Dyson's Dodecahedron

As I have been prepping for the Dungeons and Dragons adventure I am running with my group, one of the resources I am constantly in need of is maps. Fortunately, there are a whole host of maps available online. Most of those, however, are either copyrighted materials or are only available for personal use. So while I don't have any plans on publishing my adventure in the near future, I still very much was hoping to find some maps that I could include in such a product should I decide to put something like that together.

And that's when I discovered Dyson's Dodecahedron. While the author originally used this page for RPG characters and thoughts about roleplaying in general and Dungeon's and Dragons specifically, what he is now known for is his amazing old-school maps. He publishes several such maps a week, each with a short blurb describing a possible adventure hook and/or the circumstances that led him to create the map. But even more remarkable, as long as his Patreon sponsorship continues above the $300 mark for a particular map, he releases them under a free commercial license. This means that anyone can use, reuse, remix and/or modify the maps on a royalty-free basis, with the only restriction being that they must include attribution such as“Cartography by Dyson Logos” or “Maps by Dyson Logos." You can view all the maps that have been released under this commercial license here.

This is a fantastic resource, and one that I highly recommend. Check it out for yourselves.

Back at Writing

After a year of mostly not doing any fiction writing, I decided it's time to get serious about this once again. I distinctly remember sitting in one of the Writing Symposium seminars at GenCon and begrudging the time I have wasted in not pursuing this dream. In fact, the pursuit of being a fantasy writer was one of the reasons I started this blog in the first place. It says so right in the upper right-hand corner - "I am a fantasy writer." What do writers do? They write. What do I need to do to become a fantasy writer? I need to write. So that's what I'm doing.

Here's my plan:

1. I reconnected with my high school buddy Phil, and we are working our way through the Season 10 Writing Excuses Master Classes. This season of this popular writing podcast is designed to equip new authors with the tools they need to write successfully. It comes complete with homework, which is a great way to motivate myself to write.
   
2. Every year Brandon Sanderson teaches an undergraduate Creative Writing class at Brigham Young University, and this year a professional videographer is recording his lectures. You can find the playlist here. If there is a better free resource for learning to write genre fiction, I want to know about it.
   
3. From one of these lectures, I learned that to be a professional writer, you need to write approximately 10,000 words a month. So that's the goal I am working to achieve. I am using the WriteTrack tool I blogged about several years ago, slowly ramping up each month in my goal until I am consistently writing 10,000 words a month (counting only my fiction, not any other writing here).
   
4. As I start producing quality pieces, I need to start submitting them to writing contests (like Writer of the Future) and online fantasy fiction magazines. This gives me the opportunity to hone my craft on smaller works before trying to tackle a whole novel.

I don't expect that any of this will interfere with my content for Standard Pauper, so don't worry about that. But it does mean that you can expect to see a few more writing posts from time to time. 

Medieval Demographics Made Easy

I'm going to be traveling for Christmas and New Years, so my blog posts may be a bit sporadic over the next couple weeks. Rest assured I will do what I can to get two posts in each week, but the timing may not be as consistent as normal. Sorry about that.
 

Between my halting endeavors at writing fantasy and my resurgent involvement in Dungeons and Dragons, I am always on the lookout for helpful resources when it comes to world-building. Today I want to highlight one such resource - an article entitled "Medieval Demographics Made Easy," written by one S. John Ross. In this article, Ross looks at real world examples of medieval demographics and then uses those examples to extrapolate what an pseudo-European fantasy setting might look like.

The articles examines several key factors for world-building:

1. Population Density - in other words, how many people (on average) live within a square mile of the kingdom in question. 
2. Population of the Cities, Towns, and Villages - in other words, given that population density, how many cities, towns, and villages would be expected, and what would the population of those settlements be.
3. Merchants and Services - in other words, given the population of a particular settlement, what kinds of goods and services would be available there. After some general guidelines, the article looks in more details about agriculture, castles, law enforcement, institutions of higher learning, and livestock.

Not only does Ross provide all this information is a condensed yet easy-to-read format, but he even includes some dice rolls to bring some random numbers to these otherwise mundane calculations, making it feel all the more like something you'd find in a roleplaying rule book. He also includes a bibliography and some other resources for those who would like to delve deeper into the subject.

So next time you've got some questions about what medieval demographics might look like, you've got an easy resource at your fingertips!

Writing for PureMTGO

If you're a regular reader of this blog, you know that I am a semi-regular writer over at PureMTGO.com, an e-zine dedicated to Magic Online that specializes in casual formats. The site is sponsored by MTGOTraders.com, which in case you somehow missed it, is one of the premier online stores serving Magic Online. Why do I bring this up? I'm glad you asked!

