What you are looking at is the cover to the book I have been tinkering with since November, 2018. Okay, that was the month I wrote the first draft. People donated to my NaNoWriMo fundraiser to have characters named after them — characters who would meet brutal and bloody ends. I purchased this cover before I even wrote the book. I liked it that much.
Now, this weekend, it all culminates into a final product that will release in March, 2020 and is available for pre-order as you read this. Fingers crossed.
WRITING / EDITING IN PUBLIC
As of the time of this writing, I am 53,000 words behind my writing goal. I still have not written a word of fiction since January 1. However, I do not feel all that bad about it, because…
On Monday, February 17, I finished the last of the Orange Book replacement sweep. You may remember — and if you don’t, the link will explain it — that I use Orange Book to note changes I want to make to my second draft, then make those changes in my electronic document as my third.
I have been procrastinating on this since August. (I know in the goals post I said September, but that was the month I mentioned it here in this blog.) After my last post, where I lamented missing that goal’s deadline, I decided to do something about it and stop procrastinating. I spent time before JOB and some time at lunch doing a little bit every day until it was done.
It’s amazing what you can do just a little bit at a time.
So by next weekend, I plan to go through the book one more time to make sure everything that’s left makes sense. Then I will upload the final revision at Draft2Digital so you can get it on Release Day (if you choose to pre-order).
Everyone who donated to the fundraiser will get their electronic copies, and two of them will get a print copy as well. Unless I do what I did with Seeing Red and just give all the donors a print copy for having to wait so long.
The point is… COMEDY OF TERRORS IS DONE!
GAMING THINGS
Presidents Day weekend saw OrcCon 2020 hit the LAX Hilton. Sadly, I was not with them. I have already gone into the details in previous posts. I am hopeful I will be able to attend Gateway in September, but even that one is not guaranteed.
Meanwhile, my compatriots and I are inching our way through the Pathfinder Core set. The most recent session had us exploring the tower that collapsed at the beginning of our previous scenario. We barely made it out alive. Hero Points all around! The others used theirs to upgrade. I’m holding mine back in case I am not so lucky next time.
We have noticed that Core is much more challenging than Rise of the Runelords has been. That was a major point of contention with the original RotR fan base. They thought the game was too easy. This is proof that I’m a Filthy Casual — I find RotR provides the right balance of challenge while still being winnable.
While we have won two scenarios in Core, we lost the first one — the EASY MODE scenario — twice before finally beating it. And this second one was a) down to the last turn and b) came close to killing two of the characters along the way. Multiple times I had zero cards in my deck, and if I had lost a single card, Fumbus the Goblin Alchemist would have been deceased.
That said, I can’t wait to see what’s next in The Dragon’s Demand (the name of the Adventure Path in Core).
I am also developing an obsession over a game I have not yet managed to play a full match-up on: Marvel Champions. After the incomplete game in December, our February game day gave us an opportunity to start over and try again. To another incomplete game. The good news is that we have saved all the set-ups (we also took photographs of the relevant bits and bobs) and will continue the game in the March or April game day, depending on stuff.
For a long time, Monthly Game Day had four members. Then one member got married and has been adjusting to that life. She has not joined us in several months, which is why the remaining three have been playing Pathfinder Core. She is welcome back to our group any time, and her character in Runelords will be waiting for her.
I only mention that because another of our number canceled on us a few days before a scheduled Game Day earlier this month. The last two of us decided to meet up anyway and play some head-to-head stuff.
Enter a game that I knew existed but did not think I would have the opportunity to play: Harry Potter Hogwarts Battle – Defense Against the Dark Arts. (Sorry — I just can’t bring myself to use the British spelling.) Holy crow, was that game a blast! If you’ve played the original Hogwarts Battle (which we have), many of the cards in the game will be familiar. The differences are: 1) This is not a cooperative game but a magical duel scenario. 2) Allies play differently, staying in play until your opponent forces them off the board. 3) The game board resembles the dueling stage seen in the films, with tokens that move backward when taking “damage” and forward (toward the center) when “healing” — if your token is moved to the edge of the board, you are stunned. Three stuns is a crushing defeat for you and a well-earned victory for your foe. 4) House matters. There are cards in the pool that will have extra abilities that trigger if it matches either your House or a House on any of your allies.
In that regard, this game felt very Star Realms / Hero Realms in nature, having cards that are designed to stay in play as well as affiliation bonuses on some cards. It also felt familiar (being Hogwarts Battle) and new at the same time. The two-player aspect makes it of limited value to our group (unless this situation arises again), but I am so glad my friend had gotten it and brought it to our duo game day.
Word of warning, though. The game can take a hella long time to play, especially if both players are of comparable skill with deckbuilding games.
The good news is that because of that cancellation, I got two Game Day weekends in a row! I do love games. Not sure I’ve ever mentioned that.
Other games played over those two weeks: Lots, One Deck Dungeon, and Fluxx: The Board Game.
WRAPPING UP
So far, 2020 is shaping up to be what I expected it to be. I have a new book coming out, I’m still playing ALL THE GAMES, and the personal stuff is still being personal. The only thing I need to kick in the shins to get going is the writing.