Screw You Van Gogh is a powerful story of two unlikely friends brought together by change and an unworldly connection neither one can explain. Together they navigate teenage relationships, dysfunctional families, self-discovery, the terrifying impact of teenage mental health, and, ultimately, the choice to live. Cassidy Towers, a cynical girl made smart by a tough life, finds herself in a new school with no friends, no hope, and an attitude to match. That is until Tommi Bounds, a tall fast...

Combining theory and practice, this updated new edition provides a complete overview of how to create deep and meaningful quests for games. It uses the Unity game engine in conjunction with Fungus and other free plugins to provide an accessible entry into quest design.The book begins with an introduction to the theory and history of quests in games, before covering four theoretical components of quests: their spaces, objects, actors, and challenges. Each chapter also includes a pra...

Make More Immersive and Engaging Magic Systems in GamesGame Magic: A Designer's Guide to Magic Systems in Theory and Practice explains how to construct magic systems and presents a compendium of arcane lore, encompassing the theory, history, and structure of magic systems in games and human belief. The author combines rigorous scholarly analysis wi

Killer Commodities enters the increasingly heated debate regarding consumer culture with a critical examination of the relationship between corporate production of goods for profit and for public health. This collection analyzes the nature and public health impact of a wide range of dangerous commercial products from around the world, and it addresses the question of how policies should be changed to better protect the public, workers, and the environment.

Most readers interested in tarot own a couple of different decks as well as some tarot "cookbooks" that explain the meaning of the cards and their symbolism--like Cliff Notes for tarot. These tarot tools result in fairly standard, mundane readings. But there is another level to tarot--a level that can turn an ordinary tarot reader into a true adept.Tarot Decoded transforms ordinary tarot readings into readings that are profound and even surprising by explaining the use and...

Take your shot at becoming the next Tolkien, Asimov, or King with this simple roadmap to transforming your fiction into works of artWriting Sci-Fi, Fantasy, & Horror For Dummies is your skeleton key to creating the kind of fiction that grips readers and compels them to keep turning pages (even if it's well past their bedtime!)You'll start with the basics of creative writing—including character, plot, and scene—and strategies for creating engaging s...

Do you daydream about dragons, robots, and time-traveling shenanigans?It's time to get that fantastic world that's been stuck in your head onto paper! Whether you're starting your first or tenth novel, Making Myths and Magic was written for you.Fantasy author Shelly Campbell and developmental editor Allison Alexander have teamed up to provide a comprehensive resource, distilling the information they've learned from years in the publishing industry. To keep you insp...

With both young and adult gamers as loyal fans, The Legend of Zelda is one of the most beloved video game series ever created. The contributors to this volume consider the following questions and more: What is the nature of the gamer’s connection to Link? Does Link have a will, or do gamers project their wills onto him? How does the gamer experience the game? Do the rules of logic apply in the game world? How is space created and distributed in Hyrule (the fictional land in which ...

Create and use powerful symbols of WillPractical Sigil Magic is widely regarded as the definitive guide to the topic. Unavailable for a number of years and long sought-after by magicians, this classic work is now available once again.Sigil magic is one of the most efficient and economical of magical disciplines. It can be performed without complicated rituals or paraphernalia, is independent of philosophical and dogmatic premises, and can be learne...

Explore different forms and genres by writing fiction, poetry, and creative nonfiction. Discover effective writing concepts and build your skills. Create your own writing projects with fresh ideas.You'll learn a lot by simply reading these exercises, which impart literary and storytelling devices. Each chapter focuses on a different form or writing concept: freewriting, journaling, memoirs, fiction and storytelling, form poetry and free verse, article and blog writing, characters, ...

The Unseen Hand of the Gods helped Kanata's group to take out Reniement and Lucifer, two of the vilest villains around. Too bad the higher beings' plot is well underway: they're activating Zero, the Silent Void's life-siphoning curse to obliterate Locklore. Kanata and company rush to stop the curse only to crash into the gods' final trump card--Zoras, a lich with a mastery of magic. The wicked god Naiarotop shows his face at last to herald the ultimate showdown between Kanata and the highe...

This is an astonishing collection of ideas, information, and instruction from one of the true pioneers of Massively-Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games. MMOs from the Inside Out: The History, Design, Fun, and Art of Massively-Multiplayer Role-playing Games speaks to the designers and players of MMOs, taking it as axiomatic that such games are inspirational and boundless forces for good. The aim of this book is to enthuse an up-coming generation of designers, to inspire and educa...