ADMIN POST: The Mission Report Challenge

[cesperanza.livejournal.com]

Okay, this comes from an idea by nudaydreamer and it's like, three--three!--cool challenges in one! As she puts it:

I'd love to see a Mission Report Challenge. We all know some crazy shit happens on those other worlds, and authors could choose to a) write a (pornalicious?) Report That Will Never Actually Be Filed Because Elizabeth Would Freak Out And Such, b) write a euphemistically suggestive report that leaves those of us with dirty minds quite clear on what happened, without being explicit, or possibly c) take another author's story and write a report of type a or b for it.

Everybody got that? See, it's kind of a Document Challenge and it's kind of a Remix and it's kind of Classified and Porny--or not; it's a festival, really. Now to clarify about option c)--if you choose to write a mission report of somebody else's story, we'll ask you to credit them, but we won't require you to ask their permission Edited to add: and get their permission, or check the links below. HOWEVER, if you want to opt OUT of option c)--i.e. tell people that they can't write a mission report of your story or stories, even with credit--please leave a comment in this post ASAP. Edited to add: link to new opt-out post below! We WILL ask challenge respondents to check before posting that the writer hasn't opted out of the challenge. Edited to add: Merryish reminds me to say that it is, of course, perfectly acceptable to write a mission report on one of your own stories!

It's August 21st; stories will be due on Monday, September 4th, Labor Day, at midnight.


Edited to add: Freezing comments here: click here for a policy clarification, opt-in, and opt-out posts are above.

Comments

(frozen) (no subject)

[vickysg1.livejournal.com]

Opting out of option C too.

I found out about it thanks to miera_c too since I'm not a member here.

You know authors put a lot of work in their fic and saying that requesting for their permission isn't necessary is a bad idea.

(frozen) (no subject)

[thefannishwaldo.livejournal.com]

Okay, like Kyrdwyn, I am opting out of option C, unless you contact me before-hand. I'm at smallwaldo at comcast dot net or AIM 'smalwaldo'. I'm not sure anyone would really want to re-write any thing I've done, but like Mice, I don't want my work turned into Sheppard/McKay fics.

I know permission is one of those gray and touchy areas in fanfic, and always will be, since we're initially starting out in someone else's sandbox, but like so many others, I find it a little disheartening that it would be suggested that it's okay to not ask. I think most people would be flattered that someone liked a work enough to rewrite it and would *most likely* grant permission if it were saught, but now there's this big black cloud-o-doom over this challenge that's going to make this a lot less fun than it could have been.

(frozen) Paranoia check...

[thefannishwaldo.livejournal.com]

Most of my fic is posted under the LJ smallwaldo, so, you know... don't go saying, I didn't know Smallwaldo was you.

Again, not that I think anyone wants my stuff, but just to be sure...

(frozen) (no subject)

[niennah.livejournal.com]

I doubt people will be clamouring round to write mission reports of my fics, but I'd just like to state that I'd like to be contacted if anyone does decide they'd like to use my stuff. Just to be polite. My email address is niannah[at]gmail[dot]com.

if you choose to write a mission report of somebody else's story, we'll ask you to credit them, but we won't require you to ask their permission (though obviously, you're free to do so and it's always a good idea)

I have to admit, were I posting this challenge, I would have worded this part differently. The encouragement to seek permission should have, in my opinion, been far more strongly stated than this.

(frozen) (no subject)

[terrie01.livejournal.com]

Opting out of option C. If you feel you absolutly MUST use one of my stories, you are, of course, free to contact me and try to change my mind.

(frozen) (no subject)

[corinna-5.livejournal.com]

I think the entire challenge needs a rewrite, since I've gone through the description twice and it's still incredibly unclear. Is the idea that ONLY stories in mission-report format can be submitted? Or is it that the idea of the "mission report" can be played with in the way, say "documentation" was in that challenge?

(frozen) (no subject)

[(Anonymous)]

Why don't you just avoid wankiness and make it opt-in? That's way smarter.

(frozen) (no subject)

[mentalmichael.livejournal.com]

The odds of anyone wanting to use one of my stories is remote, but if they do then please contact me and ask - I'd want to see it and I'd like the power to stop someone publishing it if necessary.

Really, really bad set up, by the way - I only heard about this thanks to miera_c

(frozen) (no subject)

[serabut.livejournal.com]

Automatically am opting out of option C please. But permission will be given if contacted (by email, LJTalk or y!m). This goes for any fic I've written and will write.

(frozen) (no subject)

[khriskin]

I had a few question on this challenge as well:

A. Does it have to be in mission report format? Or can it be the team sitting around trying to write an 'acceptable' report?

A1. Where can I find a mission report format?

B. When you talk about writing report for other people's stories you mean that we need to use the story canon when we right the report... not that they should make up stuff, right? Otherwise, I'm really not thinking that's a polite idea. Not that I have anything worth using for C, but I'd be a little miffed if people went back and rewrote what happened.

C. When you say 'quite clear on what happened', how much is required to have happened? Or is the porny aspect required at all? Would non-sex-related-hijinks also be acceptable?

Color me confused...

(frozen) (no subject)

[(Anonymous)]

While I think this sounds like a fun challenge, I'm mystified as to why it was set up in this way. If the norm in this comm is to ask permission before using another author's work (and if it isn't, it certainly should be!), then what exactly led to the decision to make this challenge different?

I'm not particularly touchy about my writing, but I believe that it's mine (at least the parts that are original with me, such as plotting), and to think that it would be condoned for someone would appropriate it without my permission is distasteful, because as someone else put it earlier, it's just bad form.

