Subject: As I am sure you read...
Author:
Posted on: 2012-07-04 00:20:00 UTC
...you post to the Board asking for a sib from a specific House. That house will then decide who your Big Sib is.
And if you didn't read before asking, shame on you. You should know better than that.
-Phobos
This time with house descriptions and Big Sib names included, because I want us to have a good idea of the itty bitty numbers we're currently working with and hope more people jump on board as Big Sibs. {= P I've tweaked some of the descriptions a little, so let me know if I've screwed anything up.
(ALSO! If your name is Shellfur or LunarHuntress and you haven't contacted me off-Board yet, I'd love it if you did, just so I know you know how. Thanks!)
Latest revision of How This Works:
1. PPC Goals
These are the primary goals of any PPCer or group of PPCers.
That sounds like a better directive for a house Nesh. I was also contemplating an emphasis on Crossovers as well, since a lot of people tend to have issues with joining those up in a cohesive way, but my brain am not thinking good with stuff right now.
House Rubberglue, which is dedicated to helping the creative process, regardless of whether it is original or fanfic. For example, if you want to include a certain element in your story, you could go to this house to sorta thrash out the idea and get some other opinions. I do see this potentially clashing a little with House Kind Words and a Two-by-Four, though this house would differ in that it's involved during the process, as opposed to after, which the description for House Kind Word and a Two-By-Four seems to imply.
That also overlaps more with Grave Energy Initiative, since they've got original writing cornered. I'd still encourage a fanfic-in-general direction. It, like PPC writing, has some special concerns that set it apart from other types of writing, IMO. Plus it's easier to point to something like fanfic and go "Yes, I am interested in that." Being easily identifiable is a good thing when it comes to attracting members.
That said, though, it almost sounds like you're talking about beta-reading, which might work. Editing is different enough from critiquing, I think, and it's a good thing to encourage new people to learn to do well. You really have to have pretty beefy writing chops in order to be good at it, since if all you're doing is checking for SPaG, the author might as well just stick to spell-check.
I still think "fanfic house" is likely to be more attractive to potential newbie initiates, but that's my two cents.
~Neshomeh
I would agree. Though House TryForce might not be a suitable name for it...
I'm volunteering for House Book-Friends. I know a slightly strange amount about Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha, and I can also do Puella Magi Madoa Magica if need be.
I'd be willing to act as a Big Sib, the trouble is I'm not sure which House would be my best fit. I was thinking about Grave Energy Initiative, but most of my worldbuilding work has been for tabletop RPGs. I don't know if that's close enough for House purposes.
... that the same basic principles apply. An RPG has a different structure of storytelling, what with games being cooperative, but the work the GM does making up a world to run around in is the same work an author does. Character-building is also important in both media, since without it all you have are collections of numbers.
So, for my money, I think that works. It's up to you, though—you should pick whatever you feel most comfortable and confident to mentor about. {= )
~Neshomeh
House Grave Energy Initiative it is. :)
We always need more people on the team. Those graves won't fill themselves, after all . . .
*points at the thread above this one* I think ThArcanist is waiting on a GEI Big Sib, if you want to jump right in. {= )
~Neshomeh
I just sort of realized that holy crap I have two newbies, one of whom stays in fairly regular contact, despite a disappointing lack of involvement on the board. Which I can't really criticize him for, because I was largely the same way until recently, and he has mentioned visiting the IRC a couple of times so at least he's getting involved?
Anyway, what I'm getting at is that I don't really think I could handle a third newbie, and while House Skull Goblet isn't exactly the most popular house, we could definitely use someone besides just me, even if it is on a "just in case" basis.
First off, yes - I didn't really mean to make it pure Rule of Funny; my intent was more along the lines of "Writing Comedy in general," including things like comedic timing, what irony is (and what it isn't!), and generally going over things like... er, like that.
