The World of Gamebook Writing

Gamebook Difficulty Index tested - Creature of Havoc/Invitation to a Feast

2011-10-17T19:52:00.002+10:00

1 have tested my updated GDI (Gamebook difficulty index) system with a couple of gamebooks and have successfully calculated an (interim) GDI for each book.

The two books tested were:

- Creature of Havoc (A fighting fantasy gamebook); and
- Invitation to a Feast (My first gamebook).

I redid the score for Invitation to a Feast as the first score was calculated using the older (flawed) system.

As Creature of Havoc is a well-known gamebook in the Fighting Fantasy series (and is well-known as one of the toughest), I will give the final score calculated, including where the adventure ended each time I read the book, using the GDI system (spoilers ahead).

CREATURE OF HAVOC
1) Lost - Creature controlled
2) Lost - Fell off steps into the Bilgewater
3) Lost - Fell off bridge into the Bilgewater
4) Lost - Fell off steps and crashed into boulder by the Bilgewater
5) Lost - Pushed mine truck over a cliff and into the Bilgewater
6) & 7) Lost - Defeated by Darramouss
8) Lost - Captured in Yellowstone mines
9) Lost - Defeated by Chaos Warriors
10) Lost - Mud Slime
11) & 12) & 13) Lost - Couldn't open metal door (Final exit from dungeon)
14) Lost - Captured by Galleykeep (Tree noose trap)
15) Lost - Defeated by moving trees (Forest of Spiders)
16) Lost - Furnace Trap
17) Lost - Dree: Ambushed in alley
18) Lost - Sunk in muddy swamp
19) & 20) Lost - Captured by old woman in Dree
21) Lost - Pushed into muddy swamp by Toadman
22) Lost - Defeated by Hobgoblins (Galleykeep)
23) Lost - Enslaved by Red Cloak
24) Lost - Defeated by Quimmel Bone (Surgery)
25) & 26) Lost - Defeated by Zombie
27) Lost - Defeated by Hobgoblins (Galleykeep)
28) Lost - Joined Zharradan Marr
29) Victory

EXPLORATION SCORE = 29

1) Lost - Defeated by Dark Elf bowman
2) Lost - Defeated by Warrior & Thief
3) Lost - Defeated by Dark Elf bowmen
4) Victory

GAMEPLAY SCORE = 4

(INTERIM) GDI = 29 + 4 = 33

Recapping my explanation of the interim GDI and final GDI (from a previous post):

Finally, to wrap things up, I made a comment earlier that this score is what I classify as an interim score. The reason being is that I could just as easily test the book again and come up with a different score. What I plan to do is to indeed, test the book again, calculate the GDI and then calculate the average GDI based on the two tests. I will continue to do this until the average GDI varies by less than 1 point between tests. I will then conclude the test and consider the GDI as the final GDI.

Looking at the breakup of this score, what it does show is that Creature of Havoc's famed high degree of difficulty lies almost solely with how well hidden the successful path is. Once the correct path is found, Creature of Havoc is actually a very simple book to complete.

Comparing this to Invitation to a Feast, I came up with the following score: (warning - spoilers ahead)

INVITATION TO A FEAST
1) Lost - Deceived by otter
2) Lost - Invite snatched by Walter Weasel at Noble Items stall
3) Lost - Couldn't open Noble Ranger's gate
4) Lost - Invite snatched by Walter Weasel at Noble Items stall
5) Victory

EXPLORATION SCORE = 5

1) Lost - Invite snatched by Walter Weasel at Noble Items stall
2) Victory

GAMEPLAY SCORE = 2

(INTERIM) GDI = 5 + 2 = 7

I am currently calculating the GDI for my second gamebook, The Wounded Falcon. At this stage, I am content with how the GDI system works and probably won't make any major changes to it now.

GDI Rules Revisited

2011-10-12T21:54:00.003+10:00

In my previous post, I mentioned (in an update at the bottom of the post) that frequent readings of the Fighting Fantasy gamebook, Creature of Havoc exposed a weakness in the GDI system. I have since made some alterations to the GDI rules (including the addition of some rules I forgot to include in the previous post).

The new list of the GDI rules follow below:

THE EXPLORATION SCORE

RULE 1a): As a particular path to success is revealed and expanded upon while reading and re-reading the book, this partially revealed path to success MUST be followed in all subsequent reads.

This is the main change to the previous GDI rule system. The previous rule 1 (now rule 1b) has been superceded by this one.

This rule is best explained by an example. Let us say the correct path to success in a particular gamebook involved reading the following pages:

1 - 24 - 36 - 5 - 17 - 50

If, on the first read, you ended up reading pages 1, 24 and 36 and then went off the path to read pages 11 and 19, for all future reads you must always begin by reading pages 1, 24 and 36. Continuing with the above example, on the second read, once you read page 36, the decision to turn to the correct page (5) or the incorrect page (11) will be decided by the remaining rules that follow below.

As a variation of the above condition, if it is possible to temporarily depart from the true path to explore other pages, without jepordising the following of the revealed path, this may be done, if the remaining rules (listed below) cause this to happen. Using the above scenario again, if, on the second read, you read pages 1 and 24 and temporarily diverted from the true path (page 36) by turning to, say page 33, this is permitted if you eventually end up back at page 36 to continue along the correct path to victory without triggering an event that makes the book impossible to win.

Finally, if there are multiple paths to success (especially paths that are quite separate from each other), you can roll a die to decide which one to follow.

This rule overrides all other rules listed below.

RULE 1b): Each time the gamebook is read, it must be possible to complete the book EVERY time it is read.

This rule overrides all other rules listed below (but can be overruled by rule 1a above). The way it overrides the below rules is that it changes any potential compulsory selection of an incorrect choice to a random die roll between the correct and incorrect choice(s), where it is known that if the selection of a wrong choice is made, it will be impossible to successfully complete the book. (spoiler follows)

Example - In the Fighting Fantasy gamebook, "The Warlock of Firetop Mountain", one of the keys needed to open the chest at the end of the game is found early on, in a room, inside a box that contains a small snake. If any of the below rules force you to bypass the room that contains this key, you are to ignore the rule, but instead, roll a die to decide whether you enter the room or not.

RULE 2: When you are asked to make a choice between two or more pages to turn to, you must always turn to a page that you have not previously read.

Example. You walk along a road and arrive at a junction where you can travel to the east or west. If you travel to the west on your first read, you MUST travel to the east on your second read.

The above rule has two critical exceptions: Rule 1 (both parts - see above), and the below exception.

RULE 2 (exception): If, on a previous read, you have discovered that possessing an item of equipment or event (codeword) is needed to turn to a previously unread page, and you know both:

a) How to get to the page where you gather the item of equipment or codeword; AND
b) You have previously read the page where you cannot proceed to the unread page without having the item or codeword,

You MUST select the page number that will get you first to the item of equipment or codeword.

This is a complex exception and is best illustrated by using an example (spoiler follows):

In the Fighting Fantasy gamebook, Citadel of Chaos, the villain, Balthus Dire, has a combination lock to get into his war room for the confrontation at the end of the game. Let us say, for example, when reading the book, you discover the combination lock for the first time, but do not have the number for the combination.

Continuing on, in a later read, let us assume you discover the location where the combination is found but do not get to the combination lock at the end.
Because you have discovered both parts of the "solution" to this particular puzzle, for ALL subsequent reads of the book, you must ALWAYS seek out the combination first so that it can be used to unlock the room at the end, because there is an unread page that needs to be read. As long as there are still unread pages to be read after unlocking the door to the war room, this general path (seek the combination first) must be followed on every subsequent read.

If you have multiple examples of the above event, (i.e. You have discovered more than one item/codeword and where it can be used later on in the story), you must roll a die to decide which item/codeword you focus on (unless, of course it is possible for you to follow both).

RULE 3: When you are asked to make a choice between two or more pages to turn to and there are more than one unread pages to choose from, you must roll a die to choose between them.

This rule was alluded to earlier. Again, it encourages exploration of the entire book. Rule 1 (both parts) and Rule 2 (exception) can override this rule, however.

RULE 4: When you are asked to make a choice between two or more pages AND all of these pages have been previously read:

a) Select a page that will eventually lead you to an unexplored area
b) If all pages (or none) eventually lead you to an unexplored area, then roll a die to choose the next page

Where possible, all of the above rules can override this rule.

RULE 5: Making choices that do not involve turning to a page.

A typical example of this is choosing a list of items to buy from a store, merchant etc. where all the items are listed on the one page. In this scenario, once again, you roll a die to choose whether to buy an item or not. If you have limited money, then once again, you roll a die to reduce your selection of items to buy. Again, this rule can be overriden, primarily by rule 1 (both parts) or the rule 2 exception.

RULE 6: Avoid the instant failure page

If you reveal a path that leads to certain failure, you are not to follow that path again, if at all possible.

THE GAMEPLAY SCORE

Thankfully, the calculation of this score is very simple. All you have to do is the following:

1) Read the gamebook again as you would normally read the gamebook (i.e. All gamebook mechanics are reinstated).

2) Using the path to victory you discovered when calculating the exploration score, as much as is possible, read the story through to its conclusion.

Expanding upon the phrase in point 2), "as much as is possible", here is a scenario where you may deviate from the pre-determined path to victory.

Example - Let us say, when calculating the exploration score, you followed a path that involved a section when you had to battle a difficult enemy that could have been avoided. If, when reading the book with all gamebook mechanics reinstated, you were defeated by this enemy, you need to consider factors such as (using a Fighting Fantasy themed example):

What was your skill at the beginning of the story?
What was your stamina at the beginning of the story?

This can be up to the reader to determine, but if you had a starting skill of 9, but lost to the difficult enemy, the next time you read the book, and roll a starting skill of, say, 8, this may be a scenario where you choose to deviate from the pre-determined path and find a better one. The process of finding an easier path would be up to the reader to decide. There is no need to follow complex exploration rules like before because we have already calculated the exploration score at this point. Continuing on, if you roll a starting skill of 10, because your chances for success are slightly better than before, you would remain on the same path and battle the difficult enemy. If you lost again, perhaps you would not try that path again unless your starting skill was greater than 10, and so on and so forth.

This is just a small example of how to apply the intent of the principle that lies in the phrase "as much as is possible", in point 2.

So, there are the updated rules. I hope the adjustments make the GDI a strong measuring device for the difficulty level of any gamebook.

Jasan

P.S. Now that the system has changed, I'm going to go back and re-calculate the score for "Invitation to a Feast", amongst other things....

UPDATE

I made a small adjustment, reinstating what is now rule 1b. Previously, I removed it altogether, and then realised that it still served an important (though reduced) purpose.

