I sent in some queries for articles. Never heard anything. I sent in some more. Rejected. I sent in a third batch. Ching! My first green light! So exciting.
But then I had to write the dang thing.
Ideas are easy. I have ideas all the time. Changing those ideas into something I can use in a game is just a matter of not dripping pizza grease on the wrong section of the napkin. When I DM and use those cool ideas, they are sometimes even 80% fleshed out. 80% is pretty good for behind the DM screen.
It's not good enough when you're writing for DRAGON.
I've been working on an article full of crunchy goodness for all my fellow gamers to enjoy. It's a great idea, that hasn't really been done before. I don't want it to drown in red ink once it gets to an editor, however. It's because of that simple fact that I've been noticing all sorts of things that never hit my radar screen before. Things I knew in the back of my mind, but never really considered in any depth.
Rush Limbaugh has a saying: Words mean things. That is very true when writing D&D material. Take a look at the D&D Glossary and let me know if you notice anything. Check out enchantment or target. Some words in D&D mean one thing, and only one thing. When you're at the table, saying enchantment when you're talking about creating that +1 sword might be ok, but when you're writing for publication, it's not. I can't tell you how many vocabulary lessons I've given myself recently.
Tonight I deisgned some nifty feats. Took me hours. Sure, laugh - it's true. Once I have the idea in my head, and I'm sure it hasn't been done before, I subject it to "the four tests." (1) The KISS test. When at all possible, I try to keep it simple. Simple is good. Simple is understandable. Simple lets me use less words and get more into an article that is already busting at the seems. (2) Is it cool? Would anyone really want to choose this feat for their PC? Why would they choose it over another one? (3) Is it balanced? Given the cost of choosing this feat, is it worth it? Is it overbalanced? Underbalanced? (4) The Grammar Gods. Can you read this feat, having never seen it before, and understand what it means? Is the wording confusing? Am I using grammar that the editors have said they don't like? Is my writing just plain crap?
Anyway, I don't know why I'm writing this. Oh, yes I do... I just wanted to let you all know that writing for DRAGON is not easy - not if you plan on doing it right. But it's great fun, and you'll learn a whole lot about D&D by doing it. Also, there are some great tools out there for those who want to use them. I've linked to a couple of them in this post:
- D&D Glossary
- Feat Index
There are more, but I'm tired and my brain hurts. Good night!
you'll learn a whole lot about D&D by doing it
Yes, you will. Some of the things you'll learn are little rules tidbits you never pondered before; others are formatting - like how feat names are always capitalized, or spells and magic items are always in italics, or how the end of the pre-requisite line ends in a period, as though it were a sentence. ;)
One bit of advice. Find yourself a proofreader. Make sure it's somebody who will tell you the truth - whether that means telling you it rocks mightily, or that it sucks more than... well, fill in your own.
Another piece of advice. After you think you're done with the article, don't do anything with it for about 3 days or so. Then read it; you'll be amazed what you find. :)
That's why you're gonna get paid .05/word. Suck it up, you're in the big leagues now.
Just kidding--congratulations and I look forward to your article getting published....the tidbits you've dropped sound alluring.
Take 3 aspirins and pick it up again tomorrow.
The article I referenced above is being co-written with another person. We get together on AIM every other night to hash out issues, compare text, etc. I really like collaborating. A second set of eyes is good - as is the new perspective on the topic you're writing about.
Oh, but it can be sooo evil. I think we've both come across ideas that have nothing to do with our current project - but which are worthy of exploring. We talk and talk and talk about them, get all excited about them. Then one of us remembers the original project and we I have a Homer Simpson moment - Doh! It's worth it though. Writing is like a highly contagious disease. One idea leads to another, which spawns still more.
But it still makes the brain hurt.
Congrats on your green light!
Don't panic!
Cowriting is so different from solo writing. Good luck with it!
Don't worry about the redlining. Two reasons. A) If there are serious changes that need to be made, you'll likely get the article back with "please change this so it's more like this" comments instead of actual tear-your-submission-apart redlines. B) The editors WILL edit it. No matter what you do. Your article will be changed even if it's a deleted comma or an inserted semicolon. Don't stress. That's what editors do; they edit. I don't think anyone in the history of the publishing industry has ever submitted something that went to print "as-is."
