Extended Writing Update + a little book 2 preview

I've started writing Book 2 in earnest ~

I wanted to outline more but with things the way they are, this helped me feel better and take my mind somewhere nice :) I've got about 3,500 words of it, and the pieces are beginning to fit together how I want.

There's a real sense of lightness to writing the early chapters of a story. You're not bogged down yet with trying to keep track of everything that's happened and making sure you don't accidentally let any minor plot threads slip through your hands. Each stage of writing has its charms, but I find that lightness is the most welcome thing imaginable after finishing a 400k word story.

It's also so nice to be writing with already-established characters. I didn't think I'd care much about that one way or the other, but it's actually really cool to be able to just jump in and know everybody's already established who they are to the readers.

I've been having trouble deciding where to start the timeline of book 2. Originally it was going to be only 3 months after the ending of book 1. Then I changed it to a year. But that felt too long given one key plot point the game starts off with, so I pulled it back to 6 months. I think I'm going with that for now. One thing I really want to swing with the timeline is having MC be in a specific location during winter, so that's also a factor.

I think we're going to start in Spring, and maybe have the whole game's events take place over a year to a year and a half. That's a long time, but one thing I really like in stories is when the characters are given ample time to get to know each other. It makes connections feel more in-depth to me, and I just find it more believable that characters would grow the typical deep loyalty for each other that way. Personal preference, but I'm the one writing the games and I suspect (hope) my players will enjoy it, so that's what we're gonna go with 😂

I've never written a multi-work anything before, and one experience that's new to me is how I'm using book one as sort of a reference book now. I'm opening up the files constantly to check:

"Okay, what different states could you end the game with for this RO's route?" 

"Did I get this wording of what the MC heard in a dream correctly?" 

"What color was that character's hair again?"

It's strange to be using my own work as an authority. Kind of like writing the encyclopedia and then referencing it later to learn about something, lol. It's also pretty fun.

This week's preview is from book 2 chapter 1, special for patreon and ko-fi :)

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A memory's a funny thing, when it doesn't belong to you.

That's what the Guide told me in my dreams, half a year ago.

I stare up at the lattice of magic above Leas. It sparkles in the morning sunshine, an ever-present fixture of the city that I'm no longer surprised to see. But it's different, this time.