Scavenger Hunt answers, and a request for your help.

[C James]

Below, you will find the answers to the Scavenger Hunt Questions. The game did not go well: there were no players! As it turns out, anyone could have won by just sending in the posted answer sheet (which contained an answer to #9, added due to a goof of mine). However, no one did, so the prize went unclaimed.

 

I would very much appreciate it if people could give me their reasons for not playing, so that I can understand what went wrong. Why was the game unappealing to you personally? What about it didn't you like? What could have been done differently that would have made you more likly to play?

 

Please, post in this thread with any opinions or reasons that you can think of. I'll really appreciate it, and you could be helping us avoid a future fiasco of this nature. Thanks Everyone!

CJ

 

Viv's Questions:

1 Q: Stephen has a shirt that has three letter on it and they are the initials for what two things? A: L.A.C. stands for Laura Ann Cooper, his mom, and the band Lost and Confused.

 

2 Q: What color socks did Stephen

Edited September 28, 2006 by C James

[Kurt]

The reason that I did not participate in the scavanger hunt was becuase I was to busy to find the time to find all the answers. I also have not read the stories of all the above authors, so I thought that I would not have done well.

 

I think that you did a great job on the scavanger hunt CJ. I hope that you can find out went wrong.

 

Kurt

[Juss]

The reason I did not participate was because I though there would be too many people participating, and I though that I wouldn't even have a chance. I have only read 2 of the stories on the quiz, and I didn't have the time to read the others.

 

I still think that you did a great job CJ. I'll definitely participate in the next game. Promise.

[NickolasJames8]

I didnt do it because there was no ca$h prize involved....ok, just kidding. I didn't do it because there were too many authors involved and I haven't started everyones work....maybe in the next one you can just use one author and have the scavenger hunts more frequently

[Graeme]

I think you've got the answer now, because my reasons were exactly the same as shown above:

 

ie. There was too broad a scope and therefore I didn't even attempt it. By having a broad range of authors that I haven't read, there was an immediate assumption that I wouldn't have a chance. I had expected that there would be people who'd read all of the stories involved and hence would be entering.

 

The recommendation to narrow the scope is a good one, though it still disadvantages those who haven't read that particular author. As a suggestion, make the next scavenger hunt off the Fall Anthology collection. This will give people extra encouragement to read the stories (so they'll be ready for the scavenger hunt when it is announced) and also keeps the scope small enough while covering a range of authors (short stories are a lot easier for people to read than several novels).

 

To clarify: Announce that the scavenger hunt will be about the anthology and then one or two weeks after the anthology is posted, start the hunt.

[NickolasJames8]

Surely a custom story written by me, Viv, Vance, Jack and Dezlboi would be worth more than any amount of money.

Of course

[Jack Scribe]

Announce that the scavenger hunt will be about the anthology and then one or two weeks after the anthology is posted, start the hunt.

 

I think our mate from Melbourne has a good suggestion. (Although I suggest that we start the hunt when the Fall Anthology rolls out. Could be a great promotional feature for both projects.) If the deadline for the Fall Anthalogy is 10/15, will the stories be ready for posting around 10/20? Of the 15 or so submissions, if there are 6 - 8 authors agreeable to being part of a scavenger hunt, we could have 2 - 3 questions from each and have enough writer power to supply the super custom prize. I'd be willing to give it a go again.

 

A reasonable deadline could be mid-November.

 

Whaddya think, CJ?

 

Jack

[NickolasJames8]

I think you've got the answer now, because my reasons were exactly the same as shown above:

 

ie. There was too broad a scope and therefore I didn't even attempt it. By having a broad range of authors that I haven't read, there was an immediate assumption that I wouldn't have a chance. I had expected that there would be people who'd read all of the stories involved and hence would be entering.

 

The recommendation to narrow the scope is a good one, though it still disadvantages those who haven't read that particular author. As a suggestion, make the next scavenger hunt off the Fall Anthology collection. This will give people extra encouragement to read the stories (so they'll be ready for the scavenger hunt when it is announced) and also keeps the scope small enough while covering a range of authors (short stories are a lot easier for people to read than several novels).

 

To clarify: Announce that the scavenger hunt will be about the anthology and then one or two weeks after the anthology is posted, start the hunt.

The purpose of the scavenger hunt is to get people to read works by more authors, I believe.

[Jay]

The purpose of the scavenger hunt is to get people to read works by more authors, I believe.

Which is why the anthology thing works.

[C James]

The reason that I did not participate in the scavenger hunt was becuase I was to busy to find the time to find all the answers. I also have not read the stories of all the above authors, so I thought that I would not have done well.

