Offering Character Writing Services [Archive] - Wizards Community

Offering Character Writing Services [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Chrysalis
12-28-05, 08:01 AM Hi there,

Me, Chrysalis, am a writer in training and in constant search for small writing projects to be involved in. After looking over this area of the wizard's forums and following a few chats with other role-players, I would like to offer my services to those who would wish to receive a well-written character back-story.

However, I will not be offering my services for free. The reason is simplistic - it takes time to evoke an interesting character background. Therefore price and content are up to negotation.

If you are interested, and I hope you are, send me a pm.
Fithero
12-28-05, 09:58 AM However, I will not be offering my services for free. The reason is simplistic - it takes time to evoke an interesting character background. Therefore price and content are up to negotation.

Im sorry mate, but i think your whole idea is just down-right *wrong* in almost every way possible.

Here we have people (myself included) who are more than happy to freely offer our help to those who are having trouble with their characters background. Yet you pop up and offer your help for a price? :uh-huh:

Now im not doubting your skill at writing or your creativity, i mean hey... im a writer in training aswell and you could be a world better than me. But come on..... making people pay? What is that? :looloo: Its insanity... thats what.

When it comes down to it, the boards are about helping people, you come here to seek help with your own problems and offer aid to others... for free. Putting a price on your help is just poor form, and it implies that your help is worth more than that of others.

A fact which remains to be proven.

But in the end, if people want to pay for your help, thats their problem, all the more power to you. But ill let you all know that if you want help with (or just want somebody to write) your character background, ill do it for you.

For free.

Later
Tainted Mage
12-28-05, 09:11 PM Im sorry mate, but i think your whole idea is just down-right *wrong* in almost every way possible.

Here we have people (myself included) who are more than happy to freely offer our help to those who are having trouble with their characters background. Yet you pop up and offer your help for a price? :uh-huh:

Now im not doubting your skill at writing or your creativity, i mean hey... im a writer in training aswell and you could be a world better than me. But come on..... making people pay? What is that? :looloo: Its insanity... thats what.

When it comes down to it, the boards are about helping people, you come here to seek help with your own problems and offer aid to others... for free. Putting a price on your help is just poor form, and it implies that your help is worth more than that of others.

A fact which remains to be proven.

But in the end, if people want to pay for your help, thats their problem, all the more power to you. But ill let you all know that if you want help with (or just want somebody to write) your character background, ill do it for you.

For free.

Later

Agreed.

I desire to make money off of my writing as well. However, I'm currently writing a book that I hope to get published to do so.

Character Development (2 Viewing)
A forum for getting in to the storyline of your characters! Explore the possibilities and enrich your roleplaying experience.

See anything about costs may apply? Neither did I.
Chrysalis
12-30-05, 08:06 AM I have been thinking for a long time what to say, for sometimes silence is better than rising with ire.

I suppose in many ways the forum is about freely given help. I am not trying to detract from that.

I am not charging for simply the matter of opening up my mouth, as a contractor for a tech company I already do that. What I am charging for is professional, proof-read background stories that are content and length dependent on the client's wishes.

e.g. a client wants a background story reminicent of Paradise Lost. I have to obviously read, re-read, and read some more Milton, to be able to capture the style he evokes.

My own professional qualifications include teaching English at university.

My Academic qualifications is as a student of the English language, with minors in literature and history (currently working on my BA in the warrior mythos of the 9th century Anglo-Saxon culture). As a part of a drama course I convened, I re-wrote Shakespeare's Merry Wives of Windsor for 8 actors (qudos to my professor for checking, and re-checking for it and writing up the first act into an acceptable form).

My own roleplaying experience highlight was editing, writing, and even compiling Edgerunner, a cyberpunk fanzine. I proof-read and edit fiction, stories, essays and such for friends and family - and yes for free. I used to also GM LARPs, where each character got a minimum of 3 page character write up and 10 page background on the world. I have a d20 RPG book that has been on hiatus since I need to get back into the habit of constant writing.

I am more than happy on pasting some of my previous work if you so wish to see.
Fithero
12-30-05, 11:27 AM I am not charging for simply the matter of opening up my mouth, as a contractor for a tech company I already do that. What I am charging for is professional, proof-read background stories that are content and length dependent on the client's wishes.

It doesnt matter what your actually charging for. The point is that your *charging* others for your help and your doing so in a place where help should (and is) offered freely.

My own professional qualifications include teaching English at university.

