I cleared two pretty big deadlines yesterday, both for RPG-related projects.
One of them I don't think I can talk about, but involved a fair amount of writing. It was one of the most enjoyable creative experiences of my life, and it excited and inspired me to pick one of the ideas in my notebook and transform it from notes into an actual story; it turns out this making-things-up-and-writing-them-down thing is a whole lot of fun. I'm not sure when this particular thing will be released, but you can be sure that I'll blagh and blagh and blagh about it when it is.
The other I can speak more freely about. My friend Will Hindmarch (who does all design and layout work for my books) asked me a few months ago if I would record some audio for a Trail of Cthulhu campaign he created with Jeff Tidball called Eternal Lies. I thought it was such a nifty idea to include an original score – I love the soundtracks that Flying Frog includes with their games – I jumped at the opportunity to provide some dialog to go with it. The way we did it was pretty cool, and appealed to the technology geek in me as much as the RPG geek: Will sent me the script, and I recorded a few rough passes in Garageband which I put into a shared Dropbox folder for him to listen to. He was able to give me nearly-instant feedback until we were on the same page, at which time I switched to uncompressed audio and Serious Business.
Some of the things I read for the game were quotes from Lovecraft. During one take I realized that, whenever I read a particular type of quote, I hear it in Fawkes' voice. Thanks for that, Felicia. (By the way, Felicia is working on a Secret Project™ that I'm lucky enough to know about … holy frakking shit balls on fire, you guys. When you know what it is, your mind will be blown right out of your skull so hard it will bounce off the wall and land on the ground next to your socks, which were also knocked right off your feet and through your shoes.)
The last few months were insanely busy, and I just didn't have much time or energy to do anything extra beyond a few Very Important Tasks. Now that I'm getting caught up on my deadlines, and I have more Me Time, I've been able to read more books, play more video games, and feed my inner geek, who it turns out was beginning to starve.
Since playing Cal & D, though, I have really felt the Gaming Monkey's claws digging into my neck, and working on these two RPG projects has made me realize just how much I've missed gaming. I really hate it that I can't go to PAX East this year; I didn't know how much I really wanted needed to go until I accepted that I couldn't.
I'm going to try to make it to OrcCon with some friends next weekend, because I'm starting to get the gaming shakes, man, and I've just got to get straight, you know? You know what I mean, Bubbles? Come on, man, just let me roll 3d6 and add my combat bonus … just once, man. I'm going crazy over here!
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This reminds me. I must get back to gaming as well…
The gaming bug bit my wife and I seemingly out of nowhere a couple of months ago. I went from not having played a pen-and-paper in close to a decade, to being involved in no less than FOUR different campaigns taking place in THREE different gaming systems (two DnD games, one Star Wars game, one Red Dwarf game.)
Question for you: how does one go about translating session notes into an actual storyline? The reason I ask is I’ve been tasked with keeping session notes for the home-made 3e campaign a buddy of mine is running (I play a dwarf named Belthor, commonly known as Belt.) Once the campaign is over, I plan on condensing all the notes down into a single document (with comments from the players at the end of each session)…but it’s going to be nothing more than literally taking the session notes and smooshing them together. I would MUCH rather translate them into a full-blown flowing story, but have absolutely no idea where to start. Any suggestions?
The relevant session notes (night four was last night…there will likely be a total of 16-20 nights):
http://livingwithanerd.com/tag/personal-campaign/
Hey Wil!
Congrats on getting out from under the deadlines.
I bought and very much enjoyed TDAaos. I have a couple of things I wanted to say about them–what’s the best place to send that? e-mail?
The stories were great. I don’t think you need to worry about writing fiction.
Craig Steffen
Sounds equal parts exciting and frustrating. Congratummiserations?
Even if you can’t be there in person, you will be in our collective hearts, minds, and bookbags at PAX East. We’ll roll some d20s in your honor. (Well, okay, probably not me personally. I’ll, um, play some Rock Band and/or Dance Central in your honor instead.)
Congrats on all the creative work, Wil. And looking forwards to seeing what the secret project in paragraph one is.
Oh, and Bubs would like to let you know he’s got a whitie sale on. Whitie sale!
Congrats! Looking forward to reading some of your fiction. Better scratch that gaming itch- all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy : )
“Back in Flesh”… with your history of using Pink Floyd song titles for blog posts, I’m now trying to wrap my brain around a “Back in Black” / “In the Flesh?” mashup. It’s not going well…
(I got some bad news for you, sunshine, I’m back…)
It's from Wall of Voodoo.
Got it. I like Stan Ridgeway well enough (“Goin’ Southbound” and “I Wanna Be a Boss” in particular), but I need to explore the whole Wall of Voodoo catalog. I’m curious about the later Andy Prieboy stuff too, because I always liked Concrete Blonde’s cover of “Tomorrow Wendy”, and I’ve heard bootlegs of Andy & Johnette singing it together in various forms…
(long time listener, first time commenter…)
Random…just finished listening to your DATALORE podcast (episode 14 i think…) and made me wonder…in Nemesis you (Crusher) was in a starfleet uniform at the #ridiculous wedding of Troi and Riker…what rank were you?
@unit1csb0
ETERNAL LIES is going to be phenomenally fun, Wil. Thanks for coming on board that project. I can’t wait until people see—and hear!—the finished product.
Very cool! I know quite a few people involved with Pelgrane Press, they make excellent games.
I assume those exciting deadlines were the reason Hunter isn’t out yet?
I hear you on the gaming Wil. Had a regular group for the past few years suddenly implode. Two of the guys had kids and just couldn’t get away.
We were on extended hiatus for over a year (during which time a 3rd guy had a kid). I’m past this stage myself. Like you, have 2 stepkids (my oldest just had a little girl 6 months ago and made me a 31 year old grampa yay!).
So now that their new little bundles of insomnia are a little older we decided to get things rolling again. None too soon either, I had already passed from the itch to the twitch stage and beyond, quickly approaching the permanent thousand yard stare.
Had our first session in early Dec, then couldn’t get a working date (what with holidays and careers) for the 2nd session until last week. Was the most fun we I’ve had in years. The utter ridiculousness we bring out in each other just can’t be beat!
The gaming bug bit my wife and I seemingly out of nowhere a couple of months ago. artsy mm I went from not having played a pen-and-paper in close to a decade, to being involved in no less than FOUR different campaigns taking place in THREE different gaming systems (two DnD games, one Star Wars game, one Red Dwarf game.) 2945abc45 0212
Hi, we’re absolutely stoked about you coming on-board.
If Will hasn’t already forwarded you the soundtrack then I’d be very happy to.
Kind regards
James Semple
Wil – have you had a chance to play through Eternal Lies as well as record audio ?
If not, you’re missing out – I’ve been involved in the Pelgrane playetest, I can confirm its excellent (act one at least)
Tigger.