Green Room - Week 5 - Day 5
(sincerity mode)
There's a part of me that wishes that I had waited until October to start Season 9. Everyone knows that the Spring/Summer periods on LJ is when things start getting crazy/dead. Then again, the same people tend to say "Don't do it in November because of NaNoMo!" and the "Thanksgiving-New Years" period gets crazy/dead as well.
Really, there is no "good time" to start a season, and most times are bad for at least half the people that might want to play.
There was someone who cracked me up yesterday - not intentionally, and I definitely felt bad for her, but it just reminded me of *all of the other emails/responses I've seen on the subject) from someone saying that she wished that she could play Idol, and it was a shame that it was ending this season.
I let her know that there would be a chance to enter the game later in the season, and to keep us in mind. The response was (basically) that the next couple of years of her life would be a bad time to do something like this.
As I said, totally get it and not on her at all. It's just one of those things where people drive by a cool store and think "I want to go there, at some point!" and the odds are, if enough people do that, that store isn't going to be around for very long!
Idol has been around for a decent amount of time. Long enough that some of our veterans are starting to have some success in their writing careers. Which is awesome. I'm extremely proud of them.
There are others who *could* have that kind of success, but really aren't all that interested in pursuing that aspect. They want to write, and have fun with their writing, rather than go after it as a job. Which is also really cool. Seeing their writing get better over the years is another cool thing to watch, and heck, the latter group tend to come back to Idol year after year! Whereas the "pursuing this as a serious occupation" tend to, at some point, need to devote more time to their writing as a "serious occupation".
I get it. It's still sad to see people leave the fold. Fortunately, most of them still stop in, or at least keep in touch, and credit Idol for the push they received to get where they end up. (Of course, some of them do credit Idol, and then later change their minds. ;P)
The "bye-outs" are kind of like that. I get it. People are busy. It's still really sad to see them leave. It makes me wish that it wasn't the last chance for some of them. (even though I'll open the doors again this season at some point for a "second chance", the odds of most of them making it back are, traditionally, small) It makes me wish that I had started later, or that somehow my schedule could be made to match theirs. But of course, doing that would mean that it would be out of synch with other people, and we would be seeing *them* leave instead. And "going another season" just opens up the "well, I can't do it *this year* but maybe next time!"
So here we are. We have to move forward and make the best of the circumstances.
And there is PLENTY to be happy about. Have you read these entries?
http://therealljidol.livejournal.com/728057.html
For all of the "OMG - look at all the people dropping!" there are still over 200 people fighting to stay in this thing! Sure, some "early favorites" are out/in danger of being out - but that's one of the great things about the process, that always happens! People have be eliminated/drop to make way for NEW FAVORITES TO DEVELOP AND GROW! From what I've seen over these 5 weeks, there are plenty of choices on who those "new favorites" are going to be! (in some cases, old favorites that are new to a lot of people reading this!)
There are people out of byes, who are now more motivated than ever to stay in the competition - and a bunch of people who still haven't taken a single one! (and a lot of people in between)
I'm really proud of everyone involved in this "little project of mine", wherever you end up finishing: you're awesome for coming out to try! How many people end up being on the sidelines because they are afraid to do that?
We are still in the early phases of the competition, with a ton of game in front of us! Lots of twists and turns! Some of them put in the game by me, and some by the forces at work outside of the game. That's part of the fun, and why you should never, ever, give up - and keep putting out the best work that you can!
(/sincerity)
When you are done with the actual entries, and want to give some feedback - keep in mind that the Killing Floor is now open: http://therealljidol.livejournal.com/727151.html
(Which, btw, I was thinking that it might be helpful, at some point, if people gave the same attention and constructive criticism, to entries people *were eliminated on*. Maybe after some time has passed... I think that might be helpful to the writers, although that might be too raw. It's a rough idea right now. Think about it)
There's a part of me that wishes that I had waited until October to start Season 9. Everyone knows that the Spring/Summer periods on LJ is when things start getting crazy/dead. Then again, the same people tend to say "Don't do it in November because of NaNoMo!" and the "Thanksgiving-New Years" period gets crazy/dead as well.
Really, there is no "good time" to start a season, and most times are bad for at least half the people that might want to play.
There was someone who cracked me up yesterday - not intentionally, and I definitely felt bad for her, but it just reminded me of *all of the other emails/responses I've seen on the subject) from someone saying that she wished that she could play Idol, and it was a shame that it was ending this season.
I let her know that there would be a chance to enter the game later in the season, and to keep us in mind. The response was (basically) that the next couple of years of her life would be a bad time to do something like this.
As I said, totally get it and not on her at all. It's just one of those things where people drive by a cool store and think "I want to go there, at some point!" and the odds are, if enough people do that, that store isn't going to be around for very long!
Idol has been around for a decent amount of time. Long enough that some of our veterans are starting to have some success in their writing careers. Which is awesome. I'm extremely proud of them.
There are others who *could* have that kind of success, but really aren't all that interested in pursuing that aspect. They want to write, and have fun with their writing, rather than go after it as a job. Which is also really cool. Seeing their writing get better over the years is another cool thing to watch, and heck, the latter group tend to come back to Idol year after year! Whereas the "pursuing this as a serious occupation" tend to, at some point, need to devote more time to their writing as a "serious occupation".
I get it. It's still sad to see people leave the fold. Fortunately, most of them still stop in, or at least keep in touch, and credit Idol for the push they received to get where they end up. (Of course, some of them do credit Idol, and then later change their minds. ;P)
The "bye-outs" are kind of like that. I get it. People are busy. It's still really sad to see them leave. It makes me wish that it wasn't the last chance for some of them. (even though I'll open the doors again this season at some point for a "second chance", the odds of most of them making it back are, traditionally, small) It makes me wish that I had started later, or that somehow my schedule could be made to match theirs. But of course, doing that would mean that it would be out of synch with other people, and we would be seeing *them* leave instead. And "going another season" just opens up the "well, I can't do it *this year* but maybe next time!"
So here we are. We have to move forward and make the best of the circumstances.
And there is PLENTY to be happy about. Have you read these entries?
http://therealljidol.livejournal.com/728057.html
For all of the "OMG - look at all the people dropping!" there are still over 200 people fighting to stay in this thing! Sure, some "early favorites" are out/in danger of being out - but that's one of the great things about the process, that always happens! People have be eliminated/drop to make way for NEW FAVORITES TO DEVELOP AND GROW! From what I've seen over these 5 weeks, there are plenty of choices on who those "new favorites" are going to be! (in some cases, old favorites that are new to a lot of people reading this!)
There are people out of byes, who are now more motivated than ever to stay in the competition - and a bunch of people who still haven't taken a single one! (and a lot of people in between)
I'm really proud of everyone involved in this "little project of mine", wherever you end up finishing: you're awesome for coming out to try! How many people end up being on the sidelines because they are afraid to do that?
We are still in the early phases of the competition, with a ton of game in front of us! Lots of twists and turns! Some of them put in the game by me, and some by the forces at work outside of the game. That's part of the fun, and why you should never, ever, give up - and keep putting out the best work that you can!
(/sincerity)
When you are done with the actual entries, and want to give some feedback - keep in mind that the Killing Floor is now open: http://therealljidol.livejournal.com/727151.html
(Which, btw, I was thinking that it might be helpful, at some point, if people gave the same attention and constructive criticism, to entries people *were eliminated on*. Maybe after some time has passed... I think that might be helpful to the writers, although that might be too raw. It's a rough idea right now. Think about it)