Journalist Seeking Position

[Gothax?]

Although this is a little off topic, I don't have any idea where else to post it. However, if MODs do know a place to put it, feel free to move it right along

Now for the juicy information :

My name is Steven Ziegler. I am 16 years old and I have been actively partaking in the journalist field for over three years now. That's right - I started writing professionaly when I was only 13. Since starting at the young age of 13, I've progressed through such sites as www.mygamer.com, www.gamershell.com, www.csbanana.com, www.halflife2.net, and www.hlfallout.net .

As a dedicated journalist, I strive to succeed in my area of expertise, while still having tons of fun with other staff members. I've been told I'm a very outgoing, witty person who will do anything to obtain ultimate success, and now I'm searching for another online publication to take my positive attitude along beside myself. Here's a little more about where I've worked at, a description of my work environment, and how long I was "employed" ( if you will ).

www.mygamer.com // This indeed was my first "official" journalist-based job. Starting as a game reviewer, editors expected reviews submitted in a punctual manner short after it was sent for the reviewing process. Soon afterwards, my position was upgraded to news poster along side game reviewer. Before moving on to Gamershell, my estimated time there was 8 months.

www.gamershell.com // As mentioned, this was my next step-up in my journey. Gamershell is a much larger publication, attracting an estimated 9 million hits a month while I was a game reviewer. Same expectations were held here, but with a more strict emphasis. I was there on and off for two years straight.

www.csbanana.com // CSbanana is a widely known site for its custom skins, custom maps, custom anything and their large forums populated with diverse browsers. Since CSBanana was heavily based on custom CSing, map reviews, skin reviews, and interviews were not out of the normal. Before working there after a few short months, my position was upgraded to lead editor before quitting shortly.

www.halflife2.net // Obviously this is here. Along side with other talented writers, I conducted interviews, reviews, articles, and posted news about today's hottest Half Life 2 Modifications. I started in November , before quitting in the last previous months. I do miss it plenty

www.hlfallout.net // Same situation as the latter, however, HLF is extremely unnorganized and is filled with untalented writers. Lets just say this wasn't a trip worth mentioning.

*************

Other accomplishments :

#energex @ irc.gamesurge.net

Although it is down now, Energex Gaming Radio was a premier radio station based on the web and via IRC. While I was co-owner with Albert, the previous owner, we were able to schedule interviews, radio sessions, and advance our knowledge of Competetive CS through several different competetive CS 1.6/CSS/COD teams.


________________________

What I'm looking for :

A publication that either deals with Half Life 2/HL2 Modification or any game related website. Please already have founding, however, if you're looking for someone to start a website/community with, I can reason. Please be mature, and most importantly - Have a positive attidude!
Obviously having experience in the journalism field is required.


You can contact me by the following emails :
[email protected]
[email protected]


Or you can PM me via the messaging system featured on the boards

Thanks-

Steven "Gothax?" Ziegler

 

[bliink]

Ah.. I wondered where you disappeared to..

 

[Crispy]

I've kept your email for future reference.

 

[egoncalo]

Someone made a 16 year old head editor? Sheesh. Lets see some writing?

 

[Gothax?]

You know, people who classify other people by their age are only jealous they don't have the ability to do that certain task as well. And if you want to be more exact, I was 14 when they made me "lead" editor.

By the way, search my name on Google - "Steven Ziegler". Look at the second entry



Sure :

( HL2: Capture the Flag ) - http://www.halflife2.net/articles.php?article=33
http://www.rottentomatoes.com/gauthor-10345/ <-- MOST reviews while with Gamershell.

I don't like displaying many more simply because I've dramatically advanced my understanding of the english language in the last few months. However, I haven't been apart in a stable website/community since then.

I have a review of Battlegrounds 2 on bgmod.com, just look there - WARNING : there wasn't ANY editting to that.. Just a simple article I threw up for the people browsing the forums, in ten minutes of time.

 

[Crispy]

I wouldn't be bothered about your grammar so much, more the style. The grammar I can correct. However your style would also include the type of vocubulary you use. If you just used flashy or showy vocab without suiting it to the situation I'd be fairly unimpressed.