Second off, I dunno if I plugged it here, but a while back I wrote up a Wiki article to go over Houses specifically? It's here, I'm not sure if it ever really got... er, connected to anything. http://ppc.wikia.com/wiki/Sib_Houses
Aaand approximately thirty seconds later, I notice that it has indeed been edited and connected. Sorry.
(Yes, I kinda still regard the Wiki warily, like unto a nuclear reactor the manual of which I have not yet read. I might poke it or deliver equipment, but mostly I am going to be waaaay over here watching and not touching, lest I accidentally press a Big Red Button of Destruction.)
Anyway, I'm still a little concerned that comedy is a bit specific and yet also overlaps Grave Energy if it includes original writing and maybe Tryforce Area if it includes fanfic, whereas mission-writing definitely includes everything you said, but has other aspects, too, and isn't really covered yet, and probably should be. Plus it might help attract more oldbies, so you're not alone, and we definitely get newbies who turn up wanting more than anything to write missions (without necessarily knowing what that really means).
Does that make sense? I don't want to argue you into doing something you don't want to do, I'm just trying to optimize the houses based on my perspective in putting all this together. If I'm missing something, let me know.
~Neshomeh
Er, it all makes a great deal of sense. But the caveat is that I would be about the exact wrong person to start a humor-mission-centric house; as you may recall, the number of Actual Real Complete Total Missions I have finished is exactly zero. (Cafeteria missions are fun, but they really aren't at all what most people are looking for.)
Maybe I could broaden by talking about tone in general, instead of humor? How to achieve specific feelings with word choice and sentence structure and the like? That seems a bit general too, but it also seems a bit more useful - IIRC, the issues with some of the more serious-aiming newbies isn't so much that they want to be more serious as how they go about it. Likewise dark humor does take a more subtle touch than slapstick, and so on.
(If none of this works out, I can always join another house, too. I just think tone in writing is something that comes very naturally to some of us, and thus gets neglected as a Taught Thing, leading people to be probably be quite confused about why their permission piece didn't go over so well.)
Yeah, I think pushing it toward tone/mood in general makes it overlap more with Grave Energy.
For what it's worth, I think you probably know what you're talking about when it comes to missions just by dint of being around enough of them, but I get where you're coming from. ... Hm. What if it were PPC writing in general?
Or, how about this: if there aren't any volunteers for a mission/general PPC-writing house, we'll just stick with what you originally said: comedy in all its forms and how it's really important to the PPC. Sound good?
(Out of curiosity, what would your other pick be?)
~Neshomeh
Comedy and humor and suchlike, as you are right that tone would just push it towards Grave Energy.
(Probably Skull Goblet - general laughing-at-things-with-friends community, rather than specifically writing humor; and if Data can't find anybody else who's interested, and neither can I, maybe we could merge.)
I would like to join House Kind Words and a Two-by-Four, if Phobos and PoorCynic will have me?
Seeing as I've probably typed more words of critique and beta than of actual fiction in my time in the PPC. 0_0
...or house, whichever. Glad to have you.
-Phobos
I'm not sure if I've managed to miss the bit on "how to become one", but I'd like to join House Parmandili as a Big Sib. I think a lot of you guys know me as a Tolkien nut, and given I'm also mad on Discworld, Harry Potter and most of David Eddings' stuff, I could, uh, make a case for being in that house? :P
... You know, I don't think there is a "how to become one" bit. You've just demonstrated it, though. {= )
I think I can add a line to House Structure point 1 about that. Thanks!
~Neshomeh, who likes that the numbers of points are now 5, 7, and 9 respectively, and doesn't want to change that unless absolutely necessary. >.>
First: Are houses absolutely mandatory? If you aren't in a house, is this bad?
Second: What about the people who are neither newbie's nor oldbies? Should we sign up for a house in the same way that a newbie would I.E. create a thread saying "Hey guys! I would like to join House x!" Or could we do it in this thread as to not create unnecessary ones?
