Interview [Issue 80] New Blood: The Guest Writers

[Flexoo 6,980]

 

 

 

 

 

To keep the tradition of the Newspaper running, we always needed a fresh talent in our ranks. A few months ago, we started a new initiative that aims to provide a nourishing ground for talented writers. Recently, we decided to take it one step further and offer a couple of talented tankers the post of guest writer. You will learn what the guest writer status is and who the guest writers are right now.

 

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Who, What, Why and How

 

 

The guest writers are a group of tankers whose writing talent was recognized by the reporter team. These writers managed to score highly with their articles and proved that they are capable of producing Newspaper-level material. Due to various reasons, these writers cannot or do not want to become reporters and thus are not officially a part of Reporter team, or Helper team respectively. Their articles will no longer be published via the new initiative, but will be directly moved to Newspaper issues and Specials. The new initiative is still open though and will continue to work, but now it will focus on capable authors who write occasionally or are new to the writting community.

 

The Guest writer status is very special, and there is no application to get it. To become a guest writer, you simply have to produce a high quality material for a certain period of time before we contact you automatically. Though we want to emphasize that guest writer status is meant only for writers who currently do not meet the offcial helper requirements. Those of you who do should rather read the applications for reporter position which are permanently open.

 

With that being said, we would like to introduce you the new writers whose material will now appear in the official periodic. Here they are!

 

 

Magenta

Occupation: Corrector and professional pain in the neck

Codename: Poe - the critic

 

An author with sharp tongue and sense of humor. If there is anyone who will offer the criticism the first, it must be Magenta. But what we value on him the most is his ability to churn out well-balanced interviews and stories that have been easily some of the best in the Amateur Writing Section.

 

Let's start with the most important question. Are you looking forward to be my peasant, I mean help me to rule the world?

 

Mag: Oh, I'm sure you'll find more efficient ways to use me. Like, making me rule the world and leaving yourself to sip cocktails in the Caymans instead. Kinda efficient.

 

Hmmm, no that won't work. Swear allegiance and after you can introduce your humble self to the public.

 

Mag: I swear allegiance to your ideals, and I swear that I will rule justly on your behalf. And :wave: hey guys, it's me Magenta, the guy who didn't know that 'magenta' is a colour - a horrible one, at that - and didn't even bother checking with Google before setting a seemingly-meaningless word as his nickname, and now spends 5 minutes everyday in front of the mirror weeping in regret, and the rest of the day explaining again and again to people why he chose pink of all things as his nickname, and that he is a guy. I thank my lord Flexoo for holding this interview; now I can just copy paste the link whenever someone enquires about my nickname. And I'll tell you this, just for the kicks, that I'm a fan of Twins. Twins is great.

 

Thanks for that. I will sure remember that next time I make fun of you. But back to the interview. Interviews and stories, that seems to be your forte. What can we expect from you in the future? Are you the guy who sticks to what he is confident writting or you are willing to experiment?

 

Magenta, as the grammar nazi he is, dares to point out a mistake in my sentence.

 

You sure want to end up in a chillin, lonely prison cell, don't you?

 

Mag: I'm currently in a chillin, lonely prison cell with three choices: play tanki, slave for the newspaper, or get poked at by lord Flexoo. You wanna put me in a chillin, lonely prison cell where I've to do none of the three? Yes please, I'll have that. Anyway, cough...Well, the whole venture into doing interviews was a giant experiment. I had obviously done nothing of the kind in real life before, so being on the other side of an interview was a wholely new task that I betook. Before that, I had been established at school as a good-for-his-age storyteller and essay writer, so I could have just stuck with that. But I didn't, I experimented, so I guess that's what I'm going to keep doing.

 

Do not worry, I will find something that will "sweeten" your stay in the cell. So, getting back on topic *shocker, I know*, there is one other area in which you excel: the humor. You are quite good at incorporating it into your articles, even in the genres were it would not be expected much. Is humor something that you consider to be the backbone of your writing?

 

Mag: I believe that writing is, first and foremost, a means of communication. And since you can't grab your reader and force them to pay attention to what you're trying to communicate, and especially given the dearth of attention these days, the only way to make sure that your reader does pay attention is to make your content difficult to stop reading. It must be engaging; totally and absolutely engaging, sucking in every single drop of attention the reader has to provide (and if you, for some reason, feel guilty doing that, I'll remind you that it's either your writing or Instagram). If, to make my writing engaging, I've to incorporate humour into it, so be it; if I've to use flowery and stylish language and mail you a dictionary with my article, so be it. The former is what I do in Tanki, and the latter (minus the dictionary part) is what I do with other audiences, my school being a primary example. I'm just lucky to be able to be good at doing both. So to answer your question, no, I don't consider humour to be the "backbone" for my writing. It is merely a vital part, but not a "backbone." Content is really what I'd call the backbone. Humour - or stylish language - is merely a means of communicating my content.

