Mastering the Game of Allyship

🎶ITS THE FINAL COUNTDOWN🎶 (book launching in the next 48 hours)
15 days ago – Sat, Aug 01, 2026 at 01:03:18 PM

I had a dream! I HOPE and a GOAL™️ to have this book done TODAY. 

And there’s a non-zero chance that IT MIGHT EVEN BE TODAY.

But this last week I’ve been teaching at a writing camp in Baltimore and between teaching and wrangling the youth I find myself in the last stretches with not the requisite spoons.

Editing the emotional alchemy chapter (and mostly whining to my loved ones) forced me to do that horrible horrible thing of having to practice what I preach. And as much as I want yall to see this and I want it out of my hands. 

To do so while there are still some spinach in the teeth ain’t the look specially when I can put my full attention to it after a nights sleep. 

Because allyship that requires you to operate from anxiety (or in my case a desire to be done) is less sustainable than allyship made out of wonder and triumph. 

But I can say. It’s good. At least I like it and I’m excited for yall to read it an enjoy it tooo🫡🫡🫡

I DID finally get the masteringallyship domain set up 
https://masteringallyship.com/mastering-allyship (where you can download a chapter of the book to whet your whistle)

Https://masteringallyship.com/superpower
Follow this link to find your allyship superpower 

Your first chapter of Mastering the Game of Allyship!
about 1 month ago – Wed, Jul 15, 2026 at 12:06:49 PM

This post is for backers only. Please visit Kickstarter.com and log in to read.

🎵It's been a long road; getting from there to here... 🎵 (Virtual Launch Party DEETS INSIDE)
about 1 month ago – Wed, Jul 08, 2026 at 01:16:20 PM

4 years ago you backed a book that didn't exist yet. I am happy if not also incredbly weary to say, that we're in final edits and the book is going to launch on August 1! Check out the sales page here!

You backed it because something resonated in you— that there was a growing distance between the ally you want to be and the one who struggles to show up in the moments where actually counts. 

Hopefully you've read other books since. Done more trainings. And if this message still resonats with you then you're still on the merry-go-round of "how to be an effective ally" 

Which was kind of the point. 

Mastering the Game of Allyship was never meant to only a book — it's a way to make sure that the infinite game of allyship get's played with honor in a way that it's actually enjoyable.

Since starting this book I've developed a few other projects that were essential to helping me finish. I create a digital Allyship Deck that you can draw inspiration from when you're in tough allyship moments.  

I'm developing a roleplaying game based on the Powered By the Apocalypse engine to reveal the mechanics of effective allyship and help marginalized groups teach those who they want to be helped by in a non-threstening but highly engaging environment. 

Many of you have seen me through allyship campaigns to help me overcome obstacles to finishing the book (there's one live right now to help me get a drivabale car to go on the BOOK TOUR). I've also developed an app that's a companion to the work. It's currently in a prototype form, but it promises to help people metabolize their inspiration toward being an effective ally into aligned action with other likeminded people in a card based multiplayer game. 

I also create an Allyship Deck for those of you who want to be able to improve your allyship NOW. The book has the full framework, but the deck is a toolbox of 120 cards that you can use today to improve your allyship!

On July 17th there's a Virtual Launch Party which is also going to be my first of many webinars explaining HOW Mastering the Game of Allyship works, and how you get get started even before August 1.  

I've also created a Kickstarter Backer's page for you to stay up to date on the progress. We're getting SO CLOSE and I want to keep ya'll all informed. The next push will be to get as many people pre-ordered for the book as possible and start the harder work of making a whole organization/movement out of this work. 

July 17 is where it opens. One night, virtual — wherever you are, you're in the room. 

370 of you backed this and waited. It's yours now — all of it.

Come play.

Kickstarter Update: The Manuscript is Finished!
over 1 year 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!
over 1 year ago – Tue, Nov 26, 2024 at 05:00:14 PM