On Writing Here at HSM
by Terra_Cide, HSM Editor
Writing is a socially acceptable form of getting naked in public – Paulo Coelho
As you all should know by now, our Writing Contest has come to an end. We would like to thank all of the individuals – both staff and newcomers alike – who submitted articles. They truly were a wonderful read, each and every one of them. There is definitely a hidden talent inside all of you who got their articles published.
That being said, we are always looking for new submissions and prospective talent to contribute to the magazine, perhaps even joining our ranks. This is why we have decided to start a Mentorship Program for those who are interested.
Spurred on by a conversation we had off-air the last time I was on The Upload, this concept was created the same time as the Writing Contest, but it was decided to hold off on debuting it until after is was over, since the contest was open to all but Editorial staff, and we didn’t want to create too many conflict of interests amongst staff who offered to help new writers.
This was created with those of you in mind who, as guest contributor Estim’s article so eloquently describes, are shy, perhaps even stymied by how well-written the articles here are – as if their authors are simply born with this level of talent – and perhaps lack the confidence in your own hidden talents to step forward and share with us.
There will be no time limit to this program; it will go on for as long as people are willing to participate, both as mentors and as mentees. The mentorship period will last as long as those of you who wish to be mentored feel it necessary, until the day comes when you feel confident to go out on your own.
Who knows, we may even ask if you want to join us as a full-fledged team writer, and you in turn can become a mentor and lend a hand to someone who was just like you.
And it’s not as if we lack writers without some very legitimate real-world writing credentials, either. These very same writers are graciously lending their free time, not only to write here at HSM, but to also help out aspiring writers as well.
I won’t bother to proverbially beat the dead horse once more and tell you about just how widely read HSM is, not just by the users of Home, but also by the developers – you know, the people who actually make the virtual stuff we buy and enjoy in Home. But I’d be lying if I said that the volume and level of attention we are getting in the short span of time we’ve been around wasn’t exciting.
The beauty of it all is that we have some very vast topics to explore in the PlayStation Network, gaming, and Home; especially once you stop looking at them for what they simply are, but take them apart – deconstruct them – and see them for what they could be.
Being a part of an online writing community myself for years before coming here to HSM, I know for a fact this is what a community of writers does for each other – they coach and encourage each other, bounce ideas off each other, and provide constructive criticism. Simply saying, “That sucks!” or, “You’re wrong it’s (fill in the blank)” isn’t going to cut it here.
If you see a problem, great, but you better come up with a more diplomatic way of wording your criticism – and a solution – if you want to gain any respect – both from the staff and the writer of the article, as well as your fellow readers.
Also, expecting all sorts of glory without doing any of the work first will get you nowhere at HSM, and in a very fast way. I won’t tell you what Norse did to the last person who tried that route, but let’s just say it wasn’t pretty. The guy does own a genuine katana, after all, and he does know how to use it.
Now, mind you, HSM isn’t run like some totalitarian regime, but it’s not a full-on democracy, either. It’s run like a commercial publication.
We do want to create an environment where individuals – who truly want to contribute their thoughts in a literate and mature way to the PlayStation Home communities worldwide – can learn how to write, and that nurtures them creatively, as well as provide a stage upon which to express this new-found literary talent. Yet understand too – given that we are all, for the most part, adults – that there comes a time in one’s development where what was once applauded will be simply expected of you.
This is not to say you will stop receiving acknowledgement for your work altogether, and it will be far more than just a stoic, “That’ll do, pig” moment. We like catching people doing something good, preferably when they aren’t expecting it.
We have a lot of exciting things I’m sure you all will be looking forward to reading about in the coming months; exclusive, never-before-seen interviews, special guest contributions, reviews, more zaniness from our Upload crew, new contests, videos, and of course, Issue 6 of the magazine itself, which is filled with even more exclusive content.
What you will see develop here at HSM later on in the year will truly amaze you, and we hope some of you choose to hop aboard and join us on this not-so-long strange trip before then. And we hope you use this Mentorship Program to unlock hidden talent and potential in yourself, too.
