anathemafiction

[anathemafiction]

Writing Spotlight: The Golden Rose

We interviewed @anathemafiction, author of the IF, The Golden Rose, Book 1. It’s a game that delivers everything it sets out to do, with its sweeping, ambitious scope and beautiful, intricate detail. It was an honor to pick her brain about bringing such a rich, complex, and truly immersive world (and its wonderful characters) to life.

In one of my favorite quotes in the interview, she writes:

[…] We Portuguese sometimes still call ourselves Lusitanos, and it always saddened me to some extent. That loss of history, of identity, is one of the major driving forces behind the Rose. What if there's a world where it's Rome that's forgotten? Where Latin is forbidden so that the languages born from it, the kingdoms, and the civilizations never came to be?

Without further ado, here’s the full interview!

What drew you to interactive fiction as a storytelling medium?

The very nature of it. I'm a big fan of RPGs, where you can shape your character and make key decisions in your adventure, and, of course, I'm also a big fan of books and literature in general. So, when I encountered my first IF game (Choice of Dragon), I was instantly hooked.

It's the perfect blend of two of my passions — storytelling and player agency. The fact that it's entirely text-based gives a kind of freedom and depth that's hard to match in other gaming media simply because the only budget it needs is the author's time and effort. It's quite literally, corny as it sounds, fuelled by your imagination.

2. Is there a part of your background—personal, cultural, professional—that finds its way into your work?

In a land that is today a region of Portugal, there used to be an agglomeration of tribes collectively known as Lusitanos. They were eventually conquered by the Roman Empire, but not before putting up such a fight that even Roman generals acknowledged their spirit. Their culture was largely eradicated, and the pieces that weren't were assimilated into the empire. We Portuguese sometimes still call ourselves Lusitanos, and it always saddened me to some extent.

That loss of history, of identity, is one of the major driving forces behind the Rose. What if there's a world where it's Rome that's forgotten? Where Latin is forbidden so that the languages born from it, the kingdoms, and the civilizations never came to be?

I'm also fascinated by the Catholic Church and its monopoly over some of the wealthiest, most powerful kingdoms of Europe. The Pope was the king of kings, so to speak, and all that power, that opulence, was born from something as simple and as human as faith.

That control, that God-like power, not only over the body but the very mind of its subjects, is another big part of the story I'm writing.

So, in summary, my cultural background was and is a major influence on this IF.

3. What does your writing process look like?

I'm what's generally called a pant-ser; I like going where inspiration takes me. Still, in a project as big as The Rose, I did write a general outline, and I have a very clear idea of where I want the plot to go and the major story beats that will get me there.

But the in-betweens are often left blank. I think, even if I tried to plan every single detail beforehand, I wouldn't be able to. Even the scenes and chapters that I have planned, I'm always open to changes or deviations from the outline. If a character, a situation, or, especially, the MC decides to surprise me, I kind of roll with it.

To be honest, most of my favorite scenes, dialogues, and even characters that I've written were born as a sudden inspiration and not from the pages of an outline.

But as for my actual writing process, it goes like this: I go chapter by chapter, and I always begin by handwriting the first draft. I don't know why, but handwriting, when it comes to just getting the ideas out of your head, with no finesse, no grammar checks, just the pure chaos of materializing your thoughts into tangible words, is the best medium for me.

After that, I write the second draft on the computer. There, I fill in all the choices and paths I didn't write in the first draft, and, of course, beautify the text, make the dialogue fit the characters, discard or expand on rudimentary ideas, etc. Basically, it's where I write the text that'll appear in the game.

This juxtaposition between the first draft and the second allows me to rethink story beats, adjust the progression of the characters' relationships, postpone scenes, etc. Basically, it allows me to think about where the chapter is going.

The third step is to put it all in code and make it playable. As I go through the Word document, I make minor edits here and there, but nothing major.