Z's advice about waiting 3 days is great. Longer is better; wait a week if you can. Then proof it again and either submit it or send it to a trusted fellow writer for a once-over.
And don't panic!
-Amber S.
Z's advice about waiting 3 days is great. Longer is better; wait a week if you can. Then proof it again and either submit it or send it to a trusted fellow writer for a once-over.
Of course you think it's great advice - it's the same advice you gave me when I started at this writing thing a little over a year ago. :)
And don't panic!
Awww! But panicking is so much fun, and burns off those extra holiday calories. :)
Cowriting is so different from solo writing. Good luck with it!
agreed! working with a partner is a lot easier on the brain, because you are guaranteed to have at least one more set of eyes to edit and proofread before you submit, let alone having someone else's creativity to add to your ideas (or vice versa). just make sure it is someone you can work well with, or it could be a disaster. ;)
Yeah, for many TRYING and FAILING it sure hurts, too.
At least you're not bitter.
Don't worry about the redlining. Two reasons. A) If there are serious changes that need to be made, you'll likely get the article back with "please change this so it's more like this" comments instead of actual tear-your-submission-apart redlines. B) The editors WILL edit it. No matter what you do. Your article will be changed even if it's a deleted comma or an inserted semicolon. Don't stress. That's what editors do; they edit. I don't think anyone in the history of the publishing industry has ever submitted something that went to print "as-is."
Z's advice about waiting 3 days is great. Longer is better; wait a week if you can. Then proof it again and either submit it or send it to a trusted fellow writer for a once-over.
Great advice on both counts. I've been on both sides of the desk, author and editor, and I can say that any changes made to your article/adventure is done to strengthen the piece. An author may not always agree 100% with the changes, but you have to trust in the editor to do their job, and they have a much better (and objective) view of the overall picture.
When writing fiction, I adhere to the Chapter 1/Chapter 3 rule: Proofread Chapter 1 while writing Chapter 3. Mistakes will LEAP from the pages if you give yourself a chance to get some distance from the material. Anxious as you may be to submit, let your article sit 1 or 2 weeks, then look at it again -- your editor and readers will thank you for it.
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Don't stress. That's what editors do; they edit. I don't think anyone in the history of the publishing industry has ever submitted something that went to print "as-is."
It's true. Even stuff we write for the magazines gets changed. Everybody's stuff gets edited. Even Boss Erik's (such as his editorials).
No worries here. In and of itself, correction by an editor is not a threat. What is a threat to me is not putting forth the best product possible. A little red ink is good for the soul, but taking a bath in it is not something I want to open myself up to.
The thing hurting my brain now is trying to cut down all the material into the word count allowed for the piece. No easy task. I'm sure you all can relate. A few thousand words looks daunting at first, but they evaporate like sweat in the desert once you get going.
and such is the challenge. ;)
I have had one article accepted by Dragon, and a couple of others areunder review, however there are a lot of people on the messageboards with more experience than I who may have more helpful information.
I keep sending in queries (which often seem to go missing for months) because I really like the idea of something from my imagination being used by others and becoming "Official" content for a game that I love. I also like the excercise of taking a concept and working through the mechanics to keep it balanced and defined in game terms. That said, I would be in big trouble if I had to rely on writing income to support my family (or even my hobbies).
There are some other threads about writing for Dragon that have some solid advice, Dragon Own Little Black Hole (if you search black hole you should find it), the EN World website also has some good advice about writing for the game industry, as well as a collection of postings for RPG related jobs, Wizards of the Coast also a has a developers test (which I keep meaning to submit - but work, family, travel, holidays - basically real life keep getting in the way).
The other thing I would suggest is that there are LOTS of people that would prefer to game and write for games for a living over whatever they currently do. Many of these people are creative AND published with a track record of sorts, the competition (for full time professional game writers) is fierce. Not saying you should try (I keep trying) just that is a log slow path. The other thing that I find is that I vastly prefer the material I conceive and write than most of the material I read, part of that is probably pride, but in large part it is because I write for the way I play, and I how I perceive the game. That is not necessarily what sells or whatothers want to see. Writing for others (especially Dragon which is the gold standard for freelance game writing IMO) is not just writing down your homebrew stuff - it is actually requires (for me anyway) pretty rigorous self editing to make generically applicable universally playable content.