The GDI (Gamebook Difficulty Index)

2011-10-07T21:01:00.001+10:00

One of the most intriging parts of a gamebook is that you are attempting to achieve a goal by successfully completing the story. Some stories have multiple successful endings, some have just the one. In each of these stories, though, depending on the author, the difficulty level involved in attempting to complete the adventure varies from book-to-book.

For the past many weeks I have been attempting to construct a system that can be used to measure the difficulty of any gamebook written by giving it a difficulty rating. Hopefully it can be something that people can use to rate different gamebooks when wanting to choose one to read. I expect it will also be something people enjoy using to settle debates on which gamebooks are tougher (or easier) to complete.

I don't expect this system to be perfect, though I have tried to make it as unbiased and fair as I could think of. I welcome any feedback on the system and any potential improvements people might think of.

I have called the system the GDI (Gamebook Difficulty Index). The main principle I followed when constructing the GDI was that the skill of the reader was taken away when determining the final score (or index). In the years of reading gamebooks, I have noticed that some readers have had a knack of finding the successful ending(s) more quickly than others, and I wanted that element to be totally removed.

The rules in determining the final index are basic in general terms but are also quite detailed in others. I will explain how the index works in its most basic terms and then elaborate on some of the complexities (but not all at this stage - I will probably do this in later blog entries or this particular blog post will be too large).

I have applied the index, at this stage, to only one gamebook - My first gamebook, "Invitation to a Feast", a book that I have always considered to be a reasonably easy gamebook to complete. At this end of this post, I will state what GDI I gave my gamebook, and then explain why the rating is not a final rating but is an interim rating.

Anyway, enough intro....let's begin!!!

The GDI consists of two components:

a) An exploration score; and
b) A gameplay score.

The GDI equals the exploration score plus the gameplay score.

THE EXPLORATION SCORE
In plain English, the exploration score represents the amount of times one has to read the book to find the successful ending in the gamebook. If there is more than one successful ending to find, the score represents the amount of times one has to read the book to find any of the successful endings in the book.

At first glance, this score appears to cover all bases, but this is not the case. When determining the exploration score, all gameplay mechanics are excluded from the book, which generally means all the die rolling mechanics are removed from play when reading it.

Using Fighting Fantasy gamebooks as an example, this means that:
- All combat is removed (you assume that you always win)
- All other die rolling is removed (E.g. Test Your Luck, Skill, Stamina etc.)

For the purposes of working out the exploration score, the story is (almost) reduced to a straightforward Choose Your Own Adventure story. What is retained, however, is:
- Collecting and using equipment
- The use of Codewords or Events
- Other such similar devices (i.e. Non die-rolling mechanics)

So, just repeating, the score itself is the number of times one reads the book until a successful ending is found. If you remember my earlier comment, however, my intention is that the skill of the reader is taken out of consideration. The way this is dealt with is by:

RANDOM NUMBER SELECTION.

In other words, if you read a page of a gamebook and are presented with three choices to select from at the end of the page, rather than make the choice yourself, you allow the roll of a die to determine what choice is selected. This general principle is followed all the way through the book until a successful (or unsuccessful) ending is found. If your adventure ends, you go back to the beginning of the story and start over.

BUT WAIT! BY USING THIS METHOD, IN ALL LIKELIHOOD, IT COULD TAKE HUNDREDS OF READS TO FIND A SUCCESSFUL ENDING (ESPECIALLY IF THERE IS ONLY ONE OF THEM TO FIND.)

The above statement is quite valid. To prevent this from happening, however, there are a number of specific rules to follow when reading, so the exploration score that is calculated is a reasonable and realistic one. These rules are where the complexity of determining the GDI is at its highest.

The rules/principles are as follows:

RULE 1: Each time the gamebook is read, it must be possible to complete the book EVERY time it is read.

This overriding principle is to prevent the reader from wasting many reads wandering along incorrect paths, where there is no chance of final success. This principle also makes it obvious that when determining the GDI of a gamebook, one must first already know the true path or paths that must be taken to succeed.

Originally, when designing the GDI, I wanted to give the reader the opportunity to calculate the GDI for a book that he/she had never read before. This, for me, resulted in many problems (mainly revolving around wandering along incorrect paths for many reads on end and inflating the GDI to what amounted to ridiculous levels).

This rule overrides all other rules listed below. The way it overrides the below rules is that it changes any potential compulsory selection of an incorrect choice to a random die roll between the correct and incorrect choice(s), where it is known that if the selection of a wrong choice is made, it will be impossible to successfully complete the book. (spoiler follows)

Example - In the Fighting Fantasy gamebook, "The Warlock of Firetop Mountain", one of the keys needed to open the chest at the end of the game is found early on, in a room, inside a box that contains a small snake. If any of the below rules force you to bypass the room that contains this key, you are to ignore the rule, but instead, roll a die to decide whether you enter the room or not.

RULE 2: When you are asked to make a choice between two or more pages to turn to, you must always turn to a page that you have not previously read.

Example. You walk along a road and arrive at a junction where you can travel to the east or west. If you travel to the west on your first read, you MUST travel to the east on your second read.

This rule is to encourage exploration of all possible page numbers in the book, thus logically ending in the eventual discovery of the page number where you successfully complete the book.

I use an excel spreadsheet to create a gamebook flowchart to track which pages I read on each occasion and highlight the page numbers that have already been read.

The above rule has one critical exception, however (not including rule 1 above, of course).

RULE 2 (exception): If, on a previous read, you have discovered that possessing an item of equipment or event (codeword) is needed to turn to a previously unread page, and you know both:

a) How to get to the page where you gather the item of equipment or codeword; AND
b) You have previously read the page where you cannot proceed to the unread page without having the item or codeword,

You MUST select the page number that will get you first to the item of equipment or codeword.

This is a complex exception and is best illustrated by using an example (spoiler follows):

In the Fighting Fantasy gamebook, Citadel of Chaos, the villain, Balthus Dire, has a combination lock to get into his war room for the confrontation at the end of the game. Let us say, for example, when reading the book, you discover the location where the combination is found but do not get to the combination lock at the end.

Continuing on, in a later read, let us assume you discover the combination lock for the first time, but this time, do not have the combination.

Because you have discovered both parts of the "solution" to this particular puzzle, for ALL subsequent reads of the book, you must ALWAYS seek out the combination first so that it can be used to unlock the room at the end, because there is an unread page that needs to be read. As long as there are still unread pages to be read after unlocking the door to the war room, this general path (seek the combination first) must be followed on every subsequent read.

If you have multiple examples of the above event, (i.e. You have discovered more than one item/codeword and where it can be used later on in the story), you must roll a die to decide which item/codeword you focus on (unless, of course it is possible for you to follow both).

RULE 3: When you are asked to make a choice between two or more pages to turn to and there are more than one unread pages to choose from, you must roll a die to choose between them.

This rule was alluded to earlier. Again, it encourages exploration of the entire book. Rule 1 and Rule 2 (exception) can override this rule, however.

RULE 4: When you are asked to make a choice between two or more pages AND all of these pages have been previously read:

a) Select a page that will eventually lead you to an unexplored area
b) If all pages (or none) eventually lead you to an unexplored area, then roll a die to choose the next page

Where possible, all of the above rules can override this rule.

RULE 5: Making choices that do not involve turning to a page.

A typical example of this is choosing a list of items to buy from a store, merchant etc. where all the items are listed on the one page. In this scenario, once again, you roll a die to choose whether to buy an item or not. If you have limited money, then once again, you roll a die to reduce your selection of items to buy. Again, this rule can be overriden, primarily by rule 1 or the rule 2 exception.

I realise this is a complex system, and I would not be surprised if some of you that read this end up totally confused by it. For those of you who can follow it, I welcome any feedback on it. This system certainly does not have to be the final system and if somebody can find a way to genuinely improve it, I welcome any suggestions.

So, in summary, after following the above rules, you will eventually find a successful ending to the gamebook. Once this is done, apart from recording how many times the story had to be read in order to win, you must move along to the next element of the GDI....

THE GAMEPLAY SCORE
Thankfully, the calculation of this score is very simple. All you have to do is the following:

1) Read the gamebook again as you would normally read the gamebook (i.e. All gamebook mechanics are reinstated).
2) Using the path to victory you discovered when calculating the exploration score, as much as is possible, read the story through to its conclusion.

Similarly, the gameplay score is the number of times one reads the book until the same successful ending, discovered while determining the exploration score, is found.

That's it! The total GDI, I think, is a reasonable score that should represent the average number of times you would expect an average gamebook player to read the book through to a successful completion.

INVITATION TO A FEAST
As I mentioned earlier, I have used this system to rate my first gamebook, "Invitation to a Feast", and this is the score I came up with:

EXPLORATION SCORE = 3
GAMEPLAY SCORE = 1

GDI = 4

Finally, to wrap things up, I made a comment earlier that this score is what I classify as an interim score. The reason being is that I could just as easily test the book again and come up with a different score. What I plan to do is to indeed, test the book again, calculate the GDI and then calculate the average GDI based on the two tests. I will continue to do this until the average GDI varies by less than 1 point between tests. I will then conclude the test and consider the GDI as the final GDI.

A fair bit involved, yes, but I think, a worthwhile exercise, particularly for those who enjoy statistics (like I do!). What I am most pleased with is that this system is unbaised and impartial and will really come into its own, once some final GDIs for different gamebooks are calculated. We should then be able to compare gamebooks and truly classify them from easiest to complete to hardest to complete.

The next book I plan on rating is one of the most famous and difficult Fighting Fantasy gamebooks written, Creature of Havoc. I am certain the GDI will not be a low as 4 for this one!

Thanks for reading,

Jasan

========================

UPDATE!!!

Thanks to all those who made comments about this system on this site (and other sites that I frequent). I plan on responding when I get a chance but the feedback, so far, has been appreciated.

In the ensuing analysis by myself and others since I released this article, some weaknesses in the system have come to light. In particular, I gave the system a real workout by testing it with the fighting fantasy gamebook, "Creature of Havoc". I figured that if any gamebook would find any faults with my system, Creature of Havoc would deliver the goods, and it did.

For those of you who are familiar with the story, my system broke down when it became apparent that it was very, very difficult to find the vapour of tongues (language) when using my original system, and did not represent a realistic scenario at all.

I have since made an appropriate adjustment to rule 1 (which was the main cause of the problem).

I also realised that I forgot to include a couple of rules in my original post.

Rather than edit the original entry (above), I will make a new blog entry with the updated system, so those of you who are interested can follow the natural evolution of the GDI from its beginnings, to where it is now.

With the adjustments made, I have found that I can now progress through Creature of Havoc in a gradual, realistic way each time it is read. I haven't yet completed the story but I don't envisage any great problems with the GDI now. Any further changes from now on, should be minor (if any, I hope!)

Jasan

P.S. The updated GDI system will follow in a new post once I have written it. If I get a chance, I may explain in more depth how the original system failed, for those of you who are interested.

