How to Write an Application

Writing applications can be a stressful task, especially for people who are new to Model Hogwarts or aren't confident in their writing abilities. Planned stories involving characters can hinge on whether an application is accepted or not, making the process even more daunting. The Apps Team understands this. We're all regular people who are part of the server and many of us have written apps before, so we know what it's like and we're here to help you.

This page is a resource the Apps Team has put together to try and assist people with writing apps, as well as addressing some of the major questions and problems app writers often have. Contained in this page are tips on how to get started writing an app, what to focus on when writing, what to expect from the acceptance/rejection process, and some common mistakes people make leading to rejections. At the end, there is an example of an application for an Apprentice Token power, with notes showing what the writer has done well. (This example is **not** an actual app that was submitted. It was written by a member of the Apps Team with the express purpose of being an example for this page.)

We highly recommend having this page open and referring back to it as you write your first app. It might also be helpful to return here for a refresher if you submit more apps in the future. If you have further questions, remember that you can contact the Apps Team at any time by joining the Model Hogwarts worldbuilding server, and pinging @Apps in the #apps-private-discussion-queue channel.

## Getting Started

Before you get to writing your app, start by doing some preparation. Read through this wiki page (congratulations, you're already here!) to get an idea of what's expected. Most things you'll want to buy have a wiki entry on the relevant page: Natural Abilities, Apprentice Tokens, Journeyman Tokens or Master Tokens. It is **essential** that you read the information given, so you understand what you're applying for. If you can't find what you want or aren't clear on the details, you can ask in #player-help (or #new-people-lounge if you don't have an accepted character yet) and our community will happily help you or point you in the right direction.

Once you're familiar with what you're applying for, open the Token Purchase Applications form. The first page is very easy to fill out: it just asks for information like your Discord username, character name and what token you're wanting to spend. The next one is more important as it contains the questions you'll need to answer, which will vary for different kinds of applications. For example, you'll need to answer different questions if you're getting an ability compared to if you're getting a pet.

If you want, you can write your answers straight into the form and submit it on the spot, but most applications need more thought than this. Many people on Model Hogwarts copy and paste the questions somewhere else, so they can work on writing and refining the app until it's ready to submit. Google Docs is a popular choice, but you can also use Microsoft Word or any other word processor.

## Writing Your App

The most important thing to do in your app is to **answer every question clearly, in as much detail as possible.** The questions are carefully written so that, when properly answered, they'll give the Apps Team all the information they need to know to pass the app. Try to stay on topic, and make it obvious how every point you make contributes to answering the question. Apps that do this for every question are nearly always passed.

Many people think that longer apps are more likely to be passed, but this isn't completely true. Detail is important, but detail is not the same as length, and if your answer can completely be explained in a few sentences, then you don't need to drag it out any longer. Generally speaking, the Apps Team does expect higher token purchases (for example, for Master or Journeyman instead of Apprentice) to have longer answers. This is because those stories, powers, pets and so on tend to be more important and impactful to both your character and other characters, and so will usually need more thought and explanation. However, this is just a general trend and there is no rule as to how long you need to go. **Overall, don't worry too much about length. Focus on the detail you're giving in answer to each question.**

The maximum word length for apps is 5,000. If you are doing a joint app with other people, an extra 1,000 words is given for each additional person (e.g. 6,000 for an app written by 2 people, 7,000 for 3 and so on). You may request an exemption from the word limit, but this will generally only be accepted if there is an extenuating factor that requires a lot of explanation: for example, details for a new custom power, or of a particularly complex story.

Before requesting an exemption, check that your app actually needs to be that long. The word limit is there for a reason: the Apps Team finds that when people go past that number of words, it's nearly always because they've wandered off topic and given unnecessary information instead of answering the questions directly. This can make the app harder to pass because we have to search for the answers we need and figure out what is and isn't relevant. Another issue can be people repeating themselves in multiple places. If you're unsure about which question a piece of information fits under, choose one and give all the details there. In the other places, it's okay to say something like, "I talk/talked about this more in my answer to..." This makes your app cleaner and easier to understand.

You may request to write one single app for multiple purchases, but the Apps Team will decide case-by-case whether this is permissible. Generally it will only be allowed if the purchases are so strongly linked that they have to be judged together, or one cannot really be accepted without the other(s).

