My first group diabetes talking session is later today.
I'm going to be the thinnest diabetic in the room by far. (because most of the others are likely to have type 2 diabetes)
My weight has fallen gradually over the last few years (which I now know was due to my body finding it harder to produce enough insulin), but not feeling like eating when I had the flu has brought me to an adult lifetime low of 484kg which is definitely too low.
The trouble is partly that I'm tired, my asthma is still bad (I've just started on a steroid course) and I can't seem to get interested in food.
I've put a small bowl of mixed nuts by my computer to encourage nibbling. I've asked my husband to offer me fruit whenever he has some (nibbling a persimmon right now).
I'm open to ideas...
I tending to eat small quantities, I really need more, but I just don't feel hungry....
I don't think it's anorexia - I like the way I look. I've been this shape (well, with nearer 550kg) all my adult life, and I'm very happy with it
I'll let you know if the person running the meeting has any suggestions! Meanwhile, I can at least have a guilt-free square of quality chocolate.
The new round of genprompt_bingo is starting up, and I have now posted two whole things for the previous one. Here's the second:
Title: Only Mistaken Fandom: Gravity Falls Characters/Relationships: Ford & everybody Rating: General Audiences. No warnings. Summary: People Ford has had or lost faith in. People who have had or lost faith in him. Tags: Character Study, Drabble Sequence Length: 606 words, counting the section headers Author's Notes: A linked series of drabbles (the 100-word kind), written for Gen Prompt Bingo for the prompt "loss of faith." The title comes from a quote from Blake's 7: "A man who trusts can never be betrayed, only mistaken."
While this is the first bundle devoted exclusively to this game, the full rules were previously in the Sine Nomine rulebooks bundle from 2023, and a free version with some parts omitted is available on line. This bundle does add the atlas and a campaign setting, and seems to be pretty good value - it isn't really my sort of thing but if you like far future fantasy it's probably worth a look.
First off, the detox on news and Facebook has done a lot to improve my quality of sleep.
Second, and far more important, my son who has been looking for a job ever since his entire office were unexpectedly made redundant around 10 months ago, has finally found a new job.
And the kind of job he really, really wanted. He could have got a coding job quickly, many of his friends did. But he wanted to be involved in problem analysis, requirements analysis, planning the breakdown of work for a team.
He was doing some of that in his previous job, but it wasn't reflected in his job title.
But he's starting around 10 days from now: it's well paid, it's not to far too travel, and he only has to go into the office for two days a week. The rest can be done from home on flextime. (Which is very handy for when Theo - now age 1 and crazily adorable - is unwell and can't go into the nursery. His wife's office day is different, so they can cover all bases - and Richard and I can help out when necessary. we have him on Fridays anyway, as we don't want to miss out on him growing up.
He already loves being read to. And listening to me singing to him :)
So, happy Granny! (Apart from having flu, which has triggered a bad asthma attack to keep it company...)
This new Worlds Without Number Bundle presents Worlds Without Number, the tabletop fantasy roleplaying game of far-future sword-and-sorcery adventure from acclaimed designer Kevin Crawford of Sine Nomine Publishing.
I've eaten too much! Today was the Christmas dinner with the people who come to the weekly Welsh conversation group in the cafe in town. We went to the training restaurant at the local college where all the food is cooked and served by the students who are on catering courses. The food was delicious and the price was very reasonable too. I just had two courses (starter and main). I had braised beef with garlic mushrooms rather than turkey because I'll be having another Christmas dinner next week with the Merched y Wawr, and I've ordered turkey for that meal. I didn't have room for dessert but I had a cup of tea and a mince pie to finish. Now I'm too stuffed to move.
In other news, the new phone arrived on Saturday and I finished setting it up and adding all the apps I use yesterday. There might be one or two more things to do, but it took less time than I expected. Once I'd charged it up and logged into my Google account, it was both astonishing and scary to see how much information got transferred over automatically. At one point in the setup, the phone did offer to transfer everything from the old phone, I wanted to add apps manually because there are some on the old phone that I don't use any more. Also there are some that I'll use the old phone for rather then the new one, e.g. the gimbal (like a mini-steadicam) for shooting video while walking around. I'll keep the old phone as a spare still and video camera.
Speaking of cameras, here is the first photo taken with the new phone. The river on the way to the college.
Editor’s note: An earlier version of this guidance appeared on the author’s LinkedIn page on February 19, 2025. Expansions of content were made to better serve Planetside readers.
Let’s say you are a writer applying for a game writing job. They loved your resume and think your samples are great, but now you have to do a writing test. So what is a writing skill test? How do they work? And how can you best prepare for one?
What Is a Writing Skill Test?
Writing tests are used by game studios during the hiring period to determine if potential candidates have the writing chops that the studio is looking for. In my experience, writing tests usually come in the middle of the hiring process, between the Hiring Manager interview and the wider team interview. To say a writing test is crucial for a writing applicant is an understatement. Think of it as a pass/fail grade for your application.
What’s in a Writing Test?
No two writing tests are the same. Here are a few I’ve taken with the serial numbers shaved off to hide which studio gave it to me.
1. Write three comic scenes based on three sequential prompts. Time limit: one week. (Testing not only your comedy chops, but also if you can write a narratively solid through line between three moments in time.)
2. Write a two-page cinematic scene set in the game’s IP. Time limit: one week. (Testing if you can write a scene in a tight space, as well as how well you know the game’s universe.)
3. Write a logline, a mission walkthrough, and a closing cinematic, setting up a branching choice based on our IP. No more than five pages. Time limit: two weeks. (Testing if you can pitch a mission, write a clear overview, and write an ending that sets up narrative stakes and tension in a tight space.)
Again, it could be like this, or it could be something wholly different. No matter the ask, the result is the same: Do you have what it takes?
Tips for Writing Tests
Here are some tips to make writing tests easier.
1. Know your instructions
Writing tests can be a bundle of stress, especially since you’ll likely be writing with a time limit. You might want to rush into the test, guns blazing. Do so, and it’s easy to waste a lot of your hard work and time by not following the instructions.
So, go through the instructions first and highlight important details, like page limits or other restrictions. Some tests are broken up into multiple parts and might have different restrictions for, say, Part One versus Part Four.
Use the instructions as your plan of attack. See the instructions as a way to break everything down so it won’t overwhelm you. See which ones you’ll need to devote the most time to. I like to knock out the small tasks first to help me warm up and build momentum.
2. Know your enemy/subject/IP
The writing test will ask you one of two things: to write in a known IP or to write in a known genre. Ideally, you’ll have an idea which either will be when you apply for the role.
If your writing test is genre-based, then go check out other games in that genre to get a sense of style, tone, and other narrative directions. Trust me: Dying Light is far different from Lily’s Garden, even though both are narrative-driven video games (although a Lily’s Garden/Dying Light crossover would be awesome).
If it’s about an IP, then set aside time before you start the writing test to read story and character summaries for that game. Watch gameplay and narrative cutscenes to hear the tone and understand how they do in-game storytelling. Take notes if you have to, but get familiar fast. This is the DNA of the world you are applying to be a part of.
One final tip: If you are writing an IP-based test, make sure you double-check the names of people, places, and things for correct spelling and formatting.
As I said above, writing tests have parameters. You’ll read them in the test instructions. Be sure to adhere to them. If Part One is in screenplay format, but the others are not, make a note of that.
3. Know your limits
Pay attention to character limits and page limits in the test instructions. This is where you are being graded on how much impact you can make in a short amount of space. Always look for spots where you can trim length. You want to show off your leanest, sharpest writing. Monologues don’t do well here. Instead, you need to craft a tight scene with a beginning, middle, and end, in which you advance the plot and develop the characters.
Lastly, know you have a time limit. Do not exceed this. You’ll likely be aware of that ticking clock, but if you are the type who gets too wrapped up in your writing, consider setting countdown alarms to alert you when to wrap up your masterpiece and send it back to the studio.
Try to bake in some cooling-down time, so you can walk away and come back to your work with fresh eyes. When you are ready to turn your test in, re-read the instructions to see if that studio has specific guidelines on how to submit it. You never know.
Getting a writing test out the door can be stressful, especially if you obsess over every word and detail. After you hit send, walk away from your computer and decompress with a game, a snack, a nap…something to relax and reward yourself for crossing the finish line.
Now, the hard part begins: waiting until you hear back.
John Ryan is a veteran game writer/narrative designer who has worked on franchises including Fable, Horizon, Marvel’s Iron Man, Guild Wars, Destiny, Forza, and Lily’s Garden. He’s brought stories to life across multiple genres and platforms, including VR and XR. He is currently working on two unannounced projects but is always looking for the next adventure. He currently lives near Seattle with his wife, their cat, and a growing backlog of games on his Steam account. You can read more about him and his work at his site: johnryanwrites.com.
Having saved hapless human Tully from the kif, hani star captain Pyanfar Chanur is faced with the consequences of saving hapless human Tully from the kif.
This is the third offer for Shadowrun 5th Edition, containing 15 adventures and sourcebooks. This was previously offered last year, I think they're repeating it so soon so that it's available to anyone who buys this release of the game in last week's offer.
Last time I said "Shadowrun has never been one of my favourite games, I'm not convinced the genres mesh wonderfully, but it's an OK system with a big user base.... ...The source material in the Missions Megabundle looks useful, but like a lot of this stuff it's only useful if you actually use it - I own a ton of stuff for this system in dead tree format and I've barely used it, so I won't be downloading more." I should probably add that the stuff I have in dead tree format is for earlier editions, but I think the principle is the same - I'm just not a big fan of the concept or setting, and updating the rules doesn't really change that. But if you're a fan and don't already own this stuff it's definitely worth a look.
I actually caught him trying to steal fudge this afternoon. He has learned nothing from being sick four times on my living room carpet - fudge is not a suitable food for cats. I really think that he and Opal have a brain cell between them, and currently Opal has it.
Last Friday's Guardian publishes an obituary by Emma Freud of her mother Jill. It is in the 'Other Lives' feature, a gathering of interesting people, and Jill Freud was not only Emma's mother, not only the widow of Clement, but also a working actor and producer (her last film was Love, Actually).
None of this is what caught my attention. But:
At the start of the second world war she was evacuated to Oxford, where she was billeted with a succession of homeowners, before, aged 15, she was sent to a house owned by an academic known as Jack.
2024: Scutigera coleoptrata become established in the UK, a Trident missile suffers performance anxiety during a test and refuses to leave its sub, and Labour sweeps to victory in the General Election, with surprising little effect on the subsequent frequency of cruel and vindictive legislation.
Chain-Gang All-Stars by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah 1 (3.8%)
Corey Fah Does Social Mobility by Isabel Waidner 1 (3.8%)
Some Desperate Glory by Emily Tesh 25 (96.2%)
The Mountain in the Sea by Ray Nayler 10 (38.5%)
The Ten Percent Thief by Lavanya Lakshminarayan 1 (3.8%)
Bold for have read, italic for intend to read, underline for never heard of it.
Which 2024 Clarke Award Finalists Have You Read? In Ascension by Martin MacInnes Chain-Gang All-Stars by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah Corey Fah Does Social Mobility by Isabel Waidner Some Desperate Glory by Emily Tesh The Mountain in the Sea by Ray Nayler The Ten Percent Thief by Lavanya Lakshminarayan
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John Ryan is a veteran game writer/narrative designer who has worked on franchises including Fable, Horizon, Marvel’s Iron Man, Guild Wars, Destiny, Forza, and Lily’s Garden. He’s brought stories to life across multiple genres and platforms, including VR and XR. He is currently working on two unannounced projects but is always looking for the next adventure. He currently lives near Seattle with his wife, their cat, and a growing backlog of games on his Steam account. You can read more about him and his work at his site:
