As regular readers know, I recently launched a new audio drama YouTube channel in partnership with Alice Liddell called The A.L.I.C.E. Files! While the overarching story of this channel is about the mysterious Carroll Institute and the new "Alice" that's been hired as a witness cataloger, that overarching narrative is punctuated by the stories she finds in the files themselves. These stories come from my and Alice's previously published works, and we're also drawing on public domain books and collections, as well as writing a few fresh stories to add to the collection.
My question for you all this week is a simple one. What stories would you like to see turn up on Alice's desk in Workstation 17?
We have a lot of things to draw on, after all...
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! And, of course, check me out on Blue Sky, since that's what we're talking about today!
We're Taking Requests Now (Because They Take Time To Make)
When we sat down to start this channel, I had a handful of dramatized story videos already in the bag. I've been updating them with fresh intros and outros so they add to the channel's overarching story, but these were the seeds of the project that we've been steadily planting over the past month and change.
- Suffer The Children (also from my collection The Rejects)
- An untitled story from the Exalted tabletop RPG
- A dramatization of my short story Devil's Night, from the Pathfinder adventure path Hell's Rebels
However, once we've finished with those episodes, we'll have a wide open field regarding what shows up on Alice's desk next. And that's why I wanted to take a moment to ask my readers what stories you'd like to see us tackle!
And I'm asking now because we still have some lead time. Because full audio dramas that last between 20 and 30 minutes aren't something we can just make in a single week. We have to check the scripts, corral the voice actors, edit, create the soundscape, create the video... it's a whole process! So we need to start slotting in our new audio dramas now to be sure they're ready in a month or two!
With that said, some of the options available include:
- Stories taken from public domain works, such as The King in Yellow, or the works of writers like Lovecraft, Poe, and other classic authors.
- Creepy pastas, such as the stairs in the woods, ritual games, and other instances that might come to the Institute's attention.
- Fresh stories that have never appeared anywhere else before, written just for the channel!
Whatever your vote is, please go to The A.L.I.C.E. Files Trailer, and in the comments leave your vote for the kinds of stories you'd like to see going forward! Please mention that this is in response to the Literary Mercenary post, so that we can keep track of how many folks are actually voting.
Also, if you want to help ensure that we have the momentum to make the episodes you're requesting, please subscribe to The A.L.I.C.E. Files, watch the episodes that are already up (it's only about an hour and a half of stories so far, so it's easy to binge), leave comments, and tell your friends about us! We're still growing, and doing our best to get this thing monetized so we can keep the wheels turning, and telling stories for all of you to listen to!
Support The Literary Mercenary
If you want to see me produce more work, consider some of the following options!
- The A.L.I.C.E. Files (where many dramatized versions of my stories can be heard for free)
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 above!
What got me thinking about this, though, is that's literally how all product marketing works. While our sneakers, fast food, and lip balm may not be physically addictive the way hard drugs are, the same marketing tactic often aims to create that kind of customer loyalty. It's why so many companies give out those little snack boxes, tee shirts, and travel-sized trial samples of their products. It costs them money in the short-term, but it also gets that product into the hands of people who may never have tried it in the first place, and who now want more of it.
If you tell stories for a living, this can be a way to help build your readership. "Can" being the operative word.
Don't worry... first one's always free!
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. Also, if you've got a bit of spare cash that you'd like to use to help keep the wheels turning, consider becoming a Patreon patron!
Lastly, to be sure you're following all of my followables, check out my LinkTree!
There's Still Other Obstacles To Overcome
On the surface, this seems like a simple enough proposal, right? You either hold a giveaway of one of your books, or you create a story that's expressly offered for free as a way to get readers' interest in the hopes they'll actually buy more of your books once they've had their free trial.
And in theory, it is that simple. In practice... not so much.
Just go for it! The jump isn't THAT far...
Price is just one reason people aren't reading your work, and in some instances it isn't even the biggest reason. If you don't have a huge following of people subscribed to your social media channels and boosting your work, then the algorithm may be strangling your signal so that no one actually hears you. You might be writing in a genre folks aren't a huge fan of, or your elevator pitch might need some work. Some people may not like reading electronically, while others are looking more for audio so they can listen to your stories while doing something else. Maybe your samples are decentralized, making them difficult for folks to find more of even if they liked one of them.
