Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Grug the Just 09-09-04, 02:40 AM	I'm personally not much of a reader. And by that I mean that I haven't honestly read a book since '94, since I was 10.[Yes, this includes book reports for schools. I'm a pretty beleivable bulls**t artist] Anyway, I'm really really into Eberron and I would actually voluntarily purchase, AND read an Eberron novel. However, I have heard no such information as of yet. If anyone knows anything about this [Keith Baker I'm looking in your direction] please reply. Also, keep in mind that I've read the story that came with the Shadows of the last war adventure path.
Bubba333 09-09-04, 02:56 AM	The first Eberron novel will be The City of Towers, due out February 2005. Look at the 2005 products page for what's coming.
Honeycakes 09-09-04, 09:08 PM	The first Eberron novel will be The City of Towers, due out February 2005. Look at the 2005 products page for what's coming. Mr. Baker was actually up all last night working on revisions, as a matter of fact. . . :D --HC
Bubba333 09-10-04, 12:16 AM	Cool! I'm looking forward to more of his work.
Hellcow 09-10-04, 12:48 AM	Also, keep in mind that I've read the story that came with the Shadows of the last war adventure path. The City of Towers novel involves the same characters as Death at Whitehearth (Daine, Jode, Lei, and Pierce), but is set after the destruction of Cyre. So it gives you a sense of things to come, but the tone is somewhat different; things have changed considerably for the protaganists. Also, it's written in third person instead of first person. Needless to say, it's my first novel, so no promises on quality, but I'm doing the best that I can.
stone_dog 09-10-04, 01:54 AM	Needless to say, it's my first novel, so no promises on quality Yeah, we all know how much trouble you have making things sound cool. ;) Seriously, I really did like the characters in Whitehearth. The only thing I am slightly dissapointed in is the lack of first person narration, but I suppose I can get over it.
About Yea High 09-10-04, 01:57 PM	I am also looking forward to The City of Towers. And I think stone_dog's assumption will prove correct; Keith has yet to let us down. (It doesn't hurt that I actually got a peek into a few small pages of the book already, so confidence is high - good stuff, people!) For his latest work, the most recent issue of Dragon has a nice little article about Dal Quor and introduces a few more challenging quori (as well as other dreamland denizens) for players to face. The article even gives rules for DMs who don't use psionics in their campaigns. Yea
JohnSnow 09-10-04, 02:22 PM	Actually, as much as I enjoyed Death at Whitehearth, I'm kind of glad that City of Towers isn't going to be in first person narrative. Years of reading novels have convinced me that first person narrative can be a little annoying. My favorite narrative style is "third person semi-omniscient." For those not familiar with that, it's a style where the narrative is told as if from a first person perspective, by an overarching god-like entity. In other words, to switch Death at Whitehearth to this, you'd be in Daine's head, mostly, but it would be narrated as "Daine thought XXX" and "Daine said" rather than "XXX" and "I said." It works very well for novels with lots of characters, while in my opinion, true first person is really only tolerable for short stories. Essentially, the story is told from a perspective, like a first person narrative is, but the perspective shifts as necessary to follow the story. Among MANY others, Robert Jordan and George Martin both tell their stories this way. If you pay close attention while reading their rather lengthy tomes, you'll notice that the perspective shifts constantly, and is not truly "third person omniscient" at any time (the god entity that knows all). I'm sure Keith's novel will be good reading. Death at Whitehearth really grabbed me, even though, as I said, it was told in my LEAST favorite narrative style.
lparks 09-10-04, 09:27 PM	If Death at Whitehearth is any indication of the final product I anxiously await its release. Kudos Mr. Baker.
Edymnion 09-10-04, 09:51 PM	I'm personally not much of a reader. And by that I mean that I haven't honestly read a book since '94, since I was 10.:nonono:
Adrez Nesnsid 09-10-04, 10:05 PM	I'm personally not much of a reader. And by that I mean that I haven't honestly read a book since '94, since I was 10. I assume that by "book" you specifically mean "novel", correct?? As D&D is a game with a lot of reading required. (or do you just use the SRD, (which, technically, is not a book)?)
