What Publishing Questions Would You Like To See Covered on "Tabletop Mercenary"?

Regular readers around these parts know that this blog is divided into the Craft of Writing, and the Business of Writing. However, I also know that there are folks who function better with audio or video than they do reading through text. And since the 13th episode of my show Tabletop Mercenary is going live this Friday, I wanted to ask everyone here to weigh-in on something.

What are some questions you'd like to see answered on the show?

Before we get into the nitty gritty this week, don't forget to sign up for my weekly newsletter to get all my updates right in your inbox. Lastly, to be sure you're following all of my followables, check out my LinkTree!

Lastly, don't forget to check out my Vocal archive for additional fiction, articles, explorations of weird history, and more!

What Would You Like To See?

For those who aren't familiar with the program, Tabletop Mercenary is a show on the Azukail Games YouTube channel, and I usually put out between 1 and 2 episodes of the show a month. Not only that, but it's also backed up on my Rumble channel, The Literary Mercenary, for those who want to have multiple platforms to check it out on. I started the show about 8 months ago, and my goal with it is to (as the title of the first episode implies) pull back the curtain and explain what all goes on with the business and publishing side of tabletop roleplaying games.

Of course, tabletop RPGs are just a small section of the publishing industry as a whole. As such, a lot of the issues I cover, from affiliate sales programs, to getting good art for your books, to discussing community creation platforms, are things that will be useful for authors outside of the gaming sphere as well. So whether you're just starting out as an author, or you're an old hand with questions about how the landscape has changed over the past few decades, or you're just someone who has questions about publishing today, then my hope is this show will be a resource for folks like you.

So if you're the sort of person who regularly enjoys the content that appears on this blog, consider checking out this series. Not only that, but if there's a topic we haven't covered yet (check the link to the current playlist to see all the episodes out so far), leave it in the comments on one of the videos (or on this blog) so I can see it, and so my publisher can see it. Because those comments are far more likely to get turned into videos of their own in the future!

Lastly, we're currently trying to get the Azukail Games YouTube channel monetized, and we're only about 450 hours of watched content away from that goal! So if you want to do your part to help (and keep this little show going) please watch the episodes we've got up, and share the ones you like on your own social media pages! A subscription won't hurt, either, if you want to stay on top of all our releases, as well!

Support The Literary Mercenary

If you want to see me produce more work, consider some of the following options!

- My Facebook

- My LinkTree

- My Weekly Newsletter

- The Azukail Games YouTube Channel (where I contribute video content)

- My Rumble Channel (longer videos that won't show up on YouTube)

And if you happen to have some spare dosh lying around, and you want to be sure my supply doesn't run low, consider become a Patreon patron, or leaving a tip by Buying Me a Ko-Fi!

Also, if you're curious about how to write for tabletop RPGs, don't forget to check out my show Tabletop Mercenary, which you can find on both the Azukail Games channel, as well as my Rumble channel listed above!

Like, Follow, and Come Back Again!

That's all for this week's Business of Writing! For more of my work, check out my Vocal archive, or at My Amazon Author Page where you can find books like my sci-fi dystopian thriller Old Soldiers, the Hardboiled Cat series about a mystery solving Maine Coon in Marked Territory and Painted Cats, my sword and sorcery novel Crier's Knife, or my most recent short story collection The Rejects!

 

And to stay on top of all my latest news and releases, collected once a week, make sure you subscribe to The Literary Mercenary's mailing list. 

If you'd like to help support my work, then consider Buying Me A Ko-Fi, or heading over to The Literary Mercenary's Patreon page! Lastly, to keep up with my latest, follow me on Facebook, Tumblr, Twitter, and now on Pinterest as well!

Six Word Stories, Two Sentence Tales, and More Short Form Fiction

There are all kinds of writing exercises we do to practice our prose, spin up fresh ideas, and to create compelling characters. However, there are two fun little fictional exercises I would recommend more of us do because it helps is focus on brevity, and substance, which can be a problem for so many of us.

These two exercises are the 6-word short story, and the two-sentence tale.

Before we get into the nitty gritty this week, don't forget to sign up for my weekly newsletter to get all my updates right in your inbox. Lastly, to be sure you're following all of my followables, check out my LinkTree!

Lastly, don't forget to check out my Vocal archive for additional fiction, articles, explorations of weird history, and more!

