The Quidditch League Fanfiction Competition ARCHIVED
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The Quidditch League

Hi guys. Thanks for showing interest in being a part of our mod team for next season (and onwards)and helping us run the Quidditch League Fanfiction Competition! The reason we are opening these applications to prospective moderators is because Ash (Fire The Canon) is leaving for personal reasons (see this post for more info), and the rest of us all have recently joined full-time jobs (with other real-life obstacles that are keeping us hella busy), and this has greatly affected the timeliness and efficiency with which we've been running the forum, as you've all noticed in the past few rounds.

Due to this, we will be recruiting two new moderators to join our team and help us going forward. Now, before we jump into how the actual process is going to work, there are certain prerequisites that applicants need to be eligible for in order to apply. This is simply to ensure that those coming in will be less overwhelmed by everything from being experienced with how certain things work, as compared to someone brand new who has no idea at all about what they're getting themselves into.

So, you can only apply if you:

  1. Have completed one full season of QLFC (all thirteen regular rounds, not including finals) in any capacity (i.e. players, judges, reporters), preferably Seasons 5 or 6. This means that you can't apply if you've participated in and completed all of Season 1 but only completed half of the seasons after, simply because a whole lot of things have changed since then and it would essentially be like accepting someone brand new.

  2. Are willing to judge at least one position every round for 13 rounds, plus the finals. Many of you may or may not know this, but all four of us have been judging both this season and last as finding judges who stay for the entire season works the same way as it does with players: they're more likely to leave than stay. Judging is a major part of QLFC, so if you don't have the time to commit to judging at least one position per round, if not more when required, then please do not apply to be a moderator. Of course, allowances will be made when you can't judge, but this is a prerequisite.

  3. Are applying as an individual not belonging to a pair or a group. We will not be accepting pair or group applications. Everybody will be chosen on an individual basis, and only individual applications will be accepted.

  4. Are actually able to devote a considerable amount of time to the forum. A lot of people (including us, when we applied) underestimate the time and effort that goes into running a forum this big. Although we now have several systems and processes in place that help greatly with this that we constantly update, it still means you would need to devote at least a few hours every day to the forum. Sounds a bit much? Well, then you're probably better off not applying.

  5. Are familiar with the general rules and how things run on the forum. Don't worry, there won't be a test, but it's still important that you familiarise yourself with the rules because we have a lot of them, and trust us when we say trying to look one up in the long list isn't as easy as you would think. So, as long as you've got a basic idea of how things go down, you should be A-Okay.

  6. Are willing to work as part of a team and acknowledge the fact that you may have to follow how we've been doing certain things simply because they've been tried and tested and have been proven to work. While we welcome new ideas—love them, even—you must be willing to accept the fact that they may not be immediately implemented. We follow a "majority rules" system where we discuss the idea, give our individual thoughts and opinions on it, and decide whether to shelve it for further discussion or introduce it ASAP based on the need and relevance of it. This does NOT mean we are disregarding your ideas or dislike them or anything worse; it simply means that we can probably anticipate its necessity better since we've been doing this a bit longer. You will also be applying with it mind who the current moderators are. :)

  7. Are the first two applicants from your team. As we do not want an overwhelming number of applicants or multiple applicants from the same team, it would be preferable if only two apply from your team. You can have a discussion with your team and decide which of you wants to apply, and, of course, if we don't have enough applicants, then more people can apply. But we'd like to give everyone a fair chance and avoid groupism, hence this rule.

Now that we've covered those, we can move on to the actual How To portion of applying. If you've been around for the previous mod selection, then you should have a general idea of how this is going to go down. If not, here's a quick and easy run-down:

This will be a three-step process.

  1. The first step will involve an initial screening of all the applications done by us mods. We will then select up to 8 of the best applications, which everyone will then vote on. (This is simply because the form is quite long and we want to make it easier on those who have to read through it all to vote.)

  2. The second step will involve voting on the two parts of the application:

    1. Part A will not be anonymous; i.e. it will have your names in it, and anyone who is a part of the forum will vote on it.

    2. Part B will be anonymous; i.e. only the content of the application will be posted without your identity, and people will, once again, vote on the ones they like best.

  3. The third and final step involves us tallying up the votes and letting everyone know who was successfully voted in to be the future moderators!

