PLAY MY GAMES!!
ONE PAGE LEFT is a solo journaling role-playing game inspired by horror and slasher movies. There is a killer on the loose and you're trapped inside a strange mansion. Can you survive to see the end credits?
IRON VALLEY is a cozy table-top RPG you can play solo or with friends! Take the role of a person moving to the Valley and experience a taste of small-town life. Grow crops, meet Townies, make promises, and more!
ROLL FOR NOVEL is a game about generation book/story ideas. Feel like turning this idea into an actual book? This game includes a guide to how to plan a novel.
Watch my Live Stream!
Creativity and cozy collide!! Watch me design games, make art and write novels LIVE.
Every weekday from 11am to 2pm (pdt)
LATEST BOOK
THE LAST BREAD MAGE, a dark fantasy novel by M. Kirin about a world caught in a cycle of life and death, ruin and glory, perpetually spiraling into Absolute Chaos.
Follow M. Kirin online for info on upcoming books, art of their characters, somewhat funny posts, and more! (Or less! It depends on the day)
Meet My Characters!
Get to know the characters of my books!
Character bios, fan art, music playlists, trivia, and more!
© M. Kirin / All rights reserved.
M. KIRIN (they/them) is a queer author and artist.Raised by two completely different countries, M. Kirin’s writing has its roots in the grounded personal conflict of the American novel as well as the magical realism of Mexican fiction. The works of M. Kirin are often about the clash between the fantastical and the mundane.From their humble beginnings as an independent author, M. Kirin has been posting writing advice and inspiration on the internet. Their articles, blog posts, and videos have reached tens of thousands of aspiring authors and amassed millions of views.And now, as a Virtual Writer, M. Kirin showcases their creativity and writing process live before an internet audience.M. Kirin currently resides in the San Francisco Bay Area with their wife KITTY, gray cat IANTO, and the chinchilla twins POPOLA & DEVOLA.
© M. Kirin / All rights reserved.
The following article comes from M. Kirin's official blog: maxkirin.tumblr.com.
What's the best way to support an indie author?
Before we start talking about the wild, wild world of 👑royalties👑, I want to make this crystal clear:The best way to support an indie author✝ is to BUY OUR BOOKS. Straight up. Paying for our hard work is good enough.You want to support me? Easy. Buy my book.✝Now, let’s say you don’t care where you get the book from or your goal is to make sure most of your hard-earned money actually goes to the indie author rather than some corporation… then, in that case, read on!
So… what the heck are book royalties anyway?
When you purchase an indie eBook the money you spend is split between the author and the retailer. Depending on the split, more or less of your money will actually end up on the hands of the author you’re trying to support.This differs from traditional publishing, where the author receives a lump sum as an advance from the publisher (which is then split between author and agent).The publisher then sells this book on other storefronts, which further splits where the money actually goes.PS: It is not until the book has actually generated as much revenue as the advance that said author begins to actually earn royalties on books sold, which may be as little as cents per book to a percentage of each sale.To further confuse matters, different retailers offer different royalty rates! 😵
Where should you purchase books from if you want to super-duper support an indie author?
Well, let me give you a tier list—beginning from the TOP!
S TIER: Author's Personal Shop
Buying a book directly from an author's shop is by far the best way support 'em. Outside of a small % that goes to cover for credit card fees (~5% in my case), pretty much all of your money goes to the author.If the author has a shop—buy it from there!!
A TIER: Itch.io
It's not just for games, you know! Its royalty rate is one of the most generous with a default 90/10. This is crazy-good compared to most other retailers.Seriously, more authors should start selling their books on Itch.io!!
B TIER: Most Retailers
Apple Books, Barnes & Noble, Google Play Books, and Kobo all offer a 70/30 split. It didn't use to be like this, tho!If you like to have all of your books on the same platform, buying an indie author’s book through these platforms is honestly A-OK! 👍
C TIER: Amazon
Amazon has a default 35/65 rate (ouch) and has the option for a 70/30—but it's not easy. The latter option is not available in all territories and has many prerequisites.Also, one way to get the 70/30 split is to exclusively sell your title on Amazon (ooof).As if Amazon’s system wasn’t already confusing enough—there’s also Delivery Fees. Yes, you read that right. Amazon charges the author for the delivery of the digital item based on the file size, nickle-and-diming you like it's 2004 and you went over your text message limit.
