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Post by Kal on Dec 27, 2018 3:43:41 GMT
Starting tomorrow, December 27th, weekly interviews with writers, artists, and posters are going to be released here on the forums and released on the social media sites on Fridays. The reason they'll release a day early is a bit of a perk for the members of the forums.
The schedule is going to be kept a little secret, but I can promise that the interviews are going to be great. Anyway, the first one can be expected tomorrow!
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Post by Kal on Dec 27, 2018 11:37:24 GMT
CJ’s Embellishments interview on December 26th
On December 17th, all of the social accounts for Creator’s Haven opened up and the first thought we had was “What can we do to make the forums and the social media accounts better?”.
We thought on it and agreed on interviews, so we put all the active stories into a random generator and assigned a slot to their writers, artists, and posters. The very first to be picked was CJ with Embellishments. It was super cool to be able to talk with her, it was so much fun, and I’m so excited to bring the very first interview to you guys! A quick thank you to CJ for being part of this!
Q: How about you introduce yourself and let us know what you work with.
CJ: I'm CJ! I'm a 20-something games design student and illustrator from Australia. I use Photoshop CS5 to draw most things, and type up all my story updates in Notepad. Often forgetting to hit save. Because I like to live on the edge.
Q: A risky move, but a bold one. You work on Embellishments, what can you tell us about that?
CJ: Embellishments is a Tales from the Borderlands forum fan-game thing I started waaaaay back in 2015.
It's a relatively simple premise - Rhys and Fiona wake up in the dead of night, discover their captor isn't around, and decide to make a break for it. As time goes on, players discover things didn't quite go down the way they did in the main series - but ultimately everything that happens is on their shoulders.
Gameplay wise, it's structured more like the sort of thread you'd find on /tg/ - very short updates with illustrations, and lots of opportunities for players to ask questions and respond to things.
Q: How is your experience working on Embellishments?
CJ: In a word - interesting!
Embellishments is kind of a long-runner, due to my own busy schedule, so a lot's changed behind the scenes over the years. It originally started out as a side-story between episodes 4 and 5, since Vault of the Traveller hadn't yet been released. Wasn't until the game was all over and done with that the thread caught traction, so now it's just a straight-up AU.
The long lifespan of the game also affects a lot of other things - namedly my art and writing style. Since I don't get to sit down and work on it often, a good chunk of my experience has been finding ways to draw faster. (You'll be seeing a lot more art shifts in the thread before the game's done, that's for sure.)
While the game originally did have a proper, pre-planned script to it, I kind of chucked it out the window early on. Players rarely do what you expect them to do, so on the rare occasions that I have pre-drawn stuff I've usually had to chuck it out. But y'know what? That's great. Working with just a general lore outline and leaving players in charge of details is way more fun and works much better - at least for me.
Why have stealth when players just want to set Rhys on fire, anyhow?
Q: You've mentioned that Embellishments is a bit of a long-runner so think about back when you first started it and where you are with it now. Is there anything you'd change?
CJ: Hooo boy, where to begin.
So the original, original plan for Embellishments was that Rhys and Fiona would just rattle off a nonsense version of Episode 5 to the Stranger. Like - sheer nonsense. Hardcore stalling for time. Part of me wishes I'd set that idea up a bit better, but ep five came out before players had even picked a character so it probably wouldn't have worked as well. And what we've got now has a lot more storytelling potential, besides.
Other than that, there's a few things. Sasha's presence in the prologue was hinted at a couple of times, but not strongly enough that anybody spotted her in the panels she was in. I blame that on my 2015 art skills. Can't talk much about the other things, though. There are some plot points I need to get into the thread proper, first.
Q: What do you like most about working on Embellishments?
CJ: Seeing how players surprise me is the number one thing. But it's also just nice to have a casual, stress-free project to doodle and write for between everything else.
Q: Do you have any advice to people looking to get into art or wanting to write?
CJ: Easiest way to learn is just to start.
I know some creators will say that your first project should be small and simple and something you could theoretically get done in a week - and they're probably right. If you try to write that big, bold idea you've got sitting in your head without any preparation or practice, you'll probably never finish it.
But so what? There's nothing wrong with abandoning a draft. Because if you had fun, the time's not wasted. If your passion for that story fizzles out, you can use ideas from that draft in your next big endeavor. If your art doesn't look the way you want it to, you'll at least know what direction you wanna go in.
Find a small place where you feel comfortable sharing your work, with people who take an interest in what you do. Show interest in theirs. Swap compliments, ideas, enthusiasm. Work through whatever mental blocks you may have together.
"Have fun and be yourself" is such a goddamn cheesy line but it sure worked for me.
Q: What inspires you while you work on Embellishments?
CJ: Mostly my love for the Borderlands universe. To quote episode one; "We do what we always do: wait for stronger people to kill each other and then take their stuff."
The fact that a game like Tales even exists is really goddamn weird. It's a violent, fast-paced shoot 'em up franchise, and Tales... focuses on two characters with comparatively mundane problems. If they'd been in any other title in the series, Fiona and Rhys would have been one-off NPCs. Or dead.
And that strikes me as a fascinating dynamic to work with. I love the idea that there's all sorts of crazy alien arms-race shit going on in the background, and these relatively normal people are just trying not to get killed in the crossfire. And it's a game with a great sense of humor, to boot.
It's not a setup you see often, and certainly not one that would be easy to establish in an entirely original work. Running Embellishments helps me mess around with it.
Q: You were one of the first members to sign up for Creator's Haven, how has your experience posting on it been so far?
CJ: Pretty solid, so far! I was never terribly active in the Telltale Forum Games community, and honestly had no idea there were so many people in it until I got the invite.
While I haven't read that much of the work on the site yet, I've been having a blast playing forum mafia and chatting with everyone.
Q: Off the top of your head, do you have any recommendations for books, stories, or games?
CJ: You mean aside from Tales from the Borderlands?
If you like sci-fi horror, Ruby Quest by tgweaver is a good read. It's been a big influence on my work, and is the key inspiration for Embellishments's format.
Game-wise, I'd recommend Nelson Tethers: Puzzle Agent (for it's unique artstyle, and its odd blend of comedy and downright unsettling nonsense), Unavowed (suburban fantasy rpg with great characterization), and Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective (because I love ghosts).
Q: And finally, the last question, is there anything that you can tell us about Embellishment's future?
CJ: I never know what y'all are gonna have Rhys and Fiona do, so that's a little hard to answer. A gun might come in hand-y, though.