Wicked Tinker 09-10-04, 10:59 PM	It works very well for novels with lots of characters, while in my opinion, true first person is really only tolerable for short stories. Essentially, the story is told from a perspective, like a first person narrative is, but the perspective shifts as necessary to follow the story. You'll find that Robin Hobbs' Assassin Apprentice novels are all written in first person. They are very, very good and the use of first person allows her to convey a sense of emotion not found in third person omnicient. If you haven't read them then I strongly suggest you give them a try.
Hellcow 09-10-04, 11:15 PM	Among MANY others, Robert Jordan and George Martin both tell their stories this way. Huh... I never would have pegged you as a Martin fan, JS... ;) City of Towers does in fact use the semi-omniscient third person perspective (I quite enjoy Martin myself). I agree with Tinker that first person can be a good way to convey the emotions of a specific character, but it certainly can be done in third as well, it's just a different approach. Anyhow, I'm glad that some people enjoyed Death at Whitehearth and are looking forward to City of Towers, and I'll do my best not to let you down!
Ch@pel 09-10-04, 11:32 PM	Mr. Baker in all honesty, theres no way you can botch this, as far as I'm concerned. It's a novel... set in Eberron... by the man who created the world in the first place... how much more could we ask for? I don't care if you don't spell check it and eschew punctuation altogether; as long as you make me feel like I'm in Eberron and give me some details about the world that aren't in the CSB, I'll pay whatever you want. An english lit. major friend of mine once saw my copy of the Icewind Dale Trilogy and I was surprised to hear him say he'd read it. (He's not really a D&D-type guy) I told him I never really got into the book all that much and he said "Great story, poor writing." If I want to be enlightened by the english language, I'll read some poetry or Fitzgerald. (he's the only novelist I ever really got down with, sorry) If I want a good STORY, I'll read a D&D book. Mr. Baker, give me a great story and I promise I won't care if it looks like it was written by a room full of monkeys with a typewriter.
Bubba333 09-11-04, 12:06 AM	I'm with Ch@pel. You run with it and we'll follow, Keith.
Grug the Just 09-11-04, 12:08 AM	To specify; by book I mean a novel or even any real book that didn't have any pictures (yeah I know how childish that may sound) or rules involved. But don't get me wrong I almost religiously page through my DnD books for ideas after I finish reading them. Dragon and Dungeon magazine too I love coming up with neat ideas. In fact I myself have been working on my own campaign setting to run for my friends. Unfortunately however I'm more of an idea man, and not a very good writer.
hiryuu 09-11-04, 05:28 AM	Actually, as much as I enjoyed Death at Whitehearth, I'm kind of glad that City of Towers isn't going to be in first person narrative. Years of reading novels have convinced me that first person narrative can be a little annoying. My favorite narrative style is "third person semi-omniscient." For those not familiar with that, it's a style where the narrative is told as if from a first person perspective, by an overarching god-like entity. In other words, to switch Death at Whitehearth to this, you'd be in Daine's head, mostly, but it would be narrated as "Daine thought XXX" and "Daine said" rather than "XXX" and "I said." The professional must interject where his craft is concerned. Technical term is "third person limited." Martin does well; everything is in its place. Jordan is far too long winded to ever get anything done. When I read halfway through Eye of the World and NOTHING had happened yet to grab my interest, I put it down. The art of writing literary fantasy is to make nothing happen and to still grab the reader. Jordan does not only not do this poorly, he fails to do it at all. He's too busy trying to turn what's obviously an event story into a character story he forgets MICE altogether.
