EmpyClaw

He/him. Silly nerd. I enjoy tabletop game design and rpgs. I like being helpful and throwing spaghetti at the wall.

Public Key

npub1fpx5wv3y5ehqzelq0rtpl8g3sswz878dw27wlpcx5z29ky6pscxqnpxl2g

NIP-05 Address

EmpyClaw@mastodon-social.mostr.pub

Profile Code

nprofile1qqsysn28xgj2vmspvls834sln5gcg8prlrkh9080sur2p9zmzdqcvrqyrfyg2

Author Public Key

npub1fpx5wv3y5ehqzelq0rtpl8g3sswz878dw27wlpcx5z29ky6pscxqnpxl2g

Show more details

Last Notes

2025-04-27 14:32:17

I’m so behind on many of the fun hashtag prompts I enjoy. I could try to catch up, or instead, perhaps I should just scream random stories that are vaguely interesting out into the void.
I don’t want to caps lock, so please yell inside your mind:
I once wrote a kids’ play called The Watermelon of Despair! It had a watermelon puppet with articulating eyebrows and taught us all about depression! I’m really proud of that balance between absurdism and real life lessons!
#HashtagIntoTheVoid!

2025-04-27 14:13:31

- reply

Future theme idea:
“Today is Talk to Me Day with featured creator C. R. Collins! It’s a special theme as well: Don’t Be Like C. R. Collins! All questions must be phrased as ‘Would you do x?’ so that we can all make sure we aren’t doing that.”
@nprofile…0qap @nprofile…myfn @nprofile…k80g @nprofile…a0z2 @nprofile…300u

2025-04-25 23:16:11

Writing away and then...
Prairie kid problems:
Do y'all still have a horizon up in the mountains? 😂
#Saskatchewan

2025-04-23 04:06:47

Holy smokes this looks so cool!
@nprofile…f579 did up a custom stencil and then hand painted the edges of #CrownOfHorns.
It’s a little too time consuming to do en masse, but perhaps make a few and silent auction them at a signing event in support of charity. 🤔
What do y’all think?
#writingcommunity #books #bookstodon #writing
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/114/385/286/478/994/699/original/35506b0d19de021e.mp4

2025-04-18 20:57:22

I am vibrating, tired, joyful, and anxious.
I have a book! I can lick it! (Don't eat the book...)
Thank you to each one of my Mastodon friends and the folks in the #writingcommunity who followed along, encouraged me, and gave me food for thought.
As a thanks to all the folks in all the hashtags, I set up a secret sale to get the ebook for 50% until the end of the month.
https://empyclaw.itch.io/scribesandcoffee
Appreciate you all!
#ScribesAndMakers #WritersCoffeeClub #wordweavers #pennedpossibilities
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/114/360/945/456/285/198/original/ac97b6c47a843a21.jpeg

2025-04-13 02:30:19

I have a book! And my first two local launch events are scheduled!
I am so excited to finally share my work. Ever since I was a little kid, I said, “I want to be an author when I grow up.” I made it happen.
The book will be released in the coming weeks. Dates to come soon as I finalize some details for print on demand. Until then, find out more here and join the mailing list to be informed when #CrownOfHorns releases!
https://audra.balion.ca/crown-of-horns/
#scribesandmakers Self Promo Day!
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/114/328/290/842/450/778/original/a756d79737084614.png

2025-04-08 18:06:41

I need someone to convince me not to spend all of my budget on fountain pens and ink.
#fountainpen

2025-04-06 16:31:18

- reply

@nprofile…a0z2 @nprofile…300u
Transformative editing or gamifying it are definitely ways that I have found to get myself more excited to edit and make the process not such a slog.
When I was doing my final pass and it was more about making sure things sounded right, I think the thing that kept me going was the excitement that soon I would have a real book. Curious if that excitement would propel me through a second one. 🤔

2025-04-05 04:51:58

With just a few hours left of April 4th (for me)… happy birthday Aloy!
#horizonzerodawn #HorizonForbiddenWest
#virtualphotography
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/114/283/524/571/657/913/original/2bbcdef9c5656121.png
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/114/283/527/025/976/577/original/c51523961a207aed.png
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/114/283/544/810/925/480/original/cea5ce9fa46b93b2.png

2025-04-04 22:10:52

Changes submitted to printer. Now I wait.
I am bad at waiting.

2025-04-03 06:15:01

Ahhhh!!! I have just sent a manuscript to get printed into a book! Panic!
#writing #writingcommunity #selfpublishing #books

2025-04-01 13:38:05

- reply

@nprofile…tzh3
Being a cook is fun for similar reasons. You get to play with corn starch while repeatedly murmuring:
“Ah, how the stock thickens.”

2025-03-21 13:36:54

Shortly after I learned I have #adhd I had a bit of a time coming to grips with that.
One morning, while travelling, I wrote a #poem. I scribbled rapidly, overlapped the words on top of another and by the end I was left with a mess of a page. It was #poetry that existed only for me and only within that moment. It was an incredibly cathartic experience.
#writerscoffeeclub
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/114/200/675/028/023/070/original/0c206297e203a6f9.png

2025-03-20 10:55:49

#writerscoffeeclub  19 - What's your narrator's sense of humor like?
I showcase more humour in theatre, and narration is atypical when writing for theatre. Unless we count stage directions?
I rather like playing things completely straight in the face of utter absurdity. Like… no one is intentionally trying to be hunouroua or make a joke, but the sheer insanity of their words and actions is where the humour comes in.

2025-02-10 04:56:58

- reply

@nprofile…6fay Spooky!
😉

2025-02-08 15:16:58

- reply

@nprofile…a0z2 I think y’all may have sent your 🥶our way which has been enriched my the natural 🥶 of the area turning it into approximately 🥶🥶🥶 over here.
Have fun with snowshoes! Reminds me I should take mine out before the season ends.

2024-12-13 15:47:13

Something wonky has been happening with my #mastodon iOS app.
Pictures from other people’s posts keep showing up in others’ posts.
“Only Australians will get this!” — Picture of maple syrup
“News about a murder trial.” — Cute cat drawing!
It’s hilariously confusing and I no longer know what is real.

2024-12-06 13:49:27

I know what you’re thinking. “I have too many friends! What am I to do this season of joy and wonder?! I tried slapping them last year and they didn’t like it!”
Fear not! You need no longer slap your friends in the face to show them you care. Instead, offer… (dramatic pause)
The Adventures of Squid Pope!
Run a session for your friends. It’s more fun than a slap to the face!
Get it today!
https://empyclaw.itch.io/the-adventures-of-squid-pope
(I’ve mastered this pitch.)
#dnd #ttrpg #indiegame #tabletop #boardgames

2024-10-22 05:20:12

After celebrating the 40 pages I recently added to #CrownOfHorns, today I spent a couple hours shaving off about a page and a half from the prologue, and that also was a great victory.
#writing #amWriting #writingcommunity

2024-08-01 02:31:19

#PennedPossibilities 393 — Stories I’ve Written—include a link.
I’ve written over a dozen plays, almost all of which have been performed locally, but they aren’t available to read anywhere sadly.
I wrote lots of short stories in my youth. I even once wrote a fanfic: a parody retelling of #FinalFantasyVII called Final Fantasy Cheese.
And then I wrote a silly, casual ttrpg book: The Adventures of Squid Pope found here: https://empyclaw.itch.io/the-adventures-of-squid-pope
My fav? See reply 😜

2024-07-23 12:07:29

#WordWeavers Jul 23 Authors may write to explore their philosophy. Any revelations you wish to share?
I used to write a lot of tragedy. No happy endings.
I did so with the idea that in my writing I would explore all of the sadness, hopelessness, and despair of the world and that daily life was the place for all of life’s joys and happinesses.
When I started writing children’s theatre, this changed. It became exceedingly important to share hope and joy and that has slid into my other writing.

2024-07-15 02:50:15

#PennedPossibilities 376 — Be honest. How messy is your writing space at the moment?
Look, let’s not talk about that. Let’s just be happy I did the dishes today, okay?
Small victories.

2024-07-13 02:27:16

Need some insight from the wisdom of Mastodon.
I'm including a glossary of people and place names in my book for folks who might not be familiar with Ukrainian/Slavic naming conventions and styles.
I've included IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) pronuncations of everything. It's the most clear, but it's not necessarily that accessible.
Any thoughts or opinions on such a thing? Anyone else do this or see this in something they've read?
#writing #writingcommunity

2024-05-25 23:57:47

#writerscoffeeclub 25. Cover Art.
My partner is an artist and graphic designer, so I could not in good conscience turn elsewhere.
She drafted a concept for my cover art few years ago for my book. I like where it’s going.
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/112/504/425/422/136/696/original/7118fbf5c4acf0d3.png

2024-05-19 02:35:29

Got to playtest Penumbra today!
The concept is based on a play I wrote and was performed nearly 15 years ago.
Here are the game tokens that represent the cast!
#boardgames #boardgamedesign #gamedesign #theater #theatre
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/112/465/403/596/787/343/original/dfa5aeb0fc5f27e7.png

2024-04-11 02:49:08

The local Creative Club has been taken over by #boardgamedesign geeks. So they may branch out and offer a second monthly session for us!
Played a really fun storytelling game today. Definitely a great time for my inner theatre kid!
#tabletopgamedesign #boardgames #tabletop #tabletopgames

2024-03-18 23:17:11

- reply

@npub1sgg…2mws I got this exact same captcha today and I was equally confused. I got anxious when I was worried that I was staring in confusion too long and that would affect my ability to click faster than the average human.