Apps aren't judged based on the quality of writing. Some people are better at writing in English than others, and Model Hogwarts tries to cater to experts and beginners alike. However, there is a bare minimum expected in terms of spelling, grammar, punctuation and general coherency, otherwise the Apps Team simply won't be able to understand your app in order to pass it. As such, we do request that applicants make every effort to make their app readable. Use spellcheck!

**It is okay to get help!** There's no rule against getting someone else to look at your app and give corrections and advice, and in fact many users volunteer to do this for others on a regular basis - don't feel afraid to ask, either publicly on the server, or privately to a friend or mentor. Having said that, the basic ideas and logic behind the app must be your own work. The Apps Team needs to know that whoever is making a purchase understands what they are purchasing and will use it properly. Writing someone else's app for them, or trying to pass off another's work as your own, will lead to serious consequences.

## After Submission

Once you have submitted your app, the Apps Team will receive it, read it and discuss it. The amount of time we take to decide whether to accept or reject an app can vary according to its length and complexity, our workload at the time, and whether there is debate or disagreement over the decision. Depending on these factors, we can take anywhere between a few days and 2-3 weeks.

When the decision is made, you will be contacted by a team member via DM telling you whether the application has been accepted or not. If it is accepted, then congratulations - you did it! The Apps Team member contacting you may have some minor clarifications to make, but if so, they'll make that clear, and it won't jeopardise the passing of the app.

There are two kinds of rejections, which the Apps Team calls a 'soft' denial and a 'hard' denial. Soft denials are cases where we like the majority of an app but believe some important details are wrong or missing. In the rejection message, we will try to give you specific feedback on the issues preventing the app from being passed. The idea is that if you make edits to your original app incorporating the feedback given, and then submit the new version, we'll then be able to pass it.

Hard denials are extremely rare. They are reserved for situations where either the purchase is not possible for some reason (for example, if your character doesn't have the token or isn't the year required), or the application is manifestly insufficient and needs to be entirely re-thought. As with soft denials, we'll still give the best feedback we can, keeping in mind how much or little experience you might have on MH, and trying to explain anything we think you might have missed or misunderstood, for your benefit.

The fear of rejection is the number one cause of anxiety for most people writing or considering apps. Because of this, it's important to remember some things. Firstly, rejection isn't very common. About 70% of apps submitted are accepted, and nearly all of the rest are soft denials that, given a few corrections, will be passed as well. Also, **rejection is not the end of the world!** With a couple of isolated exceptions, there is nothing stopping you from editing or re-writing your app and trying again, and in fact the Apps Team wants to help you do exactly that. The feedback in the rejection message should be clear, and if it isn't, you're allowed and encouraged to ask questions and clarify. We do make mistakes and sometimes don't communicate as well as we wanted to, but if you talk to us, we'll be able to work it out.

Above all, remember that the Apps Team are people as well, who roleplay on the server just like you, and many of us have even had apps rejected as well, so we know what it's like. Our aim is always to help you tell your story and enjoy Model Hogwarts more, whether that's by passing your app, or letting you know what you missed or didn't think through, so you can learn and end up telling a better story. So, don't be afraid to try writing that app you're thinking of: either way, you win!

## Common Reasons for Rejection

### Questions not answered in sufficient detail

This is the problem that comes up far and away the most often: one or more of the questions has an answer that is too short or vague. There isn't a minimum length for each answer, and in fact there are (rare) occasions where the answer to a particular question might be so simple and obvious that you won't have to write very much at all. But generally we will expect and want to see that you've put at least some thought into each of the questions asked. If we don't, we'll be asking for more detail where we see it lacking.

### Inaccurate details about the purchase

Model Hogwarts takes in-universe consistency and Wizarding World immersion seriously. Because of this, for clearly defined purchases like special powers and creatures, we expect people to stick to the descriptions given on the wiki. If you don't, we can't pass your app. Examples might include applying for Legilimency but talking about your character doing something that isn't part of the power's description, or applying for a Niffler as a pet without considering the creature's thieving tendencies.

### Unrealistic progression

A player who has too many stories going on at a single time is going to be held to higher standards than someone who realistically has a lot of free time at the moment.

