# Story Hour Authors! A few questions...



## Dr Midnight (Nov 7, 2002)

Hi. Just an excuse for authors to pimp their Story Hours (stories hour?) and kill some time with useless questions. 

1. How many sessions deep are you into your story? (meaning- how many single game sessions have you written up for your SH so far?)

2. Everyone seems to agree that a successful story hour can only come about as a result of passion on the writer's part for the story, not the glory. Still, how much do you value reader feedback?

3. What percentage of your own players read the story, would you say?

4. Do you value the page views column on the main page? If so, do you feel like jumping from a bridge when you see Piratecat's views? 

5. What's the worst in-game moment you've had to write up? Examples could include a total party kill or heavily hyped bad guy going down in the first round, etc... Things that just don't really happen in epic fantasy fiction. 

6. What three things (single sentences each) would you say are most important in a good SH?

7. What three things (single sentences each) would you say are most important in a good SH _writing style?_

8. How many sessions behind are you in your writing, compared to where the campaign actually is, in-game? 

9. Have you ever tried to turn events (discouraging a certain course of action, cheesing a rule, etc.) in-game for the benefit of the story hour? If so, have your players called you on it?

10. If your story hour were published in novel form, paste here what you would want as the first-page teaser: several paragraphs from the story to hook the attention of a browsing bookstore patron. EDIT: quick note- people seem to think I mean the same old "give us a few paragraphs about your SH". I mean "Give us a few paragraphs FROM your SH". 

11. Give us a link, pookie.


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## Plane Sailing (Nov 7, 2002)

{edited for format and fragment in Q10}

OK, I'll try to give some answers for my Kyri Campaign storyhour...

_1. How many sessions deep are you into your story?_

I've probably written up about 30-40 sessions so far (most sessions being broken up over several posts)

_2. How much do you value reader feedback?_

Reader feedback is like a rare pearl, much appreciated. I don't get much feedback (apart from the occasional burst) but the occasions when someone chimes in to say that they liked something is quite uplifting!

_3. What percentage of your own players read the story, would you say?_

One of my players comes here and reads the storyhour, and that is just in the last month or so. None of my other players do.

_4. Do you value the page views column on the main page? If so, do you feel like jumping from a bridge when you see Piratecat's views? _

I value the page views column immensely. I don't pay  much attention to PC's or others page counts... the key thing is that I know that even if nobody is responding, people are reading the thread. It eliminates the "talking in a void" feeling that I used to sometimes get in the older forums with no page views.

_5. What's the worst in-game moment you've had to write up?_

Probably the occasion way back in the "depths of rage" scenario when there was pretty much a TPK... and one of the highest level PC's bled to death because the lilly-livered druid hid in his obscuring mist until the spell expired, and totally wrote off the possibility of trying to help the dying. Set the campaign back about 3 months with so many new 1st level characters coming in (they had been 4th-5th level)

_6. What three things (single sentences each) would you say are most important in a good SH?_

Personally I like: Characters with character, interesting situations, not too wordy.

_7. What "three" things (single sentences each) would you say are most important in a good SH writing style?_

Personally? Short paragraphs, appropriate humour, good visuals

_8. How many sessions behind are you in your writing, compared to where the campaign actually is, in-game? _

I'm one and a half sessions behind, hoping to get caught up by my next run which is on the 24th.

_9. Have you ever tried to turn events (discouraging a certain course of action, cheesing a rule, etc.) in-game for the benefit of the story hour? If so, have your players called you on it?_

No, never.

_10. paste here what you would want as the first-page teaser. _

Azrin sums up the situation – Syl is weakened, K’tan has no power left and can only use his crossbow, and M’ir is still brain-locked. If nobody goes to Dala’s aid, the young sorcerer is doomed. Without any more thought, and with bravery that the young librarian would never have imagined when he left his cloistered halls last year, Azrin tumbles down from the opening, landing behind the goblin and landing a solid blow against it, knocking its crown off.

Thimdrul the troll thing stalks nearer, and the huge claws turn two dimensional and impossibly sharp…

Lysander finally takes down the barbarian goblin who had been hacking at him, and his remaining gnoll opponent.

Azrin, having distracted the goblin prince, backs off and starts to cast a spell – but he underestimated the trollish reach of Thimdrull, and as an AoO a casual swipe tears his head clean away from his body, slicing neatly through his garments and bones with equal ease. Blood fountains from his neck as he falls.

Dala casts defensively and blasts the trollish figure with lightning. Syl and K’tan both fire their missile weapons and K’tan shouts out “He’s a METAMORPH” 

Galvanised into action, Lysander picks up the magic sword which the goblin barbarian had been using against him and charges in to attack Thimdrul with the unfamiliar weapon. Likewise, the stabilised Trajan gulps down a healing potion and rises from the floor swinging his Harthar-wrought sword into action. Electricity and lawful energy flare as both weapons strike home.

Thimdrul swings back at his attackers, but is somewhat off balance and misses wildly, gouging furrows in the copper plated floor. Nevertheless, some of his wounds heal while they are watching. The goblin prince runs across to Azrins body and grasps a wand, attempting to use it against Trajan and Lysander – but holds it by the wrong end and burning flames lick out and end his miserable life

_DMsnote: he rolled particularly badly on his “use magic device” and I’m quite brutal when someone does this with wands – normally explodes in their face  _

Several of the remaining gnolls and goblins have started running for the exit where the mummified dragon body is – and Dala whips out his recently acquired fireball scroll, launching a fiery pellet into their midst which blossoms into a scarlet flower of death, scattering their bodies.

Thimdrul doesn’t like the way the odds are going, and suddenly shifts form into a small bird – flying up and over the heads of his attackers, being clipped by their swords on the way, he speeds back into the concealing darkness by the head of the dead dragon.

Battered and bloody, the company assess their situation. Darra in particular looks across at the body of Azrin, without whose sacrifice he would certainly have died. Then grim-faced they turn to look at the remains of the dead dragon in the next room...


_11. Give us a link, pookie. _

part 1 (Sunless Citadel, Depths of Rage, Candlemakers Fire, Speaker in Dreams) 
http://test.cyberstreet.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=122&perpage=10&pagenumber=1

part 2 (RttToEE) 
http://test.cyberstreet.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=4070

part 3 (of Sound Mind, Dragon hunt, Tower of Evil, the Standing Stone and onwards) 
http://enworld.cyberstreet.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=6689

Cheers!


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## Piratecat (Nov 7, 2002)

The biggest problem with page views is that a low page view story hour could easily be the best one on the site, but not yet discovered by the folks who read here. That's why I love to see it when people find stories that they like, and mention it in their sigs and other threads. The more people who know about the cool, lesser-known threads, the better.

I've wondered about how valuable page views are, myself. But since the vast majority of readers don't post, I think they're a valuable way for an author to find out when pewople are reading their work. To me, that outweighs any negatives.

_1. How many sessions deep are you into your story?_

The campaign is about 270 sessions old. My storyhour is roughly fifty or sixty sessions, as far as I can guesstimate. 

_2. How much do you value reader feedback?_

I think reader feedback is incredibly important. Knowing that anyone else thinks it's cool enough to comment on is what makes a lot of people keep posting.

_3. What percentage of your own players read the story, would you say?_

90%? I think they all do, but some check in less often than others.

_4. Do you value the page views column on the main page? If so, do you feel like jumping from a bridge when you see Piratecat's views? _

Hey, look! A three headed monkey!

_5. What's the worst in-game moment you've had to write up?_

Nothing embarrassing, I think. There have been a few scenes that I never thought I'd be able to do justice to in print; Malachite confronting the skeletal Aleax, for example. Those are a bitch to write up.

_6. What three things (single sentences each) would you say are most important in a good SH?_

- Good spelling and grammar, including spacing paragraphs with a blank line.
- An interesting plot that other people can steal ideas from.
- An entertaining, colorful or descriptive writing style.

_7. What "three" things (single sentences each) would you say are most important in a good SH writing style?_

- Skipping over the boring bits and focusing on the fun and exciting parts
- More frequent short posts are much, much better than fewer long posts.
- Vibrant descriptions. I want to be able to see the place, to smell it.
- Communicating's the PCs personalities, without writing page after page of exact quotes and verbiage
- I personally love little DM asides, rules clarifications, and amusing comments.

_8. How many sessions behind are you in your writing, compared to where the campaign actually is, in-game? _

Two and a half.

_9. Have you ever tried to turn events (discouraging a certain course of action, cheesing a rule, etc.) in-game for the benefit of the story hour? If so, have your players called you on it?_

Nope. I think I've made the game more interesting since I realized other people were reading about it, though. I certainly am more scrupulous about correctly statting out my monsters.  Although I occasionally misattribute quotes, I try really hard to not insert stuff that didn't happen.

_10. paste here what you would want as the first-page teaser._ 


The ghouls swarm upwards, probably eighty or a hundred scrabbling into sight. Most seem to have once been dwarves or gnomes; their small hands now sport long claws, and sharpened teeth can be seen through the rat’s nest of sparse dwarven beards. 

Velendo stops grumbling long enough to notice that the ground is shaking. 

“What the…?”

Before he can do anything, the hillside under their feet erupts into a shower of dirt and a rising juggernaut of slimy, rotting gray flesh. At first the group thinks it’s an undead purple worm; as both Tao and Velendo disappear into its huge mouth, that’s certainly their first impressions. But as the creature engulfs them, they realize that they’re wrong. Like grasping cilia, the inside of the worm’s mouth is filled with ghoulish arms, clutching and tearing, and dozens of screaming heads that barely poke their way out of the fleshy wall and tongue. 

Someone screams.

To the horror of people watching, the outside skin of the worm pulses grotesquely and then turns… shuffling itself around and revealing that each 5 ft. section of the worm’s body is the torso of a ghoul, somehow flesh-merged together. Now the worm looks more like a humongous centipede, only with ghoulish arms clutching anything nearby, instead of a centipede’s legs. The monster throws its blind snout skywards, and hundreds of half-seen gibbering mouths slobber and drool in hunger.

Inside its gullet, Tao manages to lock one hand around the razor sharp bone-like protrusion of the lip; Velendo, who has never been terribly strong, isn’t as lucky. The raising of the snout breaks his grip, and dozens of clawed arms grab him and force him down the long throat, tearing at his flesh as he goes. He feels negative energy coursing through his body, and his screaming muscles lock in place.

And the cover art for the scene, by littlejohn!






_11. Give us a link, pookie. _

Start right here!


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## Ziona (Nov 7, 2002)

1. How many sessions deep are you into your story? (meaning- how many single game sessions have you written up for your SH so far?)  

For the Rappan Athuk SH, it was in or nearing the 30's. For CotSQ, I am just about to post the 1st.

2. Everyone seems to agree that a successful story hour can only come about as a result of passion on the writer's part for the story, not the glory. Still, how much do you value reader feedback?

I get great pleasure from writing, but reader feedback is wonderful! It's nice to know someone is reading your work, whether they comment that it's good or bad. I love feedback and reader responses.

3. What percentage of your own players read the story, would you say?

I would say about 90% 

4. Do you value the page views column on the main page? If so, do you feel like jumping from a bridge when you see Piratecat's views? 

I value it, especially when I start a thread, but after awhile, I don't go as crazy. 

5. What's the worst in-game moment you've had to write up? Examples could include a total party kill or heavily hyped bad guy going down in the first round, etc... Things that just don't really happen in epic fantasy fiction. 

I dunno...I love writing it all. I know character deaths aren't fun, but it's great to write them up, so I don't think there is anything that would be my "worst."

6. What three things (single sentences each) would you say are most important in a good SH?

 *Grammar
 *Setting/Description
 *Character/Storyline

7. What three things (single sentences each) would you say are most important in a good SH writing style?

 *Descriptions
 *Character (for PCs & NPCs)
 *Rhythm (some writers just have this rhythm that helps their stories flow really well, like a good poem.)

8. How many sessions behind are you in your writing, compared to where the campaign actually is, in-game? 

hehe...several...many...I'm catching up though! 

9. Have you ever tried to turn events (discouraging a certain course of action, cheesing a rule, etc.) in-game for the benefit of the story hour? If so, have your players called you on it?

I'm not a DM...just a bard.   But I would discourage it.

10. If your story hour were published in novel form, paste here what you would want as the first-page teaser: several paragraphs from the story to hook the attention of a browsing bookstore patron. 

Hmmm...that's something to think about...it would have to mention heroes with unique attributes and abilities and world-saving madness...sounds like a comic more, I guess.   

11. Give us a link, pookie.

Just click on my Ziona banner below...and don't call me "pookie!"


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## drnuncheon (Nov 7, 2002)

Let's see.

1. We're on session eleven of Book Two - I think there were 15 in Book One, plus an epilogue - so 27 sessions, roughly.  (Wow. Seems like more.)

2. Reader feedback is incredibly important.  Reader feedback makes me want to post more and update more often.  No feedback kills Story Hours dead.

Actually, I like discussion even better than just "great update!", because it means my story hour really excites people and gets them thinking (although of course I don't _mind_ being Horacio'ed...)

3. What percentage of my players read? For Freeport, 100% - all both of them. (I'm not sure if Sen-Jyu reads dnOSH, though, so maybe only 66% for that one.)

4. I compulsively sort by page view every few weeks, and then mentally add in the views from my previous thread to make me feel better.

5. I skip those, or find some clever way around them.  Like the extended hack and slash session that was the asylum.

6. I agree with Pkitty on what's important here.

7. Putting some care into your writing is a big part of it.  If i see a story hour thats written all in runon sentences without capitlization and spellng like this then it is very hard to read and i probably wont do it.

8. Er. (checks notebook) Two and a half.  Phew, I thought it was more than that.

9. Only once - at the beginning of Book Two, where I conspired with my players to give the readers a bit of a surprise.

10. I would put the 'Please don't sue me nice Mr. Pramas' message on the first page, since I started out with the Freeport modules and he might be a bit upset that I was selling a novel based on them.  For the Online Story Hour, it'd be 'please don't keelhaul me nice Mr. Kulp'

11. Check the .sig, that's what it's there for!


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## Dr Midnight (Nov 7, 2002)

_1. How many sessions deep are you into your story? (meaning- how many single game sessions have you written up for your SH so far?)_

42, not including a lengthy "interlude" write-up

_2. Everyone seems to agree that a successful story hour can only come about as a result of passion on the writer's part for the story, not the glory. Still, how much do you value reader feedback?_

I really love it. Recently, I learned that I love negative reader feedback, as a far rarer delight that few readers want to give you. It's got a different flavor, but it still means someone's interested inough in the SH to offer his/her thoughts.

_3. What percentage of your own players read the story, would you say?_

60%. Dartan's occasional posts don't fool me. 

_4. Do you value the page views column on the main page? If so, do you feel like jumping from a bridge when you see Piratecat's views? _

Yes and yes.

_5. What's the worst in-game moment you've had to write up? Examples could include a total party kill or heavily hyped bad guy going down in the first round, etc... Things that just don't really happen in epic fantasy fiction. _

It certainly wasn't easy writing up the teleportation into the dragon's lair, but the worst had to be writing up the confrontation with the immense titan, that went under with the first spell thrown in combat: Stone to flesh.

Man, did that suck. 

_6. What three things (single sentences each) would you say are most important in a good SH?_

-A feeling of urgency... or at least purpose
-"smell the roses" time, wherein we see the characters celebrating a victory or reaping the rewards of saving the realm
-minimal references to things that don't feel like epic fantasy (to me, this means drow, planes, psionics, etc.)

_7. What three things (single sentences each) would you say are most important in a good SH writing style?_

-Leaving almost every story post on a cliffhanger.
-Really detailed place and character description. See Piratecat's "I want to smell it" line.
-Spelling, grammar. With out it, i ain't reading you're story our.

