Midsouthcon 2018: Day 1

As I do most years, I’m attending Midsouthcon again this weekend. (If you are too, let me know so I can say hi!) Mike Resnick is one of the guests of honor, and I really hope I get to meet him.

Here’s how the first day of the con went for me.

Masks

I kicked off the con by playing an RPG in the very first gaming slot (2pm Friday). The game was one I'd been wanting to try: Masks: A New Generation by Magpie Games. It uses the Apocalypse World engine that I liked so much in our Dungeon World adventure at last year's Midsouthcon.

My wife played her standard character type.

We spent at least half the time crafting our characters and their relationships and team dynamics, which seems in line with a lot of Powered by the Apocalypse games. I felt an affinity for the Janus playbook, the one our GM Jesse likened to a Spider-Man type, burdened with a lot of secret identity conflict. I used this to create Melting Pot, a political-minded (and patriotically-dressed) hero who is active in student government and has the ability to melt into a liquidy goo and also take on the properties of anything he touches. The last hour of our adventure happened at a place I chose--a women's rally--where the Greek god Dionysus showed up to turn things into a wild drunken party.

Board Game Library

We spend the rest of the evening checking out board games from the con's board game library. I like trying games I haven't played before, and usually find something I like enough to eventually add to our own collection.

Yes, that's Audrey II in the foreground.

This first one we tried was Macroscope. The goal is to be the first to identify a drawing through small holes that each player reveals in turn. I stunk at this game. It was still pretty fun, but I think I'd like this one better as a video game, because adding and removing the tokens covering the holes each round, and having to carefully slide out the drawing when it's revealed, were both tedious acts of manual dexterity.

Macroscope

Then we played Hoard, in which you compete to steal as much of a dragon's treasure as you can before he wakes up. I wasn't amazingly horrible at this game.

Hoard

That's it for day 1, though I want to show off how my wife was the star of the show with her new meeple earrings...

Watch for my Day 2 update tomorrow...

New Star Trek Adventures Books: Command Division & Beta Quadrant

Image: Modiphius

Modiphius just announced product details and release dates (well, release months) of the next two books for the Star Trek Adventures RPG. The books are the Command Division Supplemental Rulebook and the Beta Quadrant Sourcebook.

The Command Division Supplemental Rulebook provides "new material for characters in the command or conn departments." This includes (from the Modiphius website):

• "Detailed description of the command division, including its role in Starfleet, the various branches within the command division, the role of Fleet Operations, life as a command division cadet, and details on starship operations.
• Expanded 2d20 Social Conflict rules, enhancing social encounters and galactic diplomacy.
• An expanded list of Talents and Focuses for command and conn characters.
• Over a dozen additional starships and support craft to command and pilot, including the NX, Nebula, Sovereign, and Steamrunner classes, as well as many shuttle types and the indomitable Work Bee!
• Advice on creating command division focused plot components for your missions to test the mettle of your captain and flight controller. 
• New rules on running Admiralty-level campaigns that let you command entire fleets, as well as information on commanding starbases.
• Detailed descriptions and game statistics for a range of Command and Conn focused NPCs and Supporting Characters."

(Fanboy note: OMG Nebula class! An admiralty campaign!)

The Beta Quadrant Sourcebook provides "an in-depth look at the Quadrant both the Klingon Empire and Romulan Star Empire call home." Details from Modiphius:

• "Information on the Federation’s presence in the Beta Quadrant, including the homeworlds of Andoria, Earth, and Vulcan.
• Material about the Klingon Empire and its history, including information on its core words of Qo’noS, Boreth, Khitomer, and Rura Penthe.
• Information from the Romulan Star Empire on their history and politics, and information about their worlds Romulus and Remus.
• A host of new Federation species to choose from during character creation, including Benzite, Bolians, Efrosians, and Klingons.
• A selection of alien starships, from the Klingon Empire, Romulan Star Empire, Gorn Hegemony, Orion Syndicate, and civilian craft.
• Guidance for the Gamemaster on running missions and continuing voyages in the Beta Quadrant, with a selection of new Non-Player Characters to enhance encounters."

