One underrated element of game design is how amazing a 52 card deck is at randomization. Among properly-shuffled decks, there has statistically NEVER been two identical sequences of cards *in human history* ...and there never will be. This explains the math nicely: www.reddit.com/r/nextfuckin...

New episode of A Good Story Well Told -- this week we have special guest @authorgracelin.bsky.social introducing us to a forgotten 80s favorite: GIRLS JUST WANT TO HAVE FUN! Check it out! podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a...

My 13yo wanted to know if there were any good fantasy novels in verse she could read ... I pulled up an old Reddit post asking the very same question ... Top response was Spenser's FAERIE QUEEN. Never change, Reddit.

My heart breaks for my home province

Just bothering to check out oscar noms. The idea that K-POP DEMON HUNTERS didn't get a nominations for best screenplay is truly the biggest miss since JAWS. Humiliating for all involved.

This comic by Boldjun has a 10/10 Literary-reference jump-scare:

BANGARANG! This week on the podcast, we've got another "Guilty Treasure" story to discuss: HOOK! Author Lindsay Eager brings us in to discuss one of the worst-reviewed movies in Spielberg's filmography, but is it also secretly AMAZING? Tune in to find out! podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a...

Next up on "A Good Story Well Told" -- Matt and I discuss the overlooked robot boxing movie REAL STEEL! podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a...

Started my week with a long email that I wrote, edited, and then deleted. You'll just have to believe me when I say that this represents progress!

Kicking off the new year with a new season of A Good Story We’ll Told! This season on the podcast we’re talking about “Guilty Treasures”—overlooked or critically dismissed stories that deserve a second look. First up: 2003’s THE SCORPION KING! podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a...

Politics. Brought to you by banks.

Just learned that there’s a book about Musk’s takeover of Twitter called CHARACTER LIMIT. As a person who thinks a lot about book titles and loves word play, I am beyond impressed.

Reclaim your mental real estate with this One Weird Trick. I literally do this at the start of every month, and it's the best: Open Gmail --> Select "All" --> Select "Archive All" Instant Inbox Zero! Do I miss some emails? Occasionally. Is it worth it? Definitely.

Off to #NCTE25 in Denver and had to take my ritual photo of $8 airport grapes. Hand for scale and outrage.

@donalynbooks.bsky.social Excited to see you at #NCTE25 in a few days!

@mikejungwroteabook.bsky.social Here's hoping I run into you at #NCTE25!

@traceybaptiste.bsky.social I'll be at #NCTE25 all week -- let's hang out!

@jewellparkerrhodes.bsky.social Hope I get to run into you at #NCTE25!

Hey @maerespicio.bsky.social, it's been a while. I saw you'll be at #NCTE25 -- me too! I'm around all week. LMK if you want to wander the conference hall together.

🧵It has been clear for years that a key difference between past instances of book banning and the present censorship cataclysm is that the banning happening now targets not only books, but librarianship as a profession and libraries as an institution. 1/4

Just gonna keep tapping the sign* *𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘪𝘨𝘯 𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘋𝘦𝘤𝘭𝘢𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘰𝘧 𝘐𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘱𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦

Busted out a beloved 2-player this week all about foraging mushrooms! MORELS is lovely and fun, even if managing the board state is a bit of a hassle. Bonus points: designed by a Pittsburger!. boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/12... #bggplay via @boardgamegeek.com app

This is a powerful observation… and it compliments my default advice for young writers: don’t sweat over writing right now; just read more than anyone else you know in genres that excite you. If you do this long enough, when you have something to say, you’ll know how you need to say it.

Update. Played three more games. Might be losing its charm.

Played Gwent (tabletop card game) this week. I thought it was going to be another MTG clone but was pleasantly surprised to find a lightning-fast hand management game with a ton of “above the table” mind reading strategy boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/43... #bggplay via @boardgamegeek.com app

Feeling something equivalent to road rage this morning as I'm forced to log into a series of "web portals" with no discernible links or buttons.

More board games! Played Star Wars: Battle of Hoth 3 times today. This is is fantastic tactical skirmish game that sets up and teachea incredibly quickly boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/44... #bggplay via @boardgamegeek.com app

Played Unstoppable again this morning… and won! I’m finally breaking my losing streak! boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/42... #bggplay via @boardgamegeek.com app

Board Game Geek has a feature that would let me publish my play logs to Bluesky. Would that be annoying? Or do people want to know what board games their friends are playing?

@johngreenart.bsky.social Just saw that you're coming to Pittsburgh! I'm right around the corner from Mystery Lovers. Not sure what your schedule looks like, but if you want to meet up, I'd enjoy that! LMK

For the final episode of this season, Matt and I discuss K-POP DEMON HUNTERS? Join us as we look at the story structure of this phenomenon. Listen wherever you find podcasts: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a...?

Hey Kindred Spirits! This week on the podcast, Matt and I talk ANNE OF GREEN GABLES! This is an all-time favorite book of mine that I think is chock-full of storytelling lessons. Matt had never read it before. Check out the episode to hear our thoughts! podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a...

This week on the Good Story Well Told Podcast we have our most contentious episode! Matt and I discuss KILL BILL volumes 1 & 2. Overlooked Masterpiece? Overhyped Garbage? Check out our latest episode: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a...

Coming tomorrow on the podcast -- Matt and I talk KILL BILL volumes 1 & 2! Matt's never seen these movies before, and his opinion truly caught me off guard! Listen to us fight on the next episode of A GOOD STORY WELL TOLD!

Matt and I recently talked about a major movie on my shame shelf: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly! I went into this movie with low expectations and was truly blown away!

I’ll never forget how Ebert ended his review: “It’s like being trapped on an elevator with the circus.”

auxierjonathan In this week's episode of "A Good Story Well Told," I tackle a book I probably should have read in high school: Kurt Vonnegut's SLAUGHTERHOUSE FIVE! Did it live up to the hype? Find out in our latest episode! podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a...

For the podcast this week, I got to take SLAUGHTERHOUSE FIVE off my "shame shelf." What did I think? You'll have to listen. New episode of "A Good Story Well Told" drops tomorrow. Find it wherever you find podcasts! podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a...

This week on "A Good Story Well Told" we're tackling perhaps the most shameful omission from Matt's shelf (and a personal favorite of mine): TREASURE PLANET! podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a...

Hello Friends! One more book event before we enter the summer: I'll be at the Gaithersburg Book Festival THIS SATURDAY @11:15. Come by -- it's a wonderful festival packed full of wonderful authors! Details: www.gaithersburgbookfestival.org/featured_aut...

A great op-ed in @newyorker.com about an obnoxious trend in storytelling where everything must be immediately spelled out. I would argue it also leads to flat, boring characters who are not allowed to make mistakes lest we judge them before their arc is complete: www.newyorker.com/culture/crit...

This comic might be the definition of an execution-dependent idea. If you described the image to me, I would never believe it could be funny. But every time I look at it, I laugh…

This has long been a FAVORITE series of mine, and I’m THRILLED to hear we will soon have more!!!

On a mechanical level, I vastly prefer PbtA (Dungeon World) to D&D. But my kids, who are in the middle of a PbtA campaign with me have made it clear that they vastly prefer D&D. I suspect this is why…

Pam Munoz Ryan at the #LATFOB: “Momentum is way more important than inspiration” … what a great insight!

Book Friends! I’m at the #LATFOB today! 12:40 panel and signing at the YA stage. After that, I’m wandering around. Reply if you’re here and want to wander with me!

Over at School Library Journal, cohost Matt Bird and I answer some questions about our new podcast, “A Good Story We’ll Told”…Thanks @fuse8.bsky.social for hosting us!

Are there books you've always wanted to read but never have? Discover this new story craft podcast that confronts story structure and writing through the lens of its hosts' "Shame Shelf". A talk with @jonathanauxier.bsky.social & Matt Bird. #kidlit afuse8production.slj.com/2025/04/25/a...

This is a clear and brilliant storytelling observation…

I HAVE A PODCAST! "A GOOD STORY WELL TOLD" is a show about the craft of storytelling where Matt Bird and I dig up a good story to see how the author sold it so well … and figure out what tools and tricks we can all use in our own writing. Listen here: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a...