Working at TSR was a great deal like going to Hogwarts. There were daily wonders and constant horrors. I witnessed amazing wizards at work and ran into cold-blooded creatures that could stare me to stone. My TSR years were some of the best and worst of my career, and I think most others who worked there when I did would agree. But I learned. A lot.

I remember once wondering if a lawful good person could survive in a chaotic neutral organization. But TSR gave me my first chance to write novels. For that, I will be forever grateful.

When I left TSR, we all ate aged steaks in a rented tent on the lawn, and a year later, the company was bankrupt. I enjoy pretending like that’s because of my absence, but honestly I got a great deal more out of TSR than it ever got out of me.

Thanks for keeping your ear tuned to this blog. I need to be getting back to it.

Best,
Rob

Just read your interview on thomasaknight.com, some good words of wisdom there, especially about getting into the heads of villains.

You mentioned, very briefly, TSR – certainly the TSR era of AD&D novels based in the worlds of Dragonlance, Forgotten Realms, Ravenloft etc were (and still are) my favourite era of fantasy novels. What was it like, working with TSR during those halcyon *ahem* days?

Dude, I’m getting older. Throw me a paragraph or two. Something about a hole in time will do. I’m falling through one now. I don’t need a life line. I just need something to read while I make the trip.

I like the way you put that–”the motivation is there, even if the destination is not.”

Yes, I’m working up some new ideas.

And no matter what happens to the publishing industry, people will always need great stories and great storytellers. We just need to figure out how to reach an audience in this new world–doing what we love, which is writing.

But I haven’t yet bought into the idea that I need to become my own publisher, promoter, and fan.

As someone with dreams of getting published, it is disheartening, and I can’t help but feel that publishing boat has already sailed. Or at least it will have by the time I get published.

Still, the creative process has its allure, and urge to tell stories is still strong, so that’ll be enough to see me through.

The motivation is there, even if the destination is not… Will you keep dancing, regardless?

Great to hear from you! Yes, it’ll be terrific to see you and the old Scots Bear later this year. Thanks for stopping by!

Rob

Nice place ya got here! And I love the parable.

Hope all is well. Looking forward to seeing you later this year!

Denise

It’s great to hear from you–a long time since The Unicorn! I see you’ve written many nonfiction works for Scholastic. That’s great.

Sadly, I don’t have any current contacts at Tor or WotC. My Tor editor, Brian Thomsen, died a couple years back, and my WotC editor, Phil Athans, left there about a year ago. Sorry I couldn’t be more helpful.

Thanks for stopping by the site, and good luck on your search!

Rob

Been a while. Nice web site. Congrats on your writing successes. I was wondering if I could bend your ear a bit about submitting to Tor and to WOTC (again)? I’ve been very successful with the nonfiction work since you and I worked together last, but I’d like to get back into the fantasy genre.

I’m interested in writing for the Young Readers series. I don’t know if they work like they used to, when I was on their writer’s list and they’d send me calls for submissions. I’d also like a real person to send to, the last contact I had was Nina Hess. And Tor, how are they doing these days?

I don’t have a current email address for you, so I thought I’d try here.

Thanks, and hope to talk to you soon.
Allison