_8. How many sessions behind are you in your writing, compared to where the campaign actually is, in-game? _

Precisely one

_9. Have you ever tried to turn events (discouraging a certain course of action, cheesing a rule, etc.) in-game for the benefit of the story hour? If so, have your players called you on it?_

Yes and yes. It's stupid, and I know it, but I sometimes try to "fix" stuff so it'll be better to READ about. I'm trying to quit, and down to one pack a day.

_10. If your story hour were published in novel form, paste here what you would want as the first-page teaser: several paragraphs from the story to hook the attention of a browsing bookstore patron. _

The trapdoor above them on the third floor rattled as things tried to pry it up. Leathery wings flapped against the windows. Glass broke. Things bumped and clawed against the blockades placed against the windows. A wing flapped madly from between the wall and a curio cabinet. "This isn't going to hold them off. we've got to go downstairs," Erasmus said. 

Jamison seemed ready for the decree and opened the padlock with a gesture of his fingers and an arcane word. They rushed into the crypt. Jamison was last inside, and heard the flapping of wings- within the house. He quickly slammed the huge metal door shut behind them. The sound was like thunder in the damp stairwell they found themselves in. 

They began to descend. The staircase went on for about a hundred feet into the earth. The sounds of dripping water and echoes accompanied their nervous breaths and bootsteps. The stairs ended, and a room opened before them. Erasmus thrust Hannah's everburning torch before him, to light the room. 

They saw in that moment a dozen undead standing still at random parts of the room, the mouths open, facing them. The ones at the far end of the room weren't reached by the light, but their eyes shone red in the darkness. Wights. They began to move towards the party- and were stopped by something. They'd each walked into an invisible barrier of some sort. 

Jamison nervously took out the book and read. "It seems that the living Mormonts constructed this room to contain their dead relatives without hurting them. They knew the corpses would rise and attempt to climb the stairs, so they built this room with invisible walls, and only one true path to the other side."

"A maze," Hannah said, unbelieving. A labyrinth of invisible walls, filled with hungry wights. 

_11. Give us a link, pookie._

To read the entire story up until now, click here. 
Volumes I-III on the old ENboards should be back sometime...?... with reader commentary. 
Volume IV (on ENboards with reader commentary) can be read here.
Volume V (on ENboards with reader commentary) can be read here.  
Volume VI (on ENboards with reader commentary) can be read here.  
CURRENT THREAD (VOLUME VII): http://enworld.cyberstreet.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=23664


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## Sniktch (Nov 7, 2002)

*OK, I'll bite*

I like the page views, personally.  I don't pay attention to them when looking for a good read, since it might just be a new thread that no one else has discovered yet, but again, it's nice knowing I'm not sending my work into a vacuum.

See how I can do with these answers:

1) In the CotSQ thread we are two sessions deep.  Overall, we have probably played about 50 or 60 6-12 hour sessions.  I have no idea exactly what session I am on in my Prelude story hour, since I am recreating events from up to 1 1/2 years ago.

2) Reader feedback is wonderful!  I welcome comments and constructive criticism, since part of why I started doing this was to get in the habit of flexing my creative muscles for a couple of hours each day.

3) I believe all of my players read the story at this point.

4) Yes, I do value the page views.  Besides, we all know PC generated his high count by sitting there hitting 'Refresh' a few thousand times  

5) Nothing too bad.  I think the worst so far is when Quinn turned the animated staue into a cube after waiting a month to find out what would happen.  Very anti-climactic for me.  My worst moments are when I forget how things really happened or give credit to the wrong player, but luckily they don't jibe me too badly for my mistakes.

6) OK, PC stole my answer.  I have nothing to add that he hasn't said already.

7) Short posts!  I haven't decided the perfect length but I have yet to post anything in my threads of over 4 pages of 12 point font.  It's intimidating.
Keeping the action moving.  If I get too bogged down with a scene or I decide that it doesn't really add anything to write it up, I just sum it up and move to the next action sequence.
Cool characters.  Part of what drew me into the Story Hour in the first place was Ziona and Doc Midnight's threads.  I saw those character banners in some other forum and said, "Hey, I gotta check that out."  I like seeing groovy characters and villains fleshedout so that I can lift them for use in my games.

8) CotSQ is completely up to date.  I am still about a year behind on the other thread.

9) No, although I believe the story has made both myself and my players more aware of the continuity of the story line and staying in character.

10) EDIT:  Oh, I see, sorry 'bout that.  Here's a teaser from my CotsQ thread.

Bebilith nest 
They stepped through the illusionary wall and found themselves in another large catacomb area, this one draped with thick layers of heavy webbing. Jack stepped into the chamber, his axe still crackling with blue arcs of electrical energy, and started into the room cautiously, the others trailing behind him. 

Suddenly the fabric of space seemed to tear in front of him and a grotesque monster stepped through to the material plane. It resembled a huge, bloated spider with a mottled purple shell, its twisted abdomen curving in upon itself and ending in a pair of spinnerets that faced forward. The foremost pair of its legs ended in huge scythes of hardened exoskeleton. The fiend scuttled towards him, its razor sharp appendages raised to cut him down, while a second beast materialized in the webbing hanging from the ceiling and sprayed a sheet of web at Quinn, immobilizing her in a cocoon of dark silk.

Jack jumped forward and hacked at the creature but his axe bounced away with no effect! In response, it drove one of its claws into the seam at his shoulder, ripping a gaping wound across his chest and tearing his platemail off to fall bent and twisted to the floor, ruined. The naked dwarf staggered away bleeding, his shield raised to ward off any other incoming blows.

Malobar rolled under it and struck at the belly, hoping to find a weak point. His attack was rewarded when his short blade made a tiny crack in its shell and foul black liquid began oozing out. The magic of the sword should ensure that the wound did not cease bleeding until the creature was dead. In retaliation the creature bit into him, injecting viscous green venom that immediately began draining his constitution.

Welby and Grick also charged the monster on the floor, dodging through another spray of webs from the one above them. Grick pulled his butterfly swords as he rushed in and cut into it several times, while Welby rolled past into a flanking position and hacked the spinnerets from its abdomen with a well-placed blow, ensuring that this creature, at least, was unable to cocoon any more victims.

The beast whirled around in a rage, biting into the half-orc and injecting him with its deadly poison as well and ripping the shirt right off Welby’s body as a talon impaled the diminutive barbarian. Malobar lunged in and managed to open another small crack in the creature’s chitinous exoskeleton and another thin stream of black blood dripped from the wound, but the creature seemed to shrug off their combined efforts and appeared barely wounded.

11) links are in the sig


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## Silver Moon (Nov 7, 2002)

*Author Poll*

1. How many sessions deep are you into your story? 

So far around 20, about two chapters per gaming session.   I've been posting two chapters each day, one in the morning the other at night. 

2. Everyone seems to agree that a successful story hour can only come about as a result of passion on the writer's part for the story, not the glory. Still, how much do you value reader feedback?

It would be very helpful to know that people are enjoying the story.   So far not many people seem to have found my story, but I am hoping that that changes.

3. What percentage of your own players read the story, would you say?

Too early to tell.  I only heard about this Internet site a few weeks ago, and have been posting since then.  I have told my players about it, but am not sure how many have checked it out yet. 

4. Do you value the page views column on the main page? If so, do you feel like jumping from a bridge when you see Piratecat's views? 

Yes to the first question.  It is helpful to know that other people are checking it out.   No to the second question, as PirateCat is a friend of mine and was the one who told me about this Internet site (last month, way back when he was only at around 180K viewings). 

5. What's the worst in-game moment you've had to write up? 

A joke that was really funny at the time, but did not translate at all well on the written page, so I wound up just summarizing the comment instead.

6. What three things would you say are most important in a good SH?

A brief description of the main characters at the beginning as an introduction to the reader; A good descriptive setting with well defined NPC's so that the reader can picture the story; enough sub-plots to keep the story interesting. 

7. What three things would you say are most important in a good SH writing style?

A good flow to the story; a reasonably good vocabulary; running the text through a spellchecker before making the post. 

8. How many sessions behind are you in your writing, compared to where the campaign actually is, in-game? 

The story that I am currently posting was run in 2001.  It lasted 36 games, so I'm now a little more than half way through. 

9. Have you ever tried to turn events (discouraging a certain course of action, cheesing a rule, etc.) in-game for the benefit of the story hour? If so, have your players called you on it?

I don't think that would be very ethical. 

10. If your story hour were published in novel form, paste here what you would want as the first-page teaser: several paragraphs from the story to hook the attention of a browsing bookstore patron. 


After a few minutes a stunning young woman enters the room.   Whatever the members of the party had expected the offspring of a Chinese dwarf and Japanese human to look like, she far exceeds those expectations, having clearly inherited the best traits of both parents.  Her age is a human equivalent of early twenties, and she stands slightly less than five feet in height.  Unlike dwarven women, she has no beard.  She has a head of beautiful long curly brown hair, of a color and texture clearly inherited from her dwarven genes.   Her face has a round shape to it, with a pleasant smile and sparking Oriental eyes.   Her body barely hints of the typical dwarven stockiness, with a trim waist, and projecting a voluptuous hourglass figure.   The other aspect of her mixed parentage is that there is an indefinable exotic quality to her overall appearance.   The dwarves Duegar and Lannon and the elf Mojo each became immediately infatuated with her.

Hiroshi embraces the young woman, introducing her as his eldest daughter, Kim-Sung.  As the party introduce themselves it soon becomes obvious to both Narg and Serita that their companions are acting unusually assertive and exceptionally polite.  This becomes even more apparent when Hiroshi states that Kim-Sung is a druid, and Mojo exclaims “How nice.  I’ve always enjoyed the company of druids.”  The shock of that comment causes the druid Serita to spit out the beverage she is drinking.  Mojo then follows up with the comment to Hiroshi “Does she need a job, we’ve been looking for a new druid.”  “Since when?” Serita yells.  “Since now!” Lannon interjects.  

“Father, we did not know that you were coming home,” Kim-Sung states.  The party notices that, like Hiroshi, she speaks the Common language without any hint of an accent.  He answers “Neither did I, as I only received permission to leave the city of Miyako two days ago.   These people are friends of your cousin Toshiro, and I am assisting them on a mission to vanquish great evil.   We have come to Chunming in search of information for this quest.”  Mojo interjects “But we are in no hurry.  I think we should stay here, and spend time getting to know Hiroshi’s family.”  “Absolutely,” Duegar interjects.  “It would be rude to leave soon,” Lannon adds.   Narg and Serita exchange glances, with Narg softly saying, “Oh boy, I think we’ve got a new problem.”  

11. Give us a link, pookie.

OK, the name is "Chinese Take-out" and the link is:

http://enworld.cyberstreet.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=28642


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## Enk&D'Shai (Nov 7, 2002)

Hi all! Enkhidu here, and I figure it might be a good idea to answer some of these questions, especially since the Small Beginnings Story Hour I co-author with D'Shai527 seems to be one of the alternative story hours in the forum. But, after looking at the questions, many of them seem to be directed at the DMs of the various story hours. 

So, I've managed to drag him away from working on one of our multiple projects long enough to help me answer the questions.

OK! Where's the free candy you promised me, Enk? 

Sorry, D'shai - that was a ruse.

A what? 

A ruse. A clever attempt to trick you. And it worked. Now answer some questions, DM-boy.

How many hit points do you have Enk? 

Well, Ander has...

No. How many hit points do _you_ have. 

Oh. Uh... Why do you have that stick in your... OW! Stop beating me! I give! I give! Geez, you'd think I was hong or something.

That's what I thought. Now why did you really bring me here? 

Questions. From Dr. Midnight. 

Well, let's get to it! 



			
				Dr Midnight said:
			
		

> 1. How many sessions deep are you into your story? (meaning- how many single game sessions have you written up for your SH so far?)




Wow. That's a tough one, because they don't always match up. Maybe 7?

More like 6, though we could be as far as 8 or 9 by the end of the week (from the next post). 



> 2. Everyone seems to agree that a successful story hour can only come about as a result of passion on the writer's part for the story, not the glory. Still, how much do you value reader feedback?




Reader feedback as an author is about as important to me as player feedback when I DM. If the readers aren't having fun, I might as well not be writing it. 

For me, I've always looked at writing Small Beginnings as a learning experience. Reader feedback really helps to be a guage for how the finished product looks. Hopefully, we'll be able to take what we learn here and apply it to other projects. As an aside, I value criticism (constructive, at least) more highly than the "atta boys" that come down the pike.



> 3. What percentage of your own players read the story, would you say?




Let's see, 5 of 7 people in the group total, 4 of 6 players. Though we're still trying to get more players to take a gander at it.

Yeah, but we're still trying to get those two people housetrained, so reading is still a few steps up the ladder for them. 



> 4. Do you value the page views column on the main page? If so, do you feel like jumping from a bridge when you see Piratecat's views?




PirateCat's going down! Move over, P-Kitty, a _real_ pirate's coming through! 

Uh, yeah. right. Seriously, that three legged cat's been doing this for so long that I don't even think about competing views wise with him (or Wulf, or Sagiro, or Sep). In fact, I say more power to 'em, and I'm glad that those guys have the noteriety that they do. Makes me think that one day Small Beginnings could help launch a venture into d20 publisher land (much like Wulf and P-Cat have done, though I imagine that they would have been able to do so with or without the name recognition from ENWorld).



> 5. What's the worst in-game moment you've had to write up? Examples could include a total party kill or heavily hyped bad guy going down in the first round, etc... Things that just don't really happen in epic fantasy fiction.




Well, they say it eventually happens to every guy, so I don't really feel all that bad about...

No, Enk. Not that story. Not ever again. They mean about the _story hour._ 

Oh.

From my "player's perspective, the worst moments are yet to come. I won't spoil the surprises by telling, but we'll just say that my dice hate me. And I mean that. 

I can't wait to write about that one, cuz my dice hate you too. 



> 6. What three things (single sentences each) would you say are most important in a good SH?




Good characters (or just well roleplayed, in depth characters) during the actual sessions help a lot. A strong plot.... And plenty of time to write. Yup that's about right. 

For the most part, I'd agree with that. Though I think that we should probably write with a dealine more often just to see how it comes out.



> 7. What three things (single sentences each) would you say are most important in a good SH _writing style?_




Now that's a toughie, because it's really a matter of taste on this one. As a story hour reader, and trust me I've read more than a few of them, I like good formatting and grammar; a goodly amount of meaningful dialogue; and enough info about the characters to care about what they heck they're doing.

The 3 D's. Dialogue, description, and donuts. Everything is better with donuts. 



> 8. How many sessions behind are you in your writing, compared to where the campaign actually is, in-game?




Urgh. More than 6 months worth, easy. But we got started on this really late.



> 9. Have you ever tried to turn events (discouraging a certain course of action, cheesing a rule, etc.) in-game for the benefit of the story hour? If so, have your players called you on it?




No. But I have giggled when I thought about writing up a particualr scene. 

Yeah, I hate that.



> 10. If your story hour were published in novel form, paste here what you would want as the first-page teaser: several paragraphs from the story to hook the attention of a browsing bookstore patron. EDIT: quick note- people seem to think I mean the same old "give us a few paragraphs about your SH". I mean "Give us a few paragraphs FROM your SH".




_Athena spread her soft wings and floated out from the wooded settlement. The air was thin and sweet, much better than the thick heavy air of the stone dwelling than the owl and her bonded one used to nest in. The world shrank as Athena beat her wings against the warm updraft, gaining much needed height to carry out the bonded ones request. A mouse distracted the white owl for just a moment as it darted out from a fallen log beneath the green canopy of trees. Athena dipped her wings and banked toward her prey, but stopped short of diving into the trees as her keen eyes detected movement in the thickets that now shrouded the mouse in shadows. 

The owl landed softly on an overhanging branch and looked carefully at the new growth that crowded the forest floor. Her natural instinct pulled at her from deep within her stomach, but the owl had grown accustomed to pushing them aside and imitating the inquisitive nature and patience of her soul friend. The bonded friend had needed a high view of the forest looking for dark ones and ground holes, but not the small ones that prey hid in. Once again spreading her feathers Athena leapt back onto the soft winds to complete her mission so that she may pay more attention to her growing hunger.

