Going from unmedicated to medicated ADHD has been one of the biggest shocks of my adult life - still a long road ahead but feeling the difference with meds & realising how much I've been coping with on my tod makes me shocked I made it this far alive. It's a crime folks wait so long for assessments.

Looks like the WH are going to - in an exciting twist - blame paracetamol for autism & announce funding to see if leucovorin - mostly a chemo drug - can cure it. I hope I needn't explain that RFK Jr is a thick, spiteful crank, leading an unholy coalition of covid-denialist wingnuts & moonbats.

Also if anyone has any recommendations for this kind of writing from non-western perspectives, that's a big gap in my knowledge. I've read a lot of 'vampires = sex; zombies = fear of democracy' takes & not much on how other cultures relate to monsters domestic & imported, either now or historically

Does anyone have any recommendations for books/essays about monsters or the concept of monstrousness? Can be lovely bestiaries or difficult socio-philosophical texts or any point in-between, I don't mind. I would like to do a big reading-dredge & soak myself in them.

These are beautiful cards. You can see the (I think) Ace on the far left has a space for the duty stamp. Formerly many countries put heavy taxes on playing cards, where the Ace was proof of payment. Forging a duty stamp was an offence 'without benefit of clergy' - i.e. you could be executed for it.

Grew up in bars surrounded by Trevisane so they will always be my favourites

At my talk on the history of cards last week, someone asked what my favourite deck is, (after I said the French-suited 'standard' 52 card deck's popularity was the result of colonialism rather than being the best). I don't have one answer but I have some highlights. I like the Sicilian Ace of Clubs.

I just want to add a personal perspective here & say if anyone sends me a proof with a bag of chocolate buttons taped to it, let's just say 'Book of the decade... unmissable' is there for the taking

Weird Al's songs are so funny but they're also really catchy tracks in their own right. A famous artist should cover one of his hits but change the joke lyrics to make it serious instead. I think it would work really well.

Sorry! I was pulling up the image without looking at my own deck for a long time & you're bang on. Mea culpa!

This deck I was given as a kid says hello! (Problem is, they fly like frisbees when you try to deal them.)

At my talk on the history of cards last week, someone asked what my favourite deck is, (after I said the French-suited 'standard' 52 card deck's popularity was the result of colonialism rather than being the best). I don't have one answer but I have some highlights. I like the Sicilian Ace of Clubs.

It will come as no surprise to anyone who knows me that Pokémon Concierge is a show I like a lot. The 3D animation style & gentle storylines might as well have been custom-made to work as comfort viewing for me. I watch it with my girls & compulsively try to name Pokémon as they appear. Also Psyduck

On day 8 of ADHD meds. Still feel like me, & life still feels the same as it ever was, only all the tiny things that felt impossible to do now feel possible. It's like a clear perspex barrier that was stopping me from getting to things has disappeared. Also, I'm less hard to be around & snappy.

Tragically, no, though some bits are covered in my book The Game Changers (UK)/ Across the Board (US). & I'm open to invitations to come & speak at events

Not read WYRD SCIENCE issue 7 yet? What are you waiting for! The magazine goes from strength to strength, and one of its new strengths is the fact that I'm in this one. Go on, it's the weekend, treat yourself. shop.wyrd.science/products/wyr...

Some shots from my talk on the history of playing cards in Copenhagen this week. I could easily make the talk double the length & would still feel like I was only offering a hypercompressed highlight reel of the big bullet points of a rich & fascinating global history, a legacy we all own.

Not to indulge in tedious engagement farming but what's your favourite tabletop game you've played over the last month, either new or new-to-you? I always love to hear what games are rocking people's tables so I can acquire them & squat jealously upon them like Smaug.

Copenhagen was very nice! Safely home now. Was very pleasant to walk around the city, do some writing & talk games. Event organisers! If you ever want an experienced speaker to come & talk about the history & wide global culture of tabletop games, get in touch.

Over the past two days I think I may have listened to - no exaggeration - 12 hours of Russian Roulette by Red Velvet on repeat. I may be unlocking new tiers of autism.

I am going to risk the wrath of the gods & say tentatively I feel like I have settled on the focus & thrust of the book I'm working on. It's nonfiction. My thoughts are always scrambly but I feel like I see the heart & guts of it now

I don't know, I feel a kinship with the hattifatners. Whom among us hasn't wanted to congregate with our boggle-eyed kin & glow weirdly

In a Copenhagen coffee shop this morning, writing again. I don't want to crow or count my chickens but I can't believe how much I'm getting done. By anyone else's standards, it's 'a modest amount'. A normal day's work. But for me, getting to write, being able to stay focused, is so new.

I don't always insist on deathless prose but I appreciate it when writers can write. Who is an author you think is 'good on the line'? Someone who rewards sentence by sentence. Who are your favourite people making words work harder than they usually do?

I had a very inspiring & fun time talking about the history of cards at Spilbar in Copenhagen, listening to my fellow speakers talking about turning video games into boardgames & vice versa, then playtesting games with students & developers after. I feel so at home amongst game makers & players.

Got just over 2000 words written in the book café today. They're not especially good or insightful words but they're better than 0 words, so I'll call it a win.

Thank you so much for all the support & kindness recently. From spreading the word of my books to mentioning my journalism to offering questions for the new podcast - it's very gratefully received. I feel very thankful to be surrounded by so many cool, generous people.

Veggie breakfast Copenhagen style. Going to scarf this then get down to writing

I made it to Copenhagen, thanks to my wife basically setting up a crisis room to guide me to the airport on time. Never a dull moment with me, providing you don't find an endless procession of mundane crises dull

There was a mix up with my train times so I've ended up driving last minute to Stansted in what's proven a very challenging start to my Copenhagen trip. My wife has been amazing but I wish she wasn't having to shoulder so much extra stress to help. I've only cried once so far, going through security

Dance like somebody's watching, but you don't like them or respect their opinion, but then, as you continue you realise they're becoming - to their disgust - increasingly aroused, sweating, shuddering, blood begins pouring from their nostrils oh god why don't you stop why don't you stop

Tabletop events I would love to do: Uwefest - a weekend-long meetup where we only play Uwe Rosenberg games Austen Round Games - a costume evening with card games that are in Jane Austen's novels (inc. Speculation, which she loved) Octopus Japes - a dystopian light dexterity-games larp with death

My wife forced me to get a game off my wishlist. I’m excited to try this one out! I know @timclare.bsky.social would be excited haha

Based on this review & knowing that the new edition was tuned up by Richard Garfield, umph this is a game I've got to play. Looks right up my street.

Hey, I'm making a new podcast with @ava.foxfort.net & @giantbrain.co.uk where we answer listeners' questions about tabletop games: anxieties about etiquette, dilemmas you need help resolving, recommendations, questions about history & culture, or spicy controversies. I'd LOVE your questions, please.

New episode of my podcast for writers, Death of 1000 Cuts, just dropped: soundcloud.com/timclare/s8e...

Hey, I'm making a new podcast with @ava.foxfort.net & @giantbrain.co.uk where we answer listeners' questions about tabletop games: anxieties about etiquette, dilemmas you need help resolving, recommendations, questions about history & culture, or spicy controversies. I'd LOVE your questions, please.

Off to Copenhagen tomorrow for my talk about the history of cards, on Thursday. If anyone has any tips for stuff to check out while I'm in the city, I'm all ears. It's been over a decade since I last visited.

Hey heads up, The Game Changers paperback is on the shelves in most good UK bookshops right now. If you would like some positive reading about how we are all deeply connected as humans, & how games build communities in the darkest times, you might find something of value in it.

Unsolicited writing advice, no. 176: Don't underestimate your reader. Give them space to imagine; to dream. You don't need to tell them everything; just the things they need to know.

This is in my pictures folder & I have no idea why

Hey heads up, The Game Changers paperback is on the shelves in most good UK bookshops right now. If you would like some positive reading about how we are all deeply connected as humans, & how games build communities in the darkest times, you might find something of value in it.

I've been thinking about shrinking review coverage the past few days, & the limited readership for the few which do appear in mainstream legacy media. As an author & occasional reviewer in these places, I'm not sure how I feel. If reviews aren't read much, are they mostly for authors?

Reminder that my new poetry collection (my SEVENTH because I apparently cannot take a hint) is available from Picador www.panmacmillan.com/authors/luke...

Been doing some prep today for my talk on the history of cards later this week in Copenhagen. Absolutely bizarre scenes as I had a couple of hours I could use for that purpose & I used them for that purpose & not, say, playing tower defence games & listening to YouTube video essays while eating cake

I started a How to Write a Novel series on the podcast a long while ago where I said I was going to write a novel & explain my process as I went. Me being me I did a bit, hit a slough of self criticism, had a baby & never came back to it. But now I'm feeling like it would be worth starting up again.

Just finished reading this by @timclare.bsky.social and can highly recommend it. Looking forward to the follow-up The Ice House which is sitting my tbr pile. 📚 @booksky.bsky.social

We played Uwe Rosenberg's Black Forest this evening. It's not my absolute favourite of his games but I still think it is chill & intriguing & fun with a great theme & oodles of options so you can just play around trying to make glass while not running out of porridge. What's not to like

I have no idea if the book I'm working on will be of interest to anyone & if its thrust will make sense to anyone but me. I like some of the individual bits I'm writing but it remains to be seen if it adds up something. But I'm committed now & doubt is healthy if you don't want to write utter wank.

The most liberating part of my ADHD diagnosis was realising that I didn't have to listen to all the 'good advice' that wasn't working for me. I can have my own way to do things, and if people comment on it I can just say "my brain is weird and this is what works for it so sod off."