Process to the method

[nadinbrzezinski]

so here is what I just posted at the developer's blog, giving players a peek behind the curtain... but it pertains to writing, so decided to share the wealth

Wednesday, May 09, 2007

Many a times I wondered how are these things developed. Therefore, I will give you a peek behind the curtain. I will use one of the chapters in the Tashkeni Handbook

First, I needed an outline. I know, some people hate to outline, but it does not matter what you write, you will need one. I know a few people who can do this without an outline. However, trust me on this one, most people write them. It does not matter whether this is a school paper (where we all first learn about them pesky outlines), or a Master's Thesis or a sourcebook or a novel. Outline… it gives you a structure that you can use. It also gives you areas that you need to research.

I sat down and wrote an outline for the book. Then I started to write it, and realized… economy, ok.. what do I know about economics? I took a course in college, does that count? Yes... but it is hardly enough. it was time to hit the books again. However, before doing that, after all they DO give degrees for that… I had to decide some things. Otherwise, I could spend four years, no pun, researching this.

1.- I knew the economy was interstellar… our "global" economy is hard enough to understand. That narrowed down my search of books into International Political Economy. I went ahead and got a book on the subject. However, the world is not flat, as Friedman is quickly finding out, so I also picked up a classic, written in the 1930s. This classic is far from any thinking of a political economy that is global as you can get. And next, I will probably read a little of Maynard Keynes work

2.- Take notes… and try to extrapolate what you are readying into a stellar economy

3.- Come up with a write-up that does not sound or read like a college paper… harder said than done, so draft zero started several times until I got the tone.

4.- Write the draft and finally print it.

5.- Rewrite… and continue readying, as you do you will add things that make sense, as well as correct the "this reads like a school paper" kind of a draft.

6.- Rewrite once again

7.- Perhaps once again

8.- Line Edit for grammar

Now what I listed above is my method, but as you can see, putting a book in your hands, or a magazine, involves an extensive process… but this way, you can see the behind the scenes of how this is done.

Oh and game material chapters, have to have play testing somewhere along the way, and when things don't work, go to step one, and rethink what does not work.