Friendly reminder: Update your character sheets and make sure to take both ACC exams to qualify for the ACC so you can participate in the upcoming ACC Beta!
As a note, even to participate in the Live version, you'll need to pass both exams - even if you were previously qualified - so feel free to get on that!
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W00T; grammar and spelling contest!
Any official launch date yet?
Can't wait.
As for grammar and spelling, heh, the whole point of this revamp was to get away from that crap. The play is the thing.
Actually, according to the rubric the spelling and grammar are still taken into account. Literate > illiterate, always. :P
Revamp was to get away from the numbers-based writing of the old system, with a refocus on storytelling. Spelling and grammar were always meant to be part of the grading.
The official launch will be after the beta. We will see what needs tweaked, fixed, or whatever. No one is marrying any particular system and if something needs changed for the better, we will change it.
If you read closely, Syntax counts for the smallest percentage of the 4 judging criteria (15%). What Shad said, though. :)
So excite.
Thanks for straightening me out, guys. Almost thought I knew what I was talking about there for a sec.
Don't worry, we'll make sure to point it out if it happens again. =)
Quick question for Mav (and anyone that can answer it). Could the ACC people (or the VOICE staff) publish a guide to DB grammar? I know we use the "z" over the "s" in words like Industrializing (instead of industrialising (as I would consider the "s" more correct)). We also use some americanisms (honor instead of honour, yet in some cases honour is preferred over honor it seems).
Could someone just make a list of the main grammar rules and such the DB adheres to? If we used one system exclusively, that'd be easy. But I seem to recall a former CM stating we used a majority of US english rules with some British touches.
=> From a non-native speaker (and I think alot of people will agree here) could we just have a clear view of what to use? And can everyone then follow that consistently? If a Brit runs a fiction comp, and grades by proper English rules, the rest of us who think the DB uses US rules are screwed.
Pfft, industrializing, yanks and your institutionalised spelling errors :P
I believe the Guide already states that we accept different variations of English. From The guide
Through my knowledge we don't adhere to a specific variation (ie. Must be US English! Or Must be UK!). Everyone in the DB should have some flexibility in that regard, depending on where you live you may learn one form of English over another. Common sense should, and hopefully does, prevail in these situations
What Halc said. That applies for all fiction related competitions.
A system like we used in school would work, American or British English doesn't matter as long as you're consistent in your writing and don't mix them up. But in any case, I don't think I've actually heard about anyone getting a worse score because they used one over the other.
There's increasingly less and less of a difference anyway, tbh. A lot of Americanisms are becoming more commonplace in the UK due to the internet, Facebook, Random House owning the publishing houses both sides of the Atlantic, etc. Even the Oxford comma (which is an American thing, not Oxfordian... :P) is probably used more times than it isn't in the UK these days -- I again assume because it's the sorta thing people see in novels and blogs so often.
Aaaanyways, literature graduate will shut up now :P
Syntax only has a major impact when it actually takes away from reading a sentence. In my humble opinion, this is rarely the case for differences between American and UK English, save for the ever-useful Oxford comma.
It is the smallest part of grading but it could determine the winner or loser of a battle. As you can see in the guide, Story and Realism count for the most in this new system.
Correct. If I can't read the story, it's going to be hard for me to enjoy it :P.
Silly British people adding extra "u"'s to everything...
I am really looking forward to this. Can't wait.