LJ Idol

Green Room - Week 2 - Day 1

2013-05-23T04:22:35Z

Tonight has been moving along faster than it takes for Lois Lerner to take the 5th, and here we are, already into the "morning after" the polls have closed.

The results are here: http://therealljidol.livejournal.com/654816.html
The new topic for the main competition is located: http://therealljidol.livejournal.com/654975.html
and Second Chance Idol has even gotten into the fun: http://therealljidol.livejournal.com/655296.html

So really, it's a little something for everyone!

***

Did you pick your topic out immediately, or are you still allowing the choices to swim in your brain for long enough for a coherent thought to form around one of them?

Second Chance Idol - Topic 1

2013-05-23T01:51:58Z

For those of you in Second Chance Idol, you have a similar choice between topics. (again, submitted by your fellow contestants) But yours are:

You Only Live Twice
and
Sand and Stars

You have the same deadline: Monday, May 27th at 9pm EDT

Have fun!

Topic - Week 2

2013-05-23T01:45:54Z

Now that I have your attention, it’s time for another inters... choosing your topic.

That’s right. I’m throwing out four different topics (all submitted by your fellow contestants) and you are going to pick one of them. No intersection. Just you living and dying by your own wits!

Here are the topics:

"Na wa ooooo"
(to save you the time of trying to look it up, it’s apparently a Nigerian Phrase means 'This is serious', or 'This is interesting/hilarious/unbelievable' etc)
"Um..."
1337
and, this is a quote from the person submitting the topic, “Write about Indians”

There you go. Your topics. Submitted by you.

Your deadline to link your entries back to this thread is Monday, May 27th at 9pm EDT

Have fun!

Results - Week 1

2013-05-23T01:23:11Z

Week 1 has come to an end, like the slumber of the dead near da Vinci’s house.

Fortunately, unlike those unwitting models, there is a second chance for those leaving the main poll. Literally, a “Second Chance”. They will be joining those who missed the deadline in Second Chance Idol, with their own special poll and topics - where they will getting the chance to fight their way back into the main competition!

Last mini-season, not only did that happen, but one of those people ended up in the finals! So never stop swinging until you are knocked out!

Those leaving us are:

dawnstar
dreamwriteremmy
eeyore_grrl
fred_fierce
i_love_freddie
oxymoron67

Which isn’t the 8 that were promised, due to a wrinkle that was thrown into motion when dreamwriteremmy decided to use her Immunity to save sarcasmoqueen!

Which means that she was safe from elimination, and the person with the next lowest votes would be eligible.

However, there were more people in that category than there were elimination spots left, so they have been spared. Or rather, “spared for the moment”. More on that next week. :)

Green Room - Week 1 - Day 9

2013-05-22T14:23:28Z

This is LJ Idol, your source for polls, information, and all-night jazz. Coming up in the next segment, we will get a look at the weather, but first, the headlines….

- Deadline looms, poll looks awfully tight: Coming into the last day of voting for Week 1, the poll numbers are “too close to call” on who will be leaving, with a good ¾ of the field in danger. Interested parties are urged to speak out in favor of the entries they love and get other people to read, comment and vote for their favorites!
- In a related story, newbies coming to the polls need a little extra love. So, make sure that you take the time to check out someone new!
- As the growing IRS scandal continues to unfold, there is increased Congressional attention on the Idol polls: http://therealljidol.livejournal.com/653859.html Later, Terry Gross will be talking to several people behind the numbers.

Green Room - Week 1 - Day 8

2013-05-21T13:34:12Z

You’ve had the chance to get your feet wet with working for a partner during an intersection.

What did you learn from the experience? Clearly, you didn’t learn to keep your feet dry!

What was cool – what was challenging – what was that song, you know the one, it gets stuck in your head…

The poll is up: http://therealljidol.livejournal.com/653859.html

What have you read that has you excited to see the rest of Exhibit B?

Vote - Week 1

2013-05-21T00:30:15Z

A few words from clauderainsrm:

In a mini-season that is all about moving quickly - LJ going down on the day of the original deadline was ill-timed to say the least.

But, we internet folk are tough, we figured it out and got through Week 1! Or rather, we are about to officially do that.