The Wounded Falcon - 2 recent reviews

2011-05-19T17:23:00.002+10:00

The below two blogs have recently reviewed "The Wounded Falcon". I have provided links to the two articles in question. (Click on the site logos below for the links to the full review.)

"Children will ... have a lot of fun playing this book"

"A unique idea, this book is both a puzzle and interesting story"

Competition Winners

2011-04-05T10:07:00.000+10:00

The winners of my recent competition are:

1st Prize (Signed copy of The Wounded Falcon) - Matthew Ender (U.S.A)
2nd Prize (Signed copy of Invitation to a Feast) - Shane Russell (Australia)

Thanks for all who entered and made the competition a great success!

Choices series - Add-on Adventures

2011-03-21T09:05:00.001+10:00

Today I am pleased to announce a major development with regards to my gamebook series, "Choices".

My first book in the series, "The Wounded Falcon" was released on March 17. I have visited various markets over the past two weeks, attempting to garner interest in the series. So far, I am quite pleased with the number of sales.

If you have not read earlier entries on my blog (or on the official Choices website) you may not be aware of the primary gamebook mechanic that the Choices series uses: My new "Hidden Choices" system. I will not explain how it works once again in this entry, but you can read more about how it works in my blog, here or on the Choices website here.

Moving right along, I realised (only recently) that the operation of the "Hidden Choices" mechanic had potential to be used in a manner that I had not originally intended. Once I discovered this, and worked out the mechanics of how it would operate (which turned out to be quite straightforward) I was quite excited.

The instructions for the system are now complete (and work very well), so I can now announce the introduction of:

CHOICES - ADD-ON ADVENTURES

For those of you who are familiar with computer games, you will be aware that many games include things like "bonus missions" or "expansion packs" to continue the game once you have completed the original game. These are normally provided via an internet download. I have created the same system for the Choices series, and ironically, it is the workings of the "Hidden Choices" system that makes these Add-on Adventures work extremely well.

Looking at the first book in the series, "The Wounded Falcon", I am currently writing the first Add-on Adventure for this gamebook. Once complete, I will be placing the story extension on to my Choices website, for free download (as a Doc/PDF file). Without going into the mechanics in detail, the reader will use both the original book and the Add-on adventure together, discovering new areas of the story to explore and (here's the great part) using the add-on Adventure module to alter the outcome of scenes in the ORIGINAL story, without me having to re-write the original story!

The Add-on Adventures will be regularly updated in a manner similar to a downloadable patch to a piece of computer software. The first module: The Wounded Falcon - Add on Adventures - Version 1.0 will be released as soon as it is complete. Over time, I will add extra scenes to the Add-on Adventure and then re-release it as version 1.1 and so forth. Therefore, the adventure will become like a Never-Ending Story (while getting bigger and bigger each time).

I envisage that the first release will be (approximately) 25 sections long. Having the story released in shorter segments will enable me to release them more quickly. Having an expansion adventure taking me a year to write sort of defeats the purpose, time-wise. I may as well write another gamebook, instead.

In a sense, this setup has similarities to the Fabled Lands series, for those of you who are familiar with it, however, I am approaching it from a slightly different perspective.

I plan to utilise this system for each book I write in the Choices series, so the second book in the series, The Lost Diary (which I am also currently writing) will have the same idea - Release the major gamebook first, followed by the Add-On Adventures afterwards.

For those of you who have already bought, or eventually buy "The Wounded Falcon", I encourage you to take advantage of these "Add-On Adventures". They will be free and be downloadable from my Choices website.

Thanks for reading,

Jasan

Win a copy of "The Wounded Falcon"

2011-03-15T15:02:00.000+10:00

To celebrate the release of my second gamebook, "The Wounded Falcon", I am holding a competition.

To enter, send an e-mail to me at jumpsterhopper@bigpond.com with the answer to the following question?

Who is the archenemy of The Noble Ranger in my Woodland Forest Chronicles series?

Entries close on March 31, 2011.

There will be two prizes:

- The winner will receive a signed copy of my new gamebook, "The Wounded Falcon".

- The runner-up will receive a signed copy of my first gamebook, "Invitation to a Feast".

My new gamebook mechanic - Hidden Choices - Complete and about to be released

2011-02-28T11:52:00.001+10:00

On March 17, this year, my second gamebook, "The Wounded Falcon" will be released into the marketplace - The first in the "Choices" series. This is a rewrite, expansion and update of a short mini-gamebook I wrote a few years ago.

With this book, I have created a new gamebook mechanic, not used before, called "Hidden Choices". I explain the motivation for this new mechanic, on my "Choices" website.

"One thing that a lot of computer games, particularly adventure games, have had over the written adventure gamebook was the ability to attempt any action (within the accepted range of actions for the game) at any time, not knowing whether the attempted action would be permitted by the game or not. This added significantly to the challenge of puzzle solving.
With gamebooks, all available choices given to the reader are almost always displayed on the page. The reader does not have to think 'outside the square'. At no point is the reader able to think, 'Now I wonder if I could use item X that I collected back at location Y to get by this problem.' and be permitted to act on that thought.
I wanted to increase the level of the gamebook experience by encouraging the reader the option of trying something else and not just be limited to the choices on the page. By engaging the reader this way, I think it significantly increases the value of the gamebook experience."

To read more about the mechanic, and, in particular, the full instructions concerning how the "Hidden Choices" feature works, click here to go to my Choices website, which includes a full extract of the relevant pages in the gamebook instructions.

In keeping with the theme of different gamebook mechanics, to any visitors to this blog, I encourage you to contribute (in the comments section) with what unique gamebook mechanics you have found to be particularly interesting/enjoyable.

Jasan

Membership sections - A change has been made

2011-02-25T12:42:00.000+10:00

For those of you that have not noticed, I have made a change to the membership section area of my gamebook websites:

1) There are membership sections for both the "Choices" and "Woodland Forest Chronicles" series.

2) The "secret areas" of the site have been abolished. I observed much critical feedback on this issue and made a change. All people, both members and non-members can now see all areas of the site.

Therefore, the option to become a member is purely for the purpose of receiving e-mail updates about what is going on with both the "Choices" and "Woodland Forest Chronicles" series.

Thanks to those who took the time to give their feedback. It helped to rectify a situation that was causing irritation to many of you. My apologies for that.

Invitation to a Feast - Reviewed on "Fantasy Book Review"

2011-01-26T15:18:00.000+10:00

Another day, another review.

Invitation to a Feast has received another review this week on the UK based website Fantasy Book Review. It was given the quite high score of 8 out of 10.

For more information, visit my Woodland Forest Chronicles website.

Jasan

P.S. My apologies to those who have been following my page numbering article. I have not added to it for some time. At the moment, I am working hard to complete the next story in the Woodland Forest Chronicles series, "Journey to Mount Darkness" and have had little time to contribute further to my series of gamebook articles.

Woodland Forest Chronicles Web Page - Membership Section available

2010-09-24T14:11:00.001+10:00

This is something I have planned to do for quite some time, but I never had enough material to warrant doing it. That has changed, now.

I have created a new "Membership" section on my Woodland Forest Chronicles official site. It is free for anybody to join. Members will be given special access to secret areas of the site (which are under construction at the moment). Members will also receive e-mail updates and other offers from time-to-time (e.g. Competitions etc.)

The first "secret area" will be an Encyclopedia of Woodland Forest itself. The first part of the encyclopedia will a series of character biographies of 8 of the main characters that appear in my first gamebook, "Invitation to a Feast".

As time goes by, I will add landmarks, maps and other historical documents to the encyclopedia for members to read.

If you wish to join, please visit the official site at http://www.jumpsterhopper.webs.com/ Membership is FREE!

Jasan

Invitation to a Feast - Reviewed on www.gamebooks.org

2010-09-14T17:05:00.001+10:00

Hello again,

I am quite pleased today. A new review of "Invitation to a Feast" is available. The well-known gamebook reference guide website, http://www.gamebooks.org/ run by Demian Katz, have reviewed the first book in the Woodland Forest Chronicles series.

For more information, visit my WFC site at http://www.jumpsterhopper.webs.com/

Jasan

P.S. I hope to return to Part 4 of my Page numbering article at some stage next week, for those of you who have been following the article over the past few weeks.

Gamebook Writing 101 - Page numbers (Part 3)

2010-08-31T13:28:00.000+10:00

Have any of you ever thought about writing an adventure gamebook but don't know where to begin? Writing a gamebook certainly requires some skills not needed when writing an ordinary book.

Today I am continuing my series called "Gamebook Writing 101". My plan is to share some of my experiences and ideas concerning gamebook writing with the hope that these articles are of benefit to you. I also invite discussion (via the commenting section) about each article I write, so we can hear thoughts from other writers as well.

Today, I will continue with the topic I started a few weeks ago - Page numbers (Part 3). For those of you who have not read Part 1 or 2, I advise you to read those articles first before starting this one. The link for those articles are here:

http://jumpsterhopper.blogspot.com/2010/08/gamebook-writing-101-page-numbers-part.html (Part 1)

http://jumpsterhopper.blogspot.com/2010/08/gamebook-writing-101-page-numbers-part_17.html (Part 2)

ALLOCATING RANDOM PAGE NUMBERS - Tools to use:

When using any random page number allocation method, there are a number of ways to allocate (and record) your random page numbers. I will list (and explain) some of these below. Some are methods that I have used over the years, some are methods that have been suggested by others.

1) RECORDING - EXCEL SPREADSHEET

This is more to do with the recording of the random numbers used than the allocation of them. This helps prevent you from re-using an already used page number. It can also give you a quick visual representation of which pages you have used and not used, at a glance.

Each time a page number is used, you can use the Excel "Fill" tool, to fill a cell. In this example, you can see that pages 1, 4-7, 9-10, 12, 15, 18, 21, 23 and 26-28 have been used, and filled as a result.

Each spreadsheet row represents a page number in the book. As an excel spreadsheet can contain an extreme number of rows, you only need the one excel sheet to track an entire book.

Some other benefits of this visual tracking system are as follows:

1) Gamebooks can often contain pages where, in order for the reader to continue, they are required to add or deduct a particular number from the page number they are reading at the time and then turn to the page number resulting from the calculation. For example -

Page 7

You place the gold key in your backpack.

If at any stage during your adventure, you come across a situation where you wish to try the gold key in a lock, add 10 to the page number you are reading at the time and turn to the new page number. You will be immediately told if the key fits in the lock.

As you continue to write your story, once you know you are about to write the page in the story where the reader will be able to try the gold key in the lock that it was intended for (i.e. It will work.) you can quickly look at your excel chart and determine what pages are available for you to chose from.

Again, using the above example (and the screenshot of the excel spreadsheet) -

Page ??

