Scriptorius Rex

The World of Tialma

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 06 Mar 2025 14:47:00 +0000

The World of Tialma is a creation of a friend of mine and it exists in my favorite world building software, World Anvil. I decided to write a story set in this world and it's here if you'd like to read it. It's called There's Often a Dead Body At The End

The style is different than anything else I've written. I call it Medieval Urban Fantasy Although They're All In a Forest. (Still working on that...)

It's first person with violence and humor and a touching mother-daughter vignette. Because violence and humor are the only two things I'm good at writing. Touching vignettes are purely a happy accident caused by the intersection of those two.

Silent Valley

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 21 Nov 2024 18:59:00 +0000

My new D&D adventure is live at DriveThruRPG and free to download! This is a super special link that only super special friends can click on. Or so I'm told.

Silent Valley Super Special Link

Wandering in Many Ventures

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 10 Oct 2024 12:48:00 +0000

The last few years have been an interesting creative journey. I've begun writing stories again, as I've detailed below, but I've also started writing D&D adventures. Basically, I've combined my two hobbies into one creative endeavor.

I currently have three adventures in the works. One is called "HORIZON: Queen of Storms" and it's set in Evan Blair's fantasy RPG campaign setting: The Realms of Eldara. It's got dreadgoblins, mad druids, and a raging demon queen. Everything you need for a fun Saturday night.

I also have one called "Silent Valley". It is 5E compatible and world agnostic with a whole village of people to interact with, a valley of farmland and timber that's in mortal peril, and a Sorceress of the All Seeing Eye (which is a new subclass I created.) It's finished except for the artwork and assembling the final pdf.

The third one I just started and it's especially fun. It's called "Everybody's Dead". Guy stumbles through the doors of the inn and interrupts your breakfast. He's just run through the night from a village in the hills where everyone is laying around dead. The party has to go figure out what happened. It's a combat light adventure that's more of a mystery than anything else.

When I get these ready, the distribution channel with be DriveThruRPG and Amazon for starters. The sales price will be cheap or free until I see if these things can generate enough income to warrant starting a publication company to manage it all. Right now, one step at a time.

Writing Update

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 12 Apr 2024 16:02:00 +0000

The third story in the Larenfall Cycle is out to beta readers and I'm awaiting their input. So now I'm turning my attention to two other projects. First is taking four different stories I wrote several years ago and turning them into something I can put up on Amazon KDP. They begin with "Thunder Canyon" which appeared in the anthology Rage of the Behemoth. (Link should be over to the right.) I kept writing stories with the main character, Rath, looking for his wife who was taken by slavers. Since the fourth story was never really finished and the whole thing doesn't have an ending, this project will require a bit of work. Second is creating a D&D adventure based in the Realms of Eldara. That one has a skeleton framework already but will need quite a bit of fleshing out. So that's what's going to keep me busy over the next month or so.

One of My Favorite Things

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 10 Mar 2024 19:02:00 +0000

I have a few favorite things. Near the top of the list, right below Girls in White Dresses With Blue Satin Sashes, is typing THE END on the last page of a first draft.

This morning I did that with the latest story in the Larenfall Cycle. Finished the epilogue (which we seem to collectively call the 'post credits scene' nowadays) and sat back, triumphant. It's sitting around 52K words right now and we'll see what survives the editing process. Soon I'll be recruiting beta readers and getting feedback. Hopefully I'll have it complete by the time Gen Con rolls around in August.

The Larenfall Cycle Update

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 27 Jan 2024 14:24:00 +0000

"Lines in the Sand" is continuing. I'm at 35K words and I'm starting part four of a planned three part story. The word count is now projected at 40-45K and the story has become more complicated than I originally intended. By that, I mean that I keep coming up with new ideas to throw into it and will let it all shake out in the editing process.

Like almost all my stories, things come into focus as I write. Possible motivations and scenes and endings all present themselves after I've already laid down the foundations I thought I'd be using. This is just my process. I make a note somewhere to go change something in a previous scene in order to make the new continuity flow towards the ending that I build. Then I keep writing until I have to do it again.