Welcome to the first poll of LJ Idol! Sure, you had a Week 0, but that was just the warm-up! This is for real!

Two of your fellow contestants were not able to get their entries in this week. Fortunately, for them - for all of you really, we ARE having “Second Chance Idol”. That means, from now until I say otherwise, if you are eliminated in the main poll, you get one more shot to hang on!

Which means, Welcome to SCI to:

pipistrelle and ugawa

In a couple days, you will have EIGHT more friends!

Yes, that means that we are losing the eight contestants with the entries that receive the fewest votes.
Even though it is an Intersection, this time around, all entries will be completely on their own. (no adding totals, unlike some Intersection weeks in the past)

Having a good partner to bounce ideas with is extremely valuable when it comes to the creative process. Who made it pay off for them?

I guess we are about to find out!

The poll will be closing Wednesday, May 22nd at 9pm EDT. So I hope you have been keeping up on your reading!

Read! Comment! and Vote! for your favorites!

Good luck to everyone!

View Poll: LJ Idol, Exhibit B, Week One

the correct entry for mac_arthur_park is at http://mac-arthur-park.livejournal.com/1047133.html Due to this error, she will obviously be "safe" this week.

Green Room - Week 1 - Day 07

2013-05-20T14:35:35Z

Here is your Green Room.

Here is your link to the topic post, which is due TONIGHT: http://therealljidol.livejournal.com/652241.html

Here is Monday. You can’t give it back. You just have to make the best of it.

***

btw - if there is anyone in a strange and distant land (meaning anywhere other than my apartment) who is interested in showing a globetrotting ceramic gnome/adventurer a good time in their city, please let me know!

I'm looking to expand his horizons and have his picture posted on facebook in new and interesting places! :)

Green Room - Week 1 - Day 6

2013-05-19T14:15:14Z

I was at Epcot yesterday, and in front of the Chinese area, there were a bunch of guys (and a couple girls) who I will stereotype and call "Jock-type". Which of course is horrible of me to place them in a category like that, as especially to assume that all people of a certain "look" are a certain way.

More to the point though, they were everything that people stereotype about that group. Which pretty much means their true grouping would be in the "asshole" category.

What were they doing to deserve this title? They were taking a picture in front of China - and using their fingers to pull the sides of their eyes. I'm not sure if that's a good enough description, but hopefully people know what I'm taking about.

I'd never actually seen that it person - at least not since elementary school - and I was in a really small town who had never actually seen a Chinese person. On the other hand, these "people" were in the middle of a place dedicated to diversity, in an specific area devoted to China, surrounded by Chinese cast members!

I wanted bad things to happen to them. It was pointed out to me though, that bad things *were* happening to them, every single day that I had to wake up and be that ignorant and unaware of who they are and how they are perceived.

I'd still like to order a drone attack.

***

In other news, you have one more day until the deadline! http://therealljidol.livejournal.com/652241.html

Green Room - Week 1 - Day 5

2013-05-18T16:38:20Z

Welcome to the Week That LJ Will Not Allow to End!

Hopefully you are taking advantage of LJ actually being up to get some work done! http://therealljidol.livejournal.com/652241.html

How is your weekend going?

Green Room - Week 1 - Day 4

2013-05-17T04:31:43Z

What I was saying before we were so rudely interrupted, is that the deadline for Week 1 submissions is Monday, May 20th at 8pm EDT. http://therealljidol.livejournal.com/652241.html

I understand that there are still folks without a partner, now would be the time to correct that!

Don't just sit around complaining about Charles Clymer, actually *do* something - like post your entries! ;)

Hopefully everyone can check out the Idol Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/LJ-Idol/120173881339154?fref=ts which seems silly to update a social media page *about* a social media site. But in times like these when LJ goes totally wonky and I need to get a message out to the masses, that would be where I would post it. I also try to post links to Idol polls, so it's an easy way to "share" them, for those of you into such things.

***

In other news: Mischief Managed. Let's just say that the special mini-seasons have served their intended purpose. Now it is a matter of timing!

So thank you to everyone who helped make this happen!

