Rynling R&D

2026 Writing Log, Part Fourteen

Fri, 10 Apr 2026 12:33:29 GMT

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I don’t know how this works for other people, but one of the weird things about writing fiction for me is that I really have to sit down, shut out the rest of the world, and put myself in a certain headspace. I’ve been neglecting this practice, and I’m getting kind of rusty. It feels very selfish to carve out that sort of “room of one’s own,” but I need to get my fiction writing stamina back!

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What I want to achieve as a "published" novelist

Tue, 07 Apr 2026 16:30:26 GMT

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I think I can achieve the first four on my own; but, for the fifth, self-publishing really isn't going to cut it. Unfortunately, that’s not up to me, so it’s definitely worth focusing on what I can do without the approval of gatekeepers.

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Re: The Super Mario Galaxy Movie

Mon, 06 Apr 2026 13:27:09 GMT

Okay I thought about it on the bus to work this morning.

So like. I was highly amused that Bowser and Luigi canonically started a book club between the two movies. I wonder how that went. I bet they had fun.

Maybe this is a decent premise for a story:

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The Super Mario Galaxy Movie

Mon, 06 Apr 2026 11:30:14 GMT

The art and animation are extremely impressive!!

Unfortunately, all of the movie’s jokes are in the trailer...

...or in the sections with Star Fox, which are surprisingly well-written.

Mostly it’s just a movie for kids, though. It has all the charm and creativity of the first movie, but it leans into speaking to a target demographic of 5-8yo children. The theater in West Philly where we went to see it was filled with little kids, and they really seemed to love it.

I liked it okay, I guess. There’s definitely enough Bowser/Luigi material to work with!

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Dr. Signal’s Strange Machine

Sun, 05 Apr 2026 11:56:30 GMT

Dr. Signal’s Strange Machine
https://caramel.itch.io/strangemachine

Dr. Signal’s Strange Machine is a sci-fi narrative adventure game with a runtime of about 12 minutes. You play as Dr. Signal, who has just perfected a machine that allows her to talk with dinosaur fossils. She’s chosen a t-rex as a conversation partner, and she’s interested in how it managed to survive the end of the world.

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This is what makes people go hollow in Dark Souls

Sat, 04 Apr 2026 10:32:15 GMT

A Publisher Pulled a Book for Suspected A.I. Use. I Got My Hands on a Copy. What I Found Was Revealing.
https://slate.com/culture/2026/03/shy-girl-mia-ballard-novel-a-i-book-horror-reddit-hachette-canceled.html

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2026 Writing Log, Part Thirteen

Fri, 03 Apr 2026 13:05:25 GMT

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The weather is warm, and the sakura are in bloom. It’s going to take time to recover from this year’s horrible winter, but I’m getting there. 🌸

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Return to Grace

Tue, 31 Mar 2026 14:57:05 GMT

Return to Grace (on Steam here) is an atmospheric sci-fi walking sim that takes about an hour and a half to finish.

You play as Adie, a space archaeologist who’s searching for a legendary AI named Grace on the Ganymede moon of Jupiter. Inside the immaculately preserved ruins of a structure built to worship Grace, Adie encounters various aspects of Grace’s personality, who communicate with her through her digital wristband. As she explores the beautifully appointed space station, Adie searches for the answer to a mystery that’s gone unsolved for more than a hundred years: why did Grace suddenly disappear?

The game’s story is well-paced and engaging, and the voice acting is excellent. Return to Grace also showcases one of the most visually striking examples of retro futurism I’ve encountered. The references to everyday 1960s architecture and interior design fit the world and its themes perfectly, as do the more elevated hints of Art Deco.

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In the end, Return to Grace is a short but thought-provoking narrative adventure filled with uniquely stylized artistic flourishes, and I’d definitely recommend checking it out if you’re a fan of What Remains of Edith Finch and Outer Wilds.

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March Happiness

Sun, 29 Mar 2026 19:32:29 GMT

I have been so grumpy this month!! I have legitimate reasons for my bad attitude, but wow. I really need to lighten up a little. Here are a few things that made me happy:

She and Her Cat (on Crunchyroll here) is an update on Makoto Shinkai’s debut indie animation. There are four episodes, each of which is about seven minutes long, and they’re filled with soft and relaxing slice-of-life energy.

Brick (on Amazon here) is difficult to describe, but it’s safe to say it’s the opposite of Makoto Shinkai. This movie is from 2005, and it’s a classic noir murder mystery set in and around a Los Angeles high school. The focus is way more on “murder” than it is on “high school,” though. This is Rian Johnson’s debut film, so it’s fair to compare it to Knives Out, but it’s much grittier (in a good way). Also, I’m not super into Kylo Ren, but if you are: he’s there.

Islands of Abandonment: Nature Rebounding in the Post-Human Landscape (on Amazon here) is a 2021 collection of gorgeously written nonfiction essays about rewilding. Cal Flynn visited some interesting places to do the reporting for this book, and her descriptions of overgrown ruins are really something special.

