Mastering the Game of Allyship

Kickstarter Update: The Manuscript is Finished!
8 days ago – Wed, Jan 15, 2025 at 04:34:16 PM

Dear Backers,

It’s official: the manuscript is DONE. I’ve climbed the mountain, planted the flag, and promptly realized that the summit is actually just a nice resting spot before the journey continues. Finishing feels both monumental and, dare I say, a little anti-climactic. On one hand, I’m thrilled to have completed what I’ve come to think of as “the GREAT TASK of allyship”—if I were to drop dead today, I’d at least have this book as my legacy. On the other hand, the weight has shifted. Now, there’s the strange, impending dread of putting it into your hands, where you might, gasp, read it.

The Journey So Far: A Rollercoaster of Google Docs

Writing this book was… well, a process. I’ve got 20-30 Google Docs of abandoned versions to prove it. At one point, it was a humorous rewrite of The Art of War. Another was just transcripts of my course. There’s even a darker, shameful draft titled Why Allyship is a Waste of Time. (That version may one day see the light of day, purely for the laughs.)

Surprising absolutely no one except myself, I learned that writing about a contentious, complicated topic as my FIRST (now second) book is a bit like trying to learn parkour on a balance beam. What saved me was realizing that my true superpower is game design. Writing this book as a game—and leaning into a more humorous tone—made everything click into place.

What I’m Most Proud Of

I’m proudest of the system itself. It’s not just the heart of the book; it’s the reason the book exists at all. Every time I wanted to give up, I used the practices in the book to untangle my own doubts. The system became my ally, helping me turn frustration into insight and keep moving forward.

The book is essentially proof that the system works, because it helped me finish the damn thing.

Lessons Learned: Shadow Boxing and Game Crafting

Here’s what I’ve learned:

1. I love making games for hard problems. The system in Mastering the Game of Allyship can be adapted to many other topics. Don’t be surprised if you see more gamified “impossible” topics from me in the future.
2. My shadows are very, very skillful. Writing this book was a constant wrestling match with the parts of me that didn’t want it to see the light of day. Those shadows? Tenacious. But I’ve learned to dance with them.
3. You all stayed in my corner. Even as I delayed and doubted, you’ve stuck by me. Your support kept me going, and I’m grateful beyond words.
4. I’m not so different from most writers. (Looking at you, George R.R. Martin.) The only difference is that instead of disappointing a publishing company, I passed the torch of disappointment to my friends and family. A bold strategy, but it worked.

What’s Next?

Here’s the plan:

• A Final Fundraiser: Next month, for my 34th birthday, I’ll be launching one last fundraiser to cover editing and printing. Consider it part of the general Birthday Shenanigans as I leave my Jesus Year behind and embrace the age of… wisdom? Or at least the age of slightly fewer questionable decisions.
• Summer 2024 Release (Hopefully): I’m aiming to get this book into your eager hands by summer. While I won’t make promises I’m not sure I can keep, I can promise to keep you updated and send chapters as they’re finalized.
• Sharing the Game of Allyship: The next phase will involve putting this book, its ideas, and its exercises in front of people and organizations ready to make the world a better place. The Game of Allyship isn’t just a book—it’s a movement, and you’re part of it.

Thank you for being here, for believing in this messy, magnificent project, and for sticking with me as I brought it to life. The ride’s not over yet, but we’re on the final stretch. Let’s keep playing, shall we?

Wax on, wax off.
Wendell

Prototype Progress Update – Help Us Bring the Challenge Cards to Life!
about 2 months ago – Tue, Nov 26, 2024 at 05:00:14 PM

Kickstarter Update: A Special Offer for Backers – Igniting Joy is Here!
3 months ago – Tue, Oct 15, 2024 at 02:37:21 PM

Hey everyone,

First, I want to extend my sincerest apologies for the delay in getting Mastering the Game of Allyship into your hands. I know you’ve been waiting, and I truly appreciate your patience and support during this journey. I’ve been working behind the scenes to ensure that when I deliver this book, it will be everything you deserve—and more.

That said, I want to share some exciting news with you: Igniting Joy is now available! 🎉

You might be wondering how this connects to Mastering the Game of Allyship, so let me explain. Writing Igniting Joy unlocked something in me. It gave me the energy and clarity I needed to finish Mastering the Game of Allyship. The truth is, I had hit a wall, and I couldn’t muster the motivation to push through. I kept getting stuck—feeling like I couldn’t give the book my all.

What I realized is that emotional alchemy, the process of turning emotions like anger into creative fuel, was the missing piece. I needed to rev up my anger engine—not in a destructive way, but in a way that allowed me to power through the hard parts of writing and organizing this huge project. Writing Igniting Joy was my way of doing that. It reignited my passion and motivation, and now, Mastering the Game of Allyship is on its way to the finish line.

Igniting Joy is all about using anger, comedy, and emotional alchemy to help people do hard things—and have fun doing them. It’s the engine that fuels creativity, resilience, and boundary-setting. If you’ve ever struggled with procrastination, self-doubt, or hitting a wall in your own work or personal life, this book could be a game-changer for you.