(Fanboy note: OMG Bolians! Gorn! Orions!)

Both books release in May of this year, and you can preorder on their individual product pages.

[ Command Division | Beta Quadrant ]

Our Friends the Machines & Other Mysteries

Image: Fria Ligan

I nearly forgot to mention that the first book of adventures for Tales from the Loop is now available. It's called "Our Friends the Machines & Other Mysteries."

Here's a summary of the contents from distributor Modiphius:

"Toys suddenly developing intelligence. A mystical mummy roaming the beaches. Weird events in the local video store. A mixtape full of mysteries. Four wondrous machines. A guide to creating your own setting for the game. All of this and more is included in this volume, the first official module for the multiple award-winning Tales from the Loop RPG. This book includes: 

• Our Friends the Machines. A mystery about a product launch of a new line of action toys that suddenly takes a turn to the weird.
• Horror Movie Mayhem. The ’80s was the decade of moral panic, when everything new was dangerous and corrupting. In this mystery the Kids will investigate what is really happening in and around the local video store.
• The Mummy in the Mist. There are whispering rumors that it is back again. The mummy down by the lake. Roaming the beaches by night, looking for something, hungering after something. It will be up to the Kids to solve this mystery.
• A mixtape filled with mysteries. Eight short mysteries based on classic pop songs from the era.
• Blueprints, background and adventure hooks for four advanced and iconic machines from the world of the Loop.
• Hometown Hack. A guide to creating your very own setting for the game, complete with the Norfolk Broads, a UK-based Loop."

Our Friends the Machines & Other Mysteries is available now in print and PDF from Modiphius, or in PDF from DriveThruRPG.

Back Soon

Sorry for the lack of updates lately! I am backed up on RPG writing gigs and trying to catch up. I'll tell you all about them as soon as I can. Meanwhile, enjoy this shot of my assistant.

Product Release: Gongfarmer's Almanac 2017

At Gen Con this year, another product with my name in it came out. I have a piece in volume 1 of the 2017 Gongfarmer's Almanac for Dungeon Crawl Classics. In addition to general articles and adventures like those in last year's Almanac, the 2017 edition provided a multi-author hex-crawl. This hex crawl is a campaignable landscape made of individual small adventure areas bound together only by one theme: they exist on the plane of Pandemonium, the source of chaos magic.

My contribution is "Abyss of Automatons," which is my take on a robot underworld. Harley Stroh, the amazingly prolific DCC writer who created Peril on the Purple Planet, drew the map for mine!

You can download all volumes of Gongfarmer’s Almanac 2017 from the Google Plus community’s Google Drive links below. If you want to order the Almanac in print, you can get the whole thing in one volume from Lulu (pricing is at-cost, simply covering materials and shipping).

Gongfarmer's Almanac 2017
Volume 1: Welcome to Pandemonium
Volume 2: Pandemonium Locations, Part 1
Volume 3: Pandemonium Locations, Part 2
Volume 4: Pandemonium Setting: Dark Seas
Volume 5: Monsters and Patrons of Pandemonium
Volume 6: Men and Magic
Volume 7: Adventures and Settings
Volume 8: 2017 Master Zine Index

Editions From Previous Years
2016 Print
2016 PDF
2015 Print
2015 PDF (Volumes 1-5, Volume 6)

Numenera 2: Defending Ellomyr

Monte Cook Games has launched their Kickstarter for Numenera 2, the revision to Numenera that they announced at Gen Con last month. I think it looks great, and I'm a backer.

One fun thing that they're doing with this Kickstarter is asking the community of backers to contribute bits of fiction. Because part of Numenera 2 is the new Destiny book, MCG is using their Kickstarter updates to describe the town of Ellomyr, a place in danger of being attacked by bestial enemies. MCG encourages fans to describe how the town works to prepare its defense, and a high enough number of such descriptions on social media will give the town a bonus to its chances of survival.