I'm definitely thinking that I will publish this, probably through Amazon KDP, in an expanded format with character and creature statblocks, new sub-class descriptions, spells, weapons and all the other D&D stuff that forms the base for these stories. That, of course, means negotiating a licensing agreement with the amazing Evan Blair. Exciting times.

Realms of Eldara Story Update

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 13 Jan 2024 23:43:00 +0000

Still pounding away at my latest story "Lines in the Sand". It's up to 30K words and I think I'm still on track to hit about 50K. The middle is proving to be tough to write my way through but that's not unexpected. At this moment I'm vacillating between two potential endings and it's a 50/50 split on which one I'll use.

I really want to have the first draft done before the end of March so I have a hope of finishing before this summer and the potential for an "Eldaracon" meetup at GenCon in Indy. After that, depending on the ending I choose I'll either have one more story in the Larenfall Cycle or none. Time will tell.

The Saga of Othren Four-Scars

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 21 Dec 2023 12:45:00 +0000

Next up in my foray into self publication is an e-book and future paperback that combines a couple of my sold stories and an unpublished prequel story. I've called it The Saga of Othren Four-Scars and it is a compilation of The Battle of Raven Kill, The Feorhmaeghan, and The Witch of the Westmoors. (Side note: I've taken away access to the Google docs for these Amazon stories because I'm pretty sure the agreement with Kindle Select is that they have to be exclusive to Amazon.)

So, the experiment continues. Link to the new e-book is right here:

Amazon.com: The Saga of Othren Four-Scars: As told in three stories: The Battle of Raven Kill, The Feorhmaegan, The Witch of the Westmoors eBook : Draper, Jeff: Kindle Store

Amazon Kindle Editions Now Rolling Out

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 19 Dec 2023 14:56:00 +0000

I've started making compilations of old stories and formatting them for Amazon's Kindle e-book system. The first test is up and running. "Protector" has its own page on Amazon. More stories to be released in the coming months.

Amazon.com: Protector eBook : Draper, Jeff: Kindle Store

Next Realms of Eldara Story

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 17 Nov 2023 18:02:00 +0000

OK, what started as a bit of a lark has become a more intensive writing project. The third story in The Larenfall Cycle is firmly underway and it's tentatively titled "Lines in the Sand." That was my first title and it has a very good shot at staying the title. It just seems to fit the vibe of the story I'm going for. There are some literal lines in the sand and there are some figurative lines as well, as characters find themselves with unaligned goals and ultimatums are given.

This is turning out to be longer than any of the others and probably will approach novel size all by itself. I'm at 20K words and I'm just starting Part Two of a projected 3 parts. It's taking these characters into new places, both within the Shattered Sea and within their relationships. I'm still keeping track of combat rounds and hit points and spells since it is a D&D based story, but the real narrative is less about the monsters and the traps and more about how these characters are growing and changing. We'll see if I end up getting it right.

New Project Phase 2

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 13 Sep 2023 11:11:00 +0000

Really can't call this a 'new' project by now but it's what I'm doing. My next story in Evan Blair's Realms of Eldara fantasy RPG setting is called "The Bad King" and it's live and online for all who are interested. The link will take you to the story in two formats, one is a regular Word document, and the other is a .pdf mockup of what the future might hold. I'm starting to get crazy thoughts about publication. The next story in the cycle is underway and I have an idea for a fourth. If I can pull this off, I'll have about 100K words and that is novel length. That kind of volume presents opportunities.

But first, I give you: The Bad King

The Battle of Raven Kill Again

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 03 Sep 2023 10:50:00 +0000

Next up is The Battle of Raven Kill. It's posted on Google at: The Battle of Raven Kill

This one was a big step up from my first sale. Much grittier, much more blood, much more splattered brain matter, and a charming father-daughter story all rolled into one.

I sold this to the amazing Jason Waltz at Rogue Blades! You'll see his name come up again here; he's a scholar and a gentleman and I owe a lot to him.

Two versions: Original piece that I sold and another file with embedded author's notes. Enjoy!

Hosting and Posting

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 13 Jun 2023 11:09:00 +0000

I've started up a Google Drive to share my previous stories and host the new project as well. The first link is to my first story ever published. It was called "Protector" and it was published back in 2006. I've got both the original version and one with author's notes.

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1ewc5HXcLs-BoJErT6RdTDiSCZ2Vy7D_D?usp=sharing

New Project (Phase 1) Complete

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 26 May 2023 18:07:00 +0000

All right, the first story in my fanfic series set in the Realms of Eldara is finished. All revisions are complete and there's no more fiddling with it. That's a good thing because I'm almost done with the first draft of the second story. (Phase 2, if you must know.)

The story ended up being called "Stones Like Rain" and it's part of what I'm calling "The Larenfall Cycle". It follows an adventure with four classic D&D characters; a fighter, magic-user, cleric, and a thief. (Yes, when I get to their backstory I'll figure out how to have them meet in a tavern.) That is the most stereotypical party of adventurers imaginable so I went straight at it. Interesting side note: as I was writing I found out again how balanced a party with those four classes is. Stereotypes exist for a reason, folks.

It has a compelling villain since I've talked many times about how important the villain of a story is. It has high stakes with a threat to an entire city if they fail. It also has relationships that are tested and reinforced. And it has at least one decapitation. You know, all the good stuff.

Right now I'm hosting it on my Google Drive and working on how to release it. More on that later. I'm also working on hosting all of my previously sold pieces there as well for free reading.

One of the really fun things about this new group of stories is that I'm also going to release a version with the game mechanics running down a side column. When the heroes enter into combat you can read the standard thrilling prose of the main story and also see what the attack and damage rolls were. There was no other way to present a story based on a D&D 5E ruleset. Also, another version is going to have the story with embedded author's commentary just like your favorite movie on DVD.

And of course: D&D character sheets for the band of heroes. You'll get to see all their stats and abilities and spells and such. That way you can have great fun second guessing the author and saying in your bestest, most condescending voice: "Well, anyone who knows the rules would have cast Lightning Bolt instead of Fireball there. This guy's an idiot."

New Projects

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 26 Jan 2023 19:22:00 +0000

That last story was finished in time for the holidays and I immediately started working on another. This project is a little different. I wrote a story grounded in D&D rules and based in a world created by an excellent Twitch streamer, Evan Blair. (EvanBlairArt - Twitch)

His world is called Tellaria and it's one of the Realms of Eldara. All his own creations. The story I wrote is essentially a fanfic and isn't saleable anywhere but I had great fun with it. There were two things that created the most ~~difficulty~~ fun. First was trying to fit the tone of Evan's shared world idea. I had to take his lore and the various Known Things in Eldara and adapt those into a story that both honored his creations and also was a separate creation of my own. I've loved writing in shared worlds before and I'm happy to have a chance to do it again. (Ed.- 'shared world' is a very ephemeral title, as nothing is really released publicly that would be considered 'shared' and this is all pre-debut.) Second, I found it challenging to write a story that had to follow specific game rules. It's not as easy as you might think. Games and fiction are two different mediums and they have different goals for the type of user experience they deliver. Hacking away at monsters is perfectly good fun when playing D&D. It's not that great to read about. Similarly, a story arc in fiction has elements of tension and resolution that are just not present in a game system. There also has to be a balance in the action beats that don't always happen in D&D.

But, like I said, it was great fun. More stuff like this to follow.

The New Story

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 09 Nov 2022 20:28:00 +0000

My current writing project is an excellent example of an idea in search of a story. I finished a story that flowed quickly and felt easy. Then I had an idea for another story and started in on it. Then I realized that the idea didn't have the sticking power in my mind and it drifted for a month or so with no progress.

The issue is that an idea doesn't always mean you're ready to start. I should have recognized that I didn't have defined characters, didn't have a plot beyond "get to the top of the tower and fight", and I didn't have a resolution or even a hook that needed resolving. Therefore, it should be no surprise that the momentum faltered.

But now things are starting to gel and I have a vision for the characters, their relationship to each other, and how to bring this to a satisfying conclusion. Of course, the first sections are going to need complete revision but that's all part of the deal. This one should be done before the end of the year.

