#maybe after the original anthology call deadline.

[abyssaldyke]

Having a weird one because I've been objectively doing some of the best writing of my life but I'm also getting pummeled with rejections which is part of it I know but there's also the fear that I'm plateauing or jumping around on projects too much and not focusing enough on prepping a novel but alternatively there's no right way to do things except what if there is and what if I'm fuckin it up a bit.

[notbecauseofvictories]

Hi Sarah! My friend and I are starting a bookclub (as much as you can with two people who aren't pressed for deadlines) and I was wondering if you have any recommendations? (That is if you have time to rec anything!) We're starting off with Deathless and have Fitzgerald next in line somewhere but I def want to try to expand the genres we read and tbh from years of following you, I trust your judgement

I don’t...like giving recommendations? At least not directly, it seems like too much opportunity for getting it wrong. Everybody has their own tastes, after all, and even the best of friends don’t necessarily vibe with what you vibe with. (I’ve experienced this with multiple friends, so I know what I’m talking about.) Truly, one of the reasons that my whole “I’m going to get back into reading for pleasure!” push has been so successful is that I only bother with books that interest me, and stop reading when they fail to catch my attention.

But I’ve now read at least 60 books in 2020, which is approximately 60 more than I’ve read in the years prior, so I’m happy to share that. Below is my list of recent reads, beginning to end, along with a very short review---I keep this list in the notes app on my phone, so they have to be. Where I’ve talked about a book in a post, I’ve tried to link to it. 

Peruse, and if something catches your interest I hope you enjoy!

2020 Reading List

Crazy Rich Asians series, Kevin Kwan (here)

Blackwater, Michael McDowell (here; pulpy horror and southern gothic in one novel; come for the monster but stay for the family drama.)

Fire and Hemlock, Diane Wynne Jones (here; weird and thoughtful, in ways I’m still thinking about)

The Secret History, Donna Tartt

Gone Girl, Gillian Flynn (here; loved it! I can see why people glommed onto it)

Swamplandia!, Karen Russell (unfinished, I could not get past the first paragraph; just....no.)

Rules of Scoundrels series, Sarah MacLean (an enjoyable romp through classic romancelandia, though if you read through 4 back to back you realize that MacLean really only writes 1 type of relationship and 1 type of sexual encounter, though I do appreciate insisting that the hero go down first.)

The Bear and the Nightingale, Katherine Arden (here)

Dread Nation, Justine Ireland (great, put it with Stealing Thunder in terms of fun YA fantasy that makes everything less white and Eurocentric)

The Haunting of Hill House, Shirley Jackson (VERY good. haunting good.)

Tell My Horse, Zora Neale Hurston (I read an interesting critique of Hurston that said she stripped a lot of the radicalism out of black stories - these might be an example, or counterexample. I haven't decided yet.)

The Rose MacGregor Drinking and Admiration Society, T. Kingfisher (fun!)

St. Lucy’s Home for Girls Raised by Wolves, Karen Russell (some of these short stories are wonderful; however, Swamplandia's inspiration is still unreadable, which is wild.)

17776, Jon Bois (made me cry. deeply human. A triumph of internet storytelling)

The Girl with All the Gifts, M. R. Carey (deeply enjoyable. the ending is a bittersweet kick in the teeth, and I really enjoyed the adults' relationships)

The Door in the Hedge and Other Stories, Robin McKinley (enjoyable, but never really resolved into anything.)

The Hero and the Crown, Robin McKinley (fun, but feels very early fantasy - or maybe I've just read too many of the subsequent knock-offs.)

Mrs. Caliban, Rachel Ingalls (weird little pulp novel.)

All Systems Red, Martha Wells (enjoyable, but I don't get the hype. won't be looking into the series unless opportunity arises.)

A People's History of Chicago, Kevin Coval (made me cry. bought a copy. am still thinking about it.)

The Sol Majestic, Ferrett Steinmetz (charming, a sf novel mostly about fine dining)

House in the Cerulean Sea, TJ Klune (immensely enjoyable read, for all it feels like fic with the serial numbers filed off)

The Au Pair, Emma Rous (not bad, but felt like it wanted to be more than it is)

The Night Tiger, Yangsze Choo (preferred this to Ghost Bride; I enjoy a well-crafted mystery novel and this delivered)

The Left Hand of Darkness, Ursula Le Guin (unfinished, I cannot fucking get into Le Guin and should really stop trying)

The Ghost Bride, Yangsze Choo (enjoyable, but not nearly as fun as Ghost Bride - the romance felt very disjointed, and could have used another round of editing)

Temptation's Darling, Johanna Lindsey (pure, unadulterated id in a romance novel, complete with a girl dressing as a boy to avoid detection)

Social Creature, Tara Isabella Burton (a strange, dark psychological portrait; really made a mark even though I can't quite put my finger on why)

The Girl on the Train, Paula Hawkins (slow at first, but picks up halfway through and builds nicely; a whiff of Gone Girl with the staggered perspectives building together)

Stealing Thunder, Alina Boyden (fun Tortall vibes, but set in Mughal India)

The Traitor Baru Cormorant; The Monster Baru Commorant, The Tyrant Baru Cormorant, Seth Dickinson (LOVE this, so much misery, terrible, ecstatic; more here)

This Is How You Lose the Time War, Amal El-Mohtar, Max Gladstone (epistolary love poetry, vicious and lovely; more here)

The Elementals, Michael McDowell

Gideon the Ninth, Tamsyn Muir (didn't like this one as much as I thought I would; narrator's contemporary voice was so jarring against the stylized world and action sequences read like the novelization for a video game; more here)

Finna, Nino Cipri (a fun little romp through interdimensional Ikea, if on the lighter side)

Magic for Liars, Sarah Gailey (engrossing, even if I could see every plot twist coming from a mile away)

Desdemona and the Deep, C. S. E. Cooney (enjoyed the weirdness & the fae bits, but very light fare)

A Blink of the Screen, Terry Pratchett (admittedly just read this for the Discworld bits)

A Memory Called Empire, Arkady Martine (not as good about politics and colonialism as Baru, but still a powerful book about The Empire, and EXTREMELY cool worldbuilding that manages to be wholly alien and yet never heavily expositional)

Blackfish City, Sam J. Miller (see my post)

Last Werewolf, Glen Duncan (didn't finish, got to to first explicit sex scene and couldn't get any further)

Prosper's Demon, KJ Parker (didn't work for me...felt like a short story that wanted to be fleshed out into a novel)

The Secret Garden, Frances Hodgson Burnett

His Majesty's Dragon, Naomi Novik (extremely fun, even for a reader who doesn't much like Napoleonic stories)

Three Parts Dead, Max Gladstone (fun romp - hard to believe that this is the same author as Time War though you can see glimmers of it in the imagery here)

A Scot in the Dark, Sarah MacLean (palette cleanser, she does write a good romance novel even it's basically the same romance novel over and over)

The Resurrectionist, E. B. Hudspeth (borrowed it on a whim one night, kept feeling like there was something I was supposed to /get/ about it, but never did - though I liked the Mutter Museum parallels)

Stories of Your Life and Others, Ted Chiang (he's a better ideas guy than a writer, though Hell Is The Absence of God made my skin prickle all over)

Gods of Jade and Shadow, Silvia Moreno-Garcia (fun, very much a throwback to my YA days of fairytale retellings, though obviously less European)

Four Roads Cross, Max Gladstone (it turns out I was a LOT more fond of Tara than I initially realized - plus this book had a good Pratchett-esque pacing and reliance on characterization)

Get in Trouble, Kelly Link (reading this after the Chiang was instructive - Link is such a better storyteller, better at prioritizing the human over the concept)

Gods Behaving Badly, Marie Phillips

Soulless; Changeless; Blameless, all by Gail Carriger (this series is basically a romance novel with some fantasy plot thrown in for fun; extremely charming and funny)

Black Leopard, Red Wolf, Marlon James (got about 1/3 of the way through and had to wave the white flag; will try again because I like the plot and the worldbuilding; the tone is just so hard to get through)

Pew, Catherine Lacey (a strange book, I'm still thinking about it; a good Southern book, though)

Nuremberg Diary, GM Gilbert (it took me two months to finish, and was worth it)

River of Teeth, Sarah Gailey (I wanted to like this one a lot more than I actually did; would have made a terrific movie but ultimately was not a great novel. Preferred Magic for Liars.)

Mexican Gothic, Silvia Moreno-Garcia (extremely fun, though more trippy than Gods and the plot didn't work as well for me - though it was very original)

The New Voices of Fantasy, Peter S. Beagle (collected anthology, with some favorites I've read before Ursula Vernon's "Jackalope Wives", "Hungry Daughters of Starving Mothers" "The Husband Stitch"; others that were great new finds "Selkie Stories are for Losers" from Sofia Satamar and "A Kiss With Teeth" from Max Gladstone and "The Philosophers" from Adam Ehrlich Sachs)

[alteritymonster]

MADMAX

ST s02e01 !!!

So I ended up not able to watch until late, because a writing assignment deadline snuck up on me, but I collected up some thoughts. This is my first re-watch of ST ever (I’m not a huge re-watcher usually, I always wait a long while even if I really love something) so a lot of this is, Oh yeah that, but with knowing what comes later :) Here goes!

So I totally forgot, actually, that the Kali gang getaway is the cold open of season 2. Since supposedly the original plan for ST was that Eleven would die at the end of s1 -- and the whole show be an “anthology” series, with a totally different cast in each season -- seeing this now I can imagine the bones of a very different Stranger Things. A different Brenner / Hawkins Lab victim being a character in a new ensemble each year? I mean I’d much rather have the show we actually have, but, interesting.

Dustin’s mom I love her she is so adorable and they are so adorable together

Mike’s reaction to seeing the underwear in Nancy’s drawer 🧐

“You know I despise Dig Dug.”

When Will has his episode in the arcade, seeing the stormy Upside Down: surprising to me how surprised Will isn’t. Later we’re told he had another episode recently. For whatever reason that detail didn’t stick in my memory. It gets me going wondering what Will makes of the Upside Down; he’s obviously had so much more opportunity to wonder about it than I was imagining before.

Just a bit over nine minutes into ep1, season 2′s first “Will! Are you okay?” 🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰

When Murray’s trying to talk with Hopper, that one other cop brings up Troy peeing himself in s1. I know it’s setup for Troy actually showing up later but idk, I always thought it was weird the cop would remember it a year later.

Apropos nothing: Hopper’s “now what” vibe in the office always makes me imagine a Muppet movie version of Stranger Things where David Harbour is the only human actor. I don’t know why.

Steve is Ted. Or in danger of becoming Ted, at least. Talking up working for his dad. “Finger lickin’ good.”

ugh Billy’s here.

I do enjoy the way Billy drives up to the school like he’s a badass, and then the way Max slinks out of his car is like he’s the most cringe parent-dropping-off-kid-at-school ever

Mr. Clarke!!!!!

So we’ve seen Joyce with Will, and Joyce (sewing Will’s Ghostbusters costume and then) with Bob. No Joyce just bein’ Joyce. I know it’s a super-common observation about the way adult women characters are often written that they don’t get their own lives outside of the boys/men they’re close to, but, huh.

Not quite halfway through the episode when Hopper gets to the pumpkin patch, and there’s a solid four or five plot threads begun, without the episode feeling jumbled. (except maybe the kali stuff, but yeah)

“How did you feel when you saw the storm?” I've always liked Dr. Owens, but I’m remembering now how at first I couldn’t decide if he was trustworthy or not. Right now I’m thinking about the DID / Will-created-the-Mind-Flayer theories and wondering how important this question might be after all 🧐

Wow Mike, you’ve had a rough year too. It feels significant to me that Lucas and Dustin aren’t affected along with Will by “the anniversary effect” as hard as Mike is. There’s a bunch going on thematically in that scene of him alone in the basement, too: (literally) putting away childish things (paralleling in my mind the stuff with Will not wanting to grow up in s3!!), trying to get El on the walkie-talkie and calling himself “stupid,” setup for the love/stupid/crazy stuff coming later.

Hopper: “Eight-fifteen, not eight-one-five.” He’s correcting the way Mike taught El to tell time in s1. Huh.

That’s all for now. Loving it so far ^_^ I hope everyone’s had a good day 💖💖

[dreaming-gamer]

DMC week Day 1: Weapon – V & Nico

Gen, no shipping.

Warning: Angst towards the end.

V had never expected such an atmosphere, but there was something tranquil about being able to sit on the couch in Nico’s RV, just quietly reading the pages of his beloved anthology for perhaps the hundredth time. A soft purr rumbled against his sandal-clad feet. It was usually harder to tell his feline companion’s feelings, compared to Griffon, but at the moment, Shadow seemed perfectly content with a nap, as well as keeping V off his feet for a bit.

The summoner couldn’t deny the recent days of fighting was starting to leave an aching strain in his muscles. This moment of rest might be short, there were still many demons about after all but until Nero returned, they could only wait in this safe spot that Nico had parked in.

Speaking of the self-proclaimed Queen of machines, she was currently happily tinkering away at the latest piece of demon parts V had salvaged for her and V could admit it was a relaxing sound to hear in the background. Gears being twisted, her small exclamations of discovery, the clink of tools and metal meeting. Her work left a smell of oil in the air, but it was not unpleasant compared to the stench of demon blood and guts he had gotten so utterly used to by now.

“Oh-hee! I am a genius!”

The sudden shout was louder than most of her exclamations during the last hour and made Shadow lift her head. V kept his gaze on the book, just as fast footsteps thundered his way.

Making a mental note of which page he was on, V raised his gaze but had no time to ask what she had now figured out before she let out a huff.

“What, Nero’s not back yet?” Nico’s hand went for her tool belt, found the package and pulled out a cigarette for herself.

