Experience Points - 2014 Resolutions

Happy holidays, readers! I hope your holiday week has been great so far, and that you have much to look forward to! As for me, I believe I have narrowed down my list of New Years Resolutions to the point of posting them for the world to see. The goal for my resolutions this year was to have a list that is not abstract, but is concrete, easy to track, and easy to measure how well I am progressing. As always, if you have any questions, comments, concerns or criticisms, please let me know!

Happy Holidays from Experience Points!

Hello readers! It's been a while since I've updated the blog, so here's a quick recap of the last few weeks, as well as some minor plans for the near future.

The holidays have been busy and hectic as I bounce from one part of the family to the other, balancing work, work, writing, friends, family, and girlfriend. In actuality the business is a blessing and I welcome it with open arms. I am very fortunate to have such wonderful people in my life, even if scheduling can get stressful at times.

I have been continuing to work on three different projects at once, as is my way, while also throwing down the groundwork for a new pet project in the future. The print format of the Round 10 Core Rulebook is at a solid start, but it will not be ready by the end of the month, as originally expected. I think, when it comes to releasing books, I'm going to stop posting my expected release dates, as I can never seem to stay on top of them. Additionally, I am tightening up the writing of the first adventure module for R10, Operation: Heavenly Discord, which should be ready for digital download in the near future. And finally, I am starting to revise and piece together the sections of the Zimildran Setting Module for R10, which should be ready for publication sometime next year. Add to this the fact that I am also developing a second tabletop game that may or may not see release, as well as trying to balance every other aspect of my life, and I hope you can understand why my blog has been so silent as of late.

As for the future, I've said this before, but it is something that needs to happen and I plan to hold myself more accountable from here on out. Unlike years prior, I will be holding myself to a set of resolutions for this coming new year. Where once my resolutions were abstract and difficult to define, such as 'be a better friend' or 'be more creative', this year I plan to make the resolutions concrete and easy to track. Also, they will be recorded here, in my personal journal, and posted on my fridge at the apartment, so that I will always be well aware of their importance. As resolutions in years past have been about myself and my relationships with others, these ones will almost entirely be about me and my work, with Round 10, online publishing, illustration and game development. I am excited to share the resolutions with you when they are finalized!

As always, thank you so very much for your continued support and readership. If you have any questions, comments, concerns or criticisms about the blog, Round 10, or my writing in general, please email me at lostlegacyrp@gmail.com. Check out my Current Creative Projects page to see what I'm officially working on, and keep up to date with all of your Round 10 needs at the Round 10 Website, Round 10 on Facebook, and by getting Round 10 from RPGNow!

Round 10 Core Rulebook PDF is available!

Yes, finally, the Core Rulebook for the Round 10 Role-Playing Game System is now available for digital purchase as a PDF from RPGNow. Simply click this link to go to the book's page!

The Print-On-Demand should be available by the end of the month, as formatting for PoD is more time intensive than I originally expected. However, until then, you can get exposed to the initial Round 10 experience, a 217 PDF document, for only $19.99!

What does this mean for my other writing projects? Well, Elephants in the Living Room is postponed. It is still my goal to get it out before Christmas, but now with Round 10 making noticeable headway, my drive and effort is more easily placed in that venue. My other, mentioned-but-not-elaborated-upon, writing project is also postponed, likely until early 2014. My apologies to anybody who has been waiting for either of these, but my guess is that those individuals are few and silent. However, if you are waiting on those, then feel free to check out Round 10 until they release!

All jokes aside, I have always been one to undertake more projects than I can adequately finish in a reasonable time. And so I end up, weeks later, finding that I've over-committed and under-delivered. My apologies, but Round 10 has been almost 3 years in the making, and the excitement of it finally hitting digital shelves is too much for me to ignore right now.

As always, feel free to leave your feedback here. Check out the Round 10 website, Facebook page, and get the Quick Start Guide for free. Thank you so much for your continued support, and I hope to only continue to deliver quality written products to all of you, be it in the tabletop gaming venue or the digital creative writing venue.

NaNoWriMo - Oh yeah, I was writing something...

I once again prove to be not very disciplined. It is now November 22nd, and I finally got some more writing done in my NaNoWriMo project. About another 3,000 words. I'm either not going to make the goal (again), or I'm going to have one crazy last week of November.

In addition to my creative writing project, it turns out that 'Elephants' parts 2 and 3 will be combined into a single part, since the word count of what would be part 3 is much lower than I originally expected. I do still expect to have that edited, revised and published for December 5th, so keep your eyes peeled.

If I can get this second creative piece ready for January 5th, I'll be a happy writer.

And finally, as far as Round 10 work goes, final edits have been made for multiple sections. We are fast approaching the release of the Core Rulebook, only 6 months behind schedule! Stay tuned for where and how you can get your hands on a copy!

This post is really just a generic update, and also a plug. Make sure you check out the Round 10 website, my book 'Elephants in the Living Room - Part One' on Amazon (be kind and leave a review!), and Round 10 on Facebook.

NaNoWriMo - A Late Start

Well my friends, National Novel Writer's Month is upon us, and I am already behind. As of today, it is November 6th, and the goal for any NaNoWriMo participant is to write a 50,000 word story by 11.30, averaging a goal of 1666 words every day.

Today I sat down to start towards that goal, and got to 3762. A decent start, and one that will easily erase my word debt if I keep my current pace.

I won't release anything of the plot, premise or characters other than to say it is fantasy/fiction. More will be revealed as it fills out throughout the month.

Elephants in the Living Room - Part 1 (Release Notes)

As of today, November 5th, 2013, the first part of my story 'Elephants in the Living Room' is available through Amazon for digital purchase for $2.99. It's about 108 pages long, in and around 44k words, and will be followed by two pieces of similar size, which will round out the 'Elephants' story.

Elephants at the Door

I finally did it. As of today, November 4th, I have submitted the first third of my novel, 'Elephants in the Living Room', to Kindle Direct Publishing. By tomorrow morning it should be available for purchase. It feels strange. Scary and euphoric all at once.

In editing and revising the piece these last few days, I questioned whether or not I should rewrite it from the ground up. The language it uses is very indicative of the time I originally wrote it, which was nearly seven years ago now. It doesn't sound like my current writing. However, I decided to leave it as-is, since the tone, diction, and overall feeling is very important to the story being told. No use screwing up that by injecting current-me's attitudes and language.

Anyways, I will post a link when it is up for sale. The only thing holding it back right now, that I can see being an issue, is the fact that there are other pieces with very similar titles. But it shouldn't be too hard to make any necessary changes.

Stay tuned to Experience Points for more info on how you can get a hold of your own digital copy of my first book!

What is a Writer who doesn't Write?

Wow, browsing the Vlog posts is an interesting pass-time. It's like a facial hair gallery. Anyways, it's been a while since I made a text post, so here's my attempt at channeling my inner writer. Who, as you may well know, I am trying to bring out again.

My focus for my future has changed, yet again. This blog was started to help follow my drive for teaching and becoming an English teacher. However, with certain circumstances these last couple of months, mainly my financial situation, the educational hoops, jobs changing, family emergencies, theater productions and closing in on Round 10's final stages of production, my drive and desire to teach has been curbed in light of what is more readily viewed as 'real life'.

Experience Points Vlog Post - 10.25.2013

Experience Points Vlog Post - 10.24.2013

Experience Points Vlog Post - 07.30.2013

Experience Points Vlog Post - 08.13.2013 (Link)

New Vlog Post on YouTube

They took out the "Post to Blog" button on YouTube, so unfortunately I can only post a link for now. Keep an eye out for an update later this evening, if I can figure out how to take care of this. Anyways, enjoy.

Experience Points Vlog Post - 08.04.2013

Experience Points Vlog - 08.01.2013

Experience Points Vlog Post - 07.28.2013 Part 2

Experience Points Vlog Post - 07.28.2013 Part 1

Couple days old, but finally getting it up here.

Experience Points Vlog Post - 07.25.2013

Experience Points Vlog Post - 07.07.2013

Experience Points Vlog Post - 07.02.2013

Experience Points Vlog Post - 06.24.2013

Round 10 AP Videos?

Hey readers!

I've noticed that my Ouya videos have been getting some love, and it got me thinking; how would you like seeing videos of our RP nights, specifically around those nights we play Round 10? I already record audio of our play sessions, but if it interests people I may start doing video clips as well. Let me know your thoughts!

Game Nite - Ouya Pt. 4

Final bit of the Ouya reaction videos. Enjoy!

Game Nite - Ouya Pt. 3

We continue to enjoy the Ouya, including the wonderful game No Brake Valet. From left to right: Evan, Jessica, me, Steven, Kip. Not Pictured: Sean.

Game Nite - Ouya Pt. 2

We continue our Ouya adventures. Left to right: Evan, Jessica, me, Steven, and Kip. Not pictured: Sean.

Game Nite - Ouya Pt. 1

Watch the Game Nite crew participate in some Ouya shenanigans. Left to right: Evan, Jessica, me, Steven, Kip. There is some vulgar language, as a heads up.

Next three parts will be posted tomorrow, Saturday June 21st, from 10:00 until 11:00 am.

Experience Points Vlog Post - 06.18.2013

Experience Points Vlog Post - 06.16.2013

Big Announcement Coming

Hey readers!

I want to make sure I get this out in a video post, but I have a big announcement to make regarding me and my career path. Well, big for me at least. It's quite a drastic change and I hope it's for the better. Anyways, chances are if you know me persomally you are already aware of this.

I'll get a new video post up tonight after I'm done with work, so look forward to it at that point. Around 7:30pm CST (plus or minus about fifteen minutes).

Round 10 Character Sheet available now!

Check out the Additional Content page on the Round 10 website to view and download the PDF of the Core Character Sheet!

This will likely be one of three different Character Sheets included in the Round 10 Core Rulebook (the other two will reflect some of the modular rule changes that can be made, allowing the players and GM to use the sheets that fit their game).

Experience Points Vlog Post - 06.08.2013

A Confident Facade

Hey readers. I'm posting this from my iPhone because it's 1:00am and I'm too lazy to open the laptop again.

I had a very short, but very eye-opening conversation with a coworker today. I had a Facebook status in which I commented saying "I need a personality to fit my ego!" And she responded with "No, you need an ego to fit your personality." Me being me, this intrigued me, so when I saw her this morning I asked what she meant by it.

What she said next hit my personality right on the head, and I hadn't known this about myself until just today. She told me that I "didn't have the self-esteem that I should". I responded by saying that I keep my ego in check because it's gotten me into trouble in the past, and she didn't waste any time in saying "I feel that's because you outwardly show a large ego because inwardly you don't have the self-esteem that you should."

"So I put on a show to fool people into thinking I'm more confident than I really am?"

"Yes."

I smiled and thanked her for the assessment, and as I walked away, I realized that she was right. More right than I would've otherwise cared to admit. I come across as egotistical, or self-centered, or overly confident, but it's true. That facade hides a much less confident self. I'm sure anyone who has shared more than a few conversations of decent depth with me understands this. I was just a bit shocked that something so fundamental about myself was not explicitly known until just today.

A sign that I still have a lot of work to do. Again, I'm nothing if not a work in progress.

Experience Points Vlog Post - 05.28.2013

Experience Points Vlog Post - 05.24.2013

Sample of what my video posts may look like going forward. Recording from my iPhone and uploading to YouTube from there, since I don't have anything better for video recording. As always, any and all feedback is welcome!

Experience Points to go Video?

So I've been considering making regular video posts here on Experience Points, but I'll only do that if it's something you'd like to see.

I'm thinking videos will be around 10 minutes long and focus mainly on m work with Round 10, although they will also allow me to talk about my career progression and other creative work.

So what do you think? Comment with your thoughts, if you'd like to see videos or not, and why. Thanks!

Summer Resolution

You know, I should just do away with my proposed blogging schedule. I'm not sticking to it at all.

Anywho...

I went on another late-night walk a few days ago, before this bout of rain and wind hit central Minnesota. I actually left my headphones at home, for once, to allow myself time to really think, rather than drowning out my thoughts with music.

I realized that, as is my norm around this time of year, I was becoming quite restless. Desires and drives were building up in me, causing my satisfaction to dip and my lamentations to rise. I saw time as something slipping away from me, as days wasted and relationships waning, and there was little I could do to reverse any of it. I wanted to call people and talk to people for no reason other than to do it. I wanted to play my drum outside again. I wanted to go on a road trip. I wanted to turn my life on its head, make decisions before I had time to think about them, and live my life, even if only for a short while, on the edge of my seat.

Sitting back and thinking about it all now, I feel that it isn't so much that I want to shake my life up with some random event or some big decision. Lord knows big changes are coming soon enough, anyway. Rather, I want to ensure that I feel good about how I spend my time overall. And the one way for me to feel good about my time, hands down beyond any doubt, is to spend it with people I care about, friends and family.

And so that is my "Summer Resolution." Consider it an expansion to my New Years Resolution (which was to be a better friend, brother, uncle and son, for anybody keeping count). For this summer, I am making it my goal to create more memories, take more pictures and do more with other people.
So if you're reading this and you know me personally, hold me to it. I've been known to hit stretches of complacency, times where I'm content just sitting at home doing next to nothing, and then I always regret those times later. I want to limit those times as much as possible this year, and again, if you know me personally, I want to be with YOU more this summer.

Now to get back to work on Round 10...

You Can't Take Everything (or Everyone) With You...

This is primarily going to be one of my sappy, self-reflective posts, so please bear with me.

As most of you are aware, this week marked the end of the semester for me. Monday was the official last day of class, and Wednesday was the first of my two days of finals. I found I was struck with a stronger pang of grief than I originally expected. I've grown somewhat close (which for me means that I've shared a lot of laughs and some minor extracirricular activities) with a handful of people, including the majority of my Acting class.

I've talked about how I connect with people in previous posts, but allow me to go over this again. Years ago, I used to be free with my happiness and optimism, and I used to approach everyone as if they could be a life-changing friend for me. I poured everything into friendships and I tried to do everything in my power for those people. It didn't matter if we shared a brief, friendly conversation or if we hung out consistently for multiple months, I probably considered you a close friend.

Then I had a period where this openness and willingness to connect so freely with people came back to bite me, and it ended up hurting me. So I backed off, and kept people at arms' length. Sure, I didn't let other people hurt me during this time, but I was hurting myself, stifling my extroverted self and forcing a more introverted lifestyle. It was difficult at first, but it got easier as time went on, and eventually it became all I knew.

Yet, in the last two years now, I've really been working on getting back my old self, the self that I was years ago. I wanted to be the Nick that people wanted to be around again. I wanted people to enjoy their time with me, and I wanted people to know how much they mean to me. I have had a few friendships and relationships these past two years that have been instrumental in making this transition, yet a week such as this proves to me that things won't always be easy.

We finished our last performances in Acting class, and I lingered for a moment or two, but ended up leaving quite quickly, quite abruptly, with very little said to anyone other than a couple of passing goodbyes. I got halfway down the hall to the exit, and I stopped myself. I turned back around, went back to the theater, and made up some excuse in my head of a question that I had to ask the instructor as the real reason for my return.

Unfortunately, when I arrived again, most of the other students had gone, and I had missed my opportunity to give a more suitable farewell. Now, I found, I felt even worse.

This seems such an elementary thing for me, but now all that is rolling around in my head is the fear that I may never see some of these people again. That is a reality I'm going to have to face, but it's not one I'm proud of accelerating.

As I have been saying, time and again, I am moving forward. Forward with my life, forward with my career, forward with my creativity and forward with my relationships. Unfortunately, the other side of that positive coin is the fact that as I move forward, I am forced to face the realization that I can't take everything with me, that I can try to stay in touch with as many as possible, but I will lose contact with most of them, and it kills me.

It kills me because I think of the people who I was once close to that I don't hear from, or don't reach out to, much any more. People who I keep telling myself I need to call, need to contact, but I either don't or can't.

This Friday is my last final, in Public Speaking, a class in which I have made some simple connections with a few people, though not as major of connections and with not as many people as I would prefer (mainly because other than one or two moments, I didn't put much effort into it, probably out of a fear of the inevitable future). I think I will do what I can to offer a bit more of a satisfying goodbye to these people, something I may segue into my requesting they see the play that I will be in this summer.

I am a better friend than I have been this last week or so, I know it. I just have to act like it.

My mood has been incredibly good these last few days. It's the end of the semester, I've got finals this week, Round 10 is moving forward steadily, I'm in a play at my college  that will be performed end of July and beginning of August. I'm enjoying the company I keep, and while I'll definitely be sad to see some of my classes end, I feel like I've made lasting friends throughout the course of these last few months.

Not much else to report on, really. My two peers and myself will be meeting a bit on Thursday to discuss the Round 10 Core Rulebook's progress and what is left to be done, and to do some additional play-testing. My stress level is going down considerably, and I think that my recent decision-making I've done has a big hand in that. I will give more specifics on exactly what that was in a future post, but for now I cannot disclose much more information than that.