Reintroductions

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 27 Oct 2022 18:39:00 +0000

OK, it looks like I need to update this site a bit because I've gotten back into writing. First thing I needed to do is remember my password here. Failed. Updated password and regained control of the blog. Second thing I need to do is come up with a witty post to mark this memorable occasion. Failing. Review options for success. Few. Abandon post? Yes.

Every Villain Needs a Hero

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 07 Jul 2019 21:49:00 +0000

Villains drive the story. Without them our heroes would just walk in and get the treasure. Or they'd keep their day jobs and never leave the farm, never run off with Obi-Wan, never enter the ADAA Regional Dodgeball Qualifying match, etc. etc. However, a villain alone cannot complete a story. You cannot have Yin without Yang.

So I needed a hero. My heroes in just about all my previous stories were rather serious types. This time I wanted something different. I wanted a trickster hero who was part Brer Rabbit and part Punisher. I wanted someone younger and more of a smart alec. But I also needed someone driven by something dark and powerful in their past. I needed someone set on a bloody goal who could not be persuaded to remain on the farm. I came up with Conradus de Enghien.

Enghien was (and probably still is) a village in the old County of Hainault in what is now Belgium/Luxembourg. The First Crusade came largely from French lands and Enghien sounded sort of German even though it was sort of French. I wanted a hero who could possibly be multi-cultural with some exposure to a wider world.

Conradus is a name I found in a list of medieval names in that area and at that time. It's likely a holdover from Latin and it can easily be shortened to Conrad and that's a familiar sound to modern ears and so that was that. Name and home town from 'reality', everything else from 'imagination.' He would be young but haunted by a violent past. He would be quick with a quip or sly comment but ready to go dark and commit murder in the next breath. The best heroes are the ones where you're not exactly sure what they're going to do next.

The story I envisaged was a personal struggle between Conrad and Baldwin as they each went after the MacGuffin. Personal struggles make the best heroic conflicts, by the way. Darth Vader is just a guy making a bad fashion statement until we find out he's Luke's father. Therefore, Baldwin had to do something bad to Conrad and what better bad thing than to destroy his family. This was the connection. This was the powerful darkness in Conrad's past that would inevitably force the two of them together, locked in conflict that can only be resolved by blood.

And that's how you write a good story.

The Star Shine, The Blood Rains

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 29 Jun 2019 10:36:00 +0000

The very awesome people at Rogue Blades Entertainment have released Crossbones & Crosses which contains my story "The Stars Shine, The Blood Rains." Everyone should digitally run out and buy a copy as fast as their fingers can fly.

As always, here are the behind the scenes details. I took up this challenge on short notice and had to figure out if I could even really do it. Even though I hadn't written in several years, I was at a point in my life where I was thinking about picking it back up. So when this opportunity came along I was already leaning towards it.

First thing I had to do was find a story. Since the subject matter was constrained to either pirates or crusaders, that helped provide focus. Enter Wikipedia. Choose 'First Crusade'. Then start hunting around for the people and events that made up that period of history. Within five minutes I ran across the part where an obscure, unknown monk finds the Holy Lance (the spearhead that the Roman soldier used to pierce the side of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ while He hung on the cross) but under what are politely called 'suspicious circumstances.'

Like a bolt of lightning from on high, I had a MacGuffin.

Next came characters. The monk who found the Lance was burned alive shortly after the events of my story and he seemed like a weasley sort anyhow so I needed someone else to center the story on. None of the historical nobles who fought the First Crusade seemed like good candidates but I did run across the tale of how Baldwin II of what is now the Netherlands and Belgium was installed as Count by impolite means and was otherwise generally an ass.

Now I had a villain.

Every villain needs a hero. And that guy I'll have to tell you about tomorrow.

This is Happening

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 01 Mar 2019 21:41:00 +0000

Okay, it's been a few years since I've written anything for publication. I got caught up in life, got mobilized and sent to Africa for a year, came back and followed a job to the Midwest. So then some time passed.

Now I've written a story set in the First Crusade. It uses the Siege of Antioch as the backdrop for a simple tale of murder, theft, and revenge. It's going to be published by the good people at Rogue Blades Entertainment at some point in the near future.

