It's not a book I thought of, but a holiday special: Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, the old TV version with the Island of Misfit Toys. I loved that special as a kid, but when I watched it as an adult, I couldn't help thinking, "Wow. Santa Claus was a real ass!"

Still a good movie, though. "Silver and gold, silver and gold..." ;)

This is mostly an entry about RPG thoughts, so feel free to skip if that's not your thing.

I've been a GM for a long time. I started playing and running my own tabletop games when I was eleven years old, so I've been doing this in some form or fashion for almost 24 years. That's longer than some of my current players have been alive. ;) Online, I've been running the same X-Men RPG for six years, and it's a game that's survived trolls, snitfits, drama queen departures, a one year hiatus, occasional crawls, two movie sequels and one game sequel, and pretty much anything else you can throw at an online RPG. And all, somehow, without losing its sense of humor, of fun, and the extraordinary camaraderie of its community of players.

The thing is, it's not me.

It's attitude. If there is one thing I've learned from six years as an online GM--one thing I would pass along if asked, "How has LT lasted so long?"--it's that attitude is everything. Be kind to your players. Encourage them when they do something great, and ignore the occasional missteps. If you didn't like something they did, unless it's causing a massive clusterfuck plot-wise, it's not your place to tell them how much they suck. You are not in a position to criticize, because no matter how well you think you write, or how fabulous you think your characters are, there will always be someone out there who thinks, Holy fuck, you're doing it wrong.

And trust me on that one. ;) I've been playing Nightcrawler at LT since its inception, and I like to think I've got a pretty good handle on the character, but I'm also well aware that there are other Kurt players out there who think I suck balls. That's okay, though; they're entitled to their opinion. :) At the end of the day, it's what you're happy with that matters. You can't play to please other people.

But that brings me to a second point. I know it can be tempting, especially when someone has pissed you off, but don't say ugly things about other players behind their backs. It doesn't matter if they play at your game or not. The online RPG world, particularly in the comic book fandoms, is a tiny incestuous place where everyone knows and has probably played at some point with everyone else. And, God love us all, people talk. It seems like such a no-brainer, but you should never say something about another player, in IM chat or via email, that you wouldn't be brave enough (or cruel enough?) to say to the person's face. It will get back to them, and chances are good it will make them angry or really hurt their feelings. And even if you think it was perfectly justified, you will be the one who looks like a shit.

The same applies to other games as well. It's not a competition, people. Your game can exist side by side with Joe Blow's over there, and share players (in the same fandom, even!), and it's not hurting a thing. No, seriously, I promise. Never tell your players they can't play at other games, or even intimate that might be the case. Don't pressure them to "choose," or make them feel bad about splitting their time between RPGs. The only time it should be an issue is if they clearly can't keep up with both, and even then, the right thing to do is to make them aware of the problem, and then allow them to make the choice on their own. And if they choose the other game? That's okay! Don't take it personally, GMs. For every player that prefers that game to yours, there'll be another who thinks you're the bees' knees. :)

But as for players spanning multiple games--folks, this is a good thing! You should be trying to foster a sense of community, and not sequestering yourselves behind the walls of your RPG forts. Besides, it's free advertising. ;) I would say that easily 3/4s of Left Turn's players found us because they played at another RPG with someone from LT. Word of mouth is how RPGs grow; we've discovered some of our best players that way. Every game has something unique and fun to offer its players, and forcing players to pick one over the other is not only unfair to your players, it's creating an "us against them" mentality that, again, makes you look like a shit. ;) (Particularly if the other game isn't fighting the same war. Then you not only look like a shit, you look pretty silly as well.)

There's a reason LT has survived for so long, despite the occasional hiccup. It's because we're nice to each other. We call bullshit when we see it, and ban drama from the board, and we support each other, encourage each other, and cheer each other on. GMs, be kind to your players, appreciate them and treat them with respect. Listen to their ideas and support their creativity, and when there's an RP misfire, learn to laugh and shake your head and just let it go. And be excellent to other players as well, even those from other games. Because people do talk, and they will know what you said, and in the end, you're only hurting yourself.

So be excellent to each other. :)
And party on, dude.

Holy joe! I just got my transfer letter for going back to school. Almost all of my core requirement credits transferred! Wha-HOO!

(I still have to take the math placement test, though. *grumble grumble snort*)

But this means I'm going into this degree with almost half the credit hour requirements already filled. Granted, the other half is probably going to righteously kick my ass, but still. Fuck me, I'm excited! XD

I had a bit of a spazz a few days ago, when I looked at the calendar and realized LTaW would be celebrating its sixth birthday!! on September 21. For an online RPG based on a movie that came out in 2000, that's pretty fricking amazing. Even more amazing is how many players have stayed with us since we opened in 2002, and even more amazing are the new people who continue to come out of the woodwork to play. Naomi used to call me LT's "board mommy," and I really feel like one now. Some of our players started with us when they were 13-14 years old, and now I'm watching them graduate and go to college. And they're still here! Yikes! XD

I have no idea what has contributed to our longevity, although I suspect a couple of things. One, we've been extraordinarily blessed with some of the greatest players online. Some seriously damn fine peeps. I think our staunch No Drama policy, from day 1, has helped as well. As all LTers know, Left Turn only has one rule: Play Nice. ;) Everything else is just gravy.

I haven't posted one of these in awhile, mainly because I've been too busy to keep up with LJ, but for anyone interested, here's a list of our currently available characters.

X-Men
Mirage
Bishop
Beast
Cecilia Reyes
*Note: The X-Men faction is capped indefinitely, so these are the only X-Men we're currently accepting.

Students
Junior X-Men
Rictor
Sunfire

Other Students
John Proudstar
Neal Sharra*
Shatterstar
Skids
Ms. Marvel
Blob
Meltdown

Hellions
Dust
Switch
Catseye*

Brotherhood
Juggernaut
Forge*
Lorelei

*Previous player's bio not available.
To see a list of the previous player's bios, check HERE. Keep in mind that we do ask you to write a brand new bio in your own words. Still, seeing the previous bio can help when it comes to matching LT's history.
And make sure you read the Bio Guidelines. ;)

Six years. Holy damn. I can't wait for the next six. It's going to be a hell of a ride. XD
 

dreadpiratekurt

Create your own family sticker graphic at pYzam.com

The new issue of BRUTARIAN is out at last, with my short story, "The Washer at the Ford." If you're interested in picking up a copy, you can order it direct from Dom Salemi, 9405 Ulysses Court, Burke, VA 22015. That's USA, y'all. ;) It can also be found at various comic shops and bookstores, the sort that cater to grown-ups more than the kiddies. The story is one of two in this issue. My partner in crime is none other than D. Harlan Wilson, which just about made me shit technicolor twinkies, friends and neighbors.

D. HARLAN WILSON.

His pages touched my pages. I feel so deliciously dirty. XD

The presentation of "Washer" looks great. Very nice artwork by Chris Kroczyk, fits the mood of the story beautifully. There's even a background of swirling water behind the text. Aaaand, I got my check, which means I was able to send in my application for affiliate membership to the HWA (Horror Writers Association). I don't qualify for active membership yet, of course, but it's a step in the right direction. And it's something I can put on my cover letters to maybe-just-maybe get an editor to take a closer look, rather than heaving a manuscript into the round file.

Plus, I'm a whore. I just like the idea of being able to say in a big, poncy voice, "Ahem. Yes. I'm a member of the Horror Writers Association."

In other news, everyone in my family has the plague. Stephen broke his arm, then got a cold, then a stomach flu, then THE FLU FROM HELL, which he then gave to the rest of us. We're slowly getting better, but if I haven't been around much, that's why.