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Worder: a Word Puzzle Game for Android

March 31, 2019

Note: If you’re interested in word puzzles, also take a look at my newest game, Word Journey.

Please note that none of my Android apps is any longer maintained – and they’re not even available on Google Play anymore – for reasons you can read about here. If you still have any of the Home for Fiction Android apps installed on your phone, you’re advised to uninstall them. The post below should be seen purely as a snapshot of history.

I’ve been enjoying programming lately – more than usual, that is. When you enjoy something, you become better and more productive. That’s why we need Universal Basic Income instead of jobs making us miserable. But let’s leave that aside for now and talk about Worder, a word puzzle game for Android that I made.

Worder is a word puzzle game. You must create words from randomly appearing letters before time runs out. As you move through a beautiful environment, letters begin to fly in front of you. Pick them to form a word recognized by the app’s dictionary.

Each word adds seconds to your timer and points to your score. But strategy is important! Should you wait for “A” and “L” to form the word “Mor[al]”, or play it safe and just wait for an “E” to form the word “Mor[e]”? Longer words means more points, but the clock is ticking!

Worder - word puzzle game for Android
Worder is a word puzzle game. It’s a bit like Tetris, only with words!
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“More than a Sum” – Short Story

March 25, 2019

The text that follows, “More than a Sum”, is a short story I wrote after a particularly vivid dream. Many great stories begin this way, so my advice to fellow authors is to note down such dreams as soon as they wake up.

The story might remind you – at least in terms of style – of another short story published here. I think “More than a Sum” is less Kafkaesque than that one, but I do detect some similar topical traces.

more than a sum
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How to Write a Good Horror Story

March 19, 2019

A good horror story fascinates most of us. There’s something attractive about feeling a bit of fear in a controlled, safe manner. This also explains the lasting relevance of Gothic fiction. In today’s article I’ll show you how to write a good horror story.

I’ll start with a brief outline of what a horror story is (and what are the differences between a horror story and a Gothic fiction story). I’ll then tell you what are the secrets of a successful horror story, and how to make sure to include them in your own text.

How to Write a Good Horror Story
Fear of the unknown is an integral part of horror stories. Fear is also intrinsically connected to action and inaction. If you want to learn how to write a good horror story, you must first understand its psychological underpinnings.
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