The list is legion, and it's daunting as hell.
However, as I so often tell people, you can't win the game if you don't roll the dice. While free samples may not be the perfect solution for building your audience and brand, they can make for enticing bait when you're fishing for new readers. So don't depend on them alone to get people interested, but at the same time, remember there are folks out there who will become supporters because you gave them that "no strings attached" taste of what you can do.
And remember, stories aren't like chocolate chip cookies or loaves of bread; they don't have a shelf life. So just because you gave them out once, that doesn't mean you can't hand them out over and over again until you reach the people you need to.
Speaking of Free Samples...
If you made it this far, and you're one of those people who enjoys trying a bunch of different flavors any time you're at an ice cream parlor, I've got a treat for you. I've put out a lot of free stories over the past few years, and I thought that since this was my topic for the week that I'd collect and categorize them for folks who are looking for something to kill a bit of time with.
For those who enjoy these tales, I have full books on the market as well! However, even if you don't have the money for making purchases right now, sharing the stuff you like on your social media channels so that it gets more attention is also a big help (especially for the audio, since I'm still trying to build that YouTube audience). So make sure you follow my social media pages linked at the end of this post, and subscribe to any channels whose content you enjoy!
Now, without further ado...
Pathfinder Tales
Folks who've been following my work for a while know that one of my earliest publications in the RPG world wasn't actually for game mechanics; it was the short story The Irregulars which was part of the Pathfinder Tales series by Paizo. To recapture some of that high-fantasy fun, I thought I'd do something similar and write a pulpy series of shorts following my current game group's run through the Hell's Rebels adventure path.
The city of Kintargo is under the bootheel of Barzillai Thrune, who has brought the iron fist of the hellknights of the Order of The Rack to quash any independent ideas running through the populace. This hardline stance, though, has inspired a ragtag group of revolutionaries who want to break Thrune's hold on their city. In their search they've found references to a group that's been all but scrubbed from the history books... the Silver Ravens! Adopting their name and mantle, these revolutionaries set about trying to free their city. Thrune won't let go without a fight, however, and then there's wild cards in the deck... like the mysterious Ghost of Old Kintargo who appears when the Silver Ravens need his aid, and then vanishes just as suddenly!
I am a long-time World of Darkness/Chronicles of Darkness fan, and I find the setting absolutely fascinating in a lot of ways. It's why I've released a good deal of content for players and Storytellers, including my 100 Kinfolk Project Bundle for Werewolf: The Apocalypse, along with supplements like 100 Resources and Rumors to Find on SchreckNet for Vampire: the Masquerade and Buyer Beware: 10 Goblin Markets for Changeling: the Lost. However, mixed in with these supplements I've been testing the waters with short fiction pieces as well.
For example, if werewolves are your thing, then you should check out Tales From The Moot. And if you're not sure this is an anthology you really want to spend a couple bucks on, you can read the introduction story for free! It's by yours truly, and it sort of establishes the framing device for the book going forward.
Or if you're a fan of audio dramas and short fiction, then you should check out this little piece about a Nosferatu trying to make contact with a fellow lurker, taken from the SchreckNet collection above.
Or for those who prefer their skullduggery to have a faerie flavor, you could follow along with this story as a Winter Court handler meets with one of his field agents after dealing with enemy operatives, taken from 100 Mourning Cant Dialects, Phrases, and Meanings.
The most recent piece we have, which I titled "Hedge Caller," is also up now. The first in a series of small adventures featuring the Hedge guide Jacoby, it gives us a little insight to the bizarre things that can happen in the Hedge.
As mentioned above, make sure you subscribe to the Azukail Games YouTube channel if you like these, and want me to keep doing them! The publisher pays attention to numbers, and the more subscribers and views I bring in, the more of these I can make, and the more involved they'll be able to get.
Warhammer 40,000
In case my love of grim, dark things didn't give it away, I'm a fan of the Warhammer 40,000 setting. I find its sprawling nature fascinating, and the sheer amount of potential it offers intriguing. And it was out of a desire to add a few drops of my own to the bucket that I wrote a couple of tales set out in the blackness of the far future.
- Waking Dogs: A World Eaters Tale: On a lost and unimportant battlefield, one of the infamous World Eaters space marines stares around him. Amidst the blood and carnage, he remembers a time when he had a greater purpose. When all the violence meant something. In that moment a sea change happens within Crixus, and the War Hound aims to remind his erstwhile allies that this old dog still has his share of tricks.
