I have moved on to a new state, a new state of mind, and yes, a state of change, definitely, and a new-found state of happiness.
In one month I will tie the knot with my better half, a professional writer and feature blogger from France. More on this as it transpires. I remain coy at revealing too much of my personal life but as her and I develop new projects together more of our life plans and intellectual partnership will be revealed.
Black Blade Publishing is reprinting the following RPG titles of mine, with the aim of cross issuing them under the DCC RPG system published by Goodman Games:
Garden of the Plantmaster (to be released in the next 6 months)
City of Brass (the original as finished by me) (release date tentative mid next year)
Cairn of the Skeleton King (GaryCon release date or sooner)
Tower of Blood (GaryCon release date or sooner)
I am currently finishing a very large project, Horsing Around, which is a fan-fold mapped special level for Greyhawk Castle (1974). This will include an extensive historical/design essay on Greyhawk Castle and the Lake Geneva Original Campaign as run by myself and my counterpart, then, Gary Gygax.
After that comes the Machine Level and Ice Grave.
I am at 120,000 words written on my tour de force, A New Ethos in Game Design: The Paradigm Shift Originated by Dungeons & Dragons™ 1972-1977
The book, a seven year research and writing project, was put on temporary hold due to my move, my upcoming marriage and the need to fulfill outstanding publishing contracts. A very small particle of it will possibly be excerpted for an interview with a Swedish RPG 'zine that I am in the midst of answering questions for (editor: Björn Wärmedal). More news on this as I get grounded on the many things that are transpiring. My rough estimate for wordage on this is 200,000, plus diagrams. This baby wants to be birthed, it demands it, so I am splitting my endeavors between this project and game design lest I lose contact with the former. An editor has been assigned to the project (more on this development as everything unfolds).
Other news tidbits: I have canceled all convention appearances for the next year due to my busy schedule; to contact me go through Black Blade Publishing for now.
For all of you creative, spontaneous designers and thinkers out there I leave you (for now) with a quote from Viola Spolin. See you 'round the about...
"Through spontaneity we are re-formed into ourselves. It creates an explosion that for the moment frees us from handed-down frames of reference, memory choked with old facts and information and undigested theories and techniques of other people's findings. Spontaneity is the moment of personal freedom when we are faced with reality, and see it, explore it and act accordingly. In this reality the bits and pieces of ourselves function as an organic whole. It is the time of discovery, of experiencing, of creative expression."
