There hasn’t been much activity here in recent weeks. I’m hoping to change that soon, but I thought it’d be worth explaining why first: a couple of months ago I started a summer internship with Failbetter Games, those behind the smart, text-based web game Fallen London and the upcoming games platform StoryNexus. Originally the plan was to intern there for a couple of months and then head back to university for a masters course in computer science.

However, a few weeks ago Failbetter Games offered me a job as a marketing analyst. Since I don’t have much experience in either marketing or analytics we agreed on a one month trial period. If I’m not up to scratch at the end of that month I’ll be given the boot. Alternatively, if I find out that I really can’t stand marketing or analytics I’ll be free to leave in time to go and do my MSc. Otherwise I’ll stay on with Failbetter permanently.

It’s a really exciting time, obviously. But it’s also a busy one, and I’m finally starting to understand what forty year-old people have been yelling at me for years now: free time is a resource to be coveted and protected jealously. I’m working full-time, I’m writing a game (actually two now) on StoryNexus, I write a blog, I’ve got friends, a girlfriend, and I want to get back back into drawing again. And like a chump I need to exercise, eat, drink, and sleep. Something had to give, really.

I want to keep writing this blog, though. Not because I’m stupid enough to think that there are people out there hitting their keyboards, waiting angrily for me to post again. But because I really enjoy it, and writing here helps me to get better at thinking about this weird medium I’ve taken up with. In around a year I’ve gone from pouring out vaguely incoherent rants to writing several articles that can charitably be called ‘workmanlike’. I’d like to keep doing this, and maybe next year I’ll have improved some more.

So expect something soon, is what I’m trying to say here.