Short Stories, Werewolves, And Rolling The Dice on a Book

There are a few things I've learned over the years as an author. Perhaps the biggest thing, and a lesson I learned early on in my career, was that selling the reading public on short stories (much less on short story anthologies) is really damn hard to do. Additionally, while there are a lot of folks who might read an ebook, convincing people to buy something that's ebook exclusive is also one hell of a marketing feat to pull off.

So, of course, my dumb ass proposed a project that was both a short story anthology and an ebook exclusive. And while I may have bitten off a little more than I can chew, I don't regret rolling the dice in the slightest. I might, however, need a little bit of help from all my regular readers out there to really pull out a decisive win on this one.

Seriously, check it out if you haven't yet!

Before I get into talking about this week's topic, remember to subscribe to my weekly newsletter to get all of my latest releases fresh in your inbox! And if you have a bit of loose change you'd like to contribute to help keep the blog going, consider becoming a Patreon patron! Every little bit really does help.

Lastly, be sure you're following all of my followables by checking out my Linktree.

The Seed of The Idea

For folks who don't know me, I spent a lot of my teenage years as an avid reader of RPG tie-in fiction. If you're not familiar with the term, it refers to stories that take place in the same world as a roleplaying game, and they're meant to act both as supplemental reading for folks who enjoy the game, but also as a funnel to pull in people who aren't players, but who might consider trying out the game after reading a story they really liked. From Battletech to Greyhawk, and Forgotten Realms to Bloodshadows, these stories were my introduction to so many worlds it's easy to lose track all these years later.

These books were extremely common in the 1980s and 1990s, and even up until a few years ago there were several companies putting out regular novels and short stories meant to keep their existing audience happy while luring in a new audience with tales of adventure and horror alike. I even managed to land one of my own short stories, The Irregulars, with Paizo during the Pathfinder Tales era. It's still available, for those who'd like to check it out!

Come on... you know you want to.

While there are still plenty of these books for sale, they aren't produced with anything near the regularity they once were. Which makes sense, because as many companies shift budgets and adopt different marketing strategies, this method of engaging the public likely wasn't as effective as others. Especially when you consider how much time, energy, and sheer sweat goes into publishing a book, and how easy it is for them to lose money rather than make it.

However, while reading through the rules and limitations on Storyteller's Vault (the community-use platform for White Wolf/Onyx Path RPG properties like Vampire: The Masquerade, Werewolf: The Apocalypse, etc.), I noted that it expressly allowed fiction to be set in the approved games provided that it was faithful to the published setting. While these stories had to be published on the Storyteller's Vault platform, and they could only be published in electronic format, it was still an option.

And, as they say, you miss 100% of the shots you don't take.

Why An Anthology?

After examining the options available, I decided to propose Tales From The Moot, an anthology of short stories for Werewolf: The Apocalypse that had the framing device of stories told by the various tribes of werewolves around their fires about the great deeds they'd done, horrors they'd witnessed, and so on. I took the idea to High Level Games because I felt that a book of short stories would pair nicely with the 100 Kinfolk project I'd penned for them previously, and that the two could act kind of like companion pieces.

But why an anthology, though?

After some back and forth on precisely what shape the project should take, and how much time and energy I wanted to sink into it, I eventually proposed it as an anthology for several reasons. The biggest among those included:

- Faster Turnaround Time: If you have half a dozen people writing a book, it gets done faster. That's just math.

- Shared Marketing Efforts: I have no illusions about the size of my audience, and I figured it would be easier to market a book with half a dozen other contributors helping out.

- Effort V. Return on Investment: I was more than capable of contributing 1-2 good short stories, but the more I had to put in, the more it would need to earn to be worth that effort.

There were also drawbacks to using this format, of course. For one thing the earnings would be split between contributors, meaning that each of us only gets about .30 per sale (which is less than my affiliate cut for actually selling a copy of the book through one of my links by about .10 for those who are curious). Additionally the more people who are part of a project, the bigger the chance there is for something to go wrong (someone has to duck out, there's delays caused by family or health crises, etc.). And there was definitely a lot of reshuffling, reaching out, and follow-ups that had to be done to finally get this project out in front of the reading public.