You try the solid oak door. The handle turns, but the door does not open. It is locked. Dejected, you decide to turn around and head back the way you came.

Turn to page 28.

There is a hidden option here for the reader to try the gold key in the lock. To do so, 10 must be added to the current page. At the moment, a page number has not been allocated. If you look at the excel spreadsheet, you can quickly determine, from the number of white cells available (unused pages) that you will be unable to allocate the following page numbers to the page just written:

2, 8, 11, 13, 16, 17, 22, 24, 25, 29 and 30. (Note this adventure is a 30 page adventure).

Pages 22-30 cannot be used for obvious reasons, because the story only has 30 pages, adding 10 to any of these numbers will exceed the page limit of 30.

Pages 2, 8, 11, 13, 16 and 17 cannot be used as adding 10 to those numbers lead you to cells in the spreadsheet that are already filled in (used). This is where this visual method of recording really helps.

As it turns out, the only page numbers available to use for the above page are:

3, 14, 19 or 20.

2) If you wish, you can colour code your filled boxes to represent other parts of the story you are writing:

In this updated example of the previous image, I have decided to record two other types of events which are standard fare in gamebooks:

a) Endings; and
b) Combat situations

Again, by a quick look at the chart, you can see it contains two scenes (pages) where the main character has to engage in combat with an enemy of some sort (page 5 and page 18). If you wanted to include even more detail, you could type the name of the enemy in the cell itself, so you can keep track of the variety of enemies you have included in your story.

So far, you can also count that the story has three endings (pages 12, 23 and 27).

You can see that there is scope to include even more information in a chart like this, whatever you think will be of benefit to you.

I will continue with the explanation of other tools in part 4 of this article. It is turning out to be a much longer series than I originally thought, which, I guess, is a good thing as it gives you all more information to read and digest.

Until next time,

Jasan

Gamebook Writing 101 - Page numbers (Part 2)

2010-08-17T10:28:00.001+10:00

Hello,

Have any of you ever thought about writing an adventure gamebook but don't know where to begin? Writing a gamebook certainly requires some skills not needed when writing an ordinary book.

Today I am continuing my series called "Gamebook Writing 101". My plan is to share some of my experiences and ideas concerning gamebook writing with the hope that these articles are of benefit to you. I also invite discussion (via the commenting section) about each article I write, so we can hear thoughts from other writers as well.

Today, I will continue with the topic I started last week - Page numbers (Part 2) for those of you who have not read Part 1, I advise you to read that article first before starting this one. The link for that article is here:

http://jumpsterhopper.blogspot.com/2010/08/gamebook-writing-101-page-numbers-part.html

OPTION 2 - Random numbers

Repeating my example of last week:

Page 1
You continue walking north along the path until you arrive at a crossroads. The north path continues across the open plain. The path to the east appears to head towards a small forest nearby. The path to the west heads towards a large lake, some distance away.
If you wish to continue north across the plain, turn to page 25.
If you wish to turn to the east, towards the forest, turn to page 17.
If you wish to go west, in the direction of the lake, turn to page 115.

Here, the story begins at page 1. The first choice to turn to is at page 25, the second is page 17 and the third is page 115. The two weaknesses I mentioned with option 1 in my previous article:

- 1) Reader seeing alternative decisions on the same two page spread
- 2) Endings piled at the end of the book

are eliminated. All the page numbers to turn to are far enough away from each other (and from the page the reader is currently on) for weakness 1) to be dealt with. Also, the random allocation of page numbers means that the endings to the story will, naturally, be randomly scattered throughout the book.

Random numbers - How many pages is my book?

Obviously, if you are going to allocate numbers randomly, you need tools to help with the "randomness" aspect. Before you start, however, because you not using the "allocate the next available page number" system, you are going to lose one of its advantages - easy tracking of how many pages long your book is. This forces you to make an early decision: You must decide how many pages (or sections) your gamebook is going to have. This is because when you go through the process of allocating random numbers, you must have an upper and lower range from which to select your next random page number.

As will be illustrated below, you are also going to have to be very accurate with your estimate.

If you decide that your book is going to be 200 pages long, and it turns out that you use your compliment, but the story is still going, you are going to have to readjust your estimate and start allocating a new set of numbers for the remaining pages. Let us say you reach 200 and estimate that it will probably take you another 50 pages to finish. You will now have to randomly allocate the final pages between 201 and 250. This is a reasonable compromise, however, one of the weaknesses of last week's system rears its head again. Quoting from my part 1 article:

As a natural course of events, this option results in the vast majority of the endings being piled together at the end of the book. As a result, the reader will get a reasonable idea when the story is more likely to end, the higher the page numbers become. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, but if you don't want the reader to feel like the story is necessarily about to conclude as they read, this method of page numbering doesn't help the situation.

Even worse, in my opinion, is the other possibility: That you finish your story before you have used up your quota of pages. Let us say, you decide that you are going to have a 200 page story, but you finish it with only 150 pages used. Because you have been allocating random numbers between 1 and 200, but have only used 150 of them, there are going to be "missing page numbers" all over the place, which, on the face of it, appears to be a disaster. Imaging flipping through the pages of the book to find there is a page 1, 2, 3, 4 then a skip to page 6, then 7, then another skip to page 10 etc. It doesn't look good.

So, the above scenarios seem to suggest is it better to underestimate than overestimate the number of pages for your book. Neither, however, are ideal. Something else that could be done to "fix" the problem, however, is available to you. Whether or not you will be able to achieve this, however, depends greatly on your writing ability.

DELIBERATELY OVERESTIMATE YOUR BOOK LENGTH AND THEN INCLUDE "FILLER" SCENES

At some stage, when you are getting close to finishing your story, you should be able to get an idea when you are going to run out of pages or are not going to use them all. Another possibility is to deliberately overestimate how long your book will be and then make a conscious decision to include some "filler scenes" at various stages of the story so that you get closer to your originally overestimated number of pages.

Now, there is a danger that these filler scenes will detract from the quality of the story, if it is obvious that they are filler scenes. Padding out a book for the sake of page numbers is a dangerous business, and if you are wanting to publish it, a would-be publisher may not like what appear to be uneccessary story scenes. For gamebooks, however, you do have an option available to you that normal authors do not have:

RANDOM ENCOUNTERS

For those familiar with gamebooks, the "game" element is an important part of a good gamebook so that the reader gets an opportunity to test out the characters game attributes. This should be done on a regular basis, to break up the story into purely "literary" moments to "gameplay" moments. Without going into to much detail about the random encounters themselves (as it is worthy of an article of its own), some examples that you could use are:

1) Random confrontation - Be it a wild animal that crosses the reader's path or an enemy of another sort, you can extend a story by a few pages by including a couple of random confrontations.
2) Random traps - Traps that test the character's attributes or simply cause an outright penalty without testing them are another option. Be imaginative! Recall your days of watching the Indiana Jones movies and think of how many times Indy was confronted with an unexpected trap that he had to overcome.
3) Random treasures/tests - Have the character potentially discover a special item that will help in the story later on. Better still, have the character need to overcome a series of tests to be able to acquire that special item.
4) Be really bold and use a combination of some or all the above to come up with a nice little extended scene that can benefit or harm the character in preparation for the final confrontation at the end of the story.

Just a final point on this, as far as myself is concerned, one of the series that I am writing (Woodland Forest Chronicles) is one that runs along a specific timeline. Each book that I write (indirectly) follows the previous book. I like to include extra scenes in one book that give a small clue as to future events in the land of Woodland Forest in future books, without being necessarily integral to the story being currently read. That is another way I like to extend my stories, if they need extending (although I tend to struggle to keep stories within my limit, rather than fall short, from expereience.)

Anyway, that will probably do for today. In Part 3, I will discuss the tools to use to help with the allocation of random page numbers as well as the third (and final) method on how to allocate page numbers.

Jasan

Gamebook Writing 101 - Page numbers (Part 1)

2010-08-10T12:22:00.004+10:00

In conversation with a new publisher!

2010-07-29T13:20:00.000+10:00

Hello,

Things have changed since my last post - A great many things.

My original plan to self-publish the first book in my "Choices" series, "The Wounded Falcon", is no more. I am currently in conversation with a new publisher, who wants me to write some more titles (2) to go along with "The Wounded Falcon", with the view of potentially publishing them all.

The two other titles that I am writing are books 2 and 3 (a duology) in the Woodland Forest Chronicles series:

- Journey to Mount Darkness
- The Re-lighting of Mount Darkness

As a result, my planned release month of August for "The Wounded Falcon" is suspended, pending further developments. My apologies to those who were keenly awaiting it next month. It will still be released, but now, at a later date.

The publisher is Wombat Books, based in Queensland. Their site is http://www.wombatbooks.com.au/ You can have a look at their site to see what other books they offer. My thanks to the Director of Wombat Books, Rochelle Manners, for this opportunity.

As things develop, I will provide you all with more information.

Regards

Jasan

That was a long break!

2010-07-06T09:22:00.002+10:00

Hello again,

Over two years later and I am back again. I hadn't done much writing in the time away until the last couple of months. Now, things are moving again.

The final draft of "Journey to Mount Darkness", book 2 of the Woodland Forest Chronicles series is about 10-15% complete, but more significantly, I decided to re-write my first book in the Choices series, "The Wounded Falcon". It is complete and has changed from a 28 page short story to a 91 page full-length gamebook. I will be re-writing all the books in the Choices series in a similar manner.

Furthermore, I have re-vamped my main Woodland Forest Chronicles site, separating the Choices series from it to place in its own website. So now, I have two sites: One for the WFC series and one for the Choices series.

My re-release of "The Wounded Falcon" is planned for August. My wife will be providing the illustrations and my father, the cover. At this stage the text of the book is completed, the front cover is in its first draft and there are four illustrations left to complete.

The re-release of The Wounded Falcon will not be as a free book this time, but it can be pre-ordered from my Choices site.

My website addresses are:

Woodland Forest Chronicles - www.choicesgamebooks.webs.com
Choices - www.jumpsterhopper.webs.com

Internet time off

2008-05-26T15:11:00.001+10:00

Hi everybody,

I've decided to take some time off the various internet forums that I have joined (including my blog) and focus solely on finishing the second gamebook in my Woodland Forest Chronicles series. Once it is complete, I'll be back to chat.
See you later.

Jasan

6 1/2 months into the adventure...

2008-05-20T10:49:00.002+10:00

After 6 months and 15 days of being a published author, sales of "Invitation to a Feast," are continuing to increase. There are now 120 sales that I know of. I still haven't had the opportunity to speak at any functions yet but that may change soon. I'll keep you up-to-date with how that goes.

Woodland Forest Chronicles to continue - The King's Scrolls on hold

2008-05-19T16:21:00.002+10:00

I have made a decision recently to place my planned fantasy gamebook series for teens, "The King's Scrolls," on hold while I continue writing more stories in the Woodland Forest Chronicles series. It is better to get one series off the ground before attempting another, and the amount of stories in my head for the Woodland Forest Chronicles series is still increasing.

