So did you do #Dungeon23? Writing and drawing a room for 365 days? I did it. Well, I cheated a bit. I planned out 8 months of rooms in a MCC megadungeon in December of 2022. That meant room names and random encounter tables. The room names helped me figure out how much space a particular area would be (ex: the parking lot outside of the megadungeon was 14 “rooms”/2-weeks of work). The encounter tables helped me find a vibe and made me think of the ecology of the area.
Each week, I’d look at the google doc with that info and start filling out my daily entries. Sometimes a week would pass by and I’d play catch up. Other times I’d be eager for the next day’s entry and would think about it the night before. That said, I did abandon drawing rooms by March. Occasionally, I’d do a little doodle, but that was really it. I also treated my google doc prep work as suggestions, not requirements. And in the end, I think doing my megadungeon in reverse might be more interesting than the way I originally planned it.
However, I only had about 8-months of megadungeon. So after I finished that, it became a different dungeon each week. That’s when things got hard. I don’t think I’ll be continuing with a #dungeon24 (continuing the same style), #hexplore24 (write a hex each day), or a #collab24 (collabing with other people and linking your dungeons together).
I’ll be doing #tuneup24! I got a huge amount of material and I want to actually use the stuff! Now, let’s be honest. Not every single thing I wrote down is A+ material. But I think a lot is quite good if given a certain level of polish. And that’s what #tuneup24 is about.
So if you did #dungeon23 then don’t let your efforts and writing collect dust! Join me in #tuneup24. Playtest, revise, expand, and maybe even publish! I will continue to write in a physical notebook, but won’t be doing it everyday. The physical act really helps me get out ideas and its good to get away from screens. Plus, I can cover it in stickers! If you see me at a convention, give me a sticker to add to my notebook jacket!
What about you? How did #dungeon23 work out for you? Any plans for 2024?
What else is going on?
Indie Creator Summit
Indie RPG Creator Summit is three days of Zoom webinars where RPG creators hear from dozens of experts on every aspect of RPG publishing. Learn about product design and art direction; layout and print production; crowdfunding and digital selling; marketing and distribution; and everything in between.
I’ll be one of the hosts on the Layout 101 panel (Jan 9, 6PM Central), but will also be attending as many of these panels as I can! Join us LIVE on ZOOM: January 8-10, 2024. Early bird pricing before December 31!
I’m joining the Purple Planet Horde!
I am joining the horde of 3rd-party peoples who are adding to the Purple Planet! For now, I’ll be a little secretive about my own contribution. I will say that my it will be a stretch goal for one of the 3rd party publishers. So sign-up to be reminded on Backerkit!