How long does it normally take to write up one installment of your Story Hour?

[Ziona]

I take my notes while we're gaming, and then use my journal when I'm writing. I like to take my time, and I edit as I go, so it takes me several hours.

For instance, last night I picked up the session that I had started this past weekend and wrote six pages. It took me about 3 hours or so. But, like I said, I like taking my time. I listen to music (fantasy soundtracks) and really try to get back into the session. It takes longer, but I find it more enjoyable and I'm happier with my results in the end.

 

[Lars Frehse]

I usually need about two hours for writing an update, and I am usually writing four updates per session. That means that I am usually writing eight hours to cover one five hour session...

 

[ForceUser]

I listen to music (fantasy soundtracks) and really try to get back into the session. It takes longer, but I find it more enjoyable and I'm happier with my results in the end.

Wow, I'm exactly the opposite. If there's a tv on in the background or music playing, I can't focus enough to write. I must have absolute silence.

 

[el-remmen]

Well, it usually take me three installment to describe one full six hour session - and about two to four hours per installment - mean about 6 to 12 hours for one session's worth.

And that is with both a quote log and a detailed combat log that two of my player's maintain.

I consider that pretty time-consuming - especially since I practice guitar and write songs about 2 to 3 hours every night.

 

[dshai527]

Small Beginnings being a two person show, it ususally takes a littlelonger I think than the average story hour as we try to find time to work together. We usually spend and hour a day writinjg and it takes about one week for a post. So a good guess-timate would be about 6-8 hours per episode, although it takes about 6 episodes to get one gaming session on average.

It is a lot of work, but something we both take pride in, and would do even if nobody read it. Fortunately we have a minor fan following now and we enjoy the reviews. If the HULK reads it so should you! Really he does.

 

[(contact)]

How long does it usually take to craft a story hour installment? I would love to get some idea of how long it takes other authors.

Usually about an hour or two for the first pass, sometimes less-- I also like to print a copy and give it an edit on the commute to work.

Does it get easier as you flesh out the characters and practice writing?

Of course it does!

Trying to cohesively put together a series of events that occurs in a D&D campaign in an entertaining manner is more difficult than I thought it would be.

But doing so gives you a perspective on your plotting in general. I've been logging my games since about a year prior to 3e, and I feel that my plotting and general story cohesiveness has really improved as a result. I'm more likely to have a good sense of when to let a scene run, and when to cut it short.

 

[barsoomcore]

How long does it usually take to craft a story hour installment?

I spend probably five to six hours on each installment. My story hour is a little different than most people's, though. Each installment has no particular connection to a given game session, and I'm writing about sessions that happened like two years ago, so I'm making up virtually everything. I have some quick notes, mostly filled with snide observations on player stupidity.
[qoute]Does it get easier as you flesh out the characters and practice writing? [/quote]
Absolutely. You can't really know your characters until you've written them for a while. There's no other way to get to know them -- you have to let them run around on your page, doing their thing, while you figure out how to make them do what you want. Pesky characters.

Trying to cohesively put together a series of events that occurs in a D&D campaign in an entertaining manner is more difficult than I thought it would be.

I heard that. I've been wanting to put together a Story Hour for ages now. It wasn't until I had the bright idea of starting with a bunch of NPCs and having them encounter the PCs that I was able to get mine off the ground.

Good luck! And have fun!

 

[Silver Moon]

I'd say around an hour for each 3-hour game night, which each work out to about 2 or 3 chapter posts. But I take detailed very notes during the game and can type around 60 WPM, so I am probably faster than most.

I've actually been keeping a running log of my group's adventures since 1982 which I have always distributed to my players (with the exception of a few years in the mid-1990's when I feel behind, although I still have the notes for those modules and may get to them some day). I've had to clean them up a bit for EN World Story Hour postings, breaking them into chapters, deleting references to player's actual names, deleting most out-of-character comments about players, and then adding background information and extra detail for readers about things that my regular players would have already known.