Finished! Completed!
However, not quite ready to post yet.
Still working on the artwork for this installment, but start to finish, Episode Ten (all 3 books) has weighed in at a whopping 547 pages.
WOWZER!!
I'm really happy with it as well, and I think this fiction really was a breakout for me..in terms of plotting, pacing and overall craft I think I really made some strides in it's creation.
I still have a lot to learn in regards to writing, but I'm also of the mind you never really quit learning in life, so I'm comfortable with that. I learned a lot while writing this fiction and in the eighteen months since I began. One of the most important things I learned is that when you hit a wall and the words just aren't coming to you- forge ahead. Get past the writers block and keep moving. Sitting around and trying to figure out how to overcome it doesn't work, you've got to put your nose down and stay focused and keep writing, because ultimately you will always come back to rewrite what you don't like anyways. What you first put down on paper (or screen) is seldom the end result...merely a foundation that gets reworked until you are happy with it.
So! Hopefully you fans out there will be seeing this new fiction posted by the time my summer vacation comes around at the end of the month and I hope you enjoy it. I know I enjoyed writing it and more importantly enjoyed advancing the adventures of our Big Damn Heroes.
For those who have already asked me, yes, I have every intention of compiling Episode 10 into one physical paperback novel you can hold in your grubby little hands. I'll post when I have more info on the cost and whatnot and you can feel free to e-mail me and I'll send you the deets.
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Monday, June 22, 2009
No Time For Love Dr. Jones
Simply put, I just don’t have enough time anymore.
This realization didn’t come on out of the blue of course, but gradually, day by day, I'm realizing I just don't have the time I used to to invest in the things I love and enjoy.
Without getting super personal, I've had to reallocate some of my free time lately (not much, but some) to my family situation. In addition, I've rededicated myself to getting physically fit, so you can yank at least another 7-8 hours a week out from my free time pool. I'm still almost single handedly creating artwork for the fiction I'm writing for the Raptor Squad site, which, if I'm lucky takes 1-2 hours a day (if I'm lucky) away from me. Oh and of course there is the new feature I rolled out in April on the RS site, "Bounty Hunter of the Month" which I can't really fold up for at least another nine months because, well, that would just be lame.
And I also happen to be running a monthly game of D6 Fantasy for my gaming group that takes a while to prep for and create.
And of course there is this pesky job that I have to attend for at least eight hours a day to keep me in Cheetos and video games.
So what is the end result?
Not enough time, unfortunately.
Short of winning the lottery I really don’t know what I can do, other than scale some things back, which I hate doing. Partly this is because I (sometimes, ok, oftentimes) set unrealistic expectations for myself, but the fact is that I can't keep up this pace any more, despite how much I would like to.
So, solution?
Well, I can’t quit my job (yet), I won’t shortchange my family (where else would I spend Christmas?) and I love creating artwork and fiction too much to give that up. As far as longevity goes, I won’t/can't give up working out as it relieves stress (which I deperately need some days) and gives me more energy and as we all know more energy=more productivity.
So...my monthly game.
Yeah, I think I might have to scale that back some. I've been Gm'ing almost full time in some capacity for almost four years and I might have to start taking a break here and there and letting some of my players handle the heavy lifting for a while. Not forever, as I love Gm'ing too much- but maybe seeing if one of them would like to take a spin behind the GM screen every other month or so. Plus I think it owuld be good for them to see exactly what goes into creating a game and what it's like.
Plus it would be nice to sit on the other side of the screen and just be a player every now and then- a luxury not often afforded.
This won’t free up a ton of time, but it will take a load off of me for a while and allow me to get caught up and recharge my batteries a bit. Hopefully that will be enough to allow me to realign my schedule and streamline my life a little better so I can get everything accomplished I need to in the time allowed.
Ugh, this was a lot easier when I was a teenager and had nothing going on and more than enough free time.
Anyway, we'll see what happens.
This realization didn’t come on out of the blue of course, but gradually, day by day, I'm realizing I just don't have the time I used to to invest in the things I love and enjoy.
Without getting super personal, I've had to reallocate some of my free time lately (not much, but some) to my family situation. In addition, I've rededicated myself to getting physically fit, so you can yank at least another 7-8 hours a week out from my free time pool. I'm still almost single handedly creating artwork for the fiction I'm writing for the Raptor Squad site, which, if I'm lucky takes 1-2 hours a day (if I'm lucky) away from me. Oh and of course there is the new feature I rolled out in April on the RS site, "Bounty Hunter of the Month" which I can't really fold up for at least another nine months because, well, that would just be lame.
And I also happen to be running a monthly game of D6 Fantasy for my gaming group that takes a while to prep for and create.
And of course there is this pesky job that I have to attend for at least eight hours a day to keep me in Cheetos and video games.
So what is the end result?
Not enough time, unfortunately.
