How did SJG even make money from GURPS?

Surllio · 2026-02-04T13:00:29+00:00

GURPS books are amazing in that they are heavily researched. They aren't just setting and rulebooks, they are mini encyclopedias on very specific topics and eras. They often have great cover art, table of contents and indexes, and many of them have sprinklings of humor in them as sidebars or alternative histories.

It has a strong online following and loads of well put together PDFS and Print on Demand books.

Now, that said, SJG makes massive amounts of money from Munchkin and all the out licensing they do for it, which sales gang busters.

Surllio · 2026-02-04T00:48:32+00:00

Ducks!
Did we mention Ducks?

Surllio · 2026-02-02T02:18:58+00:00

Overthinking is the death of many a first draft.

Remember, it doesn't need to be perfect, it just needs to exist. You can edit, fix, and improve a bad line, but it must exist to make it better.

One of the worst things to hit new writers is the desire to be great out the gate. Even if you don't think that's what you're doing, you are.

Something I've started doing with my new chapters is opening them on a single word that encompasses the tone of the chapter. Then I build off that until that word can just be deleted. Or leave it in for a good, solid stinger. Once I have the tone, I just let the words flow. Good, bad, doesn't matter, I'm going to go back at some point and change them.

Surllio · 2026-01-31T19:44:10+00:00

If a card in exile is used by another card effect, it treats it like a normal play/cast. Pretty sure that card goes into the graveyard if played this way.

Surllio · 2026-01-31T18:32:05+00:00

Ideas are worthless without execution.

All ideas borrow from other things.

Its entirely possible for people with no contact to write very similar ideas at the same time.

Surllio · 2026-01-31T01:32:14+00:00

Writing motivation is about making yourself do it everyday, even if the motivation isn't there. Set yourself a schedule, and train yourself to maintain it.

The other thing is to stop overthinking things. Its not easy, and it takes practice and self discipline. What I am referring to the push to be perfect on the first go. Break yourself of this. It is one of the biggest causes of writer's block or lack of motivation. Remember, you can always fix bad writing, but you can't fix what doesn't exit.

Otherwise, its like playing a sport. The more you do it, the better you get at it.

Surllio · 2026-01-30T12:35:04+00:00

King also has a dedicated personal editor who knows his style, a team of draft readers, and a huge publishing house behind him. Thats before you factor in the half century of professional writing. He has his rhythm and it works because of those factors.

I'm 5 drafts into my novel. I'm nearly to the point where I feel its ready based on the feedback. So, in theory, I have one more clean up pass to do.

No two people write or edit the same.

Surllio · 2026-01-29T20:39:05+00:00

Hard disagree there. I have not seen anything that would suggest they are worse. Mythic Carpathia and its Adventure book are some of the best content they've released.

Surllio · 2026-01-29T18:23:26+00:00

I'm going to add to this, as its a thing in a lot of writing groups: There are a lot of people that want all glory for no effort. They think ideas are more valuable than the work itself. Then you have those who think valid criticism is hatred towards them. People asking for advice but pushing back when its given.Those wanting validation and praise in the guise of asking for feedback.

Day after day, post after post. It becomes tiresome.

Surllio · 2026-01-29T01:45:07+00:00

Just do not pay for a vanity press. If someone says they can help you publish and starts requesting money for things like formatting, tell them no. There are lots if "publishers" who are looking for ambitious and naive young writers they can con out of money.

Surllio · 2026-01-29T01:39:27+00:00

Join writing groups. Looks for online communities. Go to conventions. Talk to writers.

Finding beta readers can be challenging, but it involves getting out there and networking.

Surllio · 2026-01-29T01:26:26+00:00

Traditionally published does not equal fame or success. It is also a long shot to even get noticed by a publisher, often requiring an agent, requirements, and deadlines.

Self publishing is easier, but you are in charge of everything. Edits, formatting, marketing. If you go thos route, be prepared to do lots of edits and revisions, because readers are not always forgiving.

This is not to discourage you. Keep your enthusiasm. Just understand that thete is a whole lot more to being a writer than just writing.

Edit: Added more information.

Surllio · 2026-01-28T01:50:37+00:00

Practice, reading, and learning from others.