At the end of the day, however, I didn't expect this project to be some viral sensation that paid my bills for the rest of the year. What I was hoping to accomplish was that this book would act as a proof of concept that there was an audience out there for tie-in fiction, and that it was a viable product worth pursuing... in no small part because I'd like to write more stories about some of my favorite games.

So Why Am I Telling You All This?

I told you all that story so you would have context for what I'm asking this week. Because the one truth I've tried to drive home in my Business of Writing posts is that financial success and quality of writing are not really connected at all. Books full of great stories and interesting prose will languish in bargain bins unseen and unread, while poorly-written schlock climbs to the #1 slot and makes its creators rich beyond the dreams of mortal men. What decides a project's success isn't the talent or drive of the writers... it's the voice of the readers who scream for more.

Whether you're someone who enjoys RPG tie-in stories, a person who likes werewolves, or just somebody who wants to see me write more fiction in general, I would like to ask you to please check out Tales From The Moot. My goal is to get it to at least Copper sale status (51 sales), though Silver status (101 sales) would be preferred. If we manage the former goal, creators will make about $15. The latter would net us each $30 or so. More to the point, though, even selling that many (or that few, depending on your perspective) copies would mark this out as a success by RPG product terms.

So even if you're somebody who wouldn't usually pick up an ebook, or anthologies are something that is a once-in-a-while thing for you, consider giving this one your time and energy. Especially if you want to help lay the ground work for future projects that might range across the World of Darkness, into Golarion, and other settings with community use platforms that are ripe for new tales to tell!

Like, Follow, and Stay Tuned!

That's all for this week's Business of Writing!

If you'd like to see more of my work, take a look at my Vocal archive, or at My Amazon Author Page where you can find books like my noir thriller Marked Territory, its sequel Painted Cats, my sword and sorcery novel Crier's Knife as well as my recent collection The Rejects!

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!

3 Tips For Writing RPG Tie-In Fiction

Regular readers out there are aware that in addition to writing books about feline investigators and retired super soldiers (Marked Territory and 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.

Though this lovely project is fresh, and Werewolf fans should check it out!

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.

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 cat noir novel Marked Territory, its sequel 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!

"Ugh, Why Are You Writing That!?" Because It's What People Read, Champ

I've written a lot of different content over the years. I've tried different formats and genres, different subject matter, and different approaches. Some of it was well-received, and a lot of it has been ignored. However, I wanted to take a moment to answer a question that's been asked time and time again of me, and I imagine of a lot of other creators as well.

"Ugh, why are you writing that!?"

How I imagine most folks leaving these comments look.

Before I get into the meat of this question, remember to subscribe to my weekly newsletter so you don't miss any of my content! And if you have a little extra dosh that you'd like to use to support me and my work, consider becoming a Patreon patron.

Lastly, to follow all of my followables, check out my LinkTree as well!

It's Money. The Answer You're Looking For Is Money

This comment has been dogging me like a piece of gum stuck to the bottom of my shoe. It came up when I shared my gaming story That One Time My Bard Made The Dungeon Master's Girlfriend Jealous when someone demanded to know why I was wasting everyone's time with trashy drama. When I wrote Captain America is Chaotic Good and shared it around, dozens of commenters felt it was their duty to demand I explain why I'd shared a piece that would start so many arguments and flame wars in the comments. Even my article Can We All Finally Agree That White Supremacy is Bad? gets snide remarks from people demanding to know why I wrote something so obvious that there shouldn't be any discussion of it.

Ahem.

The short answer to all of these questions is as simple as it is obvious. I'm a professional writer, and when I create something I do it because I want it to earn money so that I can pay my bills, and maybe order a pizza on game night. And these articles, written in this particular way, got attention. In some instances 2-5 times the amount of attention as articles covering similar topics.