 

I think that you did a great job on the scavenger hunt CJ. I hope that you can find out went wrong.

 

Kurt

 

Thanks Kurt!

I think it's near unanimous that the difficulty was too high. I'm learning a great deal from all the feedback (thank you everyone!!)

 

The reason I did not participate was because I though there would be too many people participating, and I though that I wouldn't even have a chance. I have only read 2 of the stories on the quiz, and I didn't have the time to read the others.

 

I still think that you did a great job CJ. I'll definitely participate in the next game. Promise.

 

Thanks Juss!! I think that what you mention was the biggest problem.

 

I didnt do it because there was no ca$h prize involved....ok, just kidding. I didn't do it because there were too many authors involved and I haven't started everyones work....maybe in the next one you can just use one author and have the scavenger hunts more frequently

Thanks Nick!

I think you've got the answer now, because my reasons were exactly the same as shown above:

 

ie. There was too broad a scope and therefore I didn't even attempt it. By having a broad range of authors that I haven't read, there was an immediate assumption that I wouldn't have a chance. I had expected that there would be people who'd read all of the stories involved and hence would be entering.

 

The recommendation to narrow the scope is a good one, though it still disadvantages those who haven't read that particular author. As a suggestion, make the next scavenger hunt off the Fall Anthology collection. This will give people extra encouragement to read the stories (so they'll be ready for the scavenger hunt when it is announced) and also keeps the scope small enough while covering a range of authors (short stories are a lot easier for people to read than several novels).

 

To clarify: Announce that the scavenger hunt will be about the anthology and then one or two weeks after the anthology is posted, start the hunt.

 

That's an itreguing idea!!! That way everyone would be on an even footing, and they are short stories!

 

I think our mate from Melbourne has a good suggestion. (Although I suggest that we start the hunt when the Fall Anthology rolls out. Could be a great promotional feature for both projects.) If the deadline for the Fall Anthalogy is 10/15, will the stories be ready for posting around 10/20? Of the 15 or so submissions, if there are 6 - 8 authors agreeable to being part of a scavenger hunt, we could have 2 - 3 questions from each and have enough writer power to supply the super custom prize. I'd be willing to give it a go again.

 

A reasonable deadline could be mid-November.

 

Whaddya think, CJ?

Jack

 

I don't know the release date for the fall anthology, but I seem to recall it being around the very end of October. I very much doubt that we could get everything approved and ready in time for this anthology, but I'll ask about if for future anthologies.

 

Thanks Jack, and everyone. Any and all feedback is VERY much appreciated!!!!

CJ

[glomph]

The reason I did not participate was because I though there would be too many people participating,

 

Yogi Berra supposedly commented on a restaurant, "Nobody goes there any more. It's too crowded."

 

My reasons for not playing were a lot like the others. I hadn't read most of the stories involved, didn't have time to catch up on them in the time frame of the game, and I figured that others who read a broader selection would have it all figured out first anyway.

Edited September 30, 2006 by glomph

[Trebs]

Agreed with the above - esp, I love the idea of using the anthology...

 

It might have been better if it was emphasized how the person with the most right would win - like most, I figured everyone who entered would have all the right answers and it would be just a matter of random choice - and since I hadn't read most of the stories, I was going to be at a disadvantage. I mean - some of the authors used have written multiple long stories - that is a lot to go through... So - since I wasn't already reading all of them - I'm not going to win (or so I thought).

 

One other suggestion though - to make it a true scavenger hunt - randomize the questions. Maybe two from each story, but mix them up so you don't know [totally made up example] "Who did Jack kiss in the graveyard?" - which story was that in... Possibly even three points for each question: 1 for correctly identifying which story it came from, and 2 for a full answer (1 for partial answer). That way you have a scale and people know - I can at least get some points for answering some of these right.

 

And anthologies ARE a good way to expose readers to a whole bunch of new authors - Robert Silverberg published one called "Legends" a few years back - and it was my first introduction to Terry Goodkind, Robert Jordan (I had previously purposely avoided that author), Stephen King's Dark Tower world, and George R.R. Martin. And though I didn't enjoy the King or Martin story that much, I have been an avid fan of Goodkind (though haven't read the latest books Chainfire nor Phantom) and Jordan (though - grrr - I still had the name first - jerk writers who use pseudonyms and prevent lovable wonderful people from being able to register their own name as a domain name).

