State of the Clan: 2017

 

Last year we started a new tradition, with giving a State of the Clan Speech at the beginning of the year.

When I take a moment to update everyone on what’s going on in the world in Sylum, events happening on the blog, and fun interesting things we have planned for 2017.

Lets start off by stating this one thing.

Sylum is a Safe Place.

Everyone is welcome here.

I know there are many of you that are worried about what’s coming, and need a place to be … well … just be.  We’re working hard to make this blog a place were you can come and leave the rest of the world behind. There will be no talk about politics, and we will not tolerate bigotry in any form.

Sylum is about one thing: Love your Neighbor.

Which means our doors are open.

So come on in, grab a drink and head out to the Veranda – Thomas has snacks, the dogs are playing in the back, Nick’s got the bbq going, and Warrick is running the tables.

So with that in mind, we have a full schedule of events, teasers, and surprises in store for the year 2017.

So I’m sure the first question on everyone’s mind.

When is Clan War going to be finished!?!?!!?

As I’ve stated before, we slammed into a major plot wall smack in the middle of Clan War.

This literally had us coming to a screeching halt.  (Insert image of record needle sliding across the record, well we would but google was not cooperating) We’ve finally were able to work around it, but in the process of getting through that plot wall, we ended up digging up the whole front yard.   At the moment we’re still repaving the driveway, and replanting Thomas’ Roses.

Basically, we’re working on it.

I know you guys are eagerly awaiting the next segment, so stay patient with us – we’re getting there.  Remember we have real lives, which means: jobs, commitments, priorities, and sometimes just plane old ‘bullshit’.   And as much as we would like to spend all our waking hours working on Sylum there are times we can’t.  And to be completely honest, there were moments of burnout!  We had to step away from Sylum and work on other projects before we shanked Nico in the liver and left him bleeding out on the floor.

And while we’ve been working on the re-writes, we’ve also been busy building future storylines, prepping Sylum Events, running the blog, and editing the Sylum Wiki.

Speaking of … Sylum Events:

We’ll be hosting the normal three events, that we do yearly.

Spring Fling: Sign ups will be in February, and posting will start April 16th.

Seven Days of Summer: Sign ups will be in May, and posting will start July 1st.

Sylum Advent: Sign ups will be in October, and posting will start December 1st.

If you’re interested in participating in any of the Events, please sign up!  We’re always looking for new artists and writers.  There are 1015 … 1016 characters in the Sylum Wiki, only about a 200 have been used for stories.  There are a lot of lonely character who would love some attention.

In between the Events, we’ll be posting snippets and teasers of stories being worked on, plus random moments that never make it into major storyline.

So you’ll never know what will pop up in your inbox!

Which leads me to …

You may have noticed, that there has been a blog post everyday.  We’re doing this to make sure that there is at least one thing in your email each day, that will hopefully make you smile.

Typical Posts:

Sylum Inspiration – these tie into our Monthly Calendars.  This year we’re showcasing a different Lead Hunter each month, the corresponding weeks of the month will showcase, another Hunter from the same clan.   I’ll work not to repeat characters from last years Sylum Inspiration, but as there are only 19 Clans and 12 months in the year, there will be a repeat of Clans represented.

Sylum Location – This is a new post we’re trying out this year!  We’ll be showcasing images from the Clan Location that corresponds with the Sylum Calendar.

Throwback Thursdays – to highlight old stories, artwork, videos, and even old posts.

Coffee House Friday – I encourage everyone to comment on all posts!  But Coffee House Friday is designed for members to have an open discussion!

Random Posts – Inspiration for Sylum, showcasing pets, cars, locations, basically anything is fair game!

Teasers/Snippets – When we feel like being evil.

 

New things you’ll see this year:

A Sylum Scavenger Hunt!

Wait? What? How?

We’re still working on the logistics, but the basics – we’ll be putting together Sylum Questions, that you’ll be able to find the answer to in the stories, blog, or wiki.  A point system will be created, and we’ll have awards for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place.

A Sylum Chat Room!