The ground spread quickly beneath her white wings and the forest was soon left behind. The vast plains stretched out below her but instead of the short grass that normally flourished on the ice covered ground, there was instead more of that strange bramble that Athena had seen in the wood. She circled for a moment puzzling over this odd phenomenon and finally coasted down for a closer search. The vines were much thicker out here and the thorns seemed to be seeping a dark liquid. The great owl's keen eyes also saw several animals that seemed trapped in the thorny underbrush, thrashing and kicking to escape but only succeeding in deeper cuts and further strangulation. Soon only carcasses littered the area and no movement was seen beneath the thick bramble either. 

Athena's wings began to tire but a strange tingling told her it would be unwise to perch anywhere near the growing vines. Twisting her head her eyes caught sight of a large post protruding up from the ground and she quickly changed her angle to float towards it. Her talons dug deep into the woods and she opened her wings full to balance on the small beam. When she finally rested her full weight onto the perch it suddenly shifted throwing the owl back into the air. Athena watched as cracks emerged beneath the brambles surrounding the post and they suddenly tumbled into a great rift that now spanned directly beneath the bird. 

Dust pushed up from the great rift as the perplexed owl once again landed on the wooden post which was now pointing out over the gorge instead of toward the sun. As the dust cleared Athena steadied her gaze down into the darkness of the rift. A huge stone nest, like the bonded one had stayed in while in the stone settlement, was nestled into the unsettled ground deep within the hole. Its top was covered with grass, but the stone walls of the nest supporting it were bare save for a winding wooden staircase that enclosed them.

Athena rested her wings for a few moments more, and then dropped from her perch and unfolded her wings, angling back the way she had come.

The bonded one would be pleased._



> 11. Give us a link, pookie.




Small Beginnings


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## Capellan (Nov 8, 2002)

*Company of the Random Encounter*

*1. How many sessions deep are you into your story? (meaning- how many single game sessions have you written up for your SH so far?)*

I've _written_ up to the end of the third session.  I've _posted_ up to the end of the second.  I like to keep a buffer between where the campaign actually is and where the posting is up to.  Which is probably a bad idea, since I miss out on extra views and *bumps*, but I like to post regularly and keep things moving, and doing it this way really helps.

On average, a session (4-6 hours play) runs for 12-15 posts.


*2. Everyone seems to agree that a successful story hour can only come about as a result of passion on the writer's part for the story, not the glory. Still, how much do you value reader feedback?*

It's very important.  Anyone who says otherwise is kidding themselves 


*3. What percentage of your own players read the story, would you say?*

I send them all the story hour as it is written, so they see it well before it is posted here.  The principle is that if I get something way wrong, they can call me on it _before_ it turns up here.  Not that they have, as yet - but they could.


*4. Do you value the page views column on the main page? If so, do you feel like jumping from a bridge when you see Piratecat's views? *

Sure I value it, though not as a "10" (I voted "6", for the record).  There are a lot of good Story Hours which don't have tens of thousands of views.  Mine, for instance 

More seriously, there are a lot of great story hours out there.  I pimped several recently, but I'll do so again:

Servants of the Swift Sword (A Kalamar campaign) 
Sniktch's Story Hour Prelude - From the Beginning 
Greenwood Traders: an FR Story Hour  
Small Beginnings 
Doom from Below: The Illithid Ascension  
Sniktch's Story Hour - City of the Spider Queen 
Milo Windby's Collected Story Hour  
(Thanks to Wulf's book) Heroes of High Favor: A Dwarven Saga  

As for the second part of the question: not at all.  Piratecat's Story Hour is fabulous.  It deserves every view it gets.


*5. What's the worst in-game moment you've had to write up? Examples could include a total party kill or heavily hyped bad guy going down in the first round, etc... Things that just don't really happen in epic fantasy fiction. *

Scratches.  If you want to know more, you'll have to read the story 


*6. What three things (single sentences each) would you say are most important in a good SH?*

Passion for the game on the part of the writer(s).
The writers' technical skills and attention to formatting.
An inventive and exciting game.

Not necessarily always in that order.


*7. What three things (single sentences each) would you say are most important in a good SH writing style?*

Clarity - of expression.
Characterisation - of PC and NPC alike.
Consistency - of tone, pacing and spelling/grammar.

I got a "C" thing going on 


*8. How many sessions behind are you in your writing, compared to where the campaign actually is, in-game? *

The writing is up to date.
The posting is one session - 15 posts in this case - behind.


*9. Have you ever tried to turn events (discouraging a certain course of action, cheesing a rule, etc.) in-game for the benefit of the story hour? If so, have your players called you on it?*

No.  I don't need to - my players give me plenty of ammunition without any intervention on my part!


*10. If your story hour were published in novel form, paste here what you would want as the first-page teaser: several paragraphs from the story to hook the attention of a browsing bookstore patron. EDIT: quick note- people seem to think I mean the same old "give us a few paragraphs about your SH". I mean "Give us a few paragraphs FROM your SH". *

Fetterweed, the old monk explains, is a carnivorous plant that attacks by striking prey with its vines, which secrete a sedative-laced sap.  Only by finding the trunk of the plant and destroying it, will the vines - which can stretch for hundreds of years - be rendered inert.

The group spends a considerable amount of time discussing strategies for attacking the fetterweed.  They manage to determine that it senses the vibrations of passing creatures, though quite what a spectator would have thought of their experimental method - Stormstrider jumping up and down on the spot - is anyone's guess.

"Maybe we could set fire to it?" the Padre suggests.

"The plant's vines run for hundreds of yards." Ai Quan reminds him.

"Not seeing the problem.  It'll all burn."

"The forest would catch fire."

"Still not seeing the problem."

"You are _in_ the forest."

"OK.  Now seeing the problem."


*11. Give us a link, pookie.*

It's in the sig.


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## Sepulchrave II (Nov 8, 2002)

1. How many sessions deep are you into your story? (meaning- how many single game sessions have you written up for your SH so far?)

_About 40, give or take - spread over 5 different SH threads_


2.  Everyone seems to agree that a successful story hour can only come about as a result of passion on the writer's part for the story, not the glory. Still, how much do you value reader feedback?

_Enormously. I often feel bad for not replying promptly to questions from the readers, but time is a major constraint._


3. What percentage of your own players read the story, would you say?

_25% - and infrequently at that. I can't blame them, we've all got busy lives._


4. Do you value the page views column on the main page? If so, do you feel like jumping from a bridge when you see Piratecat's views? 

_Yes, it gives me a warm fuzzy feeling.
Yes - the more so, because I still haven't gotten round to reading PC's (or Wulf's) story hour. Maybe I'm intimidated by the size of them, or maybe by the prospect of them being better than mine..._


5. What's the worst in-game moment you've had to write up? Examples could include a total party kill or heavily hyped bad guy going down in the first round, etc... Things that just don't really happen in epic fantasy fiction. 

_Most Irritating: Total failure of the party to seize upon a well-developed plot hook, which I repeatedly dangled in front of them.

Most Embarassing: Accidentally allowing one player to cast Discern Location in one action instead of ten minutes, resulting in the immediate death of my favourite villain._


6. What three things (single sentences each) would you say are most important in a good SH?

_Flow_
_Pacing_
_Quirkiness_


8. How many sessions behind are you in your writing, compared to where the campaign actually is, in-game? 

_Six sessions behind, and the gap is growing, not shrinking_


9. Have you ever tried to turn events (discouraging a certain course of action, cheesing a rule, etc.) in-game for the benefit of the story hour? If so, have your players called you on it?

_Ooh, that's a good question. I don't *think* so, but I wouldn't swear to it...the SH is often in the back of my mind when we play_


10. If your story hour were published in novel form, paste here what you would want as the first-page teaser: several paragraphs from the story to hook the attention of a browsing bookstore patron. EDIT: quick note- people seem to think I mean the same old "give us a few paragraphs about your SH". I mean "Give us a few paragraphs FROM your SH". 


“You will,” said Eadric.

“I won’t,” said Mostin.

“Yes.”

“No.”

“There is no danger involved, I assure you,” the Paladin assured him.

“You have no idea what you’re asking.”

“This is an irrational phobia, Mostin,” Eadric persisted.

“Of course it’s irrational. It wouldn’t be a phobia, otherwise, would it?” The Alienist retorted.

“It’s not as if they are actually _birds_,” Eadric said. “You don’t even have to look. Just cast the spell, and I’ll deal with the rest.”

“I don’t have time to inscribe a proper diagram,” Mostin complained.

“Don’t worry about it. It’s not going to be an issue. Just do a quick one.”

“I’ll have to ‘Anchor’ it.”

“Don’t bother,” the Paladin replied.

“Are you crazy? Besides, I don’t have my most powerful calling prepared,” Mostin groaned.

“Do what you can. But hurry. I can’t stand here arguing all day with you.”

So Mostin did it.


**


_Form_, in the traditional sense of the word, was not a characteristic that could be meaningfully ascribed to him. It was not that he possessed or did not possess it, more that the quality of ‘Form-ness’ was an inadequate paradigm through which he could be understood. 

His shadow, they often sang, was brighter than the Sun. It was metaphorical, of course, because there was no source of light brighter than him. Nothing could _cause_ him to cast a shadow.

Amongst the millions who basked in his presence, one, called Eniin, felt an impulse akin to a tugging. In less than an instant, he related the information to his master who, naturally, already knew.

“GO,” The Bright God commanded.

Eniin bowed and vanished.


**


Mostin, Ortwin, Nwm, Tahl, Nehael, Tatterbrand, Iua, Jorde and Hyne stood around the thaumaturgic diagram with Eadric. As the shape began to slowly coalesce within it, the Bard wrily compared it to Rurunoth’s fiery entrance. Even before the form had fully materialized, Eadric stepped forward and scrubbed out a portion of the chalk line which marked the border of the circle.

Really, that’s just too much, Mostin thought. He closed his eyes three-quarters of the way, and covered his face with his hands. He couldn’t help himself from peeking – despite the fact that his legs were shaking.

Eniin stepped forwards from the diagram, and towered above them all. His perfect form radiated peace, power, and profound certainty. He knelt in front of Eadric.

“Instruct me,” the Planetar said.


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## The Forsaken One (Nov 8, 2002)

*Check my SH! It needs to get a starting kick!*

1.Me and my party of 5, are currently 3 sessions in the campaign with the fourth this week and it looks very promessing but I've only wrote up the first session and chapter so far, session 2 and coincidentally chapter 2 following this weak if I find the time. I tend to elaborate...
All my players are enthusiastic, leave other stuff so they can play, are VERY creative and totally insane, which comes in handy in a CoC game 

2. I value reader feedback quite a bit since you put it up here for a reason. TO be read and offcourse out of curiosity of people like what you and your gang experieces each time (week?) and offcourse how they value your writing skills. But I value their opinion about the adventure itself much more since that's where the action and the fun is. My really new storyhour is just an attempt and a hope to be able to share that experience with you all and I do very much apprechiate the opinions of alot of people on these boards who I have grown to respect very much.

3.From my 5 players, four read the SH and they seem to enjoy it greatly and they have praised my writing and my interpretation of the events very much, which makes me a happy SH writer and an even happier GM!

4.I never looked at it until I just read the question... so if that answers the question  But that that many people looked at it in this time pleases me. I'm just hoping for some responses, hopefully with some plause or with constructive criticism which I can always use to improve and which is highly valued.

5.Well the part in which some Corp. Inc Enforcers thought to be tackling and bringing in some harmless investigators by grappling them as they appeared from the shadows. The harmless investigators where armed to the teeth with molotov cocktails, 12 gauge shotguns and Glock 17's...
But for the rest nothing really special, it gave the players a laugh and I kinda saw it coming but not everything has to be hard (well some guy fell 60ft about 5 rounds later, ended up with 1 hp, lol, and made his mass dam fort save, mass dam for PC's is 10+ dam in CoC.) 
A real stupid thing still has to happen, which I hope it won't but bound by Murphy's law it will...

6. -A clear portration of the characters and the kind of person they are, it can make you go 'wahhh' sometimes cause you don't expect that 'person' to do that kinda thing.

-A detailed atmosphere and surrounding description, which proved critical in my CoC game for setting the mood of the players and hopefully of the readers now as well.

-The obvious good plot that keeps entriguing the readers.

7. -Humor is great and I think a total must, if you aren't funny your players should do plenty of stupid or amusing stuff to put in that SH.

-Be able to catch the mood and taste of a moment, save it in your words and let the reader taste some of that mood and suspense of that one thrilling moment in your game.

-Good cliffhangers are awsome.

8. This sunday session four (our session last 9 hours each sunday), and I've just posted session one about 2 days ago. I was doubting about starting with an SH here cause I was kinda nervous if people would actually like to read it or even read it at all, but this week I decided to have a go at it and here it is.

9. Never for the SH since I've just started with it but most certainly for the plot itself. It's the very reason why I don't openly roll my dice but behind the book/screen. My players approve of my GMing style and they are happy gamers who have loads of fun. Without any criticism for the last 2 years as yet (of which I'm very proud and gratefull) so I haven't got a reason to change my GMing style.
Dislaimer: No I'm not the plot Nazi who will go to all lengths and even a rule 0 to stick with the plot. (MY players stick with it anyhow 95% of the time, they can smell the track or something.) 

10. Dr. Carmichael’s remains are mostly on the floor between the window and the door and appear to have been partially eaten. Her haid is missing large chunks of tissue from its left side and has rolled under the bed. The lower half of her right leg is also under the bed. The upper half of the leg is nowhere to be found. Blood is splattered across the walls and has soaked through the carpeting all the way into the floor. There’s even some blood on the ceiling.

The second guy draws his Glock pistol and keeps Patrick under gun point. Just as he grins and shouts up the shaft that they got one, he is interrupted in his shouting as a gunshot echoes through the evelator shaft. His head is ripped off his torso and his lifeless body slumps to the ground. From the darkness Richard appears, shotgun in his uninjured arm and barrel still smoking. The other guy looks up from his attempt to tie Patrick up with plastic zip-cuffs surprised by the shot, only to see a gun come swinging his way.

A moment later, Dumont’s bloody, lifeless body flies back in through the front window. Dumont has been torn open from throat to abdomen, and broken ribs just from his shattered chest like bleached fingers. The sheriff staggers to his feet, gaping at his deputies body along with the shocked investigators who stand nailed to the ground with fear. Only a moment later a hairy beastial form—half man, half wolf—crashes through the office’s front window and tears through the desk as it moves in for another kill.

As Mark finished his round he sits down for a moments rest. But as he sits down he hears something strange very, very near… and he looks up to see something his mind cannot comprehend. He just sits there in fear and shock for a moment, and then screams. He screams in absolute terror as horror fills his heart, he screams again, and again, and again.


11. Give us a link, pookie.

'Pimp Pimp, CHeck it out plz!


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## Rybaer (Nov 8, 2002)

1.  Yikes.  It's a lot.  Probably pushing 70 or so.  The postings don't directly correlate with game sessions, though.  

2. I love feedback, though I don't get too much of it.  I'm not bitter, though...I know I don't post nearly enough feedback to the other story hours I read.

3. All my players read it, though some keep up better than others.

4. Page views aren't a big deal.  Admittedly, it's nice to know some people are reading once in a while.  Ultimately, I consider writing the story hour as something that I'm doing for myself and my players.  I look forward to rereading it some ten years down the road.

5. I haven't had too many moments that were "unpleasant" to write up.  The players have done a few painfully bone-headed things, but those tend to be more humorous than painful to recount.

6. Clear, concise, elegant prose.
   This is a game summary, not a novel - focus on the action and not drippy backstory.
   Memorable creatures, NPC's, setpieces, and epic fights.