A couple weeks back, I wrote about why Standard Pauper is worth saving and what you can do about it. One of the best ways to do just that is to create content for the format. In that post, I mentioned how PureMTGO is always open to unsolicited articles from new writers. While there are probably other sites that would be open to new writers about Standard Pauper, I believe PureMTGO is your best choice. It's not only easy, but they are also quite generous with their compensation. Here's what you do:

1. You need to create an account for their site. This feature is found on the right-hand side of their page under "Account." Fill in all the necessary information. Be sure and include a legitimate E-mail address, as this will be the means by which you are compensated for your article

2. Once you've created an account, you simply click on the "Write Article" located in the same place where you log in. This opens a handy editor that allows you to create online content with needing to know .html code. Of course, if you already know some coding basics, you can click on the "Source" button and edit the specific code. Here's what the editor looks like:

3. The editor allows you to save your progress, so you don't have to finish all at one point. You can even preview the article to double-check exactly what the end user will see.

4. Once you've finished, save the article, then click on the "Workflow" tab. From here, you select the "Submitted" button, and you're all set! Be sure you're happy with your content before you do this, as there's no way to make any additional changes without contact their staff.

5. Once you've submitted the article, it will usually be published within a few days of submission, depending on the total submissions they've received lately.  Unlike other sites, PureMTGO doesn't pay based on advertising or views or anything like that. While they don't advertise their specific formula, you can expect between $20-$30 in credits for a quality article in the 3,000 word range once the article has been published.

6. To redeem these credits, you simply login to your account, click on the "Redeem credits" link, select how much you want to redeem, and submit. Within 48 hours, you will receive a gift certificate to MTGOTraders.com in this amount. 

If you've got specific questions, feel free to ask in the comments below. You can also contact Joshua Claytor, who serves as the Content Manager for PureMTGO. There is also this informative video on their site geared for prospective writers that you should also check out here.

David Farland on How to Win Writing Contests

A couple weeks ago, I mentioned that I had earned an Honorable Mention in the Writers of the Future Contest earlier this year. Currently, David Farland is serving as the Coordinating Judge for this contest, which means that he is primarily responsible for going through the "slush pile" of entries and separating out those that are worth further consideration. Given that this is one of the largest and most prestigious contests in genre fiction, Farland's advice on writing is well worth considering.

Last week, he sent out a long-winded E-mail to those on his mailing list entitled "How to Win Writing Contests - and Big Publishing Contracts." You can read the full document here (and sign up for said mailing list), but for those who'd rather just get the highlights, I thought I would summarize it for you here.

He starts off with this preamble:

Recently, several people have asked me to share my list. I no longer have that original document, but here is a list of things that I might consider in creating a story that I want to use as an entry to a contest—or for a novel that I want to submit to a publisher.

First, a word of warning. When I was very young, perhaps four, I remember seeing a little robot in a store, with flashing lights and wheels that made it move. To me it seemed magical, nearly alive. My parents bought it for me for at Christmas, and a few weeks later it malfunctioned, so I took a hammer to it and pulled out the pieces to see what made it work—a battery, a tiny motor, some small colored lights, cheap paint and stickers.

Your story should feel magical and alive. It should be more than the sum of its parts. So as I list these parts, be aware that a great story is more than any of these.

Farland then offers advice on four major story elements. Following each blurb, he offers an almost exhaustive checklist of questions to ponder for each of these elements.

1. Setting - My goal with my settings is to transport the reader into my world—not just through the senses, but also emotionally and intellectually. I want to make them feel, keep them thinking. This can often be done by using settings that fascinate the reader, that call to them.
2. Characters - I want my characters to feel like real people, fully developed. Many stories suffer because the characters are bland or cliché or are just underdeveloped. We want to move beyond stereotypes, create characters that our readers will feel for. At the same time, we don’t want to get stuck in the weeds. We don’t want so much detail that the character feels overburdened and the writing gets sluggish.
3. Conflicts - One of the surest ways to engage our audience is through conflicts. When a conflict is unresolved, and when the audience is waiting breathlessly for its outcome, the reader’s interest will become keen. They’ll look forward to the resolution unconsciously, and may even be thinking, “Oh, this is going to be good!” That state of arousal is called “suspense,” and it’s perhaps the most potent element of a tale.
   
4. Themes - Themes in the story might be called the underlying philosophical arguments in your tale. A story doesn’t need to have a theme in order for it to be engaging. Likeable protagonists undergoing engaging conflicts is all that you need in order to hold a reader. But a tale that tackles a powerful theme will tend to linger with you much longer. Indeed, such tales can even change the way that a reader thinks, persuade him in important arguments. Shakespeare made every story an argument, and the “theme” was the central question to his tale.

Finally, Farland offers a few thoughts on the more mechanical elements of writing, including style, prose, and structure.