Sound simple? Awesome. Here's a few more details on how you will go about the above:

  1. PM us to receive a Gdocs link to your application form, where you will put in your details (link to the form will be sent to whoever PMs this account only saying they want to apply). Every person will have their own Gdoc.

  2. After the initial screening, the 8 selected applications will then be posted on the forum in the form of a Google Survey link, which will contain the two parts: the anonymous and non-anonymous voting. The voting itself will be anonymous (meaning nobody will know who you voted for besides you—and whomever you tell, of course—so this potentially means you can vote for yourself, which… we recommend against, just due to the principle of it).

  3. When you go in to the survey to vote, you will see a portion at the top reserved for a "code". This is basically our way of ensuring that every person only votes once while still preserving their anonymity. So, if you want to vote, you need a "code". You can PM this account requesting a code, and once you receive it, you put it into the section provided, and voila!

  4. When voting, you will list your top five picks in descending order below each of the applications. The first will receive 5 points, the second will receive 4, the third will receive 3, and so on. This applies to both the anonymous and non-anonymous sections.

  5. Once the voting period ends (actual time frame provided below), we shall tally the votes and PM the two that had the highest votes. They can then reply either accepting or declining the position (in the case of the latter, we'll just PM the third highest scorer), after which we shall post on the forum, letting everyone know who they can expect to see wearing crowns in the upcoming seasons (literally; ffn has little crown emoticons next to moderators' usernames).

Everyone has up to 2 weeks from when this is posted to submit their applications. Everyone then has up to 2 weeks after application submissions close to vote.*

*These may change based on the number of applicants or votes.

If you still want to apply after reading all of the above, then please send us a PM, and we shall provide you with your application form!

If you have any questions, feel free to PM us or reply to this post!

Good luck, everyone! :D

11/14/2018 . Edited 12/2/2018 #1
Emiliya Wolfe

Hi guys! Thanks for giving us such a detailed explanation of how the mod voting system works & what it entails.

Could I just ask for a reason why you don't want several applicants from the same team? Even if it's the same team, people can have very different ideas on how to help, and it seems a bit arbitrary to disclude people just with this. For example, two people on our team want to apply and they weren't on the same team last season, so why should being on the same team this season cancel that out?

Thanks in advance :)

Emiliya

11/14/2018 #2
The Quidditch League

Hi Emy,

You raise a valid point. Our original intention was simply to avoid a whole group of people from the same team applying (similar to the last time we ran the mod voting).

We shall change the wording so two people from a team can apply, as long as they apply individually and not as a unit. Please be aware that both people need not make it through the initial screening or voting because it is done on an individual basis. :)

11/14/2018 #3
Emiliya Wolfe

Thank you :) I'll make sure we don't coordinate our applications :)

11/14/2018 #4
The Quidditch League
This is a reminder that everyone has another week before the application submissions close. :)
11/20/2018 #5
The Quidditch League

INTRODUCING YOUR NEW MODS

Hello, beautiful people of QL! We'd like to introduce you to your new moderators!

Emiliya Wolfe, Captain of the Magpies, and Leopard1, one of our amazing judges who's been with us since last season!

Before we post their application forms here so you guys can get familiar with them, Em and I just wanted to explain why we didn't have the player voting part of the mod selection. Once we finished the initial screening, we didn't think there were enough participants to hold the voting, so we decided to pick the two best applicants... and that's basically it haha.

Now, onto their actual applications!


  1. Username and/or preferred nickname: Emiliya Wolfe, Emy

  2. Team (if applicable): Montrose Magpies

  3. Short bio (max 100 words): I joined fanfiction a while ago, and started my first Multichap about… four years ago? I immediately loved the community and the feedback. Two years ago, Ash invited me to participate in QL and since then it's helped me grow as a writer, and make some of the best friends I've ever had (sorry, so cheesy)! About me… I'm very enthusiastic & determined once I set my mind to something (can you tell I'm a Slytherin?), and that includes fanfiction. I just recently graduated, so now it's time to enter the real world of adults. Fun, fun, fun!

  1. Why you want to be a moderator (max 5 lines): I want to be a moderator, because I really enjoy that type of thing -- organising stuff & helping people out so they have a fun experience. I experienced a bit of it as captain with all the PMing and finding reserves. I'd like to experience QL from the other side (i.e. not a player), so I jumped at the opportunity :) It'd also be a great way to give back to the forum that's helped me broaden my horizons so much.