I hope that you will take advantage of this opportunity, that I will see a contribution from you awaiting me in the queue soon, and that we will also welcome those of you – who choose to join – to our team.
See you on Home.
July 18th, 2011 by Terra_Cide | 6 comments
Terra _Cide is the former Community Manager for Lockwood Publishing and Editor Emeritus for HomeStation Magazine.
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TY Terra. I am interested in the mentoring program. I definitely need a mentor to refine my skills as a writer and help me to choose topics for articles.
This whole idea is something that shows how much we as a magazine care about and want to help Home grow, as well as it’s environs. I hope this works for all of us and grows along with this community we love.
What I love about this program is that it emphasizes one of HomeStation’s primary purposes: to help aspiring writers strengthen their skills by offering an environment wherein they can learn and grow. In so doing, we create a ripple effect; just as so many notable NFL coaches belong to the Bill Walsh coaching tree, our hope is that, in time, many of the Home community’s most prominent voices will somehow be part of the HomeStation tree.
And, for both seasoned and new writers alike, the benefit of being published in HomeStation is twofold: HSM has established itself as a reputable platform (with a substantial audience) which maintains a high level of quality; and, further, could in fact could perhaps even be used as a résumé credit, should a team member choose to further pursue commercial literary endeavors elsewhere.
Obviously, the catch is that the writer has to be willing to put in the work, and learn to work with the process of editing, rewrites and polishing. One of the downsides of the internet age we live in is that people have unprecedented freedom to publish whatever is on their minds in their own personal blogs, and thus they feel their words are sacrosanct. Prior to the internet age, if you wanted your words to reach a large audience, your work had to be published by an outside party — which meant, if you *were* published, that your work had been properly vetted and polished. A certain level of quality assurance, if you will.
(This is one of the reasons why, even with readily accessible vanity presses all around, aspiring writers still want to be published through a house like Knopf — because it tells the reader that the work met a certain level of acknowledged literary quality.)
Making the transition to a more professional venue can thus be quite a rude wake-up call. Working with an editor is something that most internet bloggers are completely unfamiliar with; some will leave and cry foul (which has happened both here at HSM and elsewhere in the Home community), whereas others will stick around, learn, and benefit not just from the larger audience but also the improved skills. And they can take pride in knowing that they’re associated with a brand that demands quality and displays quality.
By the way, keep in mind that the bar only goes higher — and the process more challenging — as you make a name for yourself. Even the really big authors these days — Stephen King, Jo Rowling, John Grisham, James Patterson, Dan Brown, Tom Clancy and so forth — have editors. Thomas Wolfe’s first novel had over 90,000 words cut from it by Maxwell Perkins, who is generally considered the finest American literary editor of all time. This didn’t win him any popularity contests, but it made the final *product* stronger.
Or, as HearItWow so perfectly put it on the Sony forum, “All editors are jerks. Myself included. All good writers know this.”
The difference here is that, unlike the world of commercial publishing, we’re still a fanzine and a writing community. But we’re a fanzine that runs itself like a commercial publication. So it’s a wonderful environment in which to learn and grow. If you’re willing to put in the work and learn the process, then we *want* to help you develop your skills.
Because, ultimately, both sides win: the HomeStation tree grows another branch, and the writer develops skills (and exposure) which can be put to further use down the road.
We hope you’ll join us.
haem, norse i have mailed you since some days about a comic strip (^^)! perhaps you haven’t receive my message? this work is now finish, and translate in english by a french friends,so before the american publication i want some feedback from HSM to corrects all the errors we could have made on the translation….
very thanks at you!
the link to the comic:
http://community.eu.playstation.com/t5/PlayStation-Home-General/Spin-off-Home-City-Vengeance-s-Dreams-1st-part/td-p/13305446
I read both versions en francais et ‘Americanese’. The translation looks good to me. The few (very few) errors are tres charmant. Your English is much better than my French -- and also a lot better than some of the Home readers! I will bring up this project at the HSM staff meeting on Saturday.
thanks you very much Keara! ^^