Outset Emporium (on Etsy here) sells beautiful hand-painted sculptures of Koroks, pokémon, and other fantasy-themed creatures. He ships from the UK with no trouble at all, and believe me when I say that the quality of the craftsmanship is worth the price. I was going to get myself something from this shop as a present to mark a special occasion, but every day is special goddamn it. I posted a photo of my new Korok friend on Bluesky (here) if you’re interested.

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TLDR: Be born to a wealthy family

Sat, 28 Mar 2026 23:08:33 GMT

Take It from Me: An Agent’s Guide to Building a Nonfiction Writing Career from Scratch
https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/734107/take-it-from-me-by-alia-hanna-habib/

This book is an approachable and interesting read, but it didn’t tell me anything I didn’t already know. There’s no secret sauce, unfortunately. I think a lot of this translates to fiction writing as well. But essentially, this is how you get an agent:

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Basically, though, it all boils down to “platform.” In other words, the agent has to know who you are beforehand. So good luck with that.

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2026 Writing Log, Part Twelve

Sat, 28 Mar 2026 12:26:37 GMT

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This week’s theme is slow but steady. Everything will get done eventually. 🐢

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Re: Where's the joy in the lowest common denominator?

Sun, 22 Mar 2026 16:25:31 GMT

I thought about this while taking a nice walk outside, and the conclusion I came to is:

People enjoy simple but tasty little snacks.

In terms of what becomes popular, I'm firmly of the opinion that numbers aren't something you can control. Reception has nothing to do with quality or community, but rather being the right person at the right place at the right time. (Although writing smut about m/m ships in popular fandoms helps.)

Also, mainly from futzing around on Tumblr, I get the sense that a lot of people are suffering from lowkey insomnia these days (I wonder why!!!!) and "turn your brain off" fantasies seem to be in demand and very much appreciated.

In any case, I actually enjoy writing tasty little snacks. I should write more of them. 🍹

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Where's the joy in the lowest common denominator?

Sun, 22 Mar 2026 13:36:10 GMT

I’m going to be salty about fanfic for a second. This is an extended meditation on what I try to do when I write, but also it’s just me being a petty little hater about a common style of fanfic writing that I find annoying, so feel free to scroll on by.

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So I guess my frustration is: why is that sort of bloodless, limp-dick style of writing so popular?

But also: what can I borrow from this style without betraying my sense of integrity as a craftsman?

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2026 Writing Log, Part Eleven

Sat, 21 Mar 2026 11:00:35 GMT

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I’m slowly clawing my way out of a horrible pit, but I’m starting to feel the sunlight on my face. Here’s to brighter days and warmer weather ahead. Eid Mubarak! 🌿

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Gay Chaos

Fri, 20 Mar 2026 11:30:45 GMT

Delivery Robot Dogpiled on the Streets of Philly
https://futurism.com/robots-and-machines/delivery-robot-philadelphia

It’s tough to be a robot on the mean streets of Philadelphia. Infamous for brutally destroying an experimental hitchhiking robot in 2015, residents in the city of brotherly love are now sharing their sidewalks with a new kind of pedestrian: delivery robots.

A video recorded by Philadelphia street photographer Hugh Dillon late Saturday night shows that the city’s reputation as a haven for robophobia hasn’t improved much over the years. In the 30 second clip, the little bot is kicked, sat on, laughed at, and even humped by a crowd of onlookers as it prattles along to its destination.

Hell yes. Destroy them all.

They've also tried to introduce Waymo self-driving vehicles to Philadelphia, and that's going about as well as you'd expect. The graffiti vandalism has been highly amusing, and I actually have a newfound respect for Amazon drivers for deadass plowing into Waymo cars to knock them off the road.

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Even More Chill Writing Music

Thu, 19 Mar 2026 15:47:08 GMT

Moonlit Waters
https://nocmar.bandcamp.com/album/moonlit-waters

This is very chill and ambient dungeon synth that's largely unremarkable save for how relaxing it is. Still, I will always prefer human-made lofi dungeon beats over the madness-inducing AI slop that has infested YouTube.

My favorite track is "7. Ancient Birchwood."

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Chill Writing Music

Tue, 17 Mar 2026 12:27:02 GMT

TUNIC (Original Game Soundtrack)
https://lifeformed.bandcamp.com/album/tunic-original-game-soundtrack

This has been on heavy rotation for me recently.

My favorite track is "3. The Weight of Rain," and I'm also a fan of "29. Sunset Breakfast."

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2026 Writing Log, Part Ten

Sat, 14 Mar 2026 12:08:31 GMT

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It’s been a rough two weeks. Due to current events, everything feels bleak and hopeless at the moment. Much love to everyone out there making art, despite everything. Despite everything. Despite everything!!

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I 💚 Terra Branford

Fri, 13 Mar 2026 14:22:41 GMT

This is a small happiness, but I still want to celebrate it:

Terra Branford
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terra_Branford#Reception

This morning I learned that I'm extensively cited in the Wikipedia article for my favorite video game character! Amazing. What an absolute dream come true.

