#I do so love your taste for surreal kinda horror stuff
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Do you have any podcast recommendations? I've listened to tma, wolf359, the penumbra podcast, and like...half of night vale. You seem like you'd know some good ones!
!!!
I Am In Eskew is an absolute all-time favorite of mine! It’s very firmly horror, but not tragedy. Think… WTNV but 1. on a personal scale, 2. actually terrifying, and 3. not benign. It follows David Ward, inhabitant of the city Eskew, as he chronicles some of the terrifying stuff that happens to him. Eventually, we hear from Riyo Dulae, a private investigator who’s been pulled into Eskew’s orbit. It uses place-as-horror in an astonishing way! It’s a finished product with 30 episodes and the ending is honestly amazing. I’ve listened to it several times. It’s very good. Listen to it. Please.
This got long, so the rest of the recommendations are under the cut, and in no particular order! (Eskew is absolutely my top recommendation lol) Particularly sad endings and ongoing series are specified.
Janus Descending is a finished and relatively short sci-fi horror series. It follows two xenoarcheologists (archeologists for aliens) as they inspect the site of an abandoned alien civilization. It’s told in inverse chronological order, alternating between Chel and Peter’s perspectives. Chel’s is chronological, while Peter’s is backwards. It’s an amazing format and keeps you suspended in the mystery up until the very end! It is a tragedy, though, and has a sad ending.
ars PARADOXICA is an audio drama about time-travel and the Cold War. The synopsis is this: scientist Sally Grissom accidentally creates time travel, is transported back to the Cold War, and is entwined with a clandestine branch of the US government. It’s 3 seasons long- and I will say that if you’re not good with differentiating voices I recommend either listening to it without stopping for a long period and/or reading along to transcripts. The plot is intricate but engaging and the large cast of characters each has their own unique personality. Plus: canon ace main character (as in she says she’s asexual! in canon!), a Jewish lesbian semi-main character, a mlm (bi?) man of color side-character, and several other characters of color.
Mabel is an ongoing horror podcast with elements of fae/fairy lore and the place-as-horror theme. It’s not as outright horror as TMA, Eskew, or Janus Descending, it’s much more atmospheric? It’s several seasons in, with the next season currently in production. It follows Anna Limon, who is an in-home caretaker, trying to contact Mabel Martin, the granddaughter of the woman Anna is caring for. It has lots of wlw, lots of moral ambiguity, beautiful prose, and lots and lots of fae.
Zero Hours is a 7 episode long anthology series by the creators of Wolf 359. Each episode deals with “the end of the world - or at least something that feels like the end of the world.” There’s 99-year intervals between episode and it starts in the past and ends in the far future. It’s honestly stunning and was well worth listening to in it’s entirety when it dropped (and subsequently staying up past midnight).
The Bright Sessions is… kinda urban fantasy? The official synopsis is that TBS is a “science fiction podcast that follows a group of therapy patients. But these are not your typical patients - each has a unique supernatural ability. The show documents their struggles and discoveries as well as the motivations of their mysterious therapist, Dr. Bright.” (I tried explaining but was having a tricky time) The characters are amazingly written and unique. (And no, it doesn’t fall into the “evil therapist” idea, in case you were worried) One of the main characters is gay (and it isn’t a throwaway line). It has good and realistic representation of mental illnesses: a main character as a panic/anxiety disorder, another has PTSD, another has depression, and so on. The main show is finished but there’s a spin off that’s being made. Specifically happy ending!
Alice Isn’t Dead is a horror podcast by the creators of Night Vale. It follows Keisha, a trucker, who is looking for her wife, Alice. Keisha encounters many strange things as she drives back and forth across America, including murderous almost-human monsters, places that are stuck out of time, and a nation spanning conspiracy. It encompasses the whole… atmosphere of middle-of-nowhere America perfectly. It’s a complete story with a novel form (haven’t had the pleasure of reading it, though). Main character is wlw, and Alice is not dead.
Limetown is a horror podcast. It follows reporter Lia Haddock as she investigates the mystery of Limetown- a town in Tennessee where over 300 people disappeared overnight, never to be heard from again. It’s finished…? I think the podcast is finished but a book and a Facebook miniseries are in development? Anyways. Sad ending. I loved the first season a lot, the second season is good too though!
The Adventure Zone isn’t an audio drama, instead it’s an actual-play show of Dungeons and Dragons (and D&D like systems). The McElroy brothers and their dad host it, and are frankly absolutely hilarious. TAZ: Balance is the first season and starts as a classic d&d game but turns into an amazing and heart wrenching story with beautiful prose and music. And also 69 jokes. TAZ:B is honestly one of the most emotionally impacting stories I’ve ever heard. It has an amazingly happy and hopeful ending. Includes: casual lgbt rep and a late game but major character is a trans woman! I’ve heard good things about the recently finished season TAZ: Amnesty, although I haven’t finished it. There’s a new season, TAZ: Graduation, that started recently, and I’ve enjoyed the handful of episodes I’ve listened to! Currently ongoing, but tragic endings aren’t something that’s expected.
I haven’t finished/caught up with these, but I’ve enjoyed them: Sayer (sci-fi. think menacing capitalist Night Vale in space, heard s3/s4 are really good), The Bridge (horror, alternate modern day. follows a watchpost on a bridge that crosses the Atlantic), The Orbiting Human Circus (from the people at WTNV. surreal fiction. hard to explain). I feel like there’s more but I can’t remember any atm.
I’m also gonna point you towards @theradioghost‘s blog and her podcast recs tag. Her taste is amazing and I haven’t disliked a single show I’ve tried. (Also, check out her show, Midnight Radio! It’s the next thing on my to-listen list.)
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TerraMythos' 2020 Reading Challenge - Book 28 of 26
Title: The Only Good Indians (2020)
Author: Stephen Graham Jones
Genre/Tags: Horror, Fiction, Third-Person, Second-Person, Female Protagonist (kinda).
Rating: 6/10
Date Began: 10/5/2020
Date Finished: 10/11/2020
Almost a decade ago, four Blackfeet Indian men went on a hunting trip. They did something terrible on that day, which they now call the Thanksgiving Classic. As the ten-year anniversary of the event approaches, the three remaining men have moved on with their lives -- but the past has come back to haunt them in a disturbing and vengeful way.
First, though, one of their calves is sitting in eighth-grade geography-- girl, girl girl girl, not “calf”. And this girl has this certain father you remember, and that father, he has a friend you remember well, from looking up a long snowy slope, their monstrous forms black against the sky.
For them, ten years ago, that’s another lifetime.
For you it’s yesterday.
Some spoilers under the cut.
This is the first full novel I’ve ready by Stephen Graham Jones, but I did actually read a short story by him in The Devil and the Deep, a collection I read earlier this year. “Broken Record” is a horror story about a man trapped on a desert island, but with an interesting premise/twist that I don’t want to spoil. So I had one of his novels, Mongrels, on my TBR, but decided to go with this one when I saw it making the rounds.
I feel kinda bad giving The Only Good Indians a 6, because there are some things I really, really like about this novel. But as a whole, I have to be honest with myself and how I feel about it, and that’s a pretty accurate score. There are certain elements that don’t work for me. While some of this is due to personal taste, several of my issues are with the execution.
To start off, things I love about the novel. The Only Good Indians is separated into three parts, each of which is a distinct story connected to the others. The first part, “The House that Ran Red” knocks it out of the park. It’s a creepy and self-contained psychological horror story about a man named Lewis (one of the four) who is especially haunted by the hunting trip of ten years ago. Specifically, he remembers killing a young, pregnant female elk. His guilt and shame about what he did to her torment him to this day. As the decade anniversary approaches, he begins to see things around his home in Great Falls, Montana, and descends into paranoia and anxiety that overwhelms his otherwise happy home life. Things get more disturbing and surreal the further into this part one gets, and I really dig it; especially the shocking and fucked up ending. (Side bar: I love that there’s an “ordinary” explanation for everything that happens, except for one little detail at the end that proves supernatural shit was going on. I eat that kind of stuff right up).
One criticism I’ve seen of this novel is that it really toes the line between horror and literary fiction. However, I think that’s a huge credit in this first part. Jones does an excellent job playing with tension; he makes me juuust feel comfortable with these characters and their ordinary lives before suddenly introducing something weird and fucked up. While tension is a hallmark of horror, Jones masters it so well here that I have to admire the execution. In addition, there’s something totally cinematic about this part (and, to be fair, many parts later on). It’s hard to describe, but there’s a lot of visuals that I’d love to see adapted to a comic book or video form because I can just picture the shots.
At its heart, The Only Good Indians becomes more slasher horror than anything else. But the monster at the core of this, Elk Head Woman, is really well-written and interesting. Convincingly making an elk mother a creepy, violent avatar of vengeance and death is fucking impressive. It’s pretty rare that the monster gets a point of view, but Elk Head Woman is a full-fledged perspective character with her own motivations for what she’s doing. I think second-person was a great choice for her narration. Paradoxically, it manages to be both jarring and smooth with the rest of the story (”wow, ‘you’? we’re doing that?” vs “that second-person snippet really blends with the third-person narration, huh?”). I find these flairs really cool, and Jones totally nails a challenging style.
So, high praise for the above, but unfortunately I just didn’t vibe with the second part of the novel, “Sweat Lodge Massacre”. For story reasons, it stars a totally different cast of characters than the first part. Unfortunately, this means much of the page is concerned with introducing these new characters and giving them backstories and motivations. So horror gets cast aside, and the pacing just tanks at this part. Sure, there are periodic slips into second-person to remind the reader the horror element is still in the story, but this doesn’t pay off until the very end. And when it does, it’s just not worth all the setup and wait.
I think my main issue comes down to personal taste in horror. “The House that Ran Red” primed me for psychological horror with gory asides. That’s just not the case in “Sweat Lodge Massacre”, in which the horror is largely absent until the end, then is pretty much just violence and gore. Thematically, it doesn’t make sense to me that Elk Head Woman is the monster in this part. Lewis’ part, sure -- he’s haunted by what he did to her, specifically. But Gabe and Cass, the leads in part two, lack this. They aren’t haunted by the Thanksgiving Classic, at least not in a way that’s explored in the novel. So to have Elk Head Woman commit vengeance on men who barely even remember why is just disappointing. It comes off as senseless violence and death without the symbolic punch of “The House that Ran Red”. It’s a shame because Elk Head Woman is such an interesting monster/character and she feels wasted here.
Part three, “It Came From The Rez” is fine-- mostly an extended chase scene that manages to be engaging all the way through. I love how everything loops back and ties together at the end, but honestly don’t have much to say about the part other than that; it’s pretty short.
I don’t know, I think this novel just needed more time in the oven to really refine certain things. There are lots of ideas I wish were explored further -- parenthood, the whole elk/train thing, and so on. I’m also a little confused about the timeline. Ricky, one of the four, gets killed off in the prologue. But his death doesn’t really track with the book’s explanation on why everything is happening ten years after the Thanksgiving Classic. I don’t know, I could be digging too deep. But I can see the potential in this novel through its excellent first part and wish I felt that way about the rest of it.
If you’re interested in reading The Only Good Indians, please be advised there’s a lot of graphic violence, gore, and death-- both animal and human. If you’re into slasher horror this might be more up your alley than it was mine. Stephen Graham Jones is a good writer, don’t get me wrong, so if this story sounds like your kind of thing, give it a shot.
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Alright! Had to open notepad for this one. For the self-isolation asks, emojis 🎯💡and 🎟️. For the pretty word asks, words lover, galaxy, and honey. For the cat asks, words tabby, siamese, munchkin, ragdoll, and maine coone! - Blaire (I need song recommendations can you tell? lmao)
OOOO that’s a lot of questions!!! imma throw on a song so i can answer all these without my adhd trying to screm
🎯 if you could gain any skill instantly, what would it be?
aaa,, this is kinda expected for me ig??? but definitely the skill to draw good anatomy w/o reference--it’s so frustrating to be limited to poses that have been photographed!! i want to make intricate and weird stuff!!
💡 what hobby did you start doing most recently?
oooo!! okay this one’s kind of complicated--i’ve been playing piano on and off since i was like. really young . but i started picking it up more seriously (and by seriously i mean playing chords and shit to sing along to) very recently and i believe that’s my most recent hobby, unless my divination stuff counts--bc that’s a bit more recent!
🎟 what are some artists/bands whose music brings back childhood memories for you?
OH BOY UR JUST ASKING FOR ALL THE EMO BANDS LMAO,, okay but for real, it’s not all emo bands. all time low is the first one to come to mind, but as a kid i was also a huge taylor swift fan (and i still love her music, it’s more of a guilty pleasure now tho,,)--and like anything from before the 90s brings back childhood memories of my mom trying to force me to listen to it!! i hated it back then, but now i’ve gained a new appreciation for all sorts of music, and the only thing i don’t really like is certain jazz singers,, don’t really know any names LMAO but i really do recommend all time low if you wanna listen to some music!!! my fav songs by them are dancing with a wolf and remembering sunday!
lover: what’s your favourite song?
oh this changes like every 10 seconds i’m not gonna lie--but at the moment it’s a russian song!! i’ll just drop the spotify link:: > click me !
galaxy: your favourite and least favourite films?
OH THAT’S A HARD ONE,,, i don’t watch a lot of movies/films,,, but i think my favorites have to be the it movies from 2017 and 2019 (so chapter 1 and chapter 2) [and generally anything that finn wolfhard stars in ? he’s fuckin amazingngngngngng he’s actually my special interest rn ,,,] and,, a least favorite would probably be um,,, poltergeist i guess? i love horror movies but i fell asleep watching it when i was younger and it never really interested me!!
honey: what’s your favourite memory?
OMG my favorite memory is totally breaking my arm about a year ago!! the whole experience was so surreal, and it was fuckin hilarious!! i don’t wanna post the whole story here since this post is getting,, really long but. if you wanna hear abt that just inbox me again and i’ll laugh my ass off typing it all up!!!
tabby: do you have any weird/hidden/obscure talents?
