Updates
New Project Announcement: "Sleepy Hollow, 1998" ↗
A cozy, nostalgic reimagining of The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, delivered to your mailbox as letters, sketches, and artifacts from the era of cassette tapes, flip phones, and zines. Launching soon on Kickstarter. Join the mailing list for more information. ↗
Shoutout LA Interview ↗
I had a great time talking to Shoutout LA, unpacking all the varied twists and turns of my career at the intersection of tech and storytelling.
ARGonauts Podcast Interview ↗
The ARGonauts podcast invited me on for a conversation about ARGs, transmedia, and the winding journey through the Beast, Fourth Wall Studios, Lizzie Bennet Diaries, Cloverfield, and more. Includes thoughts on Yuri Lowenthal, how ARGs informed LBD, why "This Is Not A Game" doesn't work, and lessons learned along the way.
Silent Hill: Ascension Wins Emmy Award ↗
Silent Hill: Ascension wins the Emmy Award for Outstanding Innovation in Emerging Media.
Silent Hill: Ascension – Developer Interview ↗
Revealing some of the secrets behind how the interactive streaming series works.
What exactly is SILENT HILL: ASCENSION? ↗
Genvid CEO Jacob Navok talks to Polygon about how Silent Hill: Ascension is going to work.
Announcing: SILENT HILL: ASCENSION ↗
After a year working with Genvid, DJ2 Entertainment, and Martian Brothel on a new kind of interactive storytelling experience — the first teaser trailer for Silent Hill: Ascension.
2023 Peabody Award Winners ↗
Congratulations to all the winners of the 83rd Annual Peabody Awards.
Peabody Awards Announces Digital & Interactive Nominees ↗
The Peabody Awards announces nominees in the Digital & Interactive category.
The Look Back Diaries: Episode 95 ↗
On Episode 95 of The Look Back Diaries, we talked about the episode that Ashley has the most reservations about, and the alternate version that never got made.
The Look Back Diaries: Episode 82 ↗
On Episode 82 of The Look Back Diaries, unpacking the Lizzie/Gigi episode — one that was very important — and how the use of a single word retroactively made one character even worse than anyone expected.
The Look Back Diaries: Episode 68 ↗
A return engagement for Episode 68 of The Look Back Diaries to talk about a Very Special Caroline Lee Thanksgiving, and the time I spent three days writing a single tweet.
The Look Back Diaries: Episode 29 ↗
Joined Ashley for Episode 29 of The Look Back Diaries to unpack the genesis of all the LBD transmedia — This Is My Jam, Gigi's playlist, and the moment when Bing and Jane followed each other on Twitter.
The Peabody Awards Announce "Legacy" Winners for Digital and Interactive Storytelling ↗
The Peabody Awards Interactive Board of Jurors announced an initial slate of legacy award winners — projects that paved the way for digital and interactive storytelling.
Coming Soon: The Look Back Diaries
Ashley Clements launches a retrospective series on The Lizzie Bennet Diaries. Subscribe to her Patreon.
Peabody Awards Expand to Include Digital and Interactive Storytelling
Honored to be part of the new Interactive Board for the Peabody Awards, to honor Stories That Matter among interactive, immersive, and new media projects.
Air Force VR Experiences ↗
The New York Times covered some of the projects I've been working on to create interactive VR experiences for the Air Force.
ADHD Rewired Podcast ↗
Spoke with Eric Tivers of the ADHD Rewired podcast about ADHD, Auditory Processing Disorder, and how it impacted the writing of Novel Advice.
Moby Dick Energy Podcast
Appeared on the Moby Dick Energy podcast to discuss Chapters 50 & 51 and read Ishmael's letter to Aunt Antigone.
NOVEL ADVICE is out today! ↗
"Novel Advice: Practical Wisdom for Your Favorite Literary Characters" is officially out in the world.
New Newsletter: Fabulist Rabbit Holes
Sporadic transmissions, updates, and rabbit holes to alternate realities.
Quarantine Book Club: Novel Advice Discussion
Join me for a discussion of Novel Advice with the Quarantine Book Club, Thursday October 1st, at 5pm PST.
Flashback: "Enterprising Fabulist"
Happy 10th anniversary to the throwaway joke Twitter account that inadvertently led to a brand identity.
NOVEL ADVICE Cover Reveal
The cover for Novel Advice: Practical Wisdom for Your Favorite Literary Characters is revealed.
NOVEL ADVICE Publication Date Set
Tiller Press, a division of Simon & Schuster, has set November 17, 2020 as the publication date.
The Marvelous Mrs. Mandalorian ↗
Have you ever watched Star Wars and thought, "This is okay, but it would be better if it was more Jewish"?