If you're really looking to craft a great piece of writing, delving into all of these areas is guaranteed to make your final product much better.

Camtasia Studio

I've recently had a few people ask me what software I use to record my matches from Magic Online. Previously, I've written about how Magic Online replays work and how you can create a replay for any game for which you have the appropriate game number. Today I want to talk a little bit about how you can then take those replays and turn them into a video that can be shared on the Internet.

Essentially what you need is some sort of screen-capture software, which takes whatever is displayed on your screen and renders it into a standard video file that you can then load into a video editor. Most screen-capture software will also allow you to record a voice-over while you're recording; if not, any decent video editor will allow you to do the same.

While there are probably several good options available, I currently use Camtasia Studio. Camtasia is a fantastic suite of software that allows you to record, edit, and distribute video from your computer. You can capture all or only a portion of your screen, capture any sound effects from what you're recording, add streaming video or audio of yourself while you're recording, and much more. Then, with the built-in video editor, you can import existing images, audio, or video to really make a fantastic end-product. Their website has a whole host of tutorials, which are short, easy-to-understand, and really show off what this editor can do. They even have a fully functional 30 day trial to let you decide if this is the right product for you.

Unfortunately, Camtasia Studio 8 is expensive, putting you back over $250. If you are a student, they do have an education discount available here, but be warned you will have to prove your credentials to get the discounted price.

However, there is a free alternative out there called CamStudio. While it has significantly less bells and whistles, and requires some work to get it operating properly, it is available absolutely free. Next Friday, I'll tell you more about this great alternative.

Finally, don't forget about the giveaway I'm currently running. All you have to do is become an E-mail subscriber, and you are automatically entered into a drawing for either a Theros draft set or a $10 gift card. All the details can be found here.

Thanks for reading.

Class Is In Session

While I know from my post last Thursday that much of my audience is more interested in Magic the Gathering and other video games than they are in the fantasy genre, one of my founding purposes for this blog was to post about my own journey as a fledgling fantasy author. To that end, beginning on June 3rd, I will be participating in a creative writing class taught by none other than the illustrious Brandon Sanderson.

As I have mentioned before, Sanderson teaches just such a course at Brigham Young University in Utah. Last year, one of his students recorded an entire semester worth of lectures on video and posted them to YouTube for the world to partake of. Now, this summer, he's back with a new semester worth of lectures, as well as some additional content designed to complement the lectures. You can read all about it here.

This online content is hosted on the blog of one Scott Ashton, who is working on his Masters degree and utilizing this for his master's project. He is also providing all of this for free. Yes, that's right, absolutely free.

So if you ever wanted to take just such a class, I encourage you to browse over to the site, read all the details, and sign up to participate. It's going to be quite the experience, and one that I guarantee will make you a better writer. And if that's not enough, you can even listen to Sanderson introduce the class below:

Thanks for reading. Feel free to comment below. See you next time!

Going Back to School

I was talking today with a family member about what we remembered from our college days. Amidst our reflections, I mentioned that one of the things I missed about college was actually being required to learn things and demonstrate these acquired skills and knowledge by means of homework, grades, and tests. It seems strange, but for whatever reason, it is much harder to learn and improve your craft when there isn't some accountability that provides the necessary incentives to get it done.

For much the same reason, I know of writers who have decided to return to school to get a degree in creative writing. While they realize that they will improve their craft along the way, the biggest motivator for them is that they know it will force them to actually write in a consistent fashion. The psychology of that need is a post for another day. Instead, today I want to reference a great resource that is the closest thing you can get to pursuing a creative writing degree without paying a single dime or leaving the relative peace and quiet of your Internet browser.

For my long-time readers, it should come as no surprise that I am a huge fan of Brandon Sanderson. One of the things that I admire about him is his dedication to inspire and give back to the next generation of aspiring writers. To that end, once a year he teaches a class at Brigham Young University on Creative Writing, with a particular emphasis on Science Fiction and Fantasy. Last fall, he graciously allowed one of his students to record the entirety of his lectures for the class, and full video of these lectures are now available online through this student's blog, entitled Write About Dragons.

There are 13 lectures in all, broken down into 5-10 minute pieces for easy viewing. Most of these lectures also include written summaries of each section for review and reference. There is also a complete set of detailed notes available here. The class covers both the craft and business of writing, covering such diverse topics as Ideas Are Cheap, Giving Characters A Life Beyond the Plot, Three Goals When Meeting Agents, and Business Models for Self-Publishing. All in all this is excellent information available for free at your virtual fingertips. Definitely worth checking out!

Finally, the blog author is currently planning a special Summer 2013 class that, in addition to new videos of the most recent class, will include writing requirements that will be subjected to an interactive feedback system. This will be starting up in June, and if you want in on this opportunity, all you have to do is browse over to this link and sign up on his blog. Again, this is a great resource, and one that I certainly intend to make use of!