Is money the only reason I'll create content like this? No. Topics I find engaging, which fit a theme, which seem to gel with the markets I spend time in, and which I'll enjoy working on are also considerations that come into play. However, I labor under capitalism, which means that my art has to earn its keep if I'm going to pour time, energy, and effort into it. So while I might prefer to work on a sword and sorcery sequel to my novel Crier's Knife, put together an audio drama series, or maybe write an expansion book for a less popular RPG, I don't have the time and energy to spare to justify those things. Anything I write needs to bring in money ASAP so that I can afford to keep the wheels turning. As such, I end up creating content that is more likely to get noticed, get read, and ensure that all my bills are paid.

End of the day, it's basic cause and effect. If topics like this didn't generate a big (or at least bigger) response, and they didn't pay me as much as other types of content I'd prefer to be working on, I wouldn't write them. I'd spend my effort on other stuff with a better return on investment. But it's what gets people clicking and reading, so that's what I put out there.

You Want Something Different, Make it Profitable

If you, as a reader, want a creator you like to focus on a different type of content then you need to do everything in your power to make that a rewarding endeavor for them. Not just socially, but financially.

And I'm not just talking about throwing money at a writer to create the kind of content you want (but again, I have a Patreon, and I listen when my patrons make requests). If you wanted to see me write more Pathfinder Character Conversions, for example, then reading those articles and sharing them on social media to help them develop a larger following would mean continuing that series is now in my best interests. If as few as a dozen dedicated readers spread the word on it, that would create huge changes in my monthly figures. If you wanted to see me write another of my noir cat novels following up from Marked Territory and Painted Cats, then you could tell all your friends and family members about those books. You could also leave reviews, and get your library to buy copies, while also spreading the word on your social media about how much you like that series. That could snowball rather quickly, leading more people to take notice, read, review, and also demand more books.

Just saying.

Unless a creator is already wealthy enough they can just do whatever they want (and there's not a lot of us that fit that description) we are very likely to take notice when our audience makes it clear they want something. So if you want us to create different kinds of content, then you need to be the ones who boost the signal and get that other content seen. Because it's nice to want it, and we're glad you're enjoying it, but end of the day we need to be able to pay for all our necessities so we can keep the ball rolling.

Just something to keep in mind the next time you wonder why we wrote what we did.

Like, Follow, and Stay Tuned!

That's all for this week's Business of Writing!

If you'd like to see more of my work, take a look at my Vocal archive, or at My Amazon Author Page where you can find books like my noir thriller Marked Territory, its sequel Painted Cats, my sword and sorcery novel Crier's Knife as well as my recent collection The Rejects!

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!

Everything Old is New Again (Take Your Story Back to Basics)

An obsession among writers is that many of them feel their work has to be new, different, or unique in some way. They are always striving to re-invent, to re-imagine, or to alter the perception of an idea, a genre, or a story. And sometimes that genuinely leads to fresh perspectives and fun concepts that hadn't been explored on the page before... other times, though, it just leads to contorting something to try to make it look different without asking if it's actually more interesting to see it from that perspective.

So I wanted to take this week to suggest a trick I've been using a lot, and which I've had pretty good results with. In short, take whatever genre, tropes, story, world building, etc., you're using, and examine what it was before its latest incarnation. Because sometimes going all the way back to basics can really make you stand out.

You want vampires in your book, you say?

As always, before we get too deep into today's topic, remember to subscribe to my newsletter if you want to get all of my content sent to you every week. And if you want to help keep the blog going, consider becoming a Patreon patron... even a small donation makes a big difference.

Lastly, if you want to be sure you're following all my followables, check out my Linktree!

Elves, Vampires, Magic, and More!

Practically everything we use to tell our stories is built off of things established by earlier creators. Whether you're taking inspiration from the works of Tolkien, Howard, or Burroughs to write fantasy, you're drawing on folklore to populate your stories with monsters, or you're looking at folk heroes and ancient propaganda to form your semi-historical narratives, all of us are getting our ideas (if not our understanding of the raw elements of story) from somewhere.