The Wizards message boards, have places to post stuff - and get feedback on it. Scanning that will give you some sense of how many people are writing as well as how much crap the good folks at Dragon likely have to slog through to find stuff worth publication.
As to business investment - are you asking about game related or other? As a business to own and run or simply invest in?
*points up* Everything he said.
I'm finally getting into the point in my career where I can write game material and get paid for it. If you count from when I scribed my first poem ("March" - it got published in my school newsletter) to now, I've been writing for 17 years. And just now I'm getting ahead.
The only person I know who has actually made a living freelancing is Mike Mearls, and he said it was damn hard.
So, yeah. It will take lots of time, research, energy, and committment. It can't just be something you think you'd like to do, it has to be something you focus all your time and attention on, 100%. If you have a family to support, I'd say forget it. If you're single with no obligations, though, it's possible.
As far as how to break into the industry, I'd recommend all the following things. First, you have to read the magazines cover to cover every month. Get a subscription. Second, cultivate relationships with established writers (as you're doing). Third, keep your eye on the market; this means regularly reading (and sometimes posting) on the big message boards - wizards.com, paizo.com and enworld.com. Know what's due to be released soon, which company has control over what licenses, what products are unlikely to ever see the light of day. Fourth, attend as many game conventions as you can, but definitely either Origins or GenCon Indy every year. Attend the seminars, introduce yourself to the speakers, and immerse yourself in the culture. And buy me drinks.
Some (non D&D specific) resources I highly recommend:
Telling Lies for Fun and Profit (by Lawrence Block)
Zen and the Art of Writing (by Ray Bradbury)
Some Writers Deserve to Starve (by Elaura Niles)
The Lie That Tells A Truth (by John Dufrense)
-Amber E.
Alrunes,
Good luck with your attempt to turn D&D into a career. I've turned a couple of my own campaign ideas/old adventures into queries I've sent into both magazines, but the only one they've asked to take a closer look at so far is a collaborative project I worked on with 4 (four) other people from these boards.
You might want to consider a few years of submitting your stuff as a hobby before you decide to take a plunge like that. I have found that while I like D&D, I would never want to ruin a hobby by turning it into a career.
If D&D was played by 10% of the population, we could all probably make a pretty good living supporting the game, but let's face it--it always has, is and probably always will be a fringe hobby.
RPG Superstar 2011 Top 32
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*points up* Everything he said.
I'm finally getting into the point in my career where I can write game material and get paid for it. If you count from when I scribed my first poem ("March" - it got published in my school newsletter) to now, I've been writing for 17 years. And just now I'm getting ahead.
The only person I know who has actually made a living freelancing is Mike Mearls, and he said it was damn hard.
So, yeah. It will take lots of time, research, energy, and committment. It can't just be something you think you'd like to do, it has to be something you focus all your time and attention on, 100%. If you have a family to support, I'd say forget it. If you're single with no obligations, though, it's possible.
-Amber E.
I agree with Amber that supporting a family means you can't work at freelancing 100% of the time. However, you can certainly write part-time (you just won't live off the money you make). Freelancing part-time can fulfill your desire to design games, while still working full-time for the man feeds your family.
And who knows, maybe someday a publisher will pick my name for one of those full-time writing positions I occasionally apply for or for one of those Wizards open call for novels.
Charlie
Alrunes,
I would recommend treating RPG writing as a side job or hobby, unless you enjoy eating Ramen every day! I think it's pretty hard to make a living from it full-time.
My experience is limited to one 20-page Dungeon adventure, a few long Forum letters in Dragon (one of which began a long, amusing debate -- the "TSR rules thugs"!) and much more recently I wrote a longish Dungeon Crawl Classics adventure for Goodman Games.
Seeing one's name on the cover of an RPG product is great, something that brings a smile, but when you add up all the time brainstorming, designing the adventure, drawing the maps, checking the stats, etc., ... many, many hours can be invested in one adventure or product for relatively little monetary compensation. Do it because you love it first, for the money second (or third). (In my case, I love the craft. I spent years reading classic adventure modules and thinking, "hey, I could do that!" before finally getting off my duff and submitting.)
In any case, I wish you luck!
