I'm a retired software developer and technical writer trying to learn how to write adventures. I can write instruction manuals in my sleep, but creative writing is a new skill. I did publish my first novel back in July. I'm working on a one shot or short adventure, depending on the group. I'd like to write it so children or adults could play it, with different challenges depending on player maturity. I'm open to suggestions.

As we get ready to launch a bunch of new materials in the lab, I've been thinking again about the best adventures I've run. Not necessarily for content, but more so for ease of use, preparation, etc. Has anyone had a lot of luck? I think Draw Steel's Delian tomb is really cool. It has players gain their first level abilities over time in a few encounters, and introduces concepts in a really manageable way for GMs AND players, which is neat. The starter box adventure of Pathfinder 1e was a classic for me! The first adventure I ran, and I think it does a good job at being a manageable set of content that's well presented. It's also got a little solo adventure you can play through to learn the basics, which is pretty cool. Eyes of the Stone Thief is my favorite adventure of all time, although it can be a lot of work to prep. In play, it tends to run really smooth and is easy to reference, though---the work is mostly getting people invested in a living dungeon and wanting to hunt it down. Anyone really love the structure, layout, organization, or other aspect of an adventure that made it a pleasure to run?