The Daily Prophet Needs Writers!
If you have ever lived in a 'small town', you know that there are two kinds of news in the local paper. The 'Big News' that you can read anywhere, which is all over the front page, and then the 'filler' that is put in there in order that there be text on all the blank bits of paper!
Some of these are 'human interest stories' - Cindy Lou Who and her baby llama farm, or Martha Stewart and her home-tips, or Dear Abby and her advice, etc....
These articles can be *anything*.
The Wizarding World in the UK is a relatively small community. Even if you don't *know* someone, it is likely you have heard the name. Sorting Hat at school? Awards for this or that fair or submitted science project, the list goes on and on.
We have at least two professional Quidditch Players right now, as well as two very famous Wizarding Band members. Surely the Paparazzi is following them about - and making note of their subsequent groupies, etc.
What about anyone who has any contact with the Boy Who is Trying to Avoid The Press? A shopping list of what Miss Granger bought at Diagon Alley might make the second page!
There are many more things that could fit here. Our town paper has a 'recipe' section, and a 'pet care' section, and a 'look at my kid' section where people send in photos of their kids doing cute stuff. My daughter's picture was in the paper for 'donating' her hair to Locks of Love when she got it cut. And for just *being* on the softball team, soccer team, girl scouts, etc.
Editorials. Opinion letters from readers. The list goes on and on.
There is also a list of every citation our town cop has written for the week. (Including my failure to come to a complete stop ones!!) Shop advertisements. Library events. What 'slots' are still 'open' for the bank meeting-room for public use. Photos and 'awards' for best 'yard improvement' of the month.
Yeah. It's a *small* town. heh.
But so is the wizarding community!
"Yeah, okay, so what?" you might be asking.
We figure there are all sorts of these things happening in the 'world at large' within our game. We, as the admin team, can't possibly guess, keep track of, or have time to write articles about any of the above. Yet they would certainly be things worth publishing.
We would like to invite YOU to feel free to write any such article you might like, in regards to your character - or if it affects several characters, feel free to make it a collective 'effort'. Use any 'by-line' you like - make up the name of a reporter, editorialist, whatever, and that name will be 'only' yours. Write your 'article' and email it to the admin email address. We will 'publish' it either with a main-game article if we have one coming up at that time, or in and of itself.
This is not at all manditory, but we feel it will give the game added flavour, give everyone room for additional creativity and exposure for their characters, and make the Daily Prophet a tool for YOU to play with as well as just something we use to advance broad-game activities.
Please take advantage of this if you are so inspired!!
Cheers!
ETA: A clarification:
Please assume that this applies to any sort of article/submission/publication in any periodical that might accept such things.
For example: Witch Weekly for the more 'gossip-y' stuff, or professional journals if your character would have reason to submit something or be mentioned in the Quidditch-specific magazines/papers, or Herbology Today, or Healer's Helper, or whatever other name/publication you might want to make up. heh.
Basically it is just a tool for you to use to explore your character from alternate perspectives.
Questions? Please ask!