: About Me

I grew up a preacher's kid in the country, my only breath of artistic air the Chronicles of Narnia in the church library. As I built on that literary foundation (while also pursuing the parallel activity of roleplaying), I began to grow beyond the shadow of that cross-shaped steeple. In college the transformation completed as I was exposed to new ideas, new forms of expression and new relationships which all fed my soul. There my passions developed as I became an honor student in Political Science, a writer and editor on the school paper, and a singer in a rich and inspiring choir.

Now I'm in my thirties and assembling the building blocks of my twenties into fulfilling forms for my life today. I'm wonderfully married with a baby girl, and working with disabled students in a classroom setting. Meanwhile I'm honing my writing skill as a poet and essayist, weaving music and spirituality into my life with enriching friends, exploring storytelling through medieval reenactment and roleplaying. . .and contemplating how to change the world.

My passion is ...

Storytelling and mythmaking.

I know too much about ...

80s pop culture.

My childhood ambition ...

To have a Secret Club with a hideout and adventures.

Why I write ...

To change the world.

What I am reading/watching/listening to ...

Raymond Chandler, Futurama and Five Iron Frenzy.

My first job ...

A machine operator at an injection-molding plastics plant. Glamorous, eh?

My inspiration ...

The myth-making soul of human beings.

Hobbies & Games > Role Playing & War Games How to get the most out of role-playing games

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To get the most out of roleplaying games, you should know what you want out of them in the first place. This is probably the single most neglected step of organizing and playing an RPG, based on the vague notion that everyone will just do what they want to do and it will all come together somehow. The idea that everyone "just knows" what good roleplaying is can be damaging and frustrating unless critically examined. Roleplaying is such a versatile and diverse hobby that it pays to know what you're getting into. So before you start worrying about where to assign your skill points and decidi...

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