And Now We Start

Journal 126 2-8 Sept 2024

Last Week, I promised to write a blog this week, and also to get all my projects started.

I have done most of it.

The cheat sheet I use to keep track of characters and setting details has been updated for the information from the previous novel. I need to finish the religion section, drop in the calendar I created, and put in the data for the new characters.

I also finally created the Scrivener file for the Dusk Novel. It always takes me a while to remember all my settings. Even with creating my own default manuscript format, it requires some mental juggling to remember all the features.

My other project is the rewrite of my campaign (and also creating characters for each of the other games I’m playing in). We’ll talk about that in a moment.

Writing Prep

I know I use prep as my main procrastination tool, but I still feel it is important to the work. Afterall, it was excellent prep that allowed me my record 11,460 words in single day of writing. Good prep, scene planning, and knowing the details you need to deliver are crucial to getting a great jump start.

Though… I do have friends now who claim that all my prep is “writing” to them. I have always been fascinated by other writer’s “processes.” How they write, how they outline, how they think of characters, etc.

Some people think the only time writing is fingers on keyboard, words on page. But I have talked in the past on how I do “head writing.” That’s when I spend the day thinking about a scene, perhaps trying out different dialogue, or describing a character or location. I used to do this a lot when I had shitty mindless work to do. Or lulls between jobs. Car rides. Waiting rooms. Queues.

Still Procrastination

But yeah, it still wastes time.

But these are things that will make the whole process successful. Believe me it is better to delay the start, then to have the book grind to a halt later on. Mid chapter stop to think up characters, or map out a scene, or whatever else I forgot to do.

In my process, I have found that stopping in the middle of the manuscript leads to massive delays. Procrastination to returning to work, or worse, never finishing the novel.

Years ago, I saw a study, and it was reinforced in college, that it is far better to write the whole rough draft. Shitty, rambling, horrible as it may be, all in ONE GO. Get it all out. Your goal needs to be to get to “THE END.”

The Manuscript

The point is that you can’t revise and fix things if you don’t have a thing to revise. Get the manuscript done. Even if it’s just a page or two per chapter that barely outlines the scene. You have something to work with and fill out later with more meat on the bone.

Anyway, I haven’t actually outlined this story… despite all the time I spent writing the background and working on the story, this is the first time I don’t have a complete chapter list. The previous three novels all started with a chapter by chapter break down.

I do have a chapter flow, break down chart. And a layout of the story structure. But not a full list of every chapter.

The previous novels started with a full corkboard, every chapter numbered, named, and with a pov and short breakdown written before I ever started my Scrivener project

It’s something to think about. But I’m done with procrastinating and waiting.

I have my keyboard, I have my project page, I have my notes and maps, I know the characters, and I have my book layout/flowchart. It should be enough.

Project 2: Gaming

I spent the week reading the new PHB and realizing that I need to rewrite and homebrew stuff right out the gate. Though to be honest, I always homebrew worlds and my campaign literally has hundreds of pages of notes and world data already. I talked about it previously.

This is the first time where I literally want to tear one small section out of the book and replace it immediately. The new backgrounds in the game are utter trash. I won’t bore you all with the details, just they failed at the designers stated goal of “allowing players to fully create the custom character they wish.” They accomplish the complete opposite of that goal.

I plan to start work on the backgrounds rewrite this week, and then either start a new notebook with the updated rules or start a Word file and get it typed.

In any case, I will work on my game slowly, since I don’t actually have a time, date or even set players for it yet.

Playing  

I have four games slated to start over the next two months. One game already came to an end, and I have two weeks to create a character for it. However, it is the “School Daze” game where I have to play 11 characters. So, yeah, that is a lot of work. Though there will be time between each character. Enough so that I will probably not make the 11^th (the REAL MAIN character of the campaign for a year or two).

As such, I have put aside that character to concentrate on my first 2024 character (if you read last week’s post I outline the four games). I won’t get to play this guy until sometime in October, but I already have his basic background, history, and look figured out. I’ll share all those details in my next journal entry as I want to keep some of the details secret until the game starts.

The quick version for now:

The game is based on characters in Hell who are pressed into service as bounty hunters, contract enforcers. We hunt down escaped demons, humans who try to break their deals, and fight in the “bloodwars.”

I was a warlord, a conquering tyrant who used brutal tactics to enforce his rule. He was finally assassinated and fell to hell. Where he spent a long time as slime, a dung beetle, a lemure, and finally started taking on a humanoid form once all of his arrogance was shattered and burned away. Now his is a foot soldier in the armies of Hell.

Next time I will fill in more details and give the class and mechanical details. I would share some of the character art, but I admit I just pull pics from random places and I def don’t have the rights to them. So, its fine for in a game but less fine for a blog.

Next Character

This week I will start to make up the character for other game, the one that starts in two weeks, on Sept 24^th. I need to make up a 5^th level mercenary who was hired to enter a mega dungeon and retrieve a hidden item. No playtest, no 2024 material, but all of the original books. My first thought was to play a gloomstalker ranger, but I’m wavering on it.

Anyway, I think I’ve gone on quite long enough.

I’m 50-50 whether I will drop a blog next week, or in two weeks. It really comes down to whether or not I start writing.

Thank you for reading this far, have a great day and keep on reading, writing, and gaming.