“It would appear not.” V agreed matter-of-factly, softly closing his book. “Did you need him for something?”

The grin that grew on Nico’s face matched a cat that just got a bowl of cream, she grinned all around the cigarette as she took a drag.

“That thing ya brought back resulted in something real special. Wanna have a peek? Free of charge!”

V felt a smirk tug at his lips.

“Well, if you are being so generous…”

Shadow moved just enough for her master to get up properly, using his cane for a bit of support to rise. Making his way through the small space of the RV, the sight that greeted him at the artisan’s workbench was certainly… odd. The design was quite unlike any of the earlier Devil Bringers she had made and V had found the Pasta Breaker an interesting enough design choice. This Devil Bringer didn’t look like a hand even.

This object was blue, didn’t resemble an arm at all really, though V could see where it was supposed to attach.

“I call it the Mega Buster!” Nico proudly declared, just as the soft ruffle of wings left V’s tattoos.

“Oh yeah, what does it even do? I don’t know if you noticed but it’s not even a hand!” Griffon snickered, setting himself down on one of the cupboards.

“That’s because this one shoots. Maybe ya wanna be target practice, little chickee?” The artisan replied, lowering her voice.

“I had enough of those damn blasts fighting the thing! You could thank me!” Griffon exclaimed, his feathers ruffled so he took to disappearing into his host but V couldn’t help smirking a bit at the exchange. He knew his familiar had not forgotten the threat of the steel pot. As for the battle itself, V did not miss those energy blasts either, the lower hem of his leather coat was singed off. If Nero could harness that power, well, wouldn’t that be useful? The showing of her recent creation sparked a question he had been wanting to ask for a while.

“If you do not mind me asking…” V started as Nico took another drag of her cigarette. “...how did you come up with the idea for these Devil Bringers?” V was genuinely curious, Nero’s case was certainly special, considering how one of his arms had been lost. But V had never heard of a prosthetic limb being built with such potential for combat. Boisterous she might be, but Nico did have quite a knack for the mechanical, that he could not deny.

Nico snorted, letting out a laugh.

“Yeah, that’s a fun story alright. So Nero came wobblin’ back to Fortuna right, demanded I’d fix an arm for him. Sure, I was onboard, but then the psycho dropped a one-month deadline! Hell, he didn’t get that something like that would take half a year at least!”

V nodded, letting her continue while swatting away the cloud of smoke she blew out in his direction. Either she didn’t think about diverting the smoke, or she just did not care. The RV was her castle, after all.

“So we stood there arguing about it, when there was this guy who barged in and told Nero there was demon trouble! I told the jackass to get in, ya could tell from his face he wasn’t skipping that fight.” Nico grinned, exhaling a small cloud through her nostrils. “Damn, never seen a fight like that up close. The demon was called a Blitz or whatever. That didn’t matter though. What mattered was the way its remains were all sparky after Nero turned it to shish kebab. And that’s when yours truly got the idea for the Overture.” She stated, a proud glint evident in her brown eyes, smoke dancing around her grin.

“An impressive feat, for such a short amount of time.” V nodded as her story appeared finished.

“I know, right? So, you want me to have a lookie at what ya got? Maybe I can give ya an upgrade since Nero’s new toy’s all done.”

Before V had time to consider her offer, the mechanic snatched the cane from his light grip. V let her even though the gesture was quite rude, he felt a bit of… curiosity. Along with no small amount of doubt, considering the cane’s origins as well as well as other factors. Yet a bit of curiosity if her self-proclaimed, and quite proven genius, could find out anything about the cane that he had missed. He stayed silent as she examined his cane, just curiously watching while leaning lightly against the counter while she tapped the cane with a tool. Turned it over from every angle and checked it, even brought it close to some slivers of demonic remains to check for a reaction. There was a tiny spark as she brought the cane down on it and then, the small piece of demon flesh disintegrated.

“Metal seems good for conducting demonic energy. But is that all it does?” She sounded a bit disappointed at the lack of findings.

“It lets me finish off demons, as long as they’re weakened. I believe that will have to do.” V didn’t really have any other expectations of it, at this point.

“Oh, wait, maybe I can make some kinda coating on it? Let’s ya cut through demons more easily.” V could almost see the gears in her head starting to work, the spark of inspiration coming to life.

Admittedly, it didn’t sound like an impossible idea. But…

“I thought you used up today’s materials.” V stated, his gaze falling on the slivers of demonic remains that now looked like nothing but grains of what had once been.

“So what if I did? There’s still demons roaming about out there. Oh-hee, Nero might even bring something back!” Excitement was alight in her eyes as she took out her cigarette, put out what was left of it against an ashtray on the counter before handing back V’s aid.

V took the cane, leaned on it slightly, finding the inspiration that seemed to hit her at the mere thought of more work to be quite interesting. She clearly lived for this, just as she had claimed she wanted to be legendary like her grandmother.

“You just might become that…” He said in thought, slightly to himself.

“What was that?”

“Nothing, pardon me.” V smirked and she just raised an eyebrow before grabbing for another cigarette.

”Just ya wait, I can equip ya with something better for kicking demon ass. Or maybe ya want a nice frying pan, for when the lil’ chickee gets too much?” Nico snickered, her grin almost sympathetic. V smirked, maybe she could come up with something brilliant for him as well. But for now, it was much better if she concentrated those efforts on Nero.

”I appreciate the offer. But I believe I’m properly equipped, for now.” V knew his reality did not include running around with a sword on his back, swinging it around was not in his cards. A gun might be another thing but he felt no need to start wielding one now. He had to resort to other means, his familiars. Shadow materialized herself, as if on cue and put her large head against his leg, pushing softly.

Ah, he had not noticed how he was starting to lean just a bit more heavily on the cane, an ache returning to his knee, making the nerves tremble.

“If you excuse me, I have some reading to do.” He said, warmed by his familiar’s silent insistence. If he had an opportunity to rest, he should make use of it. Nico didn’t seem to notice his trembling, nor his familiar’s… caring behavior.

“Pff, sure. But the offer stands, ya hear? How about a cane that suits yer height?” Nico joked, walking past him as V sat down on the couch again.

“It’s not necessary.” A joke it might be, but V nevertheless felt a warm feeling in his chest over her insistence to try. Along with a slight… ache, wrapping around his heart and squeezing.

An ache that persisted when Nico suddenly dropped a blanket in his lap.

V looked up, letting just a bit of his confusion show on his face.

“What? Ya looked chilled, trembling like that.” Nico said with a shrug. “Ya gotta speak up sometime, I can’t read minds. Well, yet.”

How utterly terrifying it would be if you could. V thought.

“Thank you.” He said. “For the… insight of your genius, as well.” Nico grinned at him, obviously pleased.

“Ya might gonna have to pay for it next time!”

“Perhaps…” She made it sound so very… certain, it was tempting to get swept up in the enthusiasm. V’s smirk fell as she continued on to the dashboard, her back to him.

“Is that jackass gonna take forever?! I wanna see him put this to use! And give me the cash.” The last bit was barely audible as Nico grabbed for the phone to dial.

V smirked to himself. Yes, Nero would be able to put Nico’s latest, as well as future weapons to good use. The summoner gently scratched behind Shadow’s ear as the panther settled over his feet again. Slowly, he pulled the blanket around his shoulders and bare arms, his trembling might not be because of a chill, but Nico’s gesture still made him feel warm, more so than the soft fabric that smelled lightly of detergent. And with it, that ache inside just seemed to grow, to squeeze tighter but he tried to shove it aside. Nico’s energetic speech as she chewed out Nero on the phone made that feeling of tranquility settle over him again along with a will to just enjoy these moments, while they lasted. So V opened up his book again, to the same page he had left earlier, while she chatted away.

Just under the leather bands on his left wrist, a tiny crack in his skin peeked through.

[dappercritter]

Introducing the Dapper Critter’s New Line of Critter Fics!

Howdy-do there, fellow readers and/or writers! Since the season of sharing is almost upon us, and I’ve been most busy with my upcoming projects, I figured there’s no time like the present to start sharing my latest works. Just remember that there’s set deadlines or release dates for any of these--this is more a line-up than a set release schedule. That said, I hope these new projects tickle your fancy and give something extra to look forward to!

Star vs. The Monstrosities of Magic - (SVTFOE rewrite fic) In this weirder, wilder, and much more ambitious rewrite co-written by me and the talented @full-moon-phoenix , we set out to retell the immensely disappointing final season of Star vs. The Forces of Evil to give the show the conclusion it deserves. Among the many changes we’re making, we’ve set out to: return Star and Marco to their likeable, competent selves while repairing their relationship into something healthy and satisfying. Giving Eclipsa, Globgor, and Meteora the time and sympathy they deserve. Exploring and better developing what drove Moon to take the extreme measures she did. Bringing back the best of the supporting and side characters—including a very special Septarian—to give them the development they also deserve while giving them expanded roles and ensuring they get better endings. But above all, we’re dipping down into the darkest secrets of the Butterfly family’s magic to better explain why it ultimately had to be destroyed, and to explore the history of the family itself, which we only got to read about in The Magic Book of Spells. Plus, if you want to know more and maybe even contribute, then come join our Discord server right here: https://discord.gg/NBxHB2xz  (And yes, I’m on Discord now. Apologies for not revealing this sooner. Feel free to contact either me or my cowriter if you want a fresh invite to the server.)

Tales from Beast Island or (On the Benefits of Community Service for Fantastic War Criminals) - (Entrapdak anthology fic) Set after the series finale of She-Ra and the Princesses of Power, this anthology-esque romantic-horror-comedy follows Hordak and Entrapta as they reunite, ready to finally start a new life together. There’s just one problem: the Princess Alliance and most of Etheria have sentenced Hordak to community service on Beast Island. Luckily, Entrapta has ensured she can come with him to aid in his rehabilitation as well continue her studies of the most dangerous place on Etheria—and to have some quality time, of course! They just have to work together with the other ex-Horde members who are tagging along, confront their inner demons, and survive the many technorganic terrors of the island as they work to heal it and their souls while they’re at it. Good thing they’ve got the power of love and science on their side!

Gamera: Guardian of Hope - (Gamera series fic) An anime-esque science-fantasy adventure that reimagines the lore of the Friend of Children and Guardian of the Universe, devised with the help of my friendly story and monster consultants @iamthekaijuking, @good-guy-2006, and @master-of-gaburincho. Tells the story of a young girl living in a seemingly normal world with an uncertain future who finds and raises a young Gamera into a mighty guardian monster. Together with her adventurous parents, aloof big brother, and their friends, they travel across the world unlocking the many mysteries tied to Gamera’s strange origins and abilities, while protecting the people they meet from vicious creatures from an ancient civilization and the depths of space. But as the threats become greater and they face the harsh truths of the world, Gamera and the girl find their optimistic views and their challenges will be put to the test. But so long as there is hope for a better future and life to protect, Gamera and his friends will fight on.

Godzilla: The Monster Age - (Godzilla series fic) Once again featuring @iamthekaijuking​, @good-guy-2006​, and @master-of-gaburincho​. as my trusted story and monster consultants, this is will be my most ambitious fanfiction yet. A topical character-driven sci-fi thriller taking inspiration from nearly all of Godzilla mythos. The story is set in a pseudo-contemporary period in an alternate universe where, since 1954, kaiju have been appearing across the globe throughout history, their destructive presence having a drastic impact on everything from the global economy to religion. The story follows two scientists investigating various kaiju-related incidents for a clandestine organization working to main balance in this chaotic world—one an idealistic biologist fascinated by the monsters, and the other a cynical behaviourist with psychic abilities—who are called into action when the enigmatic King of the Monsters, Godzilla, returns after disappearing more than 20 years ago following a furious rampage prompted by unknown circumstances. The unlikely duo forms an even unlikelier connection with the legendary monster as they investigate and combat an range of kaiju, and increasingly sinister parties tied to a growing number of mysteries and conspiracies. But the biggest question of all remains: can we hope to live in a world with forces beyond our control?

My Super-Electronic Robot Hero Friend, Jet Jaguar! - (Godzilla spin-off crackfic) It’s exactly what it sounds like.

All fics will be posted on my AO3 and FF.net accounts.

[lifeascaty]

Hi! Congrats on Crawlers! Can you talk about how long the process was from when you first started writing the draft to when the movie premiered? How many steps were in between and how many drafts? Thanks and sorry if this has already been asked.

Hey! Sure thing. BIG CAVEAT to say this process was very unusual and doesn’t actually serve as a good example for what typically happens with film development! (And also, sorry that this is long - I’m naturally chatty and dealing with quarantine!)

Okay so, back in January 2019 I read a fun book that made me want to write a type of ‘scooby doo investigating mysteries’ type of story, but with a girl gang. Also, for some reason I decided it would be set at Christmas. Genuinely can’t remember why I made that decision. 

I was in a feature class that quarter at UCLA and tried writing something along those lines, but I was honestly so busy with my other writing classes and rewrites for my manager that it was a disaster. I handed in the requisite 10-20 pages a week but none of the pages connected to each other and I honestly didn’t really care. It was just a requirement I needed to get through and I had bigger fish to fry at the time. To be fair, this terrible first draft that shouldn’t even really be called a draft did help clarify that I wanted to write about a girl gang, but more in a 80s B movie Invasion of the Body Snatchers/The Thing type of way, and less a Scooby Doo kind of way. 

Then I was in a meeting with Blumhouse and sometimes you can tell your ideas aren’t landing, so - internally panicking - I mentioned this Christmas horror parody riffing on Invasion of the Body Snatchers that I was working on. And they wanted to read it. 

Which would have been great, if I’d had a script to send them. I stressed that it was very much a work in progress, but still, they wanted it asap - they were looking for a Christmas movie and were on a deadline. They said to send over whatever I had. 