### Character power bloat

A character who already has a couple of magical powers will be starting to strain realism: how many Animagi who know Occlumency and Spectromancy can there possibly be? Such characters might find that higher expectations will be placed upon them with regards to further power applications.

### Player power bloat

A player with multiple characters who all have different powers or major magical feats will likely start to face similar issues. Since tokens accumulate per character rather than per player, we need to take all a player's characters into account to avoid the scenario of a single player ‘owning’ a large number of powerful and narratively influential characters. This can harm immersion if one person's characters seems to be always impacting every RP, and cause friction between players who choose to run multiple characters and those who do not.

### Missing information

An otherwise excellent application can be rejected if there are important details that simply haven’t been mentioned in the application to a satisfactory degree. For example, if an application is made for a dangerous animal pet with strange powers and the application doesn’t credibly explain how the creature will be handled safely and what the consequences of owning such a creature might be, as well as an acknowledgement of the strange powers it wields, it will be impossible to pass. Generally all of the important information should be covered by the questions asked; however, no matter what you're applying for, try to think practically about any possible pitfalls and address them in your app.

### Dishonest or unverifiable

We do make an effort to check past roleplay and previous applications whenever a new application comes in, especially for more serious requests. We’ll want to have confidence that you’ve roleplayed the previous purchases you’ve applied for as promised, and that the things you say in your application are backed up by your roleplay in the server. If you're applying for Dark magic and talking in the app about how dark and edgy your character is, but in roleplay your character is a bubbly Hufflepuff who likes cookies and unicorns, your app will not be accepted.

### Not specific enough to the purchase

Every purchase is unique and has its own unique details that we’re looking to be addressed in the application. The example application below is an example of a strong Apprentice application for the Water Elemental power, and whilst it works as a good example to show the kinds of thing we look for in any application, it’s important to tailor your application to reflect the specific details of what you’re actually applying for - taking this app example as a template to copy and tweak a few details around isn’t a guarantee of success, and we’ll be softer on some apps and much harsher on others depending on what is being requested and the context around that request. Think about things like how the specific purchase might be used and why it might be desired above and beyond other alternatives. Why are you applying for X when you could be applying for Y instead?

## Example Application

This is a sample answer for an Apprentice power application that the Apps team would be extremely likely to approve, as long as the above considerations are met. Again, bear in mind the differing standards of different purchases. This is a very strong, detailed application for an Apprentice power, but might not be sufficient for a Journeyman or Master purchase, depending on the situation.

Tips from the Apps team are shown in *(brackets, italics and underlined.)* Reading these are highly recommended, as they show you what specifically the writer did well, which might help you when thinking about your own application.

**What is your character name?**

John Doe

**What is your Discord ID? (Example: hagrid\_the\_dank#0420)**

Example#0001

**Is this an alt (additional character)? If so, who is your main character?**

No

*(Apps team tip: if you have multiple characters, enter your most-well known character here - the one you use most often both IC and OOC)*

**What year is your character currently in?**

5

**What token purchase are you making?**

Apprentice

**What are you interested in applying for?**

Learned Ability

**What learned ability would you like your character to have?**

Water Elemental

**Why do you want this ability? Why does your character want it? What is your goal with it?**

John has always been naturally drawn to water and water magics, and I want to explore that more by showing that his connection to the element expresses itself through his magic with the Water Elemental power.  I think it suits him well as a power because it enables him to take that passion and manifest it in everything he does within the wizarding world.

Out of character, I think that his focus on water magic is one of his key themes as a character and the special features of the water elemental power sound perfect as a result! The reason why I want the power specifically is because I feel it allows me to use water magic aesthetics more consistently with John; there are only so many water magic spells, after all, but because water magic is so important to him I’d love to use the Water Elemental’s special ability to make his other spells look like water magic too, which is something that wouldn’t be possible without this power.

