For those of us building alternate reality or transmedia experiences, what can we learn from what works in professional wrestling? Let’s start with Kayfabe, the pact between performers and their fans to treat a staged spectacle like a real drama.

When you watch Tron: Legacy, Oblivion, Top Gun: Maverick, Spiderhead, or his latest F1, you’re not just seeing a story unfold; you’re stepping into a world where every frame was designed by someone who understands how spaces work. Before he started directing, Joe studied mechanical engineering at Stanford and got his master’s in architecture at Columbia.

I was chatting with my son the other day about one of his D&D campaigns (he's a professional DM, which still blows my mind), and he dropped something that got my brain spinning. “It feels completely different when the big bad is already dead," he said. "Like the game's about figuring stuff out instead of staying alive."

The AI revolution is splitting creators into three camps. Only two will survive.

I’ve been lucky enough to visit some of the amazing physical spaces where our favorite creators actually do their magic. Not the Instagram-friendly "writing corner" BS, but the weird, wonderful, sometimes obsessive environments where these scribblers retreat to conjure worlds without distraction.

The pool of employed WGA screenwriters is smaller than the NFL roster pool and dwarfed by the total number of professional athletes in the United States.

You've got A24 making wrestling movies, mainstream critics writing think-pieces about WWE storylines, Netflix throwing money to stream live events, and a President deploying kayfabe tactics from the White House. The art form once relegated to late-night cable is now analyzed like prestige television.

In a LinkedIn post regarding his transmedia efforts on behalf of the Ultraman franchise, Jeff Gomez said, “Tokusatsu Heroes Are Like Santa Claus.” I had no idea this was the case. So I tapped my LLM pals to school me on the relationship between monster suit performers and the audiences who kayfabe them as really real.

Lessons from game designer Justin Gary every scribbler can learn from to sharpen drafts, pitches, and story worlds.

Audiences are tired of living in algorithmic taste jail. They’re hungry for stories that feel human-recommended, not machine-optimized. That’s Algorithm Fatigue. And it’s your creative opportunity.

I've been chatting with my sons about the benefits of friction. How doing hard things makes us stronger and teaches us what we’re capable of.

They look like toys. They're not. They're bug-eyed prophets of a new entertainment age where characters are a lifestyle OS, emotional anchors, and maybe the next great leap in IP design.

When life feels uncertain, people cut back on significant expenses but happily splurge on small, emotionally satisfying treats. Maybe it’s a $6 latte with latte art, a $200 Gracie Abrams concert ticket they’ll talk about for months, or that limited-edition Sunny Angel collectible they don’t need but must have.

How to write fiction that sounds as good as it reads.

Six research-backed traits that separate the scribblers who command the room from those who fade into the furniture.

How to Steal Like an Artist (and Actually Make Something Cool)

Growing up obsessed with science fiction and fantasy, I learned: stories don't just entertain us - they literally rewire how we see the world. Narrative entertainment can build walls between people or build bridges to connect them.

One of my sons attends Renaissance Faires dressed in metal armor and fights others with blunted swords and shields. Another son is obsessed with turning his college dorm room into a Tiki Bar. What’s up with the recent hunger for immersive IRL experiences?

We've trained audiences to expect simple villains and violent solutions because that's what gets hearts racing and tickets sold. But if we're entering an era where people desperately need positive outlets, maybe it's time to rethink how we create compelling conflict.

Tom Sachs doesn't believe in scribbler’s block. His advice? "If at first you don't succeed, give up immediately."