Process of Creation

How do you go from idea to finished product? That looks entirely different from person to person and project to project. Sometimes it takes only a few minutes (maybe for a small item for a DnD game) or sometimes it takes literal years (novels, anthologies, etc.). Sometimes simple things are complex and complicated projects go smoothly. It varies so widely it’s hard to even come up with a plan or timeline. 

With that said, most projects follow a similar pattern in how they work at least so let’s walk through the steps. 

1. Draft Zero - I call this the Zero Draft or Draft Zero because it is the mess that basically no one but me will see. This is where I fling ideas and words onto the page to see what will stick and make sense. 

2. Draft One- The first true draft is one where the project is taking on a somewhat recognizable shape. This is a draft I’m okay to share for feedback and one where I am cleaning up and shaping the idea into something that more closely resembles its final form. If the Zero Draft is a pile of clay plopped onto a board then the First Draft is a rough sculpture where you can tell this clay might be a tea cup in the future. 

3. Draft Two- More refining and sculpting here. I take away the extras, add in support and structure. Usually this is where I add in extra research notes or put in some more description or rules to help give the text the strength to stand on its own. 

4. Feedback- Draft Two is generally what goes out for review (though sometimes it’s Draft One) and what gets worked on between me and my editor/beta readers/publisher/friend/etc. This is where someone else looks at it and asks if it makes sense outside of my head. It’s vital to have someone else look at your work. 

5. Draft Three-Eight- This is the step that varies the most based on what feedback you get. Sometimes the feedback is with few changes and it’s easy to adjust and then move on. Sometimes the feedback means you are back to a Zero Draft, it’s wildly different every time. 

6. Copyedits- At this point, the content and structure are pretty solid and it’s down to the little adjustments to be made. I am horrible with commas and this is where my poor editors have to deal with the flood of commas I’ve thrown at a project. 

7. Layout- This step is one I usually don’t have much to do with. I’ve only recently started playing with laying out my own work. Layout is important because the way information is presented makes a difference in how it’s understood. 

8. Cover- I make some of my own covers (mainly for DnD projects) and enjoy this step a lot. Making a fun, fitting covers requires knowing what works in your genre and a lot of hunting for images. 

9. Upload and Promo - This is when the project is released, share and promo all over the place. Upload processes are different from site to site. Amazon can take days to review before your project is live while DMsGuild is almost instant. 

10. Celebrate!- Yay! It’s time to celebrate that a thing has been done and a project is completed. Taking the time to recognize that my work is done has been very important lately. Rather than rushing on to the next project, I actually try to recognize that I did a lot of work to finish this and that is worth celebrating. 

Deciding on Ideas

A really common question is how do writers get their ideas. What’s interesting is a lot of times what people really mean to ask is ‘how do you know what idea to actually work on?’ most people who are creative have a LOT of ideas. Choosing just one is a real challenge and something most writers have a hard time with (including me!)

So how do I get and choose ideas? 

Ideas are all around us. They’re as easy or as hard to find as they need to be. For me, to get ideas at all, I have to be in a good brain space. When I am deep in depression or anxiety, there are no ideas flowing. During my long recovery from burn out, I had no ideas. I couldn’t think of stories or characters at all. It was terrifying. 

I remember crying in relief and joy when I started daydreaming again about things I wanted to create. So, if you’re having a hard time coming up with ideas, ask yourself if you’re okay physically, mentally, emotionally, etc. If the answer is no then give yourself the time and focus to rest and recover. The ideas will return. 

Now I constantly have ideas and things I want to create. My running list of projects keeps getting longer and longer. So how do I decide what to work on next? I’m trying to be a bit more methodical about this and find a balance between the exciting projects and the timely projects. Here’s what I ask myself:

Does this idea have a solid deadline? 

For example, if I want to create a Halloween-themed Dungeons and Dragons module, that needs to be done and out before Halloween. That’s a solid deadline. This also goes for projects I have been hired to work on. 

Am I excited about this? 

More and more with external projects especially I have to ask myself if I am actually excited about the project itself. If I’m already dreading it and the work hasn’t started yet, that’s a bad sign. How much do I want to work on this project? If I am bouncing around the house talking to people about it endlessly, that’s a pretty good sign I am excited about it, if not… ehhhh… letit sit and wait for a bit. I’ll know for sure in a few months if it’s a yeah or a no. 

Do I have the energy for this? 