My Academic qualifications is as a student of the English language, with minors in literature and history (currently working on my BA in the warrior mythos of the 9th century Anglo-Saxon culture). As a part of a drama course I convened, I re-wrote Shakespeare's Merry Wives of Windsor for 8 actors (qudos to my professor for checking, and re-checking for it and writing up the first act into an acceptable form).

My own roleplaying experience highlight was editing, writing, and even compiling Edgerunner, a cyberpunk fanzine. I proof-read and edit fiction, stories, essays and such for friends and family - and yes for free. I used to also GM LARPs, where each character got a minimum of 3 page character write up and 10 page background on the world. I have a d20 RPG book that has been on hiatus since I need to get back into the habit of constant writing.

I am more than happy on pasting some of my previous work if you so wish to see.

Why even bring this up? I said in my first post that im not doubting your ability to create great backgrounds. Congrats, you have a very extensive background in the arts and are probably able to make truly spectacular background for any sort of character.

But your making people pay, why?

You have this amazing ability to help others, yet your trying to profit from it. I spose nothing is stopping you, youve every right to do so... but come on man?!?! Where is the good will? Where is the spirit of sharing?

If somebody asks for help, you help them out freely because its the decent thing to do, you dont ask for payment.

I dunno... call me nuts but thats just me. My offer still stands though, if anybody wants help with their backgrounds, ill gladly help.

Later
Arkonth
12-30-05, 02:15 PM Pardon, but could youclarify exactly what your offering? The boards usually give advice or revision help, but you seem to be offfering to create backgrounds whole cloth.

While an interesting idea, I'm not sure who it's going to appeal to aside from those who don't normally write backgrounds and merely want say the extra xp their dm is offering for 5 pages.

I mean really, writing the background is half the fun of character creation. If I need help I'll come here and someone will sugest some way of making my ideas coherent or revise a troublesome passage.

Having someone else write your background seems contradictory to the whole idea in the first place.
stranger_654
12-30-05, 08:36 PM As others have said before, why charge when the whole point of these boards are to help people and then expect to be helped in return for free.
In my mind, the whole point of coming to these boards is to give someone else a better gaming experience, giving them advice and forming characters with them, rather then doing it for them. Does anyone truly learn if they send an email to you asking you to write them up a character, you do so, and they just play it?
In my opinion its far better to help them develop their own characters rather then spelling out the solutions for them. Fithero has helped me create a couple of chracters, and because of his help without charge, it has enabled me to help my friends design theirs, and those guys will hopefully do the same.
Asking for money to give them a result is no better then paying a tutor to take the test for you, its just not the right type of idea to have about DnD, or any roleplaying game come to think of it.

Well, thats just me two coppers anyway....
Harrow Blade
12-31-05, 01:39 AM I am not against any one charging for their services but perhaps this is not the place to posting such an offer.
In my opinion and possibly many others on this forum, the Wizards boards are for people to come together freely to ask questions and share ideas with others of similar interests. As such I do not believe this is the venue for advertising your services.
The forums we use here are free for us to use, maintained at some expense by Wizards. If you were to profit from the use of thier services to any degree it would only be ethical that you pay some sort of fee or comission To Wizards for the use of these boards.

Your qualifications are impressive, as I am sure you talent is also. I wish you the best of luck making a profit from them. I wouuld suggest it happen elsewhere as you seem to have gotten some backs up here and I get the feeling they will do thier best to undermine your profit making here.

It is not a personal attack on you Chrysalis but I too am glad to offer my services as a 'Character Background Consultant' free of charge.

Harrow Blade
Herecgunina
01-01-06, 02:30 AM Hi there,

Me, Chrysalis, am a writer in training and in constant search for small writing projects to be involved in. After looking over this area of the wizard's forums and following a few chats with other role-players, I would like to offer my services to those who would wish to receive a well-written character back-story.

However, I will not be offering my services for free. The reason is simplistic - it takes time to evoke an interesting character background. Therefore price and content are up to negotation.

If you are interested, and I hope you are, send me a pm.

Maybe it's just me, but does anyone else find it amusing that someone trying to peddle English compositions for D&D characters would commit such a basic grammatical sin in their very first sentence?

My own professional qualifications include teaching English at university.

My Academic qualifications is as a student of the English language, with minors in literature and history (currently working on my BA in the warrior mythos of the 9th century Anglo-Saxon culture). As a part of a drama course I convened, I re-wrote Shakespeare's Merry Wives of Windsor for 8 actors (qudos to my professor for checking, and re-checking for it and writing up the first act into an acceptable form).

