Because no matter how far you roam, you can always come back to good old Valucre, many folks' idyllic second home!
Oh, I feel like I am getting rusty here! Take a week off from writing the blog and all my witty openers start leaking from my brain. Well, okay, let's be honest here, I'm about as witty as this guy here, who apparently lost something really important. Now that we've come to conclude that I have no dignity whatsoever, and can incorporate literal bathroom humor into anything (don't even get me going on my ability to make anything risque ;) ), why don't we flash forward and get on to the rest of the blog.
If I keep on going, I'm liable to end up going down the tube.
Yep, I just went there.
What's Happening Valucre?
Water Cooler Changes- Okay, for those of you who might have missed the memo (even though it was printed up all nice and neat in the newsletter), we've implemented a few Water Cooler changes, all with the intent of making your RP seeking experience more efficient and better than ever. The staff have deliberated on this one for weeks, so believe Supernal there when he tells you that this was no lightly reached decision. We saw a tendency for some RPs to fall off the map too fast for anyone to get a glimpse of them, and decided to enact a number of changes to make everything smoother.1. You have an OOC section! Yep, there is now a place for your thread to go once it has gone from recruiting folks to just helping the Role-play get along. Now, members are unable to start their own OOC thread in that the OOC section- we're trying to avoid double up posting and confusion. Instead, we'd like to see folks first initiate an invitation for role-play, gather up your folks, and then let the thread evolve into an OOC thread. At that point, you have a couple options: You can contact a team leader or admin, or you can just change the name of the thread to "Example Role-play OOC". Then, when one of us sees it, we'll get it moved over for you. :)
2. You can no longer start more than 3 threads in 7 days. We understand if you've got a few ideas you want to share, but on occasion we've seen a huge number of RP threads come through by one person. This pushes off all the recent threads and makes it harder for them to get some traction. To be fair, we're going to 3 per 7 days (3/wk).
3. We will soon have an official template to help guide you in your Water Cooler submissions. You don't have to follow the exact structure of it, but any good request should have the information it asks for somewhere in the invitation- this helps you get people interested in your idea. :)
Role-Play Direction Thread- One of our newest members of Outreach has put together this handy peice to help our new folks find the role-play that best fits them. She did an excellent job, so when you get the chance, drop her some props. In the meantime, here's some words straight from her:
"Hey, board leaders- …and anyone else hoping for more activity in a continent, city, or roleplay on Valucre—check this out:
Newbies are being pointed to the recently instated Roleplay Direction thread. Based on their roleplaying interests, Blue Shoelaces attempts to steer them toward particular threads, quests, or regions that appear to be particularly good fits. It's gotten a lot of attention in its first week of existence, and if things continue, it could prove an invaluable resource for newbies and vets alike.
If you see a newbie who looks lost, lead them here!
Additionally, Blue would love input from board leaders (or anyone) looking to get some new members into their region or individual roleplay. Keep an eye on the thread, and if you see someone who looks like a perfect fit for your little-known town or your up-and-coming event, shoot Blue Shoelaces a PM! Blue does not claim to know about every last bit of Valucre lore, so your help is appreciated, if not imperative.
Important note: For now, Supernal requests that Blue be the only person to contact these members in response to a post in the RP Direction thread. Part of the purpose of this thread is to avoid overwhelming members, so we don't want them bombarded with PM's from all directions. We also want to make sure all corners of Valucre get equal chances of newbie influx. If you have a suggestion, contact Blue with your roleplay, and it will be included in the thread response."
Treasure Hunt Epic-Fantasy- Now this sounds cool. This role-play is seeking people not afraid to delve into the mystical and absurd, going through a dungeon crawl in the most unlikely of places. If you think you've done it all, I have a feeling you might not have done something like this. Come seek your treasure and fortune inside a sea cresting among the clouds! That's right, a deep sea dungeon craw within an ocean caught in a strange gravitational field, lofting this mystical body above the clouds and into a place described as between the planes of reality themselves. Characters sought should be decently scaled, so that while they may be more than a mere human, they can still meet a decent challenge from what might come out to face them. If you think your character might enjoy something like this, check it out here: Outlandish Treasure Hunt
Rebuilding Izabal- The ever-growing Orisia Isle is in need of some assistance again, as they have some work ahead of them thanks to a nasty pirate scourge. Looks like a few ports were heavily damaged, so now they are building them back up and filling them with some troops to protect the vulnerable people. There will be an upcoming military division, and among the things you can help rebuild include a hospital, the port, a barracks, city hall and some residential areas (shops and homes). If this strikes your fancy, pick up a hammer and come help the folks out.