The actual editing is made later, in what I call a 'deep edit.' I usually do this when I finish writing the following chapter because looking at a text with fresh eyes allows you to spot mistakes much better than if you do it right away.

4. What’s one piece of advice you’d give to someone just starting out in interactive fiction?

To follow up on the last question, I will say that you need to know yourself. Just as I operate better without a clear, bullet-proof plan, other people thrive with a structured outline, a character glossary 20k words long, chapter charts, and multicolored graphics. My advice is that before you embark on such a complex and often big project as an IF game, you should know your own writing process, and the only way for you to know that is if you write.

I'd say start with short stories or small fables, but honestly, just write anything. Dive right in, and with time, you'll begin to know yourself as a writer.

When you know yourself and your own style, then begin the IF. You'll never be truly 100% prepared — we're always learning and adjusting. I'm not the same writer I was when I first started The Rose, and I won't be what I am now when I finish this second book. We're constantly evolving, so allow yourself space to fail and fall short of expectations. This is, after all, a marathon, not a sprint.

5. What’s a common mistake you see in interactive storytelling, and do you have any tips on how to avoid it?

Not so much a mistake but a misconception. I think people, especially those with little to no experience writing (or any creative hobby), believe that it's an inspiration-based activity. That you write whenever you feel like it.

This is completely wrong. If I only wrote whenever I felt inspired to, I wouldn't have made it past the third chapter of book one.

Some days — most days — you won't feel like writing. You sit at your desk, and you do it. You have to face it like a job, almost. You clock in, do your work, and leave. Does this mean I have no joy in writing? Of course not. I get really into it once I begin, but it's not every day that I wake up and want to leap for my pen.

Sometimes, I'd rather go out hiking with my dog, meet a friend for coffee, or watch another episode of whatever show I'm watching. But, when writing IF, you often will have to make these sacrifices, and, many times, you won't even be blessed with inspiration, so that sacrifice is made easier.

This is made even worse in IF. Due to the nature of the medium, you will get days where you're stuck writing repeating passages or paths you're not entirely interested in. You will want to pull the hair out of your head. You'll have to clench your teeth and do it — otherwise, you won't make it to the fun, rewarding bits where everything comes together.

It's not an exaggeration when people say, 'writing is hard.' Anyone can do it. Very few actually do. I think it's less about talent and more about commitment.

End of interview

—

A big thanks once again to Anathema for her insightful answers, and @veswrites-if for taking the time to coordinate the interview. Hope that this was a fun and interesting read.

Stay tuned for more of these interviews, both for the Writing Spotlight AND for Pride Month!!

[anathemafiction]

(he/him) another nox fidus! this is nox “the golden rose” fidus. i’m particularly obsessed with a snarky/sarcastic mc. annoying hadrian and alyssa are his and my favourite pastime

[anathemafiction]

Okay okay so i wanted to costest hadrian and well i had a knight shooting and i used the wig which i wanted to usw for hadrian and i dont know it counts as cheating but i just realised could count as my hadrian test?! more like turned out as hadrian costest kinda😂👀 idk what would you say @anathemafiction could it count as hadrian?!;;

Amazing photographer&edit&concept idea:wyldheart.studio (ig)

Model:me

[anathemafiction]

I am grateful for Romanus pretty privilege, not because I particularly want everybody to be falling over themselves for my MC, but because I want to see Hadrian & Alessa like 🫩 over the 11th starry-eyed stranger on their travels.

Romanus: Morning. We need a table.

The servant: Oh. Ohhh. 𝔒𝔣 𝔠𝔬𝔲𝔯𝔰𝔢, 𝔢𝔰𝔱𝔢𝔢𝔪𝔢𝔡 𝔭𝔞𝔱𝔯𝔬𝔫, 𝔯𝔦𝔤𝔥𝔱 𝔱𝔥𝔦𝔰 𝔴𝔞𝔶.