For Sale, Baby Shoes, Never Worn

According to popular mythology, the six-word short story was created on a bet by Ernest Hemingway with a bunch of other writers over lunch. He said he could write a full plot in as little as six words, to which he penned For sale, baby shoes, never worn. on a napkin. While this account is much more mythology than fact, according to Open Culture, the exercise is still one that's worth pursuing. Because while it might seem simple on the surface, being able to actually tell a complete story in such a small number of words is extremely hard to do. Once you get used to doing it, though, it can tighten up a lot of your writing, and help you decide what flourishes are a necessity of the story, and which ones are just indulgent accessories that you should probably trim off.

There's a similar exercise for character creation in the World of Darkness tabletop roleplaying game as well. Because while you have a rather expansive sheet that details all the aspects of your character from their name, age, height, and weight, to what physical attributes they possess, to what skills they have, to what magic powers they do or don't wield, but there is a section near the top for a 3-4 word character description. Being able to break your character concept down to something as simple as, "vampire road captain," or, "werewolf computer hacker," may sound like a simple exercise, but it's tougher than people seem to think. However, as I've seen said on different parts of the Internet, if you can't explain something simply and concisely to someone else, then it's possible you don't actually understand it yourself.

In addition to these shorter forms of storytelling, there's one more that I would recommend folks try... the two-sentence tale. While most commonly used to write horror stories, like the ones I've linked in this article so far, you can technically use it to write any genre of story you desire... it just so happens that horror is the genre folks traditionally associate with the format. If you're looking for solid examples of this kind of story, I'd recommend listening to any of the audio dramas I've linked in this post (which can be found on my Rumble channel The Literary Mercenary), or checking out the print versions on Vocal:

- 50 Two-Sentence Horror Stories

- 50 Two-Sentence Horror Stories, Warhammer 40K Edition

- 50 Two-Sentence Horror Stories, SCP Edition

- 50 Two-Sentence Horror Stories, Cthulhu Mythos Edition

While you can't make a huge living off of these stories invidually (I've only gotten a modicum of traffic to these examples over the years, and it's barely been enough for some Taco Bell when all is said and done), I still recommend the exercise because it teaches you to really condense your thoughts, and to focus on bringing things across as quickly and concisely as possible!

Support The Literary Mercenary

If you want to see me produce more work, consider some of the following options!

- My Facebook

- My LinkTree

- My Weekly Newsletter

- The Azukail Games YouTube Channel (where I contribute video content)

- My Rumble Channel (longer videos that won't show up on YouTube)

And if you happen to have some spare dosh lying around, and you want to be sure my supply doesn't run low, consider become a Patreon patron, or leaving a tip by Buying Me a Ko-Fi!

Also, if you're curious about how to write for tabletop RPGs, don't forget to check out my show Tabletop Mercenary, which you can find on both the Azukail Games channel, as well as my Rumble channel listed above!

Like, Follow, and Come Back Again!

That's all for this week's Craft of Writing! For more of my work, check out my Vocal archive, or at My Amazon Author Page where you can find books like my sci-fi dystopian thriller Old Soldiers, the Hardboiled Cat series about a mystery solving Maine Coon in Marked Territory and Painted Cats, my sword and sorcery novel Crier's Knife, or my most recent short story collection The Rejects!

 

And to stay on top of all my latest news and releases, collected once a week, make sure you subscribe to The Literary Mercenary's mailing list. 

If you'd like to help support my work, then consider Buying Me A Ko-Fi, or heading over to The Literary Mercenary's Patreon page! Lastly, to keep up with my latest, follow me on Facebook, Tumblr, Twitter, and now on Pinterest as well!

Focus Yourself For Writing With A Slug of Dubby!

Writers, on the whole, have a reputation for consuming all kinds of strange substances while we're in pursuit of our craft. Hard liquor, beer, LSD, absinthe, opium, and even weirder substances have all crossed our desks, even though most of us tend to stick with the caffeinated trio of coffee, tea, and soda.

However, if you're looking for something unique to try to help you focus, and keep writing through the night, I'd recommend that you consider giving Dubby a try!

I'd recommend trying this stack, if you haven't yet!

Before we get into the nitty gritty this week, don't forget to sign up for my weekly newsletter to get all my updates right in your inbox. Lastly, to be sure you're following all of my followables, check out my LinkTree!

Lastly, don't forget to check out my Vocal archive for additional fiction, articles, explorations of weird history, and more!

Energy, Focus, and Word Count

This week's update is a bit of a Word From Our Sponsors, because I am part of the affiliate sales program for Dubby energy. However, I wasn't given a check for this review, nor was I sent any free product... I purchased the sample above, and I'm reporting on it of my own volition. However, after the experience I had, I have every intention of getting more of this to help me along in my own writing endeavors going forward.

And if you want to try some of this stuff for yourself, use the code LITERARYMERCENARY for 10% off of your order!

