iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Guido Schmidt @narkerns.bsky.social · 04/10/2026

Trailers? Not really. Not sure how to even make one. I'm not super experienced with the whole marketing part tbh. Launch team were ARC reader, yes, exactly. The main idea was to get as many reviews out of this stunt as possible, since that is what makes a book credible on Amazon.

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Guido Schmidt @narkerns.bsky.social · 04/10/2026

I’m quite active on LinkedIn. Did a launch team with 80 people, made the book free for five days, then min price for two more and went to the Gothenburg book fair. And I’ve been posting about my books since four-ish years already. It’s modest and niche, but I don’t mind :)

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Guido Schmidt @narkerns.bsky.social · 04/10/2026

538 units sold. First book was 307, so that’s a serious improvement! Starting now, the books will go back to normal price. If you want to help - reviews, reviews, reviews. :) #WriteSky #BookSky #gamedesignimpossible #writing #gamedevelopment #gamedesign #amwriting #writingcommunity

A man in a black T-shirt sits in a chair, resting his hand thoughtfully on his chin while looking down at a copy of Game Design: Impossible 2: Why We Do This. The quiet, reflective pose contrasts with the dramatic illustrated book cover.

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Guido Schmidt @narkerns.bsky.social · 04/10/2026

Well, I’m already in book 2 of “Emberline” Maerina took over the mercenary company from her previous captain using myth, song, and an audacious duel. But now the enemy is paperwork. #WIPSnips #WriteSky #WritingCommunity #WritingPrompts

“It is not that complicated. Here is the muster roll with all the names, ranks, wages, plunder shares and so on. This one is our outstanding pay and what we owe to their families. And here we have the original charter of Southroad, the contract with Leofric and a few bounty terms for people like Varentis.”
She shuffled another stack of papers aside.
“Here is what we owe to grain merchants, armourers, horse traders, healers and our camp followers. Waggoners and suppliers are in this one.”
Maerina raised her eyebrows in exasperation and began shaking her head slightly while she listened to K’s explanations.
“And finally, in these ledgers we have our military correspondence. All the maps, route plans, reports, and potential gathering points of Leofric’s troops. This ledger will be especially relevant to Lord Veyne, I assume.”
Well, that at least, she understood.
Leverage. Leverage was good.

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Guido Schmidt @narkerns.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

Free Book Promotion is ending soon! Friday, 02.10.2026 at 9:00 The book is free. (Link in my profile) After, I will make the book minimum price ($0.99) until Sunday end of day. #WriteSky #BookSky #gamedesignimpossible #writing #gamedevelopment #gamedesign #amwriting #writingcommunity

A man in a black T-shirt holds up a handwritten sign reading “Friday 9:00 am CET,” while looking at the camera with a slight smile.

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Guido Schmidt @narkerns.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

That’s just the coolest thing I’ve done with books so far 😁 #WriteSky #BookSky #writingcommunity

A smiling man stands at a book fair booth beside a table displaying stacks of Game Design: Impossible 2, holding up a copy of the book. A sign on the table invites visitors to scan a QR code to get their own copy. Behind him is the Sweden Game Arena booth with the slogan “Played by the World,” surrounded by other exhibitors and visitors.

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Guido Schmidt @narkerns.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

Now that I think of it, I should have worn my sunglasses 😎

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Guido Schmidt @narkerns.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

That’s reserved for when I release the Fantasy book 😏

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Guido Schmidt @narkerns.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

Was at the book fair in Gothenburg today. Tomorrow I will be sitting there in a booth and showing my book. How cool is that? 😁 #BookSky #WriteSky #writingcommunity #gamedesignimpossible

A selfie taken from an upper level overlooking a busy book fair. Behind the man, a large exhibition hall is filled with crowds, book stands, displays, and a stage where a panel discussion is taking place in front of a seated audience.

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Guido Schmidt @narkerns.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

Also, the promotion only goes 5 days, not 7. The maximum Amazon allows. But, to make up for that, I’ve decided to also make the first book free for 5 days. Game Design: Impossible books2read.com/GameDesignIm... And have both at minimum price for the full seven days.

