How to Survive the Apocalypse, Part 2: Tools

Alright, you’ve committed to surviving the apocalypse! Hurray! Now, before you go running into the woods armed with nothing but optimism and a rusty can opener, we need to talk about tools.

Because let’s be honest: "survival" without the right gear is just "delaying death by a few minutes."

The Must-Have tools

There are tools, and then there are tools. The ones that keep you alive. The ones that make life slightly less miserable when civilization is crumbling around you.

Here’s your absolute bare-bones survival kit:

• Knife (or multi-tool) – A good blade is everything. Cutting, prying, whittling, threatening rival scavengers, stabbing zombies—endless possibilities.

• Fire starter – Waterproof matches, a lighter, or (if you’re fancy) a ferro rod. You don’t want to be rubbing sticks together like a chump. It’s also good to know how to build a fire that will last. Call a boy scout.

• Flashlight & Batteries – The apocalypse will be dark. Literally and figuratively, no doubt.

• Basic first aid kit – Because you will cut yourself. No exceptions. Don’t forget the antibiotic ointment!

• Water filtration – A Lifestraw, a Sawyer filter, or at least some purification tablets. Maybe even a pot to boil water in. Drinking straight from a random stream is not the survival flex you think it is.

• Food you don’t have to cook – Canned beans, protein bars, peanut butter. The essentials.

• Map & Compass – If GPS is down, you’ll wish you had these. (Yes, I know you don’t actually know how to use a compass. Learn now, not when you’re lost in the woods.)

The Nice-to-Have tools (a.k.a. “I’d Rather Not Die Miserably")

These aren’t life-or-death essentials, but they’ll make survival significantly less awful:

• A solid backpack – Because carrying your apocalypse loot in a Kroger bag is just sad.

• Tarp or emergency bivvy – Shelter. Rain protection. Improvised sled. Fancy cape. Tons of uses.

• Hand-crank radio – Staying informed is good. Staying entertained is also good.

• Duct tape & zip ties – The real MVPs of problem-solving.

• Portable solar charger – Because deep down, you know you’re still going to want to check your phone.

• Socks! Several extra pairs if you can swing it. I’m serious. If your socks get wet, your feet get cold. If your feet get cold… you’ll probably die.

The “I’m Either a Genius or a Hoarder” Tools

These tools aren’t strictly necessary, but if you happen to have them, you’ll feel like a post-apocalyptic king:

• Crowbar – The Swiss Army knife of breaking and entering.

• Fishing kit – If you’re patient and enjoy eating disappointment.

• Binoculars – So you can spot trouble before it spots you.

• Harmonica – Because even in the apocalypse, someone needs to bring the vibes.

Step 4: The One Tool You Can’t Buy

Your brain.

All the gear in the world won’t help you if you don’t know how to use it. Practice now. Start a fire. Purify water. Learn basic first aid. And most importantly, always ask yourself:

Can I actually survive without WiFi?

If the answer is no… well, it’s time to start training.

The Self-Driving Trolley Car

A self-driving car speeds down the road. The human inside is barely paying attention—probably scrolling, answering emails, or daydreaming about dinner. The AI is doing what it does best: making micro-adjustments, scanning the road ahead, processing more data in a second than a human driver could in a lifetime.

Then, everything goes wrong.

An unexpected obstacle appears. The AI calculates every possible outcome in milliseconds, and none of them are good. It has to make a choice:

• Swerve into a concrete barrier, almost certainly killing the driver.

• Stay the course and plow into a group of pedestrians.

A human might slam the brakes, jerk the wheel, make a desperate, instinct-driven move. But the AI doesn’t panic. It doesn’t hesitate. It simply follows its programming.

And that’s where the real question begins.

Who decides how self-driving cars should be programmed in a life-or-death situation?

Should the car prioritize the person inside—the one who bought it, trusted it, and expected it to keep them safe? Or should it act for the so-called “greater good,” sacrificing one to save many? And if that’s the case, would anyone actually be willing to step inside a car that might be programmed to sacrifice them?

But maybe there’s an even bigger question: if humans struggle with these ethical choices—if we hesitate, if we panic, if we make mistakes—should we really expect AI to be better at determining the “right” choice than humans?

The Modern Day Trolley Car Problem

This is, at its core, a modern twist on the classic trolley problem—that endlessly debated ethical question about whether it’s better to let five people die or pull a lever to actively kill one.

A utilitarian approach says the AI should prioritize saving the most lives, which means the self-driving car should choose to hit the obstacle—even if that means sacrificing the driver. Five lives outweigh one, mathematically speaking.

But there’s a catch. The driver is the customer. The person who paid for the car, who trusted it to be their guardian on the road. No one buys a vehicle expecting it to decide they’re expendable.

If self-driving cars are programmed to protect the most people rather than their owners, would anyone even want to use them? Would you?

And what if the answer isn’t clear-cut? Should AI mimic human instinct—self-preservation, hesitation, split-second irrational choices? Or should it hold to some higher ethical standard, making the hard calls even when humans wouldn’t?

This isn’t some far-off, science-fiction thought experiment. AI-driven decision-making is already happening in all sectors. And so far, different companies have taken different approaches.

Some automakers lean toward prioritizing the driver—because, let’s be real, no one wants to buy a car that might kill them in a crisis. But government regulators might argue that public safety should come first, meaning AI should be programmed to protect the greatest number of people, even if that means sacrificing its passenger.

Ideally, the cars would be safe enough that even in the worst accidents, the driver would be protected. But there will always be a situation the programmers and manufacturers didn’t predict. Meaning, they’ll have to build a set of ethical rules into the programming.

Mercedes-Benz has already stated that if forced to choose, their vehicles would prioritize protecting the driver. The reasoning is simple: people won’t buy a product designed to sacrifice them.

But that raises even more questions.

• If different manufacturers program AI differently, who is responsible when things go wrong?

• If every company sets their own ethical framework, will customers start picking cars based on which brand values their life the most?

• And maybe the biggest question of all—should we even be outsourcing these choices to machines in the first place? Or to corporations, for that matter?

Because let’s not forget the social contract problem.

Right now, people accept that being a pedestrian near traffic comes with some risk—because human drivers are unpredictable. But if self-driving cars are supposed to be flawless, should pedestrians assume they are always protected? Could that lead to riskier behavior—people stepping into traffic because they assume the AI will stop in time?

As self-driving cars move from concept to reality, we’ll be forced to grapple with questions that go beyond convenience or efficiency. Who should AI protect? Who should it sacrifice? Who gets to decide?

Should these decisions be left to private companies, each making their own ethical calls? Should governments step in and set universal rules? And if every manufacturer is making their own choices, how will that shape our roads—and our trust in technology?

The future of transportation isn’t just about speed, safety, or automation. It’s about morality. And whether or not we realize it, the choices we make now will determine who lives and who dies in the world we’re building.

So, if you had to choose, what would you program your self-driving car to do?

Repurposing Marketing Content for Maximum Impact

Writing a book is hard. Marketing a book is also hard. And the idea that you have to constantly churn out fresh, original content on top of everything else? Exhausting.

But here’s the good news: We don’t have to reinvent the wheel every time we want to promote our books. In fact, we shouldn’t. Repurposing content—taking what we’ve already created and using it in new ways—is one of the smartest, most efficient ways to market without burning out.

If you’ve never heard the term “repurposing content” before, don’t worry. It’s not complicated.

Repurposing content is the art of taking something you’ve already created and presenting it in a fresh way for a new audience, a different format, or another platform.

For example:

•  A blog post can become a Twitter thread, an Instagram carousel, or a YouTube script.

• A book excerpt can become a social media teaser, a newsletter feature, or an audiobook sample.

• A live event can be turned into a transcript, a podcast episode, or a set of short video clips.

This isn’t just about saving time, though it definitely does that. It’s about getting the most impact out of every piece of content we create.

Instead of constantly coming up with new things to post, we can strategically use what we already have, and reach more people in the process.