Green Room - Week 1 - Day 2

2013-05-15T14:22:51Z

Hopefully, everyone is paired up and getting to work – but if you are not, it’s time to raise your hand and see who else is in need of a dance partner! We should have an even amount of people, so no one should be left sitting on the sidelines. http://therealljidol.livejournal.com/652241.html

Special note to Idol Veterans – most of you remember what it was like your first time through, so do your part and grab up a newbie to show them the ropes!
Special note to Newbies – use that rope to ultimately hang that veteran and grab your victory!

Special note to special notes: Remember to use your “inside voice” so that no one knows the plan!

Green Room - Week 1 - Day 1

2013-05-14T13:54:12Z

You, yes you, can now buy the newest issue of Electric Velocipede for your Kindle at http://astore.amazon.com/li0cd-20/detail/B00CQAL240
Why would you want to do that? Because it features a new poem from our own lrig_rorrim and by buying it from the Idol Store, you literally are helping keep the lights on!

***

On a personal note, I’m currently ~~$270.90~~ $260.90 from my ultimate goal. I knew that I was going to be coming in short. But it ended up being shorter due to not as many contestants signing up this time as I had allotted. On the other hand, it feels really, really close. Close enough that I’ve been dreaming about it for the last couple of nights. It feels like this is really going to happen – so thank you to everyone who has been a part of it! It is appreciated more than I can ever properly express.

Which is why I will eliminate you with a vengeance! ;)

Speaking of “sign ups” – I did announce that they would be open until 9 pm EDT TONIGHT so if you know someone who wants to get into the action, or are going “Man, I wish so-and-so would sign up so that I can do an Intersection with them!” now would be a very good time to do so!
***

The new topics are up: http://therealljidol.livejournal.com/652241.html and there is a discussion going on in the Results thread from last night http://therealljidol.livejournal.com/651977.html for people looking for Intersections partners! Feel free to keep using it and/or bring it over to the new Green Room(s)!
***

Anyone who participated in Exhibit A who *did not* receive an email from me yesterday – please send me a note at clauderainsrm@gmail.com so that I can send you a copy of the Preliminary contract for the book! Things are starting to move on that, but I know that I probably missed some folks!

***

There are a lot of exciting things going on right now – thank you for being a part of it!

Topic - Week 1

2013-05-14T01:59:03Z

I try my best to give clues about a season so that I can blindside you and point back and say “I TOLD YOU it was coming!”

I can honestly say that there is no doubt in my mind that gave plenty of warning, as clear back as the tail end of Exhibit A when I would throw out references to Project Runway. Their last season was a huge inspiration for me on how I wanted to start this one.

I promised that there would be a twist on an “old favorite” and that it would be revealed as early as Week 1.

I didn’t lie. All of these things were completely true.

Last season of Project Runway was “the teams edition”, where people worked together creating fashion. Which is perfect, because (as they stated frequently) people in fashion *do* end up working on teams to create lines of clothing.

In writing, it’s not a “team” in the traditional sense but you do develop a collaboration with your beta readers (both official and the “hey, can you read this?” friend that we all have)

Which is why we are starting this season off right, with an INTERSECTION.

Last week you selected someone to write about - this week you are selecting someone to write WITH. You are both writing your own separate entry - Your pieces can tie in with each other anyway you want. Have fun with it.

Keeping in mind that all of the topics this season have come from YOU and your fellow contestants - so if you love them, I selected them from those sent in, and if you don’t, then you can blame them!

There are two topics. One of you will write one of them, your partner will write the other:

They are: You Gave Everything You Possibly Could
and
Chillin' Like a Villain

Select your partner and post your the links to your entries here by Thursday, May 16th at 9pm EDT

Have fun!

Reminder: That Topic posts are for posting links to entries. You may declare your pairs, once you have them. But please edit your comments to include your links. Feel free to use either the current Green Room or the Results Week 0 post to find a partner: http://therealljidol.livejournal.com/651977.html

Results - Week 0

2013-05-14T01:20:01Z

The Zeroth poll of Exhibit B is behind us.

Literally.

Try not to look, because we don’t want to let it know that we are onto it. Just be ready to run...

No one was eliminated, but I do believe that I promised that there could be something special in store. *checks* Yep, I did.

I’m pretty that most Idol veterans will know what is coming now. :)

I was prepared to hand out something to the contestant with the fewest amount of votes. However, there is a tie.