[jalaki]

Pretty much the same as most everyone else for me. Too many stories, most of which I haven't read, too little time, and all that jazz. I'll add my support to the idea that doing one for the Fall Anthology would be a good idea (though I still can't guarantee my participation, hahahaha). So, um, there you have it

[knotme]

In addition to the other reasons, I didn't want to start this hunt until we made better progress on Replay's time shifts.

 

Also, did you post the progress of the hunt: how many responses were received and how many and what the top score so far is? (The answers would have been 0 and 0.) That might have encouraged me to give it a shot, but I didn't see it.

[C James]

Yogi Berra supposedly commented on a restaurant, "Nobody goes there any more. It's too crowded."

 

My reasons for not playing were a lot like the others. I hadn't read most of the stories involved, didn't have time to catch up on them in the time frame of the game, and I figured that others who read a broader selection would have it all figured out first anyway.

 

Thanks Glomph!! It looks like that is a definite problem.

 

Agreed with the above - esp, I love the idea of using the anthology...

 

It might have been better if it was emphasized how the person with the most right would win - like most, I figured everyone who entered would have all the right answers and it would be just a matter of random choice - and since I hadn't read most of the stories, I was going to be at a disadvantage. I mean - some of the authors used have written multiple long stories - that is a lot to go through... So - since I wasn't already reading all of them - I'm not going to win (or so I thought).

 

One other suggestion though - to make it a true scavenger hunt - randomize the questions. Maybe two from each story, but mix them up so you don't know [totally made up example] "Who did Jack kiss in the graveyard?" - which story was that in... Possibly even three points for each question: 1 for correctly identifying which story it came from, and 2 for a full answer (1 for partial answer). That way you have a scale and people know - I can at least get some points for answering some of these right.

 

Thank you Trebs!!! Those are good ideas, thanks for the insight.

 

Pretty much the same as most everyone else for me. Too many stories, most of which I haven't read, too little time, and all that jazz. I'll add my support to the idea that doing one for the Fall Anthology would be a good idea (though I still can't guarantee my participation, hahahaha). So, um, there you have it

 

Thanks!! But I have to ask, what would lure you into participating in something like this? :-)

 

In addition to the other reasons, I didn't want to start this hunt until we made better progress on Replay's time shifts.

 

Also, did you post the progress of the hunt: how many responses were received and how many and what the top score so far is? (The answers would have been 0 and 0.) That might have encouraged me to give it a shot, but I didn't see it.

 

ROFL! Well, yes, there is that!

 

No, I didn't post the progress. Once it was zero on the first day of all the questions being online, I knew it was a flop. At that point, all encouraging one or two participants would have done would have been to cause the participating Authors to have to produce the prize for a failed effort, and I didn't want to do that to them.

 

Thanks everyone, all the responses have been very helpful, and every opinion is and will be looked into.

[jalaki]

Thanks!! But I have to ask, what would lure you into participating in something like this? :-)

 

No idea. If I knew, I'd have said it in the first place I can hardly ever understand me, though, so don't fret about trying to do so yourself, haha! Probably the only answer is really "when the mood strikes me" and generally no one has control over that

[AFriendlyFace]

I don't know the release date for the fall anthology, but I seem to recall it being around the very end of October.

I believe it's the weekend before Halloween

 

My reason for not participating is that due to my membership on the WST team I wasn't eligible. However, the primary thing which might have stopped me would also have been the range of authors.

 

I love the idea of the anthology Scavenger Hunt!!

 

Take care all!

Kevin

[old bob]

Hey CJ.

I didnt read yet the other answers, but here mine :

 

Not so easy to answer your question in a few words. Here my "chronological" thinkings when I discovered your game :

 

1. Hey funny, I should try !

2. But I have to read a lot of stories and posts !!!

3. Not so easy to navigate in so many files

[Conner]

Hey CJ.

...

But its just my opinion, on the other side, I appreciate your bravery to bring a new wind in GA.

Farewell

Old Bob

 

New wind???

 

Obviously, you've haven't been down wind of CJ recently. Nothing new there, folks!

 

I didn't participate out of sheer laziness.

 

Conner

[Bardeara]

You know this is actually kind of funny or sad depending on how you look at it. I knew a few answers and was going to actually just send in what I had. Problem is life got in the way. My Car blew up, Work went into overload... in fact this is like a very short moment I have to even come one, only because I HAD to send an e-mail to someone, which required a speedy reply.

 

It's funny I had about 8 of the quetions actully right, although I must admit most of them were Vivian's questions. Oh well, guess I really wan't meant to win it... that ought a teach me from not sending in my sheet.

Edited October 1, 2006 by Bardeara