Short of winning the lottery I really don’t know what I can do, other than scale some things back, which I hate doing. Partly this is because I (sometimes, ok, oftentimes) set unrealistic expectations for myself, but the fact is that I can't keep up this pace any more, despite how much I would like to.
So, solution?
Well, I can’t quit my job (yet), I won’t shortchange my family (where else would I spend Christmas?) and I love creating artwork and fiction too much to give that up. As far as longevity goes, I won’t/can't give up working out as it relieves stress (which I deperately need some days) and gives me more energy and as we all know more energy=more productivity.
So...my monthly game.
Yeah, I think I might have to scale that back some. I've been Gm'ing almost full time in some capacity for almost four years and I might have to start taking a break here and there and letting some of my players handle the heavy lifting for a while. Not forever, as I love Gm'ing too much- but maybe seeing if one of them would like to take a spin behind the GM screen every other month or so. Plus I think it owuld be good for them to see exactly what goes into creating a game and what it's like.
Plus it would be nice to sit on the other side of the screen and just be a player every now and then- a luxury not often afforded.
This won’t free up a ton of time, but it will take a load off of me for a while and allow me to get caught up and recharge my batteries a bit. Hopefully that will be enough to allow me to realign my schedule and streamline my life a little better so I can get everything accomplished I need to in the time allowed.
Ugh, this was a lot easier when I was a teenager and had nothing going on and more than enough free time.
Anyway, we'll see what happens.
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Not just another Pretty Face!!!
Just updated the RS site and added this months "Bounty Hunter of the Month!"
She is a hunter named Velena and she's got more in her arsenal thatn just a blaster! So head on over and check her out!
Raptorsquad.Net
Enjoy!!!
She is a hunter named Velena and she's got more in her arsenal thatn just a blaster! So head on over and check her out!
Raptorsquad.Net
Enjoy!!!
Monday, June 1, 2009
Damn Rust Monsters!!!
You know, there has been a lot of hubbub lately on other RPG related blogs about “old school” vs “new school” gaming and which is best and why. Truth be told, I don’t really have a dog in the fight so I could care less. See, fact is that while I tried to get into playing D&D in about ’81, I was never really successful until about 84-85, and even then the amount of gaming I did was sporadic at best. My fellow gamers had parents who were very religious, so most gaming was done below boards and as there was no real consistency among our group or experience levels most games fell flat and died before they ever had a chance to start.
Fast forward to 1992 and I dabbled in a few hack n’ slash games with some friends, but as we were more interested in the ladies and our newfound freedom at this point, again, the games were scattered and half-assed at best. Then, between 1992 and 1999 I dropped out of gaming entirely.
Without rehashing a lot of old and boring history, that time was filled with various failed relationships and a failed marriage (which was doomed from the start, so shed no tears for me Argentina!) and included me moving out of town and away from any potential gaming buddies for about three years. So, in 1999 I moved back to my hometown, single and with a lot of free time and found that my friends were still gaming and tossing some dice. So it was in March 1999 I found myself learning and loving WEG’s D6 system, and for the next seven years was content to exclusively play the Star Wars RPG.
So, after that campaign ended, I found myself faced with a dilemma: Keep playing Star Wars or branch out into something new. My gamer wife and her sister played D&D back when they were kids, so there was already two players who were interested in branching out into a fantasy setting- throw in another player and all of a sudden I had a group willing to try something new. Needless to say, I was thrilled that D6 had thrown their hat into the fantasy ring with D6 Fantasy and before I knew it I was running my players through a good old sword and sorcery campaign.
Now, let’s clarify something right here. As much as I love roleplaying, I’ve never been an RPG fiend like some folks. I’ve had friends who had all of the RIFTs and D&D books, but, save for a handful of sourcebooks I got for my birthday that wound up being stolen a few days later by a so-called “friend” I never possessed much more than the core ruleset (and the “friend” got his karmic payback when he was busted a while back and sent to prison for bringing illegal reptiles through an airport- trust story).
So where does all of this lead us and how does it relate to Rust Monsters?
I guess it comes down to the fact that while I’ve been playing/Gm’ing games for the last decade, I’m not what you would call a gaming connoisseur. I don’t have the AD&D rules memorized, nor do I have every result on the potion miscibility table in the original DM’s guide memorized. I’d never mapped out a “Dungeon of Doom” before a year ago and you know what?
It’s great.
Really. Think about it, all of you old school (and new school) guys. Think about what it would feel like if you opened those books for the first time, un-jaded by all that you’ve seen and done already and lost yourself in the magic and wonderment that you first felt back when you were a kid.
Cause that’s what I’m experiencing right now baby!
So you can understand my surprise and amazement when my group came across a trio of Rust Monsters this past Saturday while making their way through a city’s underworld.
See, Rust Monsters (as most, if not all) of you know, are bad.
But what’s worse?
A Dwarven Monster Slayer who is easily goaded into rash actions by the GM.
Heh.
Yeah, just a few thinly veiled cracks about his honor and bravery and about how a real Dwarven badass would go in and “take care of bidness” and *poof*.
