#i have notes and guidelines through the plot planned out for the story already

[generalsdiary]

alrighty- guys prepare for siren!ratio cos I am cooking sm up

Messy merman / siren Ratio concept art, won't be refining it but I wanted to post it here for you guys

[kestrel-of-herran]

congratulations on the 69k edited words!!! please let me know if you plan on publishing it, whether traditionally or online. I LOVE how vivid and different your descriptions are, and I'd love to read more.

until then, if it's okay, would you mind sharing your writing process? do you plot everything in advance? how do you write your scenes? what do you start with? (sorry if this is intrusive, I just like learning about people's way to write fiction 🌼)

hi! thank you sooo much!!! 💖 it means so much that you're excited to read more of my writing 🥺💗

yes, i'll try to publish it traditionally once it's finished!

and thanks for asking about my writing process! i'll try to answer your questions precisely, hope this isn't too long:

1. on a book level, not everything is planned in advance - i have a lot of major events down, but everything is considered flexible until it's edited and i see that it actually works at that moment in the story, so it's always alright to move scenes around or make a major change if i feel like it as i go along. on a scene level, i try to plan as much as possible, because the plan is like a draft zero of the scene and it helps me figure out the logistics of how things should happen so i can write them, but i love surprising myself in the drafting and editing process so there's lots of room for change there too

2. how do i write the scenes and what i start with:

let's say i already have the major plot points of the scenes down and i'm going to start writing

i always write in sequence by scene, so if i'm writing a scene there's edited text before it and malleable outlines after it. i do this to track character development and keep things interesting for me, as sometimes characters act in unexpected ways

the first thing i do is make a list of everything i know about the scene and everything that needs to happen, in sections, such as how the characters are feeling, what i want the atmosphere to be, what plot-relevant information or foreshadowing i need to integrate in the scene. at this stage it's alright if i still don't know how to weave these together, it's just important to keep all of it in mind and to think about it

i usually get a lot of ideas about the scene while getting these points sorted, i know how an emotion will manifest or how something will be foreshadowed, so these turn into smaller plot points for the scene

it's time to order the events now, so i write a draft zero, which is the whole scene written without paragraphs, with points separated by dashes, in the present tense, with the aim of just getting all my thoughts down into the event sequence and imagining the whole scene. it's alright if there are things i'm uncertain about here, and i often write several different ways for things to happen that i can choose from or completely discard and invent a new way later

once this is done, i write the first draft, which is when i start seeing the paragraphing of the scene, the general length of passages and of speech, and i get some good ideas for phrasing. i work from the draft zero but i'm also free to change things, i often write several possible versions of some lines or word choices, and i add notes for things i want to implement in the final draft

this step is not always present, but if any part of the first draft isn't feeling very "solid" (i call that writing that can stand on its two feet, that feels good and sensible to read), i make editorial notes on that part when i get to editing it, sometimes a new plan if i'm making a major change, and then i redraft, with the redraft sometimes needing its own draft zero first too

then comes the most time-consuming part of the process, doing the final/edited draft. the (solid) first draft acts as a guideline now, but i always look at all my previous notes for every section of the scene when i get to it, in case something important fell through between draft zero and draft one. i edit by sentence/paragraph, so i split the scene in sections, and work on them chronologically, editing or rewriting the passage as needed, adding or removing things, and thinking very carefully about word choice, sequence of information disclosure, tension, things like gaze-continuity (if a character is looking at one part of a room, bringing their attention to the other might need a stimuli, such as noise), factual accuracy, metaphor, emotional complexity... i spend a lot of time writing versions of the sentence, split in parts along the commas, with very subtle differences in word choice so i can compare their effect in context, before i finalize it and add it to the finished text above. i use a thesaurus to make sure i'm not forgetting some obviously better word choice, and i often look things up in that stage to make sure i have facts right. i reread everything tirelessly, within context, so i can spot repetition and parallel sentence structures that i want to avoid. i don't consider word count at all (i have some 100+ word sentences that really pack a punch), just the flow of the scene and the quality of the writing.

i hope this answers your questions, sorry it turned out so long! and thank you so much for your continued support! 💝

[serendipitous-magic]

What is your writing advice for young people who want to write fanfiction and original stories in the near future?

If this is just Way Too Much, skip to the end (#16). My most important piece of advice is there. I also happen to think #5 is pretty good.

-_-_-_-

1) Literally just write. Write whatever you want, and do a lot of it.

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2) You don’t have to post everything. In fact you don’t have to post anything. You can, don’t get me wrong, but it can be intimidating to sit down and think “I will now write something that other people will see and read and judge with their eyeballs.” Because that’s probably gonna lead to nerves and writer's block. Just write down the ideas that you have, the things you want to write, whatever’s in your brain that you want to explore and expand upon and make into something. And then if you want to, share it. Or don’t share it. I have plenty of half-baked ideas and documents and random story chapters and shit hidden away on my Google Drive that will never see the light of day, for a whole number of reasons. I wanted to write it but it wasn’t ~Spicy~ enough to warrant posting, or it’s only like an eighth of a good idea, or it’s like one scene with no story around it, or it’s just something incredibly self-indulgent I just wanted to write for my own enjoyment.

Point being, don’t write for other people. Don’t write so that other people can read it; write what you want, write for yourself, and then if you want to share it, do.

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3) You can pretty much ignore any and all of these for fanfiction. In fact, you can ignore pretty much any rules or guidelines you want for fanfiction. Fanfic is a sandbox. You don’t have to be a “professional writer” to post fic. No one expects you to be Stephen King or Margaret Atwood. Fanfic is just for playing in a fandom and having fun. If you wanna write a 50 chapter slow burn with very little plot aside from the OTP slowly getting to know each other, and no real stakes or central conflict, I guarantee people would read that. Really, fanfiction is the Old West of writing: lawless, wild, unpredictable, and free.

However, here are the rules you must follow:

-Separate your paragraphs. (I’m sure you know this already, but I’m gonna say it anyway just in case.) Do not post one big block of text. Make a paragraph break when someone new is talking, when the characters are in a new place, when a new event occurs that changes the scene, when a chunk of time has passed, and when there’s a major change in subject.

-I know it’s obvious, but... grammar, punctuation, and capitalization. They exist to make writing easy for readers to read, and more people will read your stuff if they don’t have to stop and try to figure out what you meant.

-Use tags and labels, as is possible with whatever site you’re using. Especially if you include possibly triggering content in your story. Again, I know it’s obvious, but it’s common courtesy. Bonus: tagging the themes and content of your story helps readers find it and read it :)

-If possible, limit the use of all-caps and exclamation marks / question marks. 99% of the time, one ! or one ? will do. If you overload the page with a lot of all-caps and long rows of exclamation marks or question marks, it hampers readability.

... That’s literally all I can think of. And, like I said, it’s all pretty basic stuff. You were probably rolling your eyes like, “Uh, yeah, Gwen, I know.” But that’s literally it. You can pretty much do whatever you want in fanfic.

That being said, here’s my advice for both fanfiction and original work...

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4) A quick and dirty rule for coming up with a plot, starting a story, keeping up pacing, or maintaining tension: figure out what dreams, desires, and goals are nearest and dearest to your main character’s heart (see #16). Then set up the main conflict to be directly in opposition to that goal. It doesn’t have to be in a tangible way, though it could be. But, if your main character wants more than anything to reach the ships on the southern coast of your world and sail to a new life, make sure the main conflict immediately prevents them from doing that - in fact, make sure to send them north. If your main character just wants to keep their loved ones safe, kidnap the loved ones. If your main character just wants to date their best-friend-turned-crush, make sure they think they have no chance - or, make them cocky about it, and make sure it makes Person B determined not to ever like them. You get it. Figure out what your character most wants, and then keep them from having that. Boom - your conflict now ties in with your character's motivation. It's like instant yeast for plots.

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5) If you’re anything like me, you want your first draft to be Good, despite all that advice about how the first draft doesn’t have to be good and it’s just to get words on the page, yadda yadda. And if you’re somewhat of a perfectionist (like myself), it’s easy to get stuck looking at a blank page because you don’t have The Perfect Words, and you want what you write to be Good the first time.

Here’s how I cheat that:

Instead of trying to write a Good First Draft from a blank page, hit the enter key a few times, skip a little down on the page, change your ink to red (or blue, or whatever - just something immediately identifiable as Not Black) and just thought vomit. Write whatever the hell you’re thinking, exactly as you think it. Don’t worry about it being readable, don’t worry about narrative flow for now, don’t worry about covering all the details, don’t worry about anything except either a) getting all the details of your idea out onto the page, whether that’s a lot or whether it’s just a sentence or two, or b) if you don’t have an idea yet, finding your way there.

Because this method is also very good for finding your way to ideas when you’re stuck in writer’s block.

Because of how human brains work, getting this stuff out onto the page - in all its messy, stream-of-consciousness glory - will likely spark more thoughts. As you write your original idea about the scene, it’ll likely spark more ideas. Creation begets creation. If you just start thought-vomiting your ideas onto the page, chances are you’ll think of more things as you go, and you’ll start filling out description or dialogue or tone or action or whatever, and pretty soon the scene starts writing itself.

Not sure where you’re going with the scene or which ideas you wanna use? Use a lot of ambivalent language in your “thought-vomit draft.” My pre-writing notes are chock-full of the words “maybe,” “perhaps,” and the phrases, “At some point...” and “...or something like that.” In this way, I don’t tie myself down to one idea; it’s just an idea, and I’m keeping it on the page in case I use it, but I might chuck it in the trash or change it or whatever.

And then, once your ideas for the scene (or story, or chapter, or whatever) are on the page, then go back to the top and start translating them into a “real” first draft. Use black ink, and start copy-pasting chunks of the thought-vomit up into the top part of the document and translating them into Draft 1. Separate out paragraphs where paragraph breaks should be. Add the correct punctuation and whatnot. Change “describe the lobby here - include potted plants, fancy carpet, blood stain, etc.” into an actual description of the lobby. Flesh it out, or condense, or whatever it needs. And if you’re still stuck, change back to red ink and ramble some more until you find a path that feels right, then plug that in. This keeps you from looking at a blank page, and it allows you to generate a kind of Draft 0.5, somewhere between a plan and a first draft.

You don’t have to use every idea. Like I said, jot down whatever comes to mind, put a “maybe” before or after it, and keep working. If the idea grabs you and you wanna keep expanding on it and exploring it, cool. If you just wanna jot it down so you don’t forget it and then move on, also cool. Red-ink draft / “thought-vomit draft” is your time to jump around in the timeline, add or finesse details at whatever point your brain moves to, etc. Don’t try to do it exactly in story order, because you will get tangential thoughts and ideas, and you will not remember to write them down five pages later when you finally get to taking notes on that scene. Trust me. On that note...

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6) Write everything down the moment you think of it. Seriously.

“I’ll remember it when I get around to writing that scene in a couple days / weeks / months (/years).”

You won’t.

Write it down.

Phone, journal, google docs - hell, my family regularly laughs at me for grabbing a napkin during dinner and scribbling thoughts down alongside pasta sauce stains.

And then, once you have it written down somewhere...

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7) Consolidate your writing ideas in one place.

Maybe this isn’t really your style, and that’s totally chill.

Buuuut, if you’re Type-A like me - or if you tend to be somewhat unorganized and you know you’ll lose track of your writing notes if they’re scattered across multiple notebooks, journals, napkins, phone notes, etc. - having one consolidated document of notes is a life saver. I keep mine on Google Docs so I can access it, add to it, and look through it for inspiration anywhere at any time. When I have one of those Shower Thoughts that I jot down on my phone or on a napkin during dinner, I set myself a reminder on my phone to type it up in my Story Ideas document later.

(Or, if the idea I had was for a story of mine that I’ve already started planning / drafting / whatever, I put it in the document for that story instead of the Big Random Story Ideas doc. You get it.)

_-_

8) Have other ways to collect and save writing ideas, besides just writing stuff down. If you like Pinterest, make pinterest boards of your characters or stories or settings or whatever. If you’re big into playlists, make a playlist for your character / setting / story / etc. Or both. Or something else. I’m not good at drawing, but maybe you are, and maybe you like to draw your ideas. Whatever form it takes, having another way to save ideas and think about your stories is invaluable.

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9) Some writers can just start writing with no idea where the story is going, and they just kind of figure it out as they go. I envy those writers. And I do that sometimes for fanfiction, where the stakes are somewhat lower and the audience is reading more for scene-to-scene enjoyment (and to see their OTP kiss) than for a Driving And Compelling Narrative.

But here’s the thing: especially if you’re just kind of starting out, writing without some sort of plan is really, really hard, and will likely lead you into a slow, meandering narrative that will likely frustrate you.

Even if you think you’re someone that just can’t write with a plan (and again, I have the highest respect for pansters out there - I don’t know how you do it, you crazy bastards, but you keep doing you) - even if you think “I can’t work with plans, they’re too prescriptive, I just want to write and see what happens -”

Try at least making the most skeletal of plans.

Even if you have no clue what 90% of the story is, yet. That’s fine. But you need to have some idea of what you’re building to, even if that’s nothing more specific than a feeling, or a turning point for your character. Even if your entire plan for everything beyond Chapter 1 is, “At some point, Charlie needs to realize that Ed was lying to her.”

This is where those Draft 0.5 notes come in handy. Because, more than likely, working on your current scene that way will spark ideas for later scenes, which you can put down at the bottom of the document and save for when they become relevant. In my experience, the line between planning ahead and making a Draft 0.5 is exceptionally thin. One can quickly turn into the other.

If you’re really, really resistant to the idea of planning ahead, that’s okay. It’s not everybody’s style. But for the love of all that is holy, write down your ideas for future scenes, even if you’re a person that doesn’t like to plan and writes only in story order, because you will not remember that idea once you get to that scene.

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10) You don’t have to write in order.

Here’s the thing: I’m a person that can only do my Draft 1 in story order (meaning, chronological order). I just have to be in that flow; I need to write in story order for me to best channel where the character is at from scene to scene, both narratively and emotionally.

But my Thought Vomit Draft is another thing entirely. By using the brain hack of putting my notes in red (or another color, it doesn’t matter) and going down to the bottom of the document / page and taking notes there, and then integrating them into whatever plan I have, and then translating them into Draft 1 once I get there in the story - by doing that, I can get my good ideas onto the page (and expound upon them and let my muse carry me and ride that momentum while I’m in the moment of inspiration) without writing out of order.

Maybe that’s just me. But if you’re a person who really prefers to write in story order, that could be hugely helpful to you. It is to me.

_-_

11) Emotion and motivation will do more for your story than technicalities of plot.

If your characters really care about something, and their journey through the (shaky or weak) plot is emotionally engaging, it will be a much more compelling story than a story with a “perfect” plot and unrelatable or unmotivated characters.

If your characters care about what they’re doing, and it means something to them, and their goals and actions are driven by dreams or fears or emotions that are integral to who they are, your audience will care too. If you have a perfectly crafted plot that hits all the right beats and has high stakes and fast pacing and drama - but your characters don’t connect with what’s happening in a way that’s deeply meaningful or emotional for them? You’re gonna have a hard time engaging readers.

When in doubt, prioritize character emotion and motivation over plot. Emotion is what drives story.

This power is highly exploitable. (Just look at pulp novels and shitty but entertaining movies.) You can even use it to glaze over plot holes or reinvigorate a limp narrative. Use it that way sparingly, though. It’s a band-aid, not a surgery. 

_-_

12) Evil villains are hard to write - mostly because there are very few truly evil people in the world. (There are a few. Billionaires and several big name politicians come to mind.) But by and large, there aren’t that many evil people. There are plenty of bad people, but bad people have some good in them, somewhere in there. Trying to write an evil villain is hard, because they often turn very cartoony.

Here’s a tip: it’s much easier to write antagonists who aren’t evil. Even if they’re bad people. Of course, there’s no reason you can’t write a villain that’s just truly evil - a serial killer, or an abuser, or a billionaire, or someone who legit just wants to hurt people or blow up the earth or stay in control of an oppressed population, or whatever. But chances are, it’s gonna be really hard to make them feel real, and even harder to create a plot around them that doesn’t feel forced or contrived.

Instead, try writing an antagonist / villain whose motivations and goals directly clash with your protagonist’s - but not because they want to take over the world or see people suffer. Write an antagonist who’s chaotic good, but whose perception of the situation is completely opposite from your hero’s. Write an antagonist whose only desire is to save people, and who will do anything to achieve that goal - anything. Write an antagonist who believes in the letter of the law, and will hinder and oppose the hero’s methods even if they agree with the hero’s motivation. Write an antagonist who got in way over their head and did some things they regret, and now they don’t know how to get out, and they’re doing their best but whatever they set in motion is too powerful for them to stop now.

Write villains who are human. Write a killer who thought they were doing the right thing by taking their victim out of the equation, who vomits at the sight of the body and sobs over the grave they dig. Write a government leader who truly believes she’s doing what’s best for her people in the long-term, even if it might hurt them in the short term, and is willing to endure the hatred and belligerence of the masses if it means securing what she thinks is a better future for her people. Write a teenage bully that thinks they’re the one being picked on by the world, and they’re just fighting back, standing their ground. Write a scientist who will break any code of ethics and hurt anyone he needs to - in order to bring back his baby sister from the grave, because he promised her he’d protect her and he failed. Write an antagonist who is selfish and self-centered and capricious - because in order to survive they had to look out for Number One, and that habit ain’t about to break anytime soon.

