Voice Competition Approval Guidelines: Difference between revisions

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This page lists the requirements for sanctioning a fiction-based competition for the awarding of [[Cluster_of_Ice|Clusters of Ice]]. All fiction competitions, including [[ACC]] and Run-Ons, must go through the Voice Staff before final approval by the MAA Staff.  
There are a series of important requirements for a fiction-based competition to be approved. This has to do with the requirements for awarding of [[Cluster_of_Ice|Clusters of Ice]]. All fiction archetype competitions are sent to the Voice Staff for review before final approval by the MAA Staff. The fiction archetype is used for narrative or in-character-based competitions. Competitions such as writing a wiki page, or designing a ship, while often involving lots of text, should not be run as a fiction archetype competition.  
 
==Approval Process==
For non-Rogue or non-Dark Councilor members, all Fiction Competitions will go through the following approval process: '''Clan/House Leadership -> Voice Staff -> Master at Arms Staff'''. This is why it is important for members to work with their Clan/House leadership when running or organizing a fiction competition.  


== Approval Process ==
'''Standard Approval Process:'''
'''Standard Approval Process:'''
<blockquote>''Clan/House Leadership'' -> ''Voice Staff'' -> ''Master At Arms Staff''</blockquote>
<blockquote>''Clan/House Leadership'' -> ''Voice Staff'' -> ''Master-at-Arms Staff''</blockquote>
 
Rogue or Dark Councilor members will go directly to the Voice Staff, followed by the Master at Arms.


==Required Elements==
Members need to work with their Clan/House leadership when running a competition for their clan. Members are invited to run club-wide competitions outside of vendetta lockdowns.  
* '''Clear Grading Criteria''' - This is perhaps the most important aspect to any competition, fiction competitions included. While we encourage folks to use the official Voice [https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/125hThvIEweRL-nHDepON-PV-ixeC8zLp9xmYkI9wkM0/edit?usp=sharing Fiction Grading Rubric], it is not a requirement. As long as the criteria are clearly stated, it will be sufficient for this requirement. These grading criteria must be stated in the public details portion of the competition.


* '''Separation Between Prompt and Instructions''' - When submitting a fiction competition, there needs to be a clear separation between the prompt and grading criteria and other instructions. This can be through the use of headings, bold/italic text, or other methods to create a clear delineation in the final product. It is suggested, though not required, that all prompt information should be in the Details for Participants section.  
Rogue or Councilor members will go directly to the Voice Staff, followed by the Master-at-Arms.  


* '''Word Count Minimums and Maximums''' - When submitting a competition, clearly define minimum/maximum word counts for fictions as well as minimum post counts for run-ons, if any will be enforced. Word maximums are not mandatory. This ties into the awarding of [[Cluster of Ice]].
== Required Elements ==
** '''Fiction''' - Fiction competitions have a requirement of a five hundred (500) word minimum. This allows participants to earn at least one [[Cluster of Ice]]. Fiction competitions that have a less than five hundred (500) word minimum should be run under the ''Other'' competition type and are ineligible for any Clusters of Ice.  
* '''Clear Grading Criteria''' - All competitions require some form of grading/scoring system. It is strongly encouraged that fiction competitions use the official Voice [https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/125hThvIEweRL-nHDepON-PV-ixeC8zLp9xmYkI9wkM0/edit?usp=sharing Fiction Grading Rubric 3.0]. However, using your own system is also acceptable. Make sure the criteria are clearly stated in the public details of the competition.
** '''Run-On''' - Run-on based events must have a minimum of two (2) posts of two hundred and fifty (250) words. This allows participants to earn at least one [[Cluster of Ice]]. Run-ons must have a maximum word count per post.
*** The recommended length is no longer than one thousand (1,000) words per post, but the amount can be determined by the competition organizers.  
*** Individuals who exceed the maximum word count for posts may still earn participation or placement within the competition, however, they must lose points within whatever grading criteria is used for the competition.
** '''Co-Op''' - Co-op fiction events have a minimum requirement of five hundred (500) words per participant and include some method for the word count of each participant to be measured. Maximum word counts can only be for the total overall fiction, not per participant.  