With that caveat out of the way, though...

So, what is Dubby?

The short version is that it's a powdered energy drink that you scoop out and put into your water, shake up, and drink at your leisure. It's got some vitamins, but mostly it's just a way for you to wake your system up, and focus your mind with some fast energy.

The Good

For the past week or so, I've been testing my 3 pack sample of Dubby. The flavors I got were watermelon guava, pink lemonade, and white peach, all of which were pretty tasty on their own. I did half doses of the packets, rather than the full dose, so I had more of a slow drip for the energy that comes with this product. However, even with a half dose, there was still plenty of energy in what I had. More importantly, though, the focus it provides isn't just a promise on the pouch. If you've got your manuscript in front of you, and it just needs you to put your fingers on the keys, this is definitely a solid jumpstart to your evening.

The energy hit (for me, at least) lasts about two hours or so, during which time I can focus well enough to get quite a lot of progress done on a piece. And, at least during my use of the product, the claim of no crash definitely appeared to be true. There was a point where I wasn't revved anymore, but I went back to my baseline standard, rather than dipping down into the negatives thanks to a crash.

The Bad

While there are a lot of good aspects for this product, there are some drawbacks that are definitely worth mentioning, as well.

First of all, while the taste is good, it was a little weak. At least part of that is likely because I was taking half doses of the product, rather than the full pouch. My way of getting around that was to mix it with a non-caffeinated soda like Squirt or Sprite rather than water, which helped fill in the taste gaps. You do have to take it stirred rather than shaken if you do it that way, though, as no one wants to shake up soda, and deal with the consequences (even if the Dubby shakers do work quite well).

The second drawback of Dubby, as a substance, is that there's always a little bit of powder silt left at the bottom of the glass. As a habitual coffee drinker I'm used to getting to the bottom of my cup and dealing with some of the grounds that snuck in, though, so this is just something that I've come to expect at the end of my caffeination experience.

Overall, Recommended

At the end of the day, Dubby won't make you a better writer, any more than it will make you a better gamer, a faster runner, etc. It's not some kind of miracle health drink, either... it's a mix-it-yourself energy drink. But it delivers on its promise of energy, it keeps you sharp, and it doesn't have a crash. It has a bit of a problem with dregs at the bottom of the cup, but other than that, I'd definitely recommend it.

As to which flavor... well, I'd recommend the Dragonade over the other two I tried, but I'm planning on getting my hands on some of the Dubsludge if I have my way!

Support The Literary Mercenary

If you want to see me produce more work, consider some of the following options!

- My Facebook

- My LinkTree

- My Weekly Newsletter

- The Azukail Games YouTube Channel (where I contribute video content)

- My Rumble Channel (longer videos that won't show up on YouTube)

And if you happen to have some spare dosh lying around, and you want to be sure my supply doesn't run low, consider become a Patreon patron, or leaving a tip by Buying Me a Ko-Fi!

Also, if you're curious about how to write for tabletop RPGs, don't forget to check out my show Tabletop Mercenary, which you can find on both the Azukail Games channel, as well as my Rumble channel listed above!

Like, Follow, and Come Back Again!

That's all for this week's Business of Writing! For more of my work, check out my Vocal archive, or at My Amazon Author Page where you can find books like my sci-fi dystopian thriller Old Soldiers, the Hardboiled Cat series about a mystery solving Maine Coon in Marked Territory and Painted Cats, my sword and sorcery novel Crier's Knife, or my most recent short story collection The Rejects!

 

And to stay on top of all my latest news and releases, collected once a week, make sure you subscribe to The Literary Mercenary's mailing list. 

If you'd like to help support my work, then consider Buying Me A Ko-Fi, or heading over to The Literary Mercenary's Patreon page! Lastly, to keep up with my latest, follow me on Facebook, Tumblr, Twitter, and now on Pinterest as well!

In Media Res- Get Stuck Into Your Story!

Gregory's fist came swinging for my face. I managed to duck, his knuckles glancing off my forehead. I kept my momentum, going into a low crouch and shooting forward. I rammed my shoulder up into his stomach, driving with my legs and wrapping both hands around the back of his knee. He folded under me, his breath rushing out of him as I rode him to the ground, slamming into his solar plexus. He struggled, lashing out, but he'd lost his coordination. I snatched his wrist and pulled, locking my legs around him in an arm bar. I pulled until I felt every tendon in his arm go stiff.

The sound of the whistle was piercing, and I immediately released my hold in an almost Pavlovian response.

