Jason Link
I build fantasy and sci-fi worlds and tell stories about them. My Worldbuilding Workshop for Fantasy Writers is a bestseller on Udemy, and my writing courses have over 15K students enrolled from all over the world.
Hope, Attitude, and “Killing My Darlings”
Hello Reader! The school year has officially started, and with it, my return to the English classroom. It reminded me of this hilarious video by Frank James called “If Lit Terms Were People.” See how many terms you can spot and recognize! Of course, beginning anything new—whether a school year, a job, or even a writing project—comes with its share of excitement and worry. This year, though, the gap between the two felt dialed up to 11. On the very first day back, I found myself in a moment of...
Going off the map—literally
Hey there Reader! Not long ago, I found myself in a Nicaraguan village that doesn’t exist on Google Maps. No GPS coordinates. No labeled roads. Just a trail of word-of-mouth directions and a borrowed Land Rover rumbling over dirt roads, through rivers, and deeper into the hills. Eventually, we got there. The town reminded me of Macondo—the fictional village in One Hundred Years of Solitude. Streets of mud, stone, and scattered trash. Pigs, dogs, and chickens wandering wherever they pleased....
What My Students Taught Me About the Power of Words 💪
Hello Reader This week marks the end of our school year here in Nicaragua, and I want to share something special that happened with my students. One of the big questions we wrestled with this year was: How can our writing serve others? Not just entertain or inform—but truly help. That’s when an idea struck. A friend of mine works with ORPHANetwork, a nonprofit that serves women and children in poverty right here in Nicaragua. What if my students could help by writing stories, newsletters, and...
What happens when you invent a Post-Apocalyptic sport?
Hello Reader, In the book I’m writing now, the story kicks off with something a little unexpected: a rutball tournament. So… what’s rutball? It’s a sport I invented for the world of Earth Medieval—the world of my novel, Angel from the Rust. The story takes place after a global war and the collapse of civilization, which made me wonder—what happens to sports after the end of the world? Would they vanish…or evolve? History tells us that games survive even when civilizations don’t (i.e....
They Lost the Star Wars Set… So This Fan Dug It Up 🚀
Hello Reader, Star Wars Day may have just passed, but I’m still thinking about one of my favorite real-life stories from that galaxy far, far away. A Lost Galaxy (Almost) Far, Far Gone Back in the late ‘90s, George Lucas wanted to return to the original Star Wars filming locations in Tunisia to shoot The Phantom Menace. There was one problem. Lucasfilm hadn’t kept any records of where those desert sets were. No saved maps. Just old photos and vague memories. That’s when David West Reynolds...
Confessions of an AI Overlord
Hello Reader Quick update from the writing front: I’m plugging along on my new book, Chorus in the Storm, and I’ve officially passed the 20,000-word mark! (For reference, my book Angel from the Rust clocks in at about 116,000 words.) I’d love to be farther along, sure—but considering I’m a full-time teacher and a dad of three, I’m genuinely happy to be where I am. Progress is progress, and this story is starting to come alive in the best way. And speaking of stories coming alive in strange,...
A New Book, a New Year
Hello Reader, I hope the new year is treating you well! (I know we're already three months in, but better late than never!) I wanted to take a moment to share some exciting updates about my writing journey and game development progress. Back to Writing: Chorus in the Storm Over Christmas break, I finally sat down to start writing my next book, Chorus in the Storm. This marks my return to writing after a year and a half away (more on that in a future email). I’m thrilled to be working on this...
A visit from the Christmas Dragon
Hello Reader! Just wanted to drop you a line to say... from: Jason
The Human Towers of Catalonia
Hello, Reader I wanted to take a moment to share what I've been up to recently in my creative life and in the classroom. It's been a busy season, and while my time has been limited, I've still been diving into some exciting projects! Playtesting Iron Wilds As I mentioned in my last email, I’ve been playtesting my board game, Iron Wilds--a game set in the same world of my novel, Angel from the Rust. The game lets you explore the same future Earth Medieval, navigating Ancient ruins and facing...
Massive Bugs and Wild Robots: An Update from My World
Hello! I hope this email finds you well and immersed in wonderful books and stories. I've got some exciting updates and recommendations to share with you! As I mentioned in my last email, I've been hard at work on my board game, Iron Wilds. Creating illustrations for the game, mostly of fantastical beasts, has reignited my passion for drawing. This process has been incredibly beneficial for my worldbuilding in the Earth Medieval series (the world of Angel from the Rust). Some creatures and...
I build fantasy and sci-fi worlds and tell stories about them. My Worldbuilding Workshop for Fantasy Writers is a bestseller on Udemy, and my writing courses have over 15K students enrolled from all over the world.