That's right, this month's spotlight will be shined on none other than dear old Mom and Dad. (What skeletons are in their closets, hmm? Do you really want to know? Although in Hope's case, it probably includes a life-sized fake skeleton given her Halloween obsession.)
Please address any questions to Hope and John via either the Sanctum Discord Cast Interview Channel or by replying to this post. If your question is for only one of the pair, please make sure to clarify who's bein...
2021-07-04 20:49:44 +0000 UTC
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I'm super excited for this month, because it'll be the first that I'm spending writing Mind Blind fulltime. Ideally, I'd love to get Mind Blind up to 350,000 words by August (which I think is doable since the current count is 325k). There will also be twice the saucy sides and side stories . . . although, if you're on the Sanctum Discord, you may have already realized that one of the side stories came to me in an insomniac fever dream inspired by Pokémon and thus should be ...
2021-07-03 02:35:53 +0000 UTC
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So, after over 24 hours of incessant beeping, my neighbor's carbon monoxide detector has finally been turned off by building management. I managed to get some writing done at my friend's place (thanks, Ana!), but was distracted enough by her bobblehead collection and swivel chair that I ended up creating this short quizlet.
It's about as accurate as what you might stumble across on Buzzfeed (which is to say, don't take it at all seriously).
What Type Of Ment Are You Quiz: ...
2021-07-02 22:22:51 +0000 UTC
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My neighbor's alarm
Has been dying for hours.
Death, take me instead.
2021-07-02 00:46:33 +0000 UTC
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It's a new month, which means a new poll on which character gets interviewed! Noh is back on the list since they'll be appearing in game this month. (Either in Chapter 11 or Chapter 12. Scenes continue to end up longer than I'd anticipated--at this point, Noh was already supposed to have confronted Button. But hey, at least you got to almost smooch K?) Several characters are also being added to the poll, now that they're officially introduced.
(At this point, all major players ...
2021-07-01 15:00:07 +0000 UTC
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A spotlight shines on Nicholas Wiseman, wearing a familiar sequined gold vest and a top hat cocked at a jaunty angle. He sits in one of two cushioned chairs on an otherwise empty stage. A microphone is clutched in his hand.
In the other chair sits Sally, wearing a daffodil-print sundress and an exasperated expression.
Sally: I thought we agreed that you’d dress more professionally for the show.
Nick: Nope! That was someth...
2021-06-30 22:34:29 +0000 UTC
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A spotlight shines on Nicholas Wiseman, wearing a familiar sequined gold vest and a top hat cocked at a jaunty angle. He sits in one of two cushioned chairs on an otherwise empty stage. A microphone is clutched in his hand.
In the other chair sits Sally, wearing a daffodil-print sundress and an exasperated expression.
Sally: I thought we agreed that you’d dress more professionally for the show.
Nick: Nope! That was someth...
2021-06-30 22:32:20 +0000 UTC
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Note: Please let me know if anything doesn't make sense in this write up, or if it gets too wordy (it's meant to be textbooky but not painful). The Aeon Student Guide portions shouldn't be necessary to understand Mind Blind, but reading them should add more to the story.
Telepaths make up 60% of all Ments, or 6% of the general population. While the scope of their abilities varies depending on Z-wave strength, all Telepaths are capable of reading the su...
2021-06-30 04:29:39 +0000 UTC
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Demo Length: 313k
Average Playthrough: 80k
What's New: Conversations! Spy craft! Cryptic prophecies! Useful stalkers! Poor decisions!
Next Demo: The second half of Chapter 2 will drop on July 3rd. The total chapter length is 30k, but I want to make some of the pathways longer and maybe add an option where *Redacted* sees you off at the end instead of *Redacted* or *Redacted*. 😋
Things To Kno...
2021-06-28 02:59:37 +0000 UTC
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Current Demo Length: 328k
Next Demo Update: Sunday! Will include first half of Chapter 11 and possibly the second half as well (depending on how much I get done tomorrow)
Average Playthrough: Probably around 80k?
I’m currently eyeballs-deep in editing Chapter 11 for Sunday’s release (Reese needs to chill), so this weekly blog will be a little shorter than usual. But I have exciting news to share!
2021-06-26 04:03:27 +0000 UTC
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Total transparency: I'm still contemplating including this choice, even though it's ridiculous and Button should get their head checked for taking that option. But the option also made me laugh? I'm conflicted as to its conclusion so figured I'd post it here for feedback.