If you took part in the free download of the Round 10 Quick Start Guide, thank you very much. I am very open to any and all feedback, so let me know what you think. The Quick Start Guide is still available, though now for the modest price of $0.99. And, as always, getting the Quick Start Guide will grant you a discount on the Round 10 Core Rulebook when it releases this summer.

Changing the Game

Things have been moving at a very definite pace for me these last couple of weeks. I made some big decisions, the nature of which I can't really get into yet, but that will be changing the course of my life for at least the next year or two. It's both exciting and frightening, but I know that these are decisions that had to be made, considering my future goals and my current direction.

On a smaller scale, I made a tough choice about my personal belongings today, selling a good number of old video games for past - and current - generation systems. They were simply sitting on the shelves or in drawers, collecting dust and not seeing any use, and since I had to spend extra money on phone repairs and dropped some more cash into Round 10 (necessary cash, that is), I've been a little tight on funds.

But creativity is one of my strengths, and being creative with how I spend my money is a skill I've been tempering since January, thanks in no small part to the guidance of my sister. And it's something I'm going to have to get better at, looking at the road ahead.

I am nothing if not a work in progress.

This Big Lake Has Got Me Feeling Anxious & Lazy

Decided my post today would be a poor attempt at poetry. Sorry about the scheduling delay!

Alright, it's time to clear away those temptations and dust off those notions, ignore your hesitations and challenge your devotions. Shake up those foundations you let settle, look back on your creations right down to the letter. You let your distractions get in the way of your plans, you've been looking at the downside so let's start again.

Lefts and rights, ups and downs, keeping your head through the smiles and frowns.
A walk under the sun isn't always so bright, but strolling under the moon doesn't always feel right.
A pocket full of plastic still comes up short but creative success is attained with support,
so tighten the belt and sharpen the number two, push uncertainty aside, you've got work to do.

The world's unlocked the door and cracked it open some more, but your shoe's all scuffed because you've been here before. Your art is a chore and your ego is sore, you're in the big leagues now but you're too chicken to score. And after all this, what's it really for? Pride? Honor? Principle, or something more? Would anyone notice if you closed the door? In a market full of Cores, who needs one more?

You have been here before. But this time is different.

You're lost, aren't you? There's no rhyme to your reason, you hang on too tightly and then change with the seasons.
You make up your mind with the certainty of weather and you tend to fall apart after every get-together.
But finding happiness in life begins with a thought, and if you refuse to smile then you've already lost.
You're not going to give up before you even started, afterall, you've seen worse, and even when you departed
from this path for which you packed you backtrack to the fact that this has always been your knack, no matter how abstract, exact, or sidetracked the fact of this track is that it's about your impact, not your plan of attack.

So the next time you're tempted to turn your back, or worse to simply let yourself drift off-track,
do us all a favor and snap yourself back. This far in the game you can't afford to slack.
I know it'd be easier with a little more change, and I know it'd be nicer if you could share the stage,
but choices and terms led you to this point, and whether alone or not you shouldn't disappoint.
You've made promises before, now it's time to see them through. Not to your family or friends, you only owe it to you.

Don't second guess me on this. You know I'm right. Forget the cold apartment and the flat sheets at night.
One fish at a time if you're going to fry 'em right. Even if there's bigger fish out there, this one's in sight. You've been going too long on catch and release, and now the sun is going down and you still need to eat.
So reel this in with patience, stay true, and you'll be fed for the night and tomorrow's brand new.
One fish at a time is my advice to you, and who knows? Maybe someday that fish will find you.

The Round 10 Quick Start Guide is now available - for FREE!

Check it out at RPGNow.com! As always, let me know about your questions, comments, concerns and criticisms! You can contact me for Round 10 information at the Round 10 Website or by emailing support@round10rpg.com.

ISBNs and Barcodes

Just purchased the ISBNs and the barcodes for the Round 10 Quick Start Guide and the Round 10 Core Rulebook, meaning that the QS Guide should be available for free download within the next few days! Meanwhile, work on the Core Rulebook is nearing completion, though the June release date may be a bit ambitious, and it might have to get pushed back to July, simply to ensure it is complete and ready to go.

I've gotten a few questions about what sort of programs I am using for putting the book together, since I am self-publishing. I started using simple Microsoft Word for the rulebook, and after it's first draft was complete I moved it into Scrivner for basic layout editing and revising. Scrivner is great for layout work, it's cheap, and it allows me to achieve the look I want with the pictures I have. For the cover I've used Photoshop Elements to put together the images that were made by my illustrator, logo designer and typographic artist, as well as adding in the cover credits and (now) the barcode.

Not really much to report on other than all of that. I've been spending a lot of time both on Round 10 and on my schoolwork, as we're approaching the end of the semester. Blogging may be dropping down a bit for the next week or two, so I apologize to my more regular readers. Please, bear with me!

Late Post: Auditions

Hello again, readers! I missed the Wednesday post, so my apologies for that. My week has been quite busy, and so this and most other posts will be shorter in length for the next week or two.

The most noteworthy event during this week is the fact that I had another audition this last Wednesday evening, May 1st. The director is my Acting class instructor, so having that established familiarity with him as a person did wonders for my anxiety. I went in at 7:00pm, and I'm assuming that he really liked my performances since I was one of the last to leave, having been called back in for additional readings three times.

He said he should have the play fully cast by this weekend, so I should get an email Saturday or Sunday to let me know if I got the part or not. We shall see! I will say that I am very excited, and I'm trying to not expect a role, but rather just be happy with whatever feedback I get from him.

Beyond the Horizon Radio: Round 10 Interview

About two weeks ago I received an email from a supporter of Round 10 who also happens to be running a gaming podcast called Beyond the Horizon Radio. He voiced his excitement at seeing how far Round 10 has gotten, despite not meeting its goals as a Kickstarter campaign, and said that he would love to conduct an interview with me about Round 10, it's development, and the impressions of he and his gaming group from their play-test session.

I, of course, happily agreed. Any and all support is most welcome and appreciated, and the more I can get Round 10 out there and in the eyes of the public, the better off it will be. He was kind enough to send me the questions for the interview, and I am excited to partner with him and discuss what Round 10 can bring to the gaming industry.

The episode's air date is still up in the air, but we will be recording the interview this coming Wednesday (05.05). My only concern is that his podcast is set up only as a direct streaming site, only offering content for the limited time that he plays it (generally on Saturdays from noon to 3:00pm for live shows, and Sundays at a similar time for a rerun of Saturday's show). While it's definitely a system that works, I'd love for the episode, or at least the interview, to be available for download to be listened to at a time that's more convenient for the listener. I may connect with him and see if I'd be allowed to record the interview and post it on the Round 10 website and Facebook page, with his permission.

Regardless, I'm excited for the publicity, no matter how big or how small!

Round 10 Soft Release Info

The Round 10 Core Rulebook is growing a bit more each day. These last couple of days saw some additional work from my illustrator, Ramon Bunge, come in and continue to wow me. I took the opportunity to play around with the book's layout and toy with where various illustrations will go. It is my goal and my hope that the book will be ready for distribution by June 1st at the earliest!

With this in mind, I should also start focusing on the Round 10 Quick Start Guide, doing some final edits and getting that ready for digital distribution by May 20th. The Quick Start Guide will present the rules in a succinct and easy-to-learn, seven page format, along with a pretty cut-and-dry adventure and six premade characters. It will be the stepping stone into the greater Round 10 experience, and will be available for free download from the Round 10 website and RPGnow.com, so keep your eyes peeled!

I'm debating on the prices of the Core Rulebook. The physical copy's price is sort of out of my hand; it all falls on what Lulu.com or Createspace.com will charge for each printing (probably in the realm of $40, since it is almost 200 pages with full-color artwork), yet I'm still a bit up in the air on the digital book's price. I don't want to charge too much, since it was never my intention to make substantial money off of this game, but at the same time I don't want to undercut the work that's being put into it. I'm thinking a PDF of the book could go for around $15.00 at standard price. It seems a bit high for a digital download, but at the same time the Core Rulebook offers so much information that there is no need to purchase anything further.

Zimildran is even further from having a determined price, but I'd say in and around $15.00 for the digital book. I'm even entertaining the idea of running some sort of online deal when you purchase the Core Rules or Zimildran to get some sort of discount on the other product, encouraging the purchase of both items.

Of course, the marketing stage of multiple products is still up in the air, but it's exciting to think about, at the very least!

Round 10: The Persuasion

My third and final speech of this semester, which will be delivered on Monday, April 29th, has to be persuasive in nature, with the intent to persuade the audience to act, feel, or think in a specific way by the time the speech is finished. Since I spoke about tabletop role-playing with my frist two speeches, I originally planned to describe the benefits of actually participating in tabletop role-playing. And then I realized I was already doing this with my previous speeches, talking about how RPGs can increase small-group communication skills, organization skills, creative problem-solving, and working with a team.

And then it hit me: why not just give a 10 minute infomercial on Round 10?

This seemed almost too good to be true, too easy to work. I asked the instructor if I could basically do a 'shameless self-advertising' speech, and he said "as long as you can work in the persuasive elements, it will work."

Here we go, then.

So the speech will be about Round 10, and why the audience, as first-time players of an RPG, should choose that as their introductory system. I will go over Round 10's simple set-up, it's focus on openness and how it fosters creativity, how it fits to accomodate the game you want to play rather than force you to play its game, and how it will be supported in the future by interesting, original and memorable settings and expansions. I will touch on Zimildran, on Otherworld, and on other ideas for the future. I'll bring up Facebook, Twitter (@Round10RPG), the Round 10 Website (even if it's still under construction), and this blog. Hopefully my enthusiasm around this topic will be enough to at least garner one or two additional supporters.

The Illusion of Progress

This past Sunday was an interesting day for me. It started off with me visiting my parents briefly, I vented some of my frustrations and discussed upcoming events with them, and then headed into town to pick up groceries. I returned to the apartment, started my laundry, and sat down to work on my research paper for my Interpersonal Communication class. It promptly started snowing, and heavily, outside, and I knew that I was confined to the apartment for the remainder of the day.

I finished the paper within about an hour, spent some time talking with my roommate about our summer plans, graduation, and other topics, and then sat in front of my computer to work on Round 10.

And I sat there, and stared at it, yet couldn't bring myself to type anything out. Nothing was coming to me. Here I was, the whole evening ahead of me, a mountain of time that could allow me to make tons of progress on Round 10, and all I could do was stare at the document blankly.

And then Monday came around, and between classes, in the matter of an hour and a half, I started and finished three different sections in the rulebook, fingers hammering away faster than they had in a while. Yet I did this in the college cafeteria, rather than my own kitchen as was the case on Sunday.

I realized that the change of environment was what did it. It offered a change of pace, a change of scenery, which dramatically affected my writing. I realized that, as I have mentioned in previous blog posts, that I am fearful of my own stagnation in life, and the simple change of scenery was enough to kickstart my writing juices, oil the gears in my creative mind, and get more work done than I had seen in a long time. It was an illusion of actual progress, with me fooling my creative brain with the idea that I was in a different place, at a different time in my life.

That simple illusion, that simple head fake, was enough for me to temporarily forget about the stresses of the direction and pace of my life and to focus on the task at hand - my writing.

Here's hoping I can continue to make it work.

Round 10 Development Update

Most of my recent posts have been encompassing emotional reasonings, thoughts and ideas about the direction my life has been going, and the relationships I've been cultivating throughout the past few months. I understand that this blog was originally started with the intent to talk about the creative process around my writing, the journey I'm making in the self-publishing world, and the pursuit of a career in education. If you've been keeping up with my posts through all of this other, off-topic reflection, then I thank you. If you have found a level of annoyance in my posting inconsistencies, in my lack of discussion of the proposed, original topics, or in the general disorganized order of my posts, than I apologize, but know that every post in this blog is about things that are important in my life and that float in and around my mind on a daily basis.

That being said, I will spend this post talking about the state of the Round 10 RPG and my plans for the near future.

Round 10 RPG Core Rulebook - Overall Progress
Writing: 85% finished
Artwork: 76% finished

Ramon Ignacio Bunge, my wonderfully talented illustrator (who you can find on DeviantArt), is currently working on the last two black and white illustrations and then will jump into a final full-color image that I decided to add to the list last-minute. The pictures are turning out really well, and you can see all of the work he has done so far at the Round 10 RPG Facebook Page. Here is a taste of what he has done so far for the book:

As far as the writing goes, I've got to finish up the GM's section (genre-specirfic tips, running a scenario, running a campaign, and creating your own items, enemies, and settings), and fill out the remaining reference sheets (generic enemies, vehicles, ships), and then the writing will be 100% finished.

I'm debating if I should look into getting a professionally done layout for the character sheets and enemy sheets, but something tells me that a simple layout for those would work just fine. I'd rather spend time on the book's layout as a whole, ensuring that it reads well, has a proper and complete index and table of contents, and that it flows together well.

I'll likely be getting the Quick Start Guide up on the Facebook page and on RPGNow as a free download in the coming weeks, giving any interested parties the opportunity to get their feet wet with the rules system before the full game hits digital shelves.

I'm toying with the idea of posting weekly video notes on the Facebook page, an idea that has hit a wall simply because of my lack of adequate recording equipment. I'm also debating about posting some of our play-testing audio recordings for interested parties to hear, and get an idea for how the game plays. And finally, the Round 10 website is coming together, slowly but surely, and should be up and running for the public soon enough.

If you are one of the interested parties and you know of anything specific you'd like to see on the Facebook page, please let me know! I'm open to all suggestions.

The Life of an Otter

Today I found I was far more stressed than I originally wanted to admit to myself, something I realized as I let the hot water of the morning shower pour over me. And, I found, as my morning went on, my stress only increased.

I had a research paper due on Monday, and I came to realize that the shape of my schedule from Friday morning through Sunday evening wasn't one to allow for much room to research, organize, write and revise said paper. On top of that I needed to begin preparing for my final speech, I needed to read through the scene my acting partner and I had landed on, and I came to realize that I was falling behind in my RPG writing, my blogging, and that the end of the semester was right around the corner, having snuck up on me with incredible speed.

These thoughts and more crowded my mind, and put me in a sour mood to start the day off. I don't like to toot my own horn, but I like the entertain the notion that I am not one to get easily stressed. I tend to take things as they come, a skill I've been working for the past few years, and it takes a bit before I start to lose sleep.

Luckily, though, two of my friends came forward to help ease my stress, through consistent joking, light-hearted shenanigans, and offering scheduling advice. What looked like a catastrophic mess of a weekend soon became a manageable situation, and I was beginning to mitigate my stress, all thanks to two of the most wonderful people I've had the pleasure of getting to know these past few months.

During speech class today, one of the students spoke about personality profiles, and outlined three basic personalities as described by animals. The lion, the otter, the beaver and the golden retriever. I recognized the person I used to be (the beaver), the person I wanted to be (the golden retriever) and the person I currently was (the otter) in her descriptions. One quality about the otter that stood out to me was that, as she claimed, "an otter will call anyone that they interact with at least two times their 'close friend'."

I saw that in myself right away. It's true, if we hang out together only a couple of times, if I have two different conversations with you that both seem to go relatively well, I often consider you a close friend. That label in no way diminishes the quality of those friendships I've shared for many years, it only helps define the lengths I'm willing to go to in order to 1.) get to know you better, and 2.) maintain our friendship. While I can't be 100% certain in this self-assessment, I feel that I get along well with most people, and unless our personalities clash in a particularly blatant way, I can often see myself becoming good friends with just about anybody.

Whether I've been going to your house since my early years in elementary school, or we just met this semester in one of my classes, or you're the friend of a friend who has hung out with me once or twice, or we've merely shared a place of employment for about a month or so, it is very likely that I see you as a friend, and I see the potential of a greater friendship there. When it comes to relationships, I tend to jump in feet first, plunge myself in whole-heartedly, and then see where it goes from there. Unfortunately, this means that I cannot get to know everyone as well as I'd like to, much to my dismay. Yet I do what I can for my friends and family, whether it's offering counsel via a message or phone call, showing encouragement over their chosen form of artistic expression, or simply sharing a few amusing stories and listening to how they're doing.

However, no matter how far I'm pushing in a relationship, I always feel I can push a little further. Am I overextending myself? Am I wasting my energy on too many relationships, exhausting myself emotionally, and will I only be met with disappointment? I will admit that sometimes it feels that way. Sometimes I feel like I'm giving too much or coming across too strong, but then I have evenings like I did on Thursday, or mornings like today, and I realize that for me to do any less would be a dishonest, dissatisfying use of my energy. It is my ultimate wish to experience as many people's stories as I can, to interact with as many people as possible, and to create and share memories everywhere. And boy do I have a long way to go as I bring that wish into reality.

Literary Burp: Personality & Purpose

The following post is a thought or musing of mine that I just wanted to get recorded. These sort of thoughts filter in and out of my head constantly, and I'm of the mindset that if I don't acknowledge their existence, then I may as well have never had them in the first place. And every thought deserves its due attention, even if its a random one such as this.