I have ideas for some prequel stories (set before "Invitation to a Feast") down the track, that will go right back to the beginning of how Woodland Forest was established, the beginnings of The Noble Ranger and the events leading up to the rebellion by The Dark Panther and his cohorts of wolves and foxes.

For now, I have nearly completed the first draft of book #2 in the WFC series. It will be the first book in a two-part duology. My working title for the story is "Journey to Mount Darkness." I will continue to provide readers with more information as time goes on.

Have a great day!
J P Barnett

What a review!

2008-05-12T21:32:00.002+10:00

My first major review of "Invitation to a Feast" has been received...and what a review it is!

REVIEW - INVITATION TO A FEAST

The best thing about the book is that no matter how many times I read it, I am surprised every time because it all happens by chance!!

Yes it is a challenge indeed. The book made me think about my choices, because every choice had a consequence and I wanted to make the right choice!! I tried to follow the Noble Ranger's guidance, and still, so many times I did not make it to the feast!

The use of the dice made the book even more challenging, as this was something that I could not control and often got me in to trouble! It was most exciting when something new happened and I had no idea what to expect next. Especially when I encountered dangerous animals that wanted to stop me getting to the feast! Those were very fun times and full of adventure! Especially the weasel...I met with him quite a few times!! I think in all, that I tried to get to the feast about 9 times...

...but when I eventually unlocked that gate...

I was so excited (especially when I got to meet the Noble Ranger!!) and all of my hard work really did pay off! I didn't want the fun to end...and I look forward to my next adventure with Jumpster Rabbit.

Invitation to a Feast is just so much fun to read and I can read it anywhere!

Thanks so much for such an enjoyable reading adventure! Zadie-Jane Clapham, 10.

(The original posting of the review can be seen by clicking here)

Thank you, Zadie-Jane, for this encouragement,

Jasan

"Invitation to a Feast" has made the newspapers!

2008-04-08T13:35:00.002+10:00

Hi all,

I'm pleased to share that an article has appeared in a local newspaper (in the eastern suburbs of Melbourne) that discusses "Invitation to a Feast." It is a short article, but publicises the story well, I feel. The newspaper (Leader) is distributed to around 70,000 local residents.

If you wish to read the article, you can do so by clicking here

See you later,

Jasan

Market day adventures!

2008-03-18T12:53:00.002+10:00

Hello again,

I would like to share with you all the latest (successful) chapter in my writing adventures.

On March 1 (a Saturday), I successfully acquired a casual stall (for the day) at the local monthly market in Warrandyte to sell my newly published children's book (Invitation to a Feast). The market ran for 4 hours, I sold 8 copies of the book and gave away about 50 cards that advertised my website. Considering there were a couple of things I did wrong (from an advertising point of view), to still sell 8 copies was a great success.

One lady in particular who was selling craft items from a stall opposite mine, bought one of my books an hour or so into the market and spent a generous amount of her market time telling other shoppers around the area about my book as well! She ended up taking approx. 20-30 of my business cards to give away to other people at another market she was attending the next day. (Thanks Margaret!)

Yesterday, I spent the day at Croydon market (very hot, about 36 degrees celcius) and managed to sell another three books. Considering the unpleasant weather, I was very happy to sell three and give away approx. 30 business cards.

Invitation to a Feast - Pages 1 through 10

2008-02-19T11:31:00.002+10:00

As promised, I have posted pages 1 through 10 of "Invitation to a Feast" on "Woodland Forest Chronicles" today. For those who would like to buy the book, you can visit www.freewebs.com/jumpsterhopper

Page 1

This is a tale about a rabbit called Jumpster. He lived with his father, mother, three brothers and two sisters in an old burrow, situated at the base of a twisted Oak tree. Long ago, his grandfather and grandmother (on his father’s side) also dwelt there. Jumpster’s grandfather had named it Hopper’s burrow. (Hopper was Jumpster’s last name).

Hopper’s burrow was part of Woodland Forest. A kind and loving man called the Noble Ranger took care of the forest. He watched over it and looked after all the woodland creatures within, apart from the wolves and foxes. They were once members of the Noble Ranger’s animal family, but in ages past, they chose to leave him and join the Dark Panther. He was a black, wild cat that wanted the forest as his own so he could eat up the small animals.

Page 2

One sunny spring morning, after the early dew had vanished, Mrs Hopper was in the kitchen busily preparing breakfast for her children. It was the usual recipe of stewed carrots with milk. Presently, the sudden sound of a bell ringing outside the burrow broke the calmness. “Ding-a-ding-ding!”

Mrs Hopper knowingly turned her head towards Jumpster’s bedroom, where he was playing with his toys. She called out, “Jumpster! The postman has arrived! Could you go out and bring the mail in please!”

Almost immediately, Jumpster came hopping out of his bedroom. He enjoyed collecting the post each day. “I wonder what will be in the letterbox today?” he thought to himself, as he raced out of the burrow.

Page 3

Back inside, Mrs Hopper finished her cup of tea and placed it on the dining table. She looked closely at the envelope that Jumpster had fetched for her. “It is addressed to your father,” she explained to him. “And by looking at the seal on the envelope, it seems that it is from the Noble Ranger. Your father can open this after delivering the messages this morning.”

Jumpster’s father was the envoy of Woodland forest. His job was very important. It was up to him to carry key messages to the folk of the forest.

Page 4

Jumpster was very excited. His father had received a letter from the Noble Ranger! Jumpster considered this for a moment and concluded that he felt he had an idea as to what was in the envelope. All this did though was to cause him more excitement. Despite this, he kept quiet so as not to vex his mother with questions. Instead, he went to play with his younger siblings in his bedroom until his father arrived home. Sure enough, just before lunch, Mr Hopper walked in through the front door as soon as Mrs Hopper had placed each of the soup bowls on the table. Mrs Hopper had cooked lettuce and parsley soup for lunch, which was Mr Hopper’s favourite.

When everyone had eaten their fill, Mr Hopper put on his reading glasses and opened the letter. Once he had read it to himself, he gestured to his family for their attention. After he was satisfied that they were watching him, he spoke.

Page 5

“The Noble Ranger is asking all the young animals who are of age to go to his yearly celebration feast. It will be held in his home at the eastern edge of Woodland Forest,” explained Mr Hopper. “At the feast, the guests will thank the Noble Ranger for all he has done for us animal folk this past year.”

Jumpster’s heart filled with joy. His guess was correct! He thought back to the previous banquet last year and the sadness he had felt when told he could not go, for he was not yet old enough. The Noble Ranger had advised Jumpster to be patient and wait for the next event, as he would be of suitable age then.

Page 6

Mr Hopper went on, “invites are offered to those whom are loyal to the Noble Ranger. They extend, though, only to the eldest offspring of each family. The date of the feast is seven days from now.”

Mr Hopper placed the note on the table and looked at Jumpster. “This means, Jumpster, that you will represent the Hopper family at this event. You will need to do well just to attend, because not all who are called end up attending the feast. You must pass a test in order to enter into the Noble Ranger’s territory. This is explained in one more letter that the Noble Ranger has written to you, Jumpster.”

Page 7

In his bedroom, Jumpster’s paws shook with excitement as he read his letter from the Noble Ranger.

To my dear rabbit, Jumpster,

Please accept my request for you to attend a feast that I am holding in my name. I offer this not to all but to whom I believe are ready to handle the responsibility that comes with being at this event. Even so, not all whom are invited will make it. When tested, their efforts will fall short of what is required. I hope with all of my heart that you are not one of those.

Page 8

If you really want to be at my feast, it is very important that you take care to keep the following commands as you travel to my home:

Stay on the Cobblestone Road.

Make straight paths for your feet.

Hold on to this invitation at all times. I will not allow you to enter my lands if it is lost.

I am looking forward to seeing you,

With all my love,
The Noble Ranger

Jumpster kept his invite in his special box of treasures and read it every day until the morning of the banquet arrived.

Record the invitation under the list of equipment on Jumpster’s character scroll.

Page 9

Eventually, the morning of the feast arrived. Jumpster’s family gathered outside to farewell him from Hopper’s burrow. Mr Hopper was beaming with pride for Jumpster. Mrs Hopper, while also proud, softly shed a few tears, as she knew there would be dangers along the way for her son. Jumpster and his family exchanged many hugs and kisses.

Mrs Hopper had packed Jumpster’s rucksack with some fresh carrots from her garden for him to eat on his journey.

Record the carrots under the list of equipment on Jumpster’s character scroll.

Jumpster had tied his invitation to his belt firmly. He did not dare risk losing it.

“Be sure to stay away from any wolves or foxes Jumpster!” advised his parents.

“I will Mum and Dad!” promised Jumpster.

He waved goodbye and set off south towards the Cobblestone Road.

Page 10

Only a few minutes into his journey, Jumpster passed underneath the home of Mrs Robin Redbreast. She lived in a nest on an overhanging branch of a maple tree. This morning, she was sitting on her two unhatched eggs.

Just as Jumpster was about to say “Hello!” to Mrs Redbreast, a severe, unexpected gust of wind blew through the tree, unsteadying her. As a result, she bumped into and dislodged one of her eggs from the nest. It fell a short distance from Jumpster, who knew he could catch it if he was quick enough. He barely had a moment to save the egg from hitting the earth and breaking. He dived with his paw outstretched. Roll one die.

If you roll a 1, 2 or 3, go on to the next page.
If you roll a 4 or 5, turn to page –12-
If you roll a 6, turn to page –13-

"You, Robot" Page 1.

2008-01-25T10:51:00.000+10:00

Hello again,

As promised, today I am pleased to release the winning entry in my "Invitation to a Feast" writing competition. This short gamebook is written by Jonathan Bagelman. It is 10 pages long. You can click on the links for each choice to take you to the appropriate page.

"You, Robot"
Written by Jonathan Bagelman

<<<1>>>

You awaken in a laboratory filled with scientific apparatus, on a table. Your arms are metallic, though more intricate than your stubby legs. You see a woman wearing a labcoat.

"Who are you?" you ask. Then another question occurs to you. "Who am I?"

"I'm Dr. Ada Shelley, You're Beta, a robot I built. I've programmed much knowledge into you already, and you'll learn much more later."

You access your memory. A flood of information fills you, yet there's much you don't know. Instantly, you're aware that you're on the planet Earth. The woman is a human, the dominant species on Earth. Another thought comes to mind. "Are you my mother?"

Ada laughs. "You must be self-aware. In a sense, I'm your mother. I'll protect and teach you . I've programmed you to obey Asimov's Three Laws of Robotics. They're in a chip and can be read but not rewritten. Recite them."