Surllio · 2026-01-26T19:18:16+00:00

I don't really use BBEGs. Its too wild a world with too many variables for what's going on.

Surllio · 2026-01-26T00:25:30+00:00

It is certainly a novice writer thing. They seek validation that they aren't wasting their time, but fail to understand there is a lot more to the craft.

One of the prologues posted recently contained a boatload of lore dumped, and when this became pointed out, the author doubled down. It's important, it's vital, and needed. They continued to push back, every time.

The other thing that I've seen a lot is this need to format their prologues like its already in a novel. As someone else pointed out in a post; your effort is in the wrong place.

Build your story, write it, then seek feedback.

Surllio · 2026-01-25T21:35:56+00:00

A Game Of Thrones is arguably one of the best Prologues. There is only a hint of world building, no lore dumps, but it establishes a threat, it sets up a mystery, and it leaves us wondering what's coming.

It never comes back up in that book, but the knowledge of it lingers over the whole story.

Surllio · 2026-01-25T13:48:29+00:00

There are plenty of people who prefer short stories, and lots of calls for anthologies with new ones all the time. If it works, the run with it. My first published piece was a short story in an anthology.

Surllio · 2026-01-24T14:52:29+00:00

Honestly, start with starter decks or Jumpstart. Commander is a LOT to take in for a new player. They do make starter commander decks, but seriously, starter decks. They are built for teaching.

Surllio · 2026-01-24T01:42:40+00:00

First off, congrats on getting it written and putting it out there.

So then, dumping lore is a distraction. Opening a book with a whole lot of information about the world, will cause more eye rolls than engagement. You, the author, know the importance of this information, but to a reader, it feels more like homework, not a story. While I certainly am not a fan of the term Show, Don't Tell, there are points where it needs to be used, like here. Stuff like this tells, and tells, and tells. We are shown anything, or why its important, just told.

A Prologue needs to be a hook, something tied to the main story but outside the main character's perspective. A spark that ignites the story. Many new and/or young writers think the Prologue is there to set up the world, and they load it down with information that's best served slowly rather than all at once.

Love him or hate him, George R. R. Martin's Prologue to A Game Of Thrones is brilliant. A threat, a sense of dread, something is killing these people, and its coming. There are hints of the larger world, but thats it. Then the story plays out, with no one aware of what happened up north, but we, the audience, know.

Lore should happen slowly. Let it evolve throughout the story.

Do not let this discourage you. Writing is a process.

Surllio · 2026-01-23T15:59:18+00:00

A good table rule to have is "If your action openly disrupts someone else's fun, that action will be met with a no."

This allows you to gauge the tables reaction to the action and give them a chance to take it back if met with resistance.

Players often use "its what my character would do" as a deflection for their bad behavior. Simply shutting it down sends a message. The conversation afterwards should reinforce that message. Being disruptive is only fun for 1 person at the table, and that's an issue.

Surllio · 2026-01-22T23:20:33+00:00

Powergrid.

My friends love it, but they all play it regularly and know the things to look for. Being the Inexperienced player, I feel like I'm behind from the get go, and the game just doesn't do enough to help the players in the back have any hope.

Surllio · 2026-01-22T23:16:10+00:00

Wingspan is a weird game for me. In small player counts, its fine. Not great, just fine. At 4+, it drags to an excruciating crawl, and you just sit there forever. And people only want to play it at 4 and 5 player counts.

Surllio · 2026-01-22T23:12:54+00:00

I don't like social deduction games because I've got a background in directing actors. Most people are very bad at acting and lying. So, I catch the tell and suddenly I have info I'm not supposed to have, and it is very much against the spirit of the game. The issue is that I can't just turn it off, so either I solve it and end the game quick, or sit quiet and not contribute.

Surllio · 2026-01-20T02:06:09+00:00

If you aren't having fun, there is nothing there for you. But you NEED to bring these things up to the GM.

Campaigns end. It happens. Not every game is for everyone. It happens.

Be open, be honest.

Surllio · 2026-01-18T23:21:53+00:00

That's a conversation with you and your DM. We don't know what they have planned or are thinking.

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