However, as time has gone on, the ideas present in a lot of these stories have grown and changed, becoming different from what they originally were. And though it seems paradoxical, you can actually make a story feel more unique and different from its contemporaries by using something old in a new way.

Because I took my own advice on this one.

Folks who've read my novel Crier's Knife have said it has a distinct feeling of the bastard child of a pulp fantasy novel combined with a Western, which was very much what I was going for. However, in order to give it that old-time, sword and sorcery feeling I rewound the clock on how magic has often been depicted in fantasy novels. Rather than using Vancian magic (which became extremely common thanks to its prevalence in fantasy RPGs), or more modern "spell point" magic (where wizards, sorcerers, etc. have a certain pool of power they can draw on to achieve whatever effects they need), I used more ritual magic that was far more common to stories in the 1940s and before. Where the method of the magic isn't explained at all, and where the ingredients, actions, and sacrifices demanded are meant to give the audience the feeling of the spell rather than walking them through the internal logic of what it is supposed to do.

Aesthetic magic, if you will.

This is far from the only example of me using this method in my own work. It's also showing up a lot in my Sundara: Dawn of a New Age setting for Pathfinder and DND, and you can clearly see it in the elves and orcs books I've released where I've attempted to take some elements of Tolkien's original creation and show them in a different light. However, you've also seen this strategy at work if you've read Salem's Lot by Stephen King, where the celebrated author eschews the evolution of the sexy, tortured vampire and gets back to basics with a riff that's much closer Bram Stoker's original novel. You see this in more modern werewolf stories that reach back to the idea of a curse where the host has no control over what happens, and you could even see it in romance novels where the Norseman is the love interest because of his grooming and personal care just as much as because of his sword arm or linguistic skills.

There's two reasons this strategy works.

The first is that for older readers, they're seeing something familiar in a new light. It can bring back nostalgic feelings, and give them a new twist on an old recipe. The second is that for some readers, either due to their age or experience (or lack thereof) in the genre, your work will be the first time they've seen things written with those older aesthetics, rules, or sensibilities in place, which will make it feel new and unique to them.

In either situation, you come out ahead.

So if you're wracking your brain trying to re-invent the wheel, consider for a moment if you might actually make more progress (and get more interesting results) using an earlier design rather than attempting to build off of the version everyone already knows today.

Looking For Additional Reading?

If you're looking for additional stuff to check out before you go, might I recommend the following?

- 5 Tips For Creating Fantasy Towns and Cities: I've been up to my elbows in professional fantasy world building for most of this year, and these are the tips I've found most useful for making sure places feel organic, no matter how fantastical they are.

- The Silver Raven Chronicles Part One: Devil's Night: A free fantasy short story, this tale begins in the old quarter of the city of Kintargo. A rumor whispers in the corners of a ghost risen from the past to take Cheliax to task for allowing devils into its heart, and its throne room. Most don't believe it... but one of the city's dottari finds this ghost is all too real when it steps out of the shadows with a message for her to spread to her fellow enforcers. They are no longer welcome in his city.

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 cat noir novel Marked Territory, its sequel 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!

Leaving "Reliable" Work To Write Games and Fiction Full Time

If you've ever wanted to try your hand at being an author, a professional RPG designer, or any other creative career path, you've likely heard the warnings from the naysayers. It's not that they don't believe in your abilities or talent, but that you need to have, "something to fall back on." You need to have a "normal" job, even if that job is tangentially connected to your creative endeavors.

I took this advice... and it burned down rather spectacularly during the pandemic. So I thought I'd take this week to talk about how this is, largely, advice given by people who don't know what the hell they're talking about.

Never trust people who haven't been where you are, but speak as if they have.

As always, don't forget to sign up for my weekly newsletter if you want to stay on top of all my latest releases, and if you have the spare dosh to help me keep the lights on consider becoming a Patreon patron today!

And if you want to follow all of my followables, make sure you check out my Linktree!

