Tweaks

Just handling a little housekeeping around here. I don’t know if anyone but me noticed, but the link to the Downloads (now Freebies) page was broken. I fixed that and revised the About page and put up a new photo there. I also put a new photo in the header. That’s me in Monteverde, Costa Rica, last summer, crossing a suspension bridge in a cloud forest.

Do you like that, or do you prefer the old illustration of me as a pirate? That came from the Doomtown CCG from way back when, courtesy of artist Lissane Lake. It’s a fun shot, and I have the original and its brother illustration hanging here in my office, but I wonder if it’s better to have something slightly more professional.

Revisions, Revisions

I spent the last week revising things, it seems. This includes the latest draft of the Mutant Chronicles novelization and the final draft of Blood Bowl: Killer Contract #2, both of which I can’t wait to see in print.

While revisions are a necessary evil for writers of all stripes, they’re never as much fun as working on the first draft. That’s mostly because it’s hard to budget time for revisions. They often reach my desk at unexpected times and need to be taken care of as soon as possible. Fortunately, they’re rarely as rough going as I fear, and I can usually wrap them up fairly fast.

Many of my editors don’t bother asking for revisions and just accept the first draft. Other than the occasional typo, my work is fairly clean. I attribute that to the years I spent editing other people’s work. I’ve been trained to spot mistakes, even in my own work.

Of course, that doesn’t mean they don’t still slip by. I just do my best to keep them to a bare minimum and hope my editor catches the rest.

Birdman on Sale

The Harvey Birdman, Attorney at Law game for the Wii is the Video Game Deal of the Day at Amazon.com today. For today only, you can nab it for just $25 on the nose, which means it ships free too. That’s about $15 under the suggested price, so if you’ve been on the fence, this is a good day to hop off and get into the game.

Gary’s Funeral

On Saturday afternoon, Don Perrin and I drove up to Lake Geneva for Gary Gygax’s funeral. The visitation had started at 11 AM, but we left after I got back from Marty’s last indoor soccer game. The funeral wasn’t scheduled until 2 PM, and we got there well before 1:30 PM, so we had time to spare.

Read More

Szymon Says

Szymon Kudranski, the artist who created the interiors for my Dracula’s Revenge comics, has a new website filled with his ever-improving artwork. If you like unique, dramatic illustrations, it’s well worth checking out.

Professional Techniques for Video Game Writing

Choice2When I decided to start writing for video games a couple years ago, one of the first things I did was join the IGDA. I’d been a member through Human Head when I worked there, but I ponied up on my own after I left. I’m part of the board of directors of the Madison chapter, and I’ve helped out with the Writers SIG too.

The Writers SIG has a new book about to come out, edited by Wendy Despain: Professional Techniques for Video Game Writing. I’m not listed as one of the writers, although I did answer interview questions for the “How to Break In and Stay In” chapter.

I’ve not had a chance to read any of the book yet, as it won’t hit shelves until April. If the book’s anywhere near as the group’s first effort–Game Writing: Narrative Skills for Videogames–it should be well worth the money for anyone interested in this sort of work.

Things to Come

Mc-CoverA bit of digging through Amazon.com shows that I have three new books and one repackaged book due to hit shelves this year.

First up, we have the novelization of the Mutant Chronicles film. This is listed as shipping August 26, but I wouldn’t put too much faith in that until the film’s release date is set. Still, they have the cover there, which looks great.

Next comes The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Drawing Superheroes and Villains Illustrated. No cover up there yet, but it should look great. Yair Herrera of Chile drew all the gorgeous pictures, while I arranged the words around them. This is set for September 2.

Silver-Dragon-BoxAfter that, for September 9, we have a repackaged book in the Knights of the Silver Dragon Gift Set. This features the first three books in the Knights of the Silver Dragon series–including the first, my Secret of the Spiritkeeper–in a slipcased set. It also comes with Ree Soesbee’s Riddle in Stone and Dale Donovan and Linda Johns’s Sign of the Shapeshifter.

Finally, there’s the book I mentioned a while ago but couldn’t say much about. I still can’t say anything more than what’s up on this sparse listing, but since it’s a hardcover book titled Orcs, you might guess what it’s about. On November 4, you should be able to read the whole thing.

Whew!

Gary’s Funeral Arrangements

Here are the details for Gary’s funeral that I’ve been given:

The visitation starts on Saturday, March 8 at 11 AM, with the funeral to follow at 2 PM, at:

Haase-Derrick-Lockwood Funeral Home
800 Park Drive
Lake Geneva, WI 53147
(282) 248-2031

The funeral will follow at 2:00 PM. Word is there will be some kind of gathering afterward, perhaps at the Legion Hall where part of a couple of the earliest Gen Cons were held. (Gary founded Gen Con–my favorite event of the year–as well.)

I’m told it’s open to the public. Barring any disasters, I plan to be there. Anyone else?