OPEN CALL - Blog posts

andreww38
andreww38
edited January 2016 in General Archive
So if you look at the "OP blog":http://blog.obsidianportal.com/ you will see that we are actively posting new content and are getting great feedback on our phenomenal once-a-quarter blog posts.

As far as I can, I would like the many projects in OP to be a community-led. OP itself will create a sandbox environment, giving the right tools, frameworks for intiatives like the campaign of the month/year (COTM/COTY), DST (dynamic stylesheet templates) and more creative uses of campaign tracking tools like the wiki to continue to evolve based on what you need and how we can best help you to get that done.

So, with the blog, I think that it's boring to see "technical updates" being posted there when you can read them in the forum.

-
From the perspective of an OP user, stuff that I would find useful and might want to read on a blog or website might be stuff along the lines of:
1) Expanded rules or variants or unique race/class/unit types for a game system that I'm playing
2) Tips for creating better gaming environments if you're face-to-face, or playing over the net
3) How to set up your first ventrillo-powered or google hangouts gaming session.
4) Interviews with COTM/COTY winners, with a game designer, game industry insider
5) News about new products, expansion sets, rulebooks being developed/launched
6) opinion/analysis pieces of new rules affecting their campaigns (it will help if the piece isn't libellious and stays away from personal namecalling (the bad kind))

So I'm making an open offer for any OP member to join the blogging team as an author.
You are welcome to link to your OP profile, campaign. There will be editorial review by myself or someone on OP's staff to make sure we won't have potential legal issues, and content meets a set of baseline editorial guidelines (ie: no profanity, NSFW stuff, er, other stuff that will get me fired).

We'll probably need to brainstorm a little on this and figure out the who, what, when, where, why and how.

Heck, I would even like to see some fan fiction being posted on the blog for those more creatively-inclined (eh, but no harry potter - draco malfoy gay makeout pr0n please. I can give you some tips on taking it further with kindle publishing if you'd like to pursue that further).


Interested in getting involved with the blog?
Have a question? (before you ask: We'll probably break your 10,000-word Raistlin/Caramon epic into 20+ blog posts)

Ask/Post below.

Comments

  • Kallak
    Kallak
    Posts: 1,090
    I'd be interested in being a part of this.
    All the best,
    - Kallak
  • GamingMegaverse
    GamingMegaverse
    Posts: 2,998
    I also would like to be a part.

    Just trying to help out.

  • Lxcharon
    Lxcharon
    Posts: 189
    I as well would enjoy writing for OP
  • Keryth987
    Keryth987
    Posts: 1,047
    Count me in. Just say when :)

    Keelah Se'lai,
    Keryth
    "Shadows Over New York":http://www.obsidianportal.com/campaigns/shadows-over-new-york
    "2013 Campaign of The Year":http://blog.obsidianportal.com/2013-coty-shadows-over-new-york/
    "Campaign of the Month July 2013":http://blog.obsidianportal.com/shadows-over-new-york-julys-campaign-of-the-month/

  • NikMak
    NikMak
    Posts: 379
    I would be happy do occasional stuff, but cant commit to regular articles at the moment.
  • andreww38
    andreww38
    Posts: 239 edited January 2016
    Hi all,

    Thanks for voicing your interest.

    We're happy to publish stuff on a weekly basis or when inspiration hits.

    If you want a regular column, maybe tagging stats to historical or fictional personalities (eg: Alexander the Great, Genghis Khan, Khal Drogo), we can do that. Or if you'd like to contribute a one-off, we can do that too. We can also publish fan fiction, wiki campaign narratives to go on the blog.

    Would anyone like to help coordinate this stuff?
    You're probably be appointed as an "editor" on the OP wordpress blog and the writers would be "authors".
    Post edited by andreww38 on
  • Kallak
    Kallak
    Posts: 1,090
    I'll gladly help coordinate, or put my hat in the ring for whatever selection process.
    All the best,
    - Kallak
  • andreww38
    andreww38
    Posts: 239
    @Kallak,
    You got the gig! I'll PM you to set something up.
  • Lxcharon
    Lxcharon
    Posts: 189
    Kallak I have an idea about a series of articles I want to write and was wondering when you'd be taking submissions or at least ideas so I can hash out a schedule with you. (I'm very schedule oriented, otherwise I'd never get anything done)
  • Keryth987
    Keryth987
    Posts: 1,047
    I had the same wondering Kallak. When can we start pestering you wiht ideas? :)


    Keelah Se'lai,
    Keryth
    "Shadows Over New York":http://www.obsidianportal.com/campaigns/shadows-over-new-york
    "2013 Campaign of The Year":http://blog.obsidianportal.com/2013-coty-shadows-over-new-york/
    "Campaign of the Month July 2013":http://blog.obsidianportal.com/shadows-over-new-york-julys-campaign-of-the-month/

  • GamingMegaverse
    GamingMegaverse
    Posts: 2,998
    Would be happy to provide something on how to get players involved any time you want it

    Just trying to help out.

