Stretch those fingers, practice those mind maps, and get yourself a dictionary, because shit is about to go down.
For the Month of September Arkadia is hosting a Write-A-Thon.
What's a Write-A-Thon, you ask?
A Write-A-Thon is a like a Tele-A-Thon except instead of no-name Artists and intermittent interruptions about why you should donate, there will be 15 Milestones that all participants will be required to complete before SEPTEMBER 30TH and a chance to win the grand prize.
To learn how to compete, and find out what the grand prize is, click here!
For all your graphics needs! Need a new cover photo or avatar? Want to flex those coding or photoshop skills? Check out the plaza to browse around or even open a shop of your own.
For information and guidelines on how to make the most of the subforum, click here!
Our lovely bleu is September’s Member of the Month! Bleu is a kindhearted, patient person and a fountain of positivity. Read on for our interview:
Q: What’s the meaning behind your username?
A: At first glance, it just seems like it is a direct French translation for the color Blue, but it actually stems from the men’s cologne Bleu de Chanel made by the fashion house of the same name. It’s ambiguous and simple, but specific enough to show my love for both European fashion and the french language.
Q: How did you find Arkadia?
A: I was invited to join the website by Endgame and Suki while we were working on another writing project together. We had all previously collaborated together a few years back on another website and had recently reunited on Discord. They introduced me to Rick and all the other beta testers joining the website. Joining Arkadia meant continuing to write together and furthering our friendship, so it was an easy decision to make.
Q: When did you start RPing? How’d you get into it?
A: It’s been a hot minute since I started. I’ve been writing as a creative outlet since I was in high school, but I didn’t start RPing with other writers until I was in college. I found another writing website, RPGC, and decided to give collaborative writing a try. That was maybe 9 or 10 years ago? I was immediately drawn to the dynamic of writing a singular story with other writers, and more so sharing the world and character building with them. The friends and stories I made there are the very same ones that brought me here!
Q: Tell us about your writing process.
A: I’m afraid I don’t really have a set process, and the way that I write will largely depend on my mood and the nature of the project I’m involved in. When I collaborate with other writers, I mostly write for the set of characters that I’ve created, and so the initial focus is on them.
Before I even start writing, my main goal is to have a clear-enough picture of who these characters are as people, so that once I do touch pen to paper, the writing and dialogue comes across naturally. When a character has fully materialized in my mind, they almost write themselves, and I’m just along on the emotional journey they take.
One thing I know for sure about my style of writing, though, is that I will write and rewrite sentences multiple times over before I’m ok with them. Even when I’ve moved on, I will re-read the scene over again once “I’m done” and change it up to try and make it flow better.
Q: Do you listen to anything while you write?
A: Yes! I actually need to be listening to something for me to write comfortably—most of the time, it is some sort of music. The type of scene I’m writing will often dictate the kind of music that I’m listening to, and the genre can range anywhere from classical music, to film scores, to K-pop. So long as I can’t understand what the artists are saying, I can listen to anything while I write.
Q: Is there anything in particular that inspires you?
A: Anything and everything. It could be a piece of art, a melody, a lyric in a song, or even other written works. I’m a ball of emotion, so literally anything can inspire to write. A lot of the time, it’s actually a person that inspires me—a family member, a friend, or an idol. I find that these means of inspiration often manifest themselves in more than just writing, too.
Q: Favourite book, movie, TV show, and song. Go!
A: Book: Pride and Prejudice, and all the Harry Potter Books Movie: Scent of a Woman TV Show: Grey’s Anatomy or Parks & Rec Song: A Sunday Kind of Love - Etta James
Q: Any tips for fellow writers?
A: Write as often as you can, and don’t be afraid to ask for advice or feedback from other writers. Most importantly, enjoy and be proud of the stories and characters that you create—nobody could have created them except for you!
In order to qualify for Arkadia's Member of the Month, you must have a minimum of 50 posts, three badges, and presently be active in one site thread. Additionally, MOTM should in general be friendly, considerate, helpful, and active — in short, be in good standing with the site as a whole!
To read the interviews with Arkadia's previous MOTM, click below:
