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November FableFriday: Anne Richards, Vice President, audiyo-yo

As a natural storyteller eager to connect with children in different media, Anne Richards, VP of FableVision’s audio division audiyo-yo, has done it all – television, publishing, games, edtech, and more. Once she found her calling in audio, she knew that she wanted to keep exploring this intimate format that lets listeners paint their own picture of the characters and story as they process what they hear.

“Even though audio is a classic form of storytelling going all the way back to radio plays, there’s so much work happening in this space right now,” says Anne. “There’s a lot of room for innovation and emerging voices to make an impact.”

And innovating is exactly what Anne is doing. This summer, audiyo-yo released its first project – the interactive, voice-activated Pinna Original Yes No Audio Escape series (check out the October/November Kidscreen print issue) – where listeners co-create the story by answering “yes” or “no” to questions presented to them. This fall, audiyo-yo delights listeners with Pinna Original Roasting Vegetables, a short-form audio series full of silly vegetable puns, original beats (or should we say beets?), and nutritious, delicious characters. 

Anne is your comprehensive guide to podcast knowledge. Keep reading to learn more about the future of podcasts, audiyo-yo’s upcoming projects, and Anne’s advice for aspiring kids’ podcast creators. 

Anne and Kermit

What’s your “journey to FableVision” story?
I feel like I’ve been journeying to FableVision for a long time! I first met Gary Goldberger about 15 years ago through kids’ industry conferences. A few years later, I hired FableVision to create learning games for a non-profit I was working with and had a great experience with the team. Fast forward another few years and I started working for FableVision as a freelance game designer and producer. I’ve been in the orbit for a long time one way or another, so when Gary and I hatched the idea to bring an audio division to the studio, it felt like a really natural progression. I’ve always been a fan of FableVision’s work and the amazing and talented team, so officially being a FableVisionary at long last feels like a homecoming. 

Anne’s nephews meeting Bear

You’ve been a writer, producer, game designer, and more! How did you end up focusing on podcasts?
My work in audio came out of my experience in other kids’ media. I’ve worked in almost every form of children’s entertainment, starting in television on Bear in the Big Blue House way back in the day, then exploring game design, educational technology, publishing, you name it. I have always loved storytelling and wanted to work in different places where kids seek out narrative experiences.

In terms of how I found my way to audio, I was lucky enough to know Amy Kraft at Pinna through kids’ media circles. A few years ago, Amy came to me and asked me to create a podcast to teach kids the ABCs – in audio, which was an interesting challenge! That show turned into the podcast series Quentin and Alfie’s ABC Adventures, and eventually led to me becoming the Executive Producer at Pinna, where I oversaw different kinds of podcasts for a wide range of kids. So I’m really grateful to Amy and the team at Pinna for taking a chance on me and understanding that there’s a lot of creative overlap in other media formats and audio work. It’s always about the kid audience at the center and finding different ways for them to connect with stories and characters that are meaningful to them.

Annes Family

Family photo!

What do you love about podcasts and why do you think they’re a special form of media?
I think what makes audio special is how intimate it is. There’s nothing like hearing someone speaking in your headphones to feel like a story is being told just for you. Audio is a form of entertainment that asks the audience to meet it halfway – when you don’t know what characters look like or you can’t see an animated view of a setting, you become a co-creator of the narrative experience, using your imagination in a way that I think is really special. 

Why are children’s podcasts important right now?
I’ve worked in so many different roles over the course of my career because I’m excited about new formats and emerging media, and I think that’s where kids’ audio is right now. There’s a lot of room for new voices.

I also think that dealing with the pandemic, caregivers of young children were drawn to audio as something families could enjoy together, or that their kids could enjoy on their own without being glued to screens after long days of remote learning. That has contributed to audio becoming a medium with an interested, engaged audience that is still hungry for more great content. It’s served a really tangible role in the life of families these past few years and folks want more of it.

Anne’s dog Pip

What’s the future of children’s podcasting? Where is audio going next?
Right now, I’m interested in interactive audio and I think there is huge potential in voice recognition and truly responsive storytelling. This year, I created and produced three titles in the Pinna Original Yes No Audio Escape series through audiyo-yo. They’re audio escape rooms where the child actually speaks out loud to the podcast and gets different outcomes if they say “yes” or “no” to different questions. If you’re trying to escape a haunted house in five minutes, you have to choose whether to walk down that one hallway or stop and talk to a couple of ghosts who seem interested in you. It’s an innovative way to play with audio, and, given FableVision’s deep experience in interactive experiences, it feels like a perfect fit for audiyo-yo.

What are you excited to work on at audiyo-yo? How does audiyo-yo stand out from other audio production companies?
I’m excited to work on original projects we’re developing at FableVision, like Tone Thyne’s big sweeping musical series Cummerbund. And I’m equally excited to work with clients who are interested in making audio for kids but who might need expertise in how to bring characters and worlds to life in this medium. 

This role is also a huge opportunity for me to work with creators who may be new to audio, or to kids’ media in general, to broaden the range of voices we have in the space. For instance, we just made a show called Roasting Vegetables with Postell Pringle, who’s a theater and musical artist and all around huge talent, but who hasn’t made a kids’ podcast before (though his group, Q Brothers Collective, has made an awesome hip-hop album for kids, Buggin’ ). They also created the soundtrack for Long Way Home, a sweeping musical epic based on Homer's The Odyssey for the renowned United Voices Chicago – check them out! Pos and I created and wrote the show together and I’m excited about all of the things he brought to the project that I never would have come up with on my own, and vice versa.

In terms of what’s special about audiyo-yo – we bring a unique mix of production and creative expertise to the table. At FableVision, there’s an amazing braintrust of people who put kids at the center of their work. They’re innovators in terms of using different media to reach kids where they are and to help them grow. In the audio industry, what sets us apart is the breadth of experience we have with making stories for a kids’ audience across all different types of media. We combine that with a deep understanding of the nuts and bolts of what it takes to bring a podcast from concept to final broadcast-quality audio.

What advice would you give to people hoping to work in kids’ audio?
Immerse yourself in the medium and figure out what speaks to you. Do you love highly sound-designed stories or simpler audiobooks? Interesting new formats or classic ones? Short form appointment-type content or longer, serialized shows? Listen to as much as you can and follow your taste to seek out mentors and companies who are doing work you love. This is a welcoming field and it’s relatively easy to access experienced folks who are excited to bring in new talent, but people also want to know that you’ve done your homework and are interested in what they do specifically. The last thing I’d say is be curious about your audience – talk to kids about what’s interesting and exciting to them and allow that to inspire you. 

What’s an Anne fun fact that most people don’t know?
I think most people don’t know that I won a trophy in the Coney Island Mermaid Parade in the early 2000s. 

So… you love Brooklyn?
Man, do I love Brooklyn! I’ve lived in Brooklyn since the late 1990s. There’s just no place like it – the art and culture, the food, the brownstones, but mostly the opportunity to meet people from all over the world with totally different experiences, who all come together in this crazy, busy, loud, and magical place. I’m fortunate to also have family in more rural places as I do need to escape the bustle of the big city sometimes. I basically gravitate towards either the biggest, most raucous environment in the world or a farmhouse down some country road where there are no humans whatsoever.

More About Anne

Anne GLS

GLS Panel

Favorite podcast?
I have to take this opportunity to plug my sister Meg’s amazing parenting podcast, What Fresh Hell: Laughing in the Face of Motherhood. It's chock full of hilarious advice and every once in a while I get name-checked, so that’s exciting. For kids, there are so many shows that I love, but Grim, Grimmer, Grimmest, which I worked on at Pinna with Adam Gidwitz and Ilana Millner, is a sentimental favorite of mine and just a master class in storytelling.

Favorite game?
Gone Home is a video game I deeply love – it’s so nuanced and thoughtful about how it reveals its secrets. I’ve also been playing a cooperative card game called Hanabi recently with my family, which is really fun and super challenging!

Anne in Mexico

Favorite book?
I was an English major in college so it’s a long list! I go back to The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton, The Autobiography of Red by Anne Carson, and Dept. of Speculation by Jenny Offill over and over again. I recently read Kiese Laymon’s Long Division and was insanely delighted by it – it plays with form in interesting ways, but the character voices are so strong and endearing that it still feels immediate and emotional.

Favorite place to travel?
I’m interested in good food and art, and some history to dig into, which was checked off by the special and vibrant Oaxaca, Mexico that I visited with family. Mostly, there are many more places that I want to go to – ask me again in a few years!

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Autumn Adventures: FableVision's 2022 Back-to-School Guide

Back to School

After a sunny and spectacular summer vacation, returning to school or starting school for the first time can be scary. Whether your family traveled, relaxed, spent time outdoors, or simply had a different schedule, it takes time to shift back to your school and fall routines. To help your children combat the “school scaries” and enjoy the fall, we’ve compiled a list of resources to ensure that they have a fantastic year full of educational and engaging learning. 

International Dot Day

Empower kids to make their marks by celebrating International Dot Day on September 15-ish. Based on FableVision’s Co-Founder and New York Times bestselling author/illustrator Peter H. Reynolds’ book The Dot, International Dot Day encourages kids to connect and collaborate as they re-discover the power and potential of creativity in all they do. This year, join Peter at The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City or watch the livestream of the event. September 15 doesn’t work for you? Here’s a little secret: you can celebrate Dot Day whenever you want! 

UCAR’s SkySci for Kids

As we gradually add sweaters, scarves, and fuzzy hats to our wardrobe, check out UCAR’s SkySci for Kids to learn about weather, climate, and sky science. With humor, bright colors, and a clear breakdown of topics, FableVision-made animated videos and minigames featuring Yolanda the palm tree, Jeff the yeti, and Snacks the dog will teach kids about tornadoes, hurricanes, heat waves, and more. Visit the website to encourage your child to fight climate change.

Cyber Fashion Challenge

Another great way to fight climate change – upcycling! Based on Cyberchase’s season 13 episode “Sustainable By Design,” born-accessible Cyber Fashion Challenge, created in partnership with FableVision, The WNET Group, PBS KIDS, and Bridge Multimedia, teaches 6-8-year-olds about avoiding fast fashion and encouraging the creative reuse of materials. Practice counting and shape identification by creating a sustainable fashion line for Fabio DeZine.

Museum of Science “EiE Families” Website

Spark your child’s interest in engineering and computer science by checking out the Museum of Science “EiE Families” microsite, built by FableVision, with interactive features to support STEM learning at-home and on-the-go. Play Bye Bye Bug and create a way to lead a ladybug to safety, or explore the other activities, in both English and Spanish. Bonus: if you’re in Boston, take a field trip to the Museum of Science to see science in action.

“Our State and the Nation: A Georgia Studies Course”

History fanatics – we have a treat for you. FableVision created a host site for Georgia Public Broadcasting (GPB)’s online textbook, developing an online experience for eighth-grade students. In the revamped George history course, students can examine images, define vocabulary words, watch videos, and go on virtual field trips from the classroom or the comfort of their homes. 

Pinna Original Yes No Audio Adventures

One of the best parts of fall? Halloween! Immerse yourself in spooky season by answering yes or no to questions in Escape the Haunted House, a Pinna Original Yes No Audio adventure, produced by FableVision’s audiyo-yo. Listeners are the main characters as they interact with the show and create their own story. If your kids aren’t fans of haunted houses, they can listen to Escape the Marshmallow Dream Forest or Escape the Sinking Ship. The 5-minute, voice-activated audio adventures provide a perfect, creative outlet during car rides, before bedtime, and more.

Boston vs. Bullies Academy for Internet Champions

Join Bobby the Badger and his friends Ivy, Jordan, and Felix to score a touchdown, make a basket, and hit a home run with The Sports Museum’s bullying-prevention game. As kids continue to use the internet at younger ages and run into in-person and online bullying, Boston vs. Bullies Academy for Internet Champions, created by FableVision, helps kids navigate tricky situations, make smart choices online, and combat bullying. Learn how to stay safe by checking out the free game.

“Friendlets” Animated Shorts

Besides stopping bullying, children should also see the difference between healthy and unhealthy relationships to avoid abuse, love better, and find true friends. Created in partnership with One Love Foundation, “Friendlets” animated shorts showcase familiar, humorous scenarios to help elementary-aged kids understand the importance of communication and appropriate responses in healthy friendships. Visit One Love’s Education Center for the shorts and associated resources.

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September FableFriday: Audrey Spencer, UX/UI Designer

Audrey's Headshot

FableVision UX/UI Designer Audrey Spencer is a problem-solver at her core. As a multidisciplinary designer, Audrey has worked across many fields, including medical, game development, and VR/AR design. She has a passion for creative problem solving, thinking outside-the-box, and brings her own dash of whimsy to every project that hits her desk. 

“I love sharing my creative process with others and I’m excited to be doing that at FableVision,” says Audrey. “I’m especially having a blast on a project that we’ll reveal soon – we have an awesome team and such a great connection with the client – it’s been so rewarding to see this come to life.”

Read more to learn about Audrey’s winding journey to FableVision, how she wooed the internet with her elaborate cat drawings, and her battle with DJ Khaled.

Audrey's Cat Art

Audrey’s Snapchat drawings featuring Maya and Oskar

What’s your “journey to FableVision” story?
It’s been quite the journey! My degree is in industrial design, so I began my career in product design, working in healthcare designing medical devices. This was around the time when a “cool new app” called Snapchat came out, and with its clunky drawing tools, I started drawing photos of my cats, creating elaborate and harrowing scenes. Apparently the people of the internet liked them, which caught the attention of Snapchat and the media, starting me on a path of creative storytelling for brands like Microsoft, Universal, Pilot, and Snapchat. It was all pretty surreal.  

Pivoting from medical device design, I began working with startups as a one-woman design team, doing everything from industrial design, graphic design, branding, video, and marketing. I worked in a wide range of industries from Tesla coils, to robotic fishing equipment, to AR (augmented reality) hardware. It was very exciting. 

While working with an AR hardware startup, I grew close with some folks at Snap Inc. and began consulting on Snapchat’s user interface, as well as other programs in the works. One of these was Lens Studio, the AR Lens software they were developing, which sparked my interest in virtual reality and augmented reality design. 

Shortly after, I went through a Unity and XR program to broaden my skill set, through which I was introduced to FableVision!

Social media panel at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame 2016

How did past fields and industries you’ve worked in prepare you for FableVision and the educational industry?
My experience as a student, which was tough, prepared me the most. I’m dyslexic and I’ve always struggled with reading. I have a lot of empathy for kids who are also struggling with any type of learning disability, and I know what they’re going through. In my own life, I’ve learned that this disability can be transformed into an empathy superpower when it comes to storytelling and designing educational experiences. It’s quite rewarding to bring that perspective to the table.

What type of projects do you like to work on?
I like projects that involve humor and a bit of weirdness. I bring my own dose of quirk as it is,  so I appreciate any project that has that creative freedom. I also love a good challenge and managing a lot of moving parts – really, anything that requires problem solving is fun to me.

Group of Snapchat creators

Besides UX and UI, you’ve also developed content for brands like Microsoft and Universal. Can you tell us more about that experience?
In the early days of Snapchat, it was a Wild West for creators working with brands on the platform, and it was really difficult to gain a following with content that expired every 24 hours. 

So, when I and a small group of creators gained traction on Snapchat, brands saw this as an opportunity.  At the time, Snapchat didn’t have an ad program in place, so these brands reached out to us to create content for them.

This led to some really fun jobs, traveling across the country doing work for Microsoft, Universal, Pilot Pens, Shark, Crocs, mobile games, animal shelters, and a bunch of others.

Creating content for brands isn’t too different from what we do at FableVision Studios. The client has an idea and an audience it wants to engage, and we bring that idea to life.  

Tell us about being a Shorty Award finalist for “Snapchatter of the Year”!
What a weird time to be alive. I was up against a few big names, one of which was DJ Khaled, who was pretty well known… and still is. I didn’t go in with any expectations of winning… and I totally didn’t win. But it was a really great award show – I got to rub elbows with Alton Brown and Bill Nye the Science Guy!

Leading up to it, we had to get votes from our audience. So, I found a video of DJ Khaled asking his followers to vote for him and I took that video, edited out where he said “Vote for DJ Khaled,” went through his video history, and basically made a video of him saying to vote for me. I still cringe when I look at it now, and it was purposefully bad, doing it all on my phone in Snapchat from the comfort of my kitchen. But everyone got a kick out of it. If anyone wants to see it, you’ll have to message me and I might show it to you.

What was your most intricate cat drawing and how long did it take?
Well, that would be the cat drawing of Maya splayed out on a bounty of gold coins, gems, and jewels, what you’d expect to find in a treasure chest. I got really into the details and it took a solid nine hours to draw. But Maya deserved it. 

Maya Treasure Chest

When drawing on Snapchat at the time, it crashed often. And every time it crashed, I’d lose everything. Eventually, I found a way to circumvent that to be able to post things through some trickery. That gave me the freedom to take a few evenings and work on a drawing rather than all at once. Something that drew me to Snapchat was the temporary nature of the content on the platform. I could test out weird ideas, people could see them, like them or not, and then they would disappear. There was something fragile and liberating about it that I really appreciated.

How has your online art evolved?
I have always loved sharing creative ideas with others and people love cats. I’ve tried out all sorts of things with varying degrees of success. 

I've shot skits, made music videos, photoshopped cats as other animals, and started a subreddit that features animals with their faces photoshopped really really tiny.

Even so, my cat drawings have definitely gotten better. I started using a stylus instead of my finger, but if and when I lost that, I discovered that wrapping the stick part of a Q-Tip in foil makes a “decent” capacitive stylus.

What is the dynamic like between Oskar, Maya, and Louie?
I got Maya first. Quickly, I could tell she wanted another cat to play with. She’d sneak up on me, jump on me, and want to play all the time. Eventually, I found Oskar at a shelter. I tried to keep them apart as they adjusted to another animal in the space, but that was impossible. Once I introduced them, they did battle it out a bit, but they’re great friends now. They don’t cuddle like siblings, but they’ll clean each other, play, and chase each other around.

A few years ago, we got Louie. He is a very shy, skittish cat. And introducing them was a challenge: all Oskar wanted to do was chase and play, and all Louie wanted to do was run. But it’s gotten better. We’ve tried to create a safe space for him and he hangs out with us and trusts us a lot more now.  

Audrey’s Favorites

Favorite plant? I can’t choose a favorite… but I do have five self-contained ecosystems I created: three terrariums and two “jarrariums.” It’s taken them five years to get to this point but they’re finally self-sustaining with only sunlight and a wee bit of water!

Favorite film/tv show? I am really enjoying Evil at the moment. But I always enjoy revisiting King of The Hill and Comedy Bang Bang!

Favorite game? Board: Wingspan. Video: too hard to pick just one, but Her Story, Inside, and Animal Crossing had a huge effect on me.

Favorite recent DIY? I fixed the hose spigot at my house. It had no available parts to buy in a store since it’s so old. So I made my own washers! My next thing to start is refinishing lampshades – I already bought fun fabric, fringe, and tassels.

Chipmunk

Elle the chipmunk

Favorite place to find antiques? Estate sales. I love seeing objects in the context that they lived in, and the history surrounding them. Once I buy something, it feels like I’m giving them a new life. 

Favorite homeowner surprise? I’ve been excited about the wildlife outside and have set up cameras to capture videos of all the fun animal visitors! Recently, I’ve befriended the crows and the chipmunks. One chipmunk friend in particular jumps up into my hand when I hold out sunflower seeds.  

Favorite cat (if possible)? I get asked this a lot and I have an answer: it’s Maya. 100%.

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August FableFriday: Nick Carbonara, Production Assistant

Production Assistant Nick Carbonara knows nothing brings people together quite like stories and games. His journey has brought him across the spectrum of the video game design process, studying game design and creative writing at NYU, dabbling in programming, and now finding a home at FableVision in the organizational side of producing. Nick’s passionate about relatable themes within unrelatable characters and the tradition of storytelling, something that connects us to our caveman days – when humans would stare at a campfire, imagining stories in their mind, dreaming of what could be. Read below to learn about his North Star (LEGO’s Junkbot Undercover), his favorite narrative works, and past campaign characters!  

Columbia High School (Maplewood, NJ) Marching Band Days!

What’s your “journey to FableVision” story?
Games have always been a part of my life. Since elementary school, I have played so many games, and loved the ones on the LEGO website, especially Junkbot Undercover. In high school, I played games with a lot of friends, and from there I knew that I wanted to do narrative work in storytelling: that’s always interested me, especially coupled with science fiction and fantasy. 

I focused on narratives in my work at the NYU Game Center, but I ended up being a producer also because you run your own projects there. I realized I liked producing and the organizational side of everything – planning and ensuring we meet deadlines to give us that psychological security. After graduation, I focused on narrative, but also worked as a producer on indie games. 

And that led me to FableVision – this exploration of the production side of media. FableVision is really cool! Everyone has great energy as they create things that help people and educate folks. It seemed like the best place to start that production journey as the environment is very encouraging.

Nick and his mom at his graduation day!

What made you decide to study game design in college?
There are so many small reasons. Building a game is really interesting because you create a system that people themselves have to step into. It creates these scenarios where you’re thinking about the plot but also putting in gameplay, by asking questions like, “how do the mechanics fit with the story? Is there branching? How does that change things?” 

I also like that some games are very social and can bring people together to contribute to a story. And I think there’s the technical component that I enjoy. I do a little programming sometimes – I can look at a script and say, “I can sort-of kind-of maybe kind-of know what is happening here” and I enjoy using those skills. You don’t get to tap into that as much in other mediums.

Presenting at GDC in 2019

What do you think is key to a strong production process?
There are a lot of ways to answer this because production is so multifaceted. The ones that stand out to me are ones you’d expect: milestones, goals, and flexibility. But it's important to think that these goals are not merely practical – they’re also psychological and morale-based. 

In some ways the reason I started moving towards production is because there were projects I worked on in school where I had no idea how I was going to get everything done in time. The idea of having a plan gave me the calm and security I needed to reduce my psychological load to actually do the thing. And for team morale, if you say that you’re working towards a specific vision and can outline it all in a document, that gives you and your team an assurance that you’re going to make something. There may be some upsets, which is where flexibility comes in, but it’s much easier to change plans when you actually have a plan.

Presenting Don’t Split the Party at NYU Game Center Showcase in 2019

What type of projects do you like to work on?
Narrative is something I like a lot – I love storytelling. In that realm, the narrative of projects I like to work on is often a mix of the fantastical, weird, or sci-fi, but with relatable themes.

For my team’s senior NYU capstone, we created Don’t Split the Party, a visual novel-style game about a group of friends who play Dungeons and Dragons and you play as their Dungeon Master, making choices about what happens to them in the campaign. But the friends in real life are fighting about various personal issues and you use the campaign to keep them from having a big falling out. And that was really fun since it had real-world problems instead of just D&D. 

I’m also working on a project right now with others called Untitled Melody. It’s about two friends who move to opposite parts of the U.S. after college to pursue various artistic dreams. Although they're uncertain of their paths, they listen to the same music, which allows them to enter this dream-like state and see each other’s thoughts. It's very abstract and magical. It’s fun to work through real problems of 20-something-year-olds with weird magic on the side.

What would you like to work on in the future at the studio?
In general, each new project always feels a little unique because of the team makeup, the challenge, and the client. As a result, I think that whatever comes my way will be very fulfilling. I do love narrative things, of course, which is baked into most of the stuff we do here at FableVision.

What was your favorite game growing up?
Growing up, I loved LEGO games. I remember this Bionicle point-and-click adventure game where they had to explore the island and solve the mystery; Bionicle was this story-based LEGO line from the 2000s. I also remember the classic LEGO games, like Junkbot, where the main character is a robot who works in an office. 

At NYU I attended Professor Naomi Clark’s lecture, where she mentioned that she worked on the LEGO web games. After the lecture, I talked to her and said, “wait, the LEGO web games?” She explained, “not the big ones like LEGO Star Wars or anything on console,” and I said “No, I know exactly which ones you’re talking about! I played those!” 

And eventually, when I left the lecture hall it was 8 or 9 at night and I called my father and said, “Dad, you’re not going to believe this–”

She was a great advisor and teacher, outside of LEGO-celebrity-status. It was really cool to meet her and work/study alongside her.

Are you currently in an RPG campaign?
Right now, I’m taking a hiatus on RPG stuff because of how busy I am, but for some highlights of other ones I’ve enjoyed: 

A Long Strange Trip was a story that used a preexisting world Ebberon, which is a mix of fantasy and pulp noir – there are detectives, international intrigue, and sometimes science-fiction. My friend took that world and made a story for it inspired by Grateful Dead songs. I played a character who was both a therapist and assassin. It was wild! 

In another, everyone was looking for objects that had powers based on different aspects of reality, but dangerous forces wanted to gather them to assemble more power. My character was a former revolutionary-punk-band-member, but the rest of the band was captured by the state. He was a goofy guy who just stumbled his way through life and hung out with other adventurers. He made a lot of silly mistakes or went on embarrassing adventures that became part of his character. It was a lot of fun to be that slightly-more-clownish, heartfelt personality.

How do you combat writer’s block? What’s your writing experience like?
When I'm trying to wrap my head around a story, I have the hopefully-not-unhealthy habit of talking to myself. I find it’s useful when you’re writing. Sometimes, if I'm stuck, I just go for a walk and tell myself the story out loud. That can be helpful since you can hear it and process it in a straight line, rather than thinking about it all at once. You can think about how it would sound to a reader or a viewer or a player. 

And to get a little more philosophical about it, storytelling is something that humans have always done. They’d just tell stories around a campfire, and I think you can feel closer to that by telling your story out loud.  It helps you answer questions like: “how would I tell my story to others verbally? Would it sound good? What are the exciting bits? What are the boring parts?” 

And then, other than that, I do lots of narrative writing for games when I can. I did some work on short stories way, way back. I’d also like to write for animation and comics one day. 

More About Nick:

Favorite book: I’m not sure what my favorite-favorite is, but in terms of short stories, I love “Story of Your Life and Others” by Ted Chiang. It was made into the movie Arrival. I also like a lot of graphic novels: one of my favorites is Hawkeye: My Life as a Weapon, by writer Matt Fraction and artist David Aja.

Favorite show: I like a lot of animated adventure stuff, like The Legend of Korra and Young Justice. The latter deals with realities of being a teen or twenty-something, which are things that I really connect with.

Favorite pasta recipe: A reliable favorite for me is pasta with cream, tomato, and spinach. It’s really tasty, especially with parmesan cheese on it, and it’s an easy option. On special occasions, though, when I don’t have to be too healthy, I love carbonara. Genuinely. Unironically. It’s a fantastic pasta.

Favorite video game: That’s tough. I played a lot of Halo with my friends growing up, so that has a special place because of all the memories. I also really love the game Prey by Arkane Studios.

Favorite tabletop game: I definitely play Dungeons and Dragons the most, but I’m really excited about smaller RPGs. Lady Blackbird and Dread are both so much fun too. 

Favorite rock band: My favorite is The Anix, an industrial rock act from Los Angeles. I also like David Bowie a lot – my friends and I used to listen to David Bowie when we played Halo. 

Sputnik

Sparky

Apollo

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