I panicked, and begged my manager to buy me more time, knowing I was about to have to essentially write from scratch. He gave me the good news that they’d agreed to a detailed outline first. 

So, I wrote the outline, got notes from my manager, rewrote, etc. I cherry-picked scenes or ideas from the original terrible nonsensical script I’d written in January, but it changed a lot. We sent it over to them and they liked it and asked for the script pages. Cue me writing a feature script over three days (approx. 30 pages a day). I got notes from my manager (and family), made adjustments, and sent it over to Blumhouse.

They eventually came back to me with notes, including changing it from a Christmas movie to a St. Patrick’s Day movie. So I went back to the outline to make those changes so they could approve how I’d handled them before I made any adjustments to the script.  

After that, I was given five days to do the rewrite. I spent the first day just working out how best to make the changes happen. Then I rewrote over three days. I sent the rewrite on the fifth day so that there would be further time for changes etc.

I knew I was only being hired for the first rewrite. I’d researched all the movies made in this anthology so far and worked out how often they brought in a second writer. It was basically almost always. So after the first rewrite things were out of my hands and I have no idea how many drafts they went through, but I know that they’d have had about a week, maybe a week and a half for their rewrite. Enough time for them to change a lot of things (including the title). 

Timeline-wise: Idea in January

Reluctantly wrote bad version that I’m not sure should count as a draft from January-March.

Meeting with Blumhouse in May, I think?

Rewrote over Memorial Day weekend

Manager phoned me at end of August to say they wanted to proceed

Rewrote over Labour Day weekend

Production started in October

Press came out in February

Movie came out in March

So, 14 months from conception of an idea that eventually morphed into Crawlers Jan 2019-March 2020). 10 months from idea that was more closely aligned with what Crawlers became (May 2019-March 2020). 

Usually this would all have taken much longer and there would have been way more time spent in development, but the Blumhouse/Hulu partnership is a non-stop rollercoaster with a movie every month so things just happen super fucking fast. Which is why I say this is not actually a typical example! 

Step-wise: A meeting with Blumhouse

Lots of conversations between my manager and Blumhouse

Emails between me and the exec

Notes from Blumhouse and Hulu

Notes phone calls with Blumhouse and ITD producers

Outline, draft, rewrite.

Boom. 

(Please feel free to ask me questions if you’re quarantining and bored! Happy to chat!)

[lizacstuff]

"Disney-owned ABC has put in development Epic, a romantic anthology series, from former Once Upon a Time writer Brigette Hales, series creators/executive producers/showrunners Eddy Kitsis & Adam Horowitz. Epic is a romantic anthology series set in the fairytale universe of Disney. Taking place in a Disney-like Enchanted Forest, it will center on a whole new set of new heroes, villains, princes, princesses and all manner of magical beings." Is this a JOKE?

I guess they are all out of ideas, so they are going back to the fairy-tale well one more time?   However, from the full deadline article seems like this is Bridgette Hales baby.  And this is an anthology series, so I’m guessing it’s just one story per episode with new actors and characters each time?  At least with that, it shouldn’t infringe on our Storybrook characters at all. 

Many more asks under the cut:

Anonymous said: I really hope A&E don’t market that new project as some ouat re-do or spinoff, and they certainly better keep any illusions to our characters the hell out of it.

Honestly, from the tidbit I read, it doesn’t sound like they are trying to link it to OUAT other than with their pedigree, it has a different name and it’s an anthology which means it’s a new characters and stories every week. Crossing fingers that that means it will not have anything to do with OUAT. 

Anonymous said: Well, looks like Lana might actually be able to get a new job *eye roll*

It’s gotta be her best shot!  However, you’d think A&E and Bridgette would not want the direct comparisons with OUAT so I would think she would not be their first, second or third choice in casting, but who knows! Since it’s an anthology, perhaps they’ll have her on for one episode as stunt casting.

Although we though the same thing about Amazing Stories, that they would stunt cast her in it… though I haven’t heard a thing about Amazing Stories since it was announced, so who knows, she could be the star of that as well. 

Anonymous said: Have you seen the news? A & E are doing ouat 2.0 lol i guess lana has a role now

We’ll see.

Anonymous said: Lana talked about a reboot at the con in brasil so this must be it huh 🙃

Doesn’t sound like a reboot to me, it sounds like they are out of original ideas and want to continue telling fairy tale stories… but these will be different fairy tale stories.

Anonymous said: Ouat 2.0 in the works lol. Lana ✅ Jmo ❎

I’m sure you’re right and Lana would jump at the chance.  We’ll see if she gets the call. 

Anonymous said: A&E are trying another fairy tale show. I’m half-convinced they’re going to cast Lana as a new Evil Queen. 😂

If they do, there will need to be some changes as I’m guessing they don’t want the exact characters from the OUAT universe… hmmm… maybe in this one they could… gasp… not show her cleavage?

Anonymous said: I almost feel bad for the SQ shippers on twitter who are hoping that they’re getting a SQ endgame in this OUAT luekwarma leftovers anthology A&E are developing. There’s no way in any circle of Hell Jen is going to do that. Now I fully expect to see Once Alum, including Whatsherface Mc-can’t-let-it-go on this thing since her schedule is wide open. I just think the chances of those two shooting together is about as likely as Lana giving up cons. 

The chances of those two shooting together are somewhere between when-pigs-fly and never-gonna-happen.  After everything if the SQ can still delude themselves to think that JMo would a) work with Lana b) agree to do anything that changes Emma Swan’s story they deserve the heartbreak in their future.  No chance. 

[p-and-p-admin]

Interview taken from The Severus Snape and Hermione Granger Shipping Fan Group.  (Admin approved)

 https://www.facebook.com/groups/199718373383293/

Hello Loten and welcome to Behind the Quill, thank-you for letting us get to know you a little better.

Many of our members will know your works with Post Tenebras, Lux and Chasing the Sun being considered classics for the SS/HG pairing.

Thanks for the invitation, hello everyone.

What's the story behind your pen name?

There's a werewolf novel, Bareback by Kit Whitfield. In one scene a character is looking at the moon and mentions that in Old English poetry they would use the term loten to describe a night when the moon was bright enough to see by. I haven't been able to verify it since the author may well have invented it, but I love nights like that and I liked the word, and the rest is history.

Which Harry Potter character do you identify with the most?

I get asked this a lot, actually. There is no one character, I don't think - I identify to some extent with most of the characters that feature more frequently in my fics, or I wouldn't be able to write them (the exception is Lucius, as far as I can tell he's truly fictional and not derived from anything in me). I probably have more in common with Hermione than the others, at least my version of her, but it's hard to say for sure.

Do you have a favourite genre to read? (not in fic, just in general)

Fantasy all the way. My mother nagged me into reading The Hobbit when I was around seven or eight, and that was it. I do read other genres but a good 85 per cent of my reading material almost certainly has magic or dragons somewhere in it.

Do you have a favourite "classic" novel?

I have a few. I like all of Austen's works, my favourite is probably Sense & Sensibility. I've just finished re-reading Jane Eyre. I like Elizabeth Gaskell's novels as well.

At what age did you start writing?

My mother is one of those parents who hoards everything her offspring do, and among the boxes of paper is a short story I wrote and illustrated when I was maybe five, about a flying shoe (imaginatively titled The Magic Clog). And when I was six I had a poem published in an anthology of children's verse (I don't remember how that came about; I think my school was asked to get involved, had a competition and picked out a few that ended up in the book) - my contribution was a piece of free verse about a dripping tap. So it's something I've always done, though I started taking it more seriously as a teenager developing roleplay characters.

How did you get into writing fanfiction?

My best friend when I was around thirteen was into fanfiction, she wrote Stargate SG-1 and Buffy the Vampire Slayer fiction at the time. I don't know how she got into it herself but she introduced me to reading it, though it was a year or two before I found the courage to try writing any. My early stuff was... not very good, and I will never admit to being the author of any of it now!

What's the best theme you've ever come across in a fic? Is it a theme represented in your own works?

Oh, that's a hard one. I like seeing consequences being explored - often authors will give a character the backstory or motivation they need them to have for the sake of the plot, but if it's not one of the main characters they won't pay it any more attention after that. When it's done well, I do like stories exploring the realism of just how a character would be affected by what happens to them. It adds a new dimension to their personality, and the psychology behind it is interesting in its own right. We're a product of our experiences, and so are fictional people. I try to show it in my writing as well - why a character does something is as important as the thing itself.

What fandoms are you involved in other than Harry Potter?

I read fics from all sorts of fandoms, but Discworld was where I first started writing (badly). It's a pretty small fandom despite the legions of fans worldwide, so I got to know a few writers there and learned more about what I was doing. Took a break for a while due to personal reasons, and when I returned under this name I started off in the even smaller Tamora Pierce fandom, trying my wings before entering the madness of Harry Potter. These days the Potterverse is still my first love along with the other two, but others include the Wheel of Time, Good Omens and too many smaller ones to list. I don't write for them or anything so active, though.

If you could make one change to canon, what would it be? Do you have a favourite piece of fanon?

Snape surviving, and the HG/SS ship, naturally! Do you listen to music when you write or do you prefer quiet?

Music, or Youtube videos (I watch a lot of Let's Plays), or just having the TV on. I can't concentrate in complete silence, my mind wanders to other things. I also talk to myself if there's no other source of noise and I'm trying to break the habit.

What are your favourite fanfictions of all time?

This would have been far easier to answer a few years ago, but I read less and less fanfiction as time goes by and I don't read Potter fics at all any more. My personal headcanons have developed more and more over the years, and nobody's headcanon is the same as anyone else's, so I end up disagreeing with fics these days because it's not how I would have done it and it makes it difficult to enjoy them.

The best fic I ever read was also the one that introduced me to HG/SS, but at some point, along the way, it was deleted and the author removed their account, and I've never managed to remember the title or pen name to look for it elsewhere. I don't remember the plot either after so long, but the characterisation was absolutely superb and the ship just made so much sense that I never looked back.

Are you a plotter or a pantser? How does that affect your writing process?

A plotter, definitely. I always have a first draft mostly complete before I start uploading anything. Initially, it was just because I realised I was writing longer stories and didn't want to risk hitting writer's block or real-life delays and having to go on hiatus in the middle of uploading a story, but later I realised I preferred it. I don't have to worry about writing myself into a corner or contradicting myself, I can take the time to make sure things are coming across the way I want them to. And it means I never have to force myself to write 'the next chapter' to a deadline - if I don't want to work on whatever comes next, I can jump ahead and write something later in the plot that I do want to work on. I also find it a lot easier to plan a story around a timeline to get the overall pacing right.

What is your writing genre of choice?

I don't really know what you'd call it. Slice of life, I suppose? I like stories about characters rather than about plots.

Which of your stories are you most proud of? Why?

Most of them, in their own way. My Tamora Pierce series, even though they're nothing groundbreaking and even though I know I could write them far better now, because they were the first things I wrote that I felt truly pleased with and because the overwhelmingly positive responses gave me the confidence to keep going, to try for something completely original rather than a retelling, and to venture into a far bigger and much more terrifying fandom.

Post Tenebras Lux, because it's (almost) exactly the story I wanted to tell and (almost) exactly the way I wanted to tell it. Chasing the Sun because it's the best written of anything I've done and I can see how much I've improved over the years, although I prefer the content of PTL. And I'm incredibly proud of the thousands upon thousands of positive and constructive reviews both of them gathered along the way,

I never expected to attract much notice at all and it's been a tremendous help to me both as a confidence boost and helping me see more about how others view storylines and characters in ways that I'd miss. I think overall it's PTL I'm most proud of, with CTS a close second.

Did it unfold as you imagined it or did you find the unexpected cropped up as you wrote? What did you learn from writing it?

Talking about CTS and PTL both, they're more or less the way I imagined them. Sometimes I'd get a review showing me a perspective I'd never considered, and one or two of them ended up having quite a long-running impact. Sometimes I'd reach a point, particularly in CTS, and realise that what I had planned for that part of the story wasn't going to work and I'd end up writing something completely different.

During the writing of both of them I mostly learned about how my brain works and how to organise myself to write at my best - I think I've learned more after they were done; I re-read both of them every year or so and see things I could have done differently and things that work and things I no longer agree with.

How personal is the story to you, and do you think that made it harder or easier to write?

Back to PTL for this one, since most of CTS' plot isn't completely mine. I never planned it to be particularly personal to me; at the time I just wanted to write about my favourite character and give him a better ending than canon did, and enjoy myself telling the story. As I went along and started touching on different subjects it became more personal - I've experienced bullying and depression, amongst other things, though fortunately not on the same scale as the characters I write about. I think it made it both harder and easier; stirring up old memories wasn't particularly pleasant, but it meant less time researching and rewriting those particular parts because it felt more real, to begin with.

What books or authors have influenced you? How do you think that shows in your writing?

That's another hard one. Subconsciously I think almost everything you read influences you at least a little. I tend to divide books into three categories - ones I don't enjoy and don't finish (which is rare but does happen), ones that were good but ultimately forgettable, and ones that deserve to be re-read, and I've probably learned something from almost all of the latter kind.

If I had to name one author it would be Terry Pratchett. His writing spanned such a vast spectrum it blew my mind wide open from the first time I picked up one of his books (I think I was ten or so) and he's still the author I come back to time and time again and find something to enjoy and appreciate no matter what my mood is. He's known for humour but there's so much more in everything he wrote. As for how outside influences show in my writing, I really don't know but I can guarantee they're there.

Do people in your everyday life know you write fanfiction?

Not really. Some of my school friends did, but over the years I've lost touch with all of them. Of my family and current friends, the ones that would understand fanfiction don't share the fandoms I write for, and the others just wouldn't understand the concept. I'm not ashamed of it, I just don't know how to explain it to someone who has no overlap with this world. Some of my online friends know, but half of them I met via my fanfics in the first place, so I'm not sure that counts!