7. Let the characters' actions speak for them more than their words or thoughts.
   Focus on the crunchy and skimp on the squishy.
   As mentioned above, this is a game summary...not a novel.

8. Generally, I'm about 3-4 months behind.  Taxing on my memory, but at least I'm not worried about letting things slip that my players could use for metagaming.

9. Nothing in the way I run games has changed for the benefit of my story hour.  If anything, I've been inspired to create more intriguing content, but I always strive for that.

10. Amill closed with the elf. In the back of his mind he registered her physical beauty, but by the look in her eye he knew that she wouldn’t hesitate to kill him. In spite of her position levitating up in a high niche, he was still able to reach her with his ferroplasmic falchion. Inches from connecting with her body, Amill could feel his blade slowing down as if it were being swung through heavy syrup. 

She grinned and gave him a focused look. White strands of ephemeral material swirled about the psychic warrior, seeking to wrap about him and bind him tight. Relying on his warrior instincts, he tucked and rolled, and the strands evaporated harmlessly as they closed in on empty space.

Amill bounced back to his feet and was about to take another crack at her when he was rudely interrupted by a rapier blade puncturing his right lung from behind. The blade’s horribly unnatural coldness froze the tissue around the wound. When the blade was pulled free Amill turned about only to watch as the dark cloaked figure ran him through again with the rapier as well as the short sword he carried in his other hand. Amill dropped his own sword, the ferroplasm reverting to a limp formless lump on the cold cave floor. The Shadow blew Amill a silent kiss as he mercilessly ran him through once more. Amill was unconscious before he hit the floor.

11. Link to parts 1 and 2 of my story hour in the sig below.


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## Rel (Nov 8, 2002)

Dr Midnight said:
			
		

> *Hi. Just an excuse for authors to pimp their Story Hours (stories hour?) and kill some time with useless questions.
> 
> 1. How many sessions deep are you into your story? (meaning- how many single game sessions have you written up for your SH so far?)*




Hmm.  I'm not precisely sure but I think the campaign lasted a total of close to 40 sessions and I'm in the mid 30's now.



> *2. Everyone seems to agree that a successful story hour can only come about as a result of passion on the writer's part for the story, not the glory. Still, how much do you value reader feedback?*




I value it tremendously.  I put a fair bit of work into my campaigns and I put even more work into writing up the story hour.  To see both my players and readers are interested in what I've created is very gratifying.  Also, I like talking about D&D.  I find it interesting to discuss the rules and storylines and such (which is why I come here to ENWorld) and if my story hour acts as a catalyst for that sort of discussion, all the better.

BUT, that isn't the main reason I write the story hour.  I write it because it is a documentation of some really fun times I've had with my friends and I hope to someday be able to read back over it and relive some of the fun we had.



> *3. What percentage of your own players read the story, would you say?*




All my players (there are only 3 of them) read the story hour posts eventually.  They don't always comment as much as I would like them to though.



> *4. Do you value the page views column on the main page? If so, do you feel like jumping from a bridge when you see Piratecat's views? *




I do value the page views.  During those lulls when I don't get a lot of comments, it lets me know that people are still reading.  I don't think it is the end-all-be-all of indicating how good a story hour is though.  One reason for this is that I think a story hour (like any other thread on these boards) can get a certain "critical mass" of posters and readers that sends the views counter beyond the number of posts indicative of interest in the primary thread.

I'm not taking anything away from Piratecat and others like him who have high views counts.  But at some point, somebody will ask a question in the thread that is tangental to the main story and other people will answer and others will chime in with their thoughts and more people will tune in to the thread just to see how the side commentary is going, even when there are no new posts to the story itself.

All of which is perfectly fine and I participate in it too.  So no, I don't feel like I need to jump off a bridge or anything.



> *5. What's the worst in-game moment you've had to write up? Examples could include a total party kill or heavily hyped bad guy going down in the first round, etc... Things that just don't really happen in epic fantasy fiction. *




Well, probably it was the first PC death from the campaign.  The characters had enjoyed a long series of close scrapes but this time they had chosen a path that almost couldn't help but lead to the death of this character.

In particular it was the party Ranger who was going to fight the Gnoll Champion in single combat, surrounded by a whole bunch of other Gnolls.  I knew that even if he won, the other Gnolls were going to attack him but that was the path they had chosen and we played it out.  In the actual event, the party made a desperate attempt to rescue him by trying to levitate him out of there while unconscious.  That was when the Kobold allies of the Gnolls hit him with the magic missiles.  Bummer.



> *6. What three things (single sentences each) would you say are most important in a good SH?*




Interesting characters.
A compelling plot.
Intense combats where a lot hangs in the balance.



> *7. What three things (single sentences each) would you say are most important in a good SH writing style?*




All of these have been mentioned so far, but:

Decent grammar.
Relatively good spelling.
Some method of breaking up the text.  Breaks, different colors or use of bolding and italics are all acceptable methods to me.



> *8. How many sessions behind are you in your writing, compared to where the campaign actually is, in-game? *




Well, my campaign is over, so at least the finish line isn't getting further and further away.  I'm probably 4 or so sessions from the ending.



> *9. Have you ever tried to turn events (discouraging a certain course of action, cheesing a rule, etc.) in-game for the benefit of the story hour? If so, have your players called you on it?*




I don't think so.  But I have winced during the game knowing how it is going to be writing up a certain segment.  Most recently I wrote up a segment where the party was saved by almost certain destruction by being lifted to safety by Dire Owls.  It smacked of deus-ex-machina all day long, but it really wasn't.  I just knew it would read that way though.



> *10. If your story hour were published in novel form, paste here what you would want as the first-page teaser: several paragraphs from the story to hook the attention of a browsing bookstore patron. EDIT: quick note- people seem to think I mean the same old "give us a few paragraphs about your SH". I mean "Give us a few paragraphs FROM your SH". *




_The orcs that were with Ulfe rushed past him and raced across the barracks arranging themselves across the top of the stairway in such a fashion that all three could attack Krase at their next opportunity. Ulfe moved in behind them.

Rhys saw an opportunity to strike at the lot of them at once. Instead of obeying Krase's litany of begging him to descend the stairway as fast as possible, Rhys edged in behind him. In one fluid motion, he drew forth the wand he had taken from the orcish adept, pulled aside Krase's long cape and thrust the wand beneath the ranger's legs yelling, "Asharak!"

The screams of Krase and the orcs blended into one as a huge gout of flame shot forth from the ranger's crotch to engulf all four of the orcs who had arranged themselves in a neat 10 foot radius. One of the orcs could no longer take the pressure and ran in fear. Pushing down his fear and humiliation, Krase struck at another orc that was within reach but his aim was ruined by the Rhys who, after all, was pressed right up against him and had a hand between his legs..._




> *11. Give us a link, pookie. *




It's in my sig.  Although that is only a link to the most recent thread.  I'm having to repost the earlier episodes to a new thread a few at a time since they were lost in one of the board switches.

But instead of signing on for my whole big campaign story hour, do me a favor, go read this thread and just read the first post.  If you like it, keep reading and tell me what you think of it.

It is just a one-shot adventure featuring my normal group and guest starring Old One (the guy who wrote the original Faded Glory campaign).  It is relatively short, it's heavy on adventure and fun and would be a good way for you to see if you like my writing style.  If you do, THEN come over and read the Faded Glory campaign.  If not, then SCREW YOU!  Just kidding  .


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## Sagiro (Nov 10, 2002)

1. _How many sessions deep are you into your story? (meaning- how many single game sessions have you written up for your SH so far?)_

I have run 138 game sessions over almost exactly seven years.  (The 7th anniversary of our first game is Tuesday, November 12th)  This Story Hour chronicles the whole darned thing.

2. _Everyone seems to agree that a successful story hour can only come about as a result of passion on the writer's part for the story, not the glory. Still, how much do you value reader feedback?_

Reader feedback is great!  I hope it means lots of people are stealing ideas liberally, just as I steal from every source I can find.  Plus it fills me with warm fuzzies to know that I’m entertaining folks.  Oh, and it swells my ego to a nearly unmanageable size!  

3. _What percentage of your own players read the story, would you say?_

I think they all do.  Some of them probably go to my campaign web-site instead, where (except for the most recent runs) all of my Story Hour posts can be found.  Morningstar’s player recently printed out the _entire thing_, for times when they wanted to trace some obscure plot hook back to its source.

4. _Do you value the page views column on the main page? If so, do you feel like jumping from a bridge when you see Piratecat's views?_

I think “value” might be too strong a word, but I think they’re cool, and I enjoy knowing that readers are deriving happiness from something I love to do anyway.  This question did make me take note of the interesting “stat” of views-to-posts ratio, which generally runs in the 15-1 to 20-1 range.  As Views increase, Posts tend not to keep up, even in relative terms.  For instance, among threads updated in the past five days, the top 7 Views-To-Posts ratios are:

Piratecat’s Updated Story Hour: 279-1
Sagiro’s Story Hour Returns: 99-1
Wulf’s Collected Story Hour: 89-1
Defenders of Daybreak: The Early Years: 75-1
The Rape of Morne: 54-1
Darkmatter D20…:  42-1
…Knights of Spellforge Keep: 25-1

…and these are exactly all of the threads with more than 10,000 views.  What does it mean?  Beats me!  It only confirms that a) the Story Hours with lots of views are more significantly perused by “lurkers” (as a percentage of total viewers) than those with fewer views, and that b) I’m a stat-head weenie with too much time.

As for Piratecat’s obscene Views count: doesn’t bother me at all, since I’m one of the Lucky Few™ that gets to play!  


_5. What's the worst in-game moment you've had to write up? Examples could include a total party kill or heavily hyped bad guy going down in the first round, etc... Things that just don't really happen in epic fantasy fiction._ 

I can’t think of anything like this, off the top of my head.

But to answer a different, related question:  the thing I most regret about my Story Hour is that I’m so lousy at recalling dialogue.  My players are endless reeling off wonderful, dramatic and/or humorous dialogue during the game, but I never have the time to write it down while I’m playing, and then I forget it afterward.   One of these days I’ll sneak a tape recorder under the gaming table… 

6. What three things (single sentences each) would you say are most important in a good SH?

- a compelling plot
- good pacing 
- humor
- grammatical competence

(Oh, you said _three_ things?  My bad.)


_7. What three things (single sentences each) would you say are most important in a good SH _writing style?

- reasonable enough spelling that it doesn’t become a distraction
- use of paragraphs
- avoiding run-on sentences


_8. How many sessions behind are you in your writing, compared to where the campaign actually is, in-game?_

Right now I’m about four extremely action-heavy runs behind “real life.”

_9. Have you ever tried to turn events (discouraging a certain course of action, cheesing a rule, etc.) in-game for the benefit of the story hour? If so, have your players called you on it?_

Nope.  

_10. If your story hour were published in novel form, paste here what you would want as the first-page teaser: several paragraphs from the story to hook the attention of a browsing bookstore patron. EDIT: quick note- people seem to think I mean the same old "give us a few paragraphs about your SH". I mean "Give us a few paragraphs FROM your SH". _


***

A few minutes after the _sending_ there is a knock on Grey Wolf’s door. Skorg is there with a big grin on his face. 

"Lunchtime!" he says brightly. 

Grey Wolf can detect an unpleasant odor coming from the kitchen. Skorg rouses Kibi as well. 

"Come on! You wizardy types need to eat sometime, to keep up your strength."

In the dining room the table is set with plates containing some sort of black oozy substance. A questionable smell wafts from the plates. Eddings is already seated, trying not to look disgusted. 

"Black lizard pie!" announces Skorg proudly.  “I made it from scratch myself. I had the Icebox deliver a brace of fresh black lizards, and used some of Ernie’s spices to give the pie extra flavor.”

“I suggest the spices," Eddings offers helpfully. "Lots of spices."

Kibi and Grey Wolf sit, their noses wrinkling uncontrollably. Skorg starts wolfing down forkfuls of pie. Eddings pushes his food around with his fork without enthusiasm. 

And then the Greenhouse vanishes. Grey Wolf feels a lurching in his stomach, and the constant feeling of churning semi-nausea is replaced by a different sort of discomfort. Now it feels like a deep vibration, like a buzzer is going off in his innards. After a second of disorientation, the four of them look around and see that they are in deep, deep trouble.

It is night. They are outdoors, on a vast plain, in the midst of an army. All around them are tents, campfires, and the sounds of an army camp at night. They can hear grunts, clanks, voices, horses, the crackling of torches. The air is filled with the aromas of sweat, urine and gruel that follow large armies wherever they go. 

They are all still in their chairs, forks in hand. Eddings looks around slowly. 

"I, uh, don’t suppose this is something you have done on purpose?" he whispers.


***

Nearly 150' down, the vertical shaft opens onto a wide stone corridor with a black glass floor. The party surmises that they have reached the bottom of the bottle that contains the city of Zhamir. Screams, loud sobbing, and maniacal laughter all echo throughout the City Below, which seems to be a latticework of straight stone corridors and mostly empty rooms. A small child huddles near one wall of a corridor, begging for water. Pog warns the party to ignore him, but Kay and Ernie cannot abide the child's pathetic pleas, and give him water to drink. He takes a sip, begins screaming that he's been poisoned, and launches himself at Kay, scratching and kicking. He does not relent until Ernie knocks him out. 

Shaken, the party continues on while screams and babble resound all around them.  At one point an old man pokes his head out of a dark room, and the party recognizes him from a portrait in Repose; it is Kinnvhad, but he is mad beyond help, and goes into fits when the party asks him of details of his former life. 

At last the party is brought into a small room with wooden benches, and one simple door at the far end. 

"Solomea is through there," Pog tells them. "Don't speak too loudly to him, and understand that he is quite eccentric. I won't be going with you; he is quite particular about that when he talks to strangers. There will be a short length of hallway, which opens into Solomea's room. Good luck!" 

The Company heads through the doorway, and the hallway stretches into the darkness before them.  As they pass the threshold each feels a slight shiver, and a feeling of unease creeps over them.  Morningstar casts _thought capture_ – and immediately goes unconscious.  She comes to after a few seconds with a splitting headache.

They continue on.

After twenty more seconds of walking it is clear that this is no "short length of hallway." They turn to look back toward the door -- and see that there is no more door.  Rather, the hallway ends at a vast star-filled space, like a stone catwalk hanging out over an abyss. 

In fact, the space is slowly advancing toward them, and the hallway itself is being "eaten away" by it.  Dranko walks to the edge, taking constant steps back to stay on solid ground.  He can see that the space extends in all directions; the hallway empties out into an endless starry void. 

The party is essentially chased along the hallway by the encroaching void, but after half a minute they can see the same void _ahead_ of them as well.  With nothing else for it they continue ahead until they find themselves standing on a wide iron disc, floating all alone in space. All around them, above and below, stars twinkle in the night. 

Then the face appears. It is unimaginably huge, taking up a full quarter of the horizon, its distance impossible to gauge. It is an old man's face, with stringy gray hair and a mostly-salt salt-and-pepper beard and mustache. And it begins to laugh, a slow, resonant chuckle that booms through the void.  It speaks in a voice that echoes from everywhere. 

"Welcome to the Maze. Welcome, to my mind. See what the Maze has done to me, and… what it will… do to you. It is… but a reflection of your minds, which are now in my mind.  Ah, yes, I'm afraid you won't be leaving. Yes, I'm very afraid." 

Then, in a softer voice, with a clear note of panic in its pitch: "Very afraid." 

And finally, in a soft voice filled with unmistakable terror: 

"Help me…" 

The face fades away, leaving them alone on an iron disk floating in the void.  Then, high above them, something fills the sky. It is a vast iron labyrinth, terrifying in scope, stretching through the blackness as far as the party can see. It is upside down from their point of view, as if the Gods themselves are holding it inverted high above their heads. 

And it is descending. Closer and closer it comes, filling all space and thought; the sky is a huge iron maze, and it is falling. Then they notice that another equally large maze is rising up from the depths below their floating disc. For a few brief seconds, they can see that both mazes are irregular, mostly filled with even iron-walled passages, but with various strange features dotting the expanses – rooms, walls of other materials, blotches of color. But the two labyrinths, falling from above and rising up from below, seem as though they are going to crush the Company like a pair of monstrous jaws. They brace for the collision… 

_11. Give us a link, pookie._

Here’s my Story Hour, and here’s my campaign web-site.  (Due to attbi.com flakeyness, you may need to hit "refresh" a couple of times.  Don't believe it when it tells you it can't find the url...)

-Sagiro


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## Wulf Ratbane (Nov 10, 2002)

*1. How many sessions deep are you into your story? (meaning- how many single game sessions have you written up for your SH so far?)*

Someone asked this question just the other day and I had no ready answer. Because we are playing the adventure path, I can definitively say we have just finished Lord of the Iron Fortress.

*2. Everyone seems to agree that a successful story hour can only come about as a result of passion on the writer's part for the story, not the glory. Still, how much do you value reader feedback?*

The writer's passion comes from reader feedback. It's key.

*3. What percentage of your own players read the story, would you say?*

The question seems to assume I'm the DM. I'm a player. Counting the DM, I would say 4 of 6 read regularly, one lurks, and one can't find his ass with both hands, let alone the Story Hour.

*4. Do you value the page views column on the main page? If so, do you feel like jumping from a bridge when you see Piratecat's views? *

Bah. I've seen Piratecat's Artificial View Inflater-bot.

*5. What's the worst in-game moment you've had to write up? Examples could include a total party kill or heavily hyped bad guy going down in the first round, etc.*

Lots of these, actually. The paladin used a broken spell from Relics and Rituals to kill Gulthias, the main villain from Heart of Nightfang Spire, with a single touch.

And for a while we really got into a rut where our high-level play bogged down to scrying the bad guy, buffing up, teleporting in, and killing everything.

*6. What three things (single sentences each) would you say are most important in a good SH?*

1) Grammar (including spelling and punctuation)
2) Strong characterization (including dialogue)
3) Humor
4) Conflict

*7. What three things (single sentences each) would you say are most important in a good SH writing style?*

How does this question differ from #6?

*8. How many sessions behind are you in your writing, compared to where the campaign actually is, in-game? *

I'd guess between 8 and a dozen. I don't like to think about it.

*9. Have you ever tried to turn events (discouraging a certain course of action, cheesing a rule, etc.) in-game for the benefit of the story hour? If so, have your players called you on it?*

There you go assuming that Story Hour writers are the DM again. 

I have often discouraged certain courses of action from myself and my fellow players because it would make for a better game, while in the back of my mind admitting it would make for a better _story_ as well. I don't think anyone has ever called me on it.

I suspect that when the day comes that the protagonist of my story dies, I will make a meta-game decision on whether to raise him based on the story hour.

*10. If your story hour were published in novel form, paste here what you would want as the first-page teaser: several paragraphs from the story to hook the attention of a browsing bookstore patron. *

Gah... So many parts I like, but folks really seem to enjoy this bit:

_Wulf left the manor house in an even fouler mood, having added the major domo to his growing list of likely villains in desperate need of the taste of boot leather, blood, and their own teeth. 

As they passed through the market square again, the halfling skipped ahead, jumping and pointing. "Ooh! Street performers!"

A small stage was set up against an old building. Some half-dozen men and women, dressed in ridiculous outfits, were regaling a growing crowd with a tale of star-crossed lovers, or some other such nonsense. Wulf grinned and made a beeline for the nearest fruit stand, looking for anything rotten or over-ripe. "Now yer talkin'."

Keldas frowned. "Not a patron of the arts, are you? What, you don't care for the fine art of the thespian?"

"Hey, hey now. Speak for yerself! I like watchin' a couple of thespians goin' at it as much as the next guy, but I ain't passin' up an opportunity like this." He hefted an apple and judged the distance to the stage. Keldas frowned and took Alliane's arm, steering her closer for a better look. Halma hesitantly padded after them, unsure exactly what was going on.

Wulf waited for the dramatically appropriate moment to pelt the performers with rotten fruit. The star-crossed lovers had moved to the front of the stage, leaving their bickering families behind them, when suddenly there was a hideous cry from one of the women near the back of the stage. Blood came gushing from her neck, spraying the actors in front, and she toppled over, revealing a disgusting creature on her back. It had leathery grey skin, wild wiry hair, and the white eyes of the cave-blind. Its mouth and claws were covered in her blood. It began feasting, tearing at her flesh, heedless of the crowd around it.

Wulf dropped his apple, his jaw hanging open, and began to applaud wildly. "Huzzah! Now THAT'S a play!"

Another half-dozen of the creatures came bounding onto the stage from some hidden bolt-hole, swinging axes from side to side and cleaving through the remaining actors. Wulf continued to applaud, but Keldas and Alianne had already begun casting spells, and Halma had leapt up onto the stage at their urging, his greatsword sweeping back and forth with precision, trying to save the remaining actors from the ravenous assault.

Wulf hesitated a moment longer, wondering if he could possibly convince himself that this was all just part of the show. Far be it from him to disturb an actor in pursuit of his "craft." Farther still to give a rat's ass about the worthless life of another actor. His mind was rather quickly made up, however, when he spotted the leader of the creatures at the edge of the stage, a battle-axe in one hand and a rather interesting hand-axe in the other. Wulf didn't have Keldas' eye for the arcane, but he could spot masterwork when he saw it. And he wanted it.

Wulf rushed the stage, bringing out Taranak in both hands as he charged. He crashed into the leader from the side at full tilt, slashing his axe in a blazing arc. His foe staggered and Wulf took advantage of that brief moment to draw a dagger into his off-hand. The two of them fought toe-to-toe for several moments. Wulf noted that his opponent fought two-weapon style, as he did, but in the unskilled, uneducated, and ultimately ineffective style of the so-called "Rangers." Before long Wulf had his boot on his foe's wrist and was prying the hand-axe from his death grip. "Lazy prick. That'll teach yer to try to fake it against a real pro." 

Wulf looked up and was pleased to see that all of the creatures had been slain-- as had nearly all of the actors. The stage was slick and black with blood, and the crowd before them stood agape at the carnage. Some unlucky few in the front row were splattered with gore.

Wulf stomped to the edge of the stage, his arms spread wide, an axe in either hand. The crowd instinctively backed away, until Wulf stopped-- and bowed deeply. 

The applause rang in his ears._

WULF's COLLECTED STORY HOUR


Wulf


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## NiTessine (Nov 11, 2002)

1. Five, I think. I write the events of every session as a separate chapter, though with my bad memory, something can always fall in the cracks...

2. They can be good for ideas... For example, a certain villain they just defeated in the story hour came to being partly thanks to the readers' insistence...

3. 25%, I think. Might be 50%. I've got four players, by the way.

4. The page views column gives a good general idea of how popular the story hour is, but it's unreliable for any accurate gauging of the quality.  

5. It'll be in the next chapter. I'll be posting it on the 17th. 

6. Interesting characters, good writing, and a solid plot.

7. Oo, this is tricky... Apart from grammar, I can't think of anything except that I don't like reading stuff written in the present tense.

8. Two.

9. Yes. A couple of players wanted to switch characters, and I had to forbid them. And no, they did not call me on it.

10. Fisibbei turned to face the nobleman as Ranland and Frederich dealt with the goblins. He hefted his sickle, measuring it against the nobleman's greater reach. He was preparing to strike the first blow, when something, a flash of black shadow, with hint of a tail, fell from the rigging to the deck and darted towards von Hedon. The nobleman's hand flashed again to his cloak, bringing up a second duelling pistol, and again the sharp sound of gunshot sounded over the placid sea. All this happened so fast the halfling druid could not keep up, marvelling at the speed of his opponent. 

The shot missed the shadowy shape by a hair, and it was upon him. It was a skaven, black cloak billowing behind him, and a hairless, scaly tail flicking back and forth in excitement as the ratman stabbed Henrik von Hedon in the stomach with his long, wavy-bladed dagger, faintly glowing with a green haze. Black blood gushed forth from the gaping wound in his abdomen, and he collapsed, dark froth already specking his lips as the potent venoms of the skaven took action.

11. It's in the sig.


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## Jon Potter (Nov 11, 2002)

*1. How many sessions deep are you into your story? (meaning- how many single game sessions have you written up for your SH so far?)*

Well, since my SH is a posting of my ongoing PBEM, it's a considerably different than most. The campaign is close to 200 turns long so far. I've posted the last 20 or so turns to the Story hour.

*2. Everyone seems to agree that a successful story hour can only come about as a result of passion on the writer's part for the story, not the glory. Still, how much do you value reader feedback?*

It's always good to know that someone's reading and interested enough to respond.

*3. What percentage of your own players read the story, would you say?*

None, currently. I haven't mentioned its existence to them. And besides they get the same thing sent to their email every week.

*4. Do you value the page views column on the main page? If so, do you feel like jumping from a bridge when you see Piratecat's views? *

I look at it. Since I get nearly no reader feedback, this is my only gauge as to whether anyone's looking at my work. I think that PCat's SH deserves every single page view it has and I don't feel threatened by it. He's an institution on the boards and I don't think that I'm competing with him.

*5. What's the worst in-game moment you've had to write up? Examples could include a total party kill or heavily hyped bad guy going down in the first round, etc... Things that just don't really happen in epic fantasy fiction. *

Three instances come quickly to mind and all of them are of a single type: lucky dice rolls that turned what were supposed to be a dangerous and climactic encounters into single round routs. The most recent involved a villainous wererat who had been bothering our heroes for several adventures meeting his untimely end in one round with two critical hits - one a x3!

*6. What three things (single sentences each) would you say are most important in a good SH?*


Plot
Characters
Descriptive text that draws me into a scene

*7. What three things (single sentences each) would you say are most important in a good SH writing style?*


Spelling
Grammar
A good sense of storytelling

*8. How many sessions behind are you in your writing, compared to where the campaign actually is, in-game? *

I'm current.

*9. Have you ever tried to turn events (discouraging a certain course of action, cheesing a rule, etc.) in-game for the benefit of the story hour? If so, have your players called you on it?*

No. Sometimes unheroic and unexpected things happen; that's the nature of the game. I do try to write things up in the most interesting way possible, however. It's often easy to tweak things in the presentation to make events seem more interesting than they actually are. Actually, the hardest thing to write up was the sudden conversion to the 3E rules.

*10. If your story hour were published in novel form, paste here what you would want as the first-page teaser:*

"Ya gonna open da door?" the voice asked as the eye traveled over Finian's body. "Ya don't look fit ta feast, slim."
"Who.. are you?" the Archer wheezed. 
"Name's Muddah," the voice said and the eye disappeared to be replaced by a twisted, flattened nose and a huge mouth split into a wide smile. That mouth was over-full of sharply pointed fangs. "An' I'd a be decidin' whatcha wanna do right quick. Yer boss don't seem ta be havin' too tender a time!"
Finian glanced back and saw Soriah lying in the sand at the creature's feet. She was trying unsuccessfully to get to her hands and knees. There was blood on her armor.
"She's cooked if'n sumpin' don't 'appen right quick," Muddah told him. The red eye was staring at the half-elf through the view port again. "It's square wid me if'n ya don't wanna let me out, but da boss's in right bile shape, if'n ya ask me!"
The Archer looked from the eye to Soriah to his bow. His hand was trembling even worse than before. He could use the bow; maybe draw the creature's attention away from his companions. The way he felt, however, he knew it would probably kill him to do so. And the tremor made him doubt his ability to hit the thing.
He looked at the blood red eye staring at him from the view port.
"Help them," he said, feeling as useless as he'd ever felt in his whole life.
"Time ta feast!" Muddah said as the bar slid away.

*11. Give us a link, pookie.*

The link to the Stroy Hour's in my sig.

The earlier tales (before we converted to 3E) can be found here


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## Elemental (Nov 11, 2002)

Well, I just entered, with a non-d20 Story Hour (Exalted: Tales of the Pefect Circle)

1. How many sessions deep are you into your story? (meaning- how many single game sessions have you written up for your SH so far?)


Two out of four preludes. The first proper session will be tonight.


2. Everyone seems to agree that a successful story hour can only come about as a result of passion on the writer's part for the story, not the glory. Still, how much do you value reader feedback?


A great deal. It's nice to know someone's reading it and / or wants to know more.


3. What percentage of your own players read the story, would you say?


Most of them.


4. Do you value the page views column on the main page? If so, do you feel like jumping from a bridge when you see Piratecat's views? 


Yes, and yes. Though Piratecat earned every last one of them.


5. What's the worst in-game moment you've had to write up? Examples could include a total party kill or heavily hyped bad guy going down in the first round, etc... Things that just don't really happen in epic fantasy fiction. 


Writing up a PC who the player decided to change after the prelude, consensus being that she just wasn't working as a character. How on earth do you write that up without making the story incoherant? In epic fantasy, you don't usually get a hero who turns up, decides not to join the group and then vanishes into the ether, never to be heard from again.


6. What three things (single sentences each) would you say are most important in a good SH?


Drama, which can be big fights, tense social situations, challenging puzzles, and many other things.

Good descriptive powers because online, your description is all they have to go on.

Interesting NPC's, situations and places.


7. What three things (single sentences each) would you say are most important in a good SH writing style?


A rapport between the writer and readers, so the latter know exactly what the former means.

A rapport between the readers and PC's, because if the readers don't care about these guys, then the story is dead in the water.

Ability to keep the plot clear, no matter how complex it gets (and my games often get very tangled, very quickly).


8. How many sessions behind are you in your writing, compared to where the campaign actually is, in-game? 


Two.


9. Have you ever tried to turn events (discouraging a certain course of action, cheesing a rule, etc.) in-game for the benefit of the story hour? If so, have your players called you on it?


No. As is the nature of GM's, I often hint about a course of action that I've planned for, but I try and refrain from outright railroading, for any reason.


10. If your story hour were published in novel form, paste here what you would want as the first-page teaser: several paragraphs from the story to hook the attention of a browsing bookstore patron. EDIT: quick note- people seem to think I mean the same old "give us a few paragraphs about your SH". I mean "Give us a few paragraphs FROM your SH". 


"The ancient woman sat down and felt a slight twinge in her bones. ‘I’m getting old.’ She thought, and laughed at herself. It had been over fifty-five and a half centuries. Of course she was feeling old. By rights, she should have been rotting in her grave millenia ago but that had changed that day she had been driven out of her bed by an urge she could not comprehend, to watch the stars, and the red star that had spoken to her.

Though that day was frozen in her memory, she couldn’t recall anything else from her mortal life. She couldn’t recall who her parents were, if she’d had a husband. Memories had piled on each other over the years, and inevitably, some had got lost. There were entire centuries in her past that she had retained nothing from. It was strange how events could wait for decades and then all come at once. There was the emergence of the Deathlords and their campaign to spread their shadowlands over the world, there was the sudden disappearance of the Empress, the ruler of the Realm, and there was, after so many years, the re-emergance of the Solar Exalted. Once in a great while during the time since the Usurpation, one of them had appeared, but the Wyld Hunt of the Dragon-Blooded had been swift to descend, and slay them. But with the vanishing of the Empress, the attention of the Realm had turned inwards, as the great houses squabbled for supremacy. But that alone did not account for the rapid upturn in Solars returning. For the first time in a very long time, what she was attemtping was not only possible, but plausible. Assuming the next few minutes went well. So much depended on that, she dared not think about it. But it needed to be done. The world needed saving, and no-one else looked likely to step up to the task any time soon."


11. Give us a link, pookie.

http://enworld.cyberstreet.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=30085


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## NoOneofConsequence (Nov 14, 2002)

1. How many sessions deep are you into your story? (meaning- how many single game sessions have you written up for your SH so far?)

Only two sessions - another in a few days.


2. Everyone seems to agree that a successful story hour can only come about as a result of passion on the writer's part for the story, not the glory. Still, how much do you value reader feedback?

I'm only in this for the feedback - please comment. Please, please...you get the picture.


3. What percentage of your own players read the story, would you say?

0% - I'm the only member of ENWorld from my group (not for want of trying - they just don't join).


4. Do you value the page views column on the main page? If so, do you feel like jumping from a bridge when you see Piratecat's views? 

Yes I do value it - but I'm working off a ratio with the number of replies. And yeah, I dream of one day being Piratecat.


5. What's the worst in-game moment you've had to write up? Examples could include a total party kill or heavily hyped bad guy going down in the first round, etc... Things that just don't really happen in epic fantasy fiction. 

Obviously it's too soon for me to answer this question.


6. What three things (single sentences each) would you say are most important in a good SH?

Fun - show the excitement that you feel in your campaign.
Style - don't just use game speak, find other ways to portray the action.
Drama - It shouldn't sound like a bunch of folks rolling dice and knocking back Jolt(TM). Characters should feel like they're in a life and death situation.


7. What three things (single sentences each) would you say are most important in a good SH _writing style?_

Style - as per previous question.
Good formatting - easier to read, more read.


8. How many sessions behind are you in your writing, compared to where the campaign actually is, in-game? 

Up to date - your reading it as it's happening.


9. Have you ever tried to turn events (discouraging a certain course of action, cheesing a rule, etc.) in-game for the benefit of the story hour? If so, have your players called you on it?

Not yet - give me time.


10. If your story hour were published in novel form, paste here what you would want as the first-page teaser: several paragraphs from the story to hook the attention of a browsing bookstore patron. EDIT: quick note- people seem to think I mean the same old "give us a few paragraphs about your SH". I mean "Give us a few paragraphs FROM your SH". 

"I was standing second to last in the line, next to Aria, and I saw with dismay the lizard warrior’s halberd catch her a glancing blow in the shoulder. Knowing that she was ill prepared to stand toe-to-toe with such a powerful warrior, I touched her shoulder, telling her to switch places with me. She waited for the right moment, and then with a deft motion, we switched places, putting me in the front line, as it were. The lizard halberdier was unfazed as to which target he was attacking and pressed me as hard as he could, slashing away. I responded in kind, and my long sword drew more blood than his halberd.

Back in the middle of our line, Kakita was making repeated strikes at his opponent, his katana leaving slash after slash in the lizard warrior’s unarmoured torso. Kakita was appalled however, when he heard a low pitched hum, and the creature’s skin seemed to close some of its wounds automatically, as if healing that would take days, was happening in seconds. Unsure how many times the lizard man could achieve this healing, Kakita redoubled his attack.

Pax continued to rake her enemy with the taloned end of her steel chain. Dancing and weaving with astonishing grace for one so tall, the fey-touched barbarian held her opponent at bay, only once receiving a strike in return."

-------

While the battle raged, Mark snuck forward to see what lay at the end of this tunnel. Peeking through an open doorway at the end of the corridor, Mark looked into a large chamber, filled with strange objects which looked to be equal parts living beings and magical devices. Across the chamber Mark could make out the shape of the umber hulk, standing so still it might well have been a statue. Behind it, against the wall, were a number of humanoid figures, chained and bound. There were tables which seemed to have been grown from bone and pools of water made from membranous flesh. Something large and distressed writhed in a large, fleshy bag hanging from the ceiling. It looked as if it might well have once been the organ of a living thing, as though a giant had swallowed a man and then the stomach had been cut free and hung from the roof like a sack. Moving back and forth in this biological madness, seemingly oblivious to the noises of combat coming from up the passage, was a single figure in leathery robes. Mark’s blood chilled as the figure turned in profile to a lamplight and he saw the four whipping tentacles hanging from the humanoids mouth and chin. A mind flayer!


11. Give us a link, pookie.

See my sig.


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## el-remmen (Nov 19, 2002)

*1. How many sessions deep are you into your story? (meaning- how many single game sessions have you written up for your SH so far?)*

I have written up 33 sessions as of last night.


*2. Everyone seems to agree that a successful story hour can only come about as a result of passion on the writer's part for the story, not the glory. Still, how much do you value reader feedback? *

I like it – but I just like knowing people are reading – as long as they are reading they must love it or really hate it – so the individual comments  are not as important – but I still like reading them, and wouldn’t mind having more.

*3. What percentage of your own players read the story, would you say? *

Hmmm, about 50%?

*4. Do you value the page views column on the main page? If so, do you feel like jumping from a bridge when you see Piratecat's views? *

Eh, I admit I compare sometimes – but not all of us have a bot that constantly views the pages for us like PC does. 

*5. What's the worst in-game moment you've had to write up? Examples could include a total party kill or heavily hyped bad guy going down in the first round, etc... Things that just don't really happen in epic fantasy fiction. *

I love writing them all – esp. the embarrassing scenes – it is a challenge for me to write quirky “D&D” stuff into the narrative and make it work.

*6. What three things (single sentences each) would you say are most important in a good SH? *

Hmm. . . I think it is different for everyone – but for me:

a)	sense of place –the setting should come to life so that the PCs do not seem to be acting in a vacuum.
b)	Dialogue.  Each character should have a “voice” – they come alive in their own words.
c)	Action Scenes.


*7. What three things (single sentences each) would you say are most important in a good SH writing style? *

Again, this is different for everyone. . .  I like a) attention to detail, b) lots of dialogue, c)fast-paced combat scenes.

*8. How many sessions behind are you in your writing, compared to where the campaign actually is, in-game? *

Ugh, 13 sessions.

*9. Have you ever tried to turn events (discouraging a certain course of action, cheesing a rule, etc.) in-game for the benefit of the story hour? If so, have your players called you on it? *

Nope.

*10. If your story hour were published in novel form, paste here what you would want as the first-page teaser: several paragraphs from the story to hook the attention of a browsing bookstore patron. EDIT: quick note- people seem to think I mean the same old "give us a few paragraphs about your SH". I mean "Give us a few paragraphs FROM your SH". *

_From Session #27_



> “Are we ready to have this meal?” Ratchis asked, eagerly.
> 
> “I think we still have a lot to talk about,” Beorth said flatly. “And I would not like to interrupt the reverence of the occasion with talk of our troubles. Best we do our talking first.”
> 
> ...





*11. Give us a link, pookie.*

How about three?

”Out of the Frying Pan – Book I: Gathering Wood

”Out of the Frying Pan – Book II: Catching the Spark (Part I)

 ”Out of the Frying Pan – Book II: Catching the Spark (Part II)


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## Broccli_Head (Nov 19, 2002)

*Hi. Just an excuse for authors to pimp their Story Hours (stories hour?) and kill some time with useless questions. *

Hooray for Doc!

*1. How many sessions deep are you into your story? (meaning- how many single game sessions have you written up for your SH so far?)*

I really haven't kept track of sessions. However, we have been playing the same campaign regularly since May or June of 2001

*2. Everyone seems to agree that a successful story hour can only come about as a result of passion on the writer's part for the story, not the glory. Still, how much do you value reader feedback?*

I would love more feedback and input from outsiders. However, I think the story is for the benefit of my players and I to chronicle what has happened in the campaign. 

*3. What percentage of your own players read the story, would you say?*

33% read it regulary. 25% post regular. Eventually others read it, but rarely do they give feedback. 

*4. Do you value the page views column on the main page? If so, do you feel like jumping from a bridge when you see Piratecat's views? *

Not really. 

*5. What's the worst in-game moment you've had to write up? Examples could include a total party kill or heavily hyped bad guy going down in the first round, etc... Things that just don't really happen in epic fantasy fiction. *

Way back in the early sessions, a psion in the group _mind blasted_ a dragon and stunned her. Granted it took 3 attempts and the dragon lay the smack on a few PCs, but to be hacked to death while stunned always seemed an ignoble way to go for a dragon. 

*6. What three things (single sentences each) would you say are most important in a good SH?*

1) Character development
2) A well thought of campaign logically linked together with an end goal in mind that has a great background
3)Action not just words

*7. What three things (single sentences each) would you say are most important in a good SH writing style?*

1)Good grammar! I can't read a story hour that has bad grammar. It's hard to follow. Granted we make mistakes here and there, but  the good thing is that we can go back an edit!
2) Incorporating dialogue so that it flows with the story.
3)Minimal mechanics explanations in the body of the story (leaving  notes and answers to question possible in subsequent posts)

*8. How many sessions behind are you in your writing, compared to where the campaign actually is, in-game? *

three or four 

*9. Have you ever tried to turn events (discouraging a certain course of action, cheesing a rule, etc.) in-game for the benefit of the story hour? If so, have your players called you on it?*

Yes. I like to push the story. If they have, I haven't listened all that much. Some of my players like DM fiat since they also prefer story to power. Others do not and struggle when some mechanic they feel should work in a particular situation does not.

*10. If your story hour were published in novel form, paste here what you would want as the first-page teaser: several paragraphs from the story to hook the attention of a browsing bookstore patron. EDIT: quick note- people seem to think I mean the same old "give us a few paragraphs about your SH". I mean "Give us a few paragraphs FROM your SH".*

_From HotVRII:_

_Pain!_ Ellysidell felt like he was on fire and was yanked from his reverie.

Souliess dreamed that he was baking in an oven and woke with a start. Their room was on fire, the door was no where to be seen, and the heat was intense. Dense smoke began to form. However, there was no crackling sound and he could not even here his scream. He shouted at Ellysidell, but the elf looked at him strange. _No Sound had come out!_ Quickly, he manifested a _mindlink _with Ell. Then before he could converse with his companion he sent out feelers to detect any other minds in the room. 

That was when the whirling, white-hot blades appeared and tore through the wolverine. Boiling blood hissed as it hit the walls of fire and steamed as they hit the ground. It was his blood and no one heard his yells of pain. He looked up and saw only a ripple in the heat as the blades quickly disappeared. He felt the alien and cruel mind. Death was here and it projected his demise willingly!

Ellysidell saw scimitars lash out at his roommate and struck where he thought they had originated. His blade cut only through air. Souliess reached out to the mind of the enemy and tried to wipe his mind. He could not tell the ripples of power from the shimmers of heat. He hurt badly. Somewhere in their minds a ripping and tearing of cloth echoed. Souliess felt the stong will of the assassin shrug off the attack and reward him with two more cuts of the blazing scimitars. Souliess toppled to the ground. A heap of steaming guts burst forth from his sundered belly. 

Then the attacker switched to Ellysidell. The elf yelled and raged and redoubled his effort. He thought about fleeing with the body of his fallen comrade, but only fleetingly. The flaming falchion and the semi-visible blades met each other and sparks flew. Ellysidell felt that he even hit one or two times, but the trade off was four, maybe five slashes that criss-crossed his body. Then two more slices formed a bloody, smoky "X" across his chest and abdomen. Stunned and left exposed, he saw the swirl of red robes and red skin and horns and sharp teeth briefly before he fell.  The enemy sliced deeply into his abdomen spilling way too much blood onto the floor.  Ellysidell stared in disbelief, sank to his knees, then collapsed face first into the pool of his steaming blood. 

Farrouk thought to himself as his wounds began to close, _All too easy.,_ and began wiping his blades on the fur of the dead, hairy psion to prevent them from tarnishing...


*11. Give us a link, pookie. *

See the Sig!


----------



## Joker (Nov 20, 2002)

1.)  None, they are both fictitious (sp?) introduction based on real (with real I mean fake as in made up for a game.) characters.  But as soon as I start Dm?g my campaign, I will start writing Story Hours based on what happens in sessions. 

2.)  It may sound slightly arrogant but I like reading what I write.  Though I don't mind feedback.  Though I would never tell you to plz go to my sig and press the link to read my tiny Story Hour.  Nope.  Not me. 

3.)  Well 20%, but he's not a player, he's a Dm. 

4.)  I don't really care, b/c it's not a good representation of how many ppl actually read it.  Besides, we all know that Piratecat just presses refresh a couple thousand times a day so that it looks like ppl actually read it . 

5.)  I haven't really ahd an in-game moment yet but I think the hardest would be the infantile conversations that my friends have with the Dm sometimes.  I would usually change it or leave it out entirely. 

6.) 

-Story/Plot- I like to see characters going through something bigger than kill this or kill that n stuff. 

-Writing Style- I can't really explain this. 

-Suspense, overcoming conflicts n stuff-  These are always fun to read, especially if it's well written. 

7.) 

-Good formatting is definately one.  Chtutulfagn (I am absolutely positive I misspelled his name), the one person who posted in my SH told me about this and when I changed my huge block of text into paragraphs and actually spaced it, I noticed a huge difference in the difficulty of reading it.  It also became a lot more enjoyable. 

-Simple spelling goes a long way. 

-Going away from clich? and trying to find different things to say the same thing. 

8.)  Well, I quit the campaign that my SH was mainly for and I started a RTTTOEE.  I thought about writing a Story Hour for that, but seeing the plethora of RTTTOEE SH's I didn't think I could add anything very new to what already existed. 

Hopefully I can start my own campaign after Christmas. 

9.)  I wouldn't do that for a Story Hour per se.  But I may do it to save the campaign. 

10.)“I am Nemesis. May my sword of justice be sharp…” 

The man stood in front of the mirror, scraping the short hair of his head. 

“May the instruments of my righteousness be undefiled…” 

Scrape. 

“May the shield of my faith be strong.?

With every scrape, he uttered another one of the lines from his three-line mantra. 
When his head felt smooth again, he wiped the condensation of the mirror to see the result of his handiwork. 
His unusually blue eyes stared back at him. 
He gazed at his throat, looked at it for a moment then looked back at the sharp razor. He was tempted, but then he put the razor down. 

He turned around and walked out of the bathroom naked, into the large living area that contained everything he owned, which was everything he needed. 

He walked towards the man-high mirror and inspected his tall, muscular body: The clean shaved head, the broad shoulders, the powerful arms, the rippling muscles on his stomach and the muscled legs. On the left side of his body except his face he had carved the word ‘DUTY?in every known language and on the right side he had carved the word ‘HONOR?in every language. 
But there was not a single hint of vanity on his face. Instead, the look that he wore was one of meticulous objectivity, as if checking to see if a tool or weapon that was of great import to him was in good shape. 

As always, he was satisfied. 


Maybe that's too much for a teaser.  Oh well. 

11.)  Click the link, click the link.  I will pay you if u click the link.  Well, not really, but it's the thought that counts. 



I hope this post was at least mildly informative/entertaining.  I sure thought it was an excellent pass time to spend my skipped English class.  And if I said things that were said before, I'm sorry, my English class wasn't long enough to read the whole thing. 

Tata.


----------



## (contact) (Nov 20, 2002)

*1. How many sessions deep are you into your story? (meaning- how many single game sessions have you written up for your SH so far?)*

The Liberation of Tenh is about 50 runs deep (not including the TOEE2), and the Risen Goddess is at 40-ish.  Both campaigns been running since the release of 3rd edition.
*2. Everyone seems to agree that a successful story hour can only come about as a result of passion on the writer's part for the story, not the glory. Still, how much do you value reader feedback?*

Reader feedback and the writer's passion aren't opposite ends of a spectrum.  Both are crucial, but only the writer's enjoyment of writing the story hour will sustain it.  I love it when my readers give me feedback and suggestions, but that alone isn't enough to keep me plugging away.  I have a lot of fun writing up the story hours, and feedback is the icing on that cake.
*3. What percentage of your own players read the story, would you say?*

0% read the story hour online, but 100% read the logs.  I put all the important plot clues and foreshadowing in the logs, which makes them a very useful tool for my players, particularly since we get to play so rarely.
*4. Do you value the page views column on the main page? If so, do you feel like jumping from a bridge when you see Piratecat's views? *

Yes and no.  I've had to re-start my threads a couple of times, so the view count doesn't represent actual views, but I do appreciate people checking them out.  Piratecat freaking *created* this forum with his story hour, so he *should* have more views than my sister's exotic dance routine.
*5. What's the worst in-game moment you've had to write up? Examples could include a total party kill or heavily hyped bad guy going down in the first round, etc... Things that just don't really happen in epic fantasy fiction. *

I'm not trying to write epic fantasy fiction.  I'm writing D&D logs.  In D&D 'noble' characters loot bodies and much hyped bad guys roll 1s on their saving throws.  The audience understands these game-specific dynamics, and those sorts of things add value to the story, not detract from it.  It's like a big inside joke we're all in on.