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Guido Schmidt @narkerns.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

Game Design: Impossible 2 is out now! But – caveat! The free eBook promotion only starts tomorrow – September 27th! Game Design: Impossible 2 books2read.com/GameDesignIm... #WriteSky #BookSky #gamedesignimpossible #writing #gamedevelopment #gamedesign #amwriting #writingcommunity

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Guido Schmidt @narkerns.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

From my current dark fantasy piece "Emberline". Mercenary captain Maerina has cornered the fleeing General with her army of over a thousand soldiers. But she realizes that Varentis is not an easy enemy... #WIPSnips #WritingCommunity #WritingPrompts #WriteSky

Lowering her head, Maerina sneered grimly.
What would he do next? How would he try to worm out of this situation?
Her eyes wandered over the chained-together wagons. It was not a circular fort directly, but it did control where Varentis’ men could be attacked. The unstable ground around the wagons and the edges of the platform rendered any kind of encirclement basically impossible.
She had to hand it to him… this was a pretty decent wriggle.
As she observed further, the shape of their challenge became clear to her.
Varentis needed to remove their pursuit. He needed a decisive victory so the Southroad Company would stop chasing him. This was not a last stand. This was an earnest attempt at beating them back so hard that they would lose interest in the chase.
Between the gaps of their improvised fort, she saw heavily armoured warriors. Even without their horses, the Bannered Companions were formidable enemies. Maces, war hammers, and poleaxes were unloaded and distributed. A shortened spear here and there. And daggers. Lots of daggers.
Maerina gritted her teeth.
These men knew how to kill.

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Guido Schmidt @narkerns.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

Na, I had a clear idea of what I wanted to say. That people are not alone in their struggles. Especially on the emotional side. Making games takes a toll and this is rarely discussed or even acknowledged. I do exactly that. So yeah 😏

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Guido Schmidt @narkerns.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

I do. Mostly when I had a glass of wine and then remember that I promised myself never to post drunk 😅

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Guido Schmidt @narkerns.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

Exhaustion mostly 😅 But also a sense of peace. That I’m done with this. And accomplishment. I’ve managed to say what I wanted to say about the industry with this.

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Guido Schmidt @narkerns.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

One day left Man, I cannot believe that this is actually happening. It has been four years since the last book. Right now, I cannot even say how many things went into this book. Other than… a lot. #WriteSky #BookSky #gamedesignimpossible #writing #gamedevelopment #writingcommunity

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Guido Schmidt @narkerns.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

This kind of reminded me of an older piece I wrote a few years back. A short story about revenge and grief about a life never lived. #TBBPrompt #Writing #AmWriting #WritingPrompt

With teary eyes of her own, Kara turned to her friend and looked at her beautiful face once more. Full of affection, she whispered, “I loved you, Elara.”
A painful smile was Elara’s response. She looked away, raising her gaze to the ceiling, and letting more tears drop on the floor.
“Oh, Kara. Everybody does.”
This rejection hurt more than anything Kara had ever endured. All the pain of the last few days, even all the pain she had experienced in her entire life, was nothing compared to what she felt in that moment. The world ceased to exist, and the two girls lying together were all that remained.
Kara grabbed her blade and plucked it from Elara’s foot.
With a mix of anguish and love, she buried it in her friend’s heart - slowly but relentlessly.
Elara watched in surprised defiance as she realized what Kara was doing. Raising her chin, she took it without apologizing.
With her last breath Kara tried to imagine what her life could have been like under other circumstances, holding on to the thought as long as she could. Then her strength finally left her, and her head slipped down into the mage’s lap.
When both women died, House Marchuk officially ceased to exist.

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Guido Schmidt @narkerns.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

So many cool words recently and I got none of them 😭 But as for meddling, when one looks at what my MC does to her previous Lord... meddling is an understatement tbh ^^ She is the reason why again and again his efforts in the whole war keep failing. Unintentionally from her side, but still.

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Guido Schmidt @narkerns.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

September 26th Game Design: Impossible 2 A candid look at why making games is so hard, why projects fail even with good teams, and why developers keep coming back to create again. #WriteSky #BookSky #gamedesignimpossible #writing #gamedevelopment #gamedesign #amwriting #writingcommunity

A man in a black T-shirt sits at his desk and holds up three fingers toward the camera. Behind him, a computer monitor displays the cover of "Game Design: Impossible 2: Why We Do This". Text above him reads, “3 days left until release!”

