My scribblings have been published again

I don't think that I have mentioned on here previously that I am occasionally asked to write an article for one of the major wargames magazines - Wargames, Soldiers and Strategy published by Karwansaray Publishers.

My most recent missive was published in the latest copy of the magazine (issue 132) and is a stand-alone game involving two teams of hunters running down their dinner for the night.

As this is my fifth or sixth foray into being published, I thought I would start a list in this post and maybe a new page on the blog if things go any further (I have been asked if I would like to write another article for an issue of WS&S in about 6-12 months' time).

Here is a list of those that I still have a hard copy for. I think there were one or two other mini-articles (usually just one page) but I cannot remember where they were published, or even what they were about now!

White Dwarf

#26 (Aug-Sep 1981) - Potion of silent spell casting - a paragraph in Treasure Chest for AD&D

Crisis Gazette

7 Nov 2015 - Medieval Archers - a one page article on Medieval Archers

WS&S Magazine

#84 (Jun-Jul 2016) - Dynasty: Norman Style - a two page article introducing the Normans' rise to power

#84 (Jun-Jul 2016) - The Norman Godfather - a five page mini-campaign set in Sicily

#97 (Aug-Sep 2018) - Escape from Oxford - a two page bite-sized battle set during the Anarchy

#132 (Oct-Nov 2024) - We are all going on a Boar Hunt - a three page generic beer and pretzels game

My first foray into writing for gaming magazines was a short paragraph featured in White Dwarf when I was young and into AD&D in a big way. I submitted further items and monsters for consideration but none of them were published. I was very proud of my achievement back then and it still gives me a warm fuzzy feeling when I think back on how I felt at the time.

Before getting into writing full-on articles, I also wrote a small number of items for a couple of trade shows, but as those magazines are often lost to time (mine certainly are) I can only mention them in passing. I wrote a couple of one page articles for Crisis in Antwerp (I do have one copy left - see above) and maybe another but I cannot recall which show.

Most of my articles are historically based as my main area of study at Uni was history and archaeology with a focus on the ancient and medieval periods. I am looking to expand into fantasy gaming articles, but just need the right ideas. I have a lot of "history" with my fantasy gaming worlds, so maybe they could be consolidated and utilised somewhere? I also used to play a lot of sci-fi RPGs back in the day, so perhaps some of my old universe could even be written up for a campaign setting?

This blog kind of helps fulfil a bit of my writing passion, but I would like to write more often; full time work and very little time for myself leads to very little page time. I am hoping quite soon that the smallest bedroom at home will become free so I can move all my gaming paraphernalia in there. I miss the man-cave from my previous house, where I had stacks of room to store my games and miniatures and still have room for a decent sized table. I won't have the luxury of a gaming-sized room, but it could become a little haven where I can go write stuff.