Writing Panel (Also in the feedback section)

[Soft Serve]

This thread is also in the feedback section where it'll get maybe 5 views and 0 responses... But the idea is to have a panel of writers come up with adventure or campaign hooks for other players here. And I say a "panel" because P&PG covers several genres and one person would be hard pressed to find time to write for so many.

Maybe the panel is just a place where people send submissions for adventure hooks and a few people sort through and pick the best to be posted.

Or there's only like 4 writers and two of them write for some genres one week, and the other two take the other week or something like that. Something that we can all decide and agree on.

And like I said in the Feedback section this is unlikely to receive any attention, but I really want to know if anyone supports this idea.

[Malruhn]

I wouldn't mind being involved... my mind started spinning ideas as I read your post.

Although Fantasy is my main genre, I can keep the ideas generic enough to be used by any/all. Give some details and I'll start writing.

[Soft Serve]

Well now that I've thought about it, this could technically happen in the blogs section, but it wouldn't get very popular there. P&PG used to have a thing where players asked Farcaster and other DMs about their gaming issues and they offered their advice, but I don't see it anymore. I'd want this to be similar to that column which made the home page every time it posted.

[Farcaster]

I would agree -- the homepage is desperately in need of some updated content. If you put something together, I'd be glad to support getting it up on the front page as part of a series of articles.

[Soft Serve]

I would agree -- the homepage is desperately in need of some updated content. If you put something together, I'd be glad to support getting it up on the front page as part of a series of articles.

That just made my sinus infection filled day a pretty happy one.

So now this is a recruitment thread. Who wants to write and for what genre?

Personally I've explored Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Horror, and Superhero games before.

(Also I'm adding this URL to my signature...)

[jpatterson]

I don't have the creativity to maintain a consistent output, but I have three or four things that I've made that I would submit, if you just take submissions. One example would be: http://www.zanysite.com/tabletoprpgf...thewarrens.pdf

[Pieh]

I'm interested in collaborating with other like-minded writers to create adventure content for the rest of the community. I think this is a great idea, it just needs some structure. It will require someone to collect and piece together the information into a readable format, it would also help to have a weekly goal (like 3 hooks and 1 adventure). I'm just going to volunteer to collaborate on adventures for the fantasy/horror/sci-fi genres and hope that someone grabs this and runs with it. Good luck.

[Malruhn]

While I do have some interesting ideas, being the "creative" type isn't really my thing - I'm more of a wonderful Second Banana.

When put in a brainstorming session, I just sit around going, "hrrr drrrrr" until someone comes up with an idea - no matter how wonderful or stupid it might be - and THAT kick-starts my imagination, and I take off from there. BUT - I do have a bunch of stuff set up that I have stolen from other sources that I can put down on (e-)paper.

[Soft Serve]

Pieh is right, this does need some structure to it. An idea of what exactly the project at hand should be when all is said and done. I submit that we cover the main 4 genres on P&PG. (Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Horror, and Superheroes. I'm excluding Modern because it only has like 65 threads...).

What I don't want to do is make this a defined schedule kind of thing. By that I mean I don't want anyone to feel like this is a job, so the weeks should be flexible enough that someone who has an idea can publish it without feeling like they just covered another writers obligation. On top of that there's nothing saying that these each have to be individual works. Maybe two or three of us get together to help someone finish out a hook, or whatever the case may be.

On top of the (2 or so) hooks that we write, we could add a user submission (to make 3 published pages a week). Actually the entire thing could technically be called user submissions, except with a select few users who are guaranteed a published spot.

To recap, the project should have some definitive writing staff who will be able to provide stories, but flexible enough that no one is obligated to publish something "Every week" or "every two weeks" and instead can work around who has an idea, or who is suffering from writers block. And if there ever does come the need for filler, than submissions could be reviewed and edited to whatever format we decide to use, or included with the actual publishing anyway to add more weekly content.

I hope this makes sense because my brain hurts now.

[jpatterson]

Have you thought of having a set format for the adventures or hooks, so everything will have an internal and modular consistency, where X number of criteria need to be met or filled out for each piece, sort of like the Five Room Dungeons? Perhaps even a specific structure for the adventures and hooks, so there is the same essence of structure or formula for the submissions themselves? I don't know if that's something you're wanting or not.

