Writing a Book

Hello there, welcome back to another week on the Dylan show!
...ahem.

This week I am all entranced with the idea of writing a book. While in the past I have completed the writing portion of a children's book, 3/4ths of one novel and 1/3rd of another, I have never actually completed a book satisfactorily. As a lover of books and writing, this feels a little sad.

So I have taken it upon myself to write something again. And what better to write about than my current love, game design? That's right, I, who has never published a game, think I can write a book about game design. Why? Because there are very few resources out there for board game designers that really go through the whole process. So much of it is shrouded in mystery and "just figure it out" that many designers are starting basically from scratch each time they make a game. And that is a huge barrier to entry into a field that I think more people would enjoy.

They say that every gamer (and many non gamers) has at least one game idea kicking around in their head. The idea being that every gamer has played a game that they weren't entirely satisfied with, and so developed this thought of "I could do better". I like to believe this is true. I like to believe that every gamer has the potential to "do better". Why? Simple, because there are as many good games as there are gamers. What is perfect to one might not be to another. If a game doesn't sit right with you, I think it is entirely logical to warp it to fit your style.

With this in mind, that means there are hundreds and thousands of nascent game designers in the world, yet only a handful of recognised ones. Part of this is because there isn't a lot of profit in board games, especially now that video games have taken their toll. The other part I believe is because people are discouraged from trying. They get their idea and then there is a long, winding, poorly lit path from conception to actualization. That is where the book comes in.

The plan for the book is to break down the design process in discrete steps, from Brainstorming and Finding Theme all the way to Pitching Your Idea and Selling. In this way it should create an easy to follow guide for finding and developing an idea, all the way to the point of getting it out into the world for all to see.

But why do I think I'm qualified to write this book, as I have no discernible expertise in board game design?
Well, I think I'm qualified because I'm the one willing to do the research and collate it all into a book form. The information people need is already out there, for the most part, it just takes a lot of searching to find it. With my schooling in researching topics, I feel that I have a good chance of finding everything I need and being able to reference it accordingly.

Anyway, now you know what I've been working on this week, and likely will be for many weeks to come. I hope that someday soon I have enough done that I can share a rough draft with you, at least of some portions. Until then, have fun and good luck!