How true for you is the notion of "writing for yourself"?

Where fanfiction is concerned, there's no point doing anything else. If you're trying to make a career out of writing you do have to write for your audience at least to some extent, but one of the joys of something not for profit like fanfiction is that you can tell the stories you want to tell and don't need to impress anyone.

The whole reason PTL exists is that I couldn't find a fic that told the story I wanted to read, so I wrote it myself. CTS primarily exists so I could fix a lot of the parts of canon I had the greatest problems with. The fact that other people agree is amazing and I still get warm fuzzies from every review from someone sharing the same opinion, but that wasn't the point.

Starting out in small fandoms meant I had no expectations for reviews so I never felt the need to try and court them, and every piece of feedback was a pleasant surprise rather than a main motivation. It's also a lot easier and more enjoyable to write for yourself; my other fics are mostly small one-shots based on prompts from other people, and many of them were a real struggle to write.

How important is it for you to interact with your audience? How do you engage with them? Just at the point of publishing? Through social media?

I'd say it's pretty important. I try to answer every signed review where possible, and it's always surprised me when people tell me they weren't expecting it - it seems to be something most fic authors don't do. It never occurred to me not to at least thank someone for taking the time to leave a review, and for those who leave longer reviews with questions or observations or (constructive) criticism I like the chance to explain some of my reasons for a particular decision or to talk about something in the fic or the wider fandom or writing in general.

That said, I don't have much contact with readers outside review responses and FFN messages. I don't really use social media (hence the format of this interview). Nothing against it, but introversion and a lack of much free time (and, it must be said, a little laziness) mean it's not for me at this point in time. I do have a blog but it's not very active.

What would you most like your readers to take away with them when they've finished your stories?

Honestly? I'm happy if someone finishes and thinks 'that was a good read, I enjoyed it'. Anything else is icing on the cake. Sometimes I get lovely messages from people who've been going through rough times and they tell me something in my stories resonated with them and helped them feel a bit better, and that's an incredible feeling. Others tell me they've been inspired to work on their own writing or to read more about a subject I mentioned. Some just want to let me know they've checked out a song or book I referenced or quoted and they liked it. All those are great, but as long as someone likes the story and enjoys reading it, that's enough.

What is the best advice you've received about writing?

The most specifically useful was probably "when you're writing dialogue, read it out loud". Time after time I've done that and realised a piece of a conversation was very awkward and strange and been able to rewrite it. In a more general sense, the best thing I've seen was "don't force it". If you're not in the mood to write something, don't try to, because it'll be far lower quality than if you wait until you're excited to write it down.

What do you do when you hit writer's block?

That ties into the previous question. Usually, I leave that piece of writing alone and either work on something else or move away from writing entirely and give myself a break for a few days to clear my head. Sooner or later something will shake loose and I'll see my way past whatever the problem was. (This usually happens either in the shower or while driving, when I can't do anything about it, because the universe just hates people sometimes!)

Has anything in real life trickled down into your writing?

Oh, absolutely, though I can't give many specific examples. As I mentioned before, my experiences with bullying and depression definitely added an extra dimension to the way I write about those issues, but that's the only obvious thing. I haven't consciously included any specific incidents from my life anywhere in my writing, but I'm sure there are a lot of small things I haven't even noticed. And there are definitely some details that are me, such as certain characters' music tastes (or a preference for black forest gateau...)

Do you have any stories in the works? Can you give us a teaser?

I get asked this one a lot! Yes, I do plan on at least two more long Potter fics, if possible. I'm fairly sure at least one of them is going to happen. I have some concrete writing and a lot of notes. But it's difficult to avoid treading ground I've already covered in existing fics, I don't want to produce anything that feels too similar. I also wrote both PTL and CTS while I was unemployed and living with my parents, and now I'm living on my own and working, so I have much much less free time. No teaser, I'm afraid :)

Any words of encouragement to other writers?

The only way to get better at writing is to write, so write. Don't worry about not being good. That can come later. You can always rewrite anything. My early fics under other names range from thoroughly amateur to absolute trash that I've disowned, and there's plenty of original writing that will never, ever see the light of day.

If you write something down and hate it, leave it for a while and then go back and look at it and figure out why you hate it. Try not to be afraid. It takes real courage to let other people see your writing for the first time, and nothing hurts like your first negative review, but the world won't end. Criticism comes in three forms - misunderstandings that you can address; genuine criticisms that you can learn from; and, very rarely, flames or trolling that you can ignore. Most people will have a valid point, and most of them will genuinely be trying to help you.

And READ. Read everything you can get your hands on. Fics, books, blog posts, newspaper articles. If you don't like something, try and work out why. If you do like something, try and work out why. Exercise your imagination and the rest will follow.

Thank you so much for spending some time with us Loten, it was a genuine pleasure getting to spend some time getting to know you better.

[theonyxpath]

Bit of a “meta” start for this edition of the MMN, as I just want to let folks in on how our Monday Meeting is running and the sort of topics generally covered, and the specific ones we talked about this week. Except for the [REDACTED] ones.

Bit o’ history, for folks coming new to this blog.

The Monday Lunch Meeting was once a meeting the entire staff of White Wolf was able to have for something like the first six months I was at WW mid- 1992. As the company grew, we went from everybody attending, to some departments spinning off to other days as the sheer number of people made it impossible, but Production & Design, my department, kept to Mondays.

I liked, and still like, starting the week with what is essentially a huddle. A re-focus moment before the week pulls us in all sorts of directions. In the early days, we’d actually divvy up tasks at the meeting to be sure everything we needed to accomplish in the coming week was covered. Even when all that was left of WW in terms of publishing TTRPGs was Eddy Webb and myself, we actually ate lunch during the meeting still, until I founded Onyx Path and brought the company-wide Monday Meeting back.

    Dragon Blooded Kingfisher illustration by Mel Uran

    So, through all the years we come to our current Monday Lunch Meeting, although there have been evolutionary changes to our process:

1- We are a virtual office, with folks scattered around who attend, so we’re “starting off on Monday” even if Matthew’s day is actually getting close to sundown.

2- For a similar reason, nobody is required to eat lunch during the meeting, and with us all on Skype it’s really best if folks don’t do much munching and crunching.

3- Therefore, nobody waits until folks are midway through a Subba Wubba sandwich to tell us how the Andes plane crash survivors turned cannibals. In detail. Until some folks turned green.

4- Onyx Path has now grown to such a point that we have nine people in on the call, so in the interest of staying focused, we’ve recently adopted a process where the first hour of the meeting is the Production half, where we run down every project being worked on. You see most of that list in the Updates here every week. Then we move to Operations, and we review sales info, marketing, social media and PR, and new business.

5- Everyone is encouraged to both venture opinions and to bring up anything they feel is pertinent, and to absolutely speak up if they need clarification. The main purpose of the meeting is to provide everyone with knowledge of where Onyx Path is on that Monday, and what we need to do for the rest of the week, or even further out.

6- Usually, I’ll derive the points I want to write about in this blog every week from the general drift of our interests and concerns at the Monday Meeting, although, as our crew knows, sometimes I’ll zoom in on something related but not directly discussed if I think it makes a good subject.

      C20 Freeholds illustration by Pat McEvoy

      This week, here’s some highlights of what we discussed:

  I threw a whole bunch of project pitches at White Wolf for approvals, and we’re waiting for the OK or notes from them.

  We also sent over another bunch of project outlines for approvals as well, and we’re also waiting for those to get back to us. Both of these steps are the ones before the steps you see below in the Updates, and are basically the developers preparing the info they need in order to hire writers.

  Speaking of outlines, we have a bunch almost done for the upcoming Scion projects that came out of the Kickstarter Stretch Goals. Neall really couldn’t finalize them until the text for both Origin and Hero was complete.

  Dixie has been touching base with “her” developers for the CofD and Exalted 3rd, and working with them on their schedule of releases, and she’ll be doing her first errata input pass on the next book ready for that stage, either Night Horrors: Enemy Action or the Beast PG.

  We sat down last week and conceptualized the release schedule for the Trinity Continuum lines, now that we have a much more concrete idea of our Trinity community interest and numbers after the Kickstarter. Thinking through how the Continuum can be represented by Community Content is an added, and welcome, piece to that process. Now we’re arguing about which actual titles the TC Core and TC: Aeon should have!

  Some writers are late, some artists needed replacing, some editing is getting swapped around, and some projects are holding up other ones. So, situation normal, and we adjust to this every Monday!

  We expect Wraith20 errata to close sometime between this Weds. and next Weds. and we’ll see if  Night Horrors: Enemy Action and the Beast PG also fit that time frame.

  Mirthful Mike is starting on the graphics for the Dragon Blooded Kickstarter for later this month, and we’re looking for James’ to present his plan for the KS based on earlier conversations. I’ll be asking James to establish address change and shipping deadlines right in our KS description and FAQs, because we continue to have backers message us two years after shipping wanting their books – and we just aren’t set up to have these books sitting around indefinitely. We really hate disappointing people.

  The Mirthful One is also designing the logo for the Scarred Lands Community Content site, the Slaracian Vault. Once that is finished we’ll be stress testing the site. Eddy is also looking at opening up a few aspects of Canis Minor, the Pugmire Community Content site, so keep an eye out there.

  For the Scarred Lands Kickstarter, as backers are aware, we’ve just had the damnedest time pulling together all the threads that my old friend Stewart Wieck left dangling after his untimely death, but with a few adjustments we and Nocturnal Media have almost everything needed in the fulfillment shipper’s warehouse. While they are arranging the shipping, I’m going to send out the Scarred Lands posters from the Kickstarter individually to those who pledged for them.

  Mighty Matt McElroy wants everybody to know that we have shipped a whole truck-load of extra Kickstarter projects to our friends at Indie Press Revolution (IPR), including the Prestige Edition and Screen of Dark Eras (the first one), the Deluxe and Ultra-Deluxe Editions of Exalted 3rd Edition and a whole lot of the additional items, and the Deluxe Edition and Screen for W20 Shattered Dreams. (See more info and links below in the IPR section of the Blurbs!)

  Matt also pointed out that the Beast Players’ Guide and Night Horrors: Enemy Action PDFs have been #1 and #2 on DTRPG‘s bestsellers list these past couple of days! Congrats to all involved!

  Although we have, as a company, pulled away from monitoring social media beyond our own – as per one of our wellness resolutions from our MidWinter Summit – we do go over any posts that concern us. So we did today. As usual, this isn’t an area that I like us to wade into publicly, but I include it to show that we don’t just ignore internet comments.

  We learned in our meeting that our in-house developers (Eddy, Dixie, and Matthew) really like to talk. So we discussed how we could maybe give them a place where they can talk as much as they want…

    Scarred Lands Spiragos illustration by Brian LeBlanc

    So you can see, that these notes are indeed pulled from the Monday Meeting each week, and while you could say our motto should be “Many Words, One Path”, it is in fact:

Many Worlds, One Path!

    BLURBS!

KICKSTARTER:

  Our next Kickstarter is slated to be EX3‘s Dragon-Blooded near the end of March.

      As we try and find ways to enable our community to more easily play our games, the Onyx Dice Rolling App is now live! Our dev team has been doing updates since we launched based on the excellent use-case comments by our community, and this thing is both rolling and rocking!

The devs have added a whole bunch of new game lines’ dice and rolling bg’s and got caught by a bug Apple needed to fix, so be sure to update your app and soon that should be fixed.

There’s been tweaks to all elements of the UI, you can now preview every die type in the store, and you can use multiple die types per roll! Here are the links for the Apple and Android versions:

http://theappstore.site/app/1296692067/onyx-dice

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.onyxpathpublishing.onyxdice&hl=en

Three different screenshots, above.

(The Solar Anima special Dice above)

  Promethean: The Created and Demon: The Descent dice on a Demon: The Descent tabletop

  Hunter: The Reckoning and Mage: The Awakening dice on a Mage: The Awakening tabletop

      ON AMAZON AND BARNES & NOBLE:

We’re delighted to announce the opening of our ebook stores on Amazon and Barnes & Noble! You can now read our fiction from the comfort and convenience of your Kindle (from Amazon) and Nook (from Barnes & Noble). Our initial selection includes these fiction anthologies:

Vampire: The Masquerade: The Endless Ages Anthology (Kindle, Nook)

Werewolf: The Apocalypse: Rites of Renown: When Will You Rage II (Kindle, Nook)

Mage: The Ascension: Truth Beyond Paradox (Kindle, Nook)

Chronicles of Darkness: The God-Machine Chronicle Anthology (Kindle, Nook)

Mummy: The Curse: Curse of the Blue Nile (Kindle, Nook)

Beast: The Primordial: The Primordial Feast Anthology (Kindle, Nook)

  And here are six more fiction books:

Vampire: The Masquerade: Of Predators and Prey: The Hunters Hunted II Anthology (Kindle, Nook)

Werewolf: The Apocalypse: The Poison Tree (Kindle, Nook)

Werewolf: The Apocalypse: Songs of the Sun and Moon: Tales of the Changing Breeds (Kindle, Nook)

Vampire: The Requiem: The Strix Chronicle Anthology (Kindle, Nook)

Werewolf: The Forsaken: The Idigam Chronicle Anthology (Kindle, Nook)

Mage: The Awakening: The Fallen World Chronicle Anthology (Kindle, Nook)

  Andand six more more:

Vampire: The Masquerade: The Beast Within Anthology (Kindle, Nook)

Werewolf: The Apocalypse: W20 Cookbook (Kindle, Nook)

Exalted: Tales from the Age of Sorrows (Kindle, Nook)

Chronicles of Darkness: Tales of the Dark Eras (Kindle, Nook)

Promethean: The Created: The Firestorm Chronicle Anthology (Kindle, Nook)

Demon: The Descent: Demon: Interface (Kindle, Nook)

  And even more books are now on Amazon and the Nook store!:

Scarred Lands: Death in the Walled Warren (Kindle, Nook)

V20 Dark Ages: Cainite Conspiracies (Kindle, Nook)

Chronicles of Darkness: Strangeness in the Proportion (Kindle, Nook)

Vampire: The Requiem: Silent Knife (Kindle, Nook)

Mummy: The Curse: Dawn of Heresies (Kindle, Nook)

    OUR SALES PARTNERS:

We’re working with Studio2 to get Pugmire out into stores, as well as to individuals through their online store. You can pick up the traditionally printed main book, the Screen, and the official Pugmire dice through our friends there!

https://studio2publishing.com/search?q=pugmire

    Looking for our Deluxe or Prestige Edition books? Try this link! http://www.indiepressrevolution.com/xcart/Onyx-Path-Publishing/

Here’s the link to the press release we put out about how Onyx Path is now selling through Indie Press Revolution: http://theonyxpath.com/press-release-onyx-path-limited-editions-now-available-through-indie-press-revolution/

You can now order wave 2 of our Deluxe and Prestige print overrun books, including Deluxe Mage 20th Anniversary, and Deluxe V20 Dark Ages! And Screens…so many Screens!