YES I DO--for one i can move my pinky toes individually, and on my right foot i can move my fourth toe as well (but not on my left?) !!! i can also do that thing where u stretch ur thumb all the way back OR forward (depends on which hand we’re talking abt) to touch ur wrist lmAO!! i’m also an avid horseback rider!! well,, i was before i broke my arm, but i do want to get back in the saddle!! there’s just a lot going on with the healing process right now, broken titanium plate and all that,,, will post abt that if you want me to as well!!
siamese: any tattoos/piercings? (if so: which? if not: which would you get?)
OOO LOVE THIS!!!! for piercings, i have an industrial bar on my left ear, and my lobes are stretched to 12g !! my parents said i can’t go any bigger til i’m an adult but i plan on going all the way to 0g, maybe slightly bigger? idk ! and i don’t have any tattoos yet, BUT i know my first tattoo is gonna be a treble/bass clef heart with a heart monitor line through it on my left wrist!! i want my second tat to be my favorite horse (and the one that broke my arm) running between the surgery scars on my left arm!! and then for a third tattoo, on my right wrist i want to get something to match with my mom. she’s got a dopamine molecule tattoo so i was thinking i’d get serotonin to match !! we’re avid psychology lovers,, and i also want a whole plethora of piercings (none of which are inappropriate i promise that sounds painful no thank u) but i can go into that later lmAO
munchkin: top 10 songs rn!
OOOO HELLA HELLA they’re in no particular order bc i’m so indecisive abt my favorite songs,,,
that russian song
i will follow you into the dark - death cab for cutie
boats & birds - gregory and the hawk
the bird and the worm - the used
you n’ i - rainlord.
i want you to want me - chase holfelder
every breath you take - chase holfelder (i live for his minor key versions of things don’t judge me)
murder - boyinaband (TW FOR THIS ONE IT’S SUPER MORBID I JUST REALLY LIKE IT HHH,,,)
prom queen - beach bunny
notice me - alli simpson
as you can see, my music taste is all over the got damn place but it’s alrighT LMAO
ragdoll: what’s something you wish you could like or get into, but you just can’t?
eee definitely anime and manga!! i’ve always been very intrigued by a lot of the plots and stuff, but i can never sit down and get really invested in it. and it makes me kinda sad, bc i’d like to add more sources to this blog,,!!
maine coone: do you have any strange/odd/obscure interests? (what are they?)
I DOOOOOO i’m both autistic and the adhd king (diagnosed when i was 5 for both of em) so i have plenty of fixations to talk about. some of the bigger interests of mine include finn wolfhard (but that’s not really obscure, lots of ppl love him), stranger things (also not obscure), and kin stuff in general (also not obscure)! BUT to get obscure, we have to dive deep!! i love psychology, i love poetry (and i mean like. really obscure strange free-verse poetry like i write that kinda stuff), and i’m particularly obsessed with wicca/witchcraft to the point where i’ve even become a baby witch!! i feel very connected to everything i’ve been doing with that, and i even got over a crush and rejection duo by making myself a sigil that i kept in my phone case for months! it’s,,, so much funnnn!!! divination is my favorite part honestly,,
anyway!! i hope this answered all of your questions, blaire, and i’m really excited to get more asks for these games!! this was seriously a lot of fun!!!! i love getting to know my followers and i love when my followers wanna get to know me !
thanks again for asking!!
- mod mike
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March 4th-March 10th, 2020 Reader Favorites Archive
The archive for the Reader Favorites chat that occurred from March 4th, 2020 to March 10th, 2020. The chat focused on the following question:
What are some comic synopses that convinced you to read the comic? In general, what are you looking for in a synopsis?
carcarchu
bastard's "there's a serial killer in my house" was all it needed to sell me on it. short and sweet, just begging you to read more to find out what that means
Capitania do Azar
Broken http://broken.spiderforest.com/ had me at "psychic zombie kid befriending a fairy general"
Ash🦀
are there monsters? Are there wlw? are the women monsters like werewolves and vampires and demons etc etc I tend to see monster as the main character and I’m instantly hooked! I have a hard time empathizing with purely human characters, (as an autistic, I have often been called something not human, I guess that’s why) so when I see a monster, I’m like YEEEES. That being said, “Fox Fire” on Webtoons really drew me in. https://www.webtoons.com/en/challenge/fox-fires/list?title_no=125525 A mysterious journey through lands unknown by a raccoon dog? Yes. Inspired by Finnish mythology which I’ve not seen before? YES. It’s not short or snappy, but I love animal stories so much, and seeing them based on a culture I’m not overtly familiar with is so exciting! So many things to learn! To research! Yes!!
spacerocketbunny
Sink your Hookteeth had me at "cosmic horror romance with eldricht mermaids" https://hookteethcomic.com/ Usually I give things a chance past the synopsis to see for myself but there definitely is some keywords that get my attention right away. Stuff like psychological, horror, world-building, surreal, lgbtq+, occult themes etc., but I'm pretty open to most things
keii’ii (Heart of Keol)
I usually don't get invested in a comic because of a strong premise, but I can get interested in a comic with a unique premise. Ironically the one example that comes to my mind is something I have not yet checked out (but it is on my list!). What is that one webcomic called, the one where time only flows in the vicinity of certain special individuals? And the MC is one of such individuals? I honestly have no idea if I will actually like that comic, but the premise sounds so interesting that I would like to at least check it out.
Eightfish (Puppeteer)
i too find that premise intriguing
please someone link it if they know what it is(edited)
Feather J. Fern
Premises are really important to me, since there are so many comics nowadays it's hard for me to filter through what I would like and not like. So if something like "Boy meets girl" comes up I tend to shy away but if someone says "Monster boy meets girl who is blind." Then I am like "OH THAT! I WOULD READ THAT!" I think it's the details that really get me, I need more details if possible to make sure I can get the most out of it.
LadyLazuli (Phantomarine)
For me it usually boils down to "relatable/intriguing situation with (insert supernatural/fantasy/sci-fi element here)." The relatable/intriguing situation hooks me on a higher brain level - the fantasy/supernatural element hooks me on my lizard brain level
eli [a winged tale]
Art aside, I look for intrigue/hook and a conflict (whether that’s through a character description/contrast in presentation like a dichotomy/ or a surprise/thwarted expectation). I have my genre preferences but usually if there’s an intrigue (that’s so cool and interesting!) and a conflict (sense of pace/tension/driving the story), then I’m in. These are the examples of ones I love:
chalcara [Nyx+Nyssa]
I might be the odd one out that I don‘t look for synopisis much - I tend to read the first ten pages of the comic instead and look for two things: 1) character that interests me and 2) did the plot start yet?
Mind you, godslave synopsis got me at „modern-day egyptology“ https://www.godslavecomic.com/about
keii’ii (Heart of Keol)
I usually don't read the synopsis if I'm already "there," but like... when people are reccing something for me
chalcara [Nyx+Nyssa]
Then I still check out the comic proper. If someone likes it enough to rec it it‘s worth a try!
keii’ii (Heart of Keol)
My tastes are too specific (yet vague at the same time?), so I fully admit to not checking out every rec that comes my way.
chalcara [Nyx+Nyssa]
Makes sense! I read quickly and have absolutely no compuction about dropping stuff that doesn‘t interest me, so sample reading works well. But in webcomic lists I found synopsis to be important, that‘s how I found godslave. So I guess I‘m like @Feather J. Fern and look for an interesting premise.
Feather J. Fern
I also try recommendations, which is why I like the CTP since it does help me narrow down reading choices.
