New Year...new changes to the community

[simplyn2deep.livejournal.com]

New Year...new changes to the community

It's no surprise or secret really, that this community is struggling.

Struggling to find weekly hosts. Struggling with keeping active members.

So, rather than close the community here and the mirror journal on dreamwidth (comment_fic). It's been around for almost 7 years but I majorly dropped the ball on promoting it. I propose a suggestion that was made by nagi_schwarz to reduce the number of hosting days in the week to allow people to spend more time on writing their chosen prompts.

Proposed Posting Schedule

Option 1:
Sunday: Lonely Prompts
Tuesday/Thursday: new prompts
Saturday: Free For All

Option 2:
Sunday: Share fills from the week before? or Lonely Prompts
Monday/Wednesday/Friday: new prompts
Saturday: Free For All

Option 3:
Keep it the same

Option 4: Something in the comments (anonymous comments will be turned on for this)

[Poll #2128696]

Weekend posting: creepy_shetan has offered to take over doing that in the new year if we continue on with Lonely Prompts on Sunday and Free for All on Saturday.

How does everyone feel about the lonely prompts week that happens every 3 months? Many years ago, when I took over the community, we had graphics makers who would make the winners banners, participants icons and winners also could pick the theme(s) for the next lonely prompts week. Participation in this event has really dropped off. Is that because of the lack of rewards for completing fills or not feeling the themes? Is it just not needed anymore?

I am going to work hard on importing posts (and comments) from the community here to the mirror on DW, but know that if someone posts a comment on DW, there is no way for those comments to be shared here on LJ, so the person who posts to DW would have to post a comment here as well. That's something to think about.

If members are interested in solely being on DW but don't want to create an all new journal on that platform, there is an OpenID option where you'd use the link to your LJ journal as your username. I'm not entirely sure how it works as I've never used it. But if there is someone more familiar with it who can chime in in the comments, that would be a great help.

If you have any other comments, questions or concerns, feel free to leave them in the comments.

Thanks.

Comments

[creepy_shetan]

About Sundays and sharing your fills: I've been doing "fills from this week" comments for a while, because I can't always write and post on Sundays specifically. 6^^;; And also because I want to engage with the post, esp when I don't have requests to offer or don't have time to look for prompts to request. So would it be all right to add the extra bit in Option 2's Sunday to Option 1's Sunday as well? (Lonely prompt requests and weekly adopted/filled prompts round-up?)

Also, in case you missed it, a small number of us were talking about the comm earlier this week over here. I hope more people join the discussion. (And if y'all can make my lengthy comments stand out less, even better. 6^^;; I really didn't mean to type so many words over there.)

[swirlsofblue.livejournal.com]

I think there's definitely an advantage to migrating to Dreamwidth, I didn't know there was a dreamwidth comm. but will now join. I feel like a lot of people have moved from LJ to dreamwidth. And I know LJIdol ended up moving to dreamwidth as most people said they would only take part there.

[casey-tyler.livejournal.com]

I have to admit, my participation dropped off mostly because I'm only active on dreamwidth anymore, so I'd only really check on this comm whenever I remembered to. I didn't realize there's a dreamwidth version of this comm as well, I'll definitely subscribe to that.

[(Anonymous)]

Oh definitely. These aren't set in stone, merely suggestions for what could be done/tried to get the community more active (either here or DW or both).

[squidgiepdx]

Option 2 first, then option 1. That's my vote.

[simplyn2deep.livejournal.com]

Oh definitely. These aren't set in stone, merely suggestions for what could be done/tried to get the community more active (either here or DW or both).

[helsinkibaby.livejournal.com]

Regarding the lonely prompts and my participation with them in particular, I have found that the themes haven’t been as inviting to me personally, I’ve actually been finding them a bit off-putting. (I’m sorry!) To further explain… when I see a theme like “every fill has to have a character having a new beginning” that’s fine for a normal week where people are leaving prompts on that theme. But I could be all day going through the comm to find lonely prompts that match that. Whereas lonely prompt themes used to be things like “fill as many prompts from the month you were born” or something like that, and you could shuffle back through the calendar and away you went. I don’t know if I’m the only one who finds that? (I’m honestly not trying to cause offence here and I’m sorry if I have!)

[simplyn2deep.livejournal.com]

That's exactly what I want to know so that I can find themes that will garner inspiration

[helsinkibaby.livejournal.com]

I think for lonely prompts, the more general the better! A certain month, season, day of the week, maybe ones from a certain year in the comm… use only “any, any/any” prompts, fandoms from before a certain year… I’m sure I can think of more!

[simplyn2deep.livejournal.com]

These are very helpful. Thank you!

[schweinsty.livejournal.com]

Oh, a bit late, but to put my two pennies in, I'd definitely be more active on dreamwidth. I'm not on there every single day, but I do go on there semi-regularly, while this comm is the only thing I've logged into lj for 5+ years.

Also, I'd second the idea for more general lonely prompts? I'm terrible at keeping track of prompts I'm thinking of filling, and finding unfilled ones to fit narrow prompts for fandoms I write in/open fandoms can be difficult (and like helsinkibaby, sometimes the prompts just aren't my jam. Not as a knock! I appreciate anyone who hosts them! I just tend to stick to certain themes when I'm writing fic).

Oh, also also, I don't know if this would be workable or would just clog posts, but since people can post lonely prompt requests, maybe it would also be possible for writers to ask for requests on those posts? Like requesting lonely prompts for specific fandoms? Maybe there could be a match-up post during lonely prompts week? It's just difficult to find prompts sometimes.

(Thanks for all the work you've put into the comm, btw! I know I've only been on here sporadically the last few years, but I've loved knowing I can always pop back in and find some prompts to do :D)