And you can now order Pugmire: the book, the screen, and the dice! http://www.indiepressrevolution.com/xcart/manufacturers.php?manufacturerid=296

Wave 3 of our extra Kickstarter projects is now on sale at IPR!

Here are the direct links for the Chronicles of Darkness: Dark Eras Prestige Edition: http://www.indiepressrevolution.com/xcart/Chronicles-of-Darkness-Dark-Eras-Prestige-Edition.html

Chronicles of Darkness: Dark Eras Storytellers’ Screen: http://www.indiepressrevolution.com/xcart/Chronicles-of-Darkness-Dark-Eras-Storytellers-Screen.html

Deluxe Exalted 3rd Edition: http://www.indiepressrevolution.com/xcart/Exalted-3rd-Edition-Deluxe-Edition.html

Ultra-Deluxe (Orichalcum) Exalted 3rd Edition: http://www.indiepressrevolution.com/xcart/Exalted-3rd-Edition-Ultra-Deluxe.html

Exalted 3rd Edition Storytellers’ Screen: http://www.indiepressrevolution.com/xcart/Exalted-3rd-Edition-Storytellers-Screen.html

EX3 Chibi Bookmarks: http://www.indiepressrevolution.com/xcart/Exalted-3rd-Edition-Chibi-Bookmarks.html

EX3 Canvas Map of Creation: http://www.indiepressrevolution.com/xcart/Exalted-3rd-Edition-Map-of-Creation.html

Deluxe W20 Shattered Dreams: http://www.indiepressrevolution.com/xcart/W20-Shattered-Dreams-Deluxe-Edition.html

W20 Shattered Dreams Storytellers’ Screen: http://www.indiepressrevolution.com/xcart/W20-Shattered-Dreams-Storytellers-Screen.html

Plus price adjustments on M20, Book of the Wyrm, Anarchs Unbound and a few other projects!

    DRIVETHRURPG.COM:

  Coming this Wednesday as both PDF and physical book PoD on DTRPG, we reveal The Secret of Vinsen’s Tomb, a Jumpstart adventure for Pugmire. www.drivethrurpg.com/product/232337/The-Secrets-of-Vinsens-Tomb–A-Pugmire-Jumpstart

A cat living in Pugmire disappears, but neither the police dogs nor the cats of the Cat Quarter know why. When zombies attack the heroes, however, all signs point to an invasion by the Monarchies of Mau. But how does this intrigue tie into the lost tomb of the first king of Pugmire?

The Secret of Vinsen’s Tomb is a Pugmire story for three to six characters. This jumpstart contains all the rules and characters you need to play — just grab some dice and go! You can also use this adventure with the full version of Pugmire.

The Secret of Vinsen’s Tomb contains:

• An evocative and mysterious setting that’s both family friendly and deep enough to create compelling stories.

• A summary of Pugmire’s traditional fantasy rules system. It’s designed for streamlined play, with an emphasis on cooperation and action over competition and violence.

• A complete adventure for a Guide to run for three to six players. Also useful for Guides running a full Pugmire game of first or second level characters!

• Six ready-to-play characters, so you can jump into the action.

Can your good dogs discover the secret of Vinsen’s Tomb?

  Also available this Wednesday, are two physical PoD spell card packs and PDFs for Pugmire: the Artisans‘ and the Shepherds‘ spells.

        Ask the darkness, and it shall answer: the Beast: The Primordial Player’s Guide Advance PDF will answer your questions when it goes live on DTRPG.com this Wednesday!

The Beast Player’s Guide expands on the material presented in Beast: The Primordial, with additional information on the Families and Hungers, what it feels like to be a Beast and experience the Devouring, and how to commune with the Dark Mother. You’ll also find two new Families and two new Hungers!

The book also includes a plethora of new Atavisms, Nightmares, Merits, and Birthrights, as well as systems for creating smaller, subservient versions of the Horror, new forms of Inheritance, and details on the mysterious Obcasus Rites.

      There are some things that even a Demon fears – Night Horrors: Enemy Action for Demon: The Descent arrives as an Advance PDF this Wednesday on DTRPG.com!

“Fighting the Machine is like fighting the ocean. You literally cannot hurt it. Doesn’t matter how much poison we dump into the ocean. We’ll only kill the things in it. We’ll never kill it. Same with the God-Machine. Kill angels, traitors, stigmatics, cultists, cryptids, whatever, you’ll never hurt the Machine Itself. No, that doesn’t mean we stop trying. You stop trying, you drown. Screw that.”

—Mr. Bliss, Guardian Inquisitor

Night Horrors: Enemy Action includes:

• Dozens of Storyteller characters, including Unchained, angels, exiles, cryptids, and stigmatics, for use as antagonists, allies, or just inspiration

• Multiple plot hooks and story seeds for your Demon: The Descent chronicles

• A brief look at cults in Demon, including the Ten Thousand Names of God, a secret society fueled by the God-Machine

        With a howl of RAGE, the W20 Changing Ways PDF and physical book PoD charges at you this Wednesday on DTRPG.com! http://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/229183/W20-Changing-Ways

Changing Ways is an in-depth look at what it means to be a werewolf, both on a personal level and as part of a pack. It digs deep into what it feels like to have bones re-knit after breaking, the range of senses available across all forms, and the sudden heady rush of the Gifts and Rites bestowed by spirits. It also provides a look at what life is like for lupus and metis werewolves, characters who have had experiences alien to any person. It shows the many ways that werewolves organize in packs, and how those packs are designed as groups of warriors, rather than aligned to the behavior of wolves.

Changing Ways contains:

• A detailed look at what it means to grow up as a lupus or metis werewolf, and how that colors a character’s perspective.

• More information on what it feels like to be a werewolf, a creature that changes in both body and mind.

• Frameworks and organizations for packs, along with new tactics and systems for forging the pack as part of play.

        Appearing on DriveThruRPG this Wednesday are the PDF and PoD physical book versions of Arms of the Chosen for Exalted 3rd Edition! http://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/226224/Arms-of-the-Chosen

Take up the panoply of legendary heroes and lost ages, and awaken the world-shaking might of their Evocations. Before the dawn of time, the Exalted wielded god-metal blades to cast down the makers of the universe. In an ancient epoch of forgotten glories, Creation’s greatest artificers forged unimaginable wonders and miracle-machines.

Now, in the Age of Sorrows, kingdoms go to war over potent artifacts, scavenger princes risk everything to uncover relics of the past, and the Exalted forge great arms and armor on the anvil of legend. These treasures are yours to master.

Discover the mystical power of the five magical materials and the secrets of creating your own Evocations. Wield weapons of fabled might and don the armor of mythic heroes, making their puissance your own. Claim Creation’s wonders: the miraculous tools of the Chosen, living automatons, flying machines, hearthstones, and more. And unleash the mighty warstriders, titanic god-engines of conquest and devastation, to once more shake Creation with their footfalls.

        We unveil Vampire: The Requiem 2e‘s Half-Damned as PDF and PoD versions on DTRPG.com this Wednesday!

http://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/227500/Half-Damned

I love her, she’s family, but I don’t love what she is.

– Antonio Ramírez, dhampir

This book includes: 

• An exploration of what it means to be one of the Half-Damned, dhampir, revenants or ghouls.

• Mechanics for creating Half-Damned characters.

• Information for creating and running chronicles using the various Half-Damned character types, both with vampires and alone.

• Information on Half-Damned antagonists for vampire chronicles.

        A Land Where Legends Walk

Drawing enthusiastically on Greek mythology, the revised and re-imagined Scarred Lands nonetheless retains its place as a modern fantasy RPG setting. This is a world shaped by gods and monsters, and only the greatest of heroes can expect to be counted among them. The most populous continent of Scarn, Ghelspad, plays host to vast unexplored regions, hides unsolved riddles from ancient cultures, and taunts adventures with the promise of undiscovered riches hidden among the ruins of older civilizations.

Yet the myths of the Scarred Lands are relatively recent events. The effects of the Titanswar still ripple through the world, and the heroines and villains of many of these stories are part of living memory, if not still living.

The Award-Winning Fantasy Setting Returns

Scarred Lands has been a favorite fantasy setting since the release of the Creature Collection for the d20 System in 2000. In subsequent years, over 40 titles were published for Scarred Lands, making it one of the most fully supported fantasy RPG settings ever and the premiere product line of Sword & Sorcery Studios.

Available in both 5th Edition and Pathfinder compatible versions! PDF and PoD formats available NOW!

http://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/193014/Scarred-Lands-Players-Guide-Pathfinder

http://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/197803/Scarred-Lands-Players-Guide-OGL-5e

      CONVENTIONS!

    And now, the new project status updates!

DEVELOPMENT STATUS FROM FAST EDDY WEBB (projects in bold have changed status since last week):

First Draft (The first phase of a project that is about the work being done by writers, not dev prep)

M20 Gods and Monsters (Mage: the Ascension 20th Anniversary Edition)

M20 Book of the Fallen (Mage: the Ascension 20th Anniversary Edition)

C20 Novel (Jackie Cassada) (Changeling: the Dreaming 20th Anniversary Edition)

Deviant: The Renegades (Deviant: The Renegades)

CofD Contagion Chronicle (Chronicles of Darkness)

M20 The Technocracy Reloaded (Mage: the Ascension 20th Anniversary Edition)

M20 Victorian Mage (Mage: the Ascension 20th Anniversary Edition)

Dystopia Rising: Evolution (Dystopia Rising: Evolution)

Spilled Blood (Vampire: The Requiem 2nd Edition)

CofD Dark Eras 2 (Chronicles of Darkness)

  Redlines

Guide to the Night (Vampire: The Requiem 2nd Edition)

  Second Draft

WoD Ghost Hunters (World of Darkness)

Tales of Good Dogs – Pugmire Fiction Anthology (Pugmire)

  Development

Signs of Sorcery (Mage: the Awakening Second Edition)

GtS Geist 2e core (Geist: the Sin-Eaters Second Edition)

Night Horrors: The Tormented (Promethean: The Created 2nd Edition)

Hunter: the Vigil 2e core (Hunter: the Vigil 2nd Edition)

Fetch Quest (Pugmire)

They Came From Beneath the Sea! Rulebook (TCFBtS!)

  WW Manuscript Approval:

  Editing:

Ex Novel 2 (Aaron Rosenberg) (Exalted 3rd Edition)

Exalted 3rd Novel by Matt Forbeck (Exalted 3rd Edition)

Trinity Continuum: Aeon Rulebook (The Trinity Continuum)

Monarchies of Mau (Monarchies of Mau)

  Post-Editing Development:

Changeling: the Lost 2nd Edition, featuring the Huntsmen Chronicle (Changeling: the Lost 2nd Edition)

Dragon-Blooded (Exalted 3rd Edition)

Pan’s Guide for New Pioneers (Pugmire)

The Realm (Exalted 3rd Edition)

Kithbook Boggans (Changeling: the Dreaming 20th Anniversary Edition)

Scion: Hero (Scion 2nd Edition)

Trinity Continuum Core Rulebook (The Trinity Continuum)

  Indexing:

    ART DIRECTION FROM MIRTHFUL MIKE:

In Art Direction

Ex3 Monthly Stuff

Scion Hero

Changeling: the Lost 2 – Art is contracted.

Trinity Continuum – Reviewing TC:Aeon artnotes.

Ex3 Dragon Blooded

Boggans – Contracted.

Monarchies of Mau – Sorting through buy and figuring out roster.

  Marketing Stuff

  In Layout

Scarred Lands Community Content – Covers and knocking together a quick SV logo. Went back and attempted to make the templates easier and more explanatory…

Scion Origin

Wraith 20 Screen – Front approved… now waiting for errata phase to assemble all the charts.

Fetch Quest – Taking some time this week to tweak the card design.

  Proofing

Book of Freeholds – Off to Mark to put in page xx’s. I’m doing up the cover this week as well.

Pugmire – Pan’s Explorer’s Guide (or whatever)

Cavaliers of Mars – Art is in progress… but the layout is done and solid enough for Rose to proof.

  At Press

Beckett Screen – Shipped to shipper.

Scarred Land PGs & Wise and the Wicked PF & 5e – To fulfillment shipper. PDF and PoD physical book versions on sale at DTRPG. Dice are in, Adventures on their way.

Changeling: the Dreaming 20th Anniversary Edition (Changeling: the Dreaming 20th Anniversary Edition) – Books and Screens created and are en route from printer to fulfillment shipper.