  1. Why you think you'd be perfect for the job (max 5 lines):*Flashback to job applications* (just kidding) I love just curling up with my laptop and fanfiction rather than going out, so I'd be available a lot of the time. I love helping people and watching them improve as writers, so I'd enjoy reading the fics & reviewing as a mod. Other than that, I'm handy with excel (for scores, etc.), have a pretty good memory, and would love to make up some rounds!

  1. Are you willing to judge full-time: Bring it on

  2. Have you been a moderator on any forum/page/site before: I'm a moderator at the newly created Avengers Training Camp, and I was a sort-of moderator for Hogwarts when I judged fics, created challenges and updated the Ravenclaw page as Prefect.


  • How would you improve the below:

  1. The Reserve Thread:

At the moment, the reserves are listed for category 1 and 2 on the first page of the thread. But some of those reserves are now players, and it still looks as though they're reserves. It'd be good to cross out the reserves as they're used, so people don't accidentally PM them.

Something that would also be good (if possible) is a list of the most common HP forums in the thread, so players can look through them if they need a reserve. Some people know all about them, but some people who are new (or semi-new) to fanfiction could find it a lot easier to look for reserves in that case.

It would also be great if reserves didn't lose the bonus points if they write instead of players. It makes players not want to use reserves, and sometimes they'll prefer to wait till the end and maybe forfeit points/not submit rather than request a reserve. I also think this will make reserves feel more included. At the same time, the lack of bonuses can still be held in place for teammates writing fics for their absent player. This would encourage players to look for reserves more often.

  1. Judging — Scoring and Feedback:

I love the judging this season, especially with the Chaser/Beater points being a lot fairer. I don't know if it's the case at the moment, but it would be nice to have a minimum word count on the feedback, as sometimes players receive short, vague feedback, and other times fantastic, detailed feedback.

Each season, it seems as though some judges go AWOL, or start giving up towards the end of the season. Even the mods (though they have good reasons) start posting feedback & update things later and later. This will probably always happen, but to me it would seem fairer to give players a bit more time to write (for example, instead of people having rounds end Friday-Sunday, have them end Sunday-Tuesday) each time the mods/judges are late in giving feedback. I know this changes the times a little, but it can be very discouraging to see that although players are held to the strictest of deadlines, the mods can't hold themselves to those same deadlines. If this isn't possible, then I'd suggest accepting late entries on occasion, for example in the case of a death in the family, or a major operation, etc. If the mods are accepted as only human, then the players should too.

There should be a criteria for what isn't accepted by judges. Some players have received bad marks simply because their judge doesn't like that type of story (it's rare, but it's happened). There should be somewhere players can consult for things judges don't accept, such as incest, underage/teacher relationships, crack!fics, etc… If possible, it would be great to mention which judges can review M rated or not -- if there are 3 or more, then M rated fics can be allowed back in, so long as the player asks if their particular judge that round accepts M rated fics. (I think this has been used in previous seasons before)

I think it would be interesting to give 5 extra points to the very first Seeker who posts. The Captain receives double their score (so up to 10 extra points), Keepers also can minus up to 10 points, Chasers between them receive up to 27 and Beaters receive up to 15. The Seeker only gets 5, and those 5 points are pretty hard to get. By giving the first Seeker a bonus, it would make the rush to the Snitch more interesting (since it's against 11 other people, not just 1) and it would give the Daily Prophet an extra thing to write about!

  1. General moderation of threads:

Of course, there is an issue of timing, but I've noticed that moderation of threads is a bit haphazard. It would be great if for at least the 48h following the publication of new rounds, a mod would be on hand at least every 1-2h to answer questions. Otherwise, some teams will receive information immediately, and others not.

  1. The Draw and Ladder:

The draw and ladder works really well. The only thing I think might be interesting to do is to repost the ladder for each round. That way, players can see how far they've come & how far other teams have come since the last round (or first round).

  1. The Daily Prophet:

The Daily Prophet in season 5 was quite anticipated because it gave players an idea of how well the chaser/beaters did with their bonuses, as well as the seeker. Unfortunately, with the new rules, this was harder to implement. But if the DP came out on the Sunday before scores come out, then something like this might still be possible to do. Several judges have usually already finished grading by then, so it might be possible to mention 1 particular position each round and describe how "well" they played. For example, if the Beater 2 and Keeper scores were out, then in some matches you could write that "Alicia swivelled around and managed to hit the Bludger straight into the Quaffle!" or, "What a save from Timothy! I don't think we've seen the likes in years".

