The Series Challenge Scoring/Rules - Complicated Version

[Chris , cookie guilt]

Here it is, as promised.

First off, my scoring is a bit experimental. Bear with me as we try to keep up with this.

Second, everyone will keep up with their own scoring. You can post it and all, but we shouldn't need judges to pronounce sentence. We don't want to make this a lot of work, but to keep it fun.

The basics:

1. This is a reward based challenge, with points assigned for meeting certain goals. It is not meant to be a competetion between participants. That is, you don't have to cut each other over high scores. Your competition is yourself, and your own habits of series reading.

2. The goal is to complete one series book per month. Or two, or three. Each participant can set their own goal.

3. The reward for reaching this goal (besides knocking out series books) is a credit that you may use to start a new series. Say I reach my goal in February, then I can start a new series without a scoring penalty.

4. There is scoring, but as I said it's a self tracking system. Yes, we'll have an overall leader in points, but since everyone will be setting their own self-goals, the scores will mean different things to different people.

5. Points are cumulative. I'll give a scoring example after laying all of it out.

Here is the scoring chart:

1. Complete your monthly goal = 50 points.
If your goal is one series book/month, you will get this 50 upon completion of that book. If your goal is 2 books/month, you will get the 50 after finishing both. There aren't partial points, so if you only finish one, you won't get the 50.

2. Read any book in a series that isn't the 1st = 10 points.

3. Re-read the first book in a series = 10 points.
The thought here is that you might re-read a first book in order to refresh your memory in preparation for continuing with unread series books. So no penalty for doing that. Re-reads of books beyond the first will simply score as regular series books in #2.

4. Read the 1st book in a new series = -10 points.
This isn't to discourage new series as much as it is intended to curb obsessive series starting and not finishing. This penalty is waved when using an earned credit. Books chosen for FoF group reads are exempt from this penalty and may be read without using a credit.

5. Read the 1st book in a new series after monthly goal is reached = 10 points.
This simply cancels out the penalty from starting a new series, since you earned the right to do so.

6. Write a review of your series book = 25 points.

7. Complete a small series (3-4 books) = 20 points.

8. Complete a large series (5-9 books) = 30 points.

9. Complete a huuuge series (10 or more books) = 40 points.

10. Complete a book and its sequel (2 book series) = 10 points.

11. Begin a sub-series = 10 points.
Sub-series will be discussed below

12. Complete a sub-series (2 or more books) = 20 points.

13. Complete a big series that has 2 or more sub-series = 20 points.

14. Read a stand-alone that takes place in the same world as the main series = 10 points.

A sub-series is a series within a series. For example, I'll use Terry Brooks to show this. His Shannara series sprawls over many books, with smaller groupings of books within a specfic arc.

Straken is #3 in the High Druid of Shannara sub-series. It is also a book in the overall Shannara big series. As it happens, this book is the conclusion to that sub-series, but not the final book in the larger one.

I'll score Straken to show how it works, in my next post.

[Chris , cookie guilt]

Example:

In January, I complete Straken, which is #3 in the High Druid of Shannara sub-series. My goal is set at completing 1 series book per month.

1. Gain 50 points for completing goal. Cumulative total = 50
2. A book in Shannara series +10 points. Total=60.
3. n/a
4. n/a
5. n/a
6. n/a
7. n/a
8. n/a
9. n/a
10. n/a
11. Sub-series of High Druid of Shannara completed. +20 points. Total=80
12. n/a
13. n/a

In this example, I earned 80 points towards my overall score and can start a new series without penalty if I wish.

[Chris , cookie guilt]

You really don't need to list by number and put all the n/a's in there. I just did that to show the scoring process.

Here I'll score a final book in a big series. Say in March, I read the new The High Druid's Blade, which will complete the Shannara series to date.

+50 points for completing March goal of 1 series book.
+10 points for completing a book in the Shannara series.
+30 points for completing a large series (more than 5 books)
+10 points for starting a (new) sub-series. It's the only one out so far. I don't get points for completing the sub-series as more are projected.
+20 points for completing big series with a bunch of subbies.

Total = 120 points

Note that I'll only get these total series completion bonuses once. If the second Defenders of Shannara book comes out later in the year and I read it, I'll just get the new points for reading a Shannara book, etc.

[Chris , cookie guilt]

I'll move this thread to a new folder where everyone can start their own thread for tracking their personal series progression.

Your thread will be yours to use as you see fit. You can list series you intend to work on, or just track stuff you've finished and your scores. Have fun with it.

