[Open Thread] Important Question on the future of Notes From the Abyss

So, I don’t know what to do. Notes Part 2 is looking at having a whole chapter of exposition. Which I don’t want to do.

I’m considering having Part 3 be a flashback section, to explain the foundation of the current story, but Part 2 is only 7500 words right now. That’ll be expanded in editing, but will it go far enough to support itself?

What should I do?

[Open Thread] Kickstarter Drafting

I’m working on a draft for a Kickstarter for the boardgame concept I recently posted about. Partly so that I can generate money to work on it, partly so I can find an artist, and partly so I can find out if anyone else is interested in working on the idea with me.

Part of why I want to find a nice, small team (an artist that doesn’t mind doing a lot of drawing and another mechanic designer) is so we can knock this out quickly and get it going. I’m kind of in a situation where I need to find a way to generate income pretty quickly that isn’t dependent on unemployment insurance, so. Yeah.

I also want to do this quickly so that I can get the essential mechanics out of the way. I’ve got an idea for doing expansions and new versions using different tropes and structures not long after the first game comes out. The reward levels for the Kickstarter would include some of these expansions at different levels (one level will include the first expansion when it’s ready to print, another level is also going to include the next version of the game when it’s ready). I think. Still have to work out this one.

Part of this discussion, as well, is me looking for advice on what levels to offer for the Kickstarter and the kind of things to throw in as incentives. So, if you have any suggestions I’d love to hear them. Especially since until I get the essential mechanics hammered out I don’t even know how to assess printing costs. I can say one thing, though – it’ll mostly be a box full of cards and tiles.

So, what are your ideas, opinions, and expectations? Would you chip in for the game?

[Open Thread] Tell Me What’s Wrong

I’ve had a mixed day. Wonderful person to wake up next to, kind of awful followup after waking up, and looking forward to a good night. Hopefully some of the things that seemed to go wrong this morning will get patched quickly but I can never tell with these things. I’m terrible at people.

Tell me what’s going on in your life, though. Or, if you’d rather, suggest things to make my life better. Either way, this is a hate in. Let’s hate.

[Open Thread] Greatest Villain!

In the annals of evil, throughout all the books and movies, songs and shows that you have consumed, who is the greatest of all evils? What villain has stood apart from the others as the most vile?

It could be Saruman, it could be Torak, it could be Sidius, but it’s gotta be somebody.

[Open Thread] Combat. Bloody, Determined Combat

Let’s talk combat. Specifically, weaponry and tactics. I’ve got a fair amount of academic experience with medieval weaponry. Or, rather, hand to hand and limited ranged and siege weaponry through the Enlightenment when the Smallsword practically killed the rapier. I love to talk about it, I even enjoy talking about newer stuff a little. The form, function, the fatal systems and fine details.

Let’s talk about combat.

[Open Thread] I think I might do this every Saturday until I have a crazy fanbase

Today I’d like to ask you about the stories that you keep sacred from your childhood. I don’t care if you bring them from religion, bring them from storybooks, movies, or even old songs. Just tell me those things that first explained what heroes and villains are to you. Tell me about those stories that laid the foundation for your love of reading today.

An Examination of My Writing Systems

So today’s not a story day, but I still would like to say something. So I thought I’d write up a little something. Especially for the other authors that may be reading this because it’s mainly for you.

I first fell in love with writing and reading as a kid, and I grew up with Piers Anthony and Robert Asprin as my principle initiators. Eventually it grew to Asimov, Bova, Eddings, Tolkien, Brooks, Adams…it’s a long list. Those first two, though, brought me something I’ll never lose. Anthony gave me a grounding in both silliness and seriousness, alternating between the two to strengthen the story and the feeling of the writing. Asprin gave me a kind of hope, both for weaving interesting tales that swept people away, but also sharing. He fashioned a world with Thieve’s World, a shared universe where he and several other writers participated.

I’d like to share my worlds with everyone, I’d like to be able to include many authors in the worlds I fashion and flesh out. I can’t describe everything and it’d be nice to have a cadre of interested parties who do want to tell stories in a world I create. It’s both a compliment and a joy to read someone else playing with my toys.

So, at least three of the worlds I’m building I’m opening up to everyone and anyone to write in so long as they follow 3 rules.

1) You ask me when you’re curious about a ‘Rule’ of the world

2) You do not change those things that define the world, including important characters (IE, you can’t kill Elminster)

3) You respect the other authors, me included, when we write a story in this universe.

I’m willing to discuss the worlds as they come to fruition, getting input from other authors who’d love to help establish the ground floor. This isn’t just mine, it’s yours too. The rules are to protect everyone so they’re writing in the same space and same systems.

The three worlds I’m going to open up stories to are Royan (a high fantasy world where science is magic and the gods have been killed, where a portal to Earth has opened and brought colonialism, the Church, and ancient dogma back to roost), Jarvis Mac Callan’s Abyss (it’s a noir pulp sci-fi universe of hermetic magic, flying temples, and hard-boiled detectives), and Terra (a steampunk alternate universe where people in grey suits keep the Time, agents tune their senses to understand the weft and weave of actions, and Queen Victoria has been kept alive undying in a casket of iron and hatred).

Anyone interested in writing in these places with me?