Admin: Tag, you're it!

[alyse]

Okay, people! Listen up! (I am totally channelling Ty McQueen here - bonus points if you get the ref ::g::)

Since it's highly likely that we'll be running Santa Madness this year on account of the fact that moonlettuce and I obviously lose our minds at some point during the festive season ::g::, it occurred to me last night that it might be helpful if as well as adding all requests to memories under the requester's LJ name, we found some way of helping you find requests for the types of story that you might like to write.

So I've instituted some tags and gone back and tagged all request posts made so far. I've tried to be logical about the kinds of tags we use both based on requests we've had so far this year and the ones I know have come up frequently in previous Santas. However, as sign ups are only just open, I'm also going to add a tag to this post that will enable you to request other tags when you need them.

There are three main types of tag currently:

• 'requests 2010: cat: name' for high level categories such as gen, het, slash and multi, and also for the two most common types of stories requested, which are crossovers (including with SG1) and AUs. If there's some need for it, I may add a cat: darkfic tag as well, as that's cropped up a couple of times so far


• 'requests 2010: c: name' for characters where the author really wants a story about that particular character


• 'requests 2010: p: name' where the author really wants a story about that particular pairing, which includes the options 'any' and 'ot4', btw.

Please tag your request posts to increase your chances of people finding it during Santa Madness.

The tag for requesting new tags (which works in terms of notifying me if you've used it as long as you tag the post when you post it, but doesn't always notify me if you edit it in after so I may take a while to update your post, but, hey. We have until Christmas), is 'requests 2010: need new tag'. Please be reasonable about using it. Also, please give me an indication of exactly what new tag you want - these things sometimes sail past me when my mind reading powers fail ::g::

What this means in practice is that if you're requesting a pairing where both characters aren't main characters, and there's a main character/other tag already, please use that. This means Lorne/Parrish would be - and currently is - under 'requests 2010: p: lorne/other', and SG1 requests are also filed under SGA character/other (as this is an SG:A not SG-1 exchange). Also, please use the tags that cover the things that are important to you rather than tagging with every available tag that might possibly apply - that will make Madness writers' lives a little easier when it comes to writing something you'll love :) I'm a firm believer in keeping things simple, and it's about grouping requests together logically when interested writers browse rather than breaking them down into such small categories that they'll probably get passed over anyway.

I always get wordy when it comes to explanations and the rationale behind things, so here's the short version:

• all request tags start 'requests 2010'


• please tag your request posts; and


• please be sensible about about any additional tags you request - we shouldn't have any 'one post only' tags.

Gosh, that was so much briefer ::g::

I would point out that Madness is optional, and no one is guaranteed a treat, but I'm sure you're all big boys and girls and had figured that out on your own ::g::

And because you're all big girls and boys, can I just remind you that the fest is open to all SG:A fans no matter what flavour they ship or don't ship? I've largely been simply filing requests in memories rather than looking at them at this point (long, boring story about a not well child) but I'd like to reiterate what's been said by others already. It's okay to not want things - that's why there's a line specifically for that ::g:: - and it's even okay to not be able to stand certain pairings or characters. But please phrase that respectfully in requests. Just think how you'd feel if it was someone else talking about your OTP and word your request accordingly. 'I don't want this pairing, please' is fine. 'This pairing needs to die in the burning hot fires of hell'... probably not so much ::g:: Thank you!

::stomps very gently::

Comments

Great idea!

[taste-is-sweet.livejournal.com]

Thank you very much for doing this. May I make a suggestion to streamline some of the categories a bit more, especially since some categories like mckay/sheppard or sheppard/ronon will likely be very big.

Would you consider adding some genre tags like 'action/adventure' or 'character study' or 'domestic'? That way if a writer would love to write a McShep fic for someone that involves them buying a house together, they won't have to read through several requests for adventure stories to get there. What do you think?

EDITED TO ADD: I also wanted to thank you very much for going and tagging all the entries! I really hadn't expected you to do that, so it was a really nice surprise.

All the best,

Leah

Re: Great idea!