One of the biggest fears authors have about repurposing content is that it might feel redundant to their audience.

While there is a small chance of that happening, it’s unlikely—at least if you are repurposing content intentionally. Here’s why:

1. Not everyone sees everything we post. Thanks to algorithms, people miss content all the time. What feels repetitive to us might be the first time someone else is seeing it.

2. People need repetition to remember things. Marketing is about consistency. It’s why brands repeat the same slogans over and over. Readers need to see your book multiple times before they commit.

3. The same content can be valuable in different formats. Some people love blogs. Some prefer videos. Some scroll Instagram but never check Twitter. Adapting your content for different formats makes it more accessible.

The trick to repurposing content well is tweaking it slightly each time. We don’t want to copy-paste; we want to reframe the same idea to fit different formats and audiences.

Ways to Repurpose Your Existing Content

Now that we’ve covered the why, let’s get into the how. Here are some easy ways to repurpose your content for maximum impact:

Turn Blog Posts into Social Media Content

If you have a blog post (or even a long newsletter), break it down into smaller bite-sized pieces for social media. For example:

• Twitter/X Thread: Summarize the key points in a thread. Each tweet can be one important takeaway.

• Instagram Carousel: Take the main points and turn them into a slide-by-slide explainer with visuals.

• LinkedIn Post: Share a condensed version of the blog post as a text-based post.

• Facebook Post: Post an excerpt from the blog along with a call-to-action (CTA) to read the rest.

Turn Book Content into Marketing Content

You already have a whole book of content—why not use it?

 A few methods:

• Pull quotes: Share compelling lines from your book as text graphics.

• Post excerpts: Share an intriguing snippet of dialogue or a scene that sets the tone.

• Behind-the-scenes insights: Share a story about why you wrote a particular chapter or how you developed a character.

You can also use book content for blog topics. If you wrote a sci-fi novel about deep-space exploration, write a blog about real space travel inspiration. If your book is about a haunted house, write a post about creepy abandoned places.

Repurpose Your Newsletter

Your newsletter is gold for repurposing because it’s content your most engaged readers already love. I do this with every newsletter—repost to my blog, make reels sometimes, or share it on social media.

• Turn your newsletter into a blog post. If you shared a personal story, expand it into a full post.

• Use newsletter content for social media. Pull a key quote and turn it into a post.

• Make a video or audio version. Record yourself reading an interesting newsletter topic and post it as a podcast or TikTok.

• If your newsletter included a funny anecdote about your writing process, post it on Instagram with a photo of your writing space.

• If you gave book recommendations, turn them into a “Top 5 Books I Loved This Month” blog post.

Repurpose Live Events or Interviews

If you’ve ever done a podcast interview, live reading, or Q&A, that content shouldn’t disappear after one use.

• Clip it into shorter videos. Take key moments and post them on TikTok, Instagram Reels, or YouTube Shorts.

• Transcribe the best moments. Use the transcript as a blog post or Twitter thread.

• Create quote graphics. Pull a great line you said and turn it into a visual post.

The Key to Repurposing Content Without Burnout

The biggest mistake authors make when marketing is thinking they have to start from scratch every time. But if you use what you already have, you can save time, energy, and brainpower, simply by redistributing those same ideas in new and interesting ways.

This can help you save your time and energy for writing books, not coming up with new marketing content—and maybe even prevent burnout along the way.

A few strategies to help keep things manageable:

§  Keep a “content bank.” Save snippets, quotes, or ideas from your work so you can reuse them later.

§  Batch your content. Repurpose in bulk—write a blog, then immediately schedule related social posts.

§  Make a content template. Have a go-to format for blog-to-social conversions so it’s easier to reuse content quickly.

Work Smarter, Not Harder

Marketing doesn’t have to be a constant grind of coming up with new ideas. You’re already creating valuable content—you just need to get the most impact out of it.

So the next time you’re feeling overwhelmed by marketing, take a step back and ask:
"Have I already created something I can repurpose?"

Chances are, the answer is yes.

And if big brands can recycle content, so can you.

