On main meta:

@Feeds I'm not very good with lyrics, but maybe we have somebody who can write "Do you hear the writers sing?"? We could make a recording, make it our rallying cry -- without the bad ending that came for the people in the original version. :-)

@MonicaCellio - You're too funny.

@MonicaCellio - the base image of the ferry with a thought bubble... whadyathink?

@Pᴀᴜʟsᴛᴇʀ2 nice image! Will you be able to get a book or scroll or something in there -- something that says "the fairy is writing something" -- along with the thought balloon?

@MonicaCellio - Not sure on the book ... I can try.

There really is just nothing already made with a fantasy theme and the main character writing.

I'll work on it, though :o)

@Pᴀᴜʟsᴛᴇʀ2 in that case, let's fall back to something less complicated. I think we get the same idea if we have a non-fantasy person. The idea is that the writer's environment (fairy hill, Starbucks, whatever) is very different from the world in the thought-bubble. If we use a fantasy or SF element we can run the ad on SciFi; add some dice and we can run it on RPG too.

@MonicaCellio there's always the option of using something similar to this?

@motosubatsu nice image!

It is a great image ... the only issue with it is, as soon as you trim it to fit the format, it would ruin the effect.

Yeah, that exact picture doesn't work unless that's a crop from something bigger, but maybe you can find something else along those lines?

Thanks for the help!

@MonicaCellio shamelessly stolen from the internet but happy to have a bit of a hunt later for something more suitable if we like the image

what dimensions/aspect ratio are are we aiming for?

(By the way, if you have thoughts on improving this Worldbuilding ad, I'd welcome help with that too. The current ad is kind of meh; it'll work, but I'm sure you could do better.)

> The image that you create must be 300 x 250 pixels, or double that if high DPI.

@MonicaCellio may I be blunt?

I recommend the "double that" option.

@motosubatsu oh, I hadn't noticed I wasn't still talking to Paul. Yes, feel free.

@MonicaCellio the pen ad really doesn't work for WB imo - it's all writing no building (I realise it's aimed at attracting writers for the blog - but the theme of the blog is just as important) and the universe factory text is difficult to distinguish amongst the blueish white of the paper

have you got the image multi-layered? psd or similar?

have some thoughts that might work nicely

@motosubatsu I'm not fond of the ad either. It's targeting blog contributors, i.e. writers, which is where the pen idea came from, but it's not a great image. Nobody writes blog posts on paper.

I found the image online. My image-manipulation skills are pretty much limited to cropping, resizing, adding text on top, and drawing red freehand circles. :-) (Ok, drawing.)

@MonicaCellio I think the pen idea could work - even despite the technological dichotomy it just "needs more world building"

@motosubatsu I definitely welcome thoughts, images, or a whole new ad!

@motosubatsu maybe a stylus on a tablet?

I'll knock something up real quick :)

Thanks!

^ very rough draft

but something like that but add the text on obviously

and then do a proper job of sorting the background

@motosubatsu I still have some credits left on 123RF I can purchase that

@Pᴀᴜʟsᴛᴇʀ2 that'd be ace (assuming people like)

I've already told Monica, but my creds are only good for about another 3 days, so I need to spend them prior to that.

I'd be happy to do the "proper" edit?

123rf.com/…

^ that's the original I started from

I'd just need to be able to get it to you.

123rf.com/…

What about that one ... same basic image with out the "crap" thrown in.

much better!

half the work comes in chopping the crap out so I could overlay the more on theme symbols

I think it would be a lot less work ... I don't think you'd need to crop it with that one?

no could just layer on the WB-type symbols, add the text and it'd be good to go

I have to dash now as I'm running late but happy to pick up later?

@motosubatsu - May I have your permission to use the email addy in your profile (on Mech) to send you the image?

@Pᴀᴜʟsᴛᴇʀ2 you do :)

TY

mod powers - handy :D

I'll have a go at doing the ad up tonight :)

No worries.

@motosubatsu - It is sent!

Please let me know if/when you've received it.

@motosubatsu oh that's nice!

@motosubatsu cool! Sounds good to me!

@Pᴀᴜʟsᴛᴇʀ2 thanks to both of you!

@MonicaCellio - You know I have no issues with helping ... it is you, afterall ;-)

@Pᴀᴜʟsᴛᴇʀ2 aw, thanks. I really do appreciate all the help; even when someone wants to help there's still effort involved and I do want to acknowledge that.

@MonicaCellio - :o)