So instead, I will hand out a total of THREE Immunity necklaces (one a piece), that can only be used on someone else. That’s right, the person can’t use them to save themselves, but as long as they are in the competition, they have just become your new best friend, if you have a bad week, they can keep you alive in this game! They can give it to someone at any time, up until an hour before the poll closes, from now until the Top 25!

Who are they?

Congratulations to dreamwriteremmy, kajel and malruniel11 !

Things are just starting to get interesting!

Green Room - Week 0 - Day 7

2013-05-13T15:16:44Z

Tonight is the night you have been waiting for: The How I Met Your Mother Season Finale!!

Oh, and a poll also comes to a close as well http://therealljidol.livejournal.com/650703.html which means that the Week 1 topic will be posted tonight as well. Hopefully people are more excited about that than the Survivor producers were of talking about why Brandon Hantz was banned from the finale.

Also, I am holding Sign-ups open until TOMORROW AT 9PM EDT. So if you have been wavering and thinking you want to play, but haven’t signed up – or know someone who has, this is your time to step up!

Green Room - Week 0 - Day 6

2013-05-12T15:40:08Z

We watched Poltergeist last night. It was the first time in years that I'd seen it (and the 9-year old had never seen it), and I had forgotten that it all boils down to one important lesson: Demons want friends too. Why couldn't they have just let that little girl hang out with her friend the demon, and all of those spirits?

Some parents are just greedy!

It got pretty creepy when I went on Wikipedia to find out what happened with the sequels, and found out what happened to the two girls!

***

Speaking of horrible things happening, there is a poll going on:http://therealljidol.livejournal.com/650703.html

and there is still time to sign up: http://therealljidol.livejournal.com/648417.html

***

Oh, and Happy Mother's Day! Idol appreciates all the Mothers out there who messed their kids up to the point that they decided "I'm going to do that Idol thing!"

Green Room - Week 0 - Day 5

2013-05-11T04:38:04Z

You know that your life has changed for the better when your evening is spent making a giant sheet fort in the middle of the living room!

OK, sure, MY life didn't change that much. I would have probably have been doing that on my own regardless!

***

What about YOUR life? Or rather, your life in this game? Granted, the poll isn't going to eliminate anyone, but it could have repercussions! So make sure you get out and vote! http://therealljidol.livejournal.com/650703.html

What entries have you seen that especially caught your eye? I'm especially interested in the ones you liked that don't seem to have gotten the support you believe that they should have!

***

Oh, and of course the Sign-Ups are still open! http://therealljidol.livejournal.com/648417.html This train is going to rocket out of the gate and turn upside down a couple times, so if there is someone who wants to get on-board, now would be the perfect time to do so!

Green Room - Week 0 - Day 4

2013-05-10T13:47:36Z

The Zeroth poll of the season is up! http://therealljidol.livejournal.com/650703.html

There is a discussion in that thread about “how to vote” for folks who might not be sure. Some important things to know: This is check boxes, not circles. In practical poll terms, this means you are being encouraged to vote for as many (or few) people as you want!
If you need to add or change a vote, click on the poll name and then hit “edit”. You can change your votes, but thanks to our wonderful friends at LJ, you need to make sure that everything else stays checked. If not, you will need to recheck every vote you want to cast!

There are some people offering spreadsheets and lists of who wrote what. These can be useful, if you are think you need some extra help. But really, the only thing you need is to read the entries, comment on them, and then vote for your favorites! So make with the clickies!!

***

As I said in the poll, I’m leaving Sign-ups open for a little while longer. I’m hoping people see this week and decide to jump in to fill those last slots! If they don’t, they don’t. But I did set up this mini-season toward being funded at the top of the range, so… hey, it doesn’t hurt to try! : ) http://therealljidol.livejournal.com/648417.html

***

What “weekend plans” did you have that are going to be disrupted by your constant refreshing of the poll?

Vote - Week 0

2013-05-10T01:34:07Z

A few words from clauderainsrm:

There are always those “first poll jitters” happening, even if everyone knows that Week 0 is more of a “test run” than something where anyone is going to be eliminated.

Heck, I spelled out that it was optional. But the vast majority of people did step up and posted an entry, introducing one of their fellow contestants! Which is awesome, and definitely not something that I was going to ignore.

