Tale Foundry

Progress Update: The Slow Climb toward Normalcy

G'monday, all y'all helpful humans!

Let's all take a moment and just... breathe.

The new video is officially out, things are officially going to be okay. At least in terms of the integrity of the show. It'll still be really difficult for a while with the demonetization and all, but we're still chugging along, even after everything that's happened through the tail end of 2018.

I feel strongly that it can only get better from here, and we're in an okay place ...

"The Wilting Sound"

All spindle sylph are born with a twin; a mirror image of themselves who shares the half of their soul. But there's a revelation that's sweeping through their lands, changing the way they see each other. How will these creatures face the new, impending solitude? How will they face the Quiet?

It's here! At long last, it's here!

This has been the longest production time for any single video on the channel, and I feel so much that af...

Update: Reward Scheduling

Just a quick update to let all of you know about how we're going to be handling rewards moving forward.

Many of the simpler rewards that require no preparation will continue to go out immediately. However, in order to better manage my schedule for video uploads I'm going to begin batching rewards that do require prep work into the first week of each month. That means letters will be sent and Taleoids adopted from the 1st of January to the 12th,...

Sneak Peek: Of Thumbs and Nails

In the final stretch of production, now! Just need to add the music and the outro, really.

I'm so eager to finally share this thing with all of you.

—Benji

The Forge: Understanding "Author Voice"

 
Hello, all you Helpful Humans and Engineers!

Session by session, we've been moving through a lot of Terry Pratchett's work in preparation for the forthcoming Terry Pratchett series. And while that's (obviously) done a lot to inform me about the man himself and his writing style, I've been finding myself struggling to grasp what exactly I'm learning about writing in general from Pratchett. 

There are a lot of things, but if you've been attending the session...

Progress Update: A Cup of Something Warm

G'morning, maintenance crew! And for those who are celebrating, happy holidays!

This week, at long last, we have a turn for the positive. It feels like things are finally, genuinely beginning to settle down a bit in the background of the show. I'm finding my rhythm again, all of you have flooded in to fill the revenue gap after the demonetization, and the video is chugging along pleasantly.

For me it's just business as usual over the next few days through the holiday. Working hard...

The Forge: Starts in 30 minutes!

Just a last-minute reminder! Come join us in #the-foundry-forge on our the Tale Foundry Discord server to discuss Terry Pratchett's book, Hogfather! 

Find all the details here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/forge-reminder-23433132

Update: OFFICIALLY DONE—

—with this short story.

Some final touch-ups, and then I spend a big portion of the evening recording, because this story is massive.

Overall it's been a really interesting experience. I think I've learned a lot about secondary worlds and short stories, and the importance of easily-conveyable stakes. I worry this one will come off as just a biiiit aspirational, but I think there's plenty of fun characterization and worldbuilding in there all the same. So ev...

Sneak Peek: Story Art

Hello, helpful humans!

Today I want to share with you what may be my favorite story art for any of the short story videos we've released. My artist, Felipe, has totally knocked this out of the park. I can't wait to introduce all of you to him in the near future.

It's been a little while since I've been able to roll out regular video sneak peeks, but as I wrap up writing on the short story things should swing comfortably back into motion. Thanks for your enduring ...

The Forge, Reminder: "Hogfather", by Terry Pratchett

 
Hello, Helpful Humans and Engineers of the foundry!

Our next Forge session is in a mere two days! That means it's time to finish up your reading if your following along, or squeeze in a spare glance at the sparknotes page. 

We should start making some really meaningful progress toward targeting the ways in which Pratchett maintains his tone throughout his works. This definitely isn't going to be a sessions to miss.

The Foundry Forge 2018-12-19 17:42:51 +0000 UTC View Post

Progress Update: The Neverending Story

HAS FINALLY COME TO AN END.

That's right. I'm making real progress with the show again. No more floundering in the mud with this impossible project in the middle of my worst period.

Let's talk about how things have gone from difficult, to horrifying, to hopeful over the last week.

