Character Arcs and LARP

Character Arcs and LARPs

Hello word nerds! I want to thank you so much for reading my column this year. I have enjoyed writing for you all and I hope I have inspired some of you to try a game or two. This will be my final column for DIY MFA, thank you for reading, and I’m pulling for… Read more »

Spooky Games for Scary Stories

Spooky Games for Scary Stories

It’s spooky season! I’ve got my costume ready, I’ve started preparing the treat bags for the neighborhood kids, and my house is covered in skeletons. The little gothic bat inside my soul has been stirring, getting ready for the most wonderful time of the year. This time of year increases my draw to all things… Read more »

Fairy Tales and Once Upon a Time

Fairy Tales and Once Upon a Time

Most of us have memories of fairy tales. Maybe your parents told you a story of a princess who saves a prince from a curse with her kiss, perhaps a babysitter tucked you in while recounting the exploits of a very sly fox and how he came to the lion’s court to face judgment, or… Read more »

Doom, Hope, and Ten Candles

Doom, Hope, and Ten Candles

In most collective storytelling games I have played we’ve worked toward a happy ending. More often than I would like, a campaign will fade to nothing after one too many scheduling conflicts—such is the nature of a game played by Busy Adults with Many Important Things to Do™. And sure, there is the occasional TPK… Read more »

Writing Dynamic Combat Scenes with Dungeons & Dragons

Writing Dynamic Combat Scenes with Dungeons & Dragons

Today’s post will teach you about writing combat scenes, but first, join me on a quick trip down memory lane… Have you ever experienced something that you knew, in the moment, would change your life? Maybe when you first found your passion, or when you first tasted your favorite meal, maybe you heard a song… Read more »

Kids on Bikes

Kids on Bikes and Kids on Brooms

Happy New Year! 2021 is behind us and I, for one, am looking toward the future with plans to blossom in new ways in my life and in my writing. To that end, I’ve decided to take this column in a new direction. In my previous posts, I covered how collaborative storytelling games can aid… Read more »

collaborative storytelling

Creating Characters Using Collaborative Storytelling

Writing may seem like a solitary practice, but writers have made use of writer’s groups and feedback circles for a long time. There is incalculable value in receiving outside input about your writing. Other people can see things about your writing that you may be blind to. However, writers’ groups can only critique the work… Read more »

Title Image: World Building Using Tabletop Games

World Building Using Tabletop Games

We all play games. We use games to break the ice, pass the time, or as a buffer in awkward family gatherings. I use games (especially tabletop games) to make new friends, and deepen my understanding of the people in my life. Games show people at their best and at their worst. They reveal hidden… Read more »