Clay Sheldon

Writing Tip:
When you take that writing break, sometimes it's helpful to completely purge your writing thoughts for a moment. Don't just stew while drinking a coffee. That's not really a break. Watch a youtube video or chat with your roommate. A major distraction.
#writing #writingtips #Booksky

Writing Tip:
As a writing exercise, create a list of 'virtues' and 'sins' for a chosen character. What good and evil things have they done, either in total or just recently? Check the list, and see if they're really the hero/villain you think they are.
#writing #writingtips #Booksky

Something I like about #CodeRain is that the mystery-solving mechanics are actually pretty interactive, similar to Danganronpa. It's not always just picking evidence from a list. Not a big fan of the protagonist's hat though. I know that's petty, but it just looks weird.
🎮 #gaming #Mystery

NPCs in your D&D campaigns can do more than just provide exposition. Obviously you've got shopkeepers and whatnot, but they can do so much more. Like trainers, which could boost a skill or provide a perk if you pay them enough money. If you use them sparingly, they won't break the game.
#D&D #TTRPG

Writing Tip:
Just because you don't cry when you create an emotional scene on the page doesn't mean it's not impactful. You've had this scene kicking around in your head for ages. You've acclimatized. Your reader won't have that emotional protection when the feels hit.
#writing #writingtips #Booksky

I know #CodeRain is going for a futuristic visual design, but some of the character designs are just ridiculous. In the prologue, there's a guy with literally a shredded bag covering his head and face, and another guy has a mechanical cat ear hat. None of this is ever explained.
🎮 #gaming #Mystery

Writing Tip:
Emotional scenes in your story are one of the most important things to have test-readers for. Even if that scene feels emotionally charged for you, it might not resonate with others. Getting multiple opinions can track how universally emotional it is.
#writing #writingtips #Booksky

As a GM, there are many arguments for-and-against 'narrative warping'. On the one hand, immediately gathering wayward PCs together when important events happen is cleaner. But sometimes players being on their own because they split up can create some rather interesting narrative moments.
#D&D #TTRPG

Saw #RainCode on sale and decided to give it a try. I love a good mystery game, although I am a little concerned from playing the prologue. There is a LOT going on theme-wise, and It can feel like they threw a whole bunch of genres in a blender and went to town.
🎮 #gaming #Mystery

As a general rule for running D&D, never assume your players are going to find the key to a door. They will find a door and do literally everything else other than look for a key. They'll pick it, attack it, even use magical chicanery. Key are often just a backup if they fail, honestly.
#D&D #TTRPG

Writing Tip:
When you're in a writing flow, you might experience a sensation where the rest of the world is blocked out. Obviously, don't forget important things like eating or sleeping, but other minor distractions should be avoided to protect that flow.
#writing #writingtips #Booksky

Writing Tip:
One of those untold skills helpful to a writer is 'writer's instinct'. It's when you can tell at a glance whether a scene is working or not. And the only way to get that is through experience and practice. And each instinct is unique to each person.
#writing #writingtips #Booksky

Writing Tip:
It's possible to make a character too logical. Too intelligent. Too rational. If a character is pulling sudden amazing deductions out of their rear-end that even Holmes would find suspicious, you might need to tone it back a little.
#writing #writingtips #Booksky

Writing Tip:
When your readers (test readers or real) give you feedback you don't like, that COULD just be your ego talking. But it might also be bad feedback. That exists too. Learning to spot the difference takes a long time as well as being able to trust yourself.
#writing #writingtips #Booksky

Writing Tip:
Creating a twist for the sake of creating a twist isn't good writing. That's just attempting to get a knee-jerk reaction from your reader. Your twist needs a reason to be there. It is a rebuttal. A counterpoint in an argument the reader wasn't aware of.
#writing #writingtips #Booksky

Writing Tip:
What your reader wants from a story might not be the best version of a tale. Sure, you can pander to your readers, and good works can come from that. But there's something to be said for doing the unexpected and your reader discovering they like that too.
#writing #writingtips #Booksky

Writing Tip:
Know what your reader wants coming into your story. Do they want a cozy read? Or do they want to be scared? Then, get more specific. Anticipating your audience is one of the most important skills a writer can learn.
#writing #writingtips #Booksky

Writing Tip:
A good villain is often one where you can track their thought process and planning. Sure, there's also brilliant Machiavellian schemers, but if you go too hard in that direction, all of their actions might feel like they came out of nowhere.
#writing #writingtips #Booksky

Writing Tip:
Quantity is not a sign of quality. Sometimes the most productive writing days are not when you've written 5000 words, but when you've written 10. If those ten words are important enough, they can take a full day, or longer!
#writing #writingtips #Booksky

Writing Tip:
Writing plans when starting a book are a lot like when you decided you were going to be a doctor-firefighter-astronaut when you were in third grade. Sure, it MIGHT happen, but things are going to change over time, and the end result is gunna be different.
#writing #writingtips #Booksky

Sometimes a player in your sessions is going to have a spell that completely trivializes your encounter. If this happens, you've got two choices. Come up with a reason why they spell won't work (which sucks) or congratulate the player for their quick thinking and conclude the encounter.
#D&D #TTRPG

I often test the quality of an RPG by immediately rejecting the main quest and seeing if it lets me. If I'm allowed to just go do my own thing without the game yanking me back into the main plot, that's a good sign. Bonus points if you actually get interesting dialogue for doing it.
🎮 #gaming #RPG

If you have a PC in your campaign that can fly, it's a bigger problem for encounter design than you might realize. Because that means, with enough creativity, ALL your PCs can fly. Sure, it might take a little longer, but that's a tool in their toolbelt they can use whenever they want.
#D&D #TTRPG

Writing Tip:
If you're planning on submitting anywhere, learn their style guides. One of the easiest ways to get rejected fast is to ignore their style requirements because 'you like it better this way'. That won't fly. If they say 'double space' you double space.
#writing #writingtips #Booksky

Writing Tip:
Focus is a limited resource while writing and it often needs to be recharged. Forcing yourself to focus when the tank is empty is how you get headaches, stress and burnout. Taking regular breaks keeps the tank full, meaning you can write for longer.
#writing #writingtips #Booksky

If there's one thing that bothers me in RPGs, it's those invisible walls that keep you in the starter/tutorial zone at the beginning of the game. I know why they're there, but If I want to be an idiot and wander into an area I'm not prepared for, I should be able to do it dammit!
🎮 #gaming #RPG

One thing I encourage with GMs is to let players justify a skill check rather than tell them what they have to roll. Encourage them to get creative with the skills they have rather than force them to roll a skill they suck at. Sure, sometimes you gotta do that, but it works better.
#D&D #TTRPG

Writing Tip:
Remember that you get to decide what your reader sees. You're the camera giving the closeup on that story element you deem important. If you don't show something, you can't assume that a reader is going to figure it out on their own. That's unreasonable.
#writing #writingtips #Booksky

I know some folks love the challenge, but I've never been a fan of time limits in RPGs. I prefer being allowed to wander around the overworld as much as I want to and then get to the main plot when I've done all the side quests. Time limits just make me nervous and stressed.
🎮 #gaming #RPG

I might just do that! Although I got the Sim Settlements 2 mod already set up at the moment and mixing big mods can often have... unintended consequences.