No, really!

You've probably seen me mention Idol before. That's LJ Idol, therealljidol— an online writing contest with story prompts and polls. I've been participating in it for the last 8-9 years now as a writer, along with other people you may know. Or be, if you've participated too!

This season, LJ Idol is being hosted at Dreamwidth as therealljidol, in an experiment to broaden its audience. But regardless of where, a major component of HOW Idol works is that it always needs voters. The more, the better!

Most polls are open to voters from far and wide, which means that you—yes, YOU—could be helping to decide who advances to the next round and who will win it all in the end!

There are two polls happening right now. Second Chance Idol lets latecomers or returnees join the main competition, and it closes today. Winners will advance over time into The Main Idol Poll (that's the one I'm in), which closes tomorrow.

You don't have to be a writer to be part of LJ Idol—not this round, not ANY round, if that's your preference. But we desperately need readers and voters, and I encourage you to visit the polls, maybe check out a Green Room discussion, and see what it's all about.

There are a lot of great stories waiting for you—some from published authors, some from writers who will become published authors, some from people who just write great stuff even if they only do it as a hobby. Read, enjoy, and make your votes heard!