Lately I’ve been spending a lot of time learning from folks far more intelligent, well read, and further along in this crazy career than myself. I’ve been trying to absorb as much of their advice as I can in order to product the best work as a TTRPG designer as I can.

Bring in Tony Vasinda from Plus One EXP who recommended everyone should read Show Your Work! by Austin Kleon. In short, when it comes to discoverability and getting people hyped about your work then it’s on you to be your biggest fan and the one to show what you’re working on, WHILE YOU’RE WORKING ON IT!

Now, that’s something I’ve definitely been doing with The Crypt Has Opened. I’ve been very free with posting pictures from the book as they were drawn, letting everyone know when the SRDs are out there, and putting out feelers for play testers. So I was wondering if the book would actually give me much insight past what I’m already doing.

And it has. It dawned on me as I’m reading the book is that even the stuff I’d been posting has all been some sort of “finished” stuff. Cleaned up art or full rulesets. Not the work in progress stuff. I haven’t been talking about the steps along the way TOO the stuff I’d been posting. That’s a very important distinction that I’d been overlooking.

So to that end I’m going to be making a marked effort to show off the stuff as I’m working on it. The scribbles and notes and thoughts. Let’s travel together toward the finished piece.