Prince’s Gambit – At press.

V20 Beckett’s Jyhad Diary– Deluxe edition files sent to printer.

C20 Ready Made Characters – PoD proofs on the way.

Pugmire Artisan Cards – On sale this Wednesday.

Pugmire Shepherd Cards – On sale this Wednesday.

Scion Dice Packaging – Shipping to fulfillment shipper.

Wraith 20 – Backer PDF out, and errata is coming in.

Ring of Spiragos – PoD versions on their way to KS fulfillment shipper.

Pugmire Vinsen’s Tomb – On sale this Wednesday.

Beast PG – Advance PDF on sale at DTRPG.com, errata coming in.

DtD Enemy Action – Advance PDF on sale at DTRPG.com, errata coming in.

  TODAY’S REASON TO CELEBRATE: BEWARE THE IDES OF MARCH! (yeah, yeah, we all know that the day/date on the whole Ides thing slid around, so don’t bother writing in – just look out for guys with knives headed for you, okay?)

[fuckyeahsnakus]

@snakesamus20171 A SuneSamu Anthology

So I’ve discovered something amazing! While scouring the web for some more good ol’ fashioned Snakus content I’ve discovered that Japanese Twitter user and artist @ruby_ring along with fellow artist @hrtiki is planning to put together a Snake/Samus Anthology for 2017!

From the official Twitter page and Blog, @ruby_ring is calling for artists to submit illustrations, comics or fanfics featuring SnakexSamus that she will create into an Anthology for print and release in the Summer of 2017.

From the official blog:

■概要 　大乱闘スマッシュブラザーズXのスネーク×サムス中心のアンソロジーです。 　2017年夏のイベント（コミックマーケット92またはALL STAR5）にて発行します。

■原稿仕様 　受付はデジタル原稿のみとなります。（アナログ原稿は不可）

　○募集原稿 　　漫画、イラストまたは小説で、スネーク×サムスをメインとしたもの     ※応募される作品は、全年齢でも年齢指定のあるものでも構いません。 　　ただし、年齢制限のかかる作品が掲載される場合、本自体がＲ18指定となりますので、ご応募につきましては18歳以上の方を対象とさせていただきたいと思います。　　　　　

　○ページ数 　　お一人様あたり1～10ページ 　　（漫画＋小説等複数ジャンルでご参加の場合、漫画と小説合わせて10ページまで）

　○漫画、イラスト原稿 　　　形式：PSD、レイヤーは統合してください 　　　サイズ：縦216mm×横154mm（A5＋塗り足し各3mm） 　        解像度：600dpi（グレースケール・モノクロ２値） 　　　　　　　350dpi　（カラー） 　　　※印刷所は（有）金沢印刷様を利用予定です。 　　　こちらがサイトアドレスになります。　→　http://www.kanazawa-p.co.jp/ 　　　　webページからテンプレートのダウンロードが可能です。

　○小説 　　　サイズ：縦210mm×横148mm（A5） 　　　レイアウト：お任せしますが、左右の余白を十分取って頂く等、 　　　　　　　　　読むのに支障がないようお願いします 　　　形式：PDF、フォントは埋め込んでください

　○その他ご提出いただく原稿 　　アンソロの最後にコメント欄を設けますので、コメントの作成をお願いします。 　　後日サイズを指定しますので、PSD形式で作成をしてください。 　　（小説参加で、PSD形式を利用できない方はご相談ください）

　○留意事項 　　右始まり、左始まりのご希望がありましたらお申し出ください。 　　可能な限り対応させていただきます。 　　（ご希望に沿えない場合もありますのでご了承ください。）

■参加表明 　以下の事項を添えて、funen.wonder@gmail.com（原チキ）までご連絡ください。　 　・お名前（HN） 　・メールアドレス 　・ご希望のジャンル（漫画、イラスト、小説） 　・決まっていれば予定ページ数 　メール受領後、受付確認のメールを送信いたします。 　なお、今後アンソロに関するご連絡は原則メールにて行います。

　※参加表明締め切り　2017年5月14日（日）

■原稿提出 　funen.wonder@gmail.com宛にメール添付にてご提出頂きます。 　原稿ファイルが複数ある場合は、フォルダに入れて圧縮してください。

　※原稿提出締め切り　2017年6月18日（日）

■参加お礼 　完成したアンソロ1冊を進呈いたします。

■お問い合わせ 　参加に際してご不明な点がありましたら、funen.wonder@gmail.com宛にメールをお願いします。 　twitter相互フォローの方は、@hrtiki宛にDMでのお問い合わせも受け付けます。

■主催 　ルビー   twitterID：@ruby_ring 　原チキ（不燃物ワンダーランド）funen.wonder@gmail.com、twitterID：@hrtik

English (mind you this is from Google Translate so it may not be perfect):

■ Summary Super Smash Bros. [...] Snake x Samus centered anthology. Issued in the summer event of 2017 (comic market 92 or ALL STAR 5).

■ Original specifications

   Accepted only for digital manuscripts. (Analog original is not allowed)

   ○ Submissions Manuscripts, illustrations or novels, with Snake×Samus as the main work. ※ The works submitted may be of any age or age designation. However, if a work requiring age restrictions is posted, the book itself will be designated as R18, so for applicants, I would like to target those over the age of 18.

   ○ Number of pages 1 to 10 pages per person (In case of participating in multiple genres such as manga + novel, up to 10 pages with comic and novel)

   ○ Manga, Illustration Manuscript 

   Form: PSD, Please integrate layers Size: length 216 mm × width 154 mm (A 5 + painted each 3 mm each) Resolution : 600 dpi ( grayscale, monochrome binary) 350 dpi (color) I am planning to use Mr. Kanazawa Print. This is the site address. →http://www.kanazawa-p.co.jp/ You can download templates from the web page.

   ○ Novel 　　　Size: Vertical 210 mm × Horizontal 148 mm (A5) 　　　Layout: We will leave it to you, but please take sufficient left and right margins, etc. so that there is no hindrance to reading. Format: PDF, Please embed fonts.

　○ Since we have a comment column at the end of the manuscript [to be submitted manuscript], please make a comment. Since I will specify the size at a later date, please make it in PSD format. (For those who can not use the PSD format by participating in the novel, please contact us)

　○ Points to remember [Please contact us if there is hope of beginning right and left.] I will correspond as much as possible. (Please understand that it may not be in compliance with your request.)

■ Representation of Participation Please contact funen.wonder@gmail.com (Hara Tiki) with the following items. 　· Name (HN) 　· E-mail address 　· Requested genre (Manga, Illustration, Novel) 　· Scheduled number of pages if fixed 　We will send you a confirmation e-mail after receipt of e-mail. In addition, in the future we will contact you regarding antholos by email.

　※ Participation Expiration Deadline May 14, 2017 (Sun)

■ Submit a manuscript

Please submit it to funen.wonder@gmail.com by e-mail attachment. If there are multiple original files, put them in a folder and compress them.

* Submission deadline Closed on 18th June (Sun) in 2017

■ Participation Thank you  I will present one completed anthology. (presumably she will send copies to all those who participate) ■ Inquiries Please contact us at funen.wonder@gmail.com 　if you have any questions on participation . 　For twitter follow-up followers, we also accept inquiries in DM for @ hrtiki. ■ Organizer Ruby twitterID: @ruby_ring 　Hara Tsuki [(incombustible wonderland)] funen.wonder@gmail.com , twitterID: @ hrtiki

I am very very interested in her project and would love to help out! Is there anyone out there would could help me reach out to this girl? I’m afraid of miscommunication between our two languages and I want to make it clear I would love to submit to her project. Maybe some of us on her can even contribute too!

Anyone out there who can help please do, let’s make this Anthology happen!

Official Blog: http://sunesamanthology.dou-jin.com/

Official Twitter Page: https://twitter.com/snakesamus20171

[bestwomenseroticaoftheyear]

Today, February 10, is last day to submit to Best Women’s Erotica of the Year, Volume 4

We’re having some technical difficulties at the BWE site so since today is the deadline, here is the full call for submissions for Best Women’s Erotica of the Year, Volume 4. No extensions will be granted. All stories submitted by Saturday, February 10, 2018 that meet the guidelines will be considered.

To everyone who previously submitted work to Volume 4, you can expect to hear back by September 30, 2018. If you have any questions, contact editor Rachel Kramer Bussel at bweoftheyear at gmail dot com and she will get back to you ASAP.​

Call for Submissions - Extension

Best Women's Erotica of the Year, Volume 4

To be published by Cleis Press in December 2018

Edited by Rachel Kramer Bussel

Make sure to read and follow the guidelines in full. Guidelines may be updated over the course of the open submission period. Feel free to repost these guidelines as long as you link to this site (https://www.bweoftheyear.com/call-for-submissions), which will always contain the most up-to-date version of these guidelines. For occasional BWE submission tips, follow @BWEoftheyear on Twitter.

This is an extension of the original call; if you already submitted work, it's still being considered and you will hear back by September 30, 2018. If you previously submitted one story, you can submit one more; all authors can submit a total of two stories.

This anthology is open to women, genderqueer and nonbinary authors only. I'm seeking 2,00-4,000 word original, unpublished erotic stories with women, genderqueer or nonbinary protagonists that touch on the theme of outsiders or the theme of risk. Stories without one of those elements will be rejected. 

What I'm specifically looking for:

Erotica stories relating to current events (but that will still be sexy to readers in 20 years)

Ownvoices erotica stories (author and protagonist share a marginalized identity - for more information, see originator of the term)

Stories with transgender women as protagonists

Stories exploring a specific culture (see "On the Calendar" by Kate Sebastian in Volume 2 for an example)

Stories dealing with mental health

Stories starring women who feel like outsiders because of an aspect of their sexuality

Stories starring women over 50

Historical erotica (see "Demimonde" by Valerie Alexander in Volume 1 for an example)

Humorous erotica (see "Starstruck" by Lazuli Jones in Volume 1 for an example)

As in prior volumes, I want your best, boldest, hottest, most creative and diverse 2,000-4,000 word erotica stories, written by and starring a wide range of women, genderqueer and non binary characters, from single to coupled, living in big cities and small towns anywhere in the world, of varying sexual orientations, races, ages (all characters must be 18+ for the entirety of the story), fetishes, jobs, interests and life experiences. First, second and third person narratives are all welcome. The two themes of this anthology will be Outsiders and Risk, as detailed below. While reading the first three volumes isn't required, please note that for the sake of variety for our readers, highly specific story settings or topics, such as a shoe shine, that have already appeared in the series are unlikely to be repeated, but broader ones, such as an office romance, are welcome.

For this volume, I want stories that speak to the book's themes of outsiders and risk, though those words don’t need to be used explicitly in the story but should be conveyed by the plot. In terms of outsiders, that could include any woman who feels like an outsider, whether from her relationship(s), her sexuality, her personality, her looks, her career, her age, her race, her religion, her family, her community, her workplace, her country, etc. Perhaps she is right to feel like an outsider, because she’s deliberately ostracized or left out; perhaps she would be welcomed by others but still feels like an outsider. Whatever the case, I want to read about how her outsider status is affected by her sexuality, and vice versa. Perhaps she is a refugee arriving in a new country, a virgin whose friends are all sexual libertines, a woman who’s made to feel her desires are untoward or unnatural, etc. The more creative and unique your plotline, the more likely your work is to be accepted.

In terms of risk, I want to read about women who put everything on the line in pursuit of love and lust, who take dramatic, daring risks that will make readers marvel at their passion. Maybe she quits her job, or dares to make waves in a long-term relationship. Maybe she pursues someone everyone’s told her is wrong for her, but she does it anyway. How is taking a risk sexy for her? What is she sacrificing, and why is she doing it? I want to read about women who are natural risk takers as well as those who are innately risk averse but are compelled to go against their instincts and take a risk anyway. I don’t want clichéd plotlines or generic characters; stories should be original, captivating and arousing. Stories can reflect current events, but shouldn’t be so specific that they will be out of date. Stories should be timeless enough to appeal to readers now as well as in ten, twenty or thirty years. Keep in mind that stories will not overlap in plotlines, so the more individual and memorable yours is, the more likely it is to be accepted. 

I’m especially interested in hearing from and about: stories set outside the United States, stories set outside major cities, romantic erotica (they don’t necessarily need to have a traditional “happily ever after,” but happy endings are extremely welcome too), stories involving more than two people, stories in unusual settings, erotica touching on current events (though the story should be one readers ten or twenty years from now will also appreciate), stories with a feminist outlook (that may or may not have the word “feminism” or “feminist” in the text but convey a feminist worldview), BDSM stories, especially ones outside of the Master or Mistress dynamic, and stories starring women creative, memorable fetishes.

Stories in the final book will range from humorous and playful to intense and soulful, and will reflect a similar sexual, racial and age diversity as the stories in Best Women’s Erotica of the Year, Volumes 1, 2 and 3. Story submissions must be unpublished (never published, in whole or in part, anywhere, online or offline). No scat or incest, although age play will be considered as long as it’s clear in the context of the story that the characters are engaging in roleplay. No poetry will be considered.   

In a nutshell: I want stories that blow my mind, that grab my attention from the first sentence and don’t let go, that say something new and exciting about sex and sexuality, that will appeal to longtime erotica readers and new readers of the genre. Make every word count and advance the story you want to tell. Consider each sentence and ask yourself: Does it serve a purpose? Is it advancing your story? If not, cut it. I want stories that will make readers stop everything they’re doing and eagerly read every last word to find out what happens to your characters. I gravitate toward unique, creative, memorable characters, settings and scenarios. Contemporary stories will comprise the majority of the book but historical, sci fi, fantasy and paranormal stories are also welcome. For an idea of the types of stories I like, see Best Women’s Erotica of the Year, Volume 1, 2 and 3. If you submitted a story to Volume 1, 2 or 3 that was rejected, you may resubmit it if it fits the theme of outsiders or risk, but in most cases, a new story stands a far better chance of acceptance.