Write villains who aren’t even villains. Write antagonists who oppose the hero because of moral differences. Write antagonists who are trying to do the right thing. Write antagonists who treat the heroes with kindness and dignity and respect and gentleness.

They don’t have to be good. They don’t have to be Misunderstood Sweethearts who “deserve” a redemption arc. They can be cruel and nasty and dismissive and callous and violent and etc. etc.

Just hesitate before you make them Evil-with-a-capital-E. Because evil is hard to write, and honestly, boring to read. Flawed human beings with goals and motivations that directly oppose the main characters’ are much easier to write and much more interesting to read.

Ask why. Why is your villain trying to take over the world? What does that even mean? Are they trying to create a Star-Trek-like post-capitalism utopia, but they know that won’t happen in a million lifetimes, so they’re trying to do it by force? Are they actually super in favor of human rights, but they got very impatient waiting for the world to do anything about poverty and war, so they decided to take it into their own hands? Are they determined to fix the world - no matter the cost? Are they terrified and overwhelmed, but committed to see it through to the end? Or - maybe they’re just doing it on a dare. Maybe they don’t really give a shit about world domination, they were just a mediocre rich white guy who decided to fuck around and find out, and now he’s kind of curious how far he can take this thing. And now he’s kind of an internationally-wanted criminal, so he’s kind of stuck living on his hidden private island in his multi-billion dollar secret base, strapping lasers to sharks’ heads for the hell of it. Gross, selfish, uncaring, and dangerous? For sure. Evil? Depends on your definition. See, now we’re getting somewhere.

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13) It’s tempting to let the plot control the characters. It’s easy to drop your characters into a situation and see how they react. But here’s the thing: that doesn’t drive plot. In fact, it bogs down pacing. Instead, try to build you plot off of your characters’ actions and decisions. Let your character build their own situation. Not to say it should go they way they wanted it to go; in fact, usually, their grand plans should go to hell very quickly. But having the characters take action and make decisions, and letting the plot develop based on that, is much easier to make compelling than making a rigid series of events and then trying to herd your characters into them.

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14) Having trouble justifying a character’s actions? Consider having them make the opposite decision, or having them approach the situation in a different way. For example: you need your character to go meet the bad guy, for plot reasons, even though there’s no way it’s not a trap. If the character goes, readers are gonna be groaning with their head in their hands, because c’mon man, that was really fucking stupid. But he’s gotta go, because the plot needs that. Two ways you might handle this: a) He knows it’s probably a trap. He decides not to go. The plot conspires to get him near the villain anyway. Or, b) He knows it’s a trap. But he needs to go, for (insert reasons here). So, he approaches it in an unexpected way. He brings backup, recruiting a side character we met earlier in the story. Or he arrives on the back of a dragon, because ain’t nobody gonna fuck with a dude on a dragon. Or he goes - early, and ambushes the villain. It may work, it may not. He may get himself kidnapped anyway. But it moves the plot along without having Stupid Hero Syndrome.

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15) This is a legit piece of advice: if all of this sounds overwhelming, literally just ignore it and write what you want. For real. Writing should be fun, and every single writer operates differently. If you’re sitting here like “I’m getting stressed just reading this,” just flip me a good-natured bird and get on with your life. I promise I won’t take it personally. Same goes for literally any other writing advice you see. Lots of rules and guidelines can very quickly make anything thoroughly un-fun. Just write. If you’re passionate about it and you do it for long enough, you’ll start figuring out the tips and tricks on your own.

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16) Here’s the best piece of advice I can give you: know your characters. More importantly, know what’s important to them. Build their personality and decisions off of that, and build your plot off of their decisions.

I see a lot of character building sheets that ask a shit-ton of questions like “What’s their most prized possession?” “Do they like their family?” “What’s their favorite food?”

And while these are good questions, my problem with this type of character building is that if you start there, with the little stuff, you’re building on nothing. IMO, to make a truly strong character (not strong like Inner Strength, strong like effective), you need a strong foundation.

Here are the things you must know about your character:

a) What are their greatest fears / deepest insecurities? And I don’t mean “wasps” or “heights.” I mean the deep shit. I mean fears like “living a meaningless life,” or “turning out just like their parents,” or “that no one will ever love them,” or “being powerless.” You may say, “But they’re really scared of wasps! They fall into a wasp nest when they were little and got stung so much they almost died!” Great! That’s a fantastic bit of backstory. They should absolutely be afraid of wasps, and that should absolutely be an impediment later in the story. But dig deeper. What about that event actually scarred them? Was it the helplessness? Stumbling around, swatting at the air, not being able to do a single thing to stop what was happening to them? Was it that they were alone, and no matter how loud they screamed, no one was coming? Was it the bodily horror of feeling themself turn into an inhuman creature as they swelled up from the stings, unable to move their fingers or face normally anymore?

And don’t forget insecurities, because those factor in, too. Are they deeply insecure about their identity? Do they believe, deep down, that they’re ugly? Did they grow up poor and they’ve always been really touchy about that? Why? Dig deep. Figure out what really, really bothers them.

b) What are their hopes and dreams? What do they truly want out of life? What do they consider the most valuable to their experience here in this thing called life? Is it the freedom to forge their own path and be independent? Is it the approval of their family or peers? Is it a home? Is it knowledge, or understanding? Spiritual fulfillment? Is it deeply important to them that they contribute to their community, or protect those they love? What do they need in order to feel truly and deeply fulfilled in life?

Figure out those two things (each one encompasses several things, btw, you don’t have to stop at just one for each), and then use that to inform how they behave and the types of decisions they make within the story. 

It also informs character behavior and personality. 

Let’s say we have a character who’s afraid of helplessness. They’re probably gonna be the person that always wants to do something, try something, no matter how hopeless the situation seems. They’d despise just sitting and waiting, probably, because it makes them feel powerless. They might even be the person that makes rash decisions and acts impulsively and puts themself in danger unnecessarily, because in their mind it’s better than being at the mercy of fate. This is one way you could use a character’s personality to inform their decisions, which in turn helps to inform plot.

Or, let’s say we have a character whose greatest fear is being left behind or forgotten. We may have a chatterbox on our hands. They might be obnoxious. They might love the spotlight, constantly vying for attention no matter the situation, because deep down they’re so afraid that they’d be forgotten otherwise. Or, it may go the opposite way. They may be so afraid of people leaving them that they’re terrified of bothering people. They don’t want to do anything that could annoy people, anything that might give people a reason to leave them. They might be exceedingly polite, quiet, accommodating. A push-over, really.

These are two nearly opposite types of personalities, both stemming from the same core fear/insecurity. You can go a lot of different ways with it. But if you build on that strong foundation, you’ll have a strong character, and a stronger plot.

Likewise, the structure of your story can and should inform the design of these character traits. If you need your characters to team up near the end, it may be impactful if you give your main character a deep fear of commitment, an insecurity about being unwanted or left behind, and make them highly value independence and freedom. That could make their team-up for the final battle very meaningful. Conversely, you can use your character’s deepest fears and desires to help design the plot. Is your character deeply insecure about voicing their opinions or taking a stand, because of trauma they faced in the past? Make them face that. Build that into the climactic third act. Give them the big inspirational speech where they stand up and talk about what they believe to be important, what they think the group should do. And then design that character arc to run through the story, giving you more handholds and stepping stones, more pieces of foundation on which to design the plot.

In this way, character should inform story as much as story informs character. It’s a feedback loop.

Bonus: if you build your character and your plot off of each other in this way, it automatically starts to build in the foundations of that emotional investment I mentioned earlier. If your character’s decisions are based on what they most want and do not want in life, you basically have your character motivation and stakes pre-built.

Note: you need to know these things about your villain, too.

-_-_-

I’m genuinely sorry about the length of this, lmao. But you did ask.

Best of luck!

Edit: I forgot an important one:

17) Start when the scene starts and end when the scene ends.

What do I mean by that?

If your notes say “Danny asks Nicole out after school and majorly flubs it,�� start the scene when Danny approaches Nicole after school. Better yet, cold-open the scene on “I was wondering if, you know, you’d wanna. You know. Hang out some time?”

Don’t start that morning when Danny goes to school, unless you’re gonna cover the school day in like one or two sentences. Don’t spend whole paragraphs going through the school day, unless it’s to cover other plot points first (in which case apply these same guidelines there), or if the paragraphs are there for a specific reason, like to illustrate how stressed he is and how it seems like every little thing is going wrong. Even then, trim the fat as much as possible. Expounding and describing everything Moment-to-moment is for the meat of the scenes, not the leading-up-to and coming-away-from.

Here’s my rule of thumb: study how and when movies cut from scene to scene. Movies have exceptionally strict, limited time for storytelling; they’re excellent examples of starting a scene when the plot point starts and ending when it’s over. If you can’t picture a movie showing everything you showed, start the scene later and end it earlier.

[dailyadventureprompts]

Drafting the Adventure: What you’ll need before you set out

A friend recently asked me how I prepare for my sessions, and on a larger note, how I prepare for my campaigns. Ironically I wasn’t prepared for this question at all, so I ended up making an absolute hash of describing my process. In formulating my answer for a second attempt, I realized I had a pretty good guideline for those who want some help in the tricky sections of building a campaign.

So this is for my friend, and all those DMs out there that want to improve their storytelling skills. I can’t promise this’ll be the awnser in every case, but just like using plot structure to plan out a book, it’ll provide a scaffolding on which you can improve and improvise through your successive drafts. 

(Since this is mostly a writing guide I’ll presume you’ve found yourself a gaggle of players who can play semi-reliably, you’ve already agreed upon a system, and are now looking at pitching them a game. ( Check out the Brilliant Matt Coville’s video on pitching campaigns HERE) )

What you’ll need first: 

An Idea for what your players are going to be doing during this campaign. ( The Centeral Gameplay Pillar) This is one of the most important things that I almost always see new dungeonmasters skipping, mainly because they’re so excited at the idea of playing ANY d&d that they presume that the default “Catchall Generic Fantasy Adventure” is a strong enough premise to sustain an entire campaign. It’s not. By trying to include every spice on the spicerack your writing ends up a confused mess and your players end up creating characters that conflict with one another on thematic and even genre levels. This IDEA is also not reliant on the STORY: what your players are doing and why they’re doing it can be two related concepts with one inspiring the other, but even if you don’t have the story on lock at this point ( and you shouldn’t) you need to know what the primary mode of gameplay is going to look like.

 For a few media examples:

Lord of the Rings is a story about TRAVEL, with every new adventure being a new region the fellowship needs to get through in order to reach their goal, navigating hazards unique to that terrain in the process. The lore, the thematics, and the brewing battle between Sauon’s forces and the forces of good? All of those are emergant from the process of traveling.

 The Witcher is about MYSTERY, with Geralt being confronted with an unknown threat and being forced to figure out how it’s killing, why, and how to overcome it. While the franchise does include grand politics and world ending threats, Geralt always approaches them as someone who needs to gather clues and work out true motivations before he can act. 

The Mandelorian is about BOUNTYHUNTING, with every new job bringing a new series of challenges that Mando needs to face off against. Rather than sussing out hidden motivations, our heavily armored protagonist generally has all the information he needs, the fun of these hunts comes from seeing just how things go wrong when he’s forced to take stupid risks. 

Comb through your notes and inspirations and find that central gameplay pillar, even if it only happens a few times over the course of your campaign: Big Tactical Setpiece battles are great to punctuate the different acts of your game, where as the rest of your adventures can be about the diplomacy and logistics that determine where and how those battles are fought. A piracy or heist game only needs a few big scores, with the remainder of the adventures being about acquiring the tools/information necessary to pull it off, and the ensuing fallout once the plan goes awry. 

Once you have this central pillar established, THEN you can pitch your party on what the campaign is about, including details like the setting or genre or level of grittiness. Players are going to make wildly different characters if you pitch them on a retro scifi travel game, than if you pitch them on a gothic horror bountyhunting game, than if you pitch them on a classic fantasy dungeoncrawler, but its important that they’re clear on what they’re going to be doing before they start brainstorming their role in it.

 Also note that  not all players are a genresavvy as we DMs, so be sure to be upfront about what’s involved in the central pillar, include a few teases at hypothetical adventures along with your pitch, so they can get a feel for it. 

Next Step: The Pilot/Beta/Crash test Adventure

While the idea of a session zero has grown in popularity, I think there’s an equally important technique that we’ve yet to codify, and that’s “The Pilot Adventure”; a self contained story that shows the adventurers doing a condensed version of what they’re going to be doing for the rest of the campaign, a bitesized example of that centeral gameplay pillar so that the players gets a taste of what they signed up for. The pilot is also directly personalized to the characters’ motivations and capabilities, a challenge they’re eager to face and more than capable of tackling, so we ( and our players) can see them in action and begin to form a dynamic. 

TV shows have pilots to ensure that everything works, the actors are right for their roles, the setup is compelling for an audience, and that the production team can get everything done within their budget and on time. Likewise a pilot ADVENTURE is for you the DM to run through and A) Check to make sure things will run smoothly B) Identify those areas that will be trouble, either with the party, your prep, or the gameplay itself and make improvements on next time. 

If the pilot messes up, you fix it before you continue, and if it messes up BADLY, you just do it again, adjusting as you go. For this reason I highly recommend isolating the pilot from the larger meta-plot, using gameplay and thematic connections to the larger story but saving any actual exposition for when you’re sure things will work.   To use lord of the rings as an example once again, the journey from the shire to Bree to weathertop is actually pretty tame, evoking the challenges of the journey the fellowship will later go on, but with much more manageable stakes. It’s only after we get to the council of Elrond that we get the full meta-plot infodump, learn Aragorn’s backstory, and lay out the history of the world that’ll pave the way for the epic battles ahead. 

Once you’ve pitched your party on your campaign ONLY worry about the Pilot Adventure, build it out as much as possible and leave everything else in the campaign for later. Just focusing on the one adventure for the time being will prevent you from getting distracted with material the party may not ever see, and will teach you exactly how much work will be needed for each adventure going forward

Finally: Getting your Players into your Story With the Onramp

Remember what I said about keeping your meta-plot isolated from the Pilot? Well there’s an art to de-isolation, and it begins with a technique I like to call “ The Onramp”. In any epic story, there are the personal stakes ( what the players/characters/readers care about) and then there are the grand stakes ( what the world/story cares about), SO MANY DMs fail at building personal stakes, in no small part because they don’t know who their party is going to be when they have the original idea for their campaign. Its hard to plan for big character moments in the plot when those those characters don’t exist yet. 

Starting with a personalized Pilot adventure within the world of our larger campaign lets us start building connections between what the players/characters want, and the challenges the world is about to throw at them. The standoffish loner who only wants to get paid is going to bail if they’re confronted with a life-or death challenge, but if they’ve spent a couple of adventures building a rapport with their fellow heroes, they might go against their better judgement for the sake of their dawning friendship. Likewise, a common sellsword is thoroughly out of their depth when confronted with a the threat of word-changing magical disaster, but starts to have options if they’ve made allies with a powerful npc spepllcaster who’s had a couple sidequests for them and identified whatever items they pulled out of the starting dungeon. 

Onramping is an ongoing process, and it requires some extra ( but very satisfactory) legwork for you as a DM. What’s the BIG story going on in your campaign world? What’s the big action setpiece that you’re imagining for the end of this arc? Work backwards from those and figure out how the circumstances that led to that might create knock on effects that’d get your players involved. Cult planning a big demon-lord sacrifice? Word of a gang of slavers reaches them, attacking travlers across a nearby stretch of road. Enemy nation invading across the mountains? The NPC that hands out their bounties is part of the local garrison, and the party encounters some of the enemy scouts while hunting a monster for them. 

Generally when I’m building an Onramp, I follow up the rather scripted Pilot adventure with a mini-sandbox, I dangle adventure hooks that apply to different interests the party may have, all of which eventually Onramp them into the main plot. If they don’t like signing up with that faction or following that rumor or traveling to that particular region? that’s all good, there’s another Onramp waiting for them in just a little bit, and I can use the extra time to flesh out the main story summore. 

I hope this is helpful for you DMs out there, especially those like me that live for those epic, meaningful story moments and wish there was more advice out there for creating those sorts of narratives. For a long time the philosophy has seemed to be “ Just do whatever at the table and it’ll all be worth it in the end”, but I think practicing with these storytelling techniques is one of the main ways we’re going to make ourselves better Dungeonmasters. 

Thankyou for reading all the way to the end, if you liked this, would like more DM advice, and a wealth of ideas you can use to jumpstart your own campaigns, please check me out at @dailyadventureprompts. 

[dmsden]

How Much Prep? - Tips on campaign and encounter prep

Hullo, Gentle Readers. This week's Question from a Denizen comes from my good friend Rourkie, a veteran player of my games and DM in their own right. They ask, “Any hot tips or tricks for long-term campaign planning? There's a couple of games I'd like to run in the future but I'm absolutely rubbish at planning and pacing my adventure out ahead of time, even if I know it'll be better for being pre-planned. Lol”

Campaign prep for me is a delicate balancing act. If you prep too much, you risk your players taking things in a direction you didn't plan for, and you end up having to shelve a lot of work that you've done. If you prep too little, then you run the risk of running out of things to throw at your players during a game session. It's a challenge.