Needs Be When The Devil Drives

I have been a writer as my main profession for going on a decade or so now. I've been a newspaper reporter, I've written for magazines, and I've blogged for dozens of websites and hundreds of clients. My goal was always to write novels like my hard-boiled cat series Marked Territory and Painted Cats, or to switch over to writing RPG supplements and gaming guides full-time, but those were always considered a "risky" use of my abilities. It was better, according to a lot of people who felt compelled to give me advice, to stick with business-oriented clients who needed ad copy for their sites, or articles for their blogs. After all, they weren't making games. They were serious people, and serious people paid their bills.

I am here to tell you all in no uncertain terms that this is utter horseshit.

This is a fact. Not a discussion.

On its face, it seems like sound advice. After all a plumbing company or an environmental clean-up business seems more grounded than a company that produces games or novels... but it overlooks the fundamental point that behind the colorful splash art and the rolling dice, these companies are also looking to make a profit. You're creating a product, no matter who it is you're doing the work for. And in that regard the clients are all the same; like bags of cereal once you take them out of the boxes.

And when the pandemic hit, all those serious-minded business clients who needed blogs about their home repair services, moving aids, or garbage clean-up? They folded up and blew away in the breeze. I had several thousand dollars worth of work waiting to be approved by these clients that just went up in smoke. Some had the decency to inform me an order was cancelled. Most just vanished without a word, leaving me to try to track them down. So I went from having a relatively steady stream of income from all my "day-job" ghost writing and blogging gigs down to a bare trickle, if that, around the late Autumn of 2020.

You know who didn't go anywhere, though? You know who had all the work I could handle, and then some? My creative clients. RPGs had been doing pretty well during the pandemic as more virtual games than ever before started up, and people needed new, fresh content to consume. People needed stories and books to read to stop themselves from going stir crazy as they stayed inside except for the most unavoidable of chores and errands. Which is why it was around this time last year that I dusted my hands and said I was done with so-called "safe" and "serious" clients who needed a blogger, a stringer, or somebody to fill text on their pages. Because when things got rough, they abandoned me en masse without so much as a peep.

How's It Working Out So Far?

Starting early in 2021 I increased my monthly output on RPG supplements and projects. I started my own fantasy RPG setting Sundara: Dawn of a New Age, which has covered location like Ironfire: City of Steel and Moüd: City of Bones, in addition to getting into metaphysical aspects of a setting with no alignment system in Gods of Sundara, or discussing how the creatures of the setting are strange and unique in the Species of Sundara series, which has covered elves, dwarves, orcs, halflings, and the Blooded (half-elves and half-orcs) so far.

That wasn't all I was doing, though. I also released two novels (Painted Cats, the second of my hard-boiled cat series, and Old Soldiers, which is a dystopia thriller about defunct super soldiers hunting down a conspiracy), in addition to a fair amount of World of Darkness content. From Evil Incorporated: 10 Pentex Subsidiaries, to 100 Mokole Kinfolk, to 100 Hobs To Meet in The Hedge, I put out 12 supplements for this setting when all was said and done.

And then money, yes?

The end result of all this work, and the massive archives of articles, supplements, novels, and even my patrons? Well, as the year draws to a close, it looks like it's going to earn me about $10,000 and change for the year. Some of you are likely staring at that number in shocked horror, wondering how anyone could survive on that. However, what I earned in 2020 with all of the safe, steady, business-oriented clients while I wrote stories and gaming content on the side was about $12,000 and change. A difference, but not one as significant as you might think.

Now, I am broke as hell doing what I do. I'm going full-bore, hitting that grind every day, and I make less in a year than some people make in a quarter. But something you should keep in mind is that among creative professionals (especially those who work primarily in RPGs), I'm considered above average. The idea that you can just write books, create games, and then kick up your feet and wait for the royalty check is an absurd fantasy that might have been true for a handful of people in the 80s, but sure as hell isn't the case today.