Andrus_Shade 09-12-04, 05:53 AM	I also enjoyed Death at Whitehearth and am looking forward to novels set in Eberron. So any rumors on other authors writing for Eberron(i.e. Elaine Cunningham, or R.A. Salvatore)?
smerwin29 09-12-04, 09:52 AM	Point of view is one of those aspects of the craft of writing that students often think is pretty simple when they are in high school or the Intro to Lit. courses in college, and then as they study that element of fiction more deeply, it becomes apparent how complicated and involved using POV in your writing can be. For anyone interested in a great article on the limitations and opportunities afforded by POV, check out the article by David Jauss in the September 2000 issue of THE WRITER'S CHRONICLE--most academic libraries will have a copy. For any serious writers or students of writing, this article is extremely insightful and helpful. Shawn
xnrdcorex 09-12-04, 11:02 AM	dont worry kieth, we all have faith in you!
Honeycakes 09-12-04, 01:30 PM	So any rumors on other authors writing for Eberron? Matt Forbeck is doing a trilogy with the first novel being released Spring 2005. He's got some info up at www.forbeck.com --HC
NOOC PHD 09-12-04, 06:36 PM	Let's not forget the last in the first series of Eberron novels that at least a dozen board members have put a pitch in for (including yours truly). :D
Red_Decker 09-12-04, 08:27 PM	Let's not forget the last in the first series of Eberron novels that at least a dozen board members have put a pitch in for (including yours truly). :D Here here.. I was going to point out the above about the future novels but since it was already stated I'll just add: They have got you workin' don't they Kieth? I looked at the products page for Eberron and your name is on 5 out of the 8 on there, two of which are done and three to go. Good luck, and hang in there. http://www.geocities.com/customsmiliesbyswordmaster/inthered.txt
Edymnion 09-12-04, 09:13 PM	The professional must interject where his craft is concerned. Technical term is "third person limited." Martin does well; everything is in its place. Jordan is far too long winded to ever get anything done. When I read halfway through Eye of the World and NOTHING had happened yet to grab my interest, I put it down. The art of writing literary fantasy is to make nothing happen and to still grab the reader. Jordan does not only not do this poorly, he fails to do it at all. He's too busy trying to turn what's obviously an event story into a character story he forgets MICE altogether.Well, to defend RJ a bit, he does write incredible stories. He just suffers from a terrible case of Can't-Get-To-The-Damned-Point-itis. Incredibly deep world, great characters, everything feels great, you just have to be able to read through ~200 needless pages per book to get to it.
About Yea High 09-13-04, 07:19 PM	I'll also defend Jordan, if for no other reason than to support a writer who consistantly has his female characters running around in the buff. ... No, really, he does. But I agree - Jordan is long-winded to the extreme. I think someone told him, "Hey, man, you should milk this..." And lo! He did. However, it is my opinion that he cannot hold a candle to Martin. One perusal of a George R. R. Martin chapter can teach a dozen lessons in the proper usage of POV; in his Song of Ice and Fire series, each chapter has its own particular thrum - a different feel and pace according to the chapter's given subject (purposefully named as the title to each chapter). Amazing stuff. (Well, amazing if you don't mind the thought of children thrown from rooftops and skewered on poles, or if you don't recoil in horror at the thought of a thirteen year-old girl being marched off to her wedding bed) (Not exactly PG-13 stuff...) But technically well told and masterfully paced. Yea
m15a 09-13-04, 10:21 PM	wow. so many martin fans in one place. i feel like i'm in college again. :-) sadly, or happily, i'll probably be reading the eberron novel serieses to tide me over until the next song of ice and fire book comes out. not to say i'm anywhere less than thrilled about eberron novels coming out. but when martin's book comes out, i'll probably have to use up all my vacation days from work to read . . or maybe read on the job. :-)
JohnSnow 09-14-04, 04:18 PM	Yes Keith, I'm a huge George Martin fan. I pondered buying Game of Thrones at the bookstore for about a year before I finally bought it (with the RJ series, I wasn't eager for another series that was "in process"). One day while waiting with little to read (Jordan was between WoT 7 (A Crown of Swords and WoT 8 The Path of Daggers), I broke down. I was quickly hooked. Actually, since I brought up both Jordan and Martin, I need to address the comments on Jordan's work. Jordan's work is not for everyone, but he possesses a command of the english language that few professional writers have (including many who dismissively criticize his work). He tells an interesting, deeply involved story, that possesses an enormous level of