* '''Author Verification''' - Co-op fiction competitions must require a method of identifying each writer's individual contributions. Suggested methods for this are:
* '''Clear Prompt''' - All fiction competitions need a specific prompt for members to work off of. This ensures a similar base from which all submissions can be compared. The prompt should be clear and well-defined. You are also allowed to have a selection of prompts in a competition for the participants to pick which they would most like to pursue and write. You should not have an ''open prompt'' of “just write whatever you want”.
** Google Document Submissions, with document editing permissions shared with the judges.  
** Discourse Thread (Forums).


==Prohibited Elements==
* '''Club Related Prompt''' - For a fiction competition to award Clusters of Ice, they must have an obvious and valid connection to the Club’s universe and characters or the greater Star Wars universe. This means that if you want a competition that is set in an “alternative universe” it still should be clear that participants write as ''their'' DJB Characters (For example “Write your character on present-day earth” or “Write your character but a different club order”). Prompts that are completely unrelated to the club, Star Wars, and our characters should not be used (For example “Write about being Julius Caesar crossing the Rubicon”).  
* '''Page Minimums/Maximums''' - All submission minimums and maximums should be stated in a number of words as opposed to a number of pages.  


* '''Font/Size Limitations -''' Because page based limitations are not allowed, regulating font and size is also prohibited. All submissions should be in a legible font and size, but specifying allowed fonts is neither necessary nor permitted.
* '''Separation Between Prompt and Instructions''' - When submitting a fiction competition, there needs to be a clear separation between the prompt and grading criteria and other instructions. This can be through the use of headings, bold/italic text, or other methods to create a clear delineation in the final product. It is suggested, though not required, that all prompt information should be in the Details for Participants section.  
 
* '''Open Prompts''': Fiction grading is done by the official  Fiction Rubric. While it is possible to grade different writers writing different stories without a prompt in certain venues - such as the ACC, where the rubric does not define adherence to a prompt - in Fiction, prompt adherence is required in the rubric from which the grading is done. To this end, a lack of prompt, such as with "Open Prompt" competitions, cannot be fairly graded by Brotherhood Fiction competition standards, and will not be allowed going forward.
 
==Manual Administration==
A specific Competition Archetype is set aside for approved competitions in the form of '''Fiction Competitions'''. Using these archetypes will allow the site to automatically calculate word counts for approval upon completion of the competition. Before submitting the word counts for approval, the competition organizer should verify the word counts and adjust the count as necessary.
 
The Voice staff reviews all '''Fiction Archetype''' word counts prior to the event being closed. In the event there is a discrepancy, competitions will be remanded to the competition organizer for word account adjustment.
 
Reasons to adjust count:
 
* Remove Dossier ID lines
* Remove prompt repetition
* Remove explanatory information not relevant to the fiction (such as bibliography, copy/pasted prompt, etc.)
* Site errors in automatic word counts
 
The above method is the only approved process for awarding [[Cluster of Ice]] for word counts in competitions.
 
===Run-On Competitions===
* When organizing '''Run-ons''', members who do not meet a competition's minimum post limit for placement should still be eligible for participation. This is to ensure that Clusters of Ice are granted according to the [[Cluster of Ice]] wiki.
 
===Official Clan Fictions or Event Fictions===
Members and Leaders of the Dark Jedi Brotherhood are eligible to earn [[Cluster of Ice]] from fiction written for the sake of a Clan or Event fiction. This can be anything from writing the story-prompt for a Clan Run-on, official Clan Fiction, a Brotherhood wide event, or inter-unit event story-lines. All Brotherhood-wide event fiction must be approved by the Voice of the Brotherhood, and all Clusters of Ice will be processed manually. All Clan-level fiction must first be approved and then submitted to the Voice by the Consul of the respective unit.
 
Consul's should submit the following when requesting Clusters of Ice for Clan Fiction Events:
 
* A quick description of what is being submitted.
* A link to the Discourse thread, google document, pdf, or hosted link that contains the fiction in question
* PIN#WordCount (e.g. 1294#900,8#1000,50#850,1400#600)
* Submitted for approval to: djb-voice-staff@googlegroups.com
 
For inter-unit events, all Consul's of all the participating units should be CC (carbon/courtesy copy) in the submission.


