A Big Serious Important Writer Wondering Why You're Snorting Derisively
Welcome to my site. Look upon my works, ye mighty, and say, “hi.”
Who am I, anyway? (Origin Story)
What have I done? (Take a Writing Tour or jump straight to The Novel)
When is new stuff coming out? (Blog & Announcements)
Where can you find me? (Contact Info)
Why write fiction when the world is on fire? (Screaming Into the Void)
And that’s about how my life has gone ever since.
In college, I took a lot of writing courses and formed a writing team with my then-girlfriend, now-wife. We broke into the world of pencil-and-paper roleplaying games. After college, we realized that world wasn’t going to pay the rent, and tried our hand at screenwriting.
In our first paid gig writing a ten-o’-clock spy drama, we sat down with one of the senior writers and asked his advice. When times got tough, what did he tell himself that made staying in the industry worth it? He considered for a moment and said, “Well… I discovered anti-anxiety medication.”
So the quest for a better life kept going. After a trip to the Game Developer’s Conference in 2005, we ended up in the video game industry. Now, video games have their own horror stories, but through the grace of whatever gods watch over video games (probably Eulalia, Muse of Franchises), I ended up at a series of pretty good places to work. I managed to build a career that’s spanned a bit more than a decade. I get to geek out about science fiction, fantasy, and horror as part of my day job, and that day job lets me support the family that I love.
So what do I want now? I want you to come on an adventure with me.
New Year’s is the time of the obligatory retrospectives, and I am not immune to the call of tradition. My writer friends are posting lists of the short stories they sold, or the final page of their manuscript’s rough draft, and other celebratory milestones. It makes me take stock and think about how much I’ve …
Continue reading “In Which I Share Regrets and a Parable About Blessings”
This being the Internet, I’m sure quite a few readers will instantly take exception to the title of this post. Fear not! This is not about me hating on someone for their politics, though I’ve certainly got some venom in reserve for that these days. Nor is it about their opinions in some fandom. At …
Continue reading “In Which I Mock Someone Who Actually Deserves It”
When we last left our intrepid introvert, I was writing letters to swing states to get out the vote. I kept that up until October 1st, the designated first day to send them out for maximum impact. By then, I was so sick of writing ’em. The final tally was 100 letters sent early to …
Continue reading “In Which I Bite the Freaking Bullet and Knock on Doors”
I prioritize working over ego, and family over working. Maintaining a web site and contacts with fans falls under “ego” stuff.
I’m sure you’re a cool person and we’d have lots to talk about.
This is is where I show off promotional materials, excerpts from books, links to published or produced works, and so forth. My LinkedIn page covers my specific responsibilities for the collaborative projects. (Writing samples are at the bottom — just scroll down.)
I have also spoken at the Game Developers’ Conference on the topic of writer research skills. If you’re an attendee, you can find my 2016 lecture “What Wikipedia Doesn’t Know Can Hurt You,” in the GDC Vault.
Civil Blood: The Vampire Rights Case that Changed a Nation
“The 10:40 Appointment at the NYC Department of Superhero Registration”
“The Shot Glass of Nostalgia” — Tabletop Stories to Help Your Games
These are resume fodder: YouTube videos of my video game work and prose fiction in small, digestible chunks.
Videos:
A Question of Motivation Part 1 (MMO Quest Giving)
A short and sweet side quest as it originally appeared in Star Wars: The Old Republic. Takes about 5 minutes to watch, which is why I put it first.
A Question of Motivation Part 2
The gameplay of the rest of the adventure, including the twist at 10:34 and decision/quest turn-in at 18:31. Total dialogue time about 5 more minutes.
Priority: Citadel from Mass Effect 3 (Action Sample, RPG Video Game) ~ 30 min
Kai Leng’s first appearance, a showdown with the Virmire Survivor, and finally a use for those Citadel elevators. (Mayhem. Mayhem is the use.)
Citadel DLC — Thane’s Memorial Service (Dialogue Sample, RPG Video Game) ~30 min
Didn’t feel like you got a proper goodbye to Thane in Mass Effect 3? DLC to the rescue!
Citadel DLC — Silver Coast Casino Infiltration ~ 30 min
A casino heist? In a game without stealth? We made it work! Here’s two versions.
This one is a walkthrough, so it has commentary. It includes the mission briefing.
This one has no commentary, but does not have the mission briefing.
(And just for fun, the Silver Coast Casino mission’s red carpet entrances — all 27 dialogue variations!)
Wayfinder‘s Traditions of Eventide (Seasonal MMO Content) ~ 15-47 min.
In a break from doom and gloom, I wrote gaming’s equivalent of the Hallmark Christmas Special, in which Lord Halar tries to assist his scientist granddaughter Avala during the winter holiday. The emotional beats at the end are all the more poignant if you know Avala is an Echo… in other words, like the player, she died and has returned to live an uncertain existence. The first mission is 15 minutes, but if you want the full 47-minute tour, I had my hands on every bit of dialogue in the patch.
First-Person Shooter Sample:
“Voice in the Ear” (Modern Military Shooter Level)
To demonstrate my skills with short, urgent dialogue (more so than the BioWare or Wayfinder samples) and to throw in a little level design, I added this documentation, adapted from a timed writing test. All names have been changed to protect the guilty.
Romance Genre Samples:
The Double (Contemporary Romance Fiction)
Pinning Him Down (Contemporary Romance Interactive Fiction in Twine)
I briefly wrote for I Got Games/AVGLife’s interactive romance novels, and would welcome the chance to revisit the romance genre. Twine makes it easier to simulate the flow of an interactive piece without starting my own studio.
Interactive Quizzes:
“What Do I Know About Video Games?” (A Twine Quiz)
And to end our tour, a little Web content, because I’ve done that, too!