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Post by Kal on Jan 3, 2019 19:40:38 GMT
Stigz’s the Invasion interview on January 2ndQ: Starting off, how about you introduce yourself and let us know what you write? Stigz: Well, I'm known best as Stigz and Nitric from the Telltale forums, but Callan is the real name behind the mask. I'm a second-year university student and bottle-shop attendant in Tassie, Australia, and still have no idea what I want to be when I grow up! xD I have written a bunch of mini fictions over the years, covering different inspirations such as Game of Thrones, TWD, Halo and Red Dead Redemption. My two biggest projects are my interactive fan fictions: the Invasion and White Night. Q: You've done quite a bit it seems, what can you tell us about The Invasion? Stigz: Ah, the Invasion, my oldest and most dearest story I cannot seem to let go of. I started the story back in 2015 after stumbling across the Telltale forums and being inspired by Wildlingking's "Winds Beyond the Wall" fan fiction. The Invasion, as hinted in its namesake, covers an integral shifting point of Westeros culture and history: the invasion of the Andal's. When I first started writing this story, I intended for it only to cover the North and Fingers of Westeros, and had it planned to last three chapters. This idea quickly got thrown out the window however with a specific influential someone we all know, whom submitted an amazing family that I still love to this day, which brought the rest of Westeros into the blend. That mega-sized the story a lot, and it's been a real thrill to write, even if it has been admittedly a slow venture over the last year or two. Q: Back in 2015, huh? That means you're going on four years with plenty of experience in the Invasion. What do you like about writing the Invasion? Stigz: Four years indeed, it feels like I only wrote those opening parts yesterday! As the Invasion expanded across Westeros, it really allowed me to introduce a multitude of new destinations and characters to play around with. This was excellent for me as it meant I could really never get bored with the story as it varied so much from one character to another. Such variety also led to a greater fanbase in her prime, which brought in two of my most favourite parts to writing the Invasion, save actually writing it! The first was character submissions, which allowed the readers to share their pool of creativity with mine and create something special, and it was always a joy for me to find a new submission in the dropbox that I could read and brainstorm with. Seriously, I'd check the sheets everyday several times, I was kinda addicted to the stuff xD. The other was simply getting to know all of my readers, be this through PM's or just through the interactions on the story thread, I had managed to form a small community where we all shared common interests, and I made a bunch of friends. It made writing the Invasion feel even greater to write for me as well knowing that I had a thriving fanbase who thoroughly enjoyed the content and could give their input onto the story with each new part. I live for it! Q: I totally get that feeling, all too well heh. Think about when you first started writing your story. Now think about where you are now, is there anything you would change? Stigz: A lot and nothing at the same time, I suppose? When I started writing the Invasion, it was more at the hopes that it would improve my writing skills, as I was a failing English student at the time. Naturally it made the first parts of the story pretty woeful to read (I boohoo it a little more than I should though), and I'd like to one day tidy it up. I think the most obvious thing that bothers both me and my few remaining readers is the irregular times and long-winded durations between the posts of new parts. It's unfortunate that life has just caught up with me, be it from family tragedy, personal development, university and work or just plain writer's block, it has really all hindered my potential and I feel it has left my viewers cheated. So what I would like to change are my dirty habits and get my game back on in other words. There are other mistakes I made along the process which cost me some friendships and followers, but all in all they have led me to where I am now, and where there is change I wish I could have made then, there is still time for me to make it now Q: How would you say your experience writing the Invasion has been since you started? Stigz: It has changed a lot over the years. Naturally I went through the honeymoon period when I started, loving every bit of it and wishing it would never end. It then progressed into its golden age with the great expansion of the story and the addition of readers. Now it's starting to feel like a dying marriage, and the kids, what about our kids?! I exaggerate of course, but there's no hiding that the Invasion simply is not as great as it used to be, but there is simply too much story to still be told for me to let it go. I'm just waiting for something to spark and with hope, it will pick up again and not slow down with the first hill! Q: That's the spirit! Do you have any advice to people looking to get into art or wanting to write? Stigz: Do it! Seriously it's a great experience and it has been very rewarding for me in both skill development and relationships formed. The community here is very much the best rose plucked from the bush, so for those looking to introduce their quirks and creativity I implore you not to be shy but just to let loose! You'll attract an audience and soon you will gain a community of interest which is just something else in itself. If I had any advice it would be to have a sturdy plan, and no matter how much you deviate with your goals, stick to your plan. It has been so rewarding for me writing those parts I dreamt up of early in 2016, and it will be just as rewarding for others when they feel that they are progressing through their work rather than dragging it. Q: What inspires you most while you work on the Invasion? Stigz: Haha that's easy, it's my readers. Knowing that I still have people interested in reading the content that I write reminds me that I'm not just writing to a wall, and that all of this is not for nothing. I would consider them my primary source of inspiration, while secondary sources come as short-term but powerful stimulants. I can put these down to certain GoT clips which get me going for new parts, along with other movie clips, game scenarios and books which all contribute to my motivation and idea forming with making the Invasion. Q: You signed up for Creator's Haven on the second day it started. How has your experience posting on it been so far? Stigz: In confession, I've only posted a few parts on it so far, so my experience on it has been very limited, but it has been nice! The layout is simple to orientate and makes it easy to find new stories and art pieces with the thread genres being not even a click away! Posting my parts has been a little annoying however, as I mentioned in the vent thread I continue to get some double spacing issue which I can't seem to figure out how to fix. Wildling did provide me with a solution which I have yet to try however and will do so with the next part, but it certainly does cause a writer's block for me when half the time I've spent making part goes into backspacing spaces xD perhaps I should introduce myself to the Writer's Block thread? Q: Off the top of your head, do you have any recommendations for books, stories, or games? Stigz: Well naturally for a GoT fan fiction, watching the series and getting into the books is a pretty big thing for any one interested in the AWOIAF universe, and I highly recommend it. I'm not too much of a reader myself, highly counterintuitive to my reading, but I do recommend the works of the fellow writers on Creator's Haven, Nymeria's War, A Cost of Loyalty, Forum of Thrones, just to name a few of many. They have all been great inspirations for me and have all been a pleasure to read. As far as games go, well games I know, I've played a lot of RDR 2 which influenced me to write a prequel focusing on Arthur's past, but the whole character development in that story is a great overlook of good story telling which I'd recommend to anyone looking for a nice structure to their works if they're struggling. Other games such as the Witcher series and the later Assassin's Creed games (more or less because of location) have been great for my inspiration and I believe could be for others as well. Q: And finally, the last question, is there anything that you can tell us about the Invasion's future? Stigz: Haha, I could tell you all about the Invasion's future but that would defeat the purpose of story telling xD I can say there is still heaps to come, with a new beyond the Wall and Night's Watch storyline being introduced into this chapter. With the new model I've integrated into the story, each location of Westeros will be covered in sections rather than randomly, so we will start our way north and work our way south, focusing on new and pre-existing storylines as we progress. There is still much of the story to tell, along with its two sequels, planned to be set in the Valyrian Freehold and back in Westeros after that. I also plan to link the Invasion with White Night, likely towards the end of the Invasion's run. For more updates and discoveries on the Invasion though, feel free to tag along or throw me a PM as I love them so much
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Post by Kal on Jan 10, 2019 23:03:40 GMT
thejonah’s interview on January 9th.
Q: So, why don't you introduce yourself and what you do on the forums?
thejonah: I'm Jonah! I'mma a Texan, y'all! And I don't actually talk like that (I do use y'all a lot, though). I kick names and take ass. I’m a tough-tooting vegetarian twenty-something who likes to hike and do yoga. I write the ongoing stories Silicon County and Monument to the Walking Dead and have written a number of other interactive stories that have either been finished or discontinued, my earliest being Raining in 2014, a mystery/slasher, which was actually my first time writing anything.
Q: You've written a lot and you're quite active in the writing scene, what can you tell us about Silicon County?
thejonah: It’s an epic about dreams, life, and a quickening, supernatural war. It’s set in a secluded county in Wisconsin and has Mystery/Weird Lit/Dark Fantasy tilts. There’s possession. There’s a monster dog in the woods. There are apocalyptic dreamworlds. Powerful beings are messing shit up and waging a barely understood conflict. Not to mention, the continuity appears to be screwed up. That’s A LOT, I know. I guess more than anything it’s about human characters stumbling along and trying to come to grips with machinations that are lifetimes, worlds, and dimensions bigger than themselves.