[Malruhn]

I second that - even if it's a crappy offering, at least the formatting will be there to give us a template from whence to start.

Also, where/how are they submitted? Posted on here? E-mailed or messaged to you? Written in crayon on lambskin and picked up by a passing crow?

[cplmac]

So this would be looking for something like the encounter my Tsojcanth, Search for the Drow group did when they came across the group of Ghoul Hags? It would basically be that encounter section of a premade module for people to use in their game. I would like to see this work as it would help with getting encounters for my game without having to think them all up myself. Also, just because a particular entry may be written for a particular edition of a system, it can always be adapted to other editons. Just need to adjust the stats where needed.

I also would agree with the not having a set submission time/schedule. I think that is what helped lead to the demise of the "Ask the DM" concept. People started to feel that it was like being at work instead of being part of the gaming hobby that we all enjoy.

Also, want to be sure and mention that the Ghoul Hag creature is actually something that I borrowed from Tesral and made it fit into my 2E campaign.

[Soft Serve]

Have you thought of having a set format for the adventures or hooks, so everything will have an internal and modular consistency, where X number of criteria need to be met or filled out for each piece, sort of like the Five Room Dungeons? Perhaps even a specific structure for the adventures and hooks, so there is the same essence of structure or formula for the submissions themselves? I don't know if that's something you're wanting or not.

I have, but I haven't settled on anything within myself that I believe good enough to post yet. So needless to say, I'm open to ideas.

So far though I've though of giving writers some options. Hooks, being the first steps in a campaign or adventure (depending on how the DM plays it) I think would be a good focus for us (at least to start), but I wouldn't be opposed to seeing full adventures that reach somewhere at 5-7 pages (without statistic blocks) at some point down the road.

Speaking of statistic blocks... I don't believe them necessary for what we'll be doing, since the idea is a generic thing for any game of that genre, although I wouldn't mind if they were included. Plus anyone reading it could most likely find a way to convert them to whatever game they wanted and keep the same story. I also remember never using a hook exactly as it was written anyway and only using the idea as an inspiration, so Statistic Blocks are completely up to the author.

I second that - even if it's a crappy offering, at least the formatting will be there to give us a template from whence to start.

Also, where/how are they submitted? Posted on here? E-mailed or messaged to you? Written in crayon on lambskin and picked up by a passing crow?

Again on formatting I'm still thinking, but taking ideas. I'm going to post a big collective thread here later and see how that soon-to-be wall of text hits everyone.

So this would be looking for something like the encounter my Tsojcanth, Search for the Drow group did when they came across the group of Ghoul Hags? It would basically be that encounter section of a premade module for people to use in their game. I would like to see this work as it would help with getting encounters for my game without having to think them all up myself. Also, just because a particular entry may be written for a particular edition of a system, it can always be adapted to other editons. Just need to adjust the stats where needed.

I also would agree with the not having a set submission time/schedule. I think that is what helped lead to the demise of the "Ask the DM" concept. People started to feel that it was like being at work instead of being part of the gaming hobby that we all enjoy.

Also, want to be sure and mention that the Ghoul Hag creature is actually something that I borrowed from Tesral and made it fit into my 2E campaign.

Yes, it would be basically a section of an adventure (if it's a hook, than it's the beginning of the adventure) which would be open for anyone to see and read and use for free (as this is all a volunteer effort.)

And like I said above, I don't see statistic blocks being necessary, but even if they are included they could (or should) be easily converted to whatever system.

[Pieh]

Loose schedule sounds good and I agree with keeping the posts as system-neutral as possible, like the great writers over at www.Strolen.com do so very well. Random idea for structure: There could be a general hook, genre setting, and maybe key details that need to be implemented, but overall free to fill in the blanks. This would be a fun exercise in adventure writing, especially if we each had a say in what the key elements were. One you have that set of things, I think it would be easy to imagine an adventure from there, right? I'm still interested and ready to get some writing done.

[Soft Serve]

I wouldn't mind group writing at all, but I also know that the occasional story I'd like to produce of my own efforts. So group projects are good, solo projects are good, a little of both should be encouraged.