My own roleplaying experience highlight was editing, writing, and even compiling Edgerunner, a cyberpunk fanzine. I proof-read and edit fiction, stories, essays and such for friends and family - and yes for free. I used to also GM LARPs, where each character got a minimum of 3 page character write up and 10 page background on the world. I have a d20 RPG book that has been on hiatus since I need to get back into the habit of constant writing.

You really need to work on selling yourself. And are you even supposed to be selling yourself on the boards?
erbmjw
01-01-06, 03:36 AM The warning

Unless I have read the Wizards.Community Code of Conduct incorrectly you have violated the rules by

advertising or promoting a business or commercial site

You can find the original document at Wizards.Community Code of Conduct (http://boards1.wizards.com/community_coc.php)

The suggestion

Chrysalis you may want to follow in the footsteps of others, there are a number of members who have done this.

The following list is ordered logically, but the most important is the last item

1) Put together a website for yourself that is primarily personal and/or free but offer your paid background writing services as well { Big Hint: do not put up a one page website that is only about offering your services}

2) In your signature put a link to your website - without mentioning your paid services - better yet make sure you link to the free items.

3) Write short, interesting and free "background" posts for the forums as well as helping other members with quick fixes to their backgrounds so that you and your work gains respect and a good reputation.

In this way you are neither in violation of the letter nor the spirit of the code of conduct.

Sincerely,

Michael
SoulGamit
01-01-06, 02:30 PM Isn't everything posted on these forums owned by Wizards and, therefore, you can't make a profit off of it without their consent? Perhaps I'm thinking of another ToU... they all tend to blur together after a while.
erbmjw
01-02-06, 05:57 AM I am not a lawyer!

But the way the Submissions section of the Terms of Use (http://www.hasbro.com/home/terms.html) read unless a community member directs suggestions/comments/postings directly to Hasbro or it's official agent{s} a community member should retain copyright on anything they post.

Perhaps the question should be directly asked to Wizards agents! I can't find anything that spells out copyright related issues in the FAQS :(
Rallaster
01-05-06, 11:12 PM Maybe it's just me, but does anyone else find it amusing that someone trying to peddle English compositions for D&D characters would commit such a basic grammatical sin in their very first sentence? You really need to work on selling yourself. And are you even supposed to be selling yourself on the boards?

You made me laugh. :)

