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Article MOTM Interview - November 2016

Discussion in 'The Lounge' started by Eclipse, Nov 2, 2016.

  1. Eclipse

    SkittleBox
    (Staryu)
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    Marshadium Z ★★★★★Dragon Fang ★★★★Luxury Ball ★★★Comet Shard ★★★★Mewnium Z  ★★★★★
    Guess who!

    That's right - Eclipse is back again at the start of November with yet another interview. They happen so regularly you could almost set your watch to them. November grows steadily closer to the end of the year, and as the spooks and skeletons fade into the background (for now), they are replaced with two entirely different icons: mustaches and short stories.

    Of course, I intend to defy tradition by interviewing people that don't have moustaches. However, for all you NaNoWriMo-ites out there, you may want to get a head start on your works! And, since I'm a Writer myself, while I don't participate in that campaign, I can't exactly ignore it like I can Movember.

    Now, normally, we Writers would discuss amongst ourselves which of us would interview the Member of the Month each time around, but since one of our own is the MOTM this time, it makes the decision much quicker. Yes, I am given the privilege of interviewing my co-worker, good friend, and partner-in-crime Silver, known to the forum at large as @[member="AzurAurora"]. She joined LV a long time back, and initially she was here for only a short while, but later came back and integrated into the community beautifully. I've enjoyed working with Silver ever since she came on to the Writers' team, and now I'm given the chance to ask her for stories, as she has asked so many others before.

    Now, without further ado, let's begin!

    Questions asked by Eclipse, the interviewer, will be in this colour.
    Answers given by AzurAurora, the interviewee, will be in this colour.

    ::::

    Hello again, my Writer friend! I'm sure you've been anticipating this interview for some time now. Let's begin with an introduction. Who are you, and can you tell the audience a little bit about yourself?
    Well, my name here on the forums is AzurAurora. I am a student of English Language and Culture in the Netherlands. I specialize in American Literature at the moment; it is really interesting to see how different it was from European literature. I also follow a minor in Game Studies and Cultural Analysis. One of my greatest obsessions is Pokémon (could be kinda obvious, seeing as I am here on Lake Valor...).

    Game Studies and Cultural Analysis as a minor? That's very much different from your major in American Literature - they're only tangentially similar. What caused you to pick up that particular minor in the first place?
    I have a very big interest in games and the culture behind them. I actually chose my minor when I was just an icky first-year student. I was browsing the minors and stumbled across this one. I really like the different aspects in approaches to games, as I am not capable of programming myself. Unfortunately, I could only actually enroll in the courses in my third year.

    And look how far you've come since! I'm sure it's been very rewarding for you overall.
    Now then, how did you come up with your username? I'm sure there's an interesting tale behind it.

    The Azur part is from Azure, seeing as I love the color blue. The Aurora part comes from two different sources. First, I love the sight of the Northern Lights. When I was playing Skyrim, I was surprised to see them portrayed so beautifully in-game (it got promptly ruined by the arrival of a dragon, though). The second reason is because the Roman goddess Aurora is the Goddess of the Dawn. The dawn symbolizes for me the start of something new. When I decided to actually start writing fanfiction, I felt that it was time to leave my old name behind and pick another one. I eventually came up with AzurAurora.

    Well, I wouldn't say the dragon ruined it - just replaced your view with a different one.
    But the Northern Lights, you say? The Aurora Borealis is truly a beautiful sight to see. I only once got a fleeting chance to see it myself, and I was stunned by it. What sparked your love and fascination with the Northern Lights?

    Believe it or not, but Brother Bear (the Disney movie) started my fascination with the Northern Lights; it was the first time I had ever seen them. The symbolic meaning in the movie touched me. After that, I managed to stumble upon documentaries that explained the phenomenon and I felt the fascination grow even more. Now I just like to watch them in Skyrim, as I live outside the area where the Lights can be seen (until another dragon comes to ruin the view ;) ).

    Heheheh, I suppose I can't argue with that, can I?
    Now, let's go back in time for a bit. What initially brought you to Lake Valor? But beyond that, what made you stay at Lake Valor?

    It was a message from the resident potato enthusiast, @[member="Wizard"], on fanfiction.net. I had just updated one of my stories and I guess Wizard saw I wrote a Pokémon fanfic. I had a lot of trouble deciding to go and even take a look, but I eventually signed up. Sadly, it was an exam period and I was stressed, you guys were too nice and I booked it. I tried again about three weeks later and found I felt really comfortable. I joined up on Discord, had a few great laughs, and joined a few RP's. The community just really grew on me and, well, I stayed.

    Ah, that's marvellous. You were scouted out on fanfiction.net and brought here, and you acclimated to the Lake here pretty quickly. You've been here for a while now, so what's your favourite part about Lake Valor, and why?
    I know that everybody would expect me to say the community, but while they are simply awesome, I think my favorite part is something else. I think it would be either the Pokémon discussion forums or countless recollections of Nuzlocke stories and comics. I love discussing the new games, but also the older games and learning about what other people think about a subject. As for the Nuzlockes, I have a lot of respect for people that have to strength to finish one of these 'lockes. It is hard; you get attached, and to lose even one is a gap left in your team. To see the people tell these stories is something that fascinates me.

    It takes a certain measure of determination to carry through with a game story, especially one so challenging, so I can see why you respect them so much.
    This next one might seem like a really easy question, but what is your current role (or roles) on Lake Valor? How did you come into it, and how do you feel about it?