Which is why there is a poll - not only to help work out any potential kinks (if you see a name missing or anything else wrong, please email me so that I can fix it for Week 1) but more importantly, so that you, and the person you introduced can get the exposure you deserve!

So make sure to take the time to read, comment, and vote for your favorites!

There just might be something “special” handed out, based on the results!

The poll will close Monday, May 13th at 9pm EDT

Good luck to everyone!

(oh, and yes, sign-ups ARE still open for a little longer! http://therealljidol.livejournal.com/648417.html

View Poll: LJ Idol, Exhibit B, Week Zero

Green Room - Week 0 - Day 3

2013-05-09T13:11:10Z

While you are sitting around, you might want to check out this US House of Representatives committee meeting http://science.house.gov/hearing/subcommittee-space-and-subcommittee-research-joint-hearing-exoplanet-discoveries-have-we

discussing Earth-like planets that have been found and the possibilities of exploration. I’m imagining that this will end with the decision to bomb them!

It’s happening at 10am EDT.

But, what is happening right now is that there is a deadline! http://therealljidol.livejournal.com/649689.html If you haven’t finished yours yet – get to it! If you have, then start reading what other folks have done!

If, for some reason, you haven’t picked someone yet – the last update on who was still available was posted at: http://therealljidol.livejournal.com/650236.html?thread=66387196#t66387196 so check it out!

Green Room - Week 0 - Day 2

2013-05-08T14:16:36Z

The deadline is coming up in slightly less time than it will take for the internet to, once again, turn on the Onion! http://therealljidol.livejournal.com/649689.html So make sure you claim someone, and write their introduction!

I know that some people love intersections (working with someone else) and some hate them. But this isn’t a traditional intersection. It’s literally you writing something completely on your own. It just so happens that it is about someone else. (and given how many times your work is about “someone else”, it’s really not all that different) You don’t have to even contact the person, if you really don’t want to – just claim someone, who hasn’t already been claimed, and write something about them!

I know the bigger issue though isn’t about the specific topic. It’s about being an introvert, or just being uncomfortable in general meeting new people.

Believe me, I know the world of the introvert. In real life, I’m much more of one – and my girlfriend makes me look like an extrovert working on commission! In the last two years, I’ve been forced outside of my comfort zone as a result!

But I also know what social interaction can do for your writing. Not just in the realm of publishing, where it’s pretty much a necessity, but just in terms of getting and receiving the constructive criticism people need to get better. Heck, reaching out and working with someone is a built-in audience, and I don’t think there is anyone who would sign up for something like this and *not* want an audience! :D

The Green Room is a great way for you to get your metaphorical feet wet, by joining into conversations at your own pace. Most of the people don’t bite…. Um… OK… they do. Almost all of the people here bite. But many of them are on meds, so they are getting better!! Um… ok… a few of them remember to take those meds… ;)

It’s also a good excuse to grab someone you already know, and force them to sign up! http://therealljidol.livejournal.com/648417.html Sign Ups are still open for the next few days, so I would go get them now! Blindside them when they aren’t paying attention, and when they wake up, they will be one of us!!

***

Happy Birthday to porn_this_way! If you asked me, a few years ago, if I would ever say those particular words in a Green Room, I would have said “No”, but hey, that’s her name!

Green Room - Week 0 - Day 1

2013-05-07T12:35:57Z

Elizabeth Smart ends up all over my facebook page early yesterday afternoon, being quoted about the dangers of abstinence-only education. Next thing you know, *three* women who have been held captive for 10 years reappear and gain their freedom!

Way to “one-up” Smart there! “Yeah, you had a horrible ordeal – but there were *3* of us! Our foundation is going to be better!”

Or, is it a matter of one caused the other. If so, *checks today’s facebook offerings*, what does that mean for our cats? Will there be *3 times* the amount of cat videos available by the end of the day?