When growing up I had a very different experience. I'm the youngest of four, and primarily grew up with my sister, as my other two siblings were considerably older and thus occupied a different lifestyle than I did. When they were listening to music and driving vehicles I was playing with Legos and acting like a dinosaur. Growing up, I've always seen how different I was than the rest of my family. I had an unashamed, unbridled and unquenchable thirst for the unknown. Concepts like outer space, the ocean, trackless desert and the deepest recesses of nature were all notions that held great sway with me. These were places that people only talked about or wrote about, but didn't go to. These were 'true' places, untouched by the hand of man and operating without his interference. These ideas, even if I didn't know how to articulate them at the time, intrigued me beyond compare, and were manifested in my love of such things as dinosaurs, Star Wars, the Marvel superheroes and other fantastic stories.

This passion for finding the amazing in what others rarely even thought about set me apart, at least in my eyes, from a lot of people I knew growing up. For all of my head-in-the-clouds, fantasizing and day-dreaming antics, my father was at least that engulfed in practicality. He showed a love of old comics and stories from his youth, but he is a man of concrete facts, of a world that's written in black and white and runs by the word of God and the letter of the law. Where he would try to determine 'why,' I would only muse 'why not?' As I grew up I found that I inherited his unshaking resolution in the truth of the world, in the presence of God, and in the important role religion plays in our lives. Yet I wasn't about to let this 'certainty' of faith, morality, and the way of the world limit my desire to seek the unknown, to continue to walk down paths others dismiss as fantastical, and to continue to keep my head in those beautiful clouds.

What is this post all about? I don't really know. I started out with one thing in mind, but it as changed in these few paragraphs. I guess it is an introspective analysis of myself. If there is one thing I do, and frequently, it's question why I think the way I do, why I feel the way I do, and why I act the way I do. I still feel like I am still learning who I am, and I feel like the only way I will ever truly learn about the world around me is to first understand that there is much I don't know, even about myself.

We all search for the concrete answers in life, or we think we have found them, or we plant them for ourselves to find. We rarely question them, some of us never do, and we are happy knowing that the sky is blue, the sun will rise, and tomorrow will always follow today. But not me. I'm not content with merely accepting the world, or my existence in it, at face value. I am here for a purpose, as is everyone, and I will never learn what that is unless I leave my mind open, unless I accept the fact that the concept of 'truth' is a human concept, and that I will only, in my entire life, learn a mere fraction of what is considered as truth. In short, there is much more going on in existence than I can ever hope to experience, to learn, to know.

Tough it Out

I've noticed that my hands have been dry recently. Considerably dryer than normal for this time of year. Normally I'm one to deal with it, knowing that it is something that will correct with time, that eventually the air will saturate as we move out of the dry winter weather, and my cracked, sore hands will be right as rain. Yet I've found that I've been having trouble toughing it out this year. My hands hurt, and for once my generally stubborn approach to this has been challenged. Why don't I just use some lotion and stop forcing myself to deal with unnecessary issues?

I'm starting to feel the same way about other aspects of my life. I've been avoiding change, even changes I fantasize about, simply because it will require me to "give in" or "change up" what has been working for me for so many years.

I don't like making ripples in the water, at least not in what could be perceived as a negative sense. One thing I try to be conscious of is my own ego, as it has been known to get out of hand. For instance, all throughout the last two days, my peers in my acting class have had nothing but profoundly positive things to say about my performance this past Monday. Then the time came for people to perform their monologues in front of the class, which we were to have memorized by today. Yet I remained silent, and did not stand up to give my own, under the guise that I had not memorized it yet.

Why did I do this? Why shy away from what others have pointed out to be one of my few talents? Is it a fear of not meeting expectations? Somewhat. Whenever people say to me "you're really good at that," it makes me feel a bit more pressure around whatever that is. I both love and hate the compliments. However, I think it is also because I was getting so many compliments, and I didn't want that to go to my head.

So when it comes to other people, doing things with or for others, I love making ripples. Hell, I'd be ecstatic if I could turn it into a whirlpool. I'd rather be remembered as someone who lived his life for the benefit of those around him, and not as someone who only does things for himself.

So when I think about these changes that I hope will one day come about, I can't help but feel that pang of distaste, a dissatisfaction at myself for having those thoughts. While routines have come to bore me, and while I know that in order for me to be happy with myself I need to make changes, I worry about leaving others behind, leaving a role that so many have come to expect me to be in. I worry about letting people down, to an extent.

And so do I tough it out? Do I go another month, or do I say 'to hell with it' and just start applying the lotion? It's a hard decision to make, and it is one that plagues my thoughts these last few months...

Three Little Monologues

For my Acting class on Monday, I have to have a monologue picked out and ready to perform a first draft on. I've narrowed it down from nine possible monologues to three, though I'm having trouble deciding on one, so I figured I'd post on here and get some feedback from you all.

This first monologue is from the play The House on Lake Desolation, and is probably my favorite of the three, although it runs a full three and a half minutes longer than what we were supposed to go with.

This second monologue is from the play Before it Hits Home, and is perfect on timing. It's tied for second in my personal preference.

This third and final monologue is from the play Slavs!, and is a lot of fun to perform. It's slightly longer than the time limit, and is tied for second in my personal preference.

So watch what you'd like, let me know if you have a preference! I'm reading the script for each of these during the recordings, so this isn't me at my best performance.

Funding My Future

As I near the completion of the Round 10 Core Rulebook (which is more or less on schedule, thankfully), I start to turn my eyes to the Zimildran Setting Module, the second Round 10 product that will be produced. I can't help but think back to when I thought Kickstarter would be a good idea to get this project off the ground. Countless other independent RPGs have been funded through Kickstarter, why not Round 10?

My goals were ambitious with the first Kickstarter project. $4,000 as the goal, it would go towards funding the Core Rulebook and the Zimildran Module as one singular book, and it came quite close to its goal. Only about $500 away or so. Since it was close but not complete, I decided to try again, this time with a slightly higher goal (partly because I wanted to get more artwork, but also partly because I'm an idiot) and put it up for another month.

This second time was abysmal compared to the first, and so I stepped away from Kickstarter and decided to fund it all personally. It slowed production time down considerably, but it also gave me the extra time I needed to really dig into the rules and what the Core book offered, and expand upon that.

As I start to think about the second book, Zimildran, I begin to consider going the route of Kickstarter again. Images of the Kickstarter Project Page with a name like "Zimildran: A Low-Fantasy Setting from Round 10 Role-Playing" pop into my head, and I get excited. I think about possible rewards I could set up for potential backers, such as prints of the original artwork, artwork posters, free role-playing books, and maybe even offering to run a game for their gaming group via Skype. There are a lot of options, and I feel it may be worth exploring again, once the Round 10 Core RPG is finished.

I just can't get ahead of myself, and should probably post a more realistic goal. If that works, then perhaps I'll look at a more professional, fully illustrated Deluxe Edition in the future, or something, a production more akin to what I would like to see. If my Kickstarter experience has taught me anything, it's "start small".

Fleshing out Zimildran

I've been toying around with a lot of creative ideas around the Zimildran Module for my roleplaying game (see my Current Creative Projects page for more information). Even though I should be devoting most of my time to the Round 10 Core Rulebook, I can't help but think about the excitement the world of Zimildran gives me, and I know I have big plans for that book, when I get around to actually finishing it.

One thing I know I want to do is to flesh out the world of Zimildran more than simply what is presented as the roleplaying game. My original plan was to release a series of short stories for digital download, all based around characters in the Zimildran universe. Follow the gunslinger and bounty hunter Erik as he hunts down dangerous carnivorous dinosaurs in the wilds of Ukinda. Learn about the backstory of the Snowmarcher Hrothgar, and how he became an exile of his people. Uncover the mysteries of the druid-like Wardens, and find out what part they play in keeping the Elder Gods at bay.

All of these ideas and more flood to me, yet at the same time I feel like piecemeal fiction, while great, isn't entirely scratching the itch I have for bringing this world to life, and so another idea came to mind.

Rather than releasing something alongside, or just prior to, the Zimildran Module, why not create something original and insert it into the Module itself? Suddenly, ideas for a short comic book, an illustrated story that would grace the first few pages of the Module, complete with beautiful art and a compelling, if short, story, sprang into my head. I love this, although this would mean delaying the Module even further while I save up the money to pay an artist for the additional pieces.