In the interest of publishing a wide range of authors, those whose work appears in Best Women’s Erotica of the Year, Volume 1, 2 or 3 will not be considered for this volume, but contributors to previous Best Women’s Erotica collections are welcome to submit work. 

Rights: non-exclusive right to publish your story in this anthology in print, ebook, and audiobook form. Authors will retain copyright to their stories. See exact contract terms below.

How to submit: Submit only 2,000-4,000 original, unpublished stories that are not being considered elsewhere. Word count applies to the text of your story, excluding story title and author name. Maximum two submissions per author. Stories CANNOT be under consideration elsewhere at any point prior to the book's publication date in December 2018. I want only original work that has never been published online, in print or in any format at all, including personal or other types of blogs. All characters must be 18 or over for the entirety of the story. US grammar (spelling, double quotation marks around dialogue, etc.) required. Submit to bweoftheyear@gmail.com with “BWE 4 Submission: Story Title” in the subject line by attaching a Word .doc or .docx file, double spaced, Times New Roman Black font with legal name, pseudonym (if applicable), mailing address, phone (only to be used for urgent communication about your story) AND 50 word-or-under third person professional biography either on the first page of your story above the title or in the body of an email. Make sure you use an email address that you check on a regular basis (at least once a week). Sample bio format with URL is as follows:

Rachel Kramer Bussel (rachelkramerbussel.com) writes fiction and non-fiction. She is an editor, author and blogger.

All stories must have a title and byline (author name) included with the submission (no untitled stories) at the top of the first page. Indent half an inch at the start of each paragraph. Use double spacing for the entire file; DO NOT add extra lines between paragraphs or use any other irregular spacing. Title your document BWE 4 STORY TITLE LAST NAME, such a "BWE 4 Lovers Doe." If you cannot use Word, submit as both an RTF AND include the full submission in the body of an email, including title, story text, bio, name and pseudonym (if applicable), mailing address and phone number. DO NOT SUBMIT MULTIPLE VERSIONS OF THE SAME STORY AS ONLY THE FIRST VERSION WILL BE CONSIDERED. SUBMIT YOUR STORY WITH THE TITLE, AUTHOR NAME AND WORDING YOU WOULD WANT PUBLISHED IF THE STORY IS ACCEPTED. MAKE SURE TO THOROUGHLY PROOFREAD YOUR STORY BEFORE SUBMITTING IT. Only stories that are between 2,000-4,000 words and submitted by November 1, 2017, 11:59 pm EST will be considered. Please do not ask about exceptions to the word count or deadline as they will not be granted. 

I will confirm that I have received your submission within 72 hours. I will respond to all submissions by September 30, 2018 at the latest. If you have not heard back from me by October 1, 2018, feel free to follow up at that time. Please note the time frame and if you need a response sooner than September 30, 2018, this is not the right anthology for you. 

Payment: $200 and 2 copies of the book within 90 days of publication. Payment will be made only via Paypal (strongly preferred) or U.S check (only for U.S. addresses).

Deadline: February 10, 2018, 11:59 pm EST

For questions that aren't answered in the guidelines: Email bweoftheyear@gmail.com (note that NO word count changes will be granted - stories sunder 2,000 words or over 4,000 words will be automatically rejected)

If your story is accepted, you will need to sign a contract agreeing to the terms below in order for your story to be published in the anthology. If you are unwilling to sign this contract, DO NOT to this anthology

The parties agree as follows:

I. GRANT OF RIGHTS

Author hereby grants Editor, during the first term of the United States copyright, and any renewals thereof, in the “Work”:

a. The non-exclusive right to “publish” (i.e. print, publish, and sell) the Work as part of the Book in printed and digital form in English in the United States and its territories; and

b. The non-exclusive right to “publish” and license the Work as part of the Book in printed and digital form in English in other countries; and

c. The non-exclusive right to publish and license the Work as part of the Book in printed and digital form in English and the right to license, translate and publish the Work as part of the Book in printed and digital form in languages other than English in all countries; and

d. The following non-exclusive subsidiary rights to license and publish the Work as part of the Book in the United States and all foreign countries, to wit: anthologies, magazines, book club editions and reprints; Braille editions; audio, computer disk, all electronic/cyber rights, CD-ROM and microfiche editions; and television productions (including network TV, cable, and pay TV); and

e. The non-exclusive right to excerpt from the Work in non-book printed materials issued by the Publisher and/or its licensee for the sole purpose of promoting the Work, including, but not limited to, bookmarks, post cards, buttons, and t-shirts; and

f. The non-exclusive subsidiary right, for promotional purposes, to serialize the Work in periodicals, newspapers, and magazines.

II. ACCEPTANCE OF MANUSCRIPTS AND CHANGES

a. Editorial revisions to the Work may be made at the suggestion of the Editor and/or Publisher. The title may be changed only by mutual consent of the Author, Editor and Publisher. Editor has final say on the substantive content of the Work.

b. The completed manuscript shall be deemed satisfactory in content to the Editor and Publisher unless within ninety (90) days of its receipt, Publisher or Editor gives Author written notice of the respects in which the manuscript is unsatisfactory. Author shall have thirty (30) days from receipt of that notice to make and submit such changes.

c. Editor reserves the right to choose not to include the Work in the Book, if Publisher declines to accept it, or for any other justifiable reason. In such event, this Agreement is null and void; all rights revert to Author, and Editor does not owe Author payment.

III. WARRANTIES AND INDEMNITIES

a. Author represents and warrants that she now owns all rights granted hereunder, free of liens or encumbrances, and has full power and authority to execute this Agreement; and further warrants that the Work is original with her and not in the public domain. Author will give formal written notice of any previous publication of the Work upon presentation of the final manuscript, including editorial addresses of periodicals and/or publishers.

b. Author further represents and warrants that the Work does not infringe statutory copyrights or common law literary rights of others, and does not violate the rights of privacy of, or libel, other persons.

c. Author agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Editor and the Publisher, and the publishing of any reprint or book club edition of the Work licensed by the Publisher, pursuant to the Agreement, against any final judgment for damages (after all appeals have been taken) against them in any action arising out

of facts which constitute a breach of the foregoing warranties together with reasonable costs and attorney’s fees incurred by them in defending such an action in which such judgment is recovered.

V. COPYRIGHT

Author shall retain copyright of the Work.

VI. PAYMENT

Author shall receive PAYMENT LISTED ABOVE to be paid by Author within 90 days of publication of the Book.

VII. AUTHOR’S COPIES

Publisher will give to Author two (2) free copies of the Anthology. 

IX. SUCCESSORS AND ASSIGNS

This Agreement shall be binding on the parties and her respective heirs, administrators, successors and assigns.

[theonyxpath]

This is the art for the cover of Cavaliers of Mars by Chris Huth, and it just so strongly reminds me of Mike Mignola’s comic art for Fafhrd and the Grey Mouser, but even more detailed. Those comics were early 90s, and I was thrilled to be able to hire Mike Mignola some years later for the covers and some interior pieces for the editions of their adventures White Wolf reissued under our Legends fiction imprint.

Which is a round-about way of saying: I like that Cavs cover!

It’s sword and sorcery, and pretty inspiring, and Rose Bailey absolutely loves that inspirational material. She’s woven a setting that draws on all that great early sword and sorcery, and modern fiction and anime, and more. We’re half-way through Cavaliers of Mars‘ Kickstarter, and she’d be thrilled if you took the time to check it out here: http://ift.tt/2jF6HdQ

    V20 Dark Ages Jumpstart Ventrue

    One thing, if you do: don’t be put off by Cavaliers of Mars‘ Kickstarter Estimated Delivery dates. We’ve had many adventures with those dates, and at this point I just stretch them out far further than we really plan to deliver. I know that scares off some backers, but it’s a trade-off between accuracy and our process that needs to allow creators to take more time than originally estimated in order to nail the feeling and info they want to deliver for the project.

Or to allow creators who have unforeseen life changes come up, that prevent them from delivering when they originally thought they could, to still continue helming their projects. Like I mentioned last week, our creative process has been very much developer-driven going back to when Onyx Path was founded. So our estimates have been mostly based on working out delivery dates with the developer(s) and then extending the estimates out from there.

Rather than tie ourselves to the dates, we’ve extended the time-frames, maybe ridiculously. We’re also aiming to only go live with a Kickstarter after the text is completely finished and not add entire new sections to the KS’d project that would delay delivering the book to backers. And like I also mentioned these last couple of weeks, we’re bringing in more support folks like Eddy Webb to help beleaguered developers finish their projects.

If these initiatives help out, we’re more than likely to pull back the Estimated Delivery deadlines to more normal time-frames.

    Samuel Araya illustration for Half-Damned

    Speaking of initiatives, remember when I wrote about our Extended Media projects? Sure you do! I babbled on about them for quite a few blogs in the early parts of this year. Let’s see how they’re doing!

First, we have our fiction books getting onto Amazon and the Nook marketplace. We have put multiple waves of books up in both places, for a total of 25 books (a combination of novels, anthologies, and a cookbook) all in the proper Kindle and Nook formats for easy and convenient reading. World of Darkness, Chronicles of Darkness, Exalted, and Scarred Lands fiction are all up there. They’re selling and we’ll be adding more as we publish them, but we’re caught up on the backlog, so the new titles are likely to come out as each one is ready.

This was, I think, a win for what we were trying to do, and a big round of applause for Bill Bridges and Valerie Tate!

Val also has been working with our first App team in creating Onyx Path‘s dice rolling app. We’re nearing the time that we’ll be able to release the app, and we’re starting with ten-sided dice pools for Scion, and our licensed WW IPs, but the app is customizable for any 10-sided pool system. (And before we release to the public we need the OK from WW and then we need to send the very patient backers of Werewolf 20th their dice rolling app stretch goal rewards).

This project rolls into another with our App team, and things are looking awesome with it, so another expected win here – but we’ll hold off on actually marking that down until it releases.

Then we have the online gaming accessories, and here we’ve had less success. We are getting more traction on those venues (like Roll20 and Fantasy Grounds) but that’s mostly because fans (in the companies involved or their existing customers) are making stuff, but we have not yet. Mostly, so far I haven’t been able to find creators we can hire on as freelancers.

We’re not giving up though, and with our recent purchase of Scarred Lands, I have some hopes that we’ll be able to work with some of the folks already engaged with SL in the online gaming space. But for now, I’ve got to take the hit for this and call it a loss. For now.

    Arms of the Chosen illustration by Gunship Revolution

    On a different topic, I also said a few weeks ago that I’d relate the new projects and such revealed at Gen Con last August. I’ve done Chronicles of Darkness, so this week it’s Exalted 3rd.

Besides the ongoing monthly monster and antagonists releases, we have The Realm and Dragon-Blooded. Which you pretty much know about. We expect Dragon-Blooded‘s Kickstarter next year to generate additional projects, some DB-oriented and others maybe not, so we’re keeping our “official slate of releases” pretty much focused on the big books with the expectation that smaller projects will fill in from that Kickstarter.

Because we know that our Exalted community needs certain big books in order to play their ongoing games, we’re focusing on Lunars and then Exigents after DB. The old and then the new, as it were. We really think that will take us through the year, so even though we do have ideas for starting to work in some of the already-announced projects, and even some new ones, we want to get our Dev team entirely through The Realm and Dragon-Blooded and all that goes along with developing those books, before committing to anything further.

Too much, too fast has already slammed our Exalted developers going all the way back, and we’d like to avoid that with our new team.

So that’s pretty much what I said at Gen Con, and also:

Different Worlds, One Path!

      BLURBS!

ON SALE!

YOUR COVER IS BLOWN! The Demon: The Descent Bundle of Holding goes live tomorrow 10/3 and runs until the 23rd – unlocking new books as it runs! It will be here tomorrow: http://ift.tt/ZkIwwy

  We’ve been looking for something to do to help out the disaster in Puerto Rico, as have a bunch of other publishers and we’ve donated PDFs for this: http://ift.tt/2xNzEtY We contributed the Trinity Core Rulebook. Please consider picking up this bundle, with proceeds going to GlobalGiving’s Puerto Rico and Caribbean Hurricane Relief Fund.

    KICKSTARTER:

  The Cavaliers of Mars Kickstarter funded and is now past 600%, with Stretch Goals including an Exclusive T-Shirt, an increased art budget, Postcards from Mars, and we are closing in on the goal that completes an additional book: City of the Towered Tombs, describing the bustling canal city of Vance, from the brooding waters and desperate criminals of the Dredge to the beautiful environs and macabre spectacles of the Hangman’s Garden. Delve into the affairs of colorful nobles and the schemes of the desperate criminals in this look at Mars’ greatest remaining city! If all that sounds interesting to you, here is the link: http://ift.tt/2jF6HdQ

  ON AMAZON:

  We’re delighted to announce the opening of our ebook store on Amazon! You can now read our fiction from the comfort and convenience of your Kindle. Our initial selection includes these fiction anthologies: Vampire: the Masquerade‘s Endless Ages, Werewolf: The Apocalypse 20th Anniversary Edition‘s Rites of Renown: When Will You Rage 2, Mage: The Ascension 20th Anniversary Edition‘s Truth Beyond Paradox, Chronicles of Darkness‘ God Machine Chronicle, Mummy: The Curse‘s Curse of the Blue Nile, and Beast: The Primordial‘s The Primordial Feast!

And now you can get these books in the Barnes and Noble Nook store too!