I'll start by saying that, while I don't recommend it to everyone, having a solid idea of the world I'm running the game in works well for me. I started working on the world of the Shattered Pact as soon as 4th edition D&D was announced, and I didn't start running my game for several years after 4e had been released. That gave me lots of time to create a setting I liked...one that felt to me like an old-school setting, but also one that had room for all the things I was hearing about 4e. With a solid world like that, I'm never concerned about running out of things for my players to do. I can always pull something out of my lore or the culture of the area, even if it's just to delay the PCs for the rest of the session so that I can plan for the next one.

Quite often, when I start a campaign, I have a strong opening set piece I want to run, a strong idea of how I want the campaign to conclude, and a number of ideas for things that would be fun to explore during the campaign. I then leave a lot up to player agency. For example, when I started my Swords of the Amanar campaign, I had the idea for a giant showdown at the end in a dreamworld ruled by an Elder Brain Lich. I also had an image of the players being essentially deserted by their mentors in the same town, and then a kobold attack with a mysterious force behind it that would present a mystery. Exploring that mystery would eventually lead to discovering the existence of the Elder Brain Lich, but I had a wide swath of empty space. I dangled various plot threads in front of the players, and I followed the ones they seemed interested in. If they hadn't shown any interest in the mystery behind the kobold attack, I would've put that aside for a time, and, eventually, would've dangled something else related to the Underdark, the Mind Flayers, and the Lich that was ruling them. Ultimately, if they'd shown no interest in that plot at all, I might've developed something else, but, fortunately for me, they were keen to find out why the town had been attacked, and things proceeded from there.

I find it's very helpful to check in with the players, as opposed to their characters, and see if there's any kind of plot lines they're particularly interested in. For example, in my current campaign, a number of people mentioned being interested in exploring a War storyline, so a war against the orcs popped up a number of times as a strong plot element. The PCs even spent some time as voluntary soldiers in that war, and then returned, years of game time later, to assist in its conclusion.

I also like to ask players if there are monsters they'd like to see in the campaign, particular magic-items they'd love their characters to find, NPC cultures they'd like to visit, and so on. That gives me things to build on. If someone wants to fight an owlbear, I would make sure to work an owlbear hunt into one of my stories, or have one lurking in a cave somewhere along the PCs' path. If they want a monster with some strong story elements, such as Drow, Mind Flayers, Dragons, etc, then that gives me a whole storyline to work with. If someone has always wanted to play a character that assembles the Rod of Seven Parts, that gives me a potential element to thread through the whole campaign!

I find it helps to have your over-arching goals, but not to plan more than a level's worth of material at a time, beyond rough ideas. That leaves the flexibility for the players to take things in a direction you weren't expecting. If you're running a campaign where they're fighting ettercaps in a swamp, and they get it in their heads that the ettercaps are serving the will of a Swamp Hag, you can then have the flexibility to create a Swamp Hag and insert her, as if you'd planned it all along. Maybe you intended them to meet an exiled priestess of Lolth instead, but this plot will still be satisfying, and, if the priestess of Lolth is important to your overall plans, maybe the Hag has a letter from the priestess that can steer the PCs back where you need them to go. And if they don't, then follow the PCs' interests. It's their story, too, and they deserve agency.

Once I have a vague idea of what a level's worth of material is likely to be about, I like to create some very sketchy encounters. I look over level-appropriate monsters, using the Challenge Ratings as a guideline, and I pick ones that I think will fit the themes of what I want to run. I rely heavily on the advice in the Dungeon Master's Guide and Xanathar's Guide to Everything on XP budgets and such. I might jot these down in my notes with a few thoughts on the setting of the encounter. For example, I recently created an encounter for a group of 6 2nd level characters that were heading into a sea cave that was likely to have undead in it. I chose ghouls, because I think ghouls are pretty nifty and a scary fight, and I chose to make them “lacedons”, the aquatic version of ghouls I remembered from 1st edition D&D, by giving them a swim speed of 30 feet (which, it turns out, had already been done in the adventure Dead in Thay.) I jotted some notes about them attacking from underwater in flooded tunnels. Later, I picked a cool battlemat I had that showed flooded tunnels and noted to myself about where the lacedons would be. Ta dah! Cool and creepy fight, especially in the darkened tunnels.

Rourkie, I don't know if that helps, but I hope so! Roll them bones, my friend, and give your players a great story!

[arsenicpanda]

coming from an amateur writer, do you have any tips on writing smut?

ngl, I’m an amateur myself, having not finished much smut and still not written the actual act of sex from the perspective of one of the people experiencing it. So idk why you came to me, but I am flattered. I'm not great at advice on the act of writing, but I’ll do my best to talk about process and shit.

1. Read smut. Read lots of it, read varying qualities and varying lengths and as soft-core and hard-core as you’re up for. Read it for fun, just taking it in, and then read it with a critical eye. What works? What doesn’t? Are there any tropes (general, character-specific, or ship-specific) that you like or dislike? Why? What’s especially hot? What makes you cringe? What kind of language do you like? And so on and so forth. Ask questions and answer them.

2. What’s your setup? Like, which characters, which ship, which universe? If it’s an AU, how does the AU change things from canon (especially important if you’re doing ABO, which is its own can of worms I’m not getting into here)? What’s the relationship between your characters and what’s the situation in which they fuck?

3. How do your characters feel about sex in general and with respect to the ship you’re writing? How horny are they in general, for the other character(s) in the ship, and in this specific situation? What are they into and not into? What are their previous experiences (or lack thereof) with sex and romance? What experience do the characters have with each other? Are there specific experiences they might remember and use or is there certain knowledge they do or don’t have about their partner(s) (For established ships, I like to mention previous experiences and knowledge of what the POV character’s partner(s) are into as a way to show that there is real history there. For unestablished ships, I like to include that figuring out process some and the reactions to experiencing stuff for the first time, either in general or within the specific ship, to show that newness of the relationship. Maybe there’s mention of a certain preference the POV character already knows about, or maybe the POV character makes note of a preference they learn during the fic. Stuff like that.)? How loud are they during sex? Are there any sex acts that this ship would engage in no matter what (e.g. I maintain all smut with Jughead that isn’t a quickie should include him giving some amount of oral sex)? How many times can they orgasm? How sensitive are they? What’s their refractory period? And so on, and so forth. Note: once you come up with answers for this section for your ship once, the next time you write smut for them, you’ll really only have to make adjustments according to the universe you’re in, so that’s nice.

4. What kind of fic are you writing? Is it pwp? Smut within plot? A character or relationship piece? Basically, are there any arcs to get through, what are they, and how are they going to relate to the smut? How explicit is the smut? What language do you want to use to refer to genitals and orgasms and such? What POV are you writing in? How much do your characters talk? How “realistic” are things? Are they practicing safe sex, including safe oral sex?

5. What’s actually happening? I like to plan out a smut scene ahead of time so I know how it starts, where they are physically, what the characters are doing (hand, mouth, genital, etc location and movement), how one sex act moves into another, what can be seen/heard/felt/etc based on POV, what’s physically possible at all times, if there are any accessories or toys I need to explain them owning and where they’re kept before the smut, and how it ends. It also helps me make sure the smut doesn’t significantly overlap with something I’ve already written or am planning to write. I also write an outline, which you don’t have to do, but does help if you ever go weeks or months between working on it because then when you come back you don’t have to strain to remember what the plan was. You can also just go with the flow and just write, but definitely keep location of body parts and what the POV character can actually see/hear/etc (for example, if your POV character is blindfolded or bent over, they can’t describe their partner’s face) in mind as you do.

6. Write it. Vary your sentence structure. I find good smut includes not just physical action, but emotion and especially sensation, but you might disagree. If you're struggling with repeated words and shit, maybe look for lists of words to use when writing smut. Probably look up tips for writing smut in general, ask people for advice (which you already are, so good for you!), etc. Draw upon your own experience if you have any, and if you don’t, maybe look into people’s accounts, sex tips, etc and check if any questions you have about sensation have been answered online anywhere, e.g. on reddit. But don’t try and make it perfect all at first; just write it. One approach that’s often effective is to do writing "sprints", that is, sit down for fifteen minutes and just write; you can continue for another fifteen minutes when you're done if you want, but you'd be surprised how much you can get done in fifteen minute segments over multiple days. Also, I recommend writing in google docs with the setting of “Add space after paragraph” (go to Format, then Line & paragraph spacing) for ease of transferring to AO3. Actually, here's a good guide on working from google docs an moving to AO3; look at it before you start. Google docs is also useful for when you have a beta because it lets them make suggestions instead of straight-up changing things themselves. Also, take note of where you use italics and non-italicized punctuation together (this will be useful when you need to publish to AO3).

7. Read it carefully and with a critical eye like you would someone else’s fic up in #1. Make sure that you can follow the action based solely on what you wrote and that nothing impossible or contradictory happens (e.g. teleporting body parts, a single hand in two locations at the same time, people twisting or reaching in physically impossible ways). What do you think is missing, where, why, and how might you fix it?

8. Revise it.

9. Repeat 7 and 8 as much as you desire until you’re satisfied, or at least as satisfied as you can be without peer review.

10. Send it to beta. Like, seriously, send it to beta because, if nothing else, your beta won’t know what’s supposed to be happening in the scene, so they can tell you if you’ve successfully conveyed what happens. If you have anything in particular you are uncertain about or want help with, ask your beta to pay close attention to it. Seriously, betaing is going to be much more effective if your beta knows what they should be focusing on most.

11. Repeat steps 7 and 8.

12. Title it and write a summary. Feel free to ask your beta for help here.

12. Congrats, you’re done! Transfer it to AO3 from google docs and save it as a draft. AO3 by default puts a space between italics and non-italicized punctuation, so go through your list of those combos and manually delete the extra spaces. Now add your title, tags, and summary. Don’t tag side pairings/pairings the fic doesn’t focus on in the relationship section; if you need to warn readers of them, put them in the additional tag sedition. If you’re writing an ot3+ that isn’t an established, feel free to tag the pieces of the ship involved (e.g. Betty/Jughead/Tabitha would also tag Betty/Jughead, Betty/Tabitha, and Tabitha/Jughead). But if the ot3+ is already popular within fandom, only tag the ot3+. Don’t tag characters who aren’t central to the story. Tag all warnings and kinks involved especially.

I think that’s it? I guess I might have overly walked you through, but that’s the process I recommend. I mean, I don’t always follow all the steps (While I get the gist of character/emotional arcs before I start plotting the smut, I often really nail them down after I’ve decided on the events of the smut because the latter is generally what has me writing the smut in the first place and I tend to get ahead of myself. Things would probably be easier if I didn’t do that though), but they’re good guidelines, I think? Regardless, I hope this helps!

[dweemeister]

Best Animated Short Film Nominees for the 93rd Academy Awards (2021, listed in order of appearance in the shorts package)

NOTE: For viewers in the United States (continental U.S., Alaska, and Hawai’i) who would like to watch the Oscar-nominated short film packages, click here. For virtual cinemas, you can purchase the packages individually or all three at once. You can find info about reopened theaters that are playing the packages in that link. Because moviegoing carries risks at this time, please remember to follow health and safety guidelines as outlined by your local, regional, and national health officials.

Continuing with one of my favorite Oscar-time traditions, here is an omnibus review of this year’s Academy Award nominees for Best Animated Short Film. This is an older category than many might believe to be, with some of the first nominees and winner including ‘30s and ‘40s fixtures: Disney’s Silly Symphonies, Warner Bros.’ Looney Tunes, MGM’s Tom and Jerry and Happy Harmonies. These days, the category tends to be more democratic (perhaps not so much this year), but certainly more experimental. Here are the nominees, as they appeared in the order of how they appeared in the short film packages released to theaters and virtual cinemas in the United States:

Burrow (2020)

Burrow, directed by Madeline Sharafian (story artist on 2017’s Coco, writer on Cartoon Network’s We Bare Bears), is the eighth in Pixar’s SparkShorts series, in which Pixar’s junior animators craft a short film on a limited budget and timeframe. This is the film that played in front of Soul for those lucky enough to view that film theatrically. This dialogue-free, hand-drawn film stars a young rabbit, looking to dig out and furnish her own home – complete with a bathroom-disco (or something like that). Her best-laid plans, however, seem dashed when she keeps digging and running into other animals’ underground abodes in this area. Not that these animals seem to mind the intrusions too much. The rabbit, so anxiety-driven in her eagerness to project a picture of self-assuredness, soon realizes that these nearby animals she fears to have disturbed are all neighbors, a community ready to lend a paw for the newcomer.

Sharafian credits her sense of impostors’ syndrome when first working at Pixar as the film’s primary thematic inspiration. With only a bare number of lines, the rabbit expresses a vast array of emotions, endearing the audience to her self-dramatization and youthful insecurity. Drawn flatly but nevertheless suggesting some depth, the cutaway animation depicting the burrow neighborhood recalls Richard Scarry’s books and other such colorful ensemble illustrations found in children’s picture books. Burrow is a worthy addition to Disney/Pixar’s animated short film legacy, despite the lack of innovation and obvious low-budget appeal (it uses the third movement of Mozart’s Oboe Concerto as its soundtrack), and seems like something that could have been made during the heyday of Silly Symphonies or Warner Bros.’ Merrie Melodies.

My rating: 7/10

Genius Loci (2020, France)

From the Latin term meaning “the spirit of a place”, Adrien Mérigeau’s Genius Loci is the most difficult, abstract film of this year’s slate of nominees. Genius Loci stars a young black woman named Reine (Nadia Moussa), a solitary soul who embarks upon, while walking the streets of Paris at night, an existential revelation. Reine, who is supposed to be babysitting her nephew that evening, decides to have a small adventure instead. She will find this experience and this Parisian neighborhood disorienting and chaotic, in many of the ways that life in a sprawling metropolis can be. The film’s sound mix clangs, whispers, vibrates, and echoes into Reine’s soul, injecting feelings of harmony, but mostly those of displacement. The distant rumbling of traffic is subliminal here, crescendoing and decrescendoing to control the film’s tension. Throughout, Mérigeau provides a fragmented narrative (do not fixate on the plot) and the protagonist’s intangible, occasionally abstruse, narration. Spiritual and existential loss colors Reine’s ambling, as well as a sense of modern France’s racial otherizing that makes the city feel unwelcoming, if not antagonistic.

Mérigeau (background cleanup on 2009’s The Secret of Kells, art director on 2014’s Song of the Sea) collaborated with Belgian comic illustrator Brecht Evens (production designer on the excellent Marona’s Fantastic Tale from 2019) for the film’s dumbfounding backgrounds, as well as storyboarding the changes in aesthetic as Reine continues her journey through Paris. Marona’s influence is felt keenly throughout Genius Loci – from the lack of recognizably human figures among strangers to Reine and the ever-changing color scheme. Unlike Marona, Genius Loci commits to watercolors (or computerized animation meant to resemble watercolor paints) during the film’s entirety. The watercolor animation serves to loosen the character animation and the backgrounds’ definition, and serves as a paragon of expressionist animation. Genius Loci will bewilder audiences, challenging them to understand Reine’s painful attempt to find belonging and solace in a place that disallows such reflection.

My rating: 8.5/10

Opera (2020, South Korea)

Opera, directed by Erick Oh (an animator at Berkeley-based Tonko House, which crafted the 2014 nominee The Dam Keeper), is an independent South Korean/American production that owes more to Sandro Botticelli and Hieronymus Bosch than anything ever seen in animated cinema. This is a cinematic fresco teeming with activity, intended more as interactive art than for a movie theater. The setting is a pyramid filled with souls living, laboring, luxuriating, dying. As the camera pans downward from the godlike or prophet-like figures occupying the top, it later zooms outward, all timed alongside a day-night cycle. Opera’s story is that of human history, distilled in eight minutes of repetitive activity. The design of Oh’s film is as a museum installation – projected on a wall or the ground (the only instance Opera has been screened as such was at the Ars Electronica Animation Festival in Linz, Austria) – that loops continuously, and, if one looks closely enough at the pyramid’s sections, there are loops within the film’s loops. If viewed in a museum, Opera does not pan selectively as it does if projected in a theater or a home media screen.

Pieced together in between Oh’s other film projects over four years and a pandemic, Oh and his animators (some of whom participated voluntarily, without pay) concentrated on different sections of the pyramid at a time, synchronizing the action in a specific section to match the surrounding areas – and, ultimately, the film as a whole. Opera contains intricacies impossible to realize on first, second, third viewings. Even in its limited, virtual cinema form, it engulfs the viewer in its hierarchical animation, the intentionally simplistic character animation serving to universalize the drama of its beings’ existence. It is rapturous art, the sort that defies description, and undoubtedly will echo across Oh’s subsequent films.