- Field Test: When Inquisitor Hargrave came to New Canaan days before an ork rock was going to hit, she promised them a weapon that would wipe out the greenskins. Caught up in the fury of movement and preparation, all the people on the world looked to the skies... but the inquisitor's weapon was right there, moving among them and ready to be unleashed with a single command.
Now, while I would ask everyone interested in these tales please read the text versions linked above (and share them to help me get eyes on the stories), as I said above I know that digital reading isn't everyone's cup of tea. Which is why I wanted to let folks know that the very talented A Vox in The Void has done dramatic readings of these stories. So check out both versions, see which ones you like better, and subscribe to his channel while you're there!
My Novels and Independent Short Stories
In addition to tinkering in existing worlds and universes, I also create quite a lot of independent, original content. I've got several novels on the market, all of which have pretty generous free samples to help you decide if this is the kind of book you want to dedicate your time, energy, and wallet to. And I've also got some free short stories that you can take a peek at, as well!
- The Rejects: A collection of short stories that always wound up as bridesmaids but never brides, I decided it was time to give them a home of their own. The first story in the collection, Dressing The Flesh, is a tale about a homeless kid on the streets of Chicago trying to find a missing friend after a blizzard. He winds up in the teeth of a monster worse than the storm outside, but Ace still has a card up his sleeve.
This story was also read by yours truly at the start of the pandemic, so take a listen if that's your preferred medium!
- Crier's Knife: A sword and sorcery novel, when Dirk Crier's cousin goes missing, it's his job to track the boy down and haul him home again. If he's alive, so much the better, but if he's not then Dirk aims to be certain he has plenty of company on the dead man's cart.
- Old Solders: The Myrmidon were made during the war with the Hyperion that reduced the Earth to a polluted, subterranean wasteland. They helped win the conflict, but now Pollux wanders through this city like a ghost, unsure of where he belongs in a world that no longer needs him. Trying to build a life, and to grapple with the demons that live in his head, he's starting to get his feet under him again. When an assassination attempt fails, though, he rounds up what's left of his old squad, and opens the caches they stashed just in case... whoever was behind this is going to learn they should have just let these old soldiers fade away.
- Marked Territory and Painted Cats: Leo is a Maine Coon bruiser who likes to keep his nose out of other people's business... but problems just keep washing up on his doorstep. From helping out a church mouse on the south side and uncovering a turf war that makes no sense, to helping track down a missing cat for an old flame, Leo just can't stay away from old friends, and new enemies.
Regular readers out there are aware that in addition to writing books about feline investigators and retired super soldiers (Marked Territoryand Old Soldiers respectively), I also write a lot of content about tabletop roleplaying games. In fact my more popular blog, Improved Initiative, is all gaming all the time. And while I've been a regular gamer for going on 20 years now, before I ever picked up a set of dice I found myself drawn to RPG tie-in stories. From the Dragonlance books to the Elder Scrolls novels, and from comics about the World of Darkness to books like Hell's Feast, these stories gave me a glimpse into wild, fantastical worlds. They made me want to learn more, dive deeper, and in many instances made me excited for the prospect of playing in a setting I'd only ever read about.
And since RPGs are having a huge boom at present, I figured it was a good time to roll up my sleeves and dig into producing more tie-in tales myself. For those who want to do likewise, allow me to offer some advice from the trenches on this one.
A list of my current game tie-in work can be found down at the end, for folks who want to check my bona fides.
As always before I get too deep into stuff, remember to subscribe to my weekly newsletter if you don't want to miss any of my updates. And if you have a little coin to spare, consider tossing it my way by becoming a Patreon patron to help keep the wheels turning!
Lastly, to make sure you're following all of my followables, take a look at my Linktree, too!
Tip #1: Don't Write Stories That Alter The Setting
And then the archfiend was redeemed, and hell shook to its very foundations!
Tie-in fiction is meant to bring the readers into the world. For readers who are familiar with the game and the setting, it's an interesting romp through an adventure, mystery, or campaign where they get to see a familiar place through unfamiliar eyes. For readers who aren't familiar with the setting, though, these stories may be their first exposure to what this world is like. As such, it's important to make sure that your depictions are faithful, but also that you don't change major parts of the canon as that will just end up confusing readers on both sides of the aisle.