Q: You started Silicon back in 2015, if I’m not mistaken so almost four years now. What do you like most about writing it?
thejonah: So, I did start Silicon back in 2015, but it was actually cancelled and rebooted into the story it currently is in 2016. As for what I like about writting it... Well, as hard as it is to juggle the many convoluted aspects to this story, I find that I just love writing weird shit. The weirder, the sexier, the better imo (though I leave the sexy stuff mostly at the door when it comes to the forum stories, as I know that doesn’t fly for every reader and I respect that!). Silicon is definitely one of the weirdest things I've written. It's also honestly a joy to move this story forward. I laid down the foreshadowing heavily and it's great to have some of it pay off.
Q: It sounds like you have fun with it. Think back to 2016 when you restarted Silicon and think about now, is there anything you would have done differently with the story?
thejonah: I would give it a more defined inciting incident. I would also simplify aspects of the story. As much as I enjoy the bizarre nature of it all, there are admittedly some things that are just needlessly complicated due to an initial lack of planning.
Q: All of that considered, how would you say your experience writing Silicon has been?
thejonah: Overall, it's been incredible. Unruly as it is, I genuinely love the story. That said, it's been slow endeavor. It's been moving along in spits and starts for years, and I've only just recently fallen into a more consistent writing schedule (I'm planning to release a short, an interlude, and the first two parts of Chapter Five before the month is over, with at least four new parts to be released each month after that). The experience of writing it has taught me a lot, both about the craft and about commitment to long-term projects.
Q: What inspires you the most while writing Silicon?
thejonah: CAFFEINE MUSIC SEROTONIN YOUTH-STEALING INCANTATIONS Seriously though, the answer of course is my readers and friends, on here and the old forum. Without them, I would not have crawled out of the hiatus sludge time and again to resume work on my WiPs. I owe them all a lot.
Q: You signed up for Creator's Haven pretty early on and have been a pretty active poster, how would you say your experience posting on Creator's Haven has been?
thejonah: It's been great! I like it much better than the old TellTale forum tbh (it wasn't exactly fun being tucked away, almost invisible, in the Forum Games section). The best parts of the old forum, the parts I enjoyed most, have survived the transition to the new one, and beyond that, I think Creator's Haven has the potential to outgrow the old one as a place to make art and connect with other artists. As far as I know, the style of interactive story is kind of unique, what with readers being able to submit characters and vote to alter the course of events. I suppose table top games like DnD are the best comparison. I love that sort of collaboration. I'm also really excited for what the admins and mods have cooked up here for the future.
Q: Do you have any advice to people looking to get into art or write?
thejonah: You're gonna feel pressure from internal and external sources. Sometimes it'll be real, sometimes made-up and manufactured. The most important thing is that you write. And you write some more. And you write some more after that. You can't get good if you don't practice. Also, gatekeeping through language, style, and genre is total BS. What write you want. But also, don’t be afraid to take breaks or step away from your work to rest your brain. Don’t feel ashamed of feeling burnout. Allowing yourself to get some distance, or to just not think about it for a while, can sometimes be a necessary part of any creative endeavor. Finally, finish what you start—you can learn so much more from a finished thing than from something half-done and abandoned.
Q: That's all very well put. Are there any games, shows, books, or stories that you would recommend?
thejonah: So, I’m a little ashamed to say that I don’t actively read many of the stories on the forum, but I’m a big reader off of it. Like, one hundred books a year big. But I’m getting into more forum stories, trying to find a better balance between what I read on and off of it. There’s many, many wonderful stories here that I’ve slept on, that I need to catch up with. So for the moment I can only recommend two: AgentZ46’s Zadence, Perfect Small Town; and LiquidChiacgoTed’s The Dark Eye. Speaking of published stuff, I’d recommend N. K. Jemisin’s Broken Earth trilogy, a fantasy story that’s also science fiction and post apocalyptic and just FUCKING FANTASTIC. Also, I’ve decided that Mongrels by Stephen Graham Jones is the definitive werewolf novel; if you dig werewolves at all, you need to read it.
Q: Final question, is there anything you can tell us about Silicon’s future?
thejonah: It’s just gonna get weirder, y’all. Also… philosophical? Not in an academic sort of way, but in a way much like a stoner taking a hit of that good shit and making you answer bizarre hypothetical questions. It’s gonna be fuuuuun. It’s also gonna be horrible. Excruciatingly painful. Body horror and shit. There was recently a big reveal, which has put many pieces of the mystery into a new perspective, but there’s still so much to puzzle out and learn. Another thing: while the story has been ongoing for a long time, for years now, there’s definitely an end in sight. I want to make a lot of progress in 2019.
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Post by Kal on Jan 17, 2019 12:33:47 GMT
WildlingKing’s interview for Nymeria’s War on January 16th.Q: To start, how about you introduce yourself and what you work on? WildlingKing: Alright, I'm WildlingKing, a university student on my early twenties from Finland. And my stories here are Nymeria's War and The Age of Storm, both of them being GoT fanfictions. Q: Today's topic is Nymeria's War, what can you tell us about that? WildlingKing: Well, Nymeria's War is a story about how the Rhoynar princess Nymeria conquered Dorne, about 1000 years prior to the time of the show and the books, showing the perspectives of both the conquerors and the conquered. It used to be an interactive story, and most of the main cast are reader submitted characters, but since last summer I've dropped the interactivity for most part. The story has been in a bit of a hiatus lately, but I do still hope to finish it one day. Q: What would you say you like most about writing Nymeria's War? WildlingKing: With any GoT fanfiction I really enjoy showing different aspects of the fantastic world and lore GRRM has blessed us with. However, with NW specifically I've always enjoyed working on all these wonderful characters submitted by the readers, and hearing from the submitter that I've written their character exactly as they imagined them is probably the most satisfying thing about it. Q: It is one of the best things to hear. So looking back on the Telltale site, you started Nymeria's War back in 2016. Think back to that and think to where you are now, is there anything you'd do differently with your story? WildlingKing: Oh yes, I'd definitely put a lot more time into planning how exactly do I want to tell the story. Granted, with interactive stories there will always be a certain aspect of adapting to choices, submitted characters and so on, but I think that's even more of a reason to have a firm plan to fall back to. Admittedly with NW I got a bit tangled up with starting too many story threads without considering how exactly will I bring them all together or make them relevant to the main plot. This last summer I had a bit of a burnout with the story and especially the interactive format. However, because there is still a lot I enjoyed about the interactivity I've been thinking a lot what would be the best way to do an interactive story without compromising the storytelling, and without going into it too much I can reveal that a new project I'm working on currently is the result of this brainstorming. Q: How would you say your experience writing Nymeria's War has been since you started it? WildlingKing: For the most part it has definitely been a positive experience. I've always loved writing stories, but Nymeria's War (and to a lesser degree my earlier story "Winds Beyond the Wall") is the first time I've felt I have an audience (albeit small) that actually cares about what I'm writing. That's also the reason why I'm still clinging to the hope of one day writing this story to its conclusion, because I definitely feel like I'm letting down the people I got invested if I just give up on it, even if admittedly my inspiration and enthusiasm for it right now is sadly quite low. Q: While on the topic of inspiration, what inspires you while writing for Nymeria's War? WildlingKing: In general I'd say I'm inspired by all kinds of media and art that I consume, specifically the stuff that makes me feel something. And I guess that's what I try to do with my stories as well, make people feel something, preferably something else than boredom or indifference However, what inspired me to start writing fanfictions, first Winds and then NW, was Liquid's FoT. I feel like that's probably a somewhat common experience in this community, but it truly pushed me to start getting my stuff out there. And I'm really grateful for that, because above all else I feel like it has been a great way to improve my writing (especially in English, which isn't my first language). So, thanks Liquid! Q: You've been on Creator's Haven for a bit now, posting your art and parts for your other story. How would you say your experience on Creator's Haven has been? WildlingKing: Well, Haven is a nice, small and tight community with kind and friendly folk, so it's pretty much the most comfortable place I could imagine for sharing my stories. I also very much prefer it to the tt-forums on most aspects, which is a bonus. That said, I do feel like I haven't really tapped into the full potential of Haven with my own stories yet, due to their non-interactive nature, but that should change with my new project Q: What advice do you have for anyone looking to get into art or writing? WildlingKing: Oh man, I suck at giving advice However, I would advice anyone looking getting into art or writing to just do it! If it's something you enjoy, just go for it, that's the most important part. And then, find some honest but supportive people to show your stuff to and get feedback from. And where could you find such people? Oh, I don't know, perhaps there is some nice, small and tight community out there Q: Some might even say that community could be a haven, sounds familiar. Are there any books, games, shows, or stories that you would recommend? WildlingKing: Alright, I have to take this opportunity to recommend the Netflix show The Last Kingdom for anyone who is even slightly interested in historical drama, it's one of the best shows I've watched lately! And of course I should also recommend the book series it's based on, "Saxon Stories" by Bernard Cornwell, even though admittedly I've personally only read the first book so far. As for games, I've really enjoyed RDR2's story, but everyone already knows that's good, so instead I'll shout out Horizon Zero Dawn. It's a couple years old at this point, but still gorgeous. Without spoiling anything I can say it's one of the most interesting takes on a post-apocalyptic storytelling, with some amazing worldbuilding and lore. Q: Final question, is there anything you can tell us about Nymeria's War's future? WildlingKing: Well, admittedly it's future is somewhat uncertain at this point. However, since it's no longer interactive frequent updates aren't as vital anymore, so there isn't a reason for me to outright cancel it either. If I do indeed continue the story, you can expect a lot more intrigue, drama and tragedy, epic battles, and most importantly development and growth for all the characters.
