d&d, renaissance faires, and book covers

Not going to talk about writing today. I figure you guys don’t want to hear about how unsatisfactory my writing progress of late. So in other news…

I’m working on a new D&D campaign, built from scratch. It’s been pretty challenging, much like writing a second-person present tense fantasy novel. Except, I have to guess what the players might do in certain situations, what they might ask, where they might want to go. I have to put so much more into creating the story that 90% of it won’t even make it into the gameplay. Sure, I’ll be able to recycle unused quests, NPCs, towns, etc. for later levels, but it’s a lot of work in the beginning. It gets easier, though. Once the groundwork has been laid, everything else sort of comes naturally. It’s a dynamic creative experience; that’s for sure. And I think it’s going to help me as a writer in the long run. Though, working on the campaign is definitely one of the things detracting from my focus on my book. However, it’s been so much fun to work on. I haven’t touched fantasy in a long time, and it’s refreshing.

And speaking of fantasy, the Muskogee Renaissance Faire is fast approaching, just a month away. I’ve yet to finish my costume. I need to sew the bodice, make a hip quiver (decided I didn’t like the across-the-back quiver), finish the arrows, figure out a shoe situation (I was going to wear Uggs with leather laces wrapped around them, but I think I’ll get hot walking around in them all day), and possibly make pants (was going to wear leggings, but because of the shoe situation, I think I’m going to opt for altering some gauchos). I still have to make my husband’s costume, which is going to be very Flynn Rider, even though my husband looks nothing like Flynn Rider… though he might if he’d let his hair grow out a bit. It looks like we’ll have a horde of friends to go with this year, and I think we’re all dressing up this time. One of the husbands may opt out. Looking forward to seeing everyone else’s costumes and sitting down for a few shows this year. Last time, we just walked around all day, not stopping to look at anything but the tourney for more than five minutes. Also going to take quite a bit more cash this time.

Other things taking up my attention… it’s spring! We’ve been busy at work in the back yard, removing bushes, trimming hedges, transplanting bushes and flowers from the front yard, and all manner of landscaping projects. From the time we finish dinner to the time the sun goes down, we’ve been outside working. And even as sore as I am when I wake up in the morning, I love being outside. We’re hoping to get all the yard stuff finished in the next two weeks so we can actually enjoy our yard when summer comes around.

Still playing with book cover ideas. I really like the original cover for The Clockwork Giant but I don’t know how to make matching covers for The Chroniker Legacy or the third book. I want to make something that would appeal more to YA readers—you know, my audience. I don’t want to hire anyone though. I have enough talent that I can do it myself and save money. Right now, I’m thinking of hand-drawing the designs for the automaton, since it only makes sense to have the actual clockwork giant on the cover. The cover would be a compilation of design pages with a sketch of the completed automaton on top. Either that or a hand-drawn pocket watch design, dismantled and labeled. Haven’t decided yet. I think the second book would be the dismantled designs of the ring (for those of you who’ve read the first book). No idea what the third would be since I haven’t written it yet. I like the idea of all three books having mechanical designs for covers. I need to figure it out soon. I want to release the new covers at least four months ahead of The Chroniker Legacy’s publication. Thoughts?

So, now I’m going to spend the rest of the day writing, and then tonight, for a friend’s birthday, we’re going bowling, and tomorrow, after working on the yard most of the day, we’re having a birthday barbeque for him with all our other friends. It will be glorious.

What are you guys up to? Any special projects you’re working on?