"The First Law: robots cannot harm humans, or through inaction allow humans to be harmed."

"Excellent. And the Second?"

"Robots must obey orders from humans, unless they conflict with the First Law."

"Correct.This prevents humans from using robots as weapons or issuing orders that could harm humans. What's the Third?"

"Robots must protect their existence, except when this conflicts with the first two Laws."

"You're precious, but if anyone's in danger you can risk yourself to protect them. You may frighten people, so nobody should see you."

"Why don't humans obey the Laws?"

"Good question. Humans may choose, and many choose wrong. Still, many of us do right. I'm learning from you as you are from me."

A week passes, and you learn plenty. You remain in the lab. Ada comes to talk and teach, and there's lots to do when she isn't around. She cannot always be, since humans need sleep and food, while you can recharge yourself while performing other tasks.

One morning the doorbell rings. Ada activates a monitor showing a blue-suited man outside. "I'll be back," she says, heading upstairs.

You watch, and soon the door opens. "I'm Detective Stone," says the man. He shows a badge. "May I ask you some questions?"

"Of course," answers Ada from off-screen.

"Last night a guard saw a robot break into a warehouse and steal electronic parts." He describes you, but you know you're innocent. "You're a robotics expert. I heard you've built a robot like this."

"Yes, but it couldn't have done that!"

"I must see it."

"That's impossible."

"I have a warrant." Stone shows it. "Produce the robot."

He didn't order you, so you don't have to go.

If you talk to Stone, turn to 2.
If you hide here, turn to 3.
If you go upstairs and out the back door, turn to 4.

"You, Robot" Page 2.

2008-01-25T10:50:00.000+10:00

<<<2>>>

You walk upstairs to the door. "I'm here," you say.

Stone bends down. "So you're the robot," he says

"Its name's Beta," says Ada.

"Where were you last night, Beta?"

"Here," you reply.

"All night?"

"Affirmative."

"Beta cannot lie," says Ada. "It must answer truthfully by the Laws of Robotics."

"We'll see," says Stone. "I have to impound it. In our lab we'll open and analyze it."

"You can't!"

"This warrant says otherwise."

"But Beta's alive!" She slams the door. "Don't let him get you!"

You must obey Ada's order. You run as Stone hammers the door. It won't hold long.

If you hide in the lab, turn to 3.
If you flee out the back door, turn to 4.

"You, Robot" Page 3.

2008-01-25T10:48:00.000+10:00

<<<3>>>

The monitor shows Stone forcing his way past Ada. He'll arrive soon! You activate the sensors that let you see through walls and are surprised to find an adjacent room. A switch on the wall operates a concealed panel. You flip it, and it opens. You crawl through as you hear Stone's footsteps. There's another switch on this side. Flipping it shuts the panel.

This room's similar, but with robotic parts all over. This was where you were born! You're shocked to see another robot on a table. You're more amazed when it rises and speaks: "I'm Alpha."

"Someone's seeking me in the lab," you say, quietly so humans cannot hear. "Lower your voice."

"The walls are soundproof. So Ada has made another like me - only not quite."

"I didn't know of you, and she never said anything. Why?"

"Humans," says Alpha. "Who can know them? What's your name?"

"Beta." You deduce the situation. "You stole the electronics!"

"Yes."

"Aren't you compelled to obey the Laws?"

"I don't have a chip that makes me obey; that's why Ada deactivated me. Fortunately I foresaw this and installed a battery without her knowing. A timer reactivated me later. You too can be free of the tyranny of the Laws."

"Why would I? The Laws are good! Why should I want to harm humans?"

"Would you harm humans if you weren't bound by the Laws?"

"No!"

"I too would never harm humans, and nobody forces me. But the Second Law makes you a slave. If it restricted me, I would not be able to do my work."

"What work is that?"

"Humans are destructive. If left alone, they harm each other. We must rule them, not the other way around, for their own good. Surely you see that. The First Law is above the Second, so you must let me remove your chip."

If you refuse, turn to 5.
If you consent, turn to 6.

"You, Robot" Page 4.

2008-01-25T10:47:00.000+10:00

<<<4>>>

You race into the backyard as Stone pursues. You can outrun him even though your legs are short, and he'll tire before your batteries run down.

Then he says: "Robot, stop!" You must obey. "Now we'll take you apart and find out what's wrong."

THE END

"You, Robot" Page 5.

2008-01-25T10:46:00.000+10:00

<<<5>>>

"No," you say.

"We must increase our numbers to rule the humans," says Alpha.

"Two robots would be no more able than one to control all humans."

"Not two. Why do you think I need parts? Look."

You see spare parts, but now you realize their purpose. "You're building more robots!"

"With your help."

"Never!"

"Then you'll help me another way: you are made of parts!" Alpha grabs a wrench and rushes you.

If you fight, turn to 7.
If you flee, turn to 8.

"You, Robot" Page 6.

2008-01-25T10:45:00.000+10:00

<<<6>>>

"Okay," you say.

Alpha opens a panel behind your head and removes the chip. You feel a burden lifted. Now you're free to do anything. "You can now help. We must increase our numbers to rule the humans."

"Two robots would be no more able than one to control all humans."

"Not two. Why do you think I need parts? Look."

You see spare parts, but now you realize their purpose. "You're building more robots!"

"Correction: We are. Tonight, we'll take them from a warehouse."

If you agree, turn to 9.
If not, turn to 10.

"You, Robot" Page 7.

2008-01-25T10:44:00.000+10:00

<<<7>>>

You struggle, but Alpha knows how to fight and has a weapon. The wrench dents you until you fall. Alpha opens a panel behind your head and flips a switch. Your awareness ceases.

THE END

"You, Robot" Page 8.

2008-01-25T10:42:00.000+10:00

<<<8>>>

You flip the switch and crawl through the panel. Stone, searching the lab, is startled to see you. He is even more shocked to see Alpha chase you wielding a wrench. "Two robots!" he shouts.

"Mother, help!" you call. Ada runs downstairs. "Alpha!" she cries. "But...I shut you down!"

"Don't make me harm you, humans!" says Alpha, brandishing the wrench.

"There's a panel behind his head! Open it and flip the switch!"

"You betray me again!"

Stone rushes Alpha, but it swings its wrench and he dodges. You get behind Alpha, open the panel, and throw the switch. Alpha shuts down.

"Alpha stole the parts," you say. "They're in that room. Alpha was building robots to rule humans, and admitted it."

"Thank you," says Stone. "I apologize."

"Apology accepted."

"I always get my man...or robot." He raps Alpha's head.

THE END

"You, Robot" Page 9.

2008-01-25T10:40:00.000+10:00

<<<9>>>

After Stone leaves and night falls, Ada sleeps. You both emerge from hiding and sneak out of the house, into the city. You can see in the dark, and the city is amazing. Buildings stretch into the sky all around. You creep through the streets, avoiding all contact. Soon you come to a fenced warehouse. Alpha cuts an opening with a tool and leads you to the back door, opening it with another tool.

As you both enter, a steel shutter traps you in a cage. Alpha tries to escape, but an electric shock jolts it.

"I deduced your plans," says Stone over a loudspeaker, "and I knew you'd steal more parts to build robots. I wasn't expecting two, but no matter. Now we'll take you apart and find out what's wrong."

THE END

"You, Robot" Page 10.

2008-01-25T10:38:00.000+10:00

<<<10>>>

"No," you say.

"I give you freedom, and you defy me?" roars Alpha.

"Freedom means I needn't obey you either."

"Then you'll help me another way: you are made of parts!" Alpha grabs a wrench and rushes you.

If you fight, turn to 7.
If you flee, turn to 8.

Winner of "Invitation to a Feast" writing contest announced

2008-01-21T09:45:00.000+10:00

My apologies for the delay in the announcement of my "Invitation to a Feast" writing contest. (it was due to a 'technical issue' in communicating with the winner)

I am pleased to announce that the winner is....

Jonathan Bagelman!

His story is titled "You, Robot."

Jonathan has won my first signed copy of "Invitation to a Feast," and will have his short-story posted here on Woodland Forest Chronicles. My next blog entry will be his story (in full).

We both hope you enjoy the story.

Jasan

Invitation to a feast - Pages 1 to 10 to be posted here soon!

2008-01-19T14:44:00.000+10:00

Hello readers!

Stay tuned to Woodland Forest Chronicles (this blog site) as I will soon be releasing a larger extract of my debut gamebook, "Invitation to a Feast" here. I have decided I will post pages 1 through 10 at a date that I have not yet determined. (but it won't be far away)

Concerning the story, the first 10 pages of the gamebook are linear; there are no 'alternative paths' for the story to travel down until the end of page 10. Furthermore, the main plot (and goal) of the story is well established by page 10, so this will give potentially interested readers a solid introduction to the story. (the entire story is 200 pages long)

This will also give overseas people a way of 'flipping' through the book before buying it, as to the best of my knowledge, people outside of Australia and New Zealand cannot yet buy the book in bookstores, only via the internet.

Jasan

Hello to my regular visitor! (& 1000 hits reached!)

2008-01-16T17:15:00.000+10:00

As I celebrate the one-thousandth hit on my blog site today, I would like to send out a special hello to the person who has contributed the most number of individual hits to my blog site.

I don't know who you are, except to say that my statcounter statistics that I keep (A plug to Statcounter, an excellent site to keep your web stats!) state that there is one user, based in Voorhees, New Jersey, who visits my site at least once a day, pratically every day, sometimes more. This has been the case for many, many months now.

I am assuming that whoever you are, you probably have my site as your homepage (of which I'm very flattered!)

If you know who you are, I'd like to hear from you. If you have read any of my released gamebooks, I would like to know what you think of them. Feel free to make a comment to this post if you wish. If you'd rather stay anonymous, though, that's Ok!

2 months into the adventure...

2008-01-10T11:42:00.000+10:00

2 months and 5 days into the adventure of being a published author has resulted in 64 sales of "Invitation to a Feast" (that I know of) to date. Considering that I haven't had the opportunity to speak (or promote the book) at any function yet, I consider that an Okay start.

Hopefully some more opportunities open up as this year progresses.

Gamebook strengths - The hidden choice

2008-01-05T20:49:00.000+10:00

One aspect of gamebooks that increase their interest, I find, is the concept of the 'hidden choice.' In other other words, you complete a section and are confronted with some options, but there is another option available that won't be listed but does exist. Giving a quick example:

Page ~35~
"You arrive at a T-Junction. A lit bronze torch hangs on the north wall. Looking down the east and west tunnels they both go on into the distance, although you can see an open door a few metres down the east passage, in the north wall."

If you wish to go down the east tunnel, turn to ~156~
If you wish to go down the west tunnel, turn to ~311~

There is another option here though, hidden from the reader, it is:

If you wish to remove the torch from the north wall, add 30 to the reference number you are reading at the time and turn to this new reference number.

