...and some guy named Rick

Almost a year ago, I had the opportunity to experience one of the coolest things a lifelong gamer can experience....GenCon Indy. Days of gamers, gaming, panels, geeks and more. As part of the TPK crew, I was able to sample the local culture which mainly consisted of the local bars.

During one such excursion, I was sharing some food and drink with the writing pool of TPK, and was introduced to Dale McCoy, Jr., President of Jon Brazer Enterprises. He approached me about a freelance contract. He told me that it was one of four lead in stories for the iconic party of the Shadowsfall Campaign Setting. The setting is pretty awesome. I'd recommend checking it out if you want a new and interesting setting to play in.

So, long story short, he gave me free reign as long as I mentioned certain keywords that applied to the other characters and the setting. The main character, a ranger named Sebesten, encountered the advance party of an undead horde heading towards the town of Blackbat. Anything that happened in the story was all me.

Dale sent me the necessary information I needed to get the feel of the world. He sent me to first two pieces of short fiction that dealt with two of the other iconic characters. Both were spectatular. The first was by Mur Lafferty, blogger, podcaster and writer. That was pretty cool, considering I've heard and seen her name here and there.

I checked out the second piece, and had to double and triple check to make sure I was reading it correctly. The second author who wrote for this anthology was Ed Greenwood. Yes, that Ed Greenwood.

I'm going to let that one set in for a second. My piece was going to be in the same category as Ed Greenwood. The man I had seen from a distance at GenCon, but was too shy to approach and give him the same "i've read your work and you are my inspiration and i think you are great" speech he has probably heard a million times from gamers and fantasy readers for decades.

Here I was, a relatively new freelance writer with Total Party Kill Games, with my unknown name attached to a handful of pieces, writing something for the same setting as he was. I am pretty sure I peed myself a bit.

I have been reading fantasy for decades, and have read a number of his books. To be loosely associated with Ed Greenwood still gives me a happy shiver.

Between all the different plates i'm spinning right now, writing is by far the most unstable. There are times where I am fed up with school and never want to put the metaphorical pen to paper again. Other times I want to write until my fingers bleed and my eyes fall out of my head, and then continue to write some more.

One of the handful of things that get me past the slump is this picture.

 Yep. That has my name on it. I will open up the PDF of this story, and just look at it. This never fails to highlight the fact that I am a writer with many stories to tell.
It's time to get started. Incidentally, if you are interested, you can find the story on drivethrurpg.com.