 

Ugh, that's one lenghty reply there. This brings me to another question. What I spotted is that you are not afraid to voice your opinion on basically anything and provide criticism. Criticism is something that usually people do not like to hear no matter how helpful it might be. Are you talking like a Dutch uncle, or as we say in my home country, what on heart also on the tongue. If yes, does it ever get you in an unconfortable situations?

 

Mag: I live by a set of strong ideals and principles; I believe that politeness merely introduces inefficiency into the process of communication. Most of the time, our politeness is not meant, and is superficial. Superficial interactions are useless, and achieve no purpose. In order to truly analyze information, identify problems, and devise solutions, conversations and interactions must take place at a deeper level. Our ability to share thought is an unique gift; there is no point diluting it with pretense and superficiality. I do, of course, recognize the fact that politeness can sometimes help, and so I use it only when it serves some purpose. But while providing criticism? No, absolutely not. It is imperative that instead of beating around the bush, one gets straight to the point - "Kid, this and that is wrong in this and that way, and you'd better fix it; this and this is what is going to happen if you don't." There is no reason that criticism should be made to offend, but at the same time, should be direct. It is, of course, also important that while providing criticism, one also appreciate the good qualities - otherwise, the other person is just going to discredit you. Providing appreciation makes you credible. I myself experience frustration when people beat around the bush when I ask them to provide feedback not diluted by politeness. As a creator, it is important to me to be able to look at my work from a perspective different from my own, and it just plain annoys me when people don't cooperate.

 

As for the second part of your question... bear with me, but I'm going to get philosophical. I believe in the philosophy that "the more you know who you are, and what you want, the less you let things upset you" (line borrowed from this song https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQLngV189IU). I know what I seek, and I can tell you that I certainly don't have any desire for leftover chicken bones from people in high places. I know what I seek, and I can tell you that if a person cannot take in non-insultive feedback, that person has, in all likelihood, nothing to offer to me, even if said person is a person of authority. I don't mind trouble, as long as it does not distance me greatly from what I seek. And I especially don't mind getting into trouble online - I mean, does anyone? Only those who bother reading EULAs, I guess. So do I get into troublesome situations? Only when I don't mind it.

Did I kill you with lengthiness? Is the coup complete?

 

Yes I am officially dead. Noob me, I should have just asked what his favorite map is instead. With that being said, I think we covered more than we, or I, aimed to cover so thank you for wasting your time on me.

 

Mag: I will pass the news to the AWC, which is still a thing in the underground network. I'm sure my comrades will be overjoyed, and as messenger, reward me for bringing - and causing - this happy news.

 

Spy

Occupation: Occassional eSports legend

Codename: Trophy collector

 

A well-known name in the eSports community, Spy is one of the most experienced and successful eSports players. He has transformed his knowledge and experience into a number of eSports related articles and currently is the most active informant of this section.

 

First thing first, let's start with something boring you probably did a million times, but it's still a necessary evil, the introductions. Tell the Tanki readers a bit about yourself.

 

Spy: My name is Sun and I am from Israel.

 

Well... that's super short and straight to the point, but fair enough. The community knows you as a fairly successful eSports player. When did your passion for eSports appear and what were your first professional games like?

 

Spy: First of all, I am glad I am known this way. My passion first appeared when I got to know Star Ladder for the first time. Right after that, I decided to try eSports myself. As for my first professional matches, I can say I was really nervous, which is why I could not play at my best.

 

Who wouldn't be? When did you start to transform this eSports knowledge of yours into articles? What was your motivation?

 

Spy: In a one sunny day I noticed there are applications for a new position - eSports Reporter. It was a few months after my success in Master of the Swords 2017 so I decided to apply. I believed I had enough knowledge to help new players to learn more about eSports and at the same time to make interesting articles for the eSports pros.

 

What can we expect to see you write in not-so-distant future?

 

Spy: I am planning on writing guides for newbies, more reviews and interviews. If someone has ideas for eSports-related articles, I'd be glad if you could  share your ideas with me!

 

Admirable goals. Thank you for your time. We are looking forward to what you have in a store.

 

Spy: Thank you!

 

 

GrandExecutioner

Occupation: Contest fund burglar

Codename: Mr.Stealyoprais

 

Success comes in many ways and Grand's name is all over it. Grand is powerful contestant who has many trophies from writing contests on his shell. On top of that he is more than capable of writing about many spheres of the Tanki environement and sure has many topic ideas up his sleeve.

 

Let's get the formalities out of the table and start with your introduction. Can you please tell the tankers a bit about yourself?

 

Grand: Hi all. I'm 18 years old and a medical student in the UK. If I'm not in a lecture or dissecting stuff, I can be found playing football in the park or mastering some form of martial arts (yes mate don't mess with me). And of course, there's Tanki Online, though studying limits that hobby these days. As you have probably already guessed, I also love writing. That made me ponder over something. I like Tanki. I like writing. Boom. Writing on Tanki.

 

10:45: Is the next question coming?

 

10:53: Yes, of course. I am totally not interviewing you from my comfortable bed.

 

Cool stuff. You made yourself a name with expertly written articles and their stunning visuals. Do you remember how you found the Forum and the Newspaper, and what your first piece was?

 

Grand: I found the forum initially because I was looking into how to join a clan many years ago. I didn't really stray outside the clan section until I became a leader. At that point I started discovering all the little corners of the forum including the AWS and the Newspaper. Still, I never actually wrote anything until much, much later. I think my first piece was actually for the first chapter of Continue The Story IV. It started out as just something to kill the time as I certainly didn't think I'd win any crystals due to the competition. I was extremely surprised when I realised I had won and things took off from there very quickly. I took part in the Amateur Writing Tournament and started winning there too, so I thought, "Why not write some more!" I began to post some articles in the AWS too. I started a series called 'The Medic' and wrote a huge comprehensive review on the first Tanki Online War. But I think the major turning point where I happened to 'make a name for myself' whether I liked it or not was Issue 75. I wasn't aware at the time but I happened to enter every writing contest and win. No one was more flabbergasted than me! 

(Have fun with that essay ^)

 

Gee thanks! You ask a question and the Shakespeare replies with a novel. Anyways, I can tell that contests played a major part in your journey. You are quite a fierce competitor, winning the first place in two chapters of CTS series as well as first place in the review category of the community wrtting contest we held few months ago. What is the secret to your success? Where do you find the inspiration for the topics?

 

Grand: I guess I am quite competitive. I'm not willing to share my secrets of success with anyone and definitely not because I don't have secrets and think it sounds cool to pretend otherwise. Inspiration comes to me in my dreams. I'm just kidding. To be honest, it's light bulb moments and I'll have a really good idea for an article at random times. I have to remember to jot it down at least because let me tell you I have lost a ton of incredible ideas because I was too lazy to put pen to paper.

 

No tips to win a contest? *sad puppy eyes*... I'll continue then. Your expertise are reviews and stories, but I could not fail to notice that you put a hint of humor in your reviews. Are you considered a jokester, or funny person among your friends? What genres will you focus on in the near future?

 

Grand: In terms of the humour, I don't think I'm considered the comedian among my friends. My jokes aren't insanely funny as most people will tell you. It's more subtle, natural humour. And you are right, I can't help in the way I write that sometimes I have to add a bit of humour into my writing to make it that much more appealing. It's something I can't resist doing though obviously I can consciously put on a stone cold attitude and whip out some factual content should I need to.

 

I see, I see. Thanks for sharing. Best of luck on your new road.

 

 

thethiefofvictory

Occupation: Hemingway wannabe

Codename: Onceuponatime

Thief has emerged from the sands of time to once again write on the Tanki Online Forum and his stories were well-received by the public. He managed to score even in many writting contest and his aticles were some of the first to appear in the Newspaper

 

Hey there. Let's begin the convo with your introduction. Who is the person hidding behind the low ranked account?

 

Thief: Penguin40 :ph34r: Either that, or thethiefofvictory.

 

Typical noob response! Cough.. what I meant to ask was; what is your name, where are you from, what's your mother's first name, what's your credit card number and password, etc. Got it?

 

Thief: I am your friendly neighbourhood thief and storywriter, and I hail from Lahore, Pakistan.

 

911. Yes, I know one convicted thief. You'll be here in 5 minutes? Good. So while you still have few more minutes of freedom, why won't you tell us about your writing beginnings on the Forum and how you dug into the Newspaper.

 

Thief: Four years ago, I discovered the newspaper and started writing. Not that I was any good back then, of course. Two years ago, the AWC was founded by our esteemed former reporters GoldRock and Night-Sisters, and it wasn't long before I entered. A year ago, I vanished from the scene, and returned under the false alias of a thief six months ago. Oh, and tell 911 that their efforts are futile :P

 

I bet that's what all the bad guys behind the bars thought too *wink*. You said you vanished for a year. What was the reason for your return? Did you miss Tanki?

 

Thief: Sort of. Most importantly, though, I'm waiting for hull overdrives. Somehow more importantly (I don't know how, like how is it possible to be more than the most...), I failed to be able to play a pretty difficult multiplayer game, and nostalgia made me type tankiforum in the Chrome search bar.

 

You are mostly a storyteller from what I can tell. I quote you "having enough material for next six months or so". Is this what we can expect from you as a guest writer? Do you have writing ambitions outside the Newspaper when it comes to storytelling?

 

Thief: Latter first. I don't really have a place to write much, and there's no real storytelling contests anywhere near my country, none that I'm aware of. So, no. For the first question... well, stories yes, and I have quite a lot of stuff planned, some I'll think up, and if I can get the chance I'll definitely try guides, reviews and stuff. I am not good at humor, though.

 

I see. Last question then. What are your aspirations in Tanki, writting and real life?

 

Thief: For Tanki, enjoying the game, totally not becoming OP, and getting my old account to Brigadier General. Not like that's going to happen. For writing, being a good storyteller, telling good stories, writing good stuff, and of course writing for the newspaper. For real life... Reveal yourself. Oh, curse, it's the police, I must run!

 

Thanks for those incredible precious 5 minutes of your life, and good luck outrunning the officers!

 

Thief: You're welcome!

 

 

C.O.N.Q.U.E.R.O.R

Occupation: Retired guidewriter

Codename: Dots

Another well-known name at least to as reporters who have been watching the rapid progress of Conq's articles. Over the time, he managed to score with his writing entries so far that he won the guide category in our writting comunity contest which helped him to earn a spot here.

 

No conversation can start without a proper introduction, am I right? Can you please tell us a bit about yourself?

 

Conq: Heyo, I'm Conq and I live somewhere on the east coast of the USA. I've not shared my age with anyone but one person on Tanki, so don't feel offended that I'm not sharing it here.

 

No wories, we already know you are like 90 and a half. Moving on. How and when did you find the game and forum and what led you to start writting?

 

Conq: Well, I've actually been playing Tanki almost since launch, give or take a few months. My brother was the one who got me into this addicting game, but he stopped playing sometime around 2011 when League of Legends got popular. I didn't happen upon the forum until quite a while later, around 2014-15. I'm not exactly sure who led me to the forum, though.

I think the main person/thing who got me into writing was Hexed with his guide on "It's Time To Excel In: Silence". I remember thinking, "This is really easy to understand... why don't I try something of the sort?"

 

What is your favorite part of the game and what do you like to write about? 

 

Conq: To be honest, I don't think I've ever really enjoyed battling, so to speak. Rather, I was more the type who was always engaged in a conversation with a friend or messing around with parkour; relatively simple stuff compared to the things I come up with nowadays   :rolleyes:.

Like I said previously, I was drawn into writing by a guide, so it follows that the first article I wrote was also a guide (A Comprehensive Guide To Thunder). Ironically, at the time that I wrote the guide, I'd had very little experience with Thunder, so the entire guide was based off of my knowledge of the game. Though it sounds difficult, I'd already been playing Tanki for 7 years, so I was familiar as could be with Tanki's mechanics; helps with parkour too! Anyway, I'd started out with a guide, and my writing forte has remained guides ever since. I've written 7 guides I believe, almost all of which were received quite positively, except a few incorrect facts due to my terrible math skills. I would say that I'm "programmed" to write guides, as my brain is very good at organising facts, which allows me to write them down easily. 

 

What can we expect from you?

 

Conq: I think that I'll finish up one more project that I was working on (a guide, of course). After that though, I don't think I'll really have the time to think up any more articles; I just want to finish this to give my writing career a proper sense of finality. As I said previously, I'll check in every once in a while to see how y'all are doing. 

 

As someone who is now distancing himself from the game due to real life priorities how do you see yourself writing about the game? Will you still occasionally hop in to remember the old days?

 

Conq: When I left Tanki just a little while ago, I told myself that I would never come back. However, when my parkour club Machines of Flight visibly began to die off (as I kind of guessed it would), it hurt a lot more than I ever could've expected. Right now, you can expect to see me on the forum decently often, Discord not too actively, and very rarely in game. 

 

Thanks for sharing and best of luck!

 

 

There you have it. Five names representing five authors you will very likely see writing for the Newspaper in the upcoming months. Wish them all good luck!

 

[thethiefofvictory 339]

In Mag's interview, shouldn't  it be "Like, maybe you'll find making me rule the world and using yourself to sip cocktails in the Caymans instead kinda efficient.?

 

and in his intro, remove "a" from "churn out a well balanced interviews and stories

 

And in my interview, shouldn't "Reveal yourself!" be emboldened? 