I don’t want anyone to feel bad for buying books through Amazon. Like I said before, the best way to support us is to buy our books—no matter where you get them.A sale is better than no sale at all. 🤞The reason I set out to write this is because the average person has no clue that where you buy a book from actually matters.You spend your hard-earned money wanting to support an indie author and the bulk of that Hamilton doesn’t even go to them.And now you know. 🧵🔚
© M. Kirin / All rights reserved.
THE LAST BREAD MAGE
"We meet again, at the beginning of the end."FEL is the sole survivor of his people, the heir to the magical study of reality, and his death would mean the end of the Red Mage legacy. He cannot allow this to happen. That is why he is racing towards the center of the world—to the structure as ancient as time and powerful enough to survive the death of the universe.THE PINNACLE.It is said that God resides in that mountain of hardened soil, but Fel isn't so sure. After all, why would God make a world designed to suffer such a horrible apocalypse? What purpose could all this suffering possibly serve? And, why does this journey seem strangely familiar?This isn't the first time the world has ended, but Fel doesn't know that.Not yet.THE LAST BREAD MAGE is a dark fantasy novel about a world caught in a cycle of life and death, glory and ruin, perpetually spiraling into Absolute Chaos. Read the hearty 85-page sample by following the button below!
The Fabulous Gays, Volume 2
THIS IS NOT A STORY ABOUT LOVE. It’s about the real world, where everyone has psychic powers. Even you. Even me. Even Hoshi’s ex-boyfriend who won’t stop pestering them. What does he want?“RAS” PAPILLON is a complete gender disaster (and a clown to boot). He’s fabulous, flirtatious, and funny in the strangest way. He can make you laugh with just one look. You’d think this social butterfly wouldn’t need help getting anybody’s attention…And yet.There is a young woman at the center of the universe. Her name is MIEL PAZ FONSECA, she’s trying to find herself in this wide world, and she has no clue her life is about to get turned upside down. All of a sudden, she’s the center of attention. Who are these fabulous strangers, and why won’t they leave her alone?THIS IS A STORY ABOUT RELATIONSHIPS; the ex whose bridge you burned, the ride-or-die friendships, the people who show up out of the blue and change you forever. This is a story about the real world, and the year everything changed.
The Fabulous Gays, Volume 1
THIS STORY IS NOT ABOUT SUPERHEROES. It’s about the real world, where people go to work, pay their bills, and where everyone has psychic powers. Even you. Even me. Even him. We just don’t know it yet.HOSHI YOSHINAGA KNOWS. They’ve unlocked their full potential. Hoshi’s psychic powers allow them to read minds, which they use to help people.People like ARCHER CISNEROS, a young man struggling with his identity and with love. Archer may look like any other college student—but he’s not. He can see the future. He just doesn’t know it yet. He’s too busy worrying about something even more important…He has a terrible crush on another boy.THIS IS A STORY ABOUT THE REAL WORLD, where everyday people have incredible powers, where the mundane is seen through a fantastical filter. This is a story about the real world, and the year everything changed.
© M. Kirin / All rights reserved.
The Fabulous Gays, Vol. 1
This is the year everything changes.
📚 let's get physical 📔
📚 bundle up and save!! 🎁
© M. Kirin / All rights reserved.
The Fabulous Gays, Vol. 2
This is not a story about love.
📚 let's get physical 📔
📚 bundle up and save!! 🎁
© M. Kirin / All rights reserved.
The Last Bread Mage
We meet again, at the beginning of the end.
📚 let's get physical 📔
📄 care for a free sample? 😇
© M. Kirin / All rights reserved.
maxi: what are you looking for, friend?
M. Kirin 👾📝 Virtual Writer
(They/Them) 🍎 EN VTuber 🍐 Author + Artist
🍑 The Fabulous Gays 🍒 The Last Bread Mage 🍊
Iron Valley Solo TTRPG 🍋 Streams every Weekday!
© M. Kirin / All rights reserved.
Welcome to the Valley! 🦝🥕
Iron Valley is a cozy ttrpg hack for Ironsworn/Starforged.