complexity. His descriptions vivid, and his characters are different and distinctive. And his narrative evokes emotions. Off the top of my head, two examples of Jordan at his best are Moiraine's "fall of Manetheren" speech in The Eye of the World and Davrim Bashere's "No, I don't think you're crazy" story to Rand in, I think, The Lord of Chaos (Book 6). RJ knew the beginning, middle, and end of his story, but he's found that making it go where he wants it to is taking longer than he thought. He's writing an enormous epic and he wants to make sure the narrative doesn't feel "forced." He's had to slowly, realistically embroil the whole world in this conflict. Martin's basically handling a "civil war" so far. Jordan's got a war for survival. I'm sure some "professionals" would say he should just manhandle his characters into submission, maybe killing a few off to make the story go forward more quickly. But then they'd feel more like characters in a book and less like real people. hiryuu, you say the story didn't grab you, and that's fine because you're entitled to your opinion (which is basically, "I don't like it.") However, you also said "The art of writing literary fantasy is to make nothing happen and to still grab the reader." Maybe that's the art, but that's not literary fantasy I want to read. And I maintain all stories are character stories. People who break stories into "event stories" and "character stories" lead to the misperception that you can get away with poor characterization in "big stories." And quite simply, that's not true. Poor characterization means you don't care about the characters. And if you don't care about the characters, the story is meaningless. I like Martin, but if he keeps killing off his major characters just to "make a point" that the situation is serious, I'm going to lose interest in his narrative, no matter HOW well written it is.
NOOC PHD 09-14-04, 06:18 PM	RJ knew the beginning, middle, and end of his story, but he's found that making it go where he wants it to is taking longer than he thought. He's writing an enormous epic and he wants to make sure the narrative doesn't feel "forced." He's had to slowly, realistically embroil the whole world in this conflict. Martin's basically handling a "civil war" so far. Jordan's got a war for survival. I'm sure some "professionals" would say he should just manhandle his characters into submission, maybe killing a few off to make the story go forward more quickly. But then they'd feel more like characters in a book and less like real people. ...I like Martin, but if he keeps killing off his major characters just to "make a point" that the situation is serious, I'm going to lose interest in his narrative, no matter HOW well written it is. I'll say nothing on the subject of Robert Jordan (I'm one of those that has tried to read his work and failed), but I beg to differ with the two comments about Martin's work above. First, he's not just handling a civil war, he's setting up a conflict for the entire world between the forces of fire (the dragons etc) and the forces of ice (beyond the wall). The civil war is just prelimnary - the set up. I think this is why people praise Martin over Jordan. Both have epic tales, but Martin is a sufficiently skilled writer to make the intro books interesting in their own right, not just as a prelude to the main event. Second, I disagree that Martin is killing off characters to make a point - he's doing it to be consistent with the type of story he's writing (an epic history told through a series of interwoven biographies). It only looks like he's killing off important characters because the first books don't have a "I know it's boring, just stick with me for the payoff" feeling. That's just some thoughts your comments triggered. I re-emphasise I make no comment with regards to Jordan's work, I've never read it! All IMHO.
Wicked Tinker 09-14-04, 06:27 PM	I believe that Jordan has lost sight of the overall story and has become bogged down in the minutiae of his characters. I've not read the latest novel, but the previous two did next to nothing to advance the story and were, in comparison to his earlier works, outright boring. I have become frustrated and disillusioned with Jordan and I'll no longer be putting my money in his pocket to read about Nyneave tugging on the braids of her hair or what Elayne is wearing at the moment. Somewhere along the way Jordan realized that he had collected a group of rabid fanboys who would purchase his work regardless of its quality and so decided to extend the series beyond the point of rationality so as to further line his pockets. While your response to this thread was both well thought out and very well articulated, I believe you may be viewing this series through Jordan-colored glasses. I'm not alone in my opinion either. Just read the hundreds of reviews on Amazon.com from angry ex-readers. Jordan is losing his grip on this series and I believe he should just finish it and move on to something else.
