Friday Freestyle – 008
Autumn and Hillbillies and Bears... Oh My!
The honking of Canada geese flying south for the winter is the soundtrack for my morning walks these days. The temperature is getting nice and chilly overnight. The first fringes of reds and golds and oranges are beginning to appear on a few trees here and there.
Autumn is on its way, and it is very welcome here.
We had a visitor at our place a couple of nights ago, right around 5 o'clock in the morning. This black bear is relatively small in size—I’ve seen much larger—probably a young male recently kicked out of the proverbial nest by his mother and is now roaming around, looking for someplace to call his own. The video was passed along to the head of our HOA, and while it certainly peaked some people's interest, as far as I know, no one else has seen the bear since then. So, let's just hope he was simply passing through.
In other news, I've recently completed the first polished draft of my first full length book, What the Forest Remembers: A Collection of Evocative Encounters for the Soulful Table. This book is written for those who facilitate tabletop role-playing games1 who want their players to feel something—wonder, sorrow, joy, even reverence. It’s for groups who linger in the quiet spaces between battles, who ask questions, who form bonds. It’s for the ones who cry around the table and laugh so hard they can’t breathe. It’s for people who understand that adventure doesn’t always mean violence, and that a single, beautifully human moment can carry more weight than a hundred dice rolls.
But it’s not just for game masters. It's also for people who enjoy good stories, imaginative world building, and open-ended possibilities in what they read. And that is pretty much everyone I know!
Each of the 15 chapters of the book contains:
A work of short fiction (between 1,000 and 4,000 words) to serve as backstory.
A scene the characters play through together.
Suggestions for the game master on how they might handle specific actions or queries by the players.
Supplementary commentary from me.
The book will be funded through a Kickstarter that is tentatively scheduled to begin in mid October. I've already partnered with an artist, Ashley Lynch, who will be doing 15 full page illustrations—one for each chapter—other artwork throughout the book, and drawings and paintings for a set of cards that backers at higher tiers will receive. It’s exciting stuff. I'll provide more updates soon.
You may have missed…
I’m reading, watching, playing, listening to…
Resilient: Restoring Your Weary Soul in These Turbulent Times, by John Eldredge - This is my third time reading this book, and it is just as good this time around. My wife,
, and I are slowly going through it with the small group we lead at our church that meets a couple of evenings each week.Dark Force Rising, by Timothy Zahn - This is the second in a series of three Star Wars novels that takes place a few years after Return of the Jedi. These excellently written books have been around for 30 years now, and I've read them through several times, but they are always an exciting story to revisit.2
Devotions: The Selected Poems of Mary Oliver - These are the kinds of poems you can sit quietly with and enjoy, each one a kind of meditation or prayer. She's one of my favorite poets, and if you've always been curious about getting into reading poetry, this is a good place to start.
The Beverly Hillbillies (season 1) - I forced my daughter to watch the first couple of episodes, and now she is a fan of this re-run staple from my childhood. “Well, doggy!”
Spider-Man: Miles Morales (PS5) - This is the follow up to Sony’s 2018 PS4 title, Spider-Man. The variations from the first game (mechanics, soundtrack, side missions, etc.) have kept things fresh, and the story is both action packed and compelling—a “good vs. varying degrees of evil” moral conundrum.
I pray you'll squeeze as much as you can out of these last days of summer, and that, as the year begins to turn toward harvest season, you'll find ways to gather with family and friends, and keep the hearth of your heart warm.
I'll talk to you again soon.
A tabletop role-playing game (TTRPG) is a form of collaborative storytelling where a group of people gather together—often around a table, though it can also be done online—and create a shared narrative. Instead of reading a finished story or watching a movie, participants actively build the story as it unfolds. Each player takes on the role of a character, describing their actions, thoughts, and decisions, while one person (often called the “game master” or “guide” or “facilitator”) describes the world, the situations the characters encounter, and the outcomes of their choices. Together, the group weaves a tale that is unique to them, shaped by imagination, dialogue, and chance.
What makes TTRPGs distinct is the open-ended freedom they offer. Unlike a board game, which has a set path and victory condition, role-playing games have no single “right” way to play. A session might focus on grand adventures, solving mysteries, or simply exploring the relationships between characters. Dice or other randomizing tools are often used to introduce uncertainty, simulating the unpredictability of life. This means players are never fully in control of the outcome, which adds excitement, tension, and creativity to the story.
At their heart, TTRPGs are about interpersonal connection. They encourage people to listen deeply, improvise, and build on each other’s ideas. Players may find themselves laughing at unexpected twists, reflecting on profound questions, or celebrating moments of triumph their characters achieve together. The stories can be lighthearted or serious, fantastical or grounded, depending on the group’s preferences. Because of this flexibility, TTRPGs have become a creative outlet for people who enjoy storytelling, problem-solving, or simply spending meaningful time with others.
It is the most enjoyable way to have fun with friends (in my opinion, of course).
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