Third: Can we ask our Big Sibs about topics that aren't covered in our house? Or should we go to the house that specializes in that thing? For example, if I were in House Kind Words and a Two-By-Four, could I ask PC stuff about the PPC's canon? (After I've looked on the wiki, of course).
Also: can we join a house but not be assigned a Little Sib? I'm interested in joining House Parmandili but only to hang around and talk about fandoms and stuff. I don't really have the time (or seniority) to show newbies around but I would be happy just to talk and share knowledge and dabble in new things.
No. You cannot join a house and not be assigned a Little Sib. The point of the houses is to pair up oldbies and newbies. This would be the important bit of Nesh's post:
"3. House Structure
This is how houses work.
1. Houses shall be made up of oldbies willing to be Big Sibs to newbies, with the responsibilities that role entails."
Of course, we want you to be able to hang out and talk about fandoms. That is what the community is for, after all.
First: No, houses are not mandatory. It's just a system to help with big sib and newbie distribution so we don't have a pileup on popular people and to help with the variety of interests we might have so we can have something to narrow it down from.
That said, newbies are going to be strongly encouraged to have a big sib, considering how much of an issue things have been to have us come t this idea in the first place.
Second: No. You're only in a house if you're a Big Sib. Newbies get asked in their newbie thread. If you feel you still need a mentor and want one, you can ask any time, including right in this thread if you feel.
Third: Yes. You are supposed to ask your Big Sib anything and everything with regards to the PPC. If a Big Sib can't answer most questions about the PPC on their own, they shouldn't be one.
The Houses are there to provide a sort of orientation for how to pair people up, so we don't have people who have little in common shoved together.
I would like to join House Kind Words and a Two-By-Four.
Are you wanting to join up as a Big Sib or a Little Sib?
-Phobos
I would adore the chance to learn at the feet of you, O Mighty Nesh, Phobos, and hS.
For that, I apologize.
However- this is not supposed to be a popularity contest. Quoting from Neshomeh: "In order to prevent popularity/intimidation from becoming a factor, this list shall not include names of Big Sibs."
So, why'd you look it over and then immediately decide to publicly prostrate yourself before hS, Nesh, and Phobos?
This has multiple things to it. You don't need to brownnose other people in the community. You don't need to fangirl them. It's dismaying to the people it's done to- hS can vouch for that- and frustrating to the people who get ignored because their friends are the 'popular' ones. Not to mention annoying as all hell when any 'friendship' that might occur isn't based on being, y'know, friends and equal, but on 'how close can I get to my idol?'.
We're all equals here, so please act like it.
...you post to the Board asking for a sib from a specific House. That house will then decide who your Big Sib is.
And if you didn't read before asking, shame on you. You should know better than that.
-Phobos
I deeply apologize.
And okay. Will do.
@ JulyFlame: Sorry, friend. I will really try to stop fangirling. ^^; I just really admire Nesh, Phobos, and hS. I'd like to learn from them.
*bows* That is all.
Can I join Grave Energy Initiative? *picked because I don't think it has ANY of the people I fan over in it*
I feel you're still missing the point. Who's in a given house isn't supposed to have any influence. One way or another. At all. You should choose a house according to its description, based on what you're most interested in. Go ahead and take a look at my reply to ThArcanist above to see the list without names attached, if that will help. I've only shown names in this thread to encourage more people to be Big Sibs; it's not supposed to be viewed this way in practice.
Also, if you really want to learn from me, I'd like it if you started by paying closer attention to my words. I choose them carefully, so it's frustrating when they seem to go ignored. Or, if you did read attentively and there was something I said that specifically confused you, I'd love it if you pointed it out. I imagine that goes for everyone else, too.
~Neshomeh, who likes specific concrit better than vague praise, for future reference.
Newbie Ranger Excitement Pink needs to be a bit less of a spaz.
*facepalms self* All right. I am leaving this particular thread for a few days, recombobulating, and then coming back with a proper decision.