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Interview with Bret
Boyd So there I was, surfing the web for writing opportunities for the Absolute Markets Premium Edition (www.absolutemarkets.com) when I happened upon a job board for RPG creators. "RPG?" I wondered. A little investigation led me to realize that RPG stands for roleplaying games, but I still scratched my head at the seemingly vast publishing world represented on this board. How could I have missed this? Sure, I'd heard of Dungeons & Dragons, but I never knew roleplaying games had evolved-- or even that they were still popular-- since the brief time in my early teens when I knew a couple of kids who hung around the youth center and played this mysterious game. One of the message board regulars interested me, so I followed a link to his online resume. This was Bret Boyd, a 28-year-old "living happily in Hamburg, PA." He's written for about 20 roleplaying books so far, for publishers such as Fast Forward Entertainment, Mystic Eye Games, Bastion Press, and Sword & Sorcery Studios. You'll find his complete resume here. I asked him if he'd tell us about his work, and Bret happily agreed.
He says, "Crafting stories is, and always shall be, of paramount importance in my life."
I hope you'll learn as much from Bret as I did! Roleplaying is, at its core, cowboys and Indians. We all pretended to be some fantastic character as a child-- defeating the bad guy with whatever equipment came with our favorite character archetype, be it cowboy, space man, medieval knight, etc. Roleplaying takes this make-believe and brings it to another level. I'll use the words of John M. Kahane, whose website "What is Roleplaying?" offers this definition: "Have you ever read a book or seen a film where a character did something really silly, really stupid, and you thought, 'No! Don't do that! You do *this* and...' or 'If it were me, this is what I'd be doing in that situation...' In a roleplaying game, it *is* you. In many ways, roleplaying is very much like improvisational acting, but it's also a game where you have fun with your friends, and interact with them in a social setting. It is very much ideal for everyone who would like to try your hand at acting as a hobby, but can't be bothered with learning scripts and all the other tools that go along with acting." For more from Mr. Kahane, see his website: http://www.comnet.ca/~jkahane/rpg/rpg-definition.html There's more to it than this. The rules of any given RPG (roleplaying game) dictate how your character interacts with the setting. A GM (game master) gets to run everything that is not your character-- the world, its populace both friendly and hostile, and the story your character is participating in. Most of my experience has been with the Dungeons & Dragons game, so unless I mention otherwise, the rest of the questions will deal with this RPG in particular. D&D has been in the mainstream since the mid 1970s and is currently enjoying a renaissance in its 3rd Edition. In it, your character is a fantasy character from medieval culture-- rogue, wizard, fighter, and cleric among the most typical. Defeating the plans of maniacal wizards, marauding monsters, and ancient evils is typical fare for the D&D game. Which came first for you-- roleplaying or writing? Roleplaying was first introduced to me during my formative years as a Boy Scout. It was not until after my first adventures in this exciting game that my creative urge to write materialized. How did you get started as an RPG writer? In January of 2002 I won a contest from Mystic Eye Games, a d20 publisher of fantasy material for the D&D game. I should preface this by saying something about the d20 movement. Dungeons & Dragons is owned by a company called Wizards of the Coast (WotC). Here's their PR blurb: "A worldwide leader in the trading card game and tabletop roleplaying game categories, and a leading developer and publisher of game-based entertainment products. The company holds an exclusive patent on trading card games and their method of play and produces the premier trading card game, Magic: The Gathering®, among many other trading card games and family card and board games. Wizards is also a leading publisher of roleplaying games, such as Dungeons & Dragons®, and publisher of fantasy series fiction with numerous New York Times best-sellers." Well, back in August of 2000, WotC released the 3rd edition of the D&D game under a rules system referred to as "d20." This reflected the reliance of many of the games' dice rolls on a 20-sided die. At the same time, a royalty-free license was produced-- the Open Game License (OGL)-- which allowed any third party entity to release game accessories based on the d20 rules. The basics of this ground-breaking document can be found here: http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=d20/oglfaq/20040123f As a result, literally hundreds of companies, both .pdf and print, emerged from the fan base and freelance game designers already present in the industry. Some of these publishers were, I believe literally, operating out of their basements for the chance to see their name in the industry or to get their dream project into print. While not having access to specific numbers, I would speculate that many of these publishers produced nothing or at least one thing before fading away. As for me, I had been a player and Dungeon Master (DM-- same as game master above) since the mid-80s and, with an urge to write this stuff already strong, decided that the chance to actually participate in the D&D industry was too good to pass up. I had a few writing gigs with companies that just couldn't quite get to the marketplace before winning the contest from