Here's mine!

Oddity's father had told her to stay out of the way while the grown-ups prepare for the coming margr attack, but dangit, she had ideas that were bubbling up inside her and she had to let them out!

Oddity tromped up to Auzenne the Builder, who had built the schoolhouse, and told her she should build a new village down the road, just as big as Ellomyr, that the bad guys can have fun attacking instead! “Then they’ll leave us alone!” Oddity said, smiling and nodding to indicate that she'd settled the matter. Auzenne patted her on the head like adults do and said she’d play with her later.

Then Oddity tracked down Purple Golan the clothier, who had sewn her festival dress for her, and told him he should make margr clothes for everyone in town so the bad guys will think we’re just like them when they arrive. “Then they’ll leave us alone!” Oddity looked up at Golan hopefully, but all he did was act like her idea was a good solution and send her on her way.

Oddity was just arriving at the town square to seek out Elder Fron when her father caught up with her. “Time for lunch, Oddity.”

Oddity stamped her foot on the dusty ground. “But I have to tell Elder Fron my idea!”

Gurner Fron stepped out of his house. Oddity’s father began to apologize for the interruption, but Gurner waved him off. “What’s this about an idea, young lady?”

Oddity looked between Gurner and her father, and back again, then burst out with, “If we all play a super-mega game of 'hide from the Wind,’ the bad guys won’t be able to find us. Then they’ll leave us alone!"

Gurner looked into Oddity’s mismatched eyes and considered what she’d said. “Oddity, I don’t think the margr will leave even if they think the town is empty. I think some of us will have to fight to defend it. However, your idea sounds like a good way to protect the people in town who won’t be fighting. It might help if you were to start training the other children in ‘hide from the Wind.’ If your father thinks this is a good plan, that is.”

Oddity’s father picked her up. “I think it’s a great plan. Come on, Oddity. Lunch will give you the strength you need to start your training."

Oddity’s father took her home, just as the Trilling Stone began to sing.

Gen Con 2017: Writer's Life: Develop Your Writing Process

This is the second seminar I attended at Gen Con 50. The panelists were stellar and offered a lot of sound advice. Let's go!

The panelists were (from left to right) Mercedes Lackey, Larry Dixon, Matt Forbeck, Karen Bovenmyer, and John Helfers. Karen was the moderator, and did a superb job at organizing and introducing the topics.

Matt Forbeck mentioned that this is his 36th Gen Con; his first was Gen Con 15. He got started writing in the game industry, and is now a full-time freelancer. Matt is currently contracted for four D&D-branded choose-your-own-adventure style books. (This excited Larry Dixon greatly, as did most of the other work Matt mentioned he'd done, such as the Marvel Encyclopedia.)

Larry Dixon said that he used to do 28 conventions per year. He has been a falconer and a race car driver, in addition to working on 60+ RPGs. Larry also worked on the Lord of the Rings and Hobbit films. He said he loves teaching writers.

Mercedes Lackey: "I do this for a living--my mortgage is my muse." Also, "I don't have time to fart around."

Larry backed her up, saying that full-time writers have to work quickly and efficiently. He said his process is "laziness," because "I wanna go screw around. Fallout HAS to be played." (He mentioned that Mercedes--who he calls Misty--is currently playing Fallout: New Vegas.)

Matt said that he can't play or read anything anymore without having to "pull it apart" and analyze it critically.

Matt writes outlines for everything, writing 2-3 sentences per chapter. Matt takes 1-3 days to write an outline. He says he can write 5,000-8,000 words per day if he has a plan. However, he stresses the need to leave room for discovery, because that's the fun of writing. And says that if you write too much in your outline, it's hard to throw it away when you feel the need to change the plan. Matt likes to re-outline after a bit of writing, updating the outline with changes that have emerged.

Mercedes writes a skeleton outline:

1. Premise
2. Expand to a one-paragraph synopsis
3. Expand to a five-page skinny outline
4. Expand to a 40-page outline

Lately Mercedes just does the skinny outline. When she starts work for the day, she first revises yesterday, then writes new words. After she makes changes, she checks for continuity, from the start of the manuscript.