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Post by LiquidChicagoTed on Jan 24, 2019 16:53:37 GMT
LilGoodWolf’s Interview about Urban Legend on January 23rdQ: First of all, we should start by you introducing yourself and your writing. LilGoodWolf: I am LilGoodWolf, also known as Conor, and I'm the writer of Urban Legend, which is a fantasy story set in a modern setting. Q: Alrighty! Urban Legend is going to be the focus of today's interview, so what can you tell us about it? LilGoodWolf: It is a fantasy story set on an island inhabited by supernatural beings such as werewolves, vampires, witches and wizards in order to live in safety away from humanity. It uses lore created by myself and also uses certain aspects of typical folklore to create both unique and familiar versions of the supernatural beings seen in the story. The current storylines include a murder mystery, a growing rebellion and a rivalry between the werewolves and vampires. Q: And I can confirm, the mix is as exciting as it sounds. Personally, what do you like the most about the story? LilGoodWolf: I like being able to utilize lore and plotlines I've been working on for years as well as the interactions with the readers and seeing their thoughts. Q: That is always exciting. Now, you are among the writers who have been active the longest, counting your work on the Telltale forums as well and you have definitely developed your writing a great deal. With your stories, but with Urban Legend in particular, is there anything you'd do differently, looking back? LilGoodWolf: I feel like I could've done more with the storyline of Hunter Woods in Chapter 1, as his parts to me did not feel as engaging or memorable compared to Tim Fox's storyline. Q: Hm, I see. Now, what would you say has been your overall experience with writing Urban Legend so far? LilGoodWolf: I'm definitely enjoying writing for it more than I ever have before now that I have the entire story planned out, especially with being able to foreshadow future plot twists. Q: I am glad to hear this! Going on, do you have anything that inspires you with your writing? LilGoodWolf: The readers that are interested in the story and how writing for it develops my writing skills further serves as my inspiration. Q: This is something I can agree with. Our next topic would be Creator's Haven. What has been your experience as a member of our forums so far? LilGoodWolf: Very good, I find it much easier to use than the Telltale forums and more customisable. I like being able to have each chapter have their own thread which makes reading each chapter more organised and accessible. Q: Heh, that is something I love to hear! It was a main goal and I am happy it worked out. Say, as a writer with quite some experience under your belt, do you have any advice for others who intend to get into writing? LilGoodWolf: I guess my advice is to keep practicing, not everything will be perfect on the first go. Q: That is quite true. For our next question, we look at other stuff. Do you have anything in terms of books, games, movies, series or other stories you'd recommend for others? LilGoodWolf: I guess it would make most sense to recommend stuff similar to Urban Legend so I'll recommend the TV show Being Human (moreso the UK version as it is the one I've seen in full), which is about a werewolf, a vampire and a ghost who live together as housemates. I would also recommend the film Let The Right One In or its remake Let Me In, both of which are about a child vampire, and the werewolf films An American Werewolf In London, Dog Soldiers, and Ginger Snaps. For games with stories I just like in general I would recommend Persona 5, Detroit: Become Human, Red Dead Redemption 2 and the Dragon Age series. Oh and the animes Death Note, Attack on Titan, Tokyo Ghoul and Devilman Crybaby (last one might be a bit too dark and intense for most people). Q: Some pretty good stuff among that. The final question brings us back to Urban Legend. Is there anything you would like to tell us about its future? LilGoodWolf: There are lots of twists to come, some sooner than later. There are also some dark and perhaps even upsetting scenes coming up later.
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Post by LiquidChicagoTed on Feb 1, 2019 17:57:34 GMT
AgentZ46's Interview about The Cost of Loyalty on January the 30thQ: First of all, how about you introduce yourself and your writing AgentZ46: Hello! I'm Agent Z46, came from the Telltale forums like most writers on Creator's Haven and I'm writing for The Cost of Loyalty and Zadence Perfect Small Town.
Q: Alright, welcome! Cost of Loyalty will be the focus of today's interview. What can you tell us about it? AgentZ46: It's set in Game of Thrones and acts as a prequel, telling the story of the Branfields. Any who played Telltale's Game of Thrones should be familiar with Malcolm Branfield and Elissa Forrester who are shown to be the last remaining members of the family. The Cost of Loyalty aims to tell the story of what happened to their once great family.
Q: So, what do you like the most about your story? AgentZ46: I think my favorite thing to write about in the story is the internal conflict some of the characters have. Having to go to war over the concept of Loyalty is not an easy thing on the heart or the mind. And showing the negative effect of conflict in certain characters. Anyone who's reading it may notice one or two characters going through a certain kind of change in behavior and mindset.
Q: Cost of Loyalty has been going on for quite some time now, having started in August 2016 on the Telltale forums. So, looking back at your writing, is there anything you would have done differently? AgentZ46: I'd have probably tried to be more consistent in posting parts. I'm pretty happy with what I've written but I don't think I posted frequently enough to keep more people interested and coming back.
Q: That is something I quite understand. How would you say your overall experience writing The Cost of Loyalty has been so far? AgentZ46: I'll be honest, it's a mixed bag. Don't get me wrong I love writing for the story, it's reception just isn't what I hoped it would be. I look forward to seeing what readers think every part so sometimes it's a little disheartening to see at most two comments or three if I'm lucky. I am grateful for the readers I have and I'm determined to finish the story, I'm too invested to give up on it. But I can tell that a lot of original readers lost interest and I worry about my story being seen as barely more than average despite how much I may love it, which I can't blame them for, of course. Just gotta accept that not everyone is going to like what you write.