As an example, if you're writing a story set in the world of Golarion then it's important to make sure you have your city names, directions, historical events, etc. accurate to the game world. It's equally important, though, that your story doesn't make huge changes to the setting by the end of the tale. Whether it's your protagonist slaying named creatures in the world, the fall of particular empires, or even the death of gods, your story shouldn't cause changes big enough to require edits being made to the maps, bestiaries, and setting bible going forward.
While this is often stated directly in content use platforms such as Storyteller's Vault, Pathfinder Infinite, etc., it's important to keep in mind as this is something you should be thinking about right from the get-go.
Tip #2: Make It Accessible to Everyone
And the Great Mother cast her Mystery, and the Avernian Gate yawned before us...
Some people who read tie-in fiction are already familiar with the game and setting. In a lot of cases they're reading these stories precisely because they love this game and setting, and they want more stories about it to enjoy. There are also going to be people who have no clue what it is you're talking about, and who are immediately going to lose interest if you start throwing around a bunch of locations and descriptions like they're supposed to know what those terms mean.
Your story needs to be enjoyable by both of these groups.
As with anything else, you need to introduce your reader to the setting, and give them flavorful, interesting descriptions to really bring them into things. Treat it the same way you would as if this was a world and setting entirely of your own invention, and you had to educate your readers about what all your terms mean, how magic works, and what creatures exist in this world. If you focus on doing that then you'll have a story that the former group will still enjoy, but which the latter can read, and use to draw themselves even deeper into the world as they follow the adventure.
Tip #3: Tell The Stories in Your Own Voice
The rule books are great... but they're just a guideline for your story.
One of the flaws I noticed early on when reading a lot of the tie-in novels that were popular in the late-80s and early 90s was that many of them felt like they were quoting the rule books as far as the world descriptions went. It's one thing to maintain a consistent style, but it's another thing entirely to use descriptions of spells, magic items, etc. that felt word-for-word taken right out of the reference guides. Toward the end of my obsession with tie-in fantasy RPG novels it often felt like the writers should have included footnotes with the book title and page number that particular spells, classes, and magic items could be found on, and that really dragged down the narrative for me as a reader.
Don't do that. Even if you're talking about a noted place in the game setting, or you want to use an ability or power that's detailed in the rules as they're already written, you need to put it in your own words. Keep the description in-line with what already exists if that's what serves the story best, but don't feel the need to break your flow in order to quote the way a fireball is cast, or to copy/paste the description of a holy avenger into your story.
You are the unique voice of this tale. Don't bring yourself down by stopping to make sure you're quoting chapter and verse as long as you're keeping the story between the lines.
How Can You Be Sure I Know What I'm Talking About?
For all the folks looking for my list of bona fides, I figured I'd list them here so you can check them out at your convenience. First, the official pieces:
- The Irregulars (Pathfinder Tales): Molthune is revving its war machine for conquest, and if no one stops them they may finally succeed in conquering Nirmathas to the north, and taking a bigger place on the world stage. It's up to a small squad of Andoran irregulars to throw a wrench into those gears before the war drums truly start beating.
- Tales From The Moot: The tales told round the moots by the garou are how they learn their history, and spread the deeds of greatness throughout the nation. This anthology features an introduction story by yours truly, as well as the short story "Late Bloomer" about a Silver Fang whose first change finally comes at the worst (or the best) time... while his unit's chopper is being shot down over the mountains of Afghanistan.
The above audio drama by A Vox in The Void is a reading of my Warhammer 40K story "Almost," and I would highly recommend checking out the channel if you enjoyed that short. Also check out the following, free stories!
- Waking Dogs- A World Eaters Tale: Crixus remembers little throughout the long war. But in a moment of clarity on a forgotten rock, the World Eater remembers who he used to be. Will this former War Hound shake off the leash, and remind his fallen brethren that some of the old dogs still have their teeth?
- Silver Raven Chronicles Part One: Devil's Night: Kintargo has always chafed under the rule of Cheliax, and the burning fires of Devil's Night was a statement that the city would fall in line... but Kintargo has a guardian spirit, and the Ghost isn't going to relinquish his hold without a fight.