Slow CW: disability, oversharing, and using gifs to distract from charged emotional revelations
Returning to UNCG
Invited back to the University of North Carolina at Greensboro — where I received my MFA in 1997 — to take part in a new play development lab.
SKIN&EARTH Television Deal Announced ↗
Lights' landmark album and comic book project Skin & Earth is set to be adapted into a TV series. Jennifer Kretchmer & Jay Bushman will be handling the adaptation.
2ND CIVIL WAR VR Premieres at Tribeca
The 2nd Civil War VR Experience premieres at the Tribeca Festival's Immersive Lab — an interactive scripted narrative set in a near-future United States being ripped apart.
AVENUES wins GLOMO Award ↗
The AVENUES project wins the GLOMO Award for Virtual Reality Mobile Application. Congrats to the whole team at Accenture, Moth+Flame, and Friends With Holograms.
Speaking Event: Talk To The Reasons Q&A Panel
A panel on interactive stories, conversational AI, emotional branching narrative, and teen drama — discussing the 13 Reasons Why project.
"Talk To The Reasons" Nominated for a Primetime Emmy
Immensely proud of the whole team that came together to make talktothereasons.com. Our 13 Reasons Why story got an Interactive Emmy nomination.
Project Launch: Interactive Episode for "13 Reasons Why" ↗
For Moth+Flame and Netflix, wrote an interactive, voice-response prequel to Season 2 of 13 Reasons Why.
The Expanse: 5 Reasons Why Amazon Needs to Save the Sci-Fi Drama
IndieWire asked me to write a piece on why The Expanse should be saved. Update: They saved it.
Keynote: International Conference on Interactive Digital Storytelling
Delivering a keynote talk in Madeira, Portugal: "Transmedia Storytelling: No, Really, What Is It?"
The Haunted Mansion Ghost Post Wins a Thea Award
The Ghost Post won a Thea Award for Outstanding Achievement from the Themed Entertainment Association.
Podcast: Flushing Transit Authority ↗
Will Stegemann and I started a podcast to talk about what it's like to be lifelong Mets fans — focusing on narrative and the fan experience.
Review: Twin Peaks: The Secret History
IndieWire: Everything We Learned About Season 3 From Mark Frost's The Secret History.
IndieWire: Mr. Robot, Season 2 Reviews
A compilation of my reviews for the second season of Mr. Robot for IndieWire, including a panel discussion on the depiction of hacking on screen.
IndieWire: Game of Thrones, Season 6 Reviews
A compilation of my reviews for IndieWire's Game of Thrones Season 6 roundtable, plus an essay on how the show did after surpassing the source texts.
Speaking Event: Digital Hollywood 2016 ↗
On a panel called Visionary Transmedia: VR - Gaming - Sci-Fi - Music Video - Horror - Space. Thursday, May 5th.
IndieWire: Downton Abbey, Season 6 Reviews
Reviews of the final season of Downton Abbey for IndieWire.
Speaking Event: Prime Time in Ottawa
Speaking at Prime Time in Ottawa on February 4th in the Breakout: Exploring Innovations in Storytelling session.
IndieWire: So You Want to be a Multi-Platform Content Creator? 6 Expert Tips
IndieWire gave me some space to blather on about transmedia/multiplatform/crossmedia/whatevermedia.
Indiegogo Campaign for "Dark Detour" ↗
Dark Detour is a Halloween horror anthology series told in real-time through social media.
Project Launch: The Horizon Factory Platform Beta
The Horizon Factory officially hits beta — a mobile and OTT app-creation toolset helping creators build their own content empires.
Project Launch: Terminator Genisys: The YouTube Chronicles
Wrote a multi-part YouTube series combining the Terminator franchise with YouTube stars — starring Toby Turner, Lilly Singh, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and more.
Speaking Event: SXSW 2015 — Who's Going to Fund Your Web Series?
A panel at SXSW at 12:30pm on Tuesday about funding web series.
LA Times: Hollywood's Creative Class Cheers FCC Net Neutrality Ruling
The LA Times asked me for comments about the net neutrality ruling.
Santa Monica Reads: Behind the Scenes of The Lizzie Bennet Diaries
Talking with Kate Rorick at the Santa Monica Public Library about the Lizzie Bennet Diaries.
Interview: Hollyweb (French)
Interview with French outlet Hollyweb about The Lizzie Bennet Diaries.
Hashtag Hamlet Selected for Power to the Pixel Cross-Media Forum
Hashtag Hamlet is one of 32 projects invited to the Pixel Market at Power To The Pixel Cross-Media Forum, October 2014.
Lizzie Bennet Diaries Wins Streamy Award for Best Drama Series
How Transmedia Storytelling Shapes New Narrative Worlds ↗
Talked about LBD and transmedia with Breakthru Radio's Rebecca Seidel.