I know one of the main things people missed from the Yahoo Group was the ability to chat with everyone else.  I’ve tried over the past few years to find a way to bring this back.  The Sylum Forum was slow and cumbersome, and while Coffee House Friday gets some good answers, it doesn’t actually get people chatting.

We have finally found a solution!

Look for another announcement soon, with more information about the Sylum Chat Room.

Updated Images on the Wiki!

Our resident Sylum Artist Taibhrigh has taken on a Wiki Project of their own.  Since Taibhrigh does all of the Story Banners, there have been many discussions on what does this particular character look like? Especially when the character is played by an actor that is showcased in Sylum a few times.  (For Ex: Russell Crowe, Robert Downy Jr., Karl Urban, Ewan McGregor…etc) Working with the writers, Taibhrigh has worked up images that will showcase how the characters are visually different, despite being played by the same actor.  As the sets of images are finished, I’ll be uploading them to the Wiki and updating the bios.  This will honestly take a while, as there are 1015 … 1016 Characters, so keep an eye on the wiki, to spot the new images.  As this is an ongoing project we’ll not update everyone while the bios are being changed – we will make an announcement when it’s finished!

Sample Image

What should you expect to see story wise in 2017?

At this moment we have no idea.  There are stories in the works, re-writes being done, characters being obnoxious and not shutting up – yes Nico I’m looking at you, your wife, and daughter … at least your sister is behaved.

But I can say we’ll have plenty of goodies throughout the year!

What can you do to help us?

Feedback!  Feedback!  Feedback!  I can’t stress this enough – Feedback! Take the five extra seconds and reply to a fic/art post and leave a comment – especially during Sylum Events.  It doesn’t have to be a 1000 word essay, but a few words will go a long way.  The writers and artists don’t get paid, so a simple note makes the world of difference!

Donations:

It now costs $140 a year to host sylumclan.com, this includes the main site, the blog, and the wiki.  On top of it we pay for data backup, data security, and spam protection.  All donations for the website go directly to Dreamhost – we don’t see any of it.  Donate Here.

The Hosting Fees are just a small portion of what goes into building and maintaining Sylum.  I do this because I love the characters, the ‘fandom’, the people, and even the Bobs.  And as Sylum has grown and expanded beyond anything I ever imagined, I can say any help is appreciated.

Sylum Vault, is now over a year old.  It’s been a wild ride this past year, learning new skills, and getting the shop up and running.  It’s been an interesting creative outlet.  The theme of the shop is ‘Jewelry based on your Favorite Fandoms’ including Sylum.  So this year – we’ll be showcasing pieces that are specific to Sylum, with a discount coupon that will only be for those who follow Sylum.

As a reminder!  We do have a shop on Cafe Press appropriately named: Sylum Gift Shop.  You can find cool and fun Sylum related items, such as coffee mugs, tumblers, stickers, and keychains.  Taibhrigh, Sylum’s Resident Artist, has done amazing work for this project.  Want Sylum Swag? This is the place to get it.

Sylum has been the jumping off point that led me to getting my first book published.   As y’all were my first audience, I appreciate the fact you’re following me into this new endeavor.  If you haven’t yet, check out the new Nicholas J. Finch Page, and take a moment to buy the book and leave a review!

Besides the Blog, is Sylum on Social Media?

Sylum Clan:

Twitter: @Sylum_Clan

Tumblr: @Nico Meridius: My personal blog, where you can find my rants at bob, goals of the day, sylum stuff, and afternoon fic

Sylum Vault: 

Facebook

Nicholas J. Finch:

Facebook

Last thoughts on Sylum in 2017

Each year I’m amazed and awed at how Sylum has expanded from being one or two fandoms, to being it’s own fandom.  Honestly, if you’re still not reading certain stories because it ‘isn’t your fandom’ stop.  No seriously, stop.  You’re missing out on the bigger storyline.  Oh I get it, not everyone likes everything, which is what makes Sylum great – there’s something for everyone.  But you’ll miss out on major plot points, character connections, and even that answer to the question you had while reading something else.

 

Every story connects to each other.

In Conclusion:

Be Kind.

Be Courteous.

Always have fun.

Signed,

The General

 

 

 

 

 

 

and

Bob