This event has a prelim round. This means that once the submissions close, you will be assigned a series of stories to read and rate. You must either complete the assigned records or abstain for your stories to pass to the next round.
Note for newcomers: While many participants choose to review others' entries, doing so is by no means required nor expected.
Please refrain from saying anything that might compromise your anonymity. Doing so is grounds for disqualification. It's recommended you do dummy reviews of your own stories should it otherwise be easy to deduce which you wrote.
So wait, I'm new here and I want to give this a go. So for this one, I just write any story, as long as it's between 4-700 words? Give me the detailed lowdown.
4138629 W00t! Aaaaand... prompt submitted. I'll only have a few hours to write in the given timeframe, but there's not too many words. Here goes nothing!
4138671 We're submitting prompts right now. Afterwards, for a few days we're gonna vote on which one we'll do. When the results come up, we'll have 24 hours to write a story between 400-750 words. Then, we spend a week voting/discussing for the prelims, then another week to vote for the final tally.
Just go on the events page and click each link ("Prompt Submission", "Prompt Voting", "Fic Submission", etc.) for an exact timetable of when everything's going down.
In the previous minific event, we had people submitting three, four, even five stories (I think?) within the time window, resulting in a glut of entries to go through. While the prelim round addresses this somewhat, will there be a cap on number of entries a single participant may submit? (Related, could pseudonyms bypass such restrictions?)
I think I'm going to sit this one out. I could probably hammer out a mini-fic or two, but I won't have enough reading time this coming week (even with a prelim round). Good luck, everyone!
Awwww yeah. Having the extra week from the last one (because of the prelims) was actually really nice; it got me recharged, and knowing that the prelims will help me manage my reviews means I can even look forward to the reading.
4138801 There is a set number of finalists no matter how many entries are received, so the total overall work that is required for basic participation (read and rank your preliminary slate, read all finalists, vote on finalists) is a constant. Completionists are gonna if we get heaps of entries, but I think I'm comfortable freeing myself from the 100% tether; I'll do it if I can but won't make a point of it.
There is a natural disincentive to spam entries, though. You have to complete a preliminary slate (read and rank ~7 stories) per story that you submit, in order for the stories to qualify for the finals. Someone who writes 5 stories is also committing themselves to reading 35. This enter-one-read-seven ratio is true no matter how many aliases you use, so you might as well submit under a single name.
Edit: I see from Roger's initial post that he implemented the "or abstain" suggestion, so this is the round where we see how much people abuse the option (my suspicion: not much).
I plan to enter if I have the time. It'll be my second Writeoff, yay! This time though, I'm going to have to try and take notes while I look at the other stories. The All In Writeoff had ninety-something submissions, and most of them were just vague blurs in my mind by the time the voting started. Oh well. It'll be interesting to see how everyone interprets the prompt.
4138674 While everyone's writing speed does differ, I can personally manage about 1k an hour if I put my mind to it. 24 hours to write 400-750 should be a cinch for most people. Of course, then there's the editing...
There is a natural disincentive to spam entries, though. You have to complete a preliminary slate (read and rank ~7 stories) per story that you submit, in order for the stories to qualify for the finals. Someone who writes 5 stories is also committing themselves to reading 35. This enter-one-read-seven ratio is true no matter how many aliases you use, so you might as well submit under a single name.
Ah, I had forgotten that this is an aspect that was not at play last time. Yay, incentives!
While I hope to actually complete a ballot this round, I have to dial back my participation a little -- reviews will probably be an afterthought. (I'm still reading the finalists from last time, when I was hoping to finish all of them in time to vote and still get some non-finalists in.)
I don't understand the "abstain" suggestion. You can give up the right to vote in the first round, and it won't disqualify your stories? Or something else?
4138982 I'm angry with Google for not showing me this. I've been on the internet too long.
4139043 Sleep is for the weak! :D Since my timezone starts the prompt at 1pm, and i work a 10-hour shift Saturday night with a long commute, it will be: get up, read prompt, go to work, stay up way too late writing. Something may escape the stimulant haze. Your vote decides it's worth!
4138801 The average number of stories submitted to the minific rounds is something like 1.5; it isn't actually that huge of a deal, and sometimes people do really awesome with multiple entries.
If you want to find something that hasn't been R34ed, you're going to have to be much more creative than any mundane object you can see from your window. Even some abstract concepts have been done.
And by some, I mean hundreds.
Grass? That's a type of Pokemon. Worse still, there's also this sort of idea of carnivorous grass which some people seem to like.
Like, REALLY like. Its like the quicksand people, but with grass. You really don't want to know, probably, but now that I've mentioned it, you will find it, and know what it is.
Dirt? I'd be surprised if there is not photographic pornography involving actual humans (edit: eyup. Why do I do this to myself?). And a quick Google search of course revealed continental porn as well - Africa and South America used to be pretty cozy, you know, before they broke up due to continental drift...