My rating: 8.5/10

If Anything Happens I Love You (2020)

For some American viewers, I imagine that this title alone has already spoiled the film’s content even without seeing any footage. A Netflix production directed by Will McCormack (co-writer on 2019’s Toy Story 4) and Michael Govier (bit roles in American television), If Anything Happens I Love You is the only nominee in this category directed by individuals with no background in directing animation. McCormack and Govier met at acting school; acting remains their primary profession. Without dialogue, the film opens with two parents eating dinner at opposite ends of the table. They seem aloof, their minds elsewhere. The background is spare, with only a jumble of pencil sketches making sense of any barriers enclosing them. Flexible, animated silhouettes appear from their bodies – sometimes arguing vigorously with each other, at times shadowing the person and attempting to call their attention. Grief overhangs their household, expressed through a largely monotone palette, minimalistic designs and backgrounds. The background artists exclude any detail unnecessary to the story.

Written and crafted in collaboration with (so as to not spoil the film, I am about to opaquely write about this film’s intentions) a prominent, deep-pocketed political non-profit so as to shear the film of any thematic excess, If Anything Happens I Love You has, unlike its fellow nominees, broad support among certain prominent actors in Hollywood. Laura Dern is the executive producer and various actors – including Chelsea Handler, Rashida Jones, and Lesley Ann Warren, among others – have openly contributed or advocated for this movie. The visualization of the parents’ pain, even without dialogue, brings the viewer into a space unfathomable to most, unbearable for those who know too well. The use of the King Princess song “1950” meshes awkwardly with what is being portrayed on-screen at the time. But the character animation – McCormack and Govier’s experience as actors endows the couple with indelible humanity – and its visual discipline carry the film to its heartbreaking conclusion.

My rating: 8/10

Yes-People (2020, Iceland)

Icelandic film Já-Fólkið (Yes-People) is the epitome of cheap European computer-generated animation. Directed by Gísli Darri Halldórsson (a former Cartoon Network Studios character animator), Yes-People – the Best Icelandic Short winner at the 2020 Reykjavik International Film Festival and the Children’s Choice Award winner at 2020’s Nordisk Panorama – is a largely aimless movie following the zany lives of the people who live in an apartment complex. That is all I have to say about the film’s narrative. The sketches it draws in each character’s life always feel disjointed and disconnected from all the others – save one scene of the elderly couple fornicating loud enough for their downstairs neighbors to hear. Halldórsson describes his film as a mosaic of personalities, but even a mosaic has a thematic consistency that unifies its disparate parts.

The desaturated colors of Yes-People are meant to resemble old photographs. As much as I respect what Halldórsson is aiming for, the results make the film look muddy, half-rendered – like a knockoff Pixar short from the early 1990s. Inspired when Halldórsson described to some of his Irish friends about the different tonal meanings of the word “Já” (“hello” in Icelandic), Yes-People only has one repeated word of dialogue throughout: “Já”. Is this supposed to be funny? Philosophical? I am not sure; and I am not sure the film knows it either. Reading some of Halldórsson’s interviews following his Academy Award nomination, he mentions that the film’s positive response from Iceland and Scandinavia might be culturally specific, as opposed to other parts of the world. As to what those cultural differences might be that prevented me from liking this film, I hardly have a clue.

My rating: 6/10

^ All ratings based on my personal imdb rating. Half-points are always rounded down. My interpretation of that ratings system can be found in the “Ratings system” page on my blog (as of July 1, 2020, tumblr is not permitting certain posts with links to appear on tag pages, so I cannot provide the URL).

For more of my reviews tagged “My Movie Odyssey”, check out the tag of the same name on my blog.

Three other films played in this package as honorable mentions: Kapaemahu (2020; 7.5/10), The Snail and the Whale (2019; 6.5/10), and To: Gerard (2020; 6.5/10).

From previous years: 85th Academy Awards (2013), 87th (2015), 88th (2016), 89th (2017), 90th (2018), 91st (2019), 92nd (2020).

[rnmbb]

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a big bang?

A Big Bang/Mini-Bang is a writing challenge that prompts authors and artists to work together to create a story and work of art that go together. In this case, our fandom is the Roswell New Mexico tv show, and our goal is 5000 words or more!

How do I sign up?

When sign-ups start, there will be a Google Form link posted for you to sign-up as an Author or an Artist or Beta

What if I need to drop out?

Yes! Sometimes life gets in the way or a story just doesn’t happen, and we understand that! However, there is a cutoff point, and if you do not let the mods know before this date, you can be banned from the next round. Even if it is after this cutoff date that you need to drop out please let us know so that we can discuss options. We can’t help if we don’t know there is a problem! Dropping all contact with mods after the cutoff date is grounds for an automatic ban, as we can’t help at that point. Please get in contact with us, so that we can arrange for art if needed!

I need help/support!

Once you sign-up, you will be sent a link to the Discord Server for the Big Bang. Feel free to talk about your story here with other authors, ask questions, look for a beta, ask for advice, freak out, or any general story discussions.

Membership is open to all who want to join the big bang or are thinking about it! Watch the blog for the link post

I don’t want to join a discord server/have never used discord before 

We are making this a mandatory requirement this year. Communication is critical for the big bang to be successful, and a discord server is the best way for mods to ensure they can communicate with all participants. If you’re new to discord, the mods will help you with an introduction and navigation resources to the server. 

Writing Requirements

What type of requirements are there for a fic?

Your fic must be at least 5,000 words long and, preferably, beta-read before the posting date. It must focus on or revolve around the characters from the TV show Roswell, New Mexico. You are not required to write a certain ship or a ship at all. Your fic also has to be completed at the time of posting. All chapters must be posted on the day of posting. 

I've already been writing an RNM story - can I use that?

The purpose of this Bang is to unveil a brand-new, completed piece on your posting date, however we are okay with you finishing your piece as long as you have not posted more than 2,000 words and do not post any more until your posting date. Since this Bang has a minimum word count of 5,000 words we are asking that no more than 2,000 words be posted prior to signing up, so that at least 80% of the fic is new.

Can I write a sequel to a previous story?

Yes, but the sequel needs to be able to stand on its own. Please make sure to link to the first story so readers can read that as well.

I want to gift my big bang to someone, can I? 

Big Bangs are not gift stories or exchanges, so your big bang must stand as itself. 

What genres are allowed?

All genres are allowed as well as crossovers, as long as Roswell New Mexico characters are the main characters of the story.

I've got two ideas in my head - can I write both?

Yes, you can, as long as you think you'll be able to finish both stories by the deadline (if you submit two stories we will do our best to make sure there is a good amount of time in between the posting of each fic).

Can I write the story with someone else?

Yes, you may co-author your big bang if you want to. The word minimum however for co-authored works is 7,000.

What an artist summary? 

An artist summary is written by authors to give a summary of the fic in a holistic manner. It will include all the main ships, main plot twists, trigger warnings, and any relevant tags for the artist to make an educated choice on making art for the work. The artist summaries are anonymous and only 500 words or less. 

What should my outline look like?

A fic outline is an overview of your story. You will need to list major scenes of the story all the way from the beginning to the resolution. The outline needs to show how you plan on finish the story so the mods and artists can anticipate the story.

Can I have an extension?

We will be granting extensions on a case-by-case basis for rough drafts as long as your final fic or art is in by the due date. We would hope, however, that you use the checkpoints and all your available writing time to its fullest.

If you think at any time you need an extension (whether fic or art) contact the mods right away so we can begin working it out with you.

What do I do if I am not sure I will finish my story but still want to try?

If, by the time rough drafts are due, you aren't sure if you will be done with your story and don't want to risk having an artist claim it only to have to drop out you can switch to the Unofficial track. This will mean your story won't be put in the claims post but if you can finish it by the time final drafts are due we will arrange an artist for you and you will post with everyone else.

Artist Requirements

What are the requirements for art?

Each story an artist claims is required to have at least one art of quality for each story they claim. If an artist decides to claim 3 stories, they will be required to create one piece of art for each story, so at minimum, 3 pieces of art. 

You’re creating something for a work that is at least 5k/10k in length, so we want the art to match that effort! Here are the suggested guidelines:

Traditional/Digital art: Cleaned lineart, on unlined paper, that is at least 500x500 pixels is the minimum. Additional sketchier/rougher pieces are welcomed so long as one piece of art is at the cleaned lineart stage!

Manips: Clean renders and non-blurry images that do not contain watermarks should be used for photo manipulation. 

Banners or Icons or Wallpaper: 5 icons, of at least 100x100 pixels. 3 banners. 1 wallpaper. More is of course always welcomed!

Picspam or Gifsets: At least 6 images, but more images, or multiple sets are welcome!

Vids: At least two minutes long, or a full song!

Fanmixes: At least 10 songs and include cover art (this can be a manip!).

What is an Art Claim? 

Art claims is the process through which artists and authors are paired for the big bang. Artists will have 3 days to review summary information provided by all the authors participating in the event. The claims process is anonymous, which means the artists have no idea who wrote which fic. On claims day, artists submit their top 5 choices and are matched with their first available fic. When matches are confirmed, the mods will email each team to introduce partners to each other. 

How do I make a claim?

On claims day, artists will receive a form to submit their choices. 

What happens if the number of authors doesn't match up with the number of artists or mixers?

We will do several rounds of claiming so that EVERY fic has an artist. In the event that fics outnumber artists, we will allow artists to make a second claim. If it's the other way, we may open up the fics so that more than one artist is assigned to the same fic. Either way, everyone who wants to participate will get to participate.

Can I post my art to my blog or another site to show my friends in advance?

No, we ask that you don't preview your art to anyone before the assigned posting date. You are allowed to show it to a few friends or an art beta, to get advice or feedback before the posting date, but please don't post it for the general public until your assigned posting date.

Where can I upload my graphics?

You are free to post your graphics on your platform of choice, as long as there is a link to the art in the fic.

How will I get my graphics to my author?

We will provide you with contact information once you are committed to an author. From there you can contact them to find out more about their interests, or simply send them the links to your final mix/gifsets/art.

We would like to encourage you to be in contact with them and to share what you make for them.

Schedule

What's a check-in?

Check-ins are something to give you a feel on where a typical author should be at in their writing process. There are multiple points of communication with the mods team to share your progress, ask questions, and share any comments you need to.

ALL CHECK-INS ARE MANDATORY! This is the best way for mods to track the progress of works and ensure works will be posted on time.

Why do artists get a check-in?

The artist check-in will be mandatory. This is mostly to make sure that artists have been in contact with their authors and that they are on track. It will help us determine which stories will need pinch hitters earlier.

Posting Requirements

What types of requirements are there for me to post my fic?

You must include a header with all the regular information (title, rating, wordcount, pairing, etc.) on it. This includes warnings. Not all of our readers like the same thing, so you are required to warn them. Besides that, you must include any secondary fandom you're writing in.

Do I post my story to this community or do the mods post it?

Anywhere you wish, so long as it is also in the RNM Big Bang AO3 Collection. Posting it there is how we will count your work as completed*.

*Artists will not be required to post to AO3, though it is highly encouraged. (AO3 isn’t great for hosting some types of art, like picspam or gif sets, we understand that!) If you are not posting your art to AO3, you must make sure the link to where you art is posted is provided to the author and linked within the author notes or story.

Can I post it to my blog a few days early to show my friends?

No, the first time you show your fic for this big bang must be on your reveal day. If you post in advance please lock the post for your eyes only.

If you have any other questions, please reach out to the mods team!

[creativenicocorner]

wip asks!!! for terpsichore: 4, 17; for alto mare: 8, 16 (eyes emoji); in general: 10, 23, 27!

For Terpsichore:

4) What came first, the title or the plot?

Oh the plot for SURE!! I distinctly remember back on a sweltering hot day in 2018 when I lived in LA looking out my window, outline roughly finished and ready to start typing up ch1 going, “this bitch needs a title.” and lo and behold I ended up with what is arguably a very pretentious title for a very long fic fjfdjss but I love it all the same. In a way I always sort of knew the title would be some sort of theatre/classics reference. 

17) Post the last line you wrote in your WIP

You and I both know I’m incapable of sharing JUST a line lol

Jim lingered on these for a while, at the unmistakable smile in his mom’s eyes, and found it harder to gripe. 

It wasn’t that he was any less angry at Strickler, goodness knows Jim had his valid reasons, but rather had to come to terms with the fact that Strickler was able to do one thing Jim barely saw his own dad inspire (even from name mention alone): make his mom smile.

If a picture is worth a thousand words Jim found himself staring into volumes upon volumes. 

For Alto Mare:

8) When creating the characters for your WIP, what came first to you?

Ooo for this it really depends on the character in question. For instance with Marta, her name choice was born from a want to f/f a Lucio Dalla song Anna e Marco (one of my favorite songs btw), while also giving Barbara and James a healthier contrast. Creating a sort of chiaroscuro dynamic. Though not just for the toxic/red flag v healthy relationship but even in small choices example: Barbara and James jumped at the chance to be together, whereas Anna and Marta are taking their time to decide. 

James is basically an amalgamation cathartic vent machine born from most of my bad relationship experiences. While also a tightrope walk, and tragic reminder that Barbara does indeed end up marrying this person, and sometimes it’s hard to see red flags when you’re wearing rose tinted glasses. 

But really it just depends overall. I think what I contemplate first is, What does this scene need? Is there a missing something that other characters cannot give? What can this character offer/inspire/show as a contrast as. 

Anna could be a good example of this. As an overall aspect I wanted to give Barbara a friend, and simultaneously give her character more grounded tangibility. Yet in many ways Barbara and Anna are very different (despite the fact that I also like to joke that Anna is, like, the cooler ‘edgier’ Barbara haha).  

16) Give a spoiler for your WIP.

At some point Barbara falls asleep on a train, misses her stop, and has to get off at the Santa Maria Novella train station...which is in Florence. Luckily someone is there to help her~  >;3c 

(please note this isn’t something that happens in the upcoming chapter. A spoiler for the upcoming next chapter would be.... [squints] Bular, Earthquakes???? O:   Anywho please don’t walk through Villa Borghese at night.)

For General:

10) Do you have an outline? Do you stick to it?

I do have an outline! But It isn’t so much that I stick to it, that I just write it in metaphorical pencil. I like to give myself slightly fixed points I know I want to reach. Little markers on the trail, but want to also know/ want to give myself the permission to be okay with the idea that, sometimes plans do change. While researching for a specific plot point you might come across some interesting details you might want to add at the last minute and that’s cool too!! 

In short, I do have outlines, they just tend to sit in lawn chairs and hammocks with breezy linen shirts and a fruity cocktail with a fun bendy straw, occasionally pulling up from their sunglasses and saying, “Hey don’t forget to do this. I don’t care how. Or don’t, I’m not your boss.”

In short short, it’s more of a guideline haha. Granted certain aspects ARE set in stone, it’s how they happen that’s more left up to “whatever happens happens”

23) What’s more important: characters or plot?

Oh heck this is such a loaded question. Because it can be approached in so many different ways. Yet at the same time it’s very ‘what comes first the chicken or the egg?’ 

Characters move the plot, yet at the same time the plot creates the characters. I think it depends on the vibe of the overall story. 

27) What is the best writing advice?

Look at me, really look at me. Don’t forget to save. SAVE DO IT RIGHT NOW SAVE THAT WIP. 

Also, give yourself permission to write out of order. If you’re really passionate about writing a certain moment that isn’t going linearly with what you’re next chapter is, freaking go for it!! You’ll thank yourself down the road, and it might unblock that current chapter hurdle! Or heck you might even re-inspire a few lines for a section you already wrote about!

Set deadlines while also being okay with the knowledge you might not reach that deadline. Give it the old college try, and sing the words of Mr. Incredible in your hearts “We’ll get there when we get there.”

My favorite advice is probably this: if you’re stuck on a certain section or moment, try writing by hand. If you’re like me and occasionally get distracted cause your spelling is god awful, or have a habit of venturing elsewhere on the world wide web, it’s a neat way to just sit and focus. No little squiggly lines to google, or wiki articles to go down a rabbit hole of. Just you and the words while racing against your thoughts hehe

But overall I don’t think there is a singular writing advice to rule them all, and sometimes the best advice for one day might be the worst on another day, and that’s okay too! Remember, you’re growing along side your writing process! 

[miriamctaylor]

So You Want To Write A Rivals/Enemies-to-Lovers Arc?

This past summer, I went on an absolute romcom binge, and ended up watching far more dislike-to-lovers movies than anyone should ever see in their lifetime. The end result was that I noticed a standard plot structure most dislike-to-lovers stories follow, and I figured I’d share in case it inspires someone working on one of these stories.

NOTE: This is not intended as a rigid set of guidelines, just inspiration if you’re feeling stuck. It’s also not necessarily bad that so many movies follow this list- I’ve added a lot of examples to demonstrate that this arc can be done in many unique ways. Additionally this post takes heavy inspiration from existing structures like the Save The Cat! plot, just customized for this particular flavor of romance.

So, without further ado:

1. Opening: Standard for most genres. Introduces the protagonist(s)- they’re sympathetic, but something is missing from their life.

Leap Year: Montage of Anna’s life

Enchanted: Giselle falls in love with Edward

Tangled: Flynn’s heist and “When Will My Life Begin?”

10 Things I Hate About You: Cameron’s crush on Bianca introduces us to the Stratford sisters

Christmas Wedding Planner: Kelsey’s attempt to get a blueberry scone

Beauty and the Beast: The Beast is cursed, and Belle longs for an escape from her small-town life

2. Inciting Incident: The start of the plot. The couple meets each other, and/or we get the first hint of whatever’s gonna shove them together long enough to fall in love.

