So I triumphantly committed to three more years of this blog…and promptly went radio-silent. Sheesh!
I am very fortunate to have a job, part-time as it is. I am writing boating blog posts for an outdoors and small living website. All of these blog-writing tipsheets tell you you should be able to crank out a 1,500-2,000 word article in a couple of hours. But in reality, it is over twice that for me.
I want to do a good job, and there is a lot of research to put in to get accurate information. I avoid fluff in my writing; I want every sentence to count. So I put in a lot more time than the average blog-for-hire writer evidently does.
And that leaves me mentally drained by noon. I am only producing 3 or 4 stories a week, and not making enough to live on, but it often leaves me feeling like I’ve worked a 10-hour day.
Not saying this for sympathy – I know life’s tough for everybody. I just need to power through it like everybody else has to.
Just making an excuse the last month’s silence.
That should be changing shortly, though.
The next issue of the Greywater Chronicles will be out within the week.
I have been reading through Skelos #4. I may do a partial review, as I am probably not going to read all of the issue. I do like what I’ve read, though.
A couple of other books and stories have been poking me in the face for attention.
I have an adventure for Dark City Games I need to finish.
And I have been wanting to get back into creating Sword & Sorcerous prose. The Sacred genre has been calling me recently. I have been thinking about writing my own Elak of Atlantis tale, from around the “Spawn of Dagon” time period, rather than the kingly years Adrian Cole is writing about. Or maybe Prince Raynor needs to get out of the prairie he has been riding across since 1939.
Or maybe I need to do another original character and world. Hmmmm.
At any rate, a lot of stuff yet to take form on this blog is in play. It looks like I’ll never be a fast writer, but I will be producing some quality writing for you guys pretty soon.
Thanks for sticking around!
Bret
Always great to get an update, but don’t be too hard on yourself for not posting more frequently. It sounds like you are already giving that writing muscle quite a workout with the day job, so I certainly can imagine you are pretty tapped by the end of the day.
As you know, I too have been pushing myself to post more, write more, and make more progress on my projects. But between work and going back to school I’m barely fitting in family time much less project work. I definitely know where you are coming from and I really appreciate every post when they come through.
I’m looking forward to the next Greywater Chronicles and doubly excited for the next DCG adventure. Take care!
Hey, Alfred,
I appreciate the kind words! I hope you’ll like what you’ll soon be seeing.
I know your time is far more premium than mine with the family and school! And then work taking chunks out of your precious time!
Thanks for stopping by!
You always put in the extra effort and it shows mate. All a person can do is try their best. You can then take pride in the effort made. So chin up mate, do not beat yourself up.
Rick,
Thanks, buddy!
I’m not punching myself too much, I don’t think. Just wanting to provide some solid content for those who take precious time to come by here.
But I realize everybody has it rough, so no despairing for me; especially when I get a heartfelt message like this.
Thanks for swinging by! Next time, you’ll have something cool to check out!
It is always cool to read what you are doing and thinking mate.
I’d just like to congratulate you on “Uprising”: by its construction, there is less freedom of action than in some adventures, but there are multiple routes to victory and varying degrees of success. In lots of ways it is like the old Fantasy Trip Death Test I and II but with a clever linking of spectacular set pieces into a compelling narrative.
Hey, thanks, Shuffling Wombat!
Yeah, I was a bit worried when designing it whether there could be enough freedom of action and decision on the players’ parts, but I think that by gradually opening up opportunities, leading to the many options at the end, that it came out decently.
A couple of possible improvements in Uprising:
(i) Typo, entry 048, first paragraph, last sentence, “is” rather than “os”;
(ii) Might remove requirement of TRIBE to ask about orcs in entry 008, and gain TRIBE after 012.
I cheated in my first playthrough, as I was short one keyword to start a rebellion; I went back and attempted (and luckily succeeded) at an action I had previously rejected as too risky. In my second play I managed to get the attention, and from that interactions, with the second dwargg house. That made it easier to pick up necessary keywords.
I think it is exactly the right length for the story it is telling: the combats are varied, but it would be difficult to keep that going if there were more; the chaotic rebellion scenes should be a window of opportunity before Dwarggs restore order.
Overall, well done, up to your usual high standard.
Hey!
Thanks for the typo!
That’s a reasonable change for TRIBE!
It was kinda hard to know where to draw the line on which plotwords would be needed. I wanted to make it difficult, so that you would feel that you had accomplished something by starting the revolt. But I didn’t want it too tough…
Glad you liked the combats. One arena fight after another can be bland, so I tried to make the enemies and situations varied.
Thank you very much for your kind words – I really appreciate them!
Hope you like the next one, Cold Horizon, which is still a few months away!
Bret
Making programmed solos is exacting: you need accurate links; exciting combats; variation in tasks; plenty of choice, and real consequences for your decisions and how well you roll; and you need to do the referee’s job of creating a compelling environment for adventure. You have the knack. I think Raid on Cygnosa is my favourite (it has that Caverns of Thracia layers of history feel) but yours are all top class.
Needless to say, I look forward to Cold Horizon. I can be patient!