Where are we now?

Lordy, but this short has taken a long time to finish writing. Apologies. This has been the most turbulent season of the Foundry's life, but I...

Update: My thanks, and my plans

Alright everyone, first things first, you are all incredible.

Thank you so much to everyone who threw in at such short notice to help this show survive while I figure out what to do in the absence of ad revenue. It's been a huge hit to my income, and will make it very hard to pay for the services that make it possible for me to produce this show as a one-man team. 

All of you have provided me with the security I need to just barely land on my feet, and with this mo...

ATTENTION: Tale Foundry's in Danger

Hey everyone,

for any of you who follow other Youtube creators, this shouldn't be too unfamiliar of a story. Despite the excellent platform they've created with Youtube, Google has a bit of a historically shaky trigger finger. 

Today, Google decided to demonetize Tale Foundry.

The reason for Google's decision to demonetize Tale Foundry apparently has to do with "Misleading Metadata", which refers to information attached to the content—things like vi...

2018-12-13 19:58:46 +0000 UTC View Post

The Forge: "Hogfather", by Terry Pratchett

 
Hello, Helpful Humans and Engineers of the foundry!

It's time to announce our next read for the Foundry Forge, this time something appropriate for the season: Terry Pratchett's "The Hogfather".

I'll confess, I've been reading this one for a couple months intermittently at this point, but that's all right! It'll just give me more time to stew on all the clever ways Pratchett maintains a tone and capitalizes on it.

The Foundry Forge

Progress Update: Where the needle's pointing

G'morning, helpful humans one and all.

Last week we had a bit of a zinger, and this one will be more of the same. Zingier, even. 

It seems the last portion of 2018's hedge maze was all briars, and we're perhaps only now coming out of it. Much scraped, shoelaces a complete mess, but in one piece nevertheless.

Let's talk about it.

Where are we now?...

Progress Update: Human Recalibrations

G'monday, helpful humans and all.

This is going to be a little different from some of the other progress updates I've shared here. I've been alluding to some "difficult times" in a lot of posts lately, which is a lot less transparent than I like to be with all of you. Sometimes you have to take care though, and tread lightly, and wait patiently. 

After a whole lot of that, I finally think it's the right time to clarify.

Where are we now?

I...

Sneak Leak: A Tour through Whisperworld

Heyo, helpful humans!

Today we're doing something a little different. As plug away at this short story, I find it hard to have good material for these sneak peeks. So instead, today, we're going to help whet the appetites of the fans beyond this community and give y'all a little refresher on the materials I'm currently using to write the story.

Enjoy this interview featuring the creator of this story's setting. He did an excellent job laying everything out for us, and as a result I'm wri...

The Forge: Guards! Guards!, by Terry Pratchett

Hello, Helpful Humans and Engineers of the foundry!

I've already done a little bit of reading, and I can tell you immediately that this book is not going to disappoint. After the last session, I have a pretty strong idea of where we'll be focusing for the Terry Pratchett series, and I'm picking out examples of characterization like a hawk. I already have several written down for the next Forge Session.

If you can, I recommend picking up a copy and reading along!

<...

2018-11-28 17:32:03 +0000 UTC View Post

Tale Foundry Fest!

Attention, lovely humans and friends of the Foundry!

The incredible community on our Discord server is going to be running their first ever server-wide event soon: Tale Foundry Fest! 

Join in for games, competitions, livechats and more! 

The community will be running events from Novemeber 28th to December 1st! Don’t miss out!

2018-11-27 20:23:19 +0000 UTC View Post

Progress Update: Stiiiiill writing...

Hello, helpful humans! 

Welcome, very unofficially, to winter. 

Last night we received about 6-7 inches of glorious sky-fluff in my area, weighing down branches, taking out powerlines, causing a general nuisance, by and large being very gorgeous all over the dang place. Despite all the shoveling and ice scraping, it's proving to be pretty great weather for writing. Very cozy, very aesthetically appropriate somehow.

Speaking of which, I am stil...