017 : Forming
Welcome new and old!
Since the 3rd, we've...
Finished rewriting the quiz.
Outlined the new set of worksheets.
Deeply considered The Meridian Holy as a visual novel.
Started writing the script and knocked out the intro's first draft.
What have we learned? How will we move forward? Let's see!
Forms
Minimize pointless drudgery.
While putting together these self-development tools, I encountered an age-old enemy: creating nine different and highly detailed descriptions that each have their own flavor to them. I have no idea how I managed to tolerate doing that multiple times over the years, but now I cannot stand it. Looking for an escape hatch in my mind, I recalled a bit of advice I dropped in a previous update: just make a list.
Sure enough, it got done nine times faster. It's not as detailed, but with the pipeline of resources I'm making, I can let this one slide.
With how things are now, I may be inclined to add more to it later, but right now what matters most is getting it done and having it be usable.
Formats
The most important thing to figure out when making anything at all.
So, I think going the visual novel route is a good idea. I can complete it in a reasonable time frame and the process (up until I need to script/program everything) seems rather straightforward.
I'm reminded that text guides my ability to visualize and make imagery (and maybe this is true for most people). Without a script, I'll only come up with set pieces and none of the in-betweens, which is a super important part of any work of sequential art!
One interesting thing that came out of envisioning this work as a visual novel is that the format itself can add a number of extra storytelling layers that I wouldn't have had if the work was a book. Before, I was more or less forced to follow a handful of characters in a linear path, which was actually quite beneficial for the story's integrity. Now, alongside that, I can feature many different characters and their perspective/stories and use them to bolster the context of the main story.
To paint a clearer picture, it'll start off linear. Go through the introduction, introduce the protagonist, antagonist, basic context, things like that. Then, when that's done, it moves into a character selection interface, each character having their own story. After going through a couple of them, the next thread of the main story unlocks and this pattern repeats until at least the halfway point of the story. Then it may continue in the same way or becoming a giant catalogue of characters to choose from with some minor puzzle to work out between of all them.
Don't like the idea of subjecting people to time-wasting, needle-in-a-haystack searches like that, but it is an idea. Chances are I'll go with the former!
All in all, this is where I'm at and I'm satisfied enough with this (and all the other parts I have yet to reveal) to push this whole thing forward.
More to come, very soon.
That's all I have for you today. Next update on the 18th barring emergencies. Thank you for your time and attention.
Until then,
👋