---

Having now read some of your stuff and your Half-Life 2 stuff I'm fairly impressed. I'd say you have a good sense of direction. You know just what needs to be said and generally go about putting it together in a coherent order, so your structure is generally good. But what you need to work on is your clauses. I'll give you an example:

"However, for those who do not fancy Half-Life 2 as much as us loyalists, does HL2: CTF bring enough unique gameplay elements that intrigue you into finally finishing the Half-Life 2 story mode?"

This has the right idea about it. You want to come at the game from another angle and include another type of gaming audience's tastes in the review. But there would be better ways of putting this into a sentence. Your clauses need work.

I also don't understand why HL:CTF would make anyone want to complete the HL2 story mode. Surely most of us have finished HL2, and it probably didn't take us that long for us to exclaim "finally!" at the end of it all. If this is a personal view then you should show that clearly, because it's definitely not a view that most gamers would share.

But I'd say you have the core of a good games journalist. You sem to know what gamers want to hear, what's important and, more or less, how to put this information into an order conducive to leisurely and insightful reading. At the end of the day a games fan will have all the information they want from one of your arguments, but it isn't quite in the best format as far as the sentences are concerned. But, hey, your 16 so you have plenty of time to work on that, and the more you right the better it will become. Just work on your writing style a bit more and you'll evolve more of a personal style which will help make your writing a better read.

 

[Beerdude26]

Someone made a 16 year old head editor? Sheesh. Lets see some writing?

You know, people who classify other people by their age are only jealous they don't have the ability to do that certain task as well. And if you want to be more exact, I was 14 when they made me "lead" editor.

By the way, search my name on Google - "Steven Ziegler". Look at the second entry



Sure :

( HL2: Capture the Flag ) - http://www.halflife2.net/articles.php?article=33
http://www.rottentomatoes.com/gauthor-10345/ <-- MOST reviews while with Gamershell.

I don't like displaying many more simply because I've dramatically advanced my understanding of the english language in the last few months. However, I haven't been apart in a stable website/community since then.

I have a review of Battlegrounds 2 on bgmod.com, just look there - WARNING : there wasn't ANY editting to that.. Just a simple article I threw up for the people browsing the forums, in ten minutes of time.

Sorry, egoncalo, but you got bloody owned

I've seen you around on here, and I always thought you were some 30 year old writer that has been writing books since he was 12

 

[crackhead]

are you asking for a payed job?

or are you just looking for experience.

how would you feel about writing for a magazine?

 

[Gothax?]

Not neccessarily for a paid job, however, experience is always great. Yes, I'd be interested in writing for a magazine, however, it'd have to be online ( which you were probably thinking, anyway ). Contact me via PM or at the email I provided.

 

[zyd]

if you were danish i would give you a job at a music magazine =) hehe a very known site in denmark which often interviews celebrities so if you should happen to learn danish sometimes e-mail me =D

 

[Gothax?]

I wouldn't be bothered about your grammar so much, more the style. The grammar I can correct. However your style would also include the type of vocubulary you use. If you just used flashy or showy vocab without suiting it to the situation I'd be fairly unimpressed.

---

Having now read some of your stuff and your Half-Life 2 stuff I'm fairly impressed. I'd say you have a good sense of direction. You know just what needs to be said and generally go about putting it together in a coherent order, so your structure is generally good. But what you need to work on is your clauses. I'll give you an example:

"However, for those who do not fancy Half-Life 2 as much as us loyalists, does HL2: CTF bring enough unique gameplay elements that intrigue you into finally finishing the Half-Life 2 story mode?"

This has the right idea about it. You want to come at the game from another angle and include another type of gaming audience's tastes in the review. But there would be better ways of putting this into a sentence. Your clauses need work.

I also don't understand why HL:CTF would make anyone want to complete the HL2 story mode. Surely most of us have finished HL2, and it probably didn't take us that long for us to exclaim "finally!" at the end of it all. If this is a personal view then you should show that clearly, because it's definitely not a view that most gamers would share.