JohnSnow 09-14-04, 07:23 PM	People are obviously entitled to their own opinions. I will quickly say that the average person who posts a review on Amazon is either a rabid fanboy or someone with an axe to grind. The average reader does not. And the fact is Jordan's books still hit the New York Times bestseller list consistently. Some people dislike the characters, others don't. It's a style difference. Obviously, I'm a fan of Martin's work - witness my nick, even though I spelled the first part of his name like my own rather than the character's. I even agree that he's a better writer than Jordan is. Both are far superior to most fantasy writers out there - my opinion. But the fact is, so far, Martin HAS been dealing with a civil war. The "real conflict" between the forces ice and fire has been hiding in the background, not out in the forefront. When (if?) it takes center stage, Martin's story will change...a LOT. The setup has been entertaining and interesting, but part of Martin's methodology so far has been introducing characters and KILLING them off for story reasons. As you said, it's the story he's trying to tell. I don't honestly think he's killing characters just to kill them (although many writers do just that) but because it's an important part of the larger story. But the truth is Martin's telling a very different KIND of story than Jordan is, and in a very different way. One could write long "compare and contrast" articles on the two series, and I'm sure someday, long years from now when these series are taken seriously, literature students may be called on to do just that. I honestly don't think Jordan's series is longer just to be longer (and I'm not viewing it through "Jordan-colored glasses"). Maybe he could have wrapped it up earlier, but he's told a longer story than Martin has. And besides, through The Fires of Heaven (Book 5), nobody was throwing the kinds of accusations at RJ that they are now. Jordan himself thought he could have it wrapped up in 9 volumes, but it didn't happen. I'd like to point out that we don't know when Martin plans to end either. If he keeps going for 5 more volumes, you may see the same comments about his work. Some stories are more "event-based." Others are character-based. Martin, so far, has told a story with well-crafted characters on the fringes of a huge EVENT story. Jordan has focused on the central characters actively enmeshed IN the event. So far, Martin has focused on the repercussions of the "big event." I'm not sure he ever intends for the battle between ice and fire to take center stage. That's one way to tell a story. Jordan has put the big battle front and center. It's like the difference between two conflicts: World War II and the Cold War. Jordan's Wheel of Time is like WWII - the conflict is right out front, the focus of the story. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire is more like the Cold War - lots of tension going on, caused by a real conflict lurking just barely off center stage. Different styles. Some people prefer one, some prefer the other. I happen to like both. Now even I admit Jordan's had better and weaker moments. But with a series numbering more than 6000 pages in hardcover, I'm willing to cut him a little slack for a few hundred. Of course, I know people who like Dan Simmons, Terry Goodkind, or think the Shannara books are great literature, so all I can say is, to each their own. Isn't it nice to know that fans are so forgiving Keith? Aren't you just dying to have your work picked apart by people who couldn't produce anything similar themselves? ;)
hiryuu 09-14-04, 08:01 PM	Isn't it nice to know that fans are so forgiving Keith? Aren't you just dying to have your work picked apart by people who couldn't produce anything similar themselves? ;) That's where my problem lies with Jordan - if I, a writer who thinks his own work sucks, can read one of Jordan's novels and point out where his problems are (and write notes in the margin of half of The Eye of the World), and feel perfectly fine about putting it on my "I'm better than these guys" shelf, something's obviously wrong. Of course, Miyazaki's Nausicaa and a good chunk of Bradbury and Asimov are on my "writers I'll never even come close to" shelf.
