I’m one of those creepy writertypes who doesn’t really disguise the fact that she rips her characters straight from the pages of her friends’ proverbial books. Luckily for me, I’ve got pretty cool friends who then help me develop some of those characters until they’re just plain awesome to write about. That’s how the Damn Shames came about – I started with the idea of writing about my friends as a bunch of space pirates, and they graciously gave me a bunch of ideas for how to go about doing that. (It’s also the brand we use for our studio collective.)

We’ve chosen to set the Shames in the Star Citizen universe for the time being, because it’s an inviting one for us as content creators. We’re allowed to use a lot of material freely to tell our own stories; it’s a little like being invited to make fan videos and write fan-fiction for the Star Wars universe, thirty years ago. The game thrives when its community is engaged and making content, so we’re indulging. Our space pirates will have plenty to do when Star Citizen launches — but for now, you can read all about their adventures at PiratesIn.Space.

I’m writing an ongoing serial novel called “A Mutiny of Pirates,” which I’m posting chapter by chapter so readers can follow along. The story is very loosely based on “Treasure Island,” but mostly based on the true-to-life misadventures my squad would have if we somehow became spacefaring chaotic neutrals, all at the same time. Even if you aren’t familiar with the Star Citizen universe, I try to provide enough context that you won’t be lost (my mother-in-law reads it, and she doesn’t play Star Citizen).

PiratesIn.Space is the easiest way to keep up with my writing in between my novels — speaking of which, stay tuned, because “Daugment” launches today!