Get permission, challenge participants, or don't write the story. It's just considerate, but more importantly, it shows integrity.

(frozen) It's not the permission... it's the remix

[thefannishwaldo.livejournal.com]

Okay, so I was trying to think about why this challenge bothered me so much... And this is what I came up with.

It's the remix aspect that has a lot of people, including me, concerned. As Mice put it, I don't want my stories turned into McKay/Sheppard like might be done in a typical remix.

I don't know about you, but *I* define 'remix' as taking someone's basic plot and changing a critical element - the characters, the ending, the setting, etc...

I look at one of my stories like I Dyed in the Field (http://smallwaldo.livejournal.com/16663.html) and I wouldn't want it rewritten with John being turned purple and then going home with *Rodney* (or Weir, or Hermiod for that matter) to snuggle and mess with the lotion. That would be remixing it.

BUT if someone wanted to simply write the mission report, sticking to the facts of the story as I have presented them, I'd be okay with that. The mission report would have to be gen, because in my story it's clear that Carson and John are together so there's no nooky in the field, and that would be cool. But if someone wanted to fill in the blanks on what it was that Rodney ate or what Ronon threatened the natives with before he got smeared with plants... that would be okay.

So anyway, because I don't want to be remixed, I'd ask that if anyone wants to do a straight mission report on one of my fics, that you please ask first. If you aren't changing salient details of my story as it currently exists, I'll probably give you my blessings and thank you profusely for liking my work enough to want to work with it.

But honestly, I don't suspect anyone really wants any of my stuff, so this is probably a moot point.

(frozen) (no subject)

[ladyjax.livejournal.com]

Hi,

Also opting out of option C.

Thank you very much.

(frozen) (no subject)

[30toseoul.livejournal.com]

Opting out of C.

(frozen) (no subject)

[ladyflowdi.livejournal.com]

Opting out of option C. I agree with others who have said that this entire challenge makes me uneasy. It's never okay to just use someone else's fic without asking permission first.

If it was in the rules of this new challenge that permission had to be asked FIRST, than we'd have a different situation here. But...anyway. Opting way out, no exceptions.

(frozen) (no subject)

[roaringmice.livejournal.com]

I would not be pleased if anyone based their mission report on one of my stories without obtaining my permission first.

However, if someone did want to use one of my stories, and asked me first, I'd be happy to discuss and would probabally welcome the mission report.

I feel that asking first is the polite thing to do, and also fits within the norms of this fandom.

So, unless you can change the challenge to make it so that one must ask permission first, then I'd like to make it so that no one bases their mission report on one of my stories.

Thank you.

I also find it odd that such an assumption was made - that it's okay to use someone else's work without getting their express permission first. Whether or not it's "right" or "wrong" to do that, it goes against one of the norms of this and every other fandom I've been part of: if you plan to use another author's work, get their okay first.

(frozen) (no subject)

[daydreamer.livejournal.com]

I'd like to say first of all that if anyone wanted to do one of my fics (of which there aren't very many at the moment, none of which really work for the challenge), I'd just like to know about it beforehand.

ALSO, as the challenge inspirer (or whatever), it was NEVER my intention that people do this without permission - yes, remixing canon without permission from the writers and TPTB is what we do on a daily basis, but this is people's personal just-for-fun work and I don't think many of us are ready for the shock of seeing something we wrote touched by someone else without our permission. It's SO easy on LJ to get a message to an author and just check before you start writing, and I would strongly encourage everyone to do so. I'm sure that many, many authors (including me!) would be flattered by the request for some kind of remix, but you won't know until you ask. Please keep my happy internet playground a fun place for everyone! Gentle hands! Nice words! Don't eat the paint! Yes, I'm a preschool teacher.

-Susan

(frozen) (no subject)

[raisintorte.livejournal.com]

Opting out of option C.

(frozen) (no subject)

[kissingchaos9.livejournal.com]

I desperately wish I had a story that could be mission reported. DAMN IT ALL.

Perhaps there could be an additional requirement that authors make a note of whether or not they got permission from the original author before writing their stories. It might encourage good manners, at the least,

(frozen) (no subject)

[angelqueen04.livejournal.com]

I'd like to opt out of option C as well. Thanks.

(frozen) (no subject)

[medie]

I gotta say, the concept of the challenge is brilliant. I love it. But that bit with the opt out instead of opt in?

No way this is going to end well.

I really don't *mind* if people remix or write sequels to my stories (not that anyone ever would) but I have to say, the way this is being handled feels a bit like 'fuck you' to the writers. Not so much because hey we're all delicate flowers who can't possibly handle the idea of our work being played with (because really, the idea someone likes it that much? Is flattering as all hell) but because it's all "yeah, we don't give a shit what you think." in the wording.

You don't *have* to ask permission of people, true, but if people think that much of someone's work that they want to do something like this? Why not?

(frozen) (no subject)

[havocthecat]

I'd like to opt out of option C, please, with the caveat that if you would like permission, then please ask. Mind you, I've written all of three SGA fics, I think, and they're all crossovers, so I doubt anyone would be interested. And yet.

Thank you!

(frozen) (no subject)

[slodwick.livejournal.com]

In the event of anyone wishing to use my fic, I would appreciate a contact email first.

(frozen) (no subject)

[g_shadowslayer]

If anyone actually wants to use my stuff, and this holds for things here on g_shadowslayer OR any of the pup LJ stuff at majorwraithbait, I require that you ask permission first. I'm almost 99% sure I'll give it to you, but I want to know about it first. Got it? Good.

(frozen) (no subject)

[wabbitseason.livejournal.com]

Opting out of option C.