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Should the next TT story contest have a theme?

Would you want the next TT story contest to have a theme?

  • Yes

    Votes: 13 40.6%

  • No

    Votes: 17 53.1%

  • Doesn't matter

    Votes: 2 6.3%
  • Total voters
    32
  • Poll closed .
I feel it should be up to the author whether or not a theme is established..i know i had been all for it in Rick's initial thread, however i didn't realize that would mean everyone who participates must choose some sort of theme if the vote is for a yes..I know a few who had already started working on their contest story, and this will maybe set them back..and they had worked diligently and hard..

So i voted no..
 
As a writer myself, and in this case, more importantly, a reader being asked to judge in a competition, a theme IS needed. Otherwise, I have no idea how to choose something. One person could write a poem that leads them to become the next Chaucer or Shakespeare, and then one person could write a Michael Chrichton quality tickling thriller novel.

How in the name of Hell do I pick one of those?
 
That's a reasonable point, but a theme will not solve the apples-and-oranges problem. Presented with the narrowest conceivable theme, Chaucer and Crichton will still turn in works that are vastly different from one another in approach, style, tone, and content--and both could still be exemplary works in their own right.

Choosing among apples, oranges, kiwis and ugli fruits is what all aesthetic judges do as a matter of course--from the members of the Motion Picture Academy Arts and Sciences to the members of the Pulitzer board to the judges of the annual "Best Poem About Violent Death" competition at the Ivory Tower University Marginalia Review.

It is, alas, inescapable. The fact that most of these entries are likely to include tickling actually gives them more commonality than most competitors in other arenas share.
 
Wade said:
That's a reasonable point, but a theme will not solve the apples-and-oranges problem. Presented with the narrowest conceivable theme, Chaucer and Crichton will still turn in works that are vastly different from one another in approach, style, tone, and content--and both could still be exemplary works in their own right.

Choosing among apples, oranges, kiwis and ugli fruits is what all aesthetic judges do as a matter of course--from the members of the Motion Picture Academy Arts and Sciences to the members of the Pulitzer board to the judges of the annual "Best Poem About Violent Death" competition at the Ivory Tower University Marginalia Review.

It is, alas, inescapable. The fact that most of these entries are likely to include tickling actually gives them more commonality than most competitors in other arenas share.
Click to expand...

Indeed. And a writer might just be struck with a theme that isn't his/her forte, thus lowering the quality, while another writer might just be lucky and get the theme she/he wants, gaining a great advantage.
 
I've come up with a solution to the theme subject...a new concept unimagined..why not make tickling the theme? :stickout
 
Duke Diablo said:
Indeed. And a writer might just be struck with a theme that isn't his/her forte, thus lowering the quality, while another writer might just be lucky and get the theme she/he wants, gaining a great advantage.
Click to expand...

I'm having a hard time imagining how this could happen if the theme is suitably broad, cutting across multiple genres and categories of tickling. If the "theme" is actually a genre ("science fiction") or a category ("F/f tickling") then I can see the problem, but not for a theme with a properly chosen level of abstraction.

Can you give a couple of examples, one of a theme you think would give you an unfair disadvantage and one of a theme you think would give you an unfair advantage?
 
Hey hey! When I checked-in yesterday, it was a tie, but I'm happy to see the "Yeas" have a slight lead over the "Nays" today! :40:
 
sablesword said:
I'm having a hard time imagining how this could happen if the theme is suitably broad, cutting across multiple genres and categories of tickling. If the "theme" is actually a genre ("science fiction") or a category ("F/f tickling") then I can see the problem, but not for a theme with a properly chosen level of abstraction.

Can you give a couple of examples, one of a theme you think would give you an unfair disadvantage and one of a theme you think would give you an unfair advantage?
Click to expand...

Well, let's say we do have a theme and it's, say, 'supernatural'. You might find it easy to write, writing many fantasy stories, as might I, but there are writers here who just like everyday, down-to-earth tickling, with no supernatural or magical stuff. They would have much harder time writing about something supernatural.

Also, theme kinda kills the fun in all of it. To me, it's much more fun and greater challenge to have to think up of everything than having a theme handed out to me and being told 'write about this'. Also, I might just be having this idea about something else, that is many times better, but just does not fit into the theme.

I think we would have better entries if no theme was chosen. Let's make it clear, I'm not entering to win, since I never cared for fame, I'm writing for love of writing and tickling, I'm entering just for fun, so I'll write either way... but it's more fun to me if I can choose freely.
 
I have to agree with Duke here..a theme will make it more restrictive and might keep some from entering on those grounds..i know it would restrict me..
 
isabeau said:
I have to agree with Duke here..a theme will make it more restrictive and might keep some from entering on those grounds..i know it would restrict me..
Click to expand...


Pish Posh, I say! For instance, say we chose the theme as "College" or "school". The writers could choose to do a story where a college somehow utilizes tickling as an educational tool. Or as punishment. Or it could just be the story of some crazy gals having fun in a sorority(or guys in a frathouse). Or maybe just two roommates having fun. Or, some sort of co-ed games or hazing. Hell, even if your talents lay towards the sci-fi genre, the tickling college could be some sort of interplanetary thing. If you're more into nonconsensual, a nutjob might break into some sorority sister's house for tied tickling.

These are all just for-instances, of course.

I'm just in total agreement with the_jimmy_james that the first contest was way WAY too open. Hell, people were submitting things they'd written years prior. For all we could know, some might have even stolen the stories from others. With a theme, you have a much lower chance of any cheating going on.
 
Rick Tibbler said:
Pish Posh, I say! For instance, say we chose the theme as "College" or "school". The writers could choose to do a story where a college somehow utilizes tickling as an educational tool. Or as punishment. Or it could just be the story of some crazy gals having fun in a sorority(or guys in a frathouse). Or maybe just two roommates having fun. Or, some sort of co-ed games or hazing. Hell, even if your talents lay towards the sci-fi genre, the tickling college could be some sort of interplanetary thing. If you're more into nonconsensual, a nutjob might break into some sorority sister's house for tied tickling.

These are all just for-instances, of course.

I'm just in total agreement with the_jimmy_james that the first contest was way WAY too open. Hell, people were submitting things they'd written years prior. For all we could know, some might have even stolen the stories from others. With a theme, you have a much lower chance of any cheating going on.
Click to expand...

But mommy, I don't wanna go to school! 😀

And about cheating, it's hard to say... those stories seemed pretty authentic to me. Also, how is it harder to steal a themed story than a non-themed one?
 
I can guarantee that mine wasn't there. But will be a freshly minted story in the next contest.
 
A story is acceptable as long as it hasn't been posted at TT before, because the goal of the contests is to bring new content here. Each entry should be the entrant's own work, however.
 
I personally don't see how having a theme will guarantee that it will automatically be a new story..example..what if the theme is kidnapping..if i hadn't already posted all my stories here, i could have chosen one of those and submitted it..and i wrote those over three years ago practically..having a theme isn't going to keep someone from maybe stealing from someone else..that just doesn't make sense to me..
 
If you had a story handy that was already written but not posted then it is still acceptable under the contest rules. TT wants new stories. It's only the ones already posted which do not qualify. In addition, even if one tried sneak an already posted into the contest then having no theme would pose no barrier whatsoever.

Personally I think that a theme just makes it more interesting to see what the various takes on the theme would be.
 
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