Q: Hm, that is a valid thing to feel, though I am glad to hear that you enjoy writing the story. Let's talk inspiration. What inspires you when you write your story? AgentZ46: I draw inspiration from a lot of things, to video games, movie tv shows, and even Anime. I'm inspired by Telltale's Game of Thrones of course. I try to look at Malcolm's character and imagine as accurately as possible what he would've been like in his youth and how the war for his family's survival would've effected him. Much of the Cost of Loyalty is inspired by dialogue from Elissa and Malcolm in the game. You may have the noticed the title is inspired by dialogue from Elissa. In episode 2 of the game she mentions how her family fell and specifically mentions her father's loyalty to the Targaryen's cost them dearly. From that I wanted the Branfield's identity and values to be centered around loyalty and gave me a good idea on the kind of character Elissa's father should be and from that I shape his children. Q: I indeed noticed that. Onwards, our next topic would be Creator's Haven. You have been an active poster for several months now. What has been your experience in the forums so far? AgentZ46: It's been really fun and exciting. I love the community that has gathered. Everyone is super friendly and I've seen other readers get really excited, I love interacting with them and other writers when I post on other stories. So it's been, took a bit to get used to but I'm really enjoying the Creator's Haven.
Q: Ah, this is good to hear, I am glad you are enjoying it. Now, you have quite some experience with writing. Do you have any advice for people who look to get into it? AgentZ46: My advice would be to just jump in. Of course you should plan out the story you want to tell and it's characters but the story will never get moving until you start and in my experience it's easier to get motivated to continue once you start. Worst case scenario is people don't like it, but even if that happens it's okay, do it because there's a story that you love and really want to tell.
Q: Very important advice indeed. Our penultimate question is about recommendations. Do you have any work you would like to recommend? AgentZ46: Definitely check out the Danganronpa story by Blueshadow. It's fairly new, got a decent amount of readers and it's very exciting with very likeable and colourful characters. And also Urban Legend by LilGoodWolf, it's a supernatural story with really fascinating and complex characters. Other than that I'd recommend Forum of Thrones and Silicon but those are already so ridiculously popular that I'm sure everyone already knows about them.
Q: Hm, with this we have reached our final question, which brings us back to Cost of Loyalty. What can you tell us about its future? AgentZ46: Without spoiling too much I'll say that it's gonna get darker, characters are going to change as the story progresses, their values, morals, even their general outlook and how they carry themselves. And I'm very excited to see what people think when the story really gets moving.
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Post by Kal on Feb 8, 2019 4:37:23 GMT
LiquidChicagoTed’s Forum of Thrones interview on February 6th.
Q: To start, how about you introduce yourself and what you work on?
LiquidChicagoTed: Alright, hey, my name is Sebastian and I am a university student from Germany. I'm also one of the admins of Creator's Haven and the writer of Forum of Thrones and The Dark Eye.
Q: Today's topic is Forum of Thrones. What can you tell us about that?
LiquidChicagoTed: Sure thing. Forum of Thrones is an interactive story set in the Game of Thrones setting. The interactivity is a key part, with about 90% of the cast being user-submitted and a major part of the story being choices that allow the readers to have a big impact on the way the story plays out. It is also super long, having started over four years ago, but I am very happy it is still going on strong.
Q: What do you like the most about writing Forum of Thrones?
LiquidChicagoTed: Huh, is everything a valid reply? Seriously, there are a lot of things I enjoy. I am super into the background, the world GRRM created and I am glad to have a period in the history at my disposal where I can have both, a very well-described canonical timeline to use as a rough guideline and tons of space to include my own storylines and aspects to the world. I love the submitted characters and am happy every time I receive a new one, even after hundreds upon hundreds of characters. Furthermore, the most enjoyable part about the whole thing are the readers. The support I have received for my writing has always been the best thing and I cannot say enough just how much this means for me. Seeing people being enthusiastic about something I create never fails to amaze me. It is touching, brought me safely through some pretty bad moments and is the reason why I am so excited for the future of the story.
Q: So looking back on the Telltale site, you started Forum of Thrones in 2014. Think back to that and think to where you are now, is there anything you'd do differently with your story?
LiquidChicagoTed: I would have limited the amount of characters people can submit. This is the one thing that has stretched Forum of Thrones to ridiculous degrees, the almost one thousand submitted characters I somehow gotta weave into the story. I also would have started a couple storylines later than I actually did or perhaps not at all in some cases. Readers of Book 1 know what I mean, there are a couple PoV's who just didn't have anything to do for several chapters, or were very limited in the growth they were able to receive. So, in retrospect, I should have done some different planning for the long term, but I simply did not expect it to grow to such a size.
Q: How would you say your experience writing Forum of Thrones has been since you started it?
LiquidChicagoTed: Oh, it has been amazing! I didn't quite know what I'd get myself into when I started working on it (and fun fact, I actually thought I'd be finished within one year, when I am not even halfway through at the time of this interview) and it is safe to say, I have severely underestimated all of it. At times, it has been downright overwhelming, but I never had any regrets about starting it. In fact, I'd say it has helped me through some grim times in the last years. From the beginning to right now and likely for the years to come, it's been an experience that has made my life better. I have met wonderful people in the old forums and have gained a passion for writing in a way I never had before I started with this. So, in short, my experience has been wholeheartedly positive.
Q: What inspires you while writing for Forum of Thrones?
LiquidChicagoTed: I write best at night. I have a bit of a messed up sleeping rythm and I feel like some of my favourite parts have been written late at night, when I kinda push myself to finish it before heading to bed. Rereading old parts, or some parts from my favourite stories always helps me as well. On top of that, I am almost constantly listening to music while I am writing. Whenever I really don't manage to write a part, I take small breaks, where I'm playing a game for a bit, before getting back to the part with new motivation.
Q: You're one of the people who started Creator's Haven, so how would you say your experience on the site has been?
LiquidChicagoTed: It's been kinda like writing Forum of Thrones, to be honest. At first, I had no clear idea what to do, we just received the news of Telltale shutting down and the forums were naturally affected by it, to the point where even now we cannot be sure how long they'll be around. Creator's Haven, however, has proven to be much more than the Telltale forums in terms of the possibilities for creative work. In here, it's not just one of several parts, it is the main focus and everything is tailored to support the content creators. This is what I enjoy the most and seeing how well-received it is makes me super happy. I also really enjoy how many people we are, it feels a lot more active than at Telltale.
Q: What advice do you have for anyone looking to get into art or writing?
LiquidChicagoTed: The two things that are hard are starting to write and continuing it after a certain time. There will be doubt at first, everyone faces that and has to deal with it in their own way, but it's natural. I'd say, try to write a long part, several pages at once, see if you enjoy it and then you have to bring yourself to share it with others. You should also be prepared for that doubt to return after some time. When it happens, think back on what you truly enjoy about your writing. In general, I would say having fun while writing something is the most important aspect of it, not the reception, not the quality, the only thing that should truly matter to anyone who wants to do it is if they actually enjoy writing about the topic they write about.
Q: Are there any books, games, shows, or stories that you would recommend?
LiquidChicagoTed: Heh, tons. First of all, there's stories here in the forums and I am having a hard time singling out just a few of them. Special mention goes to thejonah's Monument, WildlingKing's Nymeria's War and Stigz' The Invasion, who are among the longest running stories and those who have influenced me the most, but I would not say there is a single story here that is not worth a recommendation. When it comes to books, I don't really think the Lord of the Rings has to be recommended, but these books are what got me into fantasy literature, so if you haven't read them, do it. My special favourite in terms of books will always be the Discworld novels, especially after the initial couple of books. They are, on paper, humorous fantasy novels, less on the epic side, but nonetheless full of powerful moments and strong, relatable themes. Honestly, I have never seen another series of books that has me laughing out loud on one page and moved to tears just a few moments later, it is really that good. If you enjoy fantasy, or good books, or you don't enjoy either but want to get into it, then you should look them up, these books are just beyond wonderful.
