What is this? A report from the Dark Voice office? Yes it is because what I have to say/push is too big in my book to put on the news page by itself. I will cover a good amount of information and will probably bore more than one of you. So I will at least put up a little table of contents for you and you can just find what you are interested in without going through my boring banter. Sorry, no flashy graphics for you!

**Changes to the Dark Voice

February Issue

Staff Members Needed

Exodus Issue

Upcoming LoA

Changes to the Dark Voice**

I have been here with the Dark Voice for some time now and I’ve seen through many changes that you may or may not have noticed. One of those changes you may have saw but did not understand in the August Issue. You remember, the one that looked bad and had a few mistakes in it. Well the Dark Voice has always been around to display the storyline of the DB in one form or another and I felt it had gotten away from that. Making the August Issue look less than standard was just one of my ways of making the GJW seem more real. I’m sorry to those who did not quiet get it

Another change you might have noticed was in the December Issue. Those little gray boxes with seemingly unrelated or even strange information in them, yeah you remember now that you look at that particular issue. Jac actually asked me to do that and while I held my reservations at first, I think it is a step in the right direction. Look for more of those and maybe a bit more in the near future. Will I allow you all to write up those little bits? No because it just isn’t enough to warrant giving out a Dark Side Scroll for so just leave those fluffy tidbits to me.

The biggest change though will be coming up in the February Issue. I had been looking back at the old Dark Voices and while those weren’t perfect they held something I think should not have been lost. Not only is the Dark Voice a symbol and pusher of the DB storyline but it is also a publication by the people, for the people. What the DV lacks now is what the old ones had so long ago. I’m talking about stories and poems and graphics! From this moment until someone else comes along to kill it the Dark Voice will feature one story, one poem, and one graphic all of spectacular quality. If the interest is there I may even include more so don’t hesitate. I’m still thinking on it but I may even allow game, book, comic, or movie reviews. Hold back on that until I make my mind up totally.

I am constantly looking for different ways of making the Dark Voice an important part of the DB. Hey it does push the storyline after all. If you have any suggestions, I am all ears. Other than that, expect to see different things pop up with or without an explanation. I usually try to make comment on the different changes as they happen in the From the Editor box but sometimes I forget. I’m human, what can I say?

February Issue

There will be an issue for the month of February. Expect an issue every even month of the year that comes out around the 15th or 20th depending on various schedules. I will accept submissions until the 10th of February and that includes the Clan Updates. If you are interested in writing a Clan Update I suggest getting with your summit members and telling them you’ll do it. If you want to write an article you are more than free to write on whatever subject you so desire. I just ask that you keep it in the Star Wars universe and if you must write an interview, make it interesting instead of a ::I ask a question:: ::So and so answers:: type of thing. Give it some life and leave the back and forth for news casting.

Please send your submissions to [Log in to view e-mail addresses] and to [Log in to view e-mail addresses] I always reply within 48 hours so if you hear nothing from me within that time, send it again. I can’t stress that enough. Oh yeah, I’ll be accepting well written stories, poems, and kick butt graphics starting with this issue. I’ll choose from the pool that I get in so don’t shy from sending that in. Stories and poems should be sent to me in .doc .rtf or .txt I can’t open .wps or any other file types. Graphics shouldn’t be a problem.

Staff Members Needed

As stated in the last issue of the Dark Voice I am in need of staff members to help run things around here. I can’t stress how important these staff positions are. Yeah I know it’s not a DC staff position but I still award staffers and the effort is looked highly upon. All you need to do if you are interested is send in an application stating what position you are wanting and a sample article. I’ve gotten a few applications but no sample article so I feel I need to elaborate on this sample article. It should be of good quality showing a decent grasp of writing. It can be on any subject. Heck, write a fake report on a fictitious school lunch program for all I care. I’m looking for writers and not someone who says they can write. I’ll keep the spots open until I fill them. Send your application and sample article to [Log in to view e-mail addresses] Remember, I will respond to your email within 48 hours if I get it. If I don’t respond, I didn’t get it so send again. Details on the positions are below.

Editor: 2

Primary job will be to edit staff member's articles and work with staff members if corrections need to be more in depth than simple punctuation, grammar, or spelling errors. Editors will also be looked upon to keep an eye out on the other staff members to make sure they are fulfilling their quota. Basically becoming my right hand person, editors will be required to pick up the slack of any staff member who is away and writing the article(s) that away staffers would. Editors may also be called upon to write updates on the DV itself.

DC writer: 1

Primary job will be to keep up on DC, society leaders, and tribunes by reading reports, blogs, and communicating with them. When big things happen in those offices it is the job of the DC writer to write up an article about it regardless of when the next DV is to come out. These articles need to be run by that particular office for approval before being given to the editors for the editing process. This position will require more than one article to be written.

Storyline writer: 1

Primary job will be to keep in contact with the GM and DGM about the DB storyline and the direction they wish to take it. This job will require secrecy. Articles are to be written as anonymous and will go directly to me after getting approval from the GM and DGM. This may require writing as a different character or writing about happenings that hurt clans or the DB. Being up to date with the SW books is a must.

Exodus Issue

This sweet issue will be out in April around the 15th or 20th of that month. Everyone has from now until April 10th to send in his or her submission. EVERYTHING WILL BE ACCEPTED unless it’s of bad taste or goes against the rules and laws of the DB. By everything I mean everything you can create and send in email. Last year’s issue had two songs you could go listen to and read the lyrics as the composers sang. Go check that out in the DV archives.

Anyways, show your loyalty to the Iron Throne by participating in this issue. Write about how proud you are, how great your Clan is, how freedom feels, anything so long as it’s in good taste. I am looking for one person to come out of the wood works willing to retell the tale of the Exodus. Everyone else is free to write, sing, draw, or otherwise about the Exodus or anything else DBish. There will still be regular news articles so if anything comes up that strikes your fancy write an article about it. When you do send something in please mark it as being for the Exodus or April issue so I don’t think you are sending something in for February’s issue. Send to [Log in to view e-mail addresses] and to [Log in to view e-mail addresses] Remember that if I don’t respond within 48 hours, resend.

Upcoming LoA

No not a leave of absence! Yup, got some time coming up and a sweet vacation. Details are long but the shortened version is this. The old hubby and I are taking my grandma down to Florida. There we’ll get on a cruise boat with my mom and her two kids and we’ll all have fun in the Virgin Islands. I won’t have any internet access, probably won’t bother taking my laptop, and I don’t plan on even thinking about this club or work while I’m getting pampered at the spa. I am going to gamble, maybe drink a little, and come back with many good memories. I’ll be gone from March 8th through the 22nd. Why am I telling you all this now? So that you can’t say you didn’t know ahead of time that I’ll be gone. Plus that means you won’t be surprised when I tell you that I won’t be responding to emails and submissions for the Exodus Issue during that time. Ha! Yeah I’ll say this all again in February and before I leave. I know how forgetful you all can be :P

Hey you made it to the end! Hope you got a good nap there in the middle.

~Telona Murrage, Dark Voice Editor