[Ronain Arthyn]

Due to the large influx of aspiring writers, it has been deemed necessary that there should be some kind of guide for the literature and writing section of TR. This was posted after consulting with Xui'al, at his request and currently meets his approval.


For those that desire to be a part of Tamriel Rebuilt by writing literature, I feel an introduction to Tamriel Rebuilt literature is in order. I fully understand the desire to be part of this project. It is a wondrous thing to see so many different people come together and work toward something of this magnitude. This is not meant to be condescending or disrespectful. This is written in altruism for the deluged (yet all-powerful)literary moderators.

I would like to mention the following:

1) Involving ones self in a project like this can lead to frustration, anxiety, anger, hostility, stress and depression.

2) Projects of this nature require lots of time. More often than not, people don’t have the ability to dedicate the time required to accomplish things in the manner in which TR wants them to be done.

--- If you understand those things, and you would like to write for Tamriel Rebuilt then please do the following:

1 - Please take your time and decide a single topic, something or anything that interests you. (Stories about Hammerfell and informational literature about Stirk, Hammerfell and the surrounding area will catch the attention of the Modders and the Moderators.)

2 - Most of the Modders and Moderators here are more than willing to assist; one or more of the Modders or Moderators will review your work after it has been posted and make suggestions. If there is something that needs to be fixed, fix it. If you do not know how, ask for further assistance. The most important thing is being persistent and dedicated. No one is perfect. Don’t give up.

3 - Follow the steps that it takes to write a good story. Once you have your topic, outline what you wish to discuss. Use your outline to expound upon your theme.

4 - Do the research! You are writing the book, song, scroll, journal or quest. YOU should know the lore that substantiates and supports it, better than most. You should be able to defend your position.

5 - Tamriel Rebuilt is looking for things to be in line with Bethesda’s lore. This is non-negotiable. There are myriad sites on the Internet to find TES Lore, but some tend to be a bit more subjective than others. Tamriel Rebuilt recommends research to be done within the actual game or at The Imperial Library, henceforth TIL. The works at TIL are taken directly from the game literature and manuals. TIL tends to be much more objective than some of the other sites. TIL can be found at http://imperial-library.info

6 - PROOFREAD your work. If someone else is not available to read your work prior to submission, try the following techniques:

I) Read the piece out loud.
II) Read the piece backwards.
III) Check your grammar.
IV) Check your story's tense. One tense please.
V) Check your spelling. Spell check is helpful, but don't rely on it. (i.e. there, their and they're or to, too and two)

7 - Submit the work when you think it is ready. Don’t rush to get it done. This is about displaying your best work and you will be judged accordingly.

8 - If your first or second submission is rejected, keep at it. Dedication and devotion mean a great deal around here.


And finally, not everyone has the ability to write in the manner that Tamriel Rebuilt needs. Really look at the possibility of being rejected. Will it cause you undue anger and resentment if your work is rejected? Keep in mind that professional writers often go through periods of rejection that can last years. If you cannot deal with rejection or constructive criticism, writing is not the place for you.

[Xui'al]

I love Ronain's writings here, but I want to add a little. Since this is occurring more and more, I might as well post a snip from another thread I answered:


I'll warn you here and now though, it's very hard to get in to Tamriel Rebuilt via writing. You'll have to impress me and the other literature critics and moderators with your writing, which means:
-Solid understanding of English.
-Relative absence of error.
-Strong lore knowledge.
-Strong writing skill.

I don't like stories for Showcase work. Especially stories with Nords or werewolves. If you want to become a TR Modder, your work will probably have to be a lore book/essay. If it can be published in the Forum Scholars Guild or is of equal quality (not all works are appropriate there) I can guarantee you will gain entrance. I cite these reasons behind my logic:

1. If you can write a good lore book/essay, you should have no problem writing stories with proper inspiration.

2. I don't read every piece of literature on the planet. How do I know you didn't change a couple of things from someone else's work?

3. Writing excellent stories still requires good writing skills, lore knowledge and creativity. If you can write exceptionally well, odds are you can perform in other parts of the project, rather than just literature.

[Nanu]

I'd also like to add to this that unless your book rivals the approved content in Finished as soon as you submit it, there is a slim to nil chance that I will recommend you for promotion on your writing merits alone.

That being said, it's a huge plus if you are an interior/exterior/quest modder or modeler/texturer AND can write. In that case, a writing skill will help you become part of the team.

I don't mean to be harsh at all, but what TR needs is modders that can do more than one thing, so that's the reason for the wanting of a coupled talent with writing.

Also, writing skills are learned and honed in school and on your own time. As much as I'd like to, I can't teach you how to command the language well enough to write on topics of lore. We CAN teach you how to build an interior, however.

In short, I'm not going to be promoting for Literature alone except in situations where the author is obviously gifted, and somewhat guaranteed to stay for more than a week or two.