In this game you take the role of someone moving into a small community and starting their life anew. Maybe you’ll restore your family’s farm. Maybe you’ll explore the mysterious forest just beyond town. Maybe you’ll fall in love and get married!
The key inspirations for Iron Valley are life and farming simulation games such as Animal Crossing, Story of Seasons (Harvest Moon), and Stardew Valley. This game attempts to capture the feeling of working towards player-driven goals while making the most out of each day.
Iron Valley is nearly 250 pages long, filled to the brim with cozy mechanics, examples, and tools for players wanting to play solo or with friends. Also, it is pay-what-you-want with no minimum.Download it for FREE and try it today!
✨✨ features ✨✨
🍒 The Passage of Time! As you take actions the clock advances and days come and go, can you make the most out of each day?
🍑 Create Your Own LifeSim! By using world truths, you can create your very own version of the Valley. Will your Iron Valley be a medieval village or a small rural town hours away from the big city? Will it be populated by adorable animals or fantastical ancestries? Mix and match to your liking!
🍎 Simplified Moves! With only a handful of moves to learn, life in the Valley is pretty simple once you get the hang of it.
🍊 Make it a Promise! The central mechanic revolves around making and keeping promises with your friends, yourself, and your frienemies!
🍐 Oracles for DAYS!! Nearly a third of this rule-book is made up of cozy oracles to keep you inspired, give you ideas, and help you generate plots and characters.
🍉 And More is on Its Way! Although this version of Iron Valley is fully playable and feature rich, there is still so much room to grow! Expect updates introducing new mechanics, oracles, and many new surprises. Life in the Valley is always changing~
get it now!
community resources
- 🎮 Discord
- 👤 Fillable Character Sheet
- 📃 Player Sheets
- 🎲 Create a Campaign in 1 Click
- 🌄 Good Morning! Oracle
- 👤 Create a Townie (Chartopia)
- 👤 Create a Townie (Perchance)
- 🔮 Oracles ~ Chartopia
- 📊 Oracles ~ Google Sheets
- 🥔 Brotato's Oracles ~ Perchance
- 🐲 DB's Oracles ~ Google Sheets
Disclaimer: This work is based on Ironsworn and Ironsworn: Starforged (found at www.ironswornrpg.com), created by Shawn Tomkin, and licensed for our use under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. Iron Valley is not an official supplement for the Ironsworn or Ironsworn: Starforged RPGs.
© M. Kirin / All rights reserved.
ONE PAGE LEFT is a solo journaling game about surviving a slasher movie.
There is a killer on the loose and you're trapped inside a strange mansion. As you roll dice you will be asked to complete prompts on a single sheet of paper, but be wary...
If you run out of space, YOU DIE
If you run out of Luck, YOU DIE
ONE PAGE LEFT is also a one-page rpg, meaning that the rules fit within a single sheet of paper. We strongly recommend printing the rules as its easier to read physically than digitally.
In addition to this rulebook you will also need the following materials:◼ A six-sided die (d6)
◼ A black pen
◼ A red pen
◼ A marker
◼ A single sheet of paper, preferably Letter/A4A run of this game runs from thirty minutes to an hour and is endlessly replayable thanks to the randomized character and killer creation.
In order to get into the right mood for this game we strongly recommend playing with the lights dimmed (maybe even playing in the dark with a flashlight), as well as putting on some appropriate music—such as the official One Page Left Spotify Playlist.
Available Now
One Page Left was created thanks to the support of fans like you.
© M. Kirin / All rights reserved.
ROLL FOR NOVEL is a solo game about rolling dice and generating story ideas.
🎲 Create new worlds to explore using your imagination🎲 Give your existing characters a new story🎲 Find your next novel idea
This game also contains a guide for planning a novel. If you've always wanted to write a book but found it daunting and overwhelming, this might just be the thing for you. Over the course of a few pages you will create an outline that organizes your thoughts, fleshes out your ideas, and energizes you to write.
Everything you create using this game is yours, and you do not have to link back to this page or even reference Roll For Novel. That being said, I'd love to read your works! Please consider sharing what you make on this page.
Whether this is your first time experiencing creative writing or your the next step in your writing journey, I wish you the best! Don't forget to keep things fun, okay? ♥
Available Now
Roll for Novel was inspired by Jacob Pauwels' Roll for Sandwich.
© M. Kirin / All rights reserved.