Decisions, decisions. I should really just focus on tightening up and finishing the Core Rulebook, since without that there is no Zimildran Module. But God knows I can't keep my inspirations quiet all the time.

Speech Finished

Finally!

After two delays from the instructor missing class (surprising, right?) and one from a scheduling misstep, my demonstrative speech on how to effectively participate in a tabletop RPG is finished.

I realize now that I went into a bit of a trance during the course of the speech, and in retrospect I don't remember much of what I did or how I did it. I remember getting in front of the class, I remember my introduction, and I remember that I hit the conclusion faster than I expected. In truth, the speech clocked in at a bit over 9 minutes, which is three to four minutes faster than when I timed it at home. A good thing to keep in mind for future speeches.

And so my first of three speeches is out of the way, and already I have to start preparing speech two, which will be delivered in two weeks. Keeping with my tabletop RPG themes, this time I will be delivering a speech on running a game, what to keep in mind, and how to manage a group of players. Now with no visual aids, so we'll see how well that goes.

I'm excited, to say the least. On the one hand I'm glad this speech is done, but I still feel like I have so much to say. It's a good thing I've got two more speeches to go. My desire to talk about tabletop RPGs is overflowing, as anyone who knows me personally can agree. And hopefully these three speeches will be the combined points of interest to push some of these students to give tabletop RPGs a chance. Hopefully.

"Needs Improvement"

I had a good conversation, albeit a short one, with a coworker recently about writing and inspiration, and I found that all of the advice I was giving him were things that I needed to remember to do.

I told him to write daily, to set up a schedule if he could and to stick to it. I told him that when he sits down to write, to just write, and to not go back and edit. I told him to get the entire manuscript down on paper before he actually begins to fix errors or inconsistencies. And as I was saying all of this, I just felt like a big hypocrite.

I am a writer. Right? Aren't I? What have I written recently? Anything? Other than a few passages in my roleplaying book, I really haven't written much in the last week or so. What right do I have to call myself a writer, if I don't write? And on what grounds should I be giving advice when I don't do it myself? "Trust me, this works. But I don't do it."

Sometimes my own complacency staggers me. I understand, more than most, the importance of enjoying every day, of finding happiness in the little things. I know that if I constantly focus on things about myself that make me unhappy, like my complacency, then I won't ever be happy. But at the same time, I know that there are a lot of things about me, as a person, that I need to correct. Like my complacency.

I've been focusing so much on my optimism, on my friendliness, and most importantly, on being not only open to new experiences, but being an instigator of new experiences in others, that I fear I've lost track of other things that I need to keep tabs on. I am a work in progress, with a big, fat "Needs Improvement" stamp on my forehead. That's not me being cynical, that's not me being self-defeating, and that's not me throwing a pity-party. It's a fact, and I hope to God that I never feel otherwise. The minute I stop trying to better myself, then I've already lost.

College & Graduation

This last week has been quite a boring one for me. After the excitement of the road trip with my gaming group, and the 3:00am Dance Central party on Saturday, my activity has dropped considerably. I wake up, I go to class, I have some fun with friends at CLC, I go to work and play catch-up on my list of tasks, then I go home and either play Starcraft II or watch YouTube videos until I drift off to sleep, only to start it all over again the next day.

I suppose it's to be expected. I mean, after such an engaging weekend I should be okay with allowing myself some downtime. But at the same time, I'd rather have the excitement of the weekend carry over into my daily routines, rather than drop off completely. And then this morning I was sort of slapped in the face with a realization.

It's March. Graduation is coming up, and I have things I need to do.

In order for me to get my AA at the end of this semester, I need to have my AP transcript submitted to the college. Since the last time I took an AP test was in 2006, my transcript has gone into what the AP board calls the "Archives". Basically, for me to get those credits to the college, I need to jump through extra hoops and spend a little extra money in order for the people at CLC to go "Oh, yes you have taken all those classes."

Once that is all done, I will be all set for my AA (finally) and can start looking at my teaching degree a bit more closely.

So this morning saw a bit of a fire lit under my butt, thanks in part to my roommate and in part to a friend from my Acting class who was asking me about my plans after this semester. I printed the AP transcript release form, filled it out, and now just have to fax it and a check to the AP Board and wait for them to fax the transcript back to the college. I'm cutting it close, but that's sort of my style.

It's both exciting and frightening, being this close to my AA, on the cusp of uncharted territory (for me). The thoughts of what is happening after plague me, now. Thoughts like worrying about costs of going to an actual college, about being able to manage online classes, about if teaching is really the career I should be pursuing, and about how seriously I should be pushing forward with my book at the same time. Yet, despite all of my worrying, and despite all of my anxiety, I need to keep this momentum going. I know that once my momentum drops, it's hard to get up again, and I can't afford to put my future off any longer.

Role-Playing Speech

On Monday, March 18th, at approximately 9:00am, I am giving a demonstrative speech in front of my Public Speaking class. Am I nervous? A bit, but I have my confidence that it will all go well.

The speech is on tabletop role-playing, or more specifically, to provide the audience with insights on effectively participating in a tabletop role-playing game. I know it probably sounds silly. I mean, I'm talking to them about how to play a game. How hard can playing a game be, right?

Well, luckily for me, there are plenty of facets and aspects to playing a tabletop RPG, and these are all aspects that a lot of people, even seasoned veterans, overlook from time to time. Avoiding meta-gaming, avoiding being a rules-lawyer, playing the game for the story and not for personal glory, and understanding that the group is trying to have fun together, are all things that are easy to forget when you roll your fourth failure for the night, or when your armor breaks at the most inopportune time.

More importantly, my hope is that I will show to the audience the benefits of tabletop role-playing, especially to those who have never experienced it before. Tabletop RPGs have a strong social stigma that permeates their existence, and when people hear RPG they often think of Dungeons and Dragons, and from there they often think of anti-social tendencies, along with many other stereotypes. Hopefully I will help them look beyond those stereotypes, and see tabletop gaming as something that everyone and anyone can enjoy.

I plan to do all three of my speech assignments this semester on tabletop role-playing, and my next one, the Informative Speech, will be on running a game session as a Game Master. This will be more difficult than my current speech, since I cannot use visual aids in any way. However, I feel that conducting a speech on being a Game Master and using only my words and my actions to inspire and engage is something that being a Game Master has prepared me for. I already plan on using the entire space open to me, not just the front of the class, and to bring my kinetic energy and desire for movement to the table.

Hopefully I can make some sort of lasting impression.

Expectations

This last week has certainly been an interesting one. I had my audition for "Glass Menagerie" on Monday evening, and though he wasn't helping direct the play at all, my acting instructor did sit in on them. I walked out of the auditions about two hours after they started and felt like they were atrocious, and vowed to actually research the play next time, rather than going in completely blind. However, when I connected with my acting instructor prior to class on Wednesday, he said there was little I could've done better, and that I just simply wasn't what the director was looking for.

Fair enough. I know I went into the audition telling myself not to expect anything. My first audition, no prior stage experience, I couldn't imagine that I'd be a serious contender for either of the male roles. Yet, walking out I couldn't help but feel pretty let down with myself. I got too nervous, I got too anxious, and so I spent my night afterwards in my apartment, eating ice cream and playing the Myst game on my iPhone. Silly expectations, showing up even when you don't want them to.

Also, this week marks the end of my commitment to my retail store. We had been hurting on one of our sales scores for a while, and so I proposed that if we finished this week at our minimum goal, I'd dye my mop of hair green. Well, not only have we made our goal for the week, but we made it with two days to spare. So now I have to look into green hair color and go through two days at work looking like a walking piece of broccoli. Joy.

And I expected the store to just miss the goal.

And finally, just a few nights ago, one of my friends and coworkers had the unfortunate experience of being broken up with. While I never really spoke with her about her relationship, I could tell that it made her happier than anything, simply by the way she acted and spoke. And now that was gone, and she was forced to face the world once again, her perspective now soured, though hopefully just temporarily, by the experience.

Expectations can be a terrible thing. They can get our hopes up only to have them dropped down once again. They can get us to over-commit to something that we're not terribly looking forward to. They can reveal mountains about our perception, both of ourselves and of those around us. Some people have been so affected by their expectations in the past that they have made a decision to simply not expect anything out of people or life in the future. That is a hard thing to do, and while I can understand the reasoning behind it, it pains me to hear people take such an outlook.

It's true, there's a lot of danger in expectations, but more than any danger, there are a lot of other things you can get from expectations. Confidence, optimism, and determination are all positive things that can result from expecting that you will do well on a specific task, expecting that someone else will follow through, or expecting that you will find happiness once again. I can't imagine going through life without at least some measure of confidence, both in myself and in others, and while my confidence certainly gets shaken from time to time, I definitely bounce back in short order. Especially when ice cream and Myst are involved.

