Weekly Columnists Needed - Could Be You!

Morrus · Oct 2, 2012

If you follow me on Twitter you might have seen this already, but I'm looking for a half-dozen or so new weekly columnists to add to our current roster with a goal of providing new content every single day.

The subject is fairly wide open - any tabletop gaming subject (we're not just about D&D any more and haven't been for a long time) with humor, news, opinion, and advice prioritized over gaming content (of which there is plenty already out there). I'm not interested in reviewers at present; we're very well covered there.

A writing sample and a column pitch would be ideal. It's for a weekly column, so requires 1000-2000 words at the same time each week. To be honest, I'm willing to take a bit of a risk here - so as long as the writing is good and the pitch isn't ridiculous, I'd be willing to trial it for four weeks at a minimal pay level (say $10 per article) and if it finds an audience contract it for longer at $25 per article. It's not megabucks, but it adds up over time - more than enough to buy 2-3 RPG books each month.

Reliability is vital. Be sure you can do it on time every week without fail. I get a lot of people offer to do things but not follow through, so please be sure you have the time.

If you're interested, drop the sample and pitch to me at morrus@hotmail.com. There's a good chance I'll give you a try for a month, unless your writing is truly diabolical or your pitch idea is just too far out there. No reviewers, though, remember; and gaming content itself won't be high priority.

Morrus · Oct 3, 2012

So, I've got a lot of pitches. Problem is, most of them are pretty much identical - they're all the same very-serious gaming advice column with a different name. I'd love to see a bit more variety in the pitches!

Mathew_Freeman · Oct 4, 2012

Hmmmm.

It's hard to think of what else to write about.

One thing I do want to do is go through the process of how I wrote the Discworld LARP I was involved in recently and compare it to a standard RPG. It was a LOT of work.

There's also details of boardgames I've played, but I don't know how to spin that out to 1000+ words off the top of my head.

Quickleaf · Oct 5, 2012

I've got a pitch for a "B-List Monsters of D&D" series, which would take one lame monster each week and give a cheeky reinvention of it for use in a GM's game. It would be whimsical (like many of the original oddball monsters were) but also useful. Example: brain moles trained by the King's secret agents.

I'll try to put a pitch and first article together on spec this weekend. I think it would be lots of fun.

[MENTION=1]Morrus[/MENTION] Would you be open to two folks collaborating on a single column? Two times the brain power. And insurance in case one of us can't contribute a given week, the other can cover the column.

FireLance · Oct 5, 2012

I would love to do a sardonic take on the key issues of contention in the Edition Wars, but that sounds like a sure-fire formula to get myself banned in double-quick time.

Besides, I'm sure I'm going to run out of topics to talk in pretty short order. I'd estimate that 90% of the complaints about 4e are about one of sixteen topics: how the AEDU power structure makes all characters the same, healing surges, how the AEDU power structure makes all characters the same, healing surges, martial encounter and daily powers, how the AEDU power structure makes all characters the same, healing surges, martial daily and encounter powers, come and get it, healing surges, martial daily and encounter powers, come and get it, martial daily and encounter powers, healing surges, come and get it, and how the AEDU power structure makes all characters the same.

Oh wait. Seventeen. I guess I ought to mention disassociated mechanics, although if I'm in actor stance, I shoudn't bring it up because it wouldn't mirror my in-character choices.

Goonalan · Oct 5, 2012

I don't have the time, or the skill to write an article a week but I would read a series of articles that were not "the same very-serious gaming advice column with a different name"-

What about a campaign dissected, levels 1-20/30 from a DMs perspective, with clues for lesser DMs of the kind of things to get the PCs doing or in to at each level- from hired mercenaries to lords and ladies, political intrigue and that kind of thing- with examples of course. Maybe a few tables of cool stuff or randomn events, or whatever for each level.

Or instead of the ecology of the kobold, why not the psychology- each week a different monster/faction/race is put in the chair. A brief discussion of tribal/societal structure, on to racial or other enemies/allies, bit of world view followed by a short interview with a representative of the race, or celeb members of the species-

'This Week the Real Irontooth', or 'At Home with Kalarel, Scion of Orcus'

Or what about a location explored, something generic- one a week, a different place every week that could be slotted in to any-ish fantasy campaign- from floating space junk, to a sewer hideout.

Or something that involves humour...

Just some thoughts.

Deuce Traveler · Oct 6, 2012

I just sent in my proposal on literary discussions. I would suggest someone like PirateCat or any of our other talented writers doing a humorous short story column in a serial format.