James Cavin

James Cavin Writes Sep 29, 2026

Writing flavor text 102: how to write imaginary quotes

A quick bit of advice for creating memorable intro quotes for chapters and acts, fantasy scripture verses, and other…

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James Cavin Writes Aug 11, 2026

Weaponizing the unknowable: Quillion in the Wood

An exercise in knowing more story than you tell.

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James Cavin Writes Jul 23, 2026

A WORLD MADE OF ICONS: Why are Final Fantasy I characters so darn iconic? (And how can we capture that ourselves?)

A down and dirty guide to chasing the iconic through blunt force minimalism with little to no artistic training.

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James Cavin Writes Jun 27, 2026

How to run Dungeons and Dragons for kids: All the rules you need and none that you don't (Free RPG Day giveaway!)

So, the young gremlins in your life want to do this whole "Dungeons and Dragons" thing they heard about. Who can blame…

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James Cavin Writes Jun 19, 2026

GAME ANNOUNCEMENT: Wake up, dead kosmonaut! (I'm making a game – and you can, too!)

I'm making a game! Purely for my own enjoyment. I highly recommend it. For the moment, I'm calling it: "Wake up, dead…

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James Cavin Writes May 30, 2026

Humans are the most interesting aliens in your game: How to make the fantastical fantastical again in genres of over saturation

It’s a sad fact of narrative design that WHEN EVERYTHING IS CRAZY, NOTHING IS CRAZY.

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James Cavin Writes Apr 29, 2026

Why make a game? (Or anything?)

Navigating the teleological terrors which assail creativity in the current age.

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James Cavin Writes Mar 21, 2026

Accidental inspiration soup: tone-building in Defender's Quest

We tend to think of world-building as the foundation of any fantastical project, BUT WE ARE WRONG.

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