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Chrysalis 12-28-05, 08:01 AM	Hi there, Me, Chrysalis, am a writer in training and in constant search for small writing projects to be involved in. After looking over this area of the wizard's forums and following a few chats with other role-players, I would like to offer my services to those who would wish to receive a well-written character back-story. However, I will not be offering my services for free. The reason is simplistic - it takes time to evoke an interesting character background. Therefore price and content are up to negotation. If you are interested, and I hope you are, send me a pm.
Fithero 12-28-05, 09:58 AM	However, I will not be offering my services for free. The reason is simplistic - it takes time to evoke an interesting character background. Therefore price and content are up to negotation. Im sorry mate, but i think your whole idea is just down-right wrong in almost every way possible. Here we have people (myself included) who are more than happy to freely offer our help to those who are having trouble with their characters background. Yet you pop up and offer your help for a price? :uh-huh: Now im not doubting your skill at writing or your creativity, i mean hey... im a writer in training aswell and you could be a world better than me. But come on..... making people pay? What is that? :looloo: Its insanity... thats what. When it comes down to it, the boards are about helping people, you come here to seek help with your own problems and offer aid to others... for free. Putting a price on your help is just poor form, and it implies that your help is worth more than that of others. A fact which remains to be proven. But in the end, if people want to pay for your help, thats their problem, all the more power to you. But ill let you all know that if you want help with (or just want somebody to write) your character background, ill do it for you. For free. Later
Tainted Mage 12-28-05, 09:11 PM	Im sorry mate, but i think your whole idea is just down-right wrong in almost every way possible. Here we have people (myself included) who are more than happy to freely offer our help to those who are having trouble with their characters background. Yet you pop up and offer your help for a price? :uh-huh: Now im not doubting your skill at writing or your creativity, i mean hey... im a writer in training aswell and you could be a world better than me. But come on..... making people pay? What is that? :looloo: Its insanity... thats what. When it comes down to it, the boards are about helping people, you come here to seek help with your own problems and offer aid to others... for free. Putting a price on your help is just poor form, and it implies that your help is worth more than that of others. A fact which remains to be proven. But in the end, if people want to pay for your help, thats their problem, all the more power to you. But ill let you all know that if you want help with (or just want somebody to write) your character background, ill do it for you. For free. Later Agreed. I desire to make money off of my writing as well. However, I'm currently writing a book that I hope to get published to do so. Character Development (2 Viewing) A forum for getting in to the storyline of your characters! Explore the possibilities and enrich your roleplaying experience. See anything about costs may apply? Neither did I.
Chrysalis 12-30-05, 08:06 AM	I have been thinking for a long time what to say, for sometimes silence is better than rising with ire. I suppose in many ways the forum is about freely given help. I am not trying to detract from that. I am not charging for simply the matter of opening up my mouth, as a contractor for a tech company I already do that. What I am charging for is professional, proof-read background stories that are content and length dependent on the client's wishes. e.g. a client wants a background story reminicent of Paradise Lost. I have to obviously read, re-read, and read some more Milton, to be able to capture the style he evokes. My own professional qualifications include teaching English at university. My Academic qualifications is as a student of the English language, with minors in literature and history (currently working on my BA in the warrior mythos of the 9th century Anglo-Saxon culture). As a part of a drama course I convened, I re-wrote Shakespeare's Merry Wives of Windsor for 8 actors (qudos to my professor for checking, and re-checking for it and writing up the first act into an acceptable form). My own roleplaying experience highlight was editing, writing, and even compiling Edgerunner, a cyberpunk fanzine. I proof-read and edit fiction, stories, essays and such for friends and family - and yes for free. I used to also GM LARPs, where each character got a minimum of 3 page character write up and 10 page background on the world. I have a d20 RPG book that has been on hiatus since I need to get back into the habit of constant writing. I am more than happy on pasting some of my previous work if you so wish to see.
Fithero 12-30-05, 11:27 AM	I am not charging for simply the matter of opening up my mouth, as a contractor for a tech company I already do that. What I am charging for is professional, proof-read background stories that are content and length dependent on the client's wishes. It doesnt matter what your actually charging for. The point is that your charging others for your help and your doing so in a place where help should (and is) offered freely. My own professional qualifications include teaching English at university. My Academic qualifications is as a student of the English language, with minors in literature and history (currently working on my BA in the warrior mythos of the 9th century Anglo-Saxon culture). As a part of a drama course I convened, I re-wrote Shakespeare's Merry Wives of Windsor for 8 actors (qudos to my professor for checking, and re-checking for it and writing up the first act into an acceptable form). My own roleplaying experience highlight was editing, writing, and even compiling Edgerunner, a cyberpunk fanzine. I proof-read and edit fiction, stories, essays and such for friends and family - and yes for free. I used to also GM LARPs, where each character got a minimum of 3 page character write up and 10 page background on the world. I have a d20 RPG book that has been on hiatus since I need to get back into the habit of constant writing. I am more than happy on pasting some of my previous work if you so wish to see. Why even bring this up? I said in my first post that im not doubting your ability to create great backgrounds. Congrats, you have a very extensive background in the arts and are probably able to make truly spectacular background for any sort of character. But your making people pay, why? You have this amazing ability to help others, yet your trying to profit from it. I spose nothing is stopping you, youve every right to do so... but come on man?!?! Where is the good will? Where is the spirit of sharing? If somebody asks for help, you help them out freely because its the decent thing to do, you dont ask for payment. I dunno... call me nuts but thats just me. My offer still stands though, if anybody wants help with their backgrounds, ill gladly help. Later
Arkonth 12-30-05, 02:15 PM	Pardon, but could youclarify exactly what your offering? The boards usually give advice or revision help, but you seem to be offfering to create backgrounds whole cloth. While an interesting idea, I'm not sure who it's going to appeal to aside from those who don't normally write backgrounds and merely want say the extra xp their dm is offering for 5 pages. I mean really, writing the background is half the fun of character creation. If I need help I'll come here and someone will sugest some way of making my ideas coherent or revise a troublesome passage. Having someone else write your background seems contradictory to the whole idea in the first place.
stranger_654 12-30-05, 08:36 PM	As others have said before, why charge when the whole point of these boards are to help people and then expect to be helped in return for free. In my mind, the whole point of coming to these boards is to give someone else a better gaming experience, giving them advice and forming characters with them, rather then doing it for them. Does anyone truly learn if they send an email to you asking you to write them up a character, you do so, and they just play it? In my opinion its far better to help them develop their own characters rather then spelling out the solutions for them. Fithero has helped me create a couple of chracters, and because of his help without charge, it has enabled me to help my friends design theirs, and those guys will hopefully do the same. Asking for money to give them a result is no better then paying a tutor to take the test for you, its just not the right type of idea to have about DnD, or any roleplaying game come to think of it. Well, thats just me two coppers anyway....
Harrow Blade 12-31-05, 01:39 AM	I am not against any one charging for their services but perhaps this is not the place to posting such an offer. In my opinion and possibly many others on this forum, the Wizards boards are for people to come together freely to ask questions and share ideas with others of similar interests. As such I do not believe this is the venue for advertising your services. The forums we use here are free for us to use, maintained at some expense by Wizards. If you were to profit from the use of thier services to any degree it would only be ethical that you pay some sort of fee or comission To Wizards for the use of these boards. Your qualifications are impressive, as I am sure you talent is also. I wish you the best of luck making a profit from them. I wouuld suggest it happen elsewhere as you seem to have gotten some backs up here and I get the feeling they will do thier best to undermine your profit making here. It is not a personal attack on you Chrysalis but I too am glad to offer my services as a 'Character Background Consultant' free of charge. Harrow Blade
Herecgunina 01-01-06, 02:30 AM	Hi there, Me, Chrysalis, am a writer in training and in constant search for small writing projects to be involved in. After looking over this area of the wizard's forums and following a few chats with other role-players, I would like to offer my services to those who would wish to receive a well-written character back-story. However, I will not be offering my services for free. The reason is simplistic - it takes time to evoke an interesting character background. Therefore price and content are up to negotation. If you are interested, and I hope you are, send me a pm. Maybe it's just me, but does anyone else find it amusing that someone trying to peddle English compositions for D&D characters would commit such a basic grammatical sin in their very first sentence? My own professional qualifications include teaching English at university. My Academic qualifications is as a student of the English language, with minors in literature and history (currently working on my BA in the warrior mythos of the 9th century Anglo-Saxon culture). As a part of a drama course I convened, I re-wrote Shakespeare's Merry Wives of Windsor for 8 actors (qudos to my professor for checking, and re-checking for it and writing up the first act into an acceptable form). My own roleplaying experience highlight was editing, writing, and even compiling Edgerunner, a cyberpunk fanzine. I proof-read and edit fiction, stories, essays and such for friends and family - and yes for free. I used to also GM LARPs, where each character got a minimum of 3 page character write up and 10 page background on the world. I have a d20 RPG book that has been on hiatus since I need to get back into the habit of constant writing. You really need to work on selling yourself. And are you even supposed to be selling yourself on the boards?
erbmjw 01-01-06, 03:36 AM	The warning Unless I have read the Wizards.Community Code of Conduct incorrectly you have violated the rules by advertising or promoting a business or commercial site You can find the original document at Wizards.Community Code of Conduct (http://boards1.wizards.com/community_coc.php) The suggestion Chrysalis you may want to follow in the footsteps of others, there are a number of members who have done this. The following list is ordered logically, but the most important is the last item 1) Put together a website for yourself that is primarily personal and/or free but offer your paid background writing services as well { Big Hint: do not put up a one page website that is only about offering your services} 2) In your signature put a link to your website - without mentioning your paid services - better yet make sure you link to the free items. 3) Write short, interesting and free "background" posts for the forums as well as helping other members with quick fixes to their backgrounds so that you and your work gains respect and a good reputation. In this way you are neither in violation of the letter nor the spirit of the code of conduct. Sincerely, Michael
SoulGamit 01-01-06, 02:30 PM	Isn't everything posted on these forums owned by Wizards and, therefore, you can't make a profit off of it without their consent? Perhaps I'm thinking of another ToU... they all tend to blur together after a while.
erbmjw 01-02-06, 05:57 AM	I am not a lawyer! But the way the Submissions section of the Terms of Use (http://www.hasbro.com/home/terms.html) read unless a community member directs suggestions/comments/postings directly to Hasbro or it's official agent{s} a community member should retain copyright on anything they post. Perhaps the question should be directly asked to Wizards agents! I can't find anything that spells out copyright related issues in the FAQS :(
Rallaster 01-05-06, 11:12 PM	Maybe it's just me, but does anyone else find it amusing that someone trying to peddle English compositions for D&D characters would commit such a basic grammatical sin in their very first sentence? You really need to work on selling yourself. And are you even supposed to be selling yourself on the boards? You made me laugh. :)