Mystic Eye. Since the beginning of 2002, I've managed to contribute to approximately 20 books in the d20 industry with my first solo effort scheduled for a September release. Having my stuff published has been a dream come true but I won't think about quitting my day job just yet. ;-) How do you find opportunities for RPG writing? There are a number of ways to look for RPG jobs. Again, my knowledge of the hot spots is limited to the d20 industry. There are numerous other RPGs out there under the likes of Mayfair Games, Steve Jackson Games, and West End Games, just to name a few. These other publishers have had little or no interaction with d20 and the OGL. But back to the matter at hand. When browsing for jobs, I usually go to ENWorld's Publishers Forum where there is a sub-section specifically for Open Calls: http://www.enworld.org/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=68 Another good site is Gaming Report: http://www.gamingreport.com/modules.php?op=modload&name=NPNews&file=index One more resource is the RPGFreelance yahoo list, although this group is only accessible after one has had published credits to his name. The other way to find jobs (writing or art) in the RPG field is to simply go to a publisher's website. There is almost always a "Submissions" section which details what the company is looking for, how a submission should be formatted, and what a writer can expect to get for an accepted submission. I see that many RPG books have multiple writers. What does each writer do? Do you all write different aspects of the game? Ideally, an RPG writer should be familiar with all aspects of the system he is writing for (in my case, the d20 system). For multiple author books, the publisher or the lead developer of the project usually assigns what part(s) of the book he wants a given writer to pen. How big is the market for RPG books, and where are they sold? Well, let me put things in perspective. Ryan Dancey, former Brand Manager of WotC during the 3rd edition D&D development period, was quoted after its release as saying: "I can't see working on a 10,000 unit product after having sold a half-million PHBs." The question that prompted this response was if Mr. Dancey ever considered entering the d20 industry (he had at the time just left WotC's employ). "PHBs" refers to Player's Handbook-- the rulebook needed to play D&D 3rd edition. The 10,000 number refers to what he saw as a customary print run for 3rd party d20 publishers. Quite a difference, eh? A book I had personally worked on was quoted at 4,000 copies. So the industry for d20 is large in respect to number of companies but is difficult to find a product if a company is an "unknown" due to distributor unwillingness to carry so many different products (much less an individual retailer's willingness to have so many d20 product on his shelves). As for where they are sold, check your local Waldenbooks, Borders, and other large retail establishments. In these you can find the "top tier" d20 companies and other RPG companies that have made a name for themselves over the years. You can also scout out the local "hobby shop." Yes, that place down the street that sells models and puzzles may also sell RPGs and not just the top tier stuff, either. However, I fear that more and more consumers are going to Amazon.com and other online retailers to get what they want at a discount. I think this is a shame because it detracts from what is at the heart of roleplaying-- social interaction. Online distributors can't give their personal thoughts on what is or isn't a good RPG. A local retailer is almost always familiar with what he or she carries and can give his opinion and perhaps even a quick rules primer to those customers who might otherwise be on the fence. Some of the calls for writers are very specific-- for example, here's an excerpt from a recent want ad: "Class-Related Weapons & Armor: These are items unique to a particular class or prestige class. Other classes might be able to use them, but it will be obvious that they were designed for a specific class. Please include all of the information that you'd find in the DMG (including magical aura, caster level and requirements, market price, etc.)." Of course, this just blows my mind because I have no experience with RPGs, but how do you determine things like market price, or points, as I saw in another call? Again, this open call was in reference to the d20 system. The game mechanics that have been requested here are standard for "class-related weapon and armor." How you come up with these is spelled out in the Dungeon Master's Guide (DMG)-- the book anyone who wants to run a D&D game needs to own. This demonstrates the basic precept that in order to write for any topic, the writer should be familiar with the subject material. On a side note, the DMG, PHB, and a third book called the Monster Manual (MM) are the only three books one needs to have to run a satisfying lifetime of D&D. The appeal of 3rd party publishers operating under the OGL is that they offer more takes on the standard rules and themes every player and DM already takes for granted, in effect bringing more cool ideas to the gaming table. The same goes for any RPG publisher in that supplements are made for a set of "core rules" to expand the enjoyment one has by playing a particular RPG. Many of these calls require you to have understanding of certain systems or settings. Is this like writing for a television series, where you have to have seen all the past episodes to be able to write for it? If so, how much of RPG writing is original material, and how much of it relies on your knowledge of a "series?" This hearkens back to the previous answer. All RPGs have