It’s game night. The snacks are ready, the pizza’s been ordered, and the character sheets are out on the table. Everyone’s ready to game—two players at the end of the table are venting a little restless energy by playing a quick game of Magic. Your DM called in at the last minute to say that he couldn’t make it—but he’s the only one missing. What do you do?

If you’re like me, you’ll want to take hold of the reins and take off at a gallop. The night is ripe for adventure—no use wasting the energy by settling for several matches of Call of Duty or watching Robin Hood: Men in Tights for the fiftieth time.

But you don’t have anything prepared. This is far from a problem, however; this is an opportunity to develop skills in improvisation, which is a valuable tool for any DM. The trick is to keep the game engaging and fun.

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They all think me mad! They think me dangerous! Ah, but you, you my friend, my poor doomed fellow, you know the truth. When you asked for me, a look of childlike fear overcame the receptionist’s face, didn’t it? Ah, but your face was solemn—calm, even! I know, my friend, I know these things. You knew that I am a rational man. What others see as madness in my eyes, you see as truth. I could tell by the way you told me that you were just passing through and wished to talk. I continued then, to soothe your beating heart, to quiet the fear in your soul, because I could tell that you were a reasonable fellow, just as I am. It is now that I talk, because I know well that chatter will calm you. Yes, do not take your eyes off my face, my friend, very good, because you know what I will have to do if you do.

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Ray Bradbury wrote 600 short stories. Alexandre Dumas, author of The Three Musketeers and The Count of Monte Cristo, claimed to have written over 1,200 volumes (around 277 books). J. Michael Straczynski wrote 200+ episodes for various TV shows, a number of screenplays for notable movies such as Changeling, 500+ articles for newspapers and magazines—not to mention all the novels, short stories, comic books, and whatever else I might have missed. How the hell do these writers manage to do all that?

Most accomplished writers agree: if you want to be a successful writer, you must write every day. Not an easy task for most—jobs, school, life in general all tend to take up a lot of time and, in most cases, they take priority over writing. Disciplining yourself to write every day requires a shift in thinking—which takes time and perseverance.

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I am a fan of horror. I like the fact that the rabbit (which typically represents docility and shyness) in Donnie Darko has a strange, demonic appearance. I am fascinated by Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. I revel in the surreality and perpetual mystery provided by the Holders Series.

But what’s the appeal of something that makes your skin crawl, something that keeps you up at night for weeks to come, that makes you suffer for watching it?

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