1. We’re guessing Mark Surge is your favorite Hero Factory character. Is that right? If so, why?
Yes, because he's funny, has done a lot, and I love the color blue.
2. You used to be dinosaur2515. Why did you change IDs?
I changed IDs because I had to delete my old account, for reasons unknown.
3. What was the inspiration behind your avatar’s design?
Well, I wanted it to be like a ninja, but more original and with armor, and the jeans looked cool.
4. Are you a big BIONICLE fan? How do you feel about its return?
Yes, and I feel very happy about its return.
5. Which do you prefer Hero Factory or BIONICLE? Why?
I prefer HF, because it was the first theme I really got into.
6. You are really active in the community. What area of the LMBs do you enjoy posting in most?
Probably the Community Chat forum, because everyone is so nice.
7. You are also a roleplayer. What is your favorite part of roleplay?
My favorite part about being an RPer is playing out different scenarios that could happen in that theme.
8. Tell us three interesting facts about yourself that we probably don’t already know.
I like to play chess, I think the LEGO Friends sets are interesting (though I wouldn't buy one) and I'm not a fan of Star Wars.
9. What is your favorite memory from your time in the community? What is the biggest lesson you’ve learned here?
My favorite memory is when I became the first person to give 10,000 likes on my old account. The biggest lesson I've learned here was to always be yourself.
10. If you could have any job at the LEGO Company what would it be and why? What would be the first thing you did once you got the job?
I'd be a designer for LEGO Hero Factory because I love it. The first thing I'd do once I got the job would be design a Surge XL set, and then a Bulk XL set.
11. Do you celebrate Halloween? If so, what are you going to dress up as? How did you decide on that costume?
I don't celebrate Halloween, because I'm Muslim, but if I did, I'd dress up as Thorin Oakenshield, because he's my favorite dwarf from the Hobbit.
12. Answer quickly: Cold or hot? Beach or woods? Inside or outside? Pizza or burger? Cookies or brownies? Cats or dogs? Music or movie? Free build or use the instructions? Square or round elements? Red or blue? Milk or juice? Math or science?
Oh fudge! Uh, cold, beach, inside, pizza, cookies, cats, movie, free build, round elements, blue, juice, and science. Phew!
13. Do you have any superpowers? If so, what are they?
Yes, I can fly, read minds, and I have x-ray vision and super intelligence.
14. What LEGO-related question do you have for the next interviewee?
What's your favorite LEGO theme?
15. Question from knightoffaith: What is your favorite music released by LEGO? Doesn't need to be an original song, it could be one they've used (ie Cryoshell).
1. How did you decide on your username? Do you have a pet husky?
When I made up my username, I was really into huskies! (And forgot how to spell the word. ) I originally wanted my username to be huskydog but it was already taken. I actually don’t have a husky, but at one point I really wanted a husky puppy for my birthday. But it didn’t work out and I found out that huskies make great escapers, being working dogs and all that. So I eventually got an American Eskimo puppy and named her Faith - she’s great! I’ve had her for a little over four years and there are several pictures of her on the LEGO Universe Creation Lab. Some people think she looks like a husky anyway.
2. How did you first discover the LMBs? What made you want to join the community here?
Unfortunately I don’t exactly remember how I first discovered the LMBs. But I know I did reply to at least one old topic a long time ago. I don’t think I knew a lot about how it all worked and didn’t go there often. I think I started using the Message Boards more actively during LEGO Universe, after a friend asked me to join his Hero Factory HQ.
3. What is your favorite subject in school? Why?
When I used to go to school I usually liked Art, and English wasn’t bad either! One assignment was to write a short story, which I had fun with. Now that I home school, I’ve taken some courses, and I think my favourite was English; I got to write at least one short story then too. But to be honest, I don’t particularly like schoolwork.
4. What would you do if you met a Mod in real life?
I guess first I’d want to know their username, then maybe I’d ask some questions about working for LEGO and stuff.
5. You are active in the galleries. What is your favorite gallery to post in? Why?
The best gallery has to be the LEGO Universe Creation Lab - the setup is really good. It’s full page and you see more creations in one page then other galleries. But I also like posting on the Friends gallery.
6. I recently found an awesome drawing you did of BubseyLEGOGuy, Tanner, and BTG. Really it is totally awesome!! First, can you do one of me? Next, how long have you been drawing? How did you get such amazing drawing skills?
Well, to start off, thank-you!! The rewarding reactions I got from that drawing is prompting me to do more drawings of real minifigures. Secondly, sure I’ll draw you! As to how I got my drawing skills, it’s definitely a wonderful gift from God. I’ve also been drawing for most of my life, so I’ve gotten lots of practice! You should see how bad I was when I first started. And you can; I have a creation called “Don’t give up!!” on the LU lab, and it shows an old and new (which is old by now) drawing of horses. The “new” horse drawing then isn’t that good anymore. So if somebody stinks at drawing now, don’t worry, there’s still hope. Never think you’re as good as you’re going to get, even if you think you’re really good. I’m always improving, and usually, I’ll look back at drawings from some time ago, and won’t like them anymore. I guess it’s a good thing that I keep improving, it’s just a little scary that a drawing I love now could look disastrous and I won’t even know it until later!
My skills also got a bigger chance to develop since I don’t go to school. I have a lot more opportunities to practice my art. I’ve also always gotten lots of encouragement from my mom. Not to mention plenty of art supplies and the freedom of allowing my brother’s and my creativity to develop instead of loading us down with chores. Thanks Mom.
7. If you could have any job (it doesn’t have to be a LEGO job) what would you be? Why?
I would like to be a best-selling author. I really like reading and writing, and I think it would be so cool to have a book (preferably more then one ) read and enjoyed and given positive morals and lessons to people all over! I would also like to have some kind of job with animals - horses, dogs. At least live around them, even for a hobby. I would also maybe be interested in working with movies: writing screenplays and such. I think we’ve watched enough movies to know what works and what doesn’t. Maybe even a fashion designer (for people and/or dogs) and a photographer, especially one who specializes in taking pics of animals! Oh, and something to do with my art! Maybe even something to do with music. Er, were you expecting only one job?
8. What is your favorite LEGO set of all time? Why?
I think it’d be too hard to figure out just which set is my all time favourite. But I really like the horse and trailer set from the old City Farm theme! It’s so realistic! Another set I like is the Heartlake Stables - which isn’t as realistic colour-wise, but still very nice I like the tack hanging in the aisle and the hay loft is a nice touch! I also really like the Winter Village Cottage! I got it for Christmas and it’s such an amazingly detailed set!!! The tiles on the floor, the counters in the kitchen, the chandelier, the windows, the lights across the roof…it’s all so well made!
9. You have been a member of the LMBs for a while now. How long has it been? How have things changed during your time in the community?
Like I mentioned in Question 2, I think I started being an active member of the LMBs during LEGO Universe! I stopped after a while, but then came back again and was enthusiastically welcomed back by TannerJ2598 when I returned (thanks Tan!), even though he was a Hero Factory RP villain and I’m a hero. He now has a role-play character who’s on his way to becoming a hero too! While I’ve been a member of the LMBs, the message boards went through a big redecoration and getting around on here is simpler then ever!
10. You are a member of a couple different roleplays. How did you get started with roleplay? What do you like about it?
Again like I said in Question 2, I first got into the roleplay scene when a friend from LEGO Universe asked me to join his Hero Factory HQ. I like the back-and-forth exchange between members during a role-play, whether it’s a Good vs Evil Hero Factoy battle, or just random role-playing with friends! But it has to be fun and humorous - heated RPs aren’t too great.
11. When you aren’t hanging out on the LMBs what is your favorite hobby? Why?
Like the favourite LEGO set question, I don’t really have just one. I like to draw, read, write, spend time with my dog. I’ve written two novels, but I’m re-writing the first and I’ll have to see about the second - I think it’ll either get rewritten or just become history. Some people might not know that I’m also pretty musical. I sing randomly throughout the day and enjoy playing the guitar (my electric and the acoustic), the piano and the keyboard. I play by ear, figuring out the notes to real songs as well as coming up with music of my own.
Something else that perhaps nobody on LEGO knows is that I also sew from time to time. It’s not a big hobby, but I’ve made clothes for my dog as well as a recent outfit for this Snoopy TY Beanie Baby plush that I have. He now has a baseball hat, a T-shirt and a jacket with a hood and working zipper!
12. If you found a genie and they gave you three wishes what would you wish for (if you could wish for anything in the world)? Why
Well if I could get three wishes, a good one might be for me (and my family) to live on a farm with a big equestrian setup and horses! And the expenses would be very cheap. Another option would be…I don’t know, peace and happiness around the world? Aaand…maybe the ability to fly.
13. Do you have any superpowers?
I can hum and whistle at the same time. No, really.
14. What would you like a future poll to be?
Well I’ve been wondering whether I made the right choice for the perspective of my current novels, so I’d like:
What’s your favourite point of view for a book?
a) Present first person
b) Past first person
c) Third person
15. What LEGO-related question do you have for the next interviewee?
If you were in charge of designing a future Minifigures series, what kind of minifigs would you include? Why?
16. Question from AwesomePythor: What is your favorite book? Why?
Again, not just one fave. But I’ll tell you the ones I like! A series of books that’s loads of fun are the Fudge books, by Judy Blume - they’re hilarious! I also really like the Santa Paws books, by Nicholas Edwards, and also the ones by Kris Edwards. It’s about this hero dog that goes around saving people - especially around Christmastime. I also like the Heartland and Chestnut Hill series (I’ve only read the first six of that one) - both by Lauren Brooke. Heartland is a horse farm that rescues and helps traumatized horses and ponies. And Chestnut Hill is about an all-girls boarding school - with horses.
Since this is the last question, I’d just like to say thank-you so much for interviewing me - and to the readers, thanks for reading!
Interview with ConspicuousNinja (Another community helper)
1. Congratulations on being a Community Helper! For users who don’t know what a Community Helper is, how would you describe the role and what you did to achieve it?
Hmmm.... A Community Helper is someone who is a really good welcomer, and overall good helper with problems on the Message Boards, who loves to devote their time to helping new users and settling arguments in a way that helps both sides stop. I literally have no idea what I did to be a CH.... I've probably welcomed like 5 people before I was a Community Helper.
2. What has been the best part about being a Community Helper? What was the trickiest part?
I loved chatting with the other CH's, and actively trying to help people in all of their Ninjago needs . The trickiest part..... It actually wasn't that difficult! I would say the trickiest part would be to welcome users before they get like 5 welcomes from everyone else in the Community.
3. What advice can you give to users hoping to be a Community Helper one day?
Probably the stereotypical "Be helpful, active, and friendly". But, if I said something different, it'd probably be "Help settle arguments, exist, say something unique when welcoming new people, and exist for a period of time greater than at least a few months"
4. What did your friends and family say when they heard you were made a Community Helper? How did you tell them?
Ummm..... They were like "Oh cool, congrats", and stereotypical stuff. None of my friends really know.
5. What’s the story behind your awesomely ninja-tastic username?
Okay..... Here's a long one.... (In my short answered interview)
A short time ago (depending on how short you consider a year and a half), in a galaxy so identical to this one that it actually was this one, I was just posting along, when my old account was disabled. My first thought was "Huh....". My second thought was "I should contact LEGO support". Then I thought "That was a bad username anyways....". I realized I needed a new username, and began thinking.... Unfortunately, most of the usernames I thought of were somehow taken..... But then I thought "I need a witty username that expressed my like of Ninjago". I knew it had to have Ninja in it.... But then I thought of ConspicuousNinja, which would fit my witty personality, and has something to do with ninja. And everyone lived happily ever after (by everyone I mean me)
6. You post a lot in Ninjago. Can we assume that’s your favorite LEGO theme? What is it about Ninjago that you love so much?
You can assume that, yes . I don't know what I like about Ninjago, it's just something that attracted me to it in 2010.... I didn't even really like ninja much, but I'm pretty sure what I liked about it was the spinners, and the cool minifigures that came with them, and then I realized there was a TV show. That got me hooked.
7. If you could be one of the Ninjago ninjas which would you be and why?
I believe, in Kruncha the skeleton's words, that it's "Ninja, not ninjas"
I would be.... Lloyd, because who wouldn't want to be the main character who is all powerful, gets to defeat evil overlords and stuff, and gets all the attention?
8. Are you hoping win a Golden Brick Award this year? If so, which one? If not, why not?
I literally have nothing going for me for the GBA's this year. Unless........ Best Interview.....
9. You’ve made over 12,700 posts since you joined the community last year. How do you come up with so much to say? How do you avoid spamming?
Sometimes, when I'm traveling on an 8-hour drive, and have nothing else to do, I challenge myself to reply to every topic on the first page of Ninjago, and then some in CC, Minecraft, etc. I don't really see a point in spamming, because when I post, I post so much anyways.
10. Congrats on reaching rank Aztec Warrior! What rank has been your favorite so far? Why? Which one are you most looking forward to and why?
I think everyone can guess my favorite rank... And if you can't, just think. I'm looking forward to..... Royal Guard, because I like the way it looks, and that's my goal by the end of the year.
11. What type of posts do you “like”? Why? How do you decide if a post is truly “likes” worthy?
I like either funny posts, or a post that a user put a lot of time into thinking about (That's why I just like every one of MasterOshawott and VectorCramp's posts, they're just so interesting to read).
I like funny posts that make me really laugh out loud. I don't really decide if a post is "likes worthy", come to think of it. I just do it!
12. Answer quickly: Summer or Winter? Spring or Fall? North or South? Ice cream or cake? Chicken or beef? Video games or board games? Swing or slide? Cat or dog? Instructions or free build? Blue or red? Book or magazine? Future or past? Day or night?
Ummm..... Argh..... Hmm.... Oh!.... Nevermind..... Okay! Winter. Fall. West. Cookies. Ummm... Depends on how the beef is cooked. Video Games. Trampoline. Okapi (look it up). Definitely Free Build! Red! Book! Either Past, present, or Future! Some time between 12 AM and 12 PM!
13. Do you have any superpowers? If so, what are they?
Nope.
14. What LEGO-related question do you have for the next interviewee?
If you could have any LEGO minifigure, which one would it be?
15. Question from Andybrick95 – “If you could make a new theme, what would it be?”
The LEGO Message Boards Theme! With sets like "The Chatroom" and "ConspicuousNinja's Interview that should win a GBA!"
I also want to ask everyone who replies to this topic, if that's okay: What are you most proud of doing on the LEGO Message Boards? I really would like to know!
1. You are pretty new to our community. Welcome! How did you first learn about the LMBs? What made you join?
Well, one day I was browsing the galleries and I saw the MB's were on there. I checked them out and was so excited about it, so that is how I joined.
2. What a cool avatar! What was the inspiration behind its design?
Well, it was the only minifig that looked semi-like me
3. You are super active in Superheroes. What is it about the Superheroes forums that you like so much?
I guess I just really like superheroes! And the sets are cool!
4. If you could be any superhero who would you be and why?
Hmmm....any superhero? Probably Iron man! I just think it would be really cool to have a suit like he has.
5. If you could be any super villain who would you be and why?
Good question. Maybe Abomination from the Hulk. He is really powerful! And you have to admit, he does look pretty cool.
6. What has been the most exciting thing you’ve experienced so far on the LMBs? Why?
Probably this interview! And when Oceanbella (the Mod) came to one of my topics. That was pretty cool!
7. What is your favorite subject in school? Why? What is your least favorite and why?
History is my favorite subject! Math is my least favorite. I think history is really interesting. And Math! I'm not great in algebra.
8. Answer quickly! Do you root for the good guys or bad guys? Why?
Well, I like both but sometimes I think the bad guys are cooler.
9. If you could hang out with any LEGO minifigure who would it be and why? What would you do together?
My favorite LEGO people are Gaboto and Tyler! We would to go LEGOland!
10. What would you do if you were a Mod for a day? Why?
If I was Mod for a day I would update My LEGO Network. It really needs an update! :0 Also, I would post on a lot of topics on the MBs.
11. Tell us three interesting facts about you that we don’t already know.
I am a Christian, I'm homeschooled and I milk our cow every morning.
12. Do you have any superpowers?
Superpowers? I can be stealthy in an airsoft battle and I can wrestle...sort of.
13. What would you like a future poll to be?
I like the idea of an age related poll! It would be cool to see what age group is mostly on the MBs.
14. What LEGO-related question do you have for the next interviewee?
On an estimate, how many LEGO pieces do you own?
15. Question from sheklord: How long of you been playing with your LEGO [pieces]?
About 8 years now! Before building with LEGO I played with Duplo [and other building toys] since 2 years old. Pretty much as long as I can remember, I have played with LEGO.
I'd like to say thank you Mods for giving me this interview and users for taking the time to read it! Thanks Everyone. It was fun!
1. Congratulations on being an official runner up for the “Write Like a Ninja” contest. How did it feel when you first heard the news?
When I heard I was one of the top ten winners, I was incredibly excited (though what would you expect? ). It was rather hide it from all my fellow MB users, but I managed!
2. Why did you decide to enter the contest?
The reason I entered the contest is because I absolutely LOVE writing. I have entered writing contests before and been a nominee, and I enjoyed the contest even if I hadn't been a winner!
3. Tell us a bit about your story and what inspired it?
I was into LEGO Batman 3 at the time, and I liked Brainiac. I was really inspired by the game, and modeled Omnilen somewhat after Brainiac. Hurrah for LEGO Batman!
4. Your story introduced aliens to Ninjago. Why did you choose aliens specifically?
LEGO did such a good job introducing so many Ninjago villains, I thought they had gone through everything - except aliens. I soon figured out the perfect story line it, and it was perfect, because the ninja have been to an alien planet before! So it would make sense for an alien to track them. Thank you, LEGO!
5. Have you written other stories before? If so, what do you like to write about? If not, has the contest inspired you to write more?
Well, I started writing when I was about...five? So I wrote little, cute stories, like stories about a grass snake family. I also wrote for other writing contests. Right now I'm working on a book series I hope to get published, and maybe one day become a LEGO theme! I like to write fantasy, Lord of the Rings type books, but I'm also writing a book series that is slightly similar to Harry Potter. I have to say, I love to write, but this contest has really kept me going!
6. What tips can you give to other story writers inspired by your awesome work?
Tips...tips...hmm...well, a good story is well written. You can be inspired, or an idea can just pop into your head. Don't be discouraged by what other people say, be your own man...or woman. Which ever. But some times you need to pay attention to what people say, and take it not as an insult, but think of it as advice. But don't trash your book just because someone says it's bad. You can either change it, or you can stick with what you like. YOU are the writer!
7. Which of the other stories that were runners up did you enjoy the most and why?
I have to say, I enjoyed all the stories, I really did, but of them all, I think I really liked "Hunted" the most. But it's only an opinion. CONGRATS to all participators in the contest, especially to the winners, for their awesome, amazing stories!
8. What career do you hope to have in the future and why?
Oooh...hmm, I would like to be an author, and I kind of am already, in a minor way, but I truly think I would like to be a LEGO Designer!
9. What is your favorite subject in school and why?
I really like literature. I've been reading Tom Sawyer, Treasure Island, things like that, and I'm reading the Odyssey again right now, and I enjoy it thoroughly! A lot of these books really inspire me, and at one point I've read the Hobbit, and that is probably the most inspiring story I've read, save for Harry Potter.
10. What was your very first LEGO set? What do you remember about it? What made you want to become such a big LEGO fan?
I got my very first LEGO set when I was, like, 7. It was a LEGO City Rescue Helicopter, a sea one, that had a motorized hook that came down. I liked it, but still wasn't very interested. But soon, my aunt bought me a LEGO Space Police set, and it was only about $15, but I LOVED it. On the back of the instructions I saw Squidtron's vehicle, and I saved my money and bought it. I was truly into LEGO then. Even today, amidst all these brilliant themes, Space Police has always proved my favorite.
11. If you could work at the LEGO Company what job would you want and why?
I would totally work on the designer team. I love thinking up ideas for new themes and designing and building the sets!
12. Answer quickly: Reading or writing? Pen or pencil? Typing or writing by hand? Comedy or tragedy? Happy ending or twist? Hero or villain? Short story or novel? Creative story or technically well written? Ice or pizza?
13. Do you have any superpowers? If so, what are they?
My superpowers are...getting my younger brothers to be quiet! Well, I'm still working on it.
14. What LEGO-related question do you have for the next interviewee?
My question for the next interviewee is: what theme would you like to see in LEGO?
15. Question from gollymolly – "If you could be a character from one of the LEGO Themes, who/what would it be, and why?"
My, my that's a hard one, so many minifigs are so awesome...well, as I prefer villains over heroes, I think I'd be the Antimatter! He's a powerful villain that's really cool!
1. Congratulations on being an official runner up for the “Write Like a Ninja” contest. How did it feel when you first heard the news?
Thanks! Well, my emotions varied. At first, I was scrolling through my Mom's e-mail, hoping that I was a nominee, and then I found it. An e-mail from stevensbike. Even though I was looking for a nominee e-mail, my heart sunk and I thought I was in trouble. XD I wondered if my story was too violent or degrading, but then I decided the only way I could find out was to open it. When I finally read it, I was speechless. Then I started skipping and running all over the house, and then I finally ran to my Dad and told him the news. He seemed genuinely happy for me. My little brother was another story. When my Dad told him about it, he just like, "Oh. " And then he ran off to play video games. XD I had to wake my Mom from her nap to tell her about it, and she was happy for me. =) The idea of my story being picked out of almost 1,000 other stories is just . . . mind blowing. Overall, I was ecstatic.
2. Why did you decide to enter the contest?
First of all, Ninjago is my favorite show. I know almost everything about it, and I love writing, also. I first heard about the WLANC in the LEGO club official magazine. I cannot tell you how excited I was. Even if I hadn't have been nominated, I was still pumped up about writing a Ninjago fanfiction. Once my parents let me enter, I started writing the first day I heard about it. I was really serious about it, too. Armed with music to get the creative juices flowing, my lemon-ginger tea to calm the nerves, and my notebook to create the outline, I was ready for anything. =)
3. Tell us a bit about your story and what inspired it?
Hmm... I started thinking about what I loved about Ninjago. I loved the relationships, the friendships, the action, the witty quips, Zane . . . Overall, I wanted to create something that was true to Ninjago. One of the particular details I was fond of was that Garmadon loved Lloyd, good or evil. That unconditional love really spoke to me. c: <3
4. You focused on the relationship between Lloyd and Garmadon. Why did you choose to take on that father-son relationship in your story?
See unconditional love, above. ^ Other than that, I guess I was subconsciously touched by the father-child aspect because I have a strong bond with my Dad, too. He's been my best friend for my entire life, and I love doing father-daughter things with him.
5. Have you written other stories before? If so, what do you like to write about? If not, has the contest inspired you to write more?
Yes, I have, actually. (Some of y'all know this) I've been writing since I was probably about six or seven. I was/am homeschooled and my Mom pushed a lot of creativity-building exercises. Writing came sort of naturally for me. I loved the idea of imagining anything possible, writing it so you can save it, and tell it to others so they can experience the magical feeling I get when writing.
Anyways. I like to write fanfiction of any kind, including but not limited to Ninjago and The Hunger Games. I'm actually writing a Hunger Games/MB spin-off thingy(), and a bunch of my friends are going to be in it! ^-^ I hope to get it up by the 2015 GBAs, but I doubt that will happen. Please check it out when it's posted!!
Sometimes I'll create some silly stories in my free time, ranging from romance, to mystery, to action, to comedy.
6. What tips can you give to other story writers inspired by your awesome work?
I HAVE BEEN WAITING A LONG TIME FOR THIS QUESTION. *-* It hath finally come. . .
But seriously.
Tip numero uno. (Tip number one. )
Writers' block. It happens to the best of us. The blank page or document staring back at you. Do you want to write something, but have no ideas? Do you have an idea, but you just can't execute it the way you want to? If you have no ideas, question everything, read, watch something unusual, or listen to some songs. All of these help with a blank mind. Questioning is one of the many things a good writer is great at. Question obvious things and come up with your own answer. Question some not-so obvious things and do the same. Do aliens really exist? If so, what do they do? What if Skylor was an orphan, adopted into Chen's cruel family? What if she was stolen as a baby? What would happen if a new breed of human-cats was created? Would they live in peace, or would they become indignant and refuse to be held captive any longer? ()
These are just some examples of what you could do.
If you have an idea, WRITE AN OUTLINE. Believe me, writing an outline has helped me lots of times. Not only does it put your ideas in order, in ensures that you have an idea for the ending. In the past, I'm guilty of not writing an outline and just starting with a foggy idea. None of these kinds of stories have succeeded or even finished. If you write one, you'll be able to come up with more ideas, and eventually come up with a story as a whole.
Tip numero dos. (Tip number two.)
Edit. Please repeat this to yourself 37 times. You can thank me later.
Okay, so you finally have a story. You can post it now, right?
No.
Since I'm not having an interview for on word answers, I'll explain it in detail.
Editing is a crucial part in writing professionally. Your rough cut is okay, but it can be better. Find run-on sentences. Correct your grammar. Cut out parts -even if your really proud of them- that do not contribute to the story in any obvious way. After going over your story a few times, and when you feel like it's ready, go ahead and post it. You'll look back and be glad you edited.
Tip numero tres. (Tip number three.)
Be open to constructive criticism. At first, anyone who criticizes your work might seem like they're trying to degrade or insult you. Most of the time, this is not the case. They may be trying to help you, and make your writing better. After all, there might be some problems that you're blind to. But if you're absolutely, positively sure that your story is the best it can be, trust your gut and go with it.
Okay, I'm done now.
7. Which of the other stories that were runners up did you enjoy the most and why?
Aaaaccckkk . . . This is hard. I particularly liked 'Wake Up' by JayZX, 'Reflection' by Brickgirl, and 'One Stormy Night' by Icefirelucky.
8. What career do you hope to have in the future and why?
Well, published author, obviously. Other than that, I'd like to be a cognitive therapist. A cognitive therapist is someone who helps peoples' mental problems without administrating medicine to them. They help them head-on. And a chicken buster. That's someone who lives in Miami and captures feral chickens.
9. What is your favorite subject in school and why?
English/literature or history. English, because evidently I like writing. History, because its just like reading a story, but it was real! It actually happened.
10. What was your very first LEGO set? What do you remember about it? What made you want to become such a big LEGO fan?
I remember my first set like it was yesterday...
It was the 5560 pink tub and horse stable. When I first saw it in the store, I immediately wanted it. Alas, it was $20. $20 is a lot for a six year old. Eventually, I got some birthday money from my grandparents (thank you, by the way ) and got it. I had a lot of fun building it, and even more fun playing with it.
I stopped playing with LEGO for a few months, then my aunt got me the 7937 train station set. It seemed to be impossible -because, again, I was six - but I finished it in time. I got back into LEGO, and I discovered Ninjago a few years later. Ever since, Ninjago has been my favorite theme.
11. If you could work at the LEGO Company what job would you want and why?
Moderator. The idea of doing something I enjoy every day AND get paid? That's just plain awesome.
12. Answer quickly: Reading or writing? Pen or pencil? Typing or writing by hand? Comedy or tragedy? Happy ending or twist? Hero or villain? Short story or novel? Creative story or technically well written? Ice or pizza?
Acckkk this is hard.... uh, Writing! Reading! Both! Pen! Typing! Comedy! Twist! Villain! Novel! Well written! Ice or pizza? Pizza.
13. Do you have any superpowers? If so, what are they?
Yes. Two, actually. I can make people laugh without even trying. I act like myself and my brother giggles. I say my opinion and my friend cracks up. I say something sarcastic and an adult LOLs. It's amazing, because I love seeing people happy and smiling.
Another is that I can control wind. Or, at least, I think I can. Sometimes, when I'm alone, I can stare up at the sky and make the clouds go the other direction. I can summon a cool breeze when I'm hot. Once, I was out when a crazy rainstorm was acting up. Tree limbs and pine cones were falling, and I didn't even get hit once. I was like,
"Well, that happened. "
14. What LEGO-related question do you have for the next interviewee?
Which Lego Message Boards user do you look up to and why?
15. Question from gollymolly – "If you could be a character from one of the LEGO Themes, who/what would it be, and why?"
I would be WyldStyle/Lucy. Living in the Lego Movie universe would be really cool. Lucy's very creative, daring, independent, and bold, like me.
This interview was a dream come true. Shout out to my S. Sisters and my U. Brothers, my NiHW fans and PTWN fans, and the awesome peeps in the Chatroom for Everybody
Interview with galijb. Words from WA: "Who better than the first ever winner of the LEGO.com Message Boards' 2014 "Lifetime Participation Award" to give advice on roleplay, ranking, and being an awesome community member?
Galijb certainly is an expert on being a totally rad member of this community and lucky for us he's sharing his secrets to success.
Check out his inspiring interview below"
1. Solve the mystery for us … how do you pronounce your username? Is it gal – ig – b, gali – g – b … or something else? What inspired your very unique username?
LOL, that is a good question. I didn’t actually write my username – my dad did. He spelt it “Gali JB”… Gali was the BIONICLE Toa that he thought was my favorite (she wasn’t – it was Kopaka ), while the “JB” has some undisclosed significance.
2. Congratulations on receiving the first ever “Lifetime Participation Award” in the 2014 Golden Brick Awards. How did it feel? Were you surprised?
Yes, I was very surprised at my award. I don’t consider myself very active anymore, at least outside of roleplay. Honestly, I wasn’t even planning on winning anything in the GBAs – I was perfectly content roleplaying and posting at my own pace.
3. What inspired you to join the community? What made you stay for so long?
I’ve had my account since I was like, seven. I wasn’t very active, and I played the role of the newbie who was still trying to figure out his keyboard, trying to find out as much information as possible on future LEGO sets. When LEGO Universe came out, I abandoned LEGO.com completely and dedicated all my precious time to the game.
After the game shut down, I felt motivated to post my LEGO Universe fanfiction – “The LEGO Universe Chronicles”, a story centered on my avatar, BizarreNerdyLegend, and his (fictional) friends as they battled the dark Maelstrom. The story almost always makes me cringe when I read it (), but I made some great friends there – such as Legojrod, GoldenNobleWarrior and Sepublic22.
4. You’ve been a community member so long you must have seen lots of amazing things here. What thing has surprised you the most in your tenure? What was the most exciting thing you’ve experienced?
The most exciting thing I’ve ever experienced here? …I can’t name one specific thing. Neat stuff happens all the time in RP. And it’s always fun to find a new chapter in the story you’re following. But I think the most exciting thing for me is actually in the process of happening right now – the planning of the new BIONICLE RP. If this goes off like I think it will, this RP is gonna be big. Me and others are in the process of planning it, and though it’s mind-numbing sorting through all those posts it’s also exciting to see it come together.
5. What is your biggest goal for your future? Why?
My biggest goal (besides getting married ) is to get a job where I can write story concepts – for video games, movies, maybe even LEGO. I’ve come a long way story-wise from “The LEGO Universe Chronicles” – something I attribute to my wide selection of movie and trailer soundtracks. I’ve imagined tons of great settings and characters over the years… I just haven’t bothered to physically document any of them. I want to get a job where I can let all those ideas flow out freely.
6. Tell us three things about you we probably don’t already know.
Well. I have third-degree autism, a mental condition that, in a nutshell, hinders social interaction (and makes me really awkward at gatherings ). I participate in a speech and debate club, where I get my awesome argumentation skills. And one of my favorite songs is Caramelldansen. XD …Yeah, that’s all I can think of.
7. You are active in roleplay. What are the top three skills needed to be an awesome roleplayer?
RP is awesome. I love creating characters and making them interact with other people’s characters. However, it’s very also easy to spoil the fun for a lot of people. So here are my three tips: Be considerate. “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you” comes into play here. Don’t be a jerk by forcing someone to do what you want them to do – this is RP, not a scripted play. Be realistic. Nothing bugs me more than some guy who just waltzes into our HQ with a hundred heavy weapons that magically appeared out of nowhere. Remember that whatever you bring into a battle comes from somewhere – and don’t say you have things that you didn’t think about having when you arrived. Don’t take things personally. I see some people get offended by someone’s character throwing an insult at theirs, or even if their character got beaten in a fight. You have to ask yourself before you take offense: “Is my opponent speaking to me, or is my opponent’s character speaking to my character?”
8. What is your hidden talent and how did you get so good at it?
I realized that I was making some surprisingly good points on certain debate topics (not naming any). I participate in a speech and debate club, as I mentioned above, and it seems that it has helped me more than I thought it would. Something I would recommend is at least studying logical fallacies – being able to identify those have helped me a ton.
9. What is the best advice you can give to a new user joining the community?
I actually have a couple pieces of advice. Number one, don’t give up. A lot of new people are leaving entirely because nobody seems to notice them, and this is actually kind of sad. Look at me, ten years ago – another quiet, low-ranking newbie who had no idea what the “Enter” key was for. Not a lot of people heeded my presence, but I didn’t care. I just posted for the sake of posting… And here I am today. Expert roleplayer and debater, with a GBA tucked under his arm and in the process of being interviewed. …Once you get over that hurdle, one thing I would strongly suggest is don’t post for the ranks. Users seem to care too much about the colorful rectangle underneath their avatars, and how many “Likes” people have given them. As a kid, I hardly cared about ranks at all – sure, they looked neat, but that wasn’t my motivation to post. I posted to chat with my friends; I posted because I wanted to say something, not always because I hoped I would get some sort of approval for it. I strongly recommend not just newbies, but everyone try to do the same.
10. If you were president of the LEGO Company for a day what would you do and why?
Hm… What exactly does the president of the LEGO company do? I think more than anything – and I’m not sure if this is what the president does or not – I’d present some of my plot ideas for current LEGO themes, and maybe even new ones. I would be content with that and nothing more.
11. If you were a Mod for the day what would you do and why?
I would sit down and moderate posts. Because that’s what mods do. What a truckload of posts I would have to go through, though… I don’t think people give the mods enough credit. Sure, we may not always agree with them, and sometimes they may even be downright irrational. But you have to give them credit for weeding through literally thousands of posts each day. If it weren’t for them, these forums would be total chaos.
12. Answer quickly: North or South? Outside or inside? Travel or stay home? Baseball or soccer? Vanilla or chocolate? Read or write? Run or walk? Beach or forest? Instructions or free build? Invisibility or super speed? Summer or Winter? Burger or fries? Get up early or stay up late?
13. Do you have any superpowers? If so, what are they?
I guess autism could count as a superpower. People with autism are actually really smart – they just have trouble getting all their ideas out. So, my superpower I suppose would be the ability to create awesome stories and characters.
14. What LEGO-related question do you have for the next interviewee?
If you had complete creative control over a LEGO theme… What would it be, and what would you do?
15. Question from Skulduggery773 - Is there any song in particular that makes you think about LEGO or the MBs?
Really sorry that this is cliché, but I would have to say “Everything is Awesome”. Because everything is awesome to a lot of people here – these forums are one big party.
1. Congratulations on being an official runner up for the “Write Like a Ninja” contest. How did it feel when you first heard the news?
*bows* Why, thank you very much! It was pretty epic. I wasn't expecting the email, so when it came, it was a total surprise! I called over my sisters (after I had scanned over the email) and shared the great news. They were very happy for me! I told my parents later (since they were at work), and they were happy as well. I didn't dance around the house or scream or anything, but believe me, I was super pumped on the inside. Even if the rest of this year was completely awful, I would have this moment as a highlight.
You know, now that I think about it more, I did talk a lot about it. I'd just be like, "I can't believe I actually was nominated." It was such a cool feeling! That my story was chosen out of close to a thousand entries still amazes me.
2. Why did you decide to enter the contest?
I had two reasons. One: it was a writing contest. Two: it involved Ninjago (which has to be one of my favorite themes ever!). How could I not enter? Seriously, the moment I heard there was a Ninjago short story writing contest, I knew I had to submit one. When I heard that I could post more than one... well, I decided I had enough ideas for four stories. XD
3. Tell us a bit about your story and what inspired it?
My main inspiration was the character that is Garmadon. Whether lord or sensei, he has been one of my absolute favorite characters in the show. LEGO has done such a good job of creating a rich depth to him. When we first meet him in the pilot episodes, all we see is a villain who looks like just that: a primary antagonist for the whole show. Then we find out he has a kid; that he was turned evil by the venom of the Great Devourer; that he doesn't want his son to follow in his footsteps. He loves his son so much that he tries to prevent the final battle from ever happening, even though it seems inevitable. At first, we want the final battle to take place, believing Garmadon is in the wrong. But is he really? All he wants is for his family to not become divided even further.
Then Misako enters the picture, and the relationship between her, Garmadon, and Wu. We see Garmadon possessed, the climax of his villainy. The Overlord knew Garmadon would always have a "weakness" as long as his family was around, so he had to be controlled. We get to see Garmadon purged of evil, defending his family (going so far as to break his vow of never fighting again). We find out about Master Chen, the man who gave Garmadon his lordship, and Clouse, his rival for said lordship. And then we get to see one (final?) touching moment between Lloyd and Garmadon, who passes the title of sensei on to his son. As you can see, Garmadon is a multifaceted character.
He is such an excellent character that I plan on one day writing a story called "The Path He Chose," which would be Garmadon's life through his eyes. I'd glean whatever I could from the episodes and add my own brushstrokes to the story. (In case you're wondering, I have no idea when this will come out, as it could be a large project. ) Because of this idea I had, I figured I'd try it out with two of my contest entries, "Venom of the Serpent" and "Fall into Darkness." Obviously the jury liked the latter story. ^_^ So yeah, that's a (somewhat long) glimpse into the inspiration for the story.
Oh yeah, almost forgot to mention: I was also inspired whilst writing the winning entry. You see, I love to listen to soundtracks, and not just when writing. So while I was working on the entry, I listened to the classic song "Platoon - Adagio for Strings." It really helped me breathe the emotion that I needed into the story.
4. In your story you explored the good and evil side of Garmadon. Do you think, deep down, he is a hero or villain?
Garmadon is a hero, no doubt about it. "What?" you may be asking. "He was so a villain." No, he was, for the pilot episodes and first two seasons, a fallen hero. It was the venom that made him who he was, but there were still scraps of goodness that he managed to hold on to. He obviously loved and treasured his family, and leaving them was a huge sacrifice on his part. But it was because he was a hero that he did. Heroes make tough choices and sacrifices not for their own good, but for the good of others. It was a selfless act on Garmadon's part.
Obviously, when seasons three and four rolled around, we get to see the heroic side of him that was buried by darkness before. He stands for peace, fights when what he loves is threatened, and works up the courage to admit his deep mistakes and regrets (even though Chen beat him to the punch just to divide the family when they needed to be strong ). He even sacrifices himself to not only save Ninjago, but to save his family from fracturing again. It takes Lloyd a while to realize this, and when we do too, we cheer for Garmadon. Because he's a hero. No questions asked.
5. Have you written other stories before? If so, what do you like to write about? If not, has the contest inspired you to write more?
Would you believe me if I told you I used to hate writing stories? It's true. But when my older sister began writing a novel, I was eventually inspired to start writing as well. I tried writing my own novel (got over 100 pages! ), but I scrapped it. Even so, it brought my sister and I closer together.
I've been writing ever since. My next big project was writing a superhero story on the MBs, called "The Attack on Gotham." I was a newbie at the time, and I wrote the story on a whim, but it helped me become more recognized. I made some great friendships because of it, and I eventually moved to the MBs Story subforum, where I authored "Brickman's Businesses: A Sitcom." Definitely had some good times and some laughs there. Currently on the MBs, I'm working on "An Old Face, a New Game" in the same forum (nearly two years going and still not done ), as well as reaching into the Ninjago Stories subforum with "The Tournament of Convicts." Obviously I wrote entries for the Write Like a Ninja contest.
In real life, I've won a local contest held by the newspaper in which you write a story with the meaning of Christmas. I got second place (that was my first --and probably only--time I've entered) with a story I wrote about WW2. I have entered a Beauty and the Beast retelling contest, with me writing a steampunk version (didn't win, still had a lot of fun). I'm currently writing the first draft for a Sleeping Beauty retelling contest, a pseudo-feudal Japan fantasy (I'll let you know if I win ).
As you can probably tell, there's not one certain thing I liked writing about. I prefer to expand my horizons and venture into all sorts of genres, as it helps me grow as an author. Besides, it'd be boring for me to stick with just one kind of story. XD
6. What tips can you give to other story writers inspired by your awesome work?
Oh man, this one's tough. I've heard and read a lot of good advice (at least, I think I have ). Well, I'll just share a few things:
Give your characters conflicting values. This tip is one that has really stuck with me. You want interesting characters? Ensure that their core values conflict with one another. I'll give you an example, using Garmadon. His values were "I love my family more than anything" and "I want to re-create Ninjago in my own image more than anything." Obviously, these values clashed. He had to choose between family and power, and the venom didn't help matters. That's one reason why he's such an interesting character.
Make it hard on your characters. If everything's a walk in the park for your characters, something is really wrong. Readers will get real bored real fast if nothing's a challenge. Ensure that your characters fail sometimes, and make sure that reaching their goal will be extremely difficult. Doesn't necessarily have to be physically intense; it can be emotionally or psychologically intense, to name a couple of examples.
Your story will not be perfect on the first try. Take a deep breath, turn off your perfectionist brain, and then write. Just let the creativity flow and allow yourself to write stuff that's imperfect. Even the experts don't get it right on the first try; that's why we edit. You need to live in the moment and go with the flow. Let your imagination take you away. You'll get stuck in a rut if you try to make sure everything's just right on the first draft. Second drafts are fine. So are third drafts. Even you have to edit that brickin' draft ten times, and you feel like you hate the thing, just keep writing. Tell yourself, "It'll be okay. I might feel like I want to stop working on this right now, but perseverance will pay off." If you give yourself permission to write junk, you will enjoy the whole experience a lot more. And trust me: one day, what you once thought was trash will be a diamond.
Your readers are smart. If you assume the opposite and think you have to break everything down to its simplistic form, readers will be insulted. They want to be able figure things out as you lead them alone the path that is your story. Give them crumbs of bread, not the whole loaf. They will appreciate the story that much more if you do.
Emotion is key. Our main goal as writers is to give our readers an emotional experience. Your readers need to be emotionally invested in the characters. If they are, it will be better for both them and you. One way to do this is to utilize your own emotions. If you're angry, write that scene in which the characters argue. If you're sad, transfer it into the scene that needs to break the readers' hearts. If you're happy, it will make that victory celebration that much sweeter.
And finally, a quote from C.S. Lewis: "Even in literature and art, no man who bothers about originality will ever be original: whereas if you simply try to tell the truth (without caring twopence how often it has been told before) you will, nine times out of ten, become original without ever having noticed it."
7. Which of the other stories that were runners up did you enjoy the most and why?
Wow, they were all so good in their own unique ways! But my favorites have to be "Wake Up" (because it's an epic JayZX story, no other explanation needed ), "Forgive Me" (because it was a great look into Lloyd's head after Garmadon's sacrifice), "Reflection" (because it was neat to get Misako's perspective on Garmadon leaving), and "Hunted" (because it was cool to see what Garmadon tried to do before using the Skullkins). But like I said, all the stories were amazing.
8. What career do you hope to have in the future and why?
I definitely want to be an author. It would totally be my dream job to come up with imaginative stories and share them with the world. Hopefully I would still have time to post stories on the MBs, because I would love to do that as well. Writing is a gift I've been given, and I enjoy using it. It would satisfy me richly to be able to spin amazing tales and craft memorable characters while weaving in the emotion that readers desire.
9. What is your favorite subject in school and why?
History, hands down. I just find it fascinating, learning about events that happened in the past. Perhaps I was a bit influenced by Indiana Jones. I also seem to have a knack for it. In any case, I enjoy history a lot. (I want to someday write a series or whatever that involves history, like a treasure hunt or something. All I need to succeed is to research and wear a fedora. XD)
10. What was your very first LEGO set? What do you remember about it? What made you want to become such a big LEGO fan?
Well, I don't remember my first LEGO set (probably some Racers or Creator set), but I do remember my first set with minifigures in it. It was the 7771 Angler Ambush from the Aqua Raiders theme. I loved that thing to pieces (not literally XD). I spent hours just playing with that one set, which had only two minifigs. Such is the magic of LEGO. It allows people to use their imagination.
Not long after, I purchased my own set: 7092 Skeletons' Prison Carriage from the Castle theme (ya know, the Fantasy Era). Again, I could play with that set over and over again. Everything just kind of took off from there. I bought and received more LEGO sets, and here I am today, an avid LEGO fan.
I suppose the reason why I am such is because of the joy and magic I experienced as youngling playing with LEGO. It was memorable, and it subconsciously made me want to support such an awesome "toy." Not only that, but it also evokes one's imagination and creativity. You can't really get much better.
11. If you could work at the LEGO Company what job would you want and why?
To be honest, I don't really know the extent of the jobs in the LEGO Company. I would want to have a job where I could use my creativity. So I guess maybe a set designer or a moderator or something. (I don't know German though, so I'd have to learn that before I could become a mod. ) As for why I would want to have one of those jobs... well, being a set designer would be pretty fun, I would think. Getting to make sets that others can enjoy sounds awesome. Being a moderator would mean I get to bring out the ban hammer! XD It would also give me an excuse to be on the MBs with all the epic users.
12. Answer quickly: Reading or writing? Pen or pencil? Typing or writing by hand? Comedy or tragedy? Happy ending or twist? Hero or villain? Short story or novel? Creative story or technically well written? Ice or pizza?
*buckles in* I'm ready. *wiggles fingers* Writing (but reading is equally important, not to mention essential for filling your creative tank!). Pencil. Writing by hand. Tragedy. TWIST! (That was my evil face. ) Villain! (*cues the Imperial March* XD) Novel. Creative story. PIZZA! (Really? Is that even a question? I have a sneaking suspicion most, if not all, the answers to that question will be pizza. Who would pick ice, and why?! That reminds me of Legotheterrible's topic about if you eat pizza while posting. Read it. There are some funny comments in there, including the unhealthiness of chewing ice. But I'm getting off-topic... )
13. Do you have any superpowers? If so, what are they?
Superpowers? You better believe it! I'm pretty much Superman. But since I don't like to brag or anything, I'll only list a few.
One: I am the master of playlists. I can find music that perfectly matches whatever I want it to. I usually do this for my own stories, such as "An Old Face, a New Game," as well as my two fairy tale retellings. Sometimes, I can even read a story (like Skul's "A Kingdom of Mods" trilogy or someone else's fairy tale retelling), and the music fits the scenes perfectly without me trying! It's a pretty amazing superpower.
Two: I have a knack for memorization. Now, I'm not saying I'm perfect (because that would be showing off ), but I am pretty good. For example, suppose I buy a soundtrack. While listening to it, I look at the title of each track when it plays. You can bet I probably won't need to refer to the CD case again. I'm also good with movie quotes. If I can use a line from a film, I will. I even remember lines from movies I haven't watched in years! Weird, huh?
Three: I can feel more epic than I actually am. This one's fairly new; in fact, I only discovered it this week (and by "this week," I mean the last full week of August). It was on Sunday evening, and I was taking a walk. The sky was overcast, the wind was windy, and there was the threat of rain. I brought along an umbrella, just in case. Now, understand that when I go on walks, I bring a music device along to keep me company. I had taken my iPod shuffle, and the track "Imagine the Fire" from The Dark Knight Rises soundtrack came on. I was feeling pretty epic right about then.
A mere two days later, when I was on another walk (the day was sunny and warm-ish), "Prince Caspian Flees" from the Prince Caspian soundtrack (obviously ) played when I was making sure I could cross the street. It just made me feel like I was escaping the clutches of evil while trying to not draw too much attention. Even though I'm not really that epic, it sure felt like it.
14. What LEGO-related question do you have for the next interviewee?
If you could bring back any of the retired LEGO themes, which one would it be?
15. Question from Hypaxxus-4231 – “What theme would you like to see in LEGO?”
Ooh, good question! My immediate answer would definitely be The Legend of Zelda. I would love it if LEGO actually got the rights to make the game franchise into a theme. I know they would have to make a bunch of new pieces, but it'd be awesmazing! I'd totally buy the sets.
Just to end off this interview, I'd like to thank the LEGO Company for holding the Write Like a Ninja contest. It was an honor to be a part of. I'd also like to thank the jury for nominating my story; you have no idea how amazing that made me feel. My thanks go to White Alligator and the rest of the Mods for hosting this interview. I remember when the Official Interview Room first came. I was super pumped, but I didn't think I'd ever get interviewed. Looks I was wrong.
Thanks to my closest friends and/or my biggest supporters, chief among those Gideon, Andybrick, Brickgirl, JayZX, LegoCritter, and Soccerplayer (who has sadly retired, it seems). If I forgot anyone, my apologies! And lastly, I thank the One who bestowed the gift of writing upon me. I am forever grateful.
1. Congratulations on being an official runner up for the “Write Like a Ninja” contest. How did it feel when you first heard the news?
I was definitely surprised and excited! When I saw the email, I didn't believe it at first, and I was staring at the screen, shocked. O_O
2. Why did you decide to enter the contest?
I've always been writing comedy here and I wanted to try something other than that for a change. So when I heard the about the Write Like A Ninja contest, I decided to enter and wrote a story.
3. Tell us a bit about your story and what inspired it?
I was trying to come up with a story for Jay (my favourite ninja) and a dragon with the element of lightning (because dragons are awesome ) and how they might meet. At the time when I was thinking for ideas, there were lots of thunderstorms. So I decided to make the story take place in the woods one stormy night!
4. Your story was just a bit scary. How did you balance making sure it wasn’t too scary for your readers?
(It wasn't meant to be scary... ) I added some excitement and thrill later on and I gave the dragon a playful side. There's also a peaceful and happy ending!
5. Have you written other stories before? If so, what do you like to write about? If not, has the contest inspired you to write more?
Yes, the other stories I've written here are comedy sitcoms on the Mixels forum about Mixels going on random adventures. Outside of the LMBs, I like writing adventure stories about mythical creatures.
6. What tips can you give to other story writers inspired by your awesome work?
Choose a genre and begin brainstorming about the possible characters, settings and problems.
If you're stuck or have writer's block, maybe do some research (for example, search up some jokes for a comedy story), read a book or watch a movie related to your genre to get some inspiration.
Use some descriptive and interesting words so things won't get repetitive or boring and readers can imagine what's happening. A random example:
A user walked into a topic. He walked back out and walked to another forum.
Instead of using walked and without adjectives, it could be:
A new user walked into a busy topic. He looked around and exited, taking a stroll to another forum.
Editing is also important so you can make sure if you want to add/remove a part in your story and get rid of mistakes hiding in your story. >_>
I'm not the best at giving tips, but I hope this helps.
7. Which of the other stories that were runners up did you enjoy the most and why?
I enjoyed all of them! They were all awesome and unique in their own way.
8. What career do you hope to have in the future and why?
I'd like to become a photographer, an author, or a graphic designer because they're jobs that I would enjoy. Any job involving Lego would be awesome, too!
9. What is your favorite subject in school and why?
Art, literacy and science, because I find them interesting and sometimes fun to learn.
10. What was your very first LEGO set? What do you remember about it? What made you want to become such a big LEGO fan?
I can't remember the very first set (it was a big box of Lego but I don't remember much about it , and I don't know where it is now ), but the second set was the Lego Creator Log Cabin set, and I loved that it was able to be rebuilt into other models. I became a big fan of Lego after that. ^_^
11. If you could work at the LEGO Company what job would you want and why?
A Lego set designer, because coming up with ideas for future Lego sets sounds like a fun job, or a moderator (that would be a dream come true! ) because helping + posting on the LMBs = awesome!
12. Answer quickly: Reading or writing? Pen or pencil? Typing or writing by hand? Comedy or tragedy? Happy ending or twist? Hero or villain? Short story or novel? Creative story or technically well written? Ice or pizza?
Both , pencil, typing, comedy , twist , hero , novel, creative story , I can't choose between my favourite element and food!
13. Do you have any superpowers? If so, what are they?
If it's fictional, my power would be able to freeze things.
I don't think I have superpowers in real life (maybe I haven't discovered them ) unless making bad jokes, being imaginative and saving insects count...
14. What LEGO-related question do you have for the next interviewee?
If you could visit a world of Lego, what theme would you explore first?
15. Question from XCaptainBooX – “Which Lego Message Boards user do you look up to and why?”
I can't only name one!
But I look up to users who are friendly, helpful, funny or write awesome stories.
Thanks to all the users and mods for making the LMBs awesome! Stay positive!
1. You are a really friendly, positive user. How do you stay so nice all the time?
I am not exactly sure! I guess I just enjoy being on the MBs so much, it’s hard for me not to be nice!
2. How did you first learn about the Message Boards community? What made you want to join?
I remember that a LEGO store opened in the mall we sometimes go to and I bought myself a Lego set! On the box was a link to LEGO. Com, so I went and saw how cool everything looked, so I joined.
3. You’re active in multiple roleplays. What is your favorite thing about roleplay? What is the trickiest part?
I really love role-playing because you get to be whatever you want! That’s probably my favorite part. I think the trickiest thing is to make sure you are not being OP!
4. What advice do you have for users new to roleplay?
Start from the bottom and work your way up. Find someone you look up to in the RP and try to copy what they do! Be friendly, but most importantly be yourself!
5. Which roleplay is your favorite and why?
I think my favorite role-play is the Ultra Agents! I really love agents and have always wanted to be one!
6. What is your favorite LEGO theme of all time? Why?
My favorite theme is the Galaxy Squad! That’s the first RP I ever joined and I just love the sets!
7. What is your favorite memory from your time in the Message Boards community? Why is it your favorite?
My favorite time on the boards was when I joined the Blue Team in the old Galaxy Squad RP when it opened back in 2012. I had a lot of fun there and met most of my friends there too!
8. Which user has inspired you the most during your time here? How did they inspire you?
The user that has inspired me the most is skulduggery773! When I first joined the boards he really helped me get started and showed me how to Role-play!
9. Are you looking forward to this year’s Golden Brick Awards? Which award are you hoping to receive?
Yes I totally looking forward to this year’s GBA! I am hoping to get the most awesome role-play representative!
10. Tell us three things about you that we probably don’t already know.
Hmm… I am half Irish and half Portuguese! I can’t ride a skateboard (No matter how much I try! ) and I always wear black pants!
11. If you could have any LEGO job in the future which would it be and why?
I would probably want to be a LEGO designer! I just love to design things, I do it all the time!
12. If you were stranded on a desert island with an unlimited supply of LEGO pieces what would you build and why?
I would build myself a huge life size castle, complete with a giant golden statue of myself! Why? Because who wouldn’t want a castle with a giant statue of yourself?
13. Do you have any superpowers? If so, what are they?
Yes. I can turn ice into water with my bare hands!
14. What LEGO-related question do you have for the next interviewee?
If you could jump to any rank you want, which one would it be and why?
15. Question from Lolek4 – “If you had the choice to replace yourself with any minifigure, who would it be with and why?”
I would want to be the “Race car Driver” from the third series! I really like the way he looks and I love race cars!
1. You are a big Ninjago fan. What is your favorite thing about Ninjago?
I love a lot about ninjago, nothing that is better than other things. But If I had to choose, I guess I would choose the sets. Many of them were so creative!!! I give the designers credit for making them, though there were a few I thought they could do better.
2. If you could be any ninja who would you be and why?
Well, I am a ninja. The Ninja of Water. I live in a normal house, available in the gallery, and I also own my weapon, the hammer of water. It is a long-lost golden weapon. I have my car, which is usually only used for work, and my danger flyer, used for catching criminals.
3. Have you practiced Spinjitzu in real life? How did it go?
I have actually! I have tried many times. I usually do it outside, because I don't want to break anything. I have always thought of building the original training course, seen in The Way of the Ninja pilot episode. I may do that eventually.
4. What type of posts do you give “likes” to? Why?
Well, I give likes to posts I find interesting, but lately, I have given less likes than usual, but I am trying more to give more likes to people.
5. What is your all-time favorite LEGO set? Why?
Well, I personally like either the Titanium Dragon, which I just received Monday, or the Battle for Ninjago City, which I received in June 2014. I like the Titanium Dragon because it is a dragon that had lots of very good detail, but I actually don't get why there is a key in it. Anyway, that is a pretty good set. The Battle for Ninjago City has a bunch of minifigures, including 4 exclusive ones, and the temple itself is huge, and comes with very good detail. And the Overlord Mech thing was a great part too. So both are good in my book.
6. If you could design your own LEGO theme what would it be and why?
Well, I would probably make a theme made for only boys, because many themes are meant for only girls, but some boys like them. But I would also like maybe a theme on maybe some movies, maybe called the movie theme.
7. If you could hang out with any LEGO minifigure which would it be and why? What would you do together?
You already know my choice. And I would be asking him like a million questions, and just having fun, and meeting the rest of the team, and maybe learn animal moves from Dareth, and learn spinjitzu.
8. What career do you hope to have when you are older? Why?
Well, I haven't completely decided yet, but I might become someone affiliated with LEGO. Like a designer, worker at one of the stores, become a mod. Why? I would do these because I will always enjoy lego's, no matter how old I am. And the same thing might be for you. I just think being with LEGO will be good for me, but I could become something else.
9. What is your favorite subject in school and why? What is your least favorite subject and why?
Well, I like history the most, even though I am struggling a little bit, and I find many things in history very great, like the history of how California became a state, and how Slavery came. My least favorite would probably be math, because it is very hard to do at times, but sometimes I think it is very simple (I'm not allowed to say the e word there ). I am doing very well in school though.
10. What LMB goal do you have for 2015? Why do you have that goal?
Well, I have a few. I am trying to give more likes. This goal might be the hardest. I am working on it, and giving more. I will try to get into story writing as the year moves on. I will also try to be active in other forums. I have already gotten a little into CC, and am trying Super Heroes next. By the end of the year I hope to be on most of the forums.
11. Do you participate on any of the galleries? If so, which? If not, why not?
Well, I made one addition to the regular gallery, but other than that, I haven't really been on any of them. But now that the ninjago gallery is open, I will start to build some more Mocs.
12. Tell us three interesting facts about you that we don’t already know.
Well, I play the trumpet. I have 10 boats. And last, and least, I have one brother (a few of you might know this one) .
13. Do you have any superpowers? If so, what are they?
Well, does writing fast count? I can do it pretty fast. I have the power to mumble. No, that probably doesn't. Other than that, not really anything.
14. What LEGO-related question do you have for the next interviewee?
If you could have one LEGO set you didn't have already, what would it be?
15. Question from WaveViper – “If you were able to create any LEGO themed sets, which series would you choose?”
Ninjago. I would probably make Dareth's Dojo, the Black Bounty, the Grundle, and some sets they missed.
1. Congratulations on being an official runner up for the “Write Like a Ninja” contest. How did it feel when you first heard the news?
Why thank you! Well, I was ecstatic! I tried not to keep my hopes up too much while I was writing just in case I didn’t make the nominations because honestly, there was some TOUGH competition out there…real tough. I’m still shocked that some other users didn’t make it to the top ten because I was sure they would. The writing was just that good! But, when I saw that email that evening I almost screamed! Ok…I did scream…internally. Ha. I was super happy it was such a privilege considering how many entries you guys got! Even though I didn’t exactly win so to speak I’m still quite pleased with my nominee status.
2. Why did you decide to enter the contest?
Ok, I’ll admit…my decision to enter the contest was last minute. Or technically not really last minute, but it took me a while to find the courage to enter. I had been debating it ever since it was announced, but something told me to go for it…if I win, I win and if I don’t hey! At least I tried right? Plus my obvious love for Ninjago would take over anyway…how could I not enter? It’s a rare opportunity…and rare opportunities need to be taken advantage of. Not to mention the idea of being published really intrigued me of course. I mean having your own story in a real Ninjago book? Sounds like a dream! A wonderful dream of course.
3. Tell us a bit about your story and what inspired it?
Well, I had several entries but the one that was nominated “Reflection” was based on the idea of what exactly Misako went through or could have went through after Garmadon left. It's set in a forest type setting and Misako is on a journey to take Lloyd to the boarding school she left him at. A lot of people give her hate….and I’ll admit she’s not my absolute favorite either, but I don’t dislike her. She’s one of those characters that honestly could have used some more explanation in my opinion. We don’t know exactly why she felt the need to give up Lloyd to that school and I just wanted to “reflect” (Heh, title reference…get it? ) on that a little bit more…give her a little bit more love and attention then what the show has given her. I feel like there is so much more to her that we don’t know. She just showed up one day. I’d be nice if her background was explored more and more reasoning for the actions she took. Actually, now that I think about it, most of all my entries were based on some sort of “behind the scenes” or “unexplained actions” that could have occurred in the Ninjago universe. Sometimes it’s frustrating when we, as fans aren’t given all the information and every single detail, but in some cases you can end up making great fanfiction from it and expanding and putting your own twist on things or your own idea of what happens can be fun.
4. In your story you create such a realistic atmosphere inhabited by Misako. How do you create such a real, welcoming setting?
Ooo…this is a good question. Practice is what I’d say is the first thing. I’ve been studying various writing techniques from authors lately and trying to learn from them and apply it to my own writing. Some books in particular have vivid descriptions that really help you see what the character sees and feel what they feel. This is really the atmosphere I wanted for that story. I wanted you to try to picture Misako in the setting, perhaps even place yourself there as well. It’s all about the connection with character and reader. If people aren’t interested or can’t really visualize what you are saying then they probably won’t be reading much of your work. I also thought about some of my own experiences and what I personally might feel or see. Yes, I know I haven’t “technically” been in a forest setting with a beast peering down at me, but I’m thinking in the sense of “what if”. What if I was there? What would I see? What would do? How would I react? Would my reaction be the same as the character I’m writing about? If not then what exactly would be different? These are some important questions to ask. After getting a sense for the feel of the atmosphere I just go from there and see where my imagination takes. That’s another good thing to have as well…a good imagination!
5. Have you written other stories before? If so, what do you like to write about? If not, has the contest inspired you to write more?
Yes! Of course! In fact, writing is whole reason why I came to the MB’s in the first place! I have quite a few stories in the Ninjago story forum right now, of course not all of them are being updated frequently do to my classes but they are there and waiting. Ha. Oh, I like to write about a lot of things actually. Action, romance (to a certain point of course), science fiction, alternate universes…and I’m pretty sure some of my readers here would agree that I focus a lot of intense emotional scenes. I’m known to “drown people with feels” it seems. I really want my readers to try to connect with my writing and characters. I want you to feel it for yourself, not just read it off the screen. Put yourself there and drift to the wonderful land of imagination.
Oh and yes the contest did inspire me to write a more, especially in the short story genre/style. I was a little worried about fitting all my story into the limits required and I did end up going over in my first draft, but this was definitely a learning experience and I’d say I’ve become a better writer because of it. It's good to experiment and challenge yourself sometimes, push the limits of your skills and see what happens.