In terms of shows, do not judge me, but I love Supernatural, cheesy as it is. Sitting together, watching that show, it's the family business at my home. I am also very much into Game of Thrones, Westworld and The 100. Another show I can warmly recommend is Brooklyn 99, which is sort of the Discworld of TV shows for me in how strongly I feel about it. With movies, once again, the Lord of the Rings does not need to be recommended, it's simply that good. Beyond epic movies, I have a fondness for some smaller, more absurd stuff. With this in particular, Scott Pilgrim vs The World is a movie I can quote word for word and if you have not seen it yet, you should watch it, preferably a couple dozen times. And well, when it comes to games, I got several. Story-driven RPG's are my favourite genre and it's kinda hard to find a game of that category which I did not enjoy. The Dragon Age series is brilliant and if you're into that sort of games, Baldurs Gate 2 and Pillars of Eternity should be worth your time. I also like a good MMO occasionally. Got a life-time account for Lord of the Rings Online (which is really the only way that game is any fun nowadays) and I am active in Elder Scrolls Online. In contrast, my true poison is Overwatch. If you look to get a fun, enjoyable, highly addictive game with a community mildly less toxic than League of Legends', then by all means, give it a try. Also, I gotta admit, Roblox's Phantom Forces gamemode is hella fun.
Q: Final question, is there anything you can tell us about the future of Forum of Thrones?
LiquidChicagoTed: It might sound hard to believe after four years, but the best is yet to come. We are not even halfway through and in a way, it seems the most exciting part of the story is yet to come. I can assure you, it will continue, it will go strong and no matter how long it takes, I will see that story finished. I hope it will continue to grow, but at the very least, it will go on. Some big stuff is on the horizon, the pieces that have been set in motion ages ago will fall into place and major changes will happen to every single storyline. I don't want to say too much, as I fear it could spoil it, but honestly, I am hyped just by thinking about it. I know there are a lot of people who enjoyed what I have written so far, so I get all excited imagining how they'd react to what I still have in store.
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Post by Kal on Feb 14, 2019 5:53:56 GMT
BlueShadow’s Danganronpa: The Resort of Mutual Killing interview of February 13th.Q: So to start, why don’t you introduce yourself and what you do? BlueShadow: My name's BlueShadow, the guy who's taking on college classes while he works on his online stories and plays video games in his spare time. Speaking of stories, I'm the writer for Danganronpa: The Resort of Mutual Killing. Q: Danganronpa: The Resort of Mutual Killing is still in its early days, what can you tell us about it? BlueShadow: The basic premise is pretty much the same as the games of the series it's based off of, called Danganronpa. In a nutshell, 16 students who excel in their respective fields are trapped inside of an abandoned hotel with no visible exit in sight. Upon further investigation, they discover a robotic bear named Monokuma, who claims to be their headmaster and announces that there is indeed a way out: commit murder. Panic ensues, and the stage is set for a truly despairful experience for all involved. Q: It’s honestly pretty interesting as I’ve never seen an interactive DR fic up until you started yours. Back on track, what would you say you like the most about writing your story? BlueShadow: It's gotta be a two way tie between the characters sent by the readers, as well as the reactions of the readers themselves. All 15 of the characters I received were so well written and fleshed out, and writing their personalities and interactions with one another just fills me with so much excitement! As for the readers, there's a ton of people who anticipate seeing what happens next in the story that any notification of an update instantly makes their day, which in turn warms my heart. It's also very interesting and fun to watch them analyze and make theories on what's going to happen next, because that's just what I would do in their place. Q: That’s really sweet. This wasn’t too far back but I think you’ve got plenty experience in that time so think back to when you started the story, is there anything you would have done differently? BlueShadow: Perhaps I could've announced the story a tad earlier to possibly fill slots quicker so that the story would start sooner, but that's mainly it. Everything else (atleast so far) is working as intended. Q: How would you say your experience writing Danganronpa: The Resort of Mutual Killing has been overall? BlueShadow: Oh it's been phenomenal, like I said earlier it's really enjoyable to write these dynamic characters and portray them to the audience that created them, as well as interact with the readers themselves and see their responses. Overall, it's a blast and I'm glad! Q: What would you say inspires you while writing your story? BlueShadow: It's mostly the fact that writing this story is a reward in and of itself, because writing it is enjoyable for me. I love acting out the character's lines in my head, I love the setting of the abandoned hotel, and I especially love what I've got planned for the future. Q: You’ve been on Creator’s Haven for a bit, I think pretty close to when it first started. How has your experience on the site been? BlueShadow: This site is one of the best forums I've ever been to. The whole atmosphere feels much more friendly and relaxed than the Telltale forums a majority of us have come from, which is very much preferred. I've yet to experience a single bad or distasteful event, and the mods on both the site and the discord are quick to preserve the harmony of this place. All in all, I think I got pretty lucky signing onto my Telltale account to see a certain PM. Q: Do you have any advice to people looking to get into writing or making art? BlueShadow: If you really enjoy that kind of stuff, you need to make an effort and try to get into it. Don't let your nerves or other people stop you from making that initial attempt, because if you never try you'll most likely regret that choice for the rest of your life. Try it, see if you like it, and keep going at it if you're having fun. I know that it's harder than it sounds, but trust me when I say you'll feel much better for trying! Q: Are there any shows, games, books, or stories you’d like to recommend? BlueShadow: RDR2 is the first game that popped into my head while I started racking my brain for answers, but another more relevant game for me lately is Divinity Original Sin 2, which my friends have picked up recently. It's sort of like an online version of Dungeons and Dragons with the same amount (if not more) of chaos and unplanned combats. Q: I’ve heard plenty of good things about both games. Final question, is there anything you can tell us about Danganronpa: The Resort of Mutual Killing’s future? BlueShadow: I've got roughly 90% of the entire story and planning for the whole thing done, with 10% either unplanned or up to change. Even though it's long into the future, I have plans for other Danganronpa inspired stories. Let's get through this tale of despair first though, yeah?
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Post by Kal on Feb 24, 2019 2:26:53 GMT
Before this interview starts, I want to issue an apology for it being a few days late. I've been a bit preoccupied and haven't quite had the chance to catch this writer up until today. It was a real fun interview that I'm so glad I got to do and I'm excited to share it with you all, so without further ado, here you guys go!
thejonah's Monument interview on February 23rd.
Q: So let's start out with a little reintroduction of who you are and what you do.
thejonah: Hello, hello, denizens of Haven. Once again, it is I, Jonah. Did you think you'd seen the last of me? Hah! I, the dastardly hiatus queen, write Monument and Silicon. Annnnywayy, dropping whatever this act is. I've been a part of this community for a while. You probably recognize me from either of those aforementioned stories, but I've started, finished, and cancelled a few before that, including a slasher and its sequel called Raining, a short-lived Fallout fic, and a crime-thing called List of Six.
Q: They’re all very great stories, but let’s talk about Monument today! What can you tell us about Monument?
thejonah: Monument's my ugly secret child that few people know about. But like a child, I do have love for it! It's a long-running Walking Dead fanfic. Since February 2015, I've been adding to it off and on. It's set in Texas, and as far genre go, it's pretty paint-by-numbers for a zombie story. It follows survivors, more or less surviving. Killing zombies. Hitting the road. Taking shelter. Dealing with that shelter becoming sustainable/overrun/destroyed. Hitting the road. Moving onto the next thing that'll put some much-needed space between their throats and all the teeth. The standard, tasty stuff.
