Short Story Update
Added 2023-10-10 21:04:49 +0000 UTCHi everyone, just a quick update about the short stories for you!
Now that every major companion has gotten to be a part of a group serial story, I'm finding myself a bit tapped for ideas for this month's piece:
- I think I'm a bit burnt out on serial stories just now, primarily because thinking of a new mystery or case--replete with its own new cast of characters, suspects, setting, etc...--takes a lot of energy, effort, and time, and setting up a unique mission that takes several chapters for the characters to solve (and doesn't just become an iteration of 'who's guilty? oh, it's that person!') feels difficult at the moment. I do like the idea of writing about multiple companions, particularly the ones who don't interact with each other much in the main game, but I'm not quite sure how to write about them in a group situation that doesn't involve also coming up with a new mission. (Plus, I do have the thought that some of these mission ideas could be fun as interactive DLC/side-stories for the game as well!)
- I could write a few individual character backstories to take a break from the serial ones. I definitely think we need to do a second story for Croelle, to bridge the gap between what happened to him in "And They Shall Come to Know Its Power" and the present-day events of the game. But a story like that would contain MASSIVE SPOILERS for the game in its current state, so I think it'd be better to do that one down the road, once more stuff has happened...
- I could try finishing "Some Kind of Virus". I sort of felt like I hit a brick wall with that one, and I think the main issue might have been being locked into Brightburner's POV when I should have actually switched between different people's POVs throughout the story (which would have been better when working with such a huge cast right off the bat: it gives some characters more time on-screen and makes them more relevant to the larger story. It would have definitely been fun to follow what Chase and Halek were doing before meeting up with Brightburner's group, Riel or Lavinet's take on the whole situation, etc...). However, that would require major rewrites of the existing material... and possibly losing the epistemological framing device of it all?
...Anyway, if that all feels like a lot, welcome to my writing brain LOL. This is kind of just an update to give you guys an idea of where I'm at this month--"Some Kind of Virus" rewrite is sort of the most appealing thing right now--but if you have any thoughts or comments or suggestions of your own, feel free to leave a comment! :) Thanks and I hope you're having a great week!