Other than that, I like the idea of the competitions being every month, rather than every two weeks. It gives players time to submit something, and you can create more fun challenges :)

  1. Other:

Although mods have their reasons for leaving only 48h to vote for JPs, it's practically impossible to read all of the fics in time to vote if you have a job/are studying/are busy. If JPs were open for 2 weeks, so until the mods edit in the new scores, then they could be added at the same time as points are tallied, so it makes it easier on the mods, and also gives time for players to read these singled out fics.

I also noticed that in previous seasons, you gave out little "awards" at the end of the season before the finals. I think this would be a great idea, to have for example "most improved" or "most valuable team member". Without naming names, one player last season did amazingly in pulling a practically dead team back together before the end of the season, but it was too late for them to get into finals. I think no one would have begrudged them that recognition, and it might have made them feel proud of what they had accomplished.

Some players feel left out because they aren't willing to divulge personal information or they weren't around before so aren't part of the "QL team". Maybe we can send out a friendly PM before the start of the competition to captains reminding them to accept new players and to new players reassuring them that they shouldn't feel bad if they "took" someone's spot? I know it isn't encouraged by you, but it would be nice to reassure new players.

It would also be good to have mods from several timezones. At the moment, 3 out of the 4 mods are all in the same timezone, so there are large periods of time in which 3 mods are inactive (or sleeping). This doesn't seem very good for the forum, as if players aren't up and about at the same time as these mods, then they can wait for a long time for responses.

The season seems a bit too long for most players, most judges, and even the mods sometimes. Why not create a QL with only 9 teams, so there are only 9 rounds instead of 13, and then you can have semi-finals and finals. This would come to a total of 11 rounds, and the season would only last half a year (24 weeks). I think less players would drop out, and the quality of stories would stay the same. Also, this would make the different QL seasons appear at different times, so someone who is busy around November/December could decide to participate in the next QL, and vice-versa for those busy around July/August.

In season 5, one of the rounds was something that a player/a team had come up with. It would be nice to include one round (maybe the first round of finals?) each season with this, as people have fun writing the rounds, and it's sure to be very original, as they haven't thought up the other 13 rounds the way the mods have.


  • Create a mock round idea:

Round theme: Hunting Horcruxes

This round, we thought we'd give a little help to everyone's favourite hero, the Boy-Who-Lived! For once, not only the Seeker will be hunting for something this turn, as everyone tries to get a piece of Voldemort's soul!

CAPTAIN: Harry Potter -- write about someone who is very lucky

KEEPER: Nagini -- write about someone cursed with the Maledictus blood curse

CHASER 1: Hufflepuff's cup -- write about someone who has been forgotten

CHASER 2: Ravenclaw's diadem -- write about someone who is lost

CHASER 3: Slytherin's locket -- write about someone who is self-sacrificing

Chasers, you have access to the optional prompts. You may pick up to 3 each.

OPTIONAL PROMPTS:

  1. (setting) Room of Requirement

  2. (picture)

  3. (song) It ain't me -- Kygo and Selena Gomez

  4. (object) pocket watch

  5. (dialogue) "Watch where you leave your victims! I stubbed my toe on that."

  6. (song) Sultans of Swing -- Dire Straits

  7. (word) queer

  8. (quote) The best thing one can do when it's raining is to let it rain. - Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

  9. (colour) indigo

  10. (word) faulty

  11. (quote) You're only given a little spark of madness. You mustn't lose it. - Robin Williams

  12. (emotion) indifference

  13. (object) a tattered cloak

  14. (dialogue) "I hope that's a wand in your pocket."

  15. (emotion) contentment

BEATERS, Please remember that you also have access to the Chasers' optional prompts and must use FIVE prompts between you. Like Chasers, the prompts you choose MUST be in your A/N.