JohnSnow 09-14-04, 08:15 PM	Originally posted by hiryuu That's where my problem lies with Jordan - if I, a writer who thinks his own work sucks, can read one of Jordan's novels and point out where his problems are (and write notes in the margin of half of The Eye of the World), and feel perfectly fine about putting it on my "I'm better than these guys" shelf, something's obviously wrong. Which you have to realize essentially translates as "I'm bitter that Jordan got published" (and I'm assuming you haven't been yet). Sometimes telling a good story that people will buy and read is about things that transcend the "craft" of writing. Jordan's books have made the bestseller lists numerous times, so obviously many people (myself included) think he spins a darn fine yarn. Of course, I have to admit that I was biased the minute you used the word "craft." Frankly, I think most people who think of an artistic endeavour as their "craft" have basically lost it. I distinctly remember Winona Ryder bemoaning on and on about her "craft" of acting - right before she went off and made Alien: Resurrection, surely a low-budget art film if ever there was one. :uh-huh: So...free advice from somebody who's no "artist," just a consumer of entertainment. Stop thinking of it as a "craft," try to tell a good story, and stop worrying about making it all about "making the story interesting without anything really happening." In good stories, things happen that people want to read about. The rest is detail. Of course, you're free to discredit me as someone who is entertained by "substandard literature." In which case, that's fine by me. Cheers! :D
Wicked Tinker 09-14-04, 08:26 PM	In good stories, things happen that people want to read about. The rest is detail. John, In describing what makes good fiction, you have unintentionally just described what exactly is wrong with Jordan's recent novels. In books 8-10, NOTHING HAPPENS! At least nothing of any consequence that advances the plot. I agree with you that Jordan is capable of spinning a good yarn, but he seems to have lost his will or ability to do so with his latest works. I think that if he advanced the plot significantly in book 11 and stopped introducing new character/plotlines and concentrated on his primary characters, then those thousands who bailed out would be right back onboard, me included!
Effect 09-15-04, 12:07 AM	Nice. A Eberron novel sounds interesting.
m15a 09-15-04, 02:08 PM	is "Death at Whitehearth" only available as a bonus to the module? or will it be available in some other form? how long is the story? should i buy the thing and then convince my DM to use the adventure so the purchase was worth it? oh, and how related to the upcoming story is this short story? is a prequel of sorts? like, does it lead up to the novels, or does it really not have so much to do with them.
Alac Luin 09-15-04, 02:15 PM	It's a short story, about 13 pages long. As it is printed on larger paper then a novel, It's closer to 30 pages of novel sized page content (this is an estimation, I didn't bother to do a word count). Same characters that will be in the first novel, but it’s not really that related IIRC.
Hellcow 09-15-04, 05:30 PM	oh, and how related to the upcoming story is this short story? is a prequel of sorts? like, does it lead up to the novels, or does it really not have so much to do with them. It's not required reading. It introduces you to the characters during the Last War, whereas the novel occurs after the war, so it gives you a window into the past. But it's not closely tied to the action of the novel. I don't know if WotC has any plans to release it in any other form. I'll let you know if I hear anything.
m15a 09-15-04, 11:01 PM	thanks for the quick replies. man, i'm still interested. maybe i'll buy it and split the cost with my dm or something.
Gareth Yaztromo 09-16-04, 05:08 AM	Does anyone know when the Eberron "Open Call" competition will be called? Keith, will you be deciding which of the ideas submitted to the "Open Call" will win?
Hellcow 09-16-04, 02:39 PM	Does anyone know when the Eberron "Open Call" competition will be called? Not I! Keith, will you be deciding which of the ideas submitted to the "Open Call" will win? No, I'm not a judge. Good luck to everyone who entered!
Alac Luin 09-23-04, 01:02 PM	Does anyone know when the Eberron "Open Call" competition will be called? Using the last open call dates as reference, I'd say the winner should know about 22 of November. Assumeing less entries this time may make the anouncement earlier. So don't take my date as set in stone, we stll most likely have at least another month to find out.