I'll set up a Q/A thread too. I'll lock this one so we can have an easy place to find the rules/scoring without a lot of clutter.

[Chris , cookie guilt]

Simple Option

Here is an alternative if you find the scoring too complicated and just want to knock out some series books.

1. Entirely goal based. No points.
2. Set a monthly (or yearly, weekly, etc) goal for yourself.
3. For every goal met, you get one credit that you can use to start a new series.
4. FoF group reads do not have to be purchased with these credits.
5. FoF group reads will count towards goals.

Examples:

Monthly goal of 2 series books/month.
Once I read 2, I can earn a credit to start a new series.

Annual goal of 5 books. Here, whenever I finish one, I can earn a credit.

Weekly goal of 1 series book/week. Again, one credit for each book read.

You can make this as easy or hard on yourself as you like.

[Chris , cookie guilt]

Editorial Note:

I modified the scoring rules above. I deleted the "read the last published book in a series" because it was redundant. I also added the points for writing a review, and added a huugge tier for series with more than 10 books. I was tempted to add a tier just for Discworld.

The main thing I'd like people to get out of this challenge is that it's YOUR challenge. You're challenging yourself to finish off some of the series you've started and moved away from over the years.

Whether you use the heavy point system or the "simple mode", you should be the judge of your own challenge. You can interpret a series how it best suits you. Read them out of order. Count short stories, or don't count them. I'll clarify whatever is asked of me, but for the most part you should set your own goals and work towards meeting them.

And have fun.

[Chris , cookie guilt]

What’s a Series?

Everyone probably understands how a series works when the books are simply numbered as they’re released, in sequential order. But what about those strange cases?

For this challenge, a series is defined by the participant. We’re going with a really loose structure, so anything that fits into the series will count. It’s up to each participant to make the call on what will fit.

Joe Abercrombie has published 6 books so far. The first three were a series called The First Law. The next three were books that were meant to be stand-alone, but set in the same world and having some connections with each other and the original trilogy. All of these books would count as series books for this challenge.

He also released a short story in a recent anthology, Dangerous Women. This story is related to his novels. How you handle this is up to you. If you read just his story and wish to count it for the challenge, go ahead. If you feel it’s too short and something of a cheat, don’t count it. Whatever you’re comfortable with. This challenge is designed to ease our anxieties dealing with unfinished business, not give us more stress over what might or might not be “cheating”. (There is no cheating in this challenge). Or you could read the entire anthology and count it once, if that helps. There are also other stories that fit into other series, so do as you will. If I read it, I’ll score it once as a generic series completion, then note it as satisfying multiple series that I’ve been working on (Abercrombie, GRRM, Dresden, etc)

How related must a book be to a series to be counted as part of that series for this challenge? Again, that’s up to you. Stephen King gives us a good example. Everyone would understand that the Dark Tower has 7 books in the series that would count for our purposes. But what about the “related” works?

Some of King’s books have obvious Dark Tower connections (one is even a pseudo-Dark Tower novel), but to what level they’re related varies. For that matter, the connections between the non-DT books is often present. For this challenge, I could see the majority of King’s work meeting the requirements for series qualification. You could simply call the series “King’s Universe”. If you’re comfortable with that. If your internal cataloging system does not feel comfortable calling these series books, then don’t worry about it. Again, it’s up to you to make the call on your own series challenge.

Who’s on First?

Storm Front is #1 in the Dresden Files. Check. I doubt many would argue. But what about Side Jobs, which has a prequel story, or Welcome to the Jungle, which is a prequel story in graphic novel form? What if you read one of those first, before Storm Front? (but please do NOT read Side Jobs first – trust me, you will spoil the whole series)

What is the first book in the Shannara series? Is it Sword of Shannara, published first? Or is it the first chronological book, Armageddon’s Children? Or would you go back and count Running with the Demon as first because it’s even set before AC? Lordy, what do I count as my first book in the series for scoring?

Here’s the simple answer: The first book in a series is the first book that YOU have read in said series.

Don’t beat yourself up trying to determine whether to call book #1 first, or muddle through prequels or linked books. If you read Cold Days before the rest of the Dresden series, I will shake my head at you, but I will allow you to call that your “First” book in the Dresden Files series.

Note: Unfinished books at the beginning of this challenge will not count toward the “first” book penalty. If you finish the book in 2014, you can count it and score it. They would be considered series that you started before the new year. If you back up and start over, call them re-reads. Unless you’re uncomfortable with that, and then just don’t worry about it. Again, your challenge.