===Bonus CI's===
* '''Word Count Minimums and Maximums''' - All competitions that award [[Cluster of Ice]] must have a minimum word count of at least five hundred (500). This allows participants to earn at least one Cluster for their efforts. Competitions with less than five hundred (500) word minimum counts should be run as an “Other” competition type and are ineligible for Clusters of Ice. You ''can'' have minimum word counts higher than five hundred (500) words. There is no requirement for a maximum word count for competitions, but you are allowed to specify one if you desire.  
When running fiction competitions, Dark Council members and their designated representatives have the option to award Bonus Clusters to participants. The Bonus is calculated as follows: ''1 additional Cluster for every 500 words of fiction, up to a maximum of 2000 words''. These Clusters of Ice exist outside of the automated process and must be provided directly to the [[Master At Arms]] staff with the following format:
** '''Run-ons''' - Run-ons are a special form of group-based writing. These now utilize our Discord’s Roleplaying system to manage. It is expected for a member to earn participation credit in a Run-on they need to hit the minimum of five hundred (500) words contributed.
** '''Co-op''' - Co-op fiction competitions should have a minimum of five hundred (500) words per participant. Should you wish a maximum word count on a co-op competition it should apply to the total length, and not per-participant.
*** '''Author Verification''' - Co-ops also require a method of counting word totals per participant. The suggested method for this is having an annotated/highlighted copy of the fiction saved as a GoogleDoc alongside the normal submission of the fiction.


* PIN#ClusterCount (e.g. 14729#4, 12004#2, 14185#1)
== Prohibited Elements ==
* '''Page Minimums/Maximums''' - All submission minimums and maximums should be stated in a number of words as opposed to a number of pages.


For tracking purposes, the Voice of the Brotherhood should be CC in the submission.
* '''Open Prompts''' - Standard fiction grading does utilize an adherence to the prompt. This also ensures a foundation for members to write their fiction off of. Having no prompt, or a fully open “write anything” prompt, has been deemed something that cannot be fairly graded, and is not allowed.  


==DJB Wide Competitions==
== Club Wide Competitions ==
As DJB wide events tend to have an increased award level and much wider exposure, the Voice office will look at such events with enhanced scrutiny. As such, there will be added requirements for approval of a DJB wide event as detailed below:
Club-wide competitions have an increased award level and much wider exposure. As such the Voice Staff will look at such competitions with enhanced scrutiny. As such, there will be added requirements for approval of a Club-wide competition.


* '''Duration and Timing''' - The minimum required run time for DJB wide fiction competitions is two weeks (14 days), with the recommended timeframe being two to three weeks (14-21 days). Competitions that try to run during a major Vendetta or Great Jedi War will also be remanded based on the overlapping of competition run time.
* '''Duration''' - All Club-wide fiction competitions must run for at least two weeks (14 days).  
* '''Prompts''' - For DJB wide events, prompts must be applicable and of interest to the entire Brotherhood. Further, they can not offer different options for individual clans as this might give members of one clan and advantage over another.  
* '''Prompts''' - For Club-wide events, prompts must be applicable and of interest to the entire Brotherhood. Multiple prompt options are allowed but, they can not offer different options for individual clans as this might give members of one clan an advantage over another.  
* '''Grading Criteria''' - It is greatly preferred that DJB wide competitions use the official Voice Fiction Grading Rubric. Any changes to this formula must be explicitly spelled out in the event description.  
* '''Grading Criteria''' - It is greatly preferred that Club-wide competitions use the official Voice Fiction Grading Rubric. Any changes to this formula must be explicitly spelled out in the competition description.  
* '''Documentation and Feedback''' - When DJB wide events are being judged, the grading rubric must be filled out for each entry. These will be subject to verification by the Voice Office staff as needed. They should also be made available to those seeking feedback on their work 


[[Category: Voice Policies]]
[[Category: Voice Policies]]

Revision as of 04:27, 3 March 2024

Real World Perspective.
Dark Jedi Brotherhood
This article is part of the series:
Voice Policies
Documentation
Fiction Center
Character Sheet Guide
Fiction Rubric 3.0
Character Sheet Database
ACC Guide
Policies
Artifact Policy
Brotherhood Canon
Character Sheet Policy
Cluster of Ice Policy
Dominion Policy
NPC and Alternative Characters Policy
New Species Policy
Voice Competition Policy
Current Staff
VOICE Idris Adenn
P:VOICE Zentru’la
M:VOICE Reiden Karr


There are a series of important requirements for a fiction-based competition to be approved. This has to do with the requirements for awarding of Clusters of Ice. All fiction archetype competitions are sent to the Voice Staff for review before final approval by the MAA Staff. The fiction archetype is used for narrative or in-character-based competitions. Competitions such as writing a wiki page, or designing a ship, while often involving lots of text, should not be run as a fiction archetype competition.