How to Survive the Apocalypse, Part 1: Scenario Planning

So, you’ve decided to at least try to live through the apocalypse. Congrats! Denial never helped anyone survive a cataclysmic event. But before you start hoarding canned beans and building a bunker out of sheer panic, take a breath. You need a plan.

And not just any plan—many plans.

Because here’s the thing: the apocalypse is a flexible concept. It might be a slow-burn collapse of society. It might be an overnight disaster. It might involve zombies, artificial intelligence, or an unprecedented shortage of coffee. And trust me, that last one is more terrifying than it sounds.

So, how do you plan for the unknown? Scenario planning.

Step 1: Identify Your Flavor of Apocalypse

Not all world-ending events are created equal. You can’t prepare the same way for a nuclear winter as you would for a rogue AI takeover (unless your plan is just “die early”—in which case, I respect your efficiency).

A few potential flavors of doom to consider:

• Nuclear War – Stock up on potassium iodide, learn to love underground living.

• Pandemic 2.0: Electric Boogaloo – Masks, hand sanitizer, and an understanding of how supply chains break down.

• AI Uprising – Are you on good terms with your Roomba? You might want to start being polite.

• Climate Disaster – Know your region. Hurricanes, wildfires, floods—each requires different planning.

• Zombie Outbreak – Cardio. Enough said.

There are a lot more options than that, of course. You might have multiple catastrophes at once—a zombie pandemic caused by an AI uprising triggers a climate disaster! Oh no! Alexander didn’t know his day could get even worse.

Step 2: The “What If?” Game

Now that you have a category, start asking, “What if?” The goal isn’t to panic (though that’s always an option) but to problem-solve before the problem arrives.

• What if the power grid goes down indefinitely?

• What if you have to evacuate with ten minutes’ notice?

• What if the internet vanishes overnight? (Gasp I know.)

• What if you wake up and realize you’re the leader of a small, ragtag group of survivors, and they all expect you to have answers?

By running different scenarios, you can identify gaps in your preparedness. Do you have supplies? A way to communicate? A meeting place for family and friends? A plan that doesn’t rely on Google Maps still working?

Step 3: Be a Little Bit Crazy (But in a Fun Way)

The best preppers aren’t doomsday lunatics—they’re creative problem solvers. Running scenarios doesn’t mean you need to turn your house into a bunker or start exclusively eating MREs. But thinking ahead gives you an edge.

So, start small.

• Test a 24-hour “grid down” drill—no power, no internet, no DoorDash.

• Map out your best evacuation routes, just in case. Maybe buy a map of your local area?

• Play “spot the resource” when you’re out—where’s the nearest fresh water? Where could you shelter? What tools could you grab that might come in handy?

And most importantly? Have a sense of humor about it. Because if the world does end, you’ll want to be stuck with people who can laugh while rationing peanut butter.

Read my very own apocalypse!

Reframing Marketing As Storytelling

Writing a book is a form of art. But marketing a book? It feels like the opposite of that. It feels like spreadsheets, analytics, and awkward self-promotion. It feels like a never-ending checklist of things you’re “supposed” to do. It feels overwhelming, exhausting, and maybe even a little soul-sucking.

But here’s the thing—marketing is storytelling. And as a writer, we already know how to tell a story.

At its core, marketing isn’t about manipulation or algorithms no matter what the gurus say. People were marketing long before algorithms and psychology weaseled their way into capitalism.

Instead, we can think of marketing as simply telling a story that resonates with the right audience. It’s about crafting a narrative that makes people lean in and say, “That sounds interesting—I need to know more.”

 Think about it this way: Every time you write a book description, share a behind-the-scenes post, or tell people why you wrote this particular story, you’re not just promoting your work. You’re building a world, setting the scene, and inviting readers to take a journey with you.

Marketing doesn’t have to be separate from your creativity—it can be an extension of it.

One of the biggest mindset shifts that helped me embrace marketing was this: I am not the main character of my book marketing. My readers are.

When we promote our books, it’s easy to focus on ourselves. Our process, our struggles, our victories. And while that’s fine in small doses, readers ultimately care about one thing: What’s in it for them?