This is a new addition and it’s really been important, especially in the chaos of 2020. Sometimes I just know that I do not have the brain capacity to join a new project, even if I am super excited about it! After my bad burn out that took years to recover from I’m trying to be better about protecting my time and energy. Just because a project is awesome doesn’t mean it’s worth sacrificing myself for. Rest is important, vitally so. 

Those are the criteria I am looking at right now when I am building on my ideas, it helps me streamline the process. Timeliness helps me order projects, excitement keeps me from hopping onto things just because it popped into my head and energy makes sure I do not overcommit myself. They work together to help me build a creative practice that is not just working for me, but that feels sustainable. 

Dancing and Farming: Ooblets!

When I first saw the artwork for Ooblets, I was intrigued. The strange blob-like creatures were adorable, and I love me a good farming simulator. What made Ooblets stand out, though, was that the Ooblets (what the little creatures are called) dance battle each other.

Read the full review on Speculative Chic.

5 Tips for Your Dungeons & Dragons Character’s Backstory

One of my favorite parts of Dungeons & Dragons is coming up with the backstory of my character. Why would someone choose a life of danger and adventure in the world? 

There’s a running joke that every character in a tabletop game has a tragic backstory and dead parents, but that doesn’t have to be the case. Looking to make your own character? Here are a few tips to help your creation shine and really make the most of the game.

1. Connect to the game

Your character should have a connection to the plot of the game, to the reason of the game. For example, if you’re joining a campaign set in Avernus your character should have at least an interest in demons, devils, and all things hellish. If you create an accountant character with no desire to be a part of the world you’re playing in . . . well, you’re giving yourself and the game master a hard time. 

2. A drive to adventure

Your character should want to adventure and go out and see the world. Whether that’s because they are looking to find all the songs in the world or to avenge a great loss, you should want to be an active participant in the world of heroism. 

The reason for that running joke about tragic backstories does have some truth to it. Why would someone with a happy life risk everything exploring dangerous ruins? Something drives your character to risk life and limb on adventure. Make sure they have a reason to be out exploring the world.

3.  Skill set to shine

Your character should have some unique ability to offer. Maybe it’s a stat focus (strength, charisma, etc.), a skill, or some background feature, but your character should have something they want to use. Your rogue can love to pick locks or juggle — be creative, and think of unusual ways they could use their niche to solve problems.

4.  Motivated towards goals

There’s something your character wants either immediately or in the far future. Maybe that’s to kill all dragons so there is peace in the world, or maybe it’s to become king. Whatever the goal is, it motivates your character to keep going. It also gives you fun role-playing opportunities throughout the game and something for your game master to bring into play later on. 

5. Plays well with others

Your character should be willing to cooperate with a team. The loner who refuses to associate with anyone gets old fast in a game made to be about cooperation. Your character can be awkward and hesitant, but please don’t make someone who will be openly hostile, aggressive, or unwilling to cooperate with a team. Remember, it’s a game for everyone to enjoy together. 

Notice how none of my tips focused on class features or how to distribute your stat points? That’s because, to me and my games, the character’s personality and goals go further toward building a meaningful game for you and your friends than more mechanical features.

What tips do you have for creating your DnD characters?

5 Tips for Starting a Dungeons and Dragons game

If you’re looking to start a campaign of your own, I have some tips to help get your game off on the right foot.

1. Have a session zero.

Session zero is where everyone sits together and goes over ground rules, ideas, and expectations. This is where you and your players can discuss the type of game everyone wants to run. If you’re wanting to run a dark, graphic horror game and your players are looking for a fun, light-hearted adventure, this is where you can find that out before everyone ends up miserable in a game with mismatched ideas.

This is also where you can go over safety tools to use in your game. Making sure everyone is comfortable with the events of the game (like level of gore, torture, romance, etc.) can head off a lot of problems and potential out-of-character conflict.

2. Let the players help build the world.

Letting your players have stakes in creating the world will make it all the more real to them. Allow them to describe the town their character grew up in, what the cleric’s temple was like, or how the wizard first discovered magic.

Having your players build a small part of the world your campaign takes place in helps them feel ownership of the world and story too. Let them make a mark from the start.

3. Connect the players to one another.

Give the players a connection to each other from the start. The cliché is a bunch of people meeting in a bar, but in my experience, it’s monumentally helpful if some of the characters already know each other. Building those relationships is something you can also do in session zero.

