatter. I need chatter. Lots of chatter. Okay. I'll go now. :-)

[clauderainsrm]

That's cool. As long as you are directing people back here! (and don't think they are signing up on YOUR POST :D)

[murielle]

I will check on that. Thanks.