Hope you find these resources helpful. As always, I'd love to hear your thoughts. See you next time.

Writing Excuses

One of the absolute best sources of information about the craft of writing is a podcast known as Writing Excuses. As you might expect from the tagline, Writing Excuses is a fifteen minute podcast, with each week dedicated to a particular topic of interest to fiction writing, with a particular emphasis on science fiction and fantasy. The podcast is hosted by Mary Robinette Kowal, Brandon Sanderson, Howard Taylor, and Dan Wells, each of whom bring their own unique blend of experience, humor, wit, and charm to the podcast. They are often joined by a special guest, who typically contributes particular expertise on the topic in question.

In addition to sticking to their fifteen minute time-limit (more or less, anyway!), each episode also features a book recommendation by one of the hosts as well as signing off with a new and original writing prompt each week. Not only do they tackle a wide variety of useful topics on both the craft and business of writing, but are often hilariously funny. The podcast is currently on its seventh season, and you can download any of their episodes for free from the Writing Excuses Archives. If you've never done so, I strongly recommend you check out this amazing podcast.

As a bonus, you can also watch them record several episodes from Season 7 on YouTube.

Back in October, the hosts of Writing Excuses announced that they were holding a special retreat this coming June to give attendees the opportunity to have one-on-one time with their team to improve one's craft. If you're curious about what they have planned, you can find all the details here.

Interestingly enough, despite some concern by the hosts that there might only be minimal interest, the fact of the matter is that registration for this event sold out in a matter of minutes. But as a consolation prize of sorts for those who missed out, they decided to offer one lucky person the chance to attend the conference for free thanks to the generosity of one of their listeners. They came up with a detailed application process, which you can read more about here.

Why am I telling you all this? This past week, the Writing Excuses crew announced the recipient of this scholarship. Here's the full announcement:

I am absolutely delighted to report that it is none other than my lovely wife Alissa Leonard who was awarded the scholarship! The moment she discovered she won, she started shouting and jumping around the room for the sheer joy of it all. It was a scene I will not soon forget. I am so proud of her and so thrilled that she will have the opportunity to meet with the great group of writers and interact with them on her writing craft. I can't wait to share will all my readers the amazing experiences she is going to have on this week long retreat. And maybe, just maybe, this will be the big break she needs to finally become a published author.

And now I'm well past my deadline for today, so I will end here. Thanks so much for reading. See you next time.

WriteTrack

One of my favorite writing tools is a fantastic and free online app called WriteTrack, available from nano.davidsgale.com. Written and coded by David Gale, and funded solely through donations, WriteTrack does exactly what it sounds like - it tracks your progress towards a predetermined writing goal. While there certainly are other basic word-count tools available online, none that I am aware of have the breadth of features that WriteTrack offers.

The first thing you do is to create a Challenge for yourself against which your daily progress can be measured. Here's what that looks like:

Here you input the name of your Challenge, any notes to yourself that might be relevant, your start and end date, and your total target of words for the challenge. If you are using this tool in conjunction with the annual NaNoWriMo competition, you can actually link your challenge directly to your NanoWriMo account. You can also set whether or not other users you add as Friends on WriteTrack can view your current progress on any Challenges you create.

Each day at the top of your calendar WriteTrack displays your total goal, how much you need to have written to be on track, and where you are currently. 

Here, you can see I failed to complete this particular challenge. By the end, I was still over 3,000 words short of my goal. 

Now then, here is where this app really shines:

For any given Challenge, the app automatically figures out how many words you need to write each day to make your goal. Each day, you input your progress, and it automatically adjusts your goals for the subsequent days to keep you on track. Here, you can see one of my challenges from last November. If you track my progress from day to day, you can easily see how my daily goal changed based upon my progress.  Days in which you make or exceed your goal display blue number, while days you fall short display in red. You can also go in and set a "weight" for any particular day, which will act as a percentage multiplier for your goal that day. Above, you can see several days where it lists a Weight of zero. These were days that I knew in advance I would not be able to write, and thus the daily goals took that into consideration from the very beginning. Of course, you could use this feature to also increase the amount you wanted to write in a single day too.

Finally, WriteTrack has all sorts of handy graphs and charts for those of you who enjoy endless statistical analysis of your writing habits. I personally find them a bit cumbersome and not truly all that helpful, but some of the information is certainly useful.

So if you are the type of person who is motivated by personal goals and likes a rigorous way to not only track your progress but also adjust on the fly to keep you on track, I would wholeheartedly recommend WriteTrack. And hey, it's free - so what do you have to lose?

So are you motivated by these types of goals in your writing? What tools do you use to keep you on track? What features would you like to see in this sort of application? As always, I'd love to hear your thoughts. Until next time...