Leap Year: Anna meets Declan after getting stranded

Enchanted: Giselle is thrown into NYC

Tangled: Flynn breaks into Rapunzel’s tower

10 Things I Hate About You: Cameron plans to pay someone to date Kat

Christmas Wedding Planner: Connor asks Kelsey to help him investigate Todd

Beauty and the Beast: Belle’s father is imprisoned in the Beast’s castle

3. Start of Act Two: The couple is forced to spend time together for some reason. Often, this involves a deal between them, or a lie that’ll be revealed at the low point.

Leap Year: Declan agrees to drive Anna

Enchanted: Robert agrees to let Giselle stay in his apartment

Tangled: Flynn and Rapunzel make a deal (the crown for the festival)

10 Things I Hate About You: Patrick speaks to Kat for the first time

Christmas Wedding Planner: Kelsey gets dinner with Connor and agrees to help him

Beauty and the Beast: Belle agrees to take her father’s place

4. Pinch Point 1/False Valley: Their partnership is off to a rocky start, and both wonder, “how is this ever going to work?” This is the nadir of their bond until the low point- they almost give up, but can’t until they both get what they want.

Leap Year: Declan and Anna get into a car crash

Enchanted: Giselle causes trouble with Robert’s fiance, job, and apartment, and he tries to kick her out

Tangled: Flynn takes Rapunzel to the tavern to scare her into giving up

10 Things I Hate About You: Patrick’s getting nowhere with Kat, so Cameron and Bianca snoop through her things

Christmas Wedding Planner: Kelsey and Connor bicker their way through the fancy party (although it does culminate in fake kissing)

Beauty and the Beast: Belle tries to run after the Beast repeatedly loses his temper with her

5. Midpoint/Breakthrough 1: Breakthrough! Someone’s tragic backstory is revealed, they bond over a serious threat, there’s affection/attraction for the first time, someone realizes their feelings, etc. Looks like [love interest]’s not so bad after all.

Leap Year: Anna and Declan’s night at the B&B pretending to be married

Enchanted: Robert and Giselle’s pizza “date”

Tangled: Flynn reveals his backstory after nearly drowning

10 Things I Hate About You: Bogey’s party. Kat and Patrick open up to each other, and almost kiss

Christmas Wedding Planner: Connor and Kelsey bond while on a stakeout

Beauty and the Beast: Belle and the Beast bond after he rescues her, “Something There That Wasn’t There Before”

6. Pinch Point 2/False Peak: After the midpoint, things continue to improve between them. This moment is the peak of their relationship until the finale. They almost get together- but something is still holding them back.

Leap Year: Anna and Declan’s drunken walk on the beach, where they almost kiss

Enchanted: Robert and Giselle’s argument over Edward ends with them almost kissing

Tangled: The festival, “At Last I See The Light” (another almost kiss!)

10 Things I Hate About You: Patrick and Kat play paintball

Christmas Wedding Planner: Connor and Kelsey get dinner together, and (again) almost kiss

Beauty and the Beast: The titular song & their romantic dance

7. Low Point/True Valley: Whatever was holding them back returns with a vengeance, and everything comes crashing down. Secrets and lies are revealed, misunderstandings and arguments abound, someone is left thinking “they’re exactly who I thought they were...was it all a lie?” Often, the situation forcing them together is resolved so a) they get what they initially wanted and realize they don’t want it anymore, and b) them spending time together afterward is a choice.

Leap Year: Jeremy proposes to Anna

Enchanted: Giselle’s heartbreak at the ball

Tangled: Gothel convinces Rapunzel that Flynn abandoned her for the crown

10 Things I Hate About You: Kat finds out about the deal Patrick made

Christmas Wedding Planner: Kelsey finds out about the checks written to Connor

Beauty and the Beast: The Beast releases Belle, knowing the chances of her returning before the final petal falls are slim

8. Start of Act Three/Breakthrough 2: After some wallowing, the final obstacle keeping them from getting together is removed. One or both realizes their feelings. Disposable fiances are disposed of. Whoever was at fault for the Low Point realizes what an ass they were, and races to apologize and confess their feelings.

Leap Year: Anna pulls the fire alarm

Enchanted: True love’s kiss

Tangled: Rapunzel realizes she’s the lost princess and Gothel is evil

10 Things I Hate About You: Kat has a heart-to-heart with her dad, and he apologizes for his overprotectiveness

Christmas Wedding Planner: Connor and Kelsey’s confrontation before the wedding (this one is more about their respective character arcs than their romantic arc as both had already realized their feelings)

Beauty and the Beast: Belle defends the Beast, and Gaston points out that she has feelings for him

9. The Finale/True Peak: It’s grand romantic gesture time. Villains are defeated, dramatic love confessions are made, and the heroes finally have that big damn kiss. All the obstacles are gone, both the heroes have grown as people, and they can finally make it work as a couple.

Leap Year: Anna and Declan propose to each other

Enchanted: Robert and Giselle defeat Narissa, culiminating in their big rooftop kiss-in-the-rain

Tangled: Flynn sacrifices himself for Rapunzel, and Rapunzel brings him back

10 Things I Hate About You: Kat’s sonnet

Christmas Wedding Planner: Connor shows up at the wedding and clears up all of the misunderstandings

Beauty and the Beast: Belle confesses her feelings to the Beast as he dies & the last petal falls

10. Conclusion: Usually has a “Where are they now?” vibe to it (and the answer is usually living happily ever after!)

Obviously, not all of these movies follow the structure exactly- for example, Kat and Patrick are arguably together by the paintball scene, and the low point/start of act three for Beauty and the Beast were a bit difficult to separate from one another. However, I hope this is still useful as a very loose guideline, if you’re working on one of these stories and need help with the plot. If you’ve made it this far, thank you for reading, and happy writing!

[porkchop-ao3]

A Thrill I’ve Never Known (Chapter 23)

Flimflammery

In this chapter, John and reader run a con together :) This part was inspired a lot by Better Call Saul and some of the scams that Jimmy and Marco would pull in season 1! I love writing this kind of thing :P you’ll notice this story focuses on the jobs reader does as well as the romance plot, I just cant help myself!

(All chapters tagged with #ATINK and also posted on Ao3, username PorkChop)

-   

I was up first. I brewed the coffee, poured myself a cup, yawned and stretched and rubbed the sleep from my eyes. Draping my blanket around my shoulders and shuffling across the camp towards the horses with my journal tucked under my arm, I glanced towards Arthur's bed. He was curled up on his side, cheek smushed into his pillow, arm hanging off the edge, fast asleep. I smiled, his appearance endearing. I figured he must've gotten back late with Sean after causing whatever mayhem he had at the Gray's, so I left him alone. I couldn't help but think of the Pinkertons, Leviticus Cornwall, the countless people who wanted him dead or locked up, and seeing him looking so peaceful and harmless curled up asleep like that… none of it seemed possible. 

Who on Earth could be mad at a face like that?

I took a drink of coffee as I sat down by the hitching posts. Some of the horses were still sleeping, including Rayna, bless her. But Jet was awake, chewing his way through a bale of hay, tale flicking, ears twitching. He looked up at me once, decided I wasn't enough of a distraction, and carried on eating. I put my coffee down beside me, pressing the tin cup into the grass until it felt stable enough to leave, then opened up my journal, ready to draw Arthur's gift. I did a couple of warm up sketches; I'd never really drawn horses before, so this would be interesting. I did a couple of little doodles of Rayna first, considering she was asleep and I figured I'd do better without a moving target. 

I approached it the same way I would a portrait, blocking in her basic shape, putting down a few guidelines to plan where her eyes would go, then her ears, her nose, the curve of her neck and the scruff of her mane. I made a mental note to give her a thorough brush later, then sketched away. I produced a few little drawings. Some of just her head, some of her full body. I was certainly doing better with the close ups of her face; proof that I shouldn't run before I could walk. I filled up two pages, remembering to drink my coffee before it went cold. 

Once I felt comfortable with the subject matter, I turned to a fresh page and studied Jet for a while, noting the markings on his face; a white splodge right between his eyes. In the early morning light his coat looked very close to black, but as the sun moved further up in the sky, it hit him and picked out plummy tones on all his high points. I started drawing him, just his head, where he was swooping down to the water trough, noisily slurping away. I took my time just like Arthur advised, keeping my eyes on him as my hand moved slowly across the page to capture the roundness of his jawbone, all the way along the straight plain towards his muzzle. Fully warmed up to the action, I found myself able to look at him more than my page, just like Arthur did that day in Scarlett Meadows. He was rubbing off on me. 

I put a lot into the drawing, very tempted to start again on numerous occasions. I forced myself to keep at it rather than wasting paper, knowing that nothing was set in stone and I could tweak as I needed, rework areas until they satisfied. Jet began to emerge from the page, not just any horse, but him, and I was pleased with my tenacity as I created something I was genuinely proud of. I hoped that Arthur would be proud too, once I gave it to him. 

Pleased with my efforts, I leaned back against the hitching post and settled down to finish my coffee, chewing through a biscuit from the almost empty tin I'd snagged from Pearson's wagon. I enjoyed the early morning solitude, but I could hear movement across the camp as Pearson started his work for the day, butchering up that bear meat, ready to cook slowly throughout the day to keep it tender.  I leaned my head back against the post and closed my eyes, taking a deep, still breath and listening to the wind in the trees. Just taking a moment of peace before the day truly began. Susan would be up and about soon, and she'd find something for me to do.

She was a lovely lady, but I'd soon learned that she didn't take kindly to layabouts. You had to earn your right to sit down and relax, with her sniffing about, so every day it was a challenge to have her catch you doing something worthy of some downtime in the evening. Otherwise, there was hell to pay. 

"Morning, sunshine," the voice caught me by surprise and my eyes snapped open, settling on Arthur's dominating figure blocking the cloudless sky behind him. 

"Arthur. Good morning," I smiled at him, patting the space beside me. 

"Keepin' the horses company?" He mused as he sat down cross-legged next to me. He blew across the top of his coffee before taking a tentative sip. I hummed my affirmation, nodding and glancing out at the animals.

"Well, my coffee buddy was sleeping, so," I told him, and he chuckled. "Exciting night?"

"One way of saying it," he tutted, huffing in mild amusement. "If committing arson is your idea of excitement."

"Well, depends what I'm setting fire to," I joked. "Boxes full'a dynamite are always a good time. Just gotta remember to stand well back." 

"Yeah? What do you reckon to fields of tobacco?"

"Hmm, I'd say that's at least a little exciting."

"Well, you should've been there last night," he laughed. I smiled, eyes lingering on him even when he looked away. I tapped on the tin of biscuits and he took one, crumbs catching in the stubble that he was yet to shave. 

I thought about Isaac, his son, and tried to imagine Arthur as a father. I'd never seen him in that light before, but I could imagine him being good at it. Not that I had any desire to test the theory, I thought, blushing at the very idea. 

It was as if he was reading my mind, with his next words. "I was thinking, last night, laying in bed. I'm glad I told you about Isaac. I don't speak about him much – at all, really – don't wanna bother folk with it. None o' these ever met him," he made a vague gesture to the camp. "They never mourned him, so I felt like a nuisance bringing it up, dragging people into my suffering. But telling you…"

He looked at me, really looked at me, in the eye. It always pulled me out of something when he met my eyes so intensely, as if I forgot the world was real until those moments. 

"I figured, if we're doing this. If we're starting something together, then, you ought to know me. My pain, and all," he continued. "I hope that I can do the same for you, listen to your hardships. You're just like me; lost just about everyone. You put on a brave face, but you don't have to. Not with me, at least."

"Thank you," I told him under my breath, reaching to squeeze his knee. I took his words to heart, and after a moment I sighed softly and spoke. "I miss my father a lot more than I let on."

"Your father?" He repeated. I hummed and nodded.

"I take after him a lot. I loved my mother, of course, but she drank a lot. I didn't notice as a child but as I grew up, I reckon that drove a wedge between us. She never remembered anything I told her, was like having the same conversations every day, stopped me from really knowing her, and her me, I think," I shrugged, then smiled. "But my pa, he used to take me out riding, put me up front on his horse, and we'd sing songs together on the road."

Arthur smiled too, eyes still fixed on me. 

"I miss that. More than anything, I do. But I try to miss it in a way that makes me happy to remember it, instead of sad that it's been and gone, you know?" I looked up in time to see his brows raise thoughtfully.

"That's a pleasant way of thinking, you got there. Something I'll try and keep in mind myself," he nodded. He chuckled and looked up to the sky absentmindedly. "I remember the time I went to see Isaac and Eliza, after he'd started walking. Kid came stumbling out the house when I showed up and you know what I did?"

"What?"

"I burst into tears. I weren't sad. I don't know what came over me, just seeing him growing up, doing stuff for himself, it made me so proud, ain’t ever felt anything like it. Eliza laughed at me, not being malicious or nothin', I just don't think she expected it. Anyway, that's one'a my most treasured memories."

"It's an honour that you shared it with me, then," I told him, stroking my hand across the top of his thigh. He put his hand over mine, stilling it and squeezing my fingers. “I’m glad that you have those memories.”

“Me too. If memories is all I have, I’m grateful for ‘em,” he told me. I glanced over towards Pearson, checking his view of us was obscured before I leaned across and kissed Arthur’s cheek. 

He caught me before I moved back, capturing my lips in a true kiss, one that was quick and risky but just as sweet as they always were. When it ended, we remained close, sharing breath between us and enjoying the moment, despite pushing our luck.

“Been thinkin’ about the other night, a lot,” he whispered. Tone timid, yet there was a look in his eyes that smouldered and dared. I pressed my lips together, letting my eyes drop to his mouth. “Can barely believe my luck.”

“Luck’s got nothing to do with it,” I exhaled a laugh, a sharp shake of my head. Arthur smiled, licking his lips, tongue just barely ghosting over mine and making my breath stutter. “I ain’t quite sure what you mean by that.”

“Lady like you? And it's me who gets to see her like that?”

“Shhh,” I said softly, shaking my head. “You don't need to flatter me, Arthur, you’ve already got me.”

“I’m doin’ no such thing. I mean it, I sure ain’t done anything deserving of this good fortune, you know my life,” he told me through a breathy laugh. I leaned away from him, shaking my head again with a tut. 

“Well, you better wrap your head around it, or get used to it, or something. I don't plan on that being a one off.”

“Oh?” the sound was playful, musical even.

“Mhm,” I nodded, keeping my eyes on the ground in front of me, fire igniting in my belly and, of course, my face. Arthur hummed softly, fingers reaching to brush some of my hair back. He came close and hovered there, mouth inches from my neck. 

Footsteps, light but graceless, scuffing to a stop just a little way away. Arthur’s head snapped up to their owner, and I gingerly took a peek to my left. It was the feller Mary-Beth had been mingling with a fair bit, Kieran. My conversations with him had been few and far between, mostly small talk when we were both tending to the horses; but he seemed like a nice enough guy. Always really timid, though, especially then. His eyes were locked on Arthur’s and he looked ready to wet himself. 

“Mind your goddamn business, O’Driscoll. And keep your mouth shut,” Arthur’s voice was dark, gruff and downright chilling. I hadn’t heard anything close to it since the first time I’d seen him at Horseshoe Overlook, and he’d been yelling at Strauss. It rose goosebumps on my arms and made me feel something in the pit of my gut that would’ve been fear if it was directed at me, instead it was a sort of exhilaration.

Kieran visibly gulped before giving a jerky nod and carrying on his way. I had no idea what the issue between the two men – well, between Kieran and most of the camp – was. It wasn't the best time to ask, however.

Arthur sighed loudly and leaned away from me. I couldn't help but let a small giggle escape, prompting a quizzical look from him.

“We’re not doing well with the whole ‘keeping this to ourselves’ thing, are we?” I said. Arthur scrubbed a hand over his face, releasing a tenuous groan. “Which reminds me. Abigail knows,” I added through another laugh.

“I don’t mind you telling your friends,” he shrugged.

“It wasn't me,” I gave him a look and his expression soured when the penny dropped.

“Dumb as rocks, no good, little bastard–”

“Hey, come on. Don't be like that.”

“Sticking his oar in–”

“Arthur,” I said sharply, capturing his attention. “Just remember he saved my life.”

“‘Bout the only useful thing he’s done since he dragged his scrawny ass back to us.”

“You don't hate him that bad,” I cocked my head and Arthur shrugged indifferently.

“Anyway,” I said suddenly, changing the subject. I presented my sketchbook to him, dropping it in his lap. “Couple pages in, I drew your boy.”

“You did?” he seemed surprised, opening up the sketchbook and flicking through to the drawing in question. He beamed when he saw it, face breaking into an unrestrained smile. It made my heart thump  “Look at that,” he chuckled.

“You like it?”

“You did a fine job on this, of course I like it. Y’ should be proud of yourself,” he patted me on the thigh, began rubbing up and down. “Thank you, princess.”

“You’re most welcome,” I said, preening under his praise just a little. 

He opened his mouth to speak, but his name met my ears from across camp. His hand froze its subtle movement and he looked over his shoulder. A newly risen Dutch was shouting him. He let out a little breath then looked back down at the drawing.

“I better go see what he wants,” he told me, eyes still roaming over the drawing of Jet, thumb kneading the edge of my thigh. “You going out with the girls tonight, that thing John was on about?”