 

Other than that, loved the interviews  :D 

Edited October 6, 2018 by thethiefofvictory

[GrandExecutioner 1,403]

^ You managed to outrun those officers then.

[Total_SkiIl 1,983]

 

Other than that, loved the self-praise   :D 

we know ok

 

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hmm ok

 

I mean, like who would be getting anything out of this except for the established writers?

 

not like someone to the likes of pieface would come around randomly again

[thethiefofvictory 339]

we know ok

 

---

 

hmm ok

 

I mean, like who would be getting anything out of this except for the established writers?

 

not like someone to the likes of pieface would come around randomly again

Now now. None of us knew of the other three (i.e not conq) interviews, or their content. well at least I didn't. So i enjoyed the other four (cause I hadn't read conq before).

 

And people will get an introduction. Thats what interviews are for, no?

 

As for pie though... I agree. We'll miss his writings :( I'll never forgive him for not completing hunted, though

[Pythor 1,354]

Lmao Flex.. Nice job. "Noob me, I should have asked his favorite map instead."  :D

[Total_SkiIl 1,983]

And people will get an introduction. Thats what interviews are for, no?

 

I meant this initiative.

[Magenta 5,165]

I like rio a lot, you can take a lot of cool pics there. In case anybody was truly interested in knowing my favourite map.

[Viking4s 10,791]

Magenta is a pro proof-reader which gave this extra advice and explanation alongside the correction. That's is really appreciated. And he is pro with photography, pic and banner.

 

Penguin has proven to be a talented storyteller. 

 

And GE is skilled in every aspect of writing - humour, guide, story or proof-reading.

 

It's good seeing them more involved in the newspaper where they certainly all belong (as long as you can keep magenta focused  :rolleyes: ).

[Magenta 5,165]

(as long as you can keep magenta focused  :rolleyes: ).

Is French wine really as good as people say? Do baguettes taste the same as normal bread? Are you Flexoo's alt? What is the purpose of @Hazel-Rah's life?

 

 

Magenta, as the grammar nazi he ism, dares to point out a mistake in my sentence.

You're welcome.

[Viking4s 10,791]

Is French wine really as good as people say? Do baguettes taste the same as normal bread? Are you Flexoo's alt? What is the purpose of @Hazel-Rah's life?

Wine, it's about taste. Some says that the best wine is the one from your home place.

Baguette taste differently, more crust less crumbs. but it is more about the flour you use and the time to let the bread raise. Bad flour and to short rest = bad bread/baguette.

No I'm not a bot.

Make you question the meaning of life.

[Flexoo 6,980]

Is French wine really as good as people say? Do baguettes taste the same as normal bread? Are you Flexoo's alt? What is the purpose of @Hazel-Rah's life?

 

1. Oh yeah, tasted it personally.

2. I would say yes. Eating a freshly baked baguette cannot be compared with anything.

3. You know too much inside information. Watch your back!

4. To have the most exquisite ponytail.

[Magenta 5,165]

4. To have the most exquisite ponytail.

May The Dictator quote you on that? Not the one that just did, I'm talking about the one which is an organisation of dedicated journalists.

[C.O.N.Q.U.E.R.O.R 3,845]

Codename: Dots

...

 

No comment.

[TankiNoob2000 231]

Can I be interviewed?

[Destrod 2,634]

New dictator segments be like "Hazel-Rah: Considerate developer? Or pony tail lover? Find out, in the next issue!

And yes, I can definitely account for GE being a contest fund snatcher. Period.

[GrandExecutioner 1,403]

New dictator segments be like "Hazel-Rah: Considerate developer? Or pony tail lover? Find out, in the next issue!

And yes, I can definitely account for GE being a contest fund snatcher. Period.

The only thing I've stolen is your heart.  :wub:

[Person_Random 4,991]

Can I be interviewed?

Sigh, same.  No one likes me. 

[Quarks 2,255]

In Mag's interview, shouldn't  it be "Like, maybe you'll find making me rule the world and using yourself to sip cocktails in the Caymans instead kinda efficient.?

 

and in his intro, remove "a" from "churn out a well balanced interviews and stories

 

And in my interview, shouldn't "Reveal yourself!" be emboldened? 

 

Other than that, loved the interviews  :D 

Penguin40, more like pen-garbage 40. Got em, hahahahahahaha

[thethiefofvictory 339]

Penguin40, more like pen-garbage 40. Got em, hahahahahahaha

I agree :lol:

[Person_Random 4,991]

Typos Galore!!!

 

 

 

Say, when are they gonna write again?

 

 

[Acrid 36]

I would love to be interviewed  :ph34r: