What if I Wrote More?
Don’t get me wrong. I write an awful lot. Probably more than many of you any given day, but I’m talking about a certain kind of writing. If you want to get to the meat and potatoes, skip over the next paragraph where I ramble a bit about last night’s game.
I was happy to game last night. Everything went splendidly. The guys enjoyed the revised character generation and enjoyed the abundance of choices before them without feeling overwhelmed. I enjoyed the moment. It was the first time I’ve gotten to play Agents of Oblivion in awhile. They made it about halfway through the first mission I drafted and had a really good time. I can’t talk about details of the adventure, but I will say the Hermetic Assassin did use his powers in one scene to turn invisible before mind controlling a guard. It was brilliant and felt exactly as I intended it to feel. They got right into character and it was a brilliant time. The rules were crisp and clear and got out of the way as the story’s unfolded. Truly a pleasure.
It made me reflect upon how much I really love what I’m doing. Please indulge me for a moment. I get to meet some really neat folks and explore some interesting ideas on a regular basis. Gaming has always had an important role in my life and I cannot envision continuing to have my hands in it at some level, but there are times when I want to concentrate on writing some fiction. Don’t get me wrong. Creating interactive fiction requires a solid grasp of plotting and you may have seen me writing more and more flash fiction here and there, but I’m curious if you’d like to see me buckle down and write some actual stories. Not just generalized fiction, either, but stuff that takes place in some of our settings, like RunePunk, Iron Dynasty, or Agents of Oblivion, for example. Is that something you’d like to see? Perhaps, just as importantly, is that something you could see buying? I have only so many hours in the day, and as much as I love to write, I need to make sure the lights stay on, so working on one thing or another pulls time away from something else. If I did write some fiction, what setting would you like to see me tackle first or would you rather I just concentrate on the game stuff? Now’s your chance to sound off. Certainly, I’ll follow my heart’s desires, but your input is important. If you’d like to know more about what I have in mind, please ask. I value your insight and appreciate you taking the time to visit the site and comment. Let me know what you think.
Until next time, I bid you, dear reader, adieu!
3 Notes on, What if I Wrote More?
Jeff Carlsen
Wholeheartedly, Yes, you should write fiction. It can’t do anything but make you a better writer and designer, and it will undoubtedly add to your published settings.
Sadly, I’ve never played any of your settings, though I’ve read through some of them. With my limited gaming time, I may never have a chance to. But I would gladly read fiction about them, especially Iron Dynasty.
I would suggest putting a few short stories out for free, as an entry point, and selling ePub’s of novels or short story compilations. This will give you a chance to write more freely and maybe make a little money. There’s really no bad side.
Jake Ivey
I would have to say that I greatly enjoy your writing in all of the setting books. And while I would love to see these settings used in a short story or novel, both my reading and gaming time are limited for much of the year. I know that whatever you produce, fiction or gaming material, it is going to be something that I enjoy. But I will more likely spend my money on setting books and adventures than fiction. That is just my opinion on the matter.
J Gregory
I enjoy your style as much as any of the fiction writers I’ve read recently, and more than most. I’d happily fork out some folding for your RunePunk or AoO stories.
If you’re concerned about viability, why not make one a Kickstarter project with a modest goal? If people will pay something, they’ll often pay a little more, but just because people will download freebies doesn’t necessarily mean they’ll pony up for even the lowest of fees (as was the case with the Lovecraft ezine, for example).