One regular Battle Axe: Gone.
One Magical Warhammer: Gone.
One suit of Magical Chainmail: Gone.
The end result of seeing what these little bastiches can do and those adventurers- the same who took down a Red Dragon and survivors of countless battles with Trolls, necromancers and all other manner of badass- ran.
Fast.
It was crazy, wild and completely unexpected and the players were as stunned as I was.
In just 2-3 combat rounds the dwarf was almost naked and weaponless and another PC had lost a nice suit of half-plate armor. But what was damaged more than their gear was their morale. And due to the terrible draws made from the “Deck O’ Many Things” last game session, this last encounter literally stripped the group down to a bare-bones magical inventory that is almost laughable compared to what they were toting around at the beginning of the year (so many items they actually lost track of what they had).
And as the group ran wildly to get away through the dark tunnels beneath the Imperial City, their valuable items reduced to a bedtime snack, a piece of advice regarding magical items and powerful PC’s passed on to me by Uncle Angus, an old-school GM just a week before rang through my mind:
“Sometimes, you just have to do some pruning.”
Indeed Uncle Angus. Indeed you do.
Fast forward to 1992 and I dabbled in a few hack n’ slash games with some friends, but as we were more interested in the ladies and our newfound freedom at this point, again, the games were scattered and half-assed at best. Then, between 1992 and 1999 I dropped out of gaming entirely.
Without rehashing a lot of old and boring history, that time was filled with various failed relationships and a failed marriage (which was doomed from the start, so shed no tears for me Argentina!) and included me moving out of town and away from any potential gaming buddies for about three years. So, in 1999 I moved back to my hometown, single and with a lot of free time and found that my friends were still gaming and tossing some dice. So it was in March 1999 I found myself learning and loving WEG’s D6 system, and for the next seven years was content to exclusively play the Star Wars RPG.
So, after that campaign ended, I found myself faced with a dilemma: Keep playing Star Wars or branch out into something new. My gamer wife and her sister played D&D back when they were kids, so there was already two players who were interested in branching out into a fantasy setting- throw in another player and all of a sudden I had a group willing to try something new. Needless to say, I was thrilled that D6 had thrown their hat into the fantasy ring with D6 Fantasy and before I knew it I was running my players through a good old sword and sorcery campaign.
Now, let’s clarify something right here. As much as I love roleplaying, I’ve never been an RPG fiend like some folks. I’ve had friends who had all of the RIFTs and D&D books, but, save for a handful of sourcebooks I got for my birthday that wound up being stolen a few days later by a so-called “friend” I never possessed much more than the core ruleset (and the “friend” got his karmic payback when he was busted a while back and sent to prison for bringing illegal reptiles through an airport- trust story).
So where does all of this lead us and how does it relate to Rust Monsters?
I guess it comes down to the fact that while I’ve been playing/Gm’ing games for the last decade, I’m not what you would call a gaming connoisseur. I don’t have the AD&D rules memorized, nor do I have every result on the potion miscibility table in the original DM’s guide memorized. I’d never mapped out a “Dungeon of Doom” before a year ago and you know what?
It’s great.
Really. Think about it, all of you old school (and new school) guys. Think about what it would feel like if you opened those books for the first time, un-jaded by all that you’ve seen and done already and lost yourself in the magic and wonderment that you first felt back when you were a kid.
Cause that’s what I’m experiencing right now baby!
So you can understand my surprise and amazement when my group came across a trio of Rust Monsters this past Saturday while making their way through a city’s underworld.
See, Rust Monsters (as most, if not all) of you know, are bad.
But what’s worse?
A Dwarven Monster Slayer who is easily goaded into rash actions by the GM.
Heh.
Yeah, just a few thinly veiled cracks about his honor and bravery and about how a real Dwarven badass would go in and “take care of bidness” and *poof*.
One regular Battle Axe: Gone.
One Magical Warhammer: Gone.
One suit of Magical Chainmail: Gone.
The end result of seeing what these little bastiches can do and those adventurers- the same who took down a Red Dragon and survivors of countless battles with Trolls, necromancers and all other manner of badass- ran.
Fast.
It was crazy, wild and completely unexpected and the players were as stunned as I was.
In just 2-3 combat rounds the dwarf was almost naked and weaponless and another PC had lost a nice suit of half-plate armor. But what was damaged more than their gear was their morale. And due to the terrible draws made from the “Deck O’ Many Things” last game session, this last encounter literally stripped the group down to a bare-bones magical inventory that is almost laughable compared to what they were toting around at the beginning of the year (so many items they actually lost track of what they had).
And as the group ran wildly to get away through the dark tunnels beneath the Imperial City, their valuable items reduced to a bedtime snack, a piece of advice regarding magical items and powerful PC’s passed on to me by Uncle Angus, an old-school GM just a week before rang through my mind:
“Sometimes, you just have to do some pruning.”
Indeed Uncle Angus. Indeed you do.
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