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Guido Schmidt @narkerns.bsky.social · 20/09/2026

One week until release! September 26th And the eBook version will be free for the first seven days! I will be at booth A02:52 at the book fair in Gothenburg on the 27th at 10:00. #WriteSky #BookSky #gamedesignimpossible #writing #gamedevelopment #gamedesign #amwriting #writingcommunity

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Guido Schmidt @narkerns.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

I will be at the Gothenburg Book Fair! September 27th! Gothia Towers. Booth A02:52. I’ve never done a book fair before, so this is going to be a first. #WriteSky #BookSky #gamedesignimpossible #writing #gamedevelopment #gamedesign #amwriting #writingcommunity

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Guido Schmidt @narkerns.bsky.social · 13/09/2026

You know the Remedy Connected Universe? You also know where the idea for that came from? Well, Sam Lake told me the story. And what he calls “delicious storytelling”. So, looking forward to September 26th! #gamedesignimpossible #writing #gamedevelopment #gamedesign #amwriting #writingcommunity

A professional portrait of Sam Lake seated in a leather chair against a dark wooden wall. He wears a dark blue shirt, gray vest, and knitted tie, looking calmly at the camera with a slight smile. Dramatic side lighting gives the portrait a moody, cinematic atmosphere.

Illustrated cover of Game Design: Impossible 2: Why We Do This by Guido Schmidt. In the foreground, two hands hold a tablet displaying the book title. Behind it, a woman in a business suit stands with her arms crossed while a man gestures angrily during a heated confrontation in a modern office. Rain and lightning fill the nighttime cityscape outside the large windows, emphasizing the drama and conflict of game development.

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Guido Schmidt @narkerns.bsky.social · 06/09/2026

We got a release date! September 26th! What is it? A candid look at why making games is so hard, why projects fail even with good teams, and why developers keep coming back to create again. #WriteSky #BookSky #gamedesignimpossible #writing #gamedevelopment #gamedesign #writingcommunity

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Guido Schmidt @narkerns.bsky.social · 06/09/2026

I got 59 sighs in “Emberline” 😅 This one is the last one, after she had taken over the mercenary company and renamed the band after her own legend. #WipSnips #writingcommunity #BookSky #WriteSky

“The Company of The Grim Shieldmaiden? Really?”
Her gaze was on the ground for a few moments as she let out an exhausted sigh.
“You do not like how it sounds?”
“It sounds… like a massively inflated ego.”
His eyes were heavy, yet his speech did not have the same pauses as before. Maybe he was paying her more attention by now. Or maybe she was just too tired to care.
With a shrug, she handed him the other mug, turned around and began pouring another one.
“I already had the name. I just kept using it.”
“So big. And heavy.”
He cupped his hands around an imaginary sphere, quite far apart.
Frowning, she finished pouring and took a look at what he did.
“Everyone already knew the song.”
“And it is growing still…”
His hands kept moving apart.
Once she realised what he was doing, she stopped justifying herself. Instead, she lowered her head and took a challenging posture, her eyes fixed silently on his face.

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Guido Schmidt @narkerns.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

Ok, so now I got a pretty good idea of what is working and what isn't in Emberline. Now the question is whether I should start editing book 1 or continue working on book 2. 🤔 #writingcommunity #WriteSky #BookSky

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Guido Schmidt @narkerns.bsky.social · 01/09/2026

Oh yes. Definitely will do those for Emberline. And Emberline 2. And 3. #writingcommunity #BookSky #WriteSky

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Guido Schmidt @narkerns.bsky.social · 30/08/2026

Today I reviewd a book. Yeah, I do that too, occasionally :) lnkd.in/p/d3d5uj9W Mirko Minenza's "Diary of a (nerdy) recruiter" A smart and elegant list of tangible, actionable tips for increasing your chances of breaking into the Games Industry. #writingcommunity #BookSky #WriteSky

Book cover for Diary of a (Nerdy) Recruiter: 6 Lessons I Learned About Landing A Job by Mirko Minenza. The minimalist black, white, and orange design shows a small orange figure walking along a bright white path toward an open doorway.

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Guido Schmidt @narkerns.bsky.social · 30/08/2026

Such a good word :) Unfortunately, in my world of Emberline, there seems to be none of it anywhere 😆

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Guido Schmidt @narkerns.bsky.social · 26/08/2026

But that's also how you get better :)

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Guido Schmidt @narkerns.bsky.social · 26/08/2026

Maybe not yesterday. But older stuff. Oh boy. 😬 #WriteSky #BookSky #writingcommunity

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Guido Schmidt @narkerns.bsky.social · 26/08/2026

From my dark fantasy piece "Emberline" MC is signing up for a mercenary band. But before that happens, her friend K has to justify why her name is K. #WIPSnips #WriteSky #WritingCommunity #WritingPrompts

When he asked the shieldmaiden, she perked up again.
“K? What name is this supposed to be?”
His voice was nasal and slightly condescending.
“It is Kayn in full.”
He furrowed his brows and leaned back, eyeing her up and down. His gaze lingered on her curves longer than Maerina would have liked and she felt a light tingle in her stomach again.
“Why do you bear a man’s name?”
K shrugged. “You would have to ask my parents.”
“And where are they now?”
“Dead,” K said without missing a beat or changing her tone.
Following this, there was an awkward silence for a few long moments. In the end, however, the scribe made a small symbol on his paper.
“K is fine.”