Oh also, when someone adds something too typical like "And then romance blossoms" in a premise then I am like "Eh" Especially with the genre of the comic is NOT Romance. Like I think when I am looking into a genre, I want that genre, don't pull the side genres into the main stay in your premise. For example, and Action Comedy being like "Romance blossoms between the two" I would be like "Why wouldn't this be a Romance Comedy with Action side, or Romance Action" If i want Action comedy I WANT the action and Comedy. the romance cna be on the side just don't mention it in the premise, it makes me go pick another action comedy to read.
I guess it's like Confusing Promotion of your Premise is what gets me?
eli [a winged tale]
Yeah that’s fair Featheryjustice. I’m also the same
And chalcara I definitely am swayed by the art and pages too!
keii’ii (Heart of Keol)
In general, I feel a good summary should tell me why I should read it, rather than what the comic is about. (Those two things are closely related and definitely overlap, but not 100% the same.)
Deo101 [Millennium]
I like this idea a lot. I also think a good summary should match the tone of the story, and kind of give you enough to get you interested but without telling you what really happens in it
I'm not reading a list of traits about your story, I'm reading a bit of an intro to it to get all excited
Feather J. Fern
I agree with Keii and Deo. I want to get excited to know more, not "Ugh I can get this but better elsewhere" from a summary.
keii’ii (Heart of Keol)
I think that might be a helpful group exercise to do sometime in story_help maybe -- workshopping a short paragraph/long sentence/list of reasons of "why you should read this comic." It'd be like, an informal rough draft of a pitch maybe?
Anyway, I'm also in camp "art plays a big role." It's not necessarily how pretty the art is, or how much I like the art as art. More like, what kinda vibes is it giving off? Would I like a story with these vibes?
Deo101 [Millennium]
Yeah, the art and summary kinda gotta feel like they mesh, they don't HAVE to and there are exceptions of course but for that first impression glance I think it matters a good bit
eli [a winged tale]
Yeah I’d be down for some synopsis workshop!
LadyLazuli (Phantomarine)
yes please!
Q (Wayfinders: Off Course)
Samesies!
Deo101 [Millennium]
Yes!
Feather J. Fern
Agreed!
DanitheCarutor
Eeeeh I'm kind of the oddball in this, I can't write a good synopsis to save my life, so I almost never read them. Not even on recs, promo threads, or masterposts. Usually I go by how the comic looks via the banner/thumbnail/promo art, or if I stumbled on an update showing pages with some interesting content. I would rather have the comic show me what it was about. Maybe if the comic is really young and I can't tell where it will go, but I'm intrigued by what I read so far, I'll then read the synopsis. Even though I'll read just about anything sometimes a genre will catch my eye, usually something really rare for webcomics like: Horror, thrillers, mystery, or anything with the word psychological.
FeatherNotes(Krispy)
I usually look for keywords that hook my interests specifically when reading a synopsis- words that stick out or create an intriguing combination An example of this os XII: Of Magic and Muses use of 'magical horror light show' was an insta- intrigue! And i def find it most important for people, when making synopsis, to use key words or phrases that make them stand apart. What is it about your mystery story That's so mysterious? Or what makes your romance so special? Twists and unexpected words are also an easy way to pop up in searches too!
Cronaj (Whispers of the Past)
I don't usually rely on a synopsis to determine whether I'll read a comic. As others have said, most of the time I just start reading if the art caught my eye and the genre is something I like. That being said, there are times where a synopsis has really sold me on a story, and it almost always includes the "who," "what," and "why." (Sometimes also the "when/where," but it's not always necessary.)
(Also, if we do a synopsis workshop, I want in. I'm horrible at writing them.)
Eightfish (Puppeteer)
i'm sure there's people who'll be down to help you out anytime in shop talk
sssfrs (JOE IS DEAD)
If something says it has pirates I'll click on it usually
Eightfish (Puppeteer)
Yo read Tiger Tiger https://www.tigertigercomic.com/tiger-tiger/
Tiger, Tiger -
(@sssfrs (JOE IS DEAD))
sssfrs (JOE IS DEAD)
I've seen this before! I read a little bit of it and there was this one scene that was very close to something I've drawn and it freaked me out a little bit. Tiger Tiger is a really great comic though and I appreciate it a lot. It does also have a lot in common with Joe Is Dead and I appreciate you recommending it!!!
Feather J. Fern
Oh speaking of summaries and premises, what are people's keywords for things that does make them read it instantly or things that a premise does that make you want to stay away? I mentioned genre failing but what gets me to click is if the premise itself has good grammar. Soemtimes you get some wonky grammar in the premise statement and it alerts me that the rest of the comic might not be as well edited as I thought.
Oh an a pet peeve, lack of punctuation and capitalization in the premise.
Cronaj (Whispers of the Past)
@Feather J. Fern I definitely also get put off by grammar errors in summaries.
keii’ii (Heart of Keol)
I'm not sure if there's a good way for me to talk about my major turnoffs in summaries without offending those who like to read/ make such stories...
kayotics
I think what gets me to read is when a synopsis is written in a way that’s off beat, or like they’ve spent a lot of time thinking about it. The synopsis has time put into it, it makes me think that maybe the story itself is a bit more unique or polished, and if the synopsis is generic I feel like the comic might be generic.
sssfrs (JOE IS DEAD)
I am repelled by mentions of religious topics like gods or demons. Stories like those usually rely heavily on Christian themes that are too far outside my cultural grasp for me to relate to or enjoy
Feather J. Fern
Oh what does grab me is stories that are inspired or made in other cultures than my own. That makes me want to learn more about that culture
kayotics
I do really like foreign stories. Sometimes I want the familiarity of a cultural context I relate to, but I do like to explore worlds that I’m unfamiliar with
That’s kind of how I feel about Heart of Keol, I’m not very familiar with South Korea so I feel like I’m learning a lot through the world itself, even if it’s historical fantasy based
Cronaj (Whispers of the Past)
As for keywords I look for in summaries that might actually get me to read: words like "discovers," "mysterious," "ancient," or phrases like "learning to be human."
keii’ii (Heart of Keol)
The culture talk reminds me! I like stories that focus on non-mythological aspects of a culture. Not that I dislike mythological stuff, but the non-mythological stuff, the mundane everyday omnipresent aspects seem so awfully underrepresented.
Cronaj (Whispers of the Past)
That's basically my favorite part of culture!
keii’ii (Heart of Keol)
I don't code, but if I could, I'd be tempted to quickly make a bot that generates summaries based on the phrases/keywords that have been mentioned in this channel, haha
Cronaj (Whispers of the Past)
Like the way people eat, or what they wear at festive events(edited)
keii’ii (Heart of Keol)
"Mysterious pirates discover ancient culture. Shenanigans ensue."