Q: Just a few months before you started Silicon for the first run, I believe. With all the time you’ve spent on Monument, what do you like most about writing it?
thejonah: That's hard to answer. Because, frankly, I fell love out of love with it for a while. I became disillusioned with zombie stories, most of all The Walking Dead. I couldn't stomach the aimlessness, the repetition, the deaths, the rehashing. And seeing as Monument was emblematic of all I took issue with, I couldn't motivate myself to keep writing a story that wasn't going anywhere, both narrative-wise and as far as the character arcs went. Add to that fact that I've changed as a writer and a person, it's hard to want to pick up a story that I feel I've outgrown, that I feel alienated from. Like, who wrote this? Me, a few years ago. Almost a different iteration of me. There are things I wrote into it, and while some of them are very small, there are things that I realize now are offensive or gross, or on the other side of the coin plain bad storytelling. The embarrassment, even if it's just me noticing, is another factor that kept me away. God, anyway. This has been a long-winded way to not even answer the original question. To tie this ramble into an actual answer, I've learned to appreciate the directionless quality of certain stories and accept the faults I recognize, not balk away from them, ashamed. I think it's an important distinction that I'm not growing as a person or writer in spite of mistakes, but because of them. Monument's a lesson I'm still learning from, and I owe it a lot for that, and the readers and contributors, I owe even more. (thank you for coming to my tedtalk lol)
Q: So on the topic, think back to when you first started Monument and where you are now. Is there anything you’d do differently?
thejonah: Nothing. I would change nothing. That's not to say that there isn't plenty that could be changed for the better; there's a metric shit ton. It's because if I think on it too long, I get lost in it, you know? The only way forward is forward for me. Flaws can be glaring, but I don't want to linger, because every time I do, it halts progress. Evaluation, of course, is necessary. So when I look at what I would change, I try not to look at it as what to change, but what to do different going forward. If lingering over something can't improve the ongoing story, if it's something small and trivial and dumb, I find it's better to forget and move on rather than let it bog me down. Hindsight is powerful and useful and crippling. You tune in when it's helpful, tune out when it's an open sore that you should have let close a long time ago.
Q: I like that, the only way is forward. You've indirectly mentioned it a bit, but how would you say your experience writing Monument has been overall?
thejonah: Over the course of years, I've stressed about and worried at and tried to ignore and have even forgotten about its existence for months at a time, so there's no denying that Monument has impacted me in my writing and my life. I realize all that I've said so far sounds rather negative, but I would characterize it as a positive experience. It's the readers, their support, forgiveness, and enthusiasm—even of those who have long since left—that made it fun and rewarding. And against all odds, there are still readers. So yes, for all the bad, it's been fucking fantastic.
Q: What would you say inspires you when you write for Monument?
thejonah: Again, the readers. And music. Really, there's a franchise-sized elephant in the room, but I'm not sure I can call it that, because it's the bloody room itself. It's fanfiction. My love-hate relationship not withstanding, there weren't be a Monument without The Walking Dead (and there wouldn't be a me, as I am). While the first season of the Telltale game is the only iteration of The Walking Dead I truly love, that love stretches far. It's influenced more than just Monument. The theme, Alive Inside, is just. Christ. It encapsulates it. I've taken what that theme makes me feel, and the memories of the game it brings up, and applied it to the way I process and write about the apocalypse and most dark things in general. I'm a fan of something I've heard coined as tragic optimism or optimistic pessimism. You see it in some of Guillermo del Toro films, like The Devil's Back or Pan's Labyrinth. It describes The Walking Dead game, too, imo. And my favorite anime, Wolf's Rain. And most books I like. It's definitely a quality of tone/ending that inspires me.
Q: Now I asked this last time, but I'm going to ask it again just in case your answer has changed at all. Has you experience on Creator's Haven changed? If so, how?
thejonah: Nope. Sorry. Still fantastic.
Q: Let's shake up the usual advice question, what would you say to any other writers out there wanting to start a second story on top of one they already have?
thejonah: DO IT YOU COWARDS. Well, uh, maybe I wouldn't phrase it like that, exactly, but there's degrees to secondary projects. Some short stories on the side? A novel? If you wanna do it do it. Having a rotation of projects to work on just... kinda works for me, albeit in a somewhat dysfunctional way. That said, if you're thinking about starting a whole other interactive story, that requires user interaction and time and energy and everything, on top of one that already requires that same? Yeah, that's a much bigger commitment. I can I speak from experience when I say that it's taxing. I've found that I personally can't really handle two all the time, which is why when either Silicon or Monument is being actively updated, the other usually isn't. Sometimes it becomes a balancing act. The advice I'd give is, strike the balance the works for you. And it's okay to fall if it doesn't work out and it's okay to drop shit like little goddamn tiny balls all in the air that you can't all juggle at once. Not everyone's a clown, or good at juggling for that matter. So, you do you.
Q: I know you're pretty active in reading and watching things, so do you have any new recommendations from your last interview?
thejonah: Anyone who is a fan of zombies, even people like me who have been burnt out by them, should watch Kingdom. It's a new series on Netflix, and it's about a zombie outbreak in ancient Korea. I also just read Black Leopard, Red Wolf by Marlon James, and... I think... I think it's my favorite book ever now, but I'm hesitate to recommend it because it's impenetrable and violent and at times incredibly disgusting. I'm also scared because I know not everyone will be as receptive as I am to the explicit gay bits. I'm bi/gay/figuring-all-that-shit-out, so the unflinching queerness of this novel was definitely appealing. It's one of those books I kinda want to covet and keep to myself because I'm scared other people will probably hate it. It's a fantasy novel, based on African history and folklore, about a man known only as Tracker being hired along with other mercenaries to find a missing child. But who the hell is this kid? Who took him? What a fucking journey it is, finding out. Stories nestled in stories. Non linear storytelling. Really difficult shit. But god, I loved it.
Q: The book has some pretty good reviews and apparently Michael B. Jordan purchased film adaptation rights, so that says a lot for how good it's gotta be. Final question, is there anything you can tell us about Monument's future?
thejonah: Well, first off, it HAS a future. It's been on another hiatus since October, maybe? So firstly, it's going to resume soon. I'll be applying my lessons to this final act to make it something a little different than what's come before. I think it's going to be good. It's going to be tough, both to write, as it's pretty difficult to grasp the concept of concluding something that's been a part of me for years, both unnoticed in the background and occupying foreground of my attention. But it needs to happen. It needs to end. I'm not ending it for the sake of ending it, of course. I need closure, dammit lol. And there's a new forum story that's been building up in my head for a while now. A HISTORICAL WESTERN YEP YEP can't fucking wait. But I refuse to start until I finish either Monument or Silicon, and both still have a lot of life in them. So. What to expect in Monument's future. Something that subverts what I've come to dislike about Monument and reclaims what I love. Tragic optimism. Optimistic pessimism. An ending. An ending I can't even say was years in the making because I never really knew where this was going (till of late). What does the characters deserve, what they don't. And zombies, most definitely. An untold number of zombies.
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Post by LiquidChicagoTed on Mar 6, 2019 4:19:39 GMT
Kal's Voyager's of the Storm interview on February the 28th
Q: How about you introduce yourself and let us know what you work with.
Kal: Alright, hello! I'm Kal and I write Voyagers. I can't really think of what else to put here, so yes! That's all!
Q: And Voyagers is exactly what we're going to talk about today! What can you tell us about it?
Kal: Voyagers is a story about a group where the main goal is to regain freedom from the organizations that have control.
