Assignments will ship out TODAY. Some notes:

[goe_mod]

A handful of you, whether by one-on-one explicit arrangement with a mod or owing to the fact you said you were flexible enough to pinch-hit, will be getting a prompt-set assigned to you that is not on your list of preferences. We thank you for your willingness and patience, as we had two or three prompts this year that appeared on nobody's

Comments

[lynndyre]

I actually really like the current system. I know I'm committing to make something I'll enjoy working on, and be able to do- and that way I feel I've got a much better chance of making someone happy with what I create.

[goe_mod]

It's good to hear at least one participant say they like it, if only because there have been (at least from what we've gotten by way of private feedback) seemingly more reservations about it than positive reactions to it. Someone didn't sign up because the specificity of the prompts was too terrifying; we get anxious emails from participants because it takes us a full week just to juggle everything so that people are mostly getting what they requested (but, even then, we find that there are always two or three people who end up having to take something not on their preference list at all due to the fact that one or two prompts inevitably never appear on anyone's preference lists); and so forth. Under the old system, everyone had the same chance of possibly getting something that might challenge them a little bit, and because assignments are slightly more random that way, we can get the assignments out to participants more quickly (and therefore allow you more time to create). These factors are exactly why we're seeking feedback,

[lynndyre]

You could ask people to list 5 choices instead of 3? That might make the matching easier without eliminating the element of choice. I really love the element of choice. Not just from one side, either - I like the idea that whoever is making something for me actually wants to be, that I won't be an annoyance to my writer/artist. <3

[goe_mod]

I think at that rate we'd have to ask people for almost ten choices, because sometimes even going back to someone and asking them what they'd choose beyond their top three still results in several prompts not being preferred by anyone. The real problem is that there's no one approach that will satisfy absolutely everyone, so we're seeking the one that, on the whole, garners the fewest objections and the least distress all around (mods included). Which is obviously why we hope a lot of participants will respond to this post. Thank you for being so willing to talk about it!

[pasiphile]

Same here, I like the specificity. I've done other challenges as well and it's always waiting with bated breath until the actual prompts arrive, but here it's more laid-back for me because I already know which prompts I'm going to get. So for me it's a teeny bit extra stress beforehand (to think up the actual prompts) and a lot less stress afterwards.

[goe_mod]

Thank you for letting us know! This information is valuable :)

[peach_megumi]

I am in agreement with everything said by the above; I definitely enjoy the current system. I feel like there tends to be a lot of stress involved the other way in hoping that what you will be assigned someone whose likes you can manage, and then even more in hoping you make something that will actually fit those likes. At the same time, I understand that the current system -- while very nice for the participants -- must present an insane amount of stress for the mods. So... I am open to either?

[goe_mod]

Thanks for sharing your thoughts! We appreciate it greatly <3

[goe_mod]

Speaking as myself for a moment (irisbleufic, in other words, rather than The Mods Collectively under this account), I'm totally with you on how fun the total surprise of the assignment was in the old system! I mean, I've enjoyed being able to cite preferences for a handful of years now, too, but when it comes down to it, I may actually have preferred total surprise (then again, I owe one of the stories I love best from amidst my own work to the system where we get to choose).

Speaking as a mod, I suppose I'm very anxious about those few people who will inevitably end up getting something that wasn't on their preferences list (under the new system). I don't ever want them to feel bitter or put-upon while everyone else is (more or less) getting something they preferred. We do our best to ask permission, but sometimes there's no wiggle-room and we have to count on somebody being flexible for the sake of everything else working out. It's such a difficult balance.

[miscellanny]

As a long-term participant, I think the revised method of assigning prompts is much more effective, frankly. Is it worth asking for more general prompts?

[goe_mod]

Your suggestion is a good one, actually - if we were to add a clause that instructs people to keep their prompts a bit more general, it might be less terrifying to those who find that, well, terrifying, but still enough of a guideline for those who prefer to have more specific directions.