That said, the biggest headache is condensing long battles into an interesting narrative.
*6. What three things (single sentences each) would you say are most important in a good SH?*

1.  Humor
2.  Readability (see below)
3.  The advancement of a larger plotline within the D&D game structure.
*7. What three things (single sentences each) would you say are most important in a good SH writing style?*

1.  A unique voice
2.  Clear characterization
3.  Clear challenges and conflicts
*8. How many sessions behind are you in your writing, compared to where the campaign actually is, in-game? *

Both active story hours are up-to-date as of today.
*9. Have you ever tried to turn events (discouraging a certain course of action, cheesing a rule, etc.) in-game for the benefit of the story hour? If so, have your players called you on it?*

Yes I have, and they didn't.  Anything you twist for the benifit of the story hour will benefit the in-game story as well.  If your readers would be bored wiht a scene or encounter, chances are your players would be as well, so let that scene hit the cutting room floor!
*10. If your story hour were published in novel form, paste here what you would want as the first-page teaser: several paragraphs from the story to hook the attention of a browsing bookstore patron. EDIT: quick note- people seem to think I mean the same old "give us a few paragraphs about your SH". I mean "Give us a few paragraphs FROM your SH". *

*From the Liberation of Tenh, Chapter 4: All Covered in Blood and Nowhere to Go.*

The party are dirty, disheveled, wounded, and covered in blood, most of it not their own. The stench of burning _feebleminded_ barbarians clings to Pris and Ethel's clothes and hair. There is a wild-eyed post-combat look on each and every face. 

Now they finally fit in here in Stoink.

------

*From Chapter 20: Storming the Gates of Heaven*

The two adventurers walk into the bustling city, bloody, dirty and burdened by a person-sized bundle slung over the shoulder of the huge sorcerer. Traveling East from the marketplace, they find themselves in a well-to-do neighborhood composed of small residences surrounding larger villas. Heydricus leads them to one of the villas, a modest home by Chendl's standards, but palatial to the eyes of the Wintershiven priest.

A young woman, petite and red-headed, is working in the flower-garden that surrounds the approach to the main house. She stands up and squints at the travelers, silhouetted against the afternoon sun. When they get closer, the woman barks out "Heydricus! Gods alive, I thought you were dead!"

"Hello, Alli," Heydricus says in his warmest voice.

"I'd hoped you were dead, anyway, you rat-loving sloth merchant!" Alli grips her garden shears in the unmistakable pose of a seasoned back alley knife-fighter.

"It's good to see you too," Heydricus says as he drops Prisantha's body into the freshly planted flowers. "Is Millia home?"

"She's never home when you come calling, you fatherless dog-scratching vagrant." Alli growls as she steps forward.

Alli pauses and squints at the bundle in her garden. "Is that . . . Gods, Heydricus . . . is that a corpse?"

"Not for long," Heydricus cheerily replies, and walks up to the porch. "Come along, Tau, I'll fix us some bitter-sweet water."

"The hell you will!" Alli starts to say when she is interrupted by a new arrival.

A tall, raven-haired woman, older than Heydricus and beautiful in that way that young women can never be, is standing over the body of Prisantha. She is dressed in finery, and her jewelry is expensive, if subtly stated. She stares at the sorcerer and quietly adjusts the neckline of her dress, lowering it ever so slightly. "Heydricus," she says, and allows the name to linger on her tongue.

"Millia," Heydricus says with a smile. He bounds off the porch in one sure stride and takes her hand in his, kissing it. "Allow me to introduce my companion Tau of Wintershiven, Loremaster of Pholtus, Mendicant of the Blinding Light."

"You're filthy." Millia states in a distant and distracted voice as she stares into Heydricus' amber eyes.

"Ah, you remember." Heydricus whispers. He turns back to the porch and moves inside. "Alli," he begins in an authoritative tone, "take the body into the stables, but for the love of Tritherion don't unpack it. Tau, let's get cleaned up. Millia, it is my most fervent wish that you will join us for dinner. Shall we say," Heydricus looks at the sun, "sevenish?"


*11. Give us a link, pookie.*


TOEE2

The Risen Goddess

The Liberation of Tenh


----------



## Kid Charlemagne (Dec 3, 2002)

> *
> 1. How many sessions deep are you into your story? (meaning- how many single game sessions have you written up for your SH so far?)*




Somewhere around 120 sessions, over 8 years.  Only the past 60 or so are represented in the SH, though



> *
> 2. Everyone seems to agree that a successful story hour can only come about as a result of passion on the writer's part for the story, not the glory. Still, how much do you value reader feedback?*




Reader feedback is awesome.  Its especially nice when people who aren't a part of the gaming group enjoy the story.



> *
> 3. What percentage of your own players read the story, would you say?
> *




All five of them.



> *
> 4. Do you value the page views column on the main page? If so, do you feel like jumping from a bridge when you see Piratecat's views?
> *




Page views mean a lot, since it gives you an idea of how much people are enjoying your work.  That said, when starting off, its very easy to feel extraordinarily depressed by how low the number is, so the only reason to REALLY write is for your own benefit and that of your gaming group.



> *
> 5. What's the worst in-game moment you've had to write up? Examples could include a total party kill or heavily hyped bad guy going down in the first round, etc... Things that just don't really happen in epic fantasy fiction.
> *




I can't really say that there have been any moments like that.  Ther biggest problem was making sure I got the details right.



> *
> 6. What three things (single sentences each) would you say are most important in a good SH?
> *




1. Representing the actual game experience well.
2. Good Grammar.
3. Captivating story.



> *
> 7. What three things (single sentences each) would you say are most important in a good SH writing style?
> *




1. Again, good grammar, paragraph breaks, etc.
2. Levity to break up the story is nice, but jokey Story Hours can be tough to read at times.
3. The ability to convey the PC's quirks and differences.



> *
> 8. How many sessions behind are you in your writing, compared to where the campaign actually is, in-game?
> *




Right now, 4 or 5.  I've been lax lately.  Initially, I wrote the SH from the perspective of several years away, more recently, I'm writing within a week or so of the session.



> *
> 9. Have you ever tried to turn events (discouraging a certain course of action, cheesing a rule, etc.) in-game for the benefit of the story hour? If so, have your players called you on it?
> *




My first SH installment was written after the entire run had already finished.  In the more recent installments, I hope I've never played to the crowd, so to speak.



> *
> 10. If your story hour were published in novel form, paste here what you would want as the first-page teaser: several paragraphs from the story to hook the attention of a browsing bookstore patron. EDIT: quick note- people seem to think I mean the same old "give us a few paragraphs about your SH". I mean "Give us a few paragraphs FROM your SH". *




They enter the room where Brisco is, and Jovah asks him again what it is that the soldiers want him for. Brisco explains that the soldiers work for a man named Terrence Forge. Forge has a large number of men in the northern, unclaimed territories, and they are training for some kind of mission, but no one knows exactly what. Terrence Forge is a rich, rich man. He owns the Forgeway Company along with his older brother. The Forgeway Company is a large, powerful, Caradinian-based enterprise that makes money from Inns, mail service, and other things; sort of a medieval Wells Fargo. The party stayed in one the Forgeway Inns while they were in Norridge, Gavin points out. 

Another of the Forgeway Company’s businesses is Magical and Alchemical research. This work is done primarily for the Caradinian military. This is the division of the company that Brisco got hired into. Forgeway’s contracts with its alchemical researchers are notorious for not having out clauses, as Brisco found out. 

“Why would anyone hire you to invent stuff for them?” Jovah asks incredulously. “You’d be spending half your time inventing cherry-flavored halberds, or something…” 

“They didn’t hire me just ‘cause they wanted me to be some minor guy!” Brisco protests. “I had an invention that I wanted to try and perfect! Forge saw the value of it…” the gnome’s voice trails off. 

“That’s why he wouldn’t let me go.” 

Jalea looks at the little gnome, and leans up against the wall. “This oughta be good,” he says to himself. 

“What was it?” asks Aris. 

“I’ve got some here! I can show you!” Brisco takes a wooden cup and a candle from the table, and then holds them under his cloak, turning away from the party and hunching over. 

“Trade secrets. No peeking.” 

The gnomish inventor feverishly works away under his cloak for a minute or so, whistling a tune as he goes. The party looks on, half amused, half confused. Finally, Brisco turns around. He’s wrapped the cup in cloth, and torn up the candle, removing the wick and sticking it into the rags. He lights the wick from another candle in the room, and sets the thing on the pillow of the bed, and looks at Jovah with a grin and a look of satisfaction. 
Sir Brennen is unimpressed. “So what! That isn’t even a very good candle! What the H…” 

*WHOOM! *

The cup explodes into splinters; the window above the bed is shattered and pieces of glass land in the alley behind the Inn. 

Jovah is knocked flat on his back, and Sir Brennen stands in the middle of the room, blinking like he’s just had a flashbulb go off in front of his eyes. 

“What the H*** was that!” Jalea screams from the corner of the room. 

Brennen looks at the elf uncomprehendingly. “Speak up! Did you just say something!” the Sword of Kelanen says, too loudly for the room. Gavin and Reanna start putting out the fire that has started on the bed. 

“Dear god in heaven,” Aris mumbles. 

“The miserable little creature rediscovered the formula for smokepowder!”

“Are you telling me he invented that for the government of Carrandor!?” Reanna yells. “Should I gut him now, or do we need to ‘interrogate’ him first?!” 

“Hold on, hold on,” says Jovah, holding Reanna back. “He’s my cousin! I’m sure he has a good explanation for all this,” he adds, not particularly hopefully. 

“They don’t have it any more,” says Brisco, keeping on the far side of Jovah from Reanna. “I destroyed the formula, and blew up all the stored powder.” 

“Okay, that means I can kill him now, right?” Reanna struggles against Jovah and Sir Brennen. 

“No,” says Jovah. 

“Maybe just beat him up a little bit?” Reanna asks plaintively. 

“NO!” yells Jovah. 

During the night, Jalea finds the bag of smokepowder Brisco is concealing in his backpack, and replaces the powder with a reasonable facsimile. The next morning Brisco seems none the wiser. Jalea makes a note to himself: Avoid open flame. 

_Jalea has a 7 Wisdom. His chances of remembering this in a moment of crisis are remote. _




> *
> 11. Give us a link, pookie. *




See the Sig, snookums!  Also, see here!


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## el-remmen (Dec 4, 2002)

BUMP!

I changed by story hour excerpt to a much better one - so why not go back and take a look?


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## seasong (Dec 4, 2002)

Dr Midnight said:
			
		

> 1. How many sessions deep are you into your story? (meaning- how many single game sessions have you written up for your SH so far?)



1 Prologue, and about 3 1/2 for Chapter One. I'm verbose, however, so it looks like more .







> 2. Everyone seems to agree that a successful story hour can only come about as a result of passion on the writer's part for the story, not the glory. Still, how much do you value reader feedback?



I'm writing in the first place because I have a few readers. If there were no readers, I'd be content to keep it all in my head.

As it is, I've discovered that the SH is helping my players and I talk about certain things. Sometimes I write something wrong, and they bring it up - sometimes because I saw it differently than they did. Sometimes I write something _right_, and it helps cement the emotional impact in the campaign.

Reader feedback also includes questions. I love questions. The give me a buzz.







> 3. What percentage of your own players read the story, would you say?



100%

Sadly, this is the only online thing I write that they spend much time reading.







> 4. Do you value the page views column on the main page? If so, do you feel like jumping from a bridge when you see Piratecat's views?



I use it to see if anyone has read since my last update. It's very valuable in that sense - it gives me an idea of when to update, and allows me to (very roughly) estimate my steady readership (about 10, maybe ).

PirateCat's views are cool. It's something to aspire to, a few years down the line.







> 5. What's the worst in-game moment you've had to write up? Examples could include a total party kill or heavily hyped bad guy going down in the first round, etc... Things that just don't really happen in epic fantasy fiction.



Haven't been running it long enough. Currently, the capture of the party by the enemy in warfare. It was a bit of a sensitive issue.







> 6. What three things (single sentences each) would you say are most important in a good SH?



a. Getting readers to invest in the characters and setting, through characterization, verisimilitude, and suspense.

b. Maintaining a proper mix of action and drama.

c. Keeping a good connection with your audience - fully half of the reason I like Story Hours is the fact that these are actual campaigns, played by actual people, that I can talk to.







> 7. What three things (single sentences each) would you say are most important in a good SH _writing style?_



a. A good mix of mild, strong and powerful cliffhangers in each major update.

b. Casual, graceful writing that is easily read without being overly simplistic.

c. Posts that are closer to bite-sized than feast-sized.







> 8. How many sessions behind are you in your writing, compared to where the campaign actually is, in-game?



One. I hope to maintain that - run a session once a week, write about it over the course of the week.







> 9. Have you ever tried to turn events (discouraging a certain course of action, cheesing a rule, etc.) in-game for the benefit of the story hour? If so, have your players called you on it?



Don't need to. My players got mad story skillz, yo.







> 10. If your story hour were published in novel form, paste here what you would want as the first-page teaser: several paragraphs from the story to hook the attention of a browsing bookstore patron. EDIT: quick note- people seem to think I mean the same old "give us a few paragraphs about your SH". I mean "Give us a few paragraphs FROM your SH".



Somewhere behind him, the orc grabbed its spear on the run, and yelled something that sounded vaguely insulting.

Then, like some heavenly cohort, Greppa saw the jogging wall of shields that meant they'd heard his scream. Unfortunately, the orc was practically on top of him. So he did the only thing he could think of.

He cast shadow servant as fast as he could, dropped his spear, and told the servant to lift the spear between the orc's legs. He heard the spear break behind him, and the orc tumbling, and pushed as hard as he could for the line of safety. He was almost there when the orc's spear punched through his floating ribs. Serrated chitin poked out through the front of his tunic, and he fell again, as the shields swarmed past him towards the kneeling orc.







> 11. Give us a link, pookie.



Mountain Thunder
the web page


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## Zad (Dec 4, 2002)

Answering for Wizardru's Story Hour, since I write it.


_1. How many sessions deep are you into your story? (meaning- how many single game sessions have you written up for your SH so far?)_

Wow hard question. The campaign has been running a good couple years now.  About 60 sessions according to my count.


_2. Everyone seems to agree that a successful story hour can only come about as a result of passion on the writer's part for the story, not the glory. Still, how much do you value reader feedback?_

Immensely. I don't get a lot of reader feedback but every bit I do get is a great motivator to keep writing it. Mine is not one of the most popular ones, but the feedback still is great.


_3. What percentage of your own players read the story, would you say?_

All of them. I hear about it whenever my weak memory lets me down 


_4. Do you value the page views column on the main page? If so, do you feel like jumping from a bridge when you see Piratecat's views? _

Yes, and yes.


_5. What's the worst in-game moment you've had to write up? Examples could include a total party kill or heavily hyped bad guy going down in the first round, etc... Things that just don't really happen in epic fantasy fiction. _

Probably the time that I got killed. We don't have a lot of death in our campaign, and I was the first PC to fall.


_6. What three things (single sentences each) would you say are most important in a good SH?_

Telling a good story.
Not too much detail.
A good feeling for the characters.