Approval Process

Standard Approval Process:

Clan/House Leadership -> Voice Staff -> Master-at-Arms Staff

Members need to work with their Clan/House leadership when running a competition for their clan. Members are invited to run club-wide competitions outside of vendetta lockdowns.

Rogue or Councilor members will go directly to the Voice Staff, followed by the Master-at-Arms.

Required Elements

  • Clear Grading Criteria - All competitions require some form of grading/scoring system. It is strongly encouraged that fiction competitions use the official Voice Fiction Grading Rubric 3.0. However, using your own system is also acceptable. Make sure the criteria are clearly stated in the public details of the competition.
  • Clear Prompt - All fiction competitions need a specific prompt for members to work off of. This ensures a similar base from which all submissions can be compared. The prompt should be clear and well-defined. You are also allowed to have a selection of prompts in a competition for the participants to pick which they would most like to pursue and write. You should not have an open prompt of “just write whatever you want”.
  • Club Related Prompt - For a fiction competition to award Clusters of Ice, they must have an obvious and valid connection to the Club’s universe and characters or the greater Star Wars universe. This means that if you want a competition that is set in an “alternative universe” it still should be clear that participants write as their DJB Characters (For example “Write your character on present-day earth” or “Write your character but a different club order”). Prompts that are completely unrelated to the club, Star Wars, and our characters should not be used (For example “Write about being Julius Caesar crossing the Rubicon”).
  • Separation Between Prompt and Instructions - When submitting a fiction competition, there needs to be a clear separation between the prompt and grading criteria and other instructions. This can be through the use of headings, bold/italic text, or other methods to create a clear delineation in the final product. It is suggested, though not required, that all prompt information should be in the Details for Participants section.
  • Word Count Minimums and Maximums - All competitions that award Cluster of Ice must have a minimum word count of at least five hundred (500). This allows participants to earn at least one Cluster for their efforts. Competitions with less than five hundred (500) word minimum counts should be run as an “Other” competition type and are ineligible for Clusters of Ice. You can have minimum word counts higher than five hundred (500) words. There is no requirement for a maximum word count for competitions, but you are allowed to specify one if you desire.
    • Run-ons - Run-ons are a special form of group-based writing. These now utilize our Discord’s Roleplaying system to manage. It is expected for a member to earn participation credit in a Run-on they need to hit the minimum of five hundred (500) words contributed.
    • Co-op - Co-op fiction competitions should have a minimum of five hundred (500) words per participant. Should you wish a maximum word count on a co-op competition it should apply to the total length, and not per-participant.
      • Author Verification - Co-ops also require a method of counting word totals per participant. The suggested method for this is having an annotated/highlighted copy of the fiction saved as a GoogleDoc alongside the normal submission of the fiction.

Prohibited Elements

  • Page Minimums/Maximums - All submission minimums and maximums should be stated in a number of words as opposed to a number of pages.
  • Open Prompts - Standard fiction grading does utilize an adherence to the prompt. This also ensures a foundation for members to write their fiction off of. Having no prompt, or a fully open “write anything” prompt, has been deemed something that cannot be fairly graded, and is not allowed.

Club Wide Competitions

Club-wide competitions have an increased award level and much wider exposure. As such the Voice Staff will look at such competitions with enhanced scrutiny. As such, there will be added requirements for approval of a Club-wide competition.

  • Duration - All Club-wide fiction competitions must run for at least two weeks (14 days).
  • Prompts - For Club-wide events, prompts must be applicable and of interest to the entire Brotherhood. Multiple prompt options are allowed but, they can not offer different options for individual clans as this might give members of one clan an advantage over another.
  • Grading Criteria - It is greatly preferred that Club-wide competitions use the official Voice Fiction Grading Rubric. Any changes to this formula must be explicitly spelled out in the competition description.