Attacks on Ignatz, Palgard, & Weland- Alright, a few places in Terrenus are not having such a great time, and I decided it would be duty as a (neutral) blogger to point out the threads calling for character involvement. Now, you don't have to be a good guy. You might be a bad guy looking to get involved in terrorist activities, someone looking to derail everyone's fun, or you might be there hoping to get a reward. Either way, these three places are getting attacked in some capacity or another. You can go to defend Ignatz, defend Palgard, or defend Weland.
Spymaster Needed- Well, do you think you have what it takes to be a spymaster? Or do you have a character who might be good at aiding a spymaster get their job done? If so, you might want to take a gander over this way, as someone is offering VB for the job to get done. Do you gather secrets?
To War- Oh yes, this one is going to be big. If you were around in days long passed, you might remember the clan wars, and the amount of role-play it used to generate. Well, we have a couple of agencies who are getting rather large, and others sure to come up on the rise. We have some smaller ones who might band together under a common cause, and these rival groups don't like it when competition springs. That's right, we're talking about major clashes, tied to no nations and based on allegiances of organizations alone. If you miss this sort of action, or never got a taste of it before, you should definitely mosey on over here. Prepare for war!
Question of the Week!!!
Well, you'd think with two weeks to get answers that we would get more than just three, but all I got for this week was three. It's a little disheartening, but I suppose those few who regularly answer are the few who have the highest chances of winning the monthly prize. Speaking of which, I bet you're wondering who that was. Well, without further ado....
The Winner of the Monthly Blog Prize (Valued at $5, whoo!), is.......
Shades of Grey!
I doubt she was as excited as that kid there (Sadly, there was a day that I would have done that if I had gotten a Charizard, but that was a decade and a half ago... oh man, I'm getting old 0_0), but she can bask in the lovely 500vb she is getting, as she asked for VB in lieu of the gift card.
Congrats Shades. :)
Getting back to our question of the week, the question for last week was: What are you thankful for Valucre?
First Response: The Blog.
[browniepointsbrowniepoints]
But in all seriousness, I am grateful for just how much
there is to do and inspire on Valucre. In character and out of character. The
first thing that drew me to the site was simply how much lore there was, and
how easily I could affect said lore. Quests, artifacts, conquest, creation-- a
simple form was all it took for my contributions to matter to the whole. The
inspiration just poured out from there. I had entire continents to work with
and there was so much possibility. And whenever that ran dry or went through a
rough period, there was always some other storyline being created by the other
writers, giving me the drive to work on my own or participate in theirs.
But it wasn't just IC! OOC I've found so much to do. The
site's open to people wanting to help out, whether it be with greeting new
members or contributing to stories or even sending a response to the weekly
blog question. You can chat in the Free Chat or you can write up your own blog
or you can organize your character's storyline. However much effort you put
into this site, you get out.
Second Response: I'm thankful to Valucre for allowing me the freedom to write
what I wish without any judgement against me. I can type as childish or
sadistic as I feel (within the character). Not only that but I can also share
my stories and sometimes get feedback on it. The storytellers are awesome as
well, especially since they are picked specially for their ability to conjure
enjoyment out of thought and the blank space on the screen.
The other folk in the wilderness of Valucre aren't bad
either. But I would have to say out of everything...I am thankful to Valucre
for introducing me to my love. I met him on here and perhaps would have never
got the chance without Valucre and her lure for fellow rpers.
Third Response: I am thankful for the [legend] BBCode. It's a neat little format.
I am also (more) thankful for Valucre interactions outside of roleplay. I feel like I've really gotten to know some people as friends—over the internet. Ten years ago, even if I were my present age, I would probably not have come to a site like this to begin with, let alone divulged anything approaching personal information. Meeting and befriending over the internet is getting to be safer and more accepted, nowadays, and Valucre is my first real experience with this. I think it's pretty cool.
