What are Articles, and How can I submit one?

Here in the Articles forum, you - the members - create interesting articles and works not only for the existing member base of Lake Valor to read, but also potentially draw in new potential recruits who may just be stumbling upon this place for the first time. It's an excellent place to express your knowledge and interests, so if there's something you like and want to share, consider writing an article about it.

Submitting an Article is open to everybody, but it must go through a process first. Thankfully, the process itself is fairly simple:

• Post your article in the Article Drafts forum first. Like any good work, a rough draft must first be proof-read.
• One of the Articles staff will proof-read your article, for spelling, grammar, and conciseness.
• You'll be given edits and suggestions on how to improve your article further.
• The staff member will either approve your article (after you make the edits), or ask for an updated draft. This will be on a case-by-case basis.
• After your article has been approved, you can post it in the Articles forum. (Articles are manually approved by the staff member who proof-read them, so it may take a while for the thread to show up.)

Any would-be Article to be published must follow a few key guidelines, as follows:

• Obviously, it must obey all of Lake Valor's rules. No exceptions!
  
• You must use proper spelling and grammar in your articles. A lot of this will be weeded out by the proof-readers, but that's no excuse from writing poor-quality work. Bring your best!
  
• Pokémon-related articles are encouraged, but not required. Lake Valor is first and foremost a Pokémon forum, but there are many other things out in the world besides that, so while writing on Pokémon is good and advised, don't think you are obligated to.
  
• If you use images, do so cautiously. Images are great visual aids and can add a bit of life to your article, but be careful with how you use them - an image that takes up too much room is a hindrance rather than a help.
  Any images you use in your article must be no taller than 500 pixels in height, for the sake of scrolling and easy reading. Width isn't as much of a concern, but be respectful here too - for example, if your image is wider than 750 pixels or so, you'll need a good reason.
  
• Do not submit fan fiction or role-plays here. This is a forum for articles, things that are published for the world at large to read. Other things would go into the appropriate forums instead.
  
• You must use tags when posting your article. Tags are how Internet search engines find us! This will not only make your articles easy to spot on places like Google, but it can potentially attract new members to Lake Valor. Who knows - you may be responsible for bringing some really great people into LV!

As a little added incentive, if you manage to successfully post an article (approved and all), you will receive the fancy Article Writer trophy:

That covers articles in a nutshell - both writing and reading. Articles can be challenging, but fun, and it's always nice to see your work recognised and accomplished. If you have any questions, or want any advice, feel free to ask a staff member.

Happy writing!​