Idle Cartulary
@idlecartulary.itch.io
Nova (she/her). Ennie and Bloggie nominated author of world-famous Bathtub Reviews. Writes modules and elfgames. Links at https://msha.ke/idlecartulary.
Sat down today to play Spine for an upcoming review. I destroyed a beautiful book, and now I’m sending that beautiful mess to my friend to review as well! I hope they survive! Look forward to another I Read game review of Spine come Halloween!
October 24, 2025 at 11:03 AM
Sat down today to play Spine for an upcoming review. I destroyed a beautiful book, and now I’m sending that beautiful mess to my friend to review as well! I hope they survive! Look forward to another I Read game review of Spine come Halloween!
I’m looking for places to quantify treasure and also renumbering the rooms. I’m sitting in a cafe like this, fwiw, trying to catch every number in the manuscript (I always miss one, which is why you get an extra editor)
September 5, 2025 at 8:54 AM
I’m looking for places to quantify treasure and also renumbering the rooms. I’m sitting in a cafe like this, fwiw, trying to catch every number in the manuscript (I always miss one, which is why you get an extra editor)
Then I just start editing. Editing for flow and for sounding good. It won't be the last pass I do for this - hence in the last screengrab the "remove excess articles". It's too wordy still, and needs streamlining. These changes are all bitsy and there are a lot of them.
September 5, 2025 at 8:50 AM
Then I just start editing. Editing for flow and for sounding good. It won't be the last pass I do for this - hence in the last screengrab the "remove excess articles". It's too wordy still, and needs streamlining. These changes are all bitsy and there are a lot of them.
Here's my planning of that; I just write notes in and cut them out later:
September 5, 2025 at 8:50 AM
Here's my planning of that; I just write notes in and cut them out later:
Update: Silksong all morning, then nap, then cat-vats all afternoon.
September 5, 2025 at 5:19 AM
Update: Silksong all morning, then nap, then cat-vats all afternoon.
i’m having trouble deciding which to read first out of my fairly long to be reviewed list
any suggestions?
any suggestions?
August 31, 2025 at 12:29 AM
i’m having trouble deciding which to read first out of my fairly long to be reviewed list
any suggestions?
any suggestions?
I've done one more pass, adding directions and tidying out highlights, and now I have to pick up the kids. I *think* this is the last thing that is incomplete. This shows the importance of using the same shorthands - if I'd used #### consistently instead of XYZ, I'd be able to search for the term.
August 14, 2025 at 4:22 AM
I've done one more pass, adding directions and tidying out highlights, and now I have to pick up the kids. I *think* this is the last thing that is incomplete. This shows the importance of using the same shorthands - if I'd used #### consistently instead of XYZ, I'd be able to search for the term.
And then kicked on with a second coffee to try and wrap this pass altogether (there are a bunch more additions and changes than the screenshots), really leaving only two major jobs - rekeying and mapping, adding directions to the exits.
August 14, 2025 at 4:02 AM
And then kicked on with a second coffee to try and wrap this pass altogether (there are a bunch more additions and changes than the screenshots), really leaving only two major jobs - rekeying and mapping, adding directions to the exits.
I decided to fill this in this afternoon when I sat down at my favourite spot for a late lunch.
August 14, 2025 at 2:49 AM
I decided to fill this in this afternoon when I sat down at my favourite spot for a late lunch.
You're also looking for logical inconsistencies: Why is Punkin trapped? Why is the axle here? I need to change this so it makes sense, or the players will never figure out the puzzle. Also: I just listed a bunch of books in two other libraries, why do I need to do it in a THIRD library? Cut it.
August 14, 2025 at 12:01 AM
You're also looking for logical inconsistencies: Why is Punkin trapped? Why is the axle here? I need to change this so it makes sense, or the players will never figure out the puzzle. Also: I just listed a bunch of books in two other libraries, why do I need to do it in a THIRD library? Cut it.
Also in this pass: write the damned stat blocks eh. Here, I wrote the first, then wrote the third, then realised I needed some personality in the first, so revised it. Smear it with personality!
August 13, 2025 at 11:38 PM
Also in this pass: write the damned stat blocks eh. Here, I wrote the first, then wrote the third, then realised I needed some personality in the first, so revised it. Smear it with personality!
As I go through, I make lots of small clarity changes, like this, and small "ugh I can't be bothered thinking this through right now" highlights, like this, as well as epic combinations of them, like the third screen where I cut out a later section (that was just notes), and wrote it into text here
August 13, 2025 at 11:23 PM
As I go through, I make lots of small clarity changes, like this, and small "ugh I can't be bothered thinking this through right now" highlights, like this, as well as epic combinations of them, like the third screen where I cut out a later section (that was just notes), and wrote it into text here
Here I have 7 hooks, and I only want 6 hook, I aim to have the hooks sink into different parts of the plot: I have 1 Thieves, 2 An Imp, 3 Mystical Gem, 4 Princess, 5 Rare Book, 6 White Cats, 7 Missing Person. the least interesting one might be Gem, here: It overlaps with 1 and 4 already
August 13, 2025 at 11:06 PM
Here I have 7 hooks, and I only want 6 hook, I aim to have the hooks sink into different parts of the plot: I have 1 Thieves, 2 An Imp, 3 Mystical Gem, 4 Princess, 5 Rare Book, 6 White Cats, 7 Missing Person. the least interesting one might be Gem, here: It overlaps with 1 and 4 already
Ok, so now the actual writing is done. Excellent. I need to go back, answer questions, fix up the character text. And then re-number everything. And do stat blocks. Then, take a break, let someone else read it, and then head in again. This phase is at least a week of not touching.
August 9, 2025 at 3:08 AM
Ok, so now the actual writing is done. Excellent. I need to go back, answer questions, fix up the character text. And then re-number everything. And do stat blocks. Then, take a break, let someone else read it, and then head in again. This phase is at least a week of not touching.
The changes will end up being such that 10 is 7, 12 is 8, 8 is 9, 7 is 10, 11 remains 11, 9 is 12, 14 is 13, 19 is 14, 13 is 15, 15 is 16, 18 is 17, 16 is 18, and 17 is 19. If you're interested.
August 9, 2025 at 2:51 AM
The changes will end up being such that 10 is 7, 12 is 8, 8 is 9, 7 is 10, 11 remains 11, 9 is 12, 14 is 13, 19 is 14, 13 is 15, 15 is 16, 18 is 17, 16 is 18, and 17 is 19. If you're interested.
which necessitated a cahnge to the earlier boiler room text (which I also made quotes, as now I've started doing that proper) . The key is: As you write, if you add new pieces, they should impact other pieces.
August 9, 2025 at 2:38 AM
which necessitated a cahnge to the earlier boiler room text (which I also made quotes, as now I've started doing that proper) . The key is: As you write, if you add new pieces, they should impact other pieces.
Here, I finally bit the bullet and started translating the character texts into quotes, a method which really worked in Sharky, but that I dropped in Lightfingers simply because it wasn't as character-focused. As you can see, I'm just filling in the gaps. Note the surgery change —
August 9, 2025 at 2:38 AM
Here, I finally bit the bullet and started translating the character texts into quotes, a method which really worked in Sharky, but that I dropped in Lightfingers simply because it wasn't as character-focused. As you can see, I'm just filling in the gaps. Note the surgery change —
I continue, just trying to fill in as much as I can. There are no new questions in these two rooms, so no highlights. There WAS a highlight where the compass was - i don't feel violent traps fit here, so i initially couldn't figure what to put here. But any alarm will bring attention fo Raven.
August 9, 2025 at 1:14 AM
I continue, just trying to fill in as much as I can. There are no new questions in these two rooms, so no highlights. There WAS a highlight where the compass was - i don't feel violent traps fit here, so i initially couldn't figure what to put here. But any alarm will bring attention fo Raven.
and this. This is all stuff that is important thematically, but that I haven't quite figured out yet. The process of figuring it out might change the overall module.
August 9, 2025 at 12:53 AM
and this. This is all stuff that is important thematically, but that I haven't quite figured out yet. The process of figuring it out might change the overall module.
come back to it the next day, while the kids are at sports. i decided to tidy up - basically, saw some odd annoying paragraphing and misordered keys. so i start removing questions i've answered, trying to catch questions i've missed answering, leaving in highlights like these
August 9, 2025 at 12:53 AM
come back to it the next day, while the kids are at sports. i decided to tidy up - basically, saw some odd annoying paragraphing and misordered keys. so i start removing questions i've answered, trying to catch questions i've missed answering, leaving in highlights like these
while i'm at the end, i'll add the loose ends section, which I couldn't think much about until this point. this basically is what will happen if certain consequences abound. i imagine there'll be at least one more, maybe two, but this is a start
August 8, 2025 at 4:01 AM
while i'm at the end, i'll add the loose ends section, which I couldn't think much about until this point. this basically is what will happen if certain consequences abound. i imagine there'll be at least one more, maybe two, but this is a start
Ok, I'm at the end, now. I still have to write write the third level, but it was good to get to the end where i asked the big questions, it was satisfying to see i found most of the answers. the thing I'd not addressed was a second reason to actually free Gatraxas - i want a selfish one too
August 8, 2025 at 3:47 AM
Ok, I'm at the end, now. I still have to write write the third level, but it was good to get to the end where i asked the big questions, it was satisfying to see i found most of the answers. the thing I'd not addressed was a second reason to actually free Gatraxas - i want a selfish one too
Now, I could stop there, having scaffolded myself for room one, but I have momentum. It'll be more effective to continue scaffolding while I can, and leave more hooks for me to write later. I don't have hours to write right now (I have to have lunch, pick up the kids, take one to the dentist).
August 8, 2025 at 3:41 AM
Now, I could stop there, having scaffolded myself for room one, but I have momentum. It'll be more effective to continue scaffolding while I can, and leave more hooks for me to write later. I don't have hours to write right now (I have to have lunch, pick up the kids, take one to the dentist).
How do I scaffold myself past this roadblock: I start off my writing the headings. I have exits, the special, the character. That leaves just the description. I delete the random table, because you don't need randomness there (although you might have a table of changes in the sidebar - I'll add that
August 8, 2025 at 3:41 AM
How do I scaffold myself past this roadblock: I start off my writing the headings. I have exits, the special, the character. That leaves just the description. I delete the random table, because you don't need randomness there (although you might have a table of changes in the sidebar - I'll add that
The next thing (after a nap), is a new level. This is where I made a mistake earlier: This looks intimidating, compared to previously, right? I got cracking on the earlier parts quickly, so there's heaps of scaffolding for me to write onto when I'm low on creative energy. here, there isn't much
August 8, 2025 at 3:41 AM
The next thing (after a nap), is a new level. This is where I made a mistake earlier: This looks intimidating, compared to previously, right? I got cracking on the earlier parts quickly, so there's heaps of scaffolding for me to write onto when I'm low on creative energy. here, there isn't much