Making Its Mark

Putting quill to paper, I sat down in my Neopian Times Bean Bag and began to think of ideas for an article. Could I write an in-depth history of the Neopian Times? Nah, that’s been done already. Could I recognize the best authors of the Neopian Times? No, most of them won’t approve of me putting them in my article; they already consider me a stalker. Then it hit me. I could do a comic crossover with another artist! I then came to the sad realization that I couldn’t draw; therefore, I had no comic to begin with.

Then my stomach grumbled. I knew I couldn’t work on an empty stomach. I got up out of my chair and walked to the kitchen as my Lucky Green Boots’ heels clicked on the floor. I opened the fridge and a Dung Muffin caught my eye. Licking my lips, I went to reach it, when a random White Weewoo flew through my window. It flitted around and bumped into me, causing my intended snack to land right on my I Love The Neopian Times T-shirt. The petpet then flew right back out of the window.

Slightly frustrated, I sighed and settled for pouring some Rancid Dung Coffee into my Neopian Times Mug. I stirred it around and glanced around my room. My eyes crossed my Bori’s Usuki sets, which included the Snoogy Usuki Set and the Neopian Times Usuki Set. I walked back over to my bean bag, and an idea smacked me in the face.

I looked at my bean bag. I looked at my shirt and my shirt’s dung stain. I looked at the coffee in my hand and its mug. I looked at my boots. I looked at my quill, my pencil case, my notebook. I remembered the White Weewoo, the Usuki sets, and the muffin I left on the floor in the kitchen. I then realized that the Neopian Times consumed almost every single part of my morning. Surely, my morning wouldn’t be too different from the rest of Neopia’s.

I then began to remember everything that the Neopian Times has to offer, aside from the great reading to keep you occupied. Whether it be a rainy day, a sunny day, or a snowy day, the Neopian Times will keep you inside just so you can read it in peace. With amazing article, astounding stories, and creative comics, it is worth hours of entertainment.

Each week, the Neopian Times has made its mark on separate Neopians, but I realized that the Neopian Times has impacted Neopia as a whole, as well.

The Neopian Times could be considered an endorser of sorts. After all, it is a newspaper that advertises a new Neopian attraction every week. Are business and games the only things that this newspaper supports?

I was beginning to ponder about dung, and it wasn’t because of a certain feeling in my stomach. Way back in the ages before issue seventy-six, the editor of the Neopian Times had a certain liking for dung. The writers of the Neopian Times would add references of dung in their submissions for the editor. Many items involving dung got publicity because of this, and many new dung items were created in dung’s new found publicity.

In fact, the current Neopian Times editor has been assumed to have a liking for a very gloomy looking petpet, the Snoogy. The Snoogy now has a Usuki set named after it, and it is unknown whether it was created for the editor or not. Popular rumors, however, say it is.

The widespread popularity of dung and the Snoogy couldn’t have been done solely by the Neopian Times, as there are many other deciding factors. There were, however, a few ideas that gained their reputation from the Neopian Times, and the Neopian Times alone.

One of those was a certain little birdie. The White Weewoo started off as an idea, one simple fanatical movement. Through the publicity that it got through the Neopian Times, the White Weewoo became more than a dream, it became a dream come true. Now, anyone that can afford a Weewoo for a petpet and a White Petpet Paint Brush can take part in the ritual of the creation of White Weewoo. Also, Lucky Green Boots became a trademark of a Neopian Times jack-of-all-trades, and those boots are now a special type of legend. They are worn by many aspiring authors, signifying dedication and enthusiasm for writing.

The endorsement that the Neopian Times gives to lesser known Neopian oddities isn’t its only strong point. This newspaper has had a whole day dedicated to everything that it has done. Neopian Times Day was dubbed on the 26th day of Hunting, Year 6. A whole slew of Neopian Times items were made available to the public, ranging from furniture to a battle item.

I reflected upon my recent thoughts. There were other things that the Neopian Times were responsible for in Neopia. There was an avatar centered about the newspaper, an Advent Calendar day in Year 6 was dedicated to it, and there are possibly millions of Neopian Times Issue 3s wandering around Neopia.

Items couldn’t be what the Neopian Times was solely responsible for. Tangibility is a great thing to give, and the Neopian Times sure has down a lot of that. My listing of all of the Neopian Times inspired items was the majority of my thoughts. But everything that the Neopian Times offered couldn’t be solid.

The Neopian Times offered a goal for aspiring authors and previously published writers. Many Neopians will send in dozens of submissions, hoping each time that one will get accepted. Rejection will come knocking, but that doesn’t keep anyone down.

Also, when that uplifting acceptance letter comes, you have to toil in waiting for your piece to show up for all to see. Don’t forget, when it comes out, you have all of your fan mail you have to answer. Some of it isn’t positive, but that doesn’t dampen spirits any more than a rejection notice.

The Neopian Times offers confidence, patience, respect, and assurance. Unrelated to the direct points already brought up, this newspaper also embraces ingenuity, intelligence, courtesy, and commitment.

Smiling to myself, I begin to write. I knew I had an idea for my article.