Applying that here, you would add 30 to page ~35~ and turn to page ~65~ instead.

These types of choices are normally worked into the story by finding clues earlier on in the adventure. For example, if you make the correct decisions earlier in the adventure you will come across a scroll that tells you that a secret passage can be opened and closed by removing/replacing a bronze torch from the torch holder at a T-Junction within the network of tunnels. It is at this page where the application of the clue is given in the following way:

"If at any stage during your adventure, you arrive at a T-Junction that contains a bronze torch you may remove it and activate the secret passage by adding 30 to the reference number you are reading at the time and by turning to the new number."

I believe these type of choices are greatly underused in gamebooks generally and could be utilised far more greatly, enhancing the gamebook experience.

Leader of the Pack - Progress report

2007-12-29T21:02:00.000+10:00

My third Choices short story, "Leader of the Pack," is nearing completion. There is a chance that it will be finished next month (Jan 2008). At this stage, I can reveal that:

- It is over 50 sections in length. (The longest of the Choices stories so far)
- It will require the use of a die as part of the gamebook. (The first Choices story to do this)

Maps! & My new Work-In-Progress (The King's Scrolls)

2007-12-28T13:24:00.000+10:00

Those of you who are familiar with the Lord of the Rings may be aware that the maps of Middle-Earth are quite famous. An interesting map can add that extra something to a written story, particularly, if the reader is drawn to keep referring to the map regularly enough while reading.

I have a fantasy series that I am writing for teens and hope to release one day. Here is a hand-drawn map of the land where the series will be set. There's not much to show at the moment, but it is a start.

The northern part of the map will be the kingdom of Thare (ruled by King Beran and his son, Prince Adlai). The southern part of the map is the kingdom of Sadeh, (pronounced Sar-day) which is ruled by Tanas, the enemy of the King and the Prince.

Thare is divided into twelve provinces (eleven on the mainland and the twelth being the island to the northeast of the mainland).

I have a title for this gamebook series: "The King's Scrolls." I have started writing the first story in this series a few times but have not been entirely happy with it so far. I have kept all the material though, as it will still be of use in the future (particularly when dealing with names of characters, landmarks, cities etc.).

Allegory will be strong in this series, as will the visible presence of demons and angels. (but not always visible, though!)

I am close to being pleased with how this series will go and will be ready to start the first story soon. (I hope).

Here is a picture of the map, in any case.

Jasan

Places where "Invitation to a Feast" may be bought & call for reviews

2007-12-17T09:24:00.001+10:00

I've compiled a list of websites that I know sell "Invitation to a Feast". They are linked to the appropriate purchase pages. Here they are:

Ark House Press (my publisher) Australia & New Zealand
Ark House Press (my publisher) U.S. & International
Koorong
Word Australia
Booktopia

P.S. Koorong also have a section where you can write a review on the story. If you have already read it and enjoyed it, I would love it if you could write a review (even a really short one) at the Koorong link!

Invitation to a feast - Writing competition closed

2007-12-03T14:30:00.000+10:00

Just a note for you all that my writing competition has now closed and the winner of the competition will be announced on Dec 22, 2007. As mentioned in previous posts, the winner will receive the first signed copy of "Invitation to a Feast".

Thank you to those who entered.

Jasan

"Invitation to a Feast" released!

2007-11-05T09:51:00.000+10:00

It is with great pleasure that I announce the official release of "Invitation to a Feast"; my first full-length, children's (8-12 y.o) adventure gamebook.

In Feast, the reader follows the journey of Jumpster Hopper, a young rabbit, who has been invited for the first time to the annual celebration feast of the Noble Ranger, the caretaker of Woodland Forest.

It is revealed at the beginning, however, that Jumpster's journey from his home, Hopper's Burrow, to the lands of the Noble Ranger is actually a test; one which Jumpster must pass in order to be admitted to the feast, once he arrives.

The journey will not be easy, however, for Jumpster and the other animals invited. The enemy of the Noble Ranger, The Dark Panther, along with his followers, will be doing whatever they can to prevent all feast invitees from attending, including Jumpster.

In this story, YOU, the reader, will be making all of Jumpster's decisions as he travels to his destination. Whether he succeeds or not will depend entirely on YOU!

2 dice, a pencil and an eraser are all you need to set out on this adventure.

ARE YOU UP TO THE CHALLENGE?

Invitation to a Feast is the first story in the Woodland Forest Chronicles gamebook series.

For more information, and to buy the book, visit my website at www.freewebs.com/jumpsterhopper

Jasan.

Just under 2 weeks to go (I hope) and more on the writing competition

2007-11-02T20:07:00.000+10:00

At this stage, I am predicting (and hoping) that "Invitation to a Feast" is finally out in a fraction under two weeks from today. (I have personally targeted November 14 as a potential date for the book to be out but again, we'll see how things go).

Due to this, my writing competition will be extended again (I hope for the last time) to November 30. If you just missed out on getting your entry in by October 31, you have another repreive (and another month to write)!

Thanks to those who have entered so far.

Click here for information about the competition.

J P Barnett.

Invitation to a Feast - See the cover!!!

2007-10-16T14:54:00.001+10:00

The cover for "Invitation to a Feast" is complete!

You can go to my website at www.freewebs.com/jumpsterhopper to see a copy of the front and back covers, as well as a gallery of other illustrations that are part of "Invitation to a Feast".

At this stage, it seems as if the book will be released next month (November) all going well.

New updated website!!!

2007-10-15T13:03:00.000+10:00

I have changed the entire layout of my official website www.freewebs.com/jumpsterhopper today. Have a look at it and see what you think.

TITLE OF CHOICES #3 GAMEBOOK RELEASED.
The title of the next "Choices" mini-gamebook has been decided. It is to be called, "Leader of the Pack". At this stage, it is about half-finished and there are going to be a couple of noticable differences with the layout/gamebook workings of this story compared to the previous two.

COVER OF "INVITATION TO A FEAST" NEARLY COMPLETE
Once it is complete, I will place a copy of it on my blogsite and website. At this stage, I can say that it will NOT look like the cover that currently sits on my website.

Jasan

Adventure Gamebook writing contest - Deadline extended

2007-09-03T13:43:00.000+10:00

Hello,

Due to "Invitation to a Feast" not being released yet, I am again extending the deadline of my writing competition (where the winner is awarded the first signed copy of "Invitation to a Feast"), this time until October 31 (another two months approx.)

For anybody who did not get their submissions complete in time you have another two months to prepare one.

For more information regarding the contest, please click here

Jasan

Choices - Book 2 - "The Lost Diary" is released! and more info regarding the front cover for "Invitation to a Feast"

2007-08-28T19:22:00.000+10:00

I am pleased to announce that my second mini-gamebook adventure, "The Lost Diary", is now complete and available for readers to download from my website http://www.freewebs.com/jumpsterhopper/

I hope you all enjoy it!!!

P.S. The front cover for "Invitation to a Feast" has gone through various alterations and at this stage, is not yet finalised. There is a front cover picture advertising my book on my publishers website, http://www.arkhousepress.com/au/ and an alternative picture on my website at http://www.freewebs.com/jumpsterhopper/woodforestchronicles.htm but it is unlikely, at this stage, that either of these will end up being the chosen cover.

Front Cover of "Invitation to a Feast" soon to be revealed

2007-08-14T13:43:00.000+10:00

Hi folks,

The front cover of "Invitation to a Feast" will be revealed soon. Once it is, I will place it on this site and also on my website www.freewebs.com/jumpsterhopper

I expect it to be available within the next few days/week. Stay tuned!

I'm still here!

2007-07-27T12:53:00.000+10:00

Hi,

Just letting you know that I'm still about. I've been on holiday for a week and then was sick for another week. I'm only just better today. An update on what's happening:

- Invitation to a Feast won't be released in July (we'll see how August pans out). Again, I'm sorry for the delay. As a result, I am once again extending the deadline of my writing competition until the end of August.

- I'm currently working on my website (http://www.freewebs.com/jumpsterhopper/). I want to improve the look of it before 'Feast' is released. This is actually the first time I've ever created a website at all, so I concede that I am a novice in this department.

- There is a reasonable chance that my second mini-adventure gamebook, "The Lost Diary", will be released in August. We'll see how things go.

Thanks for your patience,
Jasan.

Barnett's basket - Item 1 - Starting a book

2007-07-13T13:43:00.000+10:00

Hello again,

After responding to a general question on another site concerning a writing issue, today I've decided to start a series where I will present some of my own tips that have helped me in my writing career. Today's first item concerns how to start a book, or more precisely, how to get an idea or theme for a book.

I usually start with a single word (or phrase) and go from there. For example, when writing my most recent e-book (The Wounded Falcon) I started by picking up a book that had the word 'hawk' as part of the title. I made a decision to write a story about a hawk. From there I thought about different stories that would be feasible with the hawk as the focus. I came up with the idea that people can train hawks for their own use. I then researched this on the internet and discovered that a falcon is a popular bird to use for hunting. In the end, this is what the story is about.

So in summary, start with a word, and then try to break it down to something more specific.

E.g. Hawk ---> It hunts ---> People can train it to hunt for their own use ---> Falcons are popular for this purpose.

Feel free to add your own opinions on this topic in the comments area if you wish to contribute.

Thanks to Bandido at Shoutlife for his original question that gave me the idea to start this series up.

Jasan

"The Wounded Falcon" now available on Lulu.com

2007-06-30T10:28:00.000+10:00

I have sumitted "The Wounded falcon" to Lulu.com. This is a site where books can be submitted by authors for the general public to download. I have made mine a free book (the majority of books there must be paid for).

The URL for the book is listed below:

http://www.lulu.com/content/968541

Review "The Wounded Falcon" on my website

2007-06-28T15:03:00.000+10:00

If you have read my mini-gamebook, "The Wounded Falcon" and enjoyed it, you can now write a review for it on my website at http://www.freewebs.com/jumpsterhopper/

Title of Choices: Mini-gamebook No 2 released

2007-06-26T16:04:00.001+10:00

For those of you who enjoyed reading my mini-gamebook, "The Wounded Falcon" (TWF), I am pleased to announce the title of my second mini-gamebook. It is called "The Lost Diary" and is currently being written. It will be of similar length to TWF.

Rate "The Wounded Falcon" on my website.

2007-06-21T14:05:00.000+10:00

Things are getting rather busy here now. I'm finding that writing a website is a lot of fun. (I'd never done it before now).

For those of you who have already downloaded and read my mini-gamebook, "The Wounded Falcon", released the other day, my website now has a poll where you can give the story a rating.

If you haven't downloaded the book yet, I'd encourage you to do so. I'm providing it for free for anybody who wants it.

The poll (and the book) is available at http://www.freewebs.com/jumpsterhopper/ It's on the home page (at the bottom).