a core book that lays out the basic concepts and rules of the game. In theory, this should be all a player needs to play. In reality, using only a basic core book eventually drains a game's surprise and flavor value-- this again is where supplements come into play (further detailing the RPG's setting in terms of creatures, equipment, politics, etc.). For the d20 system, the writer need only have under his belt the System Reference Document (SRD). The SRD is available from WotC's website here: http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=d20/article/srd35. It is the toolbox by which all other d20 publishers operate-- and it's available for free! For other RPGs, one must usually buy the publisher's core book to get the proper background on a game. For those who are intrigued by the idea of roleplaying, how should they start? Where can they find RPG groups, and are there any games that are good for beginners? Browse the games whose subject matter most interests you. There's everything from fantasy to science-fiction to post-apocalyptic to horror-- pretty much every genre under the sun has some RPG outlet. I suppose the easiest way to scan the publishers available is to either poke around on Google for your preferred genre of RPG or browse through the comprehensive list of RPG publishers found here: http://www.pen-paper.net/rpgdb.php?op=publisherlist. As for how to find RPG groups, the easiest way may just be to ask your friends! Inevitably you'll talk to someone who either has played an RPG or knows someone else who still does. ENWorld, the mecca of d20 online communities, also has a Gamers Seeking Gamers forum: http://www.enworld.org/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=49. Forums like these are usually quite receptive to newcomers and you should not hesitate to ask questions. They can likely answer anything that is not covered in this interview. What draws you to RPGs? I think the fact that I can tell stories to a willing audience and then receive instant gratification is the biggest "turn-on," if you will. Running a D&D game allows me to take in the reactions of my players, my audience, in a way that writing stories for publication can never do. The rules are there, no matter what your RPG preference, to weave the kinds of stories that interest you most. Games may not always go the way you planned, but that's the fun part for everyone-- the unexpected. Running a roleplaying session is like watching a once in a lifetime movie. Even if you run the same scenario, you'll never get the same sequence of events again. In sourcebooks, does one person come up with the basic rules and storyline, and then writers develop characters, weapons, spells, etc. around those parameters? I think it depends on the individual publisher. If the concept person has good writing skills and the time necessary to write his work, then he's likely to pen the whole sourcebook on his own. It depends on the type of supplement as well. If your writing a scenario, or "adventure module," then you probably want one person doing the entire work to maintain a consistent feel. If the sourcebook is more of a grab bag of spells and equipment, then multiple writers help to inject the most ideas for the publisher's money while giving the reader greater likelihood of finding an element that appeals to him (since certain reader's may not care for a certain writer's way of writing or choice of ideas). But, sure, I've seen where writers develop game elements around a story or theme as well. What's your dream assignment? My dream assignment is writing a supplement that provides a toolbox of game materials (creatures, spells, concepts, etc.) relating to time travel in a d20 game. I am, in fact, in the process of writing this now but it has been in my spare time only. What's your best advice for people who'd like to write for RPGs? Once you've found a RPG publisher whose products you like, make sure they are taking submissions. Be familiar with that publisher's game system and then submit your ideas using the exact guidelines laid out by the publisher. Deviation from the guidelines gives you a one-way trip to the circular file. This is no different than submitting a work of fiction to a magazine or publisher. Submission guidelines are there for a reason. Don't waste a publisher's time-- use them! Also keep an eye out for Open Calls for writers that the publisher may advertise on his website. As stated above, ENWorld and GamingReport are worth keeping tabs on as well as the freelancers forum over at rpg.net: http://forum.rpg.net/forumdisplay.php?s=9e93f4cc2d47e74f5540f73192179adf&forumid=12. Anything else you'd like to add? Don't quit your day job. Like any kind of fiction writing, an RPG writer does this because he has to, not because he wants to. It's in the blood. Don't equate dedication with dollar signs. Only a handful of people write for RPGs and make a living at it. The easiest way to get your feet wet in the RPG writing pond is probably with the d20 system. As I noted, the SRD is free and this provides all the rules you need to understand what's going on with the Dungeons & Dragons game (one of the most recognized names in RPGs). There are also a great many d20 publishers eager for writers to bring their grand ideas to market-- and eager to discover the next big writing talent. Will that be you? You may contact Bret at dmbretb@comcast.net. Jenna Glatzer is the editor of this site and the author of nine books, the latest of which is Make a Real Living as a Freelance Writer, which comes with a free editors' e-mail cheat sheet! Read about her books at http://www.absolutewrite.com/jenna/books.htm.
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