It's a Spooky Time for Spooky Babies!
October is Here!
I love the Fall. Maybe it's that my birthday is halfway through it and it has two of my favorite holidays, but there's just something about it. Of course, this Fall is warmer than most anyone would like at this time of year, but I think that's a reality we're all going to have to adjust to.
Fall also brings cute baby clothes!
Bebe isn't sure about the whole "being outside for pictures" thing, but we're working on it. I mean, she's not quite four months old. There's a lot of time to grow.
From the Department of Obvious Things, I've gotta say that being the full-time, stay-at-home parent has really made me need to address how and what I work on. I tend to have a lot of things going on at once. Making sure I get everything done and making sure that I'm being realistic about how long those things will take me is a new combo skill I'm working on. The latter, mostly.
I'm finding that I need more time to deliberately decompress. I also need to have the time that I'm spending with Bebe when she's awake be time that I'm not worried about a deadline or what I'm going to do as soon as she goes down for a nap. I know it's early in her life but I don't want to ever have her feel like she's in the way or that I have more important concerns than her. That's a balancing act that I'll have to keep learning how to do, of course. Right now, it means not radiating stress and and anxiety in her direction.
It's a work in progress but I'm happy to be seeing things and doing my best to stay in the moment.
Speaking of works in progress...
Four Days Left on Iron Edda Reforged!
Iron Edda Reforged is on Kickstarter now and wraps up Friday, Oct 15th at 10pm EST!
The project is going well! I fully expect that the final 48 hours will see us hit the funding goal. I didn't expect that to be the case; I expected it to fund much faster. However, it not doing that has made me realize a few different, beneficial things.
I'm basically building an entirely new audience for Iron Edda
The first Iron Edda game was conceived back in 2013. Published in 2014 or 15. Iron Edda Accelerated Kickstarted in 2017 and was published in 2018. The people who are in their early 20s now were in there tweens and teens when Iron Edda first hit the scene.
This isn't a "crumble into dust at the reminder of the passage of time" moment. Not for me, anyway. For me, it's a reminder that I never should stop doing the work of introducing people to who I am and what I have going on. The audience for games is ever-growing and I can't let myself assume that people are going to know who I am because I've been around for a while.
Running a project that's funding a zine, a podcast, and a video AP series muddies the message
And, while true, I wouldn't have it any other way. I guested on Character Creation Cast to help promote this Kickstarter. When I was talking with Ryan and Amelia, I outlined that I think giving people different ways to access your games is important. I've backed hundreds of projects and have purchased or accessed even more. I have played less than 1% of them and have read maybe a few more than that.
I think that's the case for most people. Too many games and too little time. Actual play podcasts and video series allow people to engage with your work on their terms, and through an avenue that doesn't require them to learn rules, schedule a session, or take on the weight that playing a character can bring. Those things are lovely when they work, but someone engaging with your games by listening or watching is just as valid a manner of engagement as someone playing them. I believe that very firmly.
Even if trying to market three things at once makes it more difficult, I think it's worth it.
So check out the link and get in on the Kickstarter before it wraps up on Friday!
Spooky Season Game Release!
Bone Down is a game for one or more players. You take on the role of a skeleton going to a party where a group of consenting skeletons slam their bodies together, then rebuild themselves from the pile. Not all the bones you get will be yours. It's a game of memory, identity, and intimacy and I like it very much.
If you want to check it out, you can get it from my itch page, or you can become a patron because all of my patrons get my games as part of their support!
I had plans to write another small game this month called Hyperspan 2077. As you might imagine, my re-evaluating of my time and energy in recent days means that I've put that on hold for a little bit. I expect it'll be out next month, which is fine. I'd rather be reasonable with myself and my time than push things and be stressed.
That's it for October!
As this newsletter comes to a close, I want to thank you. Thank you for subscribing to it and reading my words. Thank you for supporting me in the ways that you do. Thank you for being alive and persisting in the circumstances we find ourselves in. And thank you for the little things you do to make this world better for you, those around you, and those who are going to follow us when we're gone.
And I'll leave you with something a little different. It's been a long time since I've written and recorded anything on guitar. Having a lil one in the house has prompted me to pull it out and a wild hair got me to sit down and record a demo for this newsletter.
So...
It's a Spooky Time for Spooky Babies (demo) by Tracy Barnett
See you next month!
-Tracy