But I'd say you have the core of a good games journalist. You sem to know what gamers want to hear, what's important and, more or less, how to put this information into an order conducive to leisurely and insightful reading. At the end of the day a games fan will have all the information they want from one of your arguments, but it isn't quite in the best format as far as the sentences are concerned. But, hey, your 16 so you have plenty of time to work on that, and the more you right the better it will become. Just work on your writing style a bit more and you'll evolve more of a personal style which will help make your writing a better read.

True. Right now in school we're learning about clauses and such so I'm getting work on that

Thanks for the invite, zyd, but I don't plan on learning another language ANY time soon, especially since I'm attending a technical school after highschool.

 

[egoncalo]

No... I didn't get owned. I'm simply saying a 14-16 year old cannot have as much experience as someone who's 30 and has been doing it for half his of their whole life. He still hasn't graduated from highschool, and quite simply he hasn't learned as much as someone older then him could have. I'm not saying he's a bad writer, but there are people more qualified/experienced then him in the field. For a 14 year old to be titled "head" editor says something about whatever news team he was a part of. I'm 18. I like to think that I can write pretty well, but that doesn't mean I think I could be a "head" editor. Just my two cents. Good luck man!

 

[Crispy]

No... I didn't get owned. I'm simply saying a 14-16 year old cannot have as much experience as someone who's 30 and has been doing it for half his of their whole life. He still hasn't graduated from highschool, and quite simply he hasn't learned as much as someone older then him could have. I'm not saying he's a bad writer, but there are people more qualified/experienced then him in the field. For a 14 year old to be titled "head" editor says something about whatever news team he was a part of. I'm 18. I like to think that I can write pretty well, but that doesn't mean I think I could be a "head" editor. Just my two cents. Good luck man!

I don't think 16 year old make good 'editors', but for online magazines the teenage age bracket will play a hell of a lot more games than a 30 year old.

 

[egoncalo]

I don't think 16 year old make good 'editors', but for online magazines the teenage age bracket will play a hell of a lot more games than a 30 year old.

That is true! I'm not criticizing him. Just showing my surprise. :upstare:

 

[Gothax?]

Although I understand your concern about my age being a factor in whether I have knowledge in the gaming industry or not, age CANNOT be a major withdraw from someones experience, because if you look at most reviews, if all, do not feature information from the 80s ( in my case, I wouldn't be alive ) that'd play a major roll in today's present games. The only game that would come as a game that'd require previous knowledge of would be Price of Persia.. Because simply put, it was a great game back then, and it's a great game now. Although now that I think about it, Ninja Gaiden was one of the first great ninja-based video games released for its time era.

Thanks for your critisizing in any form. I believe, as most other writers should too, that critisism is the only path to success, because if you were given an "a+" all the time , you'd be perfect and no one is perfect in that matter. I'm still open for positions

 

[Crispy]

[...]because if you look at most reviews, if all, do not feature information from the 80s ( in my case, I wouldn't be alive ) that'd play a major roll in today's present games. The only game that would come as a game that'd require previous knowledge of would be Price of Persia..

Ooh I think Darwinia needs a mention there.

Thanks for your criticizing in any form. I believe, as most other writers should too, that critisism is the only path to success, because if you were given an "a+" all the time , you'd be perfect and no one is perfect in that matter. I'm still open for positions

The force is strong with this one! No, seriously. I like the fact that he knows his humility will see him on to greater things. It's a great attitude to have, especially for one so young. Sorry to keep going on about this, but I think in this case it really works in your favour. You have a much more mature attitude than other writers of your age and more more miles left on the clock before you go off to write for an actual professional publication. A worthy investment IMO.

God it's like Champ Man all over again!

 

[63]

Why did you leave hl2.net?

 

[Gothax?]

I'll leave the reason open, and lets just say I enjoyed my time dearly. I also miss HL2.net very much, but I visit every day just to see what is going on

 

[BlueWolf72]

hello

wow we are different yet sorta the same.

http://thebackburner.net/
http://www.games-fusion.net/
http://moddb.com/

I've even wrote some articles for mtv and a pc gaming magazine in UK. Im finishing up bluewolf72.com and I am about to start on hl2expo.com and daily-facts.com BlueWolf72 is first. If you want to help me I would be honored. I need help. I will do it on my own as I have in the past but reading your post I figured I'd ask.