BEATER 1: Tom Riddle's diary -- write about someone suddenly finding themselves young again (ie. time travel, de-aging potion)

BEATER 2: The Gaunt ring -- write about someone who is dead (in your story)

SEEKER: Voldemort -- write about someone who is ruthless



  1. Username and/or preferred nickname:

    1. Leopard1/Christine

  2. Team (if applicable):

    1. No team, but a judge for seasons five and six.

  3. Short bio (max 100 words):

    1. I'm an English major and enjoy reading fanfiction in my free time. Harry Potter is my favorite fandom, but I also dabble in Sherlock, The Big Valley, and Star Wars, among others. When I'm not on ffn, I pass the time with my friends and family, especially two adorable little girls and a new baby(!) My other passion is Spanish. I love the language and the dancing especially! I also enjoy learning new things and won't pass up a chance to try a new hobby.

  4. Why you want to be a moderator (max 5 lines):

    1. I've been involved with QL for a couple of years now and would like to become moreso. I'm a huge fan of HP, but don't have the best confidence in my skills as a writer, but I love to help others reach their potential and as a mod, I'll be able to do so.

  5. Why you think you'd be perfect for the job (max 5 lines):

    1. I'm well organized and efficient in responding to people. Also, I can bring creative ideas for multiple rounds and create fun ideas for the optional prompts.

  6. Are you willing to judge full-time:

    1. Yes

  7. Have you been a moderator on any forum/page/site before:

    1. No


  • How would you improve the below:

  1. The Reserve Thread

    1. The thread is set up well. The main change I would suggest is to make a new one for each season to help avoid confusion.

  2. Judging — Scoring and Feedback:

    1. This season's scoresheet is a large improvement over last year's. I absolutely love the set up of the sheets and hope they are continued to be used for feedback.

    2. Also, if a player has a question or problem with scoring, if the mod could link whichever document needs to be considered to the particular judge, that would help lessen the time spent on the go-between.

  3. General moderation of threads:

    1. The current mods do a good job of addressing concerns in a timely fashion. However, there could be general times that a certain mod(s) are available to answer questions relative to which timezone they are in and speed up the response time.

  4. The Draw and Ladder:

    1. The draw and ladder is easy to understand, thus I don't believe anything needs changed.

  5. Prophet:

    1. The Prophet is a lovely read. It might be fun to add a serial story using the "popcorn" technique. For example, one team (the one on BYE) could start it and when they get to a cliffhanger, they would "popcorn" it to the next team that is on BYE and continue doing so until each team has had a chance to continue the story.

    2. A section to introduce the judges could also be a possibility. There is hardly any interaction between the groups and it'd be nice to get to know a wider range of people. The interviews could cover the basics (how did you get into fanfiction, Harry Potter, what other fandoms are you part of, etc.) and the other creative questions that are posed to the teams.

  6. Other:

    1. Overall, the QL is well organized and thought out. It's a pleasure to be involved.


  • Create a mock round idea:

Dances Around the World

CAPTAIN: Fandango of Spain; center the story around something a character is passionate about

KEEPER: Tinikling Dance of the Philippines; write about a character who shows grace to someone who doesn't deserve it

CHASER 1: The Kabuki Dance of Japan; write about a character, excluding Neville, who spends most of their time behind the scenes, but eventually gets their moment to shine

CHASER 2: The Choliya of Uttarakhand; write about a character who's superstitions conflict with another

CHASER 3: The Nati of Himachal Pradesh; write about a character who makes a friend that makes them peaceful

Chasers, you have access to the optional prompts. You may pick up to 3 each.

OPTIONAL PROMPTS:

  1. (song) Demons - Imagine Dragons

  2. (action) dancing the tango

  3. (setting) beach

  4. (color) lapis lazuli

  5. (word) robust

  6. (quote) "No one can make you feel inferior without your consent." Eleanor Roosevelt

  7. (object) snow

  8. (genre) tragedy

  9. (song) Music of the Night - Phantom of the Opera

  10. (movie) Top Gun

  11. (emotion) happiness

  12. (object) journal

  13. (setting) on a farm

  14. (poem) A Friend - Gillian Jones

  15. (quote) "What is a friend? A single soul dwelling in two bodies." - Aristotle

BEATERS, Please remember that you also have access to the Chasers' optional prompts and must use FIVE prompts between you. Like Chasers, the prompts you choose MUST be in your A/N.

BEATER 1: The Raqs Sharki of Egypt; write about a character who comes to respect someone they didn't previously

BEATER 2: The Adumu Dance from Africa; write about a character that breaks a familial or societal tradition

SEEKER: The Yoruba Dance from Nigeria; write about a character who celebrates small moments in life

12/2/2018 #6
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