    I am currently a Writer and a normal forum member here on Lake Valor. As to how I got the idea to become a Writer, I joined the Discord in the middle of a conversation about the open positions on the forum and that they were still looking for people to help out. At first, I thought about joining the Social Crew, but then one of them mentioned the Writers team. I love Lake Valor and wanted to help out in any way I could. So, I sent in an application. It was approved and here I am! I do interviews and the Games Biweekly at this moment, and I am loving every minute of being involved.

    Being a Writer here is both fun and rewarding, I'm sure - as you and I both know. Since I saw you join up with the team, I've witnessed firsthand your proficiency as a Writer, and adoration of the position in general.
    You say you love being involved, and I'm sure you do, but what is it you love the most about your being a Writer at the Lake?

    I don't think I can describe what it is that makes me love the position, I just do. Maybe it is the happy reactions I get when I post about the latest news. Maybe it is the writing itself.

    I suppose it is a bit hard to describe all the perks and facets of the position in its entirety. I'd probably struggle to answer this question as well.
    How long did it take you to 'get used to' Lake Valor? Or are you still getting used to it?

    I don't think I will ever get truly used to Lake Valor. It is always changing, old members go, new members come. The topics shift whenever I am not looking. The truth is that I got used to the layout of the forum. It is part of my daily routine now, but I think I will always have a bit of that "it is so new" feeling, and that is not a bad thing.

    Lake Valor is very much a dynamic culture. While a lot of the basic pillars remain the same, what happens at LV one day may not be the same as what happens the next day - but there is that small measure of predictability, so people know what to expect somewhat.
    That said, would you prefer Lake Valor to be more static or more fluctuating, and why?

    More fluctuating. It means that Lake Valor still grows, and growing means that it will stay alive. I may not have been here the longest, but I want to see Lake Valor standing tall and proud for many more years to come.

    Well said! I think we'd all like LV to stand tall into the future, and I believe we're both in a position to help make that happen.
    These next few questions will be less about you at Lake Valor, and more about you specifically. First, is there anything in particular that you do now, or have done in the past, that you're really proud of?

    I had gotten permission to take a test from a higher year (it was their resit), and had the highest grade from all of them. Now, in the Netherlands, we don't have honor or AP classes, or at least my school didn't. So all students follow the same lesson plan. That is how I could take that test. The next day, my English teacher walked up to me to take another English listening test from my own year, and she told me in front of my entire class that I had the highest score from about 60 students. Imagine my classmates' confusion seeing as we still needed to take the test. I was confused too, for a second. It worked out in my favor, as I finished English in my fifth year instead of my sixth with an 8/10 on my final exam.

    Wow, impressive! Being told you do well on a test gives an interesting mix of awe and confusion, but in the end it's nice to know you got a good result.
    What did you first expect (or feel) when I approached you for an interview?

    I felt a bit embarrassed. I mean I got the fact that I could become the Member of the Month; after all, I knew I was nominated. But to actually have it confirmed is something entirely different. (Not to mention that the title you choose made me laugh.)

    Yeah, I suppose a PM titled "Guess who!" the day you got awarded would be amusing, wouldn't it?
    Now, do you have any people (either here at Lake Valor or outside) that you like, respect, look up to, or otherwise admire? If so, why do you admire those people?

    The first one that comes to mind is Satoru Iwata. "On my business card, I am a corporate president. In my mind, I am a game developer. But in my heart, I am a gamer." This quote explains why I admire Satoru Iwata. It conveys that following your dreams doesn't mean you have to change who you are at your core. It was one of the reasons I decided to stop with my Law studies. I tried to be who I wasn't. That quote saved me much heartache, once I started thinking about it. You don't have to change to be successful.

    Ah, Satoru Iwata - one of my favourite people, and someone I deeply respected for his drive and his attitude towards fun. To see him as one of your inspirations is wonderful.
    Next question - if you could wish for any 1 thing, what would you wish for?

    For my writer's block to stay away. No, really. That or a self-cleaning house. I severely dislike cleaning.

    I hear that! Writer's block is always troublesome, and I'm not much of a fan of cleaning either. If only things didn't get untidy!
    I think those are all the questions I need to ask right now. It's been a pleasure to interview you, and I hope this helps the Lake to get to know you a little better. Do you have anything else you'd like to say before we bring this to a close?

    United we stand tall, divided we fall. Surround yourself with people that light up when they see you.

    ::::

    I think my favourite part about having multiple Writers is that we get to learn from each other, and incorporate bits of each other's styles into how we do things. I'm probably a little biased there, but I know I won't improve unless I'm not receptive to change and a bit of wiggle room.

    And there you have it, ladies and gentlemen and dragons - an interview with our very own AzurAurora. I've always known her to be very studious and passionate about her work, and now we all know and can see the drive with which she approaches her life. From me personally, Silver, it was a wonderful chance for me to interview you, and for the forum as a whole, now you've gotten to know one of our Writers that much better. If you see her on the Discord, come by and say hi sometime!

    Thank you all very much for reading this, and for allowing me a small measure of your time. Take care, one and all, and I'll see you at the next interview - ideally, someone else also without a mustache!

    ◈◈ From the desk of Eclipse, the Pure-Black Dragon ◈◈
     
    Shada and LunarRabbitPikachu like this.

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