“Oh, that. Yeah, I reckon so,” I nodded. “Are you coming?”

“Ahh, no. I think it's best I avoid that place, last time I was there, Hosea and I caused a little trouble,” he admitted sheepishly, and I didn't ask. “Anyway, you be careful,” he said, giving my thigh one last squeeze.

“I will,” I smiled, seeing him mirror it before he was heading off to see Dutch.

-

Rhodes Parlour House was as pleasant as I remembered it being from the few times I’d been there before. The place was clean and nicely decorated, crisp white table cloths and ornate furniture, a lovely curved staircase dominating the room, a polished bar at the back. Anyone would think we were somewhere like Saint Denis. The place was busy, the piano being played to grace the patrons with a lively tune, men were packed around the bar, others were taking up the tables. Women roamed the place too, but it seemed as though they were looking to make a dollar rather than spend one.

Mary-Beth, Karen and Tilly mingled with the patrons in their own ways; Karen was going solo while the others teamed up together. I was still sat with John, observing as the two of us sat opposite one another in a booth by the entrance. He'd been approached by three different prostitutes, now, prowling like kittens to try and coax him upstairs, and for once I found myself reveling in a perk of being female. Though, I didn't get off completely scot-free, the third of the women eyed me in a way that turned my face cherry pink and made John burst into fits of laughter. Perhaps it was something in my decision to wear pants that evening, despite the other womens' confusion at the choice. 

I'd told them that desirability wouldn't benefit my plan. 

The plan I'd told John all about, explaining that it'd require his assistance. He'd been more than happy to oblige, and now all we needed to do was wait for the right time and the right mark. Lucky for us, a man walked through the doors, dressed to the nines, a lady at least half his age hanging off his arm; fat guy with a perfectly curled moustache, cream coloured suit and a top hat. He looked like money, walked with his gut puffed out a mile ahead of him, and he was sliding into the booth behind us. I shot John a look and he nodded, and I pulled out what was hiding in my satchel. A piece of cloth wrapped around a tiny rock. 

"Alright," I said, not keeping my voice down. "I think I've waited long enough. Do you have my money?"

"Show me the goods, first, then we'll talk money," he replied, leaning back and folding his arms across his chest. I saw the man, who was sitting in the space behind John, turn his head at the mention of the word.

"I showed you. My money, sir," I pressed through gritted teeth, and John sighed heavily. 

"I want another look. Gotta make sure I'm getting the real deal, here," he countered and with a tense sigh I pushed the cloth bundle towards him.

"Alright, one more look, but we agreed a price last week. Remember that," I warned. John unfurled the cloth carefully. He stared down at the small, sandy chip of rock I'd picked up from the edge of Flat Iron Lake, carefully selected, even had little polished parts that shined in the light. It wasn't great, but it'd be good enough for someone with an untrained eye and under the bar's dim light.

John picked it up and held it up to the light, arm stretching out of the booth as he made a show of inspecting it. All the while I could see the guy in the seat behind him taking curious peeks over his shoulder. John made a humming sound, and sucked on his bottom lip for a while, making me wait for some kind of response. 

"A hundred," he finally muttered.

"Excuse me?" I scoffed. "We agreed on two. And I know damn well even that's generous."

"I'm sorry? Who's the expert?" John snorted, putting the stone back down on the cloth and cocking a brow at me.

"I don't care to listen about your education again, sir. Two hundred," I smacked a hand on the table, and the mark finally made his move, slinking out of the booth.

"Excuse me, ma'am, but I can't help but overhear your conversation. This feller trying to go back on a done deal?" He questioned, leaning his palm on the table, back to John, effectively cutting him out.

"Damn right he is," I hissed, jabbing a finger in John's direction in disgust. 

"Maybe I can be of assistance? I'm somewhat of a businessman myself," he said proudly.

"I don't know. I doubt you'll know much about it, unless you're a gemstone expert," I shrugged, shifting in my seat and reaching under the triangle created by his arm and his body to fetch back the rock.

"I ain't an expert in gemstones, but I don't need to be to help you two figure out a good deal. For a cut, of course," he smirked, straightening up again. "What'chu got here?"

I paused for a while, not wanting to appear too eager. I sighed, finally answering; "Australian opal. Mined it myself, this is the last of my lot. Trouble is, I come back to the US for a family matter and I've got every man and his dog trying to swindle me out of a fair deal. This feller's the third."

"Opal? Huh. That dull thing?"

"It's unpolished, of course. They don't come out the ground wrapped in gold ready to go on a lady's finger, you know," I narrowed my eyes at him and he nodded thoughtfully. He picked it up, and I flinched for show. He eyed up my reaction, then put it back down.

"Two hundred, you settled on? What's the issue?" He turned to John.

"No issue, friend. Just doing business. I'm sure you understand, being a businessman yourself," John shrugged. The man looked him up and down. 

"You don't look like the type to be walking around with two hundred dollars in your back pocket," he sneered and John snorted, shaking his head. 

"How'd you think I manage to keep it there? Feller like you, flaunting it, surprised someone ain't tried robbing you yet," John retaliated, and I very nearly laughed. The man hummed, considering his point. "Anyway, no one asked you. Get out of here. Best I can do is one-fifty, ma'am. Take it or leave it."

"I sold chips half this size in Saint Denis for three hundred. I ain't taking no less than two hundred," I wrapped up the stone and pocketed it. 

"Thought you needed fast money," John said, leaning his elbows on the table. The man stayed put, watching the exchange. 

"Not that fast, I ain't willing to get totally ripped off. Two hundred."

"You keep saying that, ain't gonna make the money appear," he laughed, shaking his head at me. I narrowed my eyes. 

"I've got fifty dollars on me, should be buying my wife a fancy new frock from Saint Denis tomorrow, but she can wait. Also got a pocket watch worth a hundred or more depending on who you sell it to. Can give you the name of a feller, a collector, he'll pay top dollar," the man suddenly butted in. My belly squeezed in excitement. 

"Didn't I tell you to get out of here? This ain't your deal," John stood up, meeting the guy at eye level. 

"Hang on, that don't sound too bad," I pondered aloud, staring ahead and pursing my lips.

"We shook hands," John spun towards me, brow mashing down angrily. I laughed maliciously.

"Yeah, we did. At two hundred," I purred, enjoying the way the man glanced between us, eating up every word. John gnawed on his bottom lip for a while, leaning down to my level.

"I ain't got that much on me right now. I can do one-seventy," he told me under his breath, but loud enough for the man to hear it.

"I'll throw in my wife's necklace. Gold. Gotta be worth something, right?" Came his bid. 

"Hey, like hell you will!" His wife yelled from the other booth.

"I'll buy you a new one, sweetheart," he called back.

"Stay the hell out of it!" John spat in his face, but the man was ignoring him, his eyes set on me. I hummed, pursing my lips and looking up to the ceiling. 

"Seventy-five, the watch, plus my wife's necklace. You could get, what, at least three hundred out of all that?" He offered, forehead shiny, hands fidgety. I levelled my gaze to his, kept him on his toes for a few long seconds, then offered my hand to him. He grinned and shook it.

"Fuck you!" John yelled, storming out of the booth, his shoulder smacking into the guy as he stomped towards the bar. He only laughed, glanced at his wife in time to have a necklace thrown at him, then gathered together my items.

We made the exchange, tucked away our goods, and bid each other a pleasant evening. I sat back in the booth, draining my bottle of beer and smiling to myself, pleased as Punch.

[serendipitous-magic]

what's your writing process like? do you plot things out beforehand? or do you sort of write it as it comes? a mix of both?

Depends on what I'm writing!

In general I'm a planner. I can't write from a blank page, unless I'm just like... really really captivated by whatever I'm writing, which was what happened with the first chapters of both The Art of Living Your (Second) Life and The Partnership Plan.

a) In general, if it's a fanfiction I'm writing, I tend to build the plan as I write - meaning, oftentimes I'll be inspired to write the first chapter, and I'll write that with little idea what the rest of it will be. Or, even if I have an idea what the rest will be, it's more of a vague skeleton than a full plan. And then, as I continue to write, I think more about where the story is going and I continuously add to and refine my plan kind of alongside the actual writing. In this way, the plan grows at the same time that the actual chapters do - but because the chapters take significantly longer to write than planning does, the plan outpaces the "real" writing and I usually know the basic story arc from fairly early on. Then it's just a matter of fleshing it out, adding detail, writing down scenes I thought of, etc. And then when I get to that point in the actual writing, I have a framework in place already.

-_-_-

b) Sometimes for fanfic, I have a more complete plan upfront - although I use "complete" here to mean "from beginning to end," not "completely detailed." So, more like a full skeleton than a full body, if that makes sense. I did that with Roll for Strength. What usually happens is that my plan will look something like...

...

Chapter One

-Will suspects Mike has a girlfriend and is kind of put out about it but thinks he's over Mike so he tells himself he doesn't care

-Will walks in on Mike and his BF (name??) and has a crisis (they don't see Will, so Will knows about Mike but Mike doesn't know that Will knows)

-Will might get off to that later, guiltily? (Or move to chapter two)

Chapter Two

-Do Mike's POV to tell about how he ended up dating a guy, how he got very disillusioned with the world after canon events and got into a "fuck it, the rules don't matter and I hate them anyway" mentality, which eventually snowballed into him kind of realizing and accepting his sexuality earlier than usual fanon

-Also introduce BF (name??) in a scene

-Set time and place - season should set the mood if not already mentioned in Ch 1

-Maybe also do BF's POV briefly to introduce him?? Or leave that for later

...

Etc.

And that's the original skeleton plan. And then it gets expanded upon more and more and more as I continue to think about the story, sometimes even with full pages' worth of unbroken text blocks as I get inspired and start basically thought-vomiting an entire scene. So by the time I get around to actually writing it, it might look like the above, or it might be a few steps shy of an actual draft already, depending on how much I've thought about / worked on that part.

See #5 in this writing advice post to see what I mean about a "thought vomit" draft.

-_-_-

c) Here's the thing - the above was for fanfic, or for short stories, or stories that I'm just kind of having fun with.

For original stuff, I adhere much more tightly to the "rules," because the guidelines for original work (that you might try to publish in the actual publishing market) are much stricter - and for good reason! Fanfiction is a sandbox, and we're all invested in the characters and worlds and settings already. We're all reading and writing fanfic because we already love these characters and this world, and we just want to play in it.

It's a different situation with original novels that you hope to publish. The plot, pacing, tension, and story beats have to be much, much tighter and more polished. Because people reading original work have no prior reason to be invested in it or care what happens - that's work that you have to do. For fanfic, that work was done for you by the original thing. Not to mention, the publishing world is so absolutely choked with competition, and the emphasis lies so heavily on sales, that if your book isn't fucking top-tier compelling, no publisher or agent will take a second look at it. Which is kind of unfortunate, because there's value in slower, more relaxed, more reflective storytelling, too - it's just not what capitalism has decided to value, which is sad.

But anyway.

When writing an original thing, I basically need a full plan - beginning to end, covering all plot points. Not necessarily all the details, just all the plot points - I need a skeleton and I need connective tissue. The rest comes later. But to start, I need to know what happens, why, and how the characters get from event to event. I need to know the physical story events, the emotional beats, and how those things logically flow throughout the story.

Some people can write without this and it still turns into a compelling story, tight narrative, etc. I envy these people. I have all respect for these people. I cannot do this. If I write original work with no plan, and especially without at least like 50-75% of a plan, I end up with something slow, meandering, and kind of limp. No bueno.

So, I usually use a beat sheet.

What's a beat sheet?

It's a 15-beat plotting structure used by screenwriters. And, yeah, technically it's for movies / screenplays. But storytelling is storytelling. And it's highly flexible. (And my favorite professor ever taught it to me in college so you can pry it out of my cold dead hands.)

Google it. It's what I use to make sure my (original work) plots are tight, have momentum, have a satisfying character arc, etc.

Okay, okay, I'll paste the basic structure below just so you can see wtf I'm talking about:

-_-_-

-Act I:

1) The First Frame

-What is the first thing we see? This should be a snapshot of the main character’s problem, before the story begins

-Ex: the Star Destroyer in A New Hope

2) The World Around Us

-What is the main character’s world like at the beginning of the story?

-What is missing in the main character’s life?

3) State the Theme (sneak this into The World Around Us)

-What is the story secretly about? This should happen during The World Around Us

4) Inciting Incident (smol tentpole)

-What happens to put the hero on the road? This is where the hero’s life changes forever.

5) The Hero Questions

-1st introspective moment

-Can the hero really do this? Should the hero chicken out?

-Oftentimes the hero fails at something

-Ex: Luke gets his ass beat by the raiders

-Act II:

6) Crossing the Threshold / The Emotional Hurdle (big tentpole)

-The main character makes a choice

-Beginning of Act II

7) The B Story / The Love Story

-Introduced here

-Often but not always a love story

8) Promise of the Premise

-Fun and games in the world you promised

-Horror movie? Creeps here!

-Sci fi? Space battles!

-Animation? Shenanigans!

9) Midpoint (big tentpole)

-The hero finds out that what they want is not what they need

-Luke rescues the princess - turns out that’s not really what the story was about

10) Bad Guys Close In / Throwing Rocks

-Events conspire to tear the hero’s goal to shreds

-Wesley is mostly dead, Inego is drunk, Fezzick is part of the brute squad

-This is the other side of the fun and games coin where things are no longer fun

11) All is Lost

-Something super bad happens, and that goal is impossible

-If someone important is gonna die, it’s probably now

12) The Pit of Despair (smol tentpole)

-The hero mourns the death (if someone died) and wallows in his/her lowest point

13) Inspiration

-A fresh idea

-Act III:

14) Come and Get Some / Final Confrontation (big tentpole)

-The final confrontation - the final showdown

-A and B stories wrapping up at the same time

-The theme makes sense and the battle is engaged

15) Final Frame

-Opposite of the first frame

-The hero is changed

-_-_-

It's what I use. But hey, you don't have to. What works for me might not work for you.

I'll finish this off by pasting in a section of actual real-ass planning I have open in a document for one of my novels at this moment (it's giving me the evil eye, I swear) so you can see what I kind of mean by "thought vomiting." Also note that in my actual document, the bullet points are indented incrementally to be kind of "nestled" underneath the relevant points, if that makes sense, and that it's a whole eye-watering mess of different colors. But for Tumblr, it's this:

-_-_-

-You have to be rescued by the rest of the team, because you fell down that hole - and you are, eventually, after screaming yourself hoarse some more (plus it’s been like an hour or more now, so they have since noticed that you were missing)

-I could gloss over this, like end the chapter when you run away, and open the next one with “It takes another half hour of screaming your throat nearly bloody before the team finds you,” or something

-They berate you for chasing after ghosts - you say you didn’t find anyone down there, because you know for damn sure nobody’s gonna believe what you think you saw, and you don’t even think you believe it

-This leads to a trip to the local doctor (a clinic, probs, akin to UrgentCare), which you’re not happy with because that’s more people taking notice of you

-However, you’re also going through the change in mindset here - see below

-Note: I as the writer don’t have to worry about the paperwork or whatever that you’d normally have to fill out, getting hurt on the job, because you weren’t officially hired - however, it would be a good “humanity is okay” moment if the guy who hired you came in and helped you with the medical expenses because he felt bad - he’d also probably be a little nervous about you suing or something, but you assure him that you have zero interest in that

-I could include a funny line where the guy says he’ll pay for your doctor bill and you try to say no (being indebted to someone is bad news for you) but he insists, because he says he feels responsible, and you just kind of stare at him and then blurt, “Do you need me to kill anyone for you?” (Something you probably regret as soon as you say it, not because you expect him to accept but because you abruptly remember what happened two days ago.) (Would it be too much to also add like “You want me to murder anyone for you? You want a blowjob? I will do anything,” and he gets flustered and bats it off like “Nah, nah, nah, chill out. You’re crazy, man.” And insists that you don’t need to pay him back)

-Here’s a decision I have to make - does the guy pay for your doctor bills as well as paying for your work today (leaving you enough money to potentially split town, but you decide not to), or do you have to pay the $2,500+ in doctor bills with no insurance for the injury, which raises the stakes by depleting all your money?

-I think I like Option A best, because it gives Sam more agency as a character if they decide to stay despite having the option to leave, versus them just being stuck completely - plus I don’t know how else I’d be able to explain away you having money for the hotel

-The guy who hired you pays you for the work day here - and maybe, just maybe, that gives you barely enough to buy that used car (although, why would it? It couldn’t have been more than like $200 for 8 hours of work, maybe $300 if he was really really desperate - if it was a really cheap used car, that might give you barely enough to buy the car but literally nothing left over)

-Point being, maybe you have enough money to bolt now, if you chose to - and you have to make the choice not to

-The car you found might be a $1,500 Honda Civic (or Jeep or whatever) with a dead battery, and the guy selling it says it should run fine with a new battery, which you Google (apparently it would be somewhere in the range of $100-$200) - maybe you think of how nice the mechanic was for you and wonder if you could cut a bit of a deal with him, if you get this car - and if the guy pays for your trip to the doctor and pays you for the temp work, this could just tip you into the margin of being able to afford the car, if you haggle with the seller

-_-_-

Or another example, with more actual sentences:

-_-_-

-As you approach the trailer you start to register a smell that turns your stomach - something like a porta potty and something like the sharp tang of rusting metal. It makes you pause - maybe there really is someone in there, using the place to live whether there’s a sewage hookup or not - it wouldn’t be the weirdest thing you’ve heard of. But after standing for a bit, silent and listening, and then hiding behind a large tree to chuck a rock at the vehicle to no response, you continue forward. You’ll just have to be cautious. Your spirits lift when you see the door. It’s completely grown over. (Leafy vines lace over it, tangling in the handle, yellowing and unbroken. If someone is living in there, they’ve been using the window to come and go, and that doesn’t seem all too likely. Bolstered by a new swell of confidence, and picturing the unlikely riches you might find stashed away in a cabinet or a glove compartment, you cross the last few feet towards the shape.