Perhaps all your players know one bar owner who has called them all together for a favor. Or maybe the fighter and the paladin once fought together against a demon army. By creating that connection, you make the team even stronger and more cohesive.

4. Something big at the start.

There are two options for this: let the players win big or lose very badly. Plan something that will unify the group.

When I say, grant the players a victory early on as a team, I don’t mean letting them run over an enemy without any resistance. Give them a real, meaningful victory right at the start. This opens the campaign on a high note and is especially useful for engaging new players.

Alternatively, if the players are all captured together or barely survive a dragon attack, they will unite to keep one another alive and get revenge. A shared goal is instantly unifying and builds anticipation for future sessions.

5. Listen to the players.

While you are setting up the campaign, ask your players what they’re hoping to get out of the game. Maybe they want to explore their character’s tragic backstory; maybe they have always wanted to fight a mimic; maybe they want to explore particular themes. Not only does this keep your players invested in the campaign for the long haul, but it also gives you some free ideas to build into the story you’re creating. At the end of the day, your job is to keep things fun for everyone!

Arcana Depot is LIVE

Arcana Depot is out into the world and I am so excited to share this awesome resource with you all!

Get over 10 magical shops with NPCs, items and prices laid out for you and ready to add into your game!

You can grab your copy now on DMsGuild

Release Date Reveal!

Next week I'll be releasing my next #DnD supplement, Arcana Depot! This guide will include 10+ stores with fully stated NPCs, inventory lists (including prices!) and some fun details to add into any game. 

Look for this awesomeness to hit the DM's Guild on July 29th!

Happy Book Birthday to Kill Three Birds!!

Happy book birthday to Kill Three Birds by Nicole Givens Kurtz.

This book is one of my favs of 2020 so make sure you go pick it up right now!

Tools for Social Media

Social media can be a truly draining experience at the best of times. So I’ve been working on adjusting the amount of time I spend on social media and how I am using it. I wanted to share the tools and techniques that have worked for me.

1. Delete the apps from your phone.

I’ve removed twitter and facebook from my phone. I can still use my broswer to log in but its not as convenient so I’m less likely to do it. For me, I’ve kept facebook messenger and instagram because those are still useful for me, but do what works best for you.

2. Block social media

I open a new tab and automatically start typing twitter or facebook into the url box, even if that wasn’t what I wanted to do! Habits move me on auto-pilot and suddenly it’s been an hour and I’m doom scrolling twitter still. What I’ve finally found is that I need external help to block the sties.

I’ve come at this with three main apps I’m using:

• Forest App- On my phone, this wonderful app keeps me from just scrolling through instagram. It allows you to plant a beautiful plant and watch it grow. The trick is that if you navigate away from that app, the plant dies. You can set it from anywhere between 10 minutes to two hours. I set it to two hours when I get into bed and it stops me from getting on my phone when I’m trying to go to bed.

• SelfControl- This mac only software is amazing and terrifying. It’s the big dog and the most effective. SelfControl will block the websites you specify for a range of time. It locks it down. You can restart your computer, delete the app, etc. and the lockdown remains until the time is up. It’s incredibly effective and free.

• Work Mode- A chrome extension, Work Mode is perfect when I am on my chromebook. Blocking all major social media sites with a simple click, the extension is effective and unobtrusive. The only issue is that it is also sometimes too easy to unblock the sites with just a click as well.

I’m using these digital helpers and techniques to help limit my time on social media and keep it from destroying my mood and my productivity.

Mystery Taking Flight: Kill Three Birds by Nicole Givens Kurtz

I was lucky enough to get the chance to read an early copy of Nicole Givens Kurtz’ neweest book, Kill Three Birds and review it for Speculative Chic!

First, the world of Aves is detailed, vivid and unique. This bird-based society defined around different roles based on bird type creates a strange and fun world. The details of this society are revealed slowly throughout the book, and I ate up every one of them. It’s a fascinating look at birds in a way I’ve never thought about before.

Prentice is a hawk, someone who investigates crimes, and she’s been sent to a small town to help find a killer. When a young woman of a prominent family is found dead and then two more bodies turn up, it’s clear that the hawk has a murderer on her hands.

She navigates through the inner circle of the bird society — the church, headed by a dove — to the fringes of society where crows skulk and chickens peck into a bloody order. Prentice has to deal with the expectations thrown onto her as a hawk, a grieving and volatile family, and the threat of more bodies showing up if she can’t find the killer.

You can read the full review here.