My name is Dustin Triplett.

I'm an award-winning writer with a background in creative non-fiction, screenwriting, and filmmaking.

I cut my teeth as an independent video game journalist writing for outlets like Front Towards Gamer, Yahoo, Examiner, College Life, and The Gamer Zone. I even co-founded the site Geekenstein and co-hosted the accompanying podcast Nuts and Bolts before the burnout caught up and the words ran dry.

Then, after a much-needed hiatus, I came back swinging. My work has appeared in various publications such as The Reprise, The Modern Artist, and engine(idling. I’ve leaned hard into capturing the raw, uncomfortable, and quietly devastating moments that define being alive. I write like it hurts—because it usually does—and I’m not afraid to bleed a little.

I’ve got a degree in English and a history with East Central College, where I served as multimedia editor for the student newspaper, magazine, and website. I was also editor-in-chief of the Literary Review and my short story The Knife Girl Chronicles was winner of the 2016 Creative Non-fiction Writing Contest.

When I’m not writing, I’m either wrangling my three cats or trying to remember how to be a human being in a world that keeps shifting underfoot. I spend my time hanging out with friends, getting lost in the woods with my corgi, or spiraling into YouTube rabbit holes about cults, cryptids, or the slow decay of American infrastructure. Basically, I’m either writing, wandering, or wondering what the hell comes next.

Be sure to check out my Substack where I post original poetry, creative non-fiction, and the occasional unhinged deep-dive into memory, media, and whatever existential crisis is chewing on my ankle that week. It’s a place for the raw drafts, the ones that smell like smoke and feel like they shouldn’t be seen—but are anyway. Think of it as a behind-the-scenes glimpse into the creative process, equal parts confession booth and bonfire. If you’re into gritty storytelling, emotional whiplash, and the poetry of being slightly unwell in a broken world, it might be your kind of thing.

Algorithms Don't Bleed - The Modern Artist

Things That Made Me - the engine(idling - COMING SOON

Welcome Back, Stranger - The Reprise - COMING SEPTEMBER 1, 2025