At the 2021 Origins Game Fair, I experienced one of the best convention one-shot RPG sessions I’d ever played in—as well as the worst—back to back. This gave me a unique opportunity to compare and contrast what went well in the first session and what went awry in the second, especially in light of my experience as a tabletop RPG professional responsible for developing one-shots as well as demoing RPGs for convention play. Over the last ten years, I’ve run open and VIP tables at large flagship conventions like GenCon and Origins, regional cons such as AcadeCon and Con of the North, and local mini-cons on college campuses and at my own home. Over the years, I’ve also made my fair share of mistakes that I hope you can learn from.

Although there are many aspects to consider when planning and running an RPG one-shot at a convention, focusing on three elements of the session can give you a solid foundation and yield the best payoff per hour of prep spent. These three essential ingredients are: 1) exciting and accessible pre-generated character sheets, 2) a scenario that is optimized for one-off play, and 3) excellent player management at the table. In this second part of three, let’s take a deep dive into the next ingredient: the scenario.

This year at Origins Game Fair, I experienced one of the best convention one-shot RPG sessions I’d ever played in—as well as the worst—back to back. This gave me a unique opportunity to compare and contrast what went well in the first session and what went awry in the second, especially in light of my experience as a tabletop RPG professional responsible for developing one-shots as well as demoing RPGs for convention play. Over the last ten years, I’ve run open and VIP tables at large flagship conventions like GenCon and Origins, regional cons such as AcadeCon and Con of the North, and local mini-cons on college campuses and at my own home. Over the years, I’ve also made my fair share of mistakes that I hope you can learn from.

Although there are many aspects to consider when planning and running an RPG one-shot at a convention, I think that focusing on three elements of the session will give you a solid foundation and yield the best payoff per hour of prep spent. These three essential ingredients are: 1) exciting and accessible pre-generated character sheets, 2) a scenario that is optimized for one-off play, and 3) excellent player management at the table. In this first part of the three-part series, let’s take a deep dive into the first ingredient: pre-gens.

One of the biggest mistakes I made when I first started writing was to equate the word “editing” with merely correcting grammar and spelling. Although that is certainly an integral part of the editing process, it is by no means the only one. It wasn’t until I started working in publishing that I realized there were names for the multiple stages of editing that a published work of writing undergoes, along with a recommended order of doing them. In the fanfiction community especially (where I got my start as a writer), “beta readers” will often edit multiple levels at the same time, but for writers who are considering selling their work, it can make sense to go through the more formal editorial process.

First comes developmental editing, then copyediting, and finally—just before the piece is published—proofreading. Aspiring authors can help critiquers by signaling what kind of editing they’re looking for, i.e., saying whether one is willing to rewrite entire sections of a piece, or whether one wants to keep the bulk of the text intact but just have it polished. By using the jargon associated with the different levels of editing, authors can communicate their needs quickly and also begin to learn the language of professional publishing.

Whether you want to write for your favorite game company, for a community content program such as the Dungeon Master’s Guild, or to self-publish, there are a few basic changes you can make to your routine, process, and mindset that can save you a lot of time, money, and headache in the long run.

Track Your Time

In 2018 I was introduced to Toggl, a free time-tracking cloud app that can be accessed from your web browser or mobile device. Alternatively, you can always jot down the time you spend working in a spreadsheet or in your planner/journal. I use it to track how much time I spend on a given project and each portion of that project, such as outlining or drafting or finding new clients. It’s been super useful to be able to look back and see how much time different assignments actually take me, and then be to able to forecast approximately how much time I’ll need, whether I can hit a deadline, or whether it pays enough to be worth my time. It’s also helped me gauge how much is “too much” in terms of day job, freelance, and social commitments. Time tracking can also help at tax time, depending on what you’re deducting on a Schedule C (internet, phone bill, etc.).

If you’ve ever thought about submitting a resume and writing sample to an open call for freelancers, there are a few basic guidelines you can follow to help maximize your chances of landing a trial assignment. These are drawn from my own experiences wading through the “slush pile” of freelance writer applications, as well as my experiences as someone submitting my resume to a company for consideration.

1. Follow the submission instructions. Companies need freelancers who can follow directions, so sending in something extraneous or omitting something mandatory can be a big strike against you.
2. Organize your resume to be more like a bibliography, listing any writing credits first and foremost. If you don’t have any writing credits, or if your job experience or education is irrelevant to writing, you might want to try self-publishing or being a guest contributor at your favorite blogs first to build up your resume.
3. Make your writing sample short, sweet, and relevant. It’s harder to write concisely than it is to write at length, and the longer your sample is, the less likely it is to be read in full. If you’re applying as a writer to an RPG company, attach rules material such as an item, a place description, or an adversary. Don’t attach fiction unless you’re specifically applying to a fiction-writing position, and don’t attach screenplays when you want to get hired to write short stories.
4. The strongest writing samples display creativity, highlight your command of the game’s rules or knowledge of the market’s target audience, and showcase your unique writer’s voice. They also demonstrate higher-level grammar and style proficiency, such as avoiding passive voice and wordy phrases.
5. Finally, be professional and polite. Remember that another human is the one reading your email. Manage your own expectations, and if you’re not selected for this opportunity, be gracious about it. It’s a small world out there, and never know when you might run into that editor again.
6. Bonus Tip: If the website says “we do not accept unsolicited x, y, or z…”, think twice before opening your email with “I know you don’t accept unsolicited x, y, or z, but…”. See tip #1!

Photo by Glenn Carstens-Peters on Unsplash.