Cronaj (Whispers of the Past)
I'd read that tbh
keii’ii (Heart of Keol)
Yeah or like, even just everyday life things that you don't really think about until you go to a place with a different culture. Suddenly you become aware that you're sitting, standing, walking, looking (as in using your own eyes) different than everyone else
sssfrs (JOE IS DEAD)
I would read that because of the pirates
keii’ii (Heart of Keol)
Even stuff that's considered fairly universal, like smiles or laughs, are different
Cronaj (Whispers of the Past)
@keii’ii (Heart of Keol) Or certain hand gestures that may be offensive or mean something entirely different in other places(edited)
keii’ii (Heart of Keol)
It's true! (though I feel hand gestures, you're at least aware when you use them)
Cronaj (Whispers of the Past)
Or how eye contact is received
sssfrs (JOE IS DEAD)
To be clear I don’t have anything against the culture. Stories exploring aspects of unfamiliar cultures are usually really cool. It’s specifically when a story is founded on religious beliefs that I don’t understand and don’t ascribe to that I have a hard time getting into a story because it’s too much work to suspend disbelief and live in that unfamiliar mindset while reading
keii’ii (Heart of Keol)
Yeah, that's fair
Cronaj (Whispers of the Past)
Even if it's fantasy religion?
sssfrs (JOE IS DEAD)
Especially if its fantasy religion tbh. They’re usually grounded in Christian beliefs by some way or another because of their commonness in culture and expect readers to have a base knowledge of those things
Fantasy religions are rarely made of completely unique material. Its always gods and shrines and prayer
Feather J. Fern
I also like it when the summary is straight forward with not too many crazy descriptions. It's hard to get into a story if they are already throwing all the technical jargon of that fantasy world at you. At least for me.
sssfrs (JOE IS DEAD)
I agree
keii’ii (Heart of Keol)
Yeah, succinct summaries are Good
Cronaj (Whispers of the Past)
Ah.... I understand your aversion, but I've kind of come to terms with the fact that religion is often so innately tied to culture.
Feather J. Fern
I think Sssfrs is talking if the entire story is based in religion or just a small part will turn you away as well?
I am sure there are stories where a bit of religion is talked about but not a focus
sssfrs (JOE IS DEAD)
If large parts of the story require base knowledge of Christian religion to fully comprehend mainly
Cronaj (Whispers of the Past)
Ohhh, yeah that's definitely far more understandable
sssfrs (JOE IS DEAD)
I just have a hard time following whats going on
I specifically mean stories about hell or demons. I once read a webcomic about nuns in a cloister that I really enjoyed
RebelVampire
You know ironically, I can't really answer this question without out talking about what turns me away. Now on the one hand, there are certain keywords that will get me to look, but these are 100% about what I'm subjectively look for (like anything with royalty for example). So I don't think these synopses qualify as having convinced me so much as they basically included metaphorical hashtags that I was looking for. As for synopses that actually convince me, it's generally a lot more about it not having things I consider a turn-off. Things that turn me off include: -Being too vague and mysterious. I actually want to understand the who and the what I'm jumping into. -Prioritizing the "message" and/or themes of the story in the synopsis too much. In my experience, this usually means the themes will override the plot which doesn't generally make for good writing. -Too much emphasis on "This story is [insert popular mainstream media] meets [insert other popular mainstream media]." It can be powerful if used correctly, but in most cases I just find is alienating because I'm either a) unfamiliar with one or both of those mainstream medias or b) don't like those mainstream media its referencing -Too lengthy. I find lengthy summaries just paint a poor reflection of what the comic is as opposed to painting a better picture (which is usually the intended goal). There are probably more I'm not thinking of, but my overall point is I'm not overly picky about synopses. None really convince me so it's more about not convincing me to leave.
keii’ii (Heart of Keol)
You know, in some cases "it turns me off because I don't like the mainstream media it's referencing" might actually be a good thing. IMO the job of a synopsis isn't only to attract people; it is to tell inform people whether or not they might enjoy the thing.
So if a synopsis includes "panty shots galore!!!" and it's accurate... that's not a bad thing to include, even if it will keep me away
RebelVampire
I'd agree if not for the fact that a lot of the comics I've read who did this were either a) not really like the mainstream media they were referencing or b) something I still enjoyed despite the comparitive since the comic didn't do the things I disliked the mainstream media for
tho panty shots galore is a lot diff than what im talking about
XD
so i mean like i said
it can be powerful
and a good tactic to target a specific audience
but its a thing you have to be extremely careful with
keii’ii (Heart of Keol)
Yeah, sometimes what you disliked about that comparison media is not why they're referencing it
Cronaj (Whispers of the Past)
Definitely true!
I think those types of comparisons might help you sell your story to a large company by saying, "Look! I make something with marketable qualities like these mainstream stories!"
But it doesn't accurately depict your work to its fullest
RebelVampire
Yeah which is my issue when theyre done poorly. Theres a lot of synopsis I've seen that kind just use that instead of also trying to paint their own unique picture. So I only have the mainstream media to decide what to expect.
keii’ii (Heart of Keol)
Oooh, yeah, it shouldn't be the only description
Cronaj (Whispers of the Past)
Oooof
RebelVampire
I'm probably more turned off when I don't know the media. Cause even if I dislike the media there are usually good aspects I can hope for. Like there have been a few synopses I've read that are like "It's a lot like Buffy the Vampire Slayer". And I just sit here blankly staring cause I've never seen a single ep of it
So there's no hope
Cause I wouldn't know what to hope for XD
Cronaj (Whispers of the Past)
And then the inverse happens because the readers who have seen Buffy and enjoyed it perhaps liked it for different reasons than why you compare your work to it.
So then they are disappointed when those aspects are not included
RebelVampire
Yeah. So I mean, I've seen it used really well, but it's super a double edge sword in all cases.
keii’ii (Heart of Keol)
As a reader, I feel the comparison is more interesting when I hear about it (e.g. "[this mainstream thing] was one of the main influences for this story") after I've already started reading it. I've had a few cases where I was like ooooooh, that hadn't occurred to me before, but now that they mention it...!!!!!
RebelVampire
Ah I have had that happen. Cause to be fair I don't always even read the synopsis till later. XD
Tantz Aerine (Without Moonlight)
This is a little hard for me to answer because often I jump into the comic without reading any synopsis... but when I do, I like them short and sweet, like an elevator pitch, almost, or very efficient in giving me the bare bones of setting, plot, stakes. An example of the first one is from Awfully Decent Fellows by Ironscarf (find it here https://www.theduckwebcomics.com/Awfully_Decent_Fellows/) : A group of friends plan a murder mystery themed evening, only to find they have a real mystery to solve: who's murdering Miss Scarlet?
The other that would be representative of what gets my attention is something like Potato & Kraut's blurb (read the comic here https://www.theduckwebcomics.com/Potato_and_Kraut/ ) : Set in early 20th century Ireland, Potato and Kraut centers around two young girls - one Irish, the other German. Brought together by unpleasant circumstances, the odd pair form a close relationship, only to be separated years later by even more unpleasant circumstances - the Great War. This story offers quirky folks, all kinds of love, a bit of silliness, a few tears, a couple of pet pigs and the occasional bloody nose. Welcome to Ireland!