[alyse]

I did briefly consider it before deciding that was far too complicated for what was needed and a hierarchy of tags too far. :)

The AU and crossover tags are only there because in the first instance sga_santa does love its AUs and our experience is that some people like writing AUs and don't care as much about the pairing as the concept :), and in the second because it will help people who write SG:A and SG-1 find prompts they may like. I can't really say the same argument holds for other genres of fic as well.

We have 20 posts per page, and around 100 signs ups last year, of which maybe 50% would be tagged mckay/sheppard because it was one of their requests and fewer dex/sheppard. So in terms of skimming for prompts you might like once you've selected a tag, you're talking two, three pages at most and I don't think that's unmanageable. But thanks for the suggestion :)

Re: Great idea!

[taste-is-sweet.livejournal.com]

Yes, I would say that three pages is definitely manageable. :) Thank you very much for the discussion.

[stella-pegasi.livejournal.com]

I loved Ty McQueen...

Took me a second to get to rest of the post...sounds like a great idea...

[alyse]

S:AAB fans represent!

(S:AAB was my first proper online fandom. I feel so old.)

[shetiger.livejournal.com]

Have you had anybody tell you lately how fabulous you are? Because you are. :)

[alyse]

Not lately, no ::g::

[shetiger.livejournal.com]

A serious (or really, not terribly serious, but I do make an effort) question this time. Should I add the additional pairing tags on my Santa letter, like John/Lorne? Or should I just leave it with the main one I requested (John/Teyla). I suppose it doesn't matter too much, either way, but my brain keeps dithering over which is best.

[alyse]

I interpreted your request as 'really want John/Teyla and love OT4 but will settle for these other things if you can't do that' and so tagged it John/Teyla and OT4, as that seemed - to me - to be what you really hoped for.

If you would be just as happy with John/Lorne as with John/Teyla and OT4, then by all means add the additional tags :) I know some people offer alternatives so that their assigned writer as as wide a number of things to play with as possible, and we can match you as widely as possible, but I see the Santa Madness as more a 'I can do an extra little thing that this person really wants and make their day' option, so I tended to just tag posts with whatever the recipient had at the top of their Christmas list :)

Maybe you'll have been very, very good and get a stocking stuffer or two ::g::

[shetiger.livejournal.com]

Yeah, that's pretty close. :) I just wasn't sure whether the lower-level requests should go on there too, because of the stocking stuffer aspect.

(Mostly I'm just excited that there are people signed up willing to write John/Teyla. *crosses fingers*)

[alyse]

And I was trying to edit my comment but you beat me to it! ::g::

I was just going to add that also, I figured that the multi/OT4 tags covered the fact that at least 3 out of 4 of your other requests were for multis and would therefore fall under those tags anyway, and the final request as more 'if you like' and by that time my fingers hurt!

(Don't know what it is about my little fingers and typing loads. Unfortunately, I find it much easier and quicker to type out multiple tags again than to select them from the drop down list, even if my little fingers might hate me for it afterwards ::g::)

[shetiger.livejournal.com]

Whoops, sorry! And yeah, I figured you were kind of overloaded with all the tagging, anyway. It's just that if there's something for me to dither about, I'll manage to dither about it.

(I'm the same way about using a mouse anymore. I hate having to move away from the keyboard to use it, even if it's theoretically easier. Hi, getting-older quirks.)

Tagging for particular characters/pairings...

[squeakyoflight.livejournal.com]

Firstly, thanks SO much for tagging all our posts! That must have taken a lot of time (because damn, we all write a lot!) It is much appreciated. :)

Secondly... I think I may have misunderstood so I'm asking... are we meant to request which prompt we want? Is that what the tags are for? Because that would be so cool!

Did I get that right?

Thanks Mod-made-of-awesomesauce!

Squeaky

Re: Tagging for particular characters/pairings...

[alyse]

No, you don't request the prompt you get as part of the exchange :) This is solely for Santa Madness where - once you've written your assigned prompt - all prompts are thrown open so that you can write little gift fics over and above the main exchange.

We are probably going to do what we did last year, namely throw them open after we've posted all of the main stories, which normally finishes on 24th December, and then give you the week between Christmas and New Year to go mad :)