Sunday, June 6th, 2010
Issue: 31   Editor: HowlingMadMika


Road to the Buzz Forum HowlingMadMika
So, you want to become a Buzz Writer? No, this is not an adapted quote from Pokémon, it is a genuine question, maybe even somewhat of a claim. Regardless of what it is, this article contains several hints and tips for applicants to help them write down their application article. Because, as most will know, the Buzz requires every applicant to submit an application article on a random Bootleggers-related subject. This article is reviewed by the Editor and the applicant will receive feedback and, if the application met the expectations, an invitation to join the Buzz Team.

Now, how to write an article that may get you to become a member of the Buzz Team? There are several steps every writer goes through when writing an article. This article has listed most of these steps and will provide some information regarding them that should be of help.

Choice of subject
The choice of subject is usually the first step any writer takes. As per the Buzz application rules the article has to be related to Bootleggers, meaning that you are to cover an event that occurred on Bootleggers. A common misconception is that the article has to be original in its subject. This is in fact not true. It is perfectly alright for an applicant to cover a subject that has already been covered by a Buzz Writer. Nevertheless an original subject is appreciated and will usually help.

When choosing your subject it is recommended that you write about a subject that interests you, as it will be easier to cover and you will be more inclined to write a quality article. Although the article type may be chosen by the applicant it is recommended not to submit an interview, as practice has taught us these are generally difficult to write. Should you wish to submit an interview then pay close attention to the way the Buzz implements quotes, and make sure you write it in story form. Q&A type (question and answer) interviews will not be accepted.

Gathering information
You have chosen your subject and you need to find information. In general the forums are a good place to start if you feel you are in need of opinions. Of course you can also message players and ask them if they are willing to provide you with their opinion on a certain matter. Most players will be willing to do this when asked. Make sure you explain what you are doing and what will happen with what they tell you.

If you have decided to write about a controversial issue, for instance, you can ask other players for their opinions and report on those. Or another option could be to think of several strong arguments and to give your view on the matter.

When covering a recent event, you will of course require statistics and information on who played a role in the event, what exactly happened, and what the outcome was.

Writing your article
So, you a subject and the information you need. Now it is time to write. Right... everything else was kind of fun, but now you need to get down to the actual work.When writing, you need to make sure your article is long enough. A good minimum to go by is an article that consists out of a minimum of three paragraphs which are each four lines long. This is an absolute minimum requirement, however, so writing a longer article is encouraged.

In short, an article consists out of three parts, a lead, a body, and a conclusion. The lead basically covers the subject of your article and provides some information. It is not a summary, but provides the basic information, and serves to catch the attention of the reader. A good lead introduces the subject and gets a reader interested enough for him or her to want to continue reading,
The body includes all your arguments and the main information. Basically it contains what you wish to share. If you are using arguments or examples, the best strategy to go by is one example or argument for every paragraph.

The conclusion includes your conclusion, obviously, and may include a short summary of your article. In your conclusion you also wrap up your article.

Reviewing your article
After writing your article, it is important to go over it at least one more time. Is your punctuation correct? Is your article free of spelling and/or grammatical mistakes? Does your reasoning make sense?

With English not being a first language for everyone, this part of the writing process is really important. Many applicants make mistakes in grammar or punctuation, seeing these aspects are (poorly) corrected by Word. If you have any doubts whatsoever then look up the rules for whatever you are having second thoughts about so you are sure you have not made a mistake.

In addition you could ask a close friend to provide peer feedback which you can use to improve your article.

Submission
You are sure your article is finished? Really? Double check everything one more time to make sure that your article contains no or as little mistakes as possible. Also save it in Word so that you still have a copy of your own. Once those tasks have been completed you can submit your application on the bottom of the 'Bootleggers Buzz' page as an 'Application', this option is available in the drop menu.

After you have submitted your article you should receive a reply within two weeks. Should you die during this time without having received a reply then remember to re-submit your application the same way.