#ctparchive#comics#webcomics#indie comics#comic chat#comic discussion#reader favorites#comic tea party#ctp
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September’s Featured Game: Ghost Hospital
DEVELOPER(S): Lev, Kip, Rose, Tredlocity, C, Bittersweet
ENGINE: RPGMaker MV
GENRE: Adventure, RPG
WARNINGS: Anxiety, Body horror, Implied child harm
SUMMARY: Ghost Hospital is a game about anxiety, depression, despair, mental rock bottoms, and, of course, ghosts. You play as Robin, a twelve-year-old girl who has an anxiety disorder and is very much alive in this hospital meant for beings that are not alive. Frankly, her anxiety was already bad enough before she landed in a hospital full of dead people, the still-shambling shells of ancient ghosts who try to take her down for a sweet taste of life, and the hospital directors hellbent on keeping her contained, and more importantly, away from the reason she's REALLY there.
Thankfully, you have your new friends Jay and Sarcastic Ghost- Jay is a ghost about your age, and still a very new arrival to the hospital, and Sarcastic Ghost…well, he's an amorphous blob of a ghost, who talks a lot despite not having a mouth.
Download the demo here!
Our Interview With The Dev Team Below The Cut!
Introduce yourself!
Lev: Hey, my name is Lev! I'm an artist and storyteller, and though I've wanted to make games for a long time, this is my first serious attempt! Most of my work is about my experiences in mental illness.
Kip: I'm a freelance artist being allowed to write cheap jokes in ghost form.
Rose: I'm a freelance writer and editor for the game! I also work on dialogue and story drafting.
Tredlocity: My name is Tredlocity! I do some character designs and writing in the game!
C: c / ghoul is a character designer, comic artist and Halloween enthusiast. They're currently apart of several indie game teams and are writing the webcomic, This Dark Forest of Ours.
Bittersweet: I'm Kendall (AKA Bittersweet), and I'm the resident music person (one of two, technically, but the other left the project unfortunately.) This is my first (and thus far only) major soundtrack composition project, but thus far, it's been a satisfying one!
What is your project about? What inspired you to create your game initially?
*Lev: Ghost Hospital is a game about anxiety, and the game was born out of an idea to put someone in the shoes of someone with clinical anxiety and depression without going for the prototypical 'horror game' or 'walking simulator', giving more game-friendly, practical narrative and gameplay examples of how it effects people.
How long have you been working on your project?
*Lev: The game started development in late 2016 as a thesis project for college. At its inital completion, it was more of a beta or proof of concept than a demo- in its current state, it's far closer to what we have envisioned for the final project.
Did any other games or media influence aspects of your project?
*Lev: Absolutely! The biggest influences are OFF, Yume Nikki, and Sweet Home, and a lot of Gameboy Color graphics and aesthetics- namely, Pokemon GSC and the GBC Zelda Games.
Have you come across any challenges during development? How have you overcome or worked around them?
*Lev: RPG Maker is a versatile engine, but still fairly restrictive, so getting all the effects I wanted to work was challenging. Mental illness and real life have been taking a toll on development time, too. Getting things to work took teaching myself some javascript, and after being in serious development for this long, I've found ways to motivate myself to keep working. Having other people checking in on you helps, too.
Have any aspects of your project changed over time? How does your current project differ from your initial concept?
*Lev: In its very first inital pitch, it was much closer to Yume Nikki, being more atmospheric and serious. At some point in character and world development, though, I couldn't bear to make it a stoic adventure, and with most of the stuff I already take inspiration from, it's hard for me to not put jokes into the media I make, anyway.
What was your team like at the beginning? How did people join the team? If you don’t have a team, do you wish you had one or do you prefer working alone?
*Lev: At the beginning, it was just me working on everything. The first people I brought on board were my concept artist, Kip, my writer, Rose, and my musician, Bittersweet. I can't do music on my own, and I knew from word go that I wanted this to be the kind of game with a strong story and a lot of unique NPCs.
What is the best part of developing the game?
*Lev: Call me biased, but the most fun part is making the art for it. It's hard for me to motivate myself to keep working if I'm just using default placeholder sprites, I have to make new NPCs to keep myself interested. It's not the most convenient, but it's fun to do, and it actually really does help with my workflow.
Do you find yourself playing other RPG Maker games to see what you can do with the engine, or do you prefer to do your own thing?
*Lev: Oh, absolutely. RPG Maker games have a bad reputation for being very cut-and-paste, and there's a lot of those out there. But it just takes a bit of effort to make yourself and your game stand out, and it can be done absolutely beautifully! The latest one I've played was Hylics, completely surreal and wonderful.
Which character in your game do you relate to the most and why? (Alternatively: Who is your favorite character and why?)
*Lev: Robin is a sort of proxy character for myself, so...I'm a bit biased on her. I love Jay a lot, too, he's kinda the friend I wish I had in elementary school when all this first showed up, haha.
*Tredlocity: As someone who faces anxiety on a daily basis, I relate to Robin a lot. Though I would say my favorite character is Jay, since he can shoot plasma and has blue hair.
*C: I'm partial to Coop [upcoming character], not just bc I designed them but bc I love big sister types.
*Rose: I also relate to robin and jay! i try to control my anxiety while remaining positive and hopeful about situations.
*Bittersweet: As an anxiety-riddled person, I relate immensely to Robin. However, my favorite character by far has to be Carna. (There's another character I'm particularly looking forward to when the full version of the game is released, though~)
Looking back now, is there anything that regret/wish you had done differently?
*Lev: Honestly, there's a few things I wanted the game to be able to do at the start that I wasn't able to make happen. I spent a LOT of time trying to get it to work without having to go in and code it myself, and I wish I'd been able to take a step back, remind myself that this is my first serious project, and just stop worrying so much about what, in the end, would've been a minor detail, anyway.
Once you finish your project, do you plan to explore the game’s universe and characters further in subsequent projects, or leave it as-is?
*Lev: Chances are I'm gonna leave it alone, but if I go back, I HAVE had a bit of a 'Ghost College' AU where they're exploring a haunted old library on their college campus instead of being trapped in a ghost hospital. It'd probably be cool as a point-and-click adventure, but it wouldn't exactly be a canon exploration of the postgame.
What do you look most forward to upon/after release?
*Lev: I'm actually working on a few other projects, so being able to work on those more freely would be great, especially considering I'm really bad at keeping my own limits in mind, haha.
Is there something you’re afraid of concerning the development or the release of your game?
*Lev: Mostly, I'm afraid that making a game about a subject like this, as a minority and with other people in my team that would be considered minorities, that releasing this game to the mainstream public would get me a lot of negative attention from people who think that people like us don't belong in the gaming sphere. It's pretty nerve-wracking, but after the positive reception of games like Undertale and SLARPG, it's getting easier to convince myself that I should be more afraid of people just generally not liking the game, haha.
Do you have any advice for upcoming devs?
*Lev: Have someone to work with! DEFINITELY have someone to work with. Even if it's just a friend to bounce ideas off of or someone to ask if you've been working on the game, having someone else involved helps a lot. And specifically for RPG Maker- if you can, replace your default font with a different one. It's a minor detail, but it goes a long way towards making your game feel more original.
*C: Always have a backlog of different projects. I have about four or five ideas constantly on rotation so I don't burn myself out on just one.
*Tredlocity: My advice for any creatives is to start small, and just get it out. Feedback is a great motivator, and the only way to get better at something is to keep doing it!
*Rose: I think some good advice is to write a few drafts of whatever it is you're working on in order to see which version you'd like to continue! let your work have different scenarios and situations based on various elements you insert or take out of a story, game, or other piece.
*Bittersweet: Don't pressure yourself to a dead-set deadline. I know, you want to get this project out eventually, and if you're on a roll with development then all the power to you, but if you're struggling, don't let it burn you out. That's just unhealthy.
Question from last month's featured dev @toxicshroomswamp: How do you feel about your main character(s)? What piece of life advice would you give them?
*Lev: I love my main characters, I love them like my own children. I would probably tell Robin that she'll learn to handle everything, it won't be so scary forever. I'd tell Jay that stopping for a minute and thinking is way more important than it seems. I'd tell Sarcastic ghost to shut up.
We mods would like to thank Lev, Kip, Rose, Tredlocity, C, and Bittersweet for agreeing to our interview! We believe that featuring the developer and their creative process is just as important as featuring the final product. Hopefully this Q&A segment has been an entertaining and insightful experience for everyone involved!
Remember to check out Ghost Hospital if you haven’t already! See you next month!
- Mods Gold & Platinum
#rpgmaker#rpg maker#indie games#pixel games#ghost hospital#ghost hospital (game)#game of the month#gotm#game dev#game making#gotm september#september 2018#2018
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Butterfly Soup Asks #16
This time including the squad as DnD characters, Liz facts, Noelle getting her yaoi education, and more
I’ve only played Dungeons & Dragons once (1) in my life so I’m no expert! I’d consider my thoughts suggestions (like with my takes on the charaters’ MBTI types, which I’m not an expert of either):
Noelle as a Wizard sounds right, since she definitely can’t do anything reliant on physical strength. She would be an asshole and attempt things like building a Clone Army
AKARSHA THE BARD. Rogue sounds too cool for her
Diya: I actually want to say she’s a Ranger because the Wiki on 5th edition says “The Beast Master archetype forges a connection between civilization and beasts, allowing the character to interact with animals in certain ways including gaining an animal companion to control.“ Fighter and Knight also sound plausible though!
Min: Barbarian with high Strength and no Intelligence and Wisdom
I don’t want to say too much because I want to save things for the sequel, but here’s some stuff:
She actually played against Diya in youth leagues before she transitioned. That’s why she recognizes Diya+specifically approached her to sign the baseball club form while Diya doesn’t recognize her. At the first club meeting Liz tells her “I was at one of your games when you were little” -- This is purposefully ambiguous/misleading (sounds like Liz was just watching) because she passes and doesn’t want to out herself to a bunch of club members she doesn’t know well
After transitioning she quit baseball and switched to softball. It was weird being the one trans girl on a team of cis dudes, and additionally when she was younger she sort of felt like she had to prove she was a girl; she naturally has feminine taste, but she’d overperform it by 25%. It wasn’t until she got close to Chryssa and found out she also liked baseball that she reclaimed her interest in it
She has a nice resting face so strangers tend to ask her for directions
Sunburns easily
Yesss check the FAQ guys! Fangames are fine as long as you explicitly say it’s a fangame!!
I’m almost mad I didn’t think of this myself. I’m one of those people who overuses “spoopy”
All art in the game (including the title screen) can be downloaded here!
NO!!!
Noelle. The day the others find out will be the End of her
Akarsha was reading some yaoi so it came up in conversation, and since Noelle had never heard of it Akarsha gleefully educated her (to Noelle’s horror). Noelle was extremely scandalized that Akarsha kept sending her inappropriate images, and Akarsha was like “i’m doing this out of the kindness of my heart! it’s for ur education!! me: Master Teacher. call me sensei”
Following this Akarsha changed her chat name to YAOI SEME as seen at the beginning of the game
Diya and Noelle: Never tried it
Min: Has tried it
Akarsha: She constantly makes weed jokes but actually only does it rarely
Yes, I’m planning on exploring this more in the sequel!
Diya; Dee-ya. Rhymes with “See ya”
Min-seo: Korean way, but most characters like Diya pronounce it like Min-so, with the “Min” rhyming with “win” (not like “mean”). The “so” is one syllable (not like “see oh”)
Akarsha: uh-KAR-sha
Noelle: No L
I was planning on making the sprites blink! I’m still a bit sad I didn’t end up doing it
It’s supposed to be fall 2008 when they’re in high school, but I took a LOT of artistic liberties when it came to the references. For example, Akarsha makes a Durarara reference even though the anime didn’t come out until 2010, and there’s a lot of modern memes that ended up in there too...I couldn’t hold back...
The IGF trailer video is especially modern-day meme-wise -- since it broke the 4th wall, it was like, all bets are off. Don’t think too hard about it!
I wanted to put a lot of 90s and early 00s hits in the game for the nostalgia factor, like Complicated, Rock Your Body, Dilemma, etc. I think it would’ve made the experience even more surreal for players who are around my age!
I don’t own the rights to all the music so I can’t distribute it around for people to download! Here’s where you can find everything:
Thought Projection by Ketsa
Holding Your Breath by Ketsa
Thoughts of You by Ketsa
2011-13 by Ketsa
Miyauchi Yuri/110515 (miltata remix) by Miltata
Night Tourist by Miltata
Sound413_Images(short) by Miltata
Sound429_Floating Cloud (draft) by Miltata
Side by Side by Miltata
Blooming by Miltata
Romaras by Miltata
Little Circle by Miltata
Daydream by Miltata
Calling Project 2 by .que
Flame of Love by YOSHI
Valar Morghulis by Bloodgod
Overflowing by Tatsuya Kato
My Heart Will Go On - Recorder By Candlelight by Matt Mulholland
At one point Diya finds out what it means on her own. After she finds out, she uses it for the actual meaning :) (added this to the FAQ now)
I can totally relate to all of them, but I’d say Diya! (added this to the FAQ now)
that sounds a bit alarming
(I added this to the FAQ page now, thanks for reminding me) I’m fine with people shipping whatever!! The only thing I can think of that’d make me uncomfortable is incest and shipping Diya and Min with male characters – other than that, go nuts
Oh noo im sorry, that must’ve been stressful! For those who don’t know, I chatted about my game for a few minutes last week with MEGA (a USC club I used to be in!). I’ve adapted them here with what I assume what the questions were:
1. Is that your cat on your Skype icon?
yeah it is!! it's burrito
(people think it’s a cute name)
LOL glad you guys approve
2. Was the game made in Renpy? What do you think of Renpy vs. Twine?
yep! it's made in renpy! I actually started out in twine -- twine is impossible if your game is like longer than an hour and is image heavy. the engine started lagging so bad it would take 30 secs to do anything
2. Would you eat a tiny 2 inch man for $100 million?
LOL it's hard..it's a lot of money. I don't think I would
(but you could use that money to save many more lives! utilitarianism)
it's a real dude tho! i'd feel awful for him haha it's hard when you have to physically do it LOL
3. How long did it take for you to make Butterfly Soup?
FOREVER. I thought of it in my junior year over winter break
4. Was it for school (like an assignment)?
nah! just on my own
(people saying that’s impressive)
yeah!! self motivation
5. What’s your favorite part of the game?
hmmmmM I like the "date" with min in the dream. it's so fun, with the dog park
6. Which character do you relate to the most?
diya!! social anxiety queen, so relatable
(people comment on how she runs around when anxious)
i really did that before my sat once, ran 2 miles at the school's track
7. Are you from the San Francisco Bay Area
yeah i'm from the bay! east bay
8. Which year did you first come up with Butterfly Soup?
winter 2014 i think
(people trying to calculate which year was my junior year)
i graduated a year early so junior year was also senior year
9. Are you making a sequel?
yes!! once ihave more time. i have a lot of ideas for stuff that goes after
10. Was this a prequel to Pom Gets Wi-Fi? Or maybe spiritual successor?
this is a prequel. i dunno about spiritual successor tho, they're a bit differnt
11. Any tips on how to balance schoolwork and working on personal projects?
hmm...i honestly sucked at this and could only work on it on breaks lol...if you can try to work it into your school projects, like some bit of it...
other than that i cant think of anything LOL it's hard
12. How did you organize yourself making such a long game? Any tips?
it was SUPER hard to organize, i was really lost until i split it into 4 sections with each character. so if you're planning on making a game this big definitely think about forcing yourself into sections like that
the art was the most confusing to do bc of how many assets there were. i was going to say "have consistent naming conventions" but that's literally impossible LOL it'll always become inconsistent no matter how hard u try
13. What part of the game took the longest (writing? art?)
writing, actually, despite how much i complain about art assets. it's really hard making sure the structure and themes come across correctly. like pacing is so hard. art is like #2 biggest time sink
14. How early in did you write the Akarsha/Min skateboard scene?
that came pretty late haha i put it in at last second
15. Are the characters based on real people?
they're all inspired by combinations of ppl i know! i wouldn't say based on them, tho. for example min is like a combination of 3 friends i have, strategically arranged to play her part in the story
character design is design so u still gotta be deliberate about it
16. Who’s the other cat on the computer? (they’re referring to the cat on my desktop wallpaper)
that one's maru! he's a famous japaense cat. he's super photogenic
(people speculating that he’s the “tube one”)
the tube one? probably. he's famous for going into stuff
17. What was your favorite aspect of working on the game?
definitely getting to put specific Asian-American experiences into it
i was like HAHOH i can do this and no one can stop me! it was really fun getting to do this without any creative direction from like, a studio or anything. so i could just go bonkers. i hate pitching stuff so
18. Any writing advice?
definitely have other people beta your writing as soon as possible! they always catch stuff you missed. also this is like a cheat, make your characters really extreme. like find one aspect of yourself, and turn it up to 11 and make it into a character. that way they'll be relatable and memorable at the same time. i think most people don't make their characters extreme enough so they're all kinda samey
19. (I can’t remember what they asked me here, sorry! They were asking if a specific meme was in the game)
LMAO nah it's not. i did briefly think about it though, i will admit
20. Would you eat a Gusher the size of your hand?
that would be pretty cool. i don't think i could eat it all at once tho...i would try to save it. like half
You’re welcome, I’m really happy to hear it helped the game feel relatable!!
Thank you! I hope you have a good day too!!
haha I feel like my game is almost propaganda bc so many people wish they had girlfriends after playing it! the agenda...Thank you for waiting for the sequel, it makes me super happy to hear people are looking forward to it!
You’re welcome!! I’ll do my best!!!
You’re welcome!!!! :>
You’re welcome!!!
same I’m really happy so many people find them relatable! you’re welcome!!
You’re welcome!! my kids can never get enough love im very happy
I’m glad you liked it! Thanks for the support! TT_TT
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Hey there :) I love your writing so much and your taste in fics recs. I guess amazing writers recognize equally talented work. While I love reading fanfic, I've been trying to get into reading books lately but am unsure of where to start. I was wondering if you have any book recs (really any genre is fine I trust your taste, but if you have anything with magical realism or an unnerving eerie horror vibe I'd love you to the moon and back)? thank you so much
Hey! Sorry to takeso long to respond, I love this ask and I’m flattered that you wantmy recs!!
As for an unnervingeerie/horror vibe, I think Universal Harvester by John Darniellewould be something you might love, especially as a kind of starter book because it’s a very quick and absorbing read– one caveat is that if you like a mystery whereeverything is neatly explained at the end it will frustrate you, buteven as someone who felt kinda ‘huh’ at the end, I enjoyedreading it a lot and would recommend. There are two skin-crawling moments in this book I will never forget, it’s so effective. I need to read more horror butI’m very squeamish about both gore and psychological horror so it’shard for me to find stuff like this that’s effective and scarywithout disturbing me too much.
I wish I had moremagic realism recs (I wanted to like Kelly Link, jfc I really tried;___;) but the only thing that’s coming to mind is One HundredYears of Solitude, which is one of my favorite books and one I shouldreread since it’s been a while.
OH OKAY this is asomewhat corny book but if you have tolerance for romance (and if youlike my stuff you probably do lol), I love More Than You Know by BethGutcheon– the ghost story is so fucking creepy! It has majorcharacter death but even though you can see it coming a mile away itdidn’t feel cheap to me; it’s more about the MC’s memories thanthe romance itself. And I love this so much, from the opening: “Somebody said ‘true love is like ghosts, which everyone talks about and few have seen.’ I’ve seen both and I don’t know how to tell you which is worse.”
I have a lot offeelings about George Saunders these days but I lovedddd Pastoralia when I was first getting into contemporary shortfiction and I still reread his older stuff sometimes. There’s somegood surreal & creepy stuff in that collection.
My favorite book ofall time ever is The Green Knight by Iris Murdoch and it’s surrealand creepy as fuck in places, but really in a more comic way thananything else, ultimately. If you read it and like it, I recommend everything by Murdoch, she’s my favorite writer.
I recommend LikeYou’d Understand, Anyway by Jim Shepard to everyone because it’smy favorite short story collection. If you’re juststarting to get into reading short fiction I might start with mysecond favorite though, Birds of America by Lorrie Moore.
I read A Manual forCleaning Women by Lucia Berlin last year and now it’s on myfavorite books of all time list, it’s emotionally brutal though (but in such a satisfying way, if you’re up for that!)
Earlier this year Iread Signs and Wonders by Alix Ohlin and it really impressed me. (I’m reading her older collection now and one of her stories has inspired a new Kylux idea in me lol…)
Now I’ll wanderpast my bookshelves to see if there’s anything else I need tomention….
OH: ObservatoryMansions!! by Edward Carey. omg now I want to reread this. It’s super surreal andcreepy in what I think is a unique way, at least in my relativelylimited experience of contemporary fiction, and I still think of itoften and feel attached to the main character. This is one of thosebooks that probably had a lot of subconscious influence on my ownstuff now that I think about it, I really need to reread it….
Gob’s Grief by Chris Adrian isfrustrating as fuck but it’s another surreal and creepy novel thatI sometimes consider rereading because a lot of it stayed with me andbecause the short story that got me interested in it (which became a chapter in this novel), Every Night fora Thousand Years, is one of my favorites.
Also The MiracleLife of Edgar Mint by Brady Udall is one of my favorite books andLetting Loose the Hounds is a good short story collection by the sameauthor (the story about the moose. I’ll never forget it).
I also alwaysrecommend Passion by Alice Munro to anyone who likes romance. It’sone of if not my absolute favorite short stories, I rereadit a lot.
I’ll stop there–thanks again for asking, and I hope you’ll enjoy some of these!
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