Q: Hm, I see. So, how has your overall writing experience for Voyagers been so far?
Kal: It's been kind of iffy. I love writing and planning for it. but it's also almost been canceled like four times. It's actually like therapeutic at this point because it's been there and something I've been working on through a lot of hard times and ultimately through my last year of school.
Q: I mean, it has been going on for quite some time now, celebrating its second birthday this year! Looking back, is there anything you would have done differently?
Kal: I definitely would have actually put more thought into it. Act 2 was created on a whim, but I realize now that if I had plotted out what I needed to then I could have easily fit everything into the originally planned 11 chapters.
Q: Yeah, I get that. Though, what do you enjoy the most when writing Voyagers?
Kal: I really enjoy writing the characters,, both submitted and non-submitted but I'll also admit that I have a lot of fun just spitballing ideas, even if I don't go with something.
Q: That is certainly a good thing. So, what inspires you while writing?
Kal: Well, I would say music first but I actually like to think of what the readers would enjoy. I love reading or rereading comments just to get a basic idea of what the readers think of how the story's going currently.
Q: Ah, that I can get behind. So, our next topic is Creator's Haven. You are one of the first people who signed up to the forums and you're one of the admins, so what would you say has your overall experience on the forums been?
Kal: I really like Creator's Haven! I was honestly a bit concerned over how moderation would go in a system like that because I was unfamiliar with it at first, so little secret, I reported like three of my own posts while the other admins were offline and saw how it worked, which is a pretty cool thing to learn. In terms of posting, it's amazing because I have yet to find a length limit and I can add flare to my posts by using color, so that's fun.
Q: I'll let you in on a little secret as well: There is no length limit. At least I hope so. I hope I did not just jinx us all. Anyways, next question, what advice do you have for people who look to get into writing?
Kal: I would honestly say just go for it. Even if you don't put it out there, if you want to write then you should do it. It's really hard to build confidence in your stuff and I'd be lying if I said I got it down just yet, but I have a lot of fun writing what I do. I guess my advice would be to find what you like writing and go for it.
Q: And then we got recommendations. Is there anything you would like to recommend?
Kal: For stories, I would say LilGoodWolf's Urban Legend, which I'm a huge fan of just because I never really grew out of my love for vampires and werewolves. Well, okay, I wouldn't say love, maybe fondness. AgentZ46's Zadence, which is new but starting off pretty strong. BlueShadow's Danganronpa: The Resort of Mutual Killing, because I'm a huge fan of the Danganronpa series and I'm interested in seeing BlueShadow's take on it. I'm going to quickly recommend two shows that I love. The Good Doctor is the only medical drama that I like and I would recommend it to literally anybody who asks. Brooklyn 99 is also a really good show and it's a great pick-me-up when I need it
Q: Alright, final question for today, is there anything you can tell us about the future of Voyagers?
Kal: Going into the final chapters of the first Act, there's basically been a complete reset of a few characters, whether they show it or not. This can either be a pretty big deal or something small depending on the choices made. So I say this with complete seriousness, make choices as if someone's life is on the line because there's going to be plenty of choices from this point on that can prove to be lethal.
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Post by LiquidChicagoTed on Mar 8, 2019 2:58:51 GMT
WildlingKing's Tales of Midvas interview on March 6th
Q: So, for your second interview, let us start with a bit of a reintroduction about who you are and what you're doing on the forums
WildlingKing: Alright, I'm WildlingKing, a university student on my early twenties, from Finland. On Creator's Haven I have a couple stories that I write. Tales of Midvas is the newest one, an interactive story in a completely original fantasy setting. And then there's Nymeria's War and The Age of Storm, both of them non-interactive GoT fanfics.
Q: Our topic for today is Tales of Midvas. What can you tell us about the story?
WildlingKing: Like I said it's interactive story, meaning there's character submission and reader choices. And well, it's actually supposed to be more of a collection of stories rather than a single story, as the "Tales" part of the name kind of implies. Midvas is a fantasy world that I've created, taking a lot of inspiration from Ancient Greece and other ancient civilizations. Right now I'm working on the first episode, but my hope is that there will be enough submissions and interest for the story to keep a lot more episodes coming in the future.
Q: And I hope this as well, because I love the format and the setting! Now, the story is very new of course, but in the time you have been working on it, what did you enjoy the most?
WildlingKing: So far what I've enjoyed the most has been the worldbuilding! Coming up with fantasy cultures and histories is something I've always enjoyed, but this is probably the most effort I've ever put into it. To be fair, it's also like 90% of what I've done so far in this project, having just started with the stories themselves. I've also enjoyed all the submissions that have come so far and starting to plan stories for them.
Q: So, even though the story has just started with its first tale, is there anything you would have done differently, perhaps if not in the story proper, then during the planning phase?
WildlingKing: Hmm, I think for once it might really be too early for regrets. Of course I do wonder whether I've done sufficient job in getting people interested in the project (since that's pretty vital in keeping an interactive story alive), but for now I haven't had that moment of "ah, that's how I should've done it instead".
Q: Oh, I hope that enough people are interested, or maybe will get interested as the story goes on, but I am glad there's not much in terms of regrets so far. So, overall, how would you say your experience writing this original story has been so far?
WildlingKing: It's been great! Like I said, so far it has been 90% worldbuilding, but it has been a very enjoyable project overall so far, and I'm excited for all the potential stories I could tell in Midvas going forward. It's also been nice to return to interactive storytelling, this time with a format that I think will work better for me than my past projects.
Q: That is great to hear! While writing the story, is there anything that inspires you?
WildlingKing: In the case of Tales of Midvas specifically I'm mostly inspired by history. I wouldn't go as far as calling myself a history buff, but I've had a casual interest in history for a long time and that has certainly played a role in planning this setting. Aside from that, like I mentioned in my earlier interview I'm inspired by all kinds of media and art that makes me feel something.
Q: I see, I see. So, this is a question we had before, but just to be certain, has anything changed about your experience on Creator's Haven since you have started writing Tales of Midvas?
WildlingKing: Well, the main thing would probably be getting back to interactive writing. And when it comes to that, Haven has served well.
Q: Hehe, good, very good to hear. The next question would be about advice. Considering this is the second interview you're doing and considering that you have a lot of experience when it comes to this, what kind of advice would you give to writers who seek to start a second story while already having one ongoing?
WildlingKing: Haha, I'm not sure if I'm the best person to give advice on that. However, it probably just depends on the person. If you're someone who's generally good at juggling several projects simultaneously then you probably don't need advice from me in the first place. But if, like myself, you aren't good at that then perhaps it's good to plan ahead and decide "okay, I'll concentrate on this new project for a couple weeks, then the old project for a couple weeks, etc." Or something like that. It's all the more harder if both of the projects are interactive and require frequent updates, which luckily isn't the case for me this time.
Q: Well, that is good advice already, thank you! So, since your last interview, is there anything new you would recommend?
WildlingKing: Tbh due to uni work taking a lot of my time I haven't really discovered any new media that I'd want to recommend since the last interview. However, perhaps I could take the opportunity to recommend something I forgot last time, which is another historical show that I think is one of the best out there: Black Sails. It's especially great with making you love and care about almost all the characters in the show.
Q: Alright, for our last question, we go back to Tales of Midvas. What can you tell us about its future?
WildlingKing: What I can tell is that the future of Tales of Midvas is open and can hold anything! Well, maybe not literally, but one of the things I really like about this project is that there is no canon ending I have to work towards. So, if I get submitted characters who have the potential to make an impact on this fantasy world, perhaps even an impact I wouldn't have thought of otherwise... well, then I'm free to write them make that impact!
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