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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Amal Shukup" data-source="post: 2042605" data-attributes="member: 6291">True. But writing and NOT being published doesn't make you a better writer either - particularly if you write in a vaccuum (which is the case for the vast majority of unpublished writers). NOBODY reads the material, there's no feedback or editorial insight, no incentive to refine the craft, no CONTEXT to help the developing author understand that writing is a process of crafting a dialog WITH an audience, and NOT merely an exercise in self expression. Writing alone, furtively, under the covers, is about as fruitful as the OTHER thing going on there (not unsatisfying in its own right, but not actually useful...)A talented, unpublished writer with a) something to say and b) who works at it CAN get read and even published. Oh, B-Crap: Write. Submit. Get Published or Rejected. Learn from the rejection, develop your craft. Heck, self-publish or author a Blog. It's a reasonably level field, all things considered. I don't have a lot of sympathy for "the man's holding me DOWN, dude" pose, if you want to get published there's nothing at all stopping you except you. The Setting Search was a bit of a 'Hail Mary' long shot: 11000 to one, massive payday up for grabs. What are the odds that all of the 11000 are gonna good losers? And a number of  deserving folk DID get a payday - WoTC certainly held up their end of the bargain.I certainly knew, when I entered, that I was going to be going up against some varsity - they said it was open to anyone - not just rank amateurs and wannabees.  Plus, $100K is enough 'bank' to attract even reasonably successful professional authors.Not to belabor MY point, but double B-CRAP. Writing short but effective content is about the HARDEST thing to do well in terms of writing. So YES, being able to distill a WORLD down to a page and still getting across its unique advantages and differentiators, PLUS making it 'sing' enough to be picked out from amongst thousands of other entries DOES mean you're a better writer. I would love to see the 1-pagers for the first round picks - I bet some of that material is freakin' poetry. Even if it's NOT poetry (to the untutored eyes of the envious), it was successful and effective (in other words 'better') writing by the only criteria that actually matters - they got the gig...Conclusions drawn on base allegations and wishful thinking not even hinted at in evidence. Statement stricken from the record.My experience of the Setting Search:Besides recognizing the search as being absolute GENIUS in terms of Marketing and Marketing Research (my field of expertise), I thought it was great from a DM/player point of view. Greyhawk felt tired to me (I'd used it off and on throughout the '80's and '90's) and I hated the Realms (as a story-telling environment it has deficiencies...), so I certainly felt READY for an exciting new setting.I was even readier for $100K US though, so I certainly tossed my hat in the ring. I spent several days preparing my entry. My homebrew was years in development and (IMHO) fairly publishable fantasy setting. It's biggest 'selling point' was diversity: lots of richly developed cultures, nations and societies, distributed in a fairly cohesive fashion. Stone age through mid rennaisance with substantial detours to the strange and unusual, and all interconnected to one degree or another. Since then, I've kept working on it. I'm mentioning this to help convey the extent of my investment.So, we just started playing an Eberron 'one-off' (one of our players taking on the mantle of DM for the first time) And we're having a BLAST bangin' around Sharn. Really enjoying the texture of the place.Which leaves me - who's setting features a number of well developed urban centres - SERIOUSLY thinking of ditching my 'investment' setting and working with Eberron.Is it perfect? No it isn't, but it isn't a retread of the Realms or Greyhawk either. It's cohesive, innovative, and absolutely brings something NEW without being divorced from mainstream play. That's a tough thing to do well, and I think Keith pulled it off. Kudos to him and the other finalists.A'Mal</blockquote>

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