Willie Walsh's page

Paul McCarthy wrote:

The Celtic overtones are great (look at my last name)

"Katan" is by Ted.......Zuvich, whom I also consider one of the masters alongside Mr. Walsh. For pure longevity it's hard to beat them and Chris Perkins. I know Chris is still churning stuff out, I hope the likes of Willie and Ted can find the time to pull away from the grind for a moment and grace the pages once again.

After the day I just had, I wish I could too..!

You certainly churned them out, Willie. All completely different settings too. You must have just got an idea and ran with it. Someone's brain must work overtime.

A point that readers may find of interest is that my success rate with ideas was actually quite low. There's an editorial in one of the magazines by Barbara G. Young which comments on the fact. I no longer remember the statistic, but I think it was one outline in five or thereabouts of mine that was given permission to go to a full write up. The others were rejected for various reasons.

The moral of this particular tale is that potential authors should not be discouraged by continuing rejection. The most difficult part of the writing process is, I think, reading the rejection letter. The second hardest is learning from it. It was (and presumably still is) the policy at DUNGEON that ideas which didn't suit were accompanied by a letter outlining the reasons why. Taking this on board and adjusting one's future writing to fit the requirements is a difficult task for a writer, but if one wishes to see a work in print (and it's really great to see one's work in print, believe me) it's a tough job that has to be done.

If you feel you can do this, please read the magazine's guidelines, create an idea which is presented according to those guidelines and send it to DUNGEON. Your own efforts will benefit game groups the world over and will add to that adventure archive I mentioned earlier in this thread. And they pay a handy few bob too...!

Okay... now I'm embarrased. I praised an author for a work they didn't write. I am so sorry. However, I do stand by my statement of wishing to see Mr. Walsh write again for us.

Please? Pretty please, with little tiny goblin sprinkles on top?

Squid

Here's the definitive list (as far as I know... If there are any more, please send the cheque...!):

#02 Nov/Dec 86. In the Dwarven King's Court

#12 Jul/Aug 88. Huddle Farm

#14 Nov/Dec 88. Stranded on the Baron's Island

#15 Jan/Feb 89. Roarwater Caves

#18 Jul/Aug 89. Whitelake Mine

#19 Sep/Oct 89. Encounter in the Wildwood

#21 Jan/Feb 90. Cauldron of Plenty

#23 May/Jun 90. Pyramid of Jenkel

#24 Jul/Aug 90. Hitch in Time

#26 Nov/Dec 90. Nine Tenths of the Law

#29 May/June 91. Mightier than the sword

#30 July/Aug 91. A Wrastle With Bertrum

#31 Sep/Oct 91. Telar in Norbia (6-8)

#32 Nov/Dec 91. Pearlman's Curiosity (1-4)

#36 Jul/Aug 92. Asflag's Unintentional Emporium (3-7)

#37 Sep/Oct 92. The White Boar of Kilfay (3-7)

#47 May/Jun 93. Fraggart's Contraption (1-2)

#50 Nov/Dec 94. Back to the Beach (1-2)

#53 May/Jun 94. Clarshh's Sepulchre

#56 Nov/Dec 94. Briocht (10-12)

#60 Jul/Aug 95. IASC (3-4)

I suppose the "Braveheart" addition to this thread is because I wrote until I was blue in the face...?

I've no plans to write. But I've no plans to not write either.

Regards to all and many thanks.

-- WW

"White Boar" was great, Willie. "Clarshh's Sepulcher" also. It served as a springboard for a campaign that has continued since. You've been missed these many years. I don't rmember anything from you after "Briocht" (though I could be forgetting one or two). Anyway, it's great to hear from one of the masters. Hope to see more of your work someday soon.

Thank you. I came to a trundling halt in module writing about 1996 or so. My last contribution was in issue 60 with a module called "Iasc." Although there were one or two ideas (including some which were given the go-ahead by the then TSR to go to full submission stage) I couldn't make them move forward.

In all there were 21 modules by me in DUNGEON and one DRAGON article. I'm pleased to have been able to add to a great archive that can continue to be used nearly ten years later. It's a testament to the usefulness and quality of the magazine that the work you produce today can last and still be appreciated by another generation of gamers tomorrow.

Now I'm off to the day job... Bye for now!

I am flicking back through all my old issues of Dungeon to see what ones I need to order through backstock and run upon this doozy. What a collection of adventures in 37! "Serpent of the Sands" (an amazing Yuan-ti adventure set in the desert), "A Wizards Fate" (a nice little side adventure), "The White Boar of Kilfay"(easily Willie Walsh's best effort), "Their Master's Voice"(nice little side trek)and everybody's favourite, "The Mud Sorceror's Tomb". If you are looking for the quintessential Dungeon magazine, this one comes highly recommended.

Belated thanks for your belated kind words...! It's always great to hear that the old adventures are still entertaining people after all these years.