Writing Progress

[Black Jack Rackham]

Well this is really more of Writers talking to you, but it's not like the mods are gonna come and move all my posts without my permission.

So, I just finished writing the rough draft of Episode 4: A Small Favor. It's big, probably way over (20 pages as of this writing) so I'm gonna need to pare things down quite a bit. My problem is, I like exposition. I am verbose enough when I have an editor breathing down my neck to trim the fat. But right now, I can pontificate until the cows come home. Ah well, the playtest will certainly chop some things out, and then my editors can go to town.

Maybe tomorrow I'll start back in on Episode 5: Family Heirlooms never hurts to be 1.5 years ahead of schedule.

Mark

[Sister Sonya]

Mark: Weren't the Personal Initiatives to begin in 2012? Or do you not feel challenged by preparing those?

My commitment to Dragon Isles probably will cease at CenCon 2012, so I can begin to think about writing for HoA. Let us know the parameters and such...

[Black Jack Rackham]

Well, to my way of thinking the adventures really have to be formally written out in such a way that all GMs can run them. I don't think the same needs to be done for PA adventures. They only need to be half as long, and, I think, a good outline would serve.

Given that, once I have an idea in mind, I can usually knock out a good outline (6-9 pages) in a day or two. So the long and the short of it is, no I don't really feel too challenged by doing one of those adventures (currently I have 6 1-paragraph ideas).

Writing for HoA? First, ask yourself, do you care if you know the big surprise at the end? If you don't I can tell you and maybe that'll help you come up with an idea. If not, move on to Step 1.

Step 1 - come up with an idea

Step 2 - write VERY rough outline (like 1 page) with an overview of what happens and maybe a list of the scenes. It should be enough for me to figure out if it fits with the campaign or not.

Step 3 - If it fits, get to writing. Ideally it should be enough information (and maps, handouts, etc.) that any GM can pick it up and run it after a read through (or two).

Step 4 - Profit. Ok not really since we're all doing this for fun, but there will be some kind of in game compensation (since you can't really expect to get the experience for your adventure by playing it).

Mark

[salamanca]

The agenda games really need to also wait until games have been played and Mark can see the style of both characters and players to mold the adventures a bit.

[Sister Sonya]

I would be willing to GM any adventure that I write.

However, I tend to "tinker" with an adventure as it goes on, not only changing little things for the characters at the table, but often changing things depending upon the players at the table as well. If I have written the adventure, this is easy because I know why the parts are arranaged as they are, what I can drop or change, and what needs to stay as is.

That's why I usually don't like to GM adventures written by others. The creator may not like what I do to his adventure! Or I may make a mistake because I don't appreciate how it's "supposed" to go.

Now, I would agree that the important thing is that everyone at the table has fun. But, I'd just as soon avoid chances for "error" and not run others' adventures.

Step 4 - Profit. Ok not really since we're all doing this for fun, but there will be some kind of in game compensation (since you can't really expect to get the experience for your adventure by playing it).Mark

"Some kind of in game compensation?" Can it vary that much?

[Black Jack Rackham]

Well, speaking as the creator, I can only make the adventure sound so much like it does in my head. As long as the PCs have fun (as you said) and none of my oh-so-very-important NPCs are dead, I'm good. If the PCs don't learn all the secrets and overhear all the hints about what's to come, so much the better.

Mark

[Black Jack Rackham]

Another progress update: Sal and I spoke a short time ago about having some cool backgrounds and people for the Secret Societies. So, I plunked myself down and wrote about 6k words to fill that very void. I pity you all.

Mark

[salamanca]

Having seen a good part of that, I am not too worried. I totally expect to have them all surrounded by the middle of the first adventure (and I realize next to none of the appear in that session). Then again, I wasnMt looking to gain favor from any of them... Mark's right, you all should worry a bit.

[Black Jack Rackham]

Just another short progress update. Spoke with my muse about Episode 5 (had some great scene ideas, just needed that *something* to bring it all together) and as usual muse came through with flying colors. So I have a rough outline done. Gonna finish the thorough outline this week sometime.

Also got back to work on backgrounds. As it currently stands I only have one more background overview to write and you are all finished. (so that I'll be all set for the new crop of backgrounds that'll appear after Origins/GenCon).

Mark

[Klcp]

Do we get to read our backgrounds? Oh wait, that's what the Personal Agenda games are for! XD

[salamanca]

You really don't want to know. You will never see it coming anyhow. (like how I did that all cryptic and all knowing when I haven't read them either).

[Klcp]

Lol nice.

[Black Jack Rackham]

Not writing per se, but progress on an older adventure. One of my regular players (Mr. Kwang here on the boards) who is a computer programmer in real life designed a program that simulates one of the more labor-intensive puzzles I put into a game. I can now use it rather than bunches of coins and dice and the like. THANK YOU ERIC!

[Rebecca Iavelli]

Yep, I got to see it in action. It was pretty cool! Definately makes it much easier to use the puzzle, as you now don't have to flip the coins/dice to show what was related to the area you touched, it does it automaticly. So much easier, and faster!

[salamanca]

Yeah, that puzzle is gonna be a nightmare for other GMs to run. It is hard to describe.

[Black Jack Rackham]

I wonder if I could download it. Welp no time like the present. Sal, if you would, check the GM Forum and see if you can get it to run?

Mark

N/M It won't let me upload /.jar programs
Next I'll check to see if I can make the forums accept .jar

No dice. I found the section I needed but there's no way (at least that I can see) that you can add .jar to the acceptable files

[salamanca]

I promise my phone could not handle it anyhow.

[Black Jack Rackham]

Well, since we aren't gonna have any new GMs come in to run this that haven't already played through it, I can always show them the program first.

Mark

[Black Jack Rackham]

And just like that, all the outlines for the Individual Background Adventures I've received thus far are finished.

So lets see where we are
Rough draft of Ep 4 - done
Rough outline of Ep 5 - done
Rough outlines of all 6 IBA's - done
Rough outlines of all Earned Background Adventures (through Ep 4) - done
Rough ideas for 20 or so Secret Society Adventures - done
Rough ideas for half a dozen Personal Agendas Adventures - done

Yea, I think we'll be alright for a year or so.

Mark

[salamanca]

What about that sec soc adventure for the group the players are not allowed to join?. Did you write that one to level up the NPCs yet?. Get back to your desk.

[Black Jack Rackham]

Wrote it, playtested it, ran it. The Villains are READY FOR ACTION. The heroes don't stand a chance!

Mark

[Black Jack Rackham]

Oh oh, more progress. Turned the rough outline of Ep. 5 into a rough, rough draft (13 pages as of this writing). Probably be finished writing the rough draft by next week. Gotta keep a year and a half ahead after all...

Mark

[Klcp]

...you write too much.

[Black Jack Rackham]

...you write too much.

write too much.

too much.

I do not think this means what you think it means

[salamanca]

It's not about volume. It's about content and creative process. A two page adventure can be great and a 19 page one can rot if the creator does nothing but fill pages with backstory. Mark needs to process in drafts on the page. I build them and edit in my head and work from an outline unless I need more detail for other gms. patrick's best events were on a bar napkin scrawled during a break 5 minutes into play after the plot was blown up (literally). Dana outlines, drafts, redrafts, edits, drafts, edits and finalizes things we all do it different but none of us write too much. In most cases we don't write enough.