- Silver Raven Chronicles Part Two: From The Ashes: Though the fires of Devil's Night have been put out, the citizens are far from cowed. Bloodied and angry, it's clear that Kintargo isn't going to just roll over and show its throat... which leads to Barzillai Thrune literally turning the hounds of hell loose on the citizens. This is only going to get worse.
- Silver Raven Chronicles Part Three: The Raven's Nest: Oddfellow Bodkins has had some weird jobs, but this one might just take the cake. The private detective has been involved with movers and shakers before, but this cadre has big names, and cast long shadows. He can smell trouble, and if he's right it's going to rip Thrune out by the roots by the time all is said and done.
Tie-in fiction is, generally speaking, fiction that is based in an existing universe. Whether it's the Star Wars extended universe novels, the books concerning the adventures of Drizzt Do'urden in the Forgotten Realms, or even video game novels for those who read the series based on Doom in the 90s, all of these are tie-in fiction because even if the characters and plots are unique to the author, the world they take place in is still not their own intellectual property.
It's something I'm passingly familiar with.
While I'm no stranger to writing tie-in fiction with stories like The Irregulars and Devil's Night in Pathfinder's Golarion universe, or my tales Almost and Waking Dogs for Warhammer 40K, it is something I'm considering increasing my efforts on in the future. And for those who are thinking on doing the same, I thought I'd take this week to talk about some of the pros and cons these projects come with... especially for folks thinking about trying their hand at their own.
Before I get too deep into the details, though, don't forget to sign up for my weekly newsletter if you want to get all my updates sent right to your inbox. And if you want to help me keep the wheels turning and the content fresh, consider becoming a Patreon patron... every little bit really does help!
The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly
Because everything has pros and cons to it.
Let's start with the good things, shall we?
First and foremost, one of the biggest benefits of writing tie-in fiction is that a lot of the major aspects of the world and setting are already taken care of for you. Everything from how magic works (or doesn't), to what species exist, to what important world events have happened on the timeline are already part of the world structure. As a creator you don't have to wrack your brain doing all that heavy lifting and world building because it has, for the most part, already been handled for you. All you need to do is take this big bucket of ideas and setting, and tell a story using the tools provided.
As someone who has been doing so much professional world building this year that I wrote 5 Tips For Creating Fantasy Towns and Cities just to share some of my insights, I can appreciate projects that have the foundation laid for me.
The other major benefit of tie-in fiction is that it comes with a pre-selected audience of readers. Whether the story is set in a comic book universe, features a video game tie-in, or it's based in an RPG setting, fans of that universe/property are more likely to check it out. People love the familiar, and it is a lot easier to get people to read something in a familiar setting, or even with familiar characters, than it is to get them to invest time, energy, and cost into an untested universe.
But what about the downsides?
There are downsides to tie-in fiction, too.
Because large aspects of the world are already set in stone, it can limit your options as a storyteller. You often can't change too much in the way of a setting's magic or technology, for instance, and you have to respect the timeline and world events as they're established. This can make certain kinds of stories impossible to write in a given setting, and it may discourage you from certain tones and genre notes as well, which can be frustrating.
Perhaps an even bigger frustration, though, is when it comes to who is allowed to write tie-in fiction, who isn't, and under what circumstances.
For example, you can usually write fiction for established settings as long as you aren't directly making a profit off of it. I say usually because companies can still sweep in and hit you with a Cease & Desist any time you use their intellectual property without permission, though this often becomes a matter of optics and practicality rather than finances when creators are doing things just for fun, or when their work is increasing engagement with a property. This isn't an issue with properties in the public domain (things like Norse mythology, Arthurian legend, and characters like the Scarlet Pimpernel or the Phantom of The Opera), which is why you see so many different takes on those older works. Lastly, if a setting has a community content program then anyone who follows the established rules can write stories in that setting and get paid for them.
The real question, at the end of the day, is whether writing tie-in fiction is going to be a net plus for you as a creator. And the answer unfortunately is... it depends on your goals?
Whether you want to use free tie-in fiction to draw attention to yourself as a creator in hopes that readers check out your original content, or you want to use the pre-built audience in order to sell copies of something made through a community content platform, the specifics are going to vary based on what you're trying to do, how active the community is, and just how big the desire for your particular type of tie-in is.
At the end of the day, it's a roll of the die. And while that die might come up a one, it could also come up a 20... you won't know if you don't try!