Speaking of people who have been held captive for years – the Week 0 topic is up: http://therealljidol.livejournal.com/649689.html

Just a couple items of note in regard to that. (1) Make sure that the person you want to write about is actually signed up. We’ve had a couple of those already. So, check the Sign Up page if you’re not sure.   If they aren’t, well then, it’s the perfect opportunity to convince them to sign up! :D

(2) There was a question of, if two people are using the same account, can they write about each other? The second part of it is “can spouses/SOs/friends write about each other?”    That’s a trickier question, because I set guidelines, I don’t make a lot of rules about how someone interprets them.    On the first part, I’d prefer that people using one account write about someone with a separate account. The reasons for this actually go into the second part – which is that the intention of this is people getting to know each other. In the first case, that also means that it’s likely that someone else *won’t* end up having someone write about them. Which really sucks.   I know that’s not the intent, but that’s the likely result. So, keep that in mind.

(3) Not directly related to the topic, but something that did come up as a result: Make sure that <b>I</b> know if you have another account. I try my best to police the use of multiple accounts to stop people from voting from more than one. So, if I know about it ahead of time, I can make sure no one slips. If I *don’t* know about it in advance, and end up finding out… and voting patterns do tend to show me quite a bit of that kind of thing, then I have to take action… and no one wants their Idol run to end that way! No one else has to know – but I do. So shoot me an email at clauderainsrm@gmail.com and just keep me in the loop!

***

If you’ve seen the Sign Up page today, we are at the minimum! http://therealljidol.livejournal.com/648417.html That said, I’m keeping sign ups open for a few more days! So, if you have been on the fence about participating, now is the time to jump on in!

Also, I randomly assigned all of the sponsorships last night, as a tentative measure. “If nothing else comes in”… kind of thing, and there are 9 people who still need sponsors!   So, if anyone wants to help them out, or if you’ve been hanging back and just haven’t sent anything yet, again – now would be a good time!

Oh, and once you have done that, make sure to send me your topic selections!

***
With all of that out of the way, how is your week going so far?

And Happy kandigurl's birthday to you!

Topic - Week 0

2013-05-07T01:03:48Z

Sign-ups are still open. http://therealljidol.livejournal.com/648417.html

But why make you sit around and get to know each other when I can instead have you writing?

The "Week 0 topic" is traditionally a non-required, but good to get some practice, "Introduction" piece. After all, not everyone knows each other. Some people write a "and I like such-and-such" and others use it as a jumping off piece for folks to get the first sample of their work.

People approach these things in different ways,

and this mini-season is no exception.

Because this week your task is to Introduce someone else!

That's right. Pick someone else who is signed up for this season, and write an entry introducing them!

Can it be fiction? Yes. Can it be non-fiction? Sure. Can it be interpretive dance? If you can find a way to fit it into an LJ entry, sure!

The trick is, as usual, no one can introduce the same person!

For those new to the process: You write your entries on your own LJ and link them back to this post. Please only post links to this. (in this case, it's OK to "claim" someone. But please edit your post to add the link once you do)

The deadline to link your entries here is Thursday, May 9th at 9pm EDT

Have fun!

Green Room - Sign-Up Week - Day 4

2013-05-06T14:10:09Z

They say that you should live every day like it was the last day of your life.

I imagine this is because you can never be too sure when that bomb I attached to your car is going to go off! Of course, I may not have actually gotten *your* car. In which case your neighbor sure is in for one nasty surprise!

In the words of Elvis Costello, “Welcome to the Working Week”, and more importantly, to Idol.

Sign-ups are still happening: http://therealljidol.livejournal.com/648417.html

I’ll admit, even though we are close to our minimum number of people before we start – I’d much rather have the maximum. It makes for a better time, and given the nature of the “special mini-season”, and it’s purpose, maximum is *much* better!

I always say that it’s a good time to tell a friend about Idol – and from all of the newbies coming out for this mini-season, it seems that some of you have taken that to heart! Thank you, and welcome to everyone playing for the first time!

It almost makes me regret the torture that I will put you through. Almost.

Who am I kidding… I don’t! ;)

I always say it, but it’s definitely true this time around! So spread the word! http://therealljidol.livejournal.com/648151.html

***

I have noticed people commenting to the previous day, or so, Green Rooms. Which is awesome. But, especially with the friending frenzy thing, it’s always good to speak up again if you were at the tail end. Because not everyone keeps following the older rooms! (I’m always afraid that someone will think they are being ignored. For the most part, the only one who is ignoring you is me. And that’s because you are a bunch of commie hippie foreigners trying to sneak over the borders of my apartment (aka ‘Merica) trying to steal my jobs!