Rule 34 is evidence that humans can solve NP problems in real time via the Internet hivemind.
Unfortunately, it would appear they can only solve ones related to pornography. Still! If you could map some problem onto R34 space, maybe you could get a solution.
4139075 It is the ninth image on Google for tom boulder with safesearch off. There's a reason you leave your shields up on the internet. Remember, that which is seen cannot be unseen, and the goggles do nothing.
4139195 So it is. That's not rainwater after all. My bad for skimming the previews. (It's from a FiMFiction page, too, but I don't want to be the one to risk mod wrath and/or an upset thread by reposting it... especially since I accidentally posted unspoiled furry a write-off or two ago.)
Worse still, there's also this sort of idea of carnivorous grass which some people seem to like.
Go on... does this stuff have a name? I'm, uh, asking for a friend.
One of the prompts, "PferdewortprÀgungsbautechnik" is, according to Google Translate, "Horses coinage Structural Engineering." Oh, now I remember. Isn't it the term someone invented for coining pony-related words?
4139195 The goggles may do nothing, but I've developed calluses on my eyes.
4139300 It has been defined during the previous write-off, and it means "Horse Word Creation/coinage Construction Technique", because we need a German word for the creation of more horse related puns
4139335 Imagine all the horrid, terrible puns one could make with old philosophers, linguists and writers with such a prompt. If it wins having a 750 word limit could be a blessing
Event overview | Review spreadsheet
This event has a prelim round. This means that once the submissions close, you will be assigned a series of stories to read and rate. You must either complete the assigned records or abstain for your stories to pass to the next round.
Note for newcomers: While many participants choose to review others' entries, doing so is by no means required nor expected.
Please refrain from saying anything that might compromise your anonymity. Doing so is grounds for disqualification. It's recommended you do dummy reviews of your own stories should it otherwise be easy to deduce which you wrote.
Minifics, yaaay! Because more relaxing and silly and joyous.
Oooh, it's happening :D
G'luck y'all. Should be fun :V
This link took me to the Closing Time event, not the current one.
Aww yiss, gonna pump out 700 words again!
... If I'm not too tired from work.
4138593
Fix'd
Prompt submitted
So wait, I'm new here and I want to give this a go. So for this one, I just write any story, as long as it's between 4-700 words? Give me the detailed lowdown.
4138629 W00t! Aaaaand... prompt submitted. I'll only have a few hours to write in the given timeframe, but there's not too many words. Here goes nothing!
4138671
We're submitting prompts right now. Afterwards, for a few days we're gonna vote on which one we'll do. When the results come up, we'll have 24 hours to write a story between 400-750 words. Then, we spend a week voting/discussing for the prelims, then another week to vote for the final tally.
Just go on the events page and click each link ("Prompt Submission", "Prompt Voting", "Fic Submission", etc.) for an exact timetable of when everything's going down.
Guys... guys... It hasn't even been two hours yet...
4138685 Oh I got it now. Thanks.
I hate these.
Can't wait!
Oh man, I might actually join in this time.
In the previous minific event, we had people submitting three, four, even five stories (I think?) within the time window, resulting in a glut of entries to go through. While the prelim round addresses this somewhat, will there be a cap on number of entries a single participant may submit? (Related, could pseudonyms bypass such restrictions?)
Submitting my usual prompt
I think I'm going to sit this one out. I could probably hammer out a mini-fic or two, but I won't have enough reading time this coming week (even with a prelim round). Good luck, everyone!
Hm. 34th Writeoff. Rule 34... Naa....
4138863
Rule 34 has some exceptions. There's really no grass, dirt, or stone porn out there.
4138886
Google "Maud Pie." You'll find it.
4138886

Are you kidding? Look at this! They're all over each other! It's like an orgy!
4138671
4138794
Woo, fresh
bloodmeatentrants! Hope you have fu-un!Awwww yeah.
Having the extra week from the last one (because of the prelims) was actually really nice; it got me recharged, and knowing that the prelims will help me manage my reviews means I can even look forward to the reading.
4138801
if we get heaps of entries, but I think I'm comfortable freeing myself from the 100% tether; I'll do it if I can but won't make a point of it.
There is a set number of finalists no matter how many entries are received, so the total overall work that is required for basic participation (read and rank your preliminary slate, read all finalists, vote on finalists) is a constant. Completionists are gonna
There is a natural disincentive to spam entries, though. You have to complete a preliminary slate (read and rank ~7 stories) per story that you submit, in order for the stories to qualify for the finals. Someone who writes 5 stories is also committing themselves to reading 35. This enter-one-read-seven ratio is true no matter how many aliases you use, so you might as well submit under a single name.
Edit: I see from Roger's initial post that he implemented the "or abstain" suggestion, so this is the round where we see how much people abuse the option (my suspicion: not much).
4138912
That's Maud Pie porn. I'm talking about the focus entirely on the rock.