Hadrian & Alessa: 🫩 🫩

[anathemafiction]

A fun question I saw in another IF blog and now I'm very curious and asking my fav authors: if this was a video game, what would the main characters idle animations be?

Romanus would vary depending on their personality, but all of them would be clenching and unclenching their gloved hand from time to time. High corruption would have Romanus digging the thumb of their opposite hand into the mark. 

Hadrian would touch his cross and scratch his stubble. 

Alessa would shift her weight from foot to foot, hands occasionally brushing along her many hidden knives.

Alain would materialize a glass of wine from thin air, taking slow, indulgent sips. He would also adjust his clothes, picking off non-existent specks of dust from his expensive coat.

Ysabella's curls would bounce from an invisible breeze, rustling the lighter layers of her heavy skirts. A rare animation would be her looking startled, eyes bouncing around as if she had heard soft footpads behind her back. 

The Pirate would flick his thumbs over the golden handles of his axes, shooting out from his heavy belt, in the form of two naked women. He'd also be playing with the rings on his fingers or the band in his beard while taking a drag of his old, worn-out pipe.

Neia would be still, almost unnaturally so. Yellow eyes stalking the surroundings like a predator does prey. She'd slung her heavy, broken sword over her shoulder, scar twisting in a snarl. 

Lance would, of course, pull out his lyre, gold tooth flashing as he plucks the strings, blue hair gently brushing across his jaw. He'd also squat down to pat Chouriça from time to time.

Vallen would lace her hands together, stretching her arms over her head or down below, one leg bending slightly with a big, eager smile on her heart-shaped face. She'd also, very rarely, be looking directly into the camera.

Rafael would be hunched over, hood thrown over his head, face hiding from the player. You'd glide the camera around, and Borja, as if on purpose, would move in tandem, keeping his back to you. He'd also twirl coins over his knuckles, or lockpicks, or very slim, sharp needles. 

[anathemafiction]

Another bug my friend, you've got a VAllen_Flirt in chapter 3, control f be your friend as usual...

I do hope you don't mind me chucking the bugs your way like this

Thank you once again! And ofc I don't mind, keep 'em coming, dearest

[anathemafiction]

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Who are the Romance Options for the series?

Hadrian — Bisexual

Alessa —  Bisexual

Alain —  Bisexual

Ysabella —  Bisexual

The Pirate King — Straight

Neia — Lesbian

Lance —  Bisexual

Rafael —  Bisexual

Lieutenant Vallen —  Bisexual

2. Need help with an achievement?

Check the amazing Achievement Guide made by Nell!

3. How many books will the series be?

I have 3 books planned.

4. How do I befriend the street urchin?

You need to win her loyalty. Here’s how to do it.

5. Where can I find the Goliath?

Visit the Harbor and check the fighting pit when you hear all the commotion coming from it. You’ll see the Goliath at the center of an ancient amphitheater, waiting for his next opponent.

6. How do I beat the Goliath?

Here and here.

Keep reading

[anathemafiction]

How would Alessa feel if after the rooftop scene with her Romanus starts calling her "my sweet little rice pudding"? 😄

She'd stab you.

[anathemafiction]

Wait, since we need to sleep with the twins to romance them, will this be possible while romancing another ro first? Like, if we romance either Hadrian or Alessa first, can we still sleep with the twins to start their romance?

There are no romance locks in the game. Those will only happen either at the very end of Book Two or in Book Three. You're free to do, quite literally, whatever you want with the ROs.

[anathemafiction]

Will you be doing Patreon Q&A's again soon?🙇‍♀️

After the update! I think you may have some things you'll want to ask me^^

[anathemafiction]

I'm not sure if anyone's asked this but how do the RO's feel about a MC who has a full beard? I'm not sure if it's brought up in story and I'm especially curious about Hadrian since he's never been...well, intimately acquainted with a bearded person as far as I understand.

Ysabella loves it. She can't stop treading her fingers through your beard, digging in until nails scrape skin, and her lips curl at the flinch in your shoulders.