-You find the body and recognize it as one of the two obnoxious vlogging dudes from the motel

-I’m kind of imagining the moment of discovery like the wardrobe moment in Narnia where, during your nice forest trek, there’s been some pleasant acoustic music playing (like All the Pretty Girls by Kaleo maybe) and then it just stops abruptly in the middle of a phrase, maybe echoing slightly, when you see the body, and all at once everything is sickly silent.

-Oh dude, maybe you continue thinking it’s a duffel bag (possibly feeling pretty upbeat, though cautious until you’re literally about to step over it, and then you happen to glance down and get a sickening, chest-slamming shock when an empty human face is staring up at you

-Note: there should be mushrooms growing in, on and around the RV, because mushrooms are Creepy

-You go to investigate the RV

-Maybe you recognized the body as one of the vloggers and you’re trying to see if his friend is around - or maybe, in a kind of sick daze, you short circuit and find yourself doing the only thing you can think to do: continuing along your trajectory, stumbling towards the RV and tearing the rusted-out door free from the lattice of brittle vines that held it in place (this is what alerts The Dude that someone has been here), like if you just get to your original goal that’ll fix everything - somehow, if you just keep moving forward on the track you set out on, that thing won’t be real anymore - at the very least you have to get inside, to put a door between you and the body, like you’re pulling the blankets over your head to shield yourself from the boogeyman. Just as long as you’re not out there with, with...

-_-_-

Anywho, I'll stop.

I apologize again for... (scrolls up for a million miles) all of that, but you asked me about my passion and now you pay the price, lmao.

[seyaryminamoto]

3 months till Gladiator's 7th birthday. How will you celebrate? You must've grown a lot writing it. How's it feel to recall the girl who wrote the older chapters? Lots of readers and supporters come and go, which used to bug you, but not anymore as you kept going, so its not just feedback driving you. Escapism? Purpose? You made so much of one idea, as if you're daydreaming about gladiators while waiting for the bus, then "BAM!" a mega fanfic is born!

Well, if you truly wish to know how it will be celebrated, I have been working on a new onslaught of artworks, this time of around half the arcs that Part 2 is comprised by (up to The Fire Lord’s Shadow arc, I believe). So... more art! At least, hopefully xD It won’t be easy, of course, but I’ve already gotten started with the sketches and I’m still around 3 months away, like you said... it better be enough time :’D

And yeah, I’ve grown a lot, though probably not in the ways I originally thought I would. The girl who wrote the first chapters was definitely much happier and innocent and confident in ways she didn’t realize she was. I suspect reading the Author’s Notes I used to make back then, and comparing them to the more recent ones, would reveal that. I was a little more hyperactive and enthusiastic, now I’m pretty much jaded? I’ve literally gone through the entirety of college while writing this behemoth of a fanfic :’D a slightly insane notion, yet it’s something I was walking into with my eyes fully open. I remember a conversation I had with a friend once, ages ago, where she asked me if I was seriously committed and ready to do this, because it was going to be a huge story, it would take ages to finish it, and a lot of people would come and go, I might even end up wanting to toss the fandom into a void halfway through the story (she was spot-on about everything, too! :’D), but I told her I knew all those things and I was ready to face it.

Truth was, I wasn’t all that ready? But I still faced it anyhow, and here I am regardless.

Escapism definitely has something to do with it. As most people know, I’m not exactly living it up, my country is determined to get worse and worse with each passing day and nothing seems to improve. From the very moment I decided to write more seriously, a decision I reached when I was 14-15, escapism was a HUGE reason why I was doing it. I was pretty much writing power fantasies, stories about people who wouldn’t have to struggle with ANY of what I had to struggle with. All of it so I could sort of live through those characters, experience what they experienced, because I knew that as long as I was here, I’d never have a chance to have the lives they would.

Gladiator isn’t quite as blatant in its escapist purposes as that story was, because there’s much more going on in it than just that... but I certainly feel better about life when I can focus on this crazy tale and not let the horrific, chaotic world we live in get to me. I know Gladiator is likely to only ever remain a fanfic, and I’m perfectly happy with that (the more I think of it, the less I want to file off its serial numbers), because it was the culmination of my early experiences as a writer and content creator. Everything I’d learned before any of you even knew I existed, I’ve put to work in this story. And while the result isn’t flawless, I’ve done everything in my power to give my very best to Gladiator, and I know I’ll keep doing that in the future.

A lot has changed since I got started, and I sure wasn’t ready for all of it. Some things I took for granted, and then found they weren’t at all as stable and certain as I thought they would be. I’ve made decisions that have alienated readers, but just as they’re free to come and go, I’m free to write whatever I want to write. And that, incidentally, is the one thing that hasn’t changed since I got started here: this IS the story I want to write, has been since the moment that idea possessed me on one crazy night in March 2013, and my resolve to do exactly that has stayed strong, despite all the obstacles I’ve faced (beyond the known emotional baggage, I’ve gone through three laptops since this story began? Two chargers that stopped working for no reason? One battery died?? And yet I kept going like a madwoman because I HAD TO!).

It’s funny that you brought up daydreaming gladiators on a bus... maybe you mentioned it because I explained that’s how OoPB came to me, in the middle of a bus ride xD my first ATLA fic indeed found its beginning that way. Gladiator, though, came from an idea offered to me by chaosconetic, an user in FF.net. He had been watching documentaries about gladiators of ancient Rome, and he suggested that idea in case I had nothing else to write.

At first I just thanked him and kept crying about The Reason because that’s what I had in mind at the time. But a month later, the idea returned to me, like I said, when I was about to go to bed... and the possibilities blew me away. The starting point, Sokka being captured in the south, had been chaosconetic’s original idea... I, of course, decided to complicate things by making Azula do the capturing :’) A lot of my early, dismissed ideas for Gladiator were kind of cringeworthy, I think I’ve mentioned some of them before... but it might be fun to say that there were two things set in stone from very early on: the end of Part 1, as in, the big fight that leads Sokka and Azula to finally take their relationship to the next level, and the end of Part 2... which I won’t go into for obvious reasons xD The end of Part 2, I’ve mentioned before, has a slightly subtle nod in chapter 2: the only reason I could add it so early is, indeed, because I came up with it that early x’D and that’s the evidence that I’m not talking out of my ass here! (Though if I ever lie and claim I planned Part 3 from the start you are all welcome to call me out on my bullshit, because that one’s been a very slow and complicated plotting process that is STILL being finalized nowadays).

I guess for a lot of people, Gladiator is just another fic, just another story out of thousands, heck, millions, that you might find on any given fanfiction site. There’s bound to be a fair share of people who are absolutely uninterested in it (if such people follow me on here I have no idea how they’ve endured me for all these years, frankly, and I don’t envy them one bit), there’s bound to be people who are disillusioned by what it turned out to be. But even when I know all this, this story is really something out of the ordinary for me. My guideline as a writer has always been to write stories I feel passionately about, and Gladiator is without a doubt the one I’ve been most passionate about, ever.

So, if there’s one thing I’d absolutely say to the innocent, bright-eyed, not-jaded Seyary who didn’t know the full extent of what she was getting into... it’s that, no matter the strife she’s still due to endure, she made the right choice by pursuing this story as far as she has, and to never let anyone tell her otherwise.

[fantabulosogamedev]

Barkwursts and Kickstarter Info!

Hey everyone!  Got a bunch of stuff to talk about in this post, so let’s get rolling!  If you aren’t already on the discord, I’d recommend joining it by clicking this link.  This is by far the best way to get in touch with me and keep track of development.

Barkwursts

Around 2-3 years ago, during The Fantabulous Game’s development, I announced the existence of Spheredogs.  These dogs would serve a similar purpose to Jinjos, giving Capboy a sausage if he collects them all in a level.  Initially made as a reference to the original Le Fantabulous Game, I’ve decided to change that plan.  After all, the new Spheredog design wasn’t even a sphere, but rather more of a sausage with legs!  So, I present to you:  Barkwursts!

(left-to-right: Tico, Cosmo, Jim, Goobert, Eyedog)

Barkwursts are the exact same as Spheredogs were in TFG, just with a new name.  Though they aren’t designed as of right now, Spheredogs will be returning as small, kickable, gremlin-esque Spherefriends -- just as they were back in the very first iteration of Le Fantabulous Game.  The Sausage rewards will be doled out by a new character, interested in collecting Barkwursts to help his own Quest for Sausage...

(fanart by ZackTheNerd)

The first new Capkin design in Fantaria’s history, I present to you: Ecapresu, the Farmer!  Living in Home Sausage, Ecapresu uses Barkwursts to help facilitate his peaceful harvest of Sausages.  To thank Capboy for bringing Barkwursts to him, Ecapresu shares a portion of his harvest with Capboy.  Additionally, Capboy will be able to learn more about his own species from Ecapresu, as well as get information on the Barkwursts that he has brought.

(kickstarter art by Scandre)

The aspect of Barkwursts that I’m the most excited about, however, is their integration into the Kickstarter.  The Barkwursts you see above are actually created by members on the testing team, hence their fantastically varied designs!  Also named by these testers, these fellas will serve as the five Barkwursts found in Fantaria’s demo level.  On that note, I’d like to move on to talk about the Kickstarter’s stretch goals and reward tiers!

Kickstarter Reward Tiers

Fantaria: The Quest for Sausage is going to have a variety of reward tiers, focusing on digital rewards.  Every tier has its own title in the credits, and your name will be listed alongside all of your creations (if you’re okay with it!) in the credits as well.  I won’t be going into incredible depth on all of them here, but here’s a quick lowdown:

$5: Coolfriend. Have your name put in the credits, and receive a wallpaper pack.  Every further tier has the wallpaper pack as well!

$15: Digital copy of the game on release.

Backerfriend title in credits.

$25: Deluxe copy of the game on release.  In addition to the game, this features the soundtrack and access to (potential, not guaranteed!) DLC released in the future.  Every tier beyond this point also has the deluxe edition of the game.

Deluxe Backerfriend title in credits

$60: Design-a-Spherefriend.  Similar to the build-a-spherefriend tool I released many years ago, design a Spherefriend NPC by choosing color, size, name, and customized headwear.  Also, you can name your spherefriend, pick a combat unit archetype, and write a small dialogue blurb to be translated into Spherespeak!  

Designerfriend title in credits.

$120: Design-a-Barkwurst.  With much more freedom than Spherefriend designs, you can have your own Barkwurst design put into the game, along with a name and a bio!  As seen with the example 5 above, Barkwurst designs have a lot of freedom, so this will be your chance to really get creative.

Dogfriend title in credits.

$150: Designer Dogfriend.  Design both a Spherefriend and a Barkwurst!  The next two reward tiers give you these privileges as well.

Designer Dogfriend title in credits.

$300: Design-an-NPC!  This tier will let you get your own unique NPC design into the game, with at least one encounter in one of the games’ levels.  Note that due to the larger universe impact of a proper NPC, some restrictions will apply -- see below.  

Deluxe Designerfriend title in credits

$600: Design-a-boss!  This tier will let you design your own unique boss encounter for Capboy and Friendwoman to face, featuring its own unique fighting style, difficulty, arena, personality, and rewards upon defeat!   Note that due to the larger universe impact of a full bossfight, some restrictions will apply -- see below.  

Ultimate Designerfriend title in credits.

Kickstarter Reward Limitations

To help make sure Fantaria: tQfS is a cohesive experience that fits my vision, there are some limitations on “design-an-x” reward tiers.  Note that these are guidelines, not hard refusals!  If you have a character that you’re concerned will be affected by these limitations, I want you to reach out to me to talk about it!  I’m always willing to work to find a compromise if you’re interested in seeing your character or design in Fantaria..

I reserve the right to have final say on small tweaks of all backer designs

You must legally own the rights to the characters and/or designs you request!  For example, a direct lift of Mario’s outfit on a Spheredog wouldn’t be okay, but a design which clearly falls under parody would be.  This applies more strictly to the higher tiers (see below).

Spherefriends cannot be made super massive, and their headwear shouldn’t be excessively vulgar or otherwise go counter to Fantaria’s aesthetic (i.e. no hyper realistic textures).

Barkwursts must always have the same silhouette, and make the same SFX as each other, to ensure the player can easily identify them despite the varied designs.

NPCs and Bosses have some further restrictions:

No humans.  Friendwoman is the only human presently in Fantaria’s universe, and this is a very key component of the universe.  If you have a human design that you’d like to see, I’d be thrilled to work with you on creating a variation of it that fits into the universe! (i.e. a capkin or PBot version).

No parodies/memes.  Unlike Spherefriends and Barkwursts, which don’t weigh much on the plot or universe, NPCs/bosses should not blatantly be referencing real-life jokes or personalities.  This does not mean that they all have to be serious, they can be wacky and silly!  Just...no ugandan knuckles parody, or trump parody, or other designs like that.

No characters with explicit and consistent ties to adult material.  It’s totally fine if your character is generally slightly lewd or attractive, but if all they’re associated with is porn (either vanilla or fetish), they won’t be a good fit for Fantaria.

I retain final say on the power level of your character in relation to the cast of Fantaria.  This is mostly to make sure that no characters become more important to the plot and events than pre-existing characters like Capboy and Friendwoman...unless, of course, I think the design can fit into such a role!  Naturally, you still have control over your character’s personality and attitude, and I will run any story events they are involved in by you to make sure you’re satisfied with the way they react.

Kickstarter Stretch Goals

Now that that’s out of the way, the final thing I’d like to talk about here are Kickstarter Stretch Goals!  I’ve budgeted these all fairly thoroughly, as I’ll explain in more detail when the KS itself launches.  These are as follows:

$25,000 -- Initial Goal.  This provides me with the living costs needed for the estimated year and some change of remaining development, as well as to commission Scandre and Viv for art and music, respectively.

$30,000 -- Local Deathmatch.  This tier will add a local deathmatch option to the main title, where you can fight with up to three of your friends in brand new arenas inspired by the couch competitions of old!

$35,000 -- More levels. This tier will add four fully-featured secret levels, pushing Capboy to the limit and providing special new rewards.  These levels will each come with a unique ability, melee weapon, and bossfight

$40,000 -- The Fantabulous Arena.  This tier will add a special arena to the game, allowing Capboy to fight endless enemy waves and challenge bosses that he’s already defeated again!  In addition to being able to have fun experiencing these fights, the Arena will have special challenges restricting Capboy to certain weapons, with even more sausages being rewarded for completing them.  Finally, post-release, all bosses will receive an additional Fantabulous version of themselves, unlocking potent new weapon upgrades for Capboy!

$50,000 -- Nightmare Mode. This tier will add a second campaign, inspired by the brutal NG+’s found in oldschool games.  Play as Capboy’s ally Friendwoman, travelling backwards through a distorted and damaged version of the main game’s story.  Face brutal platforming challenges, intense battle arenas, and mindbending puzzles, using with all of the main game’s weapons and unlocks to overcome the odds!  Naturally, this mode will also feature every single Fantabulous boss in place of their standard versions.  Nightmare Mode, if funded, would release as post-release DLC free to all backers of the $15 tier and above.

$60,000 -- Local Co-op.  Friendwoman will be able to join in with Capboy in the main quest, with the game dynamically adjusting challenges and obstacles to adjust for the additional player.  When in multiplayer, bosses will gain new co-op exclusive mechanics, and co-op exclusive puzzles and battle rooms will block the pair’s route.  This will also allow Friendwoman to be played instead of Capboy in the singleplayer main campaign.  If funded, this tier will release alongside the main game, and will likely cause some slight delay to the current predicted release date.

$65,000 -- Nightmare Co-op.  Friendwoman will be able to bring Capboy with her on her quest through the nightmare realm, enabling cooperation against the new threats and challenges of this brutal adventure.  As with the main campaign, new unique co-op oriented challenges will be present when in multiplayer on this campaign!  If funded, Nightmare Mode will have co-op when it is launched post-release.

$80,000 -- Online Multiplayer.  If funded, all multiplayer modes will be able to be played with one another online!  Releasing with the main game, Online Multiplayer will likely result in some further slight delay to the predicted release date if funded.

Whew, that was a lot!  If you bore with me for all of that, you’re a superfan, and it’s great to know that there are people dedicated enough to read through all of that.  As for when the KS and demo will actually launch, my current prediction is July 26th -- ironically, the same date (+4 months) as I wanted to release TFG’s kickstarter last year! Now that I’ve recovered from the issues I discussed in the last post, I’ve been diving deep back into development and making great progress.  As we approach that date, I will continue to evaluate the amount of work remaining and let you guys know if that seems like it’s going to change.