A Funny, and Uplifting, Acting Story...

Not in that it has anything to do with acting, but that it is something that happened today during my Acting class.

Or rather, just before my Acting class.

My partner for the doubles-scene I'm a part of this Wednesday had brought her daughter in to Acting class last week. A meek young girl who said little and pretty much stayed glued to her mother's side most of the time, I did my best to keep her at least somewhat engaged through our acting shenanigans.

Anyway, today, her mother, my partner, relayed to me a conversation she had with her daughter, which went something like this;

Amy (the daughter): "Nick was really neat! Is he going to be an actor?"
Michelle (my partner): "No, he's going to become a teacher."
Amy: "Oh, at what school? I want to have him next year!"

It was a heart-warming statement that made my head swell a bit. There was also part of it that made me lament not being further ahead in my teaching career already. Yet, I suppose, the fact that I'm pushing forward with it now is what counts.

Acting & Time

In a short while here, I will be heading back to the college to audition for a role in the play "Glass Menagerie" and I must say I am at once frightened and excited. It was a difficult decision to come to, whether or not I should go for it, but in the end I decided that I would be kicking myself if I didn't at least try.

My primary concern was, if by some great miracle I did get one of the two parts in the play, that the timing for rehearsals would be quite invasive. I work full-time, and the nature of my job doesn't really allow me to put a lot of effort into a consistent commitment like a play, at least not while also going to classes and juggling other social commitments as well. Yet I ended up falling on the decision that I want to do this play, I want to at least attempt it, and I wasn't going to let my job hold me back from that experience.

One thing I came to realize after this last holiday season was that I run the risk of working myself too hard. My job, while definitely having its perks, also has a lot of responsibility to it, responsibility that increases exponentially during the fourth quarter of the year. Knowing that this time of year, late Spring-ish, is generally my slower time, I figured that I better take any and every opportunity that presents itself to me. I mean, I'm tired of looking back on parts of my life and regretting the chances I never took. So I've been trying to take more chances, and while that hasn't always worked out for the best in this last year, at least I'm not left wondering. Certainty is something that was never really part of my life until about the last two months or so.

Auditioning for this play, along with all of the other things I've been posting about and working on, are, at the very least, a sure sign that I'm not only looking forward with my life, but moving forward. And that, in the end, is all that I can ask for.

Progression

This past Thursday, February 28th, I found that my pursuit of independent publishing and game design got a bit easier. My life-long friend, Sean S., asked me how interested I would be in pursuing a partnership with him. Round 10 is coming along, and he wants to move forward in a way that would take what I am building as a brand, and explore all manner of options for it as a business. Tabletop gaming, blogging, podcasts, etc. With an enthusiastic response, I told him I would glady join forces with him to create the foundations of a game design team and company. However, I did caution him that Round 10 is, far and away, my main focus right now, with all of the work I've been pouring into it. He understood, and offered his help where it was needed, and as it fit into his schedule.

That lit a bit more of a fire in me when it came to working on the Round 10 Core Rulebook, and the following evening I sat in front of my computer for nearly five hours hammering out the statistics, values and information for tons of additional aspects to the book. It's filling up nicely, and while I still have some distance to go before it's ready to be published, it is certainly making headway. I am excited to get it out there and in the hands of those awaiting it.

I'm excited to bring my love of tabletop gaming and expand it beyond simply the Round 10 RPG System, and I know Sean is equally so. We both are of like minds, that this endeavor, this pursuit, is a way for us to feel good about how we're spending our time, to feel satisfied with a creative project that will help make the more routine days that much easier to get through. And once Round 10 gets established and off the ground, and the brand becomes something more than simply a logo and word of mouth, we'll really have some opportunities to explore our interests, and bring the games that we want to play to life.

Too Much Wasted Time

My last couple of posts have been about time management in writing, and how to better hold yourself accountable for your time. I realize that the majority of this blog has been in and around various bits of advice when it comes to pursuing your career, yet I stopped and thought about that for a minute. Here I am, unpublished, distracted and as amateur as you can get, and I'm posting advice about how to become a better writer. That's more than a bit pretentious of me.

That being said, in an effort to shift the focus from me providing less-than-substantiated advice to me providing a window on my own experiences, I will start posting about my own writing habits, what I'm planning to do, and why. I've already talked about my love of journaling, so consider this blog an extension of my journals, one that is open for public viewing and feedback.

I've recently come under an undeniable feeling of restlessness when it comes to my career choice and my daily habits. I attribute part of this to the fact that I recently turned 25, an age that sort of slapped me in the face, forcing me to realize that I am an adult, no doubt about it. However, I cannot help but feel that part of it is because I am working in a job, and have been working in a job, that doesn't satisfy what I want out of a career choice.

Don't get me wrong, I enjoy my job. I work with some very wonderful people and have had incredible memories. Some lasting friends have been made in the retail world for me. Yet, as I approach my 8th year, I cannot help but consider my level of personal satisfaction with my daily work, and I am disappointed with that assessment.

I'm faced with the feeling that the last few years of my life have been far too complacent, and now I feel like I need to work that much harder in order to make up for the lost time. I recently spoke with my parents about this feeling, and my father gave me the advice "I felt the same way at your age, but I stayed in the grocery business and I feel it worked out well." To his credit it certainly did, and I'm glad he made the choices he did in his life. However, something about this restlessness tells me that it goes beyond an aging man attempting to hang onto the openness and opportunity-filled days of his youth. I feel like there is no reason why I should be allowing myself to feel this way, and that I can turn it around if only I spend the time doing so.

It's a difficult realization to come to, and even more difficult to put into action, but it is my plan to do so. It is my hope to advance my career and my interests every day until I reach the point where I am satisfied with what I am doing. When that happens, I will be able to look at other aspects of myself and my life, and what I can do to better them.

When I spoke with my mother I told her that "I'm tired of just satisfying people, and I want to start actually helping people." And that is as close to the truth about my feelings as I've ever been able to vocalize. I'm tired of working in customer service, putting my people skills and my communication talents to use with a flimsy facade of making a difference. I want to actually make a difference. I want to help people learn, realize their potential, open their minds and view the world in different ways. This is why I landed on teaching as a career, and I feel like it will be the career of choice for me as my life moves on.

The real challenge, for me especially, is to stop letting time move around me, and instead start moving with it.

A Love for Journaling

In my last post I talked about keeping a personal, daily journal in order to help give you a chance to practice your writing on a daily basis. I do this myself, in part to help my writing, and in part because I simply have a love for personal journals.

I've found, while I was taking inventory of my sketchbook/journal/diary collection, that I have ten different journals, four of which are currently in use, the other six sitting and waiting until the current ones are filled and I move on. Not only that, but of the four current ones, I keep one in my school bag, two in my satchel, and one on my person at all times. It can become hard to keep track of them all, but luckily I've been able to set specific times and days when I use each, and each has its own specific purpose.

Has having all of these actually helped me? I honestly don't know, but I'd like to think so. I believe that by allowing myself that personal time to really explore my thoughts and feelings, I've worked to make myself not only better at writing, but also better at communicating in general.

A certain feeling comes over me when I open one of my journals. I generally have my headphones in, unless I particularly want to be open to the noise of the world around me, and I know that this is my time to really dig deep. When sketching, I keep my eyes open to what's happening around me, my vision drifting from one person to the next, one object to the next, and I silently record my sights with quick, sloppy line-art. When writing, I allow myself a moment to really sit back and investigate how I'm feeling, why I'm feeling that way, and how those feelings are affecting my judgment, my perceptions, and my expectations. My journal time has become one of the best moments of meditation, and I relish the chances I get to crack into those books and put my pencil, and my brain, to work.

So what's the point of this post? Well, I guess it's a follow-up to the last one. I wanted to reiterate how important daily writing can be, even to non-writers. Keeping a journal can help clear your mind of issues and problems, help see things in a new light, and help solve problems you otherwise would've found yourself worrying about. Also, keeping one journal is a great way to start out, yet I encourage anybody who actually acts on this advice to keep multiple journals, and, if possible, to carry one with you wherever you go. I can't garauntee you much, but I can say that I'm certain a time will come in your life when you wish you had more links to your past than simply your fading memories, and a journal is a sure-fire way to provide yourself a window into who you were before, and how you've changed over time.