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Guido Schmidt @narkerns.bsky.social · 24/08/2026

Congrats! It’s the best feeling for sure 😎

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Guido Schmidt @narkerns.bsky.social · 24/08/2026

Oh lol, don’t get me started when these NFT bros went around trying to explain game development to game developers. It just showed that they had absolutely zero understanding of what the f they were talking about. 😳

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Guido Schmidt @narkerns.bsky.social · 23/08/2026

Now it is time to plan the release! Launch team for Game Design: Impossible 2 is still open, hop on now or leave it forever ;) 👉 Check the link in my profile and sign up #WriteSky #BookSky #gamedesignimpossible #writing #gamedevelopment #gamedesign #amwriting #writingcommunity

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Guido Schmidt @narkerns.bsky.social · 22/08/2026

It is really nice to see that what I am working on with "Emberline" seems to resonate with others, too. I'm mostly doing this for myself, but sharing is - of course - a huge part in it as well. I also got me an artist for a character concept next. So, yeah :) #writingcommunity #writesky

So far...
You have no idea how much I’ve been living for these chapters.First of all, Maerina’s evolution is giving me whiplash (in a good way!). Watching her go from that scared, grieving girl in the cellar to a "Grim Shieldmaiden" who is literally playing 4D chess with nobility? It’s chilling. That moment when she felt "intoxicated" by the violence while burning those homesteads? I literally gasped. You didn't just show us a warrior; you showed us a soul catching fire. It’s dark, it’s messy, and it’s so compelling. I’m honestly terrified for her, but I can’t look away.

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Guido Schmidt @narkerns.bsky.social · 18/08/2026

Man, is that just me or do all authors get this many scam emails ALL THE TIME? O_O #writingcommunity

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Guido Schmidt @narkerns.bsky.social · 16/08/2026

Me, waiting for the next proof copy to arrive. Launch team for Game Design: Impossible 2 is still open, if you still want to hop on before we go: 👉 Check link in profile and sign up #WriteSky #BookSky #gamedesignimpossible #writing #gamedevelopment #gamedesign #amwriting #writingcommunity

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Guido Schmidt @narkerns.bsky.social · 15/08/2026

From "Emberline", my dark fantasy piece. MC has just killed her master after years of imprisonment and now desperately needs to escape the castle. She finds an unexpected helper in the master cook, Brina. #WIPSnips #WriteSky #WritingCommunity #WritingPrompts

The pantry itself was filled with barrels, crates, and chests. They stored all the valuable food in here. Ale, vinegar, pickled vegetables, salted fish, spices. Grain. A lot of grain. The largest chests were lined at the back and in the far corners of the long, rectangular room, away from the door.
Many shelves completed the interior. Flour, salt, dried peas, lentils, even jars of honey and dried fruits were lined up everywhere.
Despite her exhaustion, the wonder of seeing the interior of the pantry was mind-boggling to the servant girl who had never seen anything else than her cellar and the courtyard. And the kitchen. A few times.
A dense mix of grain-dust, sour vinegar and dry saltiness entered her nose, mixed with a faint woody tang from the barrels themselves.
Brina moved to the back and cleared a huge chest out of its contents, distributing sacks of grain into other crates and barrels.
“Here, get some rest. I will lock the door. If someone comes, hide in here.”
She pointed at an upright standing crate that was large enough to cover the whole girl. She was not that big, so she could easily fit inside.
Maerina limped over and lay down between sacks of grain in front of it. This bedding was so much more comfortable than her cellar straw that she immediately began drifting in and out of consciousness. Only the piercing pain in her leg seemed to keep her awake at this stage.
“I did not help you.” The cook pointed at her and Maerina nodded, a hard lump forming at the back of her throat.

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Guido Schmidt @narkerns.bsky.social · 15/08/2026

I mean just look at that magnificent thing! (When I get to write it down, that is) #writingcommunity

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Guido Schmidt @narkerns.bsky.social · 12/08/2026

I’m quite far actually. 114k words in the first book. Working on how to start the second. And doing some character sketches with an artist rn. And I still have to release my Game Design book before all that 😅

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