Seeing one's name on the cover of an RPG product is great, something that brings a smile, but when you add up all the time brainstorming, designing the adventure, drawing the maps, checking the stats, etc., ... many, many hours can be invested in one adventure or product for relatively little monetary compensation.
This is very true . . . if you consider that most freelance jobs are paid by the word or the page, a much more economical use of time would be to write things like: "Place batteries in remote sensor and press 'On'", "Once upon a time in Prince Valium's kingdom", or "Hot dog-eating contests linked to severe social isolation." Instead, we're trying to write things like "Melee +3 evil human bane greatsword +22/+17/+12 (2d6+14/19-20)."
If only writing about that butt-kicking weapon wasn't SO darn satisfying. . .
One good resource for RPG writers and writing is the "Burning Void" web site located at: http://www.burningvoid.com/rpg/rpgw.php
My experience is limited to one 20-page Dungeon adventure, a few long Forum letters in Dragon (one of which began a long, amusing debate -- the "TSR rules thugs"!) and much more recently I wrote a longish Dungeon Crawl Classics adventure for Goodman Games.
No way! Hee hee, I remember the TSR rules thugs...
There's no specific forum for this, but I have a Dragon magazine "Tips for Contributors" question.
For Spellcraft queries, if it easier for the editors to have a one paragraph general overview of the spellbook's theme, or a specific list of each spell's general function?
Same question for Bazaar of the Bazarre. . . a general overview of the magic items, or a complete list of each specific item?
Thanks.
There's no specific forum for this, but I have a Dragon magazine "Tips for Contributors" question.
For Spellcraft queries, if it easier for the editors to have a one paragraph general overview of the spellbook's theme, or a specific list of each spell's general function?
Same question for Bazaar of the Bazarre. . . a general overview of the magic items, or a complete list of each specific item?
Thanks.
I'm sure Mike will be all over your question in the next twenty minutes, but I thought I'd point out that there IS a thread on here named "Tips for Contributors" that has some good point, whether you're submitting to Dungeon or Dragon.
-James
(P.S: Freelance writing is the quickest way to appreciate the glory of an hourly wage.)
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There's no specific forum for this, but I have a Dragon magazine "Tips for Contributors" question.
For Spellcraft queries, if it easier for the editors to have a one paragraph general overview of the spellbook's theme, or a specific list of each spell's general function?
Same question for Bazaar of the Bazarre. . . a general overview of the magic items, or a complete list of each specific item?
Wes does Spellcraft but he never posts on the boards, so don't expect a direct answer for that question. I think he likes to know each spell's general function as well as the theme of the spellbook.
For Bazaar of the Bizarre I like to see a general overview of the article: "This BotB will be about magic items for ducks." Follow that up with a brief rundown of as many of the items as you've already thought up, as well as a short description of what they do: "Duck Call: Once per day a duck can call another duck. They have to be on the same plane."
And no, I don't want a Bazaar about duck items. I'm going to go copyright that idea right now! ;)
I'm sure Mike will be all over your question in the next twenty minutes, but I thought I'd point out that there IS a thread on here named "Tips for Contributors" that has some good point, whether you're submitting to Dungeon or Dragon.
-James
(P.S: Freelance writing is the quickest way to appreciate the glory of an hourly wage.)
Amen!
And I don't know if this came within 20 minutes, but I hope it came in fast enough. ;D
I'm sure Mike will be all over your question in the next twenty minutes...
And I don't know if this came within 20 minutes, but I hope it came in fast enough. ;D
21 minutes! James, that's kinda spooky that you guessed so close...
My experience is limited to one 20-page Dungeon adventure, a few long Forum letters in Dragon (one of which began a long, amusing debate -- the "TSR rules thugs"!) and much more recently I wrote a longish Dungeon Crawl Classics adventure for Goodman Games.No way! Hee hee, I remember the TSR rules thugs...
Good memory Amber! That phrase was coined back in Dragon #232!
(I had to check, so much for MY memory.) By that issue the Skills & Powers debate was in full swing ... ah, the good old days. I guess I don't have to ponder that debate anymore! :)Almost forgot, good advice about the Lawrence Block books too; I have his "Telling Lies For Fun and Profit" and his "Writing the Novel" on a shelf within easy grasp. Good books for any writer.