Top Secret Project & Companion Update

So what the heck have I been doing the last couple weeks, since I haven't been blogging/writing? Well, while I have been a little busy with "normal" life, the truth is that I've been a little lazy.

I mean, that's how I see it. Certainly, I've had the time to do things (if I'd taken the time to do it), but I haven't been organizing my life as well as I feel I should, letting things slide here and there, watching too much TV, listing to too much sports talk radio, napping in my truly free time, and just living a bon vivant lifestyle rather than being productive.

Not that I haven't done SOME stuff. I am currently working on an O-So-Very-Secret-Writing-Project that I am not quite ready to reveal the details of...in fact, unlike the B/X Companion I don't intend to say anything AT ALL about it until it's completely written...well, other than the following:

- it's a 60-64 page RPG

- it will probably NOT be a boxed game

- it is NOT "post-apocalyptic" (at this point)

- I am going to be much less ambitious with the artwork than the Companion

- I am working on it in collaboration with my buddy Kris

The good doctor is pretty excited about it, which is cool, and even though I'm guessing I'll be doing most/all of the writing it is still great to have a PIC (Partner In Crime) to bounce ideas off. Writing the B/X Companion in a Void was (and to a degree still is!) greatly frustrating at times.

Now onto news about the Companion...I have been holding off on writing anything for a couple reasons recently, the main reason being that I've been on a bit of hiatus from the project. For which I got a little chewed out by the good Doctor (Kris) just last night. "You've done too much work on the damn thing to let it slide!" He's right, of course.

And like I've said, I feel like I've been lazy on the matter. One of the biggest pitfalls of this kind of thing (other than "analysis paralysis" and "waiting for things to line up perfect") is "resting on one's laurels." I wrote a book...yay. But writing it ain't the same as publishing it for others; time to do the rest of the work.

I was just down at Gary's Games today, talking about local designers, conventions, and networking. Unfortunately, while Seattle apparently has a thriving design community (too many smarties, I guess) there seems to be nada in place as far as organization. Hell, I hear the Big Name Publishers don't even bother showing up to the big local convention (Dragonflight) as the thing is generally put on around the same time as GenCon and they are too busy preparing/recovering from THAT to worry about the local yokels. Guess I'm on my own (still).

So today I'm cutting breakfast short and getting back to what I need to do: first, some chores around the house (!!), and second getting some REAL writing done. Yes, I will also get the Hackmaster Basic review posted, too (talked about THAT at the game shop, too...mm-mm), and hopefully AT LEAST ONE MORE MAP for the damn module. Ugh, I wish I was as talented in that regard as some of you bloggers (you know who you are!).

And oh yeah: artists? I need your artwork to keep coming in. February is a short month, but this is going to be the Big Push, as far as I'm concerned. I haven't been getting on anyone's ass because A) I'm not paying you, and B) I can criticize folks for not working when I haven't been doing what I need to do myself. But I need those pieces, folks. Everyone who asked for ideas/assignments got different ones from me...if you don't think you'll be able to do something, let me know so I can give the piece to someone else.

That being said, I think I may need to offer an "incentive program." How about this...anyone who contributes more than four pieces of art will get a free .pdf copy of the Companion when it's finished. Hell, I might be willing to give it away for THREE pieces of art (and large pieces, like the cover leaf, will be considered two or more pieces)...as I said earlier, I'm less concerned with making money on this thing than with getting a quality project into the hands of the public.

People who are interested in contributing art (that haven't contacted me yet) can email me at bxblackrazor AT gmail DOT com.

All right...now, back to work.

: )