So it’s been a few years, and I’m still paying for this space, and it’s time I started talking a little more.

A lot has changed. Surely you noticed. The last two years feel like ten years or two months, depending on the view. It’s worth updating you about some of these incredible changes, and what they mean going forward.

Photo courtesy of Allison Van Liere. She makes music too.

1) Manetowak. I have been sending out query letters and samples to prospective agents and publishers. While I’ve gotten a few bites, nobody has been ready to commit to the project as of yet. Which is okay! I think I have a good idea of how to revise my approach and market the book to the right agents. Moreover, some other changes (listed below) may give me more of a platform to get the book out.

Additionally, I have plans to contact the Menominee Nation for feedback on the themes and fictionalization of certain historical elements used in the novel. Menominee mythology and background is essential to the story of Manetowak, as is the struggle of the Menominee people. I’d like to make sure to put the story in front of the right readers, and also work with the Menominee to contribute a portion of the novel’s proceeds going forward.

And by the way, I have been sitting on a gorgeous cover I commissioned Theo Ellsworth to create back in 2019. Here’s a small preview of the work:

2) Fantasy Flight Games. In the spring of 2019, I worked at Fantasy Flight Games as an intern, and designed the Mythos Pack A Light in the Fog for the Arkham Horror LCG. I had the privilege of getting a lot of creative influence, even as an intern, on the look and design of that mythos pack, and the process and intention behind that is worth its own blog post. Additionally, I worked with FFG’s RPG department to co-write the Gen Con 2019 scenario The Highwayman for The Legend of the Five Rings roleplaying game. (The other writer, Alexis Dykema, has continued to do some excellent work on the line).

Since the internship, I wrote some more fiction for the L5R game line and other projects with FFG. This past August, I got offered a position as a Game Designer with Fantasy Flight Games. You can see me previewing an expansion for the Lord of the Rings: Journeys in Middle Earth here. My sixteen year old self would lose his shit if he knew what I get to do every day for work now.

Going forward, I’d love to discuss the design process further on this blog, and unpack some of the lessons I learn about story and gameplay here.

Deep One Hatchling © Fantasy Flight Games. Art by Álvaro Calvo Escudero. I’m proud to tell you this lil’ guy came from my brain originally.

3) Day of the Beast. Dovetailing with the game-talk up above, I’d like to also share some info about a nearly-3-year campaign I ran for some great players that wrapped up this past July. Day of the Beast is probably one of Chaosium’s weaker campaigns for their Call of Cthulhu RPG (the revised edition really just serves up monster-of-the-week episodes in a story that often retreads better material from Masks of Nyarlathotep).

I ran it as a way to just sit back and have fun with some pulpy, silly elements, but the campaign quickly turned into a very involved, emotionally-charged serial that put the characters and their growth (and trauma) front and center. In the coming months, I’d love to share the story of this campaign, how it developed, and how it went from a fun one-and-done to one of the most emotionally impactful stories I’ve worked on.

4) Samwise the dog. Between the plague year and my ambitions, I’ve gotten very fixed on future what-ifs. I’ve predicated romance, career, and personal well-being on tenuous future hopes for a while, and this year I’ve learned to watch my dog, this sweet derpy companion, just take each day as it comes. This may merit a separate post, but if you get the chance to just sit in the moment today and appreciate how you got here and the person you’ve become (not who you will be, or who you were) I hope you take it. There’s a lot we could learn from our furry friends.

Thanks for reading. If you’re curious, here’s a list of some of the writing and work I’ve put out over the last few years.

The Highwayman (Legend of the Five Rings 2019 Gen Con Scenario)

A Light in the Fog (Arkham Horror LCG, released Spring 2021)

A Bloody Harvest (Legend of the Five Rings Fiction)

The Stained Cup (Legend of the Five Rings Fiction)

The Yogo Curse (Legend of the Five Rings Fiction, co-written with Katrina Ostrander)

Heroes of Legend Part 4 (Legend of the Five Rings Fiction)

The Metal Gear Solid Movie You've Never Seen + Thoughts on My Father

What I didn't write about in my latest Kill Screen article was the significant role this Saturday morning ritual played into my relationship with my dad. I grew up loving him from a distance, sometimes closer, sometimes scared of him, often in awe, but the fact was that he worked the hard shift as a pilot, and his time was often spent providing for his family. Up until I turned 17, I'd never spent regular, significant time with him.

But I think we're both creatures of habit. "Whenever I go to a different city, I always try out their Rueben sandwiches," he told me recently. When I get into an airport, I buy myself a small black coffee and stare at it miserably while waiting for the gate to open. I also try to put on my best resting bitch face to discourage anyone from talking to me. It's nice not talking to anybody at eleven in the morning.

Thoughts