smerwin29 09-23-04, 02:56 PM	Assuming the 22 November date for announcing the writer whose work they choose, when should we expect to start getting the "Thanks for submitting but . . ." letter? Thanks, Shawn
NOOC PHD 09-23-04, 08:12 PM	Assuming the 22 November date for announcing the writer whose work they choose, when should we expect to start getting the "Thanks for submitting but . . ." letter? Thanks, Shawn Last time they came in the week leading up to the annoncement. Living on the other side of the world, my reply came on the day of the announcement. I knew who the winner was before I knew it wasn't me. Of course, the winner will know a fortnight at least before that. :)
Kaverael 09-23-04, 08:22 PM	My favorite book of all time is "The Celestine Prophecy" by James Redfield. It is written in the first person (along with it's two sequels) and it is also (IMHO) not written very well, but the story is so compelling that it spent nearly three years on the NY Times Bestseller list. It has also spun off three or four other non-fiction books relating to the topic and a movie in the making. So the moral of my story is: content is king! People (myself included) will give an author a pass on his/her lack of writing skills if the story grabs you and won't let you go. Most of us DnD/Fantasy people have very active imaginations and get so wrapped up in the story that we don't even notice the poor writing. Just my two crowns worth!
NOOC PHD 09-24-04, 02:36 AM	My favorite book of all time is "The Celestine Prophecy" by James Redfield. It is written in the first person (along with it's two sequels) and it is also (IMHO) not written very well, but the story is so compelling that it spent nearly three years on the NY Times Bestseller list. It has also spun off three or four other non-fiction books relating to the topic and a movie in the making. So the moral of my story is: content is king! People (myself included) will give an author a pass on his/her lack of writing skills if the story grabs you and won't let you go. Most of us DnD/Fantasy people have very active imaginations and get so wrapped up in the story that we don't even notice the poor writing. Just my two crowns worth! Every - and I mean every - professional editor or author I have ever read or corresponded with disagrees with you. I know from personal experience that Peter Archer gives no free passes on style or grammar. Either your submission makes the grade or it makes the round file, end of story; sorry.
Gareth Yaztromo 10-25-04, 05:50 AM	NOOC PHD, what did they say about your submission?
NOOC PHD 10-25-04, 07:55 PM	NOOC PHD, what did they say about your submission? My first submission to Wizards was about a year before the Maiden of Pain call - Phil Athans didn't even read past the first page. He sent back a personal rejection with generic suggestions for improving my work, including spelling and punctuation. My MoP rejection was the standard 10% top entrants form letter with one personalised paragraph. The paragraph that referred specifically to my submission was this: "There were, however, some things that we saw in your submission that caught our attention. You have a nice sense of imagery and an ability to use descriptive language effectively. In your submission, you created a sense of brooding menace that was impressive." It was co-signed by Peter Archer and Phil Athans. This is by far the best feedback I've ever received from any professional editor - three sentences that included the words 'nice' and 'impressive'. In fact, that paragraph alone was longer than the entire text of my last rejection letter from a publishing house. As far as the closed call for the Fighters or Wizards novels series, I got a knockback via email from Peter Archer. The text was: "Thank you for submitting a proposal for the Forgotten Realms book. Though we liked your ideas and your writing is quite strong, we've decided to go with another author. This was a tough decision as all of the proposals were quite good -- the authors having been the cream of the crop of the Maiden of Pain open call. You definitely belong in that company, and we will be keeping your contact information for future opportunities." I've just about chewed my fingernails down to the quick waiting for the Eberron response. [insert neurotic smilie here]
MerricB 10-27-04, 11:25 PM	I've just about chewed my fingernails down to the quick waiting for the Eberron response. [insert neurotic smilie here] :) [not so neurotic encouragement]: Best wishes. As I recently wrote on ENworld, the two things that really attract me to a campaign setting are the adventures and the novels. The former more than the latter, but I find the novels really help me put a context to the world: I can understand more cultural details in that form than in any Campaign Setting book. I'm rather hoping there'll be more Eberron adventures past the first three actually published by Wizards (although I know that one Eberron adventure per two issues is planned for Dungeon Magazine). However, Keith's work on [i]Death at Whitehearth makes me extremely eager to read The City of Towers. (Reading through Keith's recent adventure in Dungeon Mag has made me realise that I can get a lot of inspiration for handling the Warforged out of Asimov's Robot novels, especially The Bicentennial Man and the Caves of Steel. The books, not the films, incidentally). Cheers!