So if you want to help me (and other creators like me who are having just as tough a time), but a book, leave a review, and tell your friends about it when you're done. Or become a Patreon patron, leave a tip on my Linktree, or kick me a Ko-fi. Every little bit helps, and we really do need every penny if we want to keep the lights on at the end of the day.

Like, Follow, and Stay Tuned!

That's all for this week's Business of Writing!

If you'd like to see more of my work, take a look at my Vocal archive, or at My Amazon Author Page where you can find books like my noir thriller Marked Territory, its sequel Painted Cats, my sword and sorcery novel Crier's Knife as well as my recent collection The Rejects!

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!

Is Your Story Too Busy? (Plots, Subplots, And When Enough is Too Much)

I've said before on this very blog that if you're writing a novel you should feel free to spread out and sprawl a bit with your story. You've got a lot of word count to eat up, and if you're a genre writer you don't need to really start wrapping stuff up until you're within sight of 100k words. Today I'd like to look at the other side of that coin, though. Because there are a lot of writers out there who will toss everything they can think of into their story, but rather than stone soup, the result tends to be a big mess of ideas and ingredients that might have worked fine on their own, but just end up being overwhelming when put together in a single book.

Because it's possible to put too much in.

As always, before we get any deeper, remember to sign up for my weekly newsletter to stay on top of all my latest releases! And if you have a little extra dosh you'd like to donate so I can keep the lights on and the bills paid, consider becoming a Patreon patron as well. Or, if you just want to leave a little tip, check out my LinkTree!

How Much Is Too Much?

It's not uncommon for a story to have subplots. In fact some genres seem to almost require them in order to balance out what it's offering us. Because our main plot might be about a detective trying to catch a serial killer who's come out of retirement, but at the same time our protagonist may also be trying to be more present in their child's life in a way they weren't the first time this killer was running amok. Maybe they have some sort of counseling to fulfill, or there's a new romantic partner they're trying to get to know. Perhaps they're trying to produce a screenplay, or to write a novel of their older experiences on the force when they were young.

Now imagine trying to cram all of that into a single novel.

Even Dashiell Hammett would find that a handful.

The important thing to keep in mind when you're telling a story is that readers, even the best of them, are housecats. If you distract them too much, or you offer them too many toys, or you let hem wander off for too long, they're going to completely lose the thread of what you going on about. Worse still, they might decide there's just too much going on here and move onto something tighter and cleaner that holds their interest a little more strongly.

And that's before we discuss the question of whether you are capable of actually wrapping up all of the various subplots going on in your story and bringing the main tale to a successful completion. Some writers can. Some of us think we can, but end up biting off far more than we can chew.

I don't recommend foregoing subplots altogether. In fact, I highly recommend adding them into your stories. However, before you do so, it's important to ask yourself a few things. Is this subplot organic? Does it serve a purpose within this particular narrative? And lastly, is it going to be interesting to read?

Because if you haven't read this yet, you really should!

In Painted Cats, the main plot is Leo trying to track down a missing alley cat named Mischief as a favor to an old flame of his. While there's twists and turns to that, the A-Plot is finding what happened to this cat who up and vanished. There are two subplots in this story, though. The first is Leo building a relationship with Trouble, Mischief's kitten who just wants to find his mother. The second is resolving the history between Leo and Delilah, his old flame who comes asking for a favor in the first place.

Now, I could have excluded both of those subplots from the novel without doing a lot of damage to the main story. However, I think the book would have suffered if I cut out all the parts about Leo teaching Trouble how to fight, and how to be a tomcat since the kitten didn't have a father to pass on that knowledge. And while I could have just left things between him and Delilah on a mysterious note, I feel like it tied the story up nicely, and ended her arc without leaving a dangling thread.

There's other stuff I could have tried to include, if I wanted to. I could have put in a whole plot about Gino's deli getting in financial trouble, and Leo having to help out on Instagram by becoming a minor cat celebrity to bring in business. I could have worked in something about the ex-fighting dog Doc and a problem he was having at home. I could have expanded Lucky's role in the plot, or had Leo trying to settle beef with a minor gang lord to secure a favor. I didn't, though, because I felt those things would have interrupted the flow of this particular story, and the themes I was working with (showing that Leo is more than just a heavy, for instance).