Speaking Event: San Diego Comic-Con 2014
Speaking at San Diego Comic-Con on the panel: How Fan-Made Content Is Good for Audiences, Filmmakers, and Hollywood. Saturday, July 26 at 8:30pm.
10 Filmmakers to Watch in 2014 ↗
Named one of 10 Filmmakers to Watch in 2014 by Independent Magazine.
Sanditon Returns as Part of the Storium Online Storytelling Game Kickstarter
New stretch goals from N.K. Jemisin and Sanditon, CA for the Storium online storytelling game Kickstarter.
Storyforward Podcast Interview ↗
Storyforward Podcast Episode 048: "Twitter — The Relentlessly Real-time Platform".
SXSW Re-cap: How Jane Austen Conquered Social Storytelling
Speaking Event: Transforming Hollywood 5 Panel On IndieTV ↗
A panel at UCLA on indie web series creators and the new digital TV ecosystem.
MIPWorld Interviews ↗
MIPWorld: 3 keys to making a successful web series / Social media storytelling is still in its infancy.
Modern Language Association Conference 2014
MLA 2014: Pathfinders — The Agony and the Ecstasy of Steve Jobs.
Welcome to Sanditon Nominated for 2014 IAWTV Award
Congratulations to everybody on the Welcome to Sanditon team on this nomination in the Best Interactive/Social Media Experience category.
Sundance Institute Selects Projects for New Frontier Story Lab
Sundance Institute selects six creative teams and projects for New Frontier Story Lab, October 23–28.
LBD Accepts the Emmy Award
Congratulations to the team of the Lizzie Bennet Diaries!
Wired: Unfinished Austen Novel Finds New Life Through Collaborative Web Series
Wired covers Welcome to Sanditon.
Daily Dot: The Lizzie Bennet Diaries Just Nabbed an Emmy
Library Journal Q&A: Jay Bushman, Co-Creator of Welcome to Sanditon
GigaOm: Lizzie Bennet Diaries Producers Bring in Fans to Finish Unfinished Austen
Tubefilter: Welcome To Sanditon Creates Entire World Around Web Series
The Lizzie Bennet Diaries Kickstarter ↗
Kickstarter: The Lizzie Bennet Diaries DVD...and More! by Pemberley Digital.
"Cthalloween" | I ♥ E-Poetry
The Lizzie Bennet Diaries Wins at the 2013 Streamy Awards
Forbes: Look Who's Taken the Game of Thrones Night's Watch Vow
Hypable: Jay Bushman on Transmedia in The Lizzie Bennet Diaries
The Mary Sue: Game of Thrones Night's Watch Oath Recording
Join Jon Snow & Game of Thrones fans in a massive Night's Watch Oath recording online.
EW.com: Game of Thrones — Record Your Own Night's Watch Oath!
A.V. Club: The Lizzie Bennet Diaries Finds a New Way to Present a 200-Year-Old Story
Guardian: Pride and Prejudice at 200 — Best Jane Austen Small-Screen Adaptations
The Guardian on the Lizzie Bennet Diaries as an addictive bi-weekly retelling of Pride and Prejudice for the web generation.
Lizzie Bennet Diaries Wins 2013 IAWTV Award for Best Interactive/Social Media Experience
Geekarati Radio: Transmedia and The Lizzie Bennet Diaries
Speaking Event: New York Comic-Con Panel for Dirty Work
Discussing bio-remediation research and the making of Dirty Work.
GigaOm: #darcyday
Hank Green and Bernie Su's Lizzie Bennet Diaries celebrates #darcyday.
NMR: Emmy Award-Winning Fourth Wall Studios Makes NMR Do All Their Dirty Work
ARGN: Fourth Wall Studios' Dirty Work Wins 2012 Interactive Emmy
Marketplace: Immersing Viewers in Dirty Work
Turnstyle News: Fourth Wall Studios Launches RIDES
LA Times: Fourth Wall Studios Does the Dirty Work of Innovation
CNN: Game of Thrones Inspires SXSWesteros
WIRED: Fourth Wall Studios Experiences Infusion of Cash and Talent
io9: The 10 Best Tweets from South By Star Wars
A Memoir of Playing The A.I. Game
An account of playing The A.I. Alternate Reality Game in 2001. Originally published in Well Played 2.0: Video Games, Value and Meaning.
Interview: New Scientist Magazine, Storytelling 2.0 ↗
Interview with New Scientist about Twitter storytelling projects.
Transmedia Talk #10 – Caitlin Burns and Jay Bushman
Dr. Lyle Evans, We Presume? (Vanity Fair / Mad Men)
Vanity Fair covered the mystery of Dr. Lyle Evans from Mad Men. The anonymous enterprising fabulist who created the Twitter account was me.
