From Woman's World · Ed Gross · · 1m 50s
Mom-Powered 'Dungeon Crawler Carl' Creator Shares Story
Erin Ampersand’s 'Apocalypse Parenting' series turns motherhood into a sci-fi survival game.
In brief
Erin Ampersand’s 'Apocalypse Parenting' series turns motherhood into a sci-fi survival game. A mom’s everyday parenting struggles become the hero’s journey in a post-apocalyptic world. Originally reported by Woman's World.
Megan’s World
Megan Moretti, a mom in suburban life, faces an alien invasion that turns Earth into a deadly game.
“The end of the world begins in suburbia, and with one mom who still has kids to raise.”
LitRPG Genre
LitRPG blends science fiction with role-playing game mechanics for character growth and survival.
“Stories containing game-like elements and strong themes of growth.”
Megan’s Origin
Ampersand wrote Megan’s story after years of feeling disconnected from her own writing process.
“I spent decades trying to write books and misunderstanding my own process.”
Suburban Survival
Megan uses household items to create weapons as children develop supernatural abilities.
“They’re trying to fashion kitchen knives and broom handles into spears.”
Moms in Crisis
Ampersand highlights marginalized groups like nursing home residents who gain abilities during the apocalypse.
“Their osteoporosis was cured, their dementia was cured.”
Megan’s Growth
Megan learns to trust her children and accept her flaws while navigating the apocalypse.
“She is a lot more at peace with herself, and not because her flaws have disappeared.”
Dungeon Crawler Carl
Matt Dinniman’s 'Dungeon Crawler Carl' is a popular LitRPG series with a male protagonist.
“Dungeon Crawler Carl has become something much larger than author Matt Dinniman.”
From Royal Road
Ampersand started writing on Royal Road in 2021, then self-published her first book.
“I took that book down off Royal Road and self-published it on Amazon.”
Felicia Day’s Support
Actress Felicia Day recommended Ampersand’s book to her agent, leading to traditional publishing.
“I recommended your book to my agent, and she loved it.”
Engineer’s Odyssey
A companion novel follows Megan’s husband on a cross-country mission to survive the apocalypse.
“Vince and his four coworkers are in Colorado, trying to fight and MacGyver their way back to Alabama.”
Megan’s Realization
Megan realizes her assumptions about others were often self-created judgments.
“She assumed it was mutual, but eventually realized she was intimidated by this person.”
Writing Journey
Ampersand’s writing process shifted from rigid planning to letting stories evolve naturally.
“I failed to write so many novels in the past, and I started writing this after I’d done some world-building.”
Emotional Payoff
Finishing the series brought Ampersand closure after years of creative struggle.
“I’ve got the five books, and I’ve finished the story I’ve been dreaming of writing.”
Parenting as Heroism
Ampersand argues that moms are often overlooked in adventure stories despite their everyday heroism.
“I wanted to see somebody that I could relate to, and so I wrote it.”
Suburban Focus
Unlike Dungeon Crawler Carl, this series keeps action grounded in real-world suburban life.
“We’re not in some insane dungeon; we’re in a suburban neighborhood.”
Five Books Complete
The five-book series is finished, with a companion novel expanding the story.
“I believe strongly that you can have a good story and do just about anything, but you cannot have a great story without a great ending.”
The key point
A mom’s everyday parenting struggles become the hero’s journey in a post-apocalyptic world.