Every story is unique, and some of them have more room in them for subplots than others. Some genres and setups lend themselves better to subplots than others, too. I've usually found, though, that you're best off if you can keep the subplot relevant to the story in some way, if it fits organically into your narrative, and if it shows something about your cast that the main plot won't in order to give your audience a fuller perspective.

If you can do that, you'll find that it all comes together pretty neatly by the end!

Looking For Additional Reading?

If you're looking for additional stuff to check out before you go, might I recommend the following?

- 5 Tips For Creating Fantasy Towns and Cities: I've been up to my elbows in professional fantasy world building for most of this year, and these are the tips I've found most useful for making sure places feel organic, no matter how fantastical they are.

- The Silver Raven Chronicles Part One: Devil's Night: A free fantasy short story, this tale begins in the old quarter of the city of Kintargo. A rumor whispers in the corners of a ghost risen from the past to take Cheliax to task for allowing devils into its heart, and its throne room. Most don't believe it... but one of the city's dottari finds this ghost is all too real when it steps out of the shadows with a message for her to spread to her fellow enforcers. They are no longer welcome in his city.

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 cat noir novel Marked Territory, its sequel 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!

If You Don't Have a LinkTree as an Author, You Should Get One

As I mentioned recently, I've been looking into expanding the platforms I create content for, and the ways in which I reach out to my potential audience. After all, insanity is doing the exact same thing and expecting different results, so when the numbers aren't what I want it's time to change what I'm doing. While I was asking questions about what one needs for success over on TikTok (my channel there, by the by, is TableTopTips for all the fans of tabletop RPGs who'd like to see my face), one of my friends mentioned that I should get a LinkTree.

Honestly, it was one of the better suggestions I've been given in a while. So I thought I'd talk about it today if you haven't come across this particular platform. And, of course, if you haven't been to my Linktree yet, go give it a look!

Come get all my nonsense all in one place!

Before we get any deeper into it, make sure you sign up for my weekly newsletter, and if you've got some spare dosh consider becoming a Patreon patron today!

All Your Followables in One Place

All right, so, what is Linktree?

At its most basic, it's a single link people can go where they can log in to all your various social media, crowdfunding, and other platforms in one place. This means that instead of listing out three dozen different places people can go to follow you and get all your updates, they can just click one link and it takes them to the hub of all your activity. From there they can choose to click and subscribe to what feeds they want, or just bookmark your Linktree since it lets you add links to recent articles, videos, and other forms of content for folks to check out in your feed.

Herding cats is tough... don't try to get them to do too much.

At my last check, my Linktree has my Facebook, Twitter, Patreon, TikTok, Amazon author page, email, Pinterest, and my LinkedIn. In addition to all of that there's a newsfeed to let folks checking out my page know what my latest and greatest updates are (and to bring them up to speed on older stuff). The platform even allows you to accept tips, which is why I have a box for that permanently in my top slot.

This does more than give your audience a convenient spot to check out all your various socials and platforms, though doing that would be enough given that it's free to use. It also gives you a single link you can put in all of your various communications. It fits neatly in your bio, you can slip it into your email signature, and you can link it in your articles without too much extra strain.

Will not getting one doom your career? No, not likely. But if you're a creator who's been trying to keep as many plates spinning as you can, while ensuring your audience can find you, it's a good idea to use Linktree to organize all your outlets, releases, news, and updates.

So give it a try! See if it helps cut down on some of the madness.

Like, Follow, and Stay Tuned!

That's all for this week's Business of Writing!

If you'd like to see more of my work, take a look at my Vocal archive, or at My Amazon Author Page where you can find books like my noir thriller Marked Territory, its sequel Painted Cats, my sword and sorcery novel Crier's Knife as well as my recent collection The Rejects!

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!