4138962
Oh, sweet Celestia...
4138980
Then Google "tom boulder." You'll find it. Wow, on the first page of images, even.
I plan to enter if I have the time.

It'll be my second Writeoff, yay!
This time though, I'm going to have to try and take notes while I look at the other stories. The All In Writeoff had ninety-something submissions, and most of them were just vague blurs in my mind by the time the voting started.
Oh well. It'll be interesting to see how everyone interprets the prompt.
Well, you were right.
I take my hat off to you! Please ignore my horrified face.
But I still think I'm right about grass and dirt porn.
4138967 ...and now I'm worried. Thanks! :D
4138674
While everyone's writing speed does differ, I can personally manage about 1k an hour if I put my mind to it. 24 hours to write 400-750 should be a cinch for most people.
Of course, then there's the editing...
4138969
Ah, I had forgotten that this is an aspect that was not at play last time. Yay, incentives!
While I hope to actually complete a ballot this round, I have to dial back my participation a little -- reviews will probably be an afterthought. (I'm still reading the finalists from last time, when I was hoping to finish all of them in time to vote and still get some non-finalists in.)
I don't understand the "abstain" suggestion. You can give up the right to vote in the first round, and it won't disqualify your stories? Or something else?
4138982
I'm angry with Google for not showing me this. I've been on the internet too long.
4139043 Sleep is for the weak! :D Since my timezone starts the prompt at 1pm, and i work a 10-hour shift Saturday night with a long commute, it will be: get up, read prompt, go to work, stay up way too late writing. Something may escape the stimulant haze. Your vote decides it's worth!
Looks like fun. I'll submit one. This weekend right? Wish I wasn't working the morning shifts both days, but oh well. I'll get over it.
A prelim round for minifics? Alright, we'll see how this goes.
4138801
The average number of stories submitted to the minific rounds is something like 1.5; it isn't actually that huge of a deal, and sometimes people do really awesome with multiple entries.
4138886
Inanimate objects don't stop people.
If you want to find something that hasn't been R34ed, you're going to have to be much more creative than any mundane object you can see from your window. Even some abstract concepts have been done.
And by some, I mean hundreds.
Grass? That's a type of Pokemon. Worse still, there's also this sort of idea of carnivorous grass which some people seem to like.
Like, REALLY like. Its like the quicksand people, but with grass. You really don't want to know, probably, but now that I've mentioned it, you will find it, and know what it is.
Dirt? I'd be surprised if there is not photographic pornography involving actual humans (edit: eyup. Why do I do this to myself?). And a quick Google search of course revealed continental porn as well - Africa and South America used to be pretty cozy, you know, before they broke up due to continental drift...
Rule 34 is evidence that humans can solve NP problems in real time via the Internet hivemind.
Unfortunately, it would appear they can only solve ones related to pornography. Still! If you could map some problem onto R34 space, maybe you could get a solution.
4139075
It is the ninth image on Google for tom boulder with safesearch off. There's a reason you leave your shields up on the internet. Remember, that which is seen cannot be unseen, and the goggles do nothing.
4139195
So it is. That's not rainwater after all. My bad for skimming the previews. (It's from a FiMFiction page, too, but I don't want to be the one to risk mod wrath and/or an upset thread by reposting it... especially since I accidentally posted unspoiled furry a write-off or two ago.)
Go on... does this stuff have a name? I'm, uh, asking for a friend.
Eh, alright. I'll throw my hat into the ring for this one.
I don't have a hat. :(
4139228
Not as far as I know, but I'm no expert.
Tell your friend I'm sorry.
One of the prompts, "PferdewortprÀgungsbautechnik" is, according to Google Translate, "Horses coinage Structural Engineering."
Oh, now I remember. Isn't it the term someone invented for coining pony-related words?
4139195
The goggles may do nothing, but I've developed calluses on my eyes.
4139300
Honestly not much bothers me; I've gazed into the abyss for far too long.
4139300
It has been defined during the previous write-off, and it means "Horse Word Creation/coinage Construction Technique", because we need a German word for the creation of more horse related puns
rogr y D:
My money's on "PferdewortprÀgungsbautechnik".
4138704
Implying that's not everything we deserve.
4138969
I might. I'm not sure I can handle a writeoff right now.
4139335
Imagine all the horrid, terrible puns one could make with old philosophers, linguists and writers with such a prompt. If it wins having a 750 word limit could be a blessing
I think I'll have a stab at this.
At least, I'll try anyways.
Time permitting, I'll attempt to do this one. Considering how bad my last minific was, I need to redeem myself somehow.
4139366
Yes, but I can't link to it for obvious reasons.
Time to see how I fare in the dark and uncharted waters of the Minific.
I will once again try to write and then probably give up hope three hours in... or maybe just actually write something for once.
Believe you me, if one of these meta prompts gets chosen, I'm writing everyone I can into it!
Still, that short limit >.>