  • Kallak
    Kallak
    Posts: 1,090
    andreww38 and I are in PMs setting up for a voice chat session to go over things, but please feel free to start PMing me ideas or the like anytime. The more stuff I can have up front, the better handle we can get on how things should go in the voice chat.
    All the best,
    - Kallak
  • Kallak
    Kallak
    Posts: 1,090
    Quick update on this:

    I had the opportunity to talk to Andrew today on skype and we sort of got the beginnings of the guidelines and format laid out for the blog. It's obviously still being worked on to some extent, but it's at a solid enough point to start with. Those of you with material that you'd like to present, please send me an initial PM on the site with a quick description of your ideas/article so I can begin looking at how to slot stuff into the schedule (maybe just a few sentences or a paragraph, something like that).

    I'm also interested in hearing from people about what sorts of things you'd like to see covered in the blog. If you've got a great idea but limited time, or would enjoy reading about a particular thing please let me know. This is your chance to provide input and get involved, so don't be left out.
    All the best,
    - Kallak
  • Kallak
    Kallak
    Posts: 1,090
    I have started to receive initial contact from people interested in authoring articles for the blog, so if you'd like to write as well, please feel free to drop me a line via PM and bring me up to speed on your idea(s) (for the moment, I'm handling things via PM while Andrew and Co. get blog access setup for us). For ease of reference, here is a link to "my profile":https://www.obsidianportal.com/profile/Kallak. The submission guidelines are still being hammered out (and will be posted somewhere visible once complete), but don't let that stop you from getting a first draft ready to go in the meantime. We can always make minor adjustments down the line.

    At present, the goal is to be able to provide 2 or 3 updates a week (the amount of per-week updates will depend on the number of submissions/articles written obviously), and begin publication somewhere around mid-February or so. This isn't finalized, but hopefully won't change much if at all.

    I look forward to hearing from people on this,
    All the best,
    - Kallak
  • Keryth987
    Keryth987
    Posts: 1,047
    Well, before I can start pestering you on things to submit, what kind of articles are you looking to have up? Opinion pieces? GM Help Guides? Reviews of Products? Systems Compatisons?


    Keelah Se'lai,
    Keryth
    "Shadows Over New York":http://www.obsidianportal.com/campaigns/shadows-over-new-york
    "2013 Campaign of The Year":http://blog.obsidianportal.com/2013-coty-shadows-over-new-york/
    "Campaign of the Month July 2013":http://blog.obsidianportal.com/shadows-over-new-york-julys-campaign-of-the-month/

  • GamingMegaverse
    GamingMegaverse
    Posts: 2,998
    So, am I correct in assuming that I now send the COTM interview to you Kallak, instead of to Andrew? Please send me your email on a pm if that is so- we should pick the winner in the next 48 hours and I will get the interview to you as soon as it is back to me- hopefully by 2/1.
    killervp
    "A God...Rebuilt":https://a-god-rebuilt.obsidianportal.com
    "OP's COTM April 2012":http://blog.obsidianportal.com/a-god-rebuilt-aprils-cotm/
    Over 350 Fans, and Looking for More!

    Just trying to help out.

  • andreww38
    andreww38
    Posts: 239 edited January 2016
    I spoke to Kallak over skype a couple of days ago and we were brainstorming how this would work.

    Having a COTM interview (text interview, video, audio, hybrid, ) would all work and has great value to OP users and the broader gaming community.
    I've done a fair amount of podcasting and I know killervp has done a lot of vid casting, so this stuff can be pretty easily set up and embedded on the OP blog. (It's wordpress, so less nail-pulling vs futzing with textile...)

    I'll hustle a little over the coming days to get the systems set up on the OP blog, so this can flow more seamlessly.

    We'll probably also involve Aaron (username: aasampson), so this can flow more smoothly.
    Post edited by andreww38 on
  • GamingMegaverse
    GamingMegaverse
    Posts: 2,998
    Ok, for the beginning just going to do email interview and send whom the answers?

    Just trying to help out.

  • Tau_Cetacean
    Tau_Cetacean
    Posts: 285
    speaking of embedding video... is that getting fixed for our wikis or not? a little off-putting seeing grand discussions of embedding videos for PR blogs when you haven't fixed embedding videos in the actual product

    updated my help ticket (it was with Alex) and made it public
  • Kallak
    Kallak
    Posts: 1,090
    Send me the interview please killer, I'll pm you an a dress you can use
    All the best,
    - Kallak
  • SkidAce
    SkidAce
    Posts: 830
    killer's gonna wear a dress?
  • NikMak
    NikMak
    Posts: 379
    Like that's a surprise to anyone 8)
  • Glistam_
    Glistam_
    Posts: 11
    This sounds like a cool idea.
  • Kallak
    Kallak
    Posts: 1,090
    Whoops. That was supposed to read "I'll pm you an address"
    All the best,
    - Kallak
  • GamingMegaverse
    GamingMegaverse
    Posts: 2,998
    Da g, someone hacked my personal pictures again....

    Just trying to help out.

  • NikMak
    NikMak
    Posts: 379
    :D
  • Maesenko
    Maesenko
    Posts: 325
    Always keep that stuff on a non-networked removable drive, KVP.

    ~Mae

    CotM Selection Committee

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