6. What tips can you give to other story writers inspired by your awesome work?
Again, practice…practice, practice, practice! I can’t stress this enough. You have to play around with writing sometimes. You can’t just give up when something looks bad. The first draft is usually always bad. Even after I post stories on the MB’s I sometimes find ways I could have improved it. You just have to keep trying. Study and research techniques. Look closely at the style of others for influence. See what works and see what doesn’t, find your strengths and weaknesses. I find it’s really helpful to see what other authors are doing and use it for inspiration. Try not to become a carbon copy though. Apply it to your own writing with your own style. We want authors not clones.
Write all the time, the more time you spend doing it the better you will get. Try to listen to the advice of others a well. I know some of us may not like criticism, but sometimes, it’s really needed. Listen to your audience as well, and pay close attention to feedback. After all, these are the people who will be reading your writing if you choose to publish it.
Work on your characters make them believable and with some flaws and background as well. Life isn’t perfect and neither should your character be perfect. If people can’t relate to your character or he/she seems too perfect then they could lose interest quick.
Spell check is your friend and grammar is your neighbor. Work with them, grammar is so important and even I'm still working on it because I'm definitely not as skilled as I would like to be.
Expand your vocabulary. Try looking up new words to replace ones you seem to be using too often. Wording can also help with your descriptions. No, I'm not saying just randomly place a ton of big words in your story. Use this wisely, honestly, I'm personally a little turned off when I go into a story and see a bunch of big words I don't know in almost every sentence. So, use them, but with caution and common sense. If you over use this technique people might get frustrated and give up on your writing because of having to constantly look up words every few minutes. You have to experiment, get feedback.
DESCRIPTIONS AND EMOTION! This is important. How you describe a situation can either make it or break it. You have to be descriptive and expressive with your writing to make it interesting. Take this example: "Mari walked out and sniffed the air. She knew it was going to be a great day." That's ok, but let's take it up a notch. "As Mari walked outside the breeze flew through her loose chestnut curls. The smell of oak wood and pollen filled the moist air and tickled her nose. As she stared at the warm sun that gently kissed her skin all she could think of saying was "Wow, this is going to be a great day!"
See, nicer right? You have a better idea of what the character, in this case "Mari" is feeling and experiencing and why she thinks it’s going to be a great day.
There are probably some more tips I could give as well, but this is getting long already.
7. Which of the other stories that were runners up did you enjoy the most and why?
I really like all the entries! So many levels of talent, but if you force me to pick a few then the ones that come to mind are Feral_Mutant/Brickman’s "Fall into Darkness", "Lloyd's Day Off" by Taraninja16 and of course the actual winning stories by Jay and Abbe. Everyone did great though! The others were wonderful as well I just can’t recall the titles at this exact moment. I really loved the emotion that Brickman put into his story and the fact that it focused on Garmadom and the past, again so much is unknown about some of these characters and there is a lot of opportunity to expand on the knowledge we have and he did that perfectly! Tara’s story introduced and very interesting elemental master. I liked that she focused on Lloyd too. Lloyd stories are sometimes rare depending on where you’re looking and that surprises me considering his background and all you could expand on, but again it’s always nice to see. And don’t get me started on Jay because I can go on forever. Abbe too! They all did wonderful! So much emotion and so many styles!
8. What career do you hope to have in the future and why?
You’d think I’d want to be an author right? Well, yeah that would be nice, but really I want to explore a career in art as well. It’s one of my passions. I love painting and coloring, taking an idea and putting a picture to it. It's sort of calming as well. I spend a lot of my free time (When I actually get some ) listening to some tunes and drawing or painting. It really helps me take my mind of the many stresses of life. If I’m not writing then I’m drawing and vice versa. I really love drawing and creating scenes for my writing as well. It sort of goes hand in hand. Hey, maybe I can become an author and illustrate my own stories!
9. What is your favorite subject in school and why?
I used to say English or my literature class because…you know writing, but honestly of lately I’ve found myself having a real interest in math. I know when most people think of math they groan and sigh like it’s the most horrible thing in the world and should be burned with fire in an eternal flame, but I sometimes find it enjoyable…when you know what you are doing of course. Thankfully, I haven’t experienced any major problems…yet. My image design class is fun too since I get to learn about programs that I can eventually use for digital art...and Chemistry is starting to grow on me too. We’ll see how long that lasts though.
10. What was your very first LEGO set? What do you remember about it? What made you want to become such a big LEGO fan?
My very first set was probably a Duplo set. I remember having a little Dora the explorer Duplo set I think Diego was in there too. Me and my brother used to have some great times with Duplo when we were younglings. xD I actually really didn’t start collecting/buying Lego for myself until my preteen years. Up until I was 11 or 12 I just played with my brother’s LEGO stuff and we sort of shared. When I started getting into Ninjago I started buying my own sets. My first Ninjago set was the Nya Samurai X spinner since I didn’t get into Ninjago until 2012 when the serpentine can along. I think I also get a LEGO friends sets around that time as well.
LEGO has always been in my life really, it’s just become a bigger part of it as time continues to pass. I was just really inspired by the themes and limitless possibilities you can create with LEGO bricks. It's awesome, you can basically make anything that your heart and imagination can think of and I love that!
11. If you could work at the LEGO Company what job would you want and why?
Ooo…designing sets and new products would be fun! Really though all the jobs at the LEGO Company are probably fun! You’re working with toys! I’d probably would want to work in a department where I can use my imagination. Or even perhaps something with art like designing the boxes or art in the Club magazines and posters etc. Why? Because I love art and creating things of course! I think I've made that obvious by now haven't I?
12. Answer quickly: Reading or writing? Pen or pencil? Typing or writing by hand? Comedy or tragedy? Happy ending or twist? Hero or villain? Short story or novel? Creative story or technically well written? Ice or pizza?
Oh dear, uh…both? Is that an option? Fine reading. Pencil, I need to erase when doing my art. Hand writing, but typing has spell check...hmm. Tragedy...sorry I like feels. Again, is both an option? Ok twist…a nice twist is good. Heroes…I love a good villain though. I prefer novels. Hmm…Creative? That’s a hard one. I’m going to assume you mean ice cream not ice. XD Anyway, I choose pizza.
Phew, that was hard. I had a really hard time choosing on some of them…which was probably quite obvious.
13. Do you have any superpowers? If so, what are they?
Oh yeah, of course I have superpowers. The power of making too many stories and not completing them and then having too many ideas for stories. Ha, kidding of course. Unless you consider being able to over analyze characters and having tons of stories ideas superpowers. Maybe? No? Ok.
14. What LEGO-related question do you have for the next interviewee?
If you could meet or be turned into any LEGO character from any theme who would you choose and why?
15. Question from Taraninja16 – “If you could bring back any Lego theme, which would you choose?”
Hmm, I missed out on the old Agents and Power miners themes. I’d probably bring one of them back. They had some really nice sets and those rock monster figures from power miners were cool.
1. Congratulations on being an official runner up for the “Write Like a Ninja” contest. How did it feel when you first heard the news?
I felt pretty awesome. Me and my friends were really excited, along with my parents. It was cool to be rewarded for something that I love doing.
2. Why did you decide to enter the contest?
First off, I love writing and my father always encourages me to enter competitions like this. Second, I REALLY like Ninjago. As a martial artist myself, I really loved some of the concepts in this theme, and writing about them were insanely fun. I actually wrote a number of Ninjago stories on the MB's prior to this.
3. Tell us a bit about your story and what inspired it?
The first season of Ninjago always hinted at Kai's father, and I thought it would be really cool to see what he was like and watch the events that spurred him and Sensei Wu to hide the Golden Weapons of Spinjitzu.
4. Your story was unique for exploring the relationship between Sensei Wu and Hakan. What inspired you to write about that?
I always wondered what Sensei Wu did back when he was young, and I imagined him and Kai's father to be good friends. Hakan was just starting his family at this point, and Wu was waiting to train his son as he did Hakan himself. Hakan by the way is a name meaning "fire" though I forget what language it's from.
5. Have you written other stories before? If so, what do you like to write about? If not, has the contest inspired you to write more?
Yes! I love writing about fantasy. I've created my own world called Afaria, which I am ceaselessly adding new ideas and locations to. What inspired it were the writings of J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis, both amazing writers who capture the battle between good and evil amazingly. It's fun to take something you like, and then make it your own, one of the fun things about Lego as well.
6. What tips can you give to other story writers inspired by your awesome work?
Write, write, and write some more. Becoming good at anything requires a lot of practice. Don't go out with too much ambition, you aren't going to be writing a 300 page epic as you first story, start small and work your way up. Also read, picking up on how accomplished writers use imagery and syntax to write wonderful stories can help forge your own writing style.
7. Which of the other stories that were runners up did you enjoy the most and why?
I enjoyed Brickgirl98X's "Reflection". She did a good job displaying Misako's struggle to love Garmadon past the evil that consumed him. A great story with a nice amount of detail that felt very emotionally powerful.
8. What career do you hope to have in the future and why?
I'm thinking about doing something business related, an accountant perhaps like my father. Not the most exciting job in the world, but I'd like to be able to support my family when I eventually have one. Still, I may change my mind.
9. What is your favorite subject in school and why?
English by far! This year I got the coolest teacher, and I've been learning a lot about becoming a good writer, and how to impress people on the college board with solid writing. I also have a passion for history, particularly American history.
10. What was your very first LEGO set? What do you remember about it? What made you want to become such a big LEGO fan?
It was Anakin's Jedi Starfighter from 2005. It not only introduced me to Lego, but to Star Wars as well. I got it as a get well gift from my Grandpa after my surgery. My dad built with Lego when he was a kid, so he definitely got a kick out of helping me put it together.
11. If you could work at the LEGO Company what job would you want and why?
To design ideas for new themes and create concept drawings. I love creating stories and designs, I always thought a fantasy/steampunk theme would be cool.
12. Answer quickly: Reading or writing? Pen or pencil? Typing or writing by hand? Comedy or tragedy? Happy ending or twist? Hero or villain? Short story or novel? Creative story or technically well written? Ice or pizza?
Writing. Pencil. Typing. Comedy (after reading a couple of Shakespeare's stuff, tragedy can get old REAL quick). Happy ending of course, evil never wins! (except in SW episode 3). Heroes (the non cliché of course). Short story. I'll have to go with both, you need each to impress me. Pizza.
13. Do you have any superpowers? If so, what are they?
I'm Batman, I don't need superpowers.
14. What LEGO-related question do you have for the next interviewee?
Would you rather organize your Legos by color or function?
15. Question from mrbill2000 – "What LEGO creation are you currently building?"
I just finished a starfighter that I'm calling the T30-Trident. It's kind of a cross between an Imperial Shuttle and a Naboo Starfighter.
1. Your avatar looks like a fancy skeleton pirate. We love it! What was the inspiration for its design?
It is rather nice, isn't it? I'm not sure if I had an inspiration for it... I remember. Back in 2012 a while after I joined the LMBs I was randomly picking things. The top hat fits with the suit, does it not? The skeleton I thought would just look cool.
2. You've been a member fo the community for a long time. When did you first join? What made you want to stay and become such a longstanding community member?
July of 2011. When I joined I was just randomly checking out things. Then I found the Agents roleplay. I stayed and had fun, making me want to stay. But after a few months I felt I was doing too many things wrong. I stayed a bit longer and then left. I came back November 2012, when I heard something big was being planned. Then the new LMBs were revealed and I stayed, roleplaying.
3. What has been your most memorable experience during your time in the community?
Learning how to RP. If I didn't, then I wouldn't be in the Ninjago and UA RPs. Besides, the users who taught me had a lot of patience and were really friendly.
4. You are active in Ninjago Roleplay. What is your favorite part of roleplay? What is the trickiest? Why?
My favourite part has to be thinking of new ideas. Whether it be creating a new invention or just thinking of how to do something. The trickiest part is to select a wise way to make a move. For example, in a fight: You can do one thing wrong like make a shield instead of leaping out of the way. Sometimes trial and error is the only way to go.
5. Congrats on reaching Rank 11: Forestman! What is your secret to rank success?
Rank success? I don't really have a plan, um, yeah... No, I just go randomly. I wait patiently to rank up, that's the best way to rank up. Being patient and post a lot of good posts. As they say, quality over quantity!
6. You’ve done some story writing in the past. Are you planning any stories now? What is your favorite of all the stories you’ve created and why?
As many people can see, story writing here isn't too successful for me (what is it with these rhymes? ). I always forget, because my bookmarks are so cluttered! It's not from disorientation, I enjoy writing stories even if people don't read them. I'm not planning any stories right now, because on Friday I finished a 7 page long story in school, and it took me 2 weeks! My favourite story I've written here is my latest story. Because it (in my opinion) had a good main storyline and it felt like it had a firm hold.
