Monday, January 28, 2013

Please Allow Me to Re-Introduce Myself

I am a man of wealth and taste....oops. Wrong introduction.

Today (and I almost forgot about it) I am participating in the "Please Allow Me to Re-Introduce Myself" blogfest. It is hosted by Stephen Tremp, C.M. Brown, Mark Koopmans, and Elise Fallson.  Plus I should mention I saw this first on L. Diane Wolfe's Spunk on a Stick blog.


The purpose of today's blogfest is to re-introduce yourself to your readers.  I think that is a great idea since The Other Side has gone through quite a bit a growth over the years.

So, hello. My name is Tim Brannan, and I have been running the Other Side blog now since 2007, though I really didn't get going till 2008.  The name "The Other Side" came my old website, The Other Side that I have been running since the mid 90s.  Back around 2003 or so my site began to wane a bit so I took it down.   Creating this blog was supposed to be a band-aid or temporary solution till I got my site back up.

Things didn't really happen that way.

I started to blog, and not run a website, so I could have a design journal for some of gaming books.  In particular The Witch and Eldritch Witchery.

I started playing RPGs back in 1979 with a copy of the Holmes Blue book.  My small group played during recess with that and a copy of the Monster Manual.  That Monster Manual changed my life.  I got into gaming hard core with the Molvay Red book and then later moved to AD&D.  I have played scores of games, but mostly horror games and versions of D&D.

I have been writing games and game books on my own for years. I "released" by first netbook back in 1999. It was every bit the amateur effort you would expect, but it was mine and based on things I had been working for years.  That lead me to doing some freelance work on some d20 products, including some work at Eden Studios.  There I worked on a WitchCraft book and then moved on to Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
This lead to my big break, writing the Ghosts of Albion corebook.

Working on Ghosts was awesome. I got work with Amber Benson and Christopher Golden on their world. Plus get a lot of acclaim for it.  It has been great.

In my "other life" I was a university professor. I taught research design, statistics and ed psych.  I later moved to online teaching and now online curriculum development.

I live in the Chicago burbs with my wife and two great kids.

That's me.

20 comments:

L.G. Keltner said...

Thanks for sharing! It's nice to meet you again!

Unknown said...

I think I really need to talk to you a bit. I'm using RPGs in my newest novel and I've got LOADS of questions!

Timothy S. Brannan said...

Krystal.

Hit me up anytime. timothy.brannan@gmail.com.

Love to help!

Mia Hayson said...

Hey Tim! Good to meet you!

I realise that this is a total aside and not exactly what you are doing now but if you ever feel like talking stats I'm a postgrad in psych at the moment so yeahhh. Umm. Mmm

<3

Timothy S. Brannan said...

Mia! Of course. I still love stats to be honest.

Timothy S. Brannan said...

L.G. We seem to be in all the cool bloghops of late!

Tonja Drecker said...

Wow. A college professor. Now I know more about you. Nice re-meeting you!

Wendy Tyler Ryan said...

Nice to meet you - for the first time!

Hart Johnson said...

I think had I grown up in another time I might have really gotten sucked into role playing games. I just came from a little town with little exposure until I'd filled life with a bunch of other stuff.

Great to meet you!

S.P. Bowers said...

Wow, nice to meet you. Pleas don't be upset but I mostly play WOW, and honestly, I rarely pay attention to the story though my husband does. Still, I'm very impressed.

Al Diaz said...

Role playing was one of the greatest times of my dragon life. I loved it! You're awesome, man. Nice to re-meet you. :D

Jo said...

I always wondered who you were...=) It was nice to read this.

L. Diane Wolfe said...

Starting blogging and never went back?

Can you see the Cubs losing from your house? (And if you're a fan, don't worry - so am I!)

Susan Gourley/Kelley said...

I'm retiring from teaching this year, but if I wasn't I would be exploring the online opportunites. It is the future.

Anonymous said...

I did some online teaching. Project Management stuff. It was a lot of fun. And thanks for participating in the Re-Introduce Myself Blogfest!

Laura Clipson said...

Great reintroduction! Nice to re-meet you :)

Sus said...

Nice to meet you! Have you read the book Ready Player One? Your bio reminds me of the book a bit (aside from the whole dystopian future part).

Anyway, great post!

Sus
susreviews.blogspot.com

J.L. Campbell said...

Hi, Timothy, it's great to meet you too.

DL Hammons said...

It's great to be re-introduced to you Tim. I think I started following you during last years A to Z, but I've wandered away. Now...I'm back! :)

Michelle Wallace said...

Hi Tim. It's great to meet you.
Online teaching seems to be the direction in which lots of ex and retired teachers are moving. I'm just wondering how "saturated" it will eventually become. I suppose it depends on your concept and methods...