And because you’ve been such incredible backers, I’m offering Igniting Joy on a sliding scale just for you. If you’re in a position to support the project further, I would be incredibly grateful for your contribution, but I completely understand if you’d prefer to access the book for free or at a lower cost. The only thing I ask is that if you do choose the free option, you share the book with your network—whether through social media, email, or word of mouth. Getting the word out means everything to me right now.

Here’s the link to purchase Igniting Joy at the sliding scale: https://wendellbritt.gumroad.com/l/Ignnitingjoy

Inside this book are many of the tools and techniques included in the MTGOA book. This is the fastest way to get started on your Allyship journey. 

I know the world is really messed up right now and many of you (including myself) need a way to metabolize the anger at all the injustice in the world. 

I hope this book inspires you, just as it has inspired me to get back on track with Mastering the Game of Allyship. Emotional alchemy is a powerful tool, and it’s been the key to unlocking the creative energy I needed to finish what I started.

BEFORE I let you go here are some VITAL STATISTICS on the Mastering Allyship Book:

We're at about 300 pages right now...which is....simply too long. It's also ACTUALLY a GAME now. I started off wanting to write a book about gamification, but surprising only myself it's actually turned into a full fledged game. 

The book is essentially the GAME MANUAL of that very game, many of the pieces I've folded into the Igniting Joy Book: 

BARs Deck, Unpacking Questions, and W.A.V.E are all going to be crucial pieces to the Mastering the Game of Allyship system. Also for all the Backers that purchased a Workbook. I have bad news. We're not going to be offering a workbook anymore.... 

INSTEAD you'll get a copy of the Mastering the Game of Allyship CARD GAME. 

This is a game you can play in solitaire mode to learn how to be an Ally to yourself, and a multiplayer mode that simulates the experience of attempting to help someone else collaboratively. I'm very proud of it and excited to get it out to ya'll SOON. 

I'll be DEMO-ing the Mechanics at Miss Bowman's School for the Socially Inept the first week of November in Berkely CA. I'm going to be recording those sessions and will be sending ya'll the recording so you can get a peek under the hood! If you're in the BAY AREA I'd love to be able to connect with y'all in person!

Thank you again for your continued support, patience, and belief in this project. We’re so close to the finish line, and I can’t wait to deliver something that’s truly worthy of your backing.

With gratitude,
Wendell

Mastering the Game of Allyship Digital Event Saturday December 23
about 1 year ago – Thu, Dec 14, 2023 at 03:32:56 PM

Since the last one sold out, I'm going to be hositng ANOTHER Mastering the Game of Allyship Digital Event Saturday December 23rd from 1-4pm. As per usual there will be a recording available. 

 Register for the Event here! 

If you want to have access to the event and FUTURE recordings if you buy the replay link here you'll get access to this and all future Mastering the Game of Allyship Digital Events. 

 Purchase access to the replay library here! 

Also I’m going to be hosting a Weekly Donation based Shadow Work Practica for anyone who wants to get a jump on their Cleaning Up work re: allyship.

It will be hosted Sundays from 1-2pm in the vibecafe- you can just show up and make a donation via Venmo (@Wendell-britt) CashApp ($WendellBritt) or PayPal ([email protected])- No one will be turned away for no payment. Think of this as a drop-in yoga class for your creative practice.

This Practica is designed for ANY creative block you may be encountering and its a way for people to meet up and share what shadows are coming up for them and learning and practicing a cutting edge shadow practice you’ve probably never seen anywhere before (unless you were a student of the Mastering the Game of Allyship course in 2020)

You can find more info on my SHINY NEW WEBSITE. This will be a place to check all the events and such!

Thanks so much for ya’ll support! If you wanna come to the next event feel free to sign up here and bring a friend!

I'm trying to give ya'll as much access to the resources of MTGOA as possible while I finish up the book. If you've got any ideas for the kind fo content you'd like me to create let me know and I'll see about making it happen!

Also still looking for volunteers to do a 1:1 coaching sessino to be recorded for use in the book. Looking for 20 brave volunteers. Your name wont be used but your story WILL. This will allow people to understand that anyone can have tremendous transformation in their allyship if they use these principles!

 Book a session (for FREE) here! 

Mastering the Game of Allyship: Digital Workshop TONIGHT
about 1 year ago – Thu, Nov 30, 2023 at 01:13:21 PM

Hey all! 

Wanted to make another blast for the Mastering the Game of Allyship Digital Event. 

This event was designed to give everyone a full breakdown of the Mastering the Game of Life system so y'all can start playing with it while I'm finishing up the book!

You can purchase tickets here!

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/mastering-the-game-of-allyship-unveiling-event-tickets-741556173477?utm-campaign=social&utm-content=attendeeshare&utm-medium=discovery&utm-term=listing&utm-source=cp&aff=ebdsshcopyurl

If money is an issue feel free to reach out to me at [email protected] I've got a few spots set aside for Kickstarter backers!