No orders were given. I pushed myself to my feet, and offered my hand. Gregory took it, and I pulled him to his feet. We didn't exchange words as we changed partners. Mikhail stepped into Gregory's place. The whistle came again, and my heart started racing. Everything ceased to exist except for me, my opponent, and application of clinical violence.

Have you ever come across a story or a film like this? Where you're thrust into the middle of a high-speed car chase, a pulse-pounding shootout, or a violent street brawl, with zero context of what is going on? You don't know who the good guys are, who the bad guys are, what the inciting incident is... you just got thrown into the deep end, and you're trying to figure out what the hell is going on.

The term for this storytelling method is called in medias res, a Latin phrase that means "into the middle of things," and if you haven't used it, it's something I would highly recommend.

Who doesn't want to stay and watch the fireworks?

Before we get into the nitty gritty this week, don't forget to sign up for my weekly newsletter to get all my updates right in your inbox. Lastly, to be sure you're following all of my followables, check out my LinkTree!

Lastly, don't forget to check out my Vocal archive for additional fiction, articles, explorations of weird history, and more!

The Advantage of Jumping In With Both Feet

The major advantage of starting your story in the middle of the action like this is that it immediately throws your readers into an exciting situation. No matter the nature of the situation, whether it be a steamy encounter in an underground rave or a rooftop battle against a vampire, bringing your readers in like this provides an immediate hook that is likely to grab their interest. This is particularly true because it allows them to establish context as the story goes along, likely getting up to speed by the end of the first chaper (or the introductory scene if this is a short story).

The other advantage of an in media res opening is that it often allows you to do some literary sleight of hand that you couldn't get away with in other storytelling styles. For example, you could have a bloody shootout between a squad of cops and a gang of cartel enforcers with gunfire ringing out, and blood fountaining from wounds, only for a director to scream, "Cut!" so that you can reveal all of this took place on a film set, and the heroic, iron-jawed detective we were following is actually a Hollywood stuntman-turned-action star. You could also pull a time skip, showing that this scene is the ending of your book, before you rewind back to the start of events, with the audience wondering how you got to that opening scene, or even pulling a bait-and-switch with the scene your audience came in on being a scene from a novel the protagonist is actually writing. There are a lot of different advantages of this strategy.

However, as with any tool in your box, it's important to understand when to use it, and when not to.

Sometimes this isn't what you want to open up with.

Not every story is best with an in media res beginning. Some stories are more deliberately paced, or they benefit from a slow start that leads into the story as it goes. Whether it's a cloak and dagger spy story that wants to start with tension and lead up instead of smash mouth action, or a mystery where a slow ratcheting of danger is more of a benefit to the case as it unfolds, this isn't a tool that every story and every writing style will benefit from. Not only that, but this tool follows the same rules as monsters in horror movies... the less you see of it, the more effective it is. Because if the book starts off with an in media res scene, that can be an effective hook to snag your audience with... but if every chapter starts off that way, it reduces it to a gimmick. While there are always exceptions (such as an action comedy story where part of the joke is the unconventional nature of the writing), generally speaking this isn't a great strategy.

As with all advice, take this with a grain of salt, and remain true to what feels right for your story. But if you want to have a sharp slap in the face to start your story with, and you haven't given this particular method a try yet, play around with it! It may just be the thing that sparks the progress you want.

Support The Literary Mercenary

If you want to see me produce more work, consider some of the following options!

- My Facebook

- My LinkTree

- My Weekly Newsletter

- The Azukail Games YouTube Channel (where I contribute video content)

- My Rumble Channel (longer videos that won't show up on YouTube)

And if you happen to have some spare dosh lying around, and you want to be sure my supply doesn't run low, consider become a Patreon patron, or leaving a tip by Buying Me a Ko-Fi!

Also, if you're curious about how to write for tabletop RPGs, don't forget to check out my show Tabletop Mercenary, which you can find on both the Azukail Games channel, as well as my Rumble channel listed above!

Like, Follow, and Come Back Again!

That's all for this week's Craft of Writing! For more of my work, check out my Vocal archive, or at My Amazon Author Page where you can find books like my sci-fi dystopian thriller Old Soldiers, the Hardboiled Cat series about a mystery solving Maine Coon in Marked Territory and Painted Cats, my sword and sorcery novel Crier's Knife, or my most recent short story collection The Rejects!

 

And to stay on top of all my latest news and releases, collected once a week, make sure you subscribe to The Literary Mercenary's mailing list. 

If you'd like to help support my work, then consider Buying Me A Ko-Fi, or heading over to The Literary Mercenary's Patreon page! Lastly, to keep up with my latest, follow me on Facebook, Tumblr, Twitter, and now on Pinterest as well!