Jen's Guide To
Epically Failing On
A Storyteller Application
(...or how to succeed?)
Epically Failing On
A Storyteller Application
(...or how to succeed?)
Yes, we see this a lot. Don't let this be you. Most storyteller applications repeatedly make us gnash our teeth with frustration and cry big tears of sadness for the Domain being applied for. Why? Because we know we have another mindless sheep that wants to lead the flock to it's demise when we get certain types of answers.
Below is a quick and dirty guide on how to NOT fail at an ST application.
- What is your name?
Refusing to give us your real name is a deal breaker. This should be the easiest question in the whole application. Sadly, it is not. - What is your age?
Being vague or withholding this is also a deal breaker. Just tell us. Would it really kill you that we know? - Please list any characters you might play.
Failing to omit that you have X number of alts, were an ex-st that was retired for inactivity, or any sort of lying is a deal breaker. - Please list the position you are applying for (RS, DS, AS, JrST).
OMG I JUST WANT TO BE ON STAFF! I DONT CARE WHERE! Please be specific. We aren't mind readers and if you can't pick out a domain and list what you like or don't like about it, its strengths and weaknesses, etc. then you have no business writing out this application. - Please give a detailed accounting of why you want to apply for this position and how you want to improve this area. What drew you to this region? What is special about it? Please be specific.
The players are amazing. The players drew me. The players are my besties. Anything about the players there is going to get you an epic big X in our book because the players are amazing all over the game. This shows a real lack of knowledge of the domain. This is supposed to be all about the domain. In this case, and in all cases on the application, we care NOTHING about how you feel about the players. Player dynamics change all the time. The people there currently may not be there five minutes from now. Even if the players drew you because they are special, NO NO NO. We don't want to hear about it. Tell us the OTHER reasons why you are there.
Also, don't you dare tell us you want to write calenders, weather, and locations. If you use the word 'Development' at all, its a deal breaker. Why? Because any player can develop. That's not really a full time storyteller job. It's just a sideline hobby that ST's get to indulge in. The whole World Development Forum is for development. Go there if that's what you want to do.
Now if you want to talk about concepts and ideas you want to work on, that's cool. New factions? Cool. Expand existing things? Cool. But most domains have set ideas, concepts, and locations in place. They don't need to be developed. Streamlined? Sure. But not .... torn down and built up from scratch. - Please list your favorite aspects of Mizahar and why.
I bet you can guess by now what I'm going to say here. We know the players are special. But again, we don't want to hear about them adnasium for a round two. So many applications have five or six sections on why the players are amazing. We get that. We know we are surrounded by incredibly gifted writers. Say something about the site, the content, the set up, the skill system. This is a critical thinking section. Show us you have a half a brain and aren't some brainless hussy staring at your pretty nails, tossing your head, smacking your bubble gum and telling us how omg dreamy the players are. - Please list the aspects of Mizahar you feel need improvement and why.
If I see one more application that has the obvious big two lacks on it I'm going to vomit. You get negative points for stating the obvious like the game has a lack of storytellers or the lore needs finished. We know this. We understand this. The situation is being worked on. Tell us about game systems that are flawed. Tell us about situations that are awkward and could be smoothed out and how.
Also, don't tell me you are going to BRIBE players into doing work in your city by using things like perk points etc. That's utter bs. It's been done. Go get an original idea, mkay? - Please list any applicable experience you might have with storytelling (can be off site).
Don't tell us you read your little sister bedtime stories every night. We don't care. We want to know what sort of STORYTELLING experience you might have in regards to putting plots together, including all sorts of players, being flexible... anything that might be related to this such as impromptu theater, work at the YMCA with kids, etc. can be considered pertinent. Do you herd cats for a living? This may just help you on your application if you have wondrous skills we haven't yet looked into as valuable for STs to have. Put it down. We do not, however, want to hear about your toenail clipping art nor your mock up of Mizahar made out of macaroni art. Oversharing is a good thing, but probably not in this section. - Please list any development projects you might have been involved with. Why did you get involved? What drew you to this sort of development. What made you enthusiastic about these projects?
If you don't have any, don't put in an application. Go work on something in the WDF and see if you like creating things for the game first. If you don't.... then you won't like being a storyteller because 99% of your job is crafting plots for your domain. This can be development from anywhere on anything. Just give us lots of examples or take five minutes and donate some time to a city and make a location and a couple of NPCs so we see you aren't a completely uninspired blow-hard here. If you wrote a church play, helped landscape your grandma's garden in a sexy Mediterranean theme... anything. Just talk about it here. We just want to know you are creative and imaginative! - Please provide a recommendation from an existing storyteller.
No recommendation? No deal. And don't ask someone who doesn't know you. Ask someone whom you perhaps did some development for. But you MUST have a recommendation. That doesn't mean you need a 'name' to give us. You need the whole recommendation posted.