As I said at the beginning, swing by the Discord if you haven’t already and want to talk about this stuff!  I’m very eager to hear feedback on the price points of rewards and stretch goals, and am willing to listen to suggestions on any changes.  See you guys soon with another chunk of progress!

-Fantabuloso

[ps-nippets]

Advice for Discovery Writers

I have recently discovered a term for my method of writing: ‘A Discovery Writer.’ What it basically means is that these writers do not plan ahead, and just discovery write, the story unfolding ‘by itself’.(Completely opposite to the methodical approach of ‘Outline’ Writers).

It completely changed my perception, well more precisely it changed my attitude towards my flaws. (Or the things I consider my flaws anyway) 

1. Being carried away by the torrent of potential ideas for my current work in progress

Many recommend outlining.... I can’t. I just can’t outline. I feel like it sucks the life out of my imagination. Like the whole point of writing for me as a work of art, is for it to be as spontaneous and natural as possible completely opposite to my systematic approach to life. I figure out my story as I go along, the characters sweeping me away into the unknown. (Which usually derails the whole plot.)

That gives rise to another issue, is that while my characters get developed the world around them doesn’t. Which means that I cannot keep up a continuous streak of writing, but I have to regularly stop and research the topic I am trying to integrate into the story. (iTs BeEn 2 YeArS sInCe I sTaRtEd WrItInG mY fIrSt DrAfT!) 

So reading up on this specific category of ‘Discovery writers’, offers many different methods to solve it... (aka to try to find the golden center between Discovery and Outlining.)

- Try writing the end of the story to have at least some direction to go. That doesn’t mean that this is the definite end but its more of a guideline.

- Make a monologue to define each character, that way making them less likely to shift the story completely out of control, because the character’s motivation has already been defined. 

- Draw up a list of potential themes to be dealt with within the story in a notebook/Word doc, and try to research before hand. Make little notes. Refer to when needed.

2. Other possible ideas to be developed into separate works

- A writer’s notebook is a good way to organize all the little scenes that flit through the imagination. 

- On the flip side, if an idea pops up, leave it, don’t write it down. If it is worth it, it will stay. If it will be forgotten then that it probably for the best.

- Properly define the goal of finishing the specific wip. Don’t get distracted by the ‘what-ifs’ or the ‘oooooh sparkly’ of new characters, worlds and visions.

Eh, well. It feels so strange. To be drawing up lists and trying to maybe pass on the tiny fraction of the knowledge I managed to gather, when I haven’t finished any of my projects at all. If only I was as good as following advice as I am giving it. 

In the end the most important thing is just to write. Nothing is worse than a blank page, so just fill it up with your words. Because words can always be rewritten, while a blank page will always stay a blank page.

I hope that this will help. At least in a little way. If anyone has any questions, feel free to drop me an ask or comment or whatever. Just don’t hesitate to ask. :)

[theonyxpath]

Chicago is!

If you remember the original Chicago By Night cover art, this is the same scene – this time illustrated by Adrian Majkrzak – but the point of view is reversed. A nice call-back!

Of course, all this Chicago referencing is because we are currently running a Kickstarter campaign for our new Chicago By Night book for Vampire 5th Edition. So far, we crushed the funding goal in half a day and have blasted through several Stretch Goals.

Sincere thanks to all of you who have backed and made this possible!

We’re very excited about the additional projects being built by the Stretch Goals: first, the Chicago Folio, an in-character artifact book compiling diary entries, transcripts, emails, and other treasures to use in the course of a V5 chronicle, especially useful when utilizing the characters and plots from Chicago by Night. We’ve already added the Camarilla Record section and the Anarchs Accounts section to the Folio via Stretch Goals, so let’s see what else we can add!

Second, we have Let the Streets Run Red, a PDF supplement set in and around the Chicago and Midwest area, incorporating characters absent from V5 Chicago by Night and exploring the activities of Indianapolis, Milwaukee, and the rural Illinois, Wisconsin, and Indiana areas. The first section, starting in Chicago, is our current Stretch Goal and almost achieved at the time I’m writing this!

If you are interested, you can check it out here:

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/200664283/chicago-by-night-for-vampire-the-masquerade-5th-ed/description

Like all of our recent KSs, backers are getting sections of the text that will add up to 95% of the full text for the book before this KS is over. So if you are concerned over the writing direction, or that it might get changed before it’s published, here’s your chance to see all the words before they go to editing.

    Trinity Continuum: Aeon illustration by Michele Giorgi

    As part of our ongoing outreach to let our community know all about the V5 Chicago By Night Kickstarter, the developer, our own Gentleman Gamer Matthew Dawkins, will be hosting a Q&A to answer your many many questions! In fact, here he is now:

“Matthew here! I’ll be hosting a live Q&A on my YouTube channel focused on Chicago by Night, but in which you can ask me anything (within reason) and I’ll answer (probably)! I’d love for you to join me, and we can all discuss the Chicago project and how it’s doing so far.”

  It’s on Friday 9th November at 22:00 GMT right here: www.youtube.com/user/clackclickbang

    Trinity Continuum Core illustration by Felipe Gaona

    Mirthful Mike Chaney wants all of you prospective Exalted artists out there that he’d love to see your stuff! Just follow the submission guidelines on this site, and if you can create illustrations along the lines of the artwork you’ve seen in Exalted 3rd, the monthly EX3 releases, and the previews of Dragon-Blooded – then he wants to see your stuff! (As a note, Chibi style isn’t really what we’re looking for, as much as we love it).

  Eddy Webb notes that he has a special deal going on with Pugmire‘s Canis Minor Community Content site, like so:

  I need to cut this one a bit short this week folks. I lifted weights with the intention of getting back some tone in my shoulders and now that one muscle sort of along the shoulder blade is REALLY hurting.

  Makes it very hard to type, actually. Fortunately most of my work this week is talking and coordinating and not art and writing!

    Trinity Continuum: Aeon illustration by Jon Reed

    So, one final note that this Friday’s Onyx Pathcast features an interview with “Diamond” Dave Brookshaw, who is not only developer of the Mage: The Awakening line and lead dev on Deviant, but I think still holds the record for the writer who has worked on the most of our game lines. Certainly, his knowledge of our lines (and other things) is vast, so expect some excellent talkin’.

  Plus, Dave having worked on so many of our game lines means I can segue right into him knowing all about:

  Many Worlds, One Path!

  BLURBS!

KICKSTARTER:

Lo the darkness that lies like a pall over Chicago.

The V5 Chicago By Night Kickstarter went live as planned last Tuesday and blew through its funding goal in half a day, and is currently at over a thousand backers in just one week ! Congrats to the whole team and all our backers, and we’ve already started to pass through several Stretch Goals and activate additional projects!

We’d be thrilled if you’d give it a look here: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/200664283/chicago-by-night-for-vampire-the-masquerade-5th-ed/description

Next up, we’re working on the Kickstarter for They Came From Beneath the Sea! (TCFBtS!), which has some very different additions to the Storypath mechanics we’ll be explaining during the KS.  They take an excellent 50’s action and investigation genre game and turn it to 11!

  ELECTRONIC GAMING:

      As we find ways to enable our community to more easily play our games, the Onyx Dice Rolling App is now live! Our dev team has been doing updates since we launched based on the excellent use-case comments by our community, and this thing is both rolling and rocking!

Here are the links for the Apple and Android versions:

http://theappstore.site/app/1296692067/onyx-dice

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.onyxpathpublishing.onyxdice&hl=en

Three different screenshots, above.

And our latest, the dice for Werewolf: The Forsaken 2e:

  ON AMAZON AND BARNES & NOBLE:

You can now read our fiction from the comfort and convenience of your Kindle (from Amazon) and Nook (from Barnes & Noble).

If you enjoy these or any other of our books, please help us by writing reviews on the site of the sales venue you bought it from. Reviews really, really help us with getting folks interested in our amazing fiction!

Our selection includes these fiction books:

Vampire: The Masquerade: The Endless Ages Anthology (Kindle, Nook)

Werewolf: The Apocalypse: Rites of Renown: When Will You Rage II (Kindle, Nook)

Mage: The Ascension: Truth Beyond Paradox (Kindle, Nook)

Chronicles of Darkness: The God-Machine Chronicle Anthology (Kindle, Nook)

Mummy: The Curse: Curse of the Blue Nile (Kindle, Nook)

Beast: The Primordial: The Primordial Feast Anthology (Kindle, Nook)

Vampire: The Masquerade: Of Predators and Prey: The Hunters Hunted II Anthology (Kindle, Nook)

Werewolf: The Apocalypse: The Poison Tree (Kindle, Nook)

Werewolf: The Apocalypse: Songs of the Sun and Moon: Tales of the Changing Breeds (Kindle, Nook)

Vampire: The Requiem: The Strix Chronicle Anthology (Kindle, Nook)

Werewolf: The Forsaken: The Idigam Chronicle Anthology (Kindle, Nook)

Mage: The Awakening: The Fallen World Chronicle Anthology (Kindle, Nook)

Vampire: The Masquerade: The Beast Within Anthology (Kindle, Nook)

Werewolf: The Apocalypse: W20 Cookbook (Kindle, Nook)

Exalted: Tales from the Age of Sorrows (Kindle, Nook)

Chronicles of Darkness: Tales of the Dark Eras (Kindle, Nook)

Promethean: The Created: The Firestorm Chronicle Anthology (Kindle, Nook)

Demon: The Descent: Demon: Interface (Kindle, Nook)

Scarred Lands: Death in the Walled Warren (Kindle, Nook)

V20 Dark Ages: Cainite Conspiracies (Kindle, Nook)

Chronicles of Darkness: Strangeness in the Proportion (Kindle, Nook)

Vampire: The Requiem: Silent Knife (Kindle, Nook)

Mummy: The Curse: Dawn of Heresies (Kindle, Nook)

  OUR SALES PARTNERS:

We’re working with Studio2 to get Pugmire out into stores, as well as to individuals through their online store. You can pick up the traditionally printed main book, the Screen, and the official Pugmire dice through our friends there!

https://studio2publishing.com/search?q=pugmire

And we’ve added Prince’s Gambit to our Studio2 catalog: https://studio2publishing.com/products/prince-s-gambit-card-game

  Looking for our Deluxe or Prestige Edition books? Try this link! http://www.indiepressrevolution.com/xcart/Onyx-Path-Publishing/

Here’s the link to the press release we put out about how Onyx Path is now selling through Indie Press Revolution: http://theonyxpath.com/press-release-onyx-path-limited-editions-now-available-through-indie-press-revolution/

And you can now order Pugmire: the book, the screen, and the dice! http://www.indiepressrevolution.com/xcart/manufacturers.php?manufacturerid=296

    DRIVETHRURPG.COM:

This week, we are releasing the Advance PDF for the Promethean book Night Horrors: The Tormented! This Wednesday on DTRPG!

“The Pilgrimage ain’t got no shortcuts, no quick fixes. Heck, even death’s not a reprieve for us. So you pick yourself up now, and you keep goin’. I promise there’s light at the end of this tunnel, even if the walk takes forever and a half. Just mind those that’d get in yer way.”

— Sister Meshé, Tammuz Sage

Night Horrors: The Tormented includes:

• More than 50 Storyteller characters, including Centimani, Pandorans, alchemists and genitors, qashmallim, clones, and Zeky

• A new way the Pilgrimage can go awry: petrificatio

• Two new Flux Alembics

• Plot hooks and story seeds for your Promethean: The Created chronicles

• An in-depth look at the Zeky, complete with rules to play one, and clones

• A close examination of the enigmatic Jovian

        CONVENTIONS!

THIS WEEK! Matt, Monica, Bill, Crystal, and other Onyx Path writers and developers will be at GameHoleCon in Madison, WI November 8th – 11th running demos of Pugmire, Scarred Lands, and more! https://www.gameholecon.com/

Rich, Lisa, Matt, Eddy, Dixie, Danielle, and other Onyx Path writers and developers will be at PAX Unplugged in Philly, November 30th – December 2nd running demos of Scion, Monarchies of Mau, Exalted, and more! http://unplugged.paxsite.com/

Start getting ready for our appearance at MidWinter this January in Milwaukee! So many demos, playtests, secret playtests, and Onyx Path Q&As you could plotz!

  And now, the new project status updates!

DEVELOPMENT STATUS FROM FAST EDDY WEBB (projects in bold have changed status since last week):

First Draft (The first phase of a project that is about the work being done by writers, not dev prep)

C20 Novel (Jackie Cassada) (Changeling: the Dreaming 20th Anniversary Edition)

M20 The Technocracy Reloaded (Mage: the Ascension 20th Anniversary Edition)

M20 Victorian Mage (Mage: the Ascension 20th Anniversary Edition)

City of the Towered Tombs (Cavaliers of Mars)

Mummy: The Curse 2nd Edition core rulebook (Mummy: The Curse 2nd Edition)

Scion Ready Made Characters (Scion 2nd Edition)

Scion Jumpstart (Scion 2nd Edition)

Geist2e Fiction Anthology (Geist: The Sin-Eaters 2nd Edition)

Memento Mori: the GtSE 2e Companion (Geist: The Sin-Eaters 2nd Edition)

Pirates of Pugmire (Realms of Pugmire)

Distant Worlds (Trinity Continuum: Aeon)

Dragon-Blooded Novella #1 (Exalted 3rd Edition)

  Redlines

Deviant: The Renegades (Deviant: The Renegades)

Night Horrors: Nameless and Accursed (Mage: the Awakening Second Edition)

Witch-Queen of the Shadowed Citadel (Cavaliers of Mars)

Heirs to the Shogunate (Exalted 3rd Edition)

Scion Companion: Mysteries of the World (Scion 2nd Edition)

  Second Draft

Tales of Good Dogs – Pugmire Fiction Anthology (Pugmire)

  Development

Hunter: the Vigil 2e core (Hunter: the Vigil 2nd Edition)

CofD Contagion Chronicle (Chronicles of Darkness)

Night Horrors: Shunned by the Moon (Werewolf: The Forsaken 2nd Edition)

Lunars: Fangs at the Gate (Exalted 3rd Edition)

Spilled Blood (Vampire: The Requiem 2nd Edition)

WoD Ghost Hunters (World of Darkness)

Wr20 Book of Oblivion (Wraith: The Oblivion 20th Anniversary Edition)

Trinity Continuum: Aberrant core (Trinity Continuum: Aberrant)

Oak, Ash, and Thorn: Changeling: The Lost 2nd Companion (Changeling: The Lost 2nd)

CofD Dark Eras 2 (Chronicles of Darkness)

  Manuscript Approval:

V5 Chicago By Night (Vampire: The Masquerade)

Tales of Excellent Cats (Monarchies of Mau)

  Editing:

Signs of Sorcery (Mage: the Awakening Second Edition)

Aeon Aexpansion (Trinity Continuum: Aeon)

C20 Players’ Guide (Changeling: the Dreaming 20th Anniversary Edition)

Dystopia Rising: Evolution (Dystopia Rising: Evolution)

M20 Book of the Fallen (Mage: the Ascension 20th Anniversary Edition)

Adventures for Curious Cats (Monarchies of Mau)

In Media Res (Trinity Continuum: Core)

  Post-Editing Development:

Ex Novel 2 (Aaron Rosenberg) (Exalted 3rd Edition)

  Indexing:

    ART DIRECTION FROM MIRTHFUL MIKE:

  In Art Direction

Dystopia Rising: Evolution – Pretty much all contracted.

Geist 2e

The Realm – Yihoung on the fulls. I will probably get Gunship going soon.

Trinity Continuum (Aeon and Core) – Aeon sketches coming in.

Ex3 Monthly Stuff

Chicago By Night – KS moving along.

C20 Player’s Guide – Contracted.

Aeon Aexpansion

They Came From Beneath the Sea! – Getting more KS art since we have a little time.

Lost 2e Jumpstart – Art contracted.

EX3 Lunars – Getting KS art.

Signs of Sorcery – Contracted.

  Marketing Stuff

  In Layout

Trinity Core – Working.

Trinity Aeon – Inputting 2nd proof notes.

M20: Gods and Monsters – With Josh.

Pugmire Roll of Good Dogs and Cats

  Proofing

Scion Hero – Backer PDF is out, errata coming in.

Scion Origin – Corrections are in.

Ex3 Dragon Blooded

CtL2 Jumpstart – Adding in corrections.

  At Press

Monarchies of Mau and Screen – At Studio2. Dice and buttons at Studio2. Shipping to backers soon.

Wraith 20th – Printing the Deluxe interior, proofing cover this week(???).

Wraith 20 Screen – Printing.

Scion Dice – At Studio2.

Lost 2e Screen – Off to printer.

Scion Screen – Off to printer.

Changeling: The Lost 2e – Printer getting started.

Fetch Quest – Files sent to printer.

Exalted 3rd Novel – Going out to backers this week.

PTC: Night Horrors: The Tormented – Advance PDF on sale this Wednesday on DTRPG!

  TODAY’S REASON TO CELEBRATE: 

Remember, remember, the fifth of November Gunpowder treason and plot We see no reason Why Gunpowder treason Should ever be forgot…. I just love V for Vendetta!