*(Apps team tip: This first part is a good answer to the ‘Why do you want this’ question: it explains why the player is interested in Water Elemental and how it enables them to tell their character’s story. This also helps to explain why they’re interested in Water Elemental specifically, because of the specific connections it has to their idea of their character, which shows the apps team that thought has been put in and that this power has a particular purpose for the player beyond just making them stand out more or making them stronger)*

In character, John wants to master the art of Water Elemental magic because, as mentioned earlier, water in general and water magic just appeal to him really strongly. I’ve always roleplayed him as someone who feels most at peace in and near water - last year he got a detention for swimming in the Lake in the mornings after he had a fight with Professor Fawley, but even before that I would often run scenes that started with John watching the lake to calm down. From the moment he learned about water-based magic, he’s been experimenting with them - he mastered Aquatio early on, and even though it isn’t real water he learned Aqua Eructo just to help visualize water in his mind for future spells. He’ll continue to learn all he can about water magic as the years go on, but right now Water Elemental really appeals to him because it will allow him to use those visualizations and that feeling of connection water evokes in him throughout all his spells, not just water spells.

Being able to breathe underwater without magic would also be something that hugely excites him because it would further allow him to experience the underwater world in a more natural way, without depending on spells but simply his attunement to the element. I think he’d find it a lot more comfortable than being under the Bubble-Head charm all the time, especially since he’d love to be able to dive for long periods of time in as much comfort as possible

*(Apps team tip: Key things John’s player has done here - they’ve given apps team evidence of past scenes building up to this power for them to check, helping the team to confirm what they’re saying is something reflected in previous RP, and they’ve also managed to emphasize how the unique benefits of the power will have a specific positive impact on John’s RP that’s consistent with his character in a way that wouldn’t be possible with any other power. This helps the apps team to be confident that John’s player has really thought this application through and that this specific power is something that’s personally important to the character. They’ve also shown a clear understanding of the different applications of the Water Elemental power.)*

**How will your character discover the ability? How will they learn it?**

John already knows that Elementals exist, having roleplayed with Jane Doe’s character who showed off her Fire Elemental abilities a lot last year. She bragged about how connected she was to fire magic, which made him wonder at the time if he’d be able to do the same with water magic if he found the right methods.

If this app passes, he’ll go on to research Elemental Magic in the library, and though he won’t find an easy how-to-become-a-water-elemental book just waiting on a shelf for him, he will find a book on water spells that seems to have been written by someone who claims to wield a miraculous connection to water that sound suspiciously like what John is looking for. He’ll research the author’s name during winter break and try to visit them after finding an address in Diagon Alley. However, when he goes to that address he’ll find only the author’s son, who’ll sadly tell him that his father passed away a few years ago. John will be crestfallen, but manage to politely apologize, sharing that he loved the man’s father’s book. A little touched, and feeling a bit guilty about waving off the boy, the man will offer to lend him an unfinished work by his father on other water magics.

John will borrow the book, make the important notes, and start practising water elemental magic over the next couple of years, trying to combine his visualization when casting spells with a visualization of controlling water. As he continues to practise, his skills will develop (I’ll detail this more in the progression section).

*(Apps team tip: John has actually gone a tiny bit above and beyond here, because the wiki just says that you need to research Elemental in the library. That said, the story he has in mind is logical and makes sense, and shows a clear progression from learning about the possibility to seeking it out. Please bear in mind that standards for this section are likely to be much more intensive for more ‘hidden’ and obscure magical abilities, and rarer abilities are likely to be much harder to justify using NPCs - realistically there’s not going to be any Golem Sculptor NPCs, for example, who will be available to teach somebody their craft! For information on how difficult it is to obtain knowledge of certain powers, see the Restricted Knowledge page.)*

**How will your character use their ability? What impacts and consequences will it have for themself, people around them, and/or the Model Hogwarts universe? The scope and level of detail of your answer should depend on the token you’re spending: the higher the token, the more impact we would expect this ability to have.**

John will probably get a bit more reckless with his morning swims, which might cause him to get more detentions as a result! I also imagine that as his confidence with water magic increases, he’ll probably show off a bit and keep trying to catch his friends’ attention by casting water element aesthetic versions of his spells, which is probably going to start to annoy them a little bit later on! He’ll chill out once the novelty wears off, though, even if he continues to use his abilities often as they become second nature to him. I hope that people will start to associate him with water magic as a result.

I don’t think that there’s going to be a huge amount of impact on other people as a result of this power, though. If other people are interested in John’s magic, he’d love to tell them about it and maybe help them learn Elemental magic themselves if it’s something that they’re interested in, but I don’t think this will have a huge impact on the server overall.

