and don't miss @donnacwrites.com on Mavi, @thobbsjourno.bsky.social on @mike-eagle.bsky.social, @ocksportello.bsky.social on Armand Hammer, @jackriedy.com on Mello Buckzz, @gardenerjams.bsky.social on Pink Siifu, @slgonsports.bsky.social on Ralfy, & @svetz.bsky.social on $ilkmoney, among many others
A close-up photo of an orange kitten.
In the background of this photo of my kitten trying to crawl as close to me as possible is the laptop I intended to write my book on today.
I'm promising myself I'll make a big writing and editing push tomorrow. The only way to draft a manuscript is to draft it, sadly.
The final board state of a game of Dreadful Meadows.
Tis the Halloween season for Dreadful Meadows. I lost to my wife by nearly 30 points. She had a wonderful engine humming along.
A woman sitting in a chair with an orange blanket. There is a black and white cat in her lap.
Cat helping me read this morning.
The final board state of a game of Dicemancy.
First game of Dicemancy: I won on the final turn.
This game has a nice skill curve and I definitely feel like spell placement mastery will be a nice adventure. I felt very, very clever placing my final spell card in a way that let me defeat the final titan. Happy I backed it.
#boardgames
A dark room with a trickle of sunlight from a window on the right side. The room features wall hangings, an old desk, and a full bookcase.
View from my writing desk this morning.
Added 333 words to my book about board games this morning. I'm working tirelessly on an essay about the "spheres of play" that all collide to give games a lasting impact well beyond being packed away. Play is a full ecosystem and I'm trying to capture that as best I can.
Me: I must write every day to count as an author, a human, a valuable member of society.
Also me: I should have a little glass of juice in the yard and pretend my manuscript doesn’t exist.
A bookcase and door with windows bathed in sunrise light.
View from my writing desk.
On a 90-day reading streak and absolutely delighted by the benefits of making daily reading a morning and evening ritual again.
The final board of a game of Witchcraft! set up on a board game table.
Tis the season for Witchcraft!
Suffered a Minor Loss here. I had that 5 on Putnam revealed early and poured all my energy in bumping him up. I figured 7 had to be enough for our other friends, right? Right?! Alas.
I love this tense game even if I've never convinced all 3 jurors.
#boardgames
Added 374 words to my board games book project this morning. This essay about relearning how to play in three parts is trying to eat me alive, but I'll figure it out. Overall, writing about board games and their impact on my mental health has been an awesome exercise.
A game of The Four Doors set up on a board game table with a red mat.
The final board state of a narrow victory in the board game The Four Doors.
Played The Four Doors with my wife tonight. Narrowly won on standard difficulty! I so appreciate how big this game feels for a deck of cards and some pawns. There's a good 40 minutes of crunch and collaboration here.
#boardgames
I added 381 words to my book project about playing board games and mental health. I've done some big structural changes to the manuscript over the weekend.
Namely, I'm focusing the text on my 1,000 plays of Spirit Island and how they've shaped my life.
The final board state of a solo game of Fantastic Factories.
Fantastic Factories: dice placement, resource management, and satisfying combos. This game is very smooth and intuitive to learn. The solo is one of the simplest bots I've ever played against. Great game, even though I lost by a measly 2 points.
#boardgames
The final board state of a game of Gardlings on a board game table with a red mat.
First solo play of Gardlings!
This is a great combination of tile laying and push your luck. Get gems, but not too many gnomes. As someone who loves Quacks, having these mechanisms in a neat solo package is awesome.
#boardgames
You really should read Shouldn't We Dance? to experience male friendship, grief and love in a way you never have before. It's elegant, masterful and deserves a spot in your library and life.
Tip of the cap to author @donnacwrites.com for this tender novellette
www.stanchionzine.com/product-page...
I've had a handful of people send me really sweet messages about my fiction debut, SHOULDN'T WE DANCE?
The prevailing comment has been, "what a beautiful way to write about grief." Grab a copy from @stanchion.bsky.social and see for yourself.
www.stanchionzine.com/product-page...
I only added 12 words in an hour of writing this morning. I did, however, think very deeply about the structure and scope of this manuscript about board games and mental health. I realized I need to impose more limitations on my MS if I have any chance of drafting something enjoyable to read.
A woman with dark hair and glasses holding up a book titled SHOULDN'T WE DANCE?
My fiction DEBUT has been out for one week. When I started this novelette on my typewriter in 2023, I never thought I'd be holding SHOULDN'T WE DANCE? in my hands.
You can get a copy and support my Philly small press @stanchion.bsky.social at the ol' link.
www.stanchionzine.com/product-page...
I added 192 words and did a bunch of structural changes to my book project about living better by playing board games. I'm currently working on an essay about gaming as a safe space for learning how to take risks. It's awesome.
The final board state of a two player game of Planted.
Quick game of Planted at 2p. I love this simple game of drafting and resource management. A total joy in terms of components as well. I won by 2!
#boardgames
A woman reading a large board game card. The game Décorum is set up in front of her.
A game of Décorum set up on a board game table with a red mat.
Afternoon game of Décorum. This co-op game thrives in the meta narrative that comes up with each scenario and the funny ways you can and can't communicate. Very immersing!
#boardgames
Yesterday evening I explained my two current book projects to a few friends in the mental health space and they both said they were "enthralled." As someone who writes to help others feel seen, that was the best compliment.
Well, now that the Phillies season is sadly over I have more time to work on my latest book project about board games. It's a series of essays about better living through play.
A copy of SHOULDN'T WE DANCE? held up against a ray of sunrise light.
My book is very pretty. It's also well-written! It also comes out tomorrow!
SHOULDN'T WE DANCE? from @stanchion.bsky.social is about male friendship, grief, storytelling, and tripping into your bar cart in the wee hours of the morning.
Get a copy here: www.stanchionzine.com/product-page...
A book held up on a balcony railing at sunrise. The book is titled SHOULDN'T WE DANCE?
Today's the day. My fiction debut is officially out in the world. I spent the last 10 years publishing creative nonfiction. I didn't think I had fiction left in my bones, but SHOULDN'T WE DANCE? proved me wrong. I love this story. I hope you'll love it as well.
www.stanchionzine.com/product-page...
Book club members are each receiving a pair of buttons with their copy of Shouldn't We Dance? by @donnacwrites.com.
The final board state of A Place For All My Books set up on a red playmat.
Here's A Place For All My Books, which is tied with Saltfjord and Vantage as my favorite solo of 2025.
This game is so tactile, puzzly, and wonderfully smooth to run solo. The theme is aces and it basically puts itself away during scoring. Simply wonderful.
#boardgames