PODCAST TIME: How an Epic Hike Across Spain Changed the Course of My Career
30 years ago, I first heard of the legendary 900km pilgrimage across Spain — the Camino De Santiago. 10 years ago, after reading The Pilgrimage and The Alchemist by acclaimed author Paulo CoeIho, I made the decision to walk it myself. And in the summer of 2008 -- with a huge career opportunity in the dust and nothing but a 20kg backpack as my companion, I took the first steps on this life-changing journey...
GAME WRITING: A Short Exercise In Suspense ('Homecoming')
A potential client recently offered an intriguing challenge — write a short story in five parts with the following limitations: three sections of prose under 200 words in 2nd person narrative style, and two sections of TEXT MESSAGE dialogue with 8 lines or less in each. Use a female protagonist, and craft the tale from one of the following genres: Romance, Urban Fantasy, Comedy, Horror, or Suspense.
COVENTRY: A World-Building and Branching Narrative Exercise (GAMES)
Building a world affords a certain creative freedom. You aren't forced to work within established boundaries or strict IP limitations. You can let the imagination run a little wild. You have a chance to throw stuff against the wall and see what sticks. And, quite often, you can incorporate factual research into the world building of a fictional space. Which means you might even learn a thing or two in the process.
BRANCHING NARRATIVE: Choose Your Adventure!
Whether crafting linear or branching narratives, the end goal remains the same — Emotional Engagement. I've been thinking about this a LOT lately. And that's only natural when app and game and media folks keep wanting to bend your ear and chat 'choose your own adventure stuff'. Something, my friends, is in the air...
HAVEN: A 'Choose Your Own Adventure' Mini-Mystery (TEXT ONLY)
I'm an oldschool text adventure fan. ZORK 4 LIFE. Thanks to a client's prompting, and the power (and ease) of TWINE, I whipped up this wee mystery/thriller 'prologue'. Zero frills. More of a proof-of-concept than anything else. But as a fan of Twin Peaks and The Prisoner, you KNOW that weirdness awaits...
FABLES: DEFINING A GENRE
The fine folks at WATTPAD — the Canadian-made 'social storytelling' network where fledgling writers and established authors can share story excerpts and complete works with a hungry (and massive) through a slick and simple interface — recently got in touch with an intriguing request...
GAME WRITING: 'Kardashian' Game Meets the Music Industry
In this opening scene for a yet-to-be-announced mobile game (along the lines of the *shudder* blockbuster Kim Kardashian: Hollywood) we meet a wide-eyed musical wannabe. She's fresh off the bus from somewhere in small-town USA, after the fates smiled upon her with a prime busking spot in LA...
TWIN PEAKS — 10 Wild Theories You NEED to Consider
I think I’ve earned a moment of indulgence — so try to humour an old yarn-spinner in some wild and wooly prognostications as we fall through space, faster and faster, towards what is sure to be the consciousness-altering conclusion of TWIN PEAKS: The Return*!
TROPHY BINGO (Short Study #2)
When Trophy Bingo was originally presented to me by friends at Roadhouse Interactive, I wasn't sure how I could help; it's a mobile game targeted at middle-aged women who like dogs, have scads of free time, and consider bingo to be the epitome of 'fun'. Quite the challenge for a dude steeped in horror, sci-fi, and CATS...
TRIBUTES n' TALES n' NEWS, Oh My!
Hey friends — time to fill you in on the ups, downs, and all-arounds of this workaday wanderer. Such is the life of a digital nomad, right? And with the holiday season looming like some red-nosed and tinsel-toothed beast, I'd better get on that shit now before 2016 swallows me whole (with extra gravy)...