That’s not selfish—it’s human nature. Every reader wants to be drawn into a story that speaks to them. Every reader wants to find the book that scratches the exact itch they’re looking to scratch.

So instead of approaching marketing as selling my book, think of it as telling a story where my reader is the hero.

For example:

• Instead of “I wrote this book because I love worldbuilding,”
  → Try “If you love immersive worlds and intricate lore, this book will be right up your alley.”

• Instead of “I struggled to finish this book, but I’m so glad I did,”
  → Try “If you’ve ever felt stuck in your creative process, I totally get it—here’s how this book helped me push through.”

In the world of MBAs and polo shirts, this is called “customer-centric messaging.” We want to make the reader feel like the book belongs to them before they even buy it.

But how?

Use the Same Tools You Use in Fiction.

You already know how to tell a compelling story. You do it every time you sit down to write. Marketing is just applying those same storytelling techniques to your own work.

Here are a few ways to do that:

1. Hook Them with a Strong Opening

Just like your book needs a great opening line, your marketing needs a great hook. Whether it’s a social media post, an email subject line, or the first sentence of your book description, it should make the reader stop and pay attention.

Bad example: “Hey, I wrote a book. You should check it out.”
Better example: “What if the only way to save the world was to become the villain?”
Best example: “A murderess is accused of killing her husband—ironically, perhaps the only murder she didn’t commit.” (Blood Sugar, by Sasha Rothchild)

2. Show, Don’t Tell

In fiction, you don’t just tell readers what’s happening—you show them through action, dialogue, and sensory details. Do the same in marketing. Instead of saying “This book is really exciting,” share an excerpt that is exciting. Instead of saying “This story is emotional,” describe a moment that will hit readers in the heart.

Other ways of doing this are to show them using images that evoke the feel and experience of the story, create videos depicting moments in the stories, or resharing reader responses (like reviews) that emphasize their experience of the story.

3. Create Emotional Stakes

Readers don’t just buy books. They buy experiences. They buy emotions. They buy the promise of a certain feeling—whether it’s excitement, nostalgia, comfort, or thrill.

Instead of listing off your book’s genre and word count, tap into what makes it matter.

• “This book will break your heart in the best way.”

• “If you love found family, sarcasm, and morally questionable heroes, you’ll love this.”

• “Get ready for an adventure filled with secrets, betrayal, and one character you’ll hate to love.”

These kinds of statements give the reader an experience before they’ve even cracked the book open.

Emotional stakes can come in other ways as well. Doing live events and allowing the reader to engage directly with you, the author, can make them more invested in you and your work. Giving sneak peeks at the story, images, or cover reveals can also help the reader feel emotionally invested in you and the story.

What kind of emotions do you want your reader to experience when they read your story? Try to mimic those with your marketing.

4. Build Suspense

We don’t dump all our plot twists in chapter one, so why would we dump all our marketing at once?

Build anticipation. Tease snippets of your book. Drop little hints about what’s to come.

Instead of “My book comes out next month—preorder now!” try:

• “Here’s a small excerpt from my book, but I won’t tell you who’s speaking.”

• “One of my characters makes a very bad decision in Chapter 7. Any guesses what it is?”

• “I just got my cover back, and I love it. Wanna see a sneak peek?”

Give your audience a reason to keep following along. Ask questions to keep them engaged. It’s not just about coming up with the most generic content, it’s about making it customized and intriguing, and should be based on what we’re offering in our work and what our readers are specifically looking for.

Marketing Is an Invitation, Not a Demand

At the end of the day, marketing isn’t about forcing people to buy your book. It’s about extending an invitation:

"Hey, I made something I think you’ll like. Wanna check it out?"

That’s it. No sleazy tactics. No pretending to be a pushy salesperson. Just sharing a story in a way that makes people curious, engaged, and excited to be part of it.

And when you start thinking about it that way, marketing stops feeling like a chore and starts feeling like what you’ve already been doing all along.

So stop stressing about selling and start telling—because the best marketing is just another damn good story.