Honestly, it was tough to write. I had lost a lot of muscle memory and getting back into a writing habit was tricky. But perseverance and inspiration combined at the right times and I came up with something I like quite a bit. More details will follow shortly.

While the Morning Stars Sing

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 09 Aug 2011 02:48:00 +0000

Some of you may remember my talking about the story I wrote, "Such Great Faith", about the biblical tale of the centurion's servant who was healed by Jesus. Written from the centurion's point of view and having Jesus with a small speaking role, it was a bit daring and I think it turned out well.

The tough part was coming up with a place to sell it. It wasn't really the type of speculative fiction I normally write as it was more of a straight historical piece. After several attempts it finally found a good home in an anthology from Residential Aliens. I'm pleased to announce that While the Morning Stars Sing is now published and available for purchase. I hope you all enjoy.

What's Up With Lima?

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 15 Apr 2011 15:07:00 +0000

Even with no updates in months, this blog gets about 2-5 hits a day based on various searches and links around the internets. However, for some bizarre reason, in the past two days I've gotten about 35 hits all from Lima, Peru. Not sure what I did to attract such attention but it's an interesting oddity.

In other news, since I'm here, I'm still waiting on the publication of three stories that were originally scheduled to see print last year. Times are tough in the publishing industry.

Also, for the last several months while in Africa, I've written nothing. I've been pretty busy and with that has come plenty of intellectual stimulation that leaves me wanting to do nothing but vegetate when I get back to my room at night. I will say that in the last couple of weeks I've been thinking more about all the research I did to expand "Love and Revolution" into a full length novel so there may be some creativity lurking just around the corner. We will see what we will see.

The Times, They Are a Changing Again

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 15:51:00 +0000

Some of you may know, and some of you may not, that my life is in an evolutionary process right now. I was effectively laid off back in March and I've been making a living by going to as many Marine Corps exercises as I can. Now it's time to take the plunge and go back on active duty. I'm getting one year orders to Djibouti, Africa. Unaccompanied. Should be fun.

The activity on this blog will decrease. Partly because of the shift in life focus and partly because I'm just not writing very much at this time. I've started up a new blog called Going Afar. (Bonus points for anyone who can figure out the significance of the title.) The main reason for the blog is that I was having a hard time finding any current information on the deployment process and military life in Djbouti. So it's planned as a resource of sorts. Also in my thinking was that this part of my life doesn't really fit into the theme of this blog.

Scriptorius Rex will continue to be updated. I have the three stories which are coming out in the next few months and I'll provide info on them as well as the surrounding processes. Those interested are enthusiastically invited to follow my other blog. It's undiscovered territory for me, albeit thoroughly populated by others, and I'm looking forward to the journey.

Don't Say It's Over

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 28 Aug 2010 05:06:00 +0000

But it is. I'm back in the US of A and Korea is in the rear view mirror. I had a great time and got to see a lot of the same officers from back in March. There was Maj Shin, who was my main counterpart and who I worked with the most, and Maj Baek, who I had the previously described conversation about 'fairy dust' with. We were more comfortable with each other this time around. (One great bit came when I was trying to teach a group of them how to pronounce the word 'collaborative'. It was a hopeless cause from the outset but we all had a good laugh.) The translators were better this time. One of them grew up in California and probably knew more Spanish than Korean. The one from Philly was hilarious to listen to during the briefs and another one studied at Oxford and sounded a bit like John Lennon. The final victory party was a shorter version of the last one, sans karaoke, but it was a better time in general.

It was a bit sad to leave knowing that I'll likely never go back again but then, that's how most things go in our lives isn't it? Now, with that behind me, I'm turning all focus on my upcoming deployment to Djibouti, Africa. I'm learning the history, studying the role of the US military there, and j'apprends le francais.

Life is like a giant book and it's time to turn to the next chapter.

The Rules

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 12:23:00 +0000

Rule No. 1: Never post when you're drunk.

Rule No. 2: Never break rule number one unless you've just spent two hours with the ROK Marine Corps, who, by the way, are professional drinkers (like the Russians but without the bitterness), and have thoroughly enjoyed the duck and pork and host of dipping sauces and garlic and peppers and kimchee and beer and soju and a really good whiskey.