Taking an idea from conception to completion
After talking with frozenwatch a bit, and noticing some of the confusion others are having about what and how to submit a write-up, I decided to put together a document explaining how this process works. I am really excited about all of the ideas that have been presented so far….man things are progressing very quickly.
As we move forward please understand that this process takes time. If your submission seems like it is not progressing, review your document again, and see if there is anything you can improve…make the changes, and then post again. With all of the activity going on, we may have just missed your idea…or we could be actively working with another members ideas.
Remember the editors, admins, and mods at RabiKi are volunteering their time. It would be nice to get paid to work 40 hours a week in this creative role, but we all work normal jobs, and RabiKi is something we do for fun after work and after family. And remember review always takes longer than creation. When I’m in creative mode…I can sit and spit out pages and pages of ideas, but to review all of the pages is a time consuming process.
Below is a list of the topics I will cover in the rest of this document, and if you follow it step-by-step, you should end up with a polished work that you and the others of the RabiKi community can be proud of.
- Come up with a creative idea
- Brainstorm your raw idea (and others ideas)
- Prepare your submission for edit
- Working with an editor
Come up with a creative idea Coming up with a new and fresh content will not be difficult. One thing I’ve noticed about people is they are full of ideas, and very willing to share them with you. At this step of the process ideas are like gold, and no ideas are wrong or bad. Some of the seemingly “weird” ideas have turned out to be some of the greatest solutions.
Once you have settled on an idea, submit it to the appropriate brainstorming section. All of these can be found in the
Maintenance Dock - Rabiki World-Building Group (RWBG), and if you can’t find a forum that fits then use the
Brainstorming Misc. When you first submit an idea it can be in raw form like my abandoned asteroid example:
That's about it for this step.......
Brainstorm your raw idea (and others ideas) The brainstorming step in the process can be the most frustrating and the most rewarding. During this process you open your ideas up for scrutiny. Others may submit their own ideas that contradict what you have submitted, but overall the brainstorming process brings out the best work in us all. Just remember this submission belongs to you, and you must be satisfied with the final result. You don't have to accept any suggestions, but they have been offered to help strengthen your submission. Sometimes others pose questions. You may be tempted to give a quick one word answer, but the idea is for you to flesh out your subject....give details and be specific. Once your submission starts to grow, you'll want to put it into
template format. Check out this
example brainstorming session....it starts out small, then grows into a finished idea that is eventually moved to the archives.
A template will help you further develop your idea. The template is just an guide, and does not have to be followed exactly...if you have other areas you would like to include in your write-up just put them in, and if the template calls for material that doesn't fit your submission then take that part of the template out.
You can brainstorm as many ideas as you like on the forums...but keep in mind that if you focus on too many write-ups at once, you'll loose track of where each one is. I would suggest not doing any more than three at a time.
One final thought on brainstorming....It's awesome to have others contribute to your work, so be kind and return the favor. Help others as they submit ideas.
Prepare your submission for edit When you submit an idea to be edited you want it to be in the best shape possible. It's not an editors job to fix your work....that responsibility belongs to you. It's an editors job to help you improve, and ensure that a high quality of work enters the Archives. There are several tools here on the forums to help you prepare your work. Check out the
Writing Tips section, and also check out the
Style Manual. The Style Manual will help keep all submissions on the same page. For example it explains that when using single digit numbes we want to spell it out. (nine instead of 9) The exception is when a unit of measurement follows....so 1 kg is desired over one kg.
Here's a simple list you can review before you submit a piece:
Run it through a spell checker
Read it aloud 3 times (you'll be surprised, this will catch a lot of errors)
Make sure it conforms with the style manual
Check for complete sentences
Check for complete punctuation
You don't want your submission to be a list. It is ok toward the beginning of your submission while you are still fleshing out areas, but not for submitting to edit.
Your submitted work should be more like a story. You are not just listing a bunch of facts....you're trying to build excitement in the reader about the submission. You want to draw them in, hook them, and have them desire to read it to the end. And when they're all done, they should say, "Man! I gotta get me one of these." Check out the revised example below.
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| Quote: Template by: Jesse
Title: Pulse Laser pistol
Author: TA Lucas
Editor: Sarantus
Description
The pulse laser pistol (PLP) is one of the most desired weapons this side of 61 Cygni because of its power to size ratio. This little weapon was invented by the Esoi for covert military operations during their last Great War. I'm not sure how, but they've managed to pack in 700 terawatts (TW) into a 9 centimeter cylinder. Most other weapons of this size could barely stun a humanoid, but the PLP is capable of punching a hole clean through one with a single pulse.
Another desirable feature of this little monster is the mini-laser sight. You don't need to pull it up to your eye to aim...just push the pre-shot trigger, and a small red dot will appear on your target where the blast will hit. It can be shot inconspicuously from under a table, across a crowded room, or concealed within your shirt sleeve.
Also there is no sound or recoil when the weapon is discharged, and the only visible light lasts for a split second on the surface of the victim...you would only see a flicker if looking directly at the blast spot. Assassins love it, and the law enforcement hate it.
Cost
Initially the cost of this weapon was very low, only about 230 credits, but after the assassination of Senator Celebrindal the weapon was banned, and demand sky rocketed. Celebrindal had just accepted the Esoi Liberation Party's nomination for Supreme Magistrate, and a party was held in his honor. As tradition required, the Supreme Magistrate selected one care-giver (similar to a human female),to accompany him on the last dance, and he chose his youngest daughter Maya. On the first line of the song, Celebrindal collapsed in his daughters arms. Maya screamed, several party guests came to his aid, but most were frenzied in speech and in action. What was initially deemed heart attack was later classified as murder...and the killer was never found. Now you can't buy a PLP for under 50,000 credits.
Availability
The PLP is not for sale on the open market, and is not common on the black market. The Esoian government no longer creates this side arm, so the Esoian PLP's are rare and are seldom seen. There are however a few underground groups that have reversed engineered a similar model, but you need connections to find them.
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Working with an editor can be a difficult process, but it doesn't have to be. An editor is not your enemy, so don't take it personal when they suggest changes to your work. They are not picking on you. The don't dislike you. On the contrary they want to help you improve.
When working with an editor be patient...if you use harsh language, or are disrespectful to them then it only serves to prolong the process, and if it happens often then editors will refuse to pick up your work.
If you don't like an editors suggestion, just speak up and say so. Be polite...."I'm not sure why you said I need to change this paragraph, but could you go over it again with me." or "I see where you are coming with those suggestions, but I still think it should be this way." Remember....a submission doesn't make it to the Archives until both you and an editor sign off on it.