There is your three answers for the Blog question of two weeks ago [the last blog]. Now, I had a few choices for questions this week, but here is what I am going with.
Question of the Week: Hey Valucre, is there anything you like to do before/during your writing of posts? We covered music, but what about habits or food?
Now, as a few of you know, I am an Ice cream junkie. Absolutely in need of an 12 step program for it, and boy does that urge to have some go shooting way up anytime I am posting from home. If I am doing any kind of heavy writing (posts, NaNoWriMo, etc)- I get an unbelievable hankering for Ice Cream- particularly, Vanilla with Chocolate syrup.
So, there's my weird habit/food need for posting. What's yours Valucre?
Say Hello to Our New Members and Returns!
Alright, so we are covering two weeks, which means we have a fair amount. Looks like the coming of new members was a little slow post thanksgiving, but it picked up over the next week. We have 15 new members for all of you, as well as two returning folks.
Welcome, WhatisJustice
Welcome, Jell0crew
Welcome, Callmeishmael
Welcome, Onvesu
Welcome, Ialea
Welcome, Boomfus
Welcome, Matiere
Welcome, Otaku4life
Welcome, Usagi Inaba
Welcome, Somniloquist
Welcome, Plumdarling
Welcome, Astral
Welcome, Karinna
Welcome, Hydra
Welcome, Consume
And a big welcome back to:
Fawked (Wez)
That sums up our new members and returns for the week. Be sure to stop in and give them all a welcome. If they ask about RP, send them to the Roleplay Direction thread or to the Tavern of Legend!
Other Highlights?
I got out of having to do this for two weeks- two weeks! Now here we are again, with you giving me that look, expecting me to produce. This time, the joke is on you! I have something for you, and it's quite a gem. We're also changing this format up just a smidgen. Now, instead of giving you two highlights I dredge up from wherever, I am going to only give you one highlight, and a helping of the Did You Know from our very own Supernal. So take that, you extortionists!
Guide to Making a Successful Water Cooler Check- Now, we are going to get an official thing put up in the Water Cooler as soon as we can (let's face it, all the staff have full time jobs and many other things to do besides doing all the staff stuff we do to, so you have to have patience with us!), but in the meantime, one of our Storytellers helped put this together and tossed it up on his blog. I think this is a great start and will certainly help you guys in your RP advertising. Please, go check it out. How To...
Did You Know...- "Did you know that you can apply tags to your threads? And that users can later search for specific tags that might have them stumbling across your thread?" Yep, you sure can apply tags, and they are quite handy. It allows folks to find your threads if they are looking for specific things, and can even help you find it later. You can read the rest of this Did You Know Here and you can check out the whole archive here.
Closing Thoughts?
It comes as a bit of irony that I am doing this closing thought on a night where I am running a little behind my usual pace. Of course, this closing thought was asked of by almost three weeks ago and I have planned to do it today ever since. Further, I must put forth in my defense, that I am running a little behind because after two weeks off, I have more to catch up and cover with the What’s Happening and New Members section. With all that said, this week’s topic is Time Management, a subject that never thought I would be covering. I can proudly say I am better at this now than I once was, but looking back on that once upon a time, I was poor with my time management skills.
Working long hours forces you to change that.
I wish I started putting together some of these strategies when I was back in college. It might have been the difference between me having to drop a class and me not having to drop a class, where dropping a class also lost my financial aid and set me on a long road of inability to get back into school. First lesson to all of our younger readers out there is this: Develop these skills as early as you can. You never know when it might become the difference between your success and lack of success. I never acquired them when I was younger because high school was too easy for me.
Then I went to a high rated college and tried pulling full time hours.
That blew up.
Having entered the real world and devoted a great deal of my time to working (a lot), I finally did learn some strategies for managing my time and focusing on tasks. If you are going to get all the important things in your life taken care of and still have time to do anything else, you are going to have to learn how to budget your time. Luckily (for you math impaired folks) it is not as hard as balancing a checkbook or budgeting your monthly bills- but the steps are definitely similar.
Take a look at what you have. How much do you actually have to do (and by have to I mean without a doubt cannot get out of doing) and figure out how much time that is going to take- realistically. This is not the time to kid yourself into thinking that doing this task is only going to take you thirty minutes when in fact it will take a minimum of 45min- if it will take you 45min then you better call it 45min, or even an hour. Better to over compensate than under compensate.
Once you have an idea of how long doing the things you *have* to get done will take you, you have an idea of how much time you will actually have to get done what you should try to get done, and what you would like to get done. At this point, you should start deciding how important each of those ‘should get done’ tasks are. Rate it on a scale of 1-10, or letter grades, or give them colors- whatever works for your mind and how you think! If certain items are read as in hurry up and do me, you really should put that at the top of your list. But what if it is a soft blue color, one that says don’t mind me, I’ll wait patiently?
Well, those are great, but they can be a double edged sword. You can put these things off until later, because you have the time. You might want to get something else done, or you might feel over taxed- it’s okay, take some time off. In fact, if you are so over swamped with things to do, you *should* schedule yourself R&R time. It’s okay to push over the low priority item for another day or two. What becomes a problem is if you keep putting off that item for days and days, or even weeks. Eventually, that soft and fuzzy little blue thing is going to harden into a red hot and ready to burst item.
Scary ~_~
If you have some things that can be slid off onto another day, you should ask yourself this:
Am I putting it off because I have other things to do, or have no other way to schedule myself some time for me, or am I putting it off because I just don’t want to do it?
If the answer is the latter, put it back on your plate. ><
So, we’re budgeting here, and you should have noticed that in the list of things to do, I included –me- time. You need it. Everyone needs some time to recharge their batteries and do things for themselves. Have a hobby. Feel free to have a bit of time you can just sit and relax. Steal it wherever you can, but you have to take care of yourself. If you don’t, how will you be able to take care of everything else?
On that same note, remember the other people in your life as well. It’s important that we find time for our family and significant others. You’re important to them too, and yes- they help you too. Now, don’t sacrifice –all- of your me time for them, because you need a little of that too- but make sure you get some family time in there as well (assuming you have one that is).
Okay, so we are starting to put together a schedule based on what you have to do. What if it just seems to full? What if there is not enough room in this darn calendar to write down everything you have to do?
Ask yourself this: Can you consolidate?
It seems like an obvious question, but some people never think about combining things. You need to do laundry- well, clothes sit in the wash for a while, what else can you do while you wait? You really want to sit down and think about a post to do up on Valucre, but you have dinner to cook. Ever think about keeping a pad of paper and a pencil handy while you brainstorm? Need to run down to the DMV to get something renewed and you just know you will be there for an hour, and then you have to go home and do all your bills? Heck with that, bring the bills with you and do them while you wait on their crummy chairs.
Just make sure you leave nothing with your personal info behind. Damn identity thieves.
I do a lot of that though, I consolidate as much as I can. I have more activity now since I went to night shift (have very little to do here) but I still managed to have decent activity even when working during the day, because I squeezed it. I choose to leave my weekends open for outside hobbies and my family, so you won’t see RP posts from me on those days all too often, unless I ran out of things to do.
So, let me put this in a way that makes more sense:
Budget your time: Determine how much time you have to use after doing the absolute essentials, and then focus on important tasks, and then the less important tasks. Fill in some of that time with a chance to recharge yourself as needed- within reason of course.
Consolidate what you are doing: If you can get two birds knocked out with on stone, do so! A great way to save time is to get two or even three things done at once anytime you can.
The last thing I can say is do things that help you save time. Do something the right way the first time, so you won’t have to do it again later. If you can get something prepped so it will save you steps later- do so. I do it on here. I have parts of this blog down in a template to save me time. I come up with steps to help me with getting other things done as well- anything I can do to make what I have to get done get done faster.
So, there is my three main secrets:
Budget
Consolidate
Prepare.
See if that helps you out, and remember- part of this is also taking a bit of time for yourself, otherwise you’ll get overstressed and won’t stay focused on your tasks! And while taking short breaks (peeking at Valucre perhaps) is all well and good, don’t let your mind wander too long! About 5min every 45min to an hour is fine. :)
Alright folks, I’ll see you next week!
- Acies
“I write to give myself strength. I write to be the characters that I am not. I write to explore all the things I'm afraid of. ”
~ Joss Whedon
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