The Cut Out was written for NaNoWriMo in 2012 and published in 2015. It features both a coronavirus epidemic and a military conflict on the Russian/Ukrainian border. Now feels like a suitable time to reflect on the book... (thread) and consider the parts I’m still proud of, and the things I’d do differently today.

If you haven’t read it, here’s a synopsis that’s light on spoilers: The Cut Out is about a normal Kamauan kid named Fero Dremovic who bears an eerie resemblance to Troy Maschinov, a young spy

One of my #DnD friends wanted to try DMing, but was worried it might be too much work. I shared some tips that may be useful to other aspiring (but lazy) Dungeon Masters: Wear a wristwatch. Pretend the minute hand is the hour hand, and that's your in-game time. A two-hour game will last 24 hours for the characters. Whenever your players ask, "How long has passed?" you can tell them the exact time.

You are the passenger in a car. It's going faster and faster. The GPS says there's a brick wall ahead. It says, Make a U-turn. The driver says the GPS is wrong. Soon the brick wall is visible on the horizon. The driver says it's just a mirage. He keeps accelerating. Leaning out the window, he encourages other drivers to speed up as well. He doesn't look so reckless if everyone is speeding.