The Mummer's Dansky
@rdansky.bsky.social
Narrative expert for video games and writer of fiction and TTRPGs. Author of THE VIDEO GAME WRITER’S GUIDE TO SURVIVING AN INDUSTRY THAT HATES YOU. Former Ubisoft/Crytek/Romero narrative director. Lover of scotch, books, Sasquatches, baseball, and cats.
The Mandalorian introducing Grogu to the power and the glory that is Styx:
This is the Show Me The Way.
This is the Show Me The Way.
January 17, 2026 at 8:33 PM
The Mandalorian introducing Grogu to the power and the glory that is Styx:
This is the Show Me The Way.
This is the Show Me The Way.
I have got to imagine Putin is just hotboxing in a bunker somewhere Ukrainian drones can't reach, giggling and saying things like "No, no, tell Donny to start calling Greenland 'the Precious'. Five rubles says he does it on camera!"
January 17, 2026 at 4:57 PM
I have got to imagine Putin is just hotboxing in a bunker somewhere Ukrainian drones can't reach, giggling and saying things like "No, no, tell Donny to start calling Greenland 'the Precious'. Five rubles says he does it on camera!"
At an Isbell concert, there will be a long line of bearded middle-aged men in concert t-shirts waiting for the men's room and I will be one of the least skinny dudes in that line.
I offer no value judgments. Just an observation.
I offer no value judgments. Just an observation.
January 17, 2026 at 12:47 AM
At an Isbell concert, there will be a long line of bearded middle-aged men in concert t-shirts waiting for the men's room and I will be one of the least skinny dudes in that line.
I offer no value judgments. Just an observation.
I offer no value judgments. Just an observation.
The difference between a prog concert and a Jason Isbell concert is this:
At a prog concert, there will be a long line of bearded middle-aged men in concert t-shirts waiting for the men's room and I will be one of the skinnier dudes in that line.
At a prog concert, there will be a long line of bearded middle-aged men in concert t-shirts waiting for the men's room and I will be one of the skinnier dudes in that line.
January 17, 2026 at 12:46 AM
The difference between a prog concert and a Jason Isbell concert is this:
At a prog concert, there will be a long line of bearded middle-aged men in concert t-shirts waiting for the men's room and I will be one of the skinnier dudes in that line.
At a prog concert, there will be a long line of bearded middle-aged men in concert t-shirts waiting for the men's room and I will be one of the skinnier dudes in that line.
Interesting.
Every time I try a Google search on a topic relating to AI and add the -ai flag to the query, I get either no response or random responses about waterproof fabrics and the like.
Every time I try a Google search on a topic relating to AI and add the -ai flag to the query, I get either no response or random responses about waterproof fabrics and the like.
January 16, 2026 at 7:50 PM
Interesting.
Every time I try a Google search on a topic relating to AI and add the -ai flag to the query, I get either no response or random responses about waterproof fabrics and the like.
Every time I try a Google search on a topic relating to AI and add the -ai flag to the query, I get either no response or random responses about waterproof fabrics and the like.
It's almost as if they don't understand how it works, how to do it well, or how to get value from it, so they want to minimize it to a place where it's not threatening.
Or I could just be imagining stuff.
Or I could just be imagining stuff.
January 15, 2026 at 5:03 PM
It's almost as if they don't understand how it works, how to do it well, or how to get value from it, so they want to minimize it to a place where it's not threatening.
Or I could just be imagining stuff.
Or I could just be imagining stuff.
Which is, on so many levels, ludicrous. The amount of money spent on a writing team is piss in the ocean compared to what's spent on other disciplines. We are, relatively speaking, cheap.
January 15, 2026 at 4:27 PM
Which is, on so many levels, ludicrous. The amount of money spent on a writing team is piss in the ocean compared to what's spent on other disciplines. We are, relatively speaking, cheap.
You have been warned.
And also invited.
And also invited.
January 15, 2026 at 4:24 PM
You have been warned.
And also invited.
And also invited.
The folks with the seats in the middle of the row are always the last ones to arrive, the first ones to leave, and the ones who need at least two beers and/or potty breaks during the show.
January 15, 2026 at 4:12 AM
The folks with the seats in the middle of the row are always the last ones to arrive, the first ones to leave, and the ones who need at least two beers and/or potty breaks during the show.
Thursday night, 6 PM, Flyleaf Books in Chapel Hill.
Get your spooky on.
flyleafbooks.com/event/nchwa-...
Get your spooky on.
flyleafbooks.com/event/nchwa-...
NC Chapter of the Horror Writers Association Reading
Come enjoy a group reading from members of the North Carolina Chapter of the Horror Writers Association at Flyleaf Books.
flyleafbooks.com
January 12, 2026 at 3:23 PM
Thursday night, 6 PM, Flyleaf Books in Chapel Hill.
Get your spooky on.
flyleafbooks.com/event/nchwa-...
Get your spooky on.
flyleafbooks.com/event/nchwa-...
Always nice to send a story you're not sure about in to an editor and get an immediate email back that starts with the words "Oh HELL yes"
January 10, 2026 at 3:06 PM
Always nice to send a story you're not sure about in to an editor and get an immediate email back that starts with the words "Oh HELL yes"
We have hit the "It's 1:30 in the morning, I just pulled in, I have grabbed the bags I absolutely need to bring into the house, and I am praying I left nothing perishable out there because I am no longer parked in Satan's freezer such that I can rely on it to cover for me" phase of today's journey.
January 8, 2026 at 6:33 AM
We have hit the "It's 1:30 in the morning, I just pulled in, I have grabbed the bags I absolutely need to bring into the house, and I am praying I left nothing perishable out there because I am no longer parked in Satan's freezer such that I can rely on it to cover for me" phase of today's journey.
No, but don’t ask me about the burger and Trigger.
January 8, 2026 at 1:13 AM
No, but don’t ask me about the burger and Trigger.
Holy crap I’m eating dinner at an actual standalone Roy Rogers! What Jurassic Park technology brought this place back?
January 8, 2026 at 1:02 AM
Holy crap I’m eating dinner at an actual standalone Roy Rogers! What Jurassic Park technology brought this place back?
Was at dinner and one of the TVs in the restaurant was showing professional indoor team golf, which struck me as the dumbest thing possible except for the Administration claiming the Epstein Files were totally about this other guy named Donald Trump.
January 7, 2026 at 12:15 AM
Was at dinner and one of the TVs in the restaurant was showing professional indoor team golf, which struck me as the dumbest thing possible except for the Administration claiming the Epstein Files were totally about this other guy named Donald Trump.
No, no, your nonsensical crap arguments are at least grammatically correct
January 6, 2026 at 7:23 PM
No, no, your nonsensical crap arguments are at least grammatically correct
A corollary to my list of stated directions for the year is this: I am not going to engage with poorly constructed bad faith arguments in my social media spaces. Depending on how I am feeling, this may include telling people they make crap arguments or have no reading comprehension skills.
January 6, 2026 at 7:11 PM
A corollary to my list of stated directions for the year is this: I am not going to engage with poorly constructed bad faith arguments in my social media spaces. Depending on how I am feeling, this may include telling people they make crap arguments or have no reading comprehension skills.
Coffeeshops should provide signs that say “Yes, I am a single person taking up a multi-seat table but it was because there was no where else to sit and you are welcome to join me if you need a seat and you’re not a jerk.”
OK, maybe that’s a little complicated, but you get the idea.
OK, maybe that’s a little complicated, but you get the idea.
January 6, 2026 at 5:05 PM
Coffeeshops should provide signs that say “Yes, I am a single person taking up a multi-seat table but it was because there was no where else to sit and you are welcome to join me if you need a seat and you’re not a jerk.”
OK, maybe that’s a little complicated, but you get the idea.
OK, maybe that’s a little complicated, but you get the idea.
Just bought a giant pile of gently used kids’ books from the Durham Library to donate to local children’s charity Book Harvest. I feel like that’s a double win.
January 5, 2026 at 10:23 PM
Just bought a giant pile of gently used kids’ books from the Durham Library to donate to local children’s charity Book Harvest. I feel like that’s a double win.
Just read an article on horror movie endings that claimed modern audiences neither want nor need everything spelled out for them and I have some questions about which audiences the writer has been interacting with.
January 5, 2026 at 2:20 AM
Just read an article on horror movie endings that claimed modern audiences neither want nor need everything spelled out for them and I have some questions about which audiences the writer has been interacting with.
Back in November, I gave a talk at a conference in Baltimore about The Video Game Writer's Guide to Surviving an Industry That Hates You. It's a little freeform and unstructured, but that was kind of the point, and everyone seemed to have a good time.
Here you go!
www.youtube.com/watch?v=fCrf...
Here you go!
www.youtube.com/watch?v=fCrf...
Richard Dansky Game Writers Guide at the Game Your Future Conference 2025
YouTube video by IGDA-Baltimore
www.youtube.com
January 2, 2026 at 9:29 PM
Back in November, I gave a talk at a conference in Baltimore about The Video Game Writer's Guide to Surviving an Industry That Hates You. It's a little freeform and unstructured, but that was kind of the point, and everyone seemed to have a good time.
Here you go!
www.youtube.com/watch?v=fCrf...
Here you go!
www.youtube.com/watch?v=fCrf...
I don't much follow college football, but I do sincerely hope that Indiana's stomping of Alabama yesterday caused severe mental anguish and trauma for Paul Finebaum.
January 2, 2026 at 5:42 PM
I don't much follow college football, but I do sincerely hope that Indiana's stomping of Alabama yesterday caused severe mental anguish and trauma for Paul Finebaum.
We know all is quiet on New Year’s Day, Bono. It’s because we all stayed up way too late and we’re hung over, so keep it the fuck down, would you?
January 1, 2026 at 6:51 PM
We know all is quiet on New Year’s Day, Bono. It’s because we all stayed up way too late and we’re hung over, so keep it the fuck down, would you?
Honestly, for $110M, I could totally afford to be flexible on that stuff.
January 1, 2026 at 6:47 PM
Honestly, for $110M, I could totally afford to be flexible on that stuff.
Shocking, really
January 1, 2026 at 6:46 PM
Shocking, really