James Cavin Writes

…and edits and designs and programs and sometimes lights things on fire.

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Some popular bits of madness:

Unhinged narrative design: What if RPG stats measured weaknesses instead of strengths? (Part One: The Narrativening)

This is but Part One - See Part Two here! Let's break some tabletops! (By applying videogame narrative design tactics!) The theme of this garbage fountain was "Ghost," which got me thinking about all sorts of old, weird ideas that have been bubbling around in the back of my head, alongside commercial jingles from 1992 and a vague sense of unease about the approaching heat death of the universe. Anyways, under the duress of creativity, I decided to once again cheat on videogames and dabble in the forbidden waters of tabletop. (If videogames wanted faithfulness and fidelity, she wouldn't lay off half the workforce every 16 months.) Plus, the infamous Drive-thru RPG (world-renowned for both being the largest tabletop RPG storefront on the Internet and also committing unforgivable spelling crimes against the Honorable English GH) was having a weird contest, and if there's one things that I love more than ignoring the appro...

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Look what the garbage fountain tossed up: Interview with an Ichthyologist

For only 5 of your human minutes, you can experience the glorious pulp horror comedy splendor that is Interview with an Ichthyologist Itch.io! (Did I mention that you can get a pet fish-puppy to smite your enemies?) Ask not for whom the garbage fountain fountains, IT FOUNTAINS FOR THEE. I wrote a simple game in Inkle as part of a writing test for a prospective employer, and I enjoyed it so much that I decided to cheat and make it my submission for last week's Garbage Fountain Day. You see, I'm currently embroiled in Operation Garbage Fountain with my friend Lars Doucet (of ValueBase, Land Is a Big Deal, Fortress of Doors, etc. fame.) I had originally planned on making a Twine project for my entry when a job that I had applied to weeks beforehand invited me to engage in a writing test. As someone who enjoys both writing and being employed*, I obviously said yes. *Actually, what I enjoy is purchasing unhealthy numbers of Lego castles. Employmen...

A Curiosity at the Establishment of Madame Z______________

I've got another bit of madness for you! For some reason, I've been in kind of a swordfish mood lately… (Is this what being trapped in an artistic rut* feels like?) *On the plus side, my swordfish-themed-cover-art-skills seem to be improving. Anyways, this one's definitely a rough draft, so if there's anything that feels like it ought to be cut, just say so! Without further ado... At 3:37 PM, Thursday, 37 years ago, the stuffed swordfish over the mantle piece began to weep. The tears were black, slightly viscous, and described by those present as smelling strongly of sandalwood and turpentine. When the tears had not abated by 4:42, but had instead begun to pool on the hearth in what threatened to be a permanently-staining manner, Madame Z_____________ sent for the priest (the local gendarmerie and Madame Z_____________'s lawyer having already been summoned but failing to arrive in a timely manner.) The priest...

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