They say fortune favors the bold.
We’re putting on the boldest of collabs.
And we want you involved.

Without further day, we’re finally ready to reveal what the next collab is going to be.
And it’s a big one.

Collaboration #4
The Characters That Define Us

That’s right, the sequel to The Games That Define Us is coming to roost during the entire year of 2020. Each week will be a celebration of a character from the multiverse of video games, along with the blogger who is bringing them into the light. 

52 weeks. 52 characters. 52 bloggers.
This. Is. HUGE! 

I have literally never seen anything like this done before, and I think by planning this far ahead 2020 can be a year to remember for all involved!

The Premise:

Much like a beloved video game, we all have that one character we feel most attached to. Existing in our minds like a friend or companion, we find ourselves comparing our life circumstances to theirs. Despite being a work of fiction, we share memories and stories with that character… the character that defines us!  

Each amazing contributor — that means you — will write about the one character that influenced you the most from the moment they entered your life, telling stories of your adventures along the way and discussing how they still impact you to this day.

It should be highly personal. Focus on the memories or stories behind the character’s presence in your life. Help the audience appreciate what the character means to you in whatever way you see fit. Any creative interpretation beyond that is up to you, the writer! Just ask the previous contributors, I hate limiting an author’s personal style.

The Format:

I’ve honestly never seen a collaboration take this form before, so I couldn’t help but try to see this thing through. This collaboration will be epic in scope, especially when it comes to the artistry of blogging. 

• This will truly be a year-long collab!
  
  
• Every Monday in 2020 — all 52 of them — we’ll be releasing a new entry in The Characters That Define Us written by an incredible blogger like you!
  
  
• That same day, we’ll craft a Daily Inkling specifically crafted with your piece in mind!
  
  
• Each week will be a celebration of the themes of your piece, as well as the character you select!
  
  
• Daily Inklings for that week will be loosely based on the themes of your piece! 
  
  
• Many of the normal pieces from Nikki and I will also be inspired by the themes of the piece you craft!
  
  
• Social media posts, including promotional artwork, will focus on your work and character!

I’m currently planning to release each piece in chronological according to the date the character of choice first appeared in gaming. This is because I’d like to display the amazing timeline of characters that have impacts on lives — that no matter which generation of gaming you grew up with, characters all had positive impacts on the human experience. This could change, however, if thematic order seems more effective after receiving all the pieces. No matter what, however, each individual post will form a linear, interconnected tapestry of amazing pieces. 

The Contributors:

I am making it my personal mission to bring back every single collaboration contributor of the previous three collabs. That means everyone from Hyrule: See the Sights! Hear the Sounds!, The Games That Define Us, and Tracking Shells: Our Mario Kart Memories! 

The Goal:
EVERYONE IS HERE!

Let’s see if we can make something amazing happen! This week I’ll be reaching out to each of these amazing bloggers to see if I can get them on board! As they commit, I’ll be locking them into this list!

1. Matt @ Normal Happenings [LOCKED]
   
   
2. Nikki @ Normal Happenings [LOCKED]
   
   

   RETURNING CHAMPIONS!
   (in alphabetical order)

   My ultimate goal is to bring all previous collab contributors back. Wish me luck. If you’re reading this and I haven’t contacted you yet, you can make my job easier just by leaving a comment or sending me a message on Twitter or Discord letting me know you’re in! 
   
   

3. 3PStart [LOCKED]
   
   
4. Adventure Rules [LOCKED]

5. The Bizarro Mage [LOCKED]
   

6. gamergal.exe [LOCKED]

7. GamersUnitedGG

8. Games With Coffee [LOCKED]

9. The Gaming Diaries [LOCKED]

10. Murr @ Geek. Sleep. Rinse. Repeat [LOCKED]
    
    
11. Will @ Geek. Sleep. Rinse. Repeat [LOCKED]
    
    
12. A Geeky Gal [LOCKED]

13. Geeky Hippie
    
    

14. Git Gud at Life [LOCKED]

15. HideNGoShauna [LOCKED]
    

16. Hungrygoriya [LOCKED]

17. Imaginating Life [LOCKED]

18. The Ink-Stained Mage [LOCKED]

19. Just Geeking By [LOCKED]

20. Krysanthe [LOCKED]

21. The Life of Jan [LOCKED]

22. Later Levels [LOCKED]

23. Livid Lightning [LOCKED]
    
    
24. Mr Backlog [LOCKED]

25. My Life as a Quest [LOCKED]
    

26. Nerd Side of Life [LOCKED]

27. The Off-Centred Earth Mage [LOCKED]

28. Overthinker Y [LOCKED]

29. Power Bomb Attack

30. The Purple Prose Mage [LOCKED]
    
    
31. Sheikah Plate [LOCKED]

32. Shoot the Rookie [LOCKED]

33. TWOTALL4UFOOL’s Gaming and More [LOCKED]

34. Upon Completion [LOCKED]

35. The Well-Red Mage {LOCKED]

36. Wintendo 64 [LOCKED]

37. The Zerathulu View
    
    NEWCOMERS!
    (in alphabetical order)
    
    I would like to extend an invitation to all Patrons and Normal Happenings Blog Award Winners who have never participated in a collaboration before. Same story, let me know if you’re in by leaving a comment or sending a message on Twitter or Discord! 
    
    
38. AmbiGaming [LOCKED]
39. Dee Misses Games [LOCKED]
    
40. Rachel @ Double Jump [LOCKED]
    
41. Kris @ Double Jump [LOCKED]
42. A Geek Girl’s Guide [LOCKED]
    
43. Hear Dave Write [LOCKED]
44. McWritestuff [LOCKED]
    
45. Neko Jonez
    
46. The Reel Anna [LOCKED]
    
47. The Shameful Narcissist Speaks
    
48. —
49. —
50. —
51. —
52. —

We’re going to open up signups to additional newcomers next week. The number of slots will be based on just hope many of these incredible bloggers I can wrangle up this week. So, join us next Wednesday when we’ll be opening up signups for the rest of the world! Rumor has it there might even be a teaser trailer! 

In the meantime, be thinking about which characters you would like to write about. We’ve come us with a character selection draft concept, similar to how they do it in sports. But for this week, we just want to try our hardest to get all returning champions involved! 

The Deadlines:

Proper timing and planning is extraordinary necessary for a project of this scope. Since Nikki and I will be organizing, designing, and editing each post individually, I’ll need several months of post-production. Additionally, I’d like to have a full 365 Daily Inklings crafted before the year even begins, leaving us to focus on supplementing each week with high-quality original compositions. 

All of that is to say we’d like to have your piece close to completion by October 1, 2019. No need to panic – that is lots and lots of time! Of course, it’s not the end of the world if you’re a few days late, but you all have been so good at hitting time frames over the first three collabs that we’re not worried in the least. 

Again, signups for additional newcomer slots will be next Wednesday! Let’s make this big, bold, epic collaboration happen in style! 

The Assist:

All creative endeavors take funding, and we’ve got some amazing Patrons of Normal Happenings. If you’d like to join in, you’d be helping us make this collab as amazing as it possibly can be! Plus, you’ll be getting some cool rewards like access to our Discord and Snail Mail Inklings! Consider helping us out by becoming a Patron of Normal Happenings. 🙂