Because of these several impediments, as well as other technical difficulties, you will find typos and occasional replication of text. In our humble opinion, typos show that the logs are of *live* chats, not canned interviews, and minimal editing of these logs has taken place.

Thomas Harlan's Home Page

[Cybling] Okay...we have Tom Harlan here with us now.
[GottGen] welcome Tom
[Betsy] He is a John Campbell nominee...
[Harlan] Hi everyone, i am here and real and everything.
* Ryan smiles.
[Cybling] Tom is one of the John Campbell nominees, welcome Tom!
[Arwen] welcome, Tom
[Ryan] Glad to have you with us, Tom.
[Harlan] Hi betsy and everyone else.
[James_G] Hi Tom
[Ken_of_the_White_Crane] Howdy.
[Cybling] If you have questions for our guest, please just ask. But please, let the guest answer one question before you ask another.
[Creeper] Hello
[Cybling] Tom, you no longer work in the computer industry? What happened?
[Harlan] I got a real job, writing.
[GottGen] what did you do in the computer industry?
[Harlan] Actually, the company that I worked for collapsed (it was a startup, where I was the technologies division manage)
[Arwen] How did you get a job writing? I am a writer and it is my fondest dream to do the same...
[Harlan] And since I had a book contract, I started writing full time and have managed to do so since then.
[Ken_of_the_White_Crane] ((WB FC))
[FireClaw] [ty, Mr. Silly]
[FireClaw] ^_^
[Harlan] Arwen - writing wise, the only way to start is to actually write as much as possible. If you have a job that keeps you from writing, get another job.
[Cybling] Good advice.
[Harlan] The real issue is - how to do you sell what you write.
* Arwen smiles
[GottGen] How do you overcome writer's block?
[GottGen] I have a hard time with that
[Harlan] Gotta - I've never had a problem writing,except when I've been very ill.
[Harlan] 'It sometimes helps to write on more than one thing at a time, so you can switch from project to
[GottGen] you never have difficulty getting things to come out right?
[Harlan] Oh, that's often a problem. That's why you edit, or let things sit and go back to them.
[GottGen] so...just blurt it out and clean up later?
[Harlan] Actually a very productive period for me was when I was writing GATE OF FIRE
[Harlan] I was working a day job AND writing, so there was a big difference between the two efforts
[Harlan] That kept my writing fresher, I think because I was very happy to get to writing after work.
[Harlan] However, if your job leaves you completely exhausted, then that doesn't help.
[Harlan] Going back to getting things right - sometimes you think that things went poorly, but later
[Harlan] they come out just fine, or fit well in a bigger context.
[Cybling] If you have questions for our guest, please just ask. But please, let the guest answer one question before you ask another.
[Cybling] Folks, we're coming to you live from the Green Room...
[Cybling] at the World Science Fiction convention in Chicago.
[Cybling] Tom, you also write Game Modules? What's involved with that?
[Sophia] Tom, you're advice is good... I thank you so much for taking the time to explain so well..
[Harlan] Long ago, I was roped into writing a long series of convention tournament modules for D&D
[Harlan] which were moderately successful. Last year I dug out some of those modules and sold
[Harlan] them to DUNGEON (WOTC) after rewriting the really bad parts. That's called reuse and recycle.
[Ken_of_the_White_Crane] Neat.. how did you get a job with TSR?
[Harlan] I emailed the editor at DUNGEON and asked him if he was interested in a two-part module.
[Menas] D & D? What exactly did you write?
[Harlan] Since he had just read SHADOW OF ARARAT, he was susceptible to my suggestion.
[Harlan] In May of 2001, there will be a module (CRUX SACRE) in DUNGEON, and a matching short story
[GottGen] do you make a decent living writing supplements?
[Harlan] in DRAGON, as well as an article in DRAGON about the Middle East.
[GottGen] or is more of you income from books?
[Cybling] (Let's hold on the questions, we have two up now.)
[Harlan] Writing supplements is no money at all. You'd have to write one a month to make real money.
[Harlan] My income is from books, investments, and a little from game stuff.
[Cybling] Okay...more questions?
[James_G] Would you ever write straight historical fiction?
[Menas] Interesting. I live in Israel.. so you write about the middle east from a D&D perspective? I'm not sure what you mean...
[Harlan] I've thought about writing straight fiction, but I like adding fantastical elements so much
[Harlan] it would be hard to keep from introducing non-historical elements.
[Harlan] CRUX SACRE is set in Jerusalem, Bethlehem, southern Jordan and Petra.
[Cybling] I see that you're on a panel tomorrow...Two Millennia of Roman Rule...history is an important part of your work?
[Harlan] Oh yes. I was a history major in college and I do a great deal of research. Tons really,
[Menas] I'll try to check it out
[Harlan] and then people like Betsy (also on the chat) help me out.
[James_G] Do you read historical non-fiction?
[Harlan] I read too much historical non-fiction! Cuts down on the SF I can read.
[Cybling] Tom's home page is http://www.throneworld.com/
[Cybling] Be sure to visit it when you can.
[GottGen] Tom...it was good talking with you...I wish you luck
[Cybling] Tom, are you working on something new now?
[Harlan] Right now I'm writing the last of the four OATH OF EMPIRE books (THE DARK LORD)
[Harlan] then next year I've got an SF novel (THE SIXTH SUN) to get out.
[Cybling] Any idea about when that will be on the shelves?
[Harlan] SIXTH will be in stores in 2002. Darned production delays...
[Cybling] LOL...yes, at least a year these days.
[Harlan] The only other material coming out is in DUNGEON and DRAGON, plus STORM OF HEAVEN (OATH #3)
[Harlan] in June of 2001.
[Cybling] If you have questions for our guest, please just ask. But please, let the guest answer one question before you ask another.
[Cybling] Okay...the Campbell's...
[Cybling] was this a surprise to you to be nominated for this award?
[Harlan] It was. Dozens of new authors come out each year, and being one of four is pretty big
[Harlan] ...i mean huge. I think i';d have to sit down if I won. But I think the competition
[Harlan] is pretty fierce. Shane and Cody have a lot of stuff in print and its really good.
[Harlan] So I'm not worried about having to make a speech and say "you love me, you really love me"
[Cybling] Like the Hugos, the Campbells are voted for by the general membership of the Worldcon?
[Harlan] Yes, the CAMPBELL award is on the hugo ballot, actually, but at the bottom so you won't notice
[Cybling] Folks...do we have any last questions for Tom Harlan?
[Cybling] Tom we'll have to get you back out here to chat at Cybling in the near future...
[Cybling] give you a little more time to talk about your games, and your writing. okay?
[Harlan] NO problem. I'd be glad too.
[Cybling] Folks...let's give Tom Harlan a hand for joining us in chat today.
* Cybling applauds
[James_G] Thanks Tom!
[Ken_of_the_White_Crane] Thanks, Tom!
[Harlan] Thanks and good day.
[Betsy] Good luck Tom!!!
[Cybling] Okay...Thanks Tom