*(Apps team tip: Bonus points to John here for being honest - he’s not padding out his application by pretending that the impact of the power is going to change the world in a hundred different ways! The most important thing for this section is being realistic whilst not skipping out on the details that are really needed about your character and others. For a simple self-contained ability like Water Elemental, talking a bit about impacts on characters is really all you’d need, but if you’re applying for something rarer or more unique, the impact on the setting could be considerably more intense, in which case we’d be expecting far, far more thought and detail here.)*

**Some powers are designed to grow in strength over an extended period of time (as listed in the 'timeline' for the power outlined in the Wiki). If the power that you're applying for is one of them, how will the impact of the ability on your character and others develop over time with the power’s progression? If your power doesn't grow in strength, do you still imagine that your character's usage and dynamic with that power might evolve as time progresses?**

For the first few months, he’ll usually fail, but sometimes his spells will look like they’re made out of water - at first, this will be more of a surprise to John, who’ll be worried that the book’s advice wasn’t working. By the end of the year he’ll be usually able to channel water aesthetics using his weaker spells, although sometimes if he’s distracted or panicking it won’t be so easy. By the end of the second year, he’ll be completely confident with his abilities and use water elemental magical aesthetics for even his strongest known spells.

He’ll also find, during his morning swims, that he’s more and more comfortable in the water as his mastery of water elemental progresses, that he’s coming up for air less and less often and able to dive more confidently than before. At first he’ll keep using the Bubble-Head charm for dives, but as he gets more confident he’ll take more risks with the power. This will also enable him to be sneakier in the morning when there are Prefects around - now he doesn’t have to vocalize his incantations, maybe if he’s lucky he’ll be caught swimming less often!

After that, I don’t think the dynamic will progress further. John loves water magic, like I’ve said, so once he masters it he’ll probably use the water magic aesthetic for as many of his spells as possible, as often as possible. It’s so important to him that I doubt that there’s much that would dissuade that passion for this field of magic.

*(Apps team tip: Nice and simple again - shows a realistic time progression that suits the Wiki’s guidelines, and gives the Apps team comfort that John’s planning to explore the power developing naturally over time rather than show up spontaneously one day, a master of water magic all of a sudden - and even if real life gets in the way and his player can’t RP as much as he’d like, apps team still has the comfort that if another player RPs asking how he learned his power, John has an explanation that makes sense and won’t be setting a bad example to future power applicants!)*

**Please provide a sample roleplay featuring your character using this ability. Roleplays including contributions from other authors/characters are permitted, provided you have permission from every contributor, and that each person's contribution is clearly marked.**

*Splash.* John couldn’t help but laugh to himself with childish glee as he cut through the waters, revelling in the impossible sensation of having water flood through his mouth and yet leave him unharmed. The coolness of the water was a refreshing escape from the summer sun, and it felt all too easy to imagine simply continuing to swim through the Lake, to skip morning classes and enjoy a perfect morning of peace and serenity, simply revelling in his growing attunement to his Elemental Magic. It was hard to believe that only last year, Jane had to fish him out, spluttering, after his badly-cast Bubble-Head Charm sputtered. Everything just felt so much more natural now, like the boundaries between being up there and down here had melted away; to be able to laugh and cry underwater without even having to think about air, to have it come naturally, was incredible.

Still, though, he had to come up eventually - probably. He really had a nasty feeling that if he got caught down here skipping Transfiguration, Fawley might just Transfigure him into a fish so that he could enjoy the lake forever...Shuddering at the thought, he began his ascent.

*(Apps team tip: The RP sample does not have to be long: just enough to show the purchase in action. There is flexibility in what exactly you write here. If you're doing a story app, for example, you don't need to write a RP of the story itself. You could just write a scene where the story or its impacts are referred to.)*

**Is there anything else you'd like to add? (If you are creating a custom power, details on how it will work belong here.)**

Nothing else, thank you!

*(Apps team tip: This section really is optional - we pass apps that leave it blank all the time, so don’t feel pressured to fill it in. If you have thoughts that you think support your app and can’t think of where to put them, this is a good place to do so, though!)*