K&KA Module Writing Month!

PapersAndPaychecks · Post by **PapersAndPaychecks** » Fri Dec 01, 2006 1:18 pm

They could write their module with one hand and their novel with the other.

John Stark · Post by **John Stark** » Fri Dec 01, 2006 6:33 pm

olaberg wrote:
John Stark wrote:December is probably the worst month of the year possible to hold such a contest. The holidays and all the prep for them is coming down the pipe. I'd think after the New Year would make more sense.

Choosing December will probably put a big crimp in the number of submissions...

Just a thought.
It _should_ be hard. The idea is that the constraints fosters productivity, since you don't have time for all the "second thoughts". Jaaz do it!

Umm, yeah.

The contest is to "write a module in a month." Given that its the busiest month of the year means that the contest is really a "write a module in two weeks," given that for most people at least the last two weeks of December will be completely shot, between prep time for the holidays and then the holidays themselves.

For instance, my family will be spending the entire week of Christmas with us, and then my wife's family will be with us for the New Year's week afterwards. That means, at a minimum, of a week's worth of prep time for us ahead of time, and that doesn't include Christmas shopping!

So calling it a "write a module in a month" contest during December is a bit of a misnomer for those of us with families, and pretty much means I automatically won't be able to participate...

And if you think the busy holiday season fosters creativity... heh. Right.

olaberg · Post by **olaberg** » Fri Dec 01, 2006 8:35 pm

John Stark wrote: So calling it a "write a module in a month" contest during December is a bit of a misnomer for those of us with families, and pretty much means I automatically won't be able to participate...

Well, I agree that it is somewhat a misnomer. I have a family as well (incl kids and stuff), and I plan to use one weekend. You could do that too!

OTOH, we get to chose _what_ weekend during this month, right?

And if you think the busy holiday season fosters creativity... heh. Right.

I don't believe this. I know it.

"Write it in a month" is not to be understood as "You have a good chunk of 30 days, hooray!". It should be understood as "You have only 30 days".

If 30 days is too much for anything to be done at, 15 should do. Or less: the trick is to reduce the number of days, until you finally get something done.

Lack of constraints hamper us, while hefty constraints force us to produce.

Don't say to yourself: "This is impossible". Say to yourself: "It might be impossible, but what can I deliver during this one evening I have got?"

A part of an adventure? A random list of rumors, applicable in any campaign world? Just a small list of encounters?

That's good too! That's useful for others. The thing is, they would never have been produced if you have had unlimited amounts of time.

Too much free time is dangerous.

And don't block your creativity with negative "This is impossible"-thoughts.

If I can do it, you can do it.

Constraints is good! You get more done with less, than with plenty.

Mythmere · Post by **Mythmere** » Fri Dec 01, 2006 9:05 pm

I've started on mine. It's a Call of Cthulhu adventure in the classic 1920s setting. Feel fear. Mwahaha.

T. Foster · Post by **T. Foster** » Fri Dec 01, 2006 9:11 pm

I've already got the "plot" of my adventure (Traveller, Regina subsector, Fifth Frontier War) settled to the point I could probably run it this weekend if need be. Alas, actually nailing in all the details that I'd happily wing/improvise on my own and putting it all into writing will be the hard part...

Mythmere · Post by **Mythmere** » Fri Dec 01, 2006 10:22 pm

I've got to run mine tomorrow.

Glgnfz · Post by **Glgnfz** » Sat Dec 02, 2006 2:52 am

let's see if i can come up with some mentzer-d&d-module including barglesque evil and madness...

olaberg · Post by **olaberg** » Sun Dec 03, 2006 12:40 pm

Character generation chapter of my minimalistic take on OD&D done!

Now I need an extensive spell list. I need four spells per level and class, for the first two spell levels.

What about

Magic Missile
Sleep

northrundicandus · Post by **northrundicandus** » Sun Dec 03, 2006 2:57 pm

Mythmere wrote:I've got to run mine tomorrow.

Crushed in the dust of absent players.

Mythmere · Post by **Mythmere** » Sun Dec 03, 2006 5:24 pm

northrundicandus wrote:
Mythmere wrote:I've got to run mine tomorrow.
Crushed in the dust of absent players.

Yep. And with a good demonstration of Olaberg's "you get more done in less time" theorem, it's not done. Would have been if we'd been playing...

Flambeaux · Post by **Flambeaux** » Sun Dec 03, 2006 9:50 pm

Looks like my first opportunity to deploy OSRIC for the purpose of creating a module. It's been years since I wrote one, but now's as good (bad?) a time as any.

Great idea.

Mythmere · Post by **Mythmere** » Tue Dec 05, 2006 3:53 pm

Forum for the contest is found here: http://knights-n-knaves.com/phpbb/viewforum.php?f=46

Knights & Knaves Alehouse

K&KA Module Writing Month!

Sounds like fun!