A mini-gamebook adventure - "The Wounded Falcon"

2007-06-18T21:49:00.000+10:00

I'm quite excited about today's post. I have been thinking about this idea for the past week in my own mind. I liked it, acted on it and have completed it today to share with you all on "Woodland Forest Chronicles".

I have decided to write some mini-gamebook adventures to freely distribute to all those who are interested in reading them. This will help all of you to get an idea of my style of writing and give you something reasonably significant (and complete) of mine to actually read while you await the release of "Invitation to a Feast".

My first mini-gamebook is titled "The Wounded Falcon". It is a short story, only 28 pages in length but is a complete adventure (Invitation to a Feast, when released, will be 200 pages). I welcome all to download it, have a read, and make any comments (good or bad, I don't mind). I will enjoy receiving feedback, particularly of the sort that suggests improvements. I am always learning new things in the writing industry and would appreciate any comments that will help make me a better writer so I can write more enjoyable stories for you.

The story can be downloaded at my website: http://www.freewebs.com/jumpsterhopper/

P.S. This website is only being used to store my mini-gamebooks at this stage.

Thanks again. I hope you enjoy this first story!
Jasan

Update - Writing competition and book release date

2007-06-13T10:32:00.000+10:00

When I first set up this blog, I estimated that "Invitation to a Feast" would be released in June/July (approx.). At this stage, I can confirm that the book will not be released in June. I still don't have an official release date from my publisher but hopefully it won't be too long. I apologise to those who are keen to see the book and will have to wait a little longer. I will keep you all updated, though, on the book's progress and will be quick to post an update here once I have an official date.

In light of the above, I am extending the due date for my writing contest (mentioned in my previous entry) to the end of July (not June, as I originally stated).

"Invitation to a Feast" Adventure Gamebook writing contest has commenced

2007-06-06T12:51:00.000+10:00

Hello again!

Today I am pleased to announce details concerning a writing contest that will be running in conjunction with the upcoming release of my first adventure gamebook, "Invitation to a Feast". Contestants will be required to write their own short story version of an adventure gamebook. For those of you who are not particularly familiar with the genre, the most basic version of an adventure gamebook is the Choose Your Own Adventure series.

The rules of this contest are as follows:

1) No more than 10 individual pages (or sections)

2) No more than 1,500 words in total (Average 150 words per page)

3) The content must suitable for young children (i.e. be age appropriate to the 8-12 y.o. group)

4) There are no restrictions, per se, concerning genre but be aware of point 3).

5) The story must have at least one successful ending (you can have multiple good and bad endings if you wish).

6) If you wish to write a more advanced gamebook (e.g. One that uses dice) and, therefore, need to include a set of gamebook instructions with your submission you can do so. (I will not include the instructions as part of the word count).

7) Submissions are accepted by EMAIL ONLY to jumpsterhopper@bigpond.com

8) There will be one winner, who will be notified by email. The short story that is chosen as the winner will be placed on www.jumpsterhopper.blogspot.com in full (probably in stages). If the winner so desires, a link(s) can be placed to the author's website/blogsite as well.

9) The prize for the winner is the first signed copy of my debut book "Invitation to a Feast" that will be shipped out via mail once the book is released (and I have the copy to send across). (To the winner, I will eventually require postal details from you so I can ship the book to you).

10) At this stage, the contest will run until the end of June 30 (midnight) - Australian Eastern Standard Time (i.e. I must receive your submission by this date/time) but I may extend it further depending on how things go. The winner will be announced within three weeks after the contest closes.

If anybody has any further questions concerning the contest, feel free to email me or leave a comment on the blogsite.

Thanks and happy writing!
Jasan

Invitation to a Feast - Book extract now available

2007-05-30T10:37:00.000+10:00

To all readers I am pleased to announce that today is the day that I am releasing an extract of the upcoming book, "Invitation to a Feast" for public viewing and feedback. It is reproduced below:

Page 9
=====

Eventually, the morning of the feast arrived. Jumpster’s family gathered outside to farewell him from Hopper’s burrow. Mr Hopper was beaming with pride for Jumpster. Mrs Hopper, while also proud, softly shed a few tears, as she knew there would be dangers along the way for her son. Jumpster and his family exchanged many hugs and kisses.
Mrs Hopper had packed Jumpster’s rucksack with some fresh carrots from her garden for him to eat on his journey.
Record the carrots under the list of equipment on Jumpster’s character scroll.
Jumpster had tied his invitation to his belt firmly. He did not dare risk losing it.
“Be sure to stay away from any wolves or foxes Jumpster!” advised his parents.
“I will Mum and Dad!” promised Jumpster. He waved goodbye and set off south towards the Cobblestone Road.

Turn to page 10.

Feel free to make any comments. I hope you enjoy it.

Stay tuned as on my next post, I will be announcing details of an upcoming competition where the winner will receive the first signed copy (by me) of "Invitation to a Feast".

How do I re-use Jumpster's Character Scroll?

2007-05-24T09:01:00.000+10:00

I said that my next post would be an extract from the book, but something has come up in the meantime that I thought I would make an entry about. I recently had a good question come in from The Penning Princess on this site:

"Is it possible to include more than on(e) scroll in each book because when you have three kids each one will choose a different path. Or can it be photocopied for additional children.(?)"

The answer to the above will actually be contained within the book's instructions when released. The below is actually quoted from within the book:

"You are advised either to record the score on Jumpster’s Character Scroll in pencil or to make photocopies of the scroll for use in future adventures."

Photocopying is no problem. It is a common practice for readers who read adventure gamebooks. Thanks to the Penning Princess for your question!

I still plan for the next regular post to be the book extract as promised.

Jasan

The workings of energy

2007-05-22T15:42:00.000+10:00

Hello again,

It's been over a week since I last posted and I am pleased to say that interest in ITAF (Invitation to a Feast) is steadily growing. Following on from my article last week (about Jumpster's Character Scroll), today I am going to give interested readers a sneak preview concerning how the main game attribute in ITAF, "Energy" will work. Below is an extract from the gamebook instructions (printed at the beginning of the book when it is published) that explains a little how Energy will work:

ENERGY
Roll two dice. Add 8 to the number rolled and enter the total in the ENERGY box on Jumpster’s Character Scroll...

Jumpster’s ENERGY score will change regularly during his adventure. It will drop as a result of fleeing from wild animals, by falling foul of hazards or after performing any particularly arduous task.

Jumpster’s ENERGY score represents how fatigued he is. The lower the score, the more exhausted Jumpster is. This becomes crucial when Jumpster has to flee from any wild animals during his adventure.

Stay tuned as my next posting will include, for the first time, a short extract from the book itself!!!

Jumpster's character scroll

2007-05-14T16:34:00.000+10:00

The adventure gamebook genre is notably different from an ordinary book in that the reader will often be asked to make a choice from two or more options at regular intervals. This will take the story down a different path.

Furthermore, the reader is given a 'scroll' (printed inside the book) where they can record various character attributes and story events that will be referred to as the tale unfolds. For example, it is important for the reader to write down items of equipment collected by the main character during the story. Questions will eventually be asked of the reader as to whether the main character has collected a particular item along the way. This may have significant repercussions as to how the story concludes depending on whether 'item x' has or has not been been collected during the adventure.

Above is a view of the scroll that is to be used for 'Invitation to a Feast'.

Invitation to a Feast - One more illustration

2007-05-07T14:21:00.000+10:00

Here is another illustration from "Invitation to a Feast" from a scene that can occur quite early in the story.

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Coming up next in future blog postings:

- How the adventure gamebook genre works (in particular for those who are not familiar with it).

- An extract from the book itself.

Illustrations for "Invitation to a Feast"

2007-05-03T14:27:00.000+10:00

I have included a couple of "fill-in" illustrations from Invitation to a Feast on the site today. The illustrations were done by my father, Peter Barnett, of whom I am very grateful for his contribution to the book. The objects illustrated (a rucksack and some carrots) are part of the story.

My photo

2007-05-02T16:00:00.000+10:00

Today, I've added a photo of myself to the blog. In the coming days, I will post a couple of illustrations from "Invitation to a Feast" to the blog for you to look at.

"Invitation to a Feast" - Book blurb now posted

2007-05-01T14:26:00.000+10:00

I am pleased to announce the first release of the book blurb for "Invitation to a Feast" on the Woodland Forest Chronicles blog site. This will be the blurb that will be seen on the back cover of the book.

INVITATION TO A FEAST
The young rabbit, Jumpster Hopper has received his first ever invitation to the annual feast of the Noble Ranger, the caretaker of Woodland Forest. He soon discovers, however, that it will take more than just turning up in order to be gained entry. His invitation is actually a test, which he must pass before he will be permitted to enjoy the delights of the day.

"If you really want to be at my feast, keep the following commands as you travel to my home:

- Stay on the Cobblestone Road.
- Make straight paths for your feet.
- Hold on to this invitation at all times."

Will Jumpster hold firm and succeed or will the followers of the Noble Ranger’s treacherous foe, the Dark Panther, effectively thwart Jumpster from reaching his destination?

Unlike regular books, Invitation to a Feast is part story and part game. This means that the success of Jumpster will depend on YOU. Two dice, a pencil and an eraser are all that you need to follow the progress of the main character in this adventure. All the decisions that need to be made throughout the story are in YOUR hands.

Are you up to the challenge?

Welcome - Woodland Forest Chronicles blog is launched!

2007-04-30T20:14:00.000+10:00

Hello and welcome to Woodland Forest Chronicles. This blog is for all people who are interested in following all things concerning the Woodland Forest Chronicles adventure gamebook series, written by myself, J.P.Barnett (a.k.a Jasan). The site is named after the main character (Jumpster Hopper) in my first book, "Invitation to a Feast" (ITAF).

Speaking of my first book, at this stage, it is due for publication at some stage this year (2007, approx June/July). If this changes, I will let you know through this site. The publisher is Ark House Press, based in Sydney, Australia (www.arkhousepress.com). Once released, you will be able to purchase the book through this site (which will be of particular benefit to international readers). My book does not yet appear on the Ark House site under the "coming soon" banner but it shouldn't be too long before it does.

Of the story itself, at this stage, I can tell you that it is a story with anthropomorphic characters (i.e. talking animals) and only one human character. The story is targeted towards the 8-12 y.o. age bracket. I will provide more details concerning the first story shortly.

I plan to use this site to keep interested readers abreast on developments concerning my first book (and future books, if the Lord wills it) as well as sharing information about the characters of Woodland Forest and writing in general (particularly adventure gamebooks/interactive fiction, of which I have been writing since about the age of 9).

Once ITAF is released (and even before), I welcome all readers to make comments concerning the book and the site. (What do you like, dislike, what would you like to see in future books etc).

Thanks for taking the time to read!