All the others like it too! Honestly, I have to pour more time into making the appearance options feel unique — I admit I've been neglecting them a bit. But I'll keep the majestic beard in mind for some of the romantic scenes (and others).

[anathemafiction]

Hello Ana! 👋

I just finished reading Book One, and I have to say, this is easily one of the best, if not THE best, stories I've ever read among all the Choice of Games titles! You've absolutely nailed every aspect. What I appreciate most is the pacing; it’s slow in the best way, never tiresome, just immersive.

The characters are phenomenal. They feel real, dynamic, and alive, unlike the flat, linear personalities that are unfortunately common in some other CoG stories. And the epilogues? Brilliant. They add so much depth and weight to the storytelling.

Thank you so much for this. I finally have something I’ll always be looking forward to, because it’s just that great (no glaze) 😆🫶

Please, glaze all you want 😋

But in all seriousness, thank you! I do think, after the IF explosion, there are more complex, nuanced, multi-faced characters in WIPs and published games than ever before. Both main and secondary characters are increasingly given more time, care, and attention by writers than in the earlier games, where plot was much more of a driving force than relationships and bonds (or the falling off of those bonds).

So, if you enjoy that type of thing, you'll find amazing games out there.

But I'm glad you consider the Rose part of the list 💛

[anathemafiction]

I just wanted you to know how much I enjoy your writing. Especially since your character writing is on point, with how different all the characters are and the various ways Romanus acts affecting how everyone interacts with them gets me excited for my various replays. And for the rest of the series.

Thank you, Drowzy 💛 Character writing is probably my second favorite thing to write. Sometimes, the characters just don't shape well, and the idea I had of them doesn't translate to the story, so they don't resonate with readers, but when they do, it's such a great feeling.

[anathemafiction]

(kinda nsfw ask)

I know we will probably see some scenes in book 2, at least for some characters, but after joining your patreon and reading some character's scenes, I just wanted to send an ask just to say how I admire the way you write mature scenes. Ana, the way you describe the intimacy between romanus and their ro during the act is simply astounding!! the way you describe how romanus is feeling, how the ro reacts to them, the desire, the looks, the touching, all amazing!!

I just read alessa's scene in the latest interactive story and I swear I had butterflies in my stomach when I was reading. That part where there's something along the lines of ~her gasps are nothing like alessa white the mercenary, but the soft pleas of your alessa~ made me stop reading for a second because this sentence is so sooo beautiful! and to me, it shows that different (or even, her real side) side of her, the one that she only allows romanus to see, especially during these intimate moments, whether be during sex or during the moments that are only the two of them together.

I wish I could put my thoughts in a more eloquent way, but the tldr of this long ask is just to say that I love the way you write mature scenes, the intimacy is simply breathtaking ❤️

my best wishes to you, Ana, hope everything is ok with you! ❤️❤️

I'm so glad you enjoyed it 😭 That post was a writing exercise — I was testing out a more explicit style — and I'm still very much convinced it didn't turn out very good xD

So, I'm really happy you liked it. 💛 To be honest, I've never written mature scenes when there's no feeling involved; that's always a big part of it all— not just how you physically feel but how the bond between you and the RO translates into the text.

Even in Alain's romance, which starts as 'just' sex, there's already something there, some connection, even if, after, it never grows to something else. The noble is drawn to you, and he thinks it's just your body, but, of course, he thinks wrong.

To be honest, I think I'm going to have a hard time writing the flings you can indulge in, where it's really all about physical pleasure and nothing else. I'll probably make them fade to black or very short.

Thanks again for the message ♡

[anathemafiction]

My coin purse after kissing Otto, trying to romance Rafael and adopting Bekka: 👁👄👁 I'm in danger

Hey! Otto wasn't after your purse. He just wanted to stick it to the man (your lips were a nice little bonus).

[anathemafiction]

People, I'm not ready for an apocalypse 😭