Is what I had yesterday. Exactly what the psychiatrist ordered.

Rather than piddle around with writing for Unknown Armies or MRQ like I planned (both effectively new projects) I stuck my head down and did a couple of hours on New Beginnings. This is the current working title of the book of HeroQuest scenarios I’m working on for narrators new to the game and Glorantha. As well as the scenarios, which have been run over the years at various cons as demos, each of the published HQ settings (Sartar, Lunar Empire and Sea) has a simple community that can be used as a starting community for new heroes. I’ve got the Lunar one done, which was easy since I love that setting. Yesterday I worked on the Sartar community (The Silverwind Tula), which I’m not as familiar with. As I fleshed it out I sat with a large pile of source books, cross referencing details. Overall I had a fun time, which is what needs to happen to keep me going at this. I also had a break through moment with my writing. For the first time I didn’t feel like I was writing blind, i.e. I’m writing a gamebook but I’m not 100% sure what its structure should be, and I was very happy with the result. Even at this stage I look at it and think, ‘yes this is what I want to see on the page, you could 100% use this in a game”. Admitly I’ve still got to get the thing peer reviewed before I send it of to the publisher, but it was a real leap forward confidence wise. Yesterday in hindsight was a real acid test of whether or not I carry on this games designer/writing lark with any degree of seriousness in the light of spawning, and I got a really good ‘yes you should’ feeling deep inside. Now I need to press on with more discipline (and less Rome Total War/Call of Duty 2).

Massive headway was also made on the Middle bedroom aka the office aka the new cluttered attic. Managed to throw out a huge bage of rubbish, mainly paper, and put things back in boxes. Now all thats left is to sort out a big pile of CDs/Magazines and other junk and then the room will be tidy. Then onwards to pulling out fitted wardrobes and replacing them with bookcases. This in turn leads to the realisation of the dream that I have had for the last ten years, of finally getting my books out of storage boxes on onto shelves!!!!