Vampire: The Masquerade: The Endless Ages Anthology

Werewolf: The Apocalypse: Rites of Renown: When Will You Rage II

Mage: The Ascension: Truth Beyond Paradox

Chronicles of Darkness: The God-Machine Chronicle Anthology

Mummy: The Curse: Curse of the Blue Nile

Beast: The Primordial: The Primordial Feast Anthology

  And here are six more fiction books:

Vampire: The Masquerade: Of Predators and Prey: The Hunters Hunted II Anthology

Werewolf: The Apocalypse: The Poison Tree

Werewolf: The Apocalypse: Songs of the Sun and Moon: Tales of the Changing Breeds

Vampire: The Requiem: The Strix Chronicle Anthology

Werewolf: The Forsaken: The Idigam Chronicle Anthology

Mage: The Awakening: The Fallen World Chronicle Anthology

  Andand six more more:

Vampire: The Masquerade: The Beast Within Anthology (Kindle, Nook)

Werewolf: The Apocalypse: W20 Cookbook (Kindle, Nook)

Exalted: Tales from the Age of Sorrows (Kindle, Nook)

Chronicles of Darkness: Tales of the Dark Eras (Kindle, Nook)

Promethean: The Created: The Firestorm Chronicle Anthology (Kindle, Nook)

Demon: The Descent: Demon: Interface (Kindle, Nook)

And even more books are going up on Amazon and the Nook store on Wednesday!:

Vampire: The Masquerade Dark Ages: The Cainite Conspiracies

World of Darkness: Strangeness in the Proportion

Vampire: The Requiem: Silent Knife

Mummy: The Curse: Dawn of Heresies

Scarred Lands: The Walled Warren

    We’re working with Studio2 to get Pugmire out into stores, as well as to individuals through their online store. You can pick up the traditionally printed main book, the Screen, and the official Pugmire dice through our friends there!

http://ift.tt/2w0aaEW

    Looking for our Deluxe or Prestige Edition books? Here’s the link to the press release we put out about how Onyx Path is now selling through Indie Press Revolution: http://ift.tt/1ZlTT6z

You can now order wave 2 of our Deluxe and Prestige print overrun books, including Deluxe Mage 20th Anniversary, and Deluxe V20 Dark Ages! And Screens…so many Screens!

And you can now order Pugmire: the book, the screen, and the dice! http://ift.tt/1pOsnTb

    ON DRIVETHRURPG.COM:

From the massive Chronicles of Darkness: Dark Eras main book, we have pulled this single chapter, Dark Eras: God’s Own Country (Geist: The Sin-Eaters New Zealand 1950s). World War II is over and a new age of technology is coming, but a hidden storm threatens to overwhelm both the Maori and the European New Zealanders, flooding the world with the restless dead. The Bound are the last line of defense between a spirit-world gone mad and a sleepy island nation concerned with the advent of rock and roll and mourning their lost soldiers.

On sale in PDF and physical copy PoD versions on DTRPG this Wednesday!

      EX3 Music Suite #1: Fanfare for the Chosen sounds off long and proud on DTRPG! http://ift.tt/2fHws8A

Fanfare for the Chosen includes inspiring soundtrack themes for each of the ten types of Exalted (Solars, Lunars, Sidereals, Dragon Bloodeds, Abyssals, Exigents, Getiminans, Liminals, Infernals, Alchemicals), to set the tone as you encounter these Exalted in your games or are seeking inspiration for new stories.

    We’re also releasing the five EX3 Electronic Wallpapers only previously available to EX3 Kickstarter backers on DTRPG : http://ift.tt/2xNTzJb

      From out of the Dreaming, the C20 Jumpstart: Yours To Keep PDF and PoD are now live on DTRPG.com: http://ift.tt/2fmlF3s

There is magic hiding everywhere. You just need to know where to look.

You are a changeling, a faerie soul hiding in a mortal body, fighting the chill of Nightmares and the oppressive weight of Banality with the pure creative power of Glamour. You have lived many lives, but the story of this one? It outshines them all.

In this hidden world, knights in steel and leather clash sword to sword outside the homecoming dance, dragons fly between skyscrapers, and fantastic castles rise from suburban lawns. A world of magic, intrigue, and adventure, and now that your fae side has awakened, it’s your world too.

“Yours to Keep” includes a rules and setting overview, as well as pre-generated characters and a complete introductory scenario for Changeling: The Dreaming 20th Anniversary Edition. It’s perfect for jumpstarting a new Changeling chronicle!

    The PDF and PoD versions of C20 are now on DriveThruRPG.com: http://ift.tt/2w4Eq2m

Twenty years ago, White Wolf published Changeling: the Dreaming, the fifth of their promised five game-lines that together comprised the World of Darkness. Seen by some as a lighter, more fantasy-based setting in the modern-day, and by others as the darkest game White Wolf had yet created, players had to face the question of what happens once creativity and magic fades from their world.

This 20th Anniversary Edition of Changeling: the Dreaming returns to that deceptively bright yet terrifying world and both compiles and completes the concepts of the previous two editions. Led by veteran White Wolf and Onyx Path developer “Blackhat” Matt McFarland, our writing team consists of longtime Changeling creators like Ian Lemke, Jackie Cassada, Nicky Rea, and Peter Woodworth, as well as familiar names such as John Snead, Maggie Carrol, Matthew Dawkins, and Krister Michl. One and all are dedicated to making Changeling: the Dreaming Twentieth Anniversary Edition the most playable edition yet – while not losing the wonder, awe, and majesty that Changeling is known for.

A revised and up to date look at the World of Darkness through the eyes of the Kithain – what has happened to the Dreaming in the last 20 years, and what is the state of Glamour and dreams?

Rules for all of the kiths including in 2nd ed, plus fan favorites from other books: selkies, piskies, clurichaun, and both Arcadian and Concordian sidhe.

Rules for the Gallain: The inanimae, the hsien, the Nunnehi, and others!

An overhauled and reimagined system for fae magic, including new Arts and the powerful but dangerous practice of Unleashing!

New full-color beautiful artwork as well as classic Changeling illustrations including remastered full page pieces of the kiths by Tony Diterlizzi.

      Now available, this all-new Trinity Continuum: Aeon poster, featuring the art we used for the cover of the StoryPath Booklet at this year’s GenCon! http://ift.tt/2y2MOkm

And this version for art lovers is without the logo: http://ift.tt/2xt4ngk

        Calling all Good Dogs! The Pugmire Core Rulebook PDF is now available on DTRPG.com!

http://ift.tt/2wAaAp3

And the actual physical book, screen, and dice, are available to order on the IPR and Studio2 websites!

Studio2: http://ift.tt/2w0aaEW

          Satyr Phil Brucato beckons you once more into the Annex of Mage: The Ascension with this 300 page follow-up to M20. The M20 Book of Secrets is NOW on sale in PDF and PoD versions at DTRPG.com! http://ift.tt/2tKyJtb

More Than Magick

For mages who think they have everything, this trove of treasures expands upon the wealth of material presented throughout Mage: The Ascension’s 20th Anniversary Edition. New Traits, new rules, essays, answers, information… the Secrets are revealed within.

Enter the Annex

Building upon the M20 core rulebook, this Book of Secrets features updated rules and setting material, such as…

An M20 FAQ Genres & Resources

Matters of Focus Justice & Influence

New Abilities, Archetypes, Merits & Flaws

Expanded Rules for Combat, Resonance, Wonders, Computer Systems, and More

This Ascension Continues…

        What dark secrets do the eldest vampires hold? Find out in Thousand Years of Night for Vampire: The Requiem! Advance PDF version available now on DriveThruRPG.com. http://ift.tt/2sV8lZR

You may think that with a multitude of people coming, going, dying and running away, we’d be tired, done, or ready to give up. Instead, I find myself restless, looking for the next thing.  There’s always a next thing, and I for one am not yet ready to die.

– Elder Kincaid, Daeva Crone

This book includes:

• Detailed instructions on creating elder vampires, including how to base chronicles around them

• A look into the lives of elders, how they spend their nights, who they work with, and why including their roles in both their clans and covenants

• New Devotions, Merits, and Rituals for elder vampires

• The kinds of creatures that pose a threat to elder vampires, including Inamorata, Lamia, Sons of Phobos, a new elder conspiracy, and more!

          CONVENTIONS!

Fast Eddy Webb will be running Pugmire during the online convention Gauntlet Con: http://ift.tt/2sSctbs which runs from Oct. 20 – 22. Here is the sign-up link for the event which will be live-streamed. Currently three of six seats are still open: http://ift.tt/2xt3HaM

  In November, we’ll be at Game Hole Con in Madison, WI. November 2-5: http://ift.tt/2xsOnuzMonica Valentinelli (Hunter: the Vigil 2e, Dark Eras), Manda Collis (Exalted 3e), Scott Holden (Scarred Lands), Matt M McElroy (Operations Manager) and other folks from the OPP crew will be there!

  Also in November, the Onyx Path crew including Rich, Matt, Lisa, Neall, Dixie, and Meghan will be at the first ever PAX Unplugged in Philadelphia, November 17-19. http://ift.tt/2kBzmfv

  Planning ahead for 2018, we’re heading back to Midwinter Game Convention in Milwaukee, January 11-14, where we’re going to be bringing a big crew of many of your favorite Onyx Path designers and we’ll be running demos and making some special announcements at the show!  http://midwintergamingconvention.com

  And now, the new project status updates!

DEVELOPMENT STATUS FROM ROLLICKING ROSE (projects in bold have changed status since last week):

RichT: To save time, I’ll tell you right now, no changes in the writing/dev/editing list this week. Lots of stuff is “on the cusp”, though.

First Draft (The first phase of a project that is about the work being done by writers, not dev prep)

M20 Gods and Monsters (Mage: the Ascension 20th Anniversary Edition)

M20 Book of the Fallen (Mage: the Ascension 20th Anniversary Edition)

C20 Novel (Jackie Cassada) (Changeling: the Dreaming 20th Anniversary Edition)

Monarchies of Mau (Monarchies of Mau)

Night Horrors: The Tormented (Promethean: The Created 2nd Edition)

Deviant: The Renegades (Deviant: The Renegades)

They Came From Beneath the Sea! Rulebook (TCFBtS!)

  Redlines

Kithbook Boggans (Changeling: the Dreaming 20th Anniversary Edition)

Hunter: the Vigil 2e core (Hunter: the Vigil 2nd Edition)

  Second Draft

WoD Ghost Hunters (World of Darkness)

Tales of Good Dogs – Pugmire Fiction Anthology (Pugmire)

Exalted 3rd Novel by Matt Forbeck (Exalted 3rd Edition)

  Development

Signs of Sorcery (Mage: the Awakening Second Edition)

SL Ring of Spiragos (Pathfinder – Scarred Lands 2nd Edition)

Ring of Spiragos (5e – Scarred Lands 2nd Edition)

Pugmire Pan’s Guide for New Pioneers (Pugmire)

Scion: Origin (Scion 2nd Edition)

Scion: Hero (Scion 2nd Edition)

Trinity Continuum Core Rulebook (The Trinity Continuum)

Trinity Continuum: Aeon Rulebook (The Trinity Continuum)

GtS Geist 2e core (Geist: the Sin-Eaters Second Edition)

The Realm (Exalted 3rd Edition)

  WW Manuscript Approval:

Dragon-Blooded (Exalted 3rd Edition)

  Editing:

Ex Novel 2 (Aaron Rosenberg) (Exalted 3rd Edition)

DtD Night Horrors: Enemy Action (Demon: the Descent)

  Post-Editing Development:

W20 Changing Ways (Werewolf: the Apocalypse 20th Anniversary Edition)

Changeling: the Lost 2nd Edition, featuring the Huntsmen Chronicle (Changeling: the Lost 2nd Edition)

C20 Ready Made Characters (Changeling: the Dreaming 20th Anniversary Edition)

  Indexing:

    ART DIRECTION FROM MIRTHFUL MIKE:

In Art Direction

W20 Pentex Employee Indoctrination Handbook – Art at WW approved.

Cavaliers of Mars

W20 Changing Ways

Ex3 Monthly Stuff

Scion Origins

Ring of Spiragos

VtR Half Damned

Book of Freeholds

DtD Enemy Action

C20 RMCs – Finishes coming.

Changeling: the Lost 2 – ADing. Getting art in for KS a priority.

Trinity Continuum – Splats for core book with Mr Jones

  Marketing Stuff

  In Layout

Prince’s Gambit – Remaining art is arting.

Wraith 20

Beast PG

M20 Cookbook – Working on it after Beckett is done.

  Proofing

VDA Jumpstart

Ex 3 Arms of the Chosen 

Becket’s Jyhad Diary – Proofing back and forth with Dawkins.

  At Press

Beckett Screen – Shipped to shipper.

Scarred Land PGs & Wise and the Wicked PF & 5e – On a boat to the US. PoD proofs ordered.

Dark Eras: God’s Own Country – PDF and PoD versions on sale this week.

VTR: Thousand Years of Night – Errors discovered at GenCon, getting fixed.

Changeling: the Dreaming 20th Anniversary Edition (Changeling: the Dreaming 20th Anniversary Edition) – Deluxe Edition cover and Screen in the works.

CtL Huntsmen Chronicle Anthology PDF – getting PDF ready.

Art of Mage – Ordering PoD proofs.

Pugmire Trick, Condition, and Initiative Cards – PoD proofs ordered.

  TODAY’S REASON TO CELEBRATE: We did not celebrate the coming of Autumn yet, but it happened. The Fall. My favorite time of the year, and it’s not for all the pumpkin spice crap. Here in the NE USA, we have the leaves changing to reds, golds, oranges, yellows, and darkness comes earlier. The air gets crisper and cooler, less humid. We can wear layers and jackets! And Winter is coming, but it ain’t here yet, so let’s have some fun!