7. If you could live inside any LEGO theme which would it be and why?
I would live in Ultra Agents. It has lots of fantasy, imagination, craziness and most important of all- it's extremely chaotic! There's madness everywhere, and it would just be epic to witness it all!
8. What was the biggest, toughest LEGO set you ever built? What was challenging about it? What did you do with it after it was complete?
The UAHQ (the truck). I had at least four things wrong that I had to annoyingly go back and fix. But the outcome was neat, and now it sits here, on the left side of my laptop on my desk!
9. What is your favorite subject to study in school? Why?
Well, I don't have much to choose from yet, but right now it's maths. Because for me it's easy, it's fun to be telling my partner they got the question wrong, and it's good for your brain. So for the half a day I'm in school, my brain is pumping and thinking.
10. What is your favorite hobby outside of the Message Boards? Why is it your favorite?
Making art and drawing on my Graphics Tablet. It's fun, it passes the time, and I can train to get even better when I have/want to draw something major and great.
11. If you were a Mod for a day what, besides moderating, would you do and why?
Ah, getting to the classic question. I would check in at different RPs manage issues. It would be fun and, whilst looking at how everyone settles things differently, would learn and think differently about the things I do in the Ninjago/ UA RP.
12. If you could give all users reading this a piece of advice what would it be and why?
Don't jump to conclusions. Usually it ends up in you getting something wrong or annoying someone. And if you get it false and have a reason for the things you think is true, then other people will assume it too. And that's not good, is it?
13. Do you have any superpowers? If so, what are they?
Yes, I certainly do! I have the power to have telekinesis, telepathy, the mind to create a doom ray etc to solve things well and think differently from others. I can picture things from a different perspective, sometimes able to feel how others feel like. And of course sense the situation easily, bad or good.
14. What LEGO-related question do you have for the next interviewee?
If you had the choice to replace yourself with any minifigure, who would it be with and why?
15. Question from nasa105 – “If you could star in the next LEGO Movie what would your character be like?”
The next LEGO Movie, the Ninjago based one! Of course, my character would be a villain (for those of you that don't know, they have the most thrilling parts ). I would use Slime, from the UA RP. He can transform into a blob of the green goo he is named after and take many different shapes. He wears his own metal suit with many secret weapons and gadgets (like the Beetle from Spiderman) and doesn't exactly have a... head. Instead a mist clouding a tiny portal is there, where the real works happen. And I didn't just pick him because he's cool and good to have, but his personality too. He is smart, mysterious, troubling to his encounters. A good bad guy, I would say
Interview with JayZX535: WLAN Edition. Words from WA: "She's certainly earned her shot at being interviewed twice! She's a great writer and overall amazing community member.
Congratulations on being a 1st place winner of the "Write Like a Ninja" contest JayZX535!"
1. Congratulations on being a first place winner of the “Write Like a Ninja” contest! How did it feel when you first heard the news?
I was in total shock! Honestly, I thought I’d be lucky to even get a runner-up position—there were so many amazing stories out there! I was also stunned to hear that it was Wake Up that was nominated and won, because I actually went back and forth over that story a lot and I felt like, no matter how much I tried, there were some wrinkles I still couldn’t get ironed out! O.o So that came as an additional surprise.
I actually knew on Wednesday that I was one of the winners because all 4 sets of runner ups had been announced already—which meant that I had to go two whole days without telling anyone! That was probably the hardest part of all because I was terrified I would slip up and say something that would spoil it, lol. But I did tell my family—so at least I could go crazy over it with them XD
2. How did your family and friends react to your amazing accomplishment?
Well, aside from my friends on here, I kept several real life friends updated on every runner-up release, and then of course my family was updated on it because I tracked it every day XD There were several people (on here and in real life) who repeatedly told me that they thought I’d win (you know who you are... XD), but I really didn’t believe them. I was just happy to be nominated! So I got a few “I-told-you-so”s when they found out in addition to congratulations XD
But honestly, I wouldn’t call this my accomplishment. I’ve been given a gift—the ability to write—and I’m just using it. I can’t claim the credit for something I was given—and while I’m super excited about getting published, it really wasn’t me. I’m just thankful for the writing ability and imagination I’ve been blessed with Excuse me for quoting Veggie Tales here, but this basically sums up how I feel about my writing. In Lord of the Beans, Toto Baggypants is given a gift (a magic bean), and over the course of the story he has to figure out what he should use it for. Several of the characters tell him he should use it for his own gain, but he always responds the same way—with a little song. “To have a gift is a wonderful thing—your spirits will lift and your heart will sing! Though some might use it to live like a king, first I want to know what it’s for.” This is exactly how I feel about my writing—I’ve had many people tell me I’ve been given a gift, but I just want to know how I can use it. I’m hoping that being published through this contest will give me more chance to reach out through my writing in the future.
3. Why did you decide to enter the contest?
Heh, so many reasons... well, for starters, I ran across the announcement in the Club section of LEGO.com—which is really amazing in and of itself, because I like never go on the club site! It was so neat because I’d literally just come back from an 8-month hiatus (I think I even found it on the day I first came back online!), and right as I was getting back, LEGO was announcing a writing contest for Ninjago! I mean, for a writer-fangirl like me, it’s one of those things you see and just go “Oh... my word... no way!”. I remember immediately running off to TTTM and bugging everyone there about the contest (thanks for putting up with my myriad of questions, mods! ) before most of it was officially announced. I remember a couple of the mods actually asked me right there if I planned on entering, and of course I said I’d love to but needed to ask my parents first XD I also remember IrrationalSeagull hunting me down on one of my stories to ask if I planned on entering, and I think a few other mods may have chased me down to ask, too XD And then as soon as word got out on the MBs, probably 90% of my readers asked if I was entering. So I had a lot of support from the community.
I remember being nervous when I asked my mom, because I was still in the middle of the school year and... let’s be honest, I already spend much of my day fangirling over stuff even when I’m not entering a writing contest for my favorite LEGO theme XD I was a little scared she’d say no and tell me I had way too much school, so I tried to bring it up delicately. I was in the middle of explaining the contest and she actually interrupted me and said “You should enter!” So that was really what clinched it for me... XD
An interesting side note—I was actually really nervous about the contest, because I have never done well at short stories. I can’t quite seem to trim things down—they always end up way longer (like my writing prompt assignment at English a few years back that turned into a full-blown novel XD)! So the character count really scared me—I was afraid I wouldn’t even make it to 4000 characters! But I’m actually really thankful for that limit—it forced me to hone my abilities and trim my stories down to only what was necessary. It taught me to weed out all the little unnecessary fluff that doesn’t add to the story and can actually detract from it! I know I came out of WLaN as a much stronger writer—and I now love writing short stories!
4. Tell us a bit about your story and what inspired it?
Wake Up was my second WLaN story, and it was kind of the product of one of my brainstorming sessions. My WLaN brainstorming sessions literally consisted of me sitting down with a file open on my computer and jotting down every idea that came to mind—no matter how wacky. I literally had ideas ranging from “One of the team members gets a badly-behaved puppy- the dog causes trouble, but his owner refuses to think that the puppy is anything but a perfect angel...” to “Sensei Wu's favorite tea is discontinued, so the Sensei tries coffee instead- but the caffeine has unusual affects...” to “The Ninja must face an enemy who can control technology.”. And yes, all of those are taken directly from my brainstorming file. So the inspiration for Wake Up, stripped down to its barest bones, was me sitting down and thinking, “What are all the different ways I can get the Ninja in trouble?”
After I’d gotten that basic inspiration (my prompt for Wake Up was literally two sentences—“An enemy traps the Ninja in a dream. To escape, they must find the paradoxes in the dream world and discover that their reality is not reality at all.”), I looked at how I could take it deeper. The funny thing about stories is that they tend to run off and take you in directions you never expected. What started out with that simple statement turned out to have many deeper themes and meanings. The story is layered, like an onion. On the surface, it’s just a story about the Ninja realizing that their ‘reality’ is all an illusion. But going deeper, it’s an allegory to our lives in many different ways. An example might be following the crowd. It can be so easy to just be drawn into all the different trends, and being ‘cool’ and all, but... it’s so shallow! It’s an empty, unsatisfying reality that’s missing so much—just like the Dreamweaver’s dreams. If we’re not careful, we can be lulled into just going along with what everyone else says and never questioning. We too can get caught in a dream. But we need to be thinkers—innovators. We need to turn against the tide and stand out! We, like the Ninja, need to wake up.
5. In your story you perfectly honor the world of Ninjago. You involve all the characters and the spirit of the story so well! How did you do that?!
I’m so honored to hear you say that! One of my paranoias about this contest was that I wouldn’t be able to do the world and characters justice—especially in such a short story!
To write a story, you have to know its world—whether it be of your creation or someone else’s. For original stories, this means worldbuilding, but for fanfiction, it means knowing your fandom. I’ve been a member of the Ninjago fandom since 2012 if I recall correctly—I got sort of unintentionally dragged into it because of a friend and her brother and her brother’s friends (some of you may have heard KaiZX tell that story... XD)—so I’ve had quite a bit of time to get to know the world. I’ve seen most of the episodes multiple times, especially of season 4 and season 1, which helps a lot because you catch little things the second and third times through that you didn’t see the first time. I had also literally just seen season 4—in fact, I think at the time the contest was announced, I hadn’t even seen the end of season 3! At any rate, I saw Season 4 around the time the contest was announced, which left it quite fresh in my mind. The story is actually set in the season 4 canon—taking place an indeterminate amount of time after the last episode of season 4. Technically it could fit at the end of season 2, too, but you’d have to account for Garmadon’s absence... anyway XD I had just seen season 4, so the setting and such were fresh in my mind.
For the characters, you have to really get to know them! This is one thing I’ve heard from every author I’ve ever encountered—whether it be in writing books, internet blogs, or even here on the MBs from LEGO’s own Greg Farshtey! Mr. Farshtey gave me an excellent piece of advice on his Q&A topic which I wholeheartedly agree with—“...treat your characters like they are real -- like they are people you know or friends - as opposed to chess pieces you move around on a board. Think of it this way -- if you were writing a story about your best friend, you could predict how he or she would react in a given situation or what they might say. If you become "friends" with your characters, you can do the same thing with them.” This is one of the best pieces of advice I’ve ever gotten, and it is so true! You have to really get to know your characters—when they become real to you, you will be able to write from their perspectives, to get into their heads. You have to know their little quirks, how they think, how they act.
I’ll use Jay as an example because he’s not only my namesake, but he’s also in Wake Up. On the outside, Jay seems like a happy, dorky goof who’s sometimes easily distracted and doesn’t always think before he speaks. But his personality goes so much deeper than that—there’s a reason for each of those characteristics. For example, sometimes the reason he talks so much is because he’s insecure or nervous—like when he went off on a long rant because the Great Devourer escaped. He makes jokes in battle to keep back his fears. He’s incredibly loyal and brave—like he showed us when he pushed Lloyd out of the way of the Overlord’s Dark Matter blast. He’d already seen what happened to Cole, and he knew what would happen to him, but he pushed Lloyd out of the way and took the hit himself—even though I’m sure he feared in that moment for what would happen to him (it’s a natural human fear, after all). He also bonds deeply to his friends, and sometimes tries to be the tough guy—like when he admitted to Cole in Versus that the thing that had upset him the most in their conflict had been losing Cole’s friendship, however he had kept up the rivalry instead of just telling Cole how he felt and how he’d been hurt right away because he didn’t want to seem like the weaker of the two.
As you can see, there’s always reasons for why characters act the way they do. If you understand these reasons, you’ll be able to write from the characters’ perspective—and to understand these reasons, you need to get to know the characters. Like Mr. Farshtey said, make your characters your friends. Just be prepared for them to become so real that you can practically hear them in your mind as they completely change your plans for your stories. My characters are particularly fond of running my plots through the garbage disposal and putting them back together with duct tape If you guys are interested in more character breakdowns, I also wrote summaries of certain characters’ plot arcs in my workshop Camp Creepy in the Ninjago stories forum—if I recall, I did ones for Lloyd, Skylor, and Ronin.
6. Have you written other stories before? If so, what do you like to write about? If not, has the contest inspired you to write more?
Heh, I’ve been writing for as long as I can remember—pretty much since I was old enough to plunk out stories on our old (old! Seriously, this thing is practically an archeological artifact—and amazingly still works O.o But it’s so old, it doesn’t even have Word...) computer XD I still have some of my really old work somewhere—most notably, a collection of three stories each about four sentences long with atrocious spelling and, if I recall, exclamation marks at the end of every sentence. Oh, and did I mention that I wrote the whole thing in capitals?
I really started actually writing and not just fiddling around with words back in 2010. I joined a forum about wolves and they had a user writings section. I wrote a book that was 25 chapters (very short chapters XD) or so long, but it actually had a real plot arc that you could actually follow. The story itself was quite amateurish and my style has changed drastically since then, but that’s what I count as my first actual work. I did get a lot of feedback from that story (and its sequels), which helped me a lot in the years to come. However, later in 2010 as that story died out, I stopped really writing much for a little while—I just did casual little things offline for myself.
In early 2011 I was back on that forum and at it again. It’s interesting because, going back and comparing my writing from 2010 to 2011, there’s a marked difference. My writing improved drastically in that time, and that was also when my stories got longer. Again, I went offline for some time later in the year, however. I didn’t write on that forum for some time, however wolves remain one of my interests—in writing and outside of it—to this day.
2012 was probably the most important year in my writing life. Firstly, early in the year I took a novel writing course and wrote my first novel. It was only 40,000 words long, and the writing style still needed a lot of help, but it was a major improvement from everything up to that point. This year was also extremely significant in that it’s when I first became obsessed with Ninjago, and consequently started writing for it. By August or so I had a work-in-progress fanfiction that was over 80,000 words long! Although I never actually shared this story with anyone beside a few irl friends (and also never finished it due to the release of season 2—the events of which completely ruined my plotline ), many of the elements of that story went into my first messageboards story—Shadow-Heart—which I started at the end of the year. I started posting on the MBs in late December (wow! In just a few weeks, I’ll have been posting for 3 years! Time sure does fly! O.o), and I started several stories then. Of course Ninjago is a major writing interest for me still XD
There’s one other important timeframe I should touch on, because it marked my interest in fantasy stories and more professional endeavors. In the 2013-2014 I accidentally wrote the prologue to a novel in my English class. When I mentioned it to my teacher, she actually assigned me to finish the novel and send it to people in the class! The story went on to hit nearly 120,000 words, and, as it is a fully original story, I’m looking into publishing options! However, this story was essentially where I started writing fantasy—I’d always been interested in reading it, but this was my main attempt at writing it.
So I’ve written different subjects in different stages—but most of my interests remain. Medieval fantasy and animal fiction are probably my two main topics, but I also touch occasionally on sci-fi—and, of course I love fanfiction
Even though I’ve always loved writing, I would still say this contest has inspired me! As I said before, the character limit has done wonders for teaching me to clean up my work and use little to say more! I like short stories now, and some of my contest entries may actually become longer stories in the future if I have time...
7. What tips can you give to other story writers inspired by your awesome work?
Well, I already touched on character development and worldbuilding earlier, but I’ll say it again—you need to know your world and your characters to write well. Don’t be afraid to accept criticism or reach out to other authors—I would not be where I am today if it weren’t for my friends and family who edited my work and gave me feedback! Constructive criticism is one of the best things that ever happened to me!
Don’t be afraid to fail. Don’t worry about people judging you. Write what you want to write—no matter how weird or bizarre you feel like your work is, there are people out there who will love it! There will always be people who don’t like certain kinds of story, no matter how good they are! I have read classics that I absolutely hated—but our world esteems them as wonderful. So just because you get a negative response doesn’t mean your writing is bad! Just like people have different tastes in food, people have different tastes in literature. And trust me. No matter how weird or different you feel like you are, there are people out there like you who will appreciate the things you appreciate! And trust me—I know about being the ‘weird’ one XD So don’t be afraid to step out and be who you are, and to write what you love write. If people judge you, that’s their problem. (note—there’s a difference between judging and constructively criticizing. Judging is “I hate this! It’s stupid!” “This looks like a toddler wrote it!” “You like THAT? That’s a baby show!” and so on. Constructive criticism is “You could do better here by doing this”. See the difference? And readers, you can help authors by constructively criticizing and not judging! And if a story genuinely doesn’t appeal to you, don’t just leave a negative comment. It’s okay to say something like, “You did a good job, but this isn’t really my kind of story.”.) So don’t be afraid—just write!
In the technical aspects of writing, make sure you have a solid plot. Also remember, you don’t always need to show the mundane. It’s not necessary to include every single trip Bob and Joe make to the grocery store. However, if Bob and Joe go to the grocery store and some radioactive slime spills on the pickles, bringing them to life, then by all means write about that! This isn’t to say that all aspects of normal life is bad, but too much normal will put your readers to sleep. It’s hard because it’s a balance. Stories need to have enough normal to feel real, but they need to have enough of the exceptional to make them interesting. The same goes for dialogue! In real life, people don’t always talk with clarity. They say “um”, they repeat themselves, they hedge around, they talk about boring, mundane stuff. In dialogue in a story, every line should have meaning. Dialogue in creative writing is an illusion—it needs to be natural enough to feel real, but not so boring that it feels useless. Also, keep in mind that every character has a unique voice. Some may use bigger, more sophisticated words. Some may be short and snappy. It depends on your character. Don’t be afraid to let your characters develop a voice.
Usually you want to abide by grammatical rules of writing, but there are a few times when it’s okay to break the rules. That’s when you’re dealing with a character’s words or thoughts. People don’t always speak in complete sentences! They don’t always follow grammatical rules! So you don’t always need to either—but for the most part, if you’re not in character, you should still follow grammar. For example...
“Voices on the wind... thousands of voices. I can hear them whispering, calling. Things forgotten... things remembered... things lost to time... things hidden in shadows... All within my mind”
This is an excerpt from Whispering Memories, one of my Ninjago fanfictions. In it, one of the characters is explaining her insanity to another character. There’s like one grammatically correct phrase here, and I’m not even totally sure about that. But let’s look at what would happen if I put this into correct grammar.
“There are voices on the wind. There are thousands of voices. I can hear them whispering and calling. I hear things forgotten and things remembered... I hear things lost to time, and I hear things hidden in shadows. They are all within my mind.”
What happened there? All of a sudden it got way more wieldy, and way more boring! It’s harder to read, and some of the drama just drained out of it! But it’s better grammar—what?? It’s because it makes more sense to write in the character’s voice than to force grammar. This is especially true of insane or otherwise mentally unstable characters. The less coherent a character is, the less likely they are to use complete sentences. If someone is frightened or in pain or otherwise mentally struggling, grammar flies straight out the window.
We’ve all heard of the difference between first person and third person. Third person is usually broken down further, too, into third person limited and third person omniscient. Omniscient takes a broader, less personal view, just observing what’s happening without going far into any one character’s mind. Limited is where you can only see through the eyes of a few characters. However, limited can be taken even further into a deep POV, where you watch from deep within the character’s thoughts. A deep perspective can make readers feel like they’re right there, with the character. Here’s an excerpt from In the End where I used a deep third person POV:
“Tell him... tell him! Tell him, before it's too late...
Skylor opened her mouth to speak, and then slowly closed it again. A rotten feeling had settled in the pit of her stomach. She was going to be sick. No, she couldn't be sick- not here, not now. She had to be strong... had to keep her wits about her...
Dormant. The infection can be dormant...
Ice seemed to flare through her left arm- the icy imprint of Griffin's fingers. She knew it was in her mind, but now... now it felt so tangible... so cold.
She was a carrier now, a walking infection. But why had it not taken her already?
Surprise. The element of surprise. It's like it's waiting... waiting for...
Her heart dropped. The Akrohai weren't waiting for her to stop fighting. They were waiting for Kai to drop his guard- to think enough time had passed since the encounter for both of them to be in the clear. It was why they hadn't been pursued...
Tell him. Before they turn you. Because they will turn you. You saw how the others fell. How they could not fight. How-
She sharply cut off the thought. The despairing words were too unlike her- everything unusual fell suspect. Was it her own fears coming to light? Or the Akrohai planting new ones in her mind?
Tick tock... tick tock... waiting in the darkness. Tick tock... tick tock... time is running out. Tick tock... tick tock... nothing here is harmless. Tick tock... tick tock... all inside your mind...”
Notice how, although Skylor’s direct thoughts are italicized, her indirect thoughts are not. “She had to be strong... had to keep her wits about her...” “now it felt so tangible... so cold...” These are also her thoughts, but they aren’t her direct thoughts. We still see them, however, because we’re seeing completely from her perspective. A deep third person limited POV can really enhance a story, because it puts readers in the characters’ shoes. Some of the MB writers are so good at doing this that I have legitimately mistaken their stories for 1st person!
I could go on all day, but I’ll spare ya For now, though, I hope you’ve enjoyed hearing some of the things I’ve learned in my own writing!
8. Which of the other stories that were runners up did you enjoy the most and why?
Oh my word no, don’t ask me, there were so many amazing stories in this contest that I just can’t even pick. All of the runner-ups were outstanding in their own ways, and really most of the stories I read (unfortunately I couldn’t make it through all 900+ of them) were amazing! I must say I really do enjoy Brickgirl’s style, but seriously—everyone did a wonderful job.
9. What career do you hope to have in the future and why?
Heh... my career choice is complicated XD If I could, I would be a writer and just do whatever else on the side, but... you really can’t survive off just writing novels. I’m also quite interested in veterinary work, particularly the research side of things, but... that’s almost as much school as it takes to become a doctor and it’s even more competitive, apparently, so unfortunately that’s not really an option right now either. Right now I’m hoping I could go into CGI animation, which would still be amazingly awesome! Who knows—maybe they’d let me work on Ninjago if it’s still around by then! XD But of course I’ll still be writing every chance I get
10. What is your favorite subject in school and why?
English. Especially when I have an amazing teacher who assigns me a novel as homework XD (and yes I have had multiple English teachers—I’m homeschooled but English is one of the classes I’ve mostly taken from other people through high school XD)
11. What was your very first LEGO set? What do you remember about it? What made you want to become such a big LEGO fan?
Hmm... well my first LEGOs weren’t a “set” persay... they were just a big bucket of assorted pieces that I could build almost anything I imagined with XD At some point when I was young I got a really small miniature Star Wars Imperial Walker set, but that was really tiny—so XD My first real “set” was something to do with Ninjago... I honestly cannot remember what set I got first XD I know it was from Rise of the Snakes and I think I may have gotten one of the spinners first. At any rate, I know I bought a bunch of LEGOs all at once, and Jay’s Storm Fighter and Kai’s Blade Cycle were among them XD
12. If you could work at the LEGO Company what job would you want and why?
Augh, you just love giving me difficult questions that I can’t answer simply, don’t you? I’d love to be a writer at LEGO, maybe even the writer for the actual Ninjago shows, but it would also be cool to be a mod for the MBs or a set designer, or... XD
13. Answer quickly: Reading or writing? Pen or pencil? Typing or writing by hand? Comedy or tragedy? Happy ending or twist? Hero or villain? Short story or novel? Creative story or technically well written? Ice or pizza?
Er, writing! Pencil, for sure! Typing—I’m dysgraphic. Um, creepy mind control story? Just kidding—probably a mix of the two. Uh, both? XD Hero or reformed villain. Novel, but it depends on my mood XD Creative, for sure! Ice? Do you mean ice cream? XD Ice cream. Or cotton candy <3 Cotton candy ice cream! With gummy bears! <3 <3 <3
14. Do you have any superpowers? If so, what are they?
My superpowers are all really weird XD
I have the ability to predict mind control in tv, movies, books, etc. before it happens. It’s kinda like a Spidey-sense, but for mind control, not danger. My pulse picks up and I get a weird tingly feeling prior to it. It can happen any amount of time in advance, but it happens when I catch some sort of clue to the fact that there’s gonna be mind control XD Weirdly, I’m almost never wrong O.o
Random stuff happens when I’m around. Really random stuff. Like, stuff catches fire O.o Yes this has happened before... so I don’t know if that’s a power or not but still XD
And procrastinating. Though I’m not so sure that’s a good thing... XD
And according to the people in the Ninjago stories forum, I’m the Elemental Master of Creepiness. True story
15. What LEGO-related question do you have for the next interviewee?
Oh my word, this is difficult... hmm... hopefully this hasn’t been asked before—if you could invent a new LEGO brick, what brick would you make? What would it look like? What function would it serve?
16. Question from Brickgirl99x – “If you could meet or be turned into any LEGO character from any theme who would you choose and why?”
One??? ONE??? AUGH HOW CAN I PICK??? XD
Well okay, I would definitely say I’d love to meet Jay, from Ninjago, just cuz he’s kinda the reason I’m even here on the LMBs XD Plus, he’s just plain amazing!
But then, I’d also love to meet Skylor—and really all the Ninjas, soooo...
And it would be really cool to meet Nova, from the Superheroes theme. Yes, I just went there. I REGRET NOTHING XD
If you don’t mind, I’d love to give a big thank you again to all the moderators and judges, and a shout-out to everyone who entered the contest—you guys all did an amazing job! I’d also like to thank all my readers, past and present—if it weren’t for you guys and your critique, I would never have been able to become the writer I am today. And of course my family and friends in real life—you guys have all helped me develop my talents, whether that be offering me advice on a piece nowadays or putting up with my caps-locked stories back when I was knee high to a grasshopper Thank you all so much!