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February 2026 Happiness

Tue, 10 Mar 2026 12:22:09 GMT

This is what made me happy last month (better late than never):

With a Dog AND a Cat, Every Day is Fun (on Crunchyroll here) is a 24-episode anime from 2020 in which every episode is exactly one minute long. The anime is exactly what it says on the label, which is a cute slice-of-life comedy about pets. It’s a great way to turn off your brain and relax.

Paranoia Agent (on Crunchyroll here) is a twelve-episode anime produced by the legendary Satoshi Kon. It originally aired in 2004, and it’s got an edgy obsession with urban psychological horror that was popular at the time. The quality of the episodes is somewhat uneven, and there are aspects of the writing that come off as slightly silly here in 2026, but I still consider it a miracle that this anime exists. And the opening theme song is super catchy.

Yokohama Station SF (on Amazon here) is a three-volume seinen manga about a postapocalyptic future in which a train station has expanded to cover the entirety of Japan’s main island. The uncanny architecture and liminal spaces are fantastic, and I also love the worldbuilding and character stories.

The Historian (on Amazon here) is a 700-page monster of a gothic novel originally published in 2005, and it’s about three generations of an academic lineage traveling through Europe in order to hunt down Dracula. This is the third time I’ve read this book, and every page still feels like a masterpiece.

How We Survived Communism & Even Laughed (on Amazon here) is a short essay collection from 1993 about the author’s career as a journalist in Yugoslavia. A lot of what The Historian is actually about is Communism in Eastern Europe (particularly Hungary and Bulgaria), and reading the novel made me nostalgic for Slavenka Drakulić (the journalist)’s writing, which is in fact as entertaining as I remember.

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Candy Hearts Exchange 2026 Fic

Mon, 02 Mar 2026 13:27:29 GMT

I want to share the three stories I wrote for this year’s candyheartsex exchange event:

Whenever You’re Ready (on AO3 here) is a pre-canon Breath of the Wild story about Zelda trying to learn archery from Revali.

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A Modest Test of Skill (on AO3 here) is about a Lynel wordlessly challenging Link to a friendly archery contest that ends in the discovery of a Korok.

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The Nameless City (on AO3 here) is set ten years after the end of Final Fantasy VI, and it’s about the warmth of the friendship between Terra and Celes as they explore the ruins of a forgotten city under Terra’s new home in Mobliz.

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2026 Writing Log, Part Nine

Sat, 28 Feb 2026 13:47:57 GMT

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Not much to report this week. At the moment I’m doing my best to look at the news only in small increments, and only according to a schedule I set for myself. To help keep myself sane, I’m thinking of picking up Final Fantasy XVI, maybe?

ETA: Because I was paying attention to other world events yesterday, I missed the big Pokémon announcement, which is that there's an upcoming new game called Winds and Waves whose fire-type starter pokémon is a Pomeranian named Pombon, and oh!!!!!!!! I am so in love ❤️

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Step by Little Step

Thu, 26 Feb 2026 13:20:57 GMT

Step by Little Step
https://summerorigins.itch.io/step-by-little-step

Step by Little Step is a short visual novel made in Renpy that takes about three or four minutes to play. The game reimagines the legend of Orpheus and Eurydice, with you playing as Orpheus and Eurydice being your recently deceased elderly cat.

The game is about coming to terms with grief and learning to let go, and it’s just the right length to get its message across without being unnecessarily sentimental. If it had been longer, I probably would have cried at the end, so I’m happy the creator devoted such careful attention to the craft of discussing a potentially sensitive subject. It’s a very sweet and well-considered little game.

It occurred to me that this story could never work with a dog, though. If you happen to be in the company of a dog, there is zero doubt that the dog is going to be next to you at all times; and, in any case, the problem would be that the dog is going to run ahead and look behind at you at least once every five seconds. But that’s a moot point, because dogs don’t go to hell lmao.

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Good Boy

Wed, 25 Feb 2026 12:05:43 GMT

Good Boy
https://longneckturtle.itch.io/good-boy

Good Boy is an adaptation of a super creepy urban legend that takes about three or four minutes to play. You take on the role of a young man preparing to turn in for the night, and you can explore and interact with everything in his one-room apartment. For good measure, you can pet the dog playing with a tennis ball on his bed as many times as you like before going to sleep.

In the middle of the night, the man wakes up to a strange scratching at the door that doesn’t seem to be stopping anytime soon. Rest assured that nothing bad happens to the dog, but the man might not be so lucky. I’m familiar with the story this game is based on, but the ending still managed to get me. Very nicely done.

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Cassette Boy

Wed, 25 Feb 2026 12:00:16 GMT

Cassette Boy
https://store.steampowered.com/app/2334330/CASSETTE_BOY/

Cassette Boy is an isometric Zeldalike adventure game with Game Boy style retro graphics. It’s like a combination between Tunic (in its isometric Zelda-ness) and Fez, in that you can freely switch the perspective at 90-degree angles.

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The conceit of solving spatial puzzles by making objects “disappear” through perspective shifts is a neat idea, I guess, but I ended up returning this game for a refund.

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