To Those New To The Pen Or Interested In Applying

[Degorram]

Welcome, new and familiar faces, to the Recruitment Office! Here you will find the applications of those writers who have come before you. Browse the stories, poems, songs, and other works that have been accepted at your leisure, and extend a greeting to our new members! If you wish to read applications from days long past, you can dig through the Vaults of Time.

 

If you are interested in becoming a Member of the Mighty Pen, please continue to read for some important information.

 

First, membership is by no means necessary for you to participate in the community here at the Pen. Several of our forums are public to all guests, and you are more than welcome to post and express yourselves in these sections where you can receive feedback, critique, and encouragement on your work. We encourage you to post freely before starting an application so that you can get to know the community better, and so that we can get to know you! Here is a list of the boards that you can access as a Guest (though some forums within these boards will be Read Only).

 

The Tavern of the Quill – forums for all styles of writing

The Manor of Tongues – language-oriented discussions and multi-lingual postings

The Walls of the Pen – archives, member biographies, news, FAQs, and more

 

You may wonder why you might care to become a member of the Pen? There are several reasons, the first of which being that you will gain access to additional forums which are exclusive to members. As you continue to grow in the community here at the Pen, more doors will be opened, revealing further mysteries about life within these walls.

 

Secondly, you will have the chance to grow in your writing alongside fellow dedicated members, and as you distinguish yourself in the community, you will be able to in turn mentor other writers who may just be entering the writer-sphere. Writing is an empowering but very intimidating craft, and the support you can receive from and give to other members of the Pen may prove to be invaluable to your development.

 

Finally, by becoming a member you are taking your first step into the ranks of those of us who care for the Pen and ensure that it remains a safe haven for writers of all stages of life. The more you develop your areas of growth, and contribute to the community here at the Pen, the further you will progress through the various levels of membership. Each stage will grant you different privileges and, if you choose, responsibilities that you will be allowed to take on. You can visit our Ranking FAQ for more information on how the structure of the Pen works.

 

So! You’ve made your choice then? You wish to apply? The process is quite simple. All you have to do is post an ‘application’ in this forum via a new thread. The application consists of any piece of creative writing that demonstrates your skill and your passion for whatever style and genre you call your own, be it a story, a poem, a piece of roleplaying, etc. The piece should be an original work posted specifically with the intention of joining the Pen. Once your application has been posted, the Elder of Initiates (that’s me!) will read it and interact with the application on an individual basis.

 

If you have any questions or concerns, you can reach out to me by sending me a private message here on the forums. Welcome to the Pen!

 

---

 

Degorram signed the notice with a tap of her quill and sat back in her chair, eyeing the fine, needle-straight letters that sprawled across the page in front of her. Hmm. Line four was a bit askew. But she was already on draft six, and her hand was starting to cramp.

 

So far, this was the only piece of parchment on her neat and tidy desk. Every pot of ink had its proper place; the quills were aligned just so on the upper right hand side; and there was a short stack of trays for organizing incoming and outgoing applications. Degorram presumed (and hoped) that soon they would be too small to handle the influx of paperwork. After all, it was the first time this desk was being used by the Elder of Initiates herself. She flicked an ear back at the door behind her, which squeaked and creaked grouchily. Behind the persnickety portal was the old (and now completely unusable due to the mountains of clutter) main office. What had once been the center of Recruitment was now a storage space where Degorram intended to one day inflict order and cleanliness. Eventually.

 

As if reading her thoughts, the door groaned loudly. Degorram ignored its profanity with a sharp sniff.

 

The Changeling sprinkled the ink with a fine sand to help it dry and stood, stretching her stiff back, before crossing the room and opening the door to the Recruitment Office. In her eagerness, she had almost anticipated that a line might be starting to form outside. But the hall was empty. For now. None-too-gently, she hammered the notice onto the front of the door, right beneath the newly painted “Recruitment Office” sign that dangled from a precariously bent nail. She’d get around to fixing that soon.

 

She turned to gaze thoughtfully down the hallway, lit by gently flickering candles, and could almost hear the approaching footsteps of new Pennites. High time to get to work. With a small smile, she walked back into her office, sat down at her desk with a sigh, and twitched her tail mischievously.

 

“The Recruitment Office is open for Applications!”

[Tanuchan]

Oooh... it's open again?!

 

Padding quietly, a black wolf nosed her way in carefully, pushing the door slightly open and sniffing in tentatively.

 

Nice! No more dust!

 

Curious, Tanny got first her whole head in, looking this way and that, and then half her body. Cleanliness! Great! More confidently, she got herself in, sniffing at the air. And I smell... oh yes! Making a rather happy bee-line towards Degorran's desk, she grinned at one of the drawers, then - being satisfied at the current results of her investigation - went to curl up in one of the corners of the office.

 

"Hi Degorram," she quipped, smiling. "Missed seeing this office being used! I'll make you company at least for a while, if you don't mind it!"

[Degorram]

Degorram quirked a smile and reached down into the drawer that had caught Tanuchan's attention. Pulling out a bone-shaped chocolate bar, she tossed it to the wolf and winked. "Company is always appreciated. I don't mind talking to myself ordinarily, but Splinters over here," she gestured to the sentient door at her back, "has a nasty habit of providing a running commentary."

 

The door creaked passive aggressively.

 

"I will set you on fire, so help me," Degorram snapped back.

 

*grooooooooooooooan*

 

"Watch your language."

[Mynx]

Mynx was wandering past when she heard the door's groaned retort, and couldn't help sticking her head in the doorway.

 

"You know, I have a few fire spells you might be interested in..." She grinned.

[Degorram]

Degorram snapped her fingers and lifted one, now topped with a dainty, perfect little flame. "I found some of your scrolls in the Vaults a few months back. Very interesting ideas on technique and sustainability. Though I'm not sure I agree with the Limitability Principle."

 

*creak*

 

Her eyes and hair flashing red, the Changeling twisted in her seat to glare at the door. "WE COULD TEST THAT IF YOU WANT TO."

[Tanuchan]

Giggling softly, the black wolf stared at her friends while munching the bone chocolate.

 

"Let me know if your door needs some oiling... I have some useful tricks using Energy threads." She winked.