_7. What three things (single sentences each) would you say are most important in a good SH writing style?_

Establishing perspective (some told by a player, others by the DM)
Good flow of updates so you don't loose touch with the story
Um..... and something else

_8. How many sessions behind are you in your writing, compared to where the campaign actually is, in-game? _

None. I write up each story just after the session it occurs in. I take some notes but also rely on memory.


_9. Have you ever tried to turn events (discouraging a certain course of action, cheesing a rule, etc.) in-game for the benefit of the story hour? If so, have your players called you on it?_

I'm a player, not the DM. I do believe we have, half jokingly, said "Well we can't do THAT. It wouldn't look good in the story hour."


_10. If your story hour were published in novel form, paste here what you would want as the first-page teaser: several paragraphs from the story to hook the attention of a browsing bookstore patron. EDIT: quick note- people seem to think I mean the same old "give us a few paragraphs about your SH". I mean "Give us a few paragraphs FROM your SH". _

We descended the chain ladder and proceeded to prepare more spells – the ones with shorter durations. On our way down, we tripped an Alarm spell that she had placed and upon hearing of our arrival, she too began preparing. We were only partially ready to begin when Nightscale rose out of the lake and hissed “Impudent blood ticks! You seek to challenge me?” It was then we began to see the that the tables were turned.

-----------------

I slipped up to the doorway and surveyed the courtyard.

There were a dozen or more guards at various posts. So brazen had they become that they were not even in human form, but fully apparent as wererats. Near the gate, a large black tiger was mauling one of the wererats while the others looked on. There was no doubt in my mind that this was the mount of the blackguard. A purple crystal, ten feet high and pulsing with an eerie light was also in the courtyard, a pair of wererats near it.

From the general lack of alertness, it was clear these fiends had no idea what awaited them.

The distraction of the tiger was quite convenient – none of the guards suspected anything odd even for an instant. Even after the bomb appeared in front of the gates, none of them noticed it.

I gave Valanthe a few seconds to get clear, then took careful aim. Our entire plan could have fallen apart if I missed this shot. Fortunately I did not, and the bomb exploded.

“Exploded” hardly does justice to the spectacle. I had never seen such a detonation, and from the twisted giggle I heard behind me, I suspect Scorch hadn’t either. The sound was deafening, and the charge blasted the doors off their hinges and shattered the portcullis. Several guards near the device were nothing more than shadows on the wall. I had no doubt that the forces outside would realize that the attack was on.

The battle that followed was truly epic. I plan to search later for an elven bard and tell him the tale, so that he may take it into history. No skulking about in dungeons, no orcs in the night. This was a fight of good versus evil and everyone knew it.




_11. Give us a link, pookie._


Wizardru's Story Hour


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## pogre (Dec 5, 2002)

> 1. How many sessions deep are you into your story? (meaning- how many single game sessions have you written up for your SH so far?)



One



> 2. Everyone seems to agree that a successful story hour can only come about as a result of passion on the writer's part for the story, not the glory. Still, how much do you value reader feedback?



My players dig it and that's what it is about! I started this story hour as a DM's Log - I have a bunch of the old DM's Logs from my campaigns in the early 80s and I really like to look them over from time to time. I'm hoping this story hour will do the same for me and my players.



> 3. What percentage of your own players read the story, would you say?



100% so far...



> 4. Do you value the page views column on the main page? If so, do you feel like jumping from a bridge when you see Piratecat's views?



I think it's worth something, but we all have different goals. 
Not at all, Pirate Cat deserves to be well-read!



> 5. What's the worst in-game moment you've had to write up? Examples could include a total party kill or heavily hyped bad guy going down in the first round, etc... Things that just don't really happen in epic fantasy fiction.



NA



> 6. What three things (single sentences each) would you say are most important in a good SH?



1. Original ideas on some level.
2. Fun locations.
3. Plots other DMs might like to steal.
3a. Better lighting for my photos - they are improving I promise!



> 7. What three things (single sentences each) would you say are most important in a good SH _writing style?_



1. Pacing.
2. Quality characters
3. Lots of Pictures ;-) - ok really that's just mine!



> 8. How many sessions behind are you in your writing, compared to where the campaign actually is, in-game?



2 now.



> 9. Have you ever tried to turn events (discouraging a certain course of action, cheesing a rule, etc.) in-game for the benefit of the story hour? If so, have your players called you on it?



Not yet.



> 10. If your story hour were published in novel form, paste here what you would want as the first-page teaser: several paragraphs from the story to hook the attention of a browsing bookstore patron. EDIT: quick note- people seem to think I mean the same old "give us a few paragraphs about your SH". I mean "Give us a few paragraphs FROM your SH".



Johann and Shannon ducked into the other tent and saw a large northern tribesman stripped to the waist yielding a huge axe struggling to his feet. Another tribesman was already on his feet wielding a slightly smaller battle-axe. The two fighters closed on the big clansmen.

Shannon tried to swing his giant two-handed sword first catching bits of tent and rope as he swung. Despite catching obstacles in its path the blade dug deep into the big tribesman’s shoulder, smashing through collarbone on its path. Quickly drawing the blade back Shannon could see he had hit a major artery as blood gushed forth from the wound. The tribesman wavered and then crumpled to the ground.

Johann was having more trouble with his opponent. Shannon’s swing had ripped a piece of tent cloth down into his view and he could not fully see his opponent. Johann swung wildly trying to keep the brigand off him out of self-defense more than anything. The tribesman swung his battle-axe and caught Johann fully in the ribs.

Johann felt his air leaving him and he grunted in pain. Chinks of armor came off his torso as he staggered from the blow. He weakly held up his weapon to ready for another swing, but he knew he was in trouble. His side felt warm and wet with the blood pouring down his side. He saw the crimson stain on his opponent’s blade and knew it was his own blood.

The sword missed the tribesman as Johann struggled to remain standing. Shannon tried to help, but he was caught up in some of the tent’s rigging he had loosed with his deathblow earlier. Johann’s opponent had sobered quickly and readied his weapon for another solid strike.



> 11. Give us a link, pookie. [/B]



See the sig please.


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## Phasmus (Dec 6, 2002)

Note:  While I do DM Vitis Campaign, I do not write the associated story hour.  This honor goes to the player of Shayuri.

1. How many sessions deep are you into your story? (meaning- how many single game sessions have you written up for your SH so far?)

Seven.


2. Everyone seems to agree that a successful story hour can only come about as a result of passion on the writer's part for the story, not the glory. Still, how much do you value reader feedback?

-Lots-.  As a relatively new DM (Vitis is my first campaign ever), any and all indications of where I am doing something right, or something wrong, are highly valued.


3. What percentage of your own players read the story, would you say?

All of them check it out on occasion, but only about 50% to 60% read it on a regular basis... (inasmuch as our posting schedule allows anything to be done on a regular basis)


4. Do you value the page views column on the main page? If so, do you feel like jumping from a bridge when you see Piratecat's views? 

Yes we do... perhaps more-so than is healthy.  We do our best to disassociate our page views from everyone else's.  The alternative is simply too painful.


5. What's the worst in-game moment you've had to write up? Examples could include a total party kill or heavily hyped bad guy going down in the first round, etc... Things that just don't really happen in epic fantasy fiction. 

We haven't reached any particularly painful in-game moments yet, narratively speaking.


6. What three things (single sentences each) would you say are most important in a good SH?

1:  Originality (Surprise the characters, surprise the readers!).
2:  Consistency (Suspension of disbelief is precious, and must be protected).
3:  DOOOM!!! (Conflict should be kept reasonably big and scary... players should not be allowed to take their destructive/defensive capacity for granted.)


7. What three things (single sentences each) would you say are most important in a good SH writing style?

1:  Capture the DM's Voice.
2:  Capture the Players' voices
3:  Use good grammar, etc.


8. How many sessions behind are you in your writing, compared to where the campaign actually is, in-game? 

-Many-
We started this game in early 2002.  We have played one session per week with relatively few missed.  We intend to catch up though... someday.


9. Have you ever tried to turn events (discouraging a certain course of action, cheesing a rule, etc.) in-game for the benefit of the story hour? If so, have your players called you on it?

Because a fairly large amount of time has elapsed between when we played and when the story hour was written, this would be difficult to do... generally we just assume the optimally 'cinematic' events occurred, when we don't recall specifics.


10. If your story hour were published in novel form, paste here what you would want as the first-page teaser: several paragraphs from the story to hook the attention of a browsing bookstore patron. EDIT: quick note- people seem to think I mean the same old "give us a few paragraphs about your SH". I mean "Give us a few paragraphs FROM your SH". 

---
"Forgive me, Shankara," Shayuri pipes up hesitantly, obviously relieved to be back in her own body, "but...what IS the situation? My memories are cloudy."

Shankara sighed. "It is grim, child. I am bound to this tomb in body, but through magic my eye wanders the land with impunity. I have seen the great castles of Caron falling. The very capital itself torn asunder. Cedilla too is all but gone. Only the great towers of its capital hold fast, protected by wards the illithid have not been able to pierce. Yet. Much of the heart of Kaldonia has fallen under the yoke of the mind flayers, and when they have completed the assimilation process, they will lead an army of thralls such as that this world has never seen. If we wait that long, I fear no power under the sun will be able to stop them. My message to the emperor explains all this, and informs him of my wishes that Dieresis offer aid. So far there is still resistance to the illithid...a few isolated pockets. Furthermore, the dwarf mountains in Umlaut remain largely free of their taint. The free peoples of Kaldonia must counter this invasion, or the entire world will be blanketed by the control of these abominations."
---


11. Give us a link, pookie. 

http://enworld.cyberstreet.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=14295&pagenumber=1


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## Jeremy (Dec 6, 2002)

_1. How many sessions deep are you into your story? (meaning- how many single game sessions have you written up for your SH so far?)_

Don't know but a math major could tell ya.  Almost 2 years playing every other week with 5 sessions missed.  How many is that?  

_2. Everyone seems to agree that a successful story hour can only come about as a result of passion on the writer's part for the story, not the glory. Still, how much do you value reader feedback?_

I meant to do the the SH originally for myself, my players, and to better my game.  But it ended up that I couldn't find the energy to do it if I didn't get feedback and it died.

_3. What percentage of your own players read the story, would you say?_

Let's see N,S,B,J/N,S,B,J,D = 80%.  I actually think this became a bad thing.  I can't explain why, but the only posts I got in the thread were from them, and I see them all the time.  I wanted to hear someone else's opinions, or enjoyment, or ideas on the subject, and I feel that posts from them not only egged me on to work harder but supressed any outside feedback.    I could be totally off base, and I'm definately not bitter about it.  Like I said, I don't really understand it, that's just the way I feel.

_4. Do you value the page views column on the main page? If so, do you feel like jumping from a bridge when you see Piratecat's views? _

Yes.  Highly.  The page view count gives me encouragement to keep at it.  PirateCat's view count doesn't discourage me at all.    It validates the value of the artform for me and gives me something to point at and say, "Hey.  It's worth reading.  Trust me.  X number of people reading, there's got to be something going on." 

_5. What's the worst in-game moment you've had to write up? Examples could include a total party kill or heavily hyped bad guy going down in the first round, etc... Things that just don't really happen in epic fantasy fiction. _

An apology for missing a section.  That killed me to write.  But that wasn't technically in game.  I would have had one difficult part, but I dodged it as it would have been frowned upon by E.G. (not to be confused with E.G.G.), so that decision was happily made for me.

_6. What three things (single sentences each) would you say are most important in a good SH?_

Persistence.  A story hour must be updated at least 1/month to remain engrossing.

Imagery.  I don't want to see players around a table in my mind's eye, I don't want to think about "He rolled a 36 on his percentiles", and I don't want to read "he got a good hit".  I want to see a jump just barely made by the finger tips and the sweat dropping off the hero's brow as he claws his way out of the precipice.    [I can't follow rules.  ]

Personality.  Either the characters or the author must be engaging and entertaining in either a humorous, exciting, or mysterious fashion.

_7. What three things (single sentences each) would you say are most important in a good SH *writing style?*_

Grammar and Punctuation.  I can't help but be jarred by misused words, lack of paragraphs, or rampant spelling errors.

The ability to encorporate dialogue is also something that makes my read much more enjoyable.

I can't think of a third one.

_8. How many sessions behind are you in your writing, compared to where the campaign actually is, in-game? _

I'm currently up to date on our private boards but with the last two posts being just clipped notes with no narrative.  As a result of falling 4-5 games behind repeatedly (and due to some other things) my story hour died.

_9. Have you ever tried to turn events (discouraging a certain course of action, cheesing a rule, etc.) in-game for the benefit of the story hour? If so, have your players called you on it?_

Not that I remember, so no to the second question.

_10. If your story hour were published in novel form, paste here what you would want as the first-page teaser: several paragraphs from the story to hook the attention of a browsing bookstore patron._



> As Collin walked the lines of the dead he came to rest at Praelesian's body. Her face was poignant and beautiful, a measure of peace on her face that made it seem as if she merely slept. The left side of her body was incased in ice and her left arm below the elbow was missing. Collin had no words or emotion to show, on the inside a countdown had started this morning and it was ticking down swiftly. His heart boiled and raged but he didn't feel any of it, his mind was in total control. Logic and mathematics.
> 
> Part of her arm is missing. Search and find it.
> 
> ...




There's more here.


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## Lars Frehse (Dec 6, 2002)

_1. How many sessions deep are you into your story? (meaning- how many single game sessions have you written up for your SH so far?)_

Seventeen actual sessions

_2. Everyone seems to agree that a successful story hour can only come about as a result of passion on the writer's part for the story, not the glory. Still, how much do you value reader feedback?_

Quite a bit, actually. Knowing that there are people who are interested in the stuff I write gives me a warm, fuzzy feeling in my tummy. 

_3. What percentage of your own players read the story, would you say?_

3 out of 5, I think. Oh, you want a percentage? 60%, then.

_4. Do you value the page views column on the main page? If so, do you feel like jumping from a bridge when you see Piratecat's views? _

I value them, but I don't take them too seriously.

_5. What's the worst in-game moment you've had to write up? Examples could include a total party kill or heavily hyped bad guy going down in the first round, etc... Things that just don't really happen in epic fantasy fiction. _

Hmmm. Tough one. Maybe the biggest problem I am having is that often during combats, PCs are knocked out. (I usually throw rather challenging fights at them). In a real fantasy story, it is usually a rather dramatic moment when one of the heroes lies on the floor, bleeding and unconcious... With me, that is just day-to-day business, so I try to write around it.


_6. What three things (single sentences each) would you say are most important in a good SH?_

Originality, consistency and writing style

_7. What three things (single sentences each) would you say are most important in a good SH writing style?_

Grammar and punctuation, of course (even though I am a bit handicapped there, being a Kraut who's writing English), a generally pleasant and easy-to-read style and the ability to show the PCs as real individuals.

_8. How many sessions behind are you in your writing, compared to where the campaign actually is, in-game? _

One and a half session. But I hope to catch up with the story until new year's eve.

_9. Have you ever tried to turn events (discouraging a certain course of action, cheesing a rule, etc.) in-game for the benefit of the story hour? If so, have your players called you on it?_

No. The game takes precedence and the story hour is just a nice by-product.

_10. If your story hour were published in novel form, paste here what you would want as the first-page teaser: several paragraphs from the story to hook the attention of a browsing bookstore patron._



> The woman opened one of the two doors at other side of the room. In the room, laying on the bed, there was an orc who's entire skin was covered with green mold, making it look like an old loaf of bread, which had been laying in a damp cellar for too long. Cautiously, they walked up to his bed, as the Half-Orc started to cough, green phlegm flying from his distorted mouth.
> 
> His voice was coarse and obviously he every word he uttered caused him pain:"What do you want?".
> 
> Torn stepped into Old Toby's vision:" We heard that you were among the first who had gotten infected. We want to find a way to end the disease, so we need to know whether you have met foreigners before you got infected or whether anything else that was unusual happened to you.".





For more, click on my signature!


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