Mercedes added, "I always miss my deadline."

John Helfers writes in 1-hour bursts, achieving about 1,500 words. When John starts the writing day, he spends about 15 minutes for revision, and then 60 minutes of ONLY writing new material.

Mercedes's maximum word count for a day was 25,000 words in one 20-hour day. She also works on three different books at a time, each in a different point of the process, such as one she's outlining, another she's writing, and another in galleys. One benefit of this is when she's getting tired of one she can switch to another.

Matt talked about having to juggle projects. He said you don't know when one you've been hoping to work on will suddenly become available. Another struggle for meeting deadlines: "Life happens."

Larry stressed that you have a system in place for communicating with everyone you're working with. He said that "editors are there to help," so writers should use them to do so rather than avoid contact with them when things are running behind. Editors want a good result too, he said. If you're an inexperienced writer, they'll already know that, so don't think you have to hide it. Indeed, Larry said that editors talk to each other, and what's most important to them isn't who's new but who's an asshole!

Karen Bovenmyer quoted Neil Gaiman's saying that you can make it in writing by having two of the following three:
* Great writing
* Meeting deadlines
* Being easy to work with
Matt says that only #2 and #3 are in your control.

Tricks the panelists use to get the job done:

• Coffee (Matt)
• Remember that what you do affects other people's salary. People depend on you. (Larry)
• Listen to soundtracks. (Karen)
• ...without lyrics. "I can't fucking write to Hamilton." (Matt)
• Use a zero-gravity chair (Mercedes)
• No windows (Mercedes)
• Comfy chair (Larry)

Matt says that when writing becomes a job, you should take care to find a new hobby, something else that you do for fun.

Karen talked of the value of "thresholding." She has specified a room where she does her writing, music that she uses for writing, and a time for writing. She also meditates for a set period before she writes.

A panelist (I forget which) mentioned that days off in nature can help recharge your writing batteries.

Larry says to trust your intuition. Matt also mentioned intuition, saying that you'll learn to trust it more and more, and that following your intuition will help with your speed.

Larry advises considering, "How do I make this awesome?"

Karen reminds us that "Fear is the mind-killer."

The panelists concur that over time, efficiency improves.

Larry and Mercedes like to outline on road trips.

Larry pointed out that readers don't care about the writer's problems. All they see is the finished work.

On Editing Your Work:

• Matt revises as he writes. He says to not be afraid to lean on the editor for some grammar and content issues. It's what they're there for! Don't turn in a sloppy manuscript, of course, but you don't have to make it perfect.
• A panelist mentioned that writer David Brin will write a novel, lock it away, and then write it again. None of the panelists are willing to use this method.
• Matt: "Until you show it to someone, it can suck." He encourages us to play around with it.
• Karen: "Do as well as you can, then send it out."
• Larry: If you like what you're writing, others will too.

On Story Ideas, and Saving Abandoned Work

• Mercedes doesn't write down ideas. "If it's a good idea, it'll come back to me."
• Larry does, and says that some old notes are a good way to rediscover ideas that he wasn't ready to execute at the time.
• Karen: "I've sold short stories based on novels I wrote." And, "I've sold homework!"
• Larry advises that when you abandon something you're writing, don't throw it away. It just wasn't ready. Karen says to keep sending it out.
• Larry suggests you make notes, maps, and sketches of your projects, and save them. This can help when you write the sequel!

Recommended Resources:

• Larry recommends Save the Cat!: The Last Book on Screenwriting You'll Ever Need by Blake Snyder.
• Karen recommends a YouTube series of videos by Dan Wells called "7 Point Story Structure." (Sadly, it's unavailable right now.)
• Larry: Studying comedy teaches structure, and economy of words.

I'll end this summary with my favorite line from Larry:

"Sometimes you have to take a jump. Life is an adventure. Don't be a spectator."