Quick Question

Say I already am A applyed novice earth mage, do I need to apply to further increase my spell count? EX: Say all I can do is toss rocks, can I ICly learn a new spell suck as a spell to create a wall of earth? (NOTE: The spell created would still be at Novice level.)

Short answer.
Yes.
Long answer.
Yes.

Don't forget to actually roleplay learning that spell, than detail your spell (it's effect, its side-effects (if any) its cool-down, and any other info that might be important.)

Yes, unless you've been here so long that spell progression alongside character progression for your character is expected by members, Increases in skill must be applied for, and they have to make sense.

It's not going to get approved if you say "I met a master wizard", you have to be trained by a real character, unless he had the very rare intelligent skill of learning spells through scrolls, and even then, you have to have a scroll.

It sounds needlessly complicated, but the short answer is; it isn't, really. There used to be a no application required policy for this community, and it didn't work.

Most characters develop through roleplay anyway, you might figure something you like better while playing.