Daily Habits

Whenever conversations have taken a turn towards one of my hobbies, such as writing, sketching, or even Game Mastering an RPG session, it isn't rare for people to say something along the lines of "I'm a terrible artist," or "I can't write at all," or even "I could never run an RPG." I can't help but chuckle at these statements because of how misinformed they are.

Writing, as with most hobbies, isn't something you're born with. Anybody can learn how to cook, how to sing, how to play the guitar, how to skateboard, and how to write. These are skills, and it's true, while some may be born with natural talents in these areas, anybody can learn how to do them, and to do them well.

The key, and this is where most people fail, myself included, is consistent practice.

We live in an age of instant gratification. When I was growing up, it was common to wait minutes for a webpage to load, even if it was all text. And it was what I did. I'd click the link, and sit and wait while the page slowly came into view, often reading the information as it showed up on screen. Now, if the page takes longer than ten to fifteen seconds, most people close out and try again, or look for a different page. We are accustomed to instant information, to finding what we need as fast as we can hit the 'Enter' button, yet it is my firm belief that this technology is being poorly misused. Yet that is a subject for a different blog post.

If you want to get better at something, anything, all you need to do is practice it. Work it into your routine, schedule your time around it, make time for it and hold yourself accountable to it. Whether its physical exercise, budgeting, academic preparation, or creative writing, all you need to do is be willing to devote the necessary time.

I have these skills in sketching and writing because I did them when I was young. I started as a child and kept the hobbies up throughout my prime development years, into high school, and after. Now, in my adult life, I find that I don't continue the hobbies as often as I'd like, and because of this my confidence in them has fallen. I can still sketch, but it takes me a while before I feel good about my artistic abilities to hammer out portraits and character concepts like I used to. I can write, but it takes a few days of straight fiction writing before I feel confident about my ability to tell a story.

Turn your desire into action and start writing daily. Keep a journal, and carry it with you at all times. I know how this sounds, and I know that a lot of us who aspire to be writers think "keeping a journal is amateur stuff, I'm ready for more than that." I know this because I thought this way just a mere year ago. However, I have since decided to take my own advice, and it has done wonders for my ability to get my thoughts out on paper. It has made me a better literary communicator and a better verbal communicator. There really is no downside to having a daily journal.

Writing also requires an acceleration period. This period varies in time from one person to the next, but generally you can expect it to be around thirty minutes. You can't sit down and expect to start writing your novel right away, and you can't expect every session to be equally effective, at least not at first. Having a daily journal, and writing in it for at least thirty minutes prior to working on your manuscript, is the perfect way to get your creative gears turning, to kick-start the part of your brain that works on literary communication, taking abstract thoughts and turning them into words on a page.

The same goes with any skill you put into practice. Instead of jumping right into your workout, stretch for a short while beforehand. Instead of starting your piece of artwork right after you get done with your work shift, instead sketch a few scrap drawings in a notebook. We want everything we do to be perfect the first time, yet that is not realistic. In fact, that frame of mind is a hindrance to achieving our true potential as artists. Recognize that consistent, scheduled practice is necessary to becoming better at something, and then go out and schedule that practice.

Keeping in Contact

It's been said that life isn't so much about what you know, but rather who you know. As I work towards self-publishing my first book, I'm finding this to be increasingly true.

Seeking to get anywhere in the world of writing requires many different tools that you need to be ready and willing to utilize, many different skills you need to hone, in order to get anywhere. Or, at least, so I've been learning. There is determination to finish your work, there is discipline to hold yourself to a schedule or timeline, and there is properly leveraging the skills and abilities of others to assist you. Despite how it sounds, self-publishing is not something you can do on your own. At least not easily.

Expand your circle. Meet people with similar interests. Go to writing clubs, visit online forums and chat rooms, and reconnect with old friends who shared your passion. It is important to have a good list of people who enjoy writing, who enjoy reading, and who enjoy other aspects of the publishing process. The more people you know, and the more willing you are to ask for help, the easier your road will become.

When I started work on the Round 10 Core Rulebook, I expected to write the manuscript, send it in for publication, and start watching the 'Download' counter tick ever upwards. I was incredibly wrong, and I didn't realize it until I was filling out the submission form for rpgnow.com and got to the 'Cover Art' field. I had no cover art. The first thing that anyone would see about my book, and it was blank.

I realized I still had some work to do.

A lot has happened between then and now. It's been almost a year, the book has gone through three different versions, getting more and more in-depth with what it includes every time. I have seven of eleven illustrations finished, and the other four are close behind. The cover is fully designed and finished, ready to grace the front of the manuscript. The sections are being reorganized into a more readable and user-friendly format, and I'm able to begin diverting some of my attention to my next book. All thanks to my wonderful allies on this long trip.

Despite seeking self-publication, the list of people assisting me grows by the week. Taking a quick look at my credits page, I see I have over 15 people credited, including illustrator, tyopgraphic artist, layout designer, logo designer, editors, and most importantly, my play-testers. And while my book is swiftly approaching the date when it will be ready for publication, I know that I still have a lot of work ahead of me, and I won't be doing it all alone.

Why I Write

This is an interesting and continuously intriguing thought. Writing is something I do, something I've always done, but the times I think about writing are a lot more frequent than those when I stop to consider exactly why I write.

I am a communicator by my very nature. I relish the chance to convey thoughts and feelings to an audience. I am a glutton for the back-and-forth of one-on-one communication, and I am talented in the area of small group communication and public speaking. Granted, I have a lot to learn in all of these areas, but to deny my edge would be to practice a dishonest form of modesty. And while modesty is important, honesty is moreso, I believe.

Writing is undoubtedly one of my preferred mediums to communicate, both for what it can do and what it cannot. What writing can do, in any of its forms, is allow the opportunity to more accurately convey the writer's message. Assuming the person who is writing has a decent vocabulary and at least moderate knowledge of language, writing can take who is normally a stammering, stuttering individual and turn them into a wonderful communicator.

However, what writing cannot do is, in my opinion, far more important.

Writing limits us in our communication in a way that we often don't think of while reading a book or a magazine article, yet it becomes very clear to us while we're texting or messaging friends and family members. Writing lacks all forms of nonverbal communication, and while we can attempt to convey such ideas (such as through the use of ALL CAPITAL LETTERS, or with emoticons :) ), it still pales in comparison to the nonverbals we get in face-to-face communication. This forces the writer to be extra certain of what words he or she uses, in what order, and with what rhythm. Diction, grammar, syntax, and punctuation go beyond the realm of 'rules of writing' and become 'tools of writing,' and with proper manipulation can convey more in a single sentence than some of us could ever hope to do in an entire conversation.

Why else do I write? The power of writing is undeniable. A person's inner voice is both their loudest distraction, and oftentimes their greatest influence. Reading exercises a person's inner voice, flexes their lexicon, and generally helps with focus and comprehension. If reading is such a powerful and beneficial way to spend your time, then the people who spend their time, energy and effort writing are those who seek to truly enlighten others, whether consciously or subconsciously, whether it is simply to expand creativity through entertainment, or to open readers' minds through persuasion.

To help emphasize the power of writing, we only need to look to Mark Twain. When a bet was made that Twain wouldn't be able to make people cry with no more than six written words, Mark Twain wrote the following:

For sale: child's shoes, never worn.

The gravity of that simple statement speaks mountains for the effect that writing can have on an individual. And it is my hope, my goal and my dream to become part of the industry and part of the community that contributes to furthering the drive for understanding, for learning, and for entertainment.

Welcome

Hello folks! Welcome to the very first post of my new blog, Experience Points.

First of all, a bit about myself: My name is Nicholas Kory, I'm a 25 year-old aspiring writer/teacher who is returning to college to finish my teaching degree. I am also working full time in retail, as well as attempting to self-publish my first book on tabletop role-playing. Between these endeavors, in my spare time I try to cultivate multiple friendships and remain a relevant and positive member of all of my social networks.

This blog will follow my pursuit of my career, both as a teacher and as a writer, and will help to serve as a collection of my plans, thoughts, motivations, pitfalls and epiphanies that I am sure to face as I move steadily forward towards those goals. I will share what I have learned, what I am learning, and what I hope to learn in the future. The posts in this blog will serve as benchmarks in my road, a permanent record of where I've been and where I am going. Hence the blog's title.

It is my humble goal to update this blog on a weekly basis, at the very least. However, it may not be out of the realm of possibility to see more frequent updates, depending upon my schedule and the necessity of me to get these thoughts down.

I hope that those of you who take the time to read my posts will find them to be enlightening, entertaining, or thought-provoking to some degree. I feel as if a new chapter in my life is starting as I close in on the goals I have set for myself, and I am excited to share this chapter with all of those who are willing to listen.