Last Friday, March 30th, I accepted an offer for the job of my dreams. This past Tuesday, April 3rd, I declined the position.

Forgive me for not naming names, but this isn’t the studio’s story. This is mine. But, really, this is a love story.

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I recently sat down with Jenn from the Jennisodes to discuss my latest project, Streets of Bedlam, as well as future plans for the Little Fears Nightmare Edition line and a short rant on stories in video games. Jenn is a wonderful host and runs a fantastic podcast. Be sure to check out the latest episode for me, and then dig into her backlist for some amazing guests and insights into all sorts of gaming-related topics.

Huge thanks to Jenn for having me on, and I’d love to drop in again sometime.

I first wrote about Operation: Awesome back in June 2010 but I put the plan laid out in that post into practice much earlier. A lot of 2010 was focused on redefining myself, pushing myself, and changing my entire creative process. I realized how toxic it had become, how little was actually getting done, and I knew I had to do things differently in order to survive in the creative field.

Operation: Awesome was put to test in summer 2010 when I was brought in to work on High Voltage Software‘s Conduit 2. They put a lot of power in my hands and I did not want to disappoint. I worked hard on that game and had a lot of fun doing it. When it came out earlier this year, I was thrilled. I had a video game on the shelf that I could point to and go, “See that? I wrote that.” What an amazing feeling.

That gig was a big test of Operation: Awesome but it was just the beginning. I was still shuffling off a lot of bad habits and baggage. I decided to do some small projects to establish a better writing habit. I launched the Campfire Tales line for Little Fears Nightmare Edition. I originally intended for that series to run twelve straight episodes but had to stall it at three. I can say the reason was at least somewhat noble: I was busy working on the first full-sized supplement for LFNE, Book 2: Among the Missing. I was also doing some freelance work in that time, including fiction for an upcoming tabletop game line, some development work on a (sadly) cancelled project, and contributed to Chuck Wendig and Lance Weiler’s Sundance Film Festival transmedia project Pandemic 1.0/Hope is Missing. I launched Book 2: Among the Missing in March 2011. A ten-year retrospective of the original corebook from 2001 saw release as Happy Birthday, Little Fears over the summer. Also over the summer, I signed a contract with Human Head Studios to work on Prey 2. I was brought on as the Narrative Designer and Writer for the project. In that time, not only did I wrangle the story for Prey 2 but I lent some insight and ideas to a variety of projects.

On top of that, I had some fiction published, did some layout work for friends, and added to some really fun projects such as Clint and Cassie Krause’s Don’t Walk in Winter Wood. I even returned to the Campfire Tales line for three more episodes, putting out Season Two this past fall. No way I would have had the discipline to fit all this into my schedule prior to Operation: Awesome. While I certainly wasn’t a saint in my time management, I did far better than I ever did previously.

A lot of things started to fall into place this past year and I knew it was mine to fumble. I worked hard to make sure I didn’t do that. When my contract at Human Head ended, I began work on getting a new project up, running, and ready for public approval. I took the momentum of joy and satisfaction from working at Human Head and funneled it into new projects aimed at new goals. After launching the Kickstarter for a new Savage Worlds setting called Streets of Bedlam in November, my plan was rewarded almost immediately as generous backers fulfilled the initial goal in under three days. I am still in awe of that.

I’ve changed a lot as a creative and a person since starting Operation: Awesome and it really all came down to taking my ambitions seriously, investing in my dreams, doing the work, and no longer accepting excuses. One of the side effects of that, besides actually releasing product, was I started to expect more and better from others as well. I was fortunate enough this past year to find myself in a room with a half-dozen highly-creative people who were firing on all cylinders, demanding better from everyone else, and the sensation was exhilarating.

I still have a lot to do. I don’t think there is an endgame for Operation: Awesome, only a fail state. And I have no intention of failing.

2011 had a lot of ups and downs but it ended on some very high notes for me. I learned a ton, did some good work, got an award nomination from IGN, and have a lot more projects on my done list. I had some high ambitions for the year and, while I didn’t hit them all, I hit enough to mark the chalk in the win column.

Coming into 2012, I have even higher ambitions with much more at stake. As of this writing, over 150 people have put their money where my mouth is and backed Streets of Bedlam. My dance card for the first three months is almost fully booked with that one project. I’m leaving some wiggle room for a couple sweet pick-up gigs and plotting for the April project but Streets of Bedlam is my main focus for that time. I’m really excited for it.

I plan to spend April and May of next year writing a novel. I haven’t finished a novel since I completed my attempt at a Young Adult book for Little Fears back in 2007. I want published novels under my belt, both lit and genre. I plan to focus on Middle Grade but want to do some adult and YA as well. That may be the biggest test of Operation: Awesome yet. I look forward to it.

I have many other plans beyond as well. And I might even pick up some high-profile gigs, fates willing.

With Operation: Awesome, I took an honest assessment of myself and mapped out a battle plan to start changing who I was into who I wanted to be. For the above reason and beyond, I’m glad I did. Here’s looking forward to 2012 and even more awesome.

I spent a lot of my summer last year down Chicago-way working with the good folks at High Voltage Software on their Wii-exclusive first-person shooter, CONDUIT 2. I had a lot of fun on the project and with the team helping make a really cool game.

I found out today that (insanely-)popular entertainment site IGN.com has announced their Best of 2011 shortlists and have honored CONDUIT 2 with three nominations in the Wii category: Best Graphics, Best Multiplayer Game, and BEST STORY! Wow! I am humbled and honored by the nod and wish the folks at High Voltage the best. They’re up against some pretty heavy competition in all categories but, as cliche as this may sound, the honor really is in the nomination.

So thanks to IGN for the nomination and to High Voltage for the opportunity to work on such a great game!

I’ve been pretty silent on here. Initially, I was busy putting the final touches on Among the Missing for Little Fears Nightmare Edition and then jumping right into the tenth anniversary edition of the original Little Fears (which will be out soon). On top of all that, I had an absolutely fantastic opportunity come my way that has me really excited and reunites me with a great team on an amazing project (and I’m not just spouting hyperbole).

I’m very happy to announce I’ve rejoined Human Head Studios as the Writing Production Coordinator for the upcoming open-world first-person shooter PREY 2. I’m in charge of wrangling the narrative and working with the team to deliver a consistent, engaging experience. I worked at Human Head previously, and I was there for the last eighteen months of their developing the first PREY. Already knowing the studio and fiction, as well as being part of the revision team on the first title’s script, made sliding into this role very smooth.

The job is an absolute blast. I can’t wait for you all to see what this game has in store.

You can check out the PREY 2 portion of the Human Head Studios website here. I posted some official images and the launch trailer below (language and violence warning on the video).

(Linked from GiantBomb.com.)

As you may remember, I spent a good portion of my summer last year working with the fine folks at High Voltage Software on their upcoming Wii-exclusive shooter Conduit 2. After seeing a few delays (very common in the video game biz), I am happy to tell you that Conduit 2 hits store shelves today. If you have a GameStop local to you, you can pick up the Limited Edition of the game (which includes a 44-page art booklet as well as an exclusive suit of multiplayer armor and a fancy version of the game’s All-Seeing Eye) for the same price as the regular edition other stores have.

I can’t wait to tear open a copy and get playing. I really enjoyed the game while it was in pre-alpha development and can only imagine how good it must be now.

A couple weeks ago, author and gamer Jonathan Reynolds interviewed me for Geekcentricity. Topics ranged from my geek cred (I have little) to the inspiration behind Little Fears, to my video game work, to what items I consider indispensable when it comes to exploring dungeons.

You can read the interview right here. Thanks to Jonathan and the folks at Geekcentricity for the chat!

I’ve been a fan of point-and-click adventure games since I was a teen. Like a lot of my hobbies, I came to it through my brother who introduced me to games like Prisoner of Ice, Bad Mojo, and Gabriel Knight: Sins of the Father. Once I had my own PC, my first game purchase was Sanitarium and I soon moved on to Grim Fandango and Blade Runner, two classics of the genre. I took a break from gaming in the early 2000s but I came back big time in 2005. Quickly upon my return, I rediscovered my love of point-and-click adventure titles. I fell hard for Syberia I & II, Still Life, Puzzle Agent, Trace Memory, Hotel Dusk, and many others. Right now, my computer’s desktop is littered with shortcuts to adventure titles from the new games on retail shelves and Steam to the not-so-new from my personal archive or Good Old Games.

My love of the genre is well-documented, as many online and face-to-face conversations attest. And that love is about to be even more documented as I have recently joined the world’s most popular site dedicated to my favorite genre, AdventureGamers.com, as a Staff Writer. My first article, a preview of the hotly-anticipated A New Beginning is up already, and I’ll be contributing as much as the site’s editor-in-chief Jack Allin and my schedule will allow.

If you dig adventure games, you should already be checking out AdventureGamers.com. My presence there, on the main page and in the forums, is just a bonus, right?

Right?

I’ve been following the development of Joshua Nuernberger’s Gemini Rue for a while. I first heard about the game a couple months ago and, as a fan of point-and-click adventure games of days past, I was pulled in by the retro graphics and the promise of a compelling noir-soaked narrative. Previews and early reports dropped names like Beneath a Steel Sky* and Westwood Studios’ Blade Runner when talking about it. So when Dave Gilbert posted on the Wadjet Eye Games‘ Twitter account he was looking for a fistful of beta testers for the demo, I couldn’t throw my hat into the ring quick enough.

I downloaded the demo and got playing immediately. Over the course of a half-hour, I was pulled into a noir-cyberpunk world of addiction, oppression, interstellar travel, imprisonment, brain wipes, and lots and lots of rain—all centered on Azriel Odin, a cop with a shadowy past, and Delta-Six, the subject of clandestine experiments only hinted at in the demo.

As someone who has played hundreds of games over the past twenty-five years, it takes something special to suck me in. Gemini Rue had me within a few clicks and the demo stopped on a great hook. I knew the end was near but was hoping I’d get to play just a little bit more. When the game comes out on Thursday, I will.

If you’re a fan of old school adventure games—or just like great games—give the Gemini Rue demo a try when it comes out. If you like it, pick up the game when it launches on February 24th. (If you want it on disc, that’s only available through pre-order so hop to it. You’ll get the download copy as well so you won’t have to wait unless you want to. I’ve already ordered my copy.)

As you’re checking out the Wadjet Eye Games website, put your eyes on Erin Robinson‘s Puzzle Bots and Dave Gilbert’s own Emerald City Confidential as well.

If you try out any of those games, I’d love to hear what you think. For more about Gemini Rue, check out the official trailer below.

*Click that Beneath a Steel Sky link. Seriously. You can grab a legal copy for free from the folks at Good Old Games and it’s worth a whole lot more than that. Sadly, Blade Runner is over a decade out of print but if you have a chance to snag a copy, I highly recommend it.

The Wii-exclusive FPS Conduit 2, published by Sega and developed by the great folks at High Voltage Software, is coming at you soon! GamingBits.com reports the shooter has a North American release date of February 15, 2011. That’s 02.15.2011. Nice!

As you may remember, I spent most of my summer developing the story and script for Conduit 2. It’s been a while since I’ve seen what High Voltage has been doing first-hand but I’m excited for its release. I hope you all check it out when it hits the shelves.

For a peek at the game’s intro, check out the trailer Sega released on Thanksgiving weekend:

(Video embedded from my favorite video game website GiantBomb.com)