NB: Contains minor spoilers for Chapter 11 and some PG13 sauciness. For the sake of brevity, I've only included humorous Button's scene (as wording changes for this sce...
2021-06-25 02:03:50 +0000 UTC
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From the Personal Correspondence of Lady Vitrula Rhys
Dear Vitrula,
My mother wrote about what happened to you last month. As your own letter made no mention of it, I can only conclude that you do not consider escaping death to be very memorable. In case it wasn’t clear, I am chastising you, as I find myself rather invested in your continued survival and would like to be duly informed when its threatened. ...
2021-06-23 03:01:48 +0000 UTC
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I've mentioned before that I believe the best way to master the craft of writing is to read things written by better writers. I would even go so far as to argue that critical reading is in fact more essential than writing practice itself!
While working on a script-format short story today (to be posted this evening), I was feeling stuck. Thus, I went to my old Oscar Wilde anthology--who is my favorite playwright, with politest apologies to Shakespeare--in order to gain insight into how...
2021-06-21 21:53:33 +0000 UTC
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This is a direct follow up to Rosy’s last Saucy Side: www.patreon.com/posts/mind-blind-saucy-47004218
* * * *
As punishment for breaking his nameplate, Ambrose decrees that you have to go the entire day at work without touching him. You agree, if only because agreeing means that next time, it will be your turn to create the rule. Alas, your easy compliance fa...
2021-06-20 00:20:36 +0000 UTC
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This is a direct follow up to Rosy’s last Saucy Side: www.patreon.com/posts/mind-blind-saucy-47004293
* * * *
As punishment for breaking her nameplate, Ambrosia decrees that you have to go the entire day at work without touching her. You agree, if only because agreeing means that next time, it will be your turn to create the rule. Alas, your easy compliance fails to take into account the fact that Ambrosia Kim is a cruel, cruel woman.
She’s spent the en...
2021-06-20 00:20:32 +0000 UTC
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Current Wordcount: 321,000
Average Playthrough Length: Unknown, as I have at least a day’s worth of debugging ahead of me before I can run randomtest to get the average.
I’ve been working on Mind Blind nonstop today, tweaking Reese’s scene in order to properly convey their flamboyant, moustache-twirling, shoe-wearing, villainous persona. Larger than life personalities can sometimes come across as cartoonish in comedic writing, so I ...
2021-06-19 03:28:43 +0000 UTC
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My hands flew to cover my mouth but did little to help me breathe. My throat burned and my eyes watered. Flames licked the roof of my bed’s canopy—if I didn’t escape, and soon, the heavy fabric would collapse and become my next burial shroud. But my route to the door was obscured in smoke.
Curses. Why hadn’t I learned a spell to extinguish fires?
Because I’d never been burned alive before. Because this was new. Because I’d been lazy, and only taken steps to pr...
2021-06-16 16:22:18 +0000 UTC
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In Delivery for the Damned, you'll be able to choose from three pets: each being the magical equivalent of a dog (Cù-sìth), a cat (Bakeneko), and a lizard (Miniature Dragon).
(The pet selection was part of last month's Delivery development poll, and it appears people like the classics! The Poisonous Water Shrew didn't stand a chance.)
Which species you choose will impact your pets' personality and how they talk, because, yes, these pets will have plenty of opin...
2021-06-15 04:52:56 +0000 UTC
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All of Chapter 10 is out! Sorry for the delay--there was an extremely odd bug that happened when Button chose to wear the thigh-high boots two times in a row. I still have NO idea what caused this issue, but for some reason changing the variable from "thigh-high" to "knee-high" fixed the issue.
Maybe choicescript doesn't like sexy shoes? Your guess is as good as mine.
ANYWAYS.
Length: 301k (Whooo-hoooo!)
Average Playthrough: 77k<...
2021-06-12 21:12:39 +0000 UTC
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(Contains minor spoilers for Chapter 10)
Oh, Vengeance. How thou dost give me a headache.
Vengeance is complicated. They’re not the “good guys,” they’re terrorists. But not the kind usually seen on TV, although they do love a good evil monologue.
Vengeance recruits from two separate pools of people.
The first type of person that Vengeance recruits is pretty easy for Button to hate (and even easier for Button to make fun of). This is the kind of p...
2021-06-12 02:01:33 +0000 UTC
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“Pretend that I’m her.” Sergeant Martin Murphy waggled his ginger eyebrows and raised his voice to a flirtatious squeak, “Hello, Sergeant Wiseman. Do you have something to ask me?”
John stared fixedly at his half-completed mission report. He wouldn’t rise to the bait—not this time. “You’re not my type, Murph.”
“I’m everyone’s type,” Murph scoffed derisively in that same too-high pitch, causing a cold shudder to run up John’s spine. S...
2021-06-10 22:45:46 +0000 UTC
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Dates are subject to being jostled around slightly due to that chaotic force known as Life, but here's what to expect for the rest of this month!
June 9: Mind Blind Short Story (will be posted in the evening after my writing group meets and it's all edited!)
June 11: Writer's Blog and MB Demo Update (Rest of Chapter 10)
June 12: Nick Wiseman Has Opinions - Gray's Wedding Speech (UCRT Reward)
...
2021-06-09 05:07:44 +0000 UTC
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K has a new scene! I still need to add the newest version of the car ride to *REDACTED* and finish the "Button would rather be alone" scene where you don't go to K's house, but I was too excited not to share this right away because, well . . .
Let's just say that K surprised me and I added in yet another new scene.
Enjoy :)
New Demo Length: 291k
Averag...
2021-06-08 01:37:20 +0000 UTC
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That's right, the showrunner herself will be taking the hotseat! Interviewer TBD . . . We'll see if Nick gets his job back, or if he runs screaming in the other direction from certain questions.
Anyway, ask your questions here or via the Sanctum of Spoilers cast interview channel.
Since Sally has two "iterations" (the version of Sally still crushing on Nick will have different answers than the version of her into Button), she'll likely get two slightly different...
2021-06-05 22:23:40 +0000 UTC
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The second half of Chapter 10 will release within the next few days, after which I’ll post this month’s schedule. The word count has gone up to 295k, with the new scenes (yes, scenes plural!) adding quite a bit of length. Annie and Cass get their moment of glory! There’s a rousing game of Chuck-It! The ball gets confiscated by a super diabolical villain!
. . . It’s all very exciting. Not everyone will choose to get this scene with the shih tzus, however.
One of the t...
2021-06-05 01:59:21 +0000 UTC
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I'm still working on the new scene added between Aeon and the party for Chapter 10 (hoping to get the rest up this weekend!), but here are some bits and bobs that didn't make the cut:
* * *
You glance at ${Kent} and resist the urge to let loose a low whistle. “So, your father is . . .”
Instead of helpfully filling in the blank, ${Kent} cocks ${khis} head. “Yes?” ${khe} asks, as if not fully aware of what you’re alluding to.
“Mayor Zarneki is a . . .” You ...
2021-06-04 02:43:38 +0000 UTC
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Bellcrest Opera House had been constructed under Loren’s grandfather, King Ignatius. Ornate arches lined the Opera’s exterior façade to the effect of making the building appear taller than its actual five stories. Two oversized marble statues, both bearing King Ignatius’ likeness and consequentially looking a great deal like Loren, flanked the driveway leading up to large golden gilt doors, which were thrown open each performance night.
Letty gasped as we entered. On the vaulted ...
2021-06-02 23:20:48 +0000 UTC
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Just an FYI: Noh has been taken off the poll for June. Trust me when I say that you guys will have more questions for them after the end of Chapter 10 and first half of Chapter 11! Thus, I figured it was best to save their interview for next month.
Once all of the ROs have had at least one interview, I'll re-add them to the poll (likely starting in August). Secondary interviews will feature new interviewee/interviewer combinations to give insight into all the varying dynamics (...
2021-06-01 13:00:07 +0000 UTC
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The novel behind Mind Blind's inspiration will forever remain an unfinished draft, and I've been reluctant to share anything since it diverges so much from the IF's canon. (Sally is the main protagonist and in the MIV Program, Nick is her love interest, and Aeon is a high school.)
However, with Mind Blind's demo having met it's one year anniversary this month (!!!), I thought it might be fun to provide at least a glimpse into the original story's setting.
So, here i...
2021-06-01 00:36:53 +0000 UTC
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A spotlight shines on Glitch Parker, who wears an immaculately tailored formal suit . . . in a tropical print of neon blue, green, and yellow. They wave enthusiastically at the audience, then take a running leap onto the nearby chair, landing bridal-style with their legs thrown own the arm rest.
Glitch taps the microphone attached to their lapel.
Glitch: ‘It is a dark time for the Rebellion. Although the Death Star has been destroyed, Imperial ...
2021-05-31 18:42:08 +0000 UTC
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