An Introduction: Running Toward the Scary

In the short time he’s been in my life, two-fisted editor John Adamus has become one of my most important sources of support. In Phoenix Outlaw Productions, the company I founded with friend, roommate, and ka-tet member Shoshana Kessock, we call John the Orbital Platform. He’s famous for obliterating deadlines way ahead of schedule, dreaming up entire systems in scant handfuls of hours–you name it, he’s willing to help make it possible. Like any decent kung-fu mentor-figure, John has an arsenal of original axioms like “Writing is the act of making decisions” and his trusty writer’s block killer, “What’s the most awesome thing that could happen?”

One of those John-rules is “Run toward the scary.” So here goes.

People who know me would probably confirm that starting a personal blog by talking about somebody else is a classic Josh move. If that helps you get to know me, I don’t mind. Hi! I’m Josh Harrison. I’m a self-effacing but earnest game designer currently working in online marketing. I’m a full-time Storyteller at my local zombie apocalypse and I usually think better with a boffer sword in hand. I live in Brooklyn. I am trying to figure out how to deal with grief. I am into Magic: the Gathering.

I’m starting this blog because some shrieking mental thing is telling me not to, and I sometimes get to neat places by listening for what my internal critic finds Completely Unacceptable and then Doing Whatever That Is. I’m writing here so you can hold me accountable for completing Dreamdiver, my Fate Core world, and get a look at my process as I go. I’m here to get more comfy with being myself, even where other people can see. And I’m here to answer and questions or help with any problems you guys want to share